Test Parts

[Commander Jebidiah]

When do you get to test parts as I've been playing .24 for 2 days now I have nearly 75+ Reputation and over£500,000 or what ever the currency is I've taken to calling it squares because it looks like the square root symbol. But I've not gotten a single "test [insert part name here]" I've had 4 plant a flag on the moon contracts, 2 rescue kerbal from kerbin, 1 explore the mun, 1 transmit or recover data from space at kerbin

[Zwer.ch]

I started 0.24 today and 4/6 of my contracts are from R&D to test some simpel stuff like "LT-45 on Kerbin landed", which basically is done with launching the vessel

[Godot]

Sounds strange to not get a single test-contract ...

I am constantly getting swamped by them

[Commander Jebidiah]

Sounds strange to not get a single test-contract ...

I am constantly getting swamped by them

Well I get swarmed with "plant a flag on the mun" or "rescue [insert Kerbal name here] from kerbin"

I've just resorted to keep Jeb on the moon to plant flags and a rescue station in LKO

[Biker Joe]

I'm getting "Test" contracts for nearly all the decouplers and engines I'm unlocking! It's early days in the game for me, had to "Test" the parachutes too.

[technion]

I'm getting "Test" contracts for nearly all the decouplers and engines I'm unlocking! It's early days in the game for me, had to "Test" the parachutes too.

I kept running into very odd parachute tests. I had planned on just doing these on the return of a mission, only to find that the standard Command Pod aerobraked itself way below the required speed by the time it hit the required altitude. The end result was trying to launch a mission that actually accelerated into it.

[dryer_lint]

You're lucky. I hate the "test while in flight" missions. You have to be going a certain speed at a certain altitude, and it's a freaking pain if you're trying to do more at once.

[Tweety]

It's all procedurally generated so when the chiefs on the ground want you to test a part they will throw loads of them at you

On a sidenote testing parts while in flight are brilliant fun (also very frustrating at times). They have the same 'YEAAAAHHHH look what i just did!' value to me as landing on a new celestial body. Each to their own though

[Wanderfound]

I've noticed that many of the product testing contracts come with very tasty science rewards. I'm quite keen on them; playing test pilot is fun, and science is often more valuable in game than funds (which I'm choosing to call Kerbucks, personally).

If you're getting into product testing, you want to build a fast and stable basic aircraft. It lets you easily get to whatever speed and altitude you need, and so long as you land it back on the runway the cost of running it is trivial. If you're unsure of your piloting, either use drone pilots or stick a decoupler behind the cockpit and strap some parachutes on.

They're also good for soaking up science; stick every scientific instrument you have on it, hook them all to a single action group and trigger them periodically as you're flying around. Eventually you'll pick up all of the biomes around the place, especially if you get into high-altitude hypersonic stuff.

[bartekkru99]

Thse "Test in flight" missions are worst of them for example they want me to test BACC SRB (the medium one) at altitude of over 10km, when they are mostly separated around 4km, or want me to test decouplers after spash down. What's he point of separating stages after splash down? There many parachute tests, when I need to match speed after re-entry, because I'm falling too slow.

[Wanderfound]

A lot of the complaints seem to be "this contract is something that I have to actually do, rather than something I can pick up in passing" combined with "this test requires me to use a part in a way that I wouldn't normally use it".

They're test pilot missions. That's what test pilots do; it's about precision flying, not acrobatics. It's also about seeing how components behave under extreme stresses (incidentally, high altitude/high velocity solid booster ignition has an obvious application to spaceplanes).

I like these contracts, and so do some other folks. I find it an interesting puzzle to work out how to do the tests in an efficient way; hopefully there are some really difficult test contracts in the later game (e.g. "activate this booster while pulling more than 4 but less than 6 negative G's").

if you aren't into this sort of stuff, that's all cool; you don't have to do these contracts. Go visit the Mun or rescue stranded Kerbals instead.The wide diversity of ways in which people enjoy KSP is why there are a good range of contracts on offer. Hopefully the variety of contracts will be increasing even further in future; it's an obvious place to crowdsource ideas for creative challenges ("Kerbo-Cola wants you to construct a huge advertising billboard in geosynchronous orbit, then build a skycrane to erect the giant magnifying glass that we'll use to see it...").

Making the game so that everyone can play how they want inevitably means that there are some features that some players don't use much.

