The Dessert Derby 2018

[Triop]

Welcome daredevils, evil geniuses and other nerf herders !

Ready for some wacky racing ?

Competition ends September 30th !

Everybody who can finish this challenge will be honoured on the final scoreboard.

SCOREBOARD :

Flight + Race :

1. Katateochi

- Flight time: 09:18

- Drive time: 06:15

- Total time: 15:33

2. purpleivan

- Flight time: 19:03

- Drive time: 08:33

- Total time: 27:36

Second run:

- Flight time: 09:49
- Race time: 07:54
- Total time: 17:43

3. Mystifeid

- Flight time: 14:29
- Race time: 06:43
- Total time: 21:12

Second run:

- Flight time: 13:30
- Race time: 06:22
- Total time: 19:52

4. qzgy

- Flight Time: 14:50

- Drive Time: 07:15

- Total Time: 22:05

5. dundun93

- Flight time: 23:16
- Race time: 14:54
- Total time: 38:10

Second run:

- Flight time: 13:52

- Race time: 08:94 09:34  Learn to calculate time dude.

-Total time: 22:46 22:26 You are even 20 seconds faster

6. DaJay42

- Flight time: 13:03

- Drive time: 14:46

- Total time: 27:49

7. l0kki

Flying: 14:58

Race: 21:51

Total: 36:29

8. Klapaucius

- Flight time: 22:45

- Drive time: 17:14

- Total time: 39:59

9. Kapteenipirk

- Flight time: 26:28

- Drive time: 14:02

- Total time: 40:30

10. 4X4cheesecake

- Flight time: 46:35

- Drive time: 12:01

- Total time 58:36

11. Wrench Head

- Flight time: 01:00:12

- Drive time: 11:40

- Total time: 01:11:52

12. MjP1050

- "Flight" Time - 1:4:45:38 (that's 1 day, 4 hours, 45 minutes, 38 seconds)

- Drive Time - 14:23

- Total Time: 01:05:00:01

13. vitekc45c

- Flight time: 01:38:16

- Drive time: 01:01:18

- Total time: 02:39:34

roboslacker

 

He made it.

 

 

Race :

1. Katateochi Time: 06:15

2. Mystifeid Time: 06:22

3. qzgy Time: 07:15

4. purpleivan Time: 07:54

5. dundun93 Time: 09:34

6. Wrench Head Time: 11:40

7. 4X4cheesecake Time: 12:01

8. Kapteenipirk Time: 14:02

9. MjP1050 Time: 14:23

10. DaJay42 Time: 14:46

11. Klapaucius Time: 17:14

12. l0kki Time: 21:51

13. Stunkfish Time: 22:02  (Did race only)

14. vitekc45c Time: 01:01:18

* orange line is for example, take any route you like.

 

First you will need to download the following savefile (V1.4.5.) and copy it into your KSP saves folder:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6hci71bkvna4pg1/AAAJNnnjdifoS16LQbMGwYnDa?dl=0

This savefile contains 2 flags (start/finish) placed in the desert.

Objectives-

- Design a car that can drive 22 km over dunes.

- Design a transport that can deliver your car to the Dessert starting point (Savegame).

- Fly your rover to the "Dessert" starting flag.

- Race your rover to the "Temple" finish flag.

Feel free to use mods.

How to time your race :

Spoiler

- I did a timed flight using screenshots for timing.

- I unloaded my car and drove to the flag.

- waited for the mission time to get a round number (in this case it was 03:00), pressed F1 for screenshot and started.

- Drove to the flag and did a full stop followed by a screenshot for timing.

The flight was 16:29 and the drive was 21:28 (24:28 minus 3:00).

Counting them together gives me a complete time of 38:07.

 

Scoreboard will look something like this:

Score:

- Flight 16:29

- Drive 21:38 (24:38 minus 03:00 (see starting time))

- Total 38:07

 

Catagories:

- timed flight + timed race.

- timed race only.

My score: (not competing)

- Flight 16:29

- Drive 21:38

- Total 38:07

 

 

Want to promote this challenge ? Then rate it 5 stars !

Edited October 1, 2018 by Triop

[purpleivan]

Velocirover will be eating up those "dunes" tomorrow.

Edited August 31, 2018 by purpleivan

[Mjp1050]

@Triop, are we required to fly the car all the way to the starting line? Y'see, I am transporting my car to the starting line by airplane, but I'm transporting my airplane to the desert continent by boat 

 

[Triop]

4 minutes ago, Mjp1050 said:

I am transporting my car to the starting line by airplane, but I'm transporting my airplane to the desert continent by boat

That is awesome !

Originality is always higly appreciated.

Go for it.

45 minutes ago, purpleivan said:

Velocirover will be eating up those "dunes" tomorrow.

Goodluck.

[4x4cheesecake]

1 hour ago, Triop said:

Originality is always higly appreciated.

So I can use my rover to deliver it self?

I can decouple the wings after landing at the flag

[Mjp1050]

Just now, Triop said:

That is awesome !

