Creator Interview: Dale.Three

For all the great things built on platforms, it's still community that matters most. Horizon Worlds' user menu contains all kinds of destinations to pick from. The problem? There's no "new" world tab, which makes the average visitor wonder if there's more to the place than what they see on their screen. Worldhoppers breathe life into virtual spaces in ways that are often underestimated.

Enter Dale.Three, whose Hill Valley map serves as a community hub to help point out places that deserve more of a spotlight. Throughout the town-style map are billboards and signs advertising people and services that keep the platform interesting.

Dale.Three's meticulous design implements simple prim shapes to create objects he can't upload through an SDK yet. The result is a grand 'scape full of tiny details. Plus, there's the Ghostbusters reference in the background.

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Please introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you, and what are you most known for doing?

Hey guys, Dale here! Creator of that 70’s basement, That Ohio House, and most recently, Hill Valley.

How long have you been creating in VR?

I’ve been at it around 2 years now.

You've been in Horizon from way before avatars there even had legs. What does it feel like starting out on an early-stage platform?

Man, others were here longer than me, but not by much. It’s definitely exciting to see how far it’s come for better or worse. Meta is learning the same time we do, and to have a word (however small it might be) in the future of Horizon; be it user interface or tooling for building.

Your latest map, Hill Valley, is dedicated to spotlighting maps that deserve more visits. What has your experience been since the map debuted?

Promotion and expanding the platform/fanbase was the goal. The traffic we are able to send to these already successful worlds has been commented on by the respective creators behind the doors. Even waking up an older build for one creator in particular! It’s still growing, but the product we have currently does what we set out to, and more!

You also experience frustration with the platform. What do you think Horizon should provide to give its creators more support?

Horizon, as stated, is still in development. With devs and creators in close contact via discord and helpdesk, weekly updates help the platform. That being said, having an ear for all broader range of creator inputs and comments needs to be in place. Not all of us know/like using multiple chat applications to communicate. Also social networking apps create cliques so it sometimes feels one sided to the more active creators on those other apps.

That 70s Basement contains a lot of faithful adaptation of nostalgic movie posters and memorabilia. What was the process like for constructing the world?

T7B never had a plan or a process really 😅. It started as a Pictionary type game with some friends in build mode. I was having them guess what I was building. Simple things like appliances or whatever. Then I made small notable scenes. When I started making the washer, dryer, water heater, stairs…”is that That 70s Show?!” The rest is history. Then as I met other creators, I was also getting more traffic through the basement. I displayed art by other creators on the walls to drive interest and traffic to these creators who had so much more to offer! It changed often but in a way to blow new visitors minds, but not upset the returning users. The community of people that formed around it makes the basement the most rewarding.

What do you expect to be doing in a few years' time in VR? What would you like to accomplish?

Few years? Shit lmao. I’d like to be able to pay more bills with VR? I’d love to build and share with y’all as much and as long as I can! VR is still so new, and growing, but it could all change. Dreaming is cool, but I’m content with finding out where I’ll be when I get there. Destinations are fun to dream about, but the journey is the fun part! And I can tell you I’m having a blast rn. 🤭

Thanks for joining us today. Is there anything else you'd like to say or promote?

I can tell you Hill Valley is far from done, expect more updates! Personal projects, eh, I’m content right now, but my team has some killer projects coming up I’m giving a hand on!