Require report transmission/recovery for completion of various contracts.

[Hyomoto]

I absolutely love the new survey contracts, I always do them. However, they only require that you TAKE a crew report, not that you transmit or return them. That seems like a incredible oversight. I mean, there is an entire crew report and transmission system, then contracts come along that would be ideal to make use of it and yet it is only barely used. Let me explain. This is a contract, right? Someone has asked you to go out and take a picture or make observations about an area. Who knows why. You'd think they'd want you to return with whatever information you'd gathered, right? The same could be said about parachute data, or engine performance. You run the test. You'd think it would add some type of report into your inventory which you could then transmit or recover to complete the contract.

I suggest that contract objectives should only be completed when the reports they provide are actually transmitted or recovered. At bare minimum it could be a difficulty option like Kerbals that die or buildings being destroyed.

[KrazyKrl]

It would be nice to also take a "telemetry" report when activating the device to be tested under the proper conditions. You can already take crew reports, why can't the parts generate reports themselves?

An added bonus would be a "partial completion" of the mission, with a proportionally smaller payout. If you just send the telemetry of the test back, you get partial credit. But if you land (and recover) both the telemetry data and the component used in testing, you get full credit.

The contracts system does need some additions though. Hopefully they will be here Soon. Like launch vehicle mass limits, part limits, and DeltaV limits. Along with a required retrieval of mission data... Along with some tweaks to rewards, it would make the contracts system amazing.

[Hyomoto]

That's a pretty good addition. I mostly came about the idea from the reconnaissance missions where once you generate the crew report you get credit. I figured it could be added to the part contracts as well, but I hadn't really considered returning the part itself.

[NWM]

I agree. Survey is too easy and pays too well!

Transmission-recovery needs would make it a bit harder. But I think instead of "below 17600m" the "12600m-17600m" would be better.

Yep, and a 4 staged survey pays more then the Mün-mission?! Some balance of profit please!

[RainDreamer]

I wonder if they can actually make it recognize what is being transmitted. So far, the condition seems to only recognize that "science" is being transmitted back, and any data, even those void of new science would fire off that condition.

[Superfluous J]

I wonder if they can actually make it recognize what is being transmitted. So far, the condition seems to only recognize that "science" is being transmitted back, and any data, even those void of new science would fire off that condition.

It'd suck to accept a contract to return science data from somewhere, and then have to cancel it because you were overzealous earlier and got it all already.

[KrazyKrl]

I wonder if they can actually make it recognize what is being transmitted. So far, the condition seems to only recognize that "science" is being transmitted back, and any data, even those void of new science would fire off that condition.

I don't see why contract-specific data collection wouldn't be possible. It would allow contract, and science, collection around already science depleted locations.

I could see something like applying a contract(or several) to each launch, just like you attach a flag to it.

This way, you could get some limitations implemented.

-Max DeltaV limitation(to limit excessive craft sizes. Maybe something like 4000m/sec if atmospheric only, if orbital then ((Transfer DeltaV (from LKO) for each contract + 4500m/sec DeltaV for orbital launch) + 40%(dependant on difficulty slider) leeway DeltaV).

- Max Weight limit according to the rocket equation, with some leeway settable through difficulty options.

- Possibility of DeltaV/Part limitations per contract, per stage.

- Something like "here's some parts in lieu of extra up-front funds(of course, the parts are surplus or something at a lower price than the funds they replace), but you MUST use these parts in your launch system somewhere

Just extra stuff that makes "contracts" more into actual contracts. As a bonus, your rep could even remove(or make less strict) requirements, and limitations, on contracts. Also it adds something else to add to the admin facility.

[Scoundrel]

If I may be permitted to add to the discussion:

I think the survey issue and the outpost/station contracts issues are linked in that, while well intentioned, their implementation and execution were not followed through properly. The rewards are questionable and the steps required to fulfill the contracts fall short of actually making the contracts give a sense of exploration... this is actually mostly a narrative issue as opposed to a mechanical one.

When we think of a narrative of exploration it usually follows thusly:

A probe surveys a potential landing site

A manned survey mission confirms a location's viability for long term visitation

An outpost is established

Now, the specifics should be left up to the player so they can tailor the game to their playstyle, but in terms of broad strokes, what if we did this:

A probe or manned mission surveys a site, generating a Survey Report, which must either be transmitted or returned to Kerbin, and which offers small rewards.

Successful completion unlocks the next contract, which is:

Establish an outpost (the exact details to be determined later), which gives some significant rewards but more importantly...

Unlocks a set of 1-4+ final contracts:

Each of which require the player to travel 1-5km away from the outpost to perform geological surveys that consist of say a seismic reading, a Geological Report, and the return of a Sample to the outpost. The rewards are some money but tons of science.

Now a player doesn't have to play the game this way, they can just make science however, BUT it does offer a player driven narrative and a small set of goals and challenges to accomplish besides "make money and get moar science!"

Note that in the contract examples I have above, it isn't actually "get science from this biome (I hate that term I'm inventing a new one)" and transmit to complete, so that a player might accidentally screw up their game or contract. Instead, by making it a non-currency acquisition of data, the player can still get science for exploring (esp. during the initial survey), and still get more science later with the base if they choose to accept the next contract.

Anyhow, that's just my opinion on the subject.

[KrazyKrl]

If I may be permitted to add to the discussion:

I think the survey issue and the outpost/station contracts issues are linked in that, while well intentioned, their implementation and execution were not followed through properly. The rewards are questionable and the steps required to fulfill the contracts fall short of actually making the contracts give a sense of exploration... this is actually mostly a narrative issue as opposed to a mechanical one.

When we think of a narrative of exploration it usually follows thusly:

A probe surveys a potential landing site

A manned survey mission confirms a location's viability for long term visitation

An outpost is established

Now, the specifics should be left up to the player so they can tailor the game to their playstyle, but in terms of broad strokes, what if we did this:

A probe or manned mission surveys a site, generating a Survey Report, which must either be transmitted or returned to Kerbin, and which offers small rewards.

Successful completion unlocks the next contract, which is:

Establish an outpost (the exact details to be determined later), which gives some significant rewards but more importantly...

Unlocks a set of 1-4+ final contracts:

Each of which require the player to travel 1-5km away from the outpost to perform geological surveys that consist of say a seismic reading, a Geological Report, and the return of a Sample to the outpost. The rewards are some money but tons of science.

Now a player doesn't have to play the game this way, they can just make science however, BUT it does offer a player driven narrative and a small set of goals and challenges to accomplish besides "make money and get moar science!"

Note that in the contract examples I have above, it isn't actually "get science from this biome (I hate that term I'm inventing a new one)" and transmit to complete, so that a player might accidentally screw up their game or contract. Instead, by making it a non-currency acquisition of data, the player can still get science for exploring (esp. during the initial survey), and still get more science later with the base if they choose to accept the next contract.

Anyhow, that's just my opinion on the subject.

Of course, contract chains would be amazing when they are added; it's only inevitable with the current progression of KSP.

Creating, maintaining, and resupplying; a set of satellites and a Munar base from one of the corporations would be nifty for progression.

Edited January 4, 2015 by KrazyKrl
Made new thread with out-of-scope idea.