Originality is always higly appreciated.

Go for it.

Thanks! Not so much originality as laziness, though...the plane doesn't have enough range and I don't want to redesign it 

 

11 minutes ago, 4x4cheesecake said:

So I can use my rover to deliver it self?

I can decouple the wings after landing at the flag

Strange minds think alike 

[4x4cheesecake]

1 minute ago, Mjp1050 said:

Strange minds think alike 

The best part of it: This solution is rediculous slow (at least in my case), it takes already ~1h just to reach to desert airfield ^^

[Triop]

13 minutes ago, 4x4cheesecake said:

The best part of it: This solution is rediculous slow (at least in my case), it takes already ~1h just to reach to desert airfield ^^

Well time isn't everything, I applaud everybody who makes it.

In fact, I will put everybody who makes it on the scoreboard, even if it takes you 4 weeks.

[4x4cheesecake]

I DID IT!

Spoiler

Launching at the KSC

Heading for the desert:

Checking the route:

Landed next to the flag:

Starting the race at 0:50:00

Slow in the air, fast on the ground:

Big jump right before reaching the finish:

Stopped next to the finish flag:

My score:

- Flight 46:35

- Drive 12:01

- Total 58:36

I'm actually proud of my time but to be honest: I did it just for the fun and oh boy...it is definitly the most funny challenge I've done so far. As soon as my rolling cheesecake is ready, I'll go for a second ride

(A few more pictures in my imgur album: https://imgur.com/a/V9qQQX3 )

 

[Triop]

1 hour ago, 4x4cheesecake said:

I DID IT!

Great job, nice car.

Congratz, you are leading the scoreboard.

For now . . .

 

Edited September 1, 2018 by Triop

[4x4cheesecake]

24 minutes ago, Triop said:

Congratz, you are leading the scoreboard.

Screenshot, printed and framed already. Mom will be proud

[Mjp1050]

Fun fact: While recording my time, I had to use 6 digits.

The Ocean:

Spoiler

It's a boat!

 

Cruising speed of about 31 m/s and a range of 2200 km

 

Hmm, how do I climb this cliff?

 

Why, with the power of Panthers and Goliaths, of course!

The Desert:

Spoiler

Maybe if I go fast enough I can use the boat as a runway and take off!

 

Try 1: Nope. And now my car is 60km away on the wrong side of the mountains.

 

Try 2: Now I'm just stuck.

 

Try 3: Take careful note of how some of the wheels have fallen off behind the boat.

 

Try 4: An improvement, but I still need my engines.

 

Try 5: I'm in the air! The disintegration of the boat is immaterial.

The Run:

Spoiler

No worries, it's meant to do that. And Jorbas can fix the wheels anyways.

 

TIME! 1:4:45:38 to the start line.

 

Let's start at a nice, round number. 

 

….I'm counting this as a finish, ok?

"Flight" Time - 1:4:45:38 (that's 1 day, 4 hours, 45 minutes, 38 seconds)

Drive Time - 14:23

Total Time: 1:5:00:01

Edited September 1, 2018 by Mjp1050

[katateochi]

gah, I totally missed the setup thread for this, so sorry, couple Qs; is airdropping the rover over the start acceptable? is there any bonus if your transport aircraft can come and collect the rover and fly it back to KSC? any points/penalties for rover not taking damage (loosing parts), or would it's one surviving wheel rolling over the finish line still count!?

[DaJay42]

Neat challenge; gave it a try.

https://imgur.com/a/AM0GTPj

Album AM0GTPj will appear when post is submitted

Flight time: 00:13:03

Drive time: 00:14:46

Total time: 00:27:49

Might give it another try when I'm back from my holidays.

 

Edit: is it just me or is the imgur album thing broken?

Edited September 1, 2018 by DaJay42

[katateochi]

Sorry 1 more Q; jet boosted rovers, are they allowed (if so I'm guessing the rules that we had in Dakar still apply about cutting thrust when leaving the ground). 

Edited September 1, 2018 by katateochi
Forum mobile is doing odd things to font sizes

[purpleivan]

43 minutes ago, katateochi said:

Sorry 1 more Q; jet boosted rovers, are they allowed (if so I'm guessing the rules that we had in Dakar still apply about cutting thrust when leaving the ground). 

Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes

 

[DoctorDavinci]

42 minutes ago, katateochi said:

Sorry 1 more Q; jet boosted rovers, are they allowed (if so I'm guessing the rules that we had in Dakar still apply about cutting thrust when leaving the ground). 

 

Just now, purpleivan said:

Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes

 

I think it is safe to assume the same rule applies ... only @Triop can really say but he has confirmed that @Azimech's Boost Flap Kraken Tech is allowed

I created a modlet just for this purpose after the last Dakar for autocontrolling the boost flap position based off of if your rover is in the air or landed .... It's cooked against KSP v1.3.1 so I'll sit down in a couple minutes and update it so it can be used for this challenge

 

[purpleivan]

Subject to possible instant disqualification, to appear only in the "dishonourable mentions" category, I present to you...

