Grinding away at Visual Survey Contracts

[Agricola]

I managed to do a shed load of surveys just by using a command pod, small tank of fuel and a booster or 3. Just enter orbit, if its above the limit specified then you are laughing, dropping below the required height requires a little more skill, but again not difficult. Easy to over shoot the location though.

[TerminalV]

My early survey rocket plane. I just ditched it in the water when I was done with a mission. It usually broke up but the pilot always survived.

[Moonfrog]

I solved my early sicence point problem with adminstration strategy that turned funds into science. at 25% it makes alot of science. Now i needed to stop that strategy cos i need funds to upgrade the tech centre.

[Yemo]

That is my early survey plane for close by sites, will upload the one for further away sites later on.

In my SETI-BalanceMod, this plane only requires basicRocketry (5science) and stability (18science), a simpler rocket plane is available with basicRocketry (see screenshot in mod-thread from signature).

This basic jet can land vertically with parachutes, especially helpful in bad terrain areas to do some science, after doing a survey.

[MacroNova]

I waited until I unlocked landing gear, then drove my survey plane around getting the surface reports.

[Torquemadus]

I waited until I unlocked landing gear, then drove my survey plane around getting the surface reports.

Landing gear is indeed very useful for surface reports!

[Liowen]

Well for some odd reason I cannot use the level one runway, it crashes my game, so I made a self launching Surveyor series of crafts. This is the MKIII version of the design that will allow scientist and engineers to fly the craft with the ease of pilots. It can reach about 30km with my terrible piloting skills, but in the right hands I bet it could go further. It is still confined to the 30 part limit even though the launch pad has been upgraded.

I just need Bill to reach level 1 so he can repack the chutes after the EVA survey contracts are complete, otherwise it will be a long walk back to the craft.

[zarakon]

Using DynamicWarp to get 12x or 16x physical warp is very useful for long-distance walking

[Yemo]

This is my experimental jet for longer distance survey missions (SETI-BalanceMod, 23science spent, no facility unlocks, link in signature).

To reach distant target areas faster, it has a solid rocket booster:

Due to the wing/engine placements and especially the landing gear, it is not only very stable in the air but also during takeoff/landing.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Yemo

[OrtwinS]

I started using FAR, building a stable plane turns out to be quite a challenge.

Both survey missions I accepted in the early game haven't been completed yet ( ).

My program is funded through satellite missions now.

[zarakon]

I started using FAR, building a stable plane turns out to be quite a challenge.

Both survey missions I accepted in the early game haven't been completed yet ( ).

My program is funded through satellite missions now.

Yeah, surveys vs satellites is a bit of a balance problem right now.

Surveys CAN be done without airplanes, but it's not really practical, especially for beginners. Airplanes require a lot of tech (at least two 90-science nodes off the top of my head, for engines and landing gear). Satellites require less but the payouts are much higher.

[tater]

The surface/visual/etc contracts on Kerbin I never do, I think they are somewhat absurd as you can land wherever, and have your craft picked up, so clearly it is easy to get everywhere without building an odd contraption to do so. I m fine with the kerbal equivalent to "Mission to Earth" stuff, where satellites are used to observe Kerbin, but those should mostly be orbital (suborbital versions are also OK for atmospheric science).

In general the contracts need some work, and ideally would have an internal hierarchy. Many have 4 attached, one like "Observe Area 9713B on the Mun from above 7000m," then maybe 2 surface samples and an EVA report from Nerd Alpha, Beta, and Gamma respectively, usually sort of nearby, but not on top of each other. I'd prefer to see the orbital observation be above the lot, and required to unlock the surface collection/eva/seismic/etc elements of the contract. The idea is that you are to study an area, so you image it, then land, then take data.

[Agricola]

I expect the farcical "Test 'whatever' Landed at Kerbin" to be sorted before any harder adjustments to survey missions. I just had a probe with 2 engines, 1 booster, stack and radial decoupler attached to it, all being activated at once on the launch pad. nice little earner!

[Wanderfound]

If you've got basic jets, then you have VTOL:

Runways not required.

[numerobis]

My first surveyor plane was VTOL via landing legs and parachutes.

[Yakky]

FWIW: I am currently playing KSP on Hard Mode with FAR/DRE and have been able to get over the early-stage funds hump without doing any Kerbin visual surveys. Instead, I focused on putting a bunch of commercial satellites into orbit, which tended to pay more and cost less per launch and seemed easier/less "grindy" to me.

It was a bit tricky to launch the satellites with the non-SAS Stayputnik core and no patched conics mapping, but certainly not impossible with practice (although I admit to occasionally losing satellites during launch due to loss of control followed by rapid disassembly). I have now reached a point where most of my buildings are upgraded to Level 2, I have better probe cores and patched conic mapping, and I have about a million funds to spend.

Anyway, just wanted to offer that up as a different approach to grinding away at mapping for anyone who's interested. No flame intended. Hope it is helpful to someone.

[MacroNova]

Yeah, surveys vs satellites is a bit of a balance problem right now.

Surveys CAN be done without airplanes, but it's not really practical, especially for beginners. Airplanes require a lot of tech (at least two 90-science nodes off the top of my head, for engines and landing gear). Satellites require less but the payouts are much higher.

Satellites not only require lower tech and fewer funds, they also require less actual play time to deploy. Flying an aeroplane half way around Kerbin to do crew reports is just so much more time consuming and tedious than launching a rocket, planning a couple of maneuver nodes, and then time accelerating between them.

[Uncle Mort]

I agree, satellite missions are fairly easy and yield good returns.

[LiveHereNow]

I'm struggling with doing survey missions on the other side of the planet. It feels like it will take an hour to fly there and quite a bit of fuel to do so. Is this how it's done? Also, it says EVA on the surface? Do I have to get out of the plane and on to the ground? If so, that would require ladders... seems like a LOT of science for these early survey missions. I feel I'm missing some concept. Also, how do you know which way you're walking if you're on foot? I got really close to some survey points but the orbital map isn't granular enough and I'm stuck just wandering walking around.

[sal_vager]

Oh I just made a tiny spaceplane on a rocket for those, launch into orbit, deorbit near the area and fly around, it's a lot easier and more fun

And my plane has wings low enough to clamber on, no ladder needed.

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Edited May 4, 2015 by sal_vager