The Snack Tournament: Aerial Racetrack Challenge

[Wooks]

The Snack Tournament: Aerial Racetrack Challenge.

Three specially designed aerial racetracks to test your high speed, low altitude flying skills.

THE CHALLENGE:

1.- This challenge is full stock with a separated tier for FAR / NEAR users. Challenge must be completed with the provided ship "Needle". The reason behind this rule is to level the playfield for everyone wanting to test the tracks, the only factor counting towards your score is your skills as a pilot.

2.- Mods allowed: FAR / NEAR. Any visual or aesthetic. Any functional on screen data. Info on screen while running the track as navigational aid allowed. Mods not allowed: Parts or reconfigs of stock parts or fuel, no autopilot mods (unless used only as a data HUD). Of course no F12.

3.- You need to pass through all the pylons on the track to consider it a succesfull run. All contestants will enter the leaderboard and receive a certificate of completion. Leaderboard top 3 will receive special certificates. (pending updates for this)

4.- All tracks are set to 00:00 time (upper left corner clock for mission time), and it starts counting as soon as the provided ship starts moving. Your time ends when the provided ship hits 0/ms braking on the runway.

5.- You can revert to launch in order to reset the clock. If the provided ship is destroyed you can snag a new one from the SPH, is called "The Needle". Challenge must be completed with this ship only.

6.- Colliding with pylon is considered a failed run. Yes, it is possible to survive a collision and continue flying, happened a couple times in my tests.

7.- Video of completed challenge required for qualification. Upload your video to Youtube, Vimeo or any other streaming service and provide the link in the comments to qualify. I know not everybody can run a video recording software, but is difficult to assess completion for this challenge only from still images. I can reccomend Bandicam as a reliable, lightweight and free recording software, good enough for the challenge needs: http://www.bandicam.com/

8.- Future challenges will allow custom ships, but not this one. Again this is a "leveling the playfield" rule, everybody gets to fly the same ship under the same conditions.

9.- No quicksaves, tracks must be complete in one continuous run.

10.- Do you got what it takes, hotshot?

CHALLENGE DOWNLOAD LINK FOR ALL CONTESTANTS: (ship included)

CLICK HERE for a .rar file

CLICK HERE for a .zip file

SHIP DOWNLOAD FOR FAR/NEAR CONTESTANTS ONLY: (tweaked by Wanderfound)

CLICK HERE

How to install the custom racetracks:

1.- Download the tracks, you'll receive 3 folders in a compressed file.

2.- Unpack the zip file using winzip or winrar.

3.- Copy or cut the 3 folders and paste them into your KSP saves folder. If you don't know where to find your saves folder just check this handy link from the KSP wiki: http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Root_directory

4.- Open KSP and you'll find the 3 tracks in the "continue saved game" menu.

5.- Copying and moving files on your KSP folder can mess up with your previous saves, remember to make a backup of your saves folder before any change. Provided files are clean of virus and checked for consistency with 0.25. I take no responsibility over saved games FUBAR.

STOCK LEADERBOARDS

EASY TRACK

1.-

skipped1 - Time 1:57

2.- GusTurbo - Time 2:23

3.- Thunderous Echo - Time 2:39

NORMAL TRACK

1.-

Andrew Hansen - Time 2:15

2.- *********************

3.- *********************

HARD TRACK

1.- *********************

2.- *********************

3.- *********************

FAR / NEAR LEADERBOARDS

EASY TRACK

1.- *********************

2.- *********************

3.- *********************

NORMAL TRACK

1.- *********************

2.- *********************

3.- *********************

HARD TRACK

1.- *********************

2.- *********************

3.- *********************

Request: I'm designing the ugliest badges ever created for a challenge, if any of you guys want to contribute with a design for a sig badge post it in the thread or message me, you'll be properly credited.

P.S.: I have zero experience with FAR / NEAR, any ship or track designed for those mods would have to be submitted by you guys until I get around and install the mods and understand them (which could be tomorrow or never, to be clear I'm making no compromises here). So far the tracks seems to work with FAR / NEAR.

Edited October 27, 2014 by Wooks

[BagelRabbit]

Hey Wooks! Probably going to do this challenge... wish me luck! (It reminds me of the Three Bridges Cup, a bit )

But:

If the provided ship is destroyed you can snag a new one from the SPH, is called "The Needle".

Are you allowed to use your own craft for this, or do you have to use "The Needle"?

Thanks, and I'm looking forward to blowing up some pylons!

Edited October 22, 2014 by UpsilonAerospace

[Wooks]

Are you allowed to use your own craft for this, or do you have to use "The Needle"?

Thanks, and I'm looking forward to blowing up some pylons!

Custom planes to run these tracks will be allowed in the very near future (along with some new tracks and levels of difficulty), for now I want to level the playfield restricting it to the Needle. Don't worry, is a very fast and maneuverable ship. Added to the rules for clarification.

The Three Bridges cup is an awesome challenge but I wanted something faster, more like a racetrack than an obstacle course.

You destroy as many pylons as you can, I'll send you the check later.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Wooks

[Wooks]

Adding a little promo thingy to the OP

[HafCoJoe]

I have what it takes.

