General FAQ

Game

Where can I create an account to play?

The accounts in PlaneShift are free of charge, you can create an account associated with a valid email address from the registration page.

I forgot my password!

You can reset your password by using the last link on the password recovery page.

Client tells me it's old, I just downloaded it

After downloading the full binary package and installing it, use the updater program to check if there are new updates available. You can find the updater in the PlaneShift Program group (on Windows: Start>PlaneShift>Updater). It will update your client to the latest version.

Client tells me it's newer than server

This may happen in rare cases where we performing certain types of maintenance on servers. You should wait a few hours and try again to connect.

Client crashes or updater crashes on start-up

If client crashes on start-up the best thing is to run the updater again.

If the updater crashes on start-up, try to open a command shell (on Windows select Start>Run, then type cmd or search Shell Prompt icon), then move to the directory where you have PS installed and type

updater --auto

This will start the updater is a non-graphical mode that is a bit more stable. If you still get errors, you can check the forums to see if there is an alternate updater available. To force a full update, you can delete the file version.dat which makes the updater download all the updates again. Alternatively, you can also try deleting the folder UpdaterTemp in your planeshift directory.

If nothing else here fixes your issues, as a last resort try completely uninstalling and reinstalling PlaneShift, then running the updater again.

When will the next release of PlaneShift be made?

The next minor release of PlaneShift is named Steel Blue. We will reach that release by adding pieces to the current public one, so you will get it piece by piece. The date by which we will reach all objectives set for Steel Blue is not available yet.

How big is the client for the demo?

To play the game, you will first need to download a client for your operating system (Windows, Linux, etc...). The client for the current tech demo is about 250 Megabytes. It will increase in size in subsequent releases. It contains an auto-update program that can download necessary new software when you start the game.

Can you give us a release date for the final product?

PlaneShift is a free and non-profit project, and so our release dates are difficult to define. We are now working for next minor release, but we cannot yet give you release date for the final product.

How big is the client for the final release?

We really don't know yet, but it may be as large as 500-800Mb. The size consist mainly of models and textures. The game may continue to expand beyond but that is years away!

Which are the minimum hardware requirements to run the game?

The hardware requirement are connected to our 3D engine, CrystalSpace. The engine is continuously evolving and so the requirements are not written in stone. A PIII 600Mhz with 512Mb of RAM and a Geforce 2 card is probably the minimum. The most important aspect is RAM at the moment, so if you have a very good machine, but 256Mb of RAM, PlaneShift will probably run badly.

For best results you need a PIII 1ghz with 512 RAM and a GeForce3 or equivalent card. More ram is recommended, especially if you want to keep many maps loaded to avoid having to zone.

In game there are settings to reduce visual quality and improve performances on lower machine. Check the options menu. Setting Adaptive Camera may help improve performance.

Will PlaneShift run on Windows, Mac, Linux, etc...?

We have tested PlaneShift under Windows (NT, 2000, XP), various Linux distributions and MacOS. We plan to keep these three platforms for now.

Will there be regular updates? When is the next update?

Yes! We continuously work on adding content. You can expect to see something new each month, but really depends on internal development plans, so we cannot guarantee a precise time.

Where can I download the game?

You can download our current demo release in the Download section.

The game doesn't work properly on my machine, how do I report the "bug"?

Go to the PS Bugtracker to submit a new bug. Read other reported bugs FIRST, to avoid submitting a duplicate. Also do a search of the old bug tracker Be sure to fill the information provided below or your message will be discarded:

Time of test:
OS:
Processor:
RAM:
Video Card:
Video Card Memory:
PS Client Version:
Description of the bug:

Example:

Time of test: 3 May, 12:00 AM EST
OS: Windows 98, First Edition
Processor: AMD Athlon 800 Mhz
RAM: 384 Mb
Video Card: Voodoo 3 3000
Video Card Memory: 16 Mb
PS Client Version: 0.3.005

Description of the bug: Title screen and menu screen are experiencing graphical glitches.
As soon as I move the mouse on a button is flickers.

How many player races will there be in PlaneShift?

Twelve altogether.

Humans: Ylian

Dwarves: Stonehammers. (You can roleplay the Clans: Stonebreaker & Hammerwielder)

Elves: Nolthril & Dermorians

Other: Kran, Klyros, Enkidukai, Lemurs, Diaboli, & Ynnwns

Not all are available in game right now, but they will be added soon.

Will there be more races, or are there only 12?

The 12 specified are all of the players races. You will find a lot more amongst monsters and NPCs.

What skills will there be in PlaneShift?

Skills will include; Weapons, Armours, Stealth, Locksmithing, Martial Arts, Body development, and many more.

Will there be Player vs. Player combat in PlaneShift?

Yes, you can challenge someone to a duel and fight. One can use PvP mode anywhere, but it is customary to fight in stadiums and/or arenas.

What will you do to prevent unwanted PvP?

All PvP activity requires the approval in some fashion of both parties (setting which can be changed from the Options menu), whether it is stepping into an arena, agreeing to a duel, or participating in a guild war. If the other player doesn't agree and the first player attacks, guards and gods will stop that fight in such a way that attackers will be scared even to think to attack someone else.

How large will the PlaneShift world be?

There will be eight underground levels to explore. Each level is like a region, it has cities and dungeons. Beyond that our world will expand in the Stone Labyrinths and through portals you will reach different world/dimensions.

What will be modifiable at Character creation?

