IRC-native persistent hunting / v5.7.0

Start small. Earn clearance. Hunt bigger.

IRC Hunt is a persistent multiplayer hunting game played entirely through IRC commands. New hunters always have open starter wildlife, while increasingly difficult species require hunter progression, stronger guns and permanent in-game permits. Each authorized IRC channel is its own isolated hunting world, grouped beneath its IRC network, while the website can show active global totals plus network/channel dashboards. Tracking, field conditions, weapon maintenance, trophies, loot, contracts and achievements all feed the progression loop.

Starter Wildlife Always OpenProgression Permits15+ Encounter TypesFriendly Rescue EncountersLegendary Special HuntsTracking & WeatherWeapon Wear & JamsTrophies & LootDaily ContractsNetwork + Channel WorldsGlobal Overview

All connected IRC worlds

Global game statistics

Live panels refresh automatically every 20 seconds.

23Registered hunters

176Animals harvested

12,299Total XP

3,094Spendable XP

15Rare+ harvests

1,121Trophy points

9Wildlife active

3Networks online

Network overview

The global totals above combine currently authorized hunting channels across every IRC network. Disabled/removed channels disappear from the site while their player history remains safely stored for a future re-add.

Network	Status	Hunters	Harvests	Total XP	Spendable XP	Wildlife
Freenode freenode	ONLINE	8	160	10,224	2,114	2
Retronode retronode	ONLINE	6	2	72	69	3
Rizon rizon	ONLINE	9	14	2,003	911	4

Network + channel worlds

Freenode #IRCHunting hunting grounds

Choose an IRC network and then one of its authorized hunting channels. Every channel has its own players, wildlife, progression and leaderboards.

Freenode channel worlds

A player may use the same nickname in several channels, but each authorized channel is a completely independent IRCHunt world.

Channel	Status	Hunters	Harvests	Total XP	Spendable XP	Wildlife
#IRCHunting	ONLINE	8	160	10,224	2,114	2

8Registered hunters

160Animals harvested

10,224Total XP

2,114Spendable XP

15Rare+ harvests

1,053Trophy points

2Wildlife active

5Permits issued

2Cat / dog rescues

3Contracts completed

14Achievements

60Loot held

Wildlife currently active

COMMON Squirrel
OPEN · Feed Bread+HP 2/2
10 hunt XP · 8 friend XP · 2m

PROTECTED Stray Cat
PROTECTED · Feed Bread+HP 1/1
22 hunt XP · 69 friend XP · 10m

Field conditions

Light RainAccuracy -2 · Rare +4%

Special encounter clock

LEGENDARY BisonNext eligible in ~180m

Channel-world isolation

Everything below belongs only to Freenode #IRCHunting. Players, permits, XP, wildlife, rankings, contracts, conditions and special timers in another channel do not affect this world.

Channel leaderboards

Top XP

Top harvests

Trophy board

Top friends / rescues

Tracking board

Recent channel activity

[PROTECTED] PURR... a stray cat cautiously approaches the camp. Stray Cat HP 1 | 22 XP | !feed = reward | !shoot = severe penaltyOct 6 15:53

[COMMON] CHITTER! A squirrel darts out from the brush! Squirrel HP 2 | 10 XP | OPENOct 6 15:50

[RARE KILL] HurricaneTornado harvested Scarred Squirrel and earned 30 XP! | Trophy +8 (1006) | Streak x3 +10 streak XP!Oct 6 15:45

[RARE] SQUEAK! A squirrel bounds across the hunting grounds! Scarred Squirrel HP 4 | 20 XP | OPENOct 6 15:45

[UNCOMMON KILL] HurricaneTornado harvested Mature Duck and earned 34 XP! | Trophy +8 (998) | Streak x2 | Loot: Duck BandOct 6 15:42

[HIT] HurricaneTornado hit Mature Duck for 4 damage! HP 2/6 | +3 XP | Accuracy 92%Oct 6 15:42

[UNCOMMON] SPLASH! A noisy duck has landed in the area! Mature Duck HP 6 | 34 XP | OPENOct 6 15:40

[UNCOMMON KILL] HurricaneTornado harvested Mature Rabbit and earned 19 XP! | Trophy +4 (990) | Streak x1 | Loot: Rabbit PeltOct 6 15:38

[UNCOMMON] THUMP! A rabbit bolts from the grass! Mature Rabbit HP 3 | 19 XP | OPENOct 6 15:37

[EMPTY SHOT] HurricaneTornado fired, but there was nothing there.Oct 6 15:34

[COMMON KILL] HurricaneTornado harvested Wild Turkey and earned 58 XP! | Trophy +9 (986) | Streak x3 +10 streak XP!Oct 6 15:34