EDIT: it's a .RAR file. I can't extract that on my CP as I just got a new hard drive and don't have the software. I'm converting in online and I'll post a .zip dropbox link in a sec if it works.

Here's a .zip download of the saves

Edited October 24, 2014 by Avera9eJoe

[Wooks]

EDIT: it's a .RAR file. I can't extract that on my CP as I just got a new hard drive and don't have the software. I'm converting in online and I'll post a .zip dropbox link in a sec if it works.

Added your link to the OP until I get home and post mine. Thank you.

[m1sz]

I'm definitely gonna try them all

[Thunderous Echo]

I'm going to try this as soon as I'm allowed to use my own craft. I prefer my planes without wings.

[Wooks]

I'm definitely gonna try them all

You crazy spaniard

[Wanderfound]

It looks like your Needle is a stock aero design. Would you mind if I provided something appropriate for FAR?

I'm thinking of this ship: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/90747-Kerbodyne-SSTO-Division-Omnibus-Thread?p=1493009&viewfull=1#post1493009

[m1sz]

bah!, just made it in 2:45 (easy track)..., but the recording software went nuts. I'll try again tomorrow!

[manni01]

I'm definitely doing this now. I've been waiting for a challenge like this

[Wooks]

I'm going to try this as soon as I'm allowed to use my own craft. I prefer my planes without wings.

I know memes are forbidden, but this is the only response I can think of.

[Wooks]

It looks like your Needle is a stock aero design. Would you mind if I provided something appropriate for FAR?

I went stock for the first version of the challenge, a FAR / NEAR version would be cool but I have zero experience with them, I'll need to put my man pants and try them.

Question for anyone willing to test: Are the tracks doable with FAR / NEAR?

[Wanderfound]

I went stock for the first version of the challenge, a FAR / NEAR version would be cool but I have zero experience with them, I'll need to put my man pants and try them.

Question for anyone willing to test: Are the tracks doable with FAR / NEAR?

Having a run now.

[skipped1]

Nice

1st attempt: missed first gate by few meters and splashed hard

2nd attempt: missed a lot ... and splashed

3rd attempt: runway attacked me

4th attemp: crashed on take off, only cockpit left intact. I think it's too late for me (1am)

[Wanderfound]

Okay: the loops are too small for anything with a real wingspan. I'll whip up a FAR microplane.

[Wanderfound]

Actually, your Needle works surprisingly well as-is in FAR. See https://www.dropbox.com/s/kyl1nouisi8oyc5/The%20Needle%20Mk1%20FAR.craft?dl=0 for a very lightly tweaked version (unlocked steering and disabled brakes on front gear, set control surfaces to appropriate axes, added action groups to toggle engine and intake) that should work fine in FAR/NEAR.

I'd still like to see a track with larger loops that allowed broad-winged aerobatic planes and supersonic speeds, though.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Wanderfound

[Thunderous Echo]

You heard me right... I prefer my planes without wings...

Anyway, are we allowed to use mods to slow down time or the infinite fuel cheat? I'm thinking something along the lines of this:

[Wooks]

Actually, your Needle works surprisingly well as-is in FAR.... I'd still like to see a track with larger loops that allowed broad-winged aerobatic planes and supersonic speeds, though.

Thank you very much dude, awesome! I'll create a tier for FAR / NEAR with your tweaked Needle as soon as I can.

Tracks with larger loops will be added "soonish" for vanilla and modded, I'm noticing a common desire to run the tracks with custom planes.

Edit: Added to the OP.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Wooks

[Wanderfound]

Definitely doable, but extremely not easy:

Glad to hear that larger loops are on the way. Better illumination on the loops would help, too; they're very hard to see from distance against the bright sky and sea. Try to make it so that the lights make obvious which bit is the loop and which bit is the support pylon.

[Thunderous Echo]

So, slowing time down may be cheating, but you understand the need for it if my time would be (estimated) 11 seconds, right?

And forget about infinite fuel. I don't need it.

[Wooks]

So, slowing time down may be cheating, but you understand the need for it if my time would be (estimated) 11 seconds, right?

And forget about infinite fuel. I don't need it.

Alright, I added some rules addressing your questions:

1.- This challenge is full stock with a separated tier for FAR / NEAR users. No other mods allowed. Challenge must be completed with the provided ship "Needle". The reason behind this rule is to level the playfield for everyone wanting to test the tracks, the only factor counting towards your score is your skills as a pilot.

Now having said that, I'm intrigued to see what the heck are you cooking, if you can share a video of your take on the challenge it would be great, it will not count towards the leaderboard but I'll make sure to give you a special certificate of completion.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Wooks

[Wooks]

Glad to hear that larger loops are on the way. Better illumination on the loops would help, too; they're very hard to see from distance against the bright sky and sea. Try to make it so that the lights make obvious which bit is the loop and which bit is the support pylon.

My original idea was to make this a night time challenge, that's the reason for the lighting of the loops. I'll fiddle around to see what can I do to make them more visible without increasing the count part.

[Wanderfound]

My original idea was to make this a night time challenge, that's the reason for the lighting of the loops. I'll fiddle around to see what can I do to make them more visible without increasing the count part.

Well, if you can tolerate a few more parts, some structural panels or wing pieces surrounding the loops with lights shining on them would help the visibility a lot.