The Great Fuel Shortage (Kethane)

[MarvinKitFox]

Ok, simple challenge. This challenge absolutely requires the Kethane mod. Other mods are strongly discouraged. Other mods with non-fuel propulsion strictly forbidden.

The Great Interstellar Traditional Senate(GITS) has decided that the Kerbals have expanded too far, too fast, so using their virtually omnipotent power they have stolen every single drop of fuel from Kerbin.

There is NO fuel on Kerbin.

NO liquid fuel.

NO solid fuel for SRB's, seperatrons, etc.

NO Xenon

Even the Kethane reserves of Kerbin have been drained to zero!

Your task:

Send a Kerbal to the north pole of Eeloo, to discuss this matter with the Guardian, the local representative of the Great Interstellar Traditional Senate.

Plant a flag there, anywhere north of 85degrees North.

Hint: You may need to use the "KE–WAITNONOSTOP–01 Kerbal Unreconstitutionator" unit.

Rules:

Begin with a new sandbox game, Using version 23.5. (this is to start with clock=0, and zero infrastructure out there)

You may only use fuel created by the Kethane system.

You may not mine any Kethane on Kerbin

No cheats. (i.e. no hacks, cracks, edits, teleporters, debug console, etc..)

No F9 simply because your current action failed. If you kill a Kerbal, it scores against you. (honor system, of course. You *are* honorable, right?) It you want a redo, redo the whole thing!

If you misplace a Kerbal in deep space due to fuel, etc... Too bad. It counts to the score.

Complete the challenge by planting a flag on Eeloo, within 5 degrees of the north pole.

p.s. No infiniglides, and especially no Kraken drives. Those are likely what ticked off the GITS in the first place!

Scoring:

Lowest score wins.

Each kerbal that dies due to any reason, counts as +1 to your score.

any Kerbal off Kerbin, Including the one you send to Eeloo, counts as one. (thus minimum score == 1)

In the event of a tie, the participant that completes his task in the least number of game-elapsed-time wins. Aside from this, there are no time constraints at all.

Please submit a picture showing you at the flag, and a quick description of the Memorial Graveyard. Who did you kill, where and why. We must remember our brave dead!

Pictures of your Ship(s) used, with their fuel source would be nice, but we can trust your honesty, right?

Please mention any/all mods you used. This wont affect your score, just the esteem you are held in.

No lawsuits for Genocide, Human Kerbal rights abuse, or similar bunny-hugging will be allowed. This is a serious matter, and should be treated with respect!

Leaderboard:__________________Score_________Time

1) MarvinKitFox________________3_____________Y5 D36, 5:21

c'mon, surely someone else will complete this? Hopefully with a better score?

Edited April 17, 2014 by MarvinKitFox
Leaderboard

[LordFjord]

And the award for the meanest possible challenge ever - goes to you, sir

The question is, where and how do you massacre refuel...

[Red Iron Crown]

And the award for the meanest possible challenge ever - goes to you, sir

Not even close. At least these kerbals are dying for a cause.

[LordFjord]

Yeah but still, this one will involve a lot more Kerbals.

Hmmm, asparagus style hitchhiker modules.... and the line of volunteer Kerbals to fill the launch stage.

[MarvinKitFox]

Remember, there are rich kethane deposits on the moons and other planets. Its just Kerbin's supplies that have been stolen.

So you could mine all the fuel you need on Mun.

.

.

Need to get there first, though. With a full Kethane refinery....

[cyberklad]

This challenge could be more fun if one had a fixed amount of fuel to start with. To get a fuel refinery to minimus you have to kill a lot of kerbals.

[vetrox]

Its a good thing i am putting the finishing touches on my Kethane powered ssto for my own scenario.

Just need to fill it with kerbals...i mean kethane!

I hope Kerbal attachment system is permitted though? Need to use it for retractable fuel lines

[MarvinKitFox]

Its a good thing i am putting the finishing touches on my Kethane powered ssto for my own scenario.

Just need to fill it with kerbals...i mean kethane!

I hope Kerbal attachment system is permitted though? Need to use it for retractable fuel lines

Mods are allowed. Just.... Tsk Tsk. You can't do it without? Poor thingy, if you need the crutch, I guess its ok?

(am i laying it on too thick?)

No really, mods like that are fine. Also stuff like KW rocketry (who needs it now that we have SLS engines?), etc..

Reactionless drive systems, SuperDuper ion engines, etc.. would be considered unsporting.

Stuff like MechJeb, Engineer, Alarm clock, are just fine.

[Pds314]

Do Kerbal-on-ladder forces count as Kraken drives?

[vetrox]

mods are allowed. Just.... Tsk tsk. You can't do it without? Poor thingy, if you need the crutch, i guess its ok?

well now the gaunlet is laid!!!!! And your challenge accepted good sir!!!! Insult my manly-ness once more and i will be forced to take drastic action!!!!!!!!

(imagine that in all caps)

[Wooks]

Excuse my exteme ignorance: I have been playing for a year and a half and still considering adding any kind of mod; I´ve seen the Kethane mod in action in some videos and all my knowledge of the mod comes from there (not much), and it is the first mod I´m going to install.

