OOTSverse has Time Zones!! [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

Gandariel

2010-01-18, 07:36 AM

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0650.html
and
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0651.html
in Azure city it's night (the sky is darker maybe also due to the rift, and Tsukiko is sleeping), while in the elven island is clearly day...
any thouhgts?

i suppose we can find out how far is the elven island by counting the time zones...

Dr.Epic

2010-01-18, 08:14 AM

TriForce

2010-01-18, 08:17 AM

also, we have no idea how large the world is and the speed of its rotation, so we really cant tell any distance by counting time zones

The Dark Fiddler

2010-01-18, 08:25 AM

That doesn't prove they have Time Zones. Time Zones only exist when there's a world-wide time system and the times are changed based on where you are. :smalltongue:

Now, obviously it's daytime at one point and nighttime at another, because that's how planets work. It could still be the same time worldwide, though. (Imagine Greenwich Mean Time being the time everywhere, and that's what I'm talking about.) [/pedantry]

hamishspence

2010-01-18, 08:25 AM

The sky doesn't look any darker or lighter in any of the pics of the fight- except near the rift- which doesn't count- so we can't tell if it was late evening or early morning.

Dr.Epic

2010-01-18, 08:29 AM

Aren't there maps? I have Wars and XPs. There's a map of the Azure City territory and in strip 698 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0698.html) we see another map. Could that help in anyway?

Ikialev

2010-01-18, 08:31 AM

I prefer thinking that the Rift makes world grimdark.
Also, the desert and Azure city have the same sky color. Coincidence? :3

Lissou

2010-01-18, 09:55 AM

The planet is a globe. I don't find it hard to believe that it would be night in some places when it's day in others.

NerfTW

2010-01-18, 11:36 AM

Totally Guy

2010-01-18, 12:10 PM

Do we know whether the sun rises in the East and sets in the West or not? The planet might rotate in the other dirction.:smalltongue:

Alysar

2010-01-18, 02:13 PM

one of my favorite quotes from the PHB

It doesn't do a lot of good to know that it's exactly 2:30 in the afternoon if no one else knows it

Kzickas

2010-01-18, 03:31 PM

Do we know whether the sun rises in the East and sets in the West or not? The planet might rotate in the other dirction.:smalltongue:

North, south, east and west are in fact defined by how a planet rotates that is by definition impossible

Alysar

2010-01-18, 04:03 PM

North, south, east and west are in fact defined by how a planet rotates that is by definition impossible

North and South are, but are you sure about East and West?

I think East is just your right-hand side when you are facing North, nothing to do with what direction the planet is spinning.

EDIT: Never mind. I see what you are saying. The North pole is the one that spins counter-clockwise when you are looking down on it.

veti

2010-01-18, 04:58 PM

North, south, east and west are in fact defined by how a planet rotates that is by definition impossible

Except that "north" was known and defined long before people agreed that the earth in fact rotates. So that's just a retrofitted definition, a rationalisation for something that was already understood. It's entirely possible for people in another world to have quite different definitions for those terms.

Or maybe the planet could rotate in more than one direction at a time - it could turn around the north-south axis, like ours, but also tumble more slowly around a second axis. In our world that couldn't happen, but in a magical world - why not?

But these things are unlikely, because they'd just be gratuitously confusing.

Gandariel

2010-01-18, 05:07 PM

yeah, and then?
they have 3 suns and 5 moons? the planet rotates around Thor's beard?
xD

i mean, we are supposing the planet is about the same of ours...
there are some physics laws of facts we HAVE to assume.
if not, we could all be arguing about... anything xD
example: gravity?... maybe there is no gravity but a epic wizard cast a gravity spell...

veti

2010-01-18, 05:24 PM

yeah, and then?
they have 3 suns and 5 moons? the planet rotates around Thor's beard?
xD

i mean, we are supposing the planet is about the same of ours...
there are some physics laws of facts we HAVE to assume.

I disagree. We don't have to assume anything. All assumptions are entirely our own choice.

What does it matter which way the world turns? The only reason we're even talking about it is because we're all idly wasting time between updates.

Thanatosia

2010-01-18, 05:48 PM

Also, its very difficult to tell the time in Azure City (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0512.html) since the breaking of the gate.

TriForce

2010-01-18, 06:03 PM

North, south, east and west are in fact defined by how a planet rotates that is by definition impossible

that depends on who you ask, overall, all planets (in our solar system) turn in the same direction, and all have their geographic norths pointed above the solar plane. the only exeption is uranus, whos turning almost like a rolling ball, with both its poles near the solar plane, and its equator pointing "up" and "down". in a exeption case such as that, its hard to say what the poles are, if you go by turning direction, the "north" pole is actually pointing "down" compared to the solar plane, so a lot of astronomers simply look at the pole above the plane and consider it north....

well, thinking about it, neither apply to the stickverse i guess, so just consider this a bit of random info :P

Katana_Geldar

2010-01-18, 07:59 PM

Yes, but Uranus isn't exactly habitable now, is it?

The Extinguisher

2010-01-18, 08:10 PM

that depends on who you ask, overall, all planets (in our solar system) turn in the same direction, and all have their geographic norths pointed above the solar plane. the only exeption is uranus, whos turning almost like a rolling ball, with both its poles near the solar plane, and its equator pointing "up" and "down". in a exeption case such as that, its hard to say what the poles are, if you go by turning direction, the "north" pole is actually pointing "down" compared to the solar plane, so a lot of astronomers simply look at the pole above the plane and consider it north....

well, thinking about it, neither apply to the stickverse i guess, so just consider this a bit of random info :P

Actually no. Venus has a retrograde rotation.

