Jool 500 Kolonization Challenge

[Jetski]

Next chapter is up, the first Kerbal has set foot on a moon of Jool!  Manfred has the base systems up and running on Vall. Also launched another 74 colonists and froze them in 3 ships in LKO waiting for a Jool window.

And now chapter 9.  Lots of launches, and some safe landings. A large multi-part base on Vall, and a smaller one on Bop are both producing life support and fuel surpluses, and more are landed on Pol and Laythe waiting for Kerbals to visit.  Rescued the lost base in high orbit, and a cool floating base on Laythe's oceans

Edited May 31, 2016 by Jetski

[Luovahulluus]

This thread has been surprisingly quiet. Let's try to change that!

To me, it makes the most sense to have four small bases on four of the moons, and a few big ones on Laythe. The plan is to make the small ones mobile. The big ones will be at Laythe because it's the prettiest place to live in with abundant water and Kerbin-like gravity. I'd also like to imagine there is some kind of primitive life (because of the free oxygen in the atmosphere) so there is more to study than at the other moons. It's also fairly easy to land stuff there. 

My proof-of-concept base just landed on Minmus. I will be opening a mission report thread at some point.

[Oafman]

Yep, I've made a start too, having finally got a stable-ish save working in the latest KSP. After an initial probe exploration, I now have a small scouting crew in Jool orbit and a bunch of hardware on the way, or still in the VAB. I'll try to add captions to a few pics and get them up in a thread soon. 

Are we ok just doing this for some sort of completion award, rather than for the points? I won't fulfil many of the requirements for points, and I don't really want to keep track of expenditure.

[Luovahulluus]

My mission report thread is open! The first step was to build a mobile base, and test it on Minmus.

 

[Jetski]

Hmmm, kind of starting to hit a wall here. Over a hundred Kerbals are inhabiting the Jool system in life support producing bases. I've landed a 20+ inhabited base on Tylo, Bop, Pol and Vall, as well as a number of smaller bases on all the moons. I have several in system shuttles, 3 specialized KIS Base Builder ships with tons of parts, and a 100 kerbal frozen kolony ship in orbit. 4 unmanned base expansion ships that will put available habitation over the 500 mark are on the way. I'm building cities  

Here's the problem. Lag is starting to make even the simplest EVA mission into a long and miserable waiting game. Particularly Deep Freeze ships seems to bring my laptop to its knees. I've been deploying bases and detaching and destroying the Deep freeze parts which helps a little, but I'm at the point now where a simple 20 part stock shuttle alone in deep space is showing major lag. Also I now have terrible internet, so pics are hard to upload (sorry).

Anybody have any tips on reducing this?  Other than just getting rid of mods which will pretty much end my attempt. 

@eloquentJane can I delete the probe swarms and see if that helps without losing my score?  Kind of losing track of money spent also, so maybe I'm just going for a completion here

Edited June 10, 2016 by Jetski

[JacobJHC]

"Send at least 1 lander probe (max. mass: 3 tonnes, or 5 tonnes for Tylo) to each moon and transmit some science data back to Kerbin. (+1 point per moon; science from every biome gives an extra +2 points per moon (rovers are permitted))"

If I am doing this on easy mode in sandbox could I use science mode (without cheats I have a science save I can use) and transmit the science back for the points? I would fly the crafts there.

[Wardstone111]

7 hours ago, Jetski said:

Hmmm, kind of starting to hit a wall here. Over a hundred Kerbals are inhabiting the Jool system in life support producing bases. I've landed a 20+ inhabited base on Tylo, Bop, Pol and Vall, as well as a number of smaller bases on all the moons. I have several in system shuttles, 3 specialized KIS Base Builder ships with tons of parts, and a 100 kerbal frozen kolony ship in orbit. 4 unmanned base expansion ships that will put available habitation over the 500 mark are on the way. I'm building cities  

Here's the problem. Lag is starting to make even the simplest EVA mission into a long and miserable waiting game. Particularly Deep Freeze ships seems to bring my laptop to its knees. I've been deploying bases and detaching and destroying the Deep freeze parts which helps a little, but I'm at the point now where a simple 20 part stock shuttle alone in deep space is showing major lag. Also I now have terrible internet, so pics are hard to upload (sorry).

Anybody have any tips on reducing this?  Other than just getting rid of mods which will pretty much end my attempt. 

