Jump to content

The 500 Unit Challenge

plainawesome
 Share

Recommended Posts

plainawesome

plainawesome

Posted
Posted (edited)

Back story: President Barack Kerman has slashed funding for the Kerbal Space Program into one sixteenth of the original funding. The Space Program was about to be shut down, but thankfully, Gene Kerman made the suggestion to keep the space program rolling as long as they spend less money on spacecrafts and fuel.

NOTE:ON 10/6/14 THE RULES AND SCORING SYSTEM HAS BEEN MODIFIED! PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!!!

OBJECTIVES and RULES:

  1. Build a rockret or spaceplane that runs on less than 500 units of fuel.
  2. It can be Liquid Fuel OR Solid Fuel OR Monopropellent.
  3. It has to be an actual mission. Every entry needs AT LEAST one CM, one fuel capsule (L,S,or M), and one engine.
  4. The CM cannot crash or run out of electric charge.
  5. For tweaking the fuel level, it is recommended that you make it proportionate.
  6. It can be Liquid Fuel OR Solid Fuel OR Monopropellent.
  7. No docking ports.
  8. Stock Parts ONLY!!! NO MODDED PARTS ALLOWED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!!!
  9. No refueling at all post-launch
  10. The spacecraft can have a capacity of more than 500 units, but the amount of fuel in it must be at or less than 500 units.
  11. The spacecraft must be made as cheaply as possible.
  12. The ONLY alowed mods are: Kerbal Alarm Clock, Mechjeb (no autopilot), Kerbal Engineer Steam Gauges, and any AESTHETIC mods (like Steam Gauges or Chatterer).
  13. No debug cheating, glitching, or hyperediting.
  14. You are allowed to make as many entries as you like (You can make one ship for each category for example).
  15. If you accidentally forget to remove the monopropellent in the capsule (Like I did) It's okay as long as you don't have any RCS thrusters.
  16. Proof must be presented in MULTIPLE pictures or a video.
  17. At least one of the pictures have to show the craft in the VAB/SPH, PRE-LAUNCH WITH THE RESOURCE TAB OPEN. The spacecraft at it's peak. and the spacecraft on Kerbin.
  18. If I have any doubt in your mission, I will request that you upload your .craft file and post it on this thread. Failure to comply within 72 hours will result in immediate disqualification.
  19. The capsule itself (Manned or Unmanned) MUST LAND SAFELY.
  20. Decopulers cannot be used as propulsion. The decopluer separating the CM from the upper stage must be used when the craft is descending.
  21. The spacecraft MUST RETURN SAFELY TO KERBIN.

SCORING:

  • 500 points for a sucessful mission.
  • 1 points for every meter your craft goes up.
  • 100 points for every Kerbal THAT SURVIVES.
  • 200 point penalty for every Kerbal that DIES.
  • 1 bonus point for every dollar under 10000 funds that you spend on the craft itself AND fuel.
  • 1 point penalty for every dollar over 10000 funds that you spend on the craft itself AND fuel.
  • 1 point bonus for every unit of fuel under the 500 unit limit.
  • 100 point penalty for every unit of fuel over the 500 unit limit.
  • 250 bonus points for making to space
  • 500 bonus points for reaching a stable orbit around Kerbin (Pe>or=70000 meters)
  • 2000 bonus points for entering the SOI of the Mun
  • 4000 bonus points for entering the SOI of Minmus
  • 5000 bonus points for leaving the SOI of Kerbin
  • 10000 bonus points for entering the SOI of any other planet.
  • 20 point penalty for every part that didn't survive.

I also made an entry, mainly to show you an example of how scoring works

My spacecraft costed $9030.80, so I get 969.2 extra points.

It had exactly 500 units of fuel, so that's no bonus or penalties.

It flew up to 80214 meters so I get 80214 points plus 250 for making it to space.

The CM survived as well as the One Kerbal on board giving me 600 points.

However 6 parts blew up (5 tanks, 1 engine) so I get a 120 point penalty

Which gives me a grand total of 81663.2 points.

