MMORPG Development -- Crypto Integration Options??

[ArkanGames]

Hello,

We are in a process of developing a Zelda style/2.5d/3d fight and puzzle MMORPG. We intend to have some cryptocurrency or token as the in game currency.

What we want is that finding chests and killing monsters would award you that cryptocoin and you can use the same in turn for purchasing all sort of weapons and shields and everything else.

Can the community here help us understand our options here?

Integrating Bitcoin itself as it is-->
Bitcoin fees now are too high for a purpose like microtransactions in game. We would want to quickly credit small amounts to user wallets as they earn from chests and monster killing.

1. GameCredits

We tried contacting them but they only deal with Business to business. As we are just small time indie group.. They won't give us access to their api and docs.



2. Creating our own crypto coin -->

This would mean we need our own api systems and wallets. I just see this stretching beyond what we can achieve unless we expand team and arrange funds etc.

3. Using some token of other coin -->

It has come to our notice that maybe we can use some of these things like Waves Token. Counterparty and Nxt tokens.
Can the community here guide is would these be an appropriate option? The usability by player is our primary concern.

Any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks.

We are collaborating with another Forum Member User365 who will be taking up story writing , PR , Script Writing etc for the game. (Most non development work for now)
He is taking up ideas for all purposes on a thread . Please give your feedback suggestions, warnings etc. on the same thread

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2190459

Locking this thread. Please comment on the linked thread.

[sepely]

it sounds good.
can you add your website here?

[ArkanGames]

it sounds good.
can you add your website here?

Nothing much to show yet. We would bring it up once there is something playable.

[Kakmakr]

Why not use one of the more popular Alt coins, like LiteCoin? Go to https://litecointalk.io/ if you have more questions about this. There is also this : ∈NJIN COIN
 The Ultimate Smart Cryptocurrency for Gaming. - Discussed here - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2042871.0

Bitcoin will be suitable for micro transactions when the Lightning Network is implemented.

Hope to see you guys up and running soon. ^smile^

[buwaytress]

Good luck with your project. Some comments based on my experience. I've played several MMORPGs already with some form of crypto system - browser-based, text and static graphics. Problems encountered:

1. Lack of game depth, focus on hack n slash = high initial player growth, but eventually low active user base. I imagine you would rely on advertising revenue to reward players. As you get fewer unique players, you get lower revenue, fewer interested people if the game has no real content.
2. Bots. If you have a reward system this could be your number 1 threat. It's the bane of faucet owners and game sites. So you need a dedicated security staff.
3. Payments should be your secondary concern. Don't go for crypto payments in-game. I think you can limit the game to in-house currency, which can be exchanged on a market or withdrawn as crypto. As kakmakr suggests, go for something reliable like Litecoin. Even DOGE! You can always offer another token or alt down the line when you're familiar with them, or as your base grows, as your game develops.

[User365]

I have a (from my point of view) a really good idea, how to implement cryptos in a MMORPG. I have already made my idea public: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1891013

if you consider my idea and need someone for that on your team, please feel free to cantact me 

[ArkanGames]

Why not use one of the more popular Alt coins, like LiteCoin? Go to https://litecointalk.io/ if you have more questions about this. There is also this : ∈NJIN COIN
 The Ultimate Smart Cryptocurrency for Gaming. - Discussed here - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2042871.0

Bitcoin will be suitable for micro transactions when the Lightning Network is implemented.

Hope to see you guys up and running soon. ^smile^

My major concern with using any other crypto which is already there is that I would really want the game conditions and trading of currency major reason for the change in currency value. Therefore looking for something of our own. Additionally, I assume there would be many users to game who would not know about crypto..for them the game currency would behave like the normal in game currency till the time they want to exchange it or sell it on exchanges.
Using something like Litecoin would give them a hell lot of information to digest and may make the game economy seem so complex.

I have seen Enjin coin and have also invested in it. It would have been really good for our use case if they really deliver what they are saying they would. But the problem is:
1. Their plan to give out unity plugin is 2018 which I believe is stretched anyway. I assume it may get postponed to about the middle of 2018.
2. It is highly possible they would also go the route of Gamecredits to deal only business to business or with big games only for a few years at least which would mean we won't get any access to APIs'

[ArkanGames]

Good luck with your project. Some comments based on my experience. I've played several MMORPGs already with some form of crypto system - browser-based, text and static graphics. Problems encountered:

1. Lack of game depth, focus on hack n slash = high initial player growth, but eventually low active user base. I imagine you would rely on advertising revenue to reward players. As you get fewer unique players, you get lower revenue, fewer interested people if the game has no real content.
2. Bots. If you have a reward system this could be your number 1 threat. It's the bane of faucet owners and game sites. So you need a dedicated security staff.
3. Payments should be your secondary concern. Don't go for crypto payments in-game. I think you can limit the game to in-house currency, which can be exchanged on a market or withdrawn as crypto. As kakmakr suggests, go for something reliable like Litecoin. Even DOGE! You can always offer another token or alt down the line when you're familiar with them, or as your base grows, as your game develops.

