Apollo Style Redux

[MagiMaster]

The challenge is simple: repeat the Doing it Apollo Style challenge, but with more kerbals (and generally more of everything).

• Stock parts only. (Fairings and heatshields are exceptions, but aren't worth any points either way.)
  
• No autopilots. (MechJeb for information only is fine.)
  
• Mention any other mods you're using. Most non-part, non-autopilot mods shouldn't make a huge difference here, but if they do, they'll get their own leaderboard.
  
• No cheating.
  
• Take lots of pictures (or a video).
  

Scoring:

Work out your score in each of these categories. Your final score is the product of all the category scores. If you're wondering, the scoring is set up so you get the most points for sending 70% of your kerbals to the Mun and leaving 30% in the command pod. With no bonuses or penalties you should get about 2 points for each kerbal.

Launch:

• 1.8 point for a single launch
  
• 1.2 points for a single launch plus a crew/refueling shuttle
  
• 0.6 points for a ship constructed in orbit
  
• Minus 0.3 points if anything breaks during a launch
  
• Minus 0.1 points for asparagus staging
  
• Minus 0.1 points for using jet engines (including the RAPIER)
  
• Plus 0.2 points for a working launch escape system, such as an escape tower (not that you need to use it during the actual launch)
  

Flight plan:

• 0.9 points for a trip to Mun
  
• 0.2 points for a trip to Minmus
  
• Plus 0.1 points for a free return trajectory
  

Kerbals in space:

• 1 point for each kerbal on the mission
  

Kerbals in command pod:

• 0.7 points base
  
• Plus the fraction of kerbals left in the command pod (e.g. 0.333 for the original Apollo challenge)
  
• Minus 0.6 points for no command pod left in orbit
  

Kerbals landed:

• 0.3 points base
  
• Plus the fraction of kerbals landed on the Mun or Minmus (e.g. 0.667 for the original Apollo challenge)
  
• Minus 0.2 points if no kerbals land
  

Rovers: (Note: rovers is a general category and includes all non-orbital travel devices brought down with the lander.)

• 0.5 points base
  
• Plus 0.5 points for a working manned rover
  
• Plus 0.2 points for a working unmanned rover
  
• Plus 0.2 points for each working rover not already scored
  

Science:

• 0.5 points base
  
• Plus 0.3 points for each biome visited by a kerbal
  
• Plus 0.1 points for each biome visited but not by a kerbal (e.g. autonomous rovers or unmanned landers)
  
• Plus 0.2 points for releasing a science satellite
  
• Plus another 0.2 points for putting a second science satellite around the other moon
  
• Plus 0.1 points for bringing a mobile processing lab
  
• Plus 0.1 more points for landing it
  
• Plus 0.1 more points for returning it to Kerbin
  

Landings:

• 0.6 points base
  
• Plus 0.4 points for two-stage manned landers (leaving the descent stage on the surface)
  
• Plus 0.1 points for each extra manned lander
  
• Minus 0.1 points if anything breaks during any landing
  
• Minus 0.2 more points if anything breaks during a manned landing
  

Return:

• 1 point for a water landing
  
• 0.7 points for a land landing
  
• 0.1 points for not returning
  
• Minus 0.2 points if anything breaks
  
• Minus 0.2 points for a non-parachute-only landing (that is, no engines or wings assisting in the descent)
  
• Plus 0.1 points for landing within 100 km of the KSC
  

Debris:

• 1 point base
  
• Minus 0.2 points if debris is left in orbit around Kerbin
  
• Minus 0.1 points for each other body with orbital debris
  
• Count debris just after recovery; debris on an escape trajectory counts as debris in orbit around the body it is escaping to
  

Survival:

• 1 point base
  
• Plus 1 point for each kerbal alive but in need of rescue
  
• Plus 2 points for each kerbal lost
  
• Your final score for this category is 1 divided by the number of points above. (e.g. If you lost 1 kerbal and stranded another, you would get 1 + 1 + 2 points, so your score for this category would be 1/4 or 0.25.)
  

Scoring example: Apollo 15 (recreated) would score...

