I’m not sure I understand what point you’re trying to make? Separate clocks like this are so complicated even the Battletech books stopped using them? It’s easier to do environmental storytelling in video games than it is in novels? Just looking for an excuse to talk about sci-fi conventions?
Well kinda looking for an excuse to talk about sci-fi conventions. I mean that’s the entire point of this community, right? to talk about Sci-Fi especially Star Trek?
But I think the broader point I’m trying to make is that Sci-Fi creators realized that creating exotic clocks and calendars isn’t worth it. It’s just a waste of the audiences and the authors time. “We interrupt this exciting action story about a daring dashing young robot tank pilot and his plucky band of mercenaries to bring you a ten page lecture on exochronology.”
Even in a series that tries to be as hard sci-fi as Battletech (no magic, no telepathy, no sentient aliens (okay there was that one time and it’s still technically canon but we don’t talk about that), no god-like aliens etc. everything is science, technology and physics) the authors kind of gave up bothering the audience with how the clocks work on every little planet, other than mentioning “long nights” or something. Star Trek doesn’t do it often either.
Well kinda looking for an excuse to talk about sci-fi conventions. I mean that’s the entire point of this community, right? to talk about Sci-Fi especially Star Trek?
Well why do you think I brought up Starfield?
I like the addition in Starfield, if for no other reason that it shows how unwieldy and difficult it is when it’s easy to implement. Stellaris has a standardized calendar with a 360 day year of 12 30-day months. I don’t think it’s an addition that makes a novel any better usually (they almost never mention toilets, either) but I do think they can add something to a game or even a movie as part of a set piece. I think the stories where it’s a plot detail are… Less engaging.
I’m not sure I understand what point you’re trying to make? Separate clocks like this are so complicated even the Battletech books stopped using them? It’s easier to do environmental storytelling in video games than it is in novels? Just looking for an excuse to talk about sci-fi conventions?
Well kinda looking for an excuse to talk about sci-fi conventions. I mean that’s the entire point of this community, right? to talk about Sci-Fi especially Star Trek?
But I think the broader point I’m trying to make is that Sci-Fi creators realized that creating exotic clocks and calendars isn’t worth it. It’s just a waste of the audiences and the authors time. “We interrupt this exciting action story about a daring dashing young robot tank pilot and his plucky band of mercenaries to bring you a ten page lecture on exochronology.”
Even in a series that tries to be as hard sci-fi as Battletech (no magic, no telepathy, no sentient aliens (okay there was that one time and it’s still technically canon but we don’t talk about that), no god-like aliens etc. everything is science, technology and physics) the authors kind of gave up bothering the audience with how the clocks work on every little planet, other than mentioning “long nights” or something. Star Trek doesn’t do it often either.
Well why do you think I brought up Starfield?
I like the addition in Starfield, if for no other reason that it shows how unwieldy and difficult it is when it’s easy to implement. Stellaris has a standardized calendar with a 360 day year of 12 30-day months. I don’t think it’s an addition that makes a novel any better usually (they almost never mention toilets, either) but I do think they can add something to a game or even a movie as part of a set piece. I think the stories where it’s a plot detail are… Less engaging.