Real Time Awareness

[BubbleMatrix82]

Description of the Feature:

• Ability to make a game that is aware of the local atomic (or NTP) time and the date to be stored on variables (record in numerical form)

Code for Implementation:
get.Date() get.Time() ..... Actually I have no clue.

Mockups:
It just needs to be a value we can get and store in a variable so we can use it. Can exist in set variable menu.

Why is this feature good?
This feature is great because of the following:

• Animal Crossings Clone
• Time locked content
• Sneaky mechanics like in Metal Gear Solid and Big Boss
• To make a game that pretends to level and play while you are away like a clicker would.
• To document when a player started playing and have it in the ending credits.
• To create seasons based on real seasons IRL
• To create a real Day/Night system.
• To create a character with astrology sign based on game start date or a baby's astrology sign in game based on today's date.

Possible issues with this feature?
Issues that might arise from this feature:

• Need a usable format. 20170413 for date and 1431 for time. Could be confusing to Americans.
• Would need a solution that is platform agnostic. NTP might work best

 

[Soulnet]

I voted yes but, I'd like to see some sort of clock feature implemented by default into the engine. There are a lot of games that rely on some sort of timing mechanism so it would be handy to have one built in.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

This is probably the code part

var d = new Date(); // for now
d.getHours(); // => 9
d.getMinutes(); // => 30
d.getSeconds(); // => 51

then you/they just put it on the game's Scene update method maybe, and add a variable setting at the end or change those get lines into variable setting code and poof you have game time based on the PC's clock.

 

[BubbleMatrix82]

I think the best way to implement this is NTP since it would stop people from changing the clock on their device and cheat the game BUT any option is better than no option.

I think without a real time clock, it's very hard to be innovative and keep the players immersed. And if the game was a comedy game where it breaks down the 4th wall, knowing what time it is could have some really interesting results

I understand it is unconventional, but I'd rather have unconventional options built into this thing as a native option so we can get creative than just make a Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest or Phantasy Star clone...

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

This is an opinion from a player's point of view, not really something for the viability of this system into the engine:

I hate anything that is based on real-time. Ever since college and now into working life, I can only play during night time, so any real-time based events mean that I cannot take part on any morning time event. Imagine how frustrating that is if it's required by the game to progress.

That said, I prefer if a game has it's own time. And that is doable with a very short Common Event.

Anyway, as I've placed above, it's quite easy for them to do this if they want too as it's only a few lines of code.

PS: Keep em suggestions coming, it makes the community think which is a very good thing.

 

[BubbleMatrix82]

I know that real-time based games CAN be a hassle but think about the mechanic a little differently than games that are PURELY real time based (which is a very narrow look on this mechanic if that's all you took from this).

Let's say that I have a RNG item drop from a major enemy in the game. Let's say that the game gives you a better drop rate at evening hours than daylight hours. And let's say that every time that you don't get it, the chance of getting it increases. This may give people who play at evening hours a better chance at getting the drop, which is a slight unfair advantage, but, you know, Vampires... And let's say that the Vamp is harder to kill during the evening since he's nocturnal and stuff. The immersion of real time COULD have some cool benefits.

Another really neat implementation could be character creation (as long as it doesn't go all the way down to seconds). If the time is a repeating number (111, 222, 333, 444, 555) then you get a special character stat. Or have a built in the game store that gives out special items for Easter, Xmas, Halloween, etc. Honestly, the immersion could only be BETTER with real-time clock options. You can even make up your own holidays and just have it recognized in your game with the real-time clock (maybe every day ending in 5 is a double XP day).

I know that Real-Time awareness is unfavorable because of the obnoxious ways it hurts players, but I definitely think a GOOD game designer would have smart ways to implement it that makes you go "Well played" and smile.

I honestly think NTP would be the best implementation, but then the game would have to be played on an online enabled device to work properly, so maybe local CMOS or local device time would be best.