[Zwer.ch]

Exactly. In the past I pursued my own goals and with .24 I basically started out the same way.

Some contracts are actually pretty easy to integrate in the known patterns and I like to look out for them to skim them off.

But there are also a lot of contracts which require a dedicated mission. I like that too and I'm now looking for ways to at least more than one contract/experiment with a single experimental flight. There are also some nice rewards offered, so it's worth to postpone a "classic" Mun flight to due some research

[Jimbimbibble]

Also, you don't have to do every contract. You will get a bunch of them so just pick the ones you want. As for the OP's problem, it seems like it's just your luck. The contracts are all random so eventually this would happen to someone and it looks like that person is you. If you keep playing you ought to get some of them eventually.

[Dispatcher]

At first I was doing every contract, but some of the test contracts are more irritation than fun to me. Now I just do those I want and avoid the rest. I've passed up dozens of test contracts and skipped to things I've not done before; like rescuing stranded Kerbals. Its nice to be able to choose, instead of being obliged to complete one thing before completing another.

[SRV Ron]

For test contracts, incorporate those that fit the mission you are planning on. On the rest, build efficient test ships to do those that have requirements that don't fit the flight profile of the normal missions.

While Jeb can handle all of them, consider using a probe body for those that are high risk for failing catastrophically.

Currently working on test contracts so I can land on different biomes of Kerban to pick up enough science points to unlock solar panels. Once done, I will do the Mun contract with a probe lander.

[Rus-Evo]

Thse "Test in flight" missions are worst of them for example they want me to test BACC SRB (the medium one) at altitude of over 10km, when they are mostly separated around 4km.

Thats lucky, I had to do the same but at over 15kms altitude. Its hard to lug that thing that high early in the game!

[RW-1]

Thats lucky, I had to do the same but at over 15kms altitude. Its hard to lug that thing that high early in the game!

Unload 90% of the solid fuel to make it lighter, and if necessary limit thrust to 5-10% so when lit off it doesn't throw you off course.

[Commander Jebidiah]

Also, you don't have to do every contract. You will get a bunch of them so just pick the ones you want. As for the OP's problem, it seems like it's just your luck. The contracts are all random so eventually this would happen to someone and it looks like that person is you. If you keep playing you ought to get some of them eventually.

Yeah this is probably true but ive started three career mode saves and i havnt got a single test part contract

[Clockwork_werewolf]

I'm not sure why you are getting no parts test but I have a few ideas. Firstly it usually gets you to test parts that are one level above the tech you have. This would mean a part from basic rocketry it you only have starting tech. It could be that you have too few tech tree options so that the other types of contracts are more likely. It will give you tests for parts already unlocked but they seem less common or very difficult. I've been asked but didn't accept to test the x4 giant rocket (9.25 tons) landed on Minmus. Test rules say I can't fire it before then.

It could that the game give you more contracts of the type you like, so having never taken any part tests it thinks you don't like them and has got stuck in a loop that isn't your fault.

It could be just a bug.

For any part tests that aren't landed I always use an aircraft. Easy way to get adjustable speed and high and then land back with 100% recovery (apart from fuel)

My worst part test to date was a decoupler at 7-9 k up and going 490 km/s. I had to strap on 5 jet engines, some ram jets and dive into the ground from 15k up at a 45 degree angle to keep the speed needed.

I've also done a splashdown test then "boated" the aircraft back to shore and then the run way to get it's full refund. Not hard but a but funny to be bobbing along in an aircraft at 6 m/s.

[magnemoe]

I've noticed that many of the product testing contracts come with very tasty science rewards. I'm quite keen on them; playing test pilot is fun, and science is often more valuable in game than funds (which I'm choosing to call Kerbucks, personally).

If you're getting into product testing, you want to build a fast and stable basic aircraft. It lets you easily get to whatever speed and altitude you need, and so long as you land it back on the runway the cost of running it is trivial. If you're unsure of your piloting, either use drone pilots or stick a decoupler behind the cockpit and strap some parachutes on.

They're also good for soaking up science; stick every scientific instrument you have on it, hook them all to a single action group and trigger them periodically as you're flying around. Eventually you'll pick up all of the biomes around the place, especially if you get into high-altitude hypersonic stuff.

yes, the science bonus is nice, I was able to get all the science equipment before going to Minmus, did one trip to Mun doing one biome, then minmus and did all to unlock the tree.