Dacy

This is important, the devs would like help in exploring bugs in the editor, and they can't do it without logs to tell them what happened. This post relates to Cel Shading and editor crashes, but ideally, the devs would like us all to enable the diagnostic mode so they can help figure out why some of the things that we deal with, happen. And we all want that, right? So they can fix it? So please do this: To enable Diagnostics: First step, open launcher settings from either red outlined area. Second, unhide HC Diagnotstic by unchecking hide box > close settings. You might have to update or install Diagnostics > launch game from (Diag) This is for using Diagnostic Client to help find why cel shading crashes game periodically: Ingame > open options > click graphics tab > set advanced graphics settings to Enabled Scroll down to Experimental Graphic settings and set to enabled . click yes to warning (if you want the next step) Set cel shader to enabled > Click apply, wait for game to settle and then enter base as usual to start base building. Back to general instructions applicable to all instances of a crash: If game crashes, and gives crash dump window, up load the 2nd option for memory dump (NOT Full dump) ********* Important edit******** The following advice was meant to be a caution on turning on cel shading JUST to do a data dump. Cel shading is a known cause of crashes, and if you are not already having problems with it, I don't recommend turning it on for the first time on a large base, just to do the diagnostic. The diagnostic WILL NOT cause you problems, but can diagnose problems you might be having otherwise. So please turn it on to help if you have had cel shading on! And turn it on to help find other bugs. Thanks!! ********************************************* (From Dacy: I do recommend NOT trying this on a big base you value. I just don't trust things that make the editor crash to not mess with something. I have no idea if that caution is warranted or not, it might be a non issue, but I tend to be a bit paranoid around what might happen, and I'd hate to see a nice base messed up. However, if you do want to help out with a big base, which might yield great information for the cause, please do a demorecord first, so that if your base is messed up, there's a chance it could be restored. See Wiki for how to do a demorecord.) -Dacy

(sorry for huge delay, holidays hit hard this year!) I have not seen builders leaving, at least not in any significant numbers; I have seen quite a few new people showing up. My base building discord just keeps growing. But new people are just learning, and not ready to tackle commissions. Builders who have been here a while, many of those build only for themselves, or (as you said) are feeling burned out and have hit pause, or have a lot on their plates. And the vast majority of players do not bother to learn how; they much prefer to farm and pay someone to do it, or if not farm, earn and save to pay someone. Thing is, there just aren't so many people willing to put in the time to learn how to edit. The basics are pretty easy, but, those that want a base often have a vision in mind of how they want it to look, and that level of building does take time to master, effort to learn, and patience and determination to implement. There is undoubtedly some talent involved as well. If this was a Venn diagram, the circles would be: Time, Energy, Skill, Patience, and Desire to build. The intersection of these rings is pretty small, and given the numbers of players we have to draw from, you can see how the numbers are so small. If we had a more user friendly editor that made it easy to, for instance, make doors and windows, select different walls for the insides and outsides of buildings, choose different styles of floors, put in stairs, ceilings, roofs, different types of ground, paths, walkways, roadways....well, then you'd see many many more people building, I think, and many fewer feeling the need to hire someone. However, it is highly unlikely that we will ever have a different editor, given the resources we currently have. However, that doesn't mean I stop hoping for large improvements. 🙂 -Dacy

The larger problem is finding a base builder not already deep in projects... -Dacy

Flat slides, downward slides, and...UPWARD slides?? Yeah, come find out how we do all of those! Also, tiny tip video for those that have raised the walls around something and don't know how to put it back, or for those who need to select the room section, but can't because objects are in the way:

Don't miss the Giveaway this Saturday and again on Halloween! Stop in at one of the participating bases - or all of them - and get a treat worth millions! We are giving away Archetype Enhancements (ATOs), Winter Event Enhancements, Winterpacks, Superpacks, Rare Enhancements, and Influence! (Each treat is distributed on a random basis). The bases themselves are meant to give visitors a fun experience, too! So please, stop in and let us treat you! Sadly, no bases came forward to host for Indomitable or Reunion, so, if you're based on these shards, please transfer for the night to one of the other servers that has a base, or create a level one character to bring the goodies over to you! To claim your treats, just enter any or all of these bases and find the person handing out treats! Enter the code you see listed below the name of the base at a base entry portal, which is a P in a green circle on your city map. Make sure you enter the code for a base that's on the shard you are on. The treats are only given out during the hours listed for that base. We hope to see you there!

