Standardized Game Time

[DubiousKB]

...  I know it's lame, I know it's weak-sauce, but it's also implemented minimally and without affecting game play at all! 

When you log into to select your arena, it it possible to slap a +/- UTC up?

SERVER TIME: 06:00 (-4 UTC), or 8:00PM Mountain, or 1:00AM Pacific,
EWMA
MWMA
LWMA
SEAI
SEAII

I mean with the memorial flights being planned, and our geographically wide subscribers, why don't we have an arena time stamp that each person can, at a glance, understand in-game times relative to the players geographical location.


(first world problems I know...)

[bustr]

IPhone, Android, Motorola.....sits next to your joystick.

[DubiousKB]

<--- almost missed frame 4 of last scenario due to my ineptitude in time zone conversion.   

I wish that a server time along with my local time would be displayed before entering an arena. I doubt it's very challenging to implement and would make "meeting times" easier to understand in-game.

This isn't a bid deal, just something that popped into my head Sir Bustr of Porkenstein. 

[ImADot]

Arena times are completely arbitrary and have no relationship to the real world...and each arena is different from each other. So converting time zone offsets is of no use to figure out what the arena time is. If someone is using arena time to coordinate such an event, it's worthless unless everyone is already in the same arena.

Also, when the in-game clock reaches "dusk", it instantly flips to "dawn"...making it even more different...not to mention if a map happens to change.

[Lusche]

Arena times are completely arbitrary and have no relationship to the real world...and each arena is different from each other. So converting time zone offsets is of no use to figure out what the arena time is.

I don't think he's talking about arena time, but server time.

[DubiousKB]

I don't think he's talking about arena time, but server time.

Yes, sorry didn't make that clear. Not on the in-game arena time, but rather a single point of time (the servers).  Just so that it is easy to determine your own UTC offset... Players would call out server times... If I log in and always see a +5hours offset based on my location, when someone calls for a memorial flight at server time 15:00, I know immediately that I need to be at my computer by 20:00 my time.

[guncrasher]

dubious that would only help if you are already logged in.  but for example tonights memorial is set for 9pm cst.  I have to look at my phone to figure out how many hours since I am on pst.  now it would make it more confusing because they would be giving "server time" which is kind of hard to look it up and convert it if I am not logged in.

in other words the server time would be pretty much useless to all unless they would be logged in.  and sometimes even confusing.  you would have to log in to figure out what 9pm cst is to convert it to "server time" then the rest of us would have to remember to convert it to "our time"......



semp

[pembquist]

what about just using UTC and 24 hour time?

[DubiousKB]

in other words the server time would be pretty much useless to all unless they would be logged in.... semp

I hadn't thought of that, perhaps synch'd with website, better yet, the scenario website, so anyone with internet access can check?

I see what you're saying, if i'm not at home in front of my gaming computer and logged into the server, I don't have that information.   hmmmm...  I just think any calculations would be easier if it was based off a single time rather than whomever is running said event.

It's sorta a half dozen one way and 6 to other I suppose. Maybe i just need a lesson on the little hand and big hand on an analog clock. 

[guncrasher]

well dubious if somebody says 9pm easter time, how much longer would it be to figure out that it's 6 pm pst.  then again dont forget that most of arizona doesnt observe daylight savings time. so now hitech need to coad something into the game and bb just to make it a little bit more complicated for most to save basically no time

 

semp

edit:  btw the bb shows your local time.

[DubiousKB]

I'm in one of those timezone which doesn't observe DST... That's why it gets to be a pain for me... Perhaps this is only an issue (not a big one mind you) for those of us that aren't "trying to save daylight"....

[kvuo75]

what about just using UTC and 24 hour time?

that makes too much sense..



however, i once had a squaddie who lived in england that didn't know his timezone was utc + 1 in summer

[bustr]

If it's that big of a problem, ahead of time use the internet to calculate when to show up. Then on your smart phone or your PC set an alarm to sound at some point before you need to login. Wives are often good for that since they seem to live by remembering dates and times that you forget to ding you for. Win7 lets me put up two clocks with different time zones. My smart phone lets me set future alarms.

Last time I tried to get Hitech to set your clock in the tower based on your PC's local time or at least Texas or Greenwich time when logged in. I have not heard back from him for a few years.

Isn't there a sense of this that you are trying to make Hitech responsible for your memory?

[DubiousKB]

...
Isn't there a sense of this that you are trying to make Hitech responsible for your memory?

I didn't believe so, my intent was to simplify the coordination of events for the end user. My rational is that if you can provide the end user with the tools necessary to participate at a glance AND it is not difficult to implement, why not?

The more I think about it, the more I realize it isn't that difficult to overcome. Just a pain in the bum...  Thus a wish was born.   

[guncrasher]

I didn't believe so, my intent was to simplify the coordination of events for the end user. My rational is that if you can provide the end user with the tools necessary to participate at a glance AND it is not difficult to implement, why not?

The more I think about it, the more I realize it isn't that difficult to overcome. Just a pain in the bum...  Thus a wish was born.   

i'ts pretty easy, here you go

http://www.timetemperature.com/tzus/time_zone.shtml


semp