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Quick Start Guide

Get Started with Talx
in Under 5 Minutes

Whether you want to explore existing worlds, run your own server, or create custom scripts, we've got you covered. Pick your path below.

🎮
I Want to Play
Jump into the live world, meet people, customize your avatar, and explore.
🖥️
I Want to Host
Run your own Palace server: self-hosted, your rules, 30-second setup.
👨‍💻
I Want to Build
Script rooms, create bots, write plugins, or contribute to the codebase.
Track 1 · Player

Jump Into the World

No download, no signup, no hassle. You can be exploring in under 60 seconds.

1

Open the Live Server

Click the button below to open talx.fyi in your browser. Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile.

▶ Open talx.fyi

💡 No Account Required

You can explore as a guest! Just pick a name when prompted. Create an account later if you want to save your avatar, props, and friends list.

2

Pick Your Name & Avatar

When you first connect, you'll be asked to choose a display name. Then you'll see the default smiley avatar.

  • Change your face: Press 1-9 keys to cycle through expressions
  • Change your color: Press Shift+1-9 to change your avatar color
  • Wear a prop: Open the Props panel (briefcase icon) and click any prop to wear it
  • Upload custom props: Drag a PNG onto your avatar, or use Edit → Import Prop
3

Explore & Chat

Click anywhere in the room to walk there. Type messages in the chat bar at the bottom. Use the following shortcuts:

  • Enter: Focus chat input
  • /goto roomname: Jump to a room by name
  • /who: See who's online
  • /whisper username message: Send a private message
  • Ctrl+M or ⌘M: Toggle microphone (voice chat)
  • F1: Open the full help system

🚪 Explore the Network

Click the Connect button and switch to the Network tab to see all federated servers. Your avatar and identity travel with you across the entire network!

🎤 Voice Chat

Press Ctrl+M to enable your microphone. Voice is spatial: walk closer to someone to hear them better.

📷 Webcam

Click the camera icon to enable your webcam. Your video appears above your avatar for others to see.

🎨 Room Painting

Some rooms allow live painting. Open the paint tools and draw directly on the room background. Everyone sees it in real time.

📦 Props System

Props are small images you wear as your avatar. Import .prp files from classic Palace, or upload any PNG.

Track 2 · Server Operator

Run Your Own Server

One binary, zero external dependencies. Drop it on any Linux box and you're live.

1

Download the Server

Grab the latest release for your platform:

🐧 Linux (amd64) 🐧 Linux (arm64) 🍎 macOS (Apple Silicon) 🪟 Windows (amd64)

Or use Docker:

Docker Quick Start
$ git clone https://github.com/palacespace/palacespace
$ cd palacespace && docker compose up -d
✓ Open http://localhost:8080 in your browser
2

Start the Server

Linux / macOS
$ tar xzf latest-linux-amd64.tar.gz
$ cd palacespace
$ ./start.sh
✓ Talx server listening on :9998
✓ Web client available at http://localhost:8080
✓ Classic Palace clients: palace://localhost:9998

📁 Data Storage

All persistent data (rooms, users, props, scripts) lives in the psdata/ directory. Back this up regularly. SQLite by default, so zero database setup is required.

3

Configure for Production

For a real public server, create a .env file:

.env: Production Configuration
# Your public domain
BASE_DOMAIN=mypalace.example.com
PALACE_PUBLIC_DOMAIN=mypalace.example.com

# Server name shown to users
PALACE_NAME="My Palace Server"

# Admin account (full god powers)
PALACE_ADMIN_USERNAME=yourname
PALACE_ADMIN_PASSWORD=securepwd123

# Optional: Join the federation network
PALACE_FEDERATION_ENABLED=1
PALACE_INSTANCE_DOMAIN=mypalace.example.com

Then set up a reverse proxy (nginx/Caddy) with TLS and point your domain at the server.

4

Create Rooms & Content

  • Create rooms: Log in as admin, press ` for wizard console, type /newroom "Room Name"
  • Edit room backgrounds: Use Edit → Room Background, or just enable painting and draw directly
  • Add hotspots & doors: Edit → Spots to define clickable areas that teleport users or run scripts
  • Install plugins: Drop Lua plugin bundles into psdata/plugins/ and reload
📖 Scripting Guide 🌐 Federation Setup
Track 3 · Developer

Build & Extend

Three scripting languages, hot-reloadable plugins, and a fully open codebase.

1

Choose Your Scripting Language

⚡ IptScrae

The original 1995 Palace scripting language. Instant execution, zero download, perfect for simple room scripts and legacy compatibility.Not suggested for beginners but it is 5-10x faster than the others due to the simplicity of the stack based language.

🌙 Lua

Modern scripting with closures, proper error messages, and floats. Runs in-browser via WASM or server-side for plugins. I suggest this for beginners.

🐍 Python

Full Python 3.12 via Pyodide WASM. Use asyncio, the standard library, even numpy. Heavier initial load, but maximum power.

📖 Full Scripting Deep Dive →
2

Write Your First Room Script

Room scripts run when users enter, click hotspots, or trigger events. Here's a simple greeting in each language:

IptScrae: ON ENTER greeting
ON ENTER {
  "Welcome to my room!" SAY
}
Lua: Same greeting
t.on("ENTER", function(ctx)
  t.chat.say("Welcome to my room!")
end)

To add a room script: Edit → Room Script, select your language, paste the code, and save.

3

Build a Server Plugin

Server plugins run on the server and affect all users. Create a plugin bundle:

plugins/my-plugin/plugin.json
{
  "id": "my-greeter",
  "name": "Welcome Greeter",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "entry": "main.lua"
}
plugins/my-plugin/main.lua
palace.on("LOGON", function(msg)
  local user = palace.user.get(msg.userId)
  palace.chat.god(msg.userId, "Welcome, " .. user.name .. "!")
end)

palace.command.register("ping", 0, function(ctx)
  palace.chat.user(ctx.userId, "Pong! 🏓")
end)

Drop the folder in psdata/plugins/ and the server will hot-load it automatically.

4

Contribute to the Codebase

Talx is 100% open source under MIT license. The main repositories:

Clone & Build
# Server
$ git clone https://github.com/palacespace/supersparky_server
$ cd supersparky_server && go build -o palacespace ./cmd/palacespace

# Client (no build step, vanilla JS)
$ git clone https://github.com/palacespace/palacespace
$ cd palacespace && python3 -m http.server 8080

Ready to dive deeper?

Explore the full documentation, see what others have built, or join the live server and say hello.

📖 Scripting Docs 🌐 Federation 🖼️ Gallery ▶ Enter the World