Overview[edit]

Tootsville can refer to two things. Tootsville V is a video game, and within that game, Tootsville (city) is a major location.

Let's talk about the game.

Tootsville is an online, massively multiplayer video game being produced by a loosely-organized community effort. The game world is family-friendly, with activities for all ages to enjoy, and features non-violent problem-solving, educational and cultural outreaches, and role-playing adventures.

Game Play Features[edit]

• Non-violent game play. No guns, bombs, or other implements of violence. Players can build, learn, and play together, and even compete in games like soccer without doing harm to one another.
• Characters can customize their appearance, including bright primary skin colors and patterns. Characters have no inherent gender. These facts reduce or eliminate concerns about racial, ethnic, or gender bias and let players have freedom from stereotypes and expected social norms.
• The virtual reality world is persistent. Characters can build houses, plant trees, and build other things in the game world, and they'll still be there when they return.
• There are no “shards” or “servers” to split up the world. All players visiting Tootanga see the same world at the same time.
• The Diamond Icons system helps players identify children and behave responsibly around them

Technology Features[edit]

• HTML5 game technology runs on most devices, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smart phones, with Mozilla Firefox or other modern web browsers. There is no software to download.
• The mesh networking system uses a resilient, decentralized system to distribute computation and simulation work across all players. This means that the game is less reliant upon massive, centralized server clusters like a traditional, 1990's-style “cloud” architecture would be.

Organizational History[edit]

• The previous versions of Tootsville (2008-2013) were created by Res Interactive, LLC.
• Res Interactive was dissolved in fall of 2014.
• The current game is a not-for-profit, community effort.
• Currently, all expenses and labor are being donated by interested users at their own expense.
• In future, donations may be accepted to offset ongoing costs, such as server hosting, but there are no plans to change to a “for-profit” model. This game stands as a public service, and as a technology incubator demonstrating new, more efficient models for creation of online virtual worlds.
• It is unlikely that “direct” advertising will be accepted; however, there is active discussion within the community about allowing sponsors to discreetly advertise within the game or the surrounding web “properties.” For example, a company donating server time might have a link and a discreet logo displayed on the log-in page or similar location.
  • We are dead set against directly advertising to children, but more accepting of the possibility of presenting sponsored ads to parents, as long as they are did not detract from the game.