How do I join?

We are a semi-private group, which means that we have openings for new membership applications periodically as well as an invite system (more on that in the next question). 

Once an opening is planned, we will make an update to notify our visitors. We will also post reminders and eventually a new opening announcement. These updates are posted to our discord.

Remember to read over Character Creation for information and tips to make a character for the group!

Join the Discord server!

Please be sure to read all pinned posts and pay attention to the onboarding in the discord server so you can be assigned a tourist role! This will give you access to a few channels while you await an opening!

How does the Invite system work?

Every current members gets 1 Free Invite per year, these cannot be stacked and refill once the new year starts. Additional Invites can be bought for 5k PD at max. 3 per month.

Current members need to send a NOTE to the group, declaring who they give their invite to. As soon as the note is sent, their friend can send in the quiz, you do not need to wait on a reply from us!

Those who get invited need to have their character app ready and send us a filled out quiz under this link. It is important you fill out the question on who gave you the invite!

Can we still join if we don’t know much about either Harvest Moon or Pokémon?

Yes! Even if you’ve never played either franchise, you’re still welcome to apply! We usually recommend you do research on anything you don’t know much about, however.

Can I join using artwork by someone outside the group, or another member? 

Artwork by other members of HL, or outside artists may be used with permission for the visual portion of an application. 

• Credit to the artist MUST be linked explicitly and clearly in the artwork's caption, and on the submission form when it is sent. 

• The member submitting this character would not get PD for the artwork (only the written portion) but if a fellow member does the artwork, they will earn PD.

• Group currency or items cannot be exchanged for this artwork. We ask that group currency or items for outside groups the members have in common also not be exchanged as a reward.

Special events that call for reference pieces (like the Cirque de la Lune and Isle Competition, among others) can also have reference artwork by other artists uploaded for a visual to offer for cameos. This is only applicable for the reference piece, and again, if a fellow member does the artwork, they will earn the PD. All other rules for these events follow the above points.

I didn't get in, should I take my app down?

You don't need to if you don’t want to. It's your artwork, plus we actually recommend to keep it up so you can apply next opening!

What counts as activity? And what can I do to keep myself from being removed from the group because of inactivity?

Activity counts as flat colored artwork, 500 word stories, and more. Check out our Activity Requirement page for more information.

I'm so busy in real life! I'm going on hiatus. Is there anything I should do?

Taking a hiatus from the group is allowed! You are required to send the group a note using the communication forms informing us that you wish to be put on hiatus. An estimation of how long is recommended, but not needed. A hiatus may last up to 6 months and will exclude you from activity checks until it expires. If you feel you need more time, you're always welcome to renew your hiatus by noting the group again!

You may submit one piece to us while on hiatus, but a second submission and/or frequent chat room visits will automatically terminate it.

Why the zero-tolerance policy on killing of characters?

Harvest Moon is a slice-of-life simulator game. Pokémon is an RPG, but in the Pokémon franchise canon, fighting leads to fainting--not death. We don’t want people to fear their character potentially being killed by another player.

Characters may die to become ghosts, but we ask that the gory details be left out of a character's history, and depiction of the event itself relegated to the Eclipse Server. 

Is there a limit on how many pieces I can submit to the group?

The Safari only allows for one capture a month, as such it either allows one to two submissions depending on the kind of Pokemon. Some Events may limit you in how much you can post as well, this will be stated in the event informations. The Library and Job Board are limited to one submission per month, the Library is one submission per character and the Job Board is one submission per month.

How many NPC’s (non-player characters) are we allowed to have?

Currently, we do not have a set restriction on NPC’s. Keep them manageable and relevant to the character they support, however.

So we can have as many NPC's we want, but which should I submit to the group? All of them?

That depends entirely on your definition of “all.” Keep in mind that we may not accept every NPC application. In a roleplay group, NPC’s are typically flat, supporting characters who are there to put emphasis on your own character. Parents, bosses, employees, siblings, etc. are all examples of the relationships your NPC’s might have with your character.

Appearances should follow group gijinka rules and not be excessively Pokémon, but 25%. 

History and Personality sections of NPC applications are encouraged to be concise and minimally detailed. They should also be geared towards their involvement or relationship with the character they are there to support rather than an exposition on their own experiences & flaws etc. like in character applications.

