On the price of Cadet hires and Establish Base contracts.

[Xacktar]

I am very sad right now in my career game.

This is because I want to do Establish Base contracts but I cannot without performing 10 rescue missions or driving myself into bankruptcy.

It now costs me 340,000 to hire a single cadet.

I have a contract to make an 18-kerbal base that only gives a combined payout of 600,000. If I hired all the kerbals needed for this mission fresh from the academy it would cost me over five million funds.

Please lower and cap the price of hiring new kerbals or re-balance base missions to compensate for the cost. I don't mind there being a hiring cost, but having the cost stop me from doing missions makes me sad.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Xacktar

[J.Random]

I don't recall base contracts to require kerbals. They needed enough space for certain amount of kerbals, which isn't the same. Was it changed?

[Starwhip]

I don't recall base contracts to require kerbals. They needed enough space for certain amount of kerbals, which isn't the same. Was it changed?

It says "Supporting at least X Kerbals", and you need at least that much in your ship to fulfill the contract. As far as I know it's always been that way.

[J.Random]

you need at least that much in your ship to fulfill the contract.

Oh. I guess I didn't pay enough attention. That sucks.

[tater]

I have to try in 1.0, but it never required shipping the actual kerbals, just being able to support them.

[Robotengineer]

It says "Supporting at least X Kerbals", and you need at least that much in your ship to fulfill the contract. As far as I know it's always been that way.

Nope. You just need enough space for X number of kerbals, you don't actually have to have a kerbal in every seat.

[Slam_Jones]

Nope. You just need enough space for X number of kerbals, you don't actually have to have a kerbal in every seat.

I can confirm that was the case for 0.90, but haven't yet tried in 1.0.

I suspect it's the same.

[Xacktar]

Nope. You just need enough space for X number of kerbals, you don't actually have to have a kerbal in every seat.

If this is correct then the mission text should be changed. As of this moment, it reads:

'Have a facility supporting at least nine kerbals.'

instead of

'Have a facility capable of supporting nine kerbals.'

Either way, I like fully-stocked bases. I'm sure I could ship empty bases everywhere with Probe Core drivers, but why bother? I enjoy the IVAs, EVAs and other little bits of kerbals hanging around. Having a gameplay element that constricts this irks me.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Xacktar

[Pax Kerbana]

All I can say is that the price of a Kerbal does not correlate with the price of spacecraft hardware. Seriously.

If:

F-1 adjusted for inflation cost $15-20 million per engine today

Astronauts make $100,000 per year average, not including pay for spaceflight

The S3 KS-25x4 has (4) F-1 equivalent engines (and costs 32,400 roots)

Then:

The "Mammoth" would cost $60-80 million per unit (engines only!)

Each root is equivalent to $1,800-2,500 US

Xacktar's next hire is a low one-time cost of $630-840 million

And:

Something is seriously wrong. Tell me that I did the math wrong by saying the Mammoth is equivalent to "one" F-1 and still prove this point.

The cost for Kebral hires (per year) should be in the realm of 50-100 roots for my example and 200-400 if I've got it off by 4x. I don't understand how a Kerbal can be "bought" for a one-time fee. But let's say this is represents a 10-year contract. That puts the one-time cost somewhere between 500-1000 and 2000-4000 roots.

[J.Random]

Astronauts make $100,000 per year average, not including pay for spaceflight

I'd guess they cost much, much more if you include their training.

[Tery215]

I think the price cap should be based on the current reputation, so kerbals that are working for a well known and very safe space program would need less money because of insurance or competition to get hired.

[MKI]

It says "Supporting at least X Kerbals", and you need at least that much in your ship to fulfill the contract. As far as I know it's always been that way.

I've never sent kerbals on base missions WITH the mission itself. They are always controlled by probe cores and are emtpy.

To create a station or a base you DO NOT need kerbals within the ship. It's like this and WAS like this.

I like the current way to pay for kerbals. Just like real spaceflight most difficult work is done by probes. As they cost pretty much nothing, which balances them out with Kerbals and their abilities to do things on the fly, and provide much more capable science return/station manning.

Gameplaywise this addition is important as Science Lab's can give back ton's of science for almost no secondary work (get it there with kerbals and you get sciences) But that means you need to INVEST at least 2 kerbals to that station for a long period off time. Which balances out financially, as it costs a good amount of cash to get those two kerbals, either by rescue missions or by just buying them.

I dislike the idea of getting free kerbals from rescue missions. Kerbonauts shouldn't be cheap, since in terms of gameplay they are very important and neccessary in most missions if you want them to make the most of the mission. (EVA reports, surface samples, FLAGS!)

[Xacktar]

What if the Kerbals for the colony were provided like tourist kerbals are?

Colonist Kerbals!

That way they wouldn't detract from your own space program but would actually fill the base in question so you don't have empty husk bases all over the system.

I think the price cap should be based on the current reputation, so kerbals that are working for a well known and very safe space program would need less money because of insurance or competition to get hired.

I like this idea too!