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The KSP Caveman Challenge - The Next Generation


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I am honored and humbled to bring to you, all of our fellow Kerbonauts, the 6th iteration of the Kerbal Space Program Caveman challenge.  I would love to have gotten the blessing of either @JAFO or @Mr. Peabody, but neither has been on the forum in quite a long time.  So in order to keep this challenge going and active - which is one of my personal favorites, btw - I have decided to just take over administrative duties.  I hope this is ok, and if it is not, then may the kraken strike down any craft I attempt to fly.

NOTE:  If anyone has completed the Caveman challenge under any of the previous threads but has not received recognition, please post herein with a link to your mission report or post(s) from the other threads proving you have finished this.  I will go through and validate any and all who request it!

 

KSP Caveman Challenge

Facility upgrades are forbidden.

Terrible runway and launchpad.

Part count of thirty and vehicle mass limit of 18.0 tons.

No fancy patched conics, no maneuver nodes and no Deep Space Network.

Abhorrent fear of technology as primitive as can be.

Acquire 1188 Science Points to unlock twenty nodes of the technology tree.

IvGhzqr.png

 

Challenge Rules:

Stock career mode (DLC expansions are allowed)

EVA construction is allowed and even encouraged

Use of Green Monoliths to unlock tech nodes is allowed

No mods that alter game play (mods used for graphics, radio chatter, ect. are fine)

Use of the KER and/or MechJeb mods, or other mods that provide more information than the stock game does, is not permitted

 The Making History option "Allow other Launchsites" is not permitted (it makes Caveman life too easy)

No use of Mods or Cheat Menu in separate games

No cheat menus or any other shenanigans

No kraken/ladder drives or similar contraptions

Use of spreadsheets and/or external launch window calculators such as the Alex Moon Launch Window Planner, are permitted

 

The minimum amount of proof needed for a challenge entry is screen shots of:

Your difficulty settings. (Including advanced/custom settings if needed.)

Your Science Archives, showing where the bulk of your science came from.

The KSC to show no buildings were upgraded.

Your tech tree to show that you completed Tier 5.

 

However, we strongly encourage you to also post interesting screenshots in occasional updates to this thread. It's always fun (and interesting!) to see the different approaches people take to the challenge.

 

 

Help Resources:

Previous challenge threads are the best compilations of previous attempts and useful information, but there are some other places you should check out as well. For your convenience, they are all listed below.

Spoiler

There are 7 levels of challenge to aspire to, and one Special Award:

rKRJVqas.jpg TALC: Complete Challenge in Easy Career Mode

You should be able to make quick work of this soft-rock career

Spoiler

M6Ly4Bmt.jpg Apatite: Complete Challenge in Normal Career Mode

The minimum amount of flare.

Bhl49vHs.jpg Vanadium: Complete Challenge in Moderate Career Mode

A tool's hard edge can make all the difference.

Spoiler

2vIhwYNs.jpg Topaz: Complete Challenge in Hard Career Mode

Happy, shiny caveman.

Spoiler

scMvIdxs.jpg Corundum: Custom Difficulty

This career would not wear down a tough caveman...

mlMO0Grt.pngSopFB2Kt.png

Spoiler

 

7vLAIE9s.jpg Diamond: Custom Difficulty

For brilliant cavemen, possessed of fire.

FoLzCLDt.pngAv1mTfdt.png

Spoiler

 

O2jp041s.jpg  Nano-crystalline Diamond: Custom Difficulty

Hard caveman. Good luck, you'll need it!

FoLzCLDt.pngKe9WEBpt.png

Spoiler

 

1NNziEqt.png The Trilobitic Order

Legendary cavemen & cavewomen

Spoiler
dvader Visited Duna, Ike, and Jool.  Landed on Bop.  Completed Nano-Diamond.
Minimal Minmus Visited Duna and Ike.  Completed Diamond.
Muetdhiver Landed on Duna & Gilly.  Visited Eve and the Joolian system.  Completed Diamond.
Incongruous Goat Completed Nano-Diamond.
joshudson Visited Jool and Laythe.
zanie420 Landed on Gilly.  Visited Eve.  Completed Nano-Diamond.
paul_c Visited Duna.  Landed on Ike.  Completed Nano-Diamond.
Sirad Landed on Duna.  Visited Joolian system.  Landed on Tylo.
WarSprite Visited Duna.
king of nowhere Visited Joolian system.  Landed on Bop.  Completed Nano-Diamond.  Completed Nano-Diamond with Kerbalism and landed on Duna.
Fred Flintstone Invented the yabba-dabba-doo.

