Contract Base and Cupola

[Jestersage]

While I finally make a good looking mobile lab that isn't a humongous land train (small enough I am calling it MOLAB), a concern is that when I use it in Career mode, it will eventually ask for a Cupola, which I didn't have on this one.

So I am wondering: Does the base contract generators have a preference to ask for a Cupola? Or is it just RNG, totally random?

Edited February 24, 2017 by Jestersage

[Magzimum]

I think that the contracts even ask for a NEW cupola. The challenge for which they pay you is to launch a new section of the lab, which contains a cupola, and dock it. At least, that's my experience.

So, if your lab already had a cupola, that will never satisfy a contract: If it already has a cupola, they will ask for a 2nd cupola. The trick therefore is not to stick a cupola onto the lab, but to give it docking ports where you can dock easily (or, alternatively to just ignore the contracts), and then launch and dock whatever they ask for.

 

Having said that, I do believe that the contracts have a preference for cupolas. They seem to come up a lot, just like requests for additional labs.

[Jestersage]

So my understanding is:

1. Contracts for base in general have a preference for cupola
2. Even if I have (or don't have a cupola), it will not affect the base expansion contract on whether it will ask for one. <-- This is the more important question.

[Snark]

2 hours ago, Jestersage said:

So my understanding is:

1. Contracts for base in general have a preference for cupola
2. Even if I have (or don't have a cupola), it will not affect the base expansion contract on whether it will ask for one. <-- This is the more important question.

Yup, pretty much.  The expansion contracts are always to add new stuff.

Note that it's not just contracts for bases, per se, that seem to get a disproportionate share of cupola love.  It's fairly common to ask for this in orbital station contracts, too.

In my own games, I generally ignore all base-expansion contracts, since I find that expanding surface bases is a hassle (they're inconveniently awkward to dock to, and I'm sufficiently prejudiced against the Klaw that I refuse to use it in my own gameplay for this sort of thing).  Expanding orbital stations is way easier, and just as lucrative, so if I'm going to expand something, it's generally that.

 

[Jestersage]

I see. I am debating whether to use Cupola, or to use the landing can mk-1 and KLAW. Cupola and KLAW make it looks ugly.

Also, it's hard to type on mobile. Keep having those extra tag. Android phone doesn't have del. How do I take out the rich format and just use the codes?

Edited February 25, 2017 by Jestersage
Clean up mobile edits

[paulprogart]

Thankfully, like a lot of stuff in KSP this is defined via configuration settings, so we can answer this question with a quick search of GameData/Squad/Contracts.cfg. 

		PART_REQUEST // A potential cupola request for stations
		{
			Article = a // Article (A/An) to be used prior to part description
			PartDescription = viewing cupola // Plain speech description of part for request
			VesselDescription = station // Plain speech description of vessel for request
			Keyword = Commercial // Contract briefing keyword
			Part = cupola // A part ID that triggers this request
			Trivial // Easy Contracts
			{
				Weight = 20 // How common this request is in easy contracts
				FundsMultiplier = 1.1 // The multiplier this request places on funds in easy contracts
				ScienceMultiplier = 1 // The multiplier this request places on science in easy contracts
				ReputationMultiplier = 1.3 // The multiplier this request places on reputation in easy contracts
			}
			Significant // Medium Contracts
			{
				Weight = 30 // How common this request is in medium contracts
				FundsMultiplier = 1.1 // The multiplier this request places on funds in medium contracts
				ScienceMultiplier = 1 // The multiplier this request places on science in medium contracts
				ReputationMultiplier = 1.3 // The multiplier this request places on reputation in medium contracts
			}
			Exceptional // Hard Contracts
			{
				Weight = 40 // How common this request is in hard contracts
				FundsMultiplier = 1.1 // The multiplier this request places on funds in hard contracts
				ScienceMultiplier = 1 // The multiplier this request places on science in hard contracts
				ReputationMultiplier = 1.3 // The multiplier this request places on reputation in hard contracts
			}
		}

I'm not an expert in the contracts system but I assume that Weight is a percentage, in which case it'd be 20-40% depending on the difficulty level.

EDIT: Just read @Snark's post more closely, and he's right:  There's one such section for stations and one for outposts.  They have the same weights, though.  I didn't see the second one because of how my text editor works (and because I wasn't expecting it).

Edited February 24, 2017 by paulprogart
Second section mention

[Jestersage]

Slightly related, are there any purpose to have a KLAW on a rover?

Edited February 25, 2017 by Jestersage
Clean up mobile edits

[bewing]

43 minutes ago, Jestersage said:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Slightly related, are there any purpose to have a KLAW on a rover?

Absolutely. A rover with a klaw and a fuel tank is a generic surface refueler, for any landed ship.