TFH3: What happens next

Now that the first update pack has gone out, and the first walk-through has taken place, we've had a couple of people ask questions about what will happen next in the hunt, how the gift will be packaged and hidden, who's responsible for what, etc... Because of this we'll outline what'll happen over the few days left until the hunt starts:

• No later than next Tuesday (October 2nd) you'll receive a second update pack from us. Please watch out for it and please let us know if you haven't received it. If you don't have it by Wednesday 3rd, and we've not put out a note to say there's been a delay (there shouldn't be, but you know how SL and RL can be), let us know. This update pack will include v3.0 of the hunt sign (a version that will let you set and display your hint -- there will be a post early next week that details how you set the hint), your hunt object (the lace-covered shiny shoe -- this is the object your gift will be place in and which you'll hide), and some items that will help you publicise the hunt.
• The hunt object (the shoe) will be pre-named for you and will have a landmark inside it. Please do not change either of these things. The name is set so that hunters can easily organise the folders they'll receive from your object when they hunt. The landmark inside the shoe is the landmark for the next location in the hunt after you (in TFH1 and TFH2 we had a couple of people "fix" the landmark because it was "wrong", doing this will break the chain of the hunt so, if you think there is a problem with the landmark, please contact us first).
• On October 10th we'll be doing a second walk-through. We'll be expecting to see that you've replaced v2.0 of the hunt sign with v3.0. We will also be expecting to see the hunt object (the shoe) rezzed near the sign so we can see it. Do not put your gift inside it yet. We just want to see it so we can be sure that you've received it.
• After that the next key date is October 11th, the evening before the hunt starts. By this time we require that you've built your gift and have placed it inside the hunt object. The hunt object itself should then be hidden at your location.
• At midnight on October 12th (just to be clear, because it can cause confusion: we're talking about the midnight between the 11th and the 12th) the hunt starts. By this time your object should be set so that people can get their gift. More on this below.

We've had a couple of people ask about how the hunt item will be set to deliver the gift. The system we'll be using is the one that's used by the majority of grid-wide hunts, and the one that's easiest to handle: you'll set the hunt object to sell the contents and set the price to L$0 (actually, it should already be set that way when you receive it from us, but it's always good to check). Ideally you'll also set it so that a left-click will buy the object (again, when you receive it from us it should already be set that way). This way hunters just click on the object (or buy it from the pie menu) and their gift is handed to them.

This approach sometimes raises a few obvious questions so we'll try and answer them here:

• Doesn't this mean that people can take multiple copies of my gift? Yes, it does. If your gift has no-transfer permissions (common for clothing, vehicles and other worn items) this isn't an issue. For some it can be a concern if your item is no-copy/transfer. Most vendors handle this by, if possible, making the item no-copy/no-transfer. It should be said that, in a year of taking part in hunts, we've almost always used this system and have never seen anyone abuse it. 
• Can I use a touch-to-give script instead? One that tracks who has had a copy of my item? If you wish, yes. We won't be providing such script and we do ask that you let us know so we can note this in the location list (this helps stop hunters getting confused).
• How can I see how many hunters have been through my location and got my gift if we don't use a script? Simply take a look at your transaction history in your Second Life dashboard.
• Does this mean that people who aren't in the hunt can get my item? Yes, it does. However, it's worth noting that there isn't really such a thing as "in the hunt". Many hunters will do the whole hunt. Some might only do part of it. Some people might be at your location, shopping or visiting, and might stumble on the gift and take a copy. In the latter case that might mean that they either get to try your build and will like to come back for more, or they might not have known about the hunt and your contribution pulls them in and they join in. Either way, they'll be walking away with something that might pull them back to your location at a later date.

Hopefully the above answers most of your questions about how the hunt will start. As always, if you have any questions, no matter how small, please don't hesitate to ask us. Just IM or drop a notecard on Antony Fairport or Zardia Avindar. We'll reply as soon as we possibly can.