The Order of Explore Contracts

[Oggula]

Hey guys, experienced (I hope) player here with a few quick questions.

Firstly, is the order that 'Explore' contracts appear in always the same each career? So I guess the Mun always comes first, then Minmus, Duna and Ike?

And secondly, what 'Explore' contracts come after Minmus, Duna and Ike? Which planets are next?

Lastly, does it change which contracts are unlocked depending on which planets have been explored already? So if I explore Duna in a previous contract and received an 'Explore' contract for Jool, would it have still concerned Jool even if I had only explored Ike instead?

Thanks for helping guys, any info appreciated.

[Geschosskopf]

The order of "Explore" contracts does appear to be hard-wired as you describe. Which is something of a bummer because several transfer windows to the outer planets and Moho come up before Duna's in any new game. However, going to the outer planets takes a long time, and there is to my knowledge no requirement that the ship completing part of an "Explore" contract be launched AFTER the contract is accepted. So you can launch stuff for the Outer Darkness as windows come up and while those ships are en route, bang off the other, closer targets as they appear. If the stuff to the outer planets gets there before contracts regarding them become available, just park in orbit and wait until they do. Then accept the contracts as they become available and complete them with the pre-positioned ships.

[Wanderfound]

I've just fired off a bunch of probes to Moho, Duna and Eve, all at the same time. You don't have to wait for transfer windows; just use more fuel. It's less efficient, but not impossibly so.

I haven't had the "Explore Moho" contract come up yet, but I expect it will have by the time the probe arrives.

[itsmagic2009]

Be careful with launching too early. If you put a spacecraft in orbit around a planet before the "Explore" contract comes up, you will never get this contract. The game will jump directly to "Get science from space" and "Plant flag" missions for this planet.

[Laie]

I've just fired off a bunch of probes to Moho, Duna and Eve, all at the same time. You don't have to wait for transfer windows; just use more fuel. It's less efficient, but not impossibly so.

I did that myself and it didn't work out. Neither being captured by Moho, nor the contract popping up in time.

Be careful with launching too early. If you put a spacecraft in orbit around a planet before the "Explore" contract comes up, you will never get this contract. The game will jump directly to "Get science from space" and "Plant flag" missions for this planet.

It's enough to enter the SOI. No orbit necessary. Thus I reverted and killed that probe before it got to Moho.

Contract order so far:

Duna, Ike, Eve.

Gilly popped up when I made Eve orbit.

Jool.

Pol.

Bop.

Entering Jool SOI triggered Tylo.

Apparently the devs assume that Jool-5 will be done outside-in.

Edited August 10, 2014 by Laie

[Wanderfound]

I did that myself and it didn't work out. Neither being captured by Moho, nor the contract popping up in time.

What was the problem with the Moho probe? Not enough ÃŽâ€V, or just missed the target?

[MarvinKitFox]

Explore contracts seem to be based on you maximum altitude/distance/SOI reached.

I've had a career where my first explore was Duna and Ike, landing.

Possibly because I sent a probe out to taste the interplanetary void, directly after achieving orbit first time. (ok, so it had a steerign issue, but plenty deltav. So i just motored up into oblivion, gathering science as I went.)

[Laie]

What was the problem with the Moho probe? Not enough ÃŽâ€V, or just missed the target?

The assumption that setting up an encounter would be enough: we met each other at right angles, I barely had enough time to say hello. Call it "not enough ÃŽâ€V" if you will. All that stuff I've written in the other thread comes from recent experience.

But in the context of this thread, it's important to note that after that first encounter, I had "science from orbit" and "plant flag" contracts for Moho.