Quote Originally Posted by Alhanelem View Post
One of the primary reasons for both FFXI and FFXIV having game time is because the servers were all in a central location and people from a wide range of time zones around the world connected to the same servers, so game time helped make things consistent. But FFXIV is moving to regionally-located servers, so I think it would be a good idea to just have day/night match real life, with servers in each region being set to the time zone they're located in (most likely PST in the US, JST in Japan, GMT in europe).

This would also eliminate confusion between the two time systems e.g. "Is that over the next real life day / jp midnight? or is it just one game day?" and prevent the ingame date from going drastically out of line with the time the game as originally set in as the years go by (in FFXI, the game started in the 900s C.E. and the current date in game is 1166 C.E.).

I'm not really sure whether most people like this or not. What do you think?
No. Just no.

Quote Originally Posted by Dusty Tomes
The Preface:
Penned by Lewphon of Sharlayan, master theologian and astrologist, in the Year 233 of the Sixth Astral Era, to weave together the disparate histories of the nations of Eorzea with a common thread - the thread of time. For through its inevitable march the hours turn into Suns, and they into Moons, and they into Years. And from the Years come the Ages of Man. And ever eclipsing those is the eternity of Gods.

Chapter 1 - The Suns:
By the unit of a sole Sun we mean that period which lasts for the duration of four cycles of the six elemental hours - those of Ice, Water, Wind, Lightning, Fire, and Earth. And so is the sun twenty hours and four, and so shall it ever be.

Chapter 2 - The Moons:
The life of a single Moon spans four cycles of eight Suns, and is thus the sum of thirty and two. The eight deriveth from the elements six, Ice, Water, Wind, Lightning, Fire, and Earth, and the polarities two, Astral and Umbral.

Chapter 3 - The Years:
The Year is made when the Moon goeth round the two Astral and Umbral poles, fluctuating between the six elements, and that in turn. In this, the Year can be said to be the length of twelve Moons. The first and second Moons of the Year are the first astral and first Umbral, and together they share affinity with Ice. On their watch, all is frozen, and breath of life sloweth to near silence beneath. The second Astral and second Umbral Moons come third and fourth in turn, and they are the Water of the melting Ice, and with their flowing slaketh the thirst of life again. Fifth and sixth are the third Astral and third Umbral Moons, and the Wind bloweth over the Water, carrying its heavenly boons near and far. The fourth pairing of Astral and Umbral Moons come six and seven. when the heavens rageth with the furies of Lightning and sendeth them below with godly terror to test the faith of men. The ninth and tenth Moons are the Fifth Astral and Umbral, as the Lightning turns to Fire, and it charreth growing life with the colors of its flames, bleeding blade and leaf with brilliant ues of crimson and scarlet. Year's end eometh in the eleventh and twelfth Moons, the sixth Astral and sixth Umbral, in which the Earth consumes all, for out of the ground we are taken for the dust we are, and to the dust we shall return.

Chapter 4 - Of Man:
The wisdom of the Twelve saw fit to grant man with the cycle of years, and in turn the reverence of man bound them to his gods - the Year of the Navigator, of the Wanderer, of the Builder, of the Destroyer, of the Warden, of the Traders, of the Matron, of the Keeper, of the Fury, of the Lover, of the Scholar, and of the Spinner. The turning of these Years twelve is a sacred thing, and together they comprise one epoch of man, by which the histories of his endeavor are measured.

Chapter 5 - Of Gods:
The constancy and eternity of time derive from the pulse and breath of the Twelve. And by their divine will the brilliance of the Astral Eras which see man flourish and prosper, and the shadows of the Umbral Eras which see man falter and doubt, are visited upon him in equal, and neither the greatest good nor the greatest evil may escape their purview. Since the peace among the Twelve was broken and life was created to wage their wars, six cycles of the Eras have come to pass in keeping with the elemental order. The Sixth Umbral Era belonged to the waters, as heavy rains fell and the seas rose high, submerging and cleansing all in a great deluge. With time the waters receded, ushering in the present Sixth Astral Era, during which man has again rebuilt his halls and tilled his lands. Naught save the ken of the Twelve themselves knoweth when the Seventh Umbral Era shall come and end our days. The sole certainty what resides within man is the selfsame as it has ever been - ours is the power to make of our Era what we might.
From my other post earlier today:

Time passes like this in Eorzea:

