Transmissions

Messages directly from the Department of Protected Inhabited Planets

Transmission: New Image Ratios & Migration Reminders

Transmitted 5d and 17h ago — Last modified 5d and 17h ago
New Image Ratio

Following a server poll, we decided to change our standard image ratio to 3:2 (1.5) instead of the admittedly awkward 61:40 (1.525) previous ratio!

I wrote and ran a script that went through all active images and updated them to the new ratio by adding some pixels onto the top (and sides for those that were not the correct ratio before.)

We have updated the official lineart PSDs in the Google Drive to the new ratio: All that's being changed is 20 pixels added to the top of the files. New minimum size is 1260px by 840px.

What does this mean for my colonists?
  • You may notice that your colonists look a bit smaller in their space if they had an incorrect ratio before. This was a byproduct of making the images on the site fit the new ratio with clean numbers (meaning, no widths ending in 3 or 7 etc). Feel free to put in design updates if you want those pixels back! If they were the correct old ratio of 61:40 before, they shouldn't reduce in size at all
  • Colonists who were not the correct ratio previously should now have been adjusted to be the correct ratio and should be able to use background items
  • Colonists who for some reason had images larger than standard have been adjusted down to the correct size (Some older colonists somehow slipped around the standard widths)
What do I have to do: For current colonists?

Nothing at all!

What do I have to do: For new colonists/images?

You'll need to either add 20 pixels onto the top of the image (so that they're 1220 pixels tall instead of 1200) or use the updated PSDs.

What do I have to do: If you have custom line art for public use?

Please edit the psds to add the 20 pixels to the height as soon as you can!

My old art had a background image on it and now there's a weird empty patch

As our standard is now to have transparent images, the only thing that can really be done is to update these images into transparent versions. Please put in a design update request, or just leave it be if you are fine with the extra padding.

Reminder: Geno Conversion Deadlines

Forwarding this message from the old Tark'ee chat, for those who were members of the previous Tark'ee ARPG!

Here are the corrected extended deadlines for geno conversion (links to the Tark'ee server) and migration for the four currently released subspecies:

  • Aerobic (Flight): February 28th, 2025
  • Common (Earth): February 28th, 2025
  • Aquatic (Wave): Closed.
  • Draconic (Serpentine): Closed.
  • Volcanic (Rock): Migration is not yet open, but you may request Xiunus genome conversion via the routes below.
As a reminder, these are the steps for migration for undesigned genos:
    • Paste your geno's information in an individual post in this channel if you're in the Tark'ee server, otherwise submit a promptless Submission (Claim) or a ticket in our Xiunus discord server to request the Xiunus-ified genes.
    • Wait for Clarity or I to convert them to Xiunus phenotype/markings.
    • Design the geno and paste it in that thread.
    • Fill out the migration form and link to the thread.
Donating Unmigrated Tark'ee/Belemoid

Do you have Tark'ee or Belemoid that you don't necessarily want to play personally but want to see on Xiunus? That's wonderful! Submit the form below and we will give them fresh life!

There is no deadline for these, so even if it's long past the geno migration deadline for a species, you're welcome to submit them. They might become Natives, NPCs, or be put onto the new lines for the Immigration Center! Note that there is a "Tark'ee - Giant Rabbit" option in that form, but that's more for future things, so don't worry about that <3

Transmission: TT Event: Saltwater Tsabhua

Transmitted 2mos and 2d ago — Last modified 5d and 17h ago
ContinueIs this door forever sealed?
New Subspecies: Saltwater Tsabhua

Surprise! A new subspecies has entered the stage, this time not Tark'ee! Accompanying Aquatic/Draconic Tark'ee and Reef Belemoid, Tsabhua now have an aquatic/semi-aquatic subspecies.

Transmission: Happy Holidays & Aerobic Tark'ee

Transmitted 1mo and 2w ago — Last modified 5d and 17h ago
ContinueHold tight.
Happy Holidays from the Xiunus Team!

Be sure to check out today's Advent for a very special gift.

As we progress through the holiday season, many of our staff are visiting family, friends, or are otherwise focusing on real life. As we have always been a real-life-comes-first sort of team, we want to keep that in mind and ask for patience regarding queue processing and answering tickets or questions. Please refrain from any inquiries about statuses of the queue unless there is some immediate deadline.

