Contract Pack: Giving Aircraft a Purpose (GAP) 2.11 - Milestones, Air Flights, Coast Guard (Now Updated for KSP 1.12.5)

[vardicd]

24 minutes ago, 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 really hope I can use CKAN to find the mods to install them manually... CKAN broke about half my mods last time I tried it, as I've made a lot of custom modifications to the mods I use, and CKAN tries to restore the default mod values.

[vardicd]

well, seems like CKAN was able to install that one mod I needed and get it working, but didn't mess with any other mods, but I promptly uninstalled it just to be safe. Thanks for the tip.

[kcs123]

15 hours ago, inigma said:

It's not a bug, but a design. The buoy drop contract works by checking that you have 2 barometers (or least it will now to fix this - it was not checking before) and that you drop both barometers and have none remaining on your craft. Your helicopter has a barometer stowed in the back service bay. Remove that third barometer and the contract will complete. I'll make sure to inform the player in the future that the mother craft should not have any barometers on board and require a max of only two on board as a safeguard in GAP 1.1.

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.

[Floker]

Hi inigma,

I'm just amazed by GAP. This gives me so much design ideas right now. Many thanks for your good work.

Hope the planned contracts will be released too. In my opinion the KSC Airlines contracts are how the stock tourism contracts should be.

Cheers

[Rabblerouser]

Yeah, I was going to report a bug with the "Jump from an Airplane" contract, but now I'm unsure I have the right version to report it. :I Basically, he landed in water, but the thing wouldn't check!

Also, it sucks that this is incompatible with StageRecovery.  It's only a soft incompatibility. StageRecovery would delete crafts to simulate "recovery" when you stage, giving you the funds equivalent to the monetary value of the parts, amount of fuel, RCS, etc. The dropped bouys count as discarded stages and get "recovered". It's not this mod's fault, it's beyond the intended scope.

 

At any rate, what is the recommended update procedure? Cancel all contracts before updating?

Edited January 15, 2016 by Rabblerouser

[inigma]

On 1/14/2016 at 7:29 AM, Almodeon said:

The idea behind the mod is exactly what I was waiting for since career was introduced.

*rant* I really cannot fathom why so much effort was put into planes and aerodynamics in the last stock versions, while at the same time developing exactly zero career contracts around it... I will never understand this... */rant*

Anyway, the problem is... I don't think RO/RP-0 are supported in GAP in any way; heck, even RSS seems to break the mod. Has anyone managed to get the mod working alongside RSS?

I suspect the culprit is the fact that Kopernicus changes the names of the planets; in fact, as far as I remember the "debug" menu shows an error related to the name "Earth" which it does not recognize. I will post the log (and the error) as soon as I get home.

In the meantime, thanks for the awesome work.

@TruthQuark said he was able to test GAP with RSS. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/129208-contract-pack-giving-aircraft-a-purpose-gap-1021-air-flights-tours-coast-guard-sts-jan-11-2016/&do=findComment&comment=2353725

I will look at testing RSS sometime and update the OP accordingly.  I opened #146 accordingly.

Edited January 15, 2016 by inigma

[inigma]

19 hours ago, 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.

Added #148 to test adding a sequence check preventing the completion of the science parameter before crew recovery.

[inigma]

3 hours ago, Rabblerouser said:

Yeah, I was going to report a bug with the "Jump from an Airplane" contract, but now I'm unsure I have the right version to report it. :I Basically, he landed in water, but the thing wouldn't check!

Also, it sucks that this is incompatible with StageRecovery.  It's only a soft incompatibility. StageRecovery would delete crafts to simulate "recovery" when you stage, giving you the funds equivalent to the monetary value of the parts, amount of fuel, RCS, etc. The dropped bouys count as discarded stages and get "recovered". It's not this mod's fault, it's beyond the intended scope.

 

At any rate, what is the recommended update procedure? Cancel all contracts before updating?

I added #149 to allow for bailing over water.

I added #150 to test StageRecovery compatibility (after all, I too plan to plan with SR when I play career).

Update process is to first update CC and GAP, then load KSP and cancel existing contracts so new ones are generated in the pre-loader.

[kcs123]

I have StageRecovery installed and didn't have issue with it. But, you must be careful to be nearby, inside physic range between craft and droped buoy until buoy land on water surface.

