Jump to content

Why you should always read the missions before you accept them

RocketBlam

By RocketBlam
in KSP1 Discussion

 Share

Recommended Posts

Wanderfound

Wanderfound

Posted
Posted
Test jet engine while splashed on Kerbin. What are they thinking? Basic Jet Engine would not run on water, and it is very wrong way of building motor boats ...

What's next? Test parachutes on the Mun?

Eh? The basic jet is the best possible stock thruster for a Kerbboat. Hefty thrust, fuel efficient, lack of high altitude supersonic ability irrelevant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Wanderfound

Wanderfound

Posted
Posted (edited)
They want it run while submerged ...

Well, testing to see if your boat thrusters can cope with a bit of splashing seems pretty sensible to me.

(as for how to actually do it: 90% defuelled small SRB, parachute, jet on top, pop it just over the beach east of KSC. Shouldn't cost more than a thousand or so, most of which you'll get 90% recovery on)

Edited by Wanderfound
Link to comment
Share on other sites
SRV Ron

SRV Ron

Posted
Posted

Had the turbojet to Mun in 0.25. You just have to use a probe with the turbojet on the top and allow for hauling the extra weight there. Only do that mission if the contract pays well in funds and science or combine it with other contracts for testing on or around Mun.

In the water, you only have to activate the turbojet in the water with no air scoops. A probe core, tweaked RT-10, and parachutes are all that is needed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Heimdall5008

Heimdall5008

Posted
Posted

Contract:

Test

  • S3 KS-25x4 Engine Cluster --> Check
  • on sub-orbital trajectory --> Check
  • ~72.000 m --> Check
  • Reward: ~550.000 --> Double Check :cool:

Contract accepted, took a probe core, attached the cluster, 16 parachutes and a lot of SRBs to it. Launched the complete "craft" straight up. I achieve the height without problem (actually I overshoot with my Ap with about 30.000 m. I think a few boosters less would have sufficed...). I look for the contract window:

  • on sub-orbital trajectory --> Check
  • ~72.000 m --> Check
  • Duna --> ...?! :confused:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
obi_juan

obi_juan

Posted
Posted (edited)
On the mun, in a crater, on the side of it, landed at a 70% angle..... ok..... dammit i hate mun contracts.

OK try to do an EVA report in a Kerbin at a 75º angle... At least I could land in that slope with my small plane (A mix between a Rover and a Plane), the really tricky part was take the kerbal outside to make the EVA report.

Contract:

  • on sub-orbital trajectory --> Check
  • ~72.000 m --> Check
  • Duna --> ...?! :confused:

For that reason I am playing the career mode with Karbonite, Extraplanetary Launchpads and USI Kolonization Systems (MKS/OKS)...

Send the "mobile launch pad" to Minmus was tricky and expensive, spend all the reward that was offered to put a new out post at Minmus.

4AqfZEP.png

Zc90qa6.png

But after that I had two contracts:

New satellite in ecuatorial orbit of Minmus 160.000

New satellite in orbit of Mün 209.000

I build a satellite of only 21k (because always I introduce all the SCANsat complements on it, if not the price will be less than half) and put in orbit from Minmus.

IRndgnb.png

The outpost in Minmus after two new contracts is finish, I can now construct all the rocket parts and make all the fuel that I need ... And the Delta-v that I need to put anything to orbit around Minmus is lower than 250m/s.

I am thinking on start my missions to Duna, Eve and Jool from here.

Edited by obi_juan
Spoiler code for the images
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Norpo

Norpo

Posted
Posted

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Gene's ALWAYS trying to pull a fast one on you. Back when fineprint was still a mod, I accepted a contract to put a satellite in solar orbit. Turns out it was a *really close* solar orbit. Turns out "heliostationary" is VERY close. Like, way closer than Moho close. I just didn't want to have to deal with that kind of precision, or Delta-V, so I just didn't do it, I was ending the career soon anyways.

"terms and conditions may apply, contract may be impossible. if contract impossible, declining the contract is not allowed, or you will suffer from a severe penalty according to section H-8 in Kerbal Law. Contract may not take place in Kerbin's sphere of influence. May be mentioned in one, but only one sentence."

Read the... <pun>FinePrint!</pun>

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Sirrobert

Sirrobert

Posted
Posted

Not so much a not read problem, as simply a stupid problem.

During a part test in orbit, I always put the to test part on a tiny probe, slap a rocket under it that can just get the thing up to the desired height, test, and let it all crash. So I did for this one to, only I lost control halfway through. Nothing responded.

Revert, try again. Same thing. Revert, try again. Took me 4 times to realize that the probe ran out of power. Aparantly the engine I used didn't produce electricity

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Frank_G

Frank_G

Posted
Posted
The Asteroid, now named "Exeter" (I don't know why), in orbit around the hellish hellhole moon Bop.

Like the alien scientist in the 1955 science fiction film "This Island Earth"... or "Metaluna IV antwortet nicht" as it was called in german... Aweome movie... :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
FlatPepsi

FlatPepsi

Posted
Posted

Came here to research a contract I thought I had nailed -glad to see I'm not the only one.

Station over Duna? Check

Power, antenna, docking port? Check

Support 7 Kerbals? Rough part, but check.

Cupola? Check. Bring on the payday!

