Time System for RPG Maker MZ

Aris Time System for RPG Maker MZ

This plugin is designed to provide an accessible and configurable solution for managing in-game time, enhancing the atmosphere of your worlds, and enabling new gameplay possibilities based on the time of day.

This is a passion project, and I'm excited to share it with the community. I'd love to hear your feedback, suggestions, or see how you use it in your games! All comments are welcome.

I'll do my best to keep improving it over time.

Features

• Flexible Timekeeping Modes: Choose the system that best fits your game:
  • M/A/E/N/M Epoch Cycle: Divides the day into 5 distinct periods (e.g., Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Night, Midnight) with customizable names.
  • 24-Hour Cycle: Tracks time by the hour (0-23).
  • 24-Hour + Minutes Cycle: Provides granular control over hours (0-23) and minutes (0-59).
• Dynamic Day & Night Progression: The system automatically handles advancing days as time progresses.
• Atmospheric Screen Tinting: Apply distinct, customizable screen tints for Morning, Afternoon, Evening, and Night periods to visually represent the time of day.
• Smooth Time Transitions: Experience elegant transitions when time advances significantly, with options for:
  • Default Fade: A classic fade-out and fade-in effect.
  • Common Event: Trigger a custom common event for unique transition sequences (e.g., play a jingle, show an animation).
  • Transition Sound Effect: Play a sound effect at the start of a transition.
• Informative Time HUD: Display a sleek, customizable on-screen Heads-Up Display showing the current day and time/epoch.
• Full HUD Customization:
  • Define the text format (e.g., "Day: %day - %timeString").
  • Choose HUD position (Top Left, Top Right, Bottom Left, Bottom Right).
  • Set X/Y offsets, font face, font size, text color, and internal padding.
  • Optionally pad hours and minutes with leading zeros.
• Easy Event Control via Plugin Commands:
  • Advance Time: Move time forward by a specified amount.
  • Set Time: Instantly set the game to a specific epoch, hour, or minute.
  • Set Day: Directly change the current day number.
  • Show/Hide/Set HUD Visibility: Control when the Time HUD is visible to the player.
• Game Variable Integration: The current day and time/epoch value are automatically stored in designated game variables, allowing you to easily create time-sensitive events, quests, and NPC schedules.
• Configurable Start: Set the initial day, epoch, hour, and minute for when a new game begins.

How to Use (Quick Start)

1. Download the Aris_TimeSystem.js file.
2. Place it in your RPG Maker MZ project's js/plugins/ folder.
3. Open the Plugin Manager in RPG Maker MZ, add the Aris_TimeSystem plugin, and turn it ON.
4. Crucially, configure the core parameters in the Plugin Manager:
   • Select your desired Epoch System Type.
   • Assign an unused game variable to Epoch/Time Variable ID.
   • Assign another unused game variable to Day Variable ID.
   • Adjust initial time settings (e.g., Initial Epoch, Initial Hour), screen tints, and HUD defaults to your liking. (Refer to the plugin's help file or README for detailed parameter descriptions).
5. Use the Plugin Commands (Advance Time, Set Time, Show Time HUD, etc.) within your events to control the flow of time and display the HUD.

License

• This plugin can be used in non-commercial projects.
• Credit to https://mollock.itch.io/ is strictly required.
• You are not allowed to redistribute this plugin file directly. Please link to this itch.io page for downloads.

Support & Feedback

If you have any questions, encounter issues, or have feedback, please leave a comment below.