At character creation you can define basic stats (strength, agility, will, etc...), skills, advantages, jobs. Later on you will be able to define also the look of your character (Hair style, hair colour, skin colour, Body type (thin, built, heavy)

The screenshots on the "Pics" page are of different quality, some really nice others not. Is that what the game will look like?

The pictures posted on the screenshots sections do not represent the final look of the game. Those should be considered only as a reference of the current status of development.

May I buy a house or castle in PlaneShift?

If your character has a good amount of (in-game) money it can buy a house, a shop or even a castle. This feature will be added in future releases. You will be able to lock your house and store your items there.

Will each city be different such as races/alignment/shops/items found there?

Yes, each city will have a predominant race and a different architecture. You will find different economy, prices and items.

What are guilds?

Guilds are pretty much another name for clans. Characters with a good amount of (in-game) money and a number of followers can built a new guild. They can invite friends to be part of it, giving them titles. A guild is normally associated to a job in Yliakum society, like merchants, weaponsmithy, etc. But a guild can be also created for other reasons, knowledge, defence, politics.

Will there be guilds in PlaneShift?

Most definitely, there will also be special powers for associated with each guild. Everyone can create a guild right now in game, and start to search for members.

What will be the benefit of owning/being in a guild?

Besides being a focal point for cooperative activity, a guild will be able to have a building as a headquarters. Guilds have also social usefulness: there are nutrition guilds, cloth making guilds, artists guild, etc. You can also form cooperative alliances with other guilds. Individuals in a guild may also find it easier to find people to regularly meet with in fighting monsters.

Does PlaneShift client contains any spyware or ads?

Absolutely not. PlaneShift client does not read any personal info, does not pop up any ads and does not contain any spyware. The source code is open for anyone to see, so even if we wanted to do that, we could not hide anything. All the operations performed on your PC are clearly visible from the source code.

Who is the overall "leader" of PlaneShift? Who ensures quality and progress of this project?

Atomic Blue is led by the board of directors that includes Keith "Vengeance" Fulton, Andrew "acraig" Craig and Luca "Talad" Pancallo. The board of directors ensures quality and progress as well as it determines the direction of the development. The project leader of PlaneShift is Luca Pancallo.

How can I become a member of the PS Team?

First go to the HELP US! section. Choose a certain department that you would most like to and be able to help out in. E-mail the department leader asking to join. You must submit a sort of portfolio and a resume. You will get more information from the person you e-mailed after that.

What does a W.T.B. Member mean?

It means Want To Be Member. You become a WTB after passing a first test to prove your skills and after contributing some good asset. After a period of dedication and contribution to the PS Team, the WTB can become Official members at discretion of the leader of that department.

If you are a PR Member, what are you?

A Public Relations Member means that you advertise the site and other things about PlaneShift and you get information out and get everyone excited about PlaneShift. It includes dealing with press, writing short informative articles, giving news to the community.

When connecting to the game, must my name be "role-playing style"?

Yes, absolutely. We will not allow names like "1m C001" or "Sw33t Ch33ks" or any other non RPG-related name. We do encourage the Role-Playing side of the game in all its aspects.

Are there in-game moderators to avoid bad behaviour, racism, sexism, harassment, etc. ?

Yes, there are moderators, so called Game Masters (GMs) who ensure safety and enjoyment of all players. We will not tolerate any bad behaviour.

What happens if your character in game dies?

After Death your character will travel in the Death Realm, and you should try to find a way out of it. This will bring you back to the world of the living.

Forums

How do I access the official PlaneShift forums?

The forums may be accessed by clicking on the "Community" link located on many of the PlaneShift website pages. Or you can click here for more info on the Community forums. Anyone may read the posts, but to post messages, you will need to register a forum account on the main forum page. Registration for forums is separate from registration of character accounts.

What are the rules for the PlaneShift Forums?

1. Please don't spam

Only make one topic per issue, and don't post twice in a row (use the "Edit Post" button instead!). If a moderator locks your topic, it was for a reason! Do not immediately create a new topic, but search the forums for answers to your question or send a private message to a moderator if you do not know why it was locked.

2. Please use common sense and courtesy

Treat others the way you would want to be treated. Don't post huge images in the message, since dial-up users will suffer. Don't post in huge fonts, since that makes your post hard to read. Use real English. ("u" is not the same as "you")

3. Please try to stay on topic

Post your topic in the correct forum for it. If a topic is about new features in PlaneShift, do not post "I love bunnies. Bunnies are great." in that thread.

Chat

What is the PlaneShift chat?

For online chat about the game, we have an IRC (Internet Relay Chat) channel (or "room") on the freenode network. Freenode is a network created for opensource projects. To join the channel, you need to get an IRC client. There are many clients available, but reviewing each one is beyond the scope of this FAQ. For more information, see Using The Network on the freenode website.

How do I join the PlaneShift IRC channel?

If you know how to use your client, here is the info you are looking for:

 Server: irc.freenode.net
 Channel: #planeshift
 Port: 6667

If you use the popular and widely-used mIRC IRC client, you might be able to click on irc://irc.freenote.net/planeshift to automatically open your mIRC client to the #planeshift channel.

What public PlaneShift-related channels are there?

• #planeshift -- General Fan Channel
• #planeshift-build -- Help building the PlaneShift client
• #planeshift-gmtalk -- The point of contact for players needing GM assistance
• #planeshift-wiki -- Discussion about the PlaneShift wiki

MyPlane

What is MyPlane?

A page where you can see information about your planeshift characters and their achievements.

Where do I find MyPlane?

MyPlane