Use Case Spotlight: Pet Care!

Illustration by Leephon

In last month’s Use Case Spotlight we learned all about different ways that folks in the community use Habitica to manage their outdoor hobbies. This month, we’re focusing on taking care of the animal friends in your life! Here are some great tips, tricks, and ideas for using Habitica to set (and maintain!) new tasks and goals related to Pet Care. These come from your fellow players in the Use Case Spotlights Guild!

Miechelle uses Dailies to keep up with the needs of their fine menagerie!

I have “Animals” under habits as well as a daily called “living creatures” which has all the tasks to do with my finches, cats and dog listed such as changing water and seed for the birdies, playing with canine and felines (I have rosters of games to rotate through), grooming someone every day, feeding, giving of vitamins, topping up treat toys. My creatures actually take up a good 2/3 hours a day and accordingly are a big part of my daily chore lists 🙂

Mavro Asteri adds Weeklies and Monthlies to their chore rotation to care for animal friends.

When I had an elderly dog (now gone), I used Habitica to remind me to administer her drugs twice a day. I also have 2 other dogs & 4 chickens, I use Habitica to remind me to give them food & fresh water 2x day. Now that they rolled out the weekly/monthly feature, I need to set up some chicken coop & chicken yard maintenance chores. And the dogs need a bath! Yep, now I gotta add these .

Sparky Lurkdragon uses checklists to maximize kitty care!

I have a little kitty cat and a bad case of executive dysfunction, so I have reminders to clean her litterbox and play with her daily. Both habits have a Morning and Evening checkbox. I give myself the play one if I play with her at least once a day (energy issues on my end), but the litterbox needs cleaning twice a day or I don’t get the big checkoff!

I also have a Monthly for deep-cleaning her litterbox, with a six-part checklist so I remember everything and don’t get lost:

1. Run water in bucket
2. Empty into medium trash bag
3. Clean box + scoop [+ scoop because I always forget it otherwise!]
4. Dry
5. Broom [That is, clean up any stray litter that got kicked out over the month.]
6. Refill

If I didn’t already have the habit solid when I re-joined Habitica, I would have ones for feeding her and changing her water. I do have a monthly for deep-cleaning her food and water bowls, though. (Usually they just get a good rinse and elbow grease daily.)

Geolojess makes sure their share of farm chores are taken care of with the help of Dailies.

I live on a farm, with 5 horses, 4 goats, 2 dogs, and lots of cats. My brother and I split up the chores, so that he takes care of them in the morning, and I take care of them at night! So, I have a daily that lists all the chores I need to do at night, such as feeding the cats/horses/dogs, putting the goats in their stall, etc!

There were so many helpful and exciting tips we couldn’t feature them all here! You can see them all and join in the discussion in the Use Case Spotlights Guild– one of your ideas could be featured next month! Look for an announcement of next month’s theme from Bailey soon.

Also, if you missed it you may want to take a look at our most recent Guild Spotlight, which showcases groups dedicated to Outdoor Hobbies!

The Library of Tasks and Challenges

It’s Wiki Wednesday! Once a month we highlight a helpful post from the Wiki with tips about productivity, wellness, and optimizing your use of Habitica!

In the last four months’ editions of Wiki Wednesday we looked at some Sample tasks to help you to set up or re-evaluate all of your task page columns: Habits, Dailies, To-Dos, and Rewards! For even more ideas to optimize your task lists, check out the Library of Tasks and Challenges Guild. “What is this Guild and why should I check it out?”, you might ask. Luckily, the Wiki Scribes have a detailed article to let you know what the Library of Tasks and Challenges Guild has to offer!

The Library of Tasks and Challenges is a Guild where you can share and review lists of Habits, Dailies, To-Dos, and Rewards.

The Challenges serve mostly as examples and inspiration how your own tasks could look – they either contain tasks that many people are trying to do (for example, brush teeth, pay bills, exercise), or they demonstrate interesting ways to use Habitica (for example, gamifying tasks, making monthly tasks, making a “gold bank”).

Want to know more? Head over to the wiki to check out the full article!

Behind the Scenes: Spotlight on King Manta

The “Behind The Scenes” series is a chance for us to give you a glimpse into the inner workings of HabitRPG, Inc., the company that makes Habitica. Today we’re doing something a little different — we’re expanding on the fictional world of Habitica by spotlighting one of the characters who commonly crops up. Enjoy!