In such scenario, SR will not recover probe at once, it will perform like SR is not installed at all. SR will react only if you travel too fast and go away from probe before it is landed on ground or water.

[inigma]

4 minutes ago, kcs123 said:

I have StageRecovery installed and didn't have issue with it. But, you must be careful to be nearby, inside physic range between craft and droped buoy until buoy land on water surface.

In such scenario, SR will not recover probe at once, it will perform like SR is not installed at all. SR will react only if you travel too fast and go away from probe before it is landed on ground or water.

Thanks for confirming this. Unfortunately I'm not sure if there is a way to code for separate buoy splashdowns before the next contract parameter opens up - at least not easily. Doing so anyways would probably make stock GAP BuoyDrop more difficult since the player would have to somehow be instructed to toggle to the buoy (perhaps via an Ens. Ro dialog box?) and wait for splashdown while making sure to keep their aircraft in physics range...  all just to keep GAP preventing SR players from triggering a stage recovery event.

...or I might just add this answer of yours to a GAP FAQ and avoid future player confusion.

[kcs123]

31 minutes ago, inigma said:

Thanks for confirming this. Unfortunately I'm not sure if there is a way to code for separate buoy splashdowns before the next contract parameter opens up - at least not easily. Doing so anyways would probably make stock GAP BuoyDrop more difficult since the player would have to somehow be instructed to toggle to the buoy (perhaps via an Ens. Ro dialog box?) and wait for splashdown while making sure to keep their aircraft in physics range...  all just to keep GAP preventing SR players from triggering a stage recovery event.

...or I might just add this answer of yours to a GAP FAQ and avoid future player confusion.

I'm not sure how it is possible to code it, checking if buoy vertical/ground speed is below 1m/s ?

Sentence or two in FAQ is more than welcome, but there low percent of people that actualy read it befor they got in trouble. Might be better idea to add one more line in contract text, like:

Quote

Circle around drop zone to be sure that buoy landed safely in water before going to second drop zone

Or something like that. English is not my native language, so you might find better description. I think that it should be enough to check if craft is inside 5km from droped buoy until buoy have speed below 1 m/s or something like that. Iven if you don't code safety check, sentence like this could prevent people to fail contract due to stage recovery mod.

[inigma]

5 minutes ago, kcs123 said:

I'm not sure how it is possible to code it, checking if buoy vertical/ground speed is below 1m/s ?

Sentence or two in FAQ is more than welcome, but there low percent of people that actualy read it befor they got in trouble. Might be better idea to add one more line in contract text, like:

Or something like that. English is not my native language, so you might find better description. I think that it should be enough to check if craft is inside 5km from droped buoy until buoy have speed below 1 m/s or something like that. Iven if you don't code safety check, sentence like this could prevent people to fail contract due to stage recovery mod.

If I recall correctly, if a player switches to buoy and rides it all the way to splashdown, after splashdown, KSP prevents toggling back to the aircraft. I think this is why I decided not to code for science transmission until after landing and crew recovery.

Edited January 15, 2016 by inigma

[Almodeon]

3 hours ago, inigma said:

@TruthQuark said he was able to test GAP with RSS. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/129208-contract-pack-giving-aircraft-a-purpose-gap-1021-air-flights-tours-coast-guard-sts-jan-11-2016/&do=findComment&comment=2353725

I will look at testing RSS sometime and update the OP accordingly.  I opened #146 accordingly.

Thanks for the reply. I have a plethora of mods installed so perhaps something else is causing the issue. Anyway I will provide you with the modlist (http://pastebin.com/285qQwrs) and the log file (https://www.dropbox.com/s/sy02o4eyqofvnfz/KSP.log?dl=0).

I think the error is here, close to the end of the log, though there are many other similar occurrences:

[EXC 19:29:04.370] ArgumentException: 'Kerbin' is not a valid CelestialBody.
	ContractConfigurator.ConfigNodeUtil.ParseCelestialBodyValue (System.String celestialName)
	ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.CelestialBodyParser.ParseIdentifier (ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.Token token)
	ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.ExpressionParser`1[T].ParseVarOrIdentifier (ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.Token token)
	ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.ExpressionParser`1[CelestialBody].ParseSimpleStatement[CelestialBody] ()
	Rethrow as Exception: Error parsing statement.
	Error occurred near '*':
	Kerbin
	......* <-- HERE
	ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.ExpressionParser`1

I hope this could be helpful, let me know if you need other information!

