Connecting (2)
- Download and Install Firestorm: If you haven't already, download and install the Firestorm Viewer from the official website (https://www.firestormviewer.org/).
- Launch Firestorm: Open the Firestorm Viewer on your computer.
- Access Grid Manager: Once Firestorm is open, open the Preferences (Ctrl+P) then navigate to the Opensim tab on the vertical list. The Grid Manager will be showing on the main tab.
- Add a New Grid: In the Grid Manager window, click on the "Add new grid" button.
- Enter Grid Details: A new window will pop up where you can enter the details of the OpenSim grid you want to add. This includes the grid name, login URI, and your avatar name and password.
- Login URI: Add http://playground.darkheartsos.com:8002/ to the Grid URI.
- Avatar Name and Password: Enter the username and password associated with your avatar on the OpenSim grid.
- Save Grid Settings: After entering the required information, click "Apply" or "OK" to save the grid settings.
- Select the Grid: Back in the Grid Manager window, select the grid you just added from the list and click "OK" to close the Grid Manager.
- Login to the Grid: Now, return to the Firestorm login screen. From the grid dropdown menu, select the OpenSim grid you added. Enter your avatar name and password, then click "Log In."
- Explore and Enjoy: Once logged in, you should be connected to the OpenSim grid, where you can explore, interact with others, and engage in various activities.
To refresh a grid in Firestorm Viewer, you typically follow these steps:
- Access Grid Manager: Open Firestorm Viewer and Open the Preferences (Ctrl+P) then navigate to the Opensim tab on the vertical list. The Grid Manager will be showing on the main tab.
- Select the Grid to Refresh: In the Grid Manager window, locate the grid you want to refresh from the list of grids you have added.
- Refresh Grid: Once you've selected the grid you want to refresh, there should be an option within the Grid Manager window to refresh it. This option might be labeled as "Refresh" or "Reload Grid," depending on the version of Firestorm you're using.
- Confirm Refresh: Click on the "Refresh" or "Reload Grid" button, and Firestorm will attempt to refresh the selected grid.
- Wait for Confirmation: After clicking the refresh button, wait for Firestorm to complete the refresh process. You might see status messages or indicators showing that the grid is being refreshed.
- Verify Connection: Once the refresh process is complete, you should see a confirmation message indicating that the grid has been successfully refreshed. You can then close the Grid Manager window.
- Log In: If you were logged into the grid before refreshing it, you may need to log in again using your avatar name and password.
By following these steps, you can refresh a grid in Firestorm Viewer to ensure that you have the latest information and connection status for that grid. If you encounter any issues during the refresh process, you can refer to Firestorm's support resources or seek assistance from the grid operator.
Money System (2)
- Go to any PODEX Bank, in-world (New One Located by Landing Zone), and click on the Kiosk that is next to the BUY sign.
- From the menu that pops up, click on Go to page.
- On the BUY DC form, enter your Payment method (i.e.: Paypal), Currency type (i.e.: USD), and desired amount of DC to purchase (the option you choose will depend on your currency and country).
Note: Currency will appear to have no options; you must select a Payment Method first. - Select BUY.
- You will be directed to the page for your bank transaction. Complete the transaction. Once complete, you can safely close the page.
- That's it! Your Dark Coins will momentarily appear in your wallet in-world!
Note: Larger Dark Coin purchases may take longer to show up in your wallet (a few minutes to a few hours, depending on how much is purchased).
To sell or cash out Dark Coins, either to a different world or back into RL money in your bank, follow these steps.
- Click on the Kiosk next to the SELL sign.
- In the Pay Resident window that appears, enter the amount you wish to sell.
- Click on Pay. You will hear a cash register sound and see your money disappear from your wallet.
Note: The minimum amount for cash out is 1000 coins. Your coins will be returned to your avatar in a few minutes if you try to cash out less than this amount. - From the menu that pops up, click on Go to page.
- You will be directed to a page where you can either choose a bank to which you wish to deposit your coins or choose the Click Here button to send the coins to another grid.
Note: If you chose to send your coins to another grid, you will be presented with an option to choose the grid you wish to send coins to. You will also need to enter the name of the avatar to whom you wish to pay. - That's it! Please allow up to 24 hours for your transaction to process.
Groups (1)
To create a new group:
- Press CTRL + SHIFT + G (on your keyboard) to open the Groups tab in the People window (you can also go to Comm on the menu bar, and select Groups).
- In the Groups tab, select the + sign on the bar at the top, then select New Group.
