The OTC 1.0.4 Edition -- Episode 18: The Kerbin Station Timesink

[Mister Dilsby]

That IS a timesink--supply missions are the worst, especially if you have to launch (and especially if you have to LAND) an SSTO every time. I like the look of JOKE's cockpit very much, may have to look into that mod.

[Geschosskopf]

That IS a timesink--supply missions are the worst, especially if you have to launch (and especially if you have to LAND) an SSTO every time. I like the look of JOKE's cockpit very much, may have to look into that mod.

OPT is a very nice mod. Lots of very well-made parts that look cool. It's primary thing is being a scaled-up Mk2 system (the J series of parts) so most of its parts are for that. It's got pretty much a full suite there, including a mobile lab. Plus it's got several big wing and stabilizer parts that look sexier than the stock shuttle wings. There are only a few K parts---cargo bay, fuel tank, and cockpit---although I believe more are on the way. In addition, it has a couple of 2.5m cockpits, like scaled-up Mk1 parts, and 2.5m-to-J adaptors to use them for spaceplanes.

All the OPT cockpits carry lots of Kerbals. The 2.5m copits have 3 and 5 seats, J cockpits range from 3 to 7 seats IIRC, and the K cockpit has 10 seats. At present, IVAs only work for the flight deck seats (although with RPM support), the passenger seats in the back not showing portraits and are only accessible via the hatches.

All well and good. It's with the engines that you have to decided whether there's any "cheating" going on. The engines are all designed to heave huge, heavy things into orbit and, when so used, are definitely not OP. Building and flying a J/K ship is pretty much the same as a stock (or stock-ish) Mk2 in terms of how many engines you need, the ratio of fuel tanks to engines, etc, and the performance isn't at all spectacular. Sure, the J-61 Advanced Turboramjet gives somewhat better results than the stock version but it's not outside the realm of believability. The main issue with this engine is that it fits standard Mk2 fuselages so you can use it on small spaceplanes no problem, and it's WAY more power than they need and lets you make LF-only Mk2 planes of useful size with complete ease.

But OTOH, ease is nice . The main reason I hardly mess with spaceplanes is because they're such a timesink, both to design and to use, and really aren't able to do very much anyway. Nor do they save enough money for this to tip the scales against their drawbacks. But if you can reduce their time consumption, then they become interesting toys. Still not very useful but fun for variety.

OPT also has several other engines: The J-sized linear aerospike really only fits J-sized ships and isn't OP for them. There's also a 2.5m air-augmented rocket engine, probably intended (as the other such things currently available) for taking off from Eve. I haven't used this but I suspect it would make a very nice lifter engine even on Kerbin. And then there's the "Dark Goo" engine... This one is deliberately silly and OP, a sort of UFO engine. It also costs $120K so isn't something you spam even if you're rich . This thing consumes LFO, has both huge thrust and huge Isp, and these are the same whether in vacuum or in space. It lets you make pretty big single-stage-to-anywhere sci-fi stuff.