•  NPC’s that are 14 years of age or younger must have a guardian accompanying them in their application. Guardians of NPC’s may not be a player’s character. The exception to this rule is if two player characters are married and have a child. The child’s application does not require them to be present, either.

•  NPC’s that are featured prominently in more than two submissions to the group must have applications.

I see there are group NPCS. Can those be used in submissions? Do I get special bonuses for them? 

Yes! Members are more than welcome to use group NPCS in their work. This includes all past and current sprites in the NPC gallery. Cirque de la Lune NPCs are used to earn masks during that special event, and are currently the only NPCs used to earn something special.

How do you define your background standards?

• Transparent backgrounds, or backgrounds that are a single color or gradient do not count for PD.

• Non Scene Backgrounds: Pattern or Shapes that do not resemble a scene as described below. Will earn 100 PD.

• Simple Scene: No distinction of foreground, midground or background, the scene is all on one plane. There are few environment elements (clouds, trees, chairs, cameos, Pokémon, etc.).

• Semi-Detailed Scene: Has the distinction of at least two planes. At least 4+ environment elements (clouds, trees, chairs, cameos, Pokémon, etc.).

I’m having a problem with this person, what can be done?

You can send a note to the group and we can place them on your do not interact list. This list ensures that you are not paired with a particular member should any collab events come up. If further assistance is needed, we will communicate within the notes/Discord DMs.

I want to keep my gallery cleaner, can I post collections of multiple submissions and they count as multiple instead of a singular submission? 

Yes. As long as you are coherent with your submission description, then yes you will receive PD as if they were submitted separately. Cirque de Lune is an event that is especially allowed to have collection submissions. 

The only limitations we have placed on sub collections are for work, trail and mine submissions, which have to be submitted separately in order to receive items, advance further and due to the weekly limits placed on their gallery folders. 

What swear words are not allowed in the chats and rps?

Disallowed words are pinned in the Questions chat on Discord.

Will you ever be adding new mods?

We do when we need more hands on staff. There are no set dates for when we start accepting moderator applications, but we do make announcements well beforehand.

Typically, we will pick from the applications we receive and have those people hired on as a Clerk. This is essentially a probationary or trial period for us to work with them and determine who gets to be promoted to a moderator-ship.

Can I be a mod? What do mods do?

We open applications to mods periodically when we see the need for them. 

Clerks(Spudlings) assist with answering questions, hosting events, processing submissions and assisting with coming up with Library and Job Board postings. 

Mods (Lumpy Potatoes) plan events, process notes, plan and implement new group dynamics in addition to the above. 

Are there mod perks? And if so, what are they?

There are mod and Clerk perks yes! In-training Clerks will not receive these until they finished their training or have shown considerable contribution.

For the full list of Mod perks:

1. 33% discount (or 1/3rd) for all purchases (PD off) and crafting (total number of items to craft, such as only needing 5 out of 7 items)

2. Only one piece required to get a Cirque mask instead of two

3. Mod/Clerk work counts as event participation, therefore Mods and Clerks can choose one big prize (i.e. Shiny Crystal Shard) or 2 small prizes (i.e. collectables) for each event. This would also count for 1 free Pokemon capture during events (i.e. Shadowmon event) without needing to create something. You can just send in a capture note. This does not count for competitions or group points (like in Isle Comp).

1/3rd or 33% PD Discount numbers are as follows:

Donations, Casino and Additional Member Invites will not get a PD discount.

Medium Home/Work -- 1,000 -> 670

Large Home/Work -- 3,000 -> 2,000

Extra Large/Family Home/Work -- 5,000 -> 3,300

Biggest Size Home/Work -- 10,000 -> 6,700

Vacation Home -- 100,000 -> 66,700

Moving characters to a different plot (same island) -- 15,000 -> 10,000

Moving characters to a different island -- 20,000 -> 13,300

Paying for Twins (married couple) -- 5,000 -> 3,300

Paying for Twins (Single Parent) -- 10,000 -> 6,700

Paying for Triplets (married couple) -- 10,000 -> 6,700

Paying for Triplets (Single Parent) -- 20,000 -> 13,300

Speeding up Child Adoption -- 3,000 -> 2,000

Pokeball -- 2,000 -> 1,300

Safari Ball -- 3,000 -> 2,000

Pokemon Adoption -- 250 -> 170

Trading Mount Pokemon -- 2,000 -> 1,300

Trading Utility Pokemon -- 3,000 -> 2,000

Pet Pasture Spots -- 3,000 -> 2,000

Utility Pokemon -- 3,000 -> 2,000

Mount (Exisitng Pokemon is trained, or an Egg hatched into the slot) -- 2,000 -> 1,300

