[Stock 1.0.2] Early Career 5-Flight Challenge

[Maolagin]

Ok, this will be easy. Or not.

Short-Short summary..

Mission1:

Local hopper. Get eva reports for all ksp biomes, grassland, tundra, shore.

Fly to 5000m.

Sci: 50.2 Funds: 50000

Mission2:

Polar Orbit Observer.

Polar orbit. High orbit. Crew reports, eva reports all kerbin biomes. No science instruments, thanx, too heavy!

do 5 * surface observe contracts.

do 3 * science-in-orbit contracts.

land on south pole.

Sci income: 65

funds: 120k. upgraded mission control, training.

Mission3:

Will be Mun polar, Minmus Polar+landing, return.

Album coming as soon as imgur behaves..

I'm looking forward to seeing your pics! Make sure to include some good shots of your craft, I'm curious to see how you implemented the hopper with just the starting parts. 50 science points might be the biggest haul we've seen yet from a first flight.

[Maolagin]

Okay, I see your screenshot gallery now. Clever solution, tuning your landing speed to break off your first stage! That's got to be close to the max science points you can reasonably get from a first flight. I can't believe I've made it this long without realizing there's a sliver of tundra right next to the KSC, though.

I have to ask, how many contracts were you able to do on that polar orbit flight? It doesn't look like you made enough from your first flight to upgrade the mission control center, and if you unlocked the FL-200 tanks then you shouldn't have had enough science to also unlock batteries. That only leaves you with enough charge to transmit one additional science result before recovering.

[MarvinKitFox]

I have to ask, how many contracts were you able to do on that polar orbit flight? It doesn't look like you made enough from your first flight to upgrade the mission control center, and if you unlocked the FL-200 tanks then you shouldn't have had enough science to also unlock batteries. That only leaves you with enough charge to transmit one additional science result before recovering.

4 "science from space" missions. 3 done in space, one by returning

Things to remember...

1) the t45 rocket engine generates power.

2) you only need to transmit *one* packet, to get recognition of science mission!

so.. empty batteries, do crew observe.

start transmit, thrust until one packet is transmitted, shut down engine.

I got three transmits that way, and raised my Apo to 251km, allowing high science.

[g.koster]

I take the gauntlet ad least is so far I prove that all science and all money is possible.

first launche simple. although this one is science oriented. get at least 25 science. so pack a 6 goo canisters. a pod seven flea's and seven parachutes and fly.

next science spend 25 science on three sciences.(basic rocketry, engineering 101, survivability)

next flight is about money. so make it far and high. but don't get into orbit. 9 if you want take some science on the way)

next upgrade your mission control.

next take the contracts lv-T45 landed testing, Bacc landed testing, TT-38k radial decoupler landed testing.

next build your test rig. make sure that the second pod is occupied. and all fuel is taken out.

launch it and activate all stages.

DON'T RECOVER, but go to space centre.

go back to mission control and pick up contracts for testing flea landed, RT-10 landed, RT18-A separator landed.

activate your main ship at the launch site, add an extra stage and activate all stages.

DON'T RECOVER, but go to space centre.

for i = 1 to 16893

go to space centre

pick up one of the testings above.

leave space centre

select right craft (for the radial decoupler the small one)

ad stage

activate 2 stages

DON'T RECOVER, but go to space centre.

next.

so that is all science and a lot of money

I have tested this loop now 20 times and it works. For those who think that rep will generate a problem you can always accept and then decline a tourist mission. one for every 20 part test should do the job. But I have my doubt if its necessary.

As for getting to visit all planets with one launch. That I believe to be worth on other challenge.

[MarvinKitFox]

I take the gauntlet ad least is so far I prove that all science and all money is possible.....

so that is all science and a lot of money

This is exactly the same "problem" that I just ran into.

I am on flight 3, doing Mun and Minmus all-biomes-from-orbit temp and crew report and eva reports and material science and goo.

(Thought I was smart, sent a scientist up. He pilots like ((expletive deleted)) but he can recycle science.

While I am there, I do a few temp and observe contracts. these pay very good money, and about 6 science each.

Orbit one whole cycle at 10800m, get all high reports.

Lower orbit to 8500, get all low reports.

Repeat,rinse, recycle.

.

.

.

I am currently on my 17'th set of 3-or-4 observation contract, at over 2Million cash and 130science just from the observe missions.(primary mission will return in excess of 2000 from all those material science and goo reports)

As long as you *never* land on Mun, enter another SOI, or (i think) create a sub-orbital flight on Mun, these contracts just keep on coming.

With enough patience, I could make my fourth mission a send-a-permanent-science-base-to-Eeloo jobbie.

I'm including my early adventures to Mun in the Imgur folder above,...

Edited May 30, 2015 by MarvinKitFox

[Maolagin]

I am currently on my 17'th set of 3-or-4 observation contract, at over 2Million cash and 130science just from the observe missions.(primary mission will return in excess of 2000 from all those material science and goo reports)

As long as you *never* land on Mun, enter another SOI, or (i think) create a sub-orbital flight on Mun, these contracts just keep on coming.

With enough patience, I could make my fourth mission a send-a-permanent-science-base-to-Eeloo jobbie.

I'm including my early adventures to Mun in the Imgur folder above,...

Okay, I guess I'm sold on the idea that there's no practical limit to the amount you can grind a single mission under the current setup. Especially if it's just a question of avoiding whatever flight situation unlocks the next set of contracts -- but doing some clicking around myself, even after landing on Mun I can still reliably get new orbit-only science contracts apparently without end.

