OJT

Well, solution sounds easy enough: just place a couple of flags on various points across the Earth and use them as targets for SAS Now, whether you are allowed to put the flags down with the HyperEdit/F12 menu before the mission or you must manually place them is a different question entirely. I'd suggest you clear this up with @18Watt

Very belated review (and I truly apologize for that), but everything looks really neat and cleanly done! I will be adding your submissions in the lists I'm going to need some more screenshots to verify this. Screenshots of the starting rocket, some of the staging sequences maybe, and at least one from the map view showing the flight path Challenges centered around these will be coming!

The thread is not dead until I pronounce it so. It just seems that the initial interest somewhat dwindled, and I, myself, have a lot going on right now IRL. If you want to contribute - you're more than welcome! But with seemingly soon upcoming release of Science update, I decided to hold the new challenges for now

Hello to everyone You might notice the lack of activity on my part in this thread and in forum in general, some IRL stuff came about that I needed to take care of. So I wanted to give y'all some quick updates First and foremost, Duna Mastery won the Thread Of The Month! I got three Honourable Mentions before for my threads, but until now fell short of the grand prize. For that, I want to thank everyone who nominated the thread, who took part in the challenge and everyone who has shown interest in general. TOTM badge is now proudly hanging at the OP Second, I've been working on some ways to expand the challenge and make it more attractive for new and old participants alike. This includes new challenges and badges that you can put into your signatures. So stay tuned! Third, my own participation in the Challenge was somewhat slow, but with the holidays coming about, I should have time to make more contributions Starting with my first Lander Fairly small rocket packs enough fuel to get to Kerbin orbit and perform most of the escape maneuver. Lander has three small legs, landing engines, parachutes, antenna for connection and small retractable solar panel. The whole mission went without a hitch and a smooth Duna touchdown completes the mission Next missions will be coming soon

At long last, I actually got the TOTM lmao Wanna thank everyone who nominated it and my congratulations to other winners

@Scarecrow71 Nicely done! Will add you to the list and looking forward towards future missions

Bringing the plane back is optional: as long as you can fly it around in Duna atmosphere and then safely land it, you complete the challenge With that being said, I don't see any screenshots of the plane safely landing after take-off and flight

Okay, I've read through your reports @ChromeDome Yours looks really good, will be added to the list @Speeding Mullet Yours is very detailed aswell... except I am quite sure that those antennas are Direct ones, or at least they were in KSP1. Mission briefing specifically requires Relays on the satellites. Unless the antenna type of those antennas was changed, I unfortunately have to ask you to redo the mission And by the way, the time warp menu being visible even with F2 pressed is one of the new bugs in the latest patch How do I know? Because I just completed Mission 3 on the 0.1.1.0 patch Since the Satellite that I placed in Mission 2 already has a Relay antenna, I can simply expand the network to satisfy the minimum requirement of 3 satellites in Duna orbit. So I only bring 2 satellites with me, saving on takeoff mass With that being said, my ascent wasn't the most efficient and because of that, transfer stage used all of its fuel to get into transfer orbit. I usually leave a bit of fuel extra for course corrections and whatnot. But no worries, I deployed the Sats in the interplanetary space and did the adjustments, so that they'd arrive Duna at different times. This would give me enough window to circularize with the first Sat, then quickly switch and do the same with the second First Sat was placed in near polar orbit Second Sat was placed in near equatorial orbit The Sat from Mission 2 was also in a near polar orbit, but at a different inclination, effectively providing me with full coverage of Duna for the next missions

@Speeding Mullet F2 does remove the UI, like in KSP1. At least for me it does. Maybe check the key bindings? Or it was probably disabled after the patch (didn't have the chance to play with new patch yet) As for your and @ChromeDome's mission reports : I will be reviewing them later in the evening and, if everything is in order, they will go into the lists

As for me, you've probably noticed that I wasn't participating much in my own challenge thread. IRL stuff doesn't leave much time for games lately, and the times I did have time to play I usually played something else (caught a bit of a GoW: Ragnarök bug ). The few occasions I did play KSP2 I got hit with various gameplay/Kraken issues that didn't let me complete the missions I had planned, and seeing that there's an update planned to be released next Thursday, I decided to wait out its release With that being said, I did manage to complete Mission 2. And here's the report for it Ascent was nominal. As you can also see, the Satellite already has a Relay antenna, which will save me some work for Mission 3 Escaping Kerbin As in Fly-By mission, I wasn't entering Duna optimally due to trajectory lines not showing inside Duna's SoI, but the Satellite had extra fuel just for this situation After another burn at periapsis, I entered the Duna orbit Some eye-candy