• Launch: 2 point (single launch with escape tower)
  
• Flight plan: 0.9 points (Munar flight without free return trajectory)
  
• Kerbals in space: 3 points
  
• Kerbals in command pod: 1.033 points (1 out of 3)
  
• Kerbals landed: 0.967 points (2 out of 3)
  
• Rovers: 1 point (1 manned rover)
  
• Science: 1 point (1 biome visited plus a satellite in orbit)
  
• Landings: 1 point (1 two-stage manned lander)
  
• Return: 1 point (parachute-only splashdown)
  
• Debris: 1 point (no orbital debris)
  
• Survival: 1 point (no losses)
  
• Total: 2 * 0.9 * 3 * 1.033 * 0.967 * 1 * 1 * 1 * 1 * 1 * 1 = 5.394 points
  

Before you mention my lack of a submission, I am working on one, but it's taking longer than expected. The challenge is clearly possible though as any entry to the original Apollo style challenge would be valid here.

Leaderboard:

• borisperrons - 222.725
  
• MagiMaster - 33.369
  
• Jasonden - 29.16
  
• Astraph - 7.677
  
• Death Engineering - 6.653
  
• YarTheBug - 0.012
  
• -
  

Edited January 15, 2014 by MagiMaster
Various

[MagiMaster]

Ok. Here's my entry, though I just realized that the two guys in the lab don't show up in the list at the bottom of the screen, so I don't have any screen shots of them. Here's the craft file if anyone wants to verify that it'll still fly with those two aboard. The only mod installed is Kerbal Engineer.

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Scoring...

Launch: 1.4 (single launch, no escape system, a fin broke off during launch, some asparagus-like crossfeeding)

Flight plan: 1 (to the Mun with a free return trajectory)

Kerbals in space: 13 (3 in command pod, 2 in lab, 8 in four two-man landers)

Kerbals in command pod: 1.085 (5 out of 13)

Kerbals on Mun: 0.915 (8 out of 13)

Rovers: 1.2 (out of 4 rovers only 2 drove)

Science: 1.9 (4 biomes visited plus a lab brought and returned)

Landings: 0.9 (3 extra manned landers but they weren't two-stage)

Return: 0.9 (water landing but with seperatron assistance, landed within 100 km of KSC)

Debris: 1 (no orbital debris)

Survival: 1 (no one lost or stranded)

Total: 33.369 points

(Now that I got that out of the way, I can try and complete some other challenges.)

Edited January 10, 2014 by MagiMaster
Mention mods.

[Death Engineering]

Thought it might be fun to try this challenge with my Orion/Altair-style hardware. Although the Ares V style lifter could lift the LM and CM on a single launch, that is not how the Altair was intended to be used. Based on that, the mission can't earn maximum points for the challenge, as the Altair lander and the Orion CM were intended to launch on two separate launches and rendezvous in low orbit before heading to the Moon.

Once docked, the CM engine is not used again until after the landing crew has completed their mission and the crew has returned to the CM after docking the ascent stage to the CM. The lander, a four-crew two-stage lander with two rovers, and the Munar transfer stage are launched on a single launch.

The Midland Craters landing site was chosen for its proximity to the Midlands and Northwest Crater biomes, so three biomes were visited by the landing team.

Thanks for posting the challenge, MagiMaster. Interesting scoring system! Clearly, using my OTS solution isn't optimized for this scoring matrix but fun all the same.

Mods: Kerbal Alarm Clock

Scoring:

• Launch: 1.4 (Single launch with crew shuttle + LES)
  
• Flight plan: 1.0 (Mun with free-return trajectory)
  
• Kerbals in space: 5
  
• Kerbals in command pod: 0.9 (1/5 crew stayed in CM)
  
• Kerbals landed: 1.1 (4/5 crew landed)
  
• Rovers: 1.2 (two rovers)
  
• Science: 1.4 (three biomes visited by kerbals)
  
• Landings: 1 (1 two-stage lander)
  
• Return: 1 (water landing)
  
• Debris: 1 (no orbital debris)
  
• Survival: 1 (all's well with all 5 kerbs)
  
• Total: 1.4 * 1 * 5 * 0.9 * 1.1 * 1.2 * 1.4 * 1 * 1 * 1 = 11.64
  

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Edited January 4, 2014 by Death Engineering

[MagiMaster]

Nice lander and rovers. I can just see myself forgetting to put the brakes on at the edge of the crater. Glad you enjoyed the challenge. I picked out the scoring system to encourage a bit-of-everything approach.

