Building base contracts

[Jestersage]

Question: Do I have to do the building base contract all in one go?

I was thinking of using a prefab set from KerbalX, seeing I had used one before and have good result (actually used the set before and love it); however, the lab is on a seperate module from the Hab unit.

[bewing]

No. Once all the pieces are attached the contract will complete. I always do them as modules.

[Snark]

One thing to watch out for, if you're building it in modules: Every vessel has a timestamp for when it was launched, and any time you dock two things together, both ships get the older one's timestamp.

So be careful that you don't dock any of your modules to a pre-contract space station or something, because not only would that invalidate it for your contract, but it would infect your other modules' timestamps when it docks to them.

Which would be sad.

[Jestersage]

Thanks for the warning Snark. Is the timestamp what KSP used to determine if the craft is "new"?

[bewing]

Yes.

[Cubfan]

15 hours ago, Snark said:

One thing to watch out for, if you're building it in modules: Every vessel has a timestamp for when it was launched, and any time you dock two things together, both ships get the older one's timestamp.

Is this only while they're docked together? I saw a similar answer to Acolyte's question "Cheaty contract didn't pay", but anytime I have a ground base or orbital station contract (or one of each with the same modules when I can), I always refuel the individual modules at Minmus. Which means they dock with my fuel shuttle. I think the current one's been in orbit for 15 years or so. It's never broken a contract. So I'm wondering, does refueling not count for the timestamp?

[bewing]

It still applies after they've undocked. Yes, it still applies for refueling. But it depends on which version of the program you are running? Or it might even work if this savegame has been upgraded from a previous version. The rules about timestamps were changed in some version or other -- I don't remember which.