BC/AD vs. BCE/CE

JellyDonut · September 25, 2001, 18:30

This was raised on the poll about the positioning of the date. But now we must answer an infinitely more important question: should Firaxis use the traditional BC/AD or the secular BCE/CE method of determining years?

Gangerolf · September 25, 2001, 18:44

BC: Before Christ (?)
AD: Anno Domine (year of god?)

What's that BCE/CE stuff?

To answer your question: I think BC/AD makes it easier to evaluate your playing, eg if you've got nukes in 1140 AD, you know you're doing quite good.

Madine · September 25, 2001, 18:45

I think that BC/AD is better. It's better known and it is based in religious and cultural tradition, and that is what Civ is about

PGM · September 25, 2001, 18:55

Quote:

Originally posted by JellyDonut
This was raised on the poll about the positioning of the date.

I've created a monster! And I was just kidding! Wait a minute, isn't this what Dr. Frankenstein said ?
Oh well, I'll go BC/AD (like we don't already know how it's going to be anyway).

JellyDonut · September 25, 2001, 19:03

BCE = Before Common (or Current) Era
CE = Common (or Current) Era

A secular way of examining dates. I think it's better suited for Civ because it isn't based in the religion of just a few of the civs, i.e. it "works" with the Indians, Iroquois, Zulus, Japanese, etc.

Pggar · September 25, 2001, 19:03

I really think the French Revolutionary calendar makes a lot of sense in a civ game, besides I never understood that BC/AD nonsense.

connorkimbro · September 25, 2001, 19:07

Quote:

A secular way of examining dates. I think it's better suited for Civ because it isn't based in the religion of just a few of the civs, i.e. it "works" with the Indians, Iroquois, Zulus, Japanese, etc.

I think the BCE/CE thing is a bunch of crap. It means the EXACT same thing as BC/AD. . the dates are the exact same. 200 BC = 200 BCE. I think it's funny how people get their shorts in a knot because the dating system was based on the christian calander, big flippin deal. I'm an atheist myself, but BC/AD is what we've had forever, and there's no reason to change it. I'm a bit more secure in my beliefs to feel challenged by an arbitrary dating system. It's just silly.

Skanky Burns · September 25, 2001, 19:17

Quote:

Originally posted by connorkimbro
...but BC/AD is what we've had forever, and there's no reason to change it

Exactly. Whats the point in having standard measuring systems when you keep changing the standard??

Btw JellyDonut, your definition of BCE and CE are the same...

Seeker · September 25, 2001, 19:21

Raises the question:

How will time pass in the different ages?

Will they still have it take 200 years for a chariot to cross Egypt into Mesopotamia? (in BC at 50 years per turn, large map)

d_dudy · September 25, 2001, 19:23

the last 2 posts are both right

everyone knows bc/ad, they gotta use it

the screens out now have bc/ad

bce/ce sounds kinda like a copy.....

anyone wanna tell me what the french revelutionary calender is?

Gangerolf · September 25, 2001, 19:24

Quote:

Originally posted by connorkimbro
[q]. . the dates are the exact same. 200 BC = 200 BCE.

Oh so this is just a question of the name, not the numbers. Well, I'll still stick with BC/AD, as BCE/CE seems to be some hypocritical political correct bullshit (no offense).

JellyDonut: You wrote the same about BCE and CE. I presume CE = Common Era?

Akron · September 25, 2001, 19:32

Quote:

Originally posted by JellyDonut

A secular way of examining dates. I think it's better suited for Civ because it isn't based in the religion of just a few of the civs, i.e. it "works" with the Indians, Iroquois, Zulus, Japanese, etc.

I fully agree with you. BCE and CE are more politically correct. Anyway, newer history books seem to use them. Of course, its not too important.

mactbone · September 25, 2001, 20:55

Why not have no way of keeping time until you discover writing, then, all the years before writing are BW and all the ones after are AW. Or we could just say that you start counting years when your civ starts, because why would you use BC, if you haven't experience C?

Madine · September 25, 2001, 21:13

The times are just there for a historical reference. They are a nice feature, but they are irrelevant as far as gameplay goes.

Urban Ranger · September 25, 2001, 22:44

connor,

I dunno, why would anybody use BC/AD, if Jesus of Nazareth wasn't born on 1AD, assuming that he actually did exist?

fluffy · September 26, 2001, 03:13

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
I dunno, why would anybody use BC/AD, if Jesus of Nazareth wasn't born on 1AD, assuming that he actually did exist?

