IG Time-stamped Biographies

[Incognito]

I'd like to suggest a modification to the biography feature:

While its great to be able to record biographies from an ooc standing, it would be very useful to also have an IG timeline or chronology for PCs.

Maybe an option to the biography command like:
add biotime Was recruited by Sergeant Amos of the T'zai Byn.
Ok.
Your chronological biography has been added.

And a command to see the PC's lifelong chronology, maybe with another command like:
Timeline
OK.
The 224th day of the Ascending Sun, in the Year of Suk-Krath's Anger, year 43 of the 21st Age: Was recruited by Sergeant Amos of the T'zai Byn.

IMO, this'll help a great deal for players to record their life's events datewise, and then later review them.

It'd also help people to keep track of when they paid other people, or received payments from other people, or topped up the rent on their housings etc etc.

[X-D]

I like it.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Hot.

[Morgenes]

Actually, the existing bio entries could be converted to show the Zalanthas time they were written, shouldn't be to hard to have a switch or something to show it either way.

The main issue would be the wordiness of the formatting.  That's a real mouthful.  Maybe something like:

Code Select Expand

1 [224th Ascending Sun, Year 43, 21st Age] Was recruited by Sergeant Amos of the T'zai Byn.

[Salt Merchant]

Actually, the existing bio entries could be converted to show the Zalanthas time they were written, shouldn't be to hard to have a switch or something to show it either way.

The main issue would be the wordiness of the formatting.  That's a real mouthful.  Maybe something like:

Code Select Expand

1 [224th Ascending Sun, Year 43, 21st Age] Was recruited by Sergeant Amos of the T'zai Byn.

I like the idea of a separate "chronology" entry, rather than timestamping the more wordy "traditional" biography entry.

The chronology could be a concise set of Zalanthanian dates. Certain entries could even be automated, such as date of the character's entry into the world, joining, promotions, demotions and leaving within clans, date of death, and so forth.

With the "traditional" biography entry, I often don't write it until several or even many days after the event occured. Also, I sometimes combine events into a bit of story. I'd rather retain that freedom.

[Zoltan]

I agree with Salt Merchant. It would be really cool to have the timeline idea separate from the usual bio. It would just be really cool to view a timeline like that, I think. And it helps relate your character to the history timeline of Zalanthas as a whole.

[Archbaron]

Best idea that I've seen recently.

[Incognito]

Zoltan and Salt Merchant get the gist:

The basic idea was to keep the current biography format as it is, which players use to record their interpretations of things that their PCs are going through, including feelings, thoughts, events etc, which may or may not be IG time related.

The timeline or chronology feature would be an independant, bare-boned IG date-wise list.

If the length or the formatting is an issue, it could be restricted to a certain number of characters (excluding the automated time-stamp, of course). Say 50 to 80 characters?

PS: Morgenes: the date within the square bracketting looks cool, didnt think of that

[Tisiphone]

It might also insert the date in the first or last line of the biography, if we wanted to avoid clutter on the headers.

[Archbaron]

I want to shamelessly bump this back to the forefront, as I've always wanted this idea to happen...

[Mechafish]

I like it.

Bump because it's a good one. 

[SMuz]

Yeah, I like it. Would be a bit annoying to code, though.

[Riev]

I think the Timeline idea is a much better idea than specifically adding the time in the bio. Only because I often write my bios for a few days before I actually put them in Arm. Sure, the time would be ROUGHLY equivalent, but at least a timeline would be nice. Perhaps a bit of a fluff piece, but I agree seeing "Joined the Byn" and "Entire unit was decimated" and "Became sergeant of another unit" all in a timeline to see how it happened, at the end.

[Ourla]

God, yes please.

[Bushranger]

Grebber's Log: 1 5 4 of Descending. Sun. Year 51 point 21.

I have been, hunting, in, the, sands now for, what, seems, like, an eternity. Come across some, interesting, and, previously unknown, species!

[FantasyWriter]

Grebber's Log: 1 5 4 of Descending. Sun. Year 51 point 21.

I have been, hunting, in, the, sands now for, what, seems, like, an eternity. Come across some, interesting, and, previously unknown, species!

LMFAO!  Well done, Bushranger.  Well done.

[Kol]

Grebber's Log: 1 5 4 of Descending. Sun. Year 51 point 21.

I have been, hunting, in, the, sands now for, what, seems, like, an eternity. Come across some, interesting, and, previously unknown, species!

Captain James T Kirk does Zalanthas, Star trek the new movie?

[Maso]

A timeline in addition to Bios would be AWESOME.

[SMuz]

Yeah, I think it would be cool if separate from bios. There's so many minor, but interesting things I don't log in my bio and wouldn't want to clog up the bio.
[Day 12] Found a nice sword on a table.
[Day 14] Sword belonged to Amos. Killed him in the ensuing fight.
[Day 15] Amos's best friend tried to kill me.
[Day 18] Accidentally broke the sword when I tried to junk my mug.
[Day 19] Amos's best friend said sorry and bought me a drink.
[Day 19] Ahh.. the painnnn..

I wouldn't even bother to note any of those in the bio, but they answer a lot of questions about how the char died and what happened to the sword.

[Bushranger]

Grebber's Log: 1 5 4 of Descending. Sun. Year 51 point 21.

I have been, hunting, in, the, sands now for, what, seems, like, an eternity. Come across some, interesting, and, previously unknown, species!

Captain James T Kirk does Zalanthas, Star trek the new movie?

More like Grebber Amos "Tea" Dirk

[Kol]

Grebber's Log: 1 5 4 of Descending. Sun. Year 51 point 21.

I have been, hunting, in, the, sands now for, what, seems, like, an eternity. Come across some, interesting, and, previously unknown, species!

Captain James T Kirk does Zalanthas, Star trek the new movie?

More like Grebber Amos "Tea" Dirk

LMFAO, love it.