Year XXX BC Anachronism

[Teleklos Archelaou]

We could date it from the Olympiads, but alas, it makes no sense to use that for other cultures too. The dating should probably just be seen as something that helps the player understand things better since there is no way we can make it something that everyone likes.

[oudysseos]

All of the above is, of course, true, and I'm sure that there are higher priorities- but, what if (eventually) the advisor popped up and said a (faction specific) year blurb? You know, something like "It is the year 500 AUC in the Consulship of Julius and Caesar..."

If I knew how to do it I would be happy to make that a project. Unfortunately tho' I am handy with computers and have a degree in classics I don't know nuthin' 'bout modding RTW.

[oudysseos]

And just for the hell of it I'm gonna start collecting some info on the kind of calendars non Greco-Roman factions might have used.

[stufer]

I really like this idea but can see that it won't be possible to do a seperate system for all factions.

However, couldn't we just do the Roman system for everyone. So that we are counting up the years. I know its a minor point but I don't like the feeling of counting down to something. As though your citizens are expecting some great event to occur at the end of it.

[PSYCHO V]

Well oudysseos, you'd be happy to know we have discussed this ad naseum since EB was founded ..over 2-3 years ago.

Are we happy with the status quo, no not really..but is there a viable alternative..no.

We wanted to keep to the general theme of EB - To depict all cultures, races, peoples, etc as accurately as possible without the taint of narrow minded / cultural centric outlooks. We seek to give all their own unique feel, ambience. Thus there was also much debate about shared things like currency...which we managed to come to agreement on.

We've kept the BC thing because RTW hard coding doesn't allow multiple time keeping methods and considering that the ancients didn't have a standardised calendar, we'd have to pick one of several ...which goes against the aforementioned theme.

Given that history is retrospective (ie the ancients wouldn't be saying for example.. "Hay tomorrow is the 8th August 121 BC, I wonder how the Arverni King Bituitis will fair against Cnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Quintus Fabius Maximus at the battle of Vindalium?" ). Some notable exceptions aside, many ancients would only be recalling a very short period of time based on recent rulers. Obviously, even this is problematic given the dynamic gameplay of RTW.

So the current calendar is a kind of compromise / abstract portal (like the game UI itself) into the world of the ancients. You'll know, for eg that around 216 BC Hannibal made history with his feats on the battlefield, but the ancients would be nonthewiser.

my2bob

[oudysseos]

Hard coded is hard coded, I guess, and I suspected that this was the case. Still, I'd like to put in for (at a distant future date when all else is finished) the possibility of faction announcements along the lines of the 'This year in history' blurbs that you've got going now, announcing some culture-specific calendar events. The Roman consuls, for example, or the Olympic victors insofar as we know them (there are some records). I know it's not as if y'all don't have enough on your plate already. It's just that (to paraphrase Robert Graves' paraphrase of his muse) your gift to us (this mod) is already so close to perfect that we (with our insane suggestions) cannot help but try to improve it. It's not ingratitude, it's admiration.

[PSYCHO V]

Hard coded is hard coded, I guess, and I suspected that this was the case. Still, I'd like to put in for (at a distant future date when all else is finished) the possibility of faction announcements along the lines of the 'This year in history' blurbs that you've got going now, announcing some culture-specific calendar events. The Roman consuls, for example, or the Olympic victors insofar as we know them (there are some records). I know it's not as if y'all don't have enough on your plate already. It's just that (to paraphrase Robert Graves' paraphrase of his muse) your gift to us (this mod) is already so close to perfect that we (with our insane suggestions) cannot help but try to improve it. It's not ingratitude, it's admiration.

Thanks. It's ok, we know mate.

I think we are all like minded on the issue. If at some point in the future we discover some way to improve on the status quo, we'd be more than happy to implement it. We have even contacted CA personally on the issue, but preliminary feedback from them doesn't bode well.

That said, keep the comments, recommendations and constructive criticisms coming.



my2bob

[Malrubius]

Still, I'd like to put in for (at a distant future date when all else is finished) the possibility of faction announcements along the lines of the 'This year in history' blurbs that you've got going now, announcing some culture-specific calendar events. The Roman consuls, for example, or the Olympic victors insofar as we know them (there are some records).

The hardest part about these is having somebody write them, I guess. I did the 'this year in history' traits we have in-game now as a last-minute addition. If somebody will write some more that are accurate, I'll convert them into traits and get them in.