With this mod I hope to add some challenges to how we play KSP in the stock universe, by applying some of the limitations that our real-life engineers and pilots face, for example:
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Huge reaction wheel nerf
- Reaction wheels will be removed from certain parts to align with real life; for example, a command pod will not have any reaction wheels and will require RCS for attitude control
- Reaction wheels will have their torque decay over time
- Torque can be restored by de-saturating the wheels, e.g. using RCS
- Vessel mass will be a major factor in how quickly your wheels become saturated
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Engine ignition limits
- Limitations are provided by the mod EngineIgniter
- Some engines will have a limit on the maximum number of ignitions
- First stage engines (e.g. Mainsail) will have a single ignition
- Upper stage engines (e.g. Rhino) will have a small number of ignitions (air start to apogee, circularisation, injection burn)
- Service module engines (e.g. LV-909) will have many, but limited, ignitions e.g. 50
- Monopropellant and what would be hypergolic engines (e.g. LV-1R) will have unlimited ignitions, as they don't actually need igniters!
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Solid rocket booster thrust curves
- SRBs will have a thrust curve so thrust tails off as propellant is depleted
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Heat
- Many parts will now generate heat that must dealt with
- The 'hottest' parts will be crew modules. Expect your space stations to require radiators from now on!
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Power
- Power requirements for parts have been vastly increased, where appropriate.
- Crew modules and labs will be the main draw in your ships. You'll need batteries and power sources, scaled appropriately to the size of your vessel/station.