Val*5 Challenge

[Jasonden]

The objective of this challenge is to get a Kerbal (notionally Valentina Kerman but it can be any Kerbal of your choice) upgraded to level 5 as quickly as possible in a Normal Career Mode game. Try to get the lowest score where the score is defined as:

Score = date_of_completion * number_of_missions_to_completion

So, finishing soon is good. Finishing with fewer missions is even better. A 'mission' is defined as any time that you hit the 'launch' button -- so even if you just cruise around KSC, that counts as a mission. Do fewer rather than more.

No part mods, but information and autopilot mods are allowed. Reverts, loads, and saves are encouraged. This is a strategic challenge, not a piloting challenge per se.

Scoreboard:

• 4.61 -- Jasonden
  
• 6.4315 -- SkyRender
  
• 10.73 -- Jasonden
  
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• 
  

As a scoring example, consider my demonstration entry below. I got Val to 5 stars in 7 missions, which took 1 year and 227 days.

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Score = (1 + 227/426.08) * 7 = 10.73

Edited June 30, 2015 by Jasonden

[Captain Sierra]

The challenge does not specify whether or not this has to be a new career mode game or not. I could just recruit a new person in my current one (3/4 way through tech tree) and send them off on 1 duna mission.

[SkyRender]

I have no idea what you're doing with your maths there, but it looks wrong. Why are you taking 2 and adding days into year two divided by one Kerbin year? That's completely illogical.

[Jasonden]

The challenge does not specify whether or not this has to be a new career mode game or not. I could just recruit a new person in my current one (3/4 way through tech tree) and send them off on 1 duna mission.

You're welcome to use an old game -- but you must add up all of the old missions that you ran and include them. Even with your technique, you will likely have a later completion date than you would otherwise.

- - - Updated - - -

I have no idea what you're doing with your maths there, but it looks wrong. Why are you taking 2 and adding days into year two divided by one Kerbin year? That's completely illogical.

My game completed on Yr 2 day 227. So that's 2+227/436.08 years = 2.675 years total. But hmmm, yeah. On year 2 day 227, only 1 year 227 days have elapsed, haven't they. Hmmm. Okay, I will update it!

Edited June 13, 2015 by Jasonden

[SkyRender]

You're welcome to use an old game -- but you must add up all of the old missions that you ran and include them. Even with your technique, you will likely have a later completion date than you would otherwise.

- - - Updated - - -

My game completed on Yr 2 day 227. So that's 2+227/436.08 years = 2.675 years total.

Ah, alright, now it makes more sense. Not a lot more sense, however, as if you're on year 2 day 227, you've been running your space program for 1.675 years, not 2.675 years. Are you just automatically tacking an extra year on there for some reason?

[Jasonden]

Ah, alright, now it makes more sense. Not a lot more sense, however, as if you're on year 2 day 227, you've been running your space program for 1.675 years, not 2.675 years. Are you just automatically tacking an extra year on there for some reason?

Aha, yes, caught that error at about the same time you did, it would seem. Should be 1.675, I agree.

[SkyRender]

Been toying around with the idea of this challenge, doing a test save for it. Using my keen sense of strategy, I've already devised an infinite Funds/Science generator by launch #3 (which does not permanently strand a Kerbal in orbit, pleasantly enough), and should have a Kerbal at full experience by the return trip for launch #5.

EDIT: A sneak preview of things to come...

Yes, that is the fourth mission's spread. And yes, it is going to be a massive mission indeed. The itinerary: Mun, Minmus, Duna, Ike, Gilly, and back to Kerbin. So far it's been to the Mun of all those locations.

Edited June 14, 2015 by SkyRender

[Jasonden]

EDIT: A sneak preview of things to come...

Yes, that is the fourth mission's spread. And yes, it is going to be a massive mission indeed. The itinerary: Mun, Minmus, Duna, Ike, Gilly, and back to Kerbin. So far it's been to the Mun of all those locations.

Excellent! Indeed, it seems that upgrading the VAB and pad is more important than advanced science. Looking forward to seeing your results!

[SkyRender]

Another sneak preview:

Only Gilly remains... And I've got more than enough dV to get there and back to Kerbin.

[SkyRender]

Hold onto your EVA packs, because this is gonna be a big post! (Note that even though you can see the interface components for it, I in fact disabled TAC Life Support for this. I had enough to worry about as it is!)

A typical first Career mode launch.

With typical science claims after.

And a typical first building upgr-what? Most upgrade the VAB or launchpad first? Pshaw!

The second one is going straight into orbit, low AND high. I am ambitious, thanks for asking.

A typical second building upg-yes I know the VAB and launchpad need upgrading, I'll get to it!

There, launchpad upgraded. Happy now?

And yes, I did do that mid-second-flight. Why not?

Lookin' good, Jeb! But you are not the one who is going to benefit from this challenge. Oh no.

Launch #3 is going to the Mun. And it is doing it with only 30 parts. AND it's leaving a satellite there. It's not landing, though. If you're wondering how I have a Terrier on there, it's because contracts are awesome for jumping the tech tree queue.

Never neglect contracts mid-mission. You can get some seriously powerful ones without any real effort!

Two more upgrades from funds earned mid-mission. And not a moment too soon for the tracking station!

Long story short: the Mun mission went off without a hitch. It got into Munar orbit, deposited the probe, and got back to Kerbin. There was never the slightest bit of concern about its success.

It didn't get me quite enough science and funds for my tastes, but that probe let me milk the Mun for both so I could upgrade the VAB and launchpad AND get the last critical tech tree node for mission #4.

That being the mini docking port, of course.

This is actually one iteration before the one I used. Only a minor change was made to it, and it's blatantly obvious in the next shot.

