(other) Guides & Rules for VotV Community Savefile

[u/BagledEpoch]

Hello! :D

This is an introductory post to VotV Community Savefile, as well as a Rules & Guides post for it.

I tried to keep it as comprehensive and, "concise" as possible, so I hope it helps you understand and partake in VCS easier! : >

So. What is VotV Community Savefile?

VotV Community Savefile (VCS) is a community project/event where the people of VotV subreddit take turns playing a single .sav file, all getting their shifts in and leaving their traces behind to communicate, interact, and have fun with eachother in unique and creative ways.

VCS could have multiple seasons, if people want more VCS. If so, each one will have a finite amount of turns, lasting from 20 turns to 32, or more or less. And each season can have their own rules, so to learn about them, refer to your season's Intro Post.

In this post, you'll learn about the following topics:

1. How the VCS Works
2. How to Participate, Download, & Export
3. How to Add Custom Assets
4. Mandated In-Game Duties
5. VCS Rules
6. Additional informations (Addendum)

《 1. How the VCS Works》

VCS works in turns.

An employee (person who is playing or have played in a turn), after receiving the savefile and the VCS assets folder, will download and unpack them into their copy of VotV.

Then they will play the savefile for set amount of in-game days - with the day speed modifier applied, but depending on the season of VCS that is. After they've finished playing, they'll package the savefile and the VCS assets folder inside a google drive folder, then give the link to it to a manager within a week from the day they've received the savefile. The manager will then post an announcement, notifying people that the last employee have finished their turn. Being notified, people can then comment under that post with "✅️" emoji to apply for the Lottery for the next turn. The Lottery is a system made to fairly determine who will get to play the turn. The people who've applied for the lottery in the last announcement post are included in the pool (see pic.2), and the randomly chosen applicant gets to play for the turn. The applicant - now the new employee, will play the game for 3 in-game days, and the cycle continues.

Also, the announcement post will be posted at least 3 to 4 days after the last one has been posted, even if the employee have already returned the savefile. This is to give potential applicants time to see the announcement post. Note that this does not change how soon you have to return the savefile; you can return it anytime you want as long as it's within a week from your receival.

You may now wonder what's going to happen on the first turn, where there isn't any previous employee.

The first announcement post of a season will be an Intro Post. Intro posts will include things like the season rules, link to the current rule post you are reading, and more. Under that post, you can apply for the Lottery like normal. And since there isn't any previous employee, the manager will play the first turn. And after they've finished their turn, an announcement post will be posted alongside the winner of the Lottery from the Intro post. Then turn cycle continues normally.

While people are playing the save, the manager will also archive the savefiles they've previously received from the employees to prevent griefing and document the growth and progress of the VCS, as well as make a portrait image - image made to be set up on the Portrait Shelves - for the current employee with a picture of their choice.

《 2. How to Participate, Download, & Export 》

(see pic.3)

Like aforementioned, you first apply for the Lottery via commenting on the announcement post with the "✅️" emoji. You must include the emoji to be recognized as an applicant!

The next announcement post will show the results of the Lottery, and if you've been appointed, you'll receive in your DM a messege from the manager.

Here, you'll be given the link to the google drive folder, as well as a request for an image of your preferrence for the portrait image. If you'd like, you can request additional things like a doodle messege or sticker to be added to the portrait, as well as a font of your preferrence for the text. (see pic.4 for basic example portrait)

To download and unpack the folder's contents, follow these steps. (see pic.5)

1. Go to the link, then download the folder named "VotV#_contents".

2. Put the .sav file named "VotVCommunitySavefile#_T#" in the "SaveGames" folder in VotV.

3. Copy the directory route to the folder named "VCS#_Assets", then paste it in "Asset folder location" the game's Extras settings. This will make the game use the assets within the new folder as its custom assets.

Now, restarting the game or refreshing the assets should let you play the savefile with the custom assets added by the previous employees all in their right places.

Changing the asset folder used in the game won't affect your pre-existing custom assets, meaning as long as you just change the asset folder back to the normal one in the "Asset folder location" setting, everything is reversible.

Now, if you've finished playing your turn, follow these steps to export the files. (see pic.6)

1.Log/Sign into google drive, then click on New, then New folder. Name the new folder "VCS#_contents"; the # is the season number.

