[1.4.x] Stock Antenna Balance - July-29-2018

[WuphonsReach]

On 7/10/2018 at 10:44 AM, canisin said:

Hey there, welcome back.

Thanks.

What I'm probably going to do for my 1.4.4 release:

• Refactor how much antenna power is needed for a tier 1 and tier 2 contracts.
• Introduce a tier 0 level of contracts in LKO with random orbits (under 800km altitude, various inclinations), suitable for antennas in the 1-3 Mm power range.  Right now, you can complete them 10x to get a little ball of relays going.
• Hew more closely to 1.4.4 antenna strengths in vanilla, except where vanilla values don't make sense.
• Lower requirements on a lot of contracts for battery power, or deadline pressure.
• Lower permanent drain generator values on antennas, anything below about 5G of power has no permanent power draw.
• Transmitting science with relays is possible, but the EC/Mit values will be in the 40-80 EC/Mit range (most vanilla antennas are 6 EC/Mit).
• Add tier 1 (1Gm or more power) contracts that require Tundra / Kolniya orbits.
• Add tier 1 contracts that are random (out to about 6-8 Gm around Kerbin).

Currently playing through in career mode and I've only unlocked the tier 0 and tier 1 contracts so far.  I also need to run my parser again against my latest changes to see if there are any antenna values that need tweaks.  I have one or two PRs out to various mod authors with balance tweaks for antennas that were way off compared to others.

I don't feel the need to do the Kolniya/Tundra contracts for tier 2/3/4 antennas.

[MagicCuboid]

Thank you, WuphonsReach, I appreciate you taking the time to update the mod! Stock Antenna Balance has been a must-have mod for me for years

[canisin]

Hey @WuphonsReach, you might remember that i was a user of your mod. In your absence, afaik, i tweaked your antenna configurations a little bit, and here is what i have been using in my own career game. I planned to share these with you and when i did, i had a spread sheet to go along with, but it seems that i have lost it. I am not sure how useful the patch will be for you, but here it goes anyways.

@CUSTOMBARNKIT:FINAL
{	
	@TRACKING
	{
        // Stock DSN1: 2,000,000,000 (2G)
        // Stock DSN2: 50,000,000,000 (50G) -> 10G
        // Stock DSN3: 250,000,000,000 (250G) -> 20G
		@DSNRange = 2000000000, 10000000000, 20000000000
	}
}

@PART[SurfAntenna]:FINAL
{
    //@title = Communotron 16-S
    //@mass = 0.015
    //@TechRequired = engineering101
    //@entryCost = 750
    //@cost = 300
    
    @MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter]
    {
        //antennaType = DIRECT
        //@packetInterval = 0.6
        //@packetSize = 2
        //@packetResourceCost = 12
        //@antennaPower = 500000
    }
}

@PART[longAntenna]:FINAL
{
    //@title = Communotron 16
    //@mass = 0.005
    //@TechRequired = engineering101
    //@entryCost = 750
    //@cost = 300
    
    @MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter]
    {
        //antennaType = DIRECT
        //@packetInterval = 0.6
        //@packetSize = 2
        //@packetResourceCost = 12
        @antennaPower = 2000000
    }
}

@PART[mediumDishAntenna]:FINAL
{
    //@title = Communotron DTS-M1
    //@mass = 0.05
    //@TechRequired = precisionEngineering
    //@entryCost = 4900
    //@cost = 900
    
    @MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter]
    {
        //antennaType = DIRECT
        //@packetInterval = 0.35
        //@packetSize = 2
        //@packetResourceCost = 12
        @antennaPower = 100000000
    }
}

//copy of HighGainAntenna5, equivalent of HighGainAntenna
+PART[HighGainAntenna5]:FINAL
{
    @name = HighGainAntenna5.Direct
    @title = Communotron HG-5D
    @mass = 0.075
    @TechRequired = electronics
    @entryCost = 7500
    @cost = 1200
    
    @MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter]
    {
        @antennaType = DIRECT
        @packetInterval = 0.3
        @packetSize = 2
        @packetResourceCost = 16
        @antennaPower = 500000000
    }
}

@PART[commDish]:FINAL
{
    //@title = Communotron 88-88
    //@mass = 0.1
    //@TechRequired = automation
    //@entryCost = 20000
    //@cost = 1500
    
    @MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter]
    {
        //antennaType = DIRECT
        @packetInterval = 0.2
        @packetSize = 2
        @packetResourceCost = 20
        @antennaPower = 5000000000
    }
}

@PART[jw1MDA]:FINAL
{
    //@title = JW1 Medium Deployable Antenna
    //@mass = 0.35
    //@TechRequired = largeUnmanned
    //@entryCost = 100000
    //@cost = 9000
    
    @MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter]
    {
        //antennaType = DIRECT
        @packetInterval = 0.15
        @packetSize = 2
        @packetResourceCost = 24
        @antennaPower = 20000000000
    }
}

//copy of HighGainAntenna, equivalent of HighGainAntenna5
+PART[HighGainAntenna]:FINAL
{
    @name = HighGainAntenna.Relay
    @title = HG-55R Antenna Relay
    @mass = 0.2
    @TechRequired = basicScience
    @entryCost = 16000
    @cost = 4500
    
    @MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter]
    {
        @antennaType = RELAY
        @packetInterval = 0.5
        @packetSize = 1
        @packetResourceCost = 250
        @antennaPower = 10000000000
    }
    
    MODULE
    {
        name = ModuleGenerator
        isAlwaysActive = true
        INPUT_RESOURCE
        {
            name = ElectricCharge
            rate = 0.4
        }
    }
}

