Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from players about Honse Farm.

Why should I install this?

Honse Farm brings federation to Mare Synchronos, which means you can connect with friends across different servers without everyone needing to join the same Mare server.

What this means for you:

• Play with more people: Pair with friends on other Mare servers without switching
• Server choice freedom: Pick a server based on community, location, or rules without losing access to friends
• Better reliability: If one server goes down, you can still connect to others in the federation
• One plugin: No need to install 3 different plugins that drain your game performance
• Security: The network will always keep running, even if servers stop working.

Think of it like email. You can use Gmail and your friend can use Outlook, but you can still send each other messages. Honse Farm works the same way, but for syncing.

What will change for me?

Short answer: Not much! The core experience stays the same.

What's new:

• You select a home server when you first install the plugin
• You add friends not with their ABCDEFG code, but ABCDFEFG@SERVER code.

What's better:

• More stable connections (multiple servers means redundancy)
• Larger community (everyone across all federated servers)
• Transparent security model
• 100% open source

If you're currently using another sync, switching to Honse Farm will feel familiar.

I'm currently using another Mare fork. Is this compatible?

Short answer: No(t yet). The major players will need to actively build support for the Honse Farm federation protocol. This is a rather extensive process, but not impossible. The HonseFarm team will offer guidance and implementation help where needed.

Will <<service name>> join the federation? Maybe! We're building a clear migration path for existing Mare server operators. If your server operator chooses to upgrade to Honse Farm or implement the federation APIs, you'll eventually be able to connect across both systems. Feel free to inform with the people that run your service to see whether they're open for collaboration.

Can I contribute financially?

No.

If you want to get rid of your money, consider contributing to those that built the foundation of syncing, the creator of Penumbra / Glamourer - Contribute here.

But I want to support the project!

We appreciate the thought! Here's how you can actually help:

• Test the beta: Join our beta program and report bugs
• Spread the word: Tell your friends about Honse Farm
• Join the community: Be active, helpful, and welcoming to new users
• Provide feedback: Tell us what works and what doesn't
• Run a server: When you're ready, consider hosting a federated server (costs are minimal with our containerized setup)

The best support is an engaged, active community. That's what makes federation work.

How is this different from other Mare forks?

Honse Farm is built on the latest stable Mare Synchronos code, but adds a complete federation layer on top.

Federation

• Other forks: Single server
• Honse Farm: Multiple servers working together, open network

Security

• Other forks: Trust-based (you trust the server operator)
• Honse Farm: Zero-trust-based (you trust the network to validate every action)

Community and pairing

• Other forks: You can only pair with people using the same service.
• Honse Farm: You can pair with anyone using the plugin, no matter what server they use.

Open source

• Other forks: May or may not be open source
• Honse Farm: Fully open source both server and client, transparent security model

Community size

• Other forks: 1 plugin per service
• Honse Farm: 1 plugin for the whole Honse Farm, every server.

The base Mare functionality (pairing, syncing, permissions) works exactly the same. The difference is what happens behind the scenes and who you can connect with.

Still have questions?

• Technical questions? Check out the Architecture Overview
• Server owner? See the Server Owner FAQ
• Need help? Visit our Support page for community links