Town, law and community

What it is

One doorway to everything about village government, the law, and living together: the governor's treasury votes, the court, the town record office, the police patrol, the community garden, the village assembly, the good deed chain, sister towns, holiday visits, the memory wall, lost and found, and a whole Social life menu with pen pals, a reading club, open mic night, group chat rooms, invite cards, a wishlist and greeting gestures.

Where to find it

Open the game menu, choose Life plus, then Town, law and community. The shortcut is to type /town. Type /laws to hear the village laws board straight away, and /social to open Social life. Escape or Back always takes you one step back.

The village laws board

Reads out the standing rules, which towns have a mayor right now and what the entry toll is, and the latest decisions of the Governor's office, newest first.

Treasury votes

The governor or deputy governor can propose to spend part of the treasury (5000, 10000, 25000, 50000 or 100000 points, never more than it holds) on a stated purpose. Everybody gets one Yes or No vote at the Governor's mansion for 10 minutes. The money is only spent if at least 5 people voted and there are more Yes than No votes. A failed vote spends nothing. The deputy governor can also read "What the Deputy Governor may do" in the Governor's office.

Elections and the debate hall

While candidates sign up for a mayor election and there are at least two, the mayor board has a Debate hall. Each candidate gets 90 seconds in turn; a bell rings on the map when the turn changes and the speaking candidate can make one statement, heard by everyone on that map. When voting closes the full count for every candidate is read out before the winner is crowned.

The court and jail

The judge can convene a public hearing: the statements of the accused and of the lawyer are read to everyone on that map, and the verdict is announced to the whole map. In jail you can work in the yard, the laundry or the kitchen; each shift shortens your sentence, never by more than half.

The town record office

Your citizenship standing: Newcomer, Resident, Trusted Citizen or Model Citizen, built from a clean record, volunteering, charity and holding an identity card. Trusted and Model citizens earn a title. You can read your own staff warning history. After 30 days without a new case you can seal your record with good behaviour: people looking you up then hear that it is sealed. Staff warnings now always reach you with their own sound, even when they are sent while you are offline; they are read to you when you log in.

Police patrol and citations

On-duty police officers find Patrol duty in the village institutions menu. Report five checkpoints clear, at least 45 seconds apart, for a daily patrol bonus of 300 points. Officers can also write a minor citation to somebody on the same map, without arresting them: littering or a noise complaint costs 50 points, disorderly conduct or a minor traffic offence 100 points, paid into the town treasury and written into the public record. An officer can write 10 citations a day and the same person can be cited once an hour.

Volunteering

Besides cleaning up rubbish you can now sit with the elderly for an hour, once a day. Both count toward your volunteer titles at 10, 50 and 200 sessions.

The community garden

Under Community projects. Give wheat, apples, wild mushrooms or sunflowers, up to 20 a day. When the garden reaches 500 units it is harvest day: everybody who tended it gets 3 bread and 2 apples, even if they are offline (it waits for them at login).

The village assembly

Under Community projects. Suggest one clear idea, read other people's suggestions and vote for the ones you support. A suggestion with 5 votes is sent to the staff team.

The good deed chain

Under Community projects. When somebody helps you, thank them. They get 20 points, or 30 if they have also thanked somebody themselves today. You can thank 3 different people a day, and a player is rewarded at most 5 times a day. Every thank-you keeps the village-wide chain of days going.

Sister towns

Two mayors can make their towns sisters: one sends the offer, the other accepts it here. Anyone visiting either town can sign its friendship book once a day for 20 points. Every 25 signatures, both towns hold a friendship celebration. Once a week a mayor can declare a friendship day: for 24 hours every signature counts double.

Holiday visits

Every Saturday and Sunday. Walk up to another player, within about 15 steps, and knock on their door. If they answer, the game gives you a chocolate bar and gives them 10 points. You can visit 8 doors a day, each person once, and each player is rewarded for 8 guests a day.

The memory wall

Players who are moving on can leave one farewell message that stays for good. Everybody can read it.

Lost and found

A notice board for things you lost or found. Contact the person who posted the notice to sort out the rest. Items are never moved automatically.

Social life

Pen pals: you are matched with somebody who is waiting, and players who play in a different language come first. Letters wait for them if they are offline.

Language exchange club: put down which language you can help with and which you want to learn, and read the list.

Reading club: a new short book every week. Join the discussion room to talk with the other readers. Mark the book as finished once a week for 50 points and the Reader title.

Open mic night: join the queue, and when it is your turn type your piece. Everybody in the audience hears it and can applaud. You earn the Open Mic Performer title, and 30 points once a day if at least one person was watching.

Companionship: time you spend on the same map as other players adds up. At 1, 5 and 25 hours together you both earn a title: Good Company, Close Companion and Kindred Spirit.

Group chat rooms: create or join a named room and send messages to all of its members who are online.

Invite cards: send somebody a short invite saying what, where and when. They hear a chime, and invites wait for them if they are offline.

Congratulate: send somebody a congratulation with applause. The shortcut is /congrats name reason.

Wishlist: list the items you would love to have. Friends can open your wishlist and give you one of those items from their own bag. Credits, points and items that cannot be traded are never shown.

Greeting gestures: wave, hug or shake hands with somebody on your map. Both of you hear it.