Finishing up the Halloween Event, it's the annual giveaway! Make your way to one (or more!) of these bases for some high value treats! Some of you may note that there are no bases hosting the giveaway on Reunion or Indomitable. That's sad, but we had no entries into the Halloween base contest that chose the winning hosts. People from those shards can still come over, either by transferring a character or by making a level one on a participating shard. The prizes are worth it, and the bases are lots of fun! I've personally had people tell me they came into the game just to experience the Witch's House. Don't let a little thing like a free server transfer keep you from great treats and a great experience! -CR Dacy

OPTIONAL PVP From 7-10 PM EST, Regular Live hours resume from 10-Midnight! We're adding some spice to some of our Live hours tonight! While the PvP flag is on, it's your choice whether you want to fight the monsters, or flee from them! So come on in for an even more thrilling Haunted House experience! Only Monsters Can Be Fought (not a free for all, you're safe from everyone except the monsters!) So, we're trying this to see if it goes well, is liked, is attended, and all that. IF people like the base grounds for pvp fun, I'd be happy to open the base during off hours for PvP. Live hours currently are 7pm-12am Fridays and Saturdays, and Sundays from 2-6pm, EST. If this goes well, I'll be happy to do more events! So let's see if this is something people want to see. -CR Dacy

Okay, base entrants! If you want to have monsters in your base for us to include as part of the judging, please contact me or Easter Bunny and let us know very soon! -Dacy

I'm afraid I have zero input or effect on dev decisions on in game goings on! I have no more power than you, just expertise in bases. 🙂 -Dacy

Also, please don't forget a very unique experience: The Witch's House, a haunted house on Everlasting. It will be open with live scares on Fridays and Saturdays from 7-midnight EST, and Sundays from 2-6 pm. Our fabulous giveaway, where we give away billions in donated influence, superpacks, rares, etc., will be on the Saturday before Halloween, and on Halloween, and we will be joined by other bases also offering these free treats! Just for stopping by! Watch for details on where these other bases will be, and don't miss the haunted house this year! (It's very easy to get here from other servers: Either transfer out and back, or just make a level 1. It's totally worth it!)

I'm not really sure why you posted this? Your response seems like perhaps you are trying to reword what I wrote so that it's more comprehensible. If so, I apologize for not being more clear in the first place, but, that is not what I was trying to say. Let me rephrase that. If, in the presentation of your Halloween base, you have planned for (or allowed for) some sort of creature to be included, be sure to let us know about that so we can plan to set up the time so you can include the monster. As an example, I gave the Witch's House, which has a good number of both "AFK monsters" which are creatures we've designed that we could not design otherwise, and they hang out in various places to give those places more "flavor", and also creatures we call "scare monsters" that are like a RL Haunted House, where they will try and scare the visitors in various ways. Those are manned and actively move. It is pretty clear to me that I did not write what I had intended in that section, so, I will go back and edit it. Thanks for calling that to my attention! -Dacy

I want to make sure you are aware of the Halloween Base Contest. I am looking for one base to host the Halloween Event on Reunion, all treats provided; if your base is the one selected, you'll get a title and merits, along with all the visitors on Halloween! Please check out all of the details in Events: Reunion builders, it's up to you! If no bases from Torchbearer are entered, then people will have to visit other shards to get their treats (which are prizes worth 10-20+million each, and you can get multiple prizes). I'm sure people would rather just see a great base on their home shard! So please, enter your best Halloween themed base. -Dacy

I want to make sure you are aware of the Halloween Base Contest. I am looking for one base to host the Halloween Event on Indomitable, all treats provided; if your base is the one selected, you'll get a title and merits, along with all the visitors on Halloween! Please check out all of the details in Events: Indomitable builders, it's up to you! If no bases from Indomitable are entered, then people will have to visit other shards to get their treats (which are prizes worth 10-20+million each, and you can get multiple prizes). I'm sure people would rather just see a great base on their home shard! So please, enter your best Halloween themed base. -Dacy

