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- The Lone Wolf Development Team
Time, Timelines and Past Events
- Thread starter AEIOU
- Start date
MNBlockHead
Well-known member
I know that they used to have some sort of custom-calendar functionality. Part of the reason that I bought the tool was because I saw a video that showed this. Unfortunately, I didn't carefully read the feature lists and descriptions before buying, so I didn't realize until after buying that custom calendars are not supported. But fortunately, after a bit of whining, I started to use it (could not find any campaign-management tool that came close to RW in terms of features) and quickly found value in using it even without custom calendars.
BUT, I think I would rather have an imperfect custom-calendar functionality than nothing at all. For those who were beta testers, what about the early custom-calendar functionality was so broken that they just removed it (hid it/deactivated it) altogether?
BUT, I think I would rather have an imperfect custom-calendar functionality than nothing at all. For those who were beta testers, what about the early custom-calendar functionality was so broken that they just removed it (hid it/deactivated it) altogether?
My recollection was that the UI needed considerable work to be user friendly (or even to just become usable by non-experts).
My thoughts: The effort necessary to support a system that wasn't complete and could change would have been a PR nightmare for Liz. And even if those issues were trivial, having to explain to users over and over that calendars are not complete and what was still coming and that it would be revised in a year or so would become an enormous time sink (and continuing PR nightmare) for LWD. And in the end, the majority of users would be just as dissatisfied anyways. By not implementing, they stick to "it's coming and users gave us our prioritization" and they have solid ground to stand on.
My thoughts: The effort necessary to support a system that wasn't complete and could change would have been a PR nightmare for Liz. And even if those issues were trivial, having to explain to users over and over that calendars are not complete and what was still coming and that it would be revised in a year or so would become an enormous time sink (and continuing PR nightmare) for LWD. And in the end, the majority of users would be just as dissatisfied anyways. By not implementing, they stick to "it's coming and users gave us our prioritization" and they have solid ground to stand on.
Maybe the beta version could be opened up for interested parties, then you could use this unwieldy advanced calendar?
I would beta test it. I would beta test its brains out.
Yes, where do we sign up for beta testing and imput as to how the GUI could be done??
We who eagerly await the calendar system, should be willing to help in beta testing and in providing more structured suggestions as to the GUI.
That is, if it would be of any help at all for LW.
We who eagerly await the calendar system, should be willing to help in beta testing and in providing more structured suggestions as to the GUI.
That is, if it would be of any help at all for LW.
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It looks like the Kickstarter gave LWD 50 beta testers, some of whom are probably quite eager to test out any new functionality
No. Maybe if you gave me 15 years of cloud service for free in return.
Paying $500 during a Kickstarter makes sense for that kind of thing, you're supporting the initial creation of the product and getting to use the product before it's generally available.
But it's out now and it's for sale so asking for that much money for what should actually be a paid career is a bit insane.
I'd reckon that beta testing is going to be invite only at this point and I haven't heard of anyone ever being added from the community after launch. The Kickstarter infused new blood but they already had a strong group of testers with a lot of experience. I trust the input from current beta testers and their applaud their willingness to screw up their realms for the greater good.
Well, actually yes* - too bad the USD has recently gone up.
*) What my wife is willing to let me do is a whole different matter
For various reasons, many health related, I've been absent a lot and haven't been doing a lot of work on the campaign, in RW or otherwise....
If I was doing more, perhaps I would be doing some of the more detailed stuff some have described but mostly I've got dates in two places.
- High level timeline Years only. It's just in a topic for my eyes only
- In-game calendar dates in my custom 'game session' category. I have three fields: in-game start time (date and time), time-elapsed in session and time-elapsed between sessions.
Am still yearning for the calendars but getting jaded at this point.
Weogarth
Assistant Calendar Chest-thumper, retired.
If I was doing more, perhaps I would be doing some of the more detailed stuff some have described but mostly I've got dates in two places.
- High level timeline Years only. It's just in a topic for my eyes only
- In-game calendar dates in my custom 'game session' category. I have three fields: in-game start time (date and time), time-elapsed in session and time-elapsed between sessions.
Am still yearning for the calendars but getting jaded at this point.
Weogarth
Assistant Calendar Chest-thumper, retired.
the_redbeard
Well-known member
Are there any tips for how to enter my date entries that will preserve dates when custom calendars arrive?