Becoming one of Habitica’s Masterclassers is often described as a “transformative experience,” but for the Master of Mages, the transformation became much more literal. King Manta is currently renowned as the benevolent merman who rules the undersea city of Dilatory, but his life started out quite differently.

Backstory

Born Prince Adamant I of Dilatory, he quickly became known for being a jolly, highly creative mage of prodigious talent, who was constantly weaving together spells in new and interesting ways. One of his most unconventional moves was spending time studying the natural magic of the Mantis Shrimps that surrounded their island city. King Adamant even helped craft new spells with them, including one that transformed him temporarily into a merman. Because of his prowess, he was offered the post of Master of Mages, and he heartily accepted.

Unfortunately, King Adamant was so stubbornly focused on his magical work that he let many of his other To-dos lie neglected. The citizens of Dilatory followed their leader’s example, and soon the streets were laden with Dark Red To-dos. Their bright color attracted an ancient, hungry predator from the deep: the fearsome Dread Drag’on of Dilatory. Its first vicious flurry of attacks struck the cliffs beneath Dilatory, and the entire city crumbled into the sea.

Hah, that monster doesn’t seem so tough… until you realize that it’s five miles away.

Though all seemed lost, the Mantis Shrimps moved to save the citizens. They combined King Adamant’s transformation spell with their natural magic to enchant the waters around Dilatory so that all the people were metamorphosed into merfolk. Seeing what had befallen his city, King Adamant rallied all of his skill and power into battling the Dread Drag’on. As it chased them into a deep crevasse, King Adamant hurled spells at the monster each time it lunged for the citizens, but the Drag’on’s innate healing abilities left them at an impasse. Realizing that massive reinforcements would be critical to defeat the creature, King Adamant also wove a powerful sorcery that greatly slowed time within the crevasse, allowing years to speed past unnoticed. He triggered the spell to break only when help was available.

And finally, help did arrive. Hundreds of thousands of brave Habiticans rallied together to defeat the vicious Dread Drag’on in battle, freeing the citizens of Dilatory at last. Despite this, most of the citizens of Dilatory decided to remain together in their undersea city, and King Adamant changed his name to King Manta to renounce the stubbornness that had endangered his people and instead honor the Mantis Shrimps who had helped to protect them. He now rules their undersea city wisely, and the Dilatorians welcome the Habiticans into their city every Summer Splash gala. Thanks to King Manta’s spells, Habiticans and Dilatorians can transform back and forth simply by swimming into or stepping out of the enchanted waters.

Meet some of the many denizens of Dilatory!

Personal Life

Most of the time, King Manta can be found in the throne room of the castle of Dilatory, overseeing issues brought to him by his people. Despite that, his work as the Master of Mages requires him to constantly monitor the underlying magic of Habitica to ensure that it is always growing and thriving, so he has been known to travel all across the land.

During his travels, he often visits the other Masterclassers. He’s close friends with the Joyful Reaper, who is old enough that she remembers him from the ancient times when Dilatory was above the waves. He has also bonded with Lady Glaciate over their shared love of interesting creatures, and was impressed when she managed to single-handedly saddle and ride the Kraken of Inkomplete, leading to a particularly unforgettable round of the Dilatory Derby.  His relationship with the April Fool is akin to that of an amused grandfather, and he often assures everyone that the lad means no harm. The astute have tartly noted, however, that his domain in Dilatory is the one area of Habitica that is mysteriously unaffected by any of the Rogue’s magic pranks, almost as if not a single spell is able to take hold.

King Manta is known to dote upon his adopted daughter Advantageous (known as Adva for short). He frets about her too, however, particularly after the frightening incident when she was mysteriously possessed. She has shown a burgeoning skill at magic herself, and he hopes that someday she will be named the Master of Mages after him.

Adva is much nicer without that cursed necklace!

When he’s not consulting with his Mantis Shrimps or inventing exciting new spells that test the limits of magic, King Manta can be found curling up in Dilatory’s enchanted underwater library with a good book. “Luckily, I had waterproofed the entire collection,” he’ll explain to anyone who asks. “Actually, they’re also enchanted against fire, mold, pests, thieves, stabbing, and even inappropriate citations. Frankly, you could wield them in battle! But please don’t.”

We hope that you enjoyed this month’s spotlight! Read more about the other Masterclassers of Habitica here, and stay tuned for more in the future.