[nightingale]

11 minutes ago, Almodeon said:

Thanks for the reply. I have a plethora of mods installed so perhaps something else is causing the issue. Anyway I will provide you with the modlist (http://pastebin.com/285qQwrs) and the log file (https://www.dropbox.com/s/sy02o4eyqofvnfz/KSP.log?dl=0).

I think the error is here, close to the end of the log, though there are many other similar occurrences:

[EXC 19:29:04.370] ArgumentException: 'Kerbin' is not a valid CelestialBody.
	ContractConfigurator.ConfigNodeUtil.ParseCelestialBodyValue (System.String celestialName)
	ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.CelestialBodyParser.ParseIdentifier (ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.Token token)
	ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.ExpressionParser`1[T].ParseVarOrIdentifier (ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.Token token)
	ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.ExpressionParser`1[CelestialBody].ParseSimpleStatement[CelestialBody] ()
	Rethrow as Exception: Error parsing statement.
	Error occurred near '*':
	Kerbin
	......* <-- HERE
	ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.ExpressionParser`1

I hope this could be helpful, let me know if you need other information!

Looks like RSS isn't supported.

@inigma - to fix this, change references from Kerbin to HomeWorld() - then it'll work generically wherever.  Other bodies (Mun/Moon) get more complicated, but I don't think you have any contracts that leave Kerbin in here.

EDIT: Duh - forgot you have stuff that deals with very specific locations that would instantly break in RSS.

Edited January 15, 2016 by nightingale

[inigma]

16 minutes ago, Almodeon said:

Thanks for the reply. I have a plethora of mods installed so perhaps something else is causing the issue. Anyway I will provide you with the modlist (http://pastebin.com/285qQwrs) and the log file (https://www.dropbox.com/s/sy02o4eyqofvnfz/KSP.log?dl=0).

I think the error is here, close to the end of the log, though there are many other similar occurrences:

[EXC 19:29:04.370] ArgumentException: 'Kerbin' is not a valid CelestialBody.
	ContractConfigurator.ConfigNodeUtil.ParseCelestialBodyValue (System.String celestialName)
	ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.CelestialBodyParser.ParseIdentifier (ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.Token token)
	ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.ExpressionParser`1[T].ParseVarOrIdentifier (ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.Token token)
	ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.ExpressionParser`1[CelestialBody].ParseSimpleStatement[CelestialBody] ()
	Rethrow as Exception: Error parsing statement.
	Error occurred near '*':
	Kerbin
	......* <-- HERE
	ContractConfigurator.ExpressionParser.ExpressionParser`1

I hope this could be helpful, let me know if you need other information!

Thank you.  I am not entirely certain that GAP will work with RSS simply because its core design goal is to allow players to make money flying passengers to and from KSC Island and other stock places. To code compatibility,  I would probably have to disable 80 of the GAP contract pile on RSS detection. 

6 minutes ago, nightingale said:

Looks like RSS isn't supported.

@inigma - to fix this, change references from Kerbin to HomeWorld() - then it'll work generically wherever.  Other bodies (Mun/Moon) get more complicated, but I don't think you have any contracts that leave Kerbin in here.

Thanks for the heads up, but the majority of GAP contracts use Kerbin terrain and waypoints, so I don't think it would be feasible to code for RSS compatibility without a major rewrite. It would practically be a different contract pack. Mods that overwrite homeworld terrain may not be compatible with GAP unless I split out the non terrain specific contracts and rewrite all landing params. Quite a project. Outside current scope and my avail time at the moment. 

 

Well there went my OP tagline boast.

Edited January 15, 2016 by inigma

[inigma]

On 1/14/2016 at 9:08 AM, kcs123 said:

I already did. Probably i didn't promoted it well enough though
Link for thread is in my signature, where you can find download link for KSP 1.0.5. craft files.

Although, you got improved version of howering script than one published earlier. there is also Mun landing script for rockets, that is still WIP, need to make a few more tests to see if it realy works from all heights and on all celestial bodies without atmosphere. When I check those, I will wrote some more info about it for better public usage.

