Confused by contract language

[greensha]

I've returned to KSP after a several months and I have been trying to work through the contracts. However, the language/grammar of the contract description is somewhat confusing. For example, I am trying to figure out what "Test the LT-V45 Liquid Fuel Engine splashed down at Kerbin" means. Some of the other contracts have similarly confusing or unclear descriptions. For the LT-V45 contract, I have a tried a variety of different approaches, but none of them seem to work.

How do I decipher the contract code!?!

Thanks!

[Zuqq]

If I'm not mistaken, you have to right click on the part and hit "Run Test" while you are in whatever specific situation the contract is looking for.

[greensha]

I tried right clicking on the engine, but there is no option to "Run Test".

[Zuqq]

From the KSP Wiki:

Part testing involves transporting a certain part to a certain situation and activating it. Different contracts may specify different conditions under which the part must be tested, for example, it may need to be tested when the craft has landed on a certain body, or is in the water on

Kerbin, or is at a certain altitude and speed. If the player has not unlocked the required part, it will be available in the VAB/SPH until the contract has been completed or failed. The item will marked with **EXPERIMENTAL** during this period.

For most part tests, the stage with the part has to be activated when the exact conditions are met. However, in some cases the test has to be run by right-clicking on the part and choosing "run test".

For the "splashed down" you must be in the water, on Kerbin, with that engine attached. You can check if the conditions are met by hovering over your contract window and as each condition is met, a little green checkmark is placed beside it. Once all conditions are met, you will be able to click "run test". It may be possible that the contract requires you to actually stage the engine while in the water.

[UnusualAttitude]

"Testing" an engine usually means simply activating it through staging by pressing the space bar. "Splashed down", in case you hadn't understood, means that this must be performed with the engine landed on a body of water. Launch a simple rig with the engine and a probe core (it doesn't even need to have fuel) ontop of a booster. Drop it into the sea with a parachute and activate the engine. This should complete the contract.

[Tank Buddy]

In the flight, VAB, Tracking Station, and Space Center contract UI there are tabs that show the specifications for said contracts. This is where the green checks appear when a condition has been satisfied i.e. "landed at Kerbin". The individual contract will have a plus (labeled "notes" or something like that) that will expand another tab. In this tab there will be a more detailed explanation for completing a contract. For engine tests, it will say "activate through staging", which means start the engine for the first time with spacebar, or "Run test"? (maybe "click 'run test'"), which requires you to right-click on the part and click "run test" in the drop down menu. If this is not clear I can open up KSP and take a screenshot.

[EtherDragon]

Click on the plus to find out in the notes. Some contracts require you to "Run Test" where other contracts require you to activate the part via staging.

[zarakon]

Whether the "Run Test" option is available depends on which engine it is (and should be fixed to be consistent). I know the 45 doesn't have that option, as I've run into the same situation.

Easy way to use staging to test an engine that you're already using: activate the engine by right click -> activate instead of through staging. Set it up so that you can stage to it when you meet the conditions.

If you already activated it through staging, there's also a workaround. Deactivate the engine, then create a new stage, and move the engine to that new stage. Make sure the number of the new one is lower than your current stage number - if it isn't, create some empty ones in between. Then you should be able to complete the test by staging to the engine again.

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

nevermind, ninja'ed by zarakon.

[Pecan]

All the part test contracts I've seen specify whether you have to activate by staging or 'run test'.

[zarakon]

All the part test contracts I've seen specify whether you have to activate by staging or 'run test'.

"Run Test" will always work though if the part supports it, even if it's not what the contract asked for. At least, I've never seen it fail.

[greensha]

Thanks for the all the replies. It seems a bit strange that you should have to test and engine after splashing down! I haven't been able to try it yet, but I'll get to it eventually I guess.

[flashcactus]

Different contracts require you to do different things. For the part testing, it has to be either staging the part or doing the run test thing. For nonstageable parts it's obviously always going to be the latter, for stageable ones it can be either. The contract says which, you'll have to read into it. For the staging variation, the part has to be activated for the first time in the required situation, which effectively means that if it's an engine, you'll have to get it there by other means.

[SAI Peregrinus]

Thanks for the all the replies. It seems a bit strange that you should have to test and engine after splashing down! I haven't been able to try it yet, but I'll get to it eventually I guess.

Part testing contracts don't make much sense much of the time. But testing an engine while splashed down could be handy, say ascending from an ocean landing on Eve or Laythe.

Now, the one that makes no sense is being told to test a launch stability enhancer in orbit of Kerbin. I think that bug may have been fixed, but it was amusing to see.

[Janos1986]

One must not be confused by the contract description, young one, for it is utter gibberish.

[MircoMars]

AFAIK

(...) For the staging variation, the part has to be activated for the first time in the required situation, which effectively means that if it's an engine, you'll have to get it there by other means.(...)

false

(...)Easy way to use staging to test an engine that you're already using: activate the engine by right click -> activate instead of through staging. Set it up so that you can stage to it when you meet the conditions.(...)

true