Now some questions after several readings of the rules: Does Kethane mod generates fuel from nothing? if not and there is no fuel on Kerbin to use or mine, how is this challenge even possible? or am I misunderstanding the challenge? what I´m missing here?

Sincerelly,

Wookiee, the Kethane clueless.

[Red Iron Crown]

Wooks, there's a rather gruesome part that can convert kerbals into kethane.

[Wooks]

Wooks, there's a rather gruesome part that can convert kerbals into kethane.

O.M.F.G. you guys o_O

Edited April 16, 2014 by Wooks

[MarvinKitFox]

Do Kerbal-on-ladder forces count as Kraken drives?

With tentacles on! (Yes, ladder propulsion is most definitely Kraken!)

[The Destroyer]

I think GITS would stop the space program due to you massacaring 100 kerbals.

[MarvinKitFox]

Wooks, there's a rather gruesome part that can convert kerbals into kethane.

Yep.

That's the goal of this challenge.

To use as FEW as possible Kerbals in the Great Sacrifice For The Cause

I think GITS would stop the space program due to you massacaring 100 kerbals.

NoNo, that is how we show them our great dedication to freedom and exploration!

[MarvinKitFox]

Did some calcs to assist you guys.

One Kerbal makes 150 Kethane.

150 Kethane makes 62 fuel

150 Kethane makes 59 oxygen

Filling one orange tank requires 2 american football teams of Kerbals. Yes, that's 106 Juiced Kerbals.

getting to Eeloo needs about 6500 delta-v. After you are in Low orbit. Say 11000 total.

I might have to rethink my normal approach of 8-10 orange tanks asparagused around a nice big lander

[Tarantulae]

Wait... so

"any Kerbal off Kerbin, Including the one you send to Eeloo, counts as one. (thus minimum score == 1)"

means we can fill up our kethane tanks on kerbin with kerbals at no penalty? And here I was trying to minimize that part!

[Skorpychan]

Wait... so

means we can fill up our kethane tanks on kerbin with kerbals at no penalty? And here I was trying to minimize that part!

Ah, but...

Each kerbal that dies due to any reason, counts as +1 to your score.

any Kerbal off Kerbin, Including the one you send to Eeloo, counts as one. (thus minimum score == 1)

[Tarantulae]

Right, so is it +1 all kerbals that die, or +1 all kerbals that die when off of kerbin?

[vat21s]

If you rescue a Kerbal from space does it still count as a death?

[MarvinKitFox]

Right, so is it +1 all kerbals that die, or +1 all kerbals that die when off of kerbin?

+1 for each Kerbal that dies, +1 for each Kerbal off Kerbin. Alive or dead.

You can send up as many as you want, but when you plant the flag, any Kerbal that is not safely back home counts as 1 point against you.

Any killed by converting them to fuel counts as 1 point each against you.

Any killed by accident, mishap, or act of Kraken counts as 1 point each against you.

Any Kerbals alive, but not safely on Kerbin, counts as 1 point each against you.

This includes your flag-planter on Eeloo, as obviously he is not safely at home when he is planting the flag.

sorry, but I really thought the phrase

"Each kerbal that dies due to any reason, counts as +1 to your score.

any Kerbal off Kerbin, Including the one you send to Eeloo, counts as one. (thus minimum score == 1) " was quite clear?

The idea is to keep as many Kerbals safe and alive at home as possible, and still accomplish the mission.

[Tarantulae]

Thanks, I thought it was at first too, and then I looked at it again, and got really confused about why you would send any kerbals off kerbin for this if you can get penalized for it. I'm still not sure how minimum score = 1 though, since you would have to get him there without using any fuel. I think that's what threw me off. You said minimum score 1, and I thought, oh, well, the kerbals on kerbin must not count then.

[MarvinKitFox]

Well, I tried to do it the sensible way, by sending a minimal kethane mining ship to Mun or MinMus.

Works great, but the mining + refining tools and tankage is rather heavy. That plan would have used 137 Kerbals.

.

Unacceptable!

.

So I decided to go directly to Eeloo.

Instead of my usual "moar boosters" approach, I went for the minimalistic approach.

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Complete.

All hail the brave brothers, Macdo Kermin and Macgee Kerman!

Their brave sacrifice has enabled Jebediah Kermin to go to the GITS and petition our plight!

(He/it said basically. "oops. Didn't realize you were sentient, but your getting here proves otherwise. We'll put it right back where it was")

Total score: 3 Mission Elapsed time: 5Y D36, 5:21

Jebediah is somewhat stranded on Eeloo

Macdo Kermin fuelled the exit from Kerbin

Macgee Kerman fuelled the interplanetary transit, and landing on Eeloo. (Jeb still has a half-tank of unleaded Macgee left over, if he wants to explore Eeloo)

Unsporting behaviour: Liberal use of MechJeb.

I tried, I really really really tried to do this on one Kerbal. It should be doable, but I kept on running out of either stability, or delta-v during landing on Eeloo. At my skillset, sacrificing just one Kerbal leaves me short by about 850 delta-v, enev with moderately creative gravity slings, etc.

I do hope one of you guys can do me better, and reduce the guilt burden of having to roast an extra Kerbal simply because I cannot steer any better.

[Tarantulae]

Wow, that is impressive... And here I was designing a whole minimalist infrastructure to refine kethane to support the trip...