[Brainstorming] Part Test Contracts Replacement

[nightingale]

I'm trying to decide between a few different ideas for my next contract pack for Contract Configurator. One of the ideas is a replacement to the stock Part Test contracts. I'd like to throw it out to the community and gather some ideas about what might make for a better experience around part testing contracts.

If I decide to go ahead with this contract pack it would need to:

1. Offer a different enough experience from the stock Part Test. I'm not looking to write "part testing, but no launch clamps on the Mun".
   
2. Have a progression in the contracts from early/mid-game/late-game. Using my tourism contract pack as an example, it starts with a single contract to bring one dude to orbit, moves to bringing multiple Kerbals to orbit, then to the Mun, then building orbital attractions, etc.
   
3. Have a specific purpose in mind. I don't know what this purpose should be, and I'm open to idea. Is it a way to fund you space program. Is in a pre-requisite to unlock parts (ie. the reward of part testing is getting access to more parts). Something else?
   

A few random ideas that I already have (nothing set in stone though):

1. Multi-part test contracts for one manufacturer. Test a bunch of parts for Kerbodyne.
   
2. Multi-situation contracts. Have one vessel go test a part in flight and landed in a certain biome, for example.
   
3. (From Invader Myk in this thread) Part testing is a pre-requisite to unlocking the part for normal use.
   
4. Internally track a sort of "reputation" with specific part manufacturers. Testing more parts for that manufacturers gives a benefit (cheaper parts, maybe?).
   

Right now this is just a brainstorming session... nothing is off the table. If you have complaints about the stock part testing contracts, feel free to voice those as well - that'll help me avoid repeating the same mistakes. So what do you guys think?

[nightingale]

Self-bump, as I had the mods move this to a move appropriate forum for me. Anyone have thoughts on this one?

[skykooler]

It might be interesting to give a higher payout if you actually recover the tested parts - e.g. if you have a contract to test a radial decoupler, you'd get a better paycheck if you recovered it on parachutes than just let it hit the ground (better than just the funds gained from recovery of parts, that is).