[HIT] HurricaneTornado hit Wild Turkey for 4 damage! HP 2/10 | +3 XP | Accuracy 91%Oct 6 15:34

[HIT] HurricaneTornado hit Wild Turkey for 4 damage! HP 6/10 | +3 XP | Accuracy 91%Oct 6 15:34

[COMMON KILL] HurricaneTornado harvested Squirrel and earned 10 XP! | Trophy +4 (977) | Streak x2Oct 6 15:34

[COMMON] GOBBLE-GOBBLE! A wild turkey struts into view! Wild Turkey HP 10 | 48 XP | L4 + Gun L1 + Game Bird PermitOct 6 15:33

[COMMON KILL] HurricaneTornado harvested Elk and earned 190 XP! | Trophy +23 (973) | Streak x1Oct 6 15:33

[HIT] HurricaneTornado hit Elk for 4 damage! HP 4/36 | +3 XP | Accuracy 92%Oct 6 15:33

[HIT] HurricaneTornado hit Elk for 4 damage! HP 8/36 | +3 XP | Accuracy 92%Oct 6 15:33

[HIT] HurricaneTornado hit Elk for 4 damage! HP 12/36 | +3 XP | Accuracy 92%Oct 6 15:33

[HIT] HurricaneTornado hit Elk for 4 damage! HP 16/36 | +3 XP | Accuracy 97%Oct 6 15:33

[MISS] HurricaneTornado missed Elk | Accuracy 92% | Steady Aim next shot ~97%Oct 6 15:32

[HIT] HurricaneTornado hit Elk for 4 damage! HP 20/36 | +3 XP | Accuracy 92%Oct 6 15:32

[HIT] HurricaneTornado hit Elk for 4 damage! HP 24/36 | +3 XP | Accuracy 92%Oct 6 15:32

[HIT] HurricaneTornado hit Elk for 4 damage! HP 28/36 | +3 XP | Accuracy 92%Oct 6 15:32

v5.7 progressive leveling + channel worlds

A hunt with an actual career path

Every channel world keeps its own players and progression. Hunter levels now use a gradually increasing per-level XP cost, with a tangible reward every time a hunter levels up.

1Open small game

2Earn Total XP

3Upgrade gear

4Buy permits

5Hunt big game

6Chase legends

Starter hunting

Squirrel, Rabbit, Duck, Pheasant require no permit and remain open at every rarity they can spawn. These are the reliable path for a brand-new hunter.

Clearance checks

Harder animals check hunter level, gun level and required permit before a shot is processed. Rare/Epic/Legendary encounters can demand additional progression. A failed clearance check costs no ammo and causes no weapon wear.

Feeding progression

Bread is the Level 1 feed and can be carried without a Feed Box. Permit wildlife requires the same species permit and hunter level before feeding; stronger game requires Popcorn, Wild Feed, Game Mix, Trophy Mix or Legend Mix. Friending huntable wildlife pays reduced XP versus harvesting it.

Legendary Bison

A Legendary Bison is removed from the normal rarity roll. Each network/channel gets a persistent special clock of roughly 4–6 hours, and the encounter stays around roughly 25–35 minutes. It requires endgame clearance.

Tracking & conditions

Tracking, weather, Game Calls and rarity still matter. Calls cannot bypass your species clearance, and daily hunt contracts only choose species you are currently able to hunt.

Weapon lifecycle

Level, gun level, scope, camouflage, lubrication and condition shape accuracy. Dry/worn guns jam more often; critically damaged weapons can backfire, making maintenance part of long-term progression.

Every level pays

Each new hunter level fully refills the current clip and all spare magazines, services the weapon, grants Spendable XP, and rolls a bonus supply/reward. Very rare level rewards include sellable Silver and Golden Hunter Tokens.

4 Leaf Clover

Hunters at Levels 1–3 automatically carry a free Clover effect. From Level 4 onward, a 4 Leaf Clover costs 250 XP and lasts 24 hours. Harvest bonus = +2 XP per hunter level, capped at +50.

Level reached	XP required for that level	Cumulative Total XP
L2	200 XP	200 Total XP
L3	225 XP	425 Total XP
L4	255 XP	680 Total XP
L5	290 XP	970 Total XP
L6	330 XP	1,300 Total XP
L7	375 XP	1,675 Total XP
L8	425 XP	2,100 Total XP
L9	480 XP	2,580 Total XP
L10	540 XP	3,120 Total XP

The per-level requirement rises gradually: L2 costs 200 XP, L3 costs 225 XP, L4 costs 255 XP, then the increase itself grows by 5 XP each level. Total XP is permanent; Spendable XP remains the currency.

