Multiplayer

## Starting Multiplayer

Players must be friends on Steam before being able to join a game together which requires exchanging Steam IDs. To find the Steam ID go to "Friends" and "Add a Friend". From there, the player can copy their "Friend Code" or enter their friend's "Code" to invite them. If they are playing a LAN game then this step is not necessary.

Before starting/joining a multiplayer game, all players must have created a character with their own island and have progressed enough to be able to save their game which happens once the player goes to sleep and wakes up the next day. The Host can use an already existing save game to host a multiplayer game and the the joining player can use an already existing character from one of their own games.

Before joining a new multiplayer game with new characters, it is recommended that each player progresses on their own island until they unlock the crafting recipe for Nails and Wooden Crates so that they can craft on another island without being limited. This progress takes about 2 in-game days and are advanced through Fletch's Quests.

## Hosting a Game

Follow the steps below to host a game:

1. From the Main Menu, select "Multiplayer"

2. Choose the save game to use (The character and island will be used to host the game)

3. Under the "Host Game" tab, choose the setting for the game:

* ***Friends Only:*** Anyone on the player's Steam Friends List can join. Both players must set to appear online. Friends can freely join other friends games.
* ***Invite Only:*** The host must invite friends to join.
* ***Public:*** Anyone can join this world (be careful playing with strangers).
* ***LAN:*** Only people on the same Network can join using the host's LAN/IP address. This can be found by opening up the Journal and navigating to the "Options" tab.

4. Click "Host Game" to load the game in multiplayer mode.

5. The host can invite friends into their game by opening their Journal and going to the "Options" tab where they will see an "Invite" button which will open up the Steam Friends list. Each game can have up to a maximum of 4 players including the host.

## Joining a Game

Follow the steps below to join a multiplayer game:

1. From the Main Menu, select "Multiplayer"

2. Choose the save game to use (The character will be used to join a game)

3. Under the "Open Games" tab, select one of the following:

* ***Friends Games:*** This will show a list of available games that are hosted by people in the player's Steam Friends list.
* ***Public Games:*** This will show a list of available games that are hosted by people within the player's Region of the world that are set to "Public".

4. For LAN games within the same network, go to the "LAN/IP Connect" tab and enter the host's Local IP (ex: 192.168.1.1).

***Note:*** There is currently no way to host a dedicated server or join a player through the IP Address assigned by their ISP (Internet Service Provider).

## Multiplayer Features and Limitations

There are a few features and limitations while playing in multiplayer (these may be subject to change in the future):

* Only the host can progress any quests given by Fletch. This is why it is recommended that each player play on their own island for a bit if they are going to be using a new character. There is currently not much to progress after the players obtain certain recipes on their own and it won't affect most of what they are able to do on the host's island.
* Each player keeps track of their own skill levels, licence levels, and NPC relationship levels. Only the host's stats will affect their island for when NPCs will move in permanently or show up. Non-host character stats and experience will stay with their character and carry over to their own island.
* The host is the only one who can place building deeds and move buildings once they have been placed or constructed. While anyone can contribute to the construction bin, it is currently buggy so the host must be the one to donate all the materials.
* Player inventories will stay with the character and will carry over to their own save game/island. This includes any Dinks or Permit Points earned while playing on someone else's island. Non-hosts can also bring items from their own save game/island into another player's game. This can be done safely using the travel bags located in the Town Hall.
* ***Deep Mine:*** Only the host may activate the Deep Mine elevator to go down or up and they need to have the Mine Pass in their inventory. All players must be present within the elevator to activate it. This unfortunately means that one player cannot be on the island with another is in the Deep Mine.
* Non-hosts can donate bugs, fish, and critters to the Museum, but it will not count toward the host's or any other player's donation progress or pedia.
* Non-host can buy animals, but cannot take them to their own islands so they must stay on the host's game and only the host may sell them.
* Players can "Unlock" items in Clover's and Melvin's Catalogues by picking up items the host has and giving them back or re-placing them if they have been placed as a decoration.

Other than the few limitations above, all players can freely gather resources, hunt animals, change the landscape, farm, ride vehicles, change their clothing, interact with NPCs, purchase goods from stores, and place/remove decorations.

## Trading

Players can find other people to play or trade with in online forums such as the Steam Forums or Dinkum Discord.

**Steps to trade:**

1. Players must host/join an online session.
2. Once both players have joined a game they can drop the item(s) or place them in a chest along with Dinks for trade. To drop dinks, simply open the inventory and click on the dinks at the top to extract the dinks. For a precise amount, go to the bank and deposit all dinks and withdraw only what is needed for the trade.
3. It's recommended that the non-host place the items received inside the Travel Bags located in the Base Tent/Town Hall to ensure their items transfer safely from the host's island to their own.

**Notes:**

* Any items that are held above the player's head (ex: Fossils, Rubies, etc) cannot be transferred.
* If a player steals items from the host or destroys the island, then the host can exit to the Main Menu without sleeping and saving so the damage is not saved. This will also not save any transactions that happened or any progress made on the island before the last save.
* It is frowned upon, at least in the Discord, to trade any items that have been "duplicated" or "cheated-in" using the command console.