Timers
Work in Progress
This documentation is still being expanded and refined. Features, screenshots, and descriptions may change until Talescape's public release. If something is unclear or you need help, please ask on the official Talescape Discord. We're happy to clarify or update pages as needed.
Timers are time-based triggers that let you control when events occur in your story. They can be used to create countdowns, recurring effects, or timed choices, adding pacing and urgency to gameplay.
1. Overview
A timer measures a defined duration in seconds. When the time runs out, it automatically fires its connected actions, just like a trigger.
Each timer has:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | A label to identify the timer. |
| Duration | How long the timer runs before it fires (in seconds). |
| Repeat | Whether the timer should automatically restart after firing. |
| Visibility | Controls if the timer is visible to the player (hidden by default). |
2. Timer Visibility
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Invisible (default) | The timer runs silently in the background. Useful for internal logic or pacing. |
| Visible | The timer is shown in the player’s UI as a countdown, allowing Dreamers to see how much time remains. |
Visible timers are ideal for:
- Timed puzzles
- Limited-response dialogues
- Urgency-based scenes (e.g., escaping danger or defusing a situation)
3. Timer Controls
Timers can be managed dynamically through Actions or Events. You can:
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Start | Begins the timer. |
| Stop | Cancels the timer completely. |
| Pause | Freezes the timer at its current value. |
| Resume | Continues a paused timer. |
| Reset | Returns the timer to its full duration without starting it. |
This allows you to start, interrupt, or reset timed sequences at any point during the story.
4. Repeating Timers
When the Repeat option is enabled, the timer will automatically restart every time it finishes. This continues until the timer is stopped manually or the story changes scene.
Repeating timers are useful for:
- Ambient effects that occur periodically.
- Regular checks (e.g., health loss, light flicker, environmental cycles).
- Ongoing background systems that don’t depend on player input.
5. Using Timers as Triggers
Timers act as triggers within the logic system. When they finish, they automatically execute their assigned Actions.
You can use this to:
- Move to a new scene after a countdown.
- Modify variables at fixed intervals.
- Trigger ambient sound or effects repeatedly.
- End dialogues or scenes if the player takes too long to act.
6. Best Practices
- Keep timers short and purposeful, as long background timers can confuse pacing.
- Use visible timers for tension, invisible ones for subtle progression.
- Always stop or reset timers when they’re no longer needed to avoid overlapping events.
- Combine timers with variables or conditions to control complex timing logic.
Timers bring a sense of rhythm and urgency to interactive storytelling, helping you pace scenes dynamically, reward quick thinking, or create the quiet tension of waiting.