Adventures Great and Small: Guilds for Outdoor Hobbies

Illustration by Leephon

It’s officially summertime (well, at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere!), and it’s a great season to get out and enjoy what the outdoors have to offer. Whether you’re simply trying to get outside more often or you’re an adventure enthusiast who wants to add to your repertoire, you can find fellow Habiticans who are excited to join you! In this month’s Spotlight we’re focusing on just a few of Habitica’s outdoors-focused Guilds.

Venture Outside Your Lair: https://habitica.com/#/options/groups/guilds/00ea45dd-45bd-4dff-9652-caf5033041b1

This Guild’s aim is simple: to get you to leave the house and enjoy what the outdoors and wider world have to offer. The chat provides a great space for Guild members to motivate each other and share their journeys into the world. Venture Outside Your Lair also has a variety of fun, gamified Challenges to not only encourage you to get outside, but to engage with your environment while you’re there!

Outdoor Corps: https://habitica.com/#/options/groups/guilds/87f0fcf5-a553-4bf3-9b61-5612110eb2b6

Outdoor Corps is a Guild for all who love outdoor activities, from hiking and other sports to just spending time in nature. The Guild Chat is full of tales, fun tips, and encouraging messages from members discussing their adventures outside. Check out their Challenges for even more incentives to spend more time in the fresh air!
Gardening Gnomes: https://habitica.com/#/options/groups/guilds/d39e4c9f-ffee-4888-a1c6-77ed6261a525

Do you have a green thumb? Or do you wish you did? Take a peek into Gardening Gnomes to meet Habiticans who share a love for plants and taking care of them! The chat features lively discussions of prize plants as well as questions and answers for those learning the horticultural arts. They also have a couple of Challenges to encourage plant upkeep – just the thing if you are the type to forget to water your leafy friends!

These Guilds and many others are here to help you get outside and find fun things to do when you’re there! And if you’re looking for more advice on using Habitica to help you spend more time outside of your dwelling, be sure to read this month’s Use Case Spotlight, featuring tips and tricks from fellow Habiticans!

Behind the Scenes: Habitica House!

The “Behind The Scenes” series is a chance for us to give you a glimpse into the inner workings of HabitRPG, Inc., the company that makes Habitica. Every so often, we’ll treat you to some silly staff shenanigans or show you the work that goes into your favorite features. Enjoy!

Some of you might remember that last year the Habitica Staff took a Southern California roadtrip for work, bonding, and a touch of shenanigans. This year, with two new members on staff, the team decided it was time for another get-together.

Staff members came from far and wide. Vicky, Leslie, and Beth, the Californians of the group,  rounded up our more far-flung colleagues: Matteo, from Italy; Phillip from Germany; Alys from Australia; Sabe from Wisconsin; and Keith from Texas!

In two cars (the “fun bagel car” and “the spaceship”) we all journeyed into the desert. We hoped to get some work done, but also to have a good time and bond as a team.

First, we made a stop for supplies. You can see that we kept our priorities very practical.

Phillip spent much of the retreat in a fearless quest to taste test every possible peanut butter and chocolate product available.

Alas, the T-Rex cookie jar and the pizza slice pool float did not make the final cut.

Once at the house, we took some time to unpack the sensible items we had all brought for the trip.

The force is strong with Alys! She’s demoing a cool lightsaber her housemate made!

Leslie and Beth took the time to personalize the shower curtain purchased for the ladies’ powder room in grand Habitican fashion.

We perched on the house’s many couches and worked away for the majority of the super hot daytime hours. Imagine, if you will, the soothing sound of eight keyboards softly clicking.

When discussing exciting new features, things occasionally moved to the carpet. In lieu of toy cars, remote controls served as placement markers!

We had a meeting with several of our fabulous designers to discuss exciting new features coming to the site and apps! This meeting, however, came to a sudden stop…

…when the staff spied a road runner on the patio! However, we did not see a coyote in pursuit, nor we did experience the deployment of any Acme products.

Although we spent a lot of time focusing on work, we definitely took time to enjoy ourselves.

Keith proved himself a worthy Grill Master (as a Texan apparently this comes naturally!) and Vicky introduced us all to the exciting world of grilled fruit.

We enjoyed the fresh desert air while having lunch al fresco!

Some team members took a night hike in Joshua Tree National Park! We had a lot of fun exploring the desert with its eerie Joshua trees, beautiful plants, and rock formations.

This wouldn’t be a proper gathering of Habitica staff members without some silliness. And animal hats are exactly the kind of silliness we appreciate. Beth, Leslie, and Vicky are getting in the mood for the Summer Splash Gala!

Although arguably Matteo found the best hat. Flying Pig for the win!

