In Game Day Length

Forza Horizon Forza Horizon 4 FH4 Discussion
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For Once, a topic where I am not complaining, I know, Miracles will never Cease and all that…

Anyone who knows Me Properly will know I am Fascinated by what goes on “Under the Bonnet” (that’s “Hood” for those of You in America) of My Games, and what makes them “Tick”…

As a Result, I have come to Wonder, just how Long is the In Game Day in FH4, How long does each 24 Hour in Game Cycle (lets Say 6 AM to 6 AM) take in Real Time? as if I know that, I can work out the “Time Compression” Ratio. For Example, if its a 2 Real Time Hour in Game Day like FH2, that would be a 12:1 Compression. 12 In Game Hours to 1 Real Time Hour.

So, how Long is the In game Day Length in FH4? just so I can work out the Time Compression Ratio and learn a little more about how the Game “Ticks” and Satisfy My own personal Curiosity?

All accurate Answers Appreciated. Thank You.

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Thank You El Barto.

Sorry, I don’t normally use Reddit due to its very bad Reputation so I was unaware that this Topic was on there.

Hmm, odd Day/Night Cycle Timing… Not Quite the full 2 Hours it used to be with FH2… , it looks like the Night Time uses a completely Different Compression Ratio to the Day Time. Looks like I have got two completely Separate Ratios to work out! Fascinating!

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Day and night cycles in video games often annoy me, largely because they’re so compressed. There aren’t enough hours in the day IRL as it is, but in-game, you typically only get a few minutes. Show up at the wrong time, and a gate will be closed, or you have to wait around for shops to open.

But at least in Horizon you don’t have vampires randomly murdering all your town NPCs. It’s barely noticeable. It just gets dark for a few minutes, and by the time you come out of the next race, it’s daytime again.

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Yup, Day/Night Cycles in Role Playing Games that connect to in Game Mechanics such as Shops being Open, or Gates being Open or Shut are an Absolute Pain! Games that use that System, tying Game Mechanics to the Day Night Cycle, really should allow the Player to Set the Time Compression Ratio for themselves.

Indeed, a lot of Games have even more Pronounced Compression than Forza, I mean, I can understand why Games needed to compress it down to 24 Minutes back in the PS2 Days due to the RAM Constraints, but, why do they still need to Hyper Compress (I think Rockstar are running a 24 In Game Hours = 48 Real Time Minutes Compression) with the much higher RAM Levels that even Consoles have now. 5 GB is an awful lot bigger than 32MB!

Indeed, Horizon 4, it seems, does “Hyper compress” its Night Cycle, the Day Time seems to still be running the 12:1 Compression of the First 3 Games, but the Night Seems to be Running a Much more Aggressive Compression, I wonder why they didn’t stick to the Classic “24 in Game Hours = 2 Real Time Hours” System and keep that 12:1 Ratio constant…

Indeed, there isn’t much difference between Day and Night in FH4 other than Reduced traffic Levels and significantly less Lighting, which is a Blessing.

Hmm. Idea for the Wishlist…

I wonder if it might be Possible for Players to Set the Compression Ratio for themselves in FH5? that would be pretty Awesome I think. I suggest Ratios of 24:1 (24 In Game Hours = 1 Real Time Hour) , 12:1 (24 in Game Hours =2 Real Time Hours -Default Setting), 6:1 (24 In Game Hours = 4 Real Time Hours) , 4: 1 (24 in Game Hours = 8 Real Time Hours) 2:1 (24 In Game Hours = 12 Real Time Hours) 1:1 Uncompressed Game Controlled (the Game runs an Uncompressed Real Time Day/ Night Cycle, but controlled by the Games own Internal Clock) and 1:1 Uncompressed System Controlled (the Game runs an Uncompressed Real Time Day/Night Cycle, but controlled by the System Clock of the Console/PC so the in Game Time is always the Same as the Real Time) give Players a bit more Control over the Game.

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I wish video games would slow down the day/night cycle significantly, and add a mechanic to easily jump to a specific time of day instead. The Horizon games would be much improved by a simple pause menu option to jump to a specific time of day (and choose weather/season) in freeroam when you’re outside of a race. Day and night length should be appropriate for the season instead of arbitrarily making the nights super short. Sometimes it’s quite nice to cruise around at night. The standard 12:1 compression which fits a full 24 hours into 2 hours sounds like a good compromise, enough to see the effects of the day going by without it flying by so fast you can’t really enjoy your favorite time of day before it’s gone.

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Yes, I think Games should either use a Less Aggressive Compression Ratio, or, at the Very Least, do what “Burnout Paradise: Remastered” does and allow the Player to set the Time Compression themselves.

Again, sorry to repeat Mention “Burnout: Paradise Remastered”, but, in Free Roam, that does give the Player the Option to jump to a Specific Time of Day, such as Sunset (7PM if I recall correctly) and then Lock the Game to that Time, so, if that Game can have that Feature, I fail to see why Horizon cannot have that Feature as well! I can understand why they cannot allow Players to change Season, as that is controlled by the Servers and changing the Season plays absolute Havok with their Internal System Timings, but I do think the Time of Day and the Compression Ratio for “Free Roam” should be settable by the Player! If Burnout can do it, then Horizon should be able to, as Horizon is Supposed to be a “better Class of Game” in comparison, at least in the Eyes of Elitists, via being “Sim-Cade” as Opposed to “Pure” Arcade.

Agreed, The Day/Night Length should be a consistent 12:1 Compression, with the Night Time being Lengthened and Shortened accordant to Season, for Example, up here on the North East coast of England, in Summer The Sun doesn’t tend to Start to Set until around 9:30 PM, with Darkness coming at around 11 PM, with Dawn at 4AM, so it makes sense for the Night to be Super Short in Summer, but in Winter, The Sun Sets at around 4PM, with Darkness coming at around 5:15, and Dawn isn’t until around 8AM! so the Night should be a Lot Longer!!

The Hyper-Compression means Immersion, which is already Shot to Pieces by that Quack Lego McLaren that Just blew Past, gets further Wrecked because the Game Goes into Hyper Compression the Second the Darkness Descends, so the Night only lasts 40 Minutes in Winter, same as Summer! it is just Stupid! so I agree, the 12:1 Compression should be left Constant, and Night Length should be Determined, in the Name of Immersion, by the Sunset and Dawn Timings for the Given Season!

Indeed, why they chose to Hyper Compress the Night Time and only leave the Day at the usual 12:1 (I think Night is at 12: 0.6- 12 Hours into 40 Minutes) for Horizon 4, instead of keeping that 12:1 Ratio as a Constant like the Previous 3 Games I will never Know.

Indeed, Early Sundown is by far My favourite time of Day in FH4, especially on the Coast, when the whole Skybox just ignites Pink and Orange and the whole game World Turns Gold thanks to HDR, it is absolutely Gorgeous… and it ends far too Soon… a Couple of Minutes, and its gone. It would be Lovely to be able, in Free Roam, especially for Photography, (a Pretty Car such as the DB4 GT Zagato, the Seaside to the North of Bamburgh when the beach comes right up to the Road, Sunset with the whole Sky Ablaze in Pink and Orange… Just .Perfection!) to Jump to that Time Setting and then Lock the Game there until the Player Enters the Next Race.

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Yeah i feel like the night should be longer the main reason why i want it that way is because i love to drift at night but the night is so short i cant do it for long

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