Supplement "Revert to Launch/Spawn" with "Revert to Liftoff"

[tntristan12]

Have you ever noticed that, no matter what, revert to launch and revert to VAB/SPH are almost always a couple of seconds apart? Have you ever wondered what the point of having those two options are? Well, the way I see it, this could be resolved very easily. If you instead have Revert to Launch be Revert to Liftoff, then instead of reverting back to the time when the spacecraft loaded, you would revert back to the time when you pressed the spacebar to liftoff. The game already makes a distinction between landed and not landed, so that's a trivial matter!

But what do you benefit? Well, if you are timing a launch window a certain way, you may have to fast forward for a long time in order to get there. If you then mess up and have to revert back to launch, you'll need to fast forward all over again! If you made a mistake in fast forwarding, you could revert to VAB then click launch, or add an intermediate option revert to spawn that functions pretty much how revert to launch does now. See how such a simple change would fix two problems at once? You'd fix the silliness of having too respawn options mere seconds apart, and you'd save some players the frustration of having to fast forward to tricky launch windows.

You're welcome!

EDIT: If you haven't launched yet, this revert to liftoff just would not appear.

Edited May 13, 2014 by tntristan12
changed the title to satisfy some people.

[xEvilReeperx]

and you'd save some players the frustration of having to fast forward to tricky launch windows.You're welcome!

Quicksave 10 seconds before you launch

[Kasuha]

The difference between revert to launch and revert to VAB is pressing that one green button in upper right corner and one substantial delay on scene change. So I think they are sufficiently far apart from each other. Revert to launch would probably mean revert to the moment when MET time starts ticking, but in case of SPH, your plane may be way off its initial position or zero speed at that point. So if that should be introduced, then I would suggest introducint it as a third revert option rather than replacement of one of the two.

[The Destroyer]

Eh... my big lifter designs would fail if that changed, as sometimes I might launch it wrong. If this was the way it was implemented, I would have to revert to VAB, then Launch.

[tntristan12]

So if that should be introduced, then I would suggest introducint it as a third revert option rather than replacement of one of the two.

If this was the way it was implemented, I would have to revert to VAB, then Launch.

I'll just leave this here.

...or add an intermediate option revert to spawn that functions pretty much how revert to launch does now.

[Superfluous J]

I like this. I see no reason why it'd ever hurt and the obvious reason it'd be useful was pointed out in the first post.

[Red Iron Crown]

It's a good idea, I'm just not sure how it would work. I don't think you want to revert to an already launched rocket (i.e. revert point just after pressing space to launch), as that would preclude fixing some of the reasons you might want to revert like incorrect first stage setup. Ideally, it would save just before you launch, but how would the game know to do this? It would have to be setting revert points constantly until you pull the trigger.

The functionality that is described can be done with quicksave, though that doesn't happen automatically, you have to remember to do it.

As for why have the existing two options, Revert to Launch and Revert to VAB, I think the usefulness there is in reduced loading time. If I just messed up something in the ascent, I don't need to load up the VAB again just to hit launch and leave it immediately. If the design needs some refinement, I don't need the launch scene to load up and physics to kick in before I load up the VAB to fix the rocket.

[tntristan12]

It's a good idea, I'm just not sure how it would work. I don't think you want to revert to an already launched rocket (i.e. revert point just after pressing space to launch), as that would preclude fixing some of the reasons you might want to revert like incorrect first stage setup. Ideally, it would save just before you launch, but how would the game know to do this? It would have to be setting revert points constantly until you pull the trigger.

I see no reason why it couldn't simply record the time when you hit space, and then respawn you on the launchpad at that time. It's not exactly the same thing as a quickload, which would do what you were describing.

The functionality that is described can be done with quicksave, though that doesn't happen automatically, you have to remember to do it.

See previous.

As for why have the existing two options, Revert to Launch and Revert to VAB, I think the usefulness there is in reduced loading time. If I just messed up something in the ascent, I don't need to load up the VAB again just to hit launch and leave it immediately. If the design needs some refinement, I don't need the launch scene to load up and physics to kick in before I load up the VAB to fix the rocket.

That's why I advocate the intermediate option, "revert to spawn"

[coolitic]

How about no?

Some people do things with their ship before launch.

[neamerjell]

I have read both sides of the argument and both have good points. Given the divided opinion on this suggestion, perhaps this would be best implemented as a mod. That way, the people who want it can have it, and the people who don't want it aren't forced to live with it.

[tntristan12]

How about no?

Some people do things with their ship before launch.

I fail to see how my suggestion in any way prevents that.

[Dodgey]

Just put a third button there. Problem solved.

[tntristan12]

Just put a third button there. Problem solved.

Indeed. Okay so I'm gonna change the title now so people stop thinking I want to get rid of the revert to launch option altogether.

[Superfluous J]

How about no?

Some people do things with their ship before launch.

This is exactly WHY I want this button. I have a ship with 3 chairs and a 3-man capsule. Every launch, I have to EVA the 3 Kerbals from the capsule and board the 3 chairs. If I revert to launch, I lose all that work. This button, to be any benefit whatsoever, would instead revert to how the ship was right before liftoff.

In that way it does work exactly like hitting F5 before launch, only you don't have to remember. Which works fine for me because my memory is garbage.