- Enter a Group Name and a Description for your group. You can also add a group image, by clicking on the generic thumbnail and browsing for a texture in your inventory.
- Make sure to enable Anyone can Join; if you do not check the box, your group will be invite-only and people will need to be invited to join the group.
- There is also an option to allow people to pay to join your group (not recommended for opensim use); if you choose to use this option, enable Cost to Join and set a DC (Dark Coin) amount which you will require for people to pay to join the group.
- Finally, click on Create group for DC& 0 to finish.
That’s it! Browse other FAQs in the Groups section if you need further help with using groups.
Land / Parcel (5)
To play music on your land, you need to have a Stream URL (Interested in obtaining your own Stream URL? Try Listen2myRadio.com):
- Click on the Land button on your viewer, or select World on the menu bar and click on Parcel Details.
- Click on the Sound tab.
- Enter a Stream URL into the Music URL box. Assuming the URL is actively playing music, you should start hearing music play momentarily.
Note: You may have to toggle the audio icon off and on in your viewer.
To manage your land's access list, follow these simple steps.
- Click the Land button at the top of your viewer, or select World from the menu bar and click Parcel Details.
- Click on the Access tab.
- In here, you can configure the following access settings:
- Anyone can visit - as the name suggests, enabling this box will allow anyone onto your land.
- Allow group - you can also limit access to your land to a specific land group (you can set which group you want to use in the General tab).
- Sell passes to - this allows you to charge people Dark Coins for entrance onto your land (this is not a popular feature to use, but it may be useful for any special events help on the land).
- Always allowed box - you can add the names of people you wish to give explicit access to your land. These people will have access regardless of the options you choose above.
- Banned - people you put on this naughty list will not be allowed onto your land (you can also set a duration after you add their name).
To change these settings, you need to open the Land window and follow these steps.
- Open the Land window, by either clicking the Land button at the top of your viewer or by going to World and selecting Parcel Details.
- Enter the desired name for your land on the General tab in the Name field. The name you enter will appear in your viewer's address bar when anyone visits your land.
- Enter a description for your land in the Description field.
- To add a photo of your land, go to the Options tab.
- Click on the default "question mark" image under Snapshot and choose an image from your inventory.
- That's it! Just close the window and you're done.
Explore our other FAQs under Real Estate / Land for more helpful tips.
If you are a region owner, you can restart your region via the website: going to this section and clicking on the small blue button.
Do NOT use the in-world feature as you would in SL. The website functionality ensure that the assets in the region are persisted first - ensuring nothing is lost.
We refreshed our login details a few months back, old members might experience some limited issues if these are not updated.
Please do the following: https://gyazo.com/24e1650a10bea44a5aac440d2b730533 if possible several times (i.e. Refresh > Click Okay > Close Viewer > Do it again > Close viewer > then Login).
Contact Support (2)
Browse through the FAQs on this page to see if you can find a quick solution to your problem.
If you cannot find an answer, you can open a support ticket using the support channels in our Discord server.
- #main-support. For anything technical, request for new regions, or requiring admin involvement...
#grid-ops-ticket: For anything related to rentals, web or tp locations, day to day admin, general questions...
Yes - you can request a region restart via the #request-region-restart channel on Discord.
Rental System (15)
There’s a wide range of options for you to own land at DH’s and to create your little virtual heaven. For those starting their journey and wanting a modest place to call home, DH offers free parcels to all grid members. There are also community rentals available!
- You can find both at the DHPG Main Office in world, where you will find teleport link to the local offices for each of the free rentals region.
If you want to develop your own land, DHPG offers a wide range of VIP Region Rentals.
- You can find all the tier and pricing of each of the regions in our Patreon, where you can sign up for it. (Remember to open a #main-ticket of support once you have purchased a plan!)
Free rentals are offered out of Brandy’s (DH owner’s) heart and pocket for people who really can’t afford it. They do, however, take a toll on grid financials. If there’s enough balance on members contributing to the running of the grid, we need to constrain the free options.
First, decide whether you want to pay with in-world currency (leveraging PODEX service) or via Patreon.
· If via in-world currency, please open a ticket via the #main-support channel on Discord, or reach out to a staff member in-world.
· If via Patreon, please select and pay for your plan in Patreon, and then open a ticket via the #main-support channel so we can capture the details of your new region.
Yes, in fact - you should!
We provide a comprehensive guide to land/parcel security and privacy in this article.