I know this would work best as an engine update though since it would have to live inside the code and do the checking of time at launch and not after the game save data was loaded. But it would be fun to see how people implement such an obscure and fun feature into their game.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

I know this would work best as an engine update though since it would have to live inside the code and do the checking of time at launch and not after the game save data was loaded.

The way I'd do it is like exactly how I posted it, I'd update the time variable every update tick so that I have an easily accessible variable that tells me the time at any given moment. That way it also always returns the "real" time.

Local time is really probably the best if we need a general system even if it's easily exploitable.

 

[BubbleMatrix82]

On another thread, I said that we need to offer improvements/suggestions that have economic value to improve RPG Maker's overall value to the wider consumer base. I feel that real time data to be used in a role playing game, without any plugin requirements, has economic value. I know many people who would like the idea of making a "Simulation" game but can't do that because there's no access to the real time clock or the date. By implementing this feature, and properly advertising it, this feature could improve the install base of the product and create new game types on Steam.

 

[bgillisp]

Personally, I'd love the ability to just get the time on the computer easily. If nothing else, you can store that and put it on your save games so people know which game is from when.

As for the rest, many people who play games want them to work *without* being connected to the internet. Look up the fiasco of the online passes and always online games over the last few years (For example, I know many who refuse to play an Ubisoft game because of the Uplay and always online part of it. Homm6 took a huge hit in sales due to the always online part of it. And some refuse to touch Steam with a 10 foot pole for a similar reason). So your suggestion will need a way for it to work without the always online part, so I think NTP time is not going to happen. And just know that if you do add something that requires being online to work (like say NTP time), you are going to take a hit in reviews and such as there are *many* gamers who hate with a burning passion games that do that. Remember, not everyone has access to reliable internet.

That being said, do any of you remember the old DOS games which used to do goofy things based on the date? I seem to recall Raptor did something special if you played the game on Christmas.

 

[BubbleMatrix82]

Personally, I'd love the ability to just get the time on the computer easily. If nothing else, you can store that and put it on your save games so people know which game is from when.

As for the rest, many people who play games want them to work *without* being connected to the internet. Look up the fiasco of the online passes and always online games over the last few years (For example, I know many who refuse to play an Ubisoft game because of the Uplay and always online part of it. Homm6 took a huge hit in sales due to the always online part of it. And some refuse to touch Steam with a 10 foot pole for a similar reason). So your suggestion will need a way for it to work without the always online part, so I think NTP time is not going to happen. And just know that if you do add something that requires being online to work (like say NTP time), you are going to take a hit in reviews and such as there are *many* gamers who hate with a burning passion games that do that. Remember, not everyone has access to reliable internet.

The idea doesn't have to be implemented on every project. It would be an opt in feature. Even if it only pulls the data from the programs "time accessed" stamp when the program opens. The idea is a valid time/date would come from some where, and it could be usable. NTP would be the most universal implementation since it is a standardized (and free) technology. But there are other ways to get real time data. CMOS clocks are on just about everything.

And the fact that not everyone has access to reliable internet brings us back to my main point the last day and a half, know your target audience. If they don't have reliable internet (The McDonald's Wi-Fi crew) then did they even pay for your game? Why do they matter if they didn't legally obtain your product or if they waited for it to drop to $0.99 before they bought it? Know who your audience is and go after them.

 

[bgillisp]

Some buy the game when they DO have reliable internet, then take it where they don't. Or maybe their internet is metered, and they don't want to use it up paying for an always online. For example, my mother lives in an area where she gets 440 MB of internet per month. And no, that's not a typo (its a rural part of Missouri where no one else provides internet. So take it or go without). 440 MB is enough to buy and download one RPGMaker game (usually), but anything else goes over, including an always online connection.

