KSP Campaign Ideas Thread: A Community Developed Space Program

[inigma]

I am currently on the ComSat mission. I will update missions and add more and more criteria as the practicalities are realized. We neeed some sort of forum awards for completing campaigns.

[Panichio]

Nice ideas, but as I mentioned in a thread I made in the 'Development' section: would you actually do one of these programs in the current sandbox and have fun? I mean, even with financial restrictions and probability for failure, a flight like a static firing of an SRB building up to a suborbital flight then an orbital flight would be extremely boring, you have to admit. I know these are ideas for the future, so we'll have to see if we can have other aspects to the space program to make something like that more fun. The reason something like that brought so many cheers from people when they first managed to have a rocket firing or suborbital flight was because so much was on the line, and something like this would be a massive success. Currently, doing a suborbital flight is absolutely nothing for most players. Even orbital and interplanetary is easy. The piloting part is easy, so some other mechanic must be added to the game to make the successes in your space program feel more personal to the player because of what he/she is put on the line for this flight, or what a success would mean to them because of these extra mechanics put in place making it harder just to have the opportunity to fly or test a rocket. Something else might have to be integrated to make a flight more tense with the chance of failure not because of how you piloted the rocket.

But like I said before, I'm not criticizing anyone's ideas here, but saying that if these were to be the kind of frame work for the missions and milestones in the official career mode, there will be a lot of new additions to the game mechanics needed to make it a fun and successful addition to the game.

[csiler2]

Wow, this is exactly what I need to do. My programs always stall out as I lose interest and aimlessly wander.

I shall begin the experiments immediately!

[Pipcard]

a flight like a static firing of an SRB building up to a suborbital flight then an orbital flight would be extremely boring, you have to admit... Currently, doing a suborbital flight is absolutely nothing for most players.

Which is why my space program (KASDA) started off by launching a small satellite, and had no intended suborbital manned flights.

[inigma]

I updated the static missions to now these (which make more sense and hopefully make it obvious why I choose static fire tests initially...to teach the newbie to use a launch stability enhancer):

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Campaign:_Age_of_Rocketry

Solid Fuel Rocketry

Launch RT-10 Solid Fuel Booster Rocket Part I

Must be unmanned

Must have nosecone.

Launch RT-10 Solid Fuel Booster Rocket Part II

Must be unmanned

Must have nosecone.

Must static fire for 2 seconds or more before liftoff.

Launch Two-Stage Solid Fuel Rocket

Must be unmanned

Must be successfully retrieved...aka have a parachute.

Liquid Fuel Rocketry

Launch LVT-30 Liquid Fuel Rocket Eastwards

Must be unmanned.

Must have nosecone or parachute.

Land that thing in the ocean lest you worry the Kerbiets.

Launch Two-Stage LVT-30 Liquid Fuel Rocket and Maintain 45 degrees Eastwards after 10,000m

Must be unmanned.

Must have nosecone or parachute.

After your rocket goes above 70,000m you will reach space at this point and the music will play celebrating your accomplishment.

[KSK]

But like I said before, I'm not criticizing anyone's ideas here, but saying that if these were to be the kind of frame work for the missions and milestones in the official career mode, there will be a lot of new additions to the game mechanics needed to make it a fun and successful addition to the game.

I can think of a couple of game mechanics. Campaign mode will presumably have a limited budget and may have a technology tree. This means that (i) designing stuff is going to be more challenging, particularly at the beginning and (ii) every time you launch you're going to be putting a large chunk of your space program on the line. Also the addition of a kerbonaut pool is going to make each launch a little more personal. At the very least, killing off kerbals in rickety prototype rockets is going to be expensive eventually as you'll need to recruit more of them. Probably not a big deal to start with but I can see Squad implementing some kind of reputation system, so that eventually you have to pay quite a lot to persuade a kerbal to fly with you and your less than stellar safety record.

I can also imagine players getting quite attached to their kerbals, if they have a name, a short biography, a list of mission accomplishments etc. Maybe you could customise them somehow, different coloured helmets, little features on their spacesuits and stuff. Anyway they wouldn't just be another piece of rocket fodder but an actual part of your program that you'd want to keep alive. More tension when you launch them on a new mission.

One last thing - you could always include an Iron Man mode. I think running an entire campaign without reloading would make everything a bit more tense, particularly with other campaign mode restrictions in play.