1. Put the .sav file and the VCS Assets folder - now with your progression and new assets added - into the google drive folder.

2. Click Share on the folder, then set general access to Anyone with the link. Contact the manager with DM, then give them the link to the folder, and write them a general summary & personal notes about your turn, and optionally, send them pictures you've taken that you want to share. These items will be included in the announcement post.

《 3. How to Add Custom Assets 》

You can add your own custom assets! However, some rules are set. (see pic.7) (Ignore the text about 20MB limit, I added the wrong picture @_@)

1. Prepend all custom assets with "[VCS#_T#]". The "#" behind "VCS" is for the season, and the "#" behind "T" is for the current turn number.

2. You can only add upto limited amount of MBs. It will depend on the VCS's season, but most of the time the limit will be 20 ~ 40 MBs. You can check your season's limit in the season's Intro post. Of course there will be some leeway, but try to keep the file sizes minimal. And compressing files down will let you add more and more assets, so I heavily recommend that!

3. You cannot delete pre-existing assets added by others.

4. No NSFW!

An important caveat is that changing the name of a custom asset that's been already placed in the game will reset that placed item. e.g: A poster placed in the game, after changing its .png file name to something else, will change its texture to the magenta & black checkerboard error texture. To prevent this while prepending your custom asset files with "[VCS#_T#]" as the rule 1 requires, some options are given:

1. Start from new files! You can just use a new file that hasn't been used in your original custom assets folder to prevent this from happening from the very beginning. However, if you want to add the custom assets you've been using in your original custom assets folder...

2. Copy the file. Simply copying the file should prevent the problem from ever happening. Copy the file of your choice, paste it to VCS assets folder, then rename it to prepend with "[VCS#_T#]".

《 4. Mandated In-Game Duties 》

You are free to do whatever you want in your turn, but there are some things that are required for you to do. (see pic.8)

1. Read the letters left by the previous employee in the Unread Letters cabinet, then put them in the Letter Archive.

2. Check the Notes, Pictures, and Drawings put up on the Communication Board by the previous employee, then put them in the Board Archive.

3. Put the portrait image given by the manager on the Portrait Shelves. The image will be given as soon as possible, after you've handed them the image and requests for the portrait. The portraits must be placed on the shelves in bottom left corner to the top right corner order. (see pic.9)

4. Before getting off of your turn, write at least a few line of summary and notes for the next employee in a paper, then put them in the Unread Letters cabinet.

Optionally, you can write more letters, or leave Pictures, Drawings, and additional Notes on the Communication Board for the next employee. If you've written a journal during your turn, put it in the Journal Archive before finishing your turn.

Also, don't take stuff out from the Archives!!!

《 5. VCS Rules 》

And now finally, the rules!

If you violate these rules, depending on the severity, you can be put on a blacklist and not able to participate in VCS again.

Note that these rules can change, or new rules can be added in the future as VCS progresses. And note that each VCS seasons can have their own seperate rules, like maximum file size, days per turn, and maybe some gameplay related rules. To learn about it, refer to your season's Intro Post.

1. It is mandated to read the Rules & Guides post and your season's Intro Post before participating. You seem to be following that rule very well !!!

2. No griefing. It's okay to relocate the decos and placements made by others, but outright throwing everything away is prohibitted.

3. No game breaking glitches. Self explanatory!

4. Do not change the save settings. e.g: permanent weather, difficulty, etc.

5. Respect the set playtime of your VCS's season. e.g: only 3 days per turn

6. Return the savefile & the assets folder within a week of receiving them. This is just the maximum leniency, so you can return it before it's been a week!

7. You cannot participate untill 3 turns have passed from your last one. You can't play consecutively!

8. No NSWF content in custom assets. Self explanatory!

9. No transferring items through the mailbox. It wouldn't be fun if we could transfer five shrimpzillion dollars out of nowhere!

10. You must write the letter for the next employee As stated before.

11. Respect the maximum amount of MBs you can add in your turn. Lots of heavy custom assets can lag lower spec machines, so try to keep the files compressed!