As the retreat drew to a close, we stopped for a peaceful picnic in a scenic canyon oasis.

All in all we had a wonderful time, filled with jokes, exotic chocolates, delicious food, desert scenery, and great company. You can check out our Tweets and Instagram posts from the retreat for more fun- search the hashtag HabiticaHouse!

Until next time! 🙂

Sample Rewards

Illustration by Vampitch

 

It’s Wiki Wednesday! Once a month we highlight a helpful post from the Wiki with tips about productivity, wellness, and optimizing your use of Habitica!

In the last three editions of Wiki Wednesday we looked at some Sample tasks to help you to set up or re-evaluate your Habits, Dailies, and To-Dos. This month we’re going to take a look at that last, oft-neglected column: Rewards. Do you get stuck when you try to think of customized Rewards to place here? Or do you want fresh, new ideas to boost your motivation?  Luckily, the Wiki Scribes have a fantastic article devoted to Sample Custom Rewards!

The Custom Rewards feature allows players to add personal, customized purchases to the Rewards list. This page contains some examples of Custom Rewards to help you develop your own.

Want to know more? Head over to the wiki to check out the full article!

Contributor Spotlight: Alys

Welcome to the Contributor Spotlight Series, where we interview amazing members of the Habitica community! Today we’re chatting with Alys, one of our Moderators and Blacksmiths! She helps with managing the community as well as smashing bugs and helping to implement new features!

Alys, how did you get involved with Habitica?

I came across the Kickstarter and it looked really interesting. I quickly realised that if I decided to stay with Habitica, I’d want to collect all the pets and gear so I paid into the Kickstarter at the level that let me get all the backer items. My best decision ever! 🙂 I loved the novel motivation and was impressed by the open approach to seeking help from the community.

What’s your proudest contribution to Habitica?

The change to cron that stopped it running prematurely when you went through daylight savings or changed timezones. It took me three tries to find a method that worked well, but when we finally went through a daylight savings change without widespread unfair damage, it was a great relief!

What are your secret superpowers?

I seem to be good at testing when I have time to really focus on it. I also have an amazing ability to make friends with Australian wildlife!

What are your secret weaknesses?

An inability to focus on the most important things and get them done first. Freezing with indecision when I have too much to do.

What are your favorite Habitican pets/mounts?

Such a difficult question! I like Cerberus, the three-headed dog from the Kickstarter campaign, of course. The owls are adorable. The baby mammoth is just the cutest thing ever! The egg basket mounts are gorgeous! How can you choose?

What some things you’re tracking in Habitica?

My Dailies are all the things that really need to be done to stop my life getting out of control, like making sure the rubbish bins are taken out on the right days and that my inboxes are emptied each day (although that one is sadly red). My To-Dos are filled with things I want to do for Habitica but rarely get around to doing due to that secret weakness of mine.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Being out in nature, surrounded by trees, and watching wild animals and birds in my garden. At night, I love gazing up at the stars and imagining what it would be like if we could travel to other planets. I enjoy reading science fiction, although don’t make enough time for it, and I also have a fondness for P.G. Wodehouse, Rudyard Kipling, and historical fiction in general.

What are your top Habitica tips and tricks?

One thing I enjoy occasionally is using Fix Character Values to swap Health for Mana or Gold. When I have less Health, I’m more motivated to do my Dailies of course, and having extra Mana for attacking bosses or more Gold for buying gems and equipment is always useful. The wiki has a great page about being a Bloodmage or Berserker (such awesome names!) and other interesting ideas.

Where do you like to hang out in Habitica?

The Report a Bug Guild! I quite like how that Guild’s turned out; I think it works well. It’s another thing I’m proud of.

Want to learn about some of the other contributors who make Habitica such a cool place? Check the Contributor Spotlight and Staff Spotlight tags on our blog!

Use Case Spotlight: Outdoor Hobbies

Illustration by Leephon

In last month’s Use Case Spotlight we learned all about different ways that folks in the community use Habitica to manage their Arts and Crafts-related tasks. This month, we’re taking a trip into the great outdoors! Here are some great tips, tricks, and ideas for using Habitica to set (and maintain!) new tasks and goals related to Outdoor Hobbies. These come from your fellow players in the Use Case Spotlights Guild!

diapasoun starts us off with a focus on outdoor time as self-care!