[capi3101]

Hmm...I'd use my Constellation hardware as is, but I'd lose points for the launch. Might have to try anyway. Or pull a redesign - maybe use something a little more reliable/sturdy than the Thanatos Heavy booster...

[YarTheBug]

KERBALPOCALYPSE 151

Description:

A massive lander designed to carry 151 kerbals to Minmus and back. Testing shows the lander is capable of landing safely on land, but not in water.

The trip started out just as planned, but midway through the circularization burn I realized fuel was going to be scarce. I soldiered on though and set the lander down. I certainly wasn't going to spend another 45 minutes of low frame rates flying back out there.

After landing I had the great Idea of posing all 148 landed kerbals for a photo-opp. Once I got about 20 out there the frame rate droped to single digits. By the time I got 40 out there I had a nearly unplayable slideshow.

In truth, I don't think the lander could've taken off and reached orbit again, much less made it back to Kerbin. The fact was though that I accidentally quick-saved after giving up on unloading the kerbals rather than quick-loading, and I wasn't about the load them all back in there.

If I had it to do over again, I would have landed the "Command Pod" on the nuclear rockets and re-designated the "Lander" as the new command pod. I thought about this, but it would only net me 0.993 additional points for survival.

Mods used: TriggerTech's Kerbal Alarm Clock

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Scoring:

Launch: 1.7

- Single = 1.8

- Asparagus = -0.1

Flight Plan: 0.3

- Minmus = 0.2

- Free Return = 0.1

Kerbals in SPAAAAAAAAACE!!!!: 151

- Kerbals = 3+(4*5)+(4*4*8) = 151

Kerbals in Command Pod: 0.72

- Base = 0.7

- Pod = 3/151 = 0.02

Kerbals in Lander: 1.28

- Base = 0.3

- Lander = 0.98

Science: 0.0

- None

Return: 0.0

- None

Debris: 0.0

- None (in orbit)

Survival (ahem): 0.007

- 1/(1+151) = 0.007

Total: 155.007

Cheers!

- Yar

[MagiMaster]

I didn't set the scoring up to handle a mission with no return , but ignoring that, your scores are somewhat off. You visited at least 1 biome so you should have a science score and your debris score would be 1 if you don't have any. But most importantly, you're supposed to multiply the individual scores instead of add them. If I set the return score for no return to 0.1, that'd give you 0.040 points total.

Edit - The full corrected score for YarTheBug's entry is:

Launch: 1.7

Flight Plan: 0.3

Kerbals in space: 151

Kerbals in command pod: 0.72

Kerbals landed: 1.28

Rovers: 0.5 (none)

Science: 0.8 (1 biome)

Landings: 0.6 (1 single-stage)

Return: 0.1 (no return)

Debris: 1 (none)

Survival: 0.007 (151 stranded)

Total: 0.012

Edited January 15, 2014 by MagiMaster
Added corrected score for the leaderboard

[YarTheBug]

I didn't set the scoring up to handle a mission with no return , but ignoring that, your scores are somewhat off. You visited at least 1 biome so you should have a science score and your debris score would be 1 if you don't have any. But most importantly, you're supposed to multiply the individual scores instead of add them. If I set the return score for no return to 0.1, that'd give you 0.040 points total.

Ahhhhh......

I missed that part: " Your final score is the product of all the category scores."

I'll give it a retry if you'll let me... For now I'll edit my post with the corrected score.

[capi3101]

Just did the scoring based on my original Constellation mission for the lulz. 4.036032 if I did the math right:

Launch: 0.8 (working escape system plus a ship constructed in orbit - the lander rendezvoused with the command pod)

Flight Plan: 1 (free return to Mün)

Kerbals: 6

Kerbals in Command Pod: 0.7 (base, plus no Kerbal left behind)

Kerbals landed: 1.3 (0.3 base plus everybody down)

Rovers: 1.2 (two working manner rovers)

Science: 1.1 (.5 base plus .6 for two biomes visited - on two separate landings)

Landings: 1 (base plus two stage landers)

Return: 1 (water landing)

Debris: 0.7 (the upper stage of the crew launcher stayed in orbit; never did fix that one)

Survival: 1 (everybody came home)

Still think I'll do a seperate entry solely for the challenge - I just wanted to see if I was scoring everything right.

