Harnessing the Sands of Time (or Just Skipping to Morning) in Fallout 4
Do you think the Commonwealth’s schedule is inconvenient? Maybe you wait for a merchant to open. You might also want to face Deathclaws in daylight. Vault Dweller, Fallout 4 has ways to adjust time to your desires. You can nudge it along a bit.
Waiting: The Art of the Wasteland Time-Skip
The simple way to skip time is the “wait” function. It’s like an in-game coffee break, but you jump ahead. Here’s how you become a master of time manipulation:
- Finding Your Temporal Throne: To skip time, find a resting spot. Chairs, benches, couches, or beds work. No standing time skips, sorry power armor users.
- The Ritual of Seating: Once seated, the game prompts you. Look for instructions on-screen. A button press invites you to “Wait.” Don’t hesitate; press it.
- Hour Selection – Your Time-Turner Dial: After pressing “wait,” you see a menu. It’s not fancy. But it shows how many hours you wish to skip. Choose wisely.
- Enemy Proximity Alert – Time-Skipping Interruption: Before skipping days, there’s a catch. Fallout 4 won’t let you wait if nearby enemies threaten. Be safe, clear out hostiles, then get back to that chair.
- Why Bother Waiting? The Benefits Unveiled: Why wait? Besides advancing time, it’s useful. Need a shop to open? Want to escape the dark? Waiting is your ally. It’s the patient gamer’s secret against inconvenient in-game schedules.
Console Commands: For When Waiting Just Isn’t Dramatic Enough
For PC players, console commands offer a more forceful method. It’s like shouting at the universe. But beware, tweaking time can cause glitches. Here’s the scoop:
- Timescale Tweaking – A Risky Venture: There isn’t a command to set the time of day directly. You can alter in-game timescale instead. This affects how fast time passes compared to real-time. Caution is advised for those who care about stability.
- The Z_Arc_Config_Timescale Patch – Tread Carefully: If you’re adventurous, try patching the timescale. The sweet spot lands between 6 and 20. Go beyond that, and you risk game-breaking bugs. Consider yourself warned.
Real-Time vs. In-Game Time: The Wasteland Clock
Ever wonder how long a day lasts in Fallout 4? One full in-game day lasts 72 minutes in real-time. In just over an hour, your character experiences 24 hours. Impressive efficiency, isn’t it?
Alternative Time-Bending Techniques (and Speeding Things Up Generally)
Waiting and console commands aren’t your only tricks in Fallout 4. Other methods include:
- Fast Travel – Instantaneous Location Leaps: While not time travel, fast travel is close to teleportation. Once discovered, you can zap anywhere instantly via the map. No more trudging through the wasteland – point and go.
- Speedmult Command – For the Zoom Enthusiast: Think Sole Survivor runs slowly? Use “player.setav speedmult [number].” It boosts your running speed significantly. Start with 120 and go wild from there. Enjoy the hilarious outcomes while navigating tight spaces.
- Speed Demon Mutation (Fallout 76 Tech, Sort Of): This mutation isn’t in Fallout 4 but exists in Fallout 76. The “Speed Demon” boost increases movement and reload speed by 20%. No official mutations are in Fallout 4, but mods might replicate similar effects.
- FPS Capping – The Unintentional Time Warper: Fallout 4 runs uniquely tied to frame rates. If your FPS is too high, physics may speed up gameplay. A drop too low makes it sluggish. Cap your FPS at stable 60 for intended performance.
Related Time Shenanigans and Game Quirks
The Fallout franchise has many time-related mechanics and easter eggs:
- Sleeping – Waiting’s Cozy Cousin: Sleeping in a bed acts like waiting but heals injuries too. It’s more immersive than just sitting down.
- The Guardian of Forever (Fallout 2) – A True Time Portal: For old-school fans, Fallout 2’s Guardian of Forever provided actual time travel back to pre-Fallout days.
- The “Home Button” Wait Speed-Up Trick – For the Impatient Time Traveler: A strange exploit exists for super impatient players. If you press the “home” button right after starting a wait countdown, time speeds up a lot. Works in Skyrim too – Bethesda’s time engine strikes again!
Leveling and the Relentless March of Time (and XP)
Leveling up in Fallout 4 is vital, but does time matter? Let’s explore the thoughts around levels and time:
- No Level Cap (Technically…): Fallout 4 claims no official level cap exists. You can keep leveling up indefinitely.
- The Level 65,535 Crash – The Unofficial Limit: However, reaching level 65,535 triggers a crash. That’s an unofficial limit and impractical for most players.
- The Practical Level Cap – Perk Saturation: In reality, around level 272 is when you unlock all perks and SPECIAL stats. Beyond that, further leveling becomes pointless.
- The Eons to Max Level – A Truly Absurd Grind: Hitting level 65,535 would require over 18,386 years of continuous gameplay. Unless you’re an AI dedicated to Fallout 4, maxing out isn’t realistic.
Time Travel, Vault Dweller Style: Fallout 1 Edition
Let’s go back to Fallout 1’s retro wasteland. Time was handled uniquely in this old RPG:
- Pip-Boy 2000 Alarm Clock – The Wait Function: Your Pip-Boy 2000 tracked stats and inventory. It also had an alarm clock! You could “rest” to pass time and regain hit points. Two birds, one Pip-Boy app.
- World Map Travel – Time on the Road: Traveling on the world map advanced time. Longer trips meant more time passed. Planning travel was vital, especially due to…
- The Time Limit – Tick-Tock, Vault Dweller: Fallout 1 enforced a strict time limit. You had 150 days to find a new water chip for Vault 13. Fail and you faced game over. This pressure added tension to the experience. No dilly-dallying during this journey!
Game Settings: Tweaking the Perceived Pace
Time manipulation isn’t direct, but Fallout 4 has settings that change combat speed:
- Combat Speed Setting – Fast Forward Fighting: In the options menu (Options or Preferences), find “Combat Speed.” Slide it to maximum. Ensure “Affect Player Speed” is checked too. This speeds up combat animations and movement. It’s a visual change, but it makes action feel more dynamic.
That’s your guide to bending time in the Commonwealth. Whether you like comfy chairs, console commands, or fast travel, Fallout 4 lets you control the wasteland clock. Go forth, Vault Dweller, and embrace your time of irradiated fun.