Edited June 9, 2013 by KSK

[KSK]

With all respect to Panichio, I also disagree with his opinion on sub-orbital flights. They probably wouldn't be a big part of a campaign but they're a good way for new players to get the basics of launching and flying rockets, teaching them why staging is good and showing them that (despite the popular myth ) moar boosters are not always the way forward. I can also imagine that orbital flight might be quite challenging to begin with, if we only get a limited selection of not very good parts, so sub-orbital flights are a way to provide a couple of missions to bring in money for the player and let them climb the early stages of the tech tree to make orbital flight a bit easier. Experienced players will be able to put together an orbital vehicle from beginner parts and get a nice bonus (campaign reputation, funding bonuses or whatever) for getting to orbit early.

Sub-orbital flights may also feature as money makers throughout the campaign, either by letting the player charge money for scientific missions (lots you can do with sounding rockets and 'vomit comet' style limited zero G missions), or for early space tourism flights.

[inigma]

I cleaned up the Campaigns, added missions, clarified others, reformatted, and drafted backstories. Enjoy.

I also finished drafting most of the the Kerbinai Program:

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Campaign:_Kerbinai_Program

Tell me what you think!

Personally I'm wrapping up my Age of Satellites missions and will be playing the Kerbinai Program soon.

[inigma]

I just finished Age of Satellites and now am just about to build my first rendezvous vehicles for The Kerbinai Program. I wonder if anyone would be interested in designing awards for completing these missions, such as ribbons, below. But instead of ribbons, I was thinking about medals since campaigns are far larger mission packages than what a ribbon shows.

Edited June 12, 2013 by inigma

[inigma]

I updated Campaigns up to Kerbinai 6 & 7. I finally performed my first orbital intercept and rendezvous last night at 1am - and on the first try no less. I've built an awesome looking stock Kerbinai launcher and Kerbinai orbital vehicle. I'll probably create a Challenges thread to help players promote their progress in the Campaigns. I haven't lost Jebediah or Bill yet (thanks to lots of testing before committing to a story-line launch, although I must say that testing an escape system has been the most dangerous part of the Kerbal Space Program so far).

Edited June 14, 2013 by inigma

[Antaguana]

It seems this thread has been inactive for a little while now.

I feel it is worth resurrecting for 2 reasons:

Firstly it is a brilliant initiative and I am learning a lot about KSP and orbits etc in general ad I would like to see it continue to develop.

Secondly I think there are a few issues with some Age of Satellites missions.

Specifically for the SpySat mission it seems a Polar Sun Synchronize orbit is not possible in KSP as it uses spherical gravity fields. see Wiki Artical on Sun syncronis orbits for an explanation of why a non spherical gravitational field is needed.

I have seen a post by inigma with some instructions on how to achieve it but these don't seem to hold true with the maths. Purple Target makes a valid point in that the angle of inclination will not cause the spacecraft to precess in its orbit. Also in that thread inigma states to "(adjust your orbit) so that you are always above Kerbin at all points in your orbit at noon or midnight local time." This is not possible either. If you are always above Kerbin at all points on your orbit at noon then you are always between Kerbin and its sun, thus you would be orbiting the sun with a slightly smaller orbit but the same period as Kerin has around the sun.

Given that the campaign is designed to introduce people to the theory's and lead them to more advanced topics, I find it detracts to include complex orbits that can not be obtained in the current state of KSP.

Perhaps a note could be added to explain that a true Sun-Synchronous orbit is not possible due to limitations in KSP model but that you are simply aiming to make a polar orbit with a a period of X/6 hours and timed such that the craft will pass the Target location X times per kerbin day including one time at high noon. For an extra challenge we could add a requirement for an engine with sufficient fuel in order to readjust the path 20 of times (for once per season for the operational life of the program ie 4 times per year for 5 years) perhaps someone could work out the required delta V for that?

[inigma]

Antguana, you are correct. I updated the mission with some info based on your feedback. All missions are open for community development, so if you have a better way of presenting the mission, by all means go for it.

[ThinkOutsideTheHangar]

Inigma, may you please expand the campaign missions, its just about filled in now.

[NASAFanboy]

Just reporting in. Since I progressed my career save very much akin to real life, I'm around the equivalent of Point 18, preparing for Point 19 right now.

[The Jedi Master]

Now that Career Mode has most of its major features added, I think this should be reevaluated as a Sandbox Mode challenge.

