SR capsule recovery plane contract idea

[MaxsimalPD]

A contract idea I was discussing with siimav was to have the following

1. A SR contract to launch an advanced bio capsule on a sounding rocket.

• It would be gated by 3x of the regular bio sample capsules, OR by completing FO but not completing manned suborbital.
• Rather than allowing recovering, the capsule would be handed off (like a commsat) so that the player cannot recover the sample at this point.

2. A S&R contract for planes to go and find/retrieve the capsule

• Probably needs a time limit. The SR contract should warn the player that this contract is coming
• Some science award for completing the contract (since the player wouldn't get the reward from Kerbalism)
• Uses the point of return for previous contract as a location for the way-point

[siimav]

Instead of handing the vessel off like the commsats currently do I think it would be more fun to have the player not recover it. Pretty sure the vessel assignment functionality can be used to hand the specific craft over to the next contract and then just use the Rendezvous parameter to make sure that the plane gets near it.

[marsh1832]

Oh, this is a really exciting concept. Finally an excuse for a long haul contract! 😈 I’m thinking, every return contract could have an optional “recovery” goal added to it. So all 6 bios and 3 films. The award would be something like an XPL flight. The goal would require you to launch a plane and rendezvous with the capsule wherever it happens to be, then return and land at KSC. At that point the player could recover the sample for science. If they don’t feel like flying planes, they can just end the contract immediately by recovering the capsule.

[siimav]

@lancisman made a proof of concept in #1815. It needs some more work to make the plane part optional though.