Joolian Holidays Challenge

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

Second Challenge, and a big one... Inspired by the Jool-5 Challenge by Ziv and the Laythe Cruise Line Challenge by TechniCali I propose a combination and furthering of the two;

Build Permanent Space Stations and Surface bases in the Joolian System for a steady stream of Kerbal Sightseers!

I'm going to suggest this challenge has an 'advanced' advisory warning - you might want to attempt some of the other large time-consuming challenges first, but I'm not going to stop anyone trying - some of the most impressive and different competitors in the other challenges mentioned have been first-time posters on the forums (well, in the Jool-5, the Cruise Line Challenge is still fairly fresh...)

With all that out of the way, onto the nitty-gritty details:

RULES

1. No parts clipping or other use of the Dev Console
   
2. 
   
3. No Overpowered Mods (Check with me if you think a mod you might be using may interfere with the challenge, I will put up different leaderboards when it becomes apparent which mods people will most like to use).
   
4. 
   
5. No Mods that change the Kerbin System - This is a Jool Challenge.
   

SCORING

As this is an Infrastructure Challenge, I am going to score by Module, but as I don't yet know which mods will be used, feel free to go crazy with anything I haven't listed yet! To start with, I will be givin bonus points for suitable impressiveness

Main Stations: Station with refuel capability and capable of long and short range communications, and able to carry 10+ Kerbal sightseers (and crew) in orbit around Jool or one of the Moons - 500 points. (Limited to 2 Stations anywhere in the Jool System.)

Sub-Stations: Capable of refuel, short-range comms and capacity of up to 30 Kerbals in orbit around Jool or one of the Moons - 100 points. (Limited to 2 sub-stations per body.)

Surface Bases: 10 points per base part; -15 points for any doubleed base parts; I want to encourage modular bases so that they can be put together in different ways even if you end up using the same parts to create all of your bases. We wouldn't want our Kerbal Sightseers getting bored of the same design everywhere they go, do we?! Oh, and while on that subject, try to choose some spectacular scenery - this is meant to be a sightseing tour, our intrepid Kerbals don't want to be sat in the middle of a boring flat nothingness... (No limit to how many modules, but 5 bases per body - if you want to try making a balloon suspended cloud base in Jools upper atmosphere, be my guest )

Vehicles: I would like to see your Launch Vehicles, Transfer Vehicles and anything else you come up with to complete the challenge; after doing the Jool-5 mission I found that I settled on particular designs and used them a lot of the way through, so just explain them the once so we know what you are talking about during your explanations! - 50 to 1000 points depending on the Vehicle in question (Less for unmanned tugs, more for amazing and beautifully crafted SSTO Spaceplanes). (No limit to the amount of Vehicles you have in use to make your passengers as comfortable as possible, but remember a few things; Sightseers don't like extended stops, they like to keep going until they get to the place they want to go! and unforeseen things can happen on the most mundane of runs, especially if you are suffering from Kessler Syndrome around any of the bodies [most likely Kerbin] you are travelling to/from )

SUBMISSIONS

To keep the spoilers and chances of similar entries down, and as they will take time to read through, please only post 'sneak peeks' of what you are working on rather than full Challenge Submissions - please, use the Mission Reports sub-forum to keep track of your advances and post a link to it for judging

I will be working on this (Both the Challenge itself and my entry) once I have completed the Jool-5 challenge, as the end is in sight... should be finished in the next couple of days RT!

I look forward to seeing the amazing creations you all come up with, and expanding the rules once I know peoples preferences for mods and so-on.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Cmdr. Arn1e

[zekes]

Wait is this a company or a challenge?

[Megalodon 720]

Looks like a challenge to me, am I allowed to use my own gas giant?

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

A challenge - No idea why I decided to name it so, but meh, I'll change it so it's less confusing!

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

Looks like a challenge to me, am I allowed to use my own gas giant?

Correct you are sir, Title changed...

and no, sorry, I want the playing field for this challenge to be Jool so I have a frame of reference... your own Gas Giant could have more or less moons than Jool, be a different size, all sorts of things that could get in the way. If it is a specific Mod like Real Solar System, I will have a seperate leaderboard for it if there is enough interest from those who use it

[Megalodon 720]

It's okay, the system doesn't affect Jool in any way whatsoever. I shall start in my space hotel above Laythe.

