Can you make it so that recovering asteroids gets you funds?

[3ngin33r]

So I know that this KSP\GameData\Squad\Parts\Misc\PotatoRoid part.cfg will get you to the asteroid config file and also that you can modify this 

TechRequired = Unresearcheable -> tech node of your choosing
entryCost = 0
cost = 0
category = none -> category of your choosing
subcategory = 0 

and get asteroids as parts in the VAB/SHP. Does that work with the cost and does it scale with the size? I don't want to go messing around with it, my game is already quite unstable as it is. 

[Wyzard]

What's the objective, to parachute asteroids down to Kerbin?  That seems like more trouble than it's worth, not to mention pretty crazy (certain contracts notwithstanding).

Leave the asteroid in orbit and use drills and ISRU to turn its ore into fuel.  That's many tons of fuel you don't have to launch from Kerbin, which means that instead of launching giant rockets carrying all the fuel they'll need for a mission, you can launch fewer smaller ones meant to refuel and re-use — which means you spend less on launches.

That's how you "get" funds from an asteroid: let it save funds that you'd otherwise have to spend.

[Streetwind]

On 9.11.2016 at 0:17 AM, 3ngin33r said:

Does that work with the cost and does it scale with the size?

Yes, giving it a cost will let you recover the asteroid for that cost... but no, it does not scale with size. That means you can only set one price, and it counts for every asteroid, no matter whether it's class A or class E.

Additionally, if you start mining the rocks before recovering them, it becomes even more problematic. KSP's config files expect the cost given to be the total cost of the part including everything the part contains. No other field works like this, only cost does it for some arcane, unspecified reason. So whenever you make a part that contains a resource with a value (like, a fuel or something), then you need to add up the resource cost and the part's base cost and put the resulting sum in the config.

Thus, with the asteroid, that means you need to set the cost so that the value of the ore is included in the cost that you hardcode into the config file/MM patch. And this makes everything go screwy. If you set it so that the cost of ore in a class A asteroid is included in the price, then recovering any empty-mined asteroid larger than class A will make you recover negative funds. If you set it so that the value of ore in a class E asteroid is included, then recovering any smaller asteroid (mined or not) will yield absurd amounts of recovery value. If you don't factor any ore in at all, even a class A will recover as nothing or negative funds if you mined it before recovery.

 

Bottomline: you probably don't want to mess with this.

[3ngin33r]

22 hours ago, Wyzard said:

That seems like more trouble than it's worth, not to mention pretty crazy

Since when is pretty crazy a reason NOT to do something in KSP?  Point is, (or rather would be if it wasn't a bad idea, see post below you) to make it worth the trouble. 

17 hours ago, Streetwind said:

Yes, giving it a cost will let you recover the asteroid for that cost... but no, it does not scale with size. That means you can only set one price, and it counts for every asteroid, no matter whether it's class A or class E.

Additionally, if you start mining the rocks before recovering them, it becomes even more problematic. KSP's config files expect the cost given to be the total cost of the part including everything the part contains. No other field works like this, only cost does it for some arcane, unspecified reason. So whenever you make a part that contains a resource with a value (like, a fuel or something), then you need to add up the resource cost and the part's base cost and put the resulting sum in the config.

Thus, with the asteroid, that means you need to set the cost so that the value of the ore is included in the cost that you hardcode into the config file/MM patch. And this makes everything go screwy. If you set it so that the cost of ore in a class A asteroid is included in the price, then recovering any empty-mined asteroid larger than class A will make you recover negative funds. If you set it so that the value of ore in a class E asteroid is included, then recovering any smaller asteroid (mined or not) will yield absurd amounts of recovery value. If you don't factor any ore in at all, even a class A will recover as nothing or negative funds if you mined it before recovery.

 

Bottomline: you probably don't want to mess with this.

Thanks for the detailed answer! I guess a contract could work but that seems like way too much work for something so insignificant.