[Minnmunmus]

All,

I've been following a campaign that is pretty much determined by my use of RT2. I've been able to launch crewed missions around the Kerbin SOI but my overriding goal was the acquisition of long range communications equipment and the construction of communications and mapping satellite constellations in polar and semi or stationary orbits (depending on the body). My manned missions could conceivably go anywhere but missions taking place in comms blackout is the exception rather than the rule. With the campaign's focus on thriftiness (I'm not spamming contracts) I plan on constructing a modular interplanetary vessel that can be easily upgraded as better parts come available.

[DMSP]

Why not put in an optimal one, "Laythe Colonisation"

Description: The kerbals have found Laythe, a habitual mun around Jool. It needs to be colonised for exploration. Also, it is a safe haven for Kerbality in case of a disaster on Kerbin.

[Rolanvorxariat]

THE FIRST SPACE RACE: USKK vs Kina, to the muns of kerbin

first some small booster firing tests, then using a probe I launch some inter atmospheric tests (I start with just enough science for the stayputnik), then a few suborbital hops beyond the 70k line, then I launch a crewed craft for a small jump into the upper atmosphere, then a low tech spaceplanes that launches from a booster. Then satellite in orbit. Then the USKK launch a kerb into orbit. And then a satellite constellation. Then a munar probe. Then the two nations set sight on the mun, but due to budget cuts, they build small orbiting outposts instead, until two years later when they get a budget increase, they send craft to the mun. The USKK win the mun race, but the opposing nation (CFKN) in the kold war universe, Kina in my universe) lands a mun base there directly, both setting accomplishments. The UCKK gathered samples and just left, while Kina stayed for a week. Then wars ravaged the two nations after both landed on minmus, and the space programs were cancelled.

THE SECOND SPACE RACE: KKKP vs UCKK: the race to Duna

100 years after the cancellation, the new nation of UCKK formed KSP and launched a orbital satellite constellation, and then after developing the Kerion crew module, started building the IKORS/KIR space station, in partnership with the Ekranian space agency and the kinese national space program. Then, Kina and kerusha had a sudden rebellion and then a civil war, and in the end, the Koviet Kerusha and Kina Provinces, or KKKP, formed. The KKKP hacked into the thruster system of the IKORS and deorbit end it along with poor bob, who I talked about in different threads. Bob survives, by the way, via parachute. This was the beginning of the Second space race. As both nations saw they might have a nuclear war, they quickly sent probes to Duna and Eve, and Duna deemed more likely to support life. The two nations launched Hans and ascent vehicles unmanned a launch window later, and then the next launch window, launched their crewed transfer vehicles, and then land on both Duna and Ike. I call this the Kolonation program.

more programs coming up, including the jolanus and the very special one, INTEGRITY.

Edited January 16, 2015 by Rolanvorxariat

[inigma]

So, after 3 years since I drafted this, has anyone played these campaigns?  Anyone have new ideas? I see the wiki page hasn't evolved much but the content appears filled out now. Thanks go to the community for maintaining this.

Edited September 16, 2016 by inigma

[Sharpy]

I have a somewhat interesting idea.

Get a bunch of people to submit their advanced save-files. Stock, or limited set of mods.

And MERGE them into one huge save. Thousands of craft in flight. Dozens of bases on every planet. Some collisions. Many redundancies. All awesome.

[inigma]

6 hours ago, Sharpy said:

I have a somewhat interesting idea.

Get a bunch of people to submit their advanced save-files. Stock, or limited set of mods.

And MERGE them into one huge save. Thousands of craft in flight. Dozens of bases on every planet. Some collisions. Many redundancies. All awesome.

Isn't that just a description of the public servers using DarkMultiPlayer for KSP?

Edited September 16, 2016 by inigma

[Pecan]

12 hours ago, inigma said:

So, after 3 years since I drafted this, has anyone played these campaigns?  Anyone have new ideas? I see the wiki page hasn't evolved much but the content appears filled out now. Thanks go to the community for maintaining this.

I wrote the Exploring the System campaign a couple of years ago; progressing from starter-vehicles to satellites then crewed across the system in a logical, rather than strictly historical, order.  The focus of that was rather to explain the requirements and design of the vehicles and missions.  Some time when KSP looks stable I'll update the thing.

[SiriusRocketry]

Thread kick. Is the Ark mission even possible?