"Build the facility into a new Class E asteroid".

Yah. A class E around Duna.

I've given up after 3 pusher launches. Very depressing to have a full orange tank with a single nuke net <30 m/s dv once grabbing. (2718 tons will do that)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Spatzimaus

Spatzimaus

Posted
Posted
Well, testing to see if your boat thrusters can cope with a bit of splashing seems pretty sensible to me.

(as for how to actually do it: 90% defuelled small SRB, parachute, jet on top, pop it just over the beach east of KSC. Shouldn't cost more than a thousand or so, most of which you'll get 90% recovery on)

It's even easier once you get rover wheels unlocked. Make a rover in the SPH using a probe core (preferably Octo2 so there's no torque) and a few girders, stick the "while splashed down" parts on top, and drive it down the runway and into the water SLOWLY. Once the wheels are no longer in contact with the terrain, the vehicle will count as splashed. Do whatever you need to do with the test parts, and recover for 100%. This can be done in stock with the rover wheels, and it's even easier with the B9 mod (whose landing gear has small motors).

As to the original topic, I've found myself just ignoring most of the contracts. I'll do the basic science contracts whenever possible since I already have satellites around every body, and I'll accept flag and outpost missions (since it's not hard to add a crew module, docking port, etc. to an existing design) whenever I'm on my way to a given body. I'll accept any "while landed on Kerbin" part contracts, and I used to accept orbital/suborbital part contracts a lot. But most of the Fine Print contracts just aren't worth the effort. Take that asteroid contract mentioned in the OP; sure, 3M (advance+payout) is a lot of money, but a single Laythe science contract gives 150k and requires no effort or expenses. Those sorts of payouts add up quickly, so why bother with anything bigger? (Obviously, those science contracts need to be changed to limit repeatability.)

Now, if you were already INTENDING to put an asteroid around Bop that'd be a different story, but what are the chances of that? Honestly, I'd like to see these contracts be restructured to be more like the Explore missions, where each part has its own payout. Also, remove the cancellation penalty. That way, capturing a class C asteroid gives you a payoff, putting it into a certain orbit gives a payoff, but if you put it around Kerbin instead of Bop you only miss out on the last (and largest) reward.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
numerobis

numerobis

Posted
Posted
It's even easier once you get rover wheels unlocked. Make a rover in the SPH using a probe core (preferably Octo2 so there's no torque) and a few girders, stick the "while splashed down" parts on top, and drive it down the runway and into the water SLOWLY. Once the wheels are no longer in contact with the terrain, the vehicle will count as splashed. Do whatever you need to do with the test parts, and recover for 100%. This can be done in stock with the rover wheels, and it's even easier with the B9 mod (whose landing gear has small motors).

With jets and landing gear (which are both 90-science tiers) it's about the same; use the jet to push you, instead of the rover wheels. Bonus: you can turn around in the water, and get 100% recovery (minus fuel) rather than merely 97.9%

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Superfluous J

Superfluous J

Posted
Posted
It's even easier once you get rover wheels unlocked. Make a rover in the SPH using a probe core (preferably Octo2 so there's no torque) and a few girders, stick the "while splashed down" parts on top, and drive it down the runway and into the water SLOWLY. Once the wheels are no longer in contact with the terrain, the vehicle will count as splashed. Do whatever you need to do with the test parts, and recover for 100%. This can be done in stock with the rover wheels, and it's even easier with the B9 mod (whose landing gear has small motors).
With jets and landing gear (which are both 90-science tiers) it's about the same; use the jet to push you, instead of the rover wheels. Bonus: you can turn around in the water, and get 100% recovery (minus fuel) rather than merely 97.9%

You guys have a funny definition of "easy." With the SRB/parachute trick I can do at least 2 or 3 (if not 5+) test runs for every 1 run you do. The "waste" of SRB fuel is far more than made up for in the not having to drive a rover around KSC :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
THX1138

THX1138

Posted
Posted
Not as much as you waste by shooting your plume directly into the asteroid...

Though for sure, I'd have instead put them on trusses or girders so they could aim directly backwards.

Why not push the asteroid instead of pulling it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
THX1138

THX1138

Posted
Posted

Why? Four nuclear engines at full thrust does not break the grabbing unit and it shouldn't matter what size the asteroid is. Keeping the thrust below about 95% seems to prevent them from overheating to the point of destruction. I'm intending to push a class E asteroid in this way after I've deal with a class C one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Superfluous J

Superfluous J

Posted
Posted
Why? Four nuclear engines at full thrust does not break the grabbing unit and it shouldn't matter what size the asteroid is. Keeping the thrust below about 95% seems to prevent them from overheating to the point of destruction. I'm intending to push a class E asteroid in this way after I've deal with a class C one.

Overheating or breaking is not the issue. It's that anything less than perfect (which KSP makes difficult though some mods help) alignment with the asteroid's COM will cause divergence, either of the craft from prograde, or of the asteroid from centered. This gets progressively worse as the asteroids get bigger, your burn times get longer, and/or your TWR goes up. Also, time warping is right out.

I can push an E-type asteroid around for small things. Securing a Kerbin orbit. Intersecting Mun, maybe, to alter the orbit to more equatorial. Things like that. More than that - in my experience - is painfully impractical.

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...