Contract Pack: Giving Aircraft a Purpose (GAP) 1.6.1 - Milestones, Air Flights, Coast Guard

[inigma]

53 minutes ago, kcs123 said:

I have another issue, this time with plant a flag contract on old runway. For some reason I don't have tower waypoint, only one that is on runway. So that might be a case why contract progress is not triggered properly.

Whatever is a reason, flag planting part is not recognized by contract and can't be finished.

 

This is fixed already for 1.1. https://github.com/inigmatus/GAP/commit/1cc218d3e4756ea8f4e294f55aae33eabba95d22

[inigma]

51 minutes ago, kcs123 said:

There is no need to switch to Buoy, just need to be in vicinity. Sentence in contract could be "Circle around droped buoy within 2.5 km distance until splashed down."

It will be great if you can check if buoy have both, vertical and ground speed below 1 m/s to recognize proper splashdown without switching ships.
Maybe to use "target" feature to check this ? Just brainsorming here how to inform players about game engine limitations for that kind of contract.

Contract Configurator does not recognize targets as far as I'm aware of. CC only triggers off of the active vessel... which means the player is limited to KSP's vessel switching rules, which is a danger if a player switches to a buoy and splashes down with it but then can't switch back to their plane in flight due to KSP limitations. It's also why the bail contracts are also very touchy. Nothing like bailing and landing just in time to see your airplane go out of physics range, kill the kerbal pilot as a result, and thus fail the contract. argh. Some things are just limitations that have no easy solutions.  If someone has Stage Recovery, the easiest solution is to just inform the player perhaps as a FAQ, but perhaps in-game as well, as you suggest, that someone stick around until they can visually confirm splashdown of the buoy. If it becomes a problem, I can load a special version of the BuoyDrop contracts if a player has StageRecovery installed.

@nightingale is it possible to filter behaviors (such as dialogs) to trigger only when a certain other mod is installed? I was thinking: BEHAVIORS (NEEDS:StageRecovery) { name = DialogBox type = DialogBox ...} this way the contract still works even if StageRecovery is not installed, but will trigger the behavior when it is installed.  I'm trying to figure out the best way to check if a player's buoy has dropped from a plane and the buoy has splashed down, without requiring the player to toggle to the buoy (and thus running afoul of KSP vessel switching limitations). Thoughts?

Edited January 16, 2016 by inigma

[kcs123]

Glad to hear that old runway contract is already fixed.

As I have messed around recently with kOS, I noticed that is possible to read target speed. I think that MJ is also aware of target speed, otherwise all docking autopilot procedures would not work at all. Don't know where too look at in code to make usage for it trough contract packs or elsewhere. For kOS, I know that is possible to draw vectors around different vesels, position vectors and velocity/acceleration vectors.

For buoy purposes, there is only need to read scalar values for velocity, too bad if that is not possible. But might be good to ask developers of MJ or kOS how they have detected velocity of other crafts to use it with CC. Well, that is idea for enhancment of CC, but take your time with it, there is probably higher priority than this. Simple warning in FAQ and contract text should suffice for buoy droping missions.

[nightingale]

1 hour ago, inigma said:

 

@nightingale is it possible to filter behaviors (such as dialogs) to trigger only when a certain other mod is installed? I was thinking: BEHAVIORS (NEEDS:StageRecovery) { name = DialogBox type = DialogBox ...} this way the contract still works even if StageRecovery is not installed, but will trigger the behavior when it is installed.  I'm trying to figure out the best way to check if a player's buoy has dropped from a plane and the buoy has splashed down, without requiring the player to toggle to the buoy (and thus running afoul of KSP vessel switching limitations). Thoughts?

Yup, pretty much the reason everything uses config nodes like that is to get that type of functionality visa module manager for free. 

[inigma]

1 minute ago, nightingale said:

Yup, pretty much the reason everything uses config nodes like that is to get that type of functionality visa module manager for free. 

so what is the CC syntax to code a behavior to only trigger if a particular mod is installed? is it

BEHAVIOUR [NEEDS:StageRecovery]

{

}

 

?

Edited January 16, 2016 by inigma

[inigma]

On 1/14/2016 at 0:55 PM, kcs123 said:

Well, I have removed barometer from craft and probe deployment was regitered properly. Hovever, I was able to create another bug with this contract.

After deployment of second probe, I landed near SPH and safe landing was registered properly too. However, I didn't recovered craft immediately. I opened map and switched to one of probes, taken measurement and then switched back to heli. After recovering craft, crew on board were not registered as recovered and all crew, previously hired pilot and engineer as well as new crew member for contract went missing KIA. Contract was not failed, but I was unable to finish it too.

In second attempt, though, I recovered craft as soon as I landed and contract progressed properly. Taken measurement and contract is finished properly.

I was not able to replicate this at all with the current dev version of GAP 1.1.  In response to this I added a check to ensure crew recovery goes off first before science recovery.

[nightingale]

2 hours ago, inigma said:

so what is the CC syntax to code a behavior to only trigger if a particular mod is installed? is it

BEHAVIOUR [NEEDS:StageRecovery]

{

}

 

?

Not Contract Configurator syntax - Module Manager syntax. 

BEHAVIOUR:NEEDS[StageRecovery]

[inigma]

7 hours ago, kcs123 said:

There is no need to switch to Buoy, just need to be in vicinity. Sentence in contract could be "Circle around droped buoy within 2.5 km distance until splashed down."

It will be great if you can check if buoy have both, vertical and ground speed below 1 m/s to recognize proper splashdown without switching ships.
Maybe to use "target" feature to check this ? Just brainsorming here how to inform players about game engine limitations for that kind of contract.

 

how's this?

This will only be seen by StageRecovery players - anyone who has a folder named StageRecovery in GameData.

