In Game CLOCK!

[Amon.Cire]

I think in the message system it should be something like "Sirius Time is XX:XX" every 10 mins..

While I agree this would probably be the easiest way to implement this idea, I would push for having some form of a constant in game clock if possible. As it would help to identify time of screen shots, and well... be just plain cooler! :)Of course I say this with no knowledge of game modding and no ability to help make it happen. This I leave to the community as a whole and there seems to have been some good suggestions so far! I feel I should say thank you to everyone for supporting my idea. You are all great and I hope at some point soon I can ask you guys to meet me in space XX Sirius time!

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The Amon Cire Chronicles - Haven Cruising, BOOK PASSAGE TODAY!

[chovynz]

/signed.

I far prefer the ingame clock rather than a "time injection" every so often from the console. Theres enough info coming through that already.

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Seek fun and you shall find it. Seek stuff to Q_Q about and you'll find that, too. I choose to have fun.

[Stucuk]

An Overlay is another option. I assume Directx?

Its not as simple as saying "Direct X". If the overlay option is selected someone needs to be able to actualy program it. Direct X just a Graphics API, it doesn't have any "overlay" option by default(You render normaly to your own window not an external applications window). Even if you use Direct X you still need to eather overlay a window (Which wouldn't need Direct X, it would be a waste to use it if a Transparent Window overlay was used as you don't need to have 3D abilities when a normal "Canvas" would do) or to directly draw onto the Freelancer window its self(Im not even sure if its possible to use Direct X on another applications window when that application already has a Direct X implementation using that window).

Without solving the problems assigned with both methods (I don't personaly know of any other possible methods) it won't work. (Obvacly there is some way to do it as its been done for X-Fire, etc)


Console Inputs would be a good idea, but it wouldn't be a perfect solution (Even if the overlay was made, it would still be good to have console inputs of the time) as if it was say every 10 minutes, there could be an event in say 5 minutes, and you come into the server just after it last posted the time. (Meaning next time it would say the time would be 5 minutes into an event).

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[chovynz]

Its not as simple as saying "Direct X". If the overlay option is selected someone needs to be able to actualy program it. Direct X just a Graphics API, it doesn't have any "overlay" option by default(You render normaly to your own window not an external applications window). Even if you use Direct X you still need to eather overlay a window (Which wouldn't need Direct X, it would be a waste to use it if a Transparent Window overlay was used as you don't need to have 3D abilities when a normal "Canvas" would do) or to directly draw onto the Freelancer window its self(Im not even sure if its possible to use Direct X on another applications window when that application already has a Direct X implementation using that window).

Without solving the problems assigned with both methods (I don't personaly know of any other possible methods) it won't work. (Obvacly there is some way to do it as its been done for X-Fire, etc)
Console Inputs would be a good idea, but it wouldn't be a perfect solution (Even if the overlay was made, it would still be good to have console inputs of the time) as if it was say every 10 minutes, there could be an event in say 5 minutes, and you come into the server just after it last posted the time. (Meaning next time it would say the time would be 5 minutes into an event).

Thank you. I'm aware of that. I just didnt want to fill up this thread with technical workings of Direct X. I know someone has to program it. I'm just trying to sort out which way would be best in terms of end result. i.e make the goal first then figure out how to get there.

A Direct X method hasnt been decided on yet. The other options need to be vetoed first.

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Seek fun and you shall find it. Seek stuff to Q_Q about and you'll find that, too. I choose to have fun.

[Stucuk]

Im just trying to assertain if anyone has any idea on how to make it work properly. Its all good and well voting on things but if noone knows how to do it then it won't be made.

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[chovynz]

This is true. Sorry about my curtness before.:)
I'm trying to avoid the Directx way if possible.

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Seek fun and you shall find it. Seek stuff to Q_Q about and you'll find that, too. I choose to have fun.

[Paladorin]

Hi...
dont know how plausible this suggestion will be but I think it might help with the Clock problem...

Currently: The admins can put a warning notification into a users ship inventory.

Can they also have a small server util that puts a clock item into the inventory that reads the last time up to 10mins ago or so for users that are online.

This prevents the message vanishing and allow users to check their clock by pressing F7 and looking at inventory.

[OPG]Melkor

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Name: Melkor
Rank: OPG Scourge's Mate
Fav Ship: Bomber

[OPG]Melkor - GB
[OPG]MelkorII - Praetorian Bomber
[OPG]Melkor-Store - Pirate Transport
Tukor - Titan
Paladorin - Ind. Trader

[Horon]

Seeing as I have been getting better and better at programing small....'toys'.. I don't see why I couldn't give this a try. Shouldn't be very hard, all I need to do is create a small program to display a time, and force it to hook inside of Freelancer. Once I know how to create an in-game hook, like Xfire does, It should take me under 5 minutes...

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While being quite funny, your sig was the biggest one i've ever seen so far. No more than 700x250 please. ~utrack
http://pastebin.com/SYQXBufs

[Epholl]

I only read few last posts, so sorry if I will tell something not making sense. :unsure:

I had the same idea about the clock myself, because saying simply "816.AS. A convoy was attacked...." Isnt the right way to go it seems...

I do not think, it would be needed to have it implemented ingame, Simply a little window on the forums with a "Good mor/eve/ing/afternoon/anything. Its xx:xx xxxx 816 AS." would be enough. A single Alt+Tab and back...


The thing that concerns though is the format of time.

The standard 12 months with 28/29/30/31 days per month will probably not work. Why? It is based on physics from our Solar system. On the Earths rotation and all the things around. In FL, Earth is no more (at least as we know it.).

Because of this, somekind of a "stardate", similar to Startrek would be nice... The stardate might be counted for example like this:

one AS year would be from 1st January to 31st December looking like this:
1st Jan: 00:00 - Sirius time: 00000.00 816 AS
31th Dec 23:59 - Sirius time: 99999.99 816 AS

Maybe too complicated, but it only is an example to brainstorm with.

Also, since the time should be based on something (Usually planet rotations and travels around space...), the time could be divided into "timezones", like:
Sirius time (Similar to Manhattan time for example)
Manhattan time.
New London time.
New Berlin time.
New Tokio time.
Maybe even some "timezones" like Omega time, Tau time, Omicron time would be nice....

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[Linkus]

Remembering though that humans did not just start again from the stone age when they arrived at Sirius. They took with them all the knowledge they could.
If you are going to raise the question of using Earth time then I think it would be better to use Sol time. When the solar system was explored and colonised etc surely humans changed the time system? I think they would have stuck with GMT Terra time purely because it was a worldwide recognised time.

Infact there would be no point to timezones. We aren't stuck on the planets so what time would you use while in space? You would still end up with a GMT type time if you did have timezones anyway.

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Facilitating the rise of robotics since 0 A.D.