I thought current opinion is that the historical Jesus was born 6AD, but a trawl of net sites give alternate dates ranging from 10BC-6AD!

Don't believe the 25th December bit either...

Earthling7 · September 26, 2001, 03:22

BC/AD, no doubt. As has been said, it's a standard and we're used to it. To change it for political correctness is just whimsy fart talk.

How about changing the name of the metric system to something like MU (measuring Unit)? Giving the French such dominance in measuring can't be politically correct???

BTW, I'm not a believer either...

fluffy · September 26, 2001, 03:36

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
I dunno, why would anybody use BC/AD, if Jesus of Nazareth wasn't born on 1AD, assuming that he actually did exist?

Thinking about it, why isn't his birthyear 0AD, as '1AD' means 'one year after his birth' and '1BC' means 'one year before his birth?? Seems like there is a year missing....

JellyDonut · September 26, 2001, 03:43

Maybe there should be civ-specific calendars too

The French Revolutionary calendar would increase productivity and unhappiness because of the 10-day week.

Seriously though, that French calendar option was a joke answer. In case you're unfamiliar with it, it was the calendar used from 1793 in the Frrench Revolution until 1806 when Napoleon I changed it back to the traditional calendar and it remained that way, except during the <1 year reign of the Paris Commune of 1871, which used the French Revolutionary calendar. Well, it wasn't as successful as the metric system they invented...

And I corrected the mistake in my earlier post. Whoops! Thanks to those who pointed it out.

jdd2007 · September 26, 2001, 03:56

BC/AD

i dont really care, but it has to be simple ...

Earthling7 · September 26, 2001, 04:02

Quote:

Originally posted by JellyDonut
The French Revolutionary calendar would increase productivity and unhappiness because of the 10-day week.

HUH??? How can something French increase productivity?

Father Beast · September 26, 2001, 04:33

Where's the "None of the above" option?

The date should reflect the year of my reign as leader, or president, or whatnot.

and it should reset every time I cahnge governments!!!

dainbramaged13 · September 26, 2001, 04:45

Quote:

Originally posted by JellyDonut
This was raised on the poll about the positioning of the date...

by me....

thanks for the credit, by the way

it WAS a joke, though... i never thought anyone would actually care

dainbramaged13 · September 26, 2001, 04:51

Quote:

Originally posted by fluffy

Don't believe the 25th December bit either...

that was made by the romans because of the festival Satrunalia.. they only had to change who they were celebrating instead of when, where, how.. etc... when they started worshipping the Christian God instead of theyre other gods

Patriqvium · September 26, 2001, 05:18

Let's just keep the traditional BC/AD... if someone's offended because of it, he/she can edit the text files...

Dauphin · September 26, 2001, 05:43

A more important (i.e even more irrelevant) question is - Do we use the Gregorian, Julian, or modern day calender for accomodating leap years?

Triped · September 26, 2001, 06:13

BC/AD

I am of the opinion that people who go out of the way to censor any and all references to Christ should be discouraged.

Adagio · September 26, 2001, 11:27

Hehe, love this poll (sorry I didn't see it before now

)

I almost voted "We should use the French Revolutionary calendar!", just to say something else, but then I figured out I have never heard about this so I voted for the BC/AD thingy

Cookie Monster · September 26, 2001, 13:46

You know it's pretty sad that people are all uppity about the date system. BC/AD is the way it has been and the way it should be period. The BCE/CE date system is the same thing only it doesn't offend atheists. Given what's going on in the world today it's just petty to flip your lid because you see BC/AD. There's too many other petty little things that bother people. Does it really matter? Ask yourself, does political correctness/incorrectness really matter in the end? Live and let be. We got other beastly things to worry about like terrorism.

Boris Godunov · September 26, 2001, 13:59

Quote:

Originally posted by Gangerolf

Oh so this is just a question of the name, not the numbers. Well, I'll still stick with BC/AD, as BCE/CE seems to be some hypocritical political correct bullshit (no offense).

JellyDonut: You wrote the same about BCE and CE. I presume CE = Common Era?

No, it isn't.

BCE/CE is now the standard and accepted method of date notation among historical scholars. It is done because "Before Christ" is meaningless to 3/5ths of the world.

I think, being a historical simulation of many different civs, CIV3 should either do the BCE/CE or simply start at year 1 and go to 6000, as someone else said on another board.