Demeo News

Today’s community spotlight features QUIKS1LVA, a mother, wife, friend, strong woman and artist. She makes amazing costumes and will be joining us at PAX West this week with her Cleepto cosplay.



“I’m originally from Brazil, then moved to the US at a young age. I’ve lived in the Midwest almost all my life, but I live for sun and ocean! From an early age I was doing art and playing video games. My mother had a love of arcades and encouraged my interest in gaming. Thanks Mom!”

QUIKS1LVA was always aware of cosplay but didn’t actually participate in it until she attended her first convention, Anime Central (ACEN) in 2007. “My first cosplay was Orihime (Bleach) followed by Lara Croft (Tomb Raider II). As a poor college student, I made my entire cosplay out of craft foam, closet items, and thrift store finds. I even went all in and dyed my hair orange since I couldn’t afford to buy a wig! Ultimately, it was a success and I had a blast!”



[h3]“As a busy mom, I absolutely love being resourceful, using found objects and items, and altering them to fit my needs to save some precious time.”[/h3]

We wanted to find out more about what materials this creative genius uses. “I’m quite the “Frankenstein” cosplayer. As a busy mom, I absolutely love being resourceful, using found objects and items, and altering them to fit my needs to save some precious time. For example, if I need a dress, but don’t have time to make one from scratch, I will buy/thrift it and alter it by dying, hemming, weathering, etc. I’m also slowly becoming a huge fan of foam clay. It’s such a cool medium and can be sanded, painted, and sculpted the way I need it.”

What are some of the most challenging and rewarding things you face when making a costume or going to events? “Some of the biggest challenges I face when building a cosplay is time! I homeschool my kids, take care of my home, spend time with my husband and friends, but also need to find time for self-care and gaming! There really needs to be more time in the day. As far as conventions go, the struggle comes with transporting it all and making sure I don’t forget anything. However, conventions are my FAVORITE, so it’s also the least difficult part of cosplaying to me. The most rewarding part definitely has to be getting to share my art at conventions with others and interacting with both attendees and other cosplayers! It’s also the fact that I get to express myself through my costumes and it gives me a creative outlet.”

[h3]“Don’t be afraid to ask questions and step outside your comfort zone.”
[/h3]

Do you have any tips for someone who wants to get into cosplay? “As evidenced by my first cosplay, you don’t need a big budget to have fun! I always tell new cosplayers to pick a character you identify with and do the best you can. No need to rush! Take your time! Build slowly and over time if needed. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and step outside your comfort zone. There are tons of resources available to make your cosplay the best it can be. Also, you don’t HAVE to build your own cosplays to cosplay! It’s perfectly acceptable to buy or commission your pieces.”

When asking what QUIKS1LVA’s favorite costume is she says that it’s a tie between her 90’s retro X-Men Storm and Cleepto. ”The Storm costume because at the time I didn’t have a sewing machine and I had to hand sew almost all the details myself. Cleepto pushed me past some of my comfort zones and forced me to troubleshoot more than any other project. I learned so much throughout the process of both those cosplays.”



This week you’ll be able to see her Cleepto cosplay in person at PAX West. QUIKS1LVA says that her inspiration for the costume came from both her love of the game and wanting to show that she could work outside of her typical cosplay comfort zone. “It started with a plan. I was out of state when I decided I wanted to go for it and spent 2 months researching, trying to figure out how I was going to make it a reality. Next came the purchasing of all the supplies. I always try to start with what I feel will be the most difficult or central part of the costume because from there everything will feel easier. In this case, I started with Cleepto’s face.” Trust us when we say that we can’t wait to see it in action.





Lastly, Is there anything you’d like to say to the rest of the Demeo community? “You are all truly awesome! From being amazing party companions to being so supportive and encouraging during my Cleepto build process. The VR community is definitely the best!”

A huge thank you to QUIKS1LVA for joining this week’s Community Spotlight! This wraps up this mini series of community interviews, but please let us know if you want to see more of these in the future.

[h3]Demeo will be at PAX West, September 2 -5
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The countdown to PAX West has begun and we're just a week away! If you're attending the event, make sure to stop by our booth (#651) to play Demeo, buy a Pinny Arcade assassin pin or join our daily giveaways. You will get the chance to bring home T-shirts, game codes, monster cards and more!

Feel free to use #DemeoPAXWest on social media if you visit and take photos.

We can't wait to see you there!

It’s not easy work building up a wiki, and today you get to meet the person behind the majority of the content you see on the Demeo Wiki page.