@eloquentJane can I delete the probe swarms and see if that helps without losing my score?  Kind of losing track of money spent also, so maybe I'm just going for a completion here

I have found DX11 works quite well but it isn't supported and is apparently quite buggy. I haven't had too many problems so you could try it. Just back up your save just in case. If that doesn't work, try openGL. That doesn't do as much but does help. Unfortunately opengl doesn't do aerodynamic re-entry effects.

[septemberWaves]

@Jetski Yes, you can delete the probes. When I started this challenge I somewhat overestimated the abilities of the game on Unity 5 to have a lot of ships active at once. I need to make some changes, including making it clear that the probes wont be required to stay so long as they are put in orbit at first (and actually I still want to alter the probe contracts to begin with). I still have two exams next week that I need to prepare for, but after this week I will definitely be getting back into running this challenge more efficiently.

[Admac]

I'm with Jetski, while the challenge is great, 100ish vessels in the game is running like a dog.I made the mistake of using a career save in which I had already built up mun/minmus and Duna with colonies and RT networks, and I am not even done Vall and it's being pretty unpleasant to play. This seems to be a known issue with how it handles objects in memory, and to be fair prior to this challenge I didn't run nearly this many vessels, nor try to colonize all of known space. Maybe if I get some hardware upgrades I'll pick it up again but for now I'm putting my campaign on hold.

[Jetski]

Better after deleting 51 probes. Big Deep freeze ships still lag badly, but the mission continues. I'll upload pics when I can, but Vall has 50 thawed and 50 frozen at one base, waiting for more Habs to arrive. Also 22 at another nearby base, and 20 a bit farther away. Ion hoppers and shuttles abound. Also 18 kerbals on Tylo, 2 on Bop with 20 more coming, and 2 bases on Pol with 20 or so. It's happening!

I'm finding that crash landing my giant kolony transport ships and cannabilizing them for base parts is working well now that some KIS ships have arrived.  Never enough habs, greenhouses, or power generation.

[Jetski]

Chapter 10 is up - 110 Kerbals living happily in the Jool system and 70 more present but still frozen.  

[septemberWaves]

I have been having more and more difficulty keeping up with running this challenge lately, and unfortunately I believe that I am at the point where I cannot continue to maintain it. Taking a break from the game whilst my exams were going on was unavoidable, but even on returning I am finding it an overwhelming task to organise this. Running this challenge proved to require far more effort than I had initially anticipated, and that - and the fact that various mod updates since the start have regularly made my test saves unplayable or corrupted or otherwise broken - means that I no longer feel capable of continuing.

If anyone wishes to take over, please let me know. I think many people could probably maintain the Jool 500 challenge far better than I have.

[Jetski]

On 7/9/2016 at 11:15 AM, eloquentJane said:

I have been having more and more difficulty keeping up with running this challenge lately, and unfortunately I believe that I am at the point where I cannot continue to maintain it. Taking a break from the game whilst my exams were going on was unavoidable, but even on returning I am finding it an overwhelming task to organise this. Running this challenge proved to require far more effort than I had initially anticipated, and that - and the fact that various mod updates since the start have regularly made my test saves unplayable or corrupted or otherwise broken - means that I no longer feel capable of continuing.

If anyone wishes to take over, please let me know. I think many people could probably maintain the Jool 500 challenge far better than I have.

I'm happy to help where I can, but my internet is sporadic at best.  I had major problems with the version switches and mod updates (I've restarted this challenge 3 times now lol) as well, and my latest attempt I made it to about 320 Kerbals before 1.1.3 and mods started acting up.  On the plus side, I'm much better at gravitational slingshots and getting around in the Jool system

I may restart this one from scratch again with a stock attempt, no life support, just big bases and ships.  If I get some spare time...

[Luovahulluus]

@eloquentJane I can see how this is a big challenge to manage, but you have done the biggest task already, setting the whole thing up. My suggestion is to lose the intricate points system and just let people do it as they wish. I understand it's not what your vision for this mission was, but it would greatly diminish the workload you (or whoever will take over) have. The accomplishment will still be big enough test of skill, patience and computer hardware. You could keep three levels:

1. 500 kerbals on Jool

2. 500 kerbals with life support

3. 500 kerbals with life support and remote tech.

