In Career Mode, I've noticed that the current launch cost calculation is rather simplistic, merely multiplying the total mass by a per-kilogram price for different launch sites. In reality, launch costs are influenced by a multitude of factors. While achieving complete realism may be challenging, I propose several enhancements:
Categorize Components with Individual Weightings:
Divide components into several categories such as Liquid (Cryogenic)/Water/Rare Gases/Solid Fuels for propellants, Liquid/Solid/Nuclear Thermal/Hall Effect engines, and Others, each with its own pricing factor. These factors could be in terms of /kg,/unit, or based on size/thrust. For instance, assign water a factor of 0.1, solid fuels 0.5, methane 1, liquid hydrogen 2, and liquid rocket engines 20. The weights should reflect handling complexities during launch preparations: refueling with an equal mass of liquid hydrogen is more challenging than with water, while "launching" an electric vehicle requires minimal preparation, thus should not incur the same costs as a rocket. This is a crude example and can be fine-tuned based on real-world dynamics.
*Base Price at Launch Sites: *
Instead of a uniform per-kilogram cost, each launch site should have a base price. The final cost would then be calculated by multiplying this base with the weighted values of all components used, summing these to get the true cost. This approach acknowledges that different sites might have varying operational costs or efficiencies affecting overall launch expenses.
”Variable Pricing Based on Size: *
Introduce a scaling factor for rockets exceeding a certain dimension, say 50 meters. Beyond this threshold, the base price could increase by a factor of 1.2 for every additional meter, reflecting the increased logistical challenges and infrastructure requirements for larger vehicles.
In summary, the suggestion is to align launch costs with the complexity of the launch process, where more challenging preparations result in higher costs. While this might introduce added complexity, even minor adjustments, such as revising the weighting between different fuel types, can significantly enhance gameplay realism and depth.
This suggestion has beentranslated by a large language model, and while it may harbor the occasional quirk or two, rest assured it's probably less baffling than if I attempted to translate it myself.