challenge scoring ideas

[steuben]

I'm working on a challenge idea, to [REDACTED] to [REDACTED] and back but with the constraint of [REDACTED].

But how to score it?

Right now I'm toying with scoring with mass fraction from LKO to destination and back to Kerbin Surface. So (mass returned to Kerbin surface) / (mass of the initial ship +fuel in LKO), with 1 being a perfect score. Though given my trial run I'll probably scale it up by a factor of 1000. I'm getting some small numbers.  One slight variant that I'm think of is (mass returned to Kerbin surface) / (total mass from Kerbin surface). Simple, no fuss, no muss scoring.

I had toyed with idea of straight number of kerbals multiplier. But, since hauling around kerbals is cheap, it is an easy way to crank up the score. So perhaps a multiplier of (capacity for kerbals)/(number of kerbals)? Still a bit easy to run up but not as easy.

Comments/suggestions?

[Daveroski]

You could always score on [REDACTED]  or even [REDACTED]  but if anyone [REDACTED]  then you can [REDACTED]  all of their [REDACTED]

 

[tseitsei89]

Some common and quite well working scoring ideas:

1. Lightest entry wins

2. Cheapest entry wins

3. Fastest entry wins

4. Most science returned wins

5. Least parts wins

 

At least these come to mind immediately...

Important thing is that you don't make the scoring dependent on too many different factors so it won't get too complicated

Edited November 30, 2016 by tseitsei89

[septemberWaves]

Maybe have different categories? Several different ways to attempt the challenge and compete for a place in several different leaderboards, such as:

• Low mass
• Low cost
• Low cost-per-kerbal
• Most science points
• Most kerbals

These are just examples; if you do decide to make challenge categories you would have to consider which ones might work best for your challenge, and maybe even have special categories that are designed specifically to introduce a special twist to your challenge (such as that Jool 5 variant where you have to land a different kerbal on each moon).