Contracts

[Shna_na]

With the upcoming addition of contracts to the game, I thought it'd be nice to see what everyone thinks of this feature. How do you think it'll be rewarded? How precise will the targets have to be? Will it be lenient? Frequent? Is there any chance of getting repeat requests? What's your general opinion on the idea? Lots of questions to ask, so let's get to it. How do you feel about the upcoming contracts and what do you hope for them to be like?

[Nemrav]

I'm guessing that at the start, it will basically push you along, but once you can get a mun fly-by then it will severely slow you down, by making you balance your science progression, and getting money to do more science...

Above all, I feel that it will serve as the reason to keep playing once you have finished the science tree (you won't beat the game in the record 2 launches)..

It really, also gives a reason to do more than one mission for kerbin orbit.

[Ralathon]

ï¼Â人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼: I want you you to make a contract with me, and build a mun lander!

We don't really have enough information to speculate on this just yet. But I suspect they'll try to keep it a rather open feature. Probably they'll give us several options based on our tech level and allow us to choose our own path instead of railroading us.

In terms of general opinion. I am tentatively optimistic about it, but it depends on the implementation. They are obviously a prelude to the currency system, so a lot will hinge on their versatility. If it is just an endless string of "Enter polar orbit around mun for X cash" it'll get rather tiring after a while. So I hope they build in enough versatility. One thing that I hope they'll add is contracts related to ongoing missions. Like resupply missions to your space stations and bases. Or rendezvousing with a science satellite.

[LordQ]

Personally, I'm hoping there'll be a time limit for contracts. Fairly difficult time limits as well, to make it a bit of a challenge to finish them.

[Nemrav]

there's already a cost variable in the game, so money is beyond doubt, going to be in the next update...

btw : its not me that built the rocket, someone did both the min and minmus in his first launch, used thermal decoupling

[Shna_na]

I think it'd be great if you had offers for things like space telescopes from private companies, as well as communications satellites for things such as TV companies and satellite navigation companies. Just more things to put in orbit around Kerbin, really. I'd love for their to be a focus on providing a service to Kerbalkind as well as pushing the envelope for exploration. As well as the big things for Kerbin orbit, I'd love it if you could be offered partnerships or contracts for things like Mars One. You know, someone approaches KSC with an idea to colonise Duna, put a space station around Laythe, etc. This also provides scope for the ability to have some parts provide you with payloads. For example, the space telescope missions could have pre-built or procedural telescopes that act as a single part, communications could be either make your own or have one provided, there could be private companies with rovers that they want you to send to the Mun. There's endless possibilities here, I really hope that SQUAD have some of these things in mind.

[robogungt8]

I agree with Shan_na. The contracts should provide you with the payload. If the contract calls for a space telescope to be put in orbit, you should get access to a space telescope sub-assembly. That way, its up to you on how to want to place it in orbit, but every player has the same final objective. This would make it easy to compare with friends

[Dedjal]

And when they have paid you to get it up there, you push it down so that they have to order a new one.

Muhaha

[StrandedonEarth]

Kontract one: Launch a "kommunication" satellite (or constellation of them) for the Krussian military.

Kontract two: On behalf of the Kerbal Trade Federation: Wipe them out (all of them)

[malkuth]

I'm not to certain people will be happy with contracts. The system they seem to be working on might not work the way we all might think.

They keep saying contracts are optional. If that's the case then does it cost money to launch vehicles? If it cost money to launch vehicles then contracts can't be optional. So instead of vehicles costing money at launch, maybe we have to pay for the part? Then it's unlocked and can be used as many times as you want?

The research system and parts have two cost. Old cost system that been around for awhile. (Not used). And a new system that has a cost value with unlocking parts in research.

I will take a wait and see approach, be very interesting to see what it is.

[Headhunter09]

I know they said that money and science will be interchangeable, but I certainly hope that isn't the case.

It would be interesting if science was used to unlock research nodes, and money was used to both develop the individual parts under a node, and pay for a rocket design.

When you took a contract, you would get paid a certain amount upfront to defray part unlocking. You would then need to design a rocket that costs less than a certain amount. Once the contract was complete, you would get the remaining pay (with less money the longer you take). That way, taking contracts would both further tech-tree progression, and give a design challenge.

Thus, research missions would help pave the way for taking more advanced contracts (open up the nodes), and taking contracts would allow you to do more personal missions without waiting for your annual (and small) budget to refresh.

[RSwordsman]

I agree with Shan_na. The contracts should provide you with the payload. If the contract calls for a space telescope to be put in orbit, you should get access to a space telescope sub-assembly. That way, its up to you on how to want to place it in orbit, but every player has the same final objective. This would make it easy to compare with friends

That's all well and good, but either Squad would have to keep making updated contacts, or premade ones would eventually repeat. Because frankly, I see limited possibility for procedurally generated payloads that are actually functional.