We'll pick back up on the queue in earnest once the new year is here!

▶▶
Migration of old Flight Tark'ee will commence in the new year.
New Subspecies: Aerobic Tark'ee

Fleeing the rule of the Royals, several Aerobic Tark'ee have left the confines of the Bunker to the freedom of B'Av and have quickly gone to mingle with the locals.

NPCs and New Inherited Gene: Paisley Koi

Introducing a new variant to Koi: Paisley! This unique koi variant allows for koi patches to look like paisley, the design element.
Starting ancestors:

Certain NPCs now cast their gazes with interest upon the colonists. They can be found in a new masterlist page and will have slots available during events, raffles, or other admin-specified methods. The above starters have raffles for their slots available on the Discord, ending at 7:26 PM EDT on December 29th. For those of you with Embeds turned off, the raffles are in this order: Peligro, Wendel, and Zagrite.

Other NPCs who will be interested in romantic visits the future are below. For now, feel free to include them in submissions to count towards the Tribal Visitor bonus!

Transmission: TT Event: The Golden Grotto

Transmitted 2mos and 1d ago — Last modified 1mo and 3w ago
ContinueBefore you is a path that brings life to a hungry nation.
The Door Opens
▶▶

Ring Three of the event has now opened! The Royal Aerobic tark'ee do not trust the colonies, but perhaps they will, given time and food. 

See what each Royal wants Look at what's next

Aerobic native reveals and migration will begin at the Royal's decree.
New Prompt: Hunting

We are releasing a limited/beta version of Hunting with four prey species, connected with the event. We are testing this system, meaning that anything connected to hunting, such as the prompts, the carcasses or drops, or other things might be changed or tinkered with as we go.

Hojenst Carcass (Tan) Huldah Carcass (Wild) Nukap Carcass (Golden) Jaebo Carcass (Earth)

These carcass items may be opened to reveal an assortment of rewards, unique to each carcass type. If you're participating in the event, though, you may want to hold onto these carcasses temporarily to complete the Desires for the royals. This portion of the event's "turn in" feature makes use of the Collections extension, so items are not debited! Once you've completed a Desire for a royal, you may feel free to open up those carcasses as you wish.

Transmission: TT Event: Entering the Azure Depths

Transmitted 2mos and 2d ago — Last modified 2mos and 2d ago
Send in a DroneThe water has receded, but it's still dangerous.
New Fauna/Pet: Nukap

Submitted by Tsidal via Worldbuilding: we present the Nukap!

Advent 2024

The advent calendar for 2024 is currently running!

As with previous years, colonies who collect on all 31 days of December will automatically get an extra prize, while colonies who collection 30 days (only missed one) may request their prize via a Claim (a prompt-less submission).

Recent Updates since our last News Post
Welcome New Staff!

Xiunus has grown recently, and the staff team has grown with it! Please welcome Ezi and Giieko to the staff team!

Literature QoL Adjustments

Literature pieces now have an "Analysis" tab that will track colonist mentions, word count, and environmental bonus sentences! This change not only makes it easier and faster for staff to process lit submissions, but is a useful tool for checking your written pieces to ensure colonists are mentioned every 200-word chunk, and to track word count without needing an external calculator!

Design Guide Adjustments
  • New Design Rule: Monochrome+! Markings with Monochrome+ can pick their color from any of the base coat sliders of the same species when present on a colonist with monochrome base (white, black, or non-tinted silver).
  • Fewspot Appaloosa adjustment: Fewspot has had a bit of an update with new examples and general density range. Please review the changes before designing!
  • Melanism: The Melanism mutation has had a few new options added. Please check the mutation page to learn about the new possibilities!
Experimental Feature: One Available Native Per Region

Going forward, instead of a maximum of four natives from any region available at one time, there will now be a maximum of one native available per region. This will prevent more popular regions from depleting their native population faster than other regions, and will technically allow more natives to be available at any time, given that there are five total regions. If a native has already been discovered in the region a submission takes place in, observations that would normally discover a native will instead grant a ticket to the currently available native.