LEADERBOARD:

Overall:

1. Red Iron Crown 84,182,955.8 points "500Fuel-3"

2. Carsogen 83,456,435 points

3. Batz_10K 212150 points "Turbo-Finch-CE-500"

4. plainawesome 81663.2 points "500 Units"

5. Nicholader 15612 points "MonoRocket-1"

Liquid Fuel:

1. Red Iron Crown 84,182,955.8 points "500Fuel-3"

2. Carsogen 83,456,435 points

3. Batz_10K 212150 points "Turbo-Finch-CE-500"

4. plainawesome 81663.2 points "500 Units"

5.

Solid Fuel

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Monopropellant:

1. Nicholader 15612 points "MonoRocket-1"

2.

3.

4.

5.

Edited by plainawesome
Updated Leaderboard.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
sdj64

sdj64

Posted
Posted

You might want to rethink the points system for low cost. You could put the cheapest probe core ($300) on the pad and recover it, that's a successful mission for 10700 points. (+500 for success, +500 for using 0 units of fuel, +9700 for low cost.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MarvinKitFox

MarvinKitFox

Posted
Posted
You might want to rethink the points system for low cost. You could put the cheapest probe core ($300) on the pad and recover it, that's a successful mission for 10700 points. (+500 for success, +500 for using 0 units of fuel, +9700 for low cost.)

Dang it sdj64, you stole my entry! ;-)

But seriously: The challenge idea is GREAT, the relative weights of scoring SUCK.

Here is my second entry.

Any ship, of any design, that achieves Kerbol escape velocity.

Score: -(a great many penalties for overmass, overfuel, nonreturn)

Score: +(infinity) for altitude achieved.

Final score == Infinity - something.

Wot, this violated rule 13? Of course it doesn't. The capsule lands just fine, on day (infinity) +1

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sdj64

sdj64

Posted
Posted
Dang it sdj64, you stole my entry! ;-)

But seriously: The challenge idea is GREAT, the relative weights of scoring SUCK.

Here is my second entry.

Any ship, of any design, that achieves Kerbol escape velocity.

Score: -(a great many penalties for overmass, overfuel, nonreturn)

Score: +(infinity) for altitude achieved.

Final score == Infinity - something.

Wot, this violated rule 13? Of course it doesn't. The capsule lands just fine, on day (infinity) +1

Haha, even without cheating you could probably do an unmanned escape velocity probe for less than 500 units of fuel. Or just come really really close to escape velocity and come back down after a few hours on max timewarp. Also never said must land safely on Kerbin, so you could go somewhere else and land there for bonus 1000. But that wouldn't matter compared to the few billion points you'll get for altitude.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
plainawesome

plainawesome

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Ha, the crafts from the krakeninfiniglider thread will win this

That would be in violation of Rule 13.

- - - Updated - - -

You might want to rethink the points system for low cost. You could put the cheapest probe core ($300) on the pad and recover it, that's a successful mission for 10700 points. (+500 for success, +500 for using 0 units of fuel, +9700 for low cost.)

I have reworked the scoring system as well as the rules.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Signo

Signo

Posted
Posted

I do not think the rules are properly set. I.e. the bonus for reaching Mun SOI is too low if compared to altitude generated points. In my experience it is pretty easy to reach space with a small spaceplane using around 50 or 60 U of LF.

glC8HCI.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Batz_10K

Batz_10K

Posted
Posted

With some not-so-hot piloting, I managed to make 220-ish km...

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Score:

+500 Successful mission

+225660 Max Height achieved

+100 Kerbal survived

-15090 Craft cost over 10000 (total cost is 25090.0)

+230 Bonus fuel (Max capacity is 270LF)

+250 Made space

+500 Made stable orbit around Kerbin (pe > 70000)

=212150

+14 Am I allowed to add unused fuel?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
plainawesome

plainawesome

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Score:

+500 Successful mission

+225660 Max Height achieved

+100 Kerbal survived

-15090 Craft cost over 10000 (total cost is 25090.0)

+230 Bonus fuel (Max capacity is 270LF)

+250 Made space

+500 Made stable orbit around Kerbin (pe > 70000)

=212150

+14 Am I allowed to add unused fuel?

Well, I will take your word for it. Congratulations Batz_10K, you took 1st place on the leaderboard. Your reward is the knowledge that you are better than some random on the internet ;).

