Can I set my own time loop instead of always daytime?

[Black Edition']

I looked it up and found out how to edit my save file to make it always daytime, but what I want to know is if it is possible to set my own time loop instead? Something like starting from 6AM all the way to 6PM, then loop. No dark nights. I prefer to enjoy the lower lights of dawn and sunrise instead of having a static bright daylight.

Im 650+ hours into my hardcore save and im finally giving up on driving at night for 30 whole minutes or however long it is because this is starting to drive me crazy. The lighting is not accurate to real life, and the way roof/headlights work in the game looks cheap and unrealistic to me (especially when you have to play on low graphics).

[Black Edition']

Here's the guide I found online (thanks btw, I saw your posts all over the internet lol).

Originally posted by Jormundgardr:

YES! There is! This took me forever to work out, but here it is.
Okay, find your save file, ctrl+f and look for "TIME_SETTINGS":X,"; X will be the setting from New Game Plus, 0 being default, 1 being no time skip, 2 being double daytime, 3 being double nighttime, and 4 being day only, at least from my testing I believe that is the case. I tested by making multiple save files with different time settings and comparing the difference.
The other major difference was the "timeSettingsDay" and "timeSettingsNight" settings. In default, Day and Night were both set to 1.0, while in Day only, Day was set to 0.0 and Night was set to -1.0.
So I changed the all 3 of those settings to get a save file where time does not pass, but I can still manual change the time from the map screen, which is arguably the best of both worlds.

So to recap; ("TIME_SETTINGS":1," is just default + no timeskip)
Default: "TIME_SETTINGS":0," "timeSettingsDay":1.0," "timeSettingsNight":1.0,"
Double Day: "TIME_SETTINGS":2," "timeSettingsDay":0.5," "timeSettingsNight":1.0,"
Double Night: "TIME_SETTINGS":3," "timeSettingsDay":1.0," "timeSettingsNight":0.5,"
Day Only: "TIME_SETTINGS":4," "timeSettingsDay":0.0," "timeSettingsNight":-1.0,"
I hope this can help you guys, also, it seems save files are in order, so if you're like me and your mainsave isn't in the first slot, then your save slots are just in order from 0 to 3, not 1 to 4.

I can't find TIME_SETTINGS in my CompleteSave1.cfg file, what now? I do have timeSettingsDay & timeSettingsNight both set to 0.0.

Instead of setting my own custom time loop, I could also go for double day time with half night time, is this possible? I don't want to mess around with those settings and risk corrupting my save. I do have backups but I still don't like to mess with it and lose all that progress.

[Black Edition']

I messed around with timeSettingsDay & timeSettingsNight and tried multiple combinations of numbers but I saw no difference at all (yes, I quit the game before editing my file, saved, then reopened the game). What am I missing? I just want to have day only.

[Jelinobas]

I'm currently experimenting with the time settings. For this to work, you have to check other parameters in the save and change them if necessary.

- "isAbleToSkipTime":true (if false set to true)
- "recoverOnStart":false (if true, set to false)

Or you can simply change the current actual time to a desired value.

- "gameTime":X.0 (24h mode, X= 0-23)

[Nite69]

Yep I agree that night sucks I have to open the map and set it to 13:00 hours constantly as I play

[Black Edition']

Originally posted by Jelinobas:

I'm currently experimenting with the time settings. For this to work, you have to check other parameters in the save and change them if necessary.

- "isAbleToSkipTime":true (if false set to true)
- "recoverOnStart":false (if true, set to false)

Or you can simply change the current actual time to a desired value.

- "gameTime":X.0 (24h mode, X= 0-23)

Thanks!

Just to confirm, you changed both "isAbleToSkipTime" & "recoverOnStart", then played with "timeSettingsDay" & "timeSettingsNight" and it actually worked for you like it does on NG+? Im on hardcore mode btw. Any idea what does "recoverOnStart" do?

I forgot how to backup my save and all of that so I will have to look it all up again, that's why im asking if it worked nicely for you before I try anything.

If I decided to go with the easier route and use "gameTime", do I have to do it once and it will stick to that time? I thought about it but im not sure I want to have a static time of hour, I think playing on the same atmosphere all the time will bore me over time. Im even willing to do nights but just for a short time, like 5 minutes or something. Their default settings is cr#p and it feels like a lifetime.

[Black Edition']

Originally posted by Nite69:

Yep I agree that night sucks I have to open the map and set it to 13:00 hours constantly as I play

Do you do that with a mod? Im on hardcore so can't skip or change time.

Either way, im not really interested in having to manually change the time whenever it's night, I rather stick to the default settings and suffer through the night lol.

[Black Edition']

Originally posted by Black Edition':

Here's the guide I found online (thanks btw, I saw your posts all over the internet lol).

Originally posted by Jormundgardr:

YES! There is! This took me forever to work out, but here it is.
Okay, find your save file, ctrl+f and look for "TIME_SETTINGS":X,"; X will be the setting from New Game Plus, 0 being default, 1 being no time skip, 2 being double daytime, 3 being double nighttime, and 4 being day only, at least from my testing I believe that is the case. I tested by making multiple save files with different time settings and comparing the difference.
The other major difference was the "timeSettingsDay" and "timeSettingsNight" settings. In default, Day and Night were both set to 1.0, while in Day only, Day was set to 0.0 and Night was set to -1.0.
So I changed the all 3 of those settings to get a save file where time does not pass, but I can still manual change the time from the map screen, which is arguably the best of both worlds.

So to recap; ("TIME_SETTINGS":1," is just default + no timeskip)
Default: "TIME_SETTINGS":0," "timeSettingsDay":1.0," "timeSettingsNight":1.0,"
Double Day: "TIME_SETTINGS":2," "timeSettingsDay":0.5," "timeSettingsNight":1.0,"
Double Night: "TIME_SETTINGS":3," "timeSettingsDay":1.0," "timeSettingsNight":0.5,"
Day Only: "TIME_SETTINGS":4," "timeSettingsDay":0.0," "timeSettingsNight":-1.0,"
I hope this can help you guys, also, it seems save files are in order, so if you're like me and your mainsave isn't in the first slot, then your save slots are just in order from 0 to 3, not 1 to 4.

I can't find TIME_SETTINGS in my CompleteSave1.cfg file, what now? I do have timeSettingsDay & timeSettingsNight both set to 0.0.

Instead of setting my own custom time loop, I could also go for double day time with half night time, is this possible? I don't want to mess around with those settings and risk corrupting my save. I do have backups but I still don't like to mess with it and lose all that progress.

For anyone interested in this, it doesn't work on hardcore. Only works on New Game+.

At the moment there's no way to change time on hardcore saves. Some people told me that I have to replicate ALL of NG+ save file settings onto my hardcore save file, but that's almost impossible for me and I don't have tens of hours to waste on that. So I just gave up and continued suffering through nights.

But let's see what @Jelinobas has in store for us, maybe he actually solved the puzzle for all of us (hopefully)?

[Nite69]

Originally posted by Black Edition':

Originally posted by Nite69:

Yep I agree that night sucks I have to open the map and set it to 13:00 hours constantly as I play

Do you do that with a mod? Im on hardcore so can't skip or change time.

Either way, im not really interested in having to manually change the time whenever it's night, I rather stick to the default settings and suffer through the night lol.

No I play in normal mode, didn't know hard mode had it locked

[Jelinobas]

Originally posted by Black Edition':

For anyone interested in this, it doesn't work on hardcore. Only works on New Game+.

At the moment there's no way to change time on hardcore saves. Some people told me that I have to replicate ALL of NG+ save file settings onto my hardcore save file, but that's almost impossible for me and I don't have tens of hours to waste on that. So I just gave up and continued suffering through nights.

But let's see what @Jelinobas has in store for us, maybe he actually solved the puzzle for all of us (hopefully)?

Yes, all time settings in the save do not work in HARDMODE. The game does not seem to get this information from the save but rather from the game's engine itself.

In "New Game+" it works perfectly though.

The only thing that works in HARDMODE is:
- "gameTime":X.0 (24h mode, X= 0-23)

This is a time skip via save editing.
Time then continues to run normally in the game at the normal speed.

For relaxed gaming, it would be advisable to start a "New Game+" and then set the settings accordingly in the save.

For example, I'm currently playing with:
"TIME_SETTINGS":2," "timeSettingsDay":0.25," "timeSettingsNight":5.0,"

Resulting in long days and short nights.

In addition, you can set much stricter rules in "New Game+" than the "easy" hard mode itself offers.

So "New Game+" is the better HARDMODE.

[Black Edition']

Originally posted by Jelinobas:

Originally posted by Black Edition':

For anyone interested in this, it doesn't work on hardcore. Only works on New Game+.

At the moment there's no way to change time on hardcore saves. Some people told me that I have to replicate ALL of NG+ save file settings onto my hardcore save file, but that's almost impossible for me and I don't have tens of hours to waste on that. So I just gave up and continued suffering through nights.

But let's see what @Jelinobas has in store for us, maybe he actually solved the puzzle for all of us (hopefully)?

Yes, all time settings in the save do not work in HARDMODE. The game does not seem to get this information from the save but rather from the game's engine itself.

In "New Game+" it works perfectly though.

The only thing that works in HARDMODE is:
- "gameTime":X.0 (24h mode, X= 0-23)

This is a time skip via save editing.
Time then continues to run normally in the game at the normal speed.

For relaxed gaming, it would be advisable to start a "New Game+" and then set the settings accordingly in the save.

For example, I'm currently playing with:
"TIME_SETTINGS":2," "timeSettingsDay":0.25," "timeSettingsNight":5.0,"

Resulting in long days and short nights.

In addition, you can set much stricter rules in "New Game+" than the "easy" hard mode itself offers.

So "New Game+" is the better HARDMODE.

NG+ is indeed better than hardmode, but I can't just restart my 700h progress. Im fine with giving myself extra money to re-buy all my trucks and even reset my current map (currently on Amur, Russia), but wouldn't that also affect all of my previous regions? I mean im not planning to return to any of these completed maps, but wouldn't that affect my achievements or something else? Let me know what are the downsides so I can rethink about this idea. I wanted to do the move long time ago but not sure how it'll affect me.

[Jelinobas]

Well, the achievements are saved on Steam and not in the SAVE. They won't be lost.

When you start a new game, however, you start from ZERO. All areas are unknown, just like the first time.

So you have to make the decision yourself.

However, you have a lot of freedom in NG+.
You can save yourself the trouble of unlocking vehicles, trailers and spare parts and make everything available straight away.
The ones you find then serve as a source of income.

So you can buy your favorite Trucks as soon as you have the money for them.
And you also take with you the knowledge of how to play the areas.

[Black Edition']

Originally posted by Jelinobas:

Well, the achievements are saved on Steam and not in the SAVE. They won't be lost.

When you start a new game, however, you start from ZERO. All areas are unknown, just like the first time.

So you have to make the decision yourself.

However, you have a lot of freedom in NG+.
You can save yourself the trouble of unlocking vehicles, trailers and spare parts and make everything available straight away.
The ones you find then serve as a source of income.

So you can buy your favorite Trucks as soon as you have the money for them.
And you also take with you the knowledge of how to play the areas.

About the achievements, I meant if there are any that counts towards a total of something, like drive an X amount of kilometers or complete 100% of all the regions and such. Those are obviously going to reset?

Im also not sure I want to have all the trucks/upgrades available from the start, kind of ruins the fun and the feeling that you achieved something after you drive to them and finally unlock them. If I don't do that then I will have to go back and rediscover them in most of the previous maps, but there's no way im going to be replaying the same maps.

The upgrades were one of the most exciting things I looked forward to whenever I visit a watchtower, but maybe not so much lately since im now sticking to a certain "best of the best" fleet that I have no interest in changing unless they release some new and exciting trucks. So maybe having everything unlocked would make zero difference anyway.

But I still don't know. Guess I will give a look at all the achievements later on and maybe do some tests and rethink some things about the unlocks before making a decision.

[Jelinobas]

No, existing achievements are not reset. You can complete all the missing ones in the base game. There is no obligation to play all the cards.

In NG+ you can set lots of different things as you like. Just try it out. You have 4 save slots.