Abstract:
The current game is lacking a starting point for the players as well as a starting land that can be allowed to onboard new players. Additionally, the game currently has no “center” and multiple websites with different looks and feel don’t help that. The concept behind this is to:
- Create a sense of “start here” in the game;
- Allow for new players to have a landing point where all things in the game expand from; and
- Increase the ability for the game to have a center point where players expect to see “new stuff” spawn / expand from.
Motivation:
To increase the sense of “the heart of the game” and to onboard new player easier by pointing them to the starting point, which will be a real starting point provided by the game. Many players don’t know where to start, but with this new “hub land” it is the main landing point of the player experience and can be used as a point where other aspects of the game can spawn from.
Details:
Crypto Unicorns Hub Land
The concept of a starting point for the game is missing from the base farming game, and the game in general. From a standpoint of onboarding players there is no option for players to participate in learning about the game without an immediate purchase, or a dedicated airdrop of resources from someone or the project. This prevents the concept of onboarding mass players due to a limitation of “starting point”, which will be presented here for consideration. The “starting point” in this case will be a “Hub” or a central land on the Crypto Unicorns farming board that serves as the cornerstone of the game. As described below, all players will get one as it will be a key component of the game added to every old account and new account going forward.
The ”Hub” is intended to serve as not only a starting point for the game, but also a basic farm that has limited capabilities to allow for a player to experience the game with minimal input / investment initially. Due to the limitation of the land as a functional farm the players who decide to continue to play will be encouraged to purchase lands to expand their capabilities. The “Hub” will also serve as a central land that will hold all the event aspects of the game; allow for planning for quests; create a central location for battle squad development for Twilight Tactics; and service as the central location for other fun promotional ideas (board art; seasonal things; etc.).
The “Hub” land will have three main properties:
- It is a non-class land but not a mythic;
- This means any mythic bonuses going forward for mythic lands will not be applied to the land;
- The land cannot receive bonuses in general except in the case of “special events” sponsored by the project;
- This could be in the form of special crops; outputs and stuff that is specific to the “the Hub”.
- Any unicorn class will be able to be used on the land, but the bonus of matched class will not be applied as it is a non-class land; and
- Adjacency bonuses can be given, but not received by the land.
- Meaning, lands that are next to the land will receive the appropriate 5% bonus, but the “hub land” will not receive the % bonus in return.
- Cloud land next to the land will receive the 5% bonus, but the hub will not receive the returning 5% bonus as the “hub” cannot receive bonuses
- Limitations on buildings:
- Buildings on the hub are built by default and cannot be added to
- 3 farms
- 1 workshop; and
- 1 Gathering cart
- Buildings cannot be leveled up beyond a base level of 3
- Buildings will come in as level 1 and the player can spend resources to level up to the maximum Hub level of Level 3.
- No additional buildings can be added and the current buildings cannot be demolished.
- Buildings on the hub are built by default and cannot be added to
- Positioning
- The “Hub” cannot be repositioned;
- All builds upon loading on implementation of the hub will need to reposition their lands to accommodate the land in their build.
- The “Hub” cannot be repositioned;
The “Hub” will have the following additional buildings on it for current functionality and future builds:
- Central Town Hall
- This will serve to support the following functions
- Mailbox/Notification Board
- Twilight Tactics Planning Board
- Future use
- This will serve to support the following functions
- Town Quest Board
- Divided up into the various sub-boards for “Event” quests
- This will also serve as the board for special events and holiday type things
- Town Game Portal
- Includes links to the various games that are official spinoff games as “Portals”
- Jousting Tent
- The tent will serve as the official “Portal” to the jousting arena
- Other buildings as needed.
Development of a New Land Type:
The concept requires the addition of a generic land with a distinct rule set. It’s necessary to explore how this can integrate with our existing game environment.
In addition, to address the concerns of the new land in the mix of things the generic land is a board component that is unmovable, or it is an NFT that is perma-locked. Meaning you can’t unlock it to transfer it; sell it or otherwise move it off the account. It is assigned to the account… period. The approach to how to do this we will leave to the development team, but the main point is this is not something that can go from account to account or be sold in any way.
The concept of the “Hub” is to allow for easy onboarding; tutorial and a clear starting point for the game. This is currently lacking and is preventing the ability to onboard new players with a low cost entry point. The result of implementing this solutions should be a streamlined onboarding process and increased player base overall.
In response to the following team feedback:
The concept is to be established in a manner that requires the player to use the components and does not turn the land into a way to churn out items for sale. The whole intent is these items are to entice play.
Extraction Gate Limiter:
A gate must be implemented in order to prevent “starting lands & unicorns” from generating extractive value. Actions on these land plots must be limited and point players to a conversion (purchase NFTs or currency). This must be completed before a player has the ability to sell items on the RMP, participate in Jousting, etc.
As such, maybe we need to add some components to the whole “beginner” track and make a track that spins off that. Also, you could run the whole beginner track off this land I think, but also once the beginner track is done you have the buildings output items that are intended for special event pieces. Meaning, you have to use the hub for something tied to the storyline. Maybe the workshop on the hub is the only place you can make the "keys’ to a chest or something… get creative.
Key is … this land is intended to serve as a component of the storyline and to get players started. The approach to how to do this is up to the development team as the intent of resource development and flexibility can vary throughout the course of the use of this land.
Proposal Cost:
The costs are solely placed on Laguna Games as a part of the development process. No cost estimates are included or expected. This is a resourcing issue with regards to the company.
Conclusion:
I believe with the inclusion of the “hub land” the game can gain a sense of “this is the starting point” and depending on how creative it is the game could have a real element of “new players start here” and consistent messaging. Without this, I believe the game will continue to have a lack of a starting point, which makes it hard to explain to the new users where to begin and slows onboarding. My hope is that with the implementation of this new concept in the game we can start to point users to “start here” vs. start “somewhere”.