EDIT: It wouldn't be that fun either, there's loads of things I've sent there.

[Ziv]

Hi, nice and complex one! I suggest to allow KAS to make the refueling easier and more fun.

My question is if somebody build one base with turists mission and later add another bases and tours will it add up the points for him?

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

It's okay, the system doesn't affect Jool in any way whatsoever. I shall start in my space hotel above Laythe.

EDIT: It wouldn't be that fun either, there's loads of things I've sent there.

Then you can use it! If you already have infrastructure in place, you can build on it, which leads to Ziv's Question:

My question is if somebody build one base with turists mission and later add another bases and tours will it add up the points for him?

Hi again As the rules state, there is a limit to how much you can build - I may yet change the rules so people lose points for using multiple of the same module on each base, for example, (in fact, I will add this in!) so Mods are the way to go for extra points! I will allow KAS, but as I said in OP, the tourists wouldn't want to spend too long anywhere docked! (unless their destination is the Orbital Hotel or whatever, of course...) That's not to say a fuel tender can't go out and connect for some time while the transfer ship/cruise liner carries onto its destination

[Pecan]

Interesting.

Questions, of course:

"capable of long and short range communications" - defined how?

What constitutes a "base part"? From your description it isn't part-count but how different do one hitch-hiker's accessories have to be to count as a different module?

Soring favours many, unique launch, transfer, etc. vehicles rather than reusable core-set and heavily favours non-stock. On the one hand this will make for some good variety and pictures but is it what you really intend?

And WHY more points for spaceplanes? What about my amazing and beautifully crafted SSTO rockets?

[Oafman]

Nice timing, because Oaf's Tours* is already en route!

The mission objective was to test a range of silly vehicles, but we can convert that into some sort of adventure tourism.....

* working title, the marketing team have been tasked with finding something more inspiring

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

Interesting.

Questions, of course:

"capable of long and short range communications" - defined how?

I define this as the Communotron 16 is short-range, Comms DTS-M1 isn't a huge amount better, but the Communotron 88-88 is yards better, including in the description: "The Communotron High-Gain Antenna, model 88-88 allows for long-range, high speed communication." So short range would be the 16 or DTS, long range would be the 88-88.

What constitutes a "base part"? From your description it isn't part-count but how different do one hitch-hiker's accessories have to be to count as a different module?

Well, obviously I intend them to be modular, so, for example, one module can be the base kommanders lounge attached to one HitchHiker Container, another could be HHC and Mobile Processing Lab, another fuel, maybe a dock for a couple of rovers, with extra docking ports or Klaws so they can be re-arranged for each different location... don't know if that makes it any clearer, if not I'll try harder!

Scoring favours many, unique launch, transfer, etc. vehicles rather than reusable core-set and heavily favours non-stock. On the one hand this will make for some good variety and pictures but is it what you really intend?

Yes, this is what I intend - but I get the feeling that if people get very far with this, they will end up using a core set of lifters of their own, for lifting essentially the same modules over and over again. I may adjust the rules to not count Kerbin Launch Vehicles, but that depends on the entries, and what I find when I have some to judge and adjudicate on...

And WHY more points for spaceplanes? What about my amazing and beautifully crafted SSTO rockets?

Woah! again, just an example I used - I will be just as impressed with an epic SSTO rocket as I will be with a plane, but I'm sure Planes are a little more forgiving than rockets, so would expect people to use them at least in Ascents to save their tourist's lunch from coming back up... especially if snacks are provided on the journey hehe

Thank you for the questions, if people don't ask I don't know what to adjust/clarify... feel free to ask more

Nice timing, because Oaf's Tours* is already en route!

The mission objective was to test a range of silly vehicles, but we can convert that into some sort of adventure tourism.....

* working title, the marketing team have been tasked with finding something more inspiring

[snip]

Nice! That's quite a flotilla you have ensembled there, I expect great things

Edited July 15, 2014 by Cmdr. Arn1e

[apex-prey]

I can't help but think I helped inspire this

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

I can't help but think I helped inspire this

Erm, sorry, nope... only thing I can remember from you recently was the K.A.R.L challenge... And if you want to include asteroids in your designs, then all the better for some really different designs, as each asteroid is supposed to be unique