I want to make sure you are aware of the Halloween Base Contest. I am looking for one base to host the Halloween Event on Torchbearer, all treats provided; if your base is the one selected, you'll get a title and merits, along with all the visitors on Halloween! Please check out all of the details in Events: Torchbearer builders, it's up to you! If no bases from Torchbearer are entered, then people will have to visit other shards to get their treats (which are prizes worth 10-20+million each, and you can get multiple prizes). I'm sure people would rather just see a great base on their home shard! So please, enter your best Halloween themed base. -Dacy

Hi Jane! Thanks for the response! All that is required to join the fun is to let me know, and I'll give you an invite to my Discord, like this: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw0Rzo8S0cQ/ and you click on the link, sign up for Discord (it's free) if you aren't there already, and come join my server. Shoutout that you're here to help with the Halloween event, and I will put you in the channel that is reserved for that. In that channel you will find much of the info you'll need, like a schedule to sign up on, and I will, later in September, be doing orientations where I show you the creatures, and backstage stuff in the Witch's House so you know where to go and how to get there, and what to do on each monster. You can also ask any and every question you might have in that channel. 🙂 So, come on over! Looking forward to seeing you! -Dacy

Hey, folks, I need people who want to have fun RPing as monsters (monsters supplied). Some of these are well scripted, if you like to know exactly what to say and do, and some are free form with lots of room to experiment and role play. This will be for the Witch's House, a well known and loved Halloween Event attraction. You can play as many hours or as few as you like. There are titles for doing at least 5 hours, and you even get to choose from a list if you are in the top 3 in hours that you have played characters. Please see this post for details: Thank you! I hope to hear from a good number of you! -Dacy

This will demonstrate the pieces and uses. -Dacy

if you'd like them to be part of the decor, please let us know that, so we can schedule a time at which they are there. (In the Witch's House, we have several afk characters on alt accounts that are there, but not really manned, to help with the atmosphere, and that is something that can be there every day.) If you want creatures that will move and interact with players, those will need to be scheduled. -Dacy

Addendum: If you are going to feature something in your base that requires character presence, like monsters operated by a player, let us know so we can schedule a time to judge when the character will be there, too. -Dacy

It's that time of year again! And this time, Homecoming is helping me get the word out, and also helping by providing permission for me to give out TITLES for some that choose to help with the event*! *Titles other than for the base contest will last one year Donation is simple. Send your donation of whatever amount to @Dacy through the in-game email system. If you wish, you may contact her and send a test email, if that gives you confidence. Make sure you note "Halloween" in the topic. Donors will also be mentioned on promotional posters (provided they donate before the posters are distributed). Once you've decided to donate, you'll learn what the surprise reward is! (This is so that the decision to donate is not influenced by anything other than the desire to help.) Recognition rewards start with donations of 999,999,999 influence/infamy. Scare Acting, now, that's different, and a whole lot of fun! Every RL haunted house has a crew that is helping to put on a show by donning costumes and scaring visitors, and the Witch's House is no different! We have created some amazing creatures, thanks to the talents of @Easter Bunny and @Ellyz. These monsters are designed with specific areas of the House in mind. All you do is let us know you'd like to participate by telling either @Dacy or @Easter Bunny, and we add you to a private channel in Dacy's Discord server with access to a sign up schedule so you can sign up for the hours you'd like for the character you want to play. You will also have access to a full description of the characters and what they do. Some are very simple, with binds that handle most everything, and some allow for more flexible and creative acting/RP. Choose a favorite, or have fun with the variety! Not only is it fun to play a monster, but you'll be "backstage" in the Witch's House, and if you choose, you can listen and/or participate in a voice channel while we're "live", where we all have a blast! We will be open on the weekends of October on Friday and Saturday evenings, and Sunday afternoons (EST). We will have more extended hours on the last weekend of October, and we will also be open much of Halloween. All players who work at least five total hours will earn a title. The three players who act for the most hours will get to choose their title from this list: Spine-Tingling Fright Tech Haunting Spirit Scarehouse Worker House Goblin Terror Technician Chaos Goblin Gore-geous Killing It Boo-tiful Embodiment of Fear Eerie-sistible Terror-ific Boo-dacious Boo Crew Phantasmic Master of the Haunt Fear Incarnate The rest of the workers that worked at least 5 hours will all get the same title, chosen from this same list after the leaders have made their selections. If you are unfamiliar with the House, talk to Dacy to get information and orientation. Orientations will happen later in September. If you'd like to participate by hosting, you'll have to check out the Halloween Base Contest! Your Base Community Reps, @Dacy and @Easter Bunny

