The introduction of the ERC-721 token made blockchain gaming a reality. However, games based on the blockchain have all suffered from long delay times and high costs associated with using the blockchain for all game processes…until now.
Introducing EtherSparks, a new gaming experience based around the blockchain. EtherSparks is not bound by the same limitations of the games that came before it. Now you can play mini-games and battle other players in real time without having to pay gas, while still maintaining ownership of game items through blockchain security. It’s the best of both worlds.
How Does it Work?
As crypto enthusiasts and early adopters of the first blockchain games,, we quickly noticed something missing about them. While the ability to have ownership of non-fungible tokens on the blockchain is revolutionary, the limitations of decentralized networks makes a truly engaging gaming experience challenging.
So what is it that makes a blockchain game successful? What do people like and dislike the most when they breed cats or fight robots on the Ethereum network? From those questions, we identified the following observations:
- Blockchain games are about owning things on the blockchain. Sounds obvious, but it’s critical. Any crypto-based gaming experience has to allow players to truly own their assets. Once secured on the blockchain, not even developers can alter a player’s collection without permission. Not just that, the blockchain lets everyone track the origins of every item to ensure no cheating is happening.
- Having provably fair random loot generation is important. Having loot generation occur on the blockchain ensures that everyone who plays is subject to the same randomization parameters. When items that are generated potentially have real value, that level of trust is important for players.
- Players don’t like having to constantly pay for gas. When every action made requires players to pay for gas, the costs quickly pile up. Not only that, but having to constantly pay for gas limits the number of decisions in the gameplay mechanics. The high cost of gas is ultimately a drain on the economy of any crypto game. It’s essentially a fee for playing which cannot be reinvested to the game or its players. Most current games struggle to maintain a balanced economy as a result of having to pay these fees.
- Players are looking for a faster-paced gaming experience. Existing blockchain games require players to wait for network confirmations for every action. Depending on the amount of gas they use, this can potentially take hours. Real-time gaming is therefore impossible and even turn based game mechanics have to be limited in scope.
When we considered these observations, we came to a realization: players play blockchain games because token ownership is fair and secure. However, the blockchain is a poor environment for creating engaging gameplay.
Thus EtherSparks was born! To solve these problems, we decided to create a game where gameplay elements will be processed on dedicated servers while loot generation and item ownership can still be secured on the blockchain. Players only have to pay gas and wait for confirmations when performing an action that modifies their collection. Playing games and other activities that don’t require the security of the blockchain can be done separately. This allows for the results and rewards to be integrated in a semi-decentralized manner.
Sparks: What are They?
Sparks are your pets and avatars in the world of EtherSparks. You can care for them, equip them, train them, and even fuse them together. They represent you when you play mini-games and fight for you in battles. Compete against other players to collect and raise the rarest and strongest Sparks.
Battles!
Many of the first games to come out on the Ethereum network were simply collectables. There wasn’t much you could do with the items you obtained except breed more or sell them. Later games which were developed advanced the concept to include battling with your collectibles. However, the nature of incorporating all the game logic onto the blockchain severely limited the number of game mechanics that were possible. Combat systems in current blockchain games are often simplistic with limited strategic offerings, not to mention the high gas costs that are often needed to even engage in battle.
All this changes with EtherSparks. Since game logic is not processed on the blockchain, all the disadvantages these other game suffer from are not an issue. You don’t have to send all your moves at once like other blockchain games require, and you don’t have to pay gas to the network for every move you make. Engage in a fast-paced confrontation where the strength of your Sparks, the soundness of your strategy, and a little bit of luck all contribute to victory. Yet, at the end of the day, the victor’s spoils can still be secured on the blockchain
Mini-Games!
EtherSparks is not a game where you have to pay large amounts of ETH just to get started. Players can begin to earn Sparks and items by playing mini-games. This is one of the key differences between EtherSparks and other blockchain games. Play a variety of mini-games for free and earn rewards which you can use on loot crates to start or grow your collection. There’s no need for any ETH investment upfront, not even for gas, to start playing and earning!
Core Nodes: Become a Part of EtherSpark’s Growth
In addition to a completely revolutionary gaming experience, we are also offering something special for our players. Core nodes are a way for early investors as well as winners of special events and champions in tournaments to share in the success of EtherSparks. Core nodes represent a percentage of revenues generated from marketplace transactions. As EtherSparks becomes more popular and the number of transactions on the marketplace increases, the value of core nodes increases as well. As a reward for your support, participating in the pre-sale can earn you a permanent source of income that grows as the game does.
How Can I Support EtherSparks?
The best way to support EtherSparks is to participate in the pre-sale! During the presale, players can obtain special loot boxes which contain rare items and Sparks. These pre-sale loot boxes are unique and have a much higher probability of containing rare items than any loot boxes created thereafter. Not only that, but several core nodes will be scattered across the pre-sale loot boxes randomly. This is the only opportunity to open a core node from a loot box.
If pre-sales aren’t your thing, then there is still a way you can support us. During the announcement phase, you can sign up for a referral link with your email and ethereum wallet ID. For each pre-sale purchase that is generated though your referral link, you be entitled to rewards which are sent to your wallet once the game launches!
Want to stay in the loop? Sign up for Updates and check us out at http://ethersparks.io/
Take a look at the Whitepaper to see the full concept of EtherSparks and feel free to provide us with thoughts and feedback. This game is in the early stages of development and we are excited to move this project forward with your support.