Mount (Freshly bought fr this) -- 4,000 -> 2,700

Second Job -- 5,000 -> 3,300

Third Job -- 20,000 -> 13,300

Ranch Pokemon -- 1,000 ->  670

Maker -- 5,000 -> 3,300

Farm Seeds -- 15 -> 10

Greenhouse -- 10,000 -> 6,700

Shuckle -- 1,000 ->  670

Farm Pokemon -- 3,000 -> 2,000

Business Assistant (existing Pokemon or Egg) -- 1,000 -> 670

Business Assistant (freshly bought) -- 2,000 -> 1,300

Assistant Promotion -- 1,000 ->  670

VIP Board -- 1,500 -> 1000

Market Cart -- 2,500 -> 1,700

Lucky Cat -- 2,500-> 1,700

Crafting Discounts are as follows:

1 and 2 items will not receive reductions

3, 4 and 5 items will be reduced by 1

6, 7 and 8 items will be reduced by 2

9 and 10 items will be reduced by 3

What are Pokémon Aspects?

A Pokémon Aspect is what Pokemon attributes on a Person are labeled as in-universe. Example: Someone with a Fletchinder Aspect might sport Fletchinder wings and tail feathers, and some scaley hands. These people are called “gijinka” in meta-context.

Does my character NEED to be the same kind of Pokémon as their mother? / Does the child of my character and their spouse need to be the same Aspect as their mom?

Only if you want them to be! As gijinka children mature, their Aspect becomes more apparent in their features or habits. Aspects usually surface very early in life, being highly rare around the age of eight to not have one. The Aspect can be influenced by both parents, how they act and how they are caring for the child, or they may just form the Aspect before birth. 

• If a character has a different Aspect from their parents, their parents' Aspects should NOT have an effect on the child's Aspect characteristics.  

Alright, so I have a mask to change the Aspect of my character! How do I use it?

There are two parts to using a mask, but it's a simple process! First, you will need to note the group with your new design, to have it approved by the mod team. Once approved, you will have to let us know when you're ready to use it! This can all be done in the same note, or you can have your design approved for use later down the line. Make sure to state that you want to use it now if you go with the former!

Can my Business Person have a service-providing job?

Yes, you may. It must allow room for upgrading in some way & the service must be clearly outlined. Additionally, your character can be ‘jobless’ with the job title along the lines of ‘Hired Assistant,’ where they can choose a fellow member to help out as their job.

An NPC already has this job! Am I able to do it, too?

Yes, of course. You will not be able to provide actual upgrades or official items (unless in your possession already), however.

How many pictures does it take to grow a crop/raise an animal? Can one picture count for multiple crops or animals?

Crops are fairly straight-forward: each submission showing effort counts for one growth-point towards a crop. You can use one submission to grow more than one crop, however it must be the same crop type. (example: You can grow multiple trees in one submission, but not grow trees and grain crops in the same submission.)

Try to put effort into each drawn crop. i.e. You have five seeds, draw five or more of the crops growing in your image to earn all five products. For more information, please refer to our Farming journal.

What happens if we aren't able to finish growing our crops in the season?

Crops that have been started (but not harvested) die after the season ends. They will not yield produce.

What do secondary or tertiary businesses/farms/ranches do?

These act and function the same as your first job. In roleplay, you can do this during the downtime of your primary job. The advantage to owning another job or two is that you now have the perks of two/three jobs instead of only your original one. While there can only be one Ranch and one Farm on a character, Businesses can occupy all 3 slots. For example: Character A Is a primary rancher and has a second and third business. Character B Is a primary Farmer with a secondary Ranch and a third business. Character C Is a primary business owner and owns a second and third business.

I got an egg from a Ranch Pokemon! Can I hatch it?

No. Hatchable eggs are listed under your inventory's "Hatchable Eggs" column. Eggs received from Ranch Pokémon are produce items & are listed under a character’s “Work Items”. These produce items are for nothing more than trading, selling, or donating.

