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[1.12.X] Tantares - Stockalike Soyuz and MIR [16.1][28.05.2024][Mars Expedition WIP]


Beale

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1 hour ago, Beale said:

At the moment the decoupler is not done, so the inter-stage seen in my images lacks that. I think when finished it will look closer to your image there (It might not look the same, but will be the same size).
I am not sure how or where to add colour, but can play around.
cefcd801bb.jpg

31 minutes ago, Beale said:

Other colour playing
Not sure how to spice these tanks up... 
Suggestions very welcome!
66f5f600e7.jpg059d7f6312.jpg025427847a.jpg9f55c7e9d2.jpg

24 minutes ago, Beale said:

Good suggestion.
Black is also a nice choice.
fc4f6a1722.jpg0318594f8f.jpg

Not exactly what I meant. The stripes are much too thick and prominent. They make the tank look shorter and stockier. Doesn't match the rest of Tantares very well. I would keep it much simpler. I would do:

  • "ALV" or whatever the rocket's name is, written vertically down the side in a nice red color
  • Large wrapped flag decal mesh that covers the span between two of the pipes you have running down the side. More or less, 30º or so of coverage.
  • Thin black strip on the bottom of the tank.
  • Wider matching black stripe on the bottom of stage one, like the real deal.

Make the writing red, not the stripe/stripes. The vertical stripes near the external pipes are a no-go for me. It'd be nice to nice AO there against the white/gray tank. AO doesn't look good over color.
I think a better description is contrast, not color for the sake of color. Stripes on rockets are rarely aesthetic, and almost always serve some sort of function. Warning labels, service panels, and plumbing/greeble that have color in them are better ways to add color and contrast to a part, without just adding a lazy stripe. 

 

Edited by curtquarquesso
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Just 2 cents about colored stripes, etc, on parts :

Anything other than variations on white, grey, or black, renders the parts aesthetically unusable with any other parts except the specific base rocket it's intended for.
IMHO this would seriously break "stock-alike"-ness.

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I know everyone is talking about Proton, but I started on The Europa third stage, Asteris, and please, someone tell me the engine bell looks right:

OGQcA4D.png

I've redone it a million times and it never looks quite right. :l

 

Also, are you going to make the Proton third stage look... you know... like the proton third stage, with the verniers and all?

6580129_orig.jpg

Edited by VenomousRequiem
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3 hours ago, tjsnh said:

Just 2 cents about colored stripes, etc, on parts :

Anything other than variations on white, grey, or black, renders the parts aesthetically unusable with any other parts except the specific base rocket it's intended for.
IMHO this would seriously break "stock-alike"-ness.

I agree. It's all too easy to slip into the realm of dull gray or garish colors when making stockalike mods. My favorite are the kind I can slap onto any rocket I please and not just the intended rocket.

--EDIT--

Stock uses lots of light grey and white, from screenshots it seems this mod relies heavaly on Darker greys.

Edited by Andem
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7 hours ago, Andem said:

I agree. It's all too easy to slip into the realm of dull gray or garish colors when making stockalike mods. My favorite are the kind I can slap onto any rocket I please and not just the intended rocket.

--EDIT--

Stock uses lots of light grey and white, from screenshots it seems this mod relies heavaly on Darker greys.

Yeah, stock uses lighter colors, and it would be nice if Tantares used those, like the color on the Soyuz lifter. That color would be better.

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2 hours ago, legoclone09 said:

Yeah, stock uses lighter colors, and it would be nice if Tantares used those, like the color on the Soyuz lifter. That color would be better.

Agreed on all fronts. @Beale I'm fairly certain lightening the colors on some of the textures wouldn't be that difficult. Please correct me if I am wrong.

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11 hours ago, curtquarquesso said:

Not exactly what I meant. The stripes are much too thick and prominent. They make the tank look shorter and stockier. Doesn't match the rest of Tantares very well. I would keep it much simpler. I would do:

  • "ALV" or whatever the rocket's name is, written vertically down the side in a nice red color
  • Large wrapped flag decal mesh that covers the span between two of the pipes you have running down the side. More or less, 30º or so of coverage.
  • Thin black strip on the bottom of the tank.
  • Wider matching black stripe on the bottom of stage one, like the real deal.

Make the writing red, not the stripe/stripes. The vertical stripes near the external pipes are a no-go for me. It'd be nice to nice AO there against the white/gray tank. AO doesn't look good over color.
I think a better description is contrast, not color for the sake of color. Stripes on rockets are rarely aesthetic, and almost always serve some sort of function. Warning labels, service panels, and plumbing/greeble that have color in them are better ways to add color and contrast to a part, without just adding a lazy stripe. 

 

9 hours ago, tjsnh said:

Just 2 cents about colored stripes, etc, on parts :

Anything other than variations on white, grey, or black, renders the parts aesthetically unusable with any other parts except the specific base rocket it's intended for.
IMHO this would seriously break "stock-alike"-ness.

Very nice suggestions @tjsnh (I think you match my fears about using colours exactly) & @curtquarquesso, I will show something later on that may match these better.

I have "discovered" a "new" technique for unique faces and high-density texture greeble whilst keeping my usual texture-unwrapping techniques (duplicated faces, square boxes, etc). I will share this with you in detail @curtquarquesso :wink: 

7 hours ago, VenomousRequiem said:

I know everyone is talking about Proton, but I started on The Europa third stage, Asteris, and please, someone tell me the engine bell looks right:

I've redone it a million times and it never looks quite right. :l

Also, are you going to make the Proton third stage look... you know... like the proton third stage, with the verniers and all?

