How to make existing ship "built new"

[TinfoilChef]

So a fair number of contracts insist on the probe, satellite or what have you being a new design created *after* accepting the contract. Problem is, I've got existing designs that would easily fulfill all other contract requirements and after a short while I've grown wearing of having to basically re-invent the wheel for each new contract.

Is there some edit I can do to the .craft file to make an existing design qualify as "new" so that I don't have to waste the time to re-invent the exact same design from scratch for every single bloody contract?

Edited February 15, 2015 by TinfoilChef

[Sirrobert]

With new they mean you have to launch a new craft. Not that you have to design it from scratch.

You just can't take something already in orbit and rerout it slightly and collect the cash

[Thnd3r]

You can load a saved craft in the VAB and it will count as new.

[Taki117]

The only thing "new" means is that it has to be launched from the VAB. If you have a capable design just load it up and launch it. ( you did save it right?). You can't take a satellite already in orbit and move it to a new orbit to fulfill the contract.

[Sidereus]

One thing I was thinking of the other day....if you were to dock a new module to an older ship, would that count as new? Say I have a base sitting on the Mun, and I get a new contract asking me to build a base with x features. Let's say I built a module that added just those features my current Mun base doesn't have, then docked that module to my current base. Would it work?

[Kryxal]

No, you have to do it the other way around ... dock the original base to the new module. Mostly that means you need to control the "old" part when they make contact to dock, you can do all the setup with the "new part".

[Superfluous J]

If you want to just complete the contracts, just alt-f12 and complete them.

If you want to do them, follow the directions.

[TinfoilChef]

The only thing "new" means is that it has to be launched from the VAB. If you have a capable design just load it up and launch it. ( you did save it right?). You can't take a satellite already in orbit and move it to a new orbit to fulfill the contract.

I just now tried this. I got the green checkmarks on the contract for "Reach the designated polar orbit around Kerbin within reasonable deviation" with no problem. Same for "Maintain stability for ten seconds"

However "Launch a new unmanned probe that has power and an antenna" remains unchecked.

This probe is a working design Ive used before.

It was launched from the VAB, which should qualify as "newly built".

The probe core is the Okto

It's got 64 OX-Stat solar panels and 8 KW BX-L battery banks for a total of 2410 electric charge

for antennas it's got 1x communotron 16, 1x Reflectron DP-10 and 4x Reflectron KR-7

Based on this result I can only conclude that I do, in fact, have to re-build this sucker from scratch after accepting the contract.

Apparently "Please note that this must be a new unmanned probe built for the agency after the contract is accepted" means that even a valid working design that was created and saved beforehand, isn't good enough, even when launching a fresh copy from the VAB. Instead I have to grind by making the bloody thing from scratch every time.

Thus I reiterate my question, what do I edit in the .craft file to make the otherwise perfectly useful design acceptable for the contract? I plan to do a lot of these and I do NOT want to build from scratch for every farking one of 'em.

[vexx32]

Could you upload the craft? It appears the game is somehow getting stuck on the craft, perhaps not thinking it has solar panels for some reason.

[TinfoilChef]

Could you upload the craft? It appears the game is somehow getting stuck on the craft, perhaps not thinking it has solar panels for some reason.

Certainly... here it is: http://pastebin.com/6dQdwGZZ

[TinfoilChef]

Ok, this is becoming rather annoying.

I just went ahead and built a new probe from scratch. The same as described above. The probe core, one battery, one antenna and all solar panels are stock. I used a launcher that I'd saved as a subassembly because it makes zero sense not to, the satellite is the important part right? What does it matter if I have a standardized launcher?

again I meet the orbit requirements easily.

However the blasted thing STILL doesn't give me credit for having launched a new unmanned probe that has power and an antenna in spite of launching one that I just built from scratch.

Broken contract is broken.

[Sirrobert]

Ok, this is becoming rather annoying.

I just went ahead and built a new probe from scratch. The same as described above. The probe core, one battery, one antenna and all solar panels are stock. I used a launcher that I'd saved as a subassembly because it makes zero sense not to, the satellite is the important part right? What does it matter if I have a standardized launcher?

again I meet the orbit requirements easily.

However the blasted thing STILL doesn't give me credit for having launched a new unmanned probe that has power and an antenna in spite of launching one that I just built from scratch.

Broken contract is broken.

Are you sure there are no additional requirements? Some contracts want you to have a thermometer, or a materials lab, or a goo sample on the satelite.

Wouldn't be the first time someone forgets that, I reguarly do it

[Superfluous J]

Ok, this is becoming rather annoying.

I just went ahead and built a new probe from scratch. The same as described above. The probe core, one battery, one antenna and all solar panels are stock. I used a launcher that I'd saved as a subassembly because it makes zero sense not to, the satellite is the important part right? What does it matter if I have a standardized launcher?

again I meet the orbit requirements easily.

However the blasted thing STILL doesn't give me credit for having launched a new unmanned probe that has power and an antenna in spite of launching one that I just built from scratch.

Broken contract is broken.

I would really love to see a picture of your screen in map mode with the contract fully visible, and another picture of the probe in space with (again) the contract and all parts that should complete the contract visible.

[StrandedonEarth]

I'm not sure what bug you have going on, it sounds like it should work.

I managed to recycle old satellites and stations for new contracts by docking to and undocking from a more massive transfer tug. Imagine my surprise when I completed a new contract that way, I only wanted to plant a flag.

[Renegrade]

Apparently "Please note that this must be a new unmanned probe built for the agency after the contract is accepted" means that even a valid working design that was created and saved beforehand, isn't good enough, even when launching a fresh copy from the VAB. Instead I have to grind by making the bloody thing from scratch every time.

