Thruster Upgrades

Adds two balanced higher tier thrusters with enhanced efficiency, larger fuel storages and significantly more thrust (MK2 for mid-game and MK3 for late-game). Thruster upgrades can be unlocked before Aquilo. You can also make thrusters symmetric and increase thruster fuel/oxidizer fuel value to get more thrust.

Main concept

Thrusters are not like many other entities in the game. They do not have module slots and do not have alternatives where it comes to long distance space traveling. Game inevitably leads player to build wide space platforms that doesn't allow to construct large space platforms without significant speed losses or to build thrusters over thrusters that looks terrible. This mod tries to solve this problem and give alternative to default approach.

New technologies

• Thruster MK2, unlocks after:
  • Metallurgic science pack;
  • Agricultural science pack;
  • Efficiency module 2;
  • Productivity module 2;
• Thruster MK3, unlocks after:
  • Thruster MK2;
  • Efficiency module 3;
  • Productivity module 3;
  • Electromagnetic science pack;

New entities

• Thruster MK2:
  • Intended to be played in mid-game;
  • Production is not cheap but reasonable;
  • Max filling efficiency: 61%;
  • Max fuel consumption: 340%;
  • Fuel storage volume (fuel and oxidizer): 2.0k;
  • Max thrust: 207 MN;
• Thruster MK3:
  • Intended to be played in late-game;
  • Production is expensive;
  • Max filling efficiency: 81%;
  • Max fuel consumption: 500%;
  • Fuel storage volume (fuel and oxidizer): 3.0k;
  • Max thrust: 405 MN;

Additional features

• Vanilla thruster can now be upgraded to Thruster MK2 with Upgrade planner;
• Thruster MK2 can be upgraded to Thruster MK3 with Upgrade planner;
• Thruster, Thruster MK2 and Thruster MK3 fluid boxes can be set symmetrical for more convenience (see "Enable thruster fluid box symmetry" in settings);
• Thruster fuel/oxidizer fuel value can be adjusted. It allows to get more thrust from the same amount of fuel/oxidizer burned (BE CAREFUL WHEN ADJUSTING!);

Existing saves

• Mod changes:
  • Default Thruster "next_upgrade" property;
  • Can change Thruster fluid box positions (see "Enable thruster fluid box symmetry" setting);
  • Can change Thruster fuel/oxidizer "fuel_value" property (see "Enable thruster fuel/oxidizer fuel value adjustment" setting);
• Mod does not change vanilla entity or item properties except ones described over. Mod is mostly safe for using with existing save but it is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to make backup before installing OR updating mod version (new major versions contain changes that break backward compatibility);

Compatibility

• Works well with Quality mod;

Contacts

Would be glad to get suggestions for further mod improvements, bugfixes, etc. on my GitHub.