Kerbal Combat Ship Design, Mission 1: Control the Star

[Hammer Wizard]

This challenge is design, build and deploy a large craft capable of defending Kerbin from evil invading aliens. This challenge isn't merely a pretty ship showcase however, I will be posting a save which contains the invading aliens that need a righteous buttkicking. Before I do that though, I need to outline just what we're all looking for in a Kerbal "Combat Ship".

1. It is permanently in space. It can have Landers and such, but the ship itself can never safely set down on any planetoid larger than Gilly.
   
2. It has armaments. These can be in the form of torpedoes, or fighters, or modded weapons like Romfarers weapon pack. Check out this thread for weapon designs.
   
3. It can be Refueled/Rearmed. This ship shouldn't be a oneshot launch, destroy, and return and deorbit type mission, unless it can take off again.
   

All mods are allowed so long as their use is properly documented, but there may be small bonuses for a completely stock vehicle launched with no external mods.

The scoring will be dependent on the nature of the missions presented. Performing goals in the mission will earn points. Those wishing to enter the leader boards will to take a picture of their ship accomplishing each goal they want points for, preferably with more than one picture of each if possible. The mission scoring will begin when your ship is in low Kerbin orbit (70-150km) and is fully fueled and armed. Subsequent refueling, repair and rearming will deduct small amounts of points from your total, and so must also be documented with pictures.

I am hoping that the mission structure becomes standard, to give those players designing combat craft lots of instances where their designs can be tested in simulated battle. Feel free to reuse my scoring structure in other Kerbal Combat Ship design threads. Try to pick interesting alien ships to fight, either borrowed from another universe or original ideas.

With out further delay, lets look at the first challenge posed to budding warship designers!

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Appropriate Music Begins Playing

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W_fzCW0L84

incoming transmission

Attention, all species members known to themselves as the Kerbal civilization. Upon leaving the surface of your planet, your species as set upon the Path of Now and Forever. We are the Ur-Quan, we have arrived to enslave your planet and it's entire populace. Since you have reached the technical sophistication required to propel yourselves in space, you are allowed to choose your ultimate fate. Bring to us a ceremonial black rod, and your species will forever be locked away on Kerbin, never able to reach space again as a powerful force field is projected over your world. Bring to us a white rod, and your species will be allowed to continue to operate in space, serving us in our Hierarchy of Battle Thralls.

Come to us with armed with weapons blazing, and our retaliation will be brutal. We will show no mercy.

Your world leaders have one year to come to a decision. Heed these words, for although you may consider us the enemy, these conclusions are flawed. We are your salvation. We bring you peace, a peace built upon OUR social framework imposed upon your planet, a new world order in which your prosperity and security are assured by the Ur-Quan. We will protect you from the hazards of this hostile universe, from dangers so hideous, your simple minds cannot imagine their dark scope. Today, we are the enemy. In time, this will change. Soon, you will come to understand the boon of slavery we force upon you and then, you will revere and even love us for this gift.

transmission loops

A ship is detected orbiting Jool.

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incoming transmission

HARG! HARG! HARG! The masters want YOU little green guys in the Hierarchy? SNORT! I've seen larger vermin on my home world than these dolts. I'm Hurfdurf of the Thraddash Culture 19, among the mightiest of Battle Thralls in the Ur-Quan Hierarchy. SNARF! We're here on escort for this Ur-Quan Captain.

We've got our eyes on you. SO DON'T TRY AND FIGHT US. Cowardly, stupid Kerbals and their primitive technology STAND NO CHANCE. So don't be as stupid as you look and bring up a black rod, for yous' guys' own good. SNORT!

transmission ends

A ship is detected orbiting Mun.

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incoming transmission

Hello Cue Balls! I am a Spathi of the planet Spathiwa, specifically Captain Smott Canley of the Spathi Eluder Mechanical Plebian. My crew has asked me to relay this message to you, "Surrender to the Ur-Quan please, we do not wish to fight your Cue Ball Space Program and die to your hyper advanced, extremely deadly and dangerous Cue Ball weaponry. Also, we think you look super awesome and very intimidating and would make great battle allies." That is the entirety of the message.

On a more personal note, I too would not like to die from advanced Cue Ball weaponry, which we know you are hiding in order to look less advanced. We do not wish to engage in combat with you, however we will be forced to do so if you attack any of the ships in orbit around your sun! We may be afraid of you, but we are much more afraid of what the Ur-Quan will do if we do not obey.

Fly safe, Cue Balls!

transmission ends

A ship is detected orbiting Ike.

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Scoring:

Main Objectives:

• Thraddash Throwdown: Destroy* the Thraddash Torch orbitting around the Mun. +100 points
  
• Spathi Skirmish: Destroy* the Spathi Eluder orbitting around Ike. +200 points
  
• Ur-Quan Quarrel: Destroy* the Kzer-Za Dreadnought orbitting around Jool. +400 points
  
• The Grand Campaign: Destroy* all invading enemy ships and safely return to Kerbin. +1500 points.(Replacing the above points)
  
• Gentlemanly Duel: Allow the Enemy Ship to shoot you first and connect. x2 Multiplier for that enemies point value. x2 The Grand Campaign points if you allow all enemies to shoot and hit first.
  

