Ablator? I don't even know her!

[Der Anfang]

As I was performing an aerobrake, my ablator died and went completely black. Then it made me wonder: how fast can you kill an ablator?

---RULES---

No Alt F12, keep it stock, don't mess with game files, etc. Keep it pure and genuine. I want to see how fast you can kill an ablator.

I'm not sure if the size matters,  but I'm going to try and keep it on even ground. The size of your base, starting engines determines the size ablator you can use. For instance, a 3.5m starting engine only allows you to use no smaller than a 3.5m ablator, and a 2.5 m starting engine allows a 2.5m ablator, and so forth. However, you can stick on a larger ablator with a smaller starting engine (The Vector engine can carry a 2 or 3 m ablator). If you use a cluster of starting engines of varying sizes, you can use an ablator no smaller than the largest starting engine. You may use stages as you see fit, but you may not use an engine in any stage larger than your blator payload.

I will keep ablator burn up times each respective to their sizes. You gain bonus points if your vehicle doesn't blow up after killing the ablator, and especially if you come to a complete stop.  This also means you can't have  any parts destroyed while attempting to fry your blator.

-----

Also, I hope this is a reasonable challenge... feel free to critique my challenge, but please don't be a wiseguy. As long as you are nice about pointing out any potential loopsholes, etc.

Have fun.

[SpaceplaneAddict]

Um, well, you maywant a scoreboard, and maybe a scoring system based on time? Also, maybe multiplyers for running the ablator down at thinner atmospheres. 

 

Jool would have a 1x multiplier.

Eve would have a 1.5x multiplier.

Kerbin with a 2x multiplier.

Laythe with a 2.5x multiplier.

And lastly, Duna, with the thinnest atmosphere, a 3x multiplier.

[Mister Dilsby]

+1 for this excellently bad pun. I'd restrict the challenge to Kebin only; hard to say exactly what multiplier each world should be a priori. Or maybe a leaderboard for each world, with a note for which ablator got killed. 

I'm thinking the fastest way to kill an ablator may be by launching a ridiculously overthrusted ship from the runway. Then, survive by plunging in the cool waters of the eastern sea!

[Der Anfang]

2 hours ago, SpaceplaneAddict said:

Um, well, you maywant a scoreboard, and maybe a scoring system based on time? Also, maybe multiplyers for running the ablator down at thinner atmospheres. 

 

Jool would have a 1x multiplier.

Eve would have a 1.5x multiplier.

Kerbin with a 2x multiplier.

Laythe with a 2.5x multiplier.

And lastly, Duna, with the thinnest atmosphere, a 3x multiplier.

I really like that idea, but implementing it would be a bit of a challenge in itself. The first idea that popped into mind was that the countdown to burning the ablator would start as soon as the vessel would launch. How would we countdown, then? We could use hyperedit... which might be an exception for mods I would allow, and just launch the vessel from whichever planet, but how would we launch from Jool? Any ideas? I want to avoid counting reentries, it would be more interesting to see right off the bat from launch, right?

Open to ideas, my ears are not closed on the multipliers, but it would be a little hard to implement for what I have in mind. What do you think?

[bobston314]

This challenge sound interesting. I'd like to give a suggestion on measuring success. If the resources tab in flight is opened, the amount of ablator being used per (i'm not sure what time unit) is displayed in brackets. By taking a screenshot, you could see the maximum amount of ablator used per (time unit). Challenge entries could also be divided into non-powered and powered. Just an idea.

[RocketPropelledGiraffe]

Sounds interesting, I might give this a try.

Just to clarify, how is the time measured? The timing starts when the ablator starts ablating and it's stopped when everything is depleted?

Can the ship have more than one heat shield and which one is tracked for the challenge in this case?

[RA3236]

On 16 December 2015 at 3:26:37 PM, Der Anfang said:

I really like that idea, but implementing it would be a bit of a challenge in itself. The first idea that popped into mind was that the countdown to burning the ablator would start as soon as the vessel would launch. How would we countdown, then? We could use hyperedit... which might be an exception for mods I would allow, and just launch the vessel from whichever planet, but how would we launch from Jool? Any ideas? I want to avoid counting reentries, it would be more interesting to see right off the bat from launch, right?

Open to ideas, my ears are not closed on the multipliers, but it would be a little hard to implement for what I have in mind. What do you think?

Hyper edit allows you to deplete ablation and resources in space.

[Der Anfang]

6 hours ago, RA3236 said:

Hyper edit allows you to deplete ablation and resources in space.

What, really? That's out of the question then. Thank you for letting me know!

[QuesoExplosivo]

Does ablator deplete if you point engine exhaust at a heatshield? If so, is it allowed?

[RA3236]

2 hours ago, QuesoExplosivo said:

Does ablator deplete if you point engine exhaust at a heatshield? If so, is it allowed?

Yes, anything to do with heat depletes them actually, even pointing them at the Sun when close enough.