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Difference between revisions of "v0.31:Time"

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Time in Dwarf Fortress is can be a somewhat complicated subject, but learning the ins and outs of the system is essential for modders and can be of great use to players, as time tracks everything from [[syndrome|syndromes]] to crop growth.
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Time in Dwarf Fortress can be a somewhat complicated subject, but learning the ins and outs of the system is essential for modders and can be of great use to players, as time tracks everything from [[syndrome]]s to crop growth.
  
  
 
== Breakdown ==
 
== Breakdown ==
Time is measured in unnamed units, which are often colloquially referred to as "Time Units." A time unit is roughly equivalent to 1.2 minutes.
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Time is measured in unnamed units, which are commonly referred to as "time units" or "ticks." Time units are equal to different lengths of time, depending on the game mode.
  
The average dwarf (presumably one with 1000 speed, though this needs verification) takes 10 time units to make any sort of move, delayed mechanical actions (like raising a bridge or floodgate) take 100 time units.  
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In fortress mode, there are 1200 time units in a day; in adventurer mode, there are 86400 time units in a day.  Thus, a dwarf in adventure mode is capable of moving, fighting, and interacting 72 times as fast as a dwarf in fortress mode assuming the same statistics.  Assuming 24 hours per day, 60 minutes per hour, and 60 seconds per minute, this means that a time unit lasts 1 second in adventurer mode and 1.2 minutes in fortress mode.  Regardless of mode, there are 28 days in a month and 12 months in a year.
  
There are 1200 time units in a day, 28 days in a month, and 336 days in a year.
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In fortress mode, there are 403200 time units every year.  At 100 fps, it would take just over an hour in real-time to play through one year.
  
A year contains 403200 time units.
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The amount of time it takes a creature to move, fight, or interact is directly proportional to its [[speed]] and inversely proportional to its [[agility]] and its [[strength]].  All creatures with default speed, regardless of their strength or agility, take between 5 and 16 time units per orthogonal tile traveled. Diagonal tile travel times are 362/256 times that amount, so they take between 8 and 23 time units for creatures with default speed. Median dwarves take approximately 10.5 time units and 14.9 time units to travel orthogonally or diagonally respectively.  Triggered devices can be affected by delays of up to 100 time units; see [[lever]].
  
 
== Syndromes ==
 
== Syndromes ==
[[Syndrome|Syndromes]] use time units. A syndrome that lists its effect as starting at "5" means that for all but the [[Elf|fastest characters]], you will begin feeling the effects as soon as you take a step. "50" means 50 time units (or about five steps), and "500" reliably suggests that you'll be able to stagger all the way back to the hospital before your [[Giant desert scorpion|brain pours out of your ears]].
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[[Syndrome]]s use time units. A syndrome that lists its effect as starting at "5" means that for all but the [[Elf|fastest characters]], you will begin feeling the effects as soon as you take a step. "50" means 50 time units (or about five steps), and "500" reliably suggests that you'll be able to stagger all the way back to the hospital before your [[Giant desert scorpion|brain pours out of your ears]].
  
 
== Plants ==
 
== Plants ==
Plants use a tag called Growdur. The Grodur value is generally set to 300 or 500, which is actually 30000 or 50000. 1 growdur = 100 time units.
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Plants use a tag called GROWDUR. The GROWDUR value is generally set to 300 or 500, which is actually 30000 time units or 50000 time units. One growdur is equal to 100 time units.
  
== Fortress Mode ==
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== Hives ==
Time passes more quickly in Fortress Mode, specifically, seven times more quickly. It takes an average dwarf 70 time units (or 8.4 minutes!) to take a single step in Fortress Mode. Be advised that syndromes will set in much more quickly, and it is important to have hospital services on hand and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.
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[[Vermin]] in [[hive]]s which produce items  (namely [[bee]]s which produce [[honey]]) have the HIVE_PRODUCT [[creature token]], whose second parameter is the number of time units it takes for a hive to produce the product.
  
Or, you know, not. They're just dwarves, after all, and there's always another wave of migrants ready to take their place. Armok giveth, and Armok taketh away.
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== Eggs ==
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The [[Creature token|EGG_SIZE]] creature token determines how long eggs will take to hatch.
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== Lifespan and Development ==
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See [[Age]].
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== Clocks ==
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Based on the fact that [[pressure plate]]s take 100 steps to reset, some people have built various time-keeping devices to do various things around the fort, like flooding a trap once a month, or just for fun.
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{{Category|Physics}}

Latest revision as of 04:48, 23 July 2021

This article is about an older version of DF.

Time in Dwarf Fortress can be a somewhat complicated subject, but learning the ins and outs of the system is essential for modders and can be of great use to players, as time tracks everything from syndromes to crop growth.


Breakdown[edit]

Time is measured in unnamed units, which are commonly referred to as "time units" or "ticks." Time units are equal to different lengths of time, depending on the game mode.

In fortress mode, there are 1200 time units in a day; in adventurer mode, there are 86400 time units in a day. Thus, a dwarf in adventure mode is capable of moving, fighting, and interacting 72 times as fast as a dwarf in fortress mode assuming the same statistics. Assuming 24 hours per day, 60 minutes per hour, and 60 seconds per minute, this means that a time unit lasts 1 second in adventurer mode and 1.2 minutes in fortress mode. Regardless of mode, there are 28 days in a month and 12 months in a year.

In fortress mode, there are 403200 time units every year. At 100 fps, it would take just over an hour in real-time to play through one year.

The amount of time it takes a creature to move, fight, or interact is directly proportional to its speed and inversely proportional to its agility and its strength. All creatures with default speed, regardless of their strength or agility, take between 5 and 16 time units per orthogonal tile traveled. Diagonal tile travel times are 362/256 times that amount, so they take between 8 and 23 time units for creatures with default speed. Median dwarves take approximately 10.5 time units and 14.9 time units to travel orthogonally or diagonally respectively. Triggered devices can be affected by delays of up to 100 time units; see lever.

Syndromes[edit]

Syndromes use time units. A syndrome that lists its effect as starting at "5" means that for all but the fastest characters, you will begin feeling the effects as soon as you take a step. "50" means 50 time units (or about five steps), and "500" reliably suggests that you'll be able to stagger all the way back to the hospital before your brain pours out of your ears.

Plants[edit]

Plants use a tag called GROWDUR. The GROWDUR value is generally set to 300 or 500, which is actually 30000 time units or 50000 time units. One growdur is equal to 100 time units.

Hives[edit]

Vermin in hives which produce items (namely bees which produce honey) have the HIVE_PRODUCT creature token, whose second parameter is the number of time units it takes for a hive to produce the product.

Eggs[edit]

The EGG_SIZE creature token determines how long eggs will take to hatch.

Lifespan and Development[edit]

See Age.

Clocks[edit]

Based on the fact that pressure plates take 100 steps to reset, some people have built various time-keeping devices to do various things around the fort, like flooding a trap once a month, or just for fun.