IronMan Mode (Encrypted Save)

[Probus]

Just imagine how exciting your launches would be if you knew there was no way to get a "Do-over".

I would like to request that one of you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed modders create an "IronMan" mod that saves often AND encrypts your save. Something like SRL but on steroids. In fact, maybe even starting with SRL and adding encryption.

The mod would have to save often and also when any "event" happens including when parts explode, screen changes, etc... This would be to reduce the usefulness of ALT-F4 to get yourself out of a pickle.

I'm tellin' ya. KSP gets more stable every month. Now may be the time to do it.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Probus

[raidernick]

Why would a modder waste the time doing something like this. The user could simply exercise some self control and "not" revert or reload.

[Kerbart]

What is this "saving" you are talking about?

[Probus]

Why would a modder waste the time doing something like this. The user could simply exercise some self control and "not" revert or reload.

Some of us don't have the stoic self-control you speak of. We need a bit of help.

[sumghai]

Encrypted saves would not only prevent you from seeking support (e.g. a few line edits to fix the stock undocking bug), but may also interfere with other plugins that modify savefiles to add features/scenarios (e.g. TextureReplacer writes its settings to savegame files).

You could, of course, argue that the encrypting system could simply provide a means for other plugins to decrypt/re-encrypt the savegame to read/write necessary data, but distributing the encryption method kind of defeats the purpose of an unhackable Iron Man-mode savegame.

[Luna-Industries]

I've thought about this before. Perhaps instead of trying to encrypt the save game, just disable reverting to launch and quickloading on launch of a new craft. Might be more feasible.

Whenever I imagine such a thing, though, it has a "simulate" option. This mode allows revert to launch, quickloads, etc, only the second you go to the space centre or attempt to recover the vessel, it reverts to vehicle assembly.

The latter portion might be more "tin man" and unfeasible, but I've always thought it sounded cool.

[windows_x_seven]

I don't see this as useful, you can simply disable reverts and quicksaving/loading.

[Probus]

I don't see this as useful, you can simply disable reverts and quicksaving/loading.

There are too many ways around that windows_x_seven.

[Malah]

I don't see this as useful, you can simply disable reverts and quicksaving/loading.

Have you already play without revert/quickload? When we have the revert, many of our launches are just simulations to try if what we have made work ... without revert, your vessel needs to be perfect at the first launch ... sometime it's quite difficult to do it (NASA never launches a vessel without the thought that it is perfect).

But on an opensource mod, it is useless to have an encryption for the savegame, there will always be an solution to edit your savegame encrypted or not.

And the other idea to fork SRL and to add it new features is a bad idea, as I've said on the official topic, SRL needs to be rewrite from scratch to really be usefull ... And now there is the HoloDock mod which will be a better SRL.

(But if you want to fork SRL, you can, it's a GPL lisense).

[sarbian]

And what would you stop you from restoring a previous copy of the save ? Encryption is a mean to stop 3rd party to read something not a mean to stop you from reading your own stuff...

[Probus]

And what would you stop you from restoring a previous copy of the save ? Encryption is a mean to stop 3rd party to read something not a mean to stop you from reading your own stuff...

You are right sarbian. Really I mean writing your save as a binary. As with all software solutions, there is usually a way around it. But if you are trying to play in ironman mode and just need a little help with your willpower (we can't all be raidernicks) this would be handy to have.

[Probus]

Well, Its been almost a year and with the release of 1.1 I thought I would broach this subject again.  Are we close enough now for a brave modder to take up this cause and create an Ironman Mod?  Please vote.