Man, I can barely review one submissions when others are being posted I wonder for how long this activity will be sustained @Draradech Looks like you're the first one to complete the first 8 challenges, congratulations! Looks like you decided to brute force the Kerbin ascent, but either way the plane works and the kerbonaut is returned home @Scarecrow71 Seems like you got over the problems you were having (or most of them, at least). Everything so far looks nice and dandy, keep it going @Uuky Welcome to the thread! Nice mission reports, and you're the first to utilize Molniya orbits for satellites. I imagine executing it was a pain. Kudos @ChromeDome Another newcomer, welcome! Solid mission reports aswell, but I would ask you to post some more Kerbin screenshots for future missions, that being the launch vehicle, parking orbits etc. Otherwise looks good As always, all posted missions will be added into the lists

Oh it was this year? Lmao You can definitely tell that I wasn't following this thread too closely

But then again, these have been done already. I'm talking about the firsts With that being said, you got me intrigued

This thread is popping off will this finally be enough to get TOTM? @Draradech Nice work, will be adding both to the lists. And since you've already done Challenge 7, I will honor my word and add it aswell. Only Challenge 8 left: curious how you're going to tackle that @Sp1f Welcome to the thread! First two submissions going into the lists @Speeding Mullet The solar panel looks a bit overpowered for the satellite of this size, but either way, solid mission report @Scarecrow71 Yeaaah. Sad that the game has been treating you this rough. We will be waiting for your comeback

This has been a year of firsts so far. First Parallax attempt, first fully underwater attempt. What's next? Bloody Jool Elcano?

More submissions for me to review @Scarecrow71 The game really seems to kick your butt. My experience with KSP2 was, comparatively, much smoother. As a staunch teetotaler I definitely don't endorse your cravings for alcohol, but what I can acknowledge is your success in Challenge 2: it will be added to the list! @Draradech You seem to make quick work of the challenges. It will be not long before you get the first six challenges under the helm. Then only the 8th one will be left, since you already have done the Challenge 7 (albeit prematurely). In the meanwhile, your submissions have been added to the lists. Keep it up! As for me, I didn't really have much free time to contribute to the challenge myself. But my submissions are coming

If you wish you can launch multiple rockets for different missions at the same time. The important part is that each rocket is designed for one specific mission and, subsequently, mission reports must also be done separately, even if all rockets flew at the same time. So no, you don't have to fly one mission at a time and then time warp couple of years forward until next Duna transfer window. But you must design and fly separate crafts for each mission and make the mission reports accordingly As for why I constructed the challenge this way: It resembles the progress of real life Mars exploration It allows the players to familiarize themselves with Duna, with each mission adding something more atop the previous one. At first just getting in the vicinity of the planet, then getting into orbit, then landings etc. This way you can iron out the basics before the more complex gameplay elements will release Developers of KSP 2 made a lot of effort in making the game more accessible for the masses by implementing new tutorials and such. And with expected influx of new players that are not too familiar with rocketry, I thought that a structured challenge thread will give these new players a good reference point on what they should do in what order. At the same time, if you're a KSP1 veteran and want to fast-track the challenges, you can also do it like I said above: just fly multiple missions at the same time and document them separately Now you might ask if all challenges will be structured like that, and the answer is: not exactly. There will be additions, but I will also include optional or bonus challenges that are not explicitly require the completion of previous ones. But this will become more clear, both to you and me, as new additions to the game will be released I hope I covered all the points

Another batch of submissions I see @Speeding Mullet @Draradech Your reports look pretty good. I will add them to the lists @Scarecrow71 Mission 1 looks fine. But I can't accept the Mission 2 report due to reusing the assets of Mission 1. Every Mission must be flown separately with a separate rocket/rockets, so I'm afraid you'll have to redo the Mission 2 properly in order to get into its list. Mission 1 however will be added to the board

That's quite a response this challenge has received! Looking forward for more submissions in the future. In the meanwhile, the ones that've posted so far... @Jvader Looks good. Both of your challenges will be added to the list. You can proceed with the next if you wish, but just for the future: add some more screenshots @Shinzo Same thing: I would like to see more screenshots in future missions. But seeing that you posted valid results, I'm gonna allow these submissions on trust basis @epaga I don't quite understand what exactly you did from your mission report. If you did the Challenge 1 with three fly-by drones - that's fine. If you tried to jump straight to Challenge 3 - I'm afraid I can't put that into the list until you complete the first 2 missions. And even then - I don't see the entire orbits of the sats and I am pretty sure that the Relay antennas they have are not strong enough to reach Kerbin, so it would still be an invalid submission @Draradech That's a really nice mission report! But the point of the mastery is in the incremental progression, with each task more daring than the previous one. You don't have to remove the post, but if you want to get into the lists, I'd like that you do the previous 6 challenges. If you're willing to do them and post them here - I will add your Challenge 7 report aswell

As is tradition, I will kick off my own challenge thread with my submission A relatively simple Launch Vehicle and Probe with way more dV than it would ever need. But I played it safe, since I am still getting used to revamped controls and glitchy trajectory indicators Encountering Duna and therefore completing the first challenge

I visited various celestial bodies, both in stock and modded KSP 1, and yet Duna is the place I find myself always returning to: relatively small dV required to reach it, enough gravity for quick surface traversal, atmosphere thin enough to allow brutal reentries but at the same time just so thick enough to fly and even land planes. Pretty much everything I could do on Duna I did it: from simple fly-bys to non-refuelable SSTOs to even circumnavigating the entire planet on land With the release of KSP 2, total redesign of Duna and (future) addition of all the new game mechanics, I plan to again thoroughly explore the Red Planet. But, instead of doing it all myself, I decided to share the fun with others! Proudly introducing... The Mastery thread will consist of various challenges/achievements that you will need to complete in order to get on the respective list. Challenges must be done in order from start to finish. Depending on the future updates and new gameplay mechanics new challenges will be added, or the old ones adjusted. Rules might also be modified accordingly Rules: Usage of potential physics exploits is forbidden: no cheats or Kraken drives of any kind If you use any mods that affect stock gameplay (whether it is new parts, changed rigidity configs or otherwise), state them. These submissions will be marked as Modded General construction of the vessels is up to you: use any part you want, as long as you keep within the broad requirements of each challenge (satellites must have antennas, Rovers must have wheels, you get the idea) All crafts must be launched from Kerbin (unless specified) Post proofs of your mission: screenshots or videos. If you have a lot of screenshots, place them under a spoiler Don't mix up the missions: there must be one submission per mission and the missions must be flown one at a time State the Game Version that the mission was flown on If you have concerns or questions about the ruling - ask away! Let's get down to the Challenges. And before you ask: most of the Challenge names are inspired by various works of fiction about Mars 1. Destination Duna Pretty straightforward: build an Unmanned Probe and perform a fly-by of Duna. Very broad definition of "Probe" here: you don't need to have antennas or means to generate electricity. As long as it has a Probe Core and it fly-bys Duna - you're in 2. Otherworldly Connection Build an Unmanned Satellite and enter Duna orbit. Satellite must have an antenna strong enough to reach Kerbin and have means to generate power. Take Ike's SOI into consideration when you plan the orbit! 3. Transmitting Live From Duna Set up a Relay Satellite constellation in Duna's orbit. There must be at least 3 satellites in the constellation. Each Satellite must have a Relay antenna strong enough to reach Kerbin and have means to generate power. You can either launch new satellites or add some to the one you've sent in Challenge 2, as long as the Satellite from Challenge 2 satisfies the aforementioned requirements 4. First Landing Launch an Unmanned Lander (like Viking) and land it intact on Duna. Lander must have an antenna that can reach the Relay satellites, means to generate electricity and some sort of landing legs. Whether you choose to use already provided lander legs or make some of your own from structural parts is up to you 5. Desolation Road Design an Unmanned Rover, send it to Duna and demonstrate its functionality by covering some distance in it. Rover must have an antenna that can reach the Relay satellites, means to generate electricity and at least 3 wheels 6. Bring It Home Design an Unmanned Lander that can land on Duna and then subsequently return it intact to Kerbin. If the Lander is multi-stage, the stage with Probe Core must be returned. Otherwise the requirements are the same as in Challenge 4 7. Strangers in a Strange Land Land a Kerbal (or Kerbals) on Duna and then bring him (or them) back. The method (Direct ascent vs. Orbit rendezvous) is up to your choice. If you send multiple Kerbals, all of them must return home: leave no one stranded! 8. Come Fly With Me Design a Duna Plane and demonstrate its ability to navigate its skies. Plane must have wing parts and be able to land and take off horizontally. Plane can either be Manned or Unmanned. If Manned, all Kerbals must later return home (either via Plane or other means). If Unmanned, the Plane must have an antenna to reach the Relays and have means to generate electricity. Extra kudos if it can return intact back to Kerbin More to be added... Good luck and have fun!

Probably a bit offtopic, but I saw Matt Lowne's recent KSP2 video where he built a Duna rover, and the offroading seems even jankier than in KSP1 (at least from the video) @18Watt seems like the pain is going to continue for a while

Collisions are in "beta" and are turned off by default. You will need to edit the config file to get collidable rocks: instructions should be in the Parallax mod thread Just know that colliders are in "beta" for a reason: collider generation can be quite inconsistent at times. But it is still workable, as you can see from my Elcano run

As much as I love KSP, I am just too skeptical of a gamer when it comes to purchases. Genuinely, the only game in my life that I actually did pre-order was God of War Ragnarok, and even then it took a lot of self-convincing to splash out 70 euros. To be fair, it was totally worth it, but I think I'm gonna wait out for the first opinions/reviews of KSP2, and if it's alright - instant buy

To be fair, I did the run on Duna. Which in general isn't really that bad: enough gravity to have grip, plenty of smooth plains, and the Parallax itself wasn't that much of an obstacle really. Most of the rocks were small enough to just drive over, and most of the rocks don't even have colliders in the first place: only medium to large size rocks usually have colliders and at that point, it is easier to just drive around them than over them. I may have been the first to actually do a run with Parallax, but I genuinely think most of the Elcano veterans here will easily manage to do Parallax runs Madness would be to do a Parallax run on Eve, but I value my sanity and free time way too much for that