Could you add to the script a function to attempt reducing horizontal speed to 0 for a true hover and thus prevent drift for a KAX single huey engine helicipter? Would be Holy Grail right there.

[Rabblerouser]

11 hours ago, inigma said:

I added #149 to allow for bailing over water.

I added #150 to test StageRecovery compatibility (after all, I too plan to plan with SR when I play career).

Update process is to first update CC and GAP, then load KSP and cancel existing contracts so new ones are generated in the pre-loader.

Well, I'm pretty sure this was an issue from the download in the locked thread. The contract was to reach 2000m and bail out. My Kerbals were able to bail successfully in water, but not on land. They hit the ground too hard.

As for StageRecovery, I still it is probably just outside the scope of the mod unless you remove the requirement to transmit from a bouy. I have no opinion one way or another on whether you should do that. That's really your decision as the mod author. If it comes down to it, you can just go to KSC after accepting the contract, click the SR button, and disable the mod temporarily.
 

Another bug I've found. I can't seem to reclaim the Island Runway. Getting to the waypoint seems... troublesome. It never seems to tick. Since you've asked what contracts we've had active before, I've listed them ALL in the order I have them in my contract panel... Scroll to the orange for buggy GAP contract.

Build a new orbital station around Kerbin.

• orbit around Kerbin
• new station that has antenna, docking port, can generate power
• supports at least five Kerbals
• has a viewing cupola
• maintain stability for ten seconds

Extract 600 units of ore from Minmus

• acquire 600 unites of fresh ore from Minmus

Go on an orbital spacewalk near the Mun

• basically EVA in orbit

KSC Island Landing

• Your aircraft must
  • Have a certified pilot
• land at the KSC Island Airfield
• re-claim the island for KSC (this is where it fails)
  • walk to the Island Air Tower waypoint (should it matter that when I get there, it's 5.4 meters in the air according to Waypoint Manager? The waypoint seems to disappear, but the object never checks)
  • and plant a flag
• and then land and stop
  • at one of the following recovery areas
    • the KSC Runway
    • or the Spaceplane Hangar Air Terminal
• safely
  • without destroying your aircraft
  • or killing anyone

Plant flag on Minmus

• Plant Flag on Minmus

Build a new orbital station around the Mun

• station in orbit of the Mun
• has antenna, docking port, can generate power
• supports eleven Kerbals
• has viewing cupola
• has 2000 units of xenon gas
• has 5000 units of ore
• maintain stability for ten seconds

Edited January 16, 2016 by Rabblerouser

[MatterBeam]

14 hours ago, inigma said:

@TruthQuark said he was able to test GAP with RSS. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/129208-contract-pack-giving-aircraft-a-purpose-gap-1021-air-flights-tours-coast-guard-sts-jan-11-2016/&do=findComment&comment=2353725

I will look at testing RSS sometime and update the OP accordingly.  I opened #146 accordingly.

@inigma Sorry, only in x6.4, not RSS.

[inigma]

4 hours ago, Rabblerouser said:

Well, I'm pretty sure this was an issue from the download in the locked thread. The contract was to reach 2000m and bail out. My Kerbals were able to bail successfully in water, but not on land. They hit the ground too hard.

As for StageRecovery, I still it is probably just outside the scope of the mod unless you remove the requirement to transmit from a bouy. I have no opinion one way or another on whether you should do that. That's really your decision as the mod author. If it comes down to it, you can just go to KSC after accepting the contract, click the SR button, and disable the mod temporarily.
 

Another bug I've found. I can't seem to reclaim the Island Runway. Getting to the waypoint seems... troublesome. It never seems to tick. Since you've asked what contracts we've had active before, I've listed them ALL in the order I have them in my contract panel... Scroll to the orange for buggy GAP contract.

Build a new orbital station around Kerbin.