Free parcels are a service we provide to active members. We can’t ‘reserve’ islands, as it will not give a chance to other active members to take them. Please ensure to renew your rent time.
VIPs are members who contribute financially to the running of the grid – from as little as $5/month (with VIP Resident option). There are some small perks associated with the VIP membership, but nothing that will ‘take away’ from the grid experience for people who can’t afford it.
Yes – check the region’s covenant in the region or parcel details for information about recommended heights (usually above 3000m)
Check the covenant of the specific parcels in the region. Apart from that, we assume a reasonable use of those parcels, and a neighborly attitude (i.e. don’t rez big old house just in front of your next-door neighbor’s cove; or a lighthouse that lights up the entire region…).
Please consult with staff first. If you have another building in mind, we might be able to accommodate it, if it’s a paid parcel.
General rule is that you can replace them as long as it keeps 'in theme' with the rest of the regions.
First go to the DHPG Main Office, there you will find TP buttons to each of the free rental regions.
Each of these regions has a smaller 'office' with a map, highlighting in green the available parcels.
If you can't find any 'green/available' parcel in any of the regions, feel free to reach out to the Rentals Staff listed at the Main Office.
- If it's relate to a free parcel rental: Please reach out to the Rentals Staff listen at the DHPG Main Office, or open a ticket via de #grid-ops-suport channel on Discord.
- If it's relate to a region: Please open a ticket via the #main-support channel on Discord.
Kindly take into account that we don't provide coaching on region management. Support is limited to performance, as well as changes that can only be performed by staff (i.e. name changes, OARs...).
In some cases, especially for islands, the rental box will be underwater, at the edge of the parcel.
If menu is prompted when you click on a rental box, please reach out to a member of the Rentals team (listed at the main office), or open a ticket via #grid-ops-tickets.
It all depends on perfomance impact, as per the free rentals covenant.
- A modest use if one NPC companion should be okay.
- The use of high-impact / heavy-script NPC rezzers and similar is NOT okay.
- The rental owners will be given one single warning - and repeated breaking of the covenant might result in disciplinary actions.
Community Rentals are free rentals offered by grid member in their own private, paid, regions. Most of them revolve around specific themes, fully landscaped, giving their renters a full experience for their homes!
You can find more information in our article about Communit Rentals, or visit the Main Office to browse them.
Please make sure you read the notecards attach with the terms & conditions for each particular region, and that you reach out to the owner (and not DHPG staff) for any issues.
Login Issues / Accounts (3)
If you recently had your Darkhearts username / login changed, you will need to transfer your Firestorm settings, if you wish to retain them. Firestorm thinks of your new username as a new profile altogether.
- Log in with your new username (same password) so that Firestorm creates your new profile folder in Windows.
- Log out, and then open Windows Explorer.
- In the navigation address bar at the top of Windows Explorer, type %appdata%\Firestorm_x64 and press Enter.
- Locate your new username folder. It will be in the format of newusername.gridname (i.e.: Kieran_Cloud-Darkheart.Darkhearts_Playground ).
- Delete the contents of the new username folder, but not the folder itself.
- Go back to %appdata%\Firestorm_x64 (up one folder level) and look for your old username folder. It will also be in the format of username.gridname, but it will show your old username (i.e.: Kieran_Cloud.Darkhearts_Playground ).
- Copy the entire contents of the old username folder, into the new username folder.
- Log back in with your new username; your favorites, settings, and chat history should be restored.
- That's it!
If you should have any questions, or need additional help, please open a support ticket using the #Support channel in our Discord server.
The password requirements for logging into Darkhearts, are:
- Uppercase and lowercase letters.
- At least one number.
- At least one symbol.
- Your password needs to be 20 or less characters in length.
To sign into Darkhearts, make sure you enter your Firstname Lastname (<- in this format) in the Username field. Enter your password in the Password field. Your Grid should be populated as Darkhearts Playground.
If you still cannot log in and you had your password saved from a previous login, try manually entering your password.
If that doesn't work, try logging into our website at https://darkheartsos.net. If you cannot, you will need to reset your password.
To reset your password, go to https://darkheartsos.net, select Login, and then click on Forgot Password.
Make sure your password meets the minimum requirements.
- Uppercase and lowercase letters.
- At least one number.
- At least one symbol.
- Your password needs to be 20 or less characters in length.
Joining DHPG (3)
DHPG is a semi-private grid: while we welcome all hypergrid users to visit our public areas, joining the grid requires sponsoring.
Before registering to the grid, please make sure you have a current member willing to sponsor you.