This would not be a total text based adventure. It would also not be a fully hack and slash. I intend it to be a nice mix of hack and slash, Quest Completion, Puzzle solving to City Building Resource collection Strategy and Empire building.

Bots are a pain to even the biggest games out there we will do our best to tackle. Maybe some characters would randomly appear in the game and block player progress till they answer a question like (How many apples you have if I give 5 apples and then 3 apples ? )

A main reason I thought about an external token is that I would not want to be deciding the rate of exchange of in-game currency to BTC/fiat or anything. I want it to be totally left on market to operate it. While I can manage with how much is the rate of in game items depending on the costs of servers and value of the coin.
Elsewise it would be a great overhead to calculate our revenues and decide the rate of exchange.

Yup we will come up with an alpha before going more into implementing payments. Would sure welcome ideas though.

[chicobr]

maybe you can check hero token. Even it for online bet game.
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2116864.0
maybe their api will good for you.
U can check stellar. They use javascript so you can ez make your own api.

[buwaytress]

This would not be a total text based adventure. It would also not be a fully hack and slash. I intend it to be a nice mix of hack and slash, Quest Completion, Puzzle solving to City Building Resource collection Strategy and Empire building.

Bots are a pain to even the biggest games out there we will do our best to tackle. Maybe some characters would randomly appear in the game and block player progress till they answer a question like (How many apples you have if I give 5 apples and then 3 apples ? )

A main reason I thought about an external token is that I would not want to be deciding the rate of exchange of in-game currency to BTC/fiat or anything. I want it to be totally left on market to operate it. While I can manage with how much is the rate of in game items depending on the costs of servers and value of the coin.
Elsewise it would be a great overhead to calculate our revenues and decide the rate of exchange.

Yup we will come up with an alpha before going more into implementing payments. Would sure welcome ideas though.

One of the features about MMORPGS that have lasted until today (such as Utopia, since the 90s!) is utilising a reset cycle. You could implement this partially - story quests or plotlines never reset, but parts of the game which require growth or leveling up can have a definite time limit. My own big idea is based partially on this concept. This helps reward frequent players by keeping their names on a permanent "Hall of fame" for Round X, for example, yet prevents newcomers from getting discouraged by the days they have to pour into the game just to get to the same level as the middle-level players. I'm sure a "reward" to the top players of each round will keep interest flowing

Bots are a huge pain! This is why I say it is one of the most critical aspects of your game. You need a system that constantly changes, if possible automated detection. I wonder if you could use some crypto aspect here? Perhaps a required signing of messages given in game by random characters from your wallet every 2 hours? Bots easily figure out maths now I think!

[ArkanGames]

One of the features about MMORPGS that have lasted until today (such as Utopia, since the 90s!) is utilising a reset cycle. You could implement this partially - story quests or plotlines never reset, but parts of the game which require growth or leveling up can have a definite time limit. My own big idea is based partially on this concept. This helps reward frequent players by keeping their names on a permanent "Hall of fame" for Round X, for example, yet prevents newcomers from getting discouraged by the days they have to pour into the game just to get to the same level as the middle-level players. I'm sure a "reward" to the top players of each round will keep interest flowing

Bots are a huge pain! This is why I say it is one of the most critical aspects of your game. You need a system that constantly changes, if possible automated detection. I wonder if you could use some crypto aspect here? Perhaps a required signing of messages given in game by random characters from your wallet every 2 hours? Bots easily figure out maths now I think!

We indeed need some sort of reset functionality so that game always is in a state where it can pay users.
On the other hand we would also want some sort of incentive to the player who has started up again.
Like some of the benefits /armors/weapons are persistent .
So once you have them you have them but can use only after you again reach a certain stage!

For bots signing of messages on btc address would get too complicated for people I guess. I would actually want a layer of abstraction over crypto implementation so only those who want to go in deep can use it. For others it shall remain simply an in game currency.

