Option to add events with "before, after or in between" existing events, for when exact dates are TBD

New Feature Addition · Chronicles · Created by coalmusterm
closed
chronicle timeline dates worldbuilding

What functionality is missing? What is unsatisfying with the current situation?

  Current chronicles and timelines require absolute dates or date ranges. This is useful when you have already determined the dates and exact order of events, before drafting your chronicle/timeline. But not if you are in the process of organizing important events and working out when they take place relative to each other. Current functionality requires one to choose placeholder dates. Then if you decide to make a change that would affect the dates and/or order of multiple events, you need to edit each event individually.    

How does this feature request address the current situation?

  The option to add events with ranges relative to each other (i.e. "before event A", "after event B", "in between events A & C") would allow a worldbuilder to organize important events with as-yet-undecided dates. Then when one decides a proper date, assign it using the current functionality. This would be of particular use when planning overlapping story arcs that connect to each other.  

What are other uses for this feature request?

  This would aid the process of worldbuilding in conjunction with drafting one's manuscript or rpg world. Alternatively, it could help players piece together a timeline of events from multiple incomplete sources. Good for roleplaying investigations, mysteries, historical research, etc.

Follow up


That's great to hear, thank you. Looking forward to upcoming innovations.

The Team's Response

Hey there! Thank you for your suggestion coalmusterm   Sadly the system cannot handle this without a major rewrite. The cost in time/effort to implement of the suggestion is simply disproportionate to the profit the community will get out of it.   I too have to create placeholder timelines and then refine them as the time goes. My goal as a developer is to make the editing easier (which we are already working on) not redesign the system.
Current score