Game-design note: IRCHunt permits are fictional progression mechanics. Actual U.S. and Canadian hunting laws vary by jurisdiction, season, species, sex, tags, weapon, land status and other rules. The game is not a hunting-law reference.

Permanent progression unlocks

In-game hunting permits

Permits use Spendable XP and never reduce Total XP or hunter level.

Key	Permit	Cost	Level	Unlocks
`game_bird`	Game Bird Permit	150 XP	L3+	Covers higher-tier bird hunts such as Canada goose and wild turkey.
`medium_game`	Medium Game Permit	400 XP	L5+	Covers whitetail deer, wild boar and pronghorn.
`big_game`	Big Game Permit	900 XP	L10+	Covers black bear, elk and caribou.
`trophy_game`	Trophy Game Permit	1,800 XP	L16+	Covers moose and bison.
`legendary`	Legendary Endorsement	3,200 XP	L22+	Required in addition to the species permit before firing on any Legendary encounter.

!permits lists your status. Use !permit info medium_game for details and !permit buy medium_game to purchase one.

Play entirely in IRC

Commands

Personal progression uses NOTICE; shared hunting actions remain visible to the channel.

Command	Purpose	Output
`!register`	Create your persistent hunter record for this IRC network + channel world.	NOTICE
`!huntable`	Show all active wildlife, HP, time remaining and hunting clearance.	CHANNEL
`!shoot [animal]`	Fire at an eligible target. Permit-gated shots are blocked before ammo is used; protected cat/dog shots are allowed but punished.	CHANNEL
`!track [animal]`	Read sign, gain Tracking XP and focus an eligible species for an accuracy bonus.	NOTICE
`!permits`	View every in-game permit, ownership status, cost and level requirement.	NOTICE
`!permit info <key>`	Read what a permit unlocks.	NOTICE
`!permit buy <key>`	Purchase a permanent in-game hunting permit with Spendable XP.	NOTICE
`!conditions`	Show current simulated field conditions and their effects.	CHANNEL
`!call <animal>`	Use a Game Call to bias the next ordinary spawn toward an eligible species.	CHANNEL
`!feed [food] [animal]`	Befriend wildlife. Permit animals require their hunting permit/level plus sufficiently strong feed; bread is the starter feed.	CHANNEL
`!mystats`	View level, Total/Spendable XP, permits, kills, friends, tracking, trophies and gear.	NOTICE
`!gun`	Detailed weapon accuracy, condition, lubrication, jam and backfire information.	NOTICE
`!reload`	Reload an empty weapon or cycle the action to clear a jam.	NOTICE
`!grease / !repair`	Use purchased maintenance supplies.	NOTICE
`!contract`	View today’s automatically assigned contract. Hunt targets respect your current clearance.	NOTICE
`!achievements`	View long-term achievement progress and unlocked rewards.	NOTICE
`!trophies`	View trophy score, rare harvests, assists and loot totals.	NOTICE
`!bag`	List harvested loot and its sell value.	NOTICE
`!sell <id\|all> [qty]`	Sell harvested loot for Spendable XP.	NOTICE
`!guide [animal]`	Field guide with HP, rewards, rarity cap, stay time and permit requirement.	NOTICE
`!store / !store info <id>`	Color-coded sequential store grouped into ammo, weapons, feed and field gear. Includes timed Clover, Camo, Binoculars and Scent Cover.	NOTICE
`!top [xp\|kills\|friends\|trophies\|rare]`	Current network + channel lifetime leaderboard only.	CHANNEL/NOTICE
`!daily / !weekly / !monthly [xp\|kills\|friends]`	Rolling 24-hour, 7-day and 30-day activity leaderboards for the current channel world.	CHANNEL/NOTICE
`!channels`	List the hunting channels currently authorized on this IRC network.	NOTICE
`!botinfo / !help`	Bot/version information and compact command help.	NOTICE

Admin / Owner

`!stats <nick>`	Private detailed player statistics.
`!spawn <animal> [rarity] [#channel in PM]`	Spawn any configured encounter. In bot PM, the animal appears as a normal natural spawn; include #channel when the network has multiple hunt worlds.
`!rearm [nick] / !rearmall`	Return confiscated weapons.
`!devmode on\|off`	Owner-only development mode for the current channel world.
`!masterreset confirm [reason]`	Owner-only progression reset for the current channel world.
`!freehunt on [hours]\|off\|status`	Temporary Admin/Owner Free Hunt Mode for the current channel world.
`INVITE IRCHuntBot #channel`	A verified network Owner may invite the bot to create another persistent hunting channel world.
`!channel remove #channel`	Owner-only removal of an invited channel (configured channels cannot be removed this way).
`!give <player> <store item\|spendable_xp> [qty]`	Owner-only gift command. Give any current store item or Spendable XP; in PM include the target #channel if needed.