Velocirover - Start to finish flag in 8:33

I spent quite a lot of time on this, probably as much on the flight to the dessert airfield as the rover drive. Then I realised this morning that I have to get my machine not on the runway, but to the start flag some distance away. So I decided to enter in the Race category, given the extra that I was set up for a landing at the airfield.

The rover is jet powered, but it stays on the ground thanks to that thunking big rectangular wing on top. It does get airbourne from time to time, but rarely for than a second and it sticks to the ground going over most humps.

I didn't use the Boost Flap Kracken Tech, as this rover was pretty well stuck to the ground, although I did attach control surfaces at the back to act as jet exhaust covers The plan was to use these to cut a lot of the thrust without killing the engine, and spooling up again, when required (e.g. spinning out). However I ended up forgetting that in use and kept killing the engines, which wasn't the quickest way to the finish flag.

If this gets disqualified, then oh well... it was a fun challenge to enter. But if the vehicle is ok, then I think given the several spins I had, a complete tumble near the end, and my lack of use of the jet flaps, a sub 8 minute run is almost certain possible.

If BFKT is a requirement of jet boosted entiries, then if the mod is compatible with 1.4.5 then I'll have another crack at this, with it mod installed.

 

Getting to the desert.

First step (when I was planning on entering the flight and race category) was to have the plan pointing in the West on the runway, to save the turnaround time in the air... who needs concrete to take off.

Enroute.

Spoiler

Not quite on the runway.

Spoiler

Wheelstop in 14:25.

Then the slow treck to the start flag.

Spoiler

19:03 from the KSC to the start flag

Spoiler

Velocirover is free.

 

The Race

Picture (taken from video) says it all

Finish time

A course time of 8:33.

An angry god.

Edited September 1, 2018 by purpleivan

[DoctorDavinci]

1 hour ago, purpleivan said:

I didn't use the Boost Flap Kracken Tech, as this rover was pretty well stuck to the ground, although I did attach control surfaces at the back to act as jet exhaust covers The plan was to use these to cut a lot of the thrust without killing the engine, and spooling up again, when required (e.g. spinning out). However I ended up forgetting that in use and kept killing the engines, which wasn't the quickest way to the finish flag.

So this is what Boost Flap Kracken Tech is

Good time, decent looking ride too

[katateochi]

Just now, purpleivan said:

Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes 

haha. yeah, they are the fun way to roll!  I do think that maybe jet boosted rovers should be in their own class because (assuming you manage to not smear rover and pilot across a hillside) they utterly out perform any pure wheel powered rovers.  
I'm gonna do two entries (assuming that's allowed); one jet boosted and one stock wheel powered. (I wonder if it's acceptable to fly them out together on the same plane?)

@DoctorDavinci, I remember your mod from Dakar! In the end though I controlled mine manually because I made my boost flaps using a service bay and IIRC your mod didn't add control to service bays.  pros and cons to service bays as boost flaps; they're heavier, but they cut/enable thrust faster and they don't have any lift.  If you're doing an update to your mod, could you look into adding support for the small stock service bay?
 

[purpleivan]

5 minutes ago, katateochi said:

haha. yeah, they are the fun way to roll!  I do think that maybe jet boosted rovers should be in their own class because (assuming you manage to not smear rover and pilot across a hillside) they utterly out perform any pure wheel powered rover.

I'd agree with that. My style of rover does feel a bit like cheating up against rovers that have to apply force through the wheels to move.

[4x4cheesecake]

29 minutes ago, katateochi said:

haha. yeah, they are the fun way to roll!  I do think that maybe jet boosted rovers should be in their own class

Well, my rover mixed both variants...powered by wheels and boosted with sparks...
Actually, I wouldn't care too much about the time, leaderboards and so on... just have some fun

[DoctorDavinci]

@katateochi using service bays with BFC should be doable

Will have to make a custom module for it I suspect but thats not a big deal ... I'll take a look and see what needs doing

On the other hand the BFC controller has a deploy speed slider that controls the elevon deploy speed ... you can make the thrust cutoff almost instantaneous

[Triop]

6 hours ago, katateochi said:

is airdropping the rover over the start acceptable?

Yes

6 hours ago, katateochi said:

is there any bonus if your transport aircraft can come and collect the rover and fly it back to KSC? any points/penalties for rover not taking damage (loosing parts)

No, but it would be cool.

6 hours ago, katateochi said:

would it's one surviving wheel rolling over the finish line still count!?

Yes.

2 hours ago, purpleivan said:

jet boosted rovers, are they allowed (if so I'm guessing the rules that we had in Dakar still apply about cutting thrust when leaving the ground).

Yes.

@purpleivan wow, amazing... @Mjp1050 and @DaJay42 congratz guys, I updated the scoreboard.

 

[purpleivan]

@TriopI just notice the leaderboard showing my flight time as 14:25 +19:03 = 33:28

My total time from KSC to the start flag was 19:03 including taxi-ing the plane to the flag.

Sorry for the confusion.