Challenge 18 Orange Tanks to Orbit

[Markus Reese]

Heh heh, was thinking of doing this myself as well, but if I did, I wouldn't do it in one launch and just keep chaining them with exo-cubes!

[Bothersome]

I agree, that many parts requires MJ to get it off the ground for most computers that are technically capable of supporting KSP with those part-monsters loaded. My rig can handle well over 700 (mind you, I get like .1 fps during the entire ascent, and usually have to leave the flight as soon as it's achieved orbit, quit KSP, then come back to it), but there's no way a 700 part beast could be manually controlled with any chance getting to even the first stage sep.

And also, in those screenshots, what are those icon-less items on the stage list? Thought stock-only didn't have blank icons.

I didn't use any MechJeb or any other mods to get it to orbit. It also didn't take 3 hours of my time to get it there either. I'd say only about 15 minutes.

Those blank Icons are from the booster and rocket disconnects that I used. These are not the explosive versions. These are the ones that simply "let go" but stay on the buster/tank/whatever they are holding. Even though they were placed onto the inner item. I don't know why the icons are blank. Maybe a bug in the game still. Basically, when I build a rocket system, I build one unit, then select the number copies I want and then remove it from the side, and replace it back but this time the copies are put on. This way, I can get in there and place struts where I need them without the other stuff getting in the way of the view.

There are some keys that aren't documented anywhere. Like holding Alt down then then clicking on something (while in VAB) will make a copy of what you clicked.

One of the nice things about this challenge is that once you've "completed it" and if you were smart and put docking port on it, then you can use it as a refueler station. Which is why I originally done it to begin with. You don't need a score, it's just a see if you can kind of thing. Are you a part of that group "that can"? Just like the climbers of Mt. Everest. Do they keep record of who climbed the highest on Everest? The top is the top.

Edited June 11, 2013 by Bothersome

[xandalis]

I didn't use any MechJeb or any other mods to get it to orbit. It also didn't take 3 hours of my time to get it there either. I'd say only about 15 minutes.

Those blank Icons are from the booster and rocket disconnects that I used. These are not the explosive versions. These are the ones that simply "let go" but stay on the buster/tank/whatever they are holding. Even though they were placed onto the inner item. I don't know why the icons are blank. Maybe a bug in the game still. Basically, when I build a rocket system, I build one unit, then select the number copies I want and then remove it from the side, and replace it back but this time the copies are put on. This way, I can get in there and place struts where I need them without the other stuff getting in the way of the view.

There are some keys that aren't documented anywhere. Like holding Alt down then then clicking on something (while in VAB) will make a copy of what you clicked.

One of the nice things about this challenge is that once you've "completed it" and if you were smart and put docking port on it, then you can use it as a refueler station. Which is why I originally done it to begin with. You don't need a score, it's just a see if you can kind of thing. Are you a part of that group "that can"? Just like the climbers of Mt. Everest. Do they keep record of who climbed the highest on Everest? The top is the top.

Aye, I'm quite familiar with the VAB. But as I said, not every person has a computer capable of even loading that beast (in your case), let alone launch with some semblance of having frames per second. Again, such cases would make manual control near (if not completely) impossible due to not having an accurate "picture" of what the rocket is actually doing at any given physics calc of the game engine (check the debug log and look for "frame skipped," or something to that effect, entries. That's the game saying "screw it, I'll just run the next frame's numbers and hope I didn't miss too much"). If you've got a rig that can handle ~1700 parts smoothly, good on you. But that doesn't make it an engineering challenge. I see this more as a "how bad ass is my system" challenge.

The point of all that is really just trying to express that for most of us, such a launch would not be possible without mechjeb (even if used only as a "fly by wire" assist, like using Smart A.S.S. on KillRot or Surface for heading/pitch holding, instead of full ascent guidance control). But if you still think this is nothing but "I don't wanna, so I'll blame my computer instead," post the craft file, and I'll run it myself and see if it's even loadable on my rig.