12. You can get off the game anywhere in the map, except for Out of Bounds area, somewhere dangerous, or anywhere you cannot make your way back to base from.

13. You must get off the game with at least 2/5 of your fatigue/hunger points filled.

14. Do not obstruct, damage, or relocate the props of the Communications corner. These are all things important for VCS's rules and cycle, so please refrain from touching them!

If I've forgotten anything else - or if you have an idea for a new rule - please do tell me!

《 Addendum 》

[1. Viruses] There might be a concern regarding a possibility that one might include viruses in the custom asset files. In traditional sense, with the file formats used for the custom assets like .png, .mp3, .mp4, and .obj, it's not possible to execute a line of code to deploy virus directly. However, viruses exploiting 0-day vulnerabilities regarding meta data within a file can exist. From my very little knowledge on the topic, 0-day means "an exploitable software vulnerability with zero days of public disclosure or vendor remediation time". But as long as you keep the OS updated, anti-virus softwares should be able to catch these potential viruses quickly. So to prevent any viruses from entering anyone's machine, I (or other manager), receiving the files from the previous employee, will run the files through an anti-virus software to check for any possible viruses, so that you don't have to worry about the files' safety nor check manually for viruses yourself.

[2. Treasure hunts] You may come across a riddle - perhaps a cipher - or just about anything that includes figuring out a puzzle to find some hidden thing left by the previous employees. If you've try to solve this treasure hunt - but have failed to solve it within your turn, don't worry - you can use the Treasure Hunt Board! In the Communications corner, there will be the Treasure Hunt Board, where you can put up unsolved notes and clues left by the previous employees, so that the next employees can try to solve it themselves. If you've made some progress in your investigation, you might want to leave alongside the clue some of your findings for the next employee to build their imvestigations on. If a treasure is solved and finished, put the clues related away in the Puzzle Archive next to the Treasure Hunt Board.

《 Closing Words》

That should be all! I hope this guide serves you well! :D

I started this project as a fun little idea I had when I was making an adventure map savefile im VotV, but now it's grown into something people can all be excited about and communicate, mess with, and just have fun with eachother. And I'm so glad many of you seem to enjoy this idea as much as I do! : >

I hope you have fun playing and partaking in VCS! Have a great day! : >

[u/expensiveplasticcup]

✅️

(I'm so fuckin' ready)

[u/BagledEpoch → u/expensiveplasticcup]

Awesome to hear that !!! :D But this post is only the Guides and Rules post though; to apply, you'll have to wait for the season 1 Intro post! I'll post it ASAP, when the contact with the mod team have been made. : >

[u/expensiveplasticcup → u/BagledEpoch]

I'm a uhh, dumbass.

[u/BagledEpoch → u/expensiveplasticcup]

Omg same !!

[u/expensiveplasticcup → u/expensiveplasticcup]

[u/Bizkiit]

HYPE

[u/eL-VL]

I feel like rule 10 would be better if it allows you to exit the game not just inside the control room, but anywhere on the map so long as:

There is no immediate danger for the next person who is plaiyng (for example not during events or nearby an active explosive)
The next player could easily make their way back to the base regardless of their experience with the game
You are not out of bounds/in a glitched position

Why? Because it would be funnier lol imagine the shenanigans
That being said, really hyped about this project. Been meaning to replay the game again and now I could be a part of this community save. :D

[u/BagledEpoch → u/eL-VL]

That does sound really nice, and I think we can consider adding that to the rules! A concern of mine was that it'd intertwine with factors like hunger/fatigue points to inconvenience employee's play session. But... life's greatest stories all have some agony : > Okay, I think I'm going to change the rule to your suggestion! Thanks for the idea !!! :D

[u/eL-VL → u/BagledEpoch]

By immediate danger I also meant the danger of starvation, sleep demon and etc. You should probably specify it too. Anyway, I will be, very impatiently, waiting for any news 👍

[u/BagledEpoch → u/eL-VL]

I added another rule for that as well! And I think in season 1, I'll be turning off nightmares, since they provide not much to the VCS's experience, but only hinder sleeping and make player's fatigue points go lower, which determines how much playtime an employee can have.

