Suggestion: Time Warp in Multiplayer - How it can be done

[jclovis3]

I was just thinking about multiplayer and how time warp would or could be affected. I used to think time warp would just not be allowed in multiplayer, but then I came up with an idea that I think can work and players can rejoice.

First off, I understand there will be a four-player maximum, so this shouldn’t take too long for them all to partake in the process. Initiating a time warp will not be an instant action unless you are the only player. If there are other players, then the process turns to a request to warp and you have to specify a time stamp to end at. This request is proposed to each player who will have an opportunity to deny the request (any denial will deny the warp) or propose an earlier time to stop. When all requests have been responded to, the warp will proceed to the earliest stop time authorized. The warp speed will be the lowest safe warp for each player’s-controlled ship situation and can still automatically increase or decrease as normal. Any player may abort the time warp while in warp.

This also means that at no time can a player just increase the current game speed with the warp bar at the bottom and this UI element would be non-interactable. The methods of requesting a warp-to moment can be from any orbital line (conical) like the current warp-to point method, or it can be from a new button on the warp bar to open a dialog for setting the stop time. This will actually be helpful in single player as well.

Additionally, and only if this makes sense, you can include in the warp request a starting time-stamp as well so all players will have a chance to prepare for it or coordinate a group action.

Thoughts? Opinions?

[LarcasanKerman]

The problem with that might be that all the small time warps will be quite difficult since everybody must approve the time warp. 
 

And when you think about it you don’t want to wait for everybody every time you want to time warp, especially if you have to do time warps very often

 

I don’t want to be the person who instantly says no to this and still think you are on to something but there is still some problems left

it is a good idea though 

[Abelinoss]

In Nate's AMA he somewhat covered how this is going to work:

Quote

Can we get anything in writing related to the planned structure/function of multiplayer within the game, and how you plan to work around certain speedbumps like time warp or two player craft docking (I.e. where is the processing for this done?)?

Generally we try to not talk much about multiplayer but let me give you something:

People will have separate timelines and then there will be a reconciliation phase when the players interact with each other. That's the plan right now but I also can't speak directly to the details of this feature - future comms coming!

That being said, it is widely agreed upon that a 'vote for timewarp' will not happen, as that just doesn't work.
I may want to timewarp 1000 years to go to another star, while you might want to timewarp 3 months for a Duna transfer window. Obviously that is just going to interfere and won't work.

Edited December 28, 2023 by Abelinoss

[hatterson]

1 hour ago, Abelinoss said:

In Nate's AMA he somewhat covered how this is going to work:

That being said, it is widely agreed upon that a 'vote for timewarp' will not happen, as that just doesn't work.
I may want to timewarp 1000 years to go to another star, while you might want to timewarp 3 months for a Duna transfer window. Obviously that is just going to interfere and won't work.

Based on OPs suggestion your scenario would work by only fast forwarding 3 months since that was the furthest future point that all players agreed to.

[DailyFrankPeter]

It can also be solved by:

1) auto-warp - time warp is allowed automatically (or even enabled, like a screensaver, automatically) if every player stays put in their capsule/seat, and is interrupted automatically if any of them is doing something (for @Abelinoss' extreme example it would mean the Duna transfer player will complete essentially their whole mission without the interstellar player ever needing to be at their keyboard, and at some point Kerbals returned from Duna will go idle back at the KSC, at which point the universe will time warp a 1000 years to the interstellar player's maneuver alarm clock)
2) warp master - picking a commander who will control it exclusively (which could be a whole bunch of fun in its own right, because teams will have to communicate and there will be more opportunity for Kerbal goof ups)

Edited January 19 by DailyFrankPeter