@PART[RelayAntenna5]:FINAL
{
    //@title = RA-2 Relay Antenna
    @mass = 0.45
    //@TechRequired = precisionEngineering
    @entryCost = 45000
    @cost = 18000
    
    @MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter]
    {
        //antennaType = RELAY
        @packetInterval = 0.5
        @packetSize = 1
        @packetResourceCost = 250
        @antennaPower = 75000000000
    }
    
    MODULE
    {
        name = ModuleGenerator
        isAlwaysActive = true
        INPUT_RESOURCE
        {
            name = ElectricCharge
            rate = 2.5
        }
    }
}

@PART[RelayAntenna50]:FINAL
{
    //@title = RA-15 Relay Antenna
    @mass = 0.8
    //@TechRequired = electronics
    @entryCost = 90000
    @cost = 30000
    
    @MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter]
    {
        //antennaType = RELAY
        @packetInterval = 0.5
        @packetSize = 1
        @packetResourceCost = 250
        @antennaPower = 250000000000
    }
    
    MODULE
    {
        name = ModuleGenerator
        isAlwaysActive = true
        INPUT_RESOURCE
        {
            name = ElectricCharge
            rate = 5
        }
    }
}

@PART[RelayAntenna100]:FINAL
{
    //@title = RA-100 Relay Antenna
    @mass = 1.1
    //@TechRequired = automation
    @entryCost = 125000
    @cost = 48000
    
    @MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter]
    {
        //antennaType = RELAY
        @packetInterval = 0.5
        @packetSize = 1
        @packetResourceCost = 250
        @antennaPower = 500000000000
    }
    
    MODULE
    {
        name = ModuleGenerator
        isAlwaysActive = true
        INPUT_RESOURCE
        {
            name = ElectricCharge
            rate = 10
        }
    }
}

@PART[ju1MDA]:FINAL
{
    //@title = JU1 Medium Deployable Antenna
    @mass = 1.8
    //@TechRequired = largeUnmanned
    @entryCost = 200000
    @cost = 65000
    
    @MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter]
    {
        //antennaType = RELAY
        @packetInterval = 0.5
        @packetSize = 1
        @packetResourceCost = 250
        @antennaPower = 1000000000000
    }
    
    MODULE
    {
        name = ModuleGenerator
        isAlwaysActive = true
        INPUT_RESOURCE
        {
            name = ElectricCharge
            rate = 15
        }
    }
}

@PART[jx2LDA]:FINAL
{
    //@title = JX2 Large Deployable Antenna
    @mass = 3.5
    @TechRequired = artificialIntelligence
    @entryCost = 300000
    @cost = 75000
    
    @MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter]
    {
        //antennaType = RELAY
        @packetInterval = 0.5
        @packetSize = 1
        @packetResourceCost = 250
        @antennaPower = 2200000000000
    }
    
    MODULE
    {
        name = ModuleGenerator
        isAlwaysActive = true
        INPUT_RESOURCE
        {
            name = ElectricCharge
            rate = 20
        }
    }
}

!PART[HighGainAntenna]:FINAL
{
}

!PART[HighGainAntenna5]:FINAL
{
}

 

[WuphonsReach]

Pushed out 1.4.4.0 (just in time for KSP 1.4.5 to release, go me).  It should still function just fine in KSP 1.4.5 (and probably works fine in all variants of KSP 1.4 and probably KSP 1.3).

I did not get a chance to look at @canisin suggested adjustments yet.

[Jesusthebird]

quick report:

[ERR 19:18:04.034] [ModuleManager] Error - more than one pass specifier on a node: StockAntennaBalance/Stock/AsteroidDay_HighGainAntenna/+PART[HighGainAntenna5]:AFTER[OPM]:AFTER[JX2Antenna]
 

should be an easy fix

+PART[HighGainAntenna5]:AFTER[OPM,JX2Antenna]

should do it, cheers!

[WuphonsReach]

Thanks @Jesusthebird 

Also, guessing that the contracts do not work in 1.5.1 at the moment due to ContractConfigurator being behind.

[WuphonsReach]

Contract Configurator is updated for 1.5.1 -- so far, in my play testing, everything is working as-is in 1.5.1.  I just need to merge any PRs (hint hint) or look for things that should be updated based on feedback.

[MuchozolF]

Could you nerf the extra ground stations, so they wouldn't have to be disabled?

Seems to me that it would make more sense as they would be useful when you're in Kerbin system but for higher distances, you would need a relay network. They could reach up to about stationary orbit for example, with reasonable antennas on board of a vessel.

[eightiesboi]

Is anyone using this with Antenna Helper? If so, does AH take Stock Antenna Balance into account? I am re-adding it to an existing game (I forgot it existed when I started my new career).

Also, @WuphonsReach, if you are reading this, about a year ago I asked about the possibility of disabling the EC drain when the deployable relays were stowed. IIRC, you were amenable to the idea but didn't have a way to do that at the time. I noticed that you were reducing the EC draw of the relays smaller than 5G to zero. Is this related to the issue I raised at the time? If so, and if it is possible, might I suggest that instead of lowering the EC to zero permanently, you might have it zero only when stowed (or otherwise "off")? Your mod makes for a real differentiation between direct and relay antennas, and I do think the EC drain on relays is the reason.

I noted that Kerbal Health adds a "disable/enable comfort" setting to many habitable modules. When enabled, it creates a permanent EC drain. When disabled, it eliminates the drain, but also doesn't provide the "comfort" benefit. As I've said (many many) times, I am no coder, so if I've compared apples to Kerbals, I apologize.