ARM engines.

[zarakon]

It would be cool if the cluster was high ISP but low TWR, and the big single engine was high TWR with low ISP.

Instead, they both blow everything else out of the water in terms of TWR while also matching or greatly exceeding the ISP of the nearest competitors. Having a larger class of parts would already make things easier, even if they did fit properly on the ISP/TWR curve of the other engines.

I strongly disagree with the idea that balance is unimportant in a sandbox game like this. It makes for a far more interesting game if every part has its own niche, with strengths and weaknesses relative to other parts. In a way, adding these parts decreases the variety in the game because they overshadow so many others.

A lot of the challenge and character of the game came from the idea that you're working with a bunch of junk to try and make something that works.

[ProGamerGov]

What the HECK are you launching? With the new engines I can put over 100 tons into LKO with a vertical design with only one main stack and two boosters.

My Space Crane. It big enough to park the biggest asteroid size inside of it for construction.

[Thogapotomus]

At first I thought they were fine due to tech progression in career mode. However after reading through these posts I've changed my stance. I'm inclined to agree that each engine in the game should have it's respective place on the ISP curve and all should strive to stick to it.

I do want tech progression though. So the solution for me would be to allow upgrades in the R&D Department. Instead of new parts outclassing old, your science and money could be spent to raise the ISP for all engines across the board. Heck, you could have multiple upgrades for different things like engine thrust, electricity consumption/storage/generation, ASAS torque, RCS ISP, lighter materials, etc. A good one I think would be structural integrity which could go from .23 strengths up to .23.5 strengths.

All in all, there has to be some tech progression in career for it to be enjoyable to me. A system like this would still balance all engines while having better payload fractions at the end of a completed career.

[Red Iron Crown]

At first I thought they were fine due to tech progression in career mode. However after reading through these posts I've changed my stance. I'm inclined to agree that each engine in the game should have it's respective place on the ISP curve and all should strive to stick to it.

I do want tech progression though. So the solution for me would be to allow upgrades in the R&D Department. Instead of new parts outclassing old, your science and money could be spent to raise the ISP for all engines across the board. Heck, you could have multiple upgrades for different things like engine thrust, electricity consumption/storage/generation, ASAS torque, RCS ISP, lighter materials, etc. A good one I think would be structural integrity which could go from .23 strengths up to .23.5 strengths.

All in all, there has to be some tech progression in career for it to be enjoyable to me. A system like this would still balance all engines while having better payload fractions at the end of a completed career.

I would suggest having engines in the middle of the curve available early (the more "general purpose" engines), while the engines at the extremities of the curve become available later (the "specialist" engines). That gives moderate performance in all aspects early on, with heavier lifters (high TWR/low Isp) and better long haul (low TWR/high Isp) available as the tech tree progresses. This makes it hard for a new player to go very far wrong in engine choice early on, while giving more specialized engines as they start to recognize their desirability.

[Thogapotomus]

I would suggest having engines in the middle of the curve available early (the more "general purpose" engines), while the engines at the extremities of the curve become available later (the "specialist" engines). That gives moderate performance in all aspects early on, with heavier lifters (high TWR/low Isp) and better long haul (low TWR/high Isp) available as the tech tree progresses. This makes it hard for a new player to go very far wrong in engine choice early on, while giving more specialized engines as they start to recognize their desirability.

I agree, but that's kind of how it is now right? The nuclear and mainsail are farther up the tree.

I'd be curious to see what Squad think about engine clustering as well. A few smaller engines can net you more dV than one larger engine with comparable thrust with no penalty other than part count. The penalty could be cost, but then we're back at the same issue people have with the new engines.

[ProGamerGov]

What the HECK are you launching? With the new engines I can put over 100 tons into LKO with a vertical design with only one main stack and two boosters.

Actually besides my Space Crane XL, launching asteroids into orbit pushes the engines to their limit.