Progression economy

Hunt Store

Spendable XP buys ammunition, weapon service, feed and field gear. Permits remain separate progression unlocks.

Category	ID	Item	Base cost	Level	Purpose
Ammunition	1	1 Round	5 XP	L1+	Adds one round to the current magazine. Useful for emergency top-offs.
Ammunition	2	Full Mag	25 XP	L1+	Adds one full spare magazine, up to your current carrying limit. Stackable; buy repeatedly until your spare-mag capacity is full.
Ammunition	3	Mag Upg	275 XP	L3+	Adds +1 round to every magazine. Maximum 5; cost and required level rise each time.
Weapons & Maintenance	4	Gun Return	60 XP	L1+	Immediately returns a confiscated gun.
Weapons & Maintenance	5	Gun Upg	700 XP	L4+	Raises gun level by 1, increasing damage and accuracy. Maximum 10; cost and level requirement scale.
Weapons & Maintenance	6	Silencer	120 XP	L2+	Prevents gunfire from scaring away a target for 24 hours.
Weapons & Maintenance	7	Insurance	125 XP	L2+	Protects against confiscation from accidents/backfires for 24 hours. XP loss can still apply.
Weapons & Maintenance	8	Scope Upg	425 XP	L3+	Permanent +3% base hit chance per level. Maximum 5; cost and level requirement scale.
Weapons & Maintenance	9	Action Tune	375 XP	L3+	Permanent jam-resistance upgrade. Maximum 5; cost and level requirement scale.
Weapons & Maintenance	10	Gun Grease	15 XP	L1+	Adds one grease tube. Use !grease to restore lubrication to 100%.
Weapons & Maintenance	11	Repair Kit	60 XP	L2+	Adds one repair kit. Use !repair to restore 35 gun condition.
Feed & Supplies	12	Feed Box	180 XP	L2+	Permanent container for advanced feed. Bread is carried separately and does not require a Feed Box.
Feed & Supplies	13	Bread x15	24 XP	L1+	15 starter feeding attempts. Bread does NOT require a Feed Box.
Feed & Supplies	14	Popcorn x30	65 XP	L2+	30 Game Bird-tier feeding attempts. Requires a Feed Box.
Feed & Supplies	15	WildFeed x50	135 XP	L3+	50 Medium Game-tier feeding attempts. Requires a Feed Box.
Feed & Supplies	16	GameMix x40	260 XP	L8+	40 Big Game-tier feeding attempts. Requires a Feed Box and proper hunting permit.
Feed & Supplies	17	TrophyMix x30	520 XP	L14+	30 Trophy Game-tier feeding attempts. Requires a Feed Box and proper hunting permit.
Feed & Supplies	18	LegendMix x20	900 XP	L20+	20 Legendary-tier feeding attempts. Required for Legendary huntable wildlife.
Field Gear	19	Tracker Upg	450 XP	L4+	Permanent fieldcraft upgrade. Improves !track success, lowers cooldown and boosts tracked-shot accuracy. Maximum 5.
Field Gear	20	Game Call	60 XP	L2+	Adds one game call. Use !call <animal> in-channel to strongly bias the next natural spawn toward that species.
Field Gear	21	4 Leaf Clover	250 XP	L4+	For Hunter L4+: grants a 24-hour harvest XP bonus equal to +2 XP per hunter level (capped at +50). Levels 1-3 always receive this luck effect free.
Field Gear	22	Camo Clothes	300 XP	L2+	72 hours of camouflage. Adds a small +3 percentage-point accuracy bonus to valid shots.
Field Gear	23	Binoculars	225 XP	L2+	48 hours of improved field optics. Adds +8% tracking success and trims 5 seconds from tracking cooldown.
Field Gear	24	Scent Cover	175 XP	L2+	24 hours of scent control. Slightly reduces scare risk and adds +5% to feeding/friending success.

Store IDs are sequential. Gun, Magazine, Scope, Action Tune and Tracker upgrades scale in cost and level requirement after each purchase. Camo Clothes last 72h (+3 accuracy), Binoculars last 48h (+tracking), Scent Cover lasts 24h, and the 4 Leaf Clover lasts 24h from Level 4 onward.