[Death Engineering]

Perhaps I erred when I read the rules:

Launch:

•1.8 point for a single launch

•1.2 points for a single launch plus a crew/refueling shuttle

•0.6 points for a ship constructed in orbit

I didn't construct the lander in orbit (2-stage lander and transfer stage launch together). Although the "crew shuttle" stayed with the mission to Munar orbit, the CM engine isn't lit after docking until its time to come home.

Does the Constellation/Altair/Orion flight plan earn 1.2 or 0.6?

[Astraph]

Since I've never played in career mode so far - can I use science just for the record in sandbox? I'm thinking about giving this a shot, but don't really have the time and patience to quickly grind all the science to unlock neccessary modules...

[MagiMaster]

@YarTheBug, retry as many times as you want. I'll keep your best entry on the leaderboard (unless you want them all up there ).

@capi3101, that scoring looks right as long as there's an unmanned command module left in orbit that you dock with before returning. If the entire ship lands, there's a penalty.

@Death Engineering, I've been debating that a bit since I wasn't completely clear what I meant. I did intend that a crew shuttle would deliver the crew and fuel and then return to Kerbin while the ship headed to the Mun. I guess it ought to be worth 0.6.

@Astraph, science is just the name of the scoring category. It doesn't rely on the career mode science at all and I imagine most people will do this challenge in sandbox mode.

[Astraph]

Thanks for reply I'm already designing my monster, hope it works ^^'

[Astraph]

Are points for Kerbals on Minimus counted the same way they do on the Mun?

Edited January 6, 2014 by Astraph

[MagiMaster]

Yep, except for the Flight Plan score.

[Jasonden]

This was fun -- I've been visiting planets, haven't done the Mun in awhile. I decided to try to max out the science biomes by landing at a confluence of biomes and then driving out to them. For this I needed to do some very careful landing site selection. I opted for the area at the east end of East Farside Crater, where I could hit 4 biomes -- and then I found a fifth there accidently! Score! I ended up on a completely epic rover traverse, 20+ km down canyons, up hills, over mountains, and back again.

Scoring:

Launch: 1.8 (single launch, nothing broken, traditional staging, no launch escape)

Flight Plan: 0.9 (Mun, no free-return)

Kerbals: 10

Kerbals command: 1 (3 on CSM)

Kerbals landed: 1 (7 on the ground)

Rovers: 1 (though given that I traversed 20 km (!) I think that there might be some reward for usable rovers instead of a girder with wheels )

Science: 2 (0.5, plus 5 different biomes: East Farside crater, Midlands, Highland Craters, Canyons, Highlands)

Landings: 1 (2-stage lander, nothing extra, nothing broken)

Return: 0.9 (water landing 8 km from KSC, but some unnecessary parts broke off on spashdown)

Debris: 1 (all disposed of)

Survival: 1 (everyone made it)

TOTAL: 29.16

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[MagiMaster]

@Jasonden, nice job. I think all the extra science points you got counts as a reward for a well-made rover though.

@Death Engineering, I edited your score on the leaderboard to count it as a ship constructed in orbit. For fairness-sake, I think I'd have to count it that way. Otherwise it'd just be up to interpretation what counts as a crew shuttle or not.

[Astraph]

I should have the album posted this weekend - I hope that's not too late to make it for the competition? ^^'

Edited January 7, 2014 by Astraph

[Jasonden]

I think all the extra science points you got counts as a reward for a well-made rover though.

Fair enough -- certainly not fair to change the scoring system after the fact, anyway. And I do really like the scoring strategy in general with the multiplied values!

[MagiMaster]

I should have the album posted this weekend - I hope that's not too late to make it for the competition? ^^'

No problem. I didn't put a closing date on this. I figured I'd just leave it open as long as people are interested in submitting entries.

[Death Engineering]

@Death Engineering, I edited your score on the leaderboard to count it as a ship constructed in orbit. For fairness-sake, I think I'd have to count it that way. Otherwise it'd just be up to interpretation what counts as a crew shuttle or not.

Totally makes sense. I just completed the 'most science points in a single launch' challenge and performed 11 landings including 9 on Minmus and 1 on Mun but it wasn't a 2 stage lander and only a single crew on the lander so the score wasn't significantly higher than my original entry. Perhaps custom hardware suited to this challenge is in order....

