Curse

Clusmas · Dec 13, 2005, 05:38 PM // 17:38

It would be very nice to see implemented some sort of global time used in Guild Wars. The game is popular on an international level and still expanding.

I've had organisational efforts blown to pieces on numurous occasions due to bad timezone conversions.

There's two ways I'd suggest:

1) A global time clock on the guild wars website. Probably the current time at GW HQ - wherever that may be (Seatle I believe?)

2) A global time clock in game. It would use the server time so could be different for each America/Europe/Korea. It would be very nice if they were all the same however.

I know it's not hard to work out times manually, but it's also not hard to add a clock to a web page... and it provides a standard which makes things simpler and easier.

What do you think?

Rikimaru · Dec 13, 2005, 07:32 PM // 19:32

If the problem is organizing what time everyone should be somewhere or do something in-game, maybe guild wars could have its own unique, completely made-up calendar. If I remember right, Asheron's Call II had something similar to this, with fake names for even the months.... or maybe they had names for the time of day.. either way, I think they had some strange looking clock showing what "time" it was, without the traditional 2:00pm, 8:00am etc.
Or you guys could just say something like "be on at 6:00pm est." I guess, heh...

Yichi · Dec 13, 2005, 07:54 PM // 19:54

click the "restore down" button inbetween the minimise and the close buttons and run gw for a moment in window'd mode. you can see the clock from your Operating System

Clusmas · Dec 13, 2005, 11:42 PM // 23:42

That's not the point. The point is to have a universal time so people don't look at their clock and make an incorrect conversion - which seems to happen fairly often.

Eugaet · Dec 14, 2005, 12:02 AM // 00:02

I think it would bring much more confusion once everyone starts trying to convert between GMT and GWT (Guild Wars Time, of course). That would just add another time zone to convert back and forth between.

Personally, I've never had a problem with the current standard...just use GMT. Given a time in GMT, most people should immediately be able to figure out what that equates to in their own time zone without looking it up. Like you said, the conversion is not that hard. Simple addition/subtraction. Most people remember the conversion between their own TZ and GMT, if none other. Mine's GMT-06:00.

Otherwise, maybe you can use Internet Time.

/notsigned

coldslammer · Dec 14, 2005, 12:08 AM // 00:08

good idea
/signed

Lasareth · Dec 14, 2005, 12:35 AM // 00:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clusmas

That's not the point. The point is to have a universal time so people don't look at their clock and make an incorrect conversion - which seems to happen fairly often.

I can see what would happen if this were so.

"Hey guys, let's meet up at 2AM Anet time"

"What's that EST?"

Either way, you're just back where you started. People too lazy to convert timezones won't bother to do so with this system.

Eugaet beat me to it by a few minutes XD sorry.

Eugaet · Dec 14, 2005, 12:41 AM // 00:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lasareth

Eugaet beat me to it by a few hours XD sorry.

Heh, no problem. You said it in fewer words. I tend to be a bit wordy.

Kai Nui · Dec 14, 2005, 12:57 AM // 00:57

I think they should add an ingame time conversion. Players could input what timezone they are playing in and then convert times between you and other characters with a /timezone playername and /time playername. So for example:

/timezone kai nui >>> Kai Nui is in Central United States Time.
/time kai nui >>> Kai Nui is playing at 6:57 PM Central US Time.

or something similar.

Pyrrhus · Dec 14, 2005, 09:30 AM // 09:30

An in-game time zone wouldn't just be another time zone to convert to... It would become the only one... It would, technically, merge all zones together and be easier for all to meet up with others from around the world.
How can someone be too lazy to convert to Tyrian time? all they gotta do is look at the clock and the clock in the game... easy!

Sereng Amaranth · Dec 14, 2005, 07:59 PM // 19:59

ok, this concept isn't developed correctly for ease of use, but i like the idea

how about this...set up an appointment in your friend's list or the guild window...then you have a countdown timer...no conversion needed

Eugaet · Dec 14, 2005, 09:08 PM // 21:08

To paraphrase Pyrrhus:
How can someone be too lazy to convert to GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) time? all they gotta do is look at the clock... easy!

Actually, you don't even have to look at the clock, unless you want to know what time it is in your TZ and then convert to GMT.

----------

ME: Hey, let's meet in TotA for Galrath tonight!

REMOTE FRIEND: (quick calc in head, convert remote TZ to GMT) Sounds great, how about around 2:00 GMT?

ME: (quick calc in head, 8:00 CST) Sure, that sounds good, see you tonight.

----------

GMT is already known as World Time and it's always the same time for everyone in the world. A Tyrian TZ (assuming it would be based on a 24hr clock, otherwise it would be disastrous) would be totally unnecessary and redundant. If, for some reason, this is implemented, the ANet devs should just make GWT (Guild Wars Time) = GMT and be done with it.

So for those who want it, I'll vote
/signed if GWT = GMT, otherwise
/bigfatnotsignednoway

TB_ · Dec 14, 2005, 09:24 PM // 21:24

This was dealt with by swatch some years back. Take a look for internet time, I use it often for planning things. 1 number for all, very simple... there is 1000 units in the day. Once you know what time localy @000 is, then the rest is nothing more than childs play.

http://www.swatch.com/internettime/home.php

Eugaet · Dec 14, 2005, 09:44 PM // 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by TB_

This was dealt with by swatch some years back.

Huh. I mentioned that earlier, but as a joke. I didn't think anyone actually used it. Seems like it'd be a lot harder than going with GMT. So it works well enough for you? Maybe I'll finally check it out.

TB_ · Dec 14, 2005, 10:01 PM // 22:01

Well, its like this. If I asked you how many hours are in 180minutes youd know the answer almost instantly because you know 60mins in an a hour, with internet time there is no hours, just beats. Once you know the beats to hours number, thats it. Learned. No messing round with was that = or + gmt on yoru end or the others, no oh sorry I was using eastern time not standard or anything like that. 1 number, thats it. 1000 / 24 = All you need to know. Not to mention you can get clocks for your desktop anyway.