Kerpollo - A Complete Science Mode Run In 9 Acts

[jinnantonix]

@dvader thats the first time I have seen an inline Saturn V like launch vehicle for Eve - most designs are asparagus design in order to get efficiency, and thats the way I thought Kerpollo engineers would favour - lower risk of mission failure.  My feeling was the Kerpollo does not necessarily mean the remote world needs a tall rocket, but something more like the Munar module concept with a lander, which detaches leaving behind heavy components like ISRU kit.  Of course, a MEM would be crushed by  Eve's atmosphere so a commend pod is a minimum.  And no mission to Eve would exclude collecting science and walking on the surface.  I ended up with a single engineer, taking a scientist was a bridge too far as two command pods was too heavy.  For science I avoid the heavy second command pod, and instead take multiple instruments and launch them to orbit for collection by my scientist after docking.  

Looking forward to seeing how your Faturn rocket works.  I can't see any solution to your science/airlock issue other than using ladders.  (that's what I did).

 

[dvader]

Evollo is done! I found a solution to my science problem by using the Ship Manifest mod. It can move science from one part to another. There's only a version for 1.4 but it still works in 1.6. You can not use it to move crew from a command module to a command seat though. Only their soul gets transferred and their body vanishes...

https://imgur.com/a/8UrMPfa

There are videos as well but I have to figure out how to edit them first.

@jinnantonix That's why I built it. All my previous Eve return craft have been short and compact with asparagus staging and a minimal payload. I wanted to do something different so I started with "good looks" and then modified stuff until it worked. It took more time than expected and I'm not really sure if it was worth the extra effort since so many compromises had to be made anyway. Landing is much better than version one and it can handle minor slopes but not too much. It works great on ascent though and just pushes through the atmosphere without any wobbling. Also, Eve is the most Earthlike planet so it just "made sense" to put something Saturn V like on it.

[dvader]

M7 Dunpollo is done!

https://imgur.com/a/VdU7sJ5

There is a Dunpollo video here at 8x speed. No fancy text though. I haven't figured out how to do that easily. Any tips or suggestions are welcome

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

[dvader]

Here's also the video for Mission 6, Evepollo:

The take-off almost failed due to SAS induced instabilities. I wonder if SAS really means "Stability Ain't Supported".

The Eve landing starts at 12:15. There's roughly 10 aerobrakes before that...

The Ike landing starts at 20:12.

 

Spoiler

 

 

[Superfluous J]

Sorry for being so late to this, but I'm still here. I'll get through these hopefully tonight and update the leaderboard.

[Superfluous J]

On 2/6/2019 at 10:27 PM, jinnantonix said:

And no mission to Eve would exclude collecting science and walking on the surface.

8 hours ago, dvader said:

There is a Dunpollo video here at 8x speed. No fancy text though. I haven't figured out how to do that easily. Any tips or suggestions are welcome

What do you use to edit? I use the subtitles feature of VideoPad. I used to use the text overlay but subtitles are 10x easier for only 1/2 the features

I'm watching and browsing the entries now and will update the first post shortly.

[jinnantonix]

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That's why I built it. All my previous Eve return craft have been short and compact with asparagus staging and a minimal payload. I wanted to do something different so I started with "good looks" and then modified stuff until it worked. It took more time than expected and I'm not really sure if it was worth the extra effort since so many compromises had to be made anyway. Landing is much better than version one and it can handle minor slopes but not too much. It works great on ascent though and just pushes through the atmosphere without any wobbling. Also, Eve is the most Earthlike planet so it just "made sense" to put something Saturn V like on it.

Well done, doing Evepollo with no ISRU looks like a real challenge, getting such a huge craft to Kerbin orbit.  I particularly like your leaf spring landing struts, and the way you used them to maintain craft stability during the aerobraking.  And 3 stages to Eve orbit with inline staging - never seen that done before, didn't think it possible.

 

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I found a solution to my science problem by using the Ship Manifest mod.

There is a mod for everything!  Doesn't help me as I have challenged myself to doing my Kerpollo program with no mods. 

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There is a Dunpollo video here at 8x speed. No fancy text though. I haven't figured out how to do that easily. Any tips or suggestions are welcome 

I love your your craft design for Duna, very Kerpollo.  I notice you use air brakes on your Duna lander, I also found them very useful for maintaining stability during Duna descent, obviously Kerpollo craft designers would not tolerate a randomly tumbling landing craft, and I am sure your Kerbonaut would appreciate it too.

Without knowing which editor you use, can't help with text.  I use VSDC, and adding text is easy (although I rarely use it).  I don't think you need to add text, the video was self evident.

 

 

Edited February 9, 2019 by jinnantonix

[jinnantonix]

Evepollo completed, video attached

The mission went well right up to the hitchiker exploding on Kerbin landing impact (lucky no Kerbals aboard, all 3 safe in the command pod).  I tested for a water landing, but solid ground was a different story. 