Buruko is a true gamer at heart and has a passion for both tabletop and digital games. “I like to say I’m a ‘grown-up gamer’ which means gaming is one of many hobbies as well as staying busy as a husband and father of two. I work in IT and have a long history with gaming from tabletop to video games so trying out VR gaming was totally happening”



Buruko got involved with the wiki when he tried to understand the underpinnings of Demeo and was seeking out information, but there weren’t a lot of resources available at that time. “I did see some of the early efforts so thought I’d try to step in and continue them. With an IT professional background, working with data and technical details is a familiar territory. I had no idea it would become a passion project to share information and the game with so many others.”

Working on the wiki involves many different aspects such as gathering information, formatting text, organizing content, finding and making graphics, proofreading, communicating with players, creating templates and updating articles. If you want to help out you can easily do so by signing up for a Fandom account to make edits and changes to the wiki. “There are a few pages locked to prevent malicious activity, but largely any data-driven content is something anyone can add or edit. I also love when folks share or send data directly to me or share it in the official Discord #wiki channel. They might not want to make an account, but want to help or share with others. If anyone is interested in contributing but has questions they are welcome to ping me in the #wiki channel or message me directly!”

[h3]“If the wiki can help someone then all that effort was totally worthwhile.”[/h3]

We love the wiki and wonder what drives a person to put so much effort into a fan project like this. Buruko says that “VR gaming was a new experience for me and Demeo literally blew me away. After joining the Discord I realized I wasn’t alone, and tons of people were into the game, but I kept seeing the same questions over and over. So I started out trying to make the wiki a resource that made it easier to share that type of information quickly. Sharing that information with folks has been a lot of fun, and I’ve met all sorts of new people. Another reason was that I like the ‘game within a game’ meta and wanted to try to make the wiki the “Official Demeo Player’s Handbook” like any fantasy tabletop game would have.” He continues to say that the most rewarding part of his work is when he sees someone share a link from the wiki with another person. “That means people find the resource valuable and it just makes my day! If the wiki can help someone then all that effort was totally worthwhile.”

You can find information about monsters and heroes, exclusive lore and much more on the wiki!

So what challenges does Buruko face? “Organization, formatting, and time in that order. Trying to figure out how best to organize and present this information was the first big challenge and still is. As the game grows, how to organize it has changed too. I’d say the wiki has gone through probably three major reworks since I started tackling it. Formatting is another problem because presently I have to work in the Fandom wiki framework. I can’t install neat features or alter back-end code, so I have to get creative with the tools available. And time is a challenge because there just never seems to be enough of it. It’s the major reason I haven’t tackled the new module on the wiki just yet even though I’ve started organizing the information I have.”

If you’re an active member in the Demeo community, you might also have heard a thing or two about modding, and Buruko is no stranger in the modding group either. “I fell into the modding community after being contacted by Mex, and asked about working with him and another modder, Fecn, to come up with some ideas based on my interactions with the Discord community. There is a modding community Discord, Demeo Modding Group and there are a few folks working on various things, but the mod House Rules seems to have the most active development. Mex and Fecn are the real powerhouses behind the mod House Rules, I mainly coordinate, support, and promote the mod through various communities especially after the coding grew beyond my capabilities. Although a new modder by the name of theGrayAlien has been doing a lot of code contribution with new rules for the mod, they really dove in head first by starting and sharing modded games with the Discord community.”

To wrap things up, we asked if there is anything Buruko wants to say to the community. He said, “I look forward to meeting and playing with more of them in the future! This community has been one of the best I’ve encountered in my lengthy history of gaming, both online and offline. I hope we all get to overcome new and exciting Demeo adventures for a long time to come!”

A huge thank you to Buruko for joining this community spotlight! If you want to contribute to the wiki, make sure to check out the #wiki channel on our official Discord server.

What is it like to make custom miniatures? We spoke to a community member who knows all about it.

Jayspyce is 27 years old from Michigan, U.S.A. and originally went to school for computer hardware but ended up changing his career to carpentry. “I’m now building hotels and commercial buildings as a lead foreman. On the side, I’m an automotive mechanic but that’s mostly just a hobby of mine. I also enjoy painting and hand sculpting miniatures in my free time for D&D. When I’m not working on miniatures or cars I enjoy spending time outdoors with my family. I’m a very easygoing person and I’m always one to lend a hand to someone in need.



