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doctorgalactic · **07-19-2013, 02:49 PM**

I almost posted my question onÂ this threadÂ but I think it may be a bit off topic.
I've seen a lot of dates flying around, and with all of the work that people are putting into history and lore (fantastic stuff, btw) it dawned on me that we don't have a common calendar dating convention in place that isn't long hand. Â Now, I know it's fun and feel grandiose to write out dates this way, but it's not very practical. Â Let me give you an example:

Kayle's birthday:

The 19th day of the 5th Astral Moon in the year 1554 of the 7th Umbral Era.

Now, this is great, and looks good on the character profile pages, is clear to everyone what date we're talking about, but it can be a bit tedious. Â Now, I'm not talking about is what the meaning of A/U Eras are, or when the year cycle is determined to reset. Â I'm looking more for an abbreviation of terms to make dating much easier to use, as I'd imagine it would be in texts of Eorzea as well as ease of use in RP.

In the US, we use a version of the Gregorian Day-Month-Year, most commonly written out as something like 09/18/1980, which would typically be said aloud as September eighteenth, nineteen eighty. Â

I'm just wondering if anyone is interested in trying to help come up with an abbreviated calendar system. Â I'd like to be proactive, so I'll list out a few examples below to submit for your review, but keep the ideas and opinions coming!

Looking at the same date first listed, we might be able to discern something like:

5A/19/1554-7U to follow the US system, but adversely...

19/5A/1554-7UÂ seems to make a little more sense verbally

(note: these are starting to look a bit like UPC codes...)

or perhaps

19-5a-1154.7u

19.5a.1554-7u

Â Just some ideas to throw around while we wait. Â Thoughts, suggestions, opinions?

ps: Â I'm not very forum savvy, but one day I swear my posts will look prettier...

Just wanted to state that after spending some time mulling them over I'm quite fond of this one:

19.5a.1554-7u

It's easy to read, simple to write out, and using lowercase lettering makes the A/U's stand out a bit more so as to not confuse them with numbers and/or mixing up "Months" with "Days". Â My 2 gil anyway...

Eva · **07-19-2013, 03:02 PM**

For most I don't think that '6A' or '7U' at the end would make sense in casual use. Â Simply because most acknowledge that the era is what it is. Â I honestly don't know how this has been handled in other types of stories and would be interested to see.

A case in point would be when I sign/date a document for work, I'll write 7.19.2013 - but the "A.D." is pretty much implied and seldom written for any reason.

However given the eras recently changed that distinction may be more important. Â I'd love it if a NPC confirmed this, or there was a newspaper or something that illustrated it.

Prior to the changing of the era, I always used this format.Â I don't know if it's generally accepted to be correct or not, but nobody's hassled me.Â Â I'll use Eva's nameday as an example: Â 1A/20/1540

projektai · **07-19-2013, 03:48 PM**

I think this is a good point, but I'd agree with Eva's shorthand of the date. It makes sense and is easy to read without being too clustered.

Now I'll admit, when I read this topic title, I immediately related it to astrology and thought we were going to iron out horoscopes for the people of Eorzea. > w<;;

Jonexe · **07-19-2013, 03:57 PM**

I agree with your ideas; but also want to add that it's somewhat dependent on how recent of an event you're speaking about.

Like Eva stated; AD is implied when we use dates up until we get into less specific or very ancient dates. For example, we say "In the year 100 AD" for events where we don't have specific information; but we say "July 19th, 2013" when we do.

I think the Eorzean system would follow the same logic. It's 19.5A.1554 (or however you choose to write it) until you talk about a date that actually occurred in a different Era.

Edit @Projektai: Why not use that in a character concept Tongue

projektai · **07-19-2013, 04:03 PM**

(07-19-2013, 03:57 PM)Jonexe Wrote: Edit @Projektai: Why not use that in a character concept

Haha, that'd be cute.Â Moogle

It'd be interesting/funny to see horoscopes for the different people of Eorzea. Born under Menphina? Your lucky color today is...

doctorgalactic · **07-19-2013, 04:10 PM**

(07-19-2013, 03:02 PM)Eva Wrote: For most I don't think that '6A' or '7U' at the end would make sense in casual use. Â Simply because most acknowledge that the era is what it is. Â I honestly don't know how this has been handled in other types of stories and would be interested to see.

A case in point would be when I sign/date a document for work, I'll write 7.19.2013 - but the "A.D." is pretty much implied and seldom written for any reason.

However given the eras recently changed that distinction may be more important. Â I'd love it if a NPC confirmed this, or there was a newspaper or something that illustrated it.

Prior to the changing of the era, I always used this format.Â I don't know if it's generally accepted to be correct or not, but nobody's hassled me.Â Â I'll use Eva's nameday as an example: Â 1A/20/1540

That's actually a really good point, taking BC into consideration Â it isn't mentioned unless it applies, and then it would just be noted at the end of the abbreviation. Â Makes total sense to me.

Aysun · **07-19-2013, 09:19 PM**

Similar to Eva, I've always used the short-format like 16/3U/1553 for Aysun's nameday. I figured the Era was assumed, and when it wasn't it would be in texts in which dates were spelled out formally such as in historical texts ("On the 16th Sun of the 3rd Umbral Moon, 1553rd Year of the 6th Astral Era".. like you said, loooong!). In speech, during RP we just say stuff like, "Well, on the 16th Sun of the 3rd Umbral Moon we'll be meeting.." still seems long, but since the Moons don't have 'names' like our months do, there's not much we can do! Same with the days of the week not having names (Monday, Tuesday, etc, don't exist and the "week" seems to be 8 Suns long instead of 7!).

Eorzean Calendar Dating Convention

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes