Feedback talk:User/Wazwolf/Day Night Time Cycle

My concern with any day/night sequence that is timed in whole hours is that the day/night times will always fall at the same real time each day. This then penalizes casual players who may only be able to play from 4 PM to 6 PM, for example. They will always be stuck in either a day or night cycle.

By timing the cycle asynchronously with a 24 hour day, the day/night cycles will not occur at the same time in any two consecutive days. Thus - at some point - the casual player logging on from 4 PM to 6 PM will have the opportunity to play the game both during a day cycle and during a night cycle.

I think that's why ArenaNet has made the cycles the length that they are; to ensure everyone gets the opportunity to experience both day and night in the game regardless of when you log on. This isn't to say there isn't room for changing those lengths to something else; they just can't be done in whole hour blocks of time, is all. Guild Wars 3 perhaps 23:38, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

I know that some players don't have that much time to play, but I agree. I think the cycle is too short. Two hours each seems like a reasonable amount of time for day/night. I suppose if ArenaNet wanted it shorter, they could have it at one and a half hours each or so... Weindrasi 01:10, 20 August 2011 (UTC)Weindrasi

On further reflection, I notice that even one and half hours wouldn't work to solve the problem noted above. Whatever fraction of an hour is used, it has to be a number of minutes that does not evenly divide into 60. Otherwise, in 24 hours, it still winds up bringing you back to the same starting point on the following day with the day/night cycles unchanged.

Even ArenaNet's cycle of 80 minutes of day and 40 minutes of night doesn't break the cycle because 80 minutes is one hour and 20 minutes. Twenty minutes evenly divides into 60 three times. Again, we're back to the day/night cycles starting and ending at the exact same time each day.

But your suggestion of one and half hours comes close. At one hour and 25 minute intervals, the day/night cycle advances 5 minutes each day. For example, if an in-game night cycle starts at 12 AM and lasts until 1:25 AM, 17 days later that will reverse; 12 AM to 1:25 AM will be an entire day cycle. Likewise, though I haven't mapped it out, I'm guessing one hour and 29 minutes would advance the cycle 9 minutes each day. Guild Wars 3 perhaps 02:08, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

True. I wasn't taking that factor into account. But yeah, something around an hour and a half that would allow for the time variation you're talking about. Weindrasi 02:31, 20 August 2011 (UTC)Weindrasi

I noticed this as well, but I thought even if they offset the day/night cycle from actual time, it would cause more harm than good. Players would not know when to coordinate for certain quests. For example, a few quests will be taking place in-game when dawn breaks. It helps to know predictably when the game-time will be. The other issue is most casual players seem to not be set in a specific time frame every day. They may only have 4 hours to play in a week, but not at any set day nor time. If the game-time is randomly rotating around our time, they might end up getting a string of the same times. It seems it would be better to know exactly what the game-time would be. Also, if they did it in blocks like I mentioned, or some variant on that, the game-time would flip every other day predictably. That way, it solves the issues of casual players not set in any certain time-frame, along with those that might have a very set time-frame to play, like 7pm-8pm only on Thursdays and Fridays.

I was more about only suggesting a longer cycle than what they are currently thinking. The rest of the details were just trying to place myself in others shoes, so to speak. I tried to imagine all the reasons why a short cycle versus a longer cycle would be beneficial, and then try to apply those benefits to a longer one. Same with the flipping time every other day. Plus, I kinda like the idea of a double block of time to cause the flip, that ArenaNet could end up using later down the line. It wouldn't really be noticed, so it could be ignored like it isn't any different than the rest of the game day and then not used. Or it could be a story gimmick to have some temporal anomaly that can be used in an expansion later, and for now as a small event opportunity. I actually have no preference for the idea, just wanted to provide a plausible reason why it could work and how it could be explained. I simply want a longer cycle, so as not to notice the night fly by in the course of one quest. Wazwolf 22:13, 25 August 2011 (UTC)

Agreed about not wanting to see the night fly by in the course of one quest or dynamic event. That would ruin immersion for me personally.

Also, based on what you wrote above, regardless of what the actual time blocks will be, I think it would be helpful if ArenaNet added some form of in-game clock. It doesn't have to be actual numbers; even just a mini sundial or a tiny sun and moon icon that visibly rotate positions. This way players can gauge when the next day or night cycle will be starting or ending so they can decide if they have time enough to engage in a dynamic event that is dependant on day or night. Guild Wars 3 perhaps 23:48, 25 August 2011 (UTC)