How to get a docking contract?

[DaveAZ]

I've got two different career mode saved games going and I've gotten unlocked at least the small docking port in one and all of the docking ports in the other but I've never gotten a docking contract.

I've been watching the excellent Scott Manley Career mode guide series on youtube (based on 1.0.2) and he seems to suggest (in episode 17) that the basic docking contract "Dock Two Vehicles in Low Kerbin Orbit" (or something to that effect) is automatically issued as soon as you unlock a docking port but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I've even tried rejecting a bunch of related contracts (orbiting stations, etc) but the docking contract doesn't seem to come up.

Is it just a somewhat rare contract?

Thanks

Dave

[justidutch]

I have never come across a docking contract either. I think it is an urban myth.

[match]

I believe it is one of those progress contracts. As in, "Escape the Atmosphere" and "Orbit the planet". It normally is offered after the "Rendezvous two ships in space" contract.

If you have already performed a dock in space, I don't think it gets offered.

[FancyMouse]

The game tracks whether docking has been done around a body, so most likely if you've already done it, you won't get the offer.

Not urban myth - I did get it.

EDIT: umm but I didn't see it in my completed contracts. That now looks urban myth to me...

Edited June 15, 2015 by FancyMouse

[DaveAZ]

Just to note, I haven't performed any dockings yet on one of my saves (I've been just following along the Scott M series with that one). So perhaps the docking contract has some randomness associated with when/if it appears.

[maculator]

I had the docking contract. But im also not sure what you have to do to get it.

I assume

- unlock a docking port

- unlock some RCS-thrusters

- and you should also do all the initial contracts as they appear in order

at least for me that worked

If you look under GameData/Squad/Contracts/Contracts.cfg, there is this line: Dock = ModuleDockingNode

I have no idea about moding but im sure someone with a bit of knowledge can tell you what this specyfies.

[Captain H@dock]

I have never come across a docking contract either. I think it is an urban myth.

I had it in 1.0.2 but i didn't have the minus explore one... I think there is less reliability in these than there used to be.

[Prepper-Jack]

I believe it is one of those progress contracts. As in, "Escape the Atmosphere" and "Orbit the planet". It normally is offered after the "Rendezvous two ships in space" contract.

If you have already performed a dock in space, I don't think it gets offered.

It's this. Only available after the rendezvous contract, as far as I know. However, the "not having docked" before prerequisite may not be entirely right. I've been doing claw captures on rescue missions, and am still getting it in the list.

It is, however, a three star contract. Declining some other 3 star contracts or increasing prestige should cause it to pop up. The rewards are kind of lackluster - 60k in funds and around 20 prestige IIRC.

[Nich]

Also I suspect you can not have completed a story line contract after it either. I was doing the fly by Mun contract when my satellite was accidentally slung shot into solar orbit (didn't have flight planing or conicals unlocked yet) After this I never received the land on the mun or any of the minimus contracts. It went straight to the explore Duna contract.

[maculator]

Yes, if you've done anything that is somehow related to what comes after the "dockingport contact" ,it wont show up anymore.

Like Nich pointed out; Going to a solar orbit stops the kerbinsystem realted contracts from generating.

I managed to do a part test on a escapetrajector even bevore i reached the mun, and after that the next storybased contract was to reach ike.

[georgTF]

I'm not 100% sure this is true. I still occasionally get 'science from space around Kerbin' type contracts, even after orbiting Eve (and i get NO science from EVE...). It does make sense that docking contracts would dissapear though as they are more of a milestone than a source of income/research. For the record, i have seen the contract but can't remembe if i've taken one. I was mostly busy rescruiting, to invent a new word...