Expanded North American-style roster

Wildlife field guide

Species are inspired by familiar North American hunting-game categories; the permit system is fictional game progression.

Species	Type	Common HP	Base XP	Base clearance	Min feed	Friend XP	Max rarity	Typical stay	Possible loot
Squirrel	Hunt	1–3	10	OPEN	Bread	8 XP	Epic	4–8m	Squirrel Tail, Small Pelt
Rabbit	Hunt	2–4	14	OPEN	Bread	11 XP	Epic	4–8m	Rabbit Pelt, Rabbit Foot
Duck	Hunt	3–7	25	OPEN	Bread	19 XP	Epic	5–9m	Duck Feathers, Duck Band
Pheasant	Hunt	3–6	28	OPEN	Bread	21 XP	Epic	5–9m	Pheasant Feathers, Pheasant Tail
Canada Goose	Hunt	5–10	40	L3 + Gun L1 + Game Bird Permit	Popcorn	30 XP	Legendary	6–11m	Goose Feathers, Goose Band
Wild Turkey	Hunt	6–12	48	L4 + Gun L1 + Game Bird Permit	Popcorn	36 XP	Legendary	7–12m	Turkey Feathers, Turkey Spur
Whitetail Deer	Hunt	8–16	65	L5 + Gun L2 + Medium Game Permit	Wild Feed	49 XP	Legendary	8–14m	Deer Hide, Deer Antler
Wild Boar	Hunt	12–22	85	L6 + Gun L2 + Medium Game Permit	Wild Feed	64 XP	Legendary	9–15m	Boar Hide, Boar Tusk
Pronghorn	Hunt	10–20	95	L7 + Gun L2 + Medium Game Permit	Wild Feed	71 XP	Legendary	9–15m	Pronghorn Hide, Pronghorn Horn
Black Bear	Hunt	18–34	135	L10 + Gun L3 + Big Game Permit	Game Mix	101 XP	Legendary	10–17m	Bear Hide, Bear Claw
Elk	Hunt	24–44	190	L12 + Gun L3 + Big Game Permit	Game Mix	143 XP	Legendary	11–18m	Elk Hide, Elk Antler
Caribou	Hunt	26–48	210	L13 + Gun L3 + Big Game Permit	Game Mix	158 XP	Legendary	12–19m	Caribou Hide, Caribou Antler
Moose	Hunt	38–70	280	L16 + Gun L4 + Trophy Game Permit	Trophy Mix	210 XP	Legendary	15–22m	Moose Hide, Moose Antler
Bison	Hunt	48–88	360	L18 + Gun L5 + Trophy Game Permit	Trophy Mix	270 XP	Epic	16–24m	Bison Hide, Bison Horn
Stray Cat	Protected	1–2	22	PROTECTED	Bread	69 XP	Rare	8–15m	Friendship / rescue credit
Lost Dog	Protected	2–4	30	PROTECTED	Bread	85 XP	Rare	9–16m	Friendship / rescue credit

Feeding rule: Huntable permit wildlife cannot be befriended as a shortcut around progression. You need its hunter-level/permit clearance first, then the listed feed tier or better. Legendary huntable wildlife requires Legend Mix. Bread is carried separately; advanced feeds require the Feed Box.

Rarity tiers

CommonHP ×1 · XP ×1 · loot 35%

UncommonHP ×1.15 · XP ×1.35 · loot 55%

RareHP ×1.35 · XP ×2 · loot 80%

EpicHP ×1.75 · XP ×3.4 · loot 100%

LegendaryHP ×2.35 · XP ×6.5 · loot 100%

Special encounter rule

Ordinary Bison can naturally roll only through Epic. Legendary Bison is a separate scheduled endgame event: roughly one eligibility window every 4–6 hours per connected hunting area, with a roughly half-hour encounter lifetime.

This schedule is stored in the database, so restarting the bot does not reset the timer and cannot be used to force another Legendary Bison.

Python bot + separate PHP website

Current deployment

Python bot

The live game engine runs independently as a Python asyncio service and connects directly to multiple IRC networks. Each network has its own reconnect loop, and every authorized channel on that network has its own independent player world.

cd /home/irc/IRCHuntPython
source .venv/bin/activate
.venv/bin/python main.py --check
sudo systemctl restart irchunt-python
sudo journalctl -u irchunt-python -f

Website

The website remains separately hosted in PHP and reads the same MySQL database. The v5.5 channel-world migration must already be installed, followed by the v5.7 level-reward/field-gear migration. Player and heartbeat isolation remains network_id + channel_name.

Do not replace your existing website config.php. The network/channel selectors and API automatically discover authorized hunting worlds from live database records.