But for the unused fuel, no bonus points, sorry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
plainawesome

plainawesome

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I do not think the rules are properly set. I.e. the bonus for reaching Mun SOI is too low if compared to altitude generated points. In my experience it is pretty easy to reach space with a small spaceplane using around 50 or 60 U of LF.

Well, if you post it here, and you comply with all of the rules, it's a valid, legitimate entry. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
EdFred

EdFred

Posted
Posted (edited)

What bonus do I get for hitting the SOI of Jool, Duna, and Eve? (along with Tylo, Laythe, Vall, and Ike)

So far I am at:

SCORING:

  • 500 points for a sucessful mission.
  • 1 points for every meter your craft goes up. Kerbin's SOI is 84,159,000M so +84,159,000
  • 100 points for every Kerbal THAT SURVIVES.
  • 200 point penalty for every Kerbal that DIES.
  • 1 bonus point for every dollar under 10000 funds that you spend on the craft itself AND fuel.
  • 1 point penalty for every dollar over 10000 funds that you spend on the craft itself AND fuel. -3630
  • 1 point bonus for every unit of fuel under the 500 unit limit. +5
  • 100 point penalty for every unit of fuel over the 500 unit limit.
  • 250 bonus points for making to space
  • 500 bonus points for reaching a stable orbit around Kerbin (Pe>or=70000 meters)
  • 2000 bonus points for entering the SOI of the Mun
  • 4000 bonus points for entering the SOI of Minmus
  • 5000 bonus points for leaving the SOI of Kerbin
  • 10000 bonus points for entering the SOI of any other planet. (Jool)
  • 20 point penalty for every part that didn't survive. -180 (dropped 6 air intakes, 1 fuel tank, a decoupler, and a turbojet engine)

So, I'm at 84 million and some change on a test run to Jool's SOI, and still have 2000+dV to play with.

Edited by EdFred
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jebadiah Kerban

Jebadiah Kerban

Posted
Posted
What bonus do I get for hitting the SOI of Jool, Duna, and Eve? (along with Tylo, Laythe, Vall, and Ike)

So far I am at:

SCORING:

  • 500 points for a sucessful mission.
  • 1 points for every meter your craft goes up. Kerbin's SOI is 84,159,000M so +84,159,000
  • 100 points for every Kerbal THAT SURVIVES.
  • 200 point penalty for every Kerbal that DIES.
  • 1 bonus point for every dollar under 10000 funds that you spend on the craft itself AND fuel.
  • 1 point penalty for every dollar over 10000 funds that you spend on the craft itself AND fuel. -3630
  • 1 point bonus for every unit of fuel under the 500 unit limit. +5
  • 100 point penalty for every unit of fuel over the 500 unit limit.
  • 250 bonus points for making to space
  • 500 bonus points for reaching a stable orbit around Kerbin (Pe>or=70000 meters)
  • 2000 bonus points for entering the SOI of the Mun
  • 4000 bonus points for entering the SOI of Minmus
  • 5000 bonus points for leaving the SOI of Kerbin
  • 10000 bonus points for entering the SOI of any other planet. (Jool)
  • 20 point penalty for every part that didn't survive. -180 (dropped 6 air intakes, 1 fuel tank, a decoupler, and a turbojet engine)

So, I'm at 84 million and some change on a test run to Jool's SOI, and still have 2000+dV to play with.

WTF? HAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX!!!!!

hmmm no vid no photo no proof

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Red Iron Crown

Red Iron Crown

Posted
Posted
What bonus do I get for hitting the SOI of Jool, Duna, and Eve? (along with Tylo, Laythe, Vall, and Ike)

So far I am at:

SCORING:

  • 500 points for a sucessful mission.
  • 1 points for every meter your craft goes up. Kerbin's SOI is 84,159,000M so +84,159,000
  • 100 points for every Kerbal THAT SURVIVES.
  • 200 point penalty for every Kerbal that DIES.
  • 1 bonus point for every dollar under 10000 funds that you spend on the craft itself AND fuel.
  • 1 point penalty for every dollar over 10000 funds that you spend on the craft itself AND fuel. -3630
  • 1 point bonus for every unit of fuel under the 500 unit limit. +5
  • 100 point penalty for every unit of fuel over the 500 unit limit.
  • 250 bonus points for making to space
  • 500 bonus points for reaching a stable orbit around Kerbin (Pe>or=70000 meters)
  • 2000 bonus points for entering the SOI of the Mun
  • 4000 bonus points for entering the SOI of Minmus
  • 5000 bonus points for leaving the SOI of Kerbin
  • 10000 bonus points for entering the SOI of any other planet. (Jool)
  • 20 point penalty for every part that didn't survive. -180 (dropped 6 air intakes, 1 fuel tank, a decoupler, and a turbojet engine)

So, I'm at 84 million and some change on a test run to Jool's SOI, and still have 2000+dV to play with.

