Good job on the engines, Squad

[Norcalplanner]

In all the discussions, observations and complaints about 1.0.x, there is very little negative being said about the rebalanced engines. I consider that a compliment. While engines have certainly changed, especially with better Isp and thrust scaling, there's now a time and place for just about every engine in the game. Good job!

[Aerindel]

I didn't realize they changed the engines....which I guess means they did it right.

[problemecium]

I got frustrated over them, but I sucked it up because I presumed they had been balanced that way on purpose. I've had to give up my tried-and-true strategy of never using the LV-T30 now that the T45 has lousy thrust at sea level.

[Kuu Lightwing]

I've seen some complaints when people tried to use vacuum engines in atmo. Guess how that ended

And I'm not sure if Eve is possible now - seen some complaints, too. I actually feel bad that I've never returned from any planet other than Duna... And I have 325 hours in KSP >_<

[Mipe]

Engines?

Right! I knew I was forgetting someting... Back to the drawing board.

[Foxster]

...I'm not sure if Eve is possible now...

Did it with this yesterday...

[Torquemadus]

I'm finally flying the BACC booster on a regular basis! All behold the balanced BACC!

[zarakon]

I'm curious what other people think about the solid boosters.

I feel like their Isp is way too low now to get any reasonable amount of delta-V out of a solid-fuel first stage, which used to be my go-to design in career mode

[Nightmare]

I think the Rhino is underpowerd with only 1k thrust low in the atmosphere 1,5 to 2k in vacuum would have been nice...

[Wiseman]

I'm curious what other people think about the solid boosters.

I feel like their Isp is way too low now to get any reasonable amount of delta-V out of a solid-fuel first stage, which used to be my go-to design in career mode

My go-to heavy lift vehicle for where I'm at in career mode uses a Mainsail core at around 1.1 TWR, with a pair of Kickbacks that bring it up to a more reasonable 1.3. I've been supplementing low-TWR main stages with SRBs and it's been working great. Haven't done any SRB-only first stages since the Flea/Hammer first/second launch, though, so I couldn't speak to that.

[Jarin]

I got frustrated over them, but I sucked it up because I presumed they had been balanced that way on purpose. I've had to give up my tried-and-true strategy of never using the LV-T30 now that the T45 has lousy thrust at sea level.

Solid fuel boosters SHOULD be the answer to this, lifting up the Swivel engine to reasonable altitudes, but-

I'm curious what other people think about the solid boosters.

I feel like their Isp is way too low now to get any reasonable amount of delta-V out of a solid-fuel first stage, which used to be my go-to design in career mode

They're heavy as hell, which makes them a bit annoying to use early in career, when upgrading the launch pad is expensive. I can build some pretty impressive liquid-fuel booster stages for that weight budget. And yeah, not nearly enough delta-V in there to be worthwhile currently. If they weren't so dang heavy you could still get around that, but as it stands, it's just not worth dealing with most of the time. (my one exception is using a Kickback to launch a tiny satellite halfway to orbit)

[Renegrade]

I got frustrated over them, but I sucked it up because I presumed they had been balanced that way on purpose. I've had to give up my tried-and-true strategy of never using the LV-T30 now that the T45 has lousy thrust at sea level.

The T45 is actually less suck now than it was before - the cost differential was larger in the past, and the thrust ratios are still rather similar (although the T45 is slightly worse now due to it's wider isp spread). I used to use T30s exclusively prior to 1.0 (much better TWR), and now I get more usage out of T45s. Pair 'em with some parallel SRBs to help 'em past the thick part of the atmosphere (which is very..very..very..very small), and they can easily handle the rest of the trip. Then, later on, T45 cores with T30 LFBs in asparagus designs.

I'm finally flying the BACC booster on a regular basis! All behold the balanced BACC!

While I'm cool with the Isp changes on the SRBs, I'm not sure I like the reduction in fuel in the BACC. It used to be just over 6t, now it's 4.5t.

Well that and I'm not sure why the ant is 315s. It was fine at 290 (it just needed the 48-7S trimmed down) >.<

(I might have to run figures - the 48-7S's huge niche might have shrunk to nothing~)

[Juanfro]

I like how each engine has a purpose now and how I am building defferent ships for each mission.

[Hobbes Novakoff]

I think the Rhino is underpowerd with only 1k thrust low in the atmosphere 1,5 to 2k in vacuum would have been nice...

The point of the Rhino is a low-thrust, high-Isp 3.75m engine. Admittedly it looks like it would be akin to the Skipper, but it's actually in the same role as the Poodle and Terrier. For a 3.75m atmo engine, use the Mammoth.

[Kuu Lightwing]

... Low thrust?

I tried to use it as a transfer engine for a huge spacecraft... It just destroyed the craft when I pressed "z"... while being thrust limited to 50.

[Xaver]

Did it with this yesterday...

Can i asked from whitch altitude do you start?

[Hcube]

Apart from the SRBs that were nerfed to oblivion, i like the engine rebalancing ! The T30 is the new king of early-mid career for me !

Also, (is it just me) I feel like the Mainsail is crazy amazing now, even better than before.

[Raptor9]

Regarding the jet turbine engines, I do feel that there is a gap now between the performance of the J-33 "Wheesley" Basic Jet Engine and the J-X4 "Whiplash" Turbo Ramjet Engine. Almost like we have a 50's era jet engine from an F-86 or F-100 and one from the SR-71. Which is cool, I use them both, but I sort of wish we had a more powerful, non-turboramjet engine like what an F-15 or Su-27 KSP-analogue would mount. That ramjet curve sometimes feels like a runaway freight train when it kicks in, you really have to back off the throttle when at lower altitudes before you tear your jet apart. A third jet engine with performance between those two would be nice. But it's no big deal, just a preference.

Edited May 4, 2015 by Raptor9

[Motokid600]

SRBs need some love. The "Hammer" just needs to be removed entirely and made into a 0.65m booster. The flea needs to be repurposed to a vaccum engine and the BACC needs to be the entry level booster.

[Wallygator]

Until we get procedural SRBs I think they will be a constant point of discussion - there cannot be a one for all SRB design. Its fair enough to be locked into a suite of liquid engines, but it would be nice to be able to specify a procedural SRB to complement a craft design - since a realistic purpose of a boost phase SRB is to get the stack up to an operating altitude for optimal main engine operation (ok its not perhaps the only purpose, but still...)

Let us specify the base parameters required (thrust, duration, dimensions, etc.) and let the system fill in the remaining parameters. Could be interesting.

[Sampa]

yeah, I like the new starter SRB! I wonder if they took that cue from flowerchild's Better Than Starting Manned mod?

[panzer1b]

I like the changes, they arent such nerfs that they make it a pain to get anywhere, but they compensate nicely for 1.0's new less draggy atmo. That said, 1.0.2 has brought the dV to LKO up high enough that its nolonger as balanced, but its not unbeareable. Running 1.0 drag configs, the game has been much more fun, and i feel engines are perfect or at least decently acceptable.

[Rath]

How do I get 1.0 drag configs?

[Foxster]

Can i asked from whitch altitude do you start?

Not far off sea level. No more than 1km. Not entirely sure. Certainly not in the hills.

[godefroi]

The Shuttle SRBs were VERY heavy. The two SRBs constituted 69% of the shuttle's take-off weight. They also didn't have very good ISP, at 237 (sea level) to 269 (vacuum).

The Kickback's ISP is a bit low, but it might not be heavy ENOUGH.