Edited January 9, 2014 by Death Engineering
correct smiley to kerb version

[1096bimu]

Launch:

1.8 point for a single launch

Minus 0.1 points for asparagus staging

Flight plan:

0.9 points for a trip to Mun

Plus 0.1 points for a free return trajectory

Kerbals in space:

85 kerbals for 85 points

Kerbals in command pod:

0.7 points base

1 out of 85 in command pod for 0.01 points

Kerbals landed:

0.3 points base

Minus 0.2 points if no kerbals land

Rovers:

0.5 points base

Landings:

0.6 points base

Return:

1 point for a water landing

Minus 0.2 points if anything breaks

Minus 0.2 points for a non-parachute-only landing (that is, no engines or wings assisting in the descent)

Debris:

1 point base

Survival:

1 point base

1 / (1+170) = 0.006 points

Total = 91.22 points

This is all stock parts no FAR, MechJeb for info only. no debug menu.

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[Jasonden]

Total = 91.22 points

I think that you misunderstood the scoring system -- the points from each stage are not added together, they are MULTIPLIED. When I calculate it I get your score to be 1.76 -- MagiMaster (the OP) can check my math tho.

[MagiMaster]

I get...

Launch: 1.7 (single, asparagus)

Flight Plan: 1 (Mun, free return)

Kerbals: 85

Kerbals in pod: 1.7 (all of them stayed in the pod)

Kerbals landed: 0.1 (no one landed)

Rovers: 0.5 (none)

Science: 0.5 (none) <- This category got left out

Landings: 0.6 (none)

Return: 0.6 (water landing, stuff breaks, powered decent though I'm not sure why bother if you're going to crash anyway)

Debris: 1 (none)

Survival: 0.006 (85 dead)

For a final score of: 1.7 * 1 * 85 * 1.7 * 0.1 * 0.5 * 0.5 * 0.6 * 0.6 * 1 * 0.006 = 0.013 points.

Edit: I'm hesitant to add really low scores to the leaderboard. If you've got less than 1 point total but still want your score on the leaderboard, let me know.

Edited January 9, 2014 by MagiMaster

[borisperrons]

In the life of a KSP player, it comes the moment when he projects something so darn big, complex and dangerous to fly that he cannot help but saying "Holy crap, what I've just created??" (at least, an italian KSP player with tuscanian ascendancy).

For me, that moment arrived with the the Holycrapturn-I.

I used Kerbal Engineer and the Docking Alignment plugin.

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Do you remember when i said that I expected the rocket to explode any moment? Well, when i focused a landing site on the Mun to take a shoot of the spent descent stage left here, the Kraken ate it, the rover and the flag. I knew something would have happened.

Anyway the points!!!

Launch

Single launch - 1.8

Flight plan

Mun - 0.9

Minmus - 0.2

Free return trajectory - 0.1

Total - 1.2

Kerbals in space

11 kerbals = 11 points

Kerbals in command pod

0.7 points base

3 kerbals left in orbit - 0.33

Total - 1.03

Kerbals landed

0.3 points base

8 kerbals landed - 0.88

Total - 1.18

Rovers

0.5 points base

4 manned rovers - 1.1

Total - 1.6

Science

0.5 points base

12 biomes visited - 3.6

Total - 4.1

Landings

0.6 points base

4 two stage manned landers - 0.7

Total - 1.3

Return

Water landing - 1

Landing within 100 km of KSC (didn't misured it exactly, but I'm pretty sure to have landed nearer than that) - 0.1

Total - 1.1

Debris

1 point base

NO DEBRIS!!!

Survival

1 point base

Just for this time, everybody lives!!

Total score

1.8 * 1.2 * 11 * 1.03 * 1.18 * 1.6 * 4.1 * 1.3 * 1.1 * 1 * 1 = 270,89

(Double checked the result, but if someone check it again, it would be the most appreciated. I suck at maths.)

Indeed, a funny challenge. I visited the Mun and Minmus after a long time, I designed that monstruosity and I finally made a Kerbin system grand tour (inb4 NOOB, inb4 do you even orbit , inb4 OP cant inb4).

Thanks MagiMaster!!!