My experience has been the same, I'm almost finished an entry that I just shot to Duna and back and hit Minmus on return, just need to hit the Mun and land back on Kerbin and I should have a comparable score (not 100% sure whether peak altitude should be taken from Kerbin or the Sun, either way it dominates the rest of the scoring). I didn't bother going anywhere else as there's no scoring advantage.

I also looked at doing a manned mission, but you cannot add a kerbal for less than $100 so the cost penalty outweighs the 100 point bonus, even disregarding the mass penalty.

Ship used for my attempt (360 units of LF, a little over $8k, about 6km/s of dV with a 48-7S once in LKO):

screenshot406.png

It is likely possible to complete all the goals with a 100 unit tank for the jet (45 units LFO) and a 400 unit tank for the rocket, driving costs even lower.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
EdFred

EdFred

Posted
Posted

Pretty much the same design, except I had a -800 filled up with LFOX plus a 150 unit jet fuel tank shorted 15 units of fuel for 495 total fuel - and 6 radial air intakes, rather than your cubic mounted- and I had a 1 man lander can on top.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
plainawesome

plainawesome

Posted
  • Author
Posted
My experience has been the same, I'm almost finished an entry that I just shot to Duna and back and hit Minmus on return, just need to hit the Mun and land back on Kerbin and I should have a comparable score (not 100% sure whether peak altitude should be taken from Kerbin or the Sun, either way it dominates the rest of the scoring). I didn't bother going anywhere else as there's no scoring advantage.

I also looked at doing a manned mission, but you cannot add a kerbal for less than $100 so the cost penalty outweighs the 100 point bonus, even disregarding the mass penalty.

Ship used for my attempt (360 units of LF, a little over $8k, about 6km/s of dV with a 48-7S once in LKO)

It is likely possible to complete all the goals with a 100 unit tank for the jet (45 units LFO) and a 400 unit tank for the rocket, driving costs even lower.

Can't wait to see it in action!!! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Red Iron Crown

Red Iron Crown

Posted
Posted (edited)

Here's my entry:

SCORING:

500 500 points for a sucessful mission.

84,159,000 1 points for every meter your craft goes up. Kerbin's SoI, is this how we're scoring it?

0 100 points for every Kerbal THAT SURVIVES.

0 200 point penalty for every Kerbal that DIES.

1,955.8 1 bonus point for every dollar under 10000 funds that you spend on the craft itself AND fuel.

0 1 point penalty for every dollar over 10000 funds that you spend on the craft itself AND fuel.

140 1 point bonus for every unit of fuel under the 500 unit limit. Does not include points for 90 units brought back to Kerbin

0 100 point penalty for every unit of fuel over the 500 unit limit.

250 250 bonus points for making to space

500 500 bonus points for reaching a stable orbit around Kerbin (Pe>or=70000 meters)

2,000 2000 bonus points for entering the SOI of the Mun

4,000 4000 bonus points for entering the SOI of Minmus

5,000 5000 bonus points for leaving the SOI of Kerbin

10,000 10000 bonus points for entering the SOI of any other planet.

360 20 point penalty for every part that didn't survive.

84,182,955.8 Total

Mods used: KER, Alternate Resource Panel, NavHUD.

Gallery:

Javascript is disabled. View full album
Edited by Red Iron Crown
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Nicholander

Nicholander

Posted
Posted

Here's my attempt using RCS:

The spacecraft is MonoRocket-1

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Points, I think:

500 Successful Mission

14150 Altitude

100 For Jeb not dying

990 For how much under 10000 it is

And I don't get anymore points or penalties for the other things.

15740 grand total, but I briefly get 1. on the RCS leader board!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...