Day Night time - Page 2

Toppopia · 2012-05-18, 07:45 PM

Nights/days would have to be longer than 3 hours to beable to effectively plan a night assault or else its almost a waste of time. Maybe go up to 5 since thats an odd number ofr 24 so then each real life day the game day shifts by 1 hour.

Vancha · 2012-05-18, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by Gonefshn

what sort of person would refuse to play nights they look amazing!

But yea I see your point I mean 5 hours is good too if I had to say another time. See I'll probably have really long play times so id personally like it really long when I said 3 I was thinking more realistically about what makes sense for other people who might not play as long

Originally Posted by Toppopia

Nights/days would have to be longer than 3 hours to beable to effectively plan a night assault or else its almost a waste of time. Maybe go up to 5 since thats an odd number ofr 24 so then each real life day the game day shifts by 1 hour.

Read my last post's edit. 5 hours works well day to day, but week to week it's a logistical nightmare.

Xyntech · 2012-05-18, 07:52 PM

I'm actually thinking that night combat looks good enough that there won't be a lot of complaints if someone randomly ends up playing all daytime or all nightime for a few short play sessions in a row.

And as I said, if they set it up right, just go to another continent that is in your preferred time of day.There will probably be at least one decent night battle and one decent day battle most of the time.

Edit: While predictability has it's own downsides, having a consistent week cycle would probably have a lot more good than bad going for it. Good call Vancha, I now support 7 hour days. Especially since that would mean players who prefer one time of day wouldn't constantly be getting chased away from fights because of their preference.

They could set up moon cycles to be predictable that way too. Turn a week into Planetsides version of a lunar month.

Or since there are multiple moons, have the largest moon go through a complete cycle once every week, and have some of the smaller moons go through their cycles in something like 2 or 4 weeks.

Gonefshn · 2012-05-18, 07:55 PM

I'd say different time zones and possibly even different lengths of day/night on different continents will totally make this a non issue.

Vancha · 2012-05-18, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by Gonefshn

I'd say different time zones and possibly even different lengths of day/night on different continents will totally make this a non issue.

Aw come on, join the 7-hour club. You know you want to.

WaryWizard · 2012-05-18, 08:48 PM

As I stated some time back in the darker nights thread, 7 hour days (sunrise to sunrise) is probably the best. A 4 hour length from sunrise to sunset with a 3 hour length from sunset to sunrise. Any shorter and the night becomes just a nice little annoying feature. If it were to be a 9 hour day cycle it would probably be a little too long, but I could see it working. However, having it reset every 9 days instead of every week would be a little awkward. If you were to get on every day at the same time for a full week, the in-game time would be different every time you get on.It would take a full week for the time cycle to reset.

This would be beneficial to those that can only play fro a few hours now and then. They wouldn't be stuck playing only at sunset every time they log on.

Since it would take 7 days for the day night cycle to reset, you could consider 1 Auraxian month be equal to one real week.

TLDR: In my opinion 7 hour to 9 hour day lengths(sunrise to sunrise) is what I consider acceptable. It should be a prime whole number to allow a nice schedule.

capiqu · 2012-05-18, 11:32 PM

I'm for 4 six hour cycles. with at least 2 hours of evening, night and dawn . Point I want to see all that pretty tracer fire.

Vancha · 2012-05-18, 11:59 PM

Originally Posted by capiqu

I'm for 4 six hour cycles. with at least 2 hours of evening, night and dusk. Point I want to see all that pretty tracer fire.

So people who played from say, 9:30pm - 11:30pm every day would only ever experience darkness and dawn? Did you read the thread?

SixShooter · 2012-05-19, 12:42 AM

With my work schedule I will pretty much be playing the same time each day. I like a 5 hour cycle for the randomness (I know not actually random but over 5 weeks it would feel that way more than a 7 day would). I think anything less than 5 hours would be too short.

Ohaunlaim · 2012-05-19, 12:54 AM

If a seven hour day/night is in effect. Then those of us only able to play once a week at a set time will be experiencing the same in-game time every time we play.

WaryWizard · 2012-05-19, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by Ohaunlaim

If a seven hour day/night is in effect. Then those of us only able to play once a week at a set time will be experiencing the same in-game time every time we play.

well if you want to be like that, make it 9 hour cycle then. It would reset every 9 days, and would be a little more random than a 7 hour. I was wanting 7 hour because it is easy to keep track of. ex: I know that if I get on at X every Monday it will be at sunrise. Where as a 9 hour one would feel more random. If it starts on a Monday it will reset on the next Tuesday, then the Wednesday after that etc. If it were a 5 hour cycle that started on a Monday, it would reset on that Friday, then the upcoming Wednesday, then Monday etc.

That's when it would reset, but then you need to look at it at the day's length. In a 9 hour cycle day would last 5 hours and night would be 4 hours. That would be the longest I'd want it. A 5 hour cycle would be 3 hour day and 2 hour night. That seems to short to me. A 7 hour cycle would be 4 hour days and 3 hour night. That is a good number to me. It isn't short to the point of not even bothering, and it isn't too long that it doesn't feel like time isn't passing.

IMMentat · 2012-05-19, 10:53 AM

As long as the in-game time is different every time I log in for a quick fight each monday dinnerbreak (if only), I will be content.
If its on a regular schedule it will get predictably boring, if night doesn't last long enough, it will be pointless. If TB takes his time and releases the 90 minutes of footage in chunks in the usual honest (if sometimes inaccurate) voice-over I will squee.

Gonefshn · 2012-05-19, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by Vancha

Aw come on, join the 7-hour club. You know you want to.

I didn't think I was cool enough.

Wanderer · 2012-05-19, 11:51 AM

From memory, many MMOs with a Day/Night cycle take a "short Night" design, but in the case of PS2 I would prefer it to be even, simply because there is equal fun in both Day and Night play.

Mechzz · 2012-05-19, 12:03 PM

The longer they make the nights the more we'll be inclined to spend on night-sights, goggles, shaded headlamps and anti-cloaker bits 'n' bobs in the store.

Will be interesting to see where they pitch it, but I'm in the 7 hour club as it probably supports regular outfit session times (will check that)

Edit: OK, with a 7-hour day and 7 hour night the cycle repeats every 7 days. If you assume the prime time for playing is 18:00 - 22:59 (5 hours) each day then you will get:
Day1: 3 Daylight + 2 Night (2 of which will be evening twilight)
Day2: 5 Daylight
Day3: 1 Daylight + 4 night (2 of which will be sunrise)
Day4: 1 Daylight + 4 night (2 of which will be evening twilight)
Day5: 5 Daylight
Day6: 3 Daylight + 2 Night (2 of which will be sunrise)
Day7: 5 Night.

Looks good to me! Good call Vancha!