So here's a question -- would any of you be more interested in a rebalanced version of this challenge, one that rewards both how far you get AND how few contracts you use to do it? If so, how would you like to see that work? Simple XP less # of contracts (with appropriate scaling factors), or something more elaborate?

[MarvinKitFox]

would any of you be more interested in a rebalanced version of this challenge, one that rewards both how far you get AND how few contracts you use to do it? If so, how would you like to see that work? Simple XP less # of contracts (with appropriate scaling factors), or something more elaborate?

Nah.

Your original premise was "is career mode too easy or too grindy"

I think we have proven it to be BOTH.

Very easy to do, easy to exploit, but long hours of work to do so.

Basically, anyone with two braincells to rub together can get enough cash and XP to max out, while staying within the contract system, at any difficulty setting.

[RocketPropelledGiraffe]

Nah.

Basically, anyone with two braincells to rub together can get enough cash and XP to max out, while staying within the contract system, at any difficulty setting.

... unless his two brain cells die of grinding-boredom while doing so...

[ToneStack]

Forgive me, but for some reason my attempt to start the game out with 0 funds did not take and the game loaded with 10,000 funds , the science and rep did indeed load at zero

I have looked in the screenshots, and I have never started or ended a launch with fewer than 10,000 funds, so have a question?

Is it ok to effectively say that I completed the same challenge as the others, as the game does not add interest to the money like a bank account or bond?

or would the additional 10,000 at some point in the game might post additional/significantly different contracts

than it would with the 10,000 fund correction reduction?

I did not catch this until after my 3rd launch a couple hours into my journey,

so know that my actual remaining funds are always 10,000 less than it's showing in all my screenshots.

The only mod I installed is Kerbal Engineer to help calculate delta V's in the VAB.

Also, I did not know at the time that my screenshots though showing periapsis and apoapsis tags when i hit F1 to take it,

did not show in the actual jpg images . It has been a learning curve for me figuring out how screenshots work.

I don't know how to correct those ones

a brief description of my journey below

VVVVVVVVVV

Flight one

Walking science (DV 0)

Got total of 35 science, no launch first vessel contract fulfillment but got quite a bit of funds from science data, but counted as requested

Flight two (DV 2,279)

Up Through Atmosphere into space

Flight Three (DV S6 1415 + S3 1383 + S2 3244 = 6041)

Jeb Kerman up to Kerbin Orbit (using all but about half of stage 2 fuel) => Mun Orbit =>

and back on inclined kerbin orbit for science collection or crew/eva reports totaling 130.2 science

Flight Four (DV S5 1586 + S4 1411 + S2 3453 = 6430)

Jeb and Bob Kerman to Kerbin Orbit (leaving 310 of 540 of Stage 2 fuel left) => Mun Orbit (leaving 125 of 540 fuel left) => Minmus transfer (98.65 fuel left)

=> Bob eva's down to Minmus surface and plants a flag with only 1.59 of 5 of eva propellant remaining =>

Jeb goes home with a lot of stored science in material bay studies of Kerbin, Mun & Minmus Totaling 345.3 science

Jeb and Bob Kerman into Kerbin orbit,

Flight Five

{Once i figure out how to attach the screenshot files, I will be reediting this post to put them in there... It looks like I don't have permission to Post Attachments right now, I don't know why . Can a moderator help me here please?}

----------------------------

The forum didn't allow me to re-edit my earlier post... for some reason it denied it... Here are the screenshots for all Five flights that I did. I don't know why it is not in image form on this post like the other forum user was able to do. But it's the best I could do.

Web links that work are below all of the script tags attempts

I had a blast in doing this challenge

Tone Stack

Flight One screenshots

<blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="a/zsDvh"><a href="//imgur.com/a/zsDvh">FiveFlightStartup&firstLaunch</a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Flight Two screenshots

<blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="a/gtihX"><a href="//imgur.com/a/gtihX">FiveFlightSecondLaunch</a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Flight Three screenshots

<blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="a/Ilcow"><a href="//imgur.com/a/Ilcow">FiveFlight Flight 3</a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Flight Four screenshots

<blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="a/rc6yB"><a href="//imgur.com/a/rc6yB">Five Flight Flight 4</a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Flight Five screenshots

<blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="a/XduO6"><a href="//imgur.com/a/XduO6">FiveFlightFlight5</a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

--------------

Flight One link

http://imgur.com/a/zsDvh

Flight Two link

http://imgur.com/a/gtihX

Flight Three link

http://imgur.com/a/Ilcow

Flight Four link

http://imgur.com/a/rc6yB#0

Flight Five link

http://imgur.com/a/XduO6/all

Edited June 8, 2015 by ToneStack
Added Header

[Coga19000]

I know I'm either too overly ambitious or downright insane to judge , so tell me: can a Grand -Tour capable mothership be funded from 4 flights? >

[RAINCRAFTER]

Wow, this is the first solid challenge I've seen in a while!

[g.koster]

I know I'm either too overly ambitious or downright insane to judge , so tell me: can a Grand -Tour capable mothership be funded from 4 flights? >

Yes it can but with a LOT of contract grinding in flight 3.

[ToneStack]

Here is hoping that the 5 flight challenge moderator is doing okay . Haven't heard from this challenge in a few weeks now. Am wondering if my entry was done correctly or if I need to redo something