• orbit around Kerbin
• new station that has antenna, docking port, can generate power
• supports at least five Kerbals
• has a viewing cupola
• maintain stability for ten seconds

Extract 600 units of ore from Minmus

• acquire 600 unites of fresh ore from Minmus

Go on an orbital spacewalk near the Mun

• basically EVA in orbit

KSC Island Landing

• Your aircraft must
  • Have a certified pilot
• land at the KSC Island Airfield
• re-claim the island for KSC (this is where it fails)
  • walk to the Island Air Tower waypoint (should it matter that when I get there, it's 5.4 meters in the air according to Waypoint Manager? The waypoint seems to disappear, but the object never checks)
  • and plant a flag
• and then land and stop
  • at one of the following recovery areas
    • the KSC Runway
    • or the Spaceplane Hangar Air Terminal
• safely
  • without destroying your aircraft
  • or killing anyone

Plant flag on Minmus

• Plant Flag on Minmus

Build a new orbital station around the Mun

• station in orbit of the Mun
• has antenna, docking port, can generate power
• supports eleven Kerbals
• has viewing cupola
• has 2000 units of xenon gas
• has 5000 units of ore
• maintain stability for ten seconds

All of these issues will be fixed in GAP 1.1.

[inigma]

Now time for a GAP 1.1 update:

- 45 contracts now

- added altitude contracts

- added airspeed contracts up to Mach 4

-changed the agency on several contracts to be more consistent with intended agency functions

-added Kerbal Aircraft Builders agency since GAP 1.1 is intended to be the KAB merge that @maculator has graciously allowed to happen so his vision can continue.

-updated the GAP 2.0 contract map: https://bubbl.us/?h=934b/5fc8d0/37aoS1/A8mNuU&r=1455570987

-documented all known bugs, and will spend time soon to hash them all out

-fixed a number of reported bugs already. see current changelog here: https://github.com/inigmatus/GAP/blob/master/CHANGELOG.txt

 

I am hoping to get 1.1 done within the next week... and hopefully before KSP 1.1 comes out just in time for everything to break again.  I am fighting a cold right now, so I can't guarantee much action this weekend except verifying bugs and working on a few of the critical ones you've reported. Bear in mind that the dev version of GAP is not playable at the moment, so I don't recommend sneaking a preview just yet. Some CC bugs need to be fixed before making GAP 1.1 possible, so at the very least GAP 1.1 release will not be released before Contract Configurator 1.9.4.

As a side note, to increase CCF compatibility, I've been thinking about decoupling a few contracts, and making GAP modular. This way someone who doesn't want Coast Guard contracts, won't have to see them. Of course, in a future version of Contract Configurator (currently on the table for CC 1.9.4) permanently declinable contracts is a likely possibility, which will make it easy not to have to modularize GAP since players will be able to permanently decline the starting contracts for Island Tours, Coast Guard, Airlines, and what not, effectively preventing a player from ever seeing them again (restorable of course by an Alt F12 contract operation) - and preventing me the tedious work and rebalancing of any GAP modularized solution.

Thanks for playing with GAP and reporting what you have. You guys are the best! I hope you're enjoying the pack. I can't wait for someoene to professionally review a bug free version. heh.  

[kcs123]

14 hours ago, inigma said:

Could you add to the script a function to attempt reducing horizontal speed to 0 for a true hover and thus prevent drift for a KAX single huey engine helicipter? Would be Holy Grail right there.

I have tried trough trim controls, as I didn't want to lock controls completely, so pilot still can override autopilot input if he desire. However, problem is with kOS that trim controls does not work at all due to bug. Issue is raised on kOS github about it, so it will possible to create such control in one of next kOS releases.

There could be a way to do it trough raw input controls or lock steering towards horizon, but it was not work good enough.

[Almodeon]

15 hours ago, inigma said:

Thanks for the heads up, but the majority of GAP contracts use Kerbin terrain and waypoints, so I don't think it would be feasible to code for RSS compatibility without a major rewrite. It would practically be a different contract pack. Mods that overwrite homeworld terrain may not be compatible with GAP unless I split out the non terrain specific contracts and rewrite all landing params. Quite a project. Outside current scope and my avail time at the moment.

This is bad news for me...

Thanks for looking into this anyway. Hopefully someone will make an adaptation someday... (not counting on it...)

Keep up the good work though!

[maculator]

Yeah this is going places!

God I hope 1.1 doesn't break everything.

 

[kcs123]

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.

 

[kcs123]

On 15.01.2016. at 5:54 PM, inigma said:

If I recall correctly, if a player switches to buoy and rides it all the way to splashdown, after splashdown, KSP prevents toggling back to the aircraft. I think this is why I decided not to code for science transmission until after landing and crew recovery.

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.