A sponsor is an active member of the grid in good standing how can vouch for you.
They are also responsible for onboarding you into the rules and nuances of both OS in general, and DHPG specifically.
You sponsor should proactively mention in our Discord channel (preferred) that they sponsor you (including your chosen DHPG name).
You will laso me ask to mention their name in your application form. If they have not proactively sponsored you, we will reach out to them in-world - but this might take some time.
Sponsorship Guidelines and Expectations
As a sponsor, it is your responsibility to ensure that those you sponsor meet the following expectations:
Inclusivity: Ensure sponsorees understand that Darkhearts Playground is an inclusive grid, welcoming individuals of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds.
Content Policy and Guidelines: Sponsors must confirm that their sponsorees have read and understood the grid's content policies, particularly:
- Age-Appropriate Behavior: Citizens must dress appropriately for General (G-rated) sims.
- Profile Guidelines: Profiles should remain G-rated at all times, regardless of the location or situation.
Acclimation to Grid Basics: Sponsors should ensure that sponsorees are familiar with fundamental aspects of the grid, such as how to shop, travel, and engage with the community.
Sponsorship Process
Fastest Method: The quickest and easiest way to submit a sponsorship request is through Discord. We will attempt to contact sponsors via in-world IMs, and if IMs are capped, via notecard. Applications that remain without a sponsor response for 30 days will be rejected with a note stating no sponsor response was received.
New Sponsor Accounts: Sponsorees with sponsors whose accounts are less than 72 hours old will be placed on a 7-day hold. This allows time for the sponsor to become sufficiently familiar with the grid and ensures they can properly onboard their sponsoree. While the 72-hour period has been an informal guideline, formal consensus and policy are still under consideration.
Sponsorship Limits: Citizens who sponsor more than five applicants within a 30-day rolling period may have their sponsorship privileges temporarily paused at the discretion of staff. This allows time to ensure that previously sponsored individuals have adequately acclimated to the grid.
Alt Applications: We have no issue with alternate accounts (alts); however, we ask that you be transparent about alt applications. This helps us verify the account efficiently. Attempts to conceal alt accounts may raise concerns about the applicant's intentions.
Rules & Policies (3)
Apart from general well-behaviour rules, DHPG has two main directives:
- MSA (Master Service Agreement): General policy applied to the provision of the service
- Policy on content, anti-harassment and consent: Policy on content, update to include genAI provisions.
The compliance with these two policies is mandatory, and not following them can result in disciplinary action.
All DHPG regions, public and private, must follow the general policies.
Having said that, each owner can improve on those in their privately owned region (i.e. restricting access, clothing, limiting to RP only, etc..)
- As visitor, please make sure you follow each regions rules.
- As region owner, please make sure that those rules are clearly highlighted on your landing location.
DHPG Staff will not get involved into particular rules set by private region owners.
The use of ANY scripts that breach grid members' privacy is strictly prohibited. This includes listener scripts or any other form of monitoring that invades personal privacy or tracks behaviour inappropriately.
What is a Listener Script?
A listener script uses the llListen function to "listen" to local chat messages. These scripts often record or forward chat messages to another user, and this can potentially violate privacy.
Mitigation Steps
To help prevent the misuse of these scripts, here are some important guidelines:
- For all members: Keep sensitive conversations in private messages (IM) and avoid discussing them in public chat areas.
- For parcel/homeowners: Follow the Darkheart's Playground Parcel Safety Guidelines. Ensure object rezzing is restricted in your parcels to prevent the use of unauthorized scripts.
- For region owners: Encourage parcel owners to follow the guidelines and restrict object rezzing in public areas. Limit object rezzing permissions to trusted groups only. Regularly monitor for any unusual or invisible objects in your region.
Consequences for Misuse
Any intentional and malicious use of listener scripts or other privacy-invading scripts will result in immediate disciplinary action. This could range from a temporary ban to a permanent ban, depending on the severity of the violation.
Account (3)
Please open a ticket via the #main-support channel via discord.
Please open a ticket via the #main-support channel via discord.
Partnering is done via an in-world terminal, located at Grid Hall on Darkhearts City region here
- Touch the podium to start the process.
- Then have your partner touch the podium as well.
The process might require a relog to finalise.
- Unpartnering requires either of the partners to click on the podium.
