Proposal for standard "no cheating" challenge rules

[8MMW]

The modding seems to be the most controversial (even the MechJeb itself is). As 5thHorseman's post shows, there are many possible approaches for modding, everything depends on the challenge. However, in order to make a useful standard rule set, the most frequently used option should be included. That would be something in between 5thHorseman's "Type C" and what cantab said.

I think there is no need now to create a list of options, because if a challenge poster decides to go further away from ~= Type C, he is also likely to specify some other mod details, so he won't need "the rules" any more.

[pxi]

I think the challenges would be better served by coming up with "types" that all have similar restrictions. What follows are examples, not suggestions.

Type A: All stock. No mods. No hacking. I don't care that Texture Replacer doesn't change anything. Uninstall it.

Type B: Mostly Stock. No part mods, or info/autopilot mods. Keep Visual Enhancements, but RSS is out.

Type C: Stockish. No part mods where the parts give you functionality. Mechjeb and KER are fine as their parts don't actually help your ship. No physics changing.

Type D: Wild West: Part mods are okay but no Alt-F12 menu. The challenge may specify specific mods that are okay and no others are, to keep someone from hacking in a 5 bajillion ISP engine.

Type E: Anarchy. Anything goes. First Kerbal to Hyperedit Minmus inside Jool wins.

I think this comes closest to what I would suggest.

Were I to propose a challenge, I would set it on the basis of 'do it however you want, BUT tell us how you did it.' At the end of the day, people complete challenges for a sense of being able to demonstrate to themselves and others that they have mastered KSP to some extent. There is no reward for completing a challenge other than the praise of the community (that I've seen so far anyway), and in general we already pretty much seem to be in agreement about what sort of things are genuinely challenging (Type A), versus trivial to complete (Type E).

Therefore it seems to me that challenges that specifically pre-exclude people are doing the wrong thing, for the right reason.

It reduces the number of people willing to do a challenge even before the challenge has begun, with the only benefit that assigning the winner is then a bit easier. This becomes an issue if no-one actually participates in the challenge.

Obviously, lying about how you did the challenge would still result in disqualification.

[Hodo]

First I would like to say that some people try to read to much into things and appear to be intentionally looking to start grief. Having recently started using mechjeb I can say it is not cheaty if you already know how to do everything manually. It is mor f andicap then a help for the experienced player. So those of you who have never used it show stay silent on the topic because you have no clue what you are talking about.

This I am sure is not intended to be the end all be all list just a general guide.