Copy/paste in this topic with your responses, for your entry. Entry Form: Global (in game): Forum Handle: Discord Handle (if applicable): Collaborators (if applicable): Are you the owner or builder? If not the owner, do you have the owner’s permission? Owner’s global, if different from above: Builder’s global, if different from above: Base Name: Base Code: Base Shard: **Additional information you want us to know: (This might include whether you have an interactive element, such as a monster, that needs to be there, so we can schedule a time)

Every year, Dacy has put together a Halloween Giveaway Event. She's gotten people from all the shards to join in for a night of showing off their bases while giving the community awesome treats, provided by the donations of generous donors. It's always a lot of fun, and this year, with the help and support of the HC team, CRs Dacy and Easter Bunny are able to give base hosts official recognition and rewards for their building skills! (There will also be one additional base award, see rules for details.) So, we're having a Halloween Base Contest! Bases should be Halloween themed or compatible with Halloween. They could be spooky, scary, mystical, monstrous, creepy, or set up for a Halloween party! Important Details: There are a good number of bases that are well done scary/spooky/creepy/dark sorts of bases. For host bases, we are specifically looking for bases that are thematic, but also ones that will handle trick or treaters well. We will be looking for: Good intuitive or directed flow. Where do people go to get the treats? Clear, even simple is good here. A theme compatible with Halloween Preferably, something that visitors can experience that gives an element of fun or a thrill! Slides, drops, mazes, places haunted by scary monsters (which can be played by players or created in the editor), all make it a real experience, not just a grab and go for the player. If there is no interactive element to the base, a simpler layout is better. Players who get lost or frustrated while searching for the giveaway will just leave. All the usual standards for a champion base apply: flicker/shimmer/glitching should be minimally present, and demonstrated higher level editing, artistic, and imaginative skills will always score better than entries without those features. We are looking for Host Bases, and the criteria for those are a little different than just "what's the 'best' base design". Since many, if not most, of the thematically appropriate bases out there do not include things specifically designed to involve visitors, or have a complicated layout, we included a category for a well designed base that, although not optimal for trick or treat visitors, is still a very well done and on point base design. This will be the Haunted Halloween Base Winner. There will only be 1 base hosting Halloween this year on each of the smaller shards of Reunion, Indomitable, and Torchbearer, and 2 on the larger shards of Excelsior and Everlasting. (One of bases on Everlasting is Dacy’s the Witch’s House, the base that started it all, so it gets to host, but no title or merits.) This means that there will be one winner from each shard, two from Excelsior, and the one that is not hosting can be from any of the shards. INDOMITABLE, TORCHBEARER, REUNION, we will need to see entries from you, please! There will be a winner from each shard, so you builders on the smaller shards, this is a great chance to shine! So, here's the fine print. Please read. Rules: 1. All entries must be completed by October 6, 2023. Judging will begin then. 2. Winners will be announced Friday, October 13, 2023! 3. All entries must commit to having someone in the base to hand out treats to trick or treaters on Saturday, October 28, and on Tuesday, October 31, for four hours in the evening on each date, at a minimum (evening should be EST, except for Reunion, which may be open for evening hours on UTC time). Being open for more hours and even for more days would be wonderful, but is optional. The person present can be someone other than the person who entered the base into the contest, but it is the entrant’s responsibility to have someone there. 4. Bases may be entered in the competition by their owners or builders, but if entered by the builder, they must have the owner’s permission. Exceptions will be made for owners who have been out of contact for more than a year. If a base was not built by the owner, the owner will only get the title and share in the merits if they are a host for at least half of time spent handing out treats. If you’re willing to put in the work and it's your base, you earned the title. Bases entered by the owner automatically include the builder in the awards, unless the builder has chosen to be represented by another base. 5. Bases that have won other contests are not eligible to enter this one. Builders who have won may enter a different base, however. 6. Cooperative builds are acceptable entries, and all involved builders will get titles, but the merits will be split according to how many people participated. 7. Please do not enter multiple accounts for the same player. You will be given the choice of what character on what account will wear the title if they win. It need not be the same character or account you used to build the base. 8. One entry per player. If you worked on another base that is also entered, you will not share in the rewards if that one wins. You must choose only one base to represent you. 9. Although the Haunted Base winner must be willing to host, as the entries are all entered and considered under the same rules, they will not be participating in the giveaway. Any base, whether in the contest or not, may of course choose to do a Halloween Giveaway of their own, but only winning Host Bases will be provided with materials and promotion. 10. All treats for the trick or treaters, as well as instructions on hosting and randomizing the giveaway, will be provided. 11. Although every effort to publicize the event will be made, it is helpful if Hosts will remind people on their shard about the giveway during the hours of operation, via general chat announcements. Spamming the announcements in quick succession, however, is discouraged. 12. The décor is, of course, important, but of equal importance is the layout, and this will be a big factor in judging. Layout needs to be clear to people unfamiliar with the base, who may even be unfamiliar with bases in general. 13. PARTIAL BASES MAY BE ENTERED. You may section off an area that is just for hosting, as long as it is clearly it's own area, separate from the rest of the base. Separation may be by being in a separate area, or by using surface tiles with collision to visually and physically cordon off the area, but entry to the area should be through the main entry portal, to avoid confusing participants. Entry to the rest of the base may be disabled for the event, or via secret portal. We will only judge the area that is visible and accessible to us, not the area the base covers on the map. 14. ADDENDUM: If your base includes something that requires player presence, such as monsters operated by characters, be sure to let us know that so we can schedule a time when they can be present. Disclaimer: Contest judging is subjective and everyone's tastes are different. Please be kind to our judges who volunteer their time for these community events. If you have any issues, please contact Dacy and Easter Bunny here or on Discord! Judges other than the CRs were chosen for specific skills, and because none of them were going to enter this contest. Rewards: Each winner will be awarded a golden title and 5,000 merits (divisible by the number of those involved). Host base builders will be awarded the title of “Halloween Base Winner & Host 2023”. The winner that is not also a host will be awarded the title of, “Haunted Halloween Base Winner 2023”. (The word “Haunted” may be added or subtracted from the applicable title upon request.) Accepting the reward for base hosting commits you to handing out treats on the specified days. Character title award is dependent upon honoring that commitment. In the event that a designated Host Base becomes unable to carry out their commitments, the next highest scoring base will be designated as the Host Base and rewarded accordingly. We know there are a lot of amazing bases out there, and we can’t wait to see them all! Your Community Reps, @Dacy and @Easter Bunny

