[Warp to] Button (helpful for long missions)

[turkwinif]

I came up with an idea that would (probably) be easy to implement. I will discuss potential player-created problems, and how to prevent them, later on in this thread.

You know how a full mission from Kerbin to Eeloo currently takes over a year to complete? What if you could just instantly time warp to any point in your orbit with two simple clicks? It would work like this:

#1. Click anywhere on your orbital trajectory that is in your current SOI, as if you were making a maneuver node.

#2.Click on the [Warp to] option underneath [Add Maneuver] (use your imagination )

By using this action, I would imagine that there would be a brief loading screen before being deposited at where (or when?) you wished to warp to. Also, a few things to implement to prevent people from causing problems with this feature:

*You cannot time warp back in time.

If you click on your trajectory, but do nothing else and let your ship pass past the point you clicked on, there would be the potential to travel "back in time". I could see this causing issues.

*You cannot [Warp to] a time with you in a different SOI(..?).

This also includes not being able to [Warp to] the same SOI after your trajectory exits a SOI. For example, Kerbin-->Mun-->Kerbin. You cannot warp to the Mun or future Kerbin trajectory. I am debating with myself whether or not instantly warping to somewhere/when in a different SOI would cause problems.

*You cannot [Warp to] a point during or after a point in which your trajectory enters an atmosphere/planet.

Basically, you cannot use the [Warp to] option if you are in an atmosphere, during or after your trajectory enters an atmosphere, or if your trajectory goes through an object (planets, moons, suns, you get it). Maybe there would be a limit as to how low/high to a planet you could [Warp to] before it wouldn't be aloud (much like how the game slows down Time Warping if you get too close to a body).

The solution to all of these problems is for the game to detect if any of these problems are currently happening and to prevent the player from using [Warp to] by simply "greying out" the option (making it unclick-able).

So, what do you guys think? I am open to suggestions, criticism, and/or additional features/problems that this could have/cause. With it looking as if Squad is going to give us even moar planets and moons and stuff farther out in the future, I saw it necessary to at least post this idea onto the forums for other people to see.

Edited November 17, 2013 by turkwinif
Super-minor grammar edit.

[Dartonal]

I'm all for it! Sounds useful!

[boomerdog2000]

While it sounds like a good idea I would be worried about the physics not cooperating. It seems like you might get an effect similar to when you enter a new SOI at high warp and it messes with your trajectory also, wouldn't it have to take other ships into account? Ships which might be entering new SOIs.

[turkwinif]

While it sounds like a good idea I would be worried about the physics not cooperating. It seems like you might get an effect similar to when you enter a new SOI at high warp and it messes with your trajectory also, wouldn't it have to take other ships into account? Ships which might be entering new SOIs.

You've got a good point, but during the loading period, i.e. the transition from one time to another, the game would calculate/simulate where everything should be, just like it does when time warping. Think of this as super-fast time warping. But ya, I don't know what the game does when a ship that you're not 'controlling/in the physics bubble of' enters a different SOI.

I also don't know if the loading time would be longer or not with more ships and debris to simulate.

Sidenote, what would happen to a ship that would be on a collision course with a planet, then you switch to a different ship, and [Warp to] with that ship to a point in which the 1st ship was inside the planet O_o perhaps the game would stop you from using [Warp to] during the period in which the ship would be too close to or inside of the planet.

Edited November 17, 2013 by turkwinif
Sidenote business.

[bgraves]

There could be a problem with this. For example, if I had a 500km apoapsis and 2km periapsis around Kerbin, and was on the 500km and warped to the next apoapsis, I could just go straight through the supposed aerobraking and survive for several revolutions.

[turkwinif]

There could be a problem with this. For example, if I had a 500km apoapsis and 2km periapsis around Kerbin, and was on the 500km and warped to the next apoapsis, I could just go straight through the supposed aerobraking and survive for several revolutions.

I've touched on this problem already.

" *You cannot [Warp to] a point during or after a point in which your trajectory enters an atmosphere/planet.

Basically, you cannot use the [Warp to] option if you are in an atmosphere, during or after your trajectory enters an atmosphere, or if your trajectory goes through an object (planets, moons, suns, you get it). Maybe there would be a limit as to how low/high to a planet you could [Warp to] before it wouldn't be aloud (much like how the game slows down Time Warping if you get too close to a body). "

Edited November 17, 2013 by turkwinif
Minor grammar edit.

[vexx32]

I'm pretty sure this has been something Harvester has wanted to add ever since time warp was first introduced xD

[Thourion]

Im pretty sure I think, since we have the stock timewarp speeds that can go only up to a set limit, and the help of mods like mechjeb (has a warp until x feat) or Hyperedit, that whatever could be done for time warp with the current game engine ability is done.