I want to change my character's job. Can I do that?

Absolutely! Similar to character swaps, you will get your upgrades and bought property refunded. Any of the Pokemon in your current job will need to move, unless they are can be used for the new one (examples: You are requesting your former ranch Pokemon to become business assistants.

If you are switching within the same category of Job (Business to another Business, Produce Ranch to Mount Ranch, Farm to another Farm). You will be refunded your upgrades and bought property, but your Pokemon are allowed to remain. When you switch from a Produce Ranch to a Mount Ranch or the other way around, you can only keep the Pokemon that can either be official produce Ranchmon or official Mounts.

Can we own Pokémon? What categories are there for them & what do they mean?

Yes, you may. Alternatively, you don’t have to.

There are 6 categories for Pokémon: Pets, Mounts, Ranch Pokémon, Business Pokémon, Farm Pokémon, and Garden Pokémon (commonly abbreviated as Gardenmon).

Pets are just that--companions for your characters. They are allowed to enter into pet contests.

Mounts are Pokémon used for transportation. They are able to be entered into our annual Racing Cup events.

Ranch/Business/Farm Pokémon are job-specific producers & helpers. They make produce or earn coins that can be sold for PD.

Gardenmon are Grass-Type Pokémon that provide your character with extra little perks such as upgrade buffs or extra pet slots. They are not Farmer-specific!

How do we catch a pet and what pets can we catch?

To catch a pet, you need to: 1) own or purchase a pet slot, 2) draw or write your character catching the pet, & 3) note the group with a link to the submission along with: name, Pokémon, and gender. The submission should have at least flat colors and a background for visual art or about 1000 words for written pieces.

Additionally, in most cases, your character will also need to have unlocked the appropriate mine level that matches the Pokémon's Type. If the Pokémon in question is dual-Typed, both Types must be unlocked. You can see what types are unlocked at each level at The Mines blog. There are special exceptions for capturing a pet outside of the cave restriction. One of these exceptions is obtaining a Pokémon through Horde Events. These are events where a large amount of Pokémon appear on the island. To capture a horde Pokémon, check to see if there are instructions outlined in the event blog’s update. If there are none, then you can capture a horde Pokémon by purchasing a pet slot, and drawing your character interacting with the Pokémon. Then note the group with the image drawn and a request to fill the slot with the horde Pokémon.

Another exception is obtaining a Pokémon through the Safari Zone. The Safari Zone has 4 Pokémon available for capture that are changed out each month. To capture a Safari-mon, follow the instructions outlined in the Safari Zone blog.

The last exception is obtaining a Hatchable Egg through an event. These are rare opportunities! To obtain a Hatchable Egg, follow the instructions outlined in the event blog’s update.

So I have a hatchable pet egg, what should I do?

To hatch an egg you need to send in a submission of your character caring for the egg (ie, the character must be present in the same artwork as the egg) and then of the egg hatching (depicted either as a Pokémon surrounded by broken shells, half in the egg or an egg with hatching cracks) to the group. In total, two submissions are needed to hatch an egg. 

If it is visual art, it should be (at least) flat colored with a simple background. If it is a written submission, it should be about 500 words.

Once you have done that, send a note to the group to inform us that the egg has been hatched. Include a link to your submissions and the Name, Pokémon, and Gender of the Pokémon being hatched in this note.

Eggs hatched into pet slots and ranch slots have no fees, given a slot is available. Eggs hatched into mount slots comes with a 2,000PD training fee, and garden slots match usual prices. 

Eggs cannot be hatched into business slots as business assistants have to be registered. The only exception is if you send the business assistant application alongside the link to your second hatching post. This will cause some delay on hatching as mods will have to review the application first. 

Eggs cannot be hatched into farm slots.

Pokemon will have a 10 in 100 chance to be shiny when they hatch! Mods will roll the shiny chance when your note with links to the submissions is sent, and let you know if your new Pokemon is shiny! 

Can I have more than one mount?

 Yes. Each resident may have up to two mounts at a time. Characters also have the option of purchasing a stable to gain one more mount. The only exception being in the rancher runs a 'mount' ranch, where their mounts are considered their ranch Pokémon. These mounts may not be entered into the annual Grand Derby, and earn Coin Rolls instead of the usual ranch produce.

