Time conditions control when a choice is offered to the reader. They are the key to "real time" stories: a shop that only opens in the morning, an answer that takes thirty minutes to arrive, an opportunity that expires. All times are interpreted in the reader's time zone.
# Time schedule
The choice opens from a given time or during a window (between two times). Two recurrences: every day (the slot repeats) or only once, anchored to the reader's arrival on the step — with a choice of opening day: same day, next day, or automatic based on a threshold (arrived after the threshold → next day).
Examples
The village market is only open between 9am and 12pm, every day. Or: the meeting with the informant opens at 8am — same day if the reader arrives before 7am, otherwise the next day.
# Time of day
The simple version of scheduling: the choice is only visible between two times of day, every day. Parameters: start time and end time. The window may cross midnight (e.g. 10pm → 2am).
Example
The speakeasy can only be entered between 10pm and 2am: during the day, the "Knock on the hidden door" choice does not appear.
# Delay after reading
The choice only appears X minutes after the reader arrived on the step. Perfect for believable waiting: a journey, an answer that takes time, something in the oven…
Example
The messenger only returns with the baron's answer 30 minutes after the letter was sent. The reader can leave the story and come back: the "Read the answer" choice will be waiting.
# Available for X minutes
The opposite of the delay: the choice is only offered during the first X minutes spent on the step, then disappears. Great for urgency — without blocking the reader, who keeps the other choices.
Example
The train leaves in 10 minutes. After that, the "Get on board" option disappears — you'll have to walk.
# Scheduled time (legacy)
Legacy format kept for compatibility: the choice opens N days after arriving on the step, at a given time (N = 0 for the next occurrence of that time). For new stories, prefer the more complete Time schedule.
Example
"Meet me tomorrow at 8am": with 1 day and 8:00, the choice opens the day after the reader arrives, at 8am.