Soviet munar N-1

[DennyTX]

Well, i've doing it about a month.

And some people asked about modularity, and right now rocket is highly divided. For example for assemble of first stage you should connect: round oxidiser tank (1), round fuel tank (2), additional small tanks (3,4), internal support structure (5), internal fuel pipes (6), internal oxidiser pipes (7), shroud (8,9), external pipes (9), engines attachment ring (10), ring support structure (11), bottom shield (12), external big aero shrouds (13), bottom skirt (14), aero rudder lattice (15), additional small deco devices (16), interstage (17).

So we have 17 items only for first stage. some of it requires symmetry. So, real amount of items will be more (get about 30-40 parts). And do not forget about 30 engines. Final result - about 75 parts only for first stage. And requires some knowledge about real N-1's internal structure....

Same picture for next stages.

And assembled rocket complex will have about 80 individual parts and 300 parts as a result only for rocket (without payload). And... many, many, very many triangles and colliders.... And just imagine an awful list of parts in VAB

My friends said this is too much. Seems like they are right.

Pls, vote about. And comment how high modularity is good for game.

Edited April 23, 2014 by DennyTX

[CERVERUS]

I believe its ok...i like this logic of assemply!

[Guest]

I like the modularity. You might want to combine some parts, but in general, it's good to have modularity. For example, internal stuff is hardly going to be seen in flight, so you can leave some polies out of it and combine it into a single part. On the other hand, external fuel line covers should be separate, since they're different on each N1. Fuel/oxidizer main tanks should probably be combined, and the small decorations might be better off integrated in the parts they're attached to. On the other hand, the heat shield needs to be separate, since the first N1 didn't include it, and it's a valid design to go without it.

[Nibb31]

Modularity really only makes sense if there is a purpose to assembling the parts in another way. I don't think that each individual spherical tank has much purpose in a different configuration as what they were intended for. So basically, I would stick to the classical tank+engines configuration for each stage.

[wasmic]

I think you should probably reduce the modularity a little. Some of the parts will probably never be used in other contexts (such as the spherical tanks) and can be mashed together to a single part just fine.

[Talisar]

I am a huge proponent of greater modularity. One of my favorite things to do is use parts in combinations that were likely not intended. That being said, it looks to me as if what you have currently is a bit too far on the other side. I'd suggest reducing it as much as you are able to while still keeping as much as possible, if that makes any sense at all.

[Motokid600]

I think you should probably reduce the modularity a little. Some of the parts will probably never be used in other contexts (such as the spherical tanks) and can be mashed together to a single part just fine.

No.. you'd be surprised. I say keep that modularity. The real N1 was a complex mess which is why it never truly flew. So the fact that Denny's N1 is going to resemble that complexity seems great to me. Got half a mind to try one of those random failure mods to go along with it. That.. plus more parts makes for a funner explosion. Make sure you model the bolt that gets sucked into the turbo because Denny I'm sorry, but the first thing I'm going to do when this is released is shutdown the engines at a hundred meters lol.

The only serious request I make Denny is that you look into making your parts FAR and RealChutes friendly.

[Guest]

The thing is, here, a lot of the parts literally couldn't be used in any other context. Not spherical tanks, but rather things such as internal trussing, fuel lines, the entire 1st stage structure... Those parts would only add to part count, and do nothing else. Stuff such as fuel lines should be a part of the 1st stage structure, but their covers could be removed to allow different variants to be installed. In general, each separate part should have a clean purpose. Structural tidbits don't have this, neither do the fuel lines. On the other hand, engines and grid fins definitely should be split off, same with LES separation motor and engine shrouds on Block B and V (the Block B lower shroud even had it's own separation motors!).

[hieywiey]

The modularity is very Soviet. I like it.

[Deathsoul097]

Id say you should try to keep the part count lower than 75 for a single stage. That's way too much, especially for those of us who have crappier machines. I think you could probably lower it to about 40 parts, assuming you want all of the engines separate, if you could deal with a few separate ones and a large clustered engine piece then that would lower the partcount even more, possibly to ~20, depending on how many parts you want to compress into one. Just my take at least, either way, this looks awesome.

[NathanKell]

As long as the engines are separate parts and don't include fuel tank butts as "thrust plates" I'll be happy :S

[darkside]

I am all for modularity, make separate parts as small as sanely possible, BUT there is only a point in doing so if there is no "intended order" and one can just go crazy and build pretty much anything. If all those parts can only assemble in a specific order to build what was initially intended then no, there is no point.

[Guest]

OK, here's the idea for how the stages should be divided:

1. Main tanks+fuel lines and shroud.

2. Heat shield.

3-14. Fuel line covers.

14-44. Engines.

45. Truss decoupler.

46-49. Grid fins.

Lowering the count to about 50 parts per stage, most of them engines.

Now, the second stage:

1. Stage structure+fuel lines.

2. Heat shield.

3-5. Lower shroud pieces.

6-8. Large shroud separation motors.

9-14. Small shroud separation motors.

15-22. Engines.

23. Truss decoupler.

24-?? Roll control thrusters (still trying to find info on them).

Less than 30 parts.

Third stage:

1. Stage structure, fuel lines and stuff.

2. Heat shield.

3-5. Lower shroud.

6-9. Engines.

10. Block G decoupler.

11-12. Payload shroud.

13-16. Payload shroud separation motors.

17. LES abort motor.

18. LES separation motor.

18 parts for Block V and the payload shroud. Anything more counts towards the payload.

I can send you pictures of everything, as good as I can find them. Couldn't locate Block B RCS, but I'll work on it. Shroud separation motors are those extended-out bits sticking out from Block B lower shroud. You can integrate them into the shroud itself, or keep them separate.

Edited April 25, 2014 by Guest