Bonus Points:

• Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels: No mods. +100 points
  
• Torched: Get Pushed by the Thraddash Torch's exhaust. +50 points
  
• Elephant Gun: Attack the Spathi Eluder from less than 100 Meters. +50 points
  
• Boop: Nudge the Ur-Quan Dreadnought a bit with your ship. +50 points
  
• Glorious Final Charge: Your ship is destroyed by any enemy ship. +250 points and mission ends
  

Costs:

• Each Refueling trip/delivery is -50 Points
  
• Each Rearming trip/delivery is -50 Points
  
• Each Repairing trip/delivery is -50 Points
  

Total Potential Maximum: 3250 points

*Destruction means the ships QBE core is blown up or seperated from all engines and weapons, or if all engines and weapons are destroyed.

All Enemy ships are stock, and require no mods to be loaded. They are controllable and all have some weapons.

The Enemy ships increase in part count as you get further out. The Thraddash ship around the Moon has less than 50 parts, the Ur-quan Dreadnought has more than 200. If you can't handle entering space with that ship, that is okay, simply do whatever you can. You will still get points and a link in the Completed Mission list and a potential spot on the leaderboard.

Mission Download: Mediafire Link

Installation: Unpack .zip file to your KSP directory. If installed correctly, in the "saves" folder there should be a folder called "Save Kerbin!"

Mission is using the aliens from Star Control 2, known in its open source form as The Ur-Quan Masters.

Leader Board

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Completed Mission Links:

Edited April 22, 2013 by Hammer Wizard
Fixed KIDI link

[gag09]

the KIDI thread links to a blank page

[Hammer Wizard]

Thank you, I made that bit before the forums crashed, so the link wasn't working anymore.

[gag09]

Does it have to be launched up or can we hyperedit it into orbit?

[Hammer Wizard]

Yes, you can use Hyperedit, it only makes you miss out on the "No Mods/No Cheats" bonus points.

Also, I am working on this design while prepping to do my own challenge.

It uses retro rockets to fire rings with much more energy than their own explosive force or separatrons could manage. It also makes it much more maneuverable.

[gag09]

let me introduce the hks maggot capable of carrying 24 cruise missles weighs around 300 tons needs to be modifyied to be more accurate though

[N8-Toe]

I'm deploying my navy, finally a use for my various battleships

[The Error]

I'll put mine up at some point. Finally, some use for this frigate.

Achivement suggestion!

Third Time's the Charm: Destroy all 3 enemy ships by order of proximity. (closest to Kerbin first, i.e. the Mun).

[N8-Toe]

Some achievement ideas

Down but not gone: repair a crippled ship

New ride: hijack an enemy ship and use it to destroy another

Feeling lucky punk: use all of your ammo in combat

a very kerbal weapon: ram a ship

5 finger discount: steal fuel from a wreck (KAS)

From beyond the grave: get destroyed by wreckage

Participation award: die without destroying an enemy ship

Goodbye cruel world: blow yourself up

[legodragonxp]

I might have to look in to the *HAPPY CAMPERS*

-Lego

[gag09]

an acheivement idea

Heros welcome: return and land at the ksc

Revenge: send your ship into interstellar space after destroying all the vessels.

[gag09]

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/25376-KIDI-Kerbal-Interplanetary-Defence-Initiative link to the new version of the linked thread

[Hammer Wizard]

Those are all good Challenge suggestion. I am going to keep this game simpler since its the first, but for future games, I am sure I'll go nuts with lots of point tallies and goals.

[SmallChange]

I know there is a challenge in here, but one glance at the thread, and I knew I had to crank out some terrible Star Control 2 ships. Seriously.. That game got a good chunk of my childhood!

Alright, here we go, all in their terribleness!

This one is supposed to be a VUX Intruder.

Here's a Druuge Mauler. It actually shoots a projectile at around 500 m/s. And by projectile, I mean a decoupler with some sepratrons glued to the inside. (Also, I didn't really want to put engines on the pod thing, but the craft wouldn't come close to flying without em.)

This one is kind of cheating, but it's supposed to be an Ariloulaleelay (yeah, had to copy and paste that one) skiff.

Human and Syreen ships were extra crappy.

[SunJumper]

Well, I destroyed the Dreadnought... The old fashioned way!

[SmallChange]

Also, Hammer Wizard, are some of those pictures in the first post from the The Ur-Quan Masters project? I haven't really played through it, but I don't remember those screens from the game.

[Hammer Wizard]

Yes, they come from the open source project.

[Comrade Jenkens]

OMG!!! count me in I've lost all my saves so i'm going to have to start constructing a new Navy

[gag09]

will begin once i successfully build a flak gun

[Conarr]

Guess I'll sneak over to Macey's channel and let him in on it. He's got a couple capital ships floating around