How do missions increase in difficulty? (Career)

[xisec]

As tittle says, I could not find anywhere how the missioins increase in difficulty. They increase over game time, over hours played, over tech. unlocked?

Thx in advance

[WanderingKid]

The answer to this is a bit horizontal.  It depends on what you consider more difficult.

For example, getting to a Mun flyby with low-grade parts and no upgrades to your center is a lot more difficult than driving a rover around... depending on your skill levels.

Now, as to how do missions vary, there's a question we can answer.  Most newer missions types depend on unlocks to equipment and if you've contacted the SOI of a particular body.  For example, you typically won't get Minmus missions (except for world's firsts) until you've contacted Minmus.  Now, Duna will eventually start coughing up some satellite contracts before you get there, but that's out of the norm.

Additionally, the contracts system will start to phase out contracts that you keep letting expire in preference to contracts you take, so if you start avoiding rover contracts on Mun, you'll stop seeing Rover contracts period eventually, though the rare one may pop up.

Game Time has no effect on contract offers other than that contracts expire after a certain time and cycle out for a replacement.  Hours played has no effect at all.

[AeroGav]

In career mode, more ambitious contracts seem to be unlocked as you pass certain milestones.   When you get to space for the first time,  you will receive contract offers to place satellites etc. in orbit rather than just perform atmospheric / kerbin surface surveys and test parts.   When you reach Mun SOI the first time , you will start getting contracts to orbit Mun,  when you orbit mun, contracts to land on it will appear.    Ditto Minmus.   

The first time you leave Kerbin SOI, the game starts spawning contracts to Duna , Eve etc.

Things can occasionally get thrown out of whack.    What if one of your first orbiters, is an unmanned probe with an AP at Mun altitude.  It accidentally gets  a gravity assist and is ejected from the Kerbin system, lost forever in orbit around the sun.   From then on , the game will mostly spawn contracts to explore Duna, Eve etc. and you've not yet even got a Kerbal in orbit ! 

Thing is, rewards scale with the ambitiousness of the contract.  The more ambitious it is, the more funds, rep and science it gives you should you pull it off.

[bewing]

The difficulty level in the contract system is mostly based on reputation. The higher your reputation, the more difficult the contracts that you are offered -- and the more you will get paid for completing them.

If you have a disaster and your reputation goes down a lot, you will be offered easier contracts, but they will pay much less for completion.

As you unlock tech and reach milestones, this will open new contract types -- but the new contracts should be about as easy as things you have already done.

 

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I disagree slightly on the contracts.

I have never been offered a contract for a location I have not been to other than the incentive-to-go-there type which are one step beyond what you have accomplished.

While I have never had an early probe ejected I did have an incident where a parachute was ejected at relativistic velocity--and I started getting contracts in solar space but not for any other planets.

[bewing]

Well, for example, on satellite contracts: tundra, molniya, retrograde, synchronous, and highly inclined orbits are considered more difficult by the game than normal equatorial orbits.  Stationary orbits are considered most difficult of all by the game. And it gives more of the high difficulty variations as your reputation increases.

Similarly, rescue contracts spawn at locations and in orbits that are supposed to be more difficult to reach.

Part test contracts can have tighter speed and altitude constraints, and can be specified at higher speeds and more difficult locations.

"Contextual" survey contracts have increased numbers of points to visit at higher difficulties.

Hauling a larger number of tourists is supposed to be harder.

 

Edited April 2, 2017 by bewing

[Aegolius13]

27 minutes ago, Loren Pechtel said:

I disagree slightly on the contracts.

I have never been offered a contract for a location I have not been to other than the incentive-to-go-there type which are one step beyond what you have accomplished.

While I have never had an early probe ejected I did have an incident where a parachute was ejected at relativistic velocity--and I started getting contracts in solar space but not for any other planets.

I think this can happen.  I just started a new career and before visiting any other planets, I got a contract to put a space station in orbit of Duna.

[WanderingKid]

1 hour ago, Loren Pechtel said:

I have never been offered a contract for a location I have not been to other than the incentive-to-go-there type which are one step beyond what you have accomplished.

I have, often.  I typically start collecting up Duna Satellite contracts long before I ever depart Kerbin SOI as 3* contracts.  I believe they'll start spawning as soon as you visit Solar SOI, such as when you Tour Bus for experience, but I don't have proof of that being the cause, just a likely suspect and my observations.

@bewing True enough, but as far as I can tell there's no 'cause' for those contracts to increase/decrease in difficulty, at least not that's obvious.  Once you have that style of contract, you can get any of the variances as far as I've been able to tell once you reach some reputation level (I assume that's the trigger).

[xisec]

Thx for all this responses

So:

Difficulty increases over reputation level, but always at your tech and your system eploration level, right?

It seems reasonable. Like this mechanic hehe

Edit: I was worried about my new missions, too difficult for me. I only reached Mun and a close return from Mun. I had missions about landing on Mun; about gee force tourism on orbit; far away flights over 20k... I am too noob for this. After a sell of reputation I feel better with my new missions: tours orbiting Mun; some sat on Kerbin; far away flights, but under 20k...

Edited April 2, 2017 by xisec

[Loren Pechtel]

On 4/2/2017 at 9:38 AM, xisec said:

Thx for all this responses

So:

Difficulty increases over reputation level, but always at your tech and your system eploration level, right?

It seems reasonable. Like this mechanic hehe

Edit: I was worried about my new missions, too difficult for me. I only reached Mun and a close return from Mun. I had missions about landing on Mun; about gee force tourism on orbit; far away flights over 20k... I am too noob for this. After a sell of reputation I feel better with my new missions: tours orbiting Mun; some sat on Kerbin; far away flights, but under 20k...

The game offers plenty of undesirable contracts, just don't take them.