74/300 Votes · +13508 points

Votes Cast

  • +300

    by Esmer
    on 2023-01-20 21:35
  • +100

    by Krawczyk & Weaver
    on 2023-01-20 17:29
  • +300

    by QFantasyDragon
    on 2023-01-19 14:57
  • +100

    by Roaming Valkyrie
    on 2023-01-19 01:58
  • +1

    by A Lusty Dwarf
    on 2023-01-17 22:24
  • +100

    by SoskaCream
    on 2023-01-17 07:32
  • +300

    by Emporuto
    on 2023-01-16 14:10
  • +100

    by LordLithca
    on 2023-01-16 09:40
  • +100

    by fwalton
    on 2023-01-16 02:46
  • +300

    by Magbaltis
    on 2023-01-15 21:54
  • +1

    by A Wild Dryad
    on 2023-01-15 09:45
  • +300

    by Favillion
    on 2023-01-15 00:33
  • +300

    by ravenmoon_@
    on 2023-01-14 15:51
  • +1

    by Masha Medov
    on 2023-01-14 00:20
  • +300

    by CSor96
    on 2023-01-13 22:57
  • +300

    by eggoscrombled
    on 2023-01-13 18:59
  • +100

    by Autumn Fae
    on 2023-01-13 15:59
  • +100

    by Bard's
    on 2023-01-13 03:00
  • +100

    by Writing Bishop
    on 2023-01-12 20:32
  • +300

    by A Frightened Devil
    on 2023-01-12 08:39
  • +300

    by Mandalorian BBQ
    on 2023-01-12 01:25
  • +100

    by A Adorable Goblin
    on 2023-01-11 16:27
  • +1

    by Jakoses
    on 2023-01-11 10:53
  • +300

    by BARON229
    on 2023-01-11 06:16
  • +300

    by makonnen
    on 2023-01-11 03:16
  • +100

    by JMT
    on 2023-01-10 17:27
  • +100

    by Damien Cross
    on 2023-01-10 05:55
  • +100

    by RoboticGuardian
    on 2023-01-10 04:05
  • +100

    by BethSea13
    on 2023-01-09 20:16
  • +300

    by Careen Ligh
    on 2023-01-09 19:16
  • +1

    by toffepajja
    on 2023-01-09 16:53
  • +300

    by MrJollyham
    on 2023-01-09 15:55
  • +300

    by A Beloved Kobold
    on 2023-01-09 14:10
  • +100

    by GigaFlop
    on 2023-01-09 09:55
  • +300

    by RClayton
    on 2023-01-08 18:54
  • +100

    by A Mischievous Dimensional Horror
    on 2023-01-08 12:15
  • +300

    by A Mischievous T-Rex
    on 2023-01-08 12:08
  • +300

    by LadyNyhm
    on 2023-01-07 03:28
  • +300

    by MDarkKing
    on 2023-01-06 22:50
  • +100

    by Hjarta
    on 2023-01-06 22:00
  • +100

    by gcc-claidheamh
    on 2023-01-06 21:29
  • +1

    by rainswings
    on 2023-01-06 21:05
  • +300

    by Drahauk
    on 2023-01-06 02:31
  • +300

    by ano19920
    on 2023-01-06 01:52
  • +100

    by blurrito
    on 2023-01-05 22:08
  • +300

    by NiwdeMaster
    on 2023-01-05 20:39
  • +300

    by NatZero
    on 2023-01-05 20:15
  • +100

    by A Fluffy Elf
    on 2023-01-05 14:55
  • +100

    by Moonlight-Selkie
    on 2023-01-05 12:15
  • +300

    by Torinn_N
    on 2023-01-05 02:19
  • +300

    by Aquarchos
    on 2023-01-05 01:47
  • +100

    by PrismCoalition
    on 2023-01-04 23:30
  • +1

    by Mahlioz
    on 2023-01-04 22:27
  • +300

    by TheDoctor292
    on 2023-01-04 21:48
  • +100

    by SteelLamprey
    on 2023-01-04 21:06
    Yes Please
  • +100

    by Willow H.R. Harper
    on 2023-01-04 12:15
  • +100

    by A Fierce Bananafolk
    on 2023-01-04 06:08
  • +1

    by Vibeca
    on 2023-01-03 23:42
  • +300

    by A Sneaky Bananafolk
    on 2023-01-03 23:22
  • +1

    by DMFW
    on 2023-01-03 20:17
    This could get messy. I can envisage editing scenarios where the timeline becomes ambiguous e.g. An event "B" is set to be after A and before C, both of which have fixed dates, then C is edited to have an earlier date than B, at which point B is logically impossible to place on the timeline. Provided the author is prepared to tidy these up manually it could work though (e.g perhaps unresolvable events could sit at the bottom of the timeline, like events outside of eras do now). Worth bearing in mind also that if it is purely the display side of it that worries you, you can always override the display date with something that doesn't show the underlying number and just leaves the order visible. I like this for prehistory particularly and big numbers where some exact date isn't appropriate to see, and I use it a lot on those kind of timelines.
  • +100

    by rboyd13
    on 2023-01-03 19:33
  • +300

    by teffack
    on 2023-01-03 19:21
  • +100

    by Anthraxus
    on 2023-01-03 18:31
  • +300

    by ChrisJWalker
    on 2023-01-03 17:02
  • +300

    by Tijmuhn
    on 2023-01-03 16:42
  • +100

    by Hogshead
    on 2023-01-03 16:17
  • -1

    by A Wild Dragon
    on 2023-01-03 14:44
    I'm only downvoting because the current placeholder functionality is enough for me and I'd rather see other issues be worked on
  • +100

    by NovaTerra
    on 2023-01-03 11:34
  • +300

    by FictionFan1995
    on 2023-01-03 10:12
  • +100

    by Rilameth
    on 2023-01-03 09:44
  • +300

    by A Adorable Hobbit
    on 2023-01-03 07:07
  • +100

    by Pete Nelson
    on 2023-01-03 06:09
  • +300

    by DramaticDragons
    on 2023-01-03 04:50
  • +300

    by A Thundering Dryad
    on 2023-01-03 04:05
  • +300

    by coalmusterm
    on 2023-01-03 03:31