How Long is an Hour in Fallout? A Guide to Time and Survival
In the Fallout franchise, time is a concept that is often warped and distorted. The nuclear aftermath of the Great War and the subsequent radiation storms have created a world where traditional notions of time are far from linear. So, how long is an hour in Fallout? Let’s dive into the complexities of time in the Fallout universe.
Default Non-Combat Timescale
In Fallout 1, 60 minutes of in-game time equals 1 real-life hour. This default timescale is used to describe the passage of time within the game world. Here’s a breakdown of this timescale:
- Each minute in-game = 1 minute in real-time
- Each hour in-game = 1 real-life hour
For example, if you are adventuring in the world and encounter a group of Radscorpions, which takes 10 minutes in-game to defeat, 10 minutes of your game time will have passed as well.
Non-Combat Timescale Adjustment in Fallout 4
Things take a different turn with Fallout 4. Non-combat timescales work differently in this installment:
- Default non-combat timescale: multiplied by 20
- timescale addon: multiplied by 10
These scaling factors can be altered, allowing players to change their experience of time in various ways. For example:
| Timescale Factor | Real-Life Time Passed Per In-Game Minute | Real-Life Time Passed Per In-Game Hour |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 6 real-life minutes | 360 real-life minutes (6 hours) |
| 1 (default) | 3 real-life minutes | 180 real-life minutes (3 hours) |
| 20 | 2 real-life minutes | 120 real-life minutes (2 hours) |
Note that these scaling factors might be altered by mods, giving players even more flexibility and customization options.
Post-Apocalyptic World
In Fallout Shelter, the game does something quite unique. Since gameplay revolves around building, expanding, and managing an underground bunker, time operates similarly to real life. What does this mean?
- Time passes at a steady and linear rate
- All activities, including constructing or researching, take an approximately proportional amount of real-world time
For example:
- Building a basic medical bay takes around 45 minutes in-game time to complete. In reality, this would take about the same amount of time it takes you to finish dinner.
- Researching medical science takes around 360 minutes in-game (2 days). In real-world time, this could roughly equate to waiting in line at the post-office for a few hours and watching a movie after coming back home.
In Fallou