The current engine presets are very limited and poorly configured for their perceived intended roles.
This suggestion aims to create a set of engines that encompasses most fuel types and three roles: booster, sustainer, and upper stage. The set should satisfy all user needs with only resizing and no other modifications to part properties in order to be of use to players who have no idea how to configure their engines.
Overview
Overhauled original engine presets
Apex Engine
Role: Booster
Description: It is heavy, expensive, and drinks RP-1 like there is no tomorrow. But, it will have the power to get even your most poorly engineered contraptions into space.
Inspiration: F-1
Mage Engine
Role: Sustainer
Description: Powerful engine that can be used for takeoff and orbiting. Not a great choice for landing on moons.
Inspiration: N/A
Pixie Engine
Role: Upper stage
Description: Low power engine useful for upper stages and landing on small planetary bodies.
Inspiration: N/A
LABM
Role: Booster
Description: An extremely powerful solid rocket motor. Brute forces its usefulness through sheer power with no concern for efficiency whatsoever.
Inspiration: Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster
Titan Engine
Role: Sustainer
Description: Powerful and efficient engine using hydrolox and staged combustion.
Inspiration: RS-25/SSME
Dragon Engine
Role: Upper stage
Description: Highly efficient nuclear thermal engine. Warning: Do not lick.
Inspiration: N/A
Breeze Engine
Role: Upper stage
Description: This engine is not about power, but about precision. Capable of small orbit and attitude adjustments, this engine is a must in any deep space mission.
Inspiration: N/A
New engine presets
Solid Rocket Motor
Role: Booster
Description: Powerful and cheap, but inefficient. Cannot be shut down once ignited.
Inspiration: AJ-60
Star Solid Rocket Motor
Role: Upper Stage
Description: A solid rocket motor for cheap upper stages to hurl payload far beyond low orbit.
Inspiration: Star
Gamayun Engine
Role: Sustainer
Description: A powerful kerolox engine so efficient that it was thought to be impossible.
Inspiration: RD-191
Elemental Engine
Role: Booster
Description: A simpler and cheaper hydrolox engine than the Titan engine.
Inspiration: RS-68
Siren Engine
Role: Sustainer
Description: A unique aerospike engine aimed to be efficient both at sea level and in a vacuum. Very pointy.
Inspiration: XRS-2200
Illustionary Engine
Role: Upper stage
Description: A powerful yet cheap hydrolox engine designed to operate in a vacuum. However, the efficiency leaves more to be desired.
Inspiration: J-2
Spirit Engine
Role: Upper stage
Description: One of the most efficient liquid engines. Optimized for small upper stages.
Inspiration: RL-10
Mythica Engine
Role: Sustainer
Description: A sophisticated methalox engine with great efficiency and a matching cost to go with it.
Inspiration: Raptor
An unlisted craft with all the engine presets.
This suggestion relies on the implementation of making engines more tolerant to overexpansion and preferably with increasing underexpansion of rocket engines in vacuum.
Note: the Mythica Engine somehow ends up being cheaper than the Titan engine despite having approximately the same thrust and a much more complicated engine cycle. Some balancing may be needed.
Also for solid fuel engines to have the ability of igniting then shutting down and igniting automatically after some time to change into a sustainer grain type more know as a Pulsed Solid Rocket.
More info here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulsedrocketmotor