Ker-Bull Air Race (New Update to Better Gates)

[Darren9]

I have jet to look around the mountains, was testing ways to set up the pylons when the new version hit. Thing is, right now the pylons are structural parts. They can stand on their own, at least on level ground, but will fall over when hit. I planned to set them up with a launch clamp or two and hack the complete setup into position by modifying the savefile. That did work but was cumbersome. I replaced a dummy vessel that I had driven to the site that the pylon should be. Unfortunately the pylon would inherit the attitude of the dummy which I couldn't easily fix without something breaking on load. Had ghetto solution for that though it might not be working in the new version yet (depends on a mod).

Will see what I can do.

EDIT: To elaborate on the Ghetto fix: As I couldn't keep the pillar from inheriting the attitude of the dummy, I made the had the dummy be oriented perfectly level/upright. That I did by suspending it with KAS.

Every time I've tried to edit a ship in the .sfs I've wrecked it , I've got HyperEdit exploding things when I try and land them at the moment as well and Editor Tools wont make the new SPH larger. I think it'll be a better challenge with courses from different people though - I hope you get one together.

[CodatheSpaceFox]

So looking forward to this being redone for .21. I was wondering if I'd ever find a challenge like this hanging around, glad I did.

[the_bT]

I made a track around the new mountains. It's WIP, several gates still tend to disintegrate randomly. Working on a fix for that

This track is larger than the previous one was, around 10km between gates, 9 Gates total. I made it around in 17 min in the slowest plane I have (the one that I used to set it up). Fast times are probably around 5 to 6 minutes, maybe 4...

Didn't bother to put it in a scenario, it's just an ordinary savegame for now.

Download

I'm still not satisfied with the amount of work required to set up a track and how unstable the whole thing is afterwards...

EDIT: Tested with the stock Aeris 3A, got around in 6:29. Also almost every other gate went awol... damn.

Edited July 27, 2013 by the_bT

[CodatheSpaceFox]

-snippity snip-

Would reverting the flight restore the damaged checkpoints at that point? Really kinda eager to fly objectively.

[the_bT]

Reverting does fix broken gates. And they usually disappear after you are past. It's just a problem if you want to do more than one lap.

If you try the track, I would be interested in your feedback. I seems a little easy to me, but on the other hand, I'm pretty good with flying

Edited July 28, 2013 by the_bT

[Darren9]

Reverting does fix broken gates. And they usually disappear after you are past. It's just a problem if you want to do more than one lap.

If you try the track, I would be interested in your feedback. I seems a little easy to me, but on the other hand, I'm pretty good with flying

It's quite an easy course to fly slowly but that's not a bad thing, I've got a few advanced gates in the archways that may test you a bit . I just had a particularly unlucky run though, the Start and Finish pair of gates both glitched and flew off as I started the lap. I've noticed when you fly really close to a gate they jump (seem to move up and down a small amount and either just handle it or fly off). I've had a similar problem with the arches but it doesn't seem as often - I've not had it happen in .21 yet but I've only flown around twice. Mine aren't fixed to the ground though, just driven into place and dumped on the ground. Sorry but I don't have any idea how to stop it happening.

[CodatheSpaceFox]

Well, I'm a fairly gifted pilot from some young age training on handling suchs birds, of course, there's a huuuuuge difference from a real simulator to ksp, but luckily I've got a collection of planes that have done my crazy ass well. So yea, I'll give you some feedback after I crash a few times.

After test edit: So after a bit of trial and error, I managed to complete the track on an average 6:28 in a dual jetted crop duster. Hardly setting speed records, and the track was simple enough to follow once I actually managed to get there.

Which reminds me, in the video beginning this thread, what mod is that for the gui altimeter? or is KSP holding out on something? I usually fly IVA because I can't tell my altitude otherwise.

Edited July 28, 2013 by CodatheSpaceFox

[Darren9]

The instruments are from Bucky-s-Instruments-v0-0-4-RAD-ALT-and-VSI-update?highlight=bucky+altimeter, I've got a new course up, it needs some to confirm it works , the red loop is quite hard - I have made it around a couple of times though, let me know what you think or post a time

[CodatheSpaceFox]

-Le snip-

Awesome, thanks. Do the instruments work with .21 as is? Also someone needs to get a course set in stone so I can dislodge it with countless excuses for planes.

Seriously though, wish there was some more input on this challenge too, always better to have inspiration and times to compete.

[Darren9]

Awesome, thanks. Do the instruments work with .21 as is? Also someone needs to get a course set in stone so I can dislodge it with countless excuses for planes.