I have two main Outdoor Hobbies: walking and gardening. I have a self-care daily which has “go for a morning walk” as a checkbox. I also have an exercise daily due once a week, with 5 checkboxes for hitting 10k steps on 5 different days. The regular daily keeps me going each day, and the weekly helps me build a sense of long-term accomplishment. I also have a daily for checking in on all my plants: watering them, pruning, spot re-potting, whatever it is that they might need. It definitely helps keep my plants alive, and therefore makes my plants and me happy!

tanelf uses Dailies to remember to enjoy the fruits of their gardening labor.

I’m finding Habitica incredibly useful for my outdoor hobby, gardening. For years, we’ve successfully planted a food garden, but we usually struggle on the harvesting part — I just forget to go check what’s ripe at any given time, pick it, and use it.

This year, I have a handy daily — with checkboxes — that helps me remember to get out there, tend to the garden, and harvest!

Claire Wright uses To-Dos to help motivate cleanup after time with equine friends.

I have a daily set up for 30 minutes of activity; I also have habits created for 60 minutes of outdoor activity and 90 minutes of outdoor activity. I do a lot of horse riding and I am really bad at cleaning my boots and kit afterwards. I always set up a ‘To-do’ to motivate me into cleaning the mud off my boots in a timely fashion!

Eri101 uses a Challenge from a Guild to make sure to get some device-free time in their day.

I’m part of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Guild, and one of the Dailies in their challenge “First Years” involves taking some time to get away from electronics and get outside. I make sure to take some time to walk around outside while I can during my workday. Not necessarily a hobby, but something that does help me get some fresh air.

There were so many helpful and exciting tips we couldn’t feature them all here! You can see them all and join in the discussion in the Use Case Spotlights Guild– one of your ideas could be featured next month! Look for an announcement of next month’s theme from Bailey soon.

Also, if you missed it you may want to take a look at our most recent Guild Spotlight, which showcases groups dedicated to Arts and Crafts!

Attention Mobile Developers: Habitica is Hiring!

Illustration by JessicaChase

Want to join the Habitica team? We’re looking to hire a new mobile contractor!

We’re particularly interested in people who have a good understanding of either Android development or iOS development (including knowledge of ObjC and Swift). Bonus points if you also have experience with: Core Data, Reactive Programming (ReactiveCocoa/RxJava), Realm, and Kotlin, as well as familiarity with iOS and/or Android UI design principles, patterns, and best practices. Our ideal dev would be eager to push the limits of what our apps can currently do, with an eye for details, a drive to make their work both technically and visually sound, and an interest in expanding their knowledge of current advancements in the field. Diverse candidates are encouraged to apply!

To apply, send an email to vicky@habitica.com with a CV that includes your experience with the  items listed above, your Habitica username, and your favorite nerdy pursuit. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Spaces for the Creative: Guilds for Arts and Crafts!

Illustration by WreckedByJesusDiaz

Many Habiticans excel in creative and artistic pursuits, so it’s no surprise that we have a large number of Guilds organized by and for creators, makers, and artists! In this month’s Spotlight we’re focusing just a few of Habitica’s Guilds that are related to Arts- and-Crafts.

Knitting and Crocheting:  https://habitica.com/#/options/groups/guilds/4d106168-f8bd-4235-92ee-e3490fcd2634

Are you a yarn-craft enthusiast? If so, Knitting and Crocheting is a great place to meet fellow Habiticans that share your passion! Discuss your projects in the chat and check out a wide variety of Challenges to help you start and finish all the projects on your list! (Bonus: this Guild is run by our very own Lemoness!)

Artists Guild:  https://habitica.com/#/options/groups/guilds/dea7a124-9e69-4163-a708-d3e961a96159

This Guild is a great place to discuss your work in visual art in any medium. The Artists Guild has a great list of Challenges that will help give you an extra boost of motivation on your projects. Share your work in the Guild chat and discuss your favorite tips and tricks for media, techniques, or for getting yourself motivated!

Crafty Nerds: https://habitica.com/#/options/groups/guilds/20eebbde-ecf0-47db-a3bd-443e2d321ac0

If you are a crafter, maker, or artist of any kind, but also want to geek out, this is the Guild for you! Join other fantastically creative folks who proudly call themselves “nerds” here. Discuss projects, the work of artists and creators you admire, and get helps and tips in the chat. This Guild also has a great Challenge focused on helping you finish a U.F.O.(un-finished object)!
These Guilds and many others are here to help you manage your creative projects! And if you’re looking for more advice on using Habitica to help you with arts and crafts, be sure to read this month’s Use Case Spotlight, featuring tips and tricks from fellow Habiticans!