Kontract one: Launch a "kommunication" satellite (or constellation of them) for the Krussian military.

Kontract two: On behalf of the Kerbal Trade Federation: Wipe them out (all of them)

Whoa, that's a lot of Ks. But I think competing contracts like this would also be cool.

[ArmchairGravy]

I see it as being take part x to location y. As more parts unlock the places get farther out. Considering the number of parts in the game times the number of places to take them (high, low, and surface of all the bodies) there will be a LOT of missions, and no need for repeats.

[Guest]

I think it's going to be great. It sounds like contracts will integrate with and react to what you do in the game. With three currencies in play contracts will be optional since you can trade one currency for another; maybe you could trade the reputation and science you gain from doing your own things for money instead of doing some dumb "quests" for Rando Kerman.

[Rakaydos]

I think it's going to be great. It sounds like contracts will integrate with and react to what you do in the game. With three currencies in play contracts will be optional since you can trade one currency for another; maybe you could trade the reputation and science you gain from doing your own things for money instead of doing some dumb "quests" for Rando Kerman.

Or, inversely, doing commercial spaceflight for Gene Kermin instead of bringing back yet ANOTHER soil sample for Verner von Kermin. Should be more interesting than the current science system...

[Guest]

Or, inversely, doing commercial spaceflight for Gene Kermin instead of bringing back yet ANOTHER soil sample for Verner von Kermin. Should be more interesting than the current science system...

I don't bring back soil samples for anybody but myself, don't know what you're talking about.

[timsfitz]

They may be optional at first. Squad may not be implementing the whole economy system for this next update, but only a mission generation system. Also, I don't think the reputation system will be in this update either. I could be wrong.

[SSSPutnik]

I hope they introduce insurance. I'd love sending a few broke!

[Superfluous J]

They keep saying contracts are optional. If that's the case then does it cost money to launch vehicles? If it cost money to launch vehicles then contracts can't be optional.

You are assuming contracts are the only way to get money. Maybe you have a per-mission budget that goes up with your reputation. Maybe you have a per-month budget instead. Who knows?

I'm not going to judge the contract system until I actually see it, and even then I'll be generous with my opinion knowing that it's just another piece of an unfinished puzzle.

If it adds as much fun to the game as Science did, I'll be pretty happy.

[Shna_na]

May I just remind those who are talking about missions involving military that anything military-based is not going to be implemented, as has already been stated by the devs.

[magnemoe]

I see it as being take part x to location y. As more parts unlock the places get farther out. Considering the number of parts in the game times the number of places to take them (high, low, and surface of all the bodies) there will be a LOT of missions, and no need for repeats.

Hopefully we will be able to bundle up contracts. I kind of bundling up objectives like this http://imgur.com/4j5Gwqt

this was an mission to sample all biomes in the Jool system.

[kiwiak]

I think it'd be great if you had offers for things like space telescopes from private companies, as well as communications satellites for things such as TV companies and satellite navigation companies. Just more things to put in orbit around Kerbin, really. I'd love for their to be a focus on providing a service to Kerbalkind as well as pushing the envelope for exploration. As well as the big things for Kerbin orbit, I'd love it if you could be offered partnerships or contracts for things like Mars One. You know, someone approaches KSC with an idea to colonise Duna, put a space station around Laythe, etc. This also provides scope for the ability to have some parts provide you with payloads. For example, the space telescope missions could have pre-built or procedural telescopes that act as a single part, communications could be either make your own or have one provided, there could be private companies with rovers that they want you to send to the Mun. There's endless possibilities here, I really hope that SQUAD have some of these things in mind.

Well than, if orits woudl start becoming crowded, i hope some tagging and filtering system for tracking cnte will be implemented.

For example, tag commercial things, that are not usefull on their own, like remote tech or mapping sats, and filter them out. There is probably no need to think about them after launching... or not? There always coudl be service missions.

[Shna_na]

There always could be service missions.

Service missions would be great. For now, Space Stations are just refueling stations. There should be a huge contract for a space station, the first major contract, in which you have to send certain modules up and dock to a core that you send up first to the desired orbital height. You should then need to re-crew the station every now and then for a constant large source of income that you have to work for. But then, of course, there's the people who don't want this fuss. Which is where declining comes in. If you accept the station but don't accept a mission for crew transfer, it should be automatically done by the private company that owns the station and you get no money from that transfer.

Edited March 2, 2014 by Shna_na

[kurja]

For now, Space Stations are just refueling stations.

Almost - they are also lab module stations. But that seems to be it, for now.