Time

[Leferd]

Something all the Infinity Engine games + the Fallouts have in common was a running world clock. Time passed, morning to night. You have clear day and night times with associated activities reserved for each period. Characters are fatigued and need their sleep period.

 

Recent games have done away with this. This has made things easier for both the player and developers alike and is more convenient for gameplay purposes. That said, I never got comfortable and in many ways, negatively affected immersion into the game world.

 

Let's do away with this convenience shall we?

 

 

[Gurkog]

The day/night cycles were a greta part of the older games. New ones feel less genuine without them. No cycle means the world feels less real and that hurts my suspension of disbelief... especially when the cycle is triggered by quest triggers instead of a natural progression.

[JWestfall]

The only recent RPG game I can think of that did away with running day-night cycle was DA2, are there others I'm (probably) forgetting about?

 

But I agree, cycles add 'mersion to the game, especially if NPCs respect that cycle with their activities.

[Leferd]

The only recent RPG game I can think of that did away with running day-night cycle was DA2, are there others I'm (probably) forgetting about?

 

But I agree, cycles add 'mersion to the game, especially if NPCs respect that cycle with their activities.

 

DA:O, ME1-3. Alpha Protocol, NWN2, VtM:B, KotORs, DS3 etc.,...pretty much most RPGs post Infinity Engine.

[eimatshya]

I'd prefer to have a running day/night cycle, but lack of one in the Neverwinter Nights and Dragon Age games has never really bothered me.

 

If they do include a running day/night cycle, I'd like to see them do something with it where certain areas become magical or dangerous at night (like the city of Daggerfall in Dagerfall or the Kithicor Forest in Everquest). Or where certain abilities work differently at night/some kinds of magic are more potent while others are weaker (e.g. magic that is influence by the sun is weaker at night while magic that is influenced by the moon is stronger and vice versa). Also, stealth should be easier at night (except against creatures that can see in the dark). I think this kind of thing builds immersion nicely.

[Nakia]

I like the day/night cycle. I did play DA:O but I also used the camp which gave the illusion of day/night. I have played TES games including Skyrim and they all have day/night cycles so I am accustom to it. Plus if I play a stealth character I really like it. Yes I want a day/night cycle.

[Odarbi]

"What a terrible night to have a curse"

 

I definitely have to agree that a running day/night cycle should exist, and that both day and night should affect things differently. Some monsters might be nocturnal and only come out at night. Wandering around at night in the cities might increase the risk of being attacked by bandits. Maybe there are certain buildings that can only be accessed at night. Maybe night is harder for the PC to deal with because of whatever the "supernatural event" they ended up finding themselves in. All kinds of things could happen that make night time different from daytime.

 

The passage of time is something that should have an effect on just about everything in the game. I really hope to see Obsidian make good use it.

Edited September 19, 2012 by Odarbi

[Leferd]

I especially liked Bodhi's quest line from BG2, and visiting the graveyard during after hours with vampires loose really creeped me out.

Edited September 19, 2012 by Leferd

[JWestfall]

DA:O, ME1-3. Alpha Protocol, NWN2, VtM:B, KotORs, DS3 etc.,...pretty much most RPGs post Infinity Engine.

 

Ah, forgot about DA:O and NWN2 (been a while) which are the only ones on that list that I've played. TW2, KoA, and Skyrim are the recent RPGs I've played and were the ones standing out in my brain.

 

Definitely agree, especially considering the Infinity Engine-ish nature of the project, which would be a good fit for time cycles.

 

As a side note, weather effects (and possibly gameplay affects) might be nice too...

[Shades]

It's also nice when NPCs have their own schedules, so say they say to meet the player at this area at a certain time. Sure it means you have to wait around a little, but I find that much better than instantly going to that area and having something happen. It gives you a feeling that the world around you is functioning by itself and not just catering to the player.

 

And yes, I'd like to see weather effects if possible too. I liked running around in the IE games and suddenly noticing that it had started raining or something. Gives variety to the environment (especially if you're going through an area more than once).

[descalabro]

I agree with this topic.

[ddillon]

I could be satisfied with the illusion of a day/night cycle as in DA:O (daytime while exploring/questing, nighttime while in camp).

 

Or I could be satisfied with a simple day/night system in which the player switches between day and night by camping outdoors or sleeping at either an inn or the player home (being presented with the option to "Sleep Until Daylight" or "Sleep Until Nightfall") to allow for quests that require the cover of night, thieving at night, characters who have become a vampire, etc.

 

If a day/night cycle in which in-game time passes as the game is played is implemented, please make time scale adjustable.

 

It is very annoying to me when in-game time passes very quickly in an RPG with day/night cycles. Among the first adjustments that I make to a Bethesda RPG is to open the console and set the timescale variable to 5 (which means that five minutes of in-game time pass for every one minute of real time; the default is a much faster progression of in-game time). It is very irritating to begin exploring at the beginning of an in-game day only to have night falling in-game after playing for 10-20 minutes of real time.

Edited September 24, 2012 by ddillon

[KhaineGB]

I'd like a proper day/night cycle.

 

I really dislike the fact that, in newer RPG's, the only benefit to sleeping is the fact you get bonus XP for being well rested. I'm sorry, but if I'd ran around for 16 hours with half the crap my character finds (which can be a couple of hundred pounds of gear), I'd be shattered and wanting my bed!

[Zephyr Falcon]

Skyrim is the only game with a day/night cycle that bothers me. Mainly because very time I went into a town to sell stuff it was midnight and the game forced me to press T and wait 8 hours and then watch the NPCs slowly walk to their market stalls. Plus Skyrim didn't offer a benefit from adventuring at night other than sneaking being slightly easier (which didn't matter in dungeons anyway).

The illusion of day and night in DA:O worked quite well for me.

[hideo kuze]

Not to ruin the party, but there are already 2 threads about this

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/60535-some-thoughts-on-urgency-consequences-and-parallel-non-linear-missions/

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/60235-urgency-please-have-it/

[ddillon]

Not to ruin the party, but there are already 2 threads about this

http://forums.obsidi...inear-missions/

http://forums.obsidi...please-have-it/

 

Those threads seem to be primarily about a sense of urgency rather than focusing on day/night cycle and time scale in the same sense as in this thread.

Edited September 24, 2012 by ddillon

[Theobeau]

Concur, a scripted day/night cycle would allow for increased immersion and for the devs the opportunity to put in time dependent missions or scenarios.

 

That said, should add in a proper wait system as certain quests in BG1 required the party to be at a certain place at dusk without putting into a place a system where you could easily wait.

 

Aside: As a modern RPG FO3 and F:NV both had a running day/night cycle and a easy way of waiting.