AD (After Dark) (2)
Follow the next steps:
- Restrict access to your Estate to groups only. In the 'Allowed Groups' section of the Access tab add ~ After Dark ~ and ~ The Playground~. Any other groups you add should contain only people you fully trust. You can also add individual people via Access > Allowed. See: https://gyazo.com/51aa0b708b606ec4cc4576362c41d1e8
- Update your region's covenant to include the below. Rest of terms can be MORE restricting, but NEVER more open.
- Fill in the fields at the end of this notecard, and drop it at the Mailbox (the purple one!) located here: hop://playground.darkheartsos.com:8002/Darkhearts Bay/237/901/22 , so that we can add your location to the AD HUD.
♥ After Dark "Opt-In" Terms ♥ (to be added to covenant)
The Following Terms and Conditions pertain to the all regions that bear this clause in their covenant!
This Region whether grid owned or privately owned is closed to general hyper-grid traffic, as such the region owner will UNcheck the "Anyone can visit option" and instead will select the "Allow only residents and groups listed on the Access tab" option in the Estate menu.
Allowed groups are A) Region owners land group(s) B) DHPG After Dark group, HG visitor exceptions can be made by entering the avatars UUID in the Access > Allowed tab.
Shops & Shop Owners (4)
We encourage all our grid members to open a store at one of our Boutiques sims.
Stores can also be opened in private sims (especially if they need a lot of space), however, we encourage grid member to leverage the boutique regions to benefit from the traffic.
In order to open a store:
- Check any of the Boutique regions (Boutiques NE, NW, SW, SE) for an available lot with a sign - and clikc on 'Page Staff' on the sign.
- If there aren't any available, leverage the 'Page' button at the landing place in Boutiques NE.
- A member of staff will reach out to you (right away if online, or later on), and set you up to own a the parcel so you can start building you store. This parcel is, of course, free of charge.
You can then start building your store!
Eligibility
Every grid member is allowed and encouraged to open a store and have a store parcel.
HG users should create a DHPG account.
Parcel Size & Capacity
There’s a default size for the parcels, however, this can be sub-divided if the shop-owner will not make actual use of all space.
Shop owners can also request more space if it’s justified.
The default prim allocation is 2000 prims.
Shop owners can also request more prim allocation if it’s justified.
Content
Content of stores should be ‘original’ (i.e. uploaded by the owner) or originally full-perm and allowed to be re-shared.
Content cannot be copied from somewhere else in OS. (e.g. ripped connect from other stores, if re-uploaded without a significant change, copied full avis…).
This does not apply to content that is originally uploaded by shop owners and simply happens to be as well at another store.
Pricing
Charging for items in DH is discouraged but not forbidden IF the content is a full original creation of the shop owners. No simply re-textured, or tweaked, but completely original.
Type of venues
Non-shopping type of venues are discouraged and require Admin approval. This includes venues providing services like ‘photography, etc.’.
Rating
While adult content can be shared without any issues, shop owners are encouraged to keep their store G-rated appropriate. Some reasonable exceptions can be made (i.e. nipples shown in a body, etc,) as long as they are not portrayed in small avatars.
Full Name of the Store
Short name for the board
Whether Store or Venue (e.g. club)
UUID of the texture they want to use for the board
sURL of the landing point of the store
Short description
Apart from the free parcel at Boutiques, shop owners are elegible for the Exclusive Program perks:
Upon requesting a space for a store, store-owners should indicate which store program category they fall into, namely:
Satellite: Stores that have the content also in other grids.
Satellite store owners are entitled to a 1x1 free region + 7.5k prims for as long as they have their store active in DH, as well as VIP status.
Exclusive: Store that have exclusive content only offered in DH.
Exclusive store owners are entitled to a 1x1 free region + 30k prims for as long as they have their store active in DH, as well as VIP status.
In order to claim their free regions, shop owners should open a support ticket AFTER their store is fully set up.
DHPG Streams (3)
As a DJ, or simply as someone who wants their favourite tunes broadcast inworld, we know how difficult it is to find and affordable, quality, and reliable, stream service. Darkheart's Playground wants to support our grid members in every way possible, and we have low cost/high quality DJ/Radio Streams hosted on our own broadcasting server.
Specs
- Unlimited listeners
- 128kbs or 192kbs quality
- Custom stream details
- Available to all DJs and Citizens
Cost: 250DC$/month (2.55 $USD)
You can listen live to Mandey's stream playing now, for a sample of the quality: https://streams.dhpgstreams.com:8100/mandy
If you want to get your own, please contact Mandy Candy-Darkheart in-world or on Discord, and will get you set up asap!