 

@Jetski May I ask you what are computer specs? I'm just trying to estimate how unplayable the game will be for me when I finally get the kerbals to Jool. 

My progress has been really slow as I haven't been able to play much. I have bases planned for the first 150 kerbals when the next launch window comes. Now I have to grind some missions to get the funding for them. Additional problem is that my KAC doesn't work anymore.

[Jetski]

4 hours ago, Luovahulluus said:

@eloquentJane I can see how this is a big challenge to manage, but you have done the biggest task already, setting the whole thing up. My suggestion is to lose the intricate points system and just let people do it as they wish. I understand it's not what your vision for this mission was, but it would greatly diminish the workload you (or whoever will take over) have. The accomplishment will still be big enough test of skill, patience and computer hardware. You could keep three levels:

1. 500 kerbals on Jool

2. 500 kerbals with life support

3. 500 kerbals with life support and remote tech.

 

@Jetski May I ask you what are computer specs? I'm just trying to estimate how unplayable the game will be for me when I finally get the kerbals to Jool. 

My progress has been really slow as I haven't been able to play much. I have bases planned for the first 150 kerbals when the next launch window comes. Now I have to grind some missions to get the funding for them. Additional problem is that my KAC doesn't work anymore.

All I have is an old laptop. The main issue I had was Deep freeze mod slows everything to a crawl, and I had already committed several hundred colonists to Deep freeze ships. Even a large MkS lite base with 60 or so kerbals runs ok without the Deep freeze parts.

[InfiniteAtom]

On 4/3/2016 at 7:23 PM, max_creative said:

To get to places, use this.

To use an optimal rocket calculator use this. Note that this 1.0.5

For other stuff, look around here. Some are out dated. 

Also, your not alone. I'm designing a kuriosity rover as my first thing to another planet and two rovers, Phobos and Deimos to land on Ike to practice for Dres.

I tried using that launch window planner. what does this even mean? How do i use this data?! (Btw i have 400 hours on ksp)

Selected transfer details

Departure

Year 1, day 236 at 4:19:12

Arrival

Year 2, day 70 at 2:38:24

Time of flight

259 days 4:19:12

Phase angle

36.49°

Ejection angle

160° to prograde

Ejection inclination

3.69°

Ejection Δv

992 m/s

Transfer periapsis

13,267 Mm

Transfer apoapsis

19,748 Mm

Transfer inclination

0.15°

Transfer angle

159°

Insertion inclination

-1.50°

Insertion Δv

638 m/s

Total Δv

1,630 m/s

 

 

[Jetski]

Departure date is the day to leave.  Warp till then, then make a mavouver node to fly to the planet you selected.  Ejection Delta v is of course how expensive the burn will be to leave the planet, and insertion delta v is how much you will have to burn to stop at the new planet.  Be sure to being enough fuel to meet the total delta v requirements. The rest of it is optional, but can be used to get minor tweaks and improvements if you feel like it. 

[JacobJHC]

On 4/3/2016 at 2:29 PM, eloquentJane said:

Send at least 5 communication satellites (max. mass: 2.5 tonnes) to each moon as well as in orbit of Jool, to provide a communication network for your kerbals. Each satellite requires at least 4 antennas (with RemoteTech, at least one of these must be capable of transmitting data back to Kerbin, or to a satellite in Jool orbit that can transmit back to Kerbin)

Why 5? The reason I ask is that I have been playing around with the new relay systems in 1.2 and I can get an equatorial system in only 3 satellites. If the other 2 are for polar communication I am curious if they are required. I plan to do most of my work near the equators of the moons and want to keep the vessel count low to save my framerate. A laptop can only do so much. Thanks!

[The Minmus Derp]

Can I try this? Just for fun, though. Also. a badge to put in the sig is advised. Wait... Is this dead?

[JadeOfMaar]

On 8/25/2018 at 4:35 PM, The Minmus Derp said:

Wait... Is this dead?

Please make a habit of reading the timestamps on others' posts before you comment. You'll have your answer without needing to ask.

[The Minmus Derp]

Well, OK, but i am doing this anyway, but with ONE SHIP. but said ship is 1km long halp plz launching it

[JacobJHC]

On 8/25/2018 at 4:35 PM, The Minmus Derp said:

Can I try this? Just for fun, though. Also. a badge to put in the sig is advised. Wait... Is this dead?

Here's the reboot