[h3]“When Demeo came out for VR though, it brought back that sense of creativity and I thought it would be fun to get back into the hobby.”[/h3]
I started off making my own miniatures as a kid, but I kind of fell away from it as I grew older trying to balance work and starting my family. When Demeo came out for VR though, it brought back that sense of creativity and I thought it would be fun to get back into the hobby. From the first time I played I knew I had to bring the game to life and I started working on my own set of Demeo miniatures and the game board to go with it.”



Jayspyce works a lot in foam board and “green stuff”, a two-part epoxy putty where you mix one part yellow and one part blue putty that cures quite quickly. “I also try to find things that might otherwise be thrown away and reuse them, such as pieces from broken toys or knick-knacks. I have a set of sculpting tools that I ordered online that vary in style and size so I can add details and texture, as well as a lot of hot glue and 5-minute resin to combine pieces or create different environmental effects. There are so many little things you can make with stuff you probably already have at home that can be reused and built upon to bring your miniatures and environments to life.”

To get a better idea of the process of making a custom miniature, we asked if Jayspyce could describe the process from start to finish. “I usually start with pictures I find online or just an idea of what I want my miniature to look like and then I’ll make the base. This is usually very rough looking, as I just want to create the general shape I’m going for. From there I just layer the green stuff until it’s the general size and shape I’m going for, and then I add details where needed such as facial features or clothing. Green stuff can be a bit tricky though since it tends to harden the more you work with it. I like to make detailed pieces separately and add them to the miniature once I’m happy with them so that if I’m not liking how something is turning out I don’t have to start over completely. Once the miniature is done I’ll let it dry completely and then start painting.”



When asking how long it takes to make a miniature he says that it depends on the miniature and the level of detail that he wants to go into. “Most of the time I only have a couple of hours after getting home from work to make them, so if it’s a larger miniature or something with a lot of detail it will definitely take a few days to complete. I tend to split them into sections, like adding facial details or making the weapons and armor, until I’m satisfied with the progress I’ve made or it gets too late. Sometimes they’re really hard to put away once they start getting close to completion! There are definitely not enough hours in a day.”

[h3]“It always feels good to share something you made with other people who are involved in your hobby and understand the time and effort you put into getting something just right.”[/h3]
He continues to say that the hardest thing about his hobby is finishing a project. “A lot of the time I’ll start working on something, but then it might not be turning out how I pictured. Or I had a long day at work and I can’t stay focused, so I step away from it and then struggle to get working on it again.” Though he says that being able to create some really cool miniatures and environments from practically nothing but his hands and some imagination, as well as the very supportive community are the best parts of it. “It always feels good to share something you made with other people who are involved in your hobby and understand the time and effort you put into getting something just right.”

We did, of course, have to ask for tips if you’re interested in getting started and Jayspyce says, “don't be afraid to just go for it. It definitely takes some patience, but if it’s something you’re interested in, the outcome is incredibly rewarding. If you aren’t comfortable jumping right in with green stuff, you can try clay that doesn’t harden in order to get a feel for it. Just like most other hobbies, the more you do it the better you’ll get, and once you get the creativity flowing the possibilities are endless.” Some wise words to keep in mind if you’re an aspiring miniature maker.



So what inspires a miniature maker? This creative soul finds inspiration in a lot of things but much of it comes D&D and the possibility to express yourself and do almost anything. “It’s such a great way to tap into your imagination and has introduced me to so many great people, and that makes me want to make things that make the game, in my opinion, even better. Just the D&D and Demeo communities as well. I love seeing other people get just as, if not more, imaginative and make some really cool stuff. Some of the things I see people come up with are absolutely amazing and that helps keep me wanting to create.”

Last but not least we asked Jayspyce if he wanted to say anything to the Demeo community. “Don’t be afraid to try something new and share it with the community! Everyone here is full of great ideas and there are also some very helpful, talented people that will guide you along the way. Also just thank you for being such a great and supportive group of people. If you’re interested, you can find more of my work on my Instagram.”

A big thank you to Jayspyce for joining this community spotlight! Maybe we’ll see some new miniature makers pop up in the community.

We’ve made some improvements to how we handle feedback and suggestions for our games and today we’re launching our new feedback hub. The new system helps us monitor how popular specific suggestions are and allow players to see what things have already been shared.

In the new hub, you can post your feedback, upvote suggestions and comment. When using the hub, please check if your idea has already been added by someone else so we can avoid duplicates. Please also keep in mind that many upvotes doesn’t automatically mean that the suggestion will be implemented. There are many factors playing a part in that.

CHECK OUT THE FEEDBACK HUB HERE!

We still highly encourage you to discuss ideas on Steam, but please note that they will no longer be monitored as closely as we migrate to the new solution.