Is there a time limit in the game?

agentmulder

Aside from the quests that involve a group member, there's any time limit to finish the game?

I know BG2 there's not, but not sure about BG1/BGEE

Fornost

nope

FrozenCells

Not to complete the game itself. The only example I can think of of something like that (non-NPC related) is one quest in the game which automatically kills you if you don't complete it within the (very generous) time limit.

Ekital

There is no time limit to finish the game. There are only certain quests that require you to finish them within the alloted time, most of which are for NPC quests.

Leematon

Ekital said:

There is no time limit to finish the game. There are only certain quests that require you to finish them within the alloted time, most of which are for NPC quests.

Does that mean time that passes by in the gameworld i.e. resting will use up that time?

MERLANCE

Resting and travelling, yes.

marfig

The time is tracked through some sort of variable. Assuming it's an integer representing in-game days and knowing that in BG six seconds of real time equals 1 minute of game time, you could try the following (note: I'm obviously joking):

1) Calculate how many minutes of real time make for a day of game time: 24 / 10 * 60 = 144
2) Take a C++ unsigned integer max value on typical PCs: 4,294,967,295

3) Multiply 2) by 1) to get the minutes you would have to play to max the in-game days clock: 4,294,967,295 * 144 = 618,475,290,480

4) Divide to get how many days of real-time, without eating, going to the bathroom or sleeping you would need to play the game: 618,475,290,480 / (60 * 24) = 429,496,729

5) Too big. Let's get years instead: 429,496,729 / 365.242 = 1,175,923

So, if my calculations are right, you can try and play the game for 1 million years. Play one second more to see if the int overflows and the game crashes. If it does that's the answer to your question; 1 million years is the maximum time allowed

Madhax

As I understand it, several major NPCs will become unavailable to join your party, or will leave your party, if certain conditions aren't met within a certain span of in-game days. I've only experienced this once, though.

Fredjo

marfig said:

The time is tracked through some sort of variable. Assuming it's an integer representing in-game days and knowing that in BG six seconds of real time equals 1 minute of game time, you could try the following (note: I'm obviously joking):

1) Calculate how many minutes of real time make for a day of game time: 24 / 10 * 60 = 144
2) Take a C++ unsigned integer max value on typical PCs: 4,294,967,295

3) Multiply 2) by 1) to get the minutes you would have to play to max the in-game days clock: 4,294,967,295 * 144 = 618,475,290,480

4) Divide to get how many days of real-time, without eating, going to the bathroom or sleeping you would need to play the game: 618,475,290,480 / (60 * 24) = 429,496,729

5) Too big. Let's get years instead: 429,496,729 / 365.242 = 1,175,923

So, if my calculations are right, you can try and play the game for 1 million years. Play one second more to see if the int overflows and the game crashes. If it does that's the answer to your question; 1 million years is the maximum time allowed

Hahaha that's hilarious&Insightful!

Anduin

Stop reading this. The timer is ticking.

Bytebrain

marfig said:

The time is tracked through some sort of variable. Assuming it's an integer representing in-game days and knowing that in BG six seconds of real time equals 1 minute of game time, you could try the following (note: I'm obviously joking):

1) Calculate how many minutes of real time make for a day of game time: 24 / 10 * 60 = 144
2) Take a C++ unsigned integer max value on typical PCs: 4,294,967,295

3) Multiply 2) by 1) to get the minutes you would have to play to max the in-game days clock: 4,294,967,295 * 144 = 618,475,290,480

4) Divide to get how many days of real-time, without eating, going to the bathroom or sleeping you would need to play the game: 618,475,290,480 / (60 * 24) = 429,496,729

5) Too big. Let's get years instead: 429,496,729 / 365.242 = 1,175,923

So, if my calculations are right, you can try and play the game for 1 million years. Play one second more to see if the int overflows and the game crashes. If it does that's the answer to your question; 1 million years is the maximum time allowed

That just made my day!
Nice one @marfig

PlasticGolem

There are certain NPC quests that you need to complete within a set time (usually 10 game days) of first having them join you or else they will leave, attack or otherwise do bad things to you.

For everything else, however long you take, you will arrive just in the nick of time. Very dramatic.