How can I evolve a Pokémon I already have?

You can evolve a Pokémon by submitting stories or artwork of them, and tracking them here. To count as an Evolution Point, look to the following information:

   * Visual images should at least be lined and flat colored, while Pokémon in written submission should be featured in a story that is at least 500 words. Collaborations with other members also count towards this.

   * Multi-panel comics only count as 1 Evolution Point.

   * Pictures of an Egg do not count as Evolution Points. This is for hatching the egg only.

   * Pokémon that evolve with Evolutionary Stones do not need them to evolve. However, they can be used to skip the heart-requirement. A Rare Candy may also be used to skip the requirement for any Pokémon.

   * 2-Stage Pokémon require 5 Evolution Points to reach their second form. (e.g. Blitzle > Zebstrika)

   * 3-Stage Pokémon require 3 Evo-Points to reach their second form, then 6 Evo-Points total to reach their final form. (e.g. Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur)

   * Some single stage Pokémon can earn “Mature”  status upon earning 5 hearts: Farm Shuckle and Ranch Farfetch’d.

When your Pokémon is ready to evolve, you should note the group with the Pokémon you'd like to evolve and provide the link to your Animal Tracker. 

What are heart events?

Heart events are a game mechanic from the Harvest Moon franchise that we have carried over & adapted to our group.

In Harvest-Lunatone, three (3) Heart Events (with one person) are required for marriage. A typical outline for three Heart Events is as follows: 1) friendship, 2) dating, 3) emotionally intimate moment(s).

This is not set in stone, as the members are allowed to discuss and decide between themselves what milestones qualify as Heart Events. Proposal is not possible until after three events have been completed and submitted to the group.

For a more detailed description on Heart Events and Marriage, read their entry in the Courtship blog.

My character is LGBTQ+. Can they still participate in Heart Events?

Of course! Residents of all walks of life are welcome to participate in Heart Events and marry!

Can our characters marry an NPC? Can my first character marry my second character?

Player characters may never marry an NPC. NPC’s are supportive characters, and as such are not meant to be used on the same level as player characters.

However, any (single) player character can marry any other (single) player character, even if they are owned by the same member.

Do egg groups count in here for my characters? Do they count for my pets?

No and Yes. Because gijinkas are essentially humans and Aspects are independent of the parents, egg groups are ignored. Animal Pokémon still follow egg group rules.

Can children be a mix of the mother’s & father’s Aspects?

 No.  

How do I gain Pokedollars?

Post stuff to the group! The Inventories blog will tell you what you earn per submission, and what you currently own.

Can I sell my items?

You may sell your items for PD, but you are prohibited from selling them for real life currency, so that items can be earned fairly within the group. For a list of what each item earns you, refer to the Shipping Box.

What should I note the group for?

Notes are our primary source of communication with members. This is where we handle trades, purchases, suggestions/complaints, member event requests, and more! If it's a task that involves updating the inventory or needs mod approval, you'll be required to send a note to the group.

To note the group, please the form included on our Mechanics Page.

If it takes a while for your note to be handle, rest assured that we have seen it and will reply to you at our earliest convenience. Additionally, notes that involve a trade should be sent separately from other matters. This is to prevent the back-up of trade notes when one part of the note may need to get mod approval. Otherwise, notes that merge multiple matters (such as buying seeds and evolving a Pokemon in the same note) are allowed.

Hey! I have a good idea for an event, can I host one in the chat room?

Yes you may! Of course, you’re required to note the group about it first.

Note us over a week in advance and provide answers to the following questions:

What is your event about?
How do you plan to run it? Do you have another person helping you run it?
Did you want to give out prizes for it? They must be from your own inventory.
Also, provide an entry written by yourself to be posted in the event journal.

Be aware that running your own event is a big responsibility. Pay attention to all of your event’s participants and try to be aware of their responses and needs.

Running an event is not just your own fun, it’s for everyone. If someone has trouble getting a partner, be sensitive to that fact and help get them involved. If someone is behaving inappropriately, make sure to screencap it, and civilly stop it yourself or get a mod to come help.

Can I do multiple things in a submission? i.e. Hatch an egg in a work piece?

Yes! You are able to accomplish multiple things in one submission. You can hatch an egg in any piece, including trails and mine visits. The only limitation is farming where you can only grow one type of crop/tree at a time.