Etherscape

Sam, known as SamTheBay throughout Enjin, works at Big Tech during the day and as a crypto indie game developer by night.

He is the brains behind Etherscape - a Web3 multiplayer role-playing computer game.

Players create and possess digital assets through an NFT minting process called the Etherforge, as well as freely trade NFT items through markets such as NFT.io.

Despite having minimal blockchain background, SamTheBay successfully integrated Web3 into The Etherscape within a few hours using Enjin's C# SDK.

Building a Dungeon-Crawling Masterpiece

Sam created core principles that govern the world of Etherscape.

Here’s how the game improves on past iterations of Web3 gaming titles:

Gaming for the Masses

During the height of Web3 games in 2021, players paid hundreds of dollars to purchase a game’s required starting assets.

Many well loved-computer games such as Rogue or Diablo charged players little to nothing to start the game. These titles attracted millions of players.

Why should Web3 games be any different?

To play Etherscape (now on open-Alpha), players do not need any crypto knowledge. The onboarding process has been simplified with an Email signup and an option for the player to create their account without a crypto wallet. Managed Wallets empower developers to create temporary wallets that can store players' digital assets. Once the players have experienced the game and become more familiar with Web3 processes, they can then choose to create their own crypto wallet, taking permanent possession of their digital assets.

For Web3 players, Etherscape allows you to link your Enjin Wallet. With a simple QR scan, you can connect your wallet in seconds.

Players also do not need any starting assets to play the game effectively. It is completely free to play. Even the in-game NFT minting process does not require any gas or transaction fees.

You will never see The Etherscape team minting expensive NFTs and selling them out to people.

With a computer and small knowledge of blockchain, players can experience the world of The Etherscape.

Forging a Web2 Experience with Web3 Value

Players win randomized loot from gameplay and quests. This represents the majority of the game items.

The players will be the one driving the economy.

High-rarity items can be transformed into an NFT, through The Etherforge.

These NFT items are termed Etherbound. They are stored in your Enjin wallet and will not be lost upon character death.

Powered by Enjin, an Etherbound item lands within seconds, into a player’s Enjin Web3 wallet.

This digital player-ownership opens up a variety of use cases for the items.

A player may hold them in their wallets, use them in-game, or trade them in marketplaces such as NFT.io

Classic Gameplay

Taking inspiration from Rogue (a classic game from the 1980’s), Etherscape takes place in dungeons and carries permadeath mechanics.

Once a player's character dies, they cannot be revived or respawned. The player loses that character permanently and has to start the game over with a new character.

Permadeath mechanics bring in unique challenges and experiences for players:

1. Increased Tension and Immersion: One mistake can lead to the loss of significant progress. This makes every decision feel more impactful as compared to games with traditional spawn mechanics.
2. Strategic Depth: Players must think strategically and plan their actions carefully. Permadeath adds an extra layer of challenge, requiring players to consider the consequences of their choices.
3. Skill Development: Players find permadeath games to be an opportunity for skill development. They need to improve one's abilities and learn from mistakes becomes crucial when there's no safety net of respawning.
4. Replayability: Each playthrough is unique. Players find themselves coming back to the game to explore different strategies, character builds, or story outcomes.
5. Sense of Achievement: Overcoming the challenges without the safety of respawns can be incredibly rewarding.

Furthermore, everyone is encouraged to team up.

The game pushes player interaction by setting the game in “always multiplayer mode” where a player opens Etherscape beside other players.

Player Governance

The game has an internal token called The Imperial Sovereign, a fungible token available on NFT.io, which is given to players through quests and game activity. **

The Sovereigns act as a governance token for voting and founders token which opens up utility to holders.

Each token counts as one vote. Players vote and steer the game in their common vision:

• Future Designs
• Storylines
• Game Settings

In the next release is a content, coming from player votes.

The community has actively given their ideas and has propelled the game further, creating a sense of ownership among players.

Furthermore, the more Sovereign tokens a player holds, the more benefits and rewards he or she receives.

Integrating Enjin Within Hours

To enable Sam’s vision of a great Web3 game, he needed a solution that would provide the following:

• Extremely low transaction fees
• Low development and overhead costs
• An on-chain marketplace to enforce proper trading
• Low barriers to entry for players

Enjin Blockchain really has the right technologies in place that we need in order to move that needle.

Low Cost Web3 Integration

As an indie game developer, Sam lacked the resources required to engage a team specializing in Web3 development.

I downloaded the SDK…and just integrated it into my game. In a few hours, I had the SDK up and running and was able to interact with the blockchain.

‍

Sam didn’t have to write or learn complex Web3 code. He simply downloaded SDK and used it functions and features.

With SDKs, Sam launched a fully-functioning game without hiring a team of developers. This saved precious resources.

Low Transaction Fees

Sam independently developed Legends of Descent, a mega hit on the Windows platform with hundreds of thousands of players.

Sam knew that high he could replicate such success with his new Web3 games.

Transaction fees would significantly undermine the gaming experience of his players and his budget.

Sam needed fast and low fee transactions, supporting games that require thousands of transactions per minute.

Other blockchain networks charge users tens of dollars in transaction fees.

...the transaction fees were outrageously large…

Enjin Blockchain covers developers' needs with transaction fees that cost less than a fraction of a penny.

With these key features, Enjin Blockchain is the network of choice.

Etherscape is now available for alpha testing on PC – Play Now.

Start Building Today

The tools for building games have never been better than before.

Join the Enjin Platform and supercharge your economy.