The problem with your idea, is of course Physics and Positional calculations for all Celestial bodies and crafts. Basically the game engine cannot insta-teleport you on rails, meaning following your trajectory through time, and at the same time move every movable game object through theirs instantly, and even if it can you will need a hell of a computer for the above calculations.

Hyperedit mod for example just teleports you, but does not affect universe time at all, leaving the other objects at their present location.

And of course with all that said, its the retorical question that matters. If you are satisfied with the current warping speeds then theres no need for your idea. If you are not satisfied and want to just blink in your destination, then just use a mod like Hyperedit, and dont worry to much about the loss of simulation (of course because the other objects stayed where they were before you hyper).

And of course lets not forget about some mods that make use of warp drives, so you can basically travel somewhere faster, using the stock warp speeds along, but yeah.

Edited November 17, 2013 by Thourion
My "Im pretty sure" intro, was ninja'd by Vexx. Raises fist to the sky, and runs for cover.

[Captain_Party]

3 words. Kerbal. Alarm. Clock.

[turkwinif]

3 words. Kerbal. Alarm. Clock.

Oh believe me, I use Kerbal Alarm Clock.

Im pretty sure I think, since we have the stock timewarp speeds that can go only up to a set limit, and the help of mods like mechjeb (has a warp until x feat) or Hyperedit, that whatever could be done for time warp with the current game engine ability is done.

The problem with your idea, is of course Physics and Positional calculations for all Celestial bodies and crafts. Basically the game engine cannot insta-teleport you on rails, meaning following your trajectory through time, and at the same time move every movable game object through theirs instantly, and even if it can you will need a hell of a computer for the above calculations.

Hyperedit mod for example just teleports you, but does not affect universe time at all, leaving the other objects at their present location.

And of course with all that said, its the retorical question that matters. If you are satisfied with the current warping speeds then theres no need for your idea. If you are not satisfied and want to just blink in your destination, then just use a mod like Hyperedit, and dont worry to much about the loss of simulation (of course because the other objects stayed where they were before you hyper).

And of course lets not forget about some mods that make use of warp drives, so you can basically travel somewhere faster, using the stock warp speeds along, but yeah.

Yeah, that's the one main problem that I see with my idea, I agree with you.

From what I've read and seen, it seems as if Squad wants to add more planets even farther out than Jool and Eeloo later in development. I just thought that maybe an even faster time warp or my idea would cut down on wait times a ton.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/29807-Planet-Ideas-And-Names-For-The-Future-Of-Kerbal-Space-Program?p=447959&viewfull=1#post447959

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Gas_planet_2

Edited November 17, 2013 by turkwinif
"later in development" added.

[boomerdog2000]

One thing I just thought of. Wouldn't a teleport to x function kind of ruin the feeling of how far those planets really are? When you're watching your interplanetary missions, possible doing others closer to Kerbin with KAC helping, it really feels like the kerbals are way out there. Travelling for a long time may be somewhat boring but it seems within the feel of the game to me.

[Thourion]

Well my guess for the above expansions of the system, along with implementation of another Solar system maybe in the future, is like i said above some kind of warp drive engines. Much like how Interstellar mod has it atm.

You drive with crazy speeds, in order to get you there fast (and it is fast, just not instant), but you still have to make up for the difference in velocity once you arrive, that way it takes out the cheat illusion.

That way, you dont have to bother with game braking physics, since everything around flows like normal, its not some magic insta port like Hyperedit, and of course you still need the planning for the resources required, and crafts design.

So i bet that when the time comes to introduce further expansion of the game, Squad will have already something up on their sleeves, it could be anything from warp engines, to black holes to space gates , cosmic higways and such. Because yeah in the end nobody likes to watch a blip running at 100000000000x time accel to reach the most outer body for half an hour heh.

EDIT: I just saw the above post from boomer, and yeah i agree that instaport without any other "labor" takes away much of the game. But the thing is, without Life Support resources, without any accidents either engineering or cosmical, then after you done the trip to Eeloo for the 20th time, it starts to get old. Now imagine that for bodies even further.

Edited November 17, 2013 by Thourion

[Dun Kirk]

I'd like a jump function or at least an alarm clock.

Plenty of games have load times....

I don't see how there are not natural zones, either you are around Jool, around the Sun or around Kerbin.

If I want to go to Jool, only calc Jool and jump, if I want to go away, then "loading screen: hey you wanted to time warp bub, you could of waited but Noooooooo :P"

[DancZer]

I like the idea because sometimes i press accelerate instead of decelerate. It would be enough something like "warp to next maneuver node" like in mechjeb.