What is the HonseFarm?
Rather than betting on the wrong horse, I propose you bet on the hornse farm, a federated way of synchronizing your appearance with others.
Federation is a network architecture where multiple independent servers cooperate to provide a unified service, rather than relying on a single centralized server. Each server in the federation runs the same standardized software while participating in a larger network that appears seamless to users.
In the context of Mare, federation means that instead of choosing between isolated Mare forks that can't communicate with each other, players join a network of interconnected servers. These servers work together to enable cross-server functionality while each maintaining its own user base and operational independence.
Instead of forcing users to choose between incompatible Mare forks, federation allows them to choose their preferred server while maintaining compatibility with the entire network. Venue operators can run their own servers for their communities while still serving the broader Mare ecosystem.
No single point of failure can take down the entire network. If one server experiences issues, goes offline, experiences legal action, or receives cease and desist orders, users can continue operating through other servers in the federation without any downtime or disruption to the larger network. The network becomes more resilient as it grows.
The federation will be supported by a single Dalamud plugin maintained by experienced developers with expertise in .NET development and the Dalamud ecosystem. This eliminates the current problem of multiple plugin versions with varying quality and security standards. All features will be available to everyone using any home server in the federation.
Server operators will have access to centrally-maintained server software that can be deployed with minimal technical knowledge. The software will be designed for easy setup on popular hosting platforms, allowing venue operators and community leaders to quickly add their own servers to strengthen their communities rather than splinter them with their own fork. All development will be carried out on a central repository, out in the open.
Furthermore, by developing the network as a service, there are no perverse (financial) incentives for the core developers / maintainers. There are no “servers” to run for money, no gatekept features, only the trust to deliver the best experience for players.
Federa-...what?
For those that come from a lesser technical background, here's a simple explanation about what the HonseFarm is.
The original Mare Synchronos was ran by 1 person, with a number of servers. After it was taken down, a few alternatives popped up. These are different servers, all with their own features, all with their own plugin to install. People from one server cannot add people from another server.
HonseFarm is not a single server, but a server system. Everyone can host their own server and join the club, the federation. Servers work together, there's a single plugin for players.
For players, only very little things change: The only real change is that they need to choose a "home" server. UIDs won't be ABCDEFGH but ABCDEFGH@ServerName.
HonseFarm is software for people that want to run their own server. The idea is that everyone who rents a simple VPS can join the network, without intervention. Since there is no central authority, no central system, there is no risk of the service being taken down for legal reasons. If one server closes for whatever reason, players can simply "move" to another home server.
Why did you create this?
Mare Synchronos provided real-time character customization sharing for the FF14 community. Players could synchronize their glamour changes and mods with others in their group, enabling venues to create coordinated visual experiences and friends to share their creative work as intended.
When the original Mare was shut down by legal action, it left a significant gap in community tooling. Venues that relied on Mare for synchronized experiences have started closing down rather than work with current alternatives. While Penumbra's PCP sharing feature exists as a workaround, it lacks the ease of use and real-time functionality that made Mare effective for event organizers and regular players alike.
Because Mare's code was open source, multiple individuals of different skill levels quickly stepped up to run their own versions. Within days, new Mare servers appeared, each running their own fork (copy) of the Mare source code. What seemed like a solution has created new challenges that affect every player:
Security risks
Dalamud plugins have administrator access rights on your PC. Combined with auto-updates, a new Mare Fork client could result in a malicious server operator stealing personal files, passwords, installing malware, or worse. As a player, you have no way to verify what a server is actually doing behind the scenes. Every plugin update is a potential security risk. There's a reason Dalamud has a very strict vetting process for first-party plugins, and why you shouldn't add random plugin repositories unless you trust the author.
Trust issues
When you join a Mare Fork today, you're essentially trusting a random person on the internet. You don't know who runs it, how they maintain it, or whether they've modified the plugin in dangerous ways. There's no reputation system, no verification process, and no transparency about server operations.
Community fragmentation
Different Mare forks are incompatible with each other. A venue using one version can't seamlessly interact with players using another. Friend groups are forced to all use the same fork or lose the ability to share customizations. What was once a unified community tool is becoming a collection of isolated islands.
Maintenance burden
Every time FFXIV updates (and Dalamud updates), or when required plugins like Penumbra or Glamourer push changes, every single Mare fork needs to be updated independently. Most fork maintainers are volunteers with limited time, and some server owners are vibecoding their way into changes - making modifications without proper testing or development expertise. This means players end up with unstable, potentially broken software that may work today but break tomorrow.
Conclusion:
The current situation creates practical problems: users can't easily evaluate server safety, venues struggle with unreliable alternatives, and the player base is distributed across incompatible systems. These issues limit what the community can accomplish and create unnecessary technical barriers. The quality of service differs between Mare forks.
This project offers a federated approach that addresses these core problems. Instead of competing forks that divide the community, I'm proposing a network of cooperating servers that can work together while maintaining their independence. Instead of blind trust, we're building in transparency and verification. Instead of putting every player's computer at risk, we're designing security (and hopefully, trust) into the foundation.
The goal isn't just to replace Mare Synchronos with another system- it's to build something better that the entire FF14 community can use safely and confidently, with no single point of failure.
-- This FAQ will be a changing and alive post.
Helpful links:
https://honse.farm/docs/what-is-honse-farm (our documentation site)
