Limited Reverse Time-Warp

[Sevant]

I got this idea from a post by Queeg.

Occasionally I find that I accidentally go past a maneuver node while I'm in high time warp, and the result is sometimes catastrophic to my chances of completing an orbital intercept. Rather than reloading to the last save point, it might be useful to have an option to time warp in reverse, or to revert to the beginning of the last time-warp.

Notes:

1) Reverse time warp would be impossible with physics warps (i.e. warps in atmosphere or started with the alt key) due to the fact that a player can control their craft during such warps.

2) Reverse time warping could only be allowed up to the start of the last time-warp period, since that is the only guaranteed period in which the player could not control their craft.

3) An option to undo a time warp period would probably require a quicksave at the beginning of every time warp--that may not be desirable.

4) In my mind, implementing reverse time warping should be easy. That said, I'm naive and have no idea what the source code looks like, so my convictions on the subject aren't worth a magic bean.

P.S. I am fully aware of Mechjeb's warp manager which eliminates the problem of warping past a maneuver node. It's great; I love it; this suggestion is for vanilla.

[r4pt0r]

i feel a better/easier idea would be making the game automatically stop warp within 4 minutes of a node. seeing as the game already tracks the t-minus _____ to node, i think this might be a simpler workaround. the 4 minute window would work for all but ion burns.

edit: and before someone mentions kerbal alarm clock or any other mod, these suggestions(as OP stated) are for stock.

[technicalfool]

Could be useful.

Rocket impacts Mun at 3,000m/s.

Rewind. Play.

Rocket impacts Mun at 3,000m/s.

Rewind. Play.

Rocket impacts Mun at 3,000m/s.

Rewind. Play.

Hehehehehe...

[Kasuha]

There are things that cannot be correctly (or simply) undone by reversing time warp.

- even during time warp, ship's energy consumption and battery charge is simulated. In TAC, the level of life support is AFAIK simulated as well.

- unattended ships disappear when they get too close to surface

- SOI boundary passing code is not very precise so the trajectory of the ship after passing the boundary is affected by the ship's speed and the level of time warp. Time warping backwards through that would introduce further errors.

I think the vanilla game should provide some equivalent of Kerbal Alarm Clock instead.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Kasuha

[technicalfool]

So how does any game manage to implement a replay feature?

Can the last (say) 20 seconds of game state not be stored in a buffer and rewound through? Play it like an animation, then when the animation stops, restore all relevant variables to the state they were at time - x, where time - x is the point where you stop the rewind.

I know it's not realistic, but dammit, it would sure be fun, in a kind of Danny2462 way. Could have some kind of researchable high-tech part as an unlock mechanism for the feature. Call it the Lazarus Module or something. Maybe have it so it only affects the current vessel, rather than the entire game state.

Yes, yes, quicksaves are already a built-in Lazarus Module but.. "rewind, re-explode" is too awesome an idea to not mention.