Hyperinflation career challenge

[Jasonden]

So, we were supposed to have to worry about economics in 0.24 -- but never have to in the vanilla game. In fact, it's quite possible to complete the tech tree even with the prices 10 times higher than the list price. The excellent and concise mod Higher Part Cost adjusts the vanilla costs to something more challenging.

The objective to this challenge is to complete the tech tree with the highest price multiplier. To do this, edit your Higher Part Cost file and change the multiplier to one of your choice, then start a new Career game and try to finish the tech tree. For the leaderboard, the people that use the higher multiplier get placed higher. In the case where two people use the same multiplier, then the in-game date at which the tech tree is completed will be used to break the tie.

Rules / Restrictions:

* There will be a stock leaderboard and a (part-)modded leaderboard -- you can use whatever you want for the mods, but please list what you've used. MechJeb and KER and such that do have parts but don't affect performance count as stock.

* There will also be separate leaderboards for stock contracts and those from the amazing mod Fine Print.

* All Kerbals must return to Kerbin by the end of the tech tree except those on bases as contracted in Fine Print.

* For entry, please post albums with images of each mission that you fly, along with a brief description of the contract(s) that they satisfy.

* All non-part mods allowed (even for stock leaderboards)

* Have fun, and be challenged on cost for once!!

[table=width: 950]

[tr]

[td]Stock Contracts, Stock Parts

1. 30.0x -- Jasonden (MechJeb, Editor Extensions)
   
2. 10.0x -- Jasonden (MechJeb, kOS, Editor Extensions, Biomes)
   
3. ..
   
4. ..
   
5. 
   

[/td]

[td]Stock Contracts, Mod Parts

1. ..
   
2. ..
   
3. ..
   
4. 
   

[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td]Fine Print Contracts, Stock Parts

1. ..
   
2. ..
   
3. ..
   
4. 
   

[/td]

[td]Fine Print Contracts, Mod Parts

1. ..
   
2. ..
   
3. ..
   
4. 
   

[/td]

[/tr]

[/table]

Edited August 29, 2014 by Jasonden

[Jasonden]

My entry, proving my contention that the tech tree can be completed with 10x prices.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Didn't use any part mods, but I did use: MechJeb, kOS, Extra Biomes, Editor Extensions, VOID

Edited August 17, 2014 by Jasonden

[Jasonden]

Ha! Okay, maybe only I am interested in my own thread, but I've managed to do it now with 30x the nominal prices (!). Thirty! Sweet!

Javascript is disabled. View full album

This was actually really fun -- as hard and enjoyable as my first playthrough of BTSM. I had to develop a fully reusable architecture for missions to the Mun and beyond, and teach myself how to drop all the spent stages and returning spacecraft right on the KSC launch pad for 100% cost recovery of hardware.

Ultimately the upper-limit on the cost multiplier looks like it's going to be that very first mission, it seems like. Maybe if you went without a parachute you could swing it for cheaper, but beyond those kind of sacrifices I don't see how to do SIGNIFICANTLY better (though something like mid-30's should at least be possible).

Maybe something similar will be the new "hard mode" . . . After finishing the tech tree I ran missions to Dres, Bop, and Pol on ion power and otherwise the same architecture. Now going for Laythe, but used a LKO refueling step. Tylo, Moho, and Eve may not really be do-able with fully recovering everything. Well, who knows, I haven't really tried very hard yet. Eve obviously impossible, but who knows about the others.

Edited August 29, 2014 by Jasonden