I added a few side-tanks to the middle transfer stage! This thing is a true pain to get into orbit; don't try it at home, kids!

Once it's all stable-like, Bob Kerman is off to the Mun in his mini-booster!

The trip was absolutely routine. I can't think of anything to say about it.

Since my ships have no RCS, I had to dock with rockets. Which I did no problem, because I am just that good.

A quick hop, skip and jump later, and Bob's off to Minmus.

Again, totally routine. I've landed there probably over a hundred times by now.

Then it's back to Minmus orbit to steal as much fuel as possible from that little booster and hop back down to low Kerbin orbit. The booster stage can stay around Minmus, its remaining fuel is entirely unnecessary for this mission.

I love aerobraking. It's such a fun challenge, and the new aerodynamic model makes it very easy to control how much speed you bleed off each pass.

Okay, let's get this show on the road. Time to get to the meat and potatoes of this mission!

Off to Duna! The launch stage engine (which was again "procured" via contracts ahead of the tech tree) gets about the first 300m/s of the burn done, but the rest is good old-fashioned slow burning.

Arrival is punctuated by a quick aerocapture... where a few solar panels, two batteries, and a landing leg blow up. I decided to keep that capture anyway, because you know what? I'm more than good enough to keep going after a trivial loss like that!

Landing on Duna can be interesting. Parachutes work better than you'd think, but set their deployment altitude to 1500 if you want them to be at peak effectiveness!

The plaque says it all, really.

From there, it was back to Duna orbit (running on fumes by the time I docked with the transfer stage!), refuel, and off to Ike!

Ike was swiftly liked.

I just wanted to say that this was one damn good aerobraking. Have I mentioned yet how much I love 1.0 aerodynamics?

And with that, it's off we go to Eve!

The first transfer stage was spent on the way, and the second got a bit of use, but no worries; we've got plenty of fuel to spare. Also, two more solar panels blew up during Eve capture. Acceptable losses.

Gilly is silly, and so easy to reach and land on. Bob wouldn't even deign to look at the camera, he was so insulted at how easy that was.

Back to low Eve orbit. Why low Eve orbit, you ask? Because Eve's gravity well is so massive that the last thing you want to do is not take advantage of it on the way out of the system!

Eve's atmosphere has a very narrow scale height, so it took 5 (!) passes to get down to a 145x145 orbit. But it was worth the effort, and there was no time crunch to speak of.

At last, back to Kerbin!

The transfer stage ran out mid-flight from Eve, but that's fine. I also had to do some course correction on the way home, which was also fine.

Now there's a welcome sight after so long...

Aerocapture almost managed to break something, but came just short. I had to burn to finish the capture, but that's fine; it let me put my orbit almost perfectly at a typical Mun return height, which I know how to handle very easily.

May as well burn off that fuel while we can, it's not gonna do anyone any good at this point!

It's smooth sailing from here. I didn't even need that heatshield!

Splashdown! Bob Kerman is home.

And he brought a veritable bounty with him! Overall that massive trip was worth 8785 science or so, nothing to sneeze at.

And there you have it! Bob Kerman, level 5. Best scientist in the world. He deserves it.

Time Taken: 1 year 259 days (1.6079 years)

Flights Launched: 4

Final Score: 6.4315

Edited June 15, 2015 by SkyRender

[Jasonden]

Time Taken: 1 year 259 days (1.6079 years)

Flights Launched: 4

Final Score: 6.4315

SkyRender:

Amazing job!!!! Most impressive. I thought that it might be possible to get down to doing it on just 5 missions, but never thought that it could be 4!!!

And you did it with a Scientist, too -- hardest one to do.

Only chance to beat you I think is to shave off time -- I wonder if some Moho/Eve combo might slide in under the wire? Someone want to try it!?

[Mesklin]

I wonder if some Moho/Eve combo might slide in under the wire? Someone want to try it!?

Moho/Eve combo does not generate enough XP, 17.5 for Moho landing - total without Eve landing - 59.75, but should be >64.

[Jasonden]

Moho/Eve combo does not generate enough XP, 17.5 for Moho landing - total without Eve landing - 59.75, but should be >64.

I was assuming an Eve landing, which is all that would make it work. By doing so I'd calculated that you could get 64.25 -- did I miscalculate?

Kerbol: 6

Moho: 17.5

Eve: 12.5

Gilly: 15

Kerbin: 2

Mun: 5

Min: 6.25

= 64.25 I think.

[Mesklin]

It was my miscalculation, I missed XP for Kerbin orbit. And about Eve landing, it will be interesting challenge : creating Eve return lander with low tech (without Mammoth engine).

[SkyRender]

Well I have good news and bad news for anyone interested in topping that score of mine. The good news is it's totally doable! If you head for Eve, then Moho, then back to Kerbin, you can complete the lot of it in under an overall year of time for the mission (around 30 to 50 days into year 2 overall time elapsed). That means that you could actually get away with as many as 6 launches as long as your target Kerbal was always on the move! The bad news is... well, you'd have to do an Eve land-and-return on top of a Moho mission (which is in itself quite challenging). It should be entirely doable with 6 launches to work with, though the last 3 would all have to be dedicated to getting a Kerbal to the Mun, Minmus, Eve and Moho (then back to Kerbin) in one massive round trip.

[Jasonden]

Okay, well, got sidetracked on the whole Moho/Eve thing with the new heating model in 1.03/1.04. But. I came up with a new way to shave off time -- I did Mun and Minmus landings on mission #2. (!)

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1+238/428=1.54, times 3 missions = 4.61 for a score.

Edited June 30, 2015 by Jasonden