Observations on aero and part balance

[Periple]

Just now, cocoscacao said:

Mk 2 cockpit

I hate that one, it always does that to me

I've only been able to make it work with total lawn dart designs. I usually use the Mk1 inline cockpit and sometimes the Mk2 inline with something pointier ahead of it. 

[cocoscacao]

3 minutes ago, Periple said:

something pointier

Communotron 16 then... Just to be safe...

[Bej Kerman]

45 minutes ago, cocoscacao said:

Whenever I try to increase pitch above 20 percent at 30km altitude + speed ~1400, my ssto flips violently and wings get torn apart.

Is that not what would happen if you have hundreds of tons of air hitting your wings faster than a bullet?

[cocoscacao]

@Bej Kerman Depends... I assumed (and we have air density indicator) that at those altitudes, there's not enough air to produce such force... But then again, my rockets are also still... flipable, while in KSP 1, after around 20km, you can do pretty much whatever you like. I'm adjusting to the new rules. Whatever brings more realism is good.

[Streetwind]

3 hours ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

If I may suggest - this is a post about 'balance' which is a great discussion to have when the game is performant - and everyone is in the massive bug hunt mode.  So if you don't get much response now, bump it after the second patch! 

Well, it was meant more of a summary of the state of things rather than an attempt to judge/critique game balance. I think it's decently fine where it is, for the stock game (bugs nonwithstanding). As a veteran I find it incredibly easy, but that doesn't mean it's not an adequate challenge for a newcomer. I can always add challenge with mods

[The Aziz]

I'm more and more convinced that aerodynamics doesn't work at all. I just crashed into ground on Kerbin with an unpowered vehicle, engine down, at 500m/s. As if terminal velocity didn't exist. Not to mention phantom forces from struts, fairings not actually protecting the payload, weird behavior of rockets with no input whatsoever, the drag all over the place...

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

2 hours ago, The Aziz said:

I'm more and more convinced that aerodynamics doesn't work at all. I just crashed into ground on Kerbin with an unpowered vehicle, engine down, at 500m/s. As if terminal velocity didn't exist. Not to mention phantom forces from struts, fairings not actually protecting the payload, weird behavior of rockets with no input whatsoever, the drag all over the place...

I just had an unexpectedly easy landing on EVE.  Terminal velocity was such that when I discarded the lower stage at 1,000m  (a couple of empty tanks, Poodles and an empty command pod) - the pod survived the impact.  I figured the whole assembly would crater.

Mind you - the lander was coming down at 9m/s under chutes, and my anemic under-powered retro rockets did not touch my speed at all - but the landing legs handled that impact as if that was the target speed.

Definitely some things going on that are less than expected.

[The Aziz]

Part survivability is its own beast. I "landed" one of my falling probes by pointing the basic communotron at the ground. The rest of the craft simply bounced off and landed safely.

On the other hand, I attempted landing a plane and it simply disintegrated as soon as the wheels touched the ground.