Absurd contract: Mining on Eve?!!

[Der Anfang]

I'm very confused as to why a contract like this even exists in career mode. Nevertheless, just wondering... not that I have actually accepted these kinds of contracts but are these actually possible? Could you really design a reasonable craft that could bring ore from the surface of Eve and into orbit (stock ksp)?

If you have done this, I want to see pictures or videos.

[Randazzo]

Because you used "reasonable" as a qualifier, then the answer is no, it cannot be done.

Unreasonably with perhaps a tiny amount of ore? Sure.

[Endersmens]

Another one? What is this, the 7th thread on this same contract?

See above for answer to question.

[EladDv]

actually this is perfectly reasonable- who said you need to have the miner and the return stage in the same thing? you can also drop the miner and come back with some ore

[cantab]

To keep you on your toes, and make sure that you read the contract before clicking yes. That's a really good lesson to learn for life in general.

And at least that contract is possible, if unlikely to be profitable. There have been outright impossible contracts in the past, such as being asked to take a science reading "in space" at an altitude that puts you in the atmosphere.

[FancyMouse]

I remember when I had a contract of bringing ore from Minmus back to Kerbin, I mine that mount on Minmus, but keep them there, then launch another vessel with that amount of Ore (prepared from VAB), and then use some Sepratrons to just let it leave the ground for a second then land (with Ore, of course) - the contract is completed.

[Der Anfang]

To keep you on your toes, and make sure that you read the contract before clicking yes. That's a really good lesson to learn for life in general.

And at least that contract is possible, if unlikely to be profitable. There have been outright impossible contracts in the past, such as being asked to take a science reading "in space" at an altitude that puts you in the atmosphere.

To keep you on your toes, and make sure that you read the contract before clicking yes. That's a really good lesson to learn for life in general.

And at least that contract is possible, if unlikely to be profitable. There have been outright impossible contracts in the past, such as being asked to take a science reading "in space" at an altitude that puts you in the atmosphere.

Oh yes. I am well aware of the profitability. Sure, anything is technically possible in ksp unless there are conflicting parametres such as the one you stated. XD I would actually like to see somebody pull this off though. Usually the best payload I've ever managed to deliver into orbit was less than 1000 kilos. Also, pre 1.0. I've only managed to get an unmanned vehocle into orbit once. Eve is quite challenging.

[tater]

Most all contracts are absurd, and ALL the mining contracts are absurd.

[Sharpy]

I guess the absurdity is in the phrasing."Deliver 450kg of soil sample to Kerbin" would make sense. Even "Deposit in Gilly orbit for pickup by our craft". But ore for ore's sake?

[KerikBalm]

These contracts are easily exploitable.

Suppose it wants you to take 3000 units of ore from Eve to kerbin orbit.

Here's what you do:

Send an ISRU to eve with some drills and a large orre tank (or even a small one).

Mine the 3000 units (if you have a small tank, repeatedly jettison), it will tick off one condition from the contract.

At the same time, mine 3000 units on minmus. (optional)

Next, bring your 3000 units from minmus to Kerbin orbit, receive the funds and complete the contract -or- launch a new vessel from Kerbin with a full Ore tank.

If you have to land the ore on kerbin, just launch a new vessel, have it hop up a few meters to change status from prelaunch to landed.

Also, some contracts don't require you to do anything but mine it... I have a contract to just extract 950 units of ore from duna for example... basically a contract to set up ISRU on duna.... don't mind if I do

[WWEdeadman]

There is generally no "reasonable" design to ascend from Eve in the first place, in my opinion. Let alone carrying any amount of dead weight (=ore).

[tomf]

I disagree, I am currently working on a contract to mine 600 ore on Eve and deliver it Gilly. The payout is going to be 1.2m (on normal difficulty).

I have send 3 ships, One is a wheeled miner and refinery that has found a decent, flat spot with some ore, the second is the lifter ship which is based around 3 mammoth engines and finally a small nuclear tug that will rendevous with the ore in orbit and take it to gilly. I have tested each phase of the mission in a sandbox "simulation" with hyperedit and now I am just about to land the lifter in my campaign.

Total cost of the 3 ships is about 600,000. It isn't a great payout ratio, but it is a good challenge.

[Kobymaru]

These contracts are easily exploitable.

Suppose it wants you to take 3000 units of ore from Eve to kerbin orbit.

Here's what you do:

Send an ISRU to eve with some drills and a large orre tank (or even a small one).

Mine the 3000 units (if you have a small tank, repeatedly jettison), it will tick off one condition from the contract.

At the same time, mine 3000 units on minmus. (optional)

Next, bring your 3000 units from minmus to Kerbin orbit, receive the funds and complete the contract -or- launch a new vessel from Kerbin with a full Ore tank.

If you have to land the ore on kerbin, just launch a new vessel, have it hop up a few meters to change status from prelaunch to landed.

Also, some contracts don't require you to do anything but mine it... I have a contract to just extract 950 units of ore from duna for example... basically a contract to set up ISRU on duna.... don't mind if I do

Sure, or you just open the savefile, increase the number of your funds and mark that contract as completed. The question is, what's the point of cheating or griefing in KSP, really?

I have tested each phase of the mission in a sandbox "simulation" with hyperedit and now I am just about to land the lifter in my campaign.

Total cost of the 3 ships is about 600,000. It isn't a great payout ratio, but it is a good challenge.

Shouldn't testing be considered part of the development costs and therefor part of the contract costs?

[KerikBalm]

Well, one way involves out of game save file editing, the other is entirely in-game.

I didn't hide the fact that its an "exploit"

Its more of a FYI about how the game checks for contract completion, once the ore goes in a vessel, the game doesn't keep track of where that ore came from.

[tomf]

Shouldn't testing be considered part of the development costs and therefor part of the contract costs?

Well real space programs have wind tunnels and computer simulations, and a lot more maths and time than I am going to put in.

[Tex]

Absurd contracts call for absurd designs. We are Kerbals, darn it, and we can build outrageously over-the-top craft for completing any sort of contract out there. A little ingenuity works wonders!

[Kobymaru]

Its more of a FYI about how the game checks for contract completion, once the ore goes in a vessel, the game doesn't keep track of where that ore came from.

True. I hope it gets fixed eventually, but since the intent of the contract is pretty clear one would have to actively circumvent it. In that case it's your responsibility. So I'm gonna assume that it's not a very high priority fix for Squad.

Well real space programs have wind tunnels and computer simulations, and a lot more maths and time than I am going to put in.

You have a point there!