Scamming Contracts

[Targa]

Curious how many of you "scam" the companies that want a part tested by building a ship(s) using said part, and putting it in orbit where it can't be taken away from you? Do you ever try to make a test part "modular", so you can undock it in space and transfer it to different ships, preventing its ever returning to Kerbin?

I recently took a contract to test the LV-N Atomic, and since I have yet to unlock that in the tech tree, I made sure to build a few rockets (transports and landers) and sent them to dock with my refueling station in Kerbin orbit. Only then did I complete the contract.

And for those of you who hadn't thought of this: Now you know another great use for contracts!

[The Destroyer]

Nah, I like recovering things!

[Felsmak]

Now that you say it you could attach all experimental engines by docking ports. You could have a truck full of, say, LV-Ns parked at the KSC and then use some robot arm mod to attach them where they need to be. Then, when you've returned to Kerbin, you take them off and put them back in the truck.

[Feldynn]

I never have, never had a need to either. Given how much science you can get just from picking and choosing the right contracts it's really not worth the effort, or hasn't been for me.

I started a fresh game for 0.24 but had to restart again after not too many hours as I realised I'd unlocked a very large portion of the tech tree without ever doing science beyond Kerbin's low orbit range (didn't even go to Mun or Minmus and do science). Once you start getting a little way into the tech tree the science return on certain parts test contracts is just silly, chain a few of them together at a time and you're drowning in free science.

[Russoft]

I take advantage of my access to the part. I'll use the atomic engine to send a manned mission to Duna before I test the part. Another part was the gear for the space plane. I took a contract, used the gear on my space planes, then completed the contract. It's my reward for taking the contract. I don't bother undocking the parts since usually parts tests are for parts that are next in the tech tree anyway so I'll unlock it soon.

[Murph]

I think it would take the same or greater effort to actively "scam" parts, than just to simply grab the science normally and unlock them. So, no, I didn't bother with any such nonsense, just worked towards unlocking everything normally. Also, while less of an issue for the LV-N (due to the relatively low thrust from it), the weak connection from connecting an engine via a docking port would be a significant disadvantage.

[Rainbow-Dashie]

All my engine test contracts are useless to me....

*Test the basic jet engine, great but no jet fuel to make use of it

*Ohhhh Ion Engine! No Xeon....

and so on....

[Felsmak]

Also, while less of an issue for the LV-N (due to the relatively low thrust from it), the weak connection from connecting an engine via a docking port would be a significant disadvantage.

Hmm, you're probably right. It would be better to bring some Quad-Couplers and add additional ports for maximum support!

[Superfluous J]

I'm with others. I'll take advantage if it presents itself (Like an early LV-N or whatnot) but not go out of my way to "scam" it.

By the time I've unlocked docking ports I can pretty much get anywhere, anyway.

[Liowen]

All my engine test contracts are useless to me....

*Test the basic jet engine, great but no jet fuel to make use of it

*Ohhhh Ion Engine! No Xeon....

and so on....

You know you do not need fuel for those engines to test right? As long as it is staged, or run test is clicked, that is all that needs to be done. After much testing I found this out, and feel silly for deleting those now. One thing that I have noticed as well, and might be considered cheating the contract system, is that you can use a science device that is worth 0 science points and complete a contract. I used experimental parts to launch a probe to get science from around Kerbin contract and left it there to see if it would work, and when it came up again I used it again, for 0 science point on transmission and return, and completed the contract. I am sure this will be changed at some point, but if you are running low on funds for some reason I would recommend doing this to get a cheap boost.

[Rainbow-Dashie]

You know you do not need fuel for those engines to test right? As long as it is staged, or run test is clicked, that is all that needs to be done. After much testing I found this out, and feel silly for deleting those now. One thing that I have noticed as well, and might be considered cheating the contract system, is that you can use a science device that is worth 0 science points and complete a contract. I used experimental parts to launch a probe to get science from around Kerbin contract and left it there to see if it would work, and when it came up again I used it again, for 0 science point on transmission and return, and completed the contract. I am sure this will be changed at some point, but if you are running low on funds for some reason I would recommend doing this to get a cheap boost.

Yeah, i know that much. But these guys are saying how they will use the parts they cant get yet for missions and stuff... I can still complete the contracts but cant get any use out of these "proto-type" parts

[Superfluous J]

Yeah, i know that much. But these guys are saying how they will use the parts they cant get yet for missions and stuff... I can still complete the contracts but cant get any use out of these "proto-type" parts

If only there was a "test this xenon tank" contract...

[Redd]

One thing that I have noticed as well, and might be considered cheating the contract system, is that you can use a science device that is worth 0 science points and complete a contract. I used experimental parts to launch a probe to get science from around Kerbin contract and left it there to see if it would work, and when it came up again I used it again, for 0 science point on transmission and return, and completed the contract. I am sure this will be changed at some point, but if you are running low on funds for some reason I would recommend doing this to get a cheap boost.

I have to admit to doing the above. Actually went a little overboard, and now have probes and landers on most bodies that stay there permanently for contracts. They're only gathering funds now, as transmittable research is obviously limited. But I'm dreading the day they introduce a stock life support system.. it will be a dark day for my space program. (Okay, not so much dreading as eagerly awaiting. It will be interesting to see if I can still save a few of them.)

