I think DDDD would make the most sense. A time period of 4242 days would be about 12 years, which is a reasonable time frame.

FFVIII is very coy about providing absolute dates. You can map events relative to each other, but not to a year zero.

A couple of years ago, I put together a timeline of major game events that had happened a specific number of years in the past of game time:

(There are a few spoilers in here)

FFVIII Timeline


Years ago = y.a.
Deep Sea Research Center = DSRC
(Month/Day)

? y.a. Great Hyne creates life
4000 y.a. Centra civilization founded
? y.a. Esthar founded
? y.a. Dollet Empire founded
80 y.a. Centra cities destroyed by Lunar Cry
44 y.a. (1/3) Laguna Loire born
42 y.a. (2/25) Ward Zabac born
40 y.a. (7/6) Kiros Seagill born
18 (?) y.a. Horizon Bridge finished
18 y.a. Julia Heartilly marries General Caraway
18 y.a. Galbadia invades Timber
18 y.a. (10/4) Quistis Trepe born
18 y.a. (12/22) Seifer Almasy born
17 y.a. Sorceress Wars ends
17 y.a. Esthar closed
17 y.a. Radio interference due to sealing Adel
17 y.a. (3/3) Rinoa Heartilly born
17 y.a. (3/17) Zell Dincht born
17 y.a. (7/16) Selphie Tilmit born
17 y.a. (8/23) Squall Leonhart born
17 y.a. (11/24) Irvine Kinneas born
12 y.a. Julia Heartilly dies
12 y.a. Balamb Garden (a Centra shelter) founded
12 y.a. Galbadia Garden founded
12 y.a. Trabia Garden founded

3015 DSRC found a strong energy field
4127 Travel possible by underwater tower
4141 DSRC named Deep Sea Deposit
4242 DSRC sealed off Deep Sea Deposit