Looks very close to me!
maxresdefault.jpg

For the Proton's third stage, I am excited this time to have functional vernier rockets (over whatever there is currently). As for the cloth-fabric-cover thing, does that stay on during flight?

 

5 hours ago, legoclone09 said:

Yeah, stock uses lighter colors, and it would be nice if Tantares used those, like the color on the Soyuz lifter. That color would be better.

3 hours ago, Andem said:

Agreed on all fronts. @Beale I'm fairly certain lightening the colors on some of the textures wouldn't be that difficult. Please correct me if I am wrong.

It would be medium-difficult to change all of the colours (Plus, I don't want to :wink: ).

I think the lighter white seen on the Soyuz launcher right now will be phased out of stock, just a guess, but if the plane parts are an indication, darker white is the future.

Mk1_Liquid_Fuel_Fuselage.pngEngine_Pre-cooler.png

 

Edited by Beale
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20 hours ago, Beale said:

More.

f571c35d2d.jpg

8113454b00.jpg

Larger Mockup.

2f9172d4eb.jpg

There is no truss interstage between S3 and S2. While S3 is also hot-staged, the only engine that fires while s3 and s2 are still connected is the RD-0214 The exhaust of its 4 chambers is vented by the 4 ducts in the s2, not through a truss interstage. The RD-0212 fires after separation (and shuts down before RD-0214). The Truss segment is split in half horizontally, and the upper and lower half of it are integrated parts of s1 and s2. They don't fall of (and are, in fact not mounted separately). When the Proton arrives via train in the MIK, the truss is already on the s1 oxidizer tank and the s2

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1 hour ago, trooperMNG said:

Guys, I know it's an old issue, but is there a proper way to fly Soyuz and Proton? To stop tipping over. Maybe a different ascent profile?

Both, Soyuz and Proton works well if you have the right mass of payload.

If you start Soyuz without 2nd stage and low weight payload you need a very straight upward (MechJeb2 95% by 150 km Orbit) flightprofile. Don't forget the vernier-engines typ "Otter", 4 on center-stage and min. 2 on every booster.

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1 hour ago, hraban said:

Both, Soyuz and Proton works well if you have the right mass of payload.

If you start Soyuz without 2nd stage and low weight payload you need a very straight upward (MechJeb2 95% by 150 km Orbit) flightprofile. Don't forget the vernier-engines typ "Otter", 4 on center-stage and min. 2 on every booster.

Out of curiosity, what is the heaviest payload (including the payload fairing) the people on this thread have been able to get away with on the Soyuz (with Block I second stage, and either a Block E or Fregat 3rd stage) ? I just started using Kerbal Engineer and don't have to guess how heavy my payload is anymore, but so far I haven't launched anything more than 1,800 kg in my current career, although I know I've launched bigger stuff in the past with Tantares Soyuz.

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1 hour ago, hraban said:

Both, Soyuz and Proton works well if you have the right mass of payload.

If you start Soyuz without 2nd stage and low weight payload you need a very straight upward (MechJeb2 95% by 150 km Orbit) flightprofile. Don't forget the vernier-engines typ "Otter", 4 on center-stage and min. 2 on every booster.

I have a normal soyuz (orbital, descent, service module) with 2nd stage (with the same engine as the 1st center stage). 4 boosters and gimballing engines. Still tipping (i think the rocket is definetely too top-heavy). Leaving out the 2nd stages pretty much solves the issue, but sacrificing deltav and historical accuracy

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14 minutes ago, trooperMNG said:

I have a normal soyuz (orbital, descent, service module) with 2nd stage (with the same engine as the 1st center stage). 4 boosters and gimballing engines. Still tipping (i think the rocket is definetely too top-heavy). Leaving out the 2nd stages pretty much solves the issue, but sacrificing deltav and historical accuracy

What historical accuracy? This is a game, and I'm talking of KSP-Stock. As much as I appreciate Tantares and Beales work, the Soyuz (TLV) and Proton (ALV) are Performance-wise OP.

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5 hours ago, trooperMNG said:

Guys, I know it's an old issue, but is there a proper way to fly Soyuz and Proton? To stop tipping over. Maybe a different ascent profile?

I think unfortunately you must use fins for stability :) 

I do have a plan to release some small fins. Like This.

I think also the Soyuz LV engines should have a little bit less thrust.

1 hour ago, hraban said:

As much as I appreciate Tantares and Beales work, the Soyuz (TLV) and Proton (ALV) are Performance-wise OP.

It's a controversial subject for me. They are blatantly overpowered by payload for their real-life counterparts, but they are balanced "perfectly" against stock parts (I.E. if you built a launcher of the same size using stock parts they would be equally "overpowered"). :wink: 

Now balancing "perfectly" against stock parts is probably not a true statement, I think probably some of the engines are too light or heavy, so that can be improved.

Edited by Beale
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1 minute ago, Beale said:

I think unfortunately you must use fins for stability :) 

I do have a plan to release some small fins. Like This.

It's a controversial subject for me. They are blatantly overpowered by payload for their real-life counterparts, but they are balanced "perfectly" against stock parts (I.E. if you built a launcher of the same size using stock parts they would be equally "overpowered"). :wink: 

One of the small Fins (tweakable) was released with Contares and is very helpfull to stabilize the TLV.

Err, Stock Parts was no reference for balanced launchers to me.

What I expect is:

- an TLV which transported 8t in a low orbit, while almost looks like a Soyuz rocket.
- an ALV which transported 20t in a low orbit, while almost looks like a Proton.

Low means with respect to Kerbin, 80-150 km and the launcher will not circulize the orbit,
that's the job of the payload. That means, the launcher finish the work 100 - 300 m/s below circulation speed.

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