GatherTown
Contents
GatherTown¶
Gathertown is an 8bit-style 2D platform which PC and Mac via the browser. Support for mobile devices is limited.
Getting started¶
Getting started considerations (user)¶
No account required
No download required
Keyboard input, some mouse control
In-platform chat
Video and mic
Getting started considerations (organiser)¶
How to create and share worlds.
Accessibility¶
No captioning.
Weighing it up¶
Pros¶
Runs well on any browser
Controls are fairly intuitive
Spatial audio (can only hear people near you other than “megaphones”)
Builders can embed lots of media for an immersive experience
Cons¶
Not great on mobile devices
Users often need guiding to rooms
Some people see the 8-bit style as too “gamey”
Step-by-step guide¶
Produced by Emily Kerrison for ICWIP 2021, modified by Elizabeth Tasker for JSF.
Source: https://support.gather.town/help/movement-and-basics
See also .
Note: this embedded link to PDF doc isn’t working, need to figure that out.
We recommend:¶
Wear headphones
Use Google Chrome (preferred) or Firefox
Spend some time exploring!
Gather permission:¶
Allow Gather to access your camera and microphone To toggle your camera/microphone once you are in the Gather space, there are controls.
Gather Tips:¶
Move around. After choosing your name and avatar you will enter the Gather space for the first time. You can use the W-A-S-D keys or arrow keys to move around.
Zoom. If you find the map is too zoomed in (quite likely when you first appear), you can turn off “smart zoom”. Click on the “grapes” picture on the bottom left of your screen -> “Settings” -> “Appearance” -> “Use Smart Zoom” and turn this off. You can then zoom as you would normally (e.g. mouse wheel).
Audio is proximity-based, so to talk to someone else, just walk up to their avatar. When you are close enough, you will be able to hear each other and see the other person’s webcam.
Emojis: Emojis are a great way to show your reaction to the whole room! Find them at the bottom of your screen. Click to or use the corresponding numbers to display one and it will show above your head. If you need help, or want to ask a question, try raising your hand (emoji 6). This emoji will stay visible until you click again to remove it, all the others will fade over time.
Screen sharing + interaction: To share your screen click the screen icon on the bottom control panel (1), you’ll be prompted to share your entire screen, one window or a chrome tab. If a screen is being shared (by you or someone else) and you want to ask a question, click the mouse icon at the top (2) to share your cursor. When you click on the screenshare your name and click location will be visible to everyone (3).
Megaphone: It’s time to speak, and the whole room needs to hear! Stand on one of the orange circles in the talk rooms, and everyone in that room will be able to hear you. A megaphone symbol will appear beside your name, and at the bottom of your screen. Remember to step off the hot spot when you want to go quiet again.
Finding people: If you want to find someone who is currently in the Gather space, click on the people icon on the bottom right of your screen to bring up a list of people. Then click on the person you want to find and you can either locate them on the map, or ‘follow’ them – this will lead you right to them no matter where they are! Just remember to ‘unfollow’ once you get together, otherwise you’ll continue to track their movements.
Chat can be found on the right-hand side of the bottom control panel, third button from the right (it looks like speech bubbles). Here you can send a message to an individual, anyone ‘nearby’ (i.e. anyone you can hear speaking and see in the videos at the top of the screen) or everyone in the Gather room.
Gallery view is used to see the video feeds of everyone nearby. To enable it, click the diagonal arrows in the top right. You can also scroll through the videos using the left and right arrows.
Peace & Quiet: If you like a quiet environment and the private space just doesn’t cut it, you can mute other users’ audio and video by pressing the buttons on their feed (left). If you want to stop any audio/video connections more permanently you can block them from their profile (right).
Note: muting and blocking only affects your ability to see and hear a user, not anyone else’s ability to. Don’t forget to unmute/unblock once you’re ready to start interacting again!
When you want to go:¶
To leave Gather just close the tab! When you want to return, enter the address of your Gather space into the address bar and follow the prompts. Your avatar will be placed back in exactly the same place as when you left.