I can honestly say I haven't done what's mentioned in the original post, though. Mostly because I didn't realize it was possible.

[Feldynn]

Yeah, i know that much. But these guys are saying how they will use the parts they cant get yet for missions and stuff... I can still complete the contracts but cant get any use out of these "proto-type" parts

I personally only tend to get use out of the regular engines like the Skipper / Mainsail, LRBs or SRBs when they're prototype parts for contracts, anything else that requires resources other than fuel / oxidizer I treat more like science modules. So I might start with a mission to rescue Random Kerman from orbit, chain together something like a sub orbital LRB test with a mainsail / skipper in orbit test to make a rocket to rescue said kerbal. Tack on a landing gear, ion and jet engine to test on the way up / down and you'll probably net over 1.5mil Funds or more and 200-400 science points from one flight that's primary objective was to rescue a Kerbal .

[magnemoe]

I think it would take the same or greater effort to actively "scam" parts, than just to simply grab the science normally and unlock them. So, no, I didn't bother with any such nonsense, just worked towards unlocking everything normally. Also, while less of an issue for the LV-N (due to the relatively low thrust from it), the weak connection from connecting an engine via a docking port would be a significant disadvantage.

Some exception like if you get the 48-7S early. The LV-N and the skipper or mainsail too however they tend to give an good payoff while the small engines don't give much kickback.

I did it with the 48-7S, the jet parts also require the intakes to be useful.

Mid game the science payoff from many of the tests are more important than the money.

[Targa]

I never have, never had a need to either. Given how much science you can get just from picking and choosing the right contracts it's really not worth the effort, or hasn't been for me.

I started a fresh game for 0.24 but had to restart again after not too many hours as I realised I'd unlocked a very large portion of the tech tree without ever doing science beyond Kerbin's low orbit range (didn't even go to Mun or Minmus and do science). Once you start getting a little way into the tech tree the science return on certain parts test contracts is just silly, chain a few of them together at a time and you're drowning in free science.

This is an issue with the game that I noticed immediately. I've been playing with a modified ScienceDefs.cfg and a custom tech tree for so long that it didn't really cross my mind when starting this thread how easy getting the science to unlock contract/test parts really is for most everyone else. I get roughly 1/3rd of the stock science points or a little less. I also try to stay away from contracts that give science points. Not really on topic, but the vanilla game gives way too much science points. Hence the player has little incentive to explore beyond Kerbin's SOI.

[Concentric]

I used a KS-25x4 and an LV-N test contract set to put up my Minmus mission, second manned Mun landing of the career, perform an orbital rescue and put up a set of four nuclear drive modules (LV-N, FL-T100, probe core, batteries, solar panels and a docking port) all in one launch. I now have the science to unlock both of those nodes, but I haven't used all of the drive modules yet. Two are at Duna with the Duna-Ike mission, one's still unused and attached to the launcher in LKO, and the last is docked to a fuel tank elsewhere in LKO after pushing a spaceplane to Mun and back (the fuel tank was because it ran out on the way back).

That's really the only time I've kept an experimental part around for other things after completing a test - the others have just gone back and been recovered - or, in the case of the orbital SRB/escaping gear bay, just drifted out into interplanetary space until batteries ran out.

[WWEdeadman]

I actually set myself a custom rule to not use experimental parts (as in stuff I haven't unlocked yet and get a testing contract for) on manned rockets. I did use them for probe-missions that had nothing to do with the required test, though. But full on just accepting a contract to get the part early, without intent to actually fullfill the contract, no.

[merendel]

About the only one I've remotely "Scamed" in this way was with the LV-N. My normal space tugs dont require all that much to build. Just docking and the LV-N, everything else can be goten much lower in the tech tree. On a game where I'd limited science (cut gains, required filling full tiers before moveing on) I launched a couple LVN powered tugs into orbit when they came up as an experimental. I did compleat the mission right away I just got a couple interstelar tugs out of the deal. Most other experimental parts dont really gain you much long term benifit. Sure its nice sometimes when a Test the mainsail on the landing pad comes up, just launch your next mission with a mainsail but its not worth the effort to jump through hoops to keep the mainsail.

[problemecium]

I usually unlock it shortly after doing the test anyway. The only time that didn't happen was with the Kerbodyne engines, but I didn't feel like doing all that extra work when I didn't really need them yet.

[Skorpychan]

Sort of. I launched a cruise stage with the LV-N before I'd tested it, but that's because I really wanted to get it up there.

[Darthzeus]

I abused access to landing gears and nuke engines on my latest playthrough, then did a lot of tests that were like "Sorry, I pushed the button and it didn't do anything!" (AKA, I didn't give their product any fuel)

[Wanderfound]

Now that you say it you could attach all experimental engines by docking ports. You could have a truck full of, say, LV-Ns parked at the KSC and then use some robot arm mod to attach them where they need to be. Then, when you've returned to Kerbin, you take them off and put them back in the truck.

You don't even need a mod for that:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/88566-100-Reusable-SSTO-Cargo-with-Satelite-Crane