I know we've not done classes in a long while! Sorry about that. But I am seeing a lot of otherwise wonderful bases with a lot of flicker, that's what I call the flashing you get when two flat planes share the same location, like overlapping grass plates. The fix for that is fairly simple, and will improve your build so much! I am also going to go into some ways to try and manage shift (Spoiler: there isn't anything to really get RID of it, but more like, how to deal with it as best we can), and tricky placement problems and their solutions around outer walls of bases. Plus, of course, room for your problems and questions! Troubleshooting Class Friday, Aug 4 7 PM EDT Repeat class Saturday, Aug 5 3 PM EDT This will be streamed on the Homecoming Discord in General Voice 2. You can listen without speaking, no mic required. If you don't like Discord, I'm sorry, it's the only way to do these classes; my advice would be, make an account, come, and delete it or put it away when you're done. You don't have to stay. 🙂 If you say you are interested via my Discord server, it will send you a reminder for the time slot. https://discord.gg/pxUNpzDc?event=1135668364426100818 I hope to see you there! -Dacy

We are hoping that the bases stay around for RPers to visit. They were all wonderful! I was wishing we could give out many more prizes. Our hope, tho, is that first of all, you had fun. Secondly, we'd hope that you would perhaps keep the base, improve it if possible, or maybe you found something inspiring and it spurs further ideas. Giving it or selling it is of course, an option. It's your base, you do what you will with it. 🙂 But I know the RP community is very happy to use any bases (tho that mostly applies to the RP community on Everlasting, experiences on other shards may vary or interest in using a base for RP might not be too evident). -Dacy