I have a few design modifications before embarking on Joolpollo which will be a Jool-5 level 3 mission.  In particular, the following:  

• Add docking ports to separate stage 4, command pod/hithchiker cross tree, and the Laythe and Tylo landers.  Each landing will have a different orbiter and lander combination, and each component needs it's own reaction wheel and pilot control system to allow easy SAS enabled redocking.
• The stage 4 NERVA tug will have a wider landing strut system so it will be stable on Pol, Bop and Vall landings.
• Add chutes to the hitchhiker.  For Joolpollo I will have 5 scientists so the hitchiker must survive impact on Kerbin touchdown.
• For the Laythe lander I am building a plane so that the pilot can choose a good landing site.  This follows Werner von Kermans original vision for Duna landings.  Rather than landing on skis, the craft will land vertically for a more efficient lift off to orbit.
• The Tylo lander will be a simple design variant on the Laythe lander to account for no atmosphere, eg  minus the wings and chutes and adding extra drop tanks.

 

 

 

Edited February 9, 2019 by jinnantonix

[dvader]

@5thHorseman @jinnantonix Thanks for the tips! I will probably try subtitles first. I'm currently using ffmpeg in a bash script to concatenate and speed up all files with just one click. The drawback is no niceties like variable speedup and no text. Maybe I can just add subtitles some way. Otherwise, I'll check out both your suggestions. So far I've tried OpenShot and Flowblade but both were more annoying than my bash script... but saying that makes me feel old...

@jinnantonix It's a nice artificial gravity rotator you have in your missions. You must really care for your Kerbals health. I just assume they are gelatinous and photosynthetic... They'd scream if they were not, right? The landing legs on my craft were not meant to be used for aerodynamic stability at first. The plan was to hide them behind the heat shield and let it go bottom first through the atmosphere (since it is bottom heavy). Most versions did go bottom first but the last version flipped at the end (don't know why) so I tried head first instead.

Now, I have to go planning for Jool. I've got a pretty standard Tylo lander and a Laythe plane already done. Now I just need to figure out the logistics and put the pieces together.

[Superfluous J]

20 hours ago, jinnantonix said:

There is a mod for everything!  Doesn't help me as I have challenged myself to doing my Kerpollo program with no mods. 

Well without ForScience he'd have not been in that problem to begin with so ...

[Johnster_Space_Program]

I accept your challenge! I hope your looking forward to seeing how I do these missions in the future, im also currently doing a career mode challenge as well! I'll start with Kerpollo, then Munpollo first in science mode with the settings required, shouldn't be too hard... 

Mods Being Used:

Making History (I have it, but its uninstalled)

Texture Replacer

Dark Multiplayer

And NGC3372 Skybox

 

As a bonus, I made this custom mission flag for the science career (I think it looks good, what about you?) 

Also I will make a video for every mission I do (in order) and post them here!

Edited February 10, 2019 by Johnster_Space_Program

[Johnster_Space_Program]

Alright, just finished changing the settings for a new science mode to do the challenge, here are some screenshots, i'm pretty sure I did everything right (also notice the nice background, that's from the skybox mod): 

I made it slightly harder than normal, for more of a challenge.

I'm also wondering, does that mean that you can't upgrade the tech tree before doing the first mission? I mean, do you have to do the kerpollo mission with only the starting tier you get, you can't get more tiers before that in the tech tree?

Edit: So, after gathering science from around the ksc with no launches (like the rules say), I was able to get enough science to unlock these nodes in the tech tree: 

Time to do the first mission, Kerpollo!

Edited February 10, 2019 by Johnster_Space_Program
I added some more information

[Johnster_Space_Program]

So, I just finished Kerpollo (The First Mission of 9) Today! Here is a video of me completing it:

I also made a mission patch for the mission, and I will for future ones:

Next is Munpollo!

 

[Superfluous J]

4 hours ago, Johnster_Space_Program said:

I'm also wondering, does that mean that you can't upgrade the tech tree before doing the first mission? I mean, do you have to do the kerpollo mission with only the starting tier you get, you can't get more tiers before that in the tech tree?

As you figured out, you're absolutely able to (and really, expected to) do a bit of farming around the KSC first. I'll watch your video in a bit and add you to the participants list after.

[Johnster_Space_Program]

28 minutes ago, 5thHorseman said:

As you figured out, you're absolutely able to (and really, expected to) do a bit of farming around the KSC first. I'll watch your video in a bit and add you to the participants list after.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Also, do you not have to do orbiter-lander docking missions until the node where you get docking parts is unlocked? I'm also assuming so.

[dvader]

7 minutes ago, Johnster_Space_Program said:

Yeah, that's what I thought. Also, do you not have to do orbiter-lander docking missions until the node where you get docking parts is unlocked? I'm also assuming so.