Thus I reiterate my question, what do I edit in the .craft file to make the otherwise perfectly useful design acceptable for the contract? I plan to do a lot of these and I do NOT want to build from scratch for every farking one of 'em.

You must be experiencing a bug. There's nothing in the craft file that invalidates a craft for that (it uses the MET in the persistence file). In my current save, I've reloaded and launched five of my P6 BasicSat +T II craft files to satisfy contracts. without changing or re-creating them at all.

I wonder if your MET values are wonky somehow? You ARE launching these AFTER picking up the contract, right?

I've re-launched a sixth mission just now:

Note how "new unmanned probe blah blah" is already checkmarked.

(actually that might be the 7th mission...)

[Superfluous J]

I will say, these issues would be far better if the contract individually greened everything. Much easier to tell what's wrong if it says:

Launch a new probe with an antenna, power generation, and a thermometer.

[TinfoilChef]

Are you sure there are no additional requirements? Some contracts want you to have a thermometer, or a materials lab, or a goo sample on the satelite.

Wouldn't be the first time someone forgets that, I reguarly do it

Absolutely. Requirements are unmanned satellite with power and an antenna. This is built around the stock Okto probe core, has batteries (4x stock z100's and 8x KW BX-L battery bank from KW Rocketry) and 64 stock OX Stat solar panels for power and One stock antenna (communotron 16) as well as FIVE RemoteTech antennas (see pics below)

I would really love to see a picture of your screen in map mode with the contract fully visible, and another picture of the probe in space with (again) the contract and all parts that should complete the contract visible.

THis first shot is taken from the tracking station with the satellite selected and contract showing

2nd shot taken of satellite in orbit, also contract showing.

For this one I rebuilt the whole thing from scratch, about 8 in game days AFTER accepting the contract. Craft file here: PolarSat-2B http://pastebin.com/TfNkrxUb

- - - Updated - - -

You must be experiencing a bug. There's nothing in the craft file that invalidates a craft for that (it uses the MET in the persistence file). In my current save, I've reloaded and launched five of my P6 BasicSat +T II craft files to satisfy contracts. without changing or re-creating them at all.

I wonder if your MET values are wonky somehow? You ARE launching these AFTER picking up the contract, right?

Yes. <s>This last attempt was 8 in game days after accepting contract.</s> Correction. Contract accepted year 1 day 27, ship launched year 1 day 30

Note how "new unmanned probe blah blah" is already checkmarked.

Exactly. In all of my attempts, that has NEVER been checked.

Edited February 15, 2015 by TinfoilChef

[Superfluous J]

For this one I rebuilt the whole thing from scratch, about 8 in game days AFTER accepting the contract. Craft file here: PolarSat-2B http://pastebin.com/TfNkrxUb

The only thing I can think is that the game for some reason isn't accepting the "probeCoreOcto_4294499164" as a valid probe core. Have you tried this with a stock Octo? You don't need to do the mssion. Just use a stock Octo probe core, slap a solar panel and an antenna on it, and put it on the launch pad. That thing that is not checked should become checked instantly if it qualifies.

Scratch that. I forgot craft files gave unique number identifiers to parts so they would not be duplicated in the game. This IS a stock Octo.

And if it doesn't qualify, I suggest you back up your entire KSP install and start a new one with NO mods, and try then. Because it's almost gotta be some weird mod interaction that's causing this. I've never had this problem.

Edited February 15, 2015 by 5thHorseman

[TinfoilChef]

The only thing I can think is that the game for some reason isn't accepting the "probeCoreOcto_4294499164" as a valid probe core. Have you tried this with a stock Octo? You don't need to do the mssion. Just use a stock Octo probe core, slap a solar panel and an antenna on it, and put it on the launch pad. That thing that is not checked should become checked instantly if it qualifies.

Scratch that. I forgot craft files gave unique number identifiers to parts so they would not be duplicated in the game. This IS a stock Octo.

And if it doesn't qualify, I suggest you back up your entire KSP install and start a new one with NO mods, and try then. Because it's almost gotta be some weird mod interaction that's causing this. I've never had this problem.

I've found the problem. Following up on your suggestion that mod interaction was the problem I started checking ModuleManager configs for RemoteTech. One of them contains

!MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter] {}

in definitions for every antenna. I removed that line from the "@PART[longAntenna]:FOR[RemoteTech]" entry and now putting an Okto with a solar panel and communotron 16 on the pad fulfills the 1st part of contract requirements

[Renegrade]

I've found the problem. Following up on your suggestion that mod interaction was the problem I started checking ModuleManager configs for RemoteTech. One of them contains

in definitions for every antenna. I removed that line from the "@PART[longAntenna]:FOR[RemoteTech]" entry and now putting an Okto with a solar panel and communotron 16 on the pad fulfills the 1st part of contract requirements

I checked that though - the default contracts accept a "ModuleRTAntenna" in the Squad\Contracts\Contracts.cfg file! It should still work :/

Unless there's some bug in the loading of the Contracts.cfg file... gonna swap the order it loads in and see if that kills anything.. EDIT: Nope. still works for me even with the order reversed...

Oh.. unless there's a third mod that changes the nature of the contracts and doesn't compensate for RT2?

Edited February 15, 2015 by Renegrade

[TinfoilChef]

Oh.. unless there's a third mod that changes the nature of the contracts and doesn't compensate for RT2?

Or if I had disabled RT2 without removing it's modulemanager configs.

[Renegrade]

Or if I had disabled RT2 without removing it's modulemanager configs.

Ah, that could do it.. I'm guessing the game would just ignore the RT module entirely and those antennas would have had nothing...