Gwynnbleid

marfig said:

The time is tracked through some sort of variable. Assuming it's an integer representing in-game days and knowing that in BG six seconds of real time equals 1 minute of game time, you could try the following (note: I'm obviously joking):

1) Calculate how many minutes of real time make for a day of game time: 24 / 10 * 60 = 144
2) Take a C++ unsigned integer max value on typical PCs: 4,294,967,295

3) Multiply 2) by 1) to get the minutes you would have to play to max the in-game days clock: 4,294,967,295 * 144 = 618,475,290,480

4) Divide to get how many days of real-time, without eating, going to the bathroom or sleeping you would need to play the game: 618,475,290,480 / (60 * 24) = 429,496,729

5) Too big. Let's get years instead: 429,496,729 / 365.242 = 1,175,923

So, if my calculations are right, you can try and play the game for 1 million years. Play one second more to see if the int overflows and the game crashes. If it does that's the answer to your question; 1 million years is the maximum time allowed

Hahahahaha , Great !!

Phyrax

I remember that in the old BG:TotSC there was actually a timer on completing the game: I once OCD'd through every crevice of the game and slept a lot to regain spells and after 100 days or so my party just stood around, looking beaten. They were unable to travel to new areas and sleep, the game was lost and Sarevok had won!

Eudaemonium

Are you sure that wasn't a bug?

To note, there are also other quests that are on mini-timers. For example, the girl with the dead cat. If you wait too long to complete it after entering the map then the cat dies and cannot be resurrected. The same actually goes for the quest in Baldur's gate when you have to get the boy's body back from the Umberlee priestess. I got the quest and then ran aroudn doing other stuff for ages, and when I delivered the body they thanked me for trying but said there was nothing that could be done.

I murdered the other boy for that sweet shield. Try to screw me like that. That body cost me 2000 gold!

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

Erg

Eudaemonium said:

If you wait too long to complete it after entering the map then the cat dies and cannot be resurrected.

It's a deader for sure. Call the dusties ... Oh wait, wrong game.

karnor00

Eudaemonium said:

To note, there are also other quests that are on mini-timers. For example, the girl with the dead cat. If you wait too long to complete it after entering the map then the cat dies and cannot be resurrected.

You can actually save that cat? I never knew that in all the times I've played BG1 - I just assumed the cat was dead to start with.

Eudaemonium

If you deliver it early enough the girl says she'll get her daddy to raise it, since he's a priest. I think you get +1 rep and everything.

SionIV

I have played this from the release of BG1. I'm a perfectionst at heart and i always explore every area (Uncover fog) and do all quests, open lock every chest, pick pocket every person, selling everything that is sellable, resting until fully healed. And i have never had that happen to me, even when clocking well over 100 days. It would be nice if that was implemented in the game, but sadly i think that was a bug.

SpaceInvader

Of course there is a limit, 3.

lunar

There is a certain quest when time is important. If someone says your whole party is poisoned and have about ten days left to live, you better believe him.

Luigirules

The cat quest information here is all wrong.

Cat's always dead in the waterfall. When you pick it up and bring it back to the girl, what happens next depends on the reaction score you receive.

High scores, you get 200 xp, +1 to rep, and a scroll.
Medium scores, you get 200xp, and 23 gold.
Low scores, you don't get anything! (So just hack her to pieces to get the 23 gold).

See: http://www.forgottenwars.com/bg1/ar5200.htm

Razor

This question is interesting because I ALWAYS felt that TIME should be relevant. I don't say we cant take our time to do things and rest ocasionaly. But when ingame months start going by and rest is abbused I expected either getting harder enemies/ more enemies. Or even if you rested for years for example, LOSING THE GAME (or at least be forced to leave everything and go to final objective). Yea I know many wont agree with this, but its not realistic that if you take years(rest) to get there Irenicus(example) just stays there waiting for you.

IkMarc

I swear that in one of my first playthroughs as a kid, I lost the game for spending too many days resting before doing the Nashkel Mine. But those were triple digits in days.

SpaceInvader

AFAIK only the poison from Marek, Death Gaze of Aec'Latec and werewolf curse will kill you if waste to much time.

Eudaemonium

Luigirules said:

The cat quest information here is all wrong.

Cat's always dead in the waterfall. When you pick it up and bring it back to the girl, what happens next depends on the reaction score you receive.

High scores, you get 200 xp, +1 to rep, and a scroll.
Medium scores, you get 200xp, and 23 gold.
Low scores, you don't get anything! (So just hack her to pieces to get the 23 gold).

See: http://www.forgottenwars.com/bg1/ar5200.htm

Ah, I see. My mistake. Is the kid's body in the Umberlee temple the same way?