Under orbiter rules it says:

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Once you have unlocked any docking port, you must also leave a craft in orbit of each world landed on, during the landing.

So, no, you do not have to leave a craft in orbit unless docking ports are unlocked.

 

 

[Johnster_Space_Program]

19 minutes ago, dvader said:

Under orbiter rules it says:

So, no, you do not have to leave a craft in orbit unless docking ports are unlocked.

 

 

Ok, thanks for clarifying that, because for the kerpollo mission I didn't have them unlocked yet and I won't have them unlocked for the munpollo mission as well, but I will probably have them unlocked for the minpollo mission so every mission I do from minpollo and onwards will have an orbiter-lander with docking ports.

[Superfluous J]

53 minutes ago, Johnster_Space_Program said:

Yeah, that's what I thought. Also, do you not have to do orbiter-lander docking missions until the node where you get docking parts is unlocked? I'm also assuming so.

As @dvader said, no orbiter needed until docking ports. You could even hold back unlocking them to make the mission easier if you can live without higher tech stuff (you have to clear out an entire tech tree level before you can move on). I could have done this for Minmus but opted to get the node for extra funsies.

[Superfluous J]

2 hours ago, Johnster_Space_Program said:

Here is a video of me completing it

And well done. One quick thing, you unlocked a tech node of a level above before doing the one below. It's totally fine because you then immediately unlocked the one below, but if you'd not had the science to unlock that lower tier, I'd have had to disqualify you, or at least require you to not use those higher tier tech items in your next mission (which could make it excessively hard)

But all in all well done, and welcome to the participants list!

[Johnster_Space_Program]

33 minutes ago, 5thHorseman said:

And well done. One quick thing, you unlocked a tech node of a level above before doing the one below. It's totally fine because you then immediately unlocked the one below, but if you'd not had the science to unlock that lower tier, I'd have had to disqualify you, or at least require you to not use those higher tier tech items in your next mission (which could make it excessively hard)

But all in all well done, and welcome to the participants list!

Thanks! Also, here is the first look at my munpollo rocket i'm going to use for the next mission.

Also when unlocking nodes and levels for the challenge, you have to do them like this, right?

Edited February 10, 2019 by Johnster_Space_Program

[jinnantonix]

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@jinnantonix It's a nice artificial gravity rotator you have in your missions. You must really care for your Kerbals health. I just assume they are gelatinous and photosynthetic... They'd scream if they were not, right? 

How would you know?  In space no one can hear you scream.   

I am trying to do Kerpollo in the same way that Werner von Kerman would do it  - and I am sure he would care for his "Kerbal occupants".

 

[Superfluous J]

19 minutes ago, Johnster_Space_Program said:

By unlocking nodes, you have to do them like this

Correct. You must unlock all of Tier 1 before unlocking any on Tier 2, all of Tier 2 before any on Tier 3, etc.

[ManEatingApe]

I did some research into the minimum possible number of launches to complete the tech tree Kerpollo style in the Jool 5 thread.

Let's just say the total number is low

[Superfluous J]

44 minutes ago, ManEatingApe said:

I did some research into the minimum possible number of launches to complete the tech tree Kerpollo style in the Jool 5 thread.

Let's just say the total number is low

A. Mazing.

I can't wait to see the rest of the videos. WELL DONE.

Oh and by the way, when I said you were technically breaking the rules, I was totally, completely, 100% wrong. You are fully within the rules, but just aren't done yet.

After Kerpollo, you can do the other 8 missions in any order. You just opted to do the Jool mission first instead of last. So there is nothing (other than it's basically child's play compared to what you've already done) keeping you from completing the other 7 missions with whatever ships you want due to having completely unlocked the entire tree.

And in any case whatsoever very, very well done.

[ManEatingApe]

25 minutes ago, 5thHorseman said:

Oh and by the way, when I said you were technically breaking the rules, I was totally, completely, 100% wrong. You are fully within the rules, but just aren't done yet.

What! You mean this whole time that I've been swaggering around taunting Johnny Law, twirling my mustachio, laughing maniacally - I've actually been a law-abiding citizen

25 minutes ago, 5thHorseman said:

After Kerpollo, you can do the other 8 missions in any order. You just opted to do the Jool mission first instead of last. So there is nothing (other than it's basically child's play compared to what you've already done) keeping you from completing the other 7 missions with whatever ships you want due to having completely unlocked the entire tree.

I'm not sure if this old con can ever be rehabilitated...ah what the heck, it'd be a shame to leave a challenge behind. When I'm done with video editing, I'll tackle the remaining missions - on one condition. That you leave me in the Rogue's Gallery - I kinda like it.

 

Edited February 11, 2019 by ManEatingApe