In most roleplaying games, the concept of time often operates in two distinct modes:
Real-world time (OOC-time) and In-game time (IC-time).
Real-world time is responsible for governing aspects such as event scheduling, player availability, game updates, and waiting periods. In contrast, in-game time, which operates at a different pace, influences the game environment, including the opening hours of shops and institutions (like Karakura HighSchool), and specific gameplay mechanics.
In-game time in SchoolRP is heavily reliant on narrative time, a concept where time progression is dictated by the players through various means (such as p2k, f2b, skipRP, combatRP, afk, etc). While SchoolRP provides a quantified and automated time system, the experience of time for players engaged in roleplay scenarios is more fluid and subjective, greatly depending on the narrative requirements and player engagement. (For example: conversations tend to take up long stretches of IC-server-time, while they are slow and nearly sluggish compared to IRL OOC-time conversations, yet should only take seconds or a few minutes in player-to-player narrative time.)
The way time is managed in SchoolRP significantly impacts player immersion (at least from my experience). SchoolRP's in-game time is not directly aligned with real-world time due to factors like server resets and Event admin-intervention. I assume, a 1-to-1 alignment is unfeasible and even undesirable, as it would further marginalize players in different time zones or with varying schedules. (As a European Player, I'm especially tempted to stay up late and play deep into the night. This would be an even more strained experience, if we had consistently synched time on SRP.)
Generally, time in SchoolRP progresses faster than in real life,
with six real-life hours equating to 24 in-game hours, (though this is also not a consistent rule?). Important elements such as school years, exams, and seasonal events linked to real-world holidays operate on a separate schedule: tied to the OOC calendar. This disconnection also extends to aspects like ban time, recovery time, book submission intervalls, rent countdowns, Onrain posts, and jail time. (It also opens up questions for new players, like: When I spend 1 OOC week in recovery time, did I spend 4 IC weeks in the hospital, or does the OOC week translate back into IC for that period?)
For individual players, the experience of time varies.
The aging and graduation system in SchoolRP serves more as a progression tool than a strict time measure. Although initial playtime does contribute to the progression of new players towards higher grade levels, after the first few hours, time becomes more malleable. Players have the flexibility to adjust time passage to enhance drama or facilitate detailed character development.
A bigger challenge arises when players experience ludonarrative dissonance, especially when time or its passage is a crucial element of the scenario (e.g., encountering a former 11th-grade classmate who is now a College Master while you are still in 12th grade - or a chase/fight/conversation sequence where ooc time, ic time, and narrative time collide with a sunset/dawn or environmental effects like rain/snow). Reconciling these incongruities often requires collective effort from all participants. They have to maintain the 'magic circle' of the game's narrative, together. Keeping a consistent and logical sense of time that satisfies all players is not always possible. It can't be completely dictated by the game mechanics. Therefore, it relies on each player's effort and discretion to manage time in a way that supports various narrative threads and character actions (without causing confusion or breaking immersion) and to contribute to a shared and cohesive role-playing experience.
Real-world time (OOC-time) and In-game time (IC-time).
Real-world time is responsible for governing aspects such as event scheduling, player availability, game updates, and waiting periods. In contrast, in-game time, which operates at a different pace, influences the game environment, including the opening hours of shops and institutions (like Karakura HighSchool), and specific gameplay mechanics.
In-game time in SchoolRP is heavily reliant on narrative time, a concept where time progression is dictated by the players through various means (such as p2k, f2b, skipRP, combatRP, afk, etc). While SchoolRP provides a quantified and automated time system, the experience of time for players engaged in roleplay scenarios is more fluid and subjective, greatly depending on the narrative requirements and player engagement. (For example: conversations tend to take up long stretches of IC-server-time, while they are slow and nearly sluggish compared to IRL OOC-time conversations, yet should only take seconds or a few minutes in player-to-player narrative time.)
The way time is managed in SchoolRP significantly impacts player immersion (at least from my experience). SchoolRP's in-game time is not directly aligned with real-world time due to factors like server resets and Event admin-intervention. I assume, a 1-to-1 alignment is unfeasible and even undesirable, as it would further marginalize players in different time zones or with varying schedules. (As a European Player, I'm especially tempted to stay up late and play deep into the night. This would be an even more strained experience, if we had consistently synched time on SRP.)
Generally, time in SchoolRP progresses faster than in real life,
with six real-life hours equating to 24 in-game hours, (though this is also not a consistent rule?). Important elements such as school years, exams, and seasonal events linked to real-world holidays operate on a separate schedule: tied to the OOC calendar. This disconnection also extends to aspects like ban time, recovery time, book submission intervalls, rent countdowns, Onrain posts, and jail time. (It also opens up questions for new players, like: When I spend 1 OOC week in recovery time, did I spend 4 IC weeks in the hospital, or does the OOC week translate back into IC for that period?)
For individual players, the experience of time varies.
The aging and graduation system in SchoolRP serves more as a progression tool than a strict time measure. Although initial playtime does contribute to the progression of new players towards higher grade levels, after the first few hours, time becomes more malleable. Players have the flexibility to adjust time passage to enhance drama or facilitate detailed character development.
A bigger challenge arises when players experience ludonarrative dissonance, especially when time or its passage is a crucial element of the scenario (e.g., encountering a former 11th-grade classmate who is now a College Master while you are still in 12th grade - or a chase/fight/conversation sequence where ooc time, ic time, and narrative time collide with a sunset/dawn or environmental effects like rain/snow). Reconciling these incongruities often requires collective effort from all participants. They have to maintain the 'magic circle' of the game's narrative, together. Keeping a consistent and logical sense of time that satisfies all players is not always possible. It can't be completely dictated by the game mechanics. Therefore, it relies on each player's effort and discretion to manage time in a way that supports various narrative threads and character actions (without causing confusion or breaking immersion) and to contribute to a shared and cohesive role-playing experience.
TLDR; Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey 彡໒(⊙ᴗ⊙)७彡
What is your understanding of time in SRP?
How do you deal with time in your roleplay scenes?
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