00:00 - 01:00 = Ice Hour
01:00 - 02:00 = Water Hour
02:00 - 03:00 = Wind Hour
03:00 - 04:00 = Lightning Hour
04:00 - 05:00 = Fire Hour
05:00 - 06:00 = Earth Hour

06:00 - 07:00 = Ice Hour
07:00 - 08:00 = Water Hour
08:00 - 09:00 = Wind Hour
09:00 - 10:00 = Lightning Hour
10:00 - 11:00 = Fire Hour
11:00 - 12:00 = Earth Hour

12:00 - 13:00 = Ice Hour
13:00 - 14:00 = Water Hour
14:00 - 15:00 = Wind Hour
15:00 - 16:00 = Lightning Hour
16:00 - 17:00 = Fire Hour
17:00 - 18:00 = Earth Hour

18:00 - 19:00 = Ice Hour
19:00 - 20:00 = Water Hour
20:00 - 21:00 = Wind Hour
21:00 - 22:00 = Lightning Hour
22:00 - 23:00 = Fire Hour
23:00 - 24:00 = Earth Hour

More accurately each elemental hour would begin at 00:01 and end on 01:00 but I'm lazy and used 00:00 to 01:00

That completes one day.

Each day is assigned an element. There are thirty two (32) days per game month. The order is always the same in regards the elements except this time you add light and dark after earth and repeat the cycle 4 times yet again.

It should be noted that there are 8 moon phases each lasting a total of four game days, starting with new moon.

New Moon
Day 1 - Ice
Day 2 - Water
Day 3 - Wind
Day 4 - Lightning
Waxing Crescent
Day 5 - Fire
Day 6 - Earth
Day 7 - Astral
Day 8 - Umbral
Waxing Half
Day 9 - Ice
Day 10 - Water
Day 11 - Wind
Day 12 - Lightning
Waxing Gibbous
Day 13 - Fire
Day 14 - Earth
Day 15 - Astral
Day 16 - Umbral
Full Moon
Day 17 - Ice
Day 18 - Water
Day 19 - Wind
Day 20 - Lightning
Waning Gibbous
Day 21 - Fire
Day 22 - Earth
Day 23 - Astral
Day 24 - Umbral
Waning Half
Day 25 - Ice
Day 26 - Water
Day 27 - Wind
Day 28 - Lightning
Waning crescent
Day 29 - Fire
Day 30 - Earth
Day 31 - Astral
Day 32 - Umbral
New Moon

There are 12 months in the year, again the same pattern is seen in regards the order of the six primary elements except this time each element is applied an astral or umbal "shade" which follows suit:

1) Astral Ice Month
2) Umbral Ice Month
3) Astral Water Month
4) Umbral Water Month
5) Astral Wind Month
6) Umbral Wind Month
7) Astral Lightning Month
8) Umbral Lightning Month
9) Astral Fire Month
10) Umbral Fire Month
11) Astral Earth Month
12) Umbral Earth Month

There are also 12 years per game "Epoch" as opposed to 10 in real life. Each year of an epoch is associated with one of the Twelve gods and hence an element.

Earth - Althyk, The Keeper and Nophica, The Matron
Fire - Azeyma, The Warden and Nald'thal, The Traders
Lightning - Byregot, The Builder and Rhalgr, The Destroyer
Ice - Halone, The Fury and Menphina, The Lover
Wind - llymlaen, The Navigator and Oschon, The Wanderer
Water - Nymeia, The Spinner and Thaliak, The Scholar

And im willing to bet money the order of the years is the same elemental pattern seen in the months that is: ice, water, wind, lightning, fire and earth. I don't know who of each element is considered the astral and whom the umbral but that doesn't really matter since the pattern is likely a repition of the months.

At last the epochs make up the eras but to this we are left in the dark. I am certain that a dev posted some information shedding light on the length of each era (i think it's considered roughly 2,000 years) but I haven't dug up hat post.

What's interesting here is that as opposed to the months which begin with astral and end in umbral, the eras begin with umbral and end with astral:

"The Sixth Umbral Era belonged to the waters, as heavy rains fell and the seas rose high, submerging and cleansing all in a great deluge. With time the waters receded, ushering in the present Sixth Astral Era, during which man has again rebuilt his halls and tilled his lands."

What's interesting here is the mention that the 6th umbral era belonged to water, a great flood of sorts. If indeed the 6th umbral and astral eras correspond to the element of water then the order is different than that which we see in the hours, the days and the months of the year.
It's called Lore. It's used for immersion. Get used to it.