Engine change proposals for Making History

[Tyko]

I've been working up a set of MM changes to balance out the MH engines. The goal is to make sure each engine fills the same role in KSP as the IRL engines they were modeled after. Secondarily it's to make sure each Stock and MH engine has a niche and an opportunity to shine. I think I've found about the right changes so I'm sharing to get feedback.

I know others have also played around with this, notably @KerikBalm who wrote the initial config that I started with and @Snark who'd provided lots of feedback in the Making History thread. I'm not married to any of my decisions, so feel free to poke holes it them. I feel like the Vac Thrusts are about where they need to be. I'm less sure if I got the ISP and Mass right.

My (pseudo) logic:

1. Build rockets that look like reasonable analogs of IRL rockets - this is called Making History, so I'd expect to be able to piece together something that looks and performs similarly to the real thing (scaled down). I built a Titan/Gemini and a Saturn V analog as these are the two rockets that MH seems most designed to replicate.
2. Since all rockets are over-powered in Stock scale I used a target of 5000 d/v to orbit because that's what it takes in a 2.5x universe. I've read many times on the forums that 2.5x with stock parts is a lot closer to IRL balances. @Poodmund and others have suggested that 2.5x is more balanced. By balancing it against 2.5x I'm attempting to mirror the same degree of "over-poweredness"  that is designed into stock engines.
3. Adjust the engines so that they can fulfill their historical role on each rocket. Basically, I looked at the rockets I'd created and adjusted the engines until each stage could perform its role.
4. Take another pass to make sure each engine fills a niche.
   1. The biggest change here was to delete the Poodle and use Poodle stats for Wolfhound - The Wolfhound with Poodle stats is actually perfect for pushing around the Apollo CM/SM/Lander. It's a bit overpowered, but the actual engine was overpowered too.
   2. Also up-rated the Skipper to 975 vacuum thrust and 3.9 tons - It always bothered me that there was such a gap between the Skipper @ 650 and Mainsail @ 1500. With the Bobcat up-rated to 600, this gave me the opportunity to boost the Skipper into that gap.

 

Here's a link to the Google Sheet I'm using to track and compare Stock, MH and my edits (Labeled "Tyko")

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tzovHSBZm_4_xLrglqAKbmLzeGQozpZfQr2YAaOTs8k/edit?usp=sharing

 

NOTES:

1. With these engine configs a Saturn V analog can put approx. 60 Tons into LKO or about 30 Tons on TLI.
2. - THIS WILL BREAK A SAVE THAT USES THE POODLE -  I removed the Poodle entirely and applied the Poodle stats on the Wolfhound. The Poodle is incredibly useful, but the model looks dated and the bell isn't big enough for a high-efficiency vacuum engine.

 

The Config File in Spoiler:

Spoiler

@PART[LiquidEngineKE-1] // Mastadon
{ 
    @mass = 7
    @MODULE[ModuleEngines]
    { 
        @maxThrust = 1750
        !atmosphereCurve
        atmosphereCurve
        {
            key = 0 295
            key = 1 285
            key = 20 0.001
        }
    }
}
    
    
@PART[LiquidEngineLV-T91] // Cheetah
{ 
    @mass = 1
    @MODULE[ModuleEngines]
    { 
        @maxThrust = 145
        !atmosphereCurve
        atmosphereCurve
        {
            key = 0 335
            key = 1 100
            key = 6 0.001
        }
    }
}

@PART[LiquidEngineLV-TX87] // Bobcat
{ 
    @mass = 2.5
    @MODULE[ModuleEngines]
    { 
        @maxThrust = 600    
        !atmosphereCurve
        atmosphereCurve
        {
            key = 0 310
            key = 1 275
            key = 6 0.001
        }
    }
}
        
    
@PART[LiquidEngineRE-I2] // Skiff
{ 
    @mass = 3.15
    @MODULE[ModuleEngines]
    { 
        @maxThrust = 670
        !atmosphereCurve
        atmosphereCurve
        {
            key = 0 370
            key = 1 110
            key = 6 0.001
        }
    }
}
    
-PART[liquidEngine2-2]:FINAL {} // Remove Poodle. The model is my least fav and it doesn't look like a highly efficient vacuum engine - the nozzle is all wrong.
    
@PART[LiquidEngineRE-J10] // Wolfhound - replace stats with Poodle.It's a tested and proven engine but the Wolfhound model is so much better

{ 
    @mass = 1.75
    
    !MODULE[ModuleEngines] {}
    
    MODULE
    {
        name = ModuleEngines
        thrustVectorTransformName = thrustTransform
        exhaustDamage = True
        ignitionThreshold = 0.1
        minThrust = 0
        maxThrust = 250
        heatProduction = 83
        fxOffset = 0, 0, 0.4
        EngineType = LiquidFuel
        exhaustDamageDistanceOffset = 1.75
        PROPELLANT
        {
            name = LiquidFuel
            ratio = 0.9
            DrawGauge = True
        }
        PROPELLANT
        {
            name = Oxidizer
            ratio = 1.1
        }
        atmosphereCurve
        {
            key = 0 350
            key = 1 90
            key = 3 0.001
        }
    }
}

    
@PART[LiquidEngineRK-7] // Kodiak
{ 
    @mass = 1.5
    @MODULE[ModuleEngines]
    { 
        @maxThrust = 280
        !atmosphereCurve
        atmosphereCurve
        {
            key = 0 320
            key = 1 280
            key = 20 0.001
        }
    }
}
    
    
@PART[LiquidEngineRV-1] // Cub
{ 
    @mass = 0.16
    @MODULE[ModuleEngines]
    { 
        @maxThrust = 35
        !atmosphereCurve
        atmosphereCurve
        {
            key = 0 320
            key = 1 270
            key = 20 0.001
        }
    }
}
    
    
@PART[engineLargeSkipper] // increased mass and max thrust. Made a niche for the Skipper
{ 
    @mass = 3.9
    @MODULE[ModuleEngines]
    { 
        @maxThrust = 975
    }
}

 

Edited April 20, 2018 by Tyko