DonLorenzo's Forum Campaign: To space, the moon and beyond

[sjwt]

Update on my spread sheet for this, I had wrongly linked the salvage to the amount of parts taken, not the salvaged column.. my bad..

Also as a note, when entering costs for techs or the ships etc on the second page you need to put them in as a negative number, they will then show as red..

I am hoping to get time make a macro for these to fill in the second page automaticly before the end of the next round.

[DonLorenzo]

Results from Turn 001

Player: Awaras Mission Completed: 25km Tech purchased: none Spent: $8750 Income: $11000 New Balance: $11250

Player: sal_vager Mission Completed: 25km Tech purchased: none Spent: $8750 Income: $11000 New Balance: $11250

Player: Saaur Mission Completed: 25km Tech purchased: none Spent: $8750 Income: $11000 New Balance: $11250

Player: Imnotcanadian Mission Completed: 10km Tech purchased: Booster Tech Spent: $8750 Income: $7000 New Balance: $7250

Player: Crowzone Mission Completed: 10km Tech purchased: Salvage Tech I Spent: $6750 Income: $7600 New Balance: $9850

Player: ThobeWill Mission Completed: 10km Tech purchased: Salvage Tech I Spent: $7500 Income: $7100 New Balance: $7600

Player: sjwt Mission Completed: 10km Tech purchased: Booster Tech Spent: $8750 Income: $7000 New Balance: $7250

I\'m very happy to see that so far there appear to be three schools of thought on how to approach this campaign, hopefully that will make things interesting!

Now, on to turn 2, with some important announcements:

-New mission: Reach 50km altitude, Reward $10500, 1st Bonus $1000

-New technology: Introducing Salvage tech IIa: Command pod salvage. This will cost $1500 to research and will be available from turn 3 onwards. Does not require Salvage Tech II.

-Technologies reduced by 10% (purchased twice): Booster Tech and Salvage Tech I

-Contract: Design contest: Turn 002 will feature the campaign\'s first design contest. This can be undertaken in parallel to the regular mission you fly. In case of lacking funds, a choice may be made between either participating in the contract or flying a mission.

The contest is this: Design a craft that can land a crew on one of the polar ice caps, using any number of any part you like, except liquid fuel engines. The design that utilizes the least amount of Solid Fuel Boosters will be the winner. All parts are provided by the contractor, you won\'t need to pay for any them and any salvage you may recover also won\'t belong to you.

The rules for this contest are simple, and as follows:

-Contract entry fee is $1000

-Criteria for success: land a pod on polar ice

-Criteria for win: do it with the least amount of boosters

-Payout for success: $2000

-Bonus for the winner: $1000

Mission and contract rewards aren\'t paid out to you untill the end of the turn, so you can\'t use rewards from a mission in turn 2 to pay the contract entry fee.

I\'m putting the deadline for turn 002 at Monday 21-05-2012 23:59 (GMT+2). In case I receive submissions from all active players before that, we can move faster.

Good luck on your endeavours, I\'m updating the OP with the new missions and tech now

Cheers

[sal_vager]

I have submitted my entry for the 50km altitude mission, though I think I have acted too much like the hare and run out of funds

[DonLorenzo]

If you want to redesign or reconsider your mission I\'ll allow that

[DonLorenzo]

Here is an updates excel file with the new tech and the landing strut added to the parts list. Will also replace the file in the OP with this one.

With 0.15 released it opens up many new possibilities for missions and design contests. I think I\'ll utilize the SPH mostly for design challenges, should be fun.

Furthermore, a few requests:

-Could you please when submitting your turn e-mails include the turn number in the subject? This will make it easy for me to sort through the e-mails, especially when we\'re a few turns in.

-Please try and make a final submission in one go, I\'m allowing revisements on this turn since it\'s the first one with two separate missions but I think after this I\'ll instate a \'first submission is automatically final\' rule, just to keep things manageable for me

And a reminder; you\'re allowed and encouraged to do a mission and a contract (if available) each turn.

Cheers

Edit: before I forget, here\'s a screenshot of the campaign scene at the moment, it\'s getting cluttered around the KSC

[sjwt]

You know I didn\'t realise how much more complex this would become with the design changeling...

I would suggest that the entry fee increases each turn, along with the payouts.

This is becoming complex! I love it.

[sjwt]

HEADLINE: SKRAM sees the North pole and makes 25680m, competition is heating up!

[DonLorenzo]

So far I\'ve only received submissions from sjwt, sal_vager and Awaras. I will continue with just you guys, but I feel like it\'d be more fun with a couple more players, so for now I\'m extending the turn deadline to the end of the week.

Guys, if you don\'t want to play anymore that\'s fine, but could you please say so if it\'s the case? I\'m guessing it\'s not and that everybodies time has been sucked up by plane-designing and asteroid-shooting, which is totally understandable

Cheers

[sal_vager]

I am fine with the extended deadline, but I would hope this challenge doesn\'t turn out like the community base, with most participants failing to attempt their go.

And another week gives us more time to play with airplanes, though it\'s a sunny 25 Celsius day here so I really should go outside.

I wonder if I can find a long enough power cord?

[DonLorenzo]

Yeah it\'s nice weather here too, and with the .15 release I understand if our players haven\'t found the time. As I said, let\'s give it this week and see what happens.

Also new players are more than welcome, since we\'re only just on turn two it\'s still very possible to join the game.

EDIT: also, I just noticed I forgot to reduce Booster and salvage tech prices, since they were purchased twice on turn 1. I\'ll add that in the turn update and OP, you guys that purchased them on turn 2 will have a couple hundred more bucks. If you want to revise your turn based on this info, you can since I overlooked it at first.