Plus, one thing I've learned is many people who do play RPGMaker games want to play then when they are where they cannot use the internet. So they buy them, put them on their laptop, then travel and play the games while traveling. Now, in your case, I think you're aiming for a different audience, which, there is nothing wrong with that, but make sure to market it to the proper audience, else the backlash might be more than you expect.

 

[BubbleMatrix82]

Some buy the game when they DO have reliable internet, then take it where they don't. Or maybe their internet is metered, and they don't want to use it up paying for an always online. For example, my mother lives in an area where she gets 440 MB of internet per month. And no, that's not a typo (its a rural part of Missouri where no one else provides internet. So take it or go without). 440 MB is enough to buy and download one RPGMaker game (usually), but anything else goes over, including an always online connection.

Plus, one thing I've learned is many people who do play RPGMaker games want to play then when they are where they cannot use the internet. So they buy them, put them on their laptop, then travel and play the games while traveling. Now, in your case, I think you're aiming for a different audience, which, there is nothing wrong with that, but make sure to market it to the proper audience, else the backlash might be more than you expect.

Sounds more like a distribution problem more than an internet problem. In extreme situations (yes, this is an extreme situation), an offline installer needs to be available and an SD Card with DRM built into it from Steam needs to be available. But that's a DRM distribution issue for a very specific issue; I assure you most rural people aren't playing games, they are off firing guns and hosting parties talking about how great it is to be a part of the free 'Murica (joking. Okay 1/2 joking).

The problem with people who take games offline is they find ways to get around DRM. I know the audience you talk about, I used to be friends with a few of them. These are also the people who rent ebooks online then put their phone/tablet in airplane mode until they finish the book so they don't have to "return it". While it would be great to offer a product that everyone can enjoy, the reality is that your quality should not be impacted by people who cannot afford to use the product properly. This is why I think the Snapchat's comment about not going into poor areas isn't unwarranted (though it is very unempathetic and morally wrong to be said outloud); going into India where camera phones are complete junk would degrade the product of Snapchat, and there's a chance it could also be used in nefarious ways. So make your product for someone who can afford to buy it and all its glory.

But again a CMOS clock is on most devices, that's offline and/or updated by atomic clocks rather than the internet, so if NTP wasn't an option, local resources on the device it launched on would be way more practical.

 

[LTN Games]

Real-time should be as easy as a tick of a box. The programming side is as easy as making a request to the "time server" and updating the local clock. Really easy suggestion in my opinion and I don't see any harm in adding this feature because it requires no graphical intervention. Once implemented the game developer using MV could simply choose to assign a variable to the real-time which is being updated. I vote yes, I can see many benefits for many different genres of games with this simple mechanic. I'd say it brings more to the table than it takes away.

 

[bgillisp]

But again a CMOS clock is on most devices, that's offline and/or updated by atomic clocks rather than the internet, so if NTP wasn't an option, local resources on the device it launched on would be way more practical.

And that is probably going to be the best solution. Then you can pull little Easter Eggs with the date/time (play the game on Christmas, you get to save Santa!). Sure, someone is going to just edit the internal clock to see it on March 12th just because they can, but we can't stop all exploits.

 

[BubbleMatrix82]

And that is probably going to be the best solution. Then you can pull little Easter Eggs with the date/time (play the game on Christmas, you get to save Santa!). Sure, someone is going to just edit the internal clock to see it on March 12th just because they can, but we can't stop all exploits.

Exactly, don't make the game to prevent all crimes, make the game to have value the way it was intended to be played so they have no reason to circumvent the mechanic except to "see what happens".

Honestly, the only reason I want this is because players who don't play for long stretches should be rewarded for coming back. Let's say there's a two week lag in the last time they played; let's increase the XP they earn so they get caught up to where they would have been. Or let's have rare item drops increased to accommodate their casual play style. Can't do this kind of stuff without real time awareness and habit awareness.

 

[LunarViolet]

I saw something here: http://daimonioustails.weebly.com/game-time-mv.html
This plugin have real time clock.