[Thekool1s]

Well, you can go with your own in game currency, just make sure you do all the transactions on the server side, plus the game will require heavy server usage, spawning the monsters on server and calculating when it was killed will be the main challenge here, it's not as easy as implementing a simple api. It has to work in hand with the game. There will be lots of challenges ahead, just make sure you plan this out, properly.

P. S
List your coin on an exchange, and allow users to trade coins in game too.

[ArkanGames]

Well, you can go with your own in game currency, just make sure you do all the transactions on the server side, plus the game will require heavy server usage, spawning the monsters on server and calculating when it was killed will be the main challenge here, it's not as easy as implementing a simple api. It has to work in hand with the game. There will be lots of challenges ahead, just make sure you plan this out, properly.

P. S
List your coin on an exchange, and allow users to trade coins in game too.

Yup server side is the key in here to avoid the wrath of hackers and botters.
Spawning will be done from server side and we plan on a few things to keep a check of whether player has actually killed a monster.
A lot of planning is a thing we are going through.

[buwaytress]

Good to see you've thought up some of these points already. For me, a complete reset is the best - in terms of player statistics or in-game boosts. Once a player knows how to game the system, they can easily reach the level required to use their old powered up items, and then the playing field is gone. What you could reward returning players with instead are boosts to exchange rates when they do cash out crypto rewards.

Another thing this brought up: don't allow people to buy ridiculously powered items/stats/boosts. Again I will bring up Utopia, where you could pay to remove ads, but nothing you could buy would improve your edge over other players. This is the killer in the end.

[ArkanGames]

Good to see you've thought up some of these points already. For me, a complete reset is the best - in terms of player statistics or in-game boosts. Once a player knows how to game the system, they can easily reach the level required to use their old powered up items, and then the playing field is gone. What you could reward returning players with instead are boosts to exchange rates when they do cash out crypto rewards.

Another thing this brought up: don't allow people to buy ridiculously powered items/stats/boosts. Again I will bring up Utopia, where you could pay to remove ads, but nothing you could buy would improve your edge over other players. This is the killer in the end.

While I would try to keep most purchasable things cosmetics but there will be a few things purchasable.
I am planning a concept of chests and keys. Where by you can purchase keys but you always have to find chests in the map (by killing monster solving puzzle etc.)
And then you need both to open a chest. Obviously, you can also find both chests and keys in the map and never purchase anything.

I guess this would not be too partial towards spenders.

Boost to exchange rate after reset idea is good . Will give it some thought. 

[ArkanGames]

I have a (from my point of view) a really good idea, how to implement cryptos in a MMORPG. I have already made my idea public: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1891013

if you consider my idea and need someone for that on your team, please feel free to cantact me 

Contacted.

User365 is helping us out in game design and will be doing story writing for the game.

[oxygen88]

this is a very nice idea

[ooeygooeygold]

I have a (from my point of view) a really good idea, how to implement cryptos in a MMORPG. I have already made my idea public: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1891013

if you consider my idea and need someone for that on your team, please feel free to cantact me 

Are their any MMOs that use cryptos for their main currency right now?

[Beerwizzard]

First things first. Why do you want to use cryptocurrency in your game? If players will have to make a wallet and buy somewhere your coins this will only make it harder to do what they want (also not everyone knows what cryptocurrency is and how to handle with it). Why cant you just sell ingame money by usuall bank card transfer? It is a bit unclear what you guys want to get from it if the ingame vendor prices will be fixed.

[ArkanGames]

First things first. Why do you want to use cryptocurrency in your game? If players will have to make a wallet and buy somewhere your coins this will only make it harder to do what they want (also not everyone knows what cryptocurrency is and how to handle with it). Why cant you just sell ingame money by usuall bank card transfer? It is a bit unclear what you guys want to get from it if the ingame vendor prices will be fixed.

Hello
The main reason is to provide a way to convert the in-game currency to something else if user wants. And we would want to stay away from decision of price at which they can convert. For example what we could instead do was offer a in-game solution to convert their in-game currency (say gold) to dollars or Satoshi. This would need us to recalculate the conversion rates every few days and make the whole system.
We instead intend to give players crypto. Which if they do not understand or want to understand crypto is normal game currency and if you do and want to convert it to something or convert something to it you are free to do so. We will not be the ones who would change the rates daily and make it appear like we are not giving away enough. The total amount of orur coins would be fixed to see that end holders eventually see a rise in value and we are not just shelling out more coins to make profits.

Hope that clarifies.