[fireblade42]

I throw my rocket into the madness.

[robsr3v3ng3]

This looks really interesting and I think I\'m going to start taking part after my exams are done. I finish next weeks so I\'ll probably start the week or so after because uni exams are kinda important XD

[DonLorenzo]

Cool, good luck with those!

[DonLorenzo]

Turn 2 Results!

Most of our corporations elected to prioritize the normal missions, researching technologies that would make them profitable and a sure bet over the semi-uncertain payout of the contract. Sjwt was the only one that played the contract, and therefor automatically won it too. He did so with 34 rocket boosters.

Here\'s the financial summary for turn 2

Player: Awaras Mission Completed: 50km Tech purchased: Booster Tech Spent: $10850 Income: $11500 New Balance: $11900

Player: sal_vager Mission Completed: 50km Tech purchased: Salvage Tech I Spent: $11050 Income: $11600 New Balance: $11800

Player: sjwt Mission Completed: 25km + contract Tech purchased: none Spent: $7250 Income: $13500 New Balance: $13500

Player: Fireblade Mission Completed: 25km Tech purchased: none Spent: $8750 Income: $10500 New Balance: $10750

Sadly I did\'nt receive a submission or word from Saaur, Imnotcanadian, CrowZone or ThobeWill. You\'re still welcome to come back in and resume your space program, but there won\'t be delayed turns for you again.

Now on to turn 3!

Announcements

-Salvage Tech IIb (announced last turn) now available for research

-New contract: Airplane speed challenge

-Salvage Tech I has now been purchased 4 times, price reduced to $800 (another 10% off base value)

See the OP for the updated technology tree, missions and the new contract for turn 3

Cheers!

Edit: Deadline for turn 3 will be 30-05-2012 23:59 (GMT+2), or as soon as all players have submitted.

[Thobewill10]

I\'m going to hold off on this for a while. I made a stupid mistake first turn that prevented second turn from containing anything eventful. I\'ll wait till all the prices go down.

[robsr3v3ng3]

as I\'ll be starting part way through 'turn thingy magig' will I be starting on?

as in will I only have the turn 1 stuff available, or can I start with the turn 3 stuff. Because the turn 3 contract looks pretty good for a starting contract. Or would I have to start off the missions available in turn 1 only. And also if you get on to turn 3 say, would be able to do the turn 2 missions?

[DonLorenzo]

The information on the previous turns are just there for posterity & reference. So you have access to the turn 3 stuff and not the turn 1 & 2 stuff. This means that some mission bonuses are no longer available or reduced, but also that some technologies will be cheaper.

Some turns in I might mark some missions \'starters only\' or something, but I don\'t think that\'s needed for now.

I hope the cheaper tech and contracts will allow later players to somewhat catch up, without the first day players feeling shafted. We\'ll see how that goes

[DonLorenzo]

I got the following question from fireblade via PM

Also for the design contest this turn, I have a couple of questions. Does the plane have to be able to land after it\'s speed run? Or does it just need to be survivable? Does the plane still have the same zo2 requirements as the rockets?

The plane does not need to land safely on wheels, but kerbonauts do need to survive (if they don\'t, profit is docked according to OP). Whether you do that via a parachute-splashdown, decoupling of the pod or a safely landable plane is up to you.

The zox system is required, in the future you can hold to the rule of thumb that it\'s always required except when expressly stated it isn\'t.

Cheers!

[sjwt]

Turn 2 Results!

Sjwt was the only one that played the contract, and therefor automatically won it too. He did so with 34 rocket boosters.

Damm it, anyone know if that was an ok amount? I put a lot of time into that

[sjwt]

I *hate* planes...

This weeks challenge is challenging

At lest to some one who cant get a plane to take off .. oh well time to expand my horizons.

***EDIT***

Can we use the new ZO2 parts?

[sal_vager]

i hope we can as I already submitted my craft with the new zo2 main tank, also if you are having trouble with planes just stick a mechjeb on it, the easier it is for Don to fly the better.

As for boosters to the poles, I don\'t think my PC could have managed it in 0.14.4, and it definitely can\'t manage it now, 0.15 is far too slow for me.

[Awaras]

Damm it, anyone know if that was an ok amount? I put a lot of time into that

Mine had 30, but I ended up short on funds and gave up on the challenge.

Sigh... It even landed just a few km from the pole too... :\'(

[sjwt]

If we build a craft, and it performs multiple missions that would all be 1st round missions, do we get the highest paying rewards and all the applicable 1st\'s Bonuses?

[DonLorenzo]

New ZOX parts are allowed, the side mounted tanks have the same amount/weight ratio, but have different amounts per part. So use a little care when you cost them. Ie. two of the new \'large side mounted tanks\' are equivalent in weigth, amount and cost to one of the old \'large zox tank\'.

About the booster challenge, when testing it I made one that I think had 26 or 28 boosters and landed just a hair short of the icecap, with some flight profile optimization it probably could\'ve made it. Your designs made it all well into the pole, which is something I suppose

You get to fly one mission and claim one \'first bonus\', not multiple. If you do a higher one than the next highest \'first\' available I may reduce the bonuses of the skipped missions for the next turn, but you won\'t be able to claim them. I think that would be a bit overpowered.

[robsr3v3ng3]

for these missions and contracts are we allowed to use the mech jeb parts like the decoupler, or is it stock only + zoxy + mech jeb enabling parts (i.e. none of mech jebs landing legs, thrusters or fuel tanks.)