Seriously though, wish there was some more input on this challenge too, always better to have inspiration and times to compete.

Yep, it works in .21 for me. I haven't tried a fast lap yet, the white loop should be similar to the .20 course, the red loop is a bit harder - I got some gates into quite inaccessible areas . You can go first and set the benchmark.

[Kerbies_are_my_Minions]

get a set course set, and throw it in the scinarios and I'll give it a try. I really liked it done that way. but as soon as you descide how you really want the course and I'll jump all over it.

[Darren9]

get a set course set, and throw it in the scinarios and I'll give it a try. I really liked it done that way. but as soon as you descide how you really want the course and I'll jump all over it.

It's in the OP on page 1, there's a new "KerBull 21" scenario and ramp part (it's a probe now) for 0.21. Let me know what you think - I increased the difficulty of the second half of the course but made it optional.

[CodatheSpaceFox]

I have to ask honestly for the advanced course, did you just jam those harder to reach ones there and said "Yea that looks easier than it will be."

Because that's truly kerbal of you, and now I get to redesign my slam rocket configuration again for some ludicrous turning. Well done.

[Darren9]

Yep, the map view in the OP doesn't do it justice. I think a mod craft with air-brakes will be a good advantage. Here's my twin prop bi-plane doing just the advanced loop in 6:10 to get things started.

[CodatheSpaceFox]

My laptop lacks the ability to record my flights, but I can always set a button to my joystick to snap screenshots when I get to the gates. As well as the vehicle I used.

[Tarsus]

Here is my lap of the Short course, did it in 4:02.

[Darren9]

Here is my lap of the Short course, did it in 4:02.

~snip~

Nice lap, I find it much harder in free view but most people seem to use it. I'll add you to the OP - it's the fastest lap

[TheElt]

I can't get the scenario to work, it just won't appear in the list.

[Darren9]

I can't get the scenario to work, it just won't appear in the list.

Have you got KSP 0.21.1? And put the "KerBull 21.sfs" in "saves\scenarios", there's a couple of other people flying the course so I'm guessing the file works. There's a possibility I messed up the file structure though, have you tried putting the files in manually instead of throwing the contents into the main folder?

[Tarsus]

It worked fine for me using the file structure you created. It did take me a minute to realise that the race was a scenario and not a normal saved game.

[TheElt]

Have you got KSP 0.21.1? And put the "KerBull 21.sfs" in "saves\scenarios", there's a couple of other people flying the course so I'm guessing the file works. There's a possibility I messed up the file structure though, have you tried putting the files in manually instead of throwing the contents into the main folder?

I managed to get it to work, the log was saying the scenario was too old to work with 0.21.1, changed the config file to 0.21.1 and it worked, just the gates like to float away when the physics load.

Either way it's a damn good course, challenging too. My best time was 9 mins in my slowest plane learning the track (Plane gets twitchy past 100m/s, so I have to keep it at about 90m/s. But it can land/takeoff on water!).

[Kanil]

Just completed the short course in 3:32, using a stock craft. Eventually time accelerated until noon, hence the odd starting flight time of nearly an hour.

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Lots of fun, but really hard. The long course looks daunting!

[Darren9]

^ That's a quick lap, currently the best. I'll need to get a faster plane, I can only go at 210m/s with propellers.

[zombiphylax]

Here is my lap of the Short course, did it in 4:02.

I recreated a design based on yours, I really like it, very responsive and simple with the new SAS.

Just completed the short course in 3:32, using a stock craft. Eventually time accelerated until noon, hence the odd starting flight time of nearly an hour.

Lots of fun, but really hard. The long course looks daunting!

You set a great pace, finally beat it though with a stock craft after starting to get used to an Xbox controller and the chase cam:

It's hard to read the time so here are the master frames from the video capture: Start and Finish, so a 03:26 lap. (I couldn't do it without SAS, chase cam is a little jumpy without it)

Thanks for these new courses, Darren, I look forward to trying the long course when I have time. And I hope bT has a bit of luck making a course with his models, I think an air-slalom would be fun as well.

[the_bT]

Did a lap on the advanced course, made it in 5:16. Was not the cleanest lap,

if it hadn't jumped out of the way I probably would have hit Gate 3. The Start/Finish Gate got a little messed up too.

And for the record, I hate Gate 2

I found this in Add-On Development, might be a solution... Only problem with it seems to be that it changes all saves and cannot be confined to only one Scenario. Anyway, I'm going to investigate!