Time and Seasons in The Void – Dev Blog 23
Though the island the peons call home is floating through the ancient but timeless Void, time still passes. Today we will be taking a look into how time passes on Fringe Planet, and how even an hour can change the outcome of a situation. So read about how we have implemented Seasons, hours, days and “The Drift” in Fringe Planet.
Seasons
There are four seasons in Fringe Planet. These seasons change the amount of daylight, the temperature, the effect of magic, the number of events that occur, the activity of the storyteller and many other things. Each seasons consists of 20 days.
| Season | Description |
| The Awakening | This is the base season compared to the others, and lies completely in the middle of the other seasons. It represents the “easiest” season to play – milder temperatures, more beneficial magical effects, average storyteller activity. Daylight is long and plentiful, nights are short. |
| The Maturation | A busy time for peons – plants will grow well, and there will be many random encounters with the creatures that share the floating rock which the peons call home. This season also has the highest chance of brand new orbitals (other floating islands occurring). Magical acts that have a chance of success will be most successful during this time. |
| The Watching | In this season the storytellers are most active – they will be watching and punishing with far more intensity than normal. It may be wise to stop activities outside, or take extra precautions to avoid the storytellers wraith. |
| The Darkness | Already cold temperatures will plummet – food grown outside will stop growing completely and possibly die. Certain kinds of magic will be a lot more successful during this time. Daylight will be brief and fleeting, and the snows will fall with ferocity. Terror will haunt the nights. |
Hours
Every day is split into 25 hours, and each of these hours have a certain name associated with it. These named hours will provided bonuses to certain things when they are done during that time. Every new game, the hours get will get a new name, which means “The Hour of The Cups” may be 7pm in one game and may happen at 1am in the next. It is useful to identify the name of the hours, and certain research will give the peons this information. It’s also important to note that each storyteller has an hour in which they are most active – its very much advised not to anger them during this time. Some example hours:
| Name | Effect |
| The Hour of The Cups | Bonuses to meal production and harvest of plants |
| The Hour of The Candle | Bonuses to research speed |
| The Hour of The Pendulum | Bonuses to “luck” roles – generally a good time to do anything risk |
| The Hour of The Nexus | Bonuses to magic – this includes rituals as well as the performance of Spirit Houses |
Days
Days are split into four general time periods – sunrise, daytime, sunset and night. Peons will see further in the day, and some plants will grow the fastest during this time. As sunset (and eventually night) approaches, temperatures will drop considerable, so it is best to get outside building/construction done during these times. Some magic is best done during certain periods of the day, research and lore will help the peons work this out.
The Drift
It’s unknown how the island is moving through The Void. The direction it is going or the path it is taking. After every cycle of four seasons an event known as “The Drift” will occur at some point in the next season (some time during The Awakening). This is strange and bizarre event and has the potential to drive the peons insane if they are outside while this happens. There will be plenty of signs that The Drift is coming, machines may break down, animals will act strange – even the storyteller may do something unexpected. When The Drift actually happens, something unique will occur on the island. Additionally, after The Drift, a permanent effect will occur, which will change some aspect of the simulation for the rest of the game. This may be negative, or it may be beneficial – however it is possible (though costly) do undo the effects of “The Drift” – but this may anger the storyteller.
| Effect name | Effect result |
| The Gaze of Madness | Peon maximum sanity levels are reduced |
| The Touch of Plenty | Constant bonus to crop yields |
| The Heat of Many | Peons become more resilient to the cold |
| The Caress of Riches | Bonus output from mining machines, chance for peons to get extra resources when hand mining |
| The Curse of The Sightless | Certain enemy spawn rates are increased |
There is a lot more to read about Fringe Planet… why not try: