BATTLETECH will reach MechWarriors everywhere on April 24th. Except for Australians

[Wanderer2142]

The rub is that the reason why the various time zones used in practice today is spawned by the fact that the decision for administration of time zones is done at the individual nation level, rather than basically through the United Nations, because the time zones are decided more or less in terms of what economically speaking is practical for a particular environment.

Biggest examples: China, regardless of the fact that it spans 5 time zones, uses China Standard Time (UTC + 8) for the entire nation. India, while it spans 3 time zones (westward towards Pakistan, and Bengal in the east), still uses India Standard Time for the entire nation (UTC + 5:30).

Asking nations to all fall to one time standard (which may or may not economically speaking work well in individual circumstances) seems to be a pretty tall request.

 

[_Sohei_]

If China can do it with such a large country with a large population in diverse industries then just about every country should be able to do it. If all can effectively use a single local time zone the leap to a universal time only brings further economic benefits.

 

[Omar_Comin]

Australians default mode is Road Warriors, not MechWarriors. Bring it up with the Halls of Justice, mate.

 

[Wanderer2142]

If China can do it with such a large country with a large population in diverse industries then just about every country should be able to do it. If all can effectively use a single local time zone the leap to a universal time only brings further economic benefits.

The problem in this case is that the UTC system would break down immediately when crossing borders, if you were to implement it in China, mostly because UTC makes the assumption of time zones being delineated by longitude, and not by nation lines. That is to say, the moment you jump the border from Tibet/Xinjiang to India, time falls backwards by 2 hours and 30 minutes.

 

[middle.of.nowhere]

The BT operation will kick off at 1800 Zulu time

What time are we going to jump to the next star system?

Unfortunately some of us will arrive later.
That is the will of GOG

 

[KhazadDhum]

Oh I agree, it'll take several generations to switch over to a new measurement system, and if the schools actually taught something useful, that would be one thing they should do more vehemently.
A universal time system simply isn't going to happen, you'd have to all agree on one point being the reference point for the start of the "day", and more than half the world would feel slighted about it, as realistically they would be.
We as a species just aren't able to think of 12 noon as possible if it was night time, as half the world would be forced into at that point. You'd still have to have "local" time, there would be no way around that.

 

[kvetcha]

That's fine.
Better than "at dawn". Dawn where, on what planet, in what system?

Universal time makes obvious sense when having to coordinate action across long distances. It makes no sense at all for daily life unless you're an airline pilot.

 

[dulahan]

If China can do it with such a large country with a large population in diverse industries then just about every country should be able to do it. If all can effectively use a single local time zone the leap to a universal time only brings further economic benefits.

China's Western regions are RIDICULOUSLY underpopulated compared to the rest of the nation, and HEAVILY discriminated against. The economic disadvantages of the time issue are very much on purpose.

 

[Lardaltef]

Well also there's the whole farming industry which is based more on sunlight. They would rarely use a universal time.

 

[Pedroig]

Couple of thoughts: Imperial is still better than metric... And for area of land is still the most common used unit of measure. Not too mention, no matter where you are in the world, it is hard to find a pub which doesn't sell beer in pints and liquor by the ounce.

I do find it humourous that there are folks talking about UNIVERSAL time and then are so limited by scope to only be thinking of Earth...

 

[Lardaltef]

Couple of thoughts: Imperial is still better than metric... And for area of land is still the most common used unit of measure. Not too mention, no matter where you are in the world, it is hard to find a pub which doesn't sell beer in pints and liquor by the ounce.

I do find it humourous that there are folks talking about UNIVERSAL time and then are so limited by scope to only be thinking of Earth...

Are we talking an American pint of beer or an imperial pint? Because American is only 16 ounces while the English (imperial) is 20 ounces. I FELT SO CHEATED WHEN I LEARNED THAT. Darn Budweiser selling 16 oz pints to save on costs (I assume that's why it's less. Or maybe It's to get more glasses out of a keg).

 

[Randommexi]

i was wondering if the auzzies were gonna get shafted when i read the release date. because originally i didnt see a time zone in the heading.

sorry my auzzy friends, sucks living the in future.

 

[Pedroig]

Are we talking an American pint of beer or an imperial pint? Because American is only 16 ounces while the English (imperial) is 20 ounces. I FELT SO CHEATED WHEN I LEARNED THAT. Darn Budweiser selling 16 oz pints to save on costs (I assume that's why it's less. Or maybe It's to get more glasses out of a keg).

Ahh, another beauty of the imperial system, a pint is a pint is a pint, except where it isn't a pint... And Budweiser ain't really beer now is it?

Regardless, I've yet been in a country (which allows the sale of beer) where I haven't been able to order a pint, and get a pint. Imperial or "true"...

 

[KnightCole]

Thats what Australia gets for being in a wonky time zone

 

[Lardaltef]

Ahh, another beauty of the imperial system, a pint is a pint is a pint, except where it isn't a pint... And Budweiser ain't really beer now is it?

Regardless, I've yet been in a country (which allows the sale of beer) where I haven't been able to order a pint, and get a pint. Imperial or "true"...

Bud is not beer. Apparently in the 1820s the British Empire standardized measurements across the Empire and for whatever reason decided on 20 ounces while the American pint is using the prior English pint. Either way a pint is 1/8 of a gallon. But an imperial gallon is larger.

I'd say everything should go imperial at least for liquids it's round numbers. American is weird. In ounces it's 8/16/32/64/128 cup/pint/quart/half gallon/gallon.

 

[mmurray821]

If it means larger beer glasses for a pint, I'm all for it.

 

[Teivel]

Just going to dob my fellow Australians in here and point out that we're leaving something out when we complain here:

The 25th, the day we get the game is ANZAC ( Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) day. It is a public holiday.

A lot of us will also be awake early anyway for the dawn memorial ceremonies at shrines and key locations across the country, after which Battletech will be waiting. So far as being shafted by release timing just for living here goes then, Battletech is close to the best case you can get outside of a rolling release.

 

[Dan Steiner Davion]

It's not just Australians you know. It's New Zealanders too!
On the other hand. I knew this would happen so it's not really a problem.

And the 25th is a public holiday here.

 

[TaurianMerc]

I'm comfortable using a 24 hour clock. I'm not comfortable with operating day-to-day using universal time.

As a Londoner I have no problems with using a universal time (maybe UTC?)

Not too mention, no matter where you are in the world, it is hard to find a pub which doesn't sell beer in pints and liquor by the ounce.

In the UK you'll find spirits are sold by the 25ml measure. Beer is ordered by the pint, and you get a pint. But you want to order a proper beer, none of that lager rubbish - it needs to have flavour

 

[Falconaran]

Real beer should come with a spoon so you can chew the last 3 inches of your pint.