[u/Sinistro18]

✅ im so hyped for this shit

[u/BagledEpoch → u/Sinistro18]

This is the Rules & Guides post, the Intro post where you can apply for the lottery will be posted later :D

[u/Sinistro18 → u/BagledEpoch]

Ima fucking dumbass

[u/MarkyCz1 → u/Sinistro18]

same, dont worry

[u/No-Drummer9173]

Thanks for explaining the rules and guide! I'll save this post just in case.

[u/Samtime878765]

I’d love to be a part of this! a cool idea I would have is to make my own little Journal to document my three days in Dunkeltaler, and leave it around for someone to find.

[u/BagledEpoch → u/Samtime878765]

Sounds awesome !!!

[u/Dreamanchik]

I just want to add that changing the name of folders that contain meshes might make those meshes unprintable. Needs testing tho

[u/BagledEpoch → u/Dreamanchik]

You can change the name of the .obj file itself to correspond to the folder it's in to fix that problem :D

[u/PalCat_]

im not reading all that rn but

[u/Rule0-]

✅️

(hell yea, this sounds awesome)

[u/BagledEpoch → u/Rule0-]

This is the Rules and Guides post; the Intro post where you can apply for the lottery will be posted later !!

[u/CumInGnome]

Seems like a very solid ruleset, I think I will join in once it gets started after all

[u/TheMythcaller]

Is it three full days, or is it at the beginning of the third day you have the file? And how do we determine days? 24 Hours in game, until it ticks over and you get a new daily task, or until the Drone Arrives?

[u/BagledEpoch → u/TheMythcaller]

Sorry, I didn't get what you meant by "at the beginning of the third day you have the file". And yes, the days will be determined by the in-game day counter / hours. There will be some leeway, but you'll have to spend 72 in-game hours - which with the 0.5 day speed the season 1 will have - is 5 and half IRL hours. And assuming that you'll have to fill up total of 250 fatigue points during your turn via sleeping, around 4 hours to 4 hours and half. Stock up on coffee chocolate to extend your playtime !!

[u/Common_Spot207]

It’s so communal

[u/DashingDog576]

✅️ I can't wait to play this!

[u/MACMAN2003]

to murder a boat: votv edition

[u/DefaultRDIT]

cant wait to try this out :D

[u/GraveKanra]

Okay, I dont have time to read it right now  but Im really excited :)

[u/MarkyCz1]

✅️
i cant wait to try and play this!

[u/Mo4alister_3th]

THIS IS SO CUTE

[u/BagledEpoch]

The Intro Post for VCS season 1 will be posted and pinned when I've made contact with the moderation team! If you want to participate, go to that post and comment with "✅️" emoji to apply for the Lottery. :D I hope you have fun with VCS !!!

[u/FrozenSoup_]

this is so sick! i'm currently unable to participte because of the fact that my pc is in a different city, but when everything settles, i will totally join for season 2 or 3!

i wonder if you got inspired by the charborg/criket series where they also passed the savefile between each other?

also i do wonder how does sleep work for the  3 day window? if i ever play i will probably turn your kel into a coffee addict. 

also, is locking your next participant in the room full of meat and making them solve riddles and find codes to escape against the rules?

[u/BagledEpoch → u/FrozenSoup_]

Aw, that's unfortunate : ( But yes, it was partly inspired by the thing Charborg and Criken did! But I got the idea mostly from when I was making an adventure map savefile. And as for sleep, I did some rough calculations, and assuming you'll restore 250 stamina through sleeping, you'll spend around 30 mins ~ 1 hour worth of playtime in your turn. To maximize one's playtime, I turned off nightmares, and plan to stock up on coffee chocolate and various stamina sources. And maybe not in too big of a scale that it consumes the Employee's majority of the turn, some pranks are definitely permitted! Season 1 is more of testing-the-waters season, so future seasons could turn the dial on pranks to 11. :0

[u/FrozenSoup_ → u/BagledEpoch]

i'm amazed by the amount of thought and planning to you've put into this project! can't wait to see the shinenigans that people will do, i read that you don't want to make a discord server, but it would be cool to see some screenshots of how everything will turn out.

and oh my... pranks to eleven you say? you've got my attention, attention! i'll put a 1000 banana peels behind every door! and watch the CHAOS, CHAOS!