For example, I could make my calendar of 360 days, 10 months of 36 days each according to the colors that change in the sky according to the schedule of Gombar the Destroyer (whatevs).
In excel, I could make a formula to convert that Gombar calendar to a number of days from the beginning and then use that number of days to enter a date in the Gregorian calendar currently in RW that would then be valid when I am able to enter my Gombar calendar. I'd use the annotation next to the Gregorian date to record my Gombar calendar date in Gombar notation (it's base 21 like the page numbers in the Codex Seraphinianus). I'm kidding. But only a little, the page numbers do partialy match a base 21 number system but have some arbitrary substitutions just to mess with you. I'm also kidding that I would use base 21 but hey if I was using a spreadsheet I could.
For example, I could make my calendar of 360 days, 10 months of 36 days each according to the colors that change in the sky according to the schedule of Gombar the Destroyer (whatevs).
In excel, I could make a formula to convert that Gombar calendar to a number of days from the beginning and then use that number of days to enter a date in the Gregorian calendar currently in RW that would then be valid when I am able to enter my Gombar calendar. I'd use the annotation next to the Gregorian date to record my Gombar calendar date in Gombar notation (it's base 21 like the page numbers in the Codex Seraphinianus). I'm kidding. But only a little, the page numbers do partialy match a base 21 number system but have some arbitrary substitutions just to mess with you. I'm also kidding that I would use base 21 but hey if I was using a spreadsheet I could.
iceniqueen
Active member
Do we have a time line for custom calendars?
Need the function, I have my own calendar for my game with names, days, holidays, years. Let me Beta if you need more testers who have this.
Need the function, I have my own calendar for my game with names, days, holidays, years. Let me Beta if you need more testers who have this.
At the moment there is no time line for custom calendars.
The main object at the moment is to get the market place up and running with all the benefits that will give us (can't wait to be able to move custom categories to and from my realms).
Sometime after that LW will hopefully be able to find a way to make a good and intuitive interface for the rather complex thing that the calendar system is.
Whether that will be as priority one or five (or something else) after the market place no one knows - probably not even LW. It will depend on when they crack the problem with the interface.
We all wait longingly for the calendar features - but we also want the market place and at least 10 other important features
The main object at the moment is to get the market place up and running with all the benefits that will give us (can't wait to be able to move custom categories to and from my realms).
Sometime after that LW will hopefully be able to find a way to make a good and intuitive interface for the rather complex thing that the calendar system is.
Whether that will be as priority one or five (or something else) after the market place no one knows - probably not even LW. It will depend on when they crack the problem with the interface.
We all wait longingly for the calendar features - but we also want the market place and at least 10 other important features
Late to the party, sorry; but I currently do all my historical information in Excel files (LibreOffice Calc, actually, but same dealio).
I have each of my major countries listed across the top and a timeline from the more-or-less beginning of recorded history downward, and have frozen the panes so I can easily scroll to a particular country heading and enter relevant dates or eras. I also have conditional formatting turned on so that if I enter anything in an area, it highlights in a particular color for easy viewing.
Right now, that's been the best way for me to get around it until RW supports calendars and exporting. I should also point out I don't use RW as an at-the-table tool, but rather as a comprehensive database for my world, so this spreadsheet is a sort of in-addition-to tool.
I have each of my major countries listed across the top and a timeline from the more-or-less beginning of recorded history downward, and have frozen the panes so I can easily scroll to a particular country heading and enter relevant dates or eras. I also have conditional formatting turned on so that if I enter anything in an area, it highlights in a particular color for easy viewing.
Right now, that's been the best way for me to get around it until RW supports calendars and exporting. I should also point out I don't use RW as an at-the-table tool, but rather as a comprehensive database for my world, so this spreadsheet is a sort of in-addition-to tool.
I had never thought of using excel for that. I like the way you have it broken up into a worldview and then columns for countries. I might be concerned about the data getting a little out of hand if you had anything other than short notes but it is great for a quick overview. I'd love to see something like it in RW where the notes could link to various topics if you wanted more detail.
Another option for creating timelines in Excel. Mine tracks the date by various calendars, the event and the source book. I had it color coded by region but that was too busy and really wasn't useful. The source books are regional already so that works for me.
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MNBlockHead
Well-known member
I use a Google Spreadsheet for current and future, but the calculating past dates for multiple, very different, calendar systems was more than I wanted to deal with. I put all past dates into RW with Gregorian Dates and patiently wait for the calendar tool to be released.