Let it be known that there are no formal requirements for earning this badge.  You must go above and beyond.  Reach with all your might.  Strike out on a path that no other Caveman has gone on.  Only through the most difficult trials can one hope to achieve this legendary status.

Badges:

Spoiler

Talc

1TD0ybLb.png

awarded for completing talc

Apatite

D3F2S8kb.png

awarded for completing apatite

Vanadium

6J15REAb.png

awarded for completing vanadium

Topaz

wxAzkaHb.png

 awarded for completing topaz

Corundum

i6aT3Rcb.png

awarded for completing corundum

Diamond

mr7Jtydb.png

awarded for completing diamond

Nano-Diamond

YGkzNorb.png

awarded for completing nano-diamond

Badge of Honour

PfUP1skb.jpg

awarded for completing everything!

Order of the Trilobite

1NNziEqb.png

awarded for exceptional merit & dedication

     

 

Edited by Scarecrow71
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19 hours ago, Scarecrow71 said:

NOTE:  If anyone has completed the Caveman challenge under any of the previous threads but has not received recognition, please post herein with a link to your mission report or post(s) from the other threads proving you have finished this.  I will go through and validate any and all who request it!

You should check the final page of the old thread. There are some entries. I've completed the challenge on the first three levels, but only the first one was noted on the wall of fame. I've started on the next level (hard) too, but didn't complete it, because I started my Eve mission.

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@DennisB

I've gone through the last page, and I am happy to award you the badge for Vanadium (Moderate)!  Ooga Booga!  You can go ahead and claim the badge with the appropriate mineral-shaped object in it!

Unfortunately, you don't have any screenshots for your settings, research, or the KSC from your Apatite (Normal) run, so I cannot give you credit for that one at this time.  If you provide the shots, or if you re-do the challenge, we can discuss getting you that Apatite badge!

 

@king of nowhere

Were you not already a member of the Order of the Trilobite, you would have received this honor for your Nano-Diamond/Kerbalism run with a landing on Duna.  Well done!

For those who wish to read about this achievement, you can do so here:

 

@Sirad

I am thoroughly blown away from your mission to land a Kerbal on Tylo and return them home in Caveman.  The ship you constructed, both on the ground and in orbit, is nothing short of remarkable.  Were you not already a member of the Order of the Trilobyte, you would have earned that here.

For anyone that wants to read/see the mission, you can do so here:

 

Edited by Scarecrow71
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1 hour ago, Scarecrow71 said:

Unfortunately, you don't have any screenshots for your settings, research, or the KSC from your Apatite (Normal) run, so I cannot give you credit for that one at this time.  If you provide the shots, or if you re-do the challenge, we can discuss getting you that Apatite badge!

It's in the post above the other one.

On 3/15/2023 at 10:07 PM, DennisB said:

Apatite level completed.
 

  Hide contents

CyVvsi6.jpg

VYgh2YR.jpg

q4or3Nd.jpg

GQPAncO.jpg

a0JF4WY.jpg

RINsnpN.jpg

MpNj0O2.jpg

In this round I didn't use an airplane, but I will need one on the next level. On Kerbin I got science only at KSC and where I landed after the missions. This time I took instead of the science for money the science for reputation strategy, but it's not as good, as the other one.

Edited by DennisB
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Here is my attempt at Caveman Nanodiamond!

Spoiler

7tskjiw.png

Difficulty settings page 1

xuUBclS.png

Difficulty settings page 2

vZRY33b.png

Immediately upon accepting the 2 contracts I always do, there is a problem: Even with no jetpack, chute, and monopropellant, I cannot afford to launch a single command pod.

yM3AMU5.png

The other pod is even 2 funds worse.