 

Edited January 17, 2016 by inigma

[inigma]

On 1/14/2016 at 8:57 AM, inigma said:

Use CKAN to search for keyword "EVA" and install EVA Parachutes and EVA Auto Equip (or something like that - I forgot what it's called.) You can use the kerbal's context menu to deploy chute or the hot key spacebar plus F I think it is. See their forum thread OP for details.

I added links to the OP and KerbalStuff in the recommended mod list.

[kcs123]

3 hours ago, inigma said:

 

how's this?

This will only be seen by StageRecovery players - anyone who has a folder named StageRecovery in GameData.

 

It should be enough. If someone still is able to fail this contract and wonder why, it can read about it in FAQ.

[vardicd]

I play with the real chutes mod, and for these type of drop missions, I configure the parachute to only deploy when it gets to about 10-20 meters above the surface, then fully deploy in 1 second. that means you can drop them fairly low, and they'll snap open and land in very little time, it takes some fiddling, especially if you're dropping a science probe into the mountains, but for a water or flat land drop, it's no real problem at all. just assign arm parachute to action group 1 and decouple probe to 2 press 1+2 in fast sequence, and fly on.  repeat for additional probes. if you need more numbers than stock game allows, the action groups extended mod is great, and allows re-grouping on the fly.

[inigma]

I've been actually playing GAP while I wait for CC update.

 

Here's a Wright Flyer I made with KAX kuey tail props for the props.

 

[Ringkeeper]

I have a problem with one rescue mission. I have to rescue 2 kerbals north-east of KSC 2 and bring them to KSC 2 (i have Kerbinside installed).

Both Kerbals got spawned in the water. Below the terrain.

Switching to and back and then again to the kerbals can cause them to "crash" and die.

 

[inigma]

4 hours ago, Ringkeeper said:

I have a problem with one rescue mission. I have to rescue 2 kerbals north-east of KSC 2 and bring them to KSC 2 (i have Kerbinside installed).

Both Kerbals got spawned in the water. Below the terrain.

Switching to and back and then again to the kerbals can cause them to "crash" and die.

 

KSC2? rescue contracts are coded to only spawn passengers and ships near KSC 1. wait for GAP 1.1 and tell me if things improve.

[nightingale]

2 hours ago, inigma said:

KSC2? rescue contracts are coded to only spawn passengers and ships near KSC 1. wait for GAP 1.1 and tell me if things improve.

That might be a Kerbin Side-Jobs contract?

[Ringkeeper]

4 hours ago, nightingale said:

That might be a Kerbin Side-Jobs contract?

Hmmm, that might be... didn't thaught that Kebin Side-Jobs has also Rescue Missions, got so far only transport from a -> b -> c

Have to check when i'm home.

I thought GAP has also Jobs if Kerbinside is detected

Edited January 20, 2016 by Ringkeeper

[inigma]

GAP dev update:

 

All 1.1 contracts added. GAP now sports 49 contracts. wow. running through lots of tests as part of my QA.

contracts in * are not yet added and are slated for later GAP releases.

Edited January 21, 2016 by inigma

[inigma]

I had this funny thought...

What if instead of loading passengers for you for Flights 0-99 right at the runway, what about spawning the passengers at the Space Plane Hangar Air Terminal requiring that you pick them up from there?

And instead of moving your plane there to pick them up, encouraging the player to develop and use a shuttle bus to ferry the passengers to your waiting plane on the runway via a contract after SSI-Start designed to have the player create such a shuttle bus that doesn't need to be recovered and sits at the KSC for such use? With no more than 8 passengers max ever to spawn for pickup, I hope it won't be too tedious. The reward for getting the Flight 100+ contracts are to have the convenience of passengers already loaded on your plane (and a large number of passengers too).

Edited January 21, 2016 by inigma

[theredkerbal]

I can't seem to get the "Join SSI Aerospace" contract to work. I built a vehicle as per the specifications, and have installed the "Take Command" and "Contract Configurator" mods. I have been able to get up to the point where you are supposed to pick up Inigma, but I don't know how to get him to board. What do I do? http://puu.sh/mEGZz/271aa34a02.png

[inigma]

2 hours ago, theredkerbal said:

I can't seem to get the "Join SSI Aerospace" contract to work. I built a vehicle as per the specifications, and have installed the "Take Command" and "Contract Configurator" mods. I have been able to get up to the point where you are supposed to pick up Inigma, but I don't know how to get him to board. What do I do? http://puu.sh/mEGZz/271aa34a02.png

switch to Inigma by hitting [ and then right click on seat to board it.

[theredkerbal]

Thank you. That worked. 

[inigma]

4 minutes ago, theredkerbal said:

Thank you. That worked. 

Glad to hear it!

[nobodyhasthis2]

Totally awesome pack. Loved the starting join SSI mission. Great idea to start career on!

The only problem I have is the second mission does not seem to clear. I think this down to my choice of parts. SXT engines, procedural wings. I put together an early science plane. She only has a top speed of about 45m/s. That gets her off the ground. She is not a great flier but good enough to qualify. No idea why the mission will not clear.

[nobodyhasthis2]

It was those SXT propeller engines. Picked up enough science and unlocked the little juno engines and small intakes. Exchanged propellers for intakes and those nosecones at the back for jets.  The contract cleared on touch down. Strange contract behaviour?

[nobodyhasthis2]

Found another bug. Tourist missions can't be queued up. If two are running you will automatically fail one. That means the progression is wrong or details of mutually exclusive missions not present. 

Edit: Got passed it. Easy fix. "Some passengers have weak stomachs. Don't pull 4g. Don't even pull 4g when they are not onboard. The little sods are watching from the terminal building and might not like what the see on other missions"   

Edited January 22, 2016 by nobodyhasthis2