AND, the geographic north pole of a planet in our solar system is always the pole that is "above" the ecliptic plane (read: in the same ecliptic hemisphere). We define rotation in the solar system from a view point of directly above our north pole, not the north pole based on direction.

This has been a fun science fact!
(this isn't the magnetic poles though. And if I recall correctly, our north pole is technically a magnetic south pole)

Dark_Stryke

2010-01-19, 01:16 AM

You are aware the world isn't flat, right?

Wait. What?

blueblade

2010-01-19, 02:37 AM

Also, its very difficult to tell the time in Azure City (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0512.html) since the breaking of the gate.

This. The colour of the sky is no indicator of time in Azure city any more.

You may now resume your tangential discussion..

The Extinguisher

2010-01-19, 02:45 AM

This. The colour of the sky is no indicator of time in Azure city any more.

You may now resume your tangential discussion..

But at the same time, Tsukiko was in bed when V attacked. Clearly that's some indication of time.

Kzickas

2010-01-19, 02:57 AM

Except that "north" was known and defined long before people agreed that the earth in fact rotates. So that's just a retrofitted definition, a rationalisation for something that was already understood. It's entirely possible for people in another world to have quite different definitions for those terms.

Or maybe the planet could rotate in more than one direction at a time - it could turn around the north-south axis, like ours, but also tumble more slowly around a second axis. In our world that couldn't happen, but in a magical world - why not?

But these things are unlikely, because they'd just be gratuitously confusing.

no, defining east, west, north and south based on a physical property wasn't a rationalization it was a way to make the terms applicable to any body other than the earth (say OOTS world). Arguing that east and west might have different meanings in the comic is like arguing that the units of measurement used are totally different from the real world units with the exact same name, it doesn't make sense

blueblade

2010-01-19, 03:07 AM

But at the same time, Tsukiko was in bed when V attacked. Clearly that's some indication of time.

Interesting fact: In the absence of a night/day cycle, the human body has a tendency to extend a day to over 25 hours on average. Also, she might just have been bored. Plus she's kinda Emo (and a necromancer), so keeping odd hours is pretty much to be expected.

TriForce

2010-01-19, 11:24 AM

Actually no. Venus has a retrograde rotation.
true, altough venus turns around the sun in less time then it actually rotates, so that too isnt a normal state.

AND, the geographic north pole of a planet in our solar system is always the pole that is "above" the ecliptic plane (read: in the same ecliptic hemisphere). We define rotation in the solar system from a view point of directly above our north pole, not the north pole based on direction.

This has been a fun science fact!
(this isn't the magnetic poles though. And if I recall correctly, our north pole is technically a magnetic south pole)

well that really depends on who you ask, some astronomers define the north pole simply by rotation, and others by whatever points above the solar plane, there isnt a official global definition for geographic north unfortunatly. and yes, i also think we now have a magnetic south at our geographic north, but fortunatly, we will save that discussion for another day :P

also, how habitable uranus is isnt relavant to the point at all, i simply used it as a example, i could have used venus, (wich is no more habitable then uranus) but i simply didnt remember its rotation was opposite

The Extinguisher

2010-01-19, 01:46 PM

true, altough venus turns around the sun in less time then it actually rotates, so that too isnt a normal state.

well that really depends on who you ask, some astronomers define the north pole simply by rotation, and others by whatever points above the solar plane, there isnt a official global definition for geographic north unfortunatly. and yes, i also think we now have a magnetic south at our geographic north, but fortunatly, we will save that discussion for another day :P

also, how habitable uranus is isnt relavant to the point at all, i simply used it as a example, i could have used venus, (wich is no more habitable then uranus) but i simply didnt remember its rotation was opposite

The IAU defines it as above the ecliptic plane. That's a pretty good global definition for me :smallbiggrin:

Interesting fact: In the absence of a night/day cycle, the human body has a tendency to extend a day to over 25 hours on average. Also, she might just have been bored. Plus she's kinda Emo (and a necromancer), so keeping odd hours is pretty much to be expected.

I guess, but it's still probably useful enough to take it as a clue for a different time.

Cbh66

2010-01-19, 02:36 PM

I believe the sky in Azure City looks that way permanently now, with the rift. It's pretty impossible to tell the time of day there.

Gandariel

2010-01-19, 04:17 PM

Tsukiko. Is. Sleeping.
it's night.

Daefos

2010-01-19, 04:44 PM

Tsukiko. Is. Sleeping.
it's night.

I was asleep this afternoon.

Was it night then too?

Zigg

2010-01-19, 04:59 PM

my nan had a nap at 12:32 AM. NIGHT?

Kish

2010-01-19, 05:03 PM

my nan had a nap at 12:32 AM. NIGHT?
Er...yes it is night at 32 minutes past midnight. :smallconfused:

SPoD

2010-01-19, 07:28 PM

Tsukiko. Is. Sleeping.
it's night.

Tsukiko is obsessed with the undead. She is as likely to be awake at night as during the day, perhaps more likely. It proves nothing.

The Extinguisher

2010-01-19, 11:49 PM

But it's still something to work with. Because it's highly unlikely for it to actually be the same "time" as on the elven lands. Isn't it more likely to say that it's nighttime.

RebelRogue

2010-01-19, 11:53 PM

Yo mama has time zones! :smalltongue:

5tephen

2010-01-22, 09:51 PM

Dudes, the world is pretty comparable with ours. (Round, North is up, turns to the East, etc...) It becomes WAY too hard to tell a story when you have to explain that (for no good reason) in a world which SEEMS like ours in almost every other respect the plantet actually rolls North South.

Unless there is a point to it, assume it's the same as earth.

In fact, here's a map (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5171).