MEYuJWJ.png

And I can't even cancel the contracts to accept the ones I should have accepted, which would have actually given me enough money to launch stuff.

Thus, I have managed to lose Caveman Nanodiamond with a final score of 0.0 science, 0 tech nodes unlocked, 0 launches, and 336 funds.

Jokes aside, the rules state no Kerbal Engineer and no MechJeb. I'd rather not make a whole new KSP install just for this challenge or deal with shuffling mods in and out, but is it alright if I have them installed, but not actually use them? Would be honor system. If that's not ok, that's fine, I just thought I'd ask first just in case.

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7 hours ago, Ultimate Steve said:

Here is my attempt at Caveman Nanodiamond!

  Reveal hidden contents

7tskjiw.png

Difficulty settings page 1

xuUBclS.png

Difficulty settings page 2

vZRY33b.png

Immediately upon accepting the 2 contracts I always do, there is a problem: Even with no jetpack, chute, and monopropellant, I cannot afford to launch a single command pod.

yM3AMU5.png

The other pod is even 2 funds worse.

MEYuJWJ.png

And I can't even cancel the contracts to accept the ones I should have accepted, which would have actually given me enough money to launch stuff.

Thus, I have managed to lose Caveman Nanodiamond with a final score of 0.0 science, 0 tech nodes unlocked, 0 launches, and 336 funds.

Jokes aside, the rules state no Kerbal Engineer and no MechJeb. I'd rather not make a whole new KSP install just for this challenge or deal with shuffling mods in and out, but is it alright if I have them installed, but not actually use them? Would be honor system. If that's not ok, that's fine, I just thought I'd ask first just in case.

IIRC you'll also need to uninstall the DLC's.  My run got marked as DLC even though I didn't use any parts or mechanics from them.

Edit: Actually, other people completed the challenge with DLC installed and didn't get marekd.  IDK why mine got the little green star lol

Edited by RoninFrog
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5 hours ago, RoninFrog said:

IIRC you'll also need to uninstall the DLC's.  My run got marked as DLC even though I didn't use any parts or mechanics from them.

Edit: Actually, other people completed the challenge with DLC installed and didn't get marekd.  IDK why mine got the little green star lol

The DLC's are quite ok and have been for some time.  I'm not sure why yours was marked differently.

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  • 3 weeks later...

@Scarecrow71

Thanks for your comments on my Tylo Mission.

That was so hard, even while not played on Hard :-), i had to take somewhat Time off from KSP.

I am Thinking of something even more hard (Landing on Several Planets in one Mission) ? grb. that would be somewhat i may need Eons for to complete and maybe a Year to Plan in advance) or need Multiple launches with Ground Construction to get a Bunch of FLT-800's into Space.  Hmm....
So why do we climb those Hills? ...because they exist.

I Like that Challenge. Quite a good Example of HOW astonishing this Game is that you can get Fun, out of nowhere but someone saying 'Try that'

PS: i havent been aware on that mission that 'dlc' is not allowed' but, while not using them anyhow, anywhere along the route, i feel no shame at all.

Edited by Sirad
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11 hours ago, Sirad said:

PS: i havent been aware on that mission that 'dlc' is not allowed' but, while not using them anyhow, anywhere along the route, i feel no shame at all.

DLC is allowed; not sure where you got that from.

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I Started to Play a Nanodiamond one....

Noticed that accidentally declining a Mission kills the game :-)
Wrong. Not accidentally declined it. If you apply to the same mission again (like testing a swivel again, after testing a swivel), it automatically fails. Erm.

Edited by Sirad
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On 10/12/2024 at 8:25 PM, Scarecrow71 said:

The DLC's are quite ok and have been for some time.  I'm not sure why yours was marked differently.

Could be because I used green monoliths to unlock nuclear engines and then I sent Jeb to Eeloo and Dres.  but that's a stock feature

I dunno

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4 hours ago, RoninFrog said:

Could be because I used green monoliths to unlock nuclear engines and then I sent Jeb to Eeloo and Dres.  but that's a stock feature

I dunno

Yeah, I'm not sure that's it either.  The use of Green Monoliths is also allowed; it's like 5 or 6 lines down in the opening post of the challenge.

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