Developers all over the world have taken a liking to creating new projects on top of the Ethereum blockchain. Over the past few months, we have seen various ICOs, CryptoKitties, racing games, and so forth. It is now time to introduce the first decentralized role-playing game, EtherCraft. It’s an innovative concept that looks pretty interesting. The big question is whether or not projects like these will further clog up the Ethereum blockchain.
The EtherCraft Decentralized RPG
For quite some time now, cryptocurrency enthusiasts have been trying to combine Bitcoin or Ethereum with gaming. In most cases, those efforts revolve around people having to pay for digital gaming assets which are unique in nature. With EtherCraft, the objective is very different from all of those projects, which is a more than welcome change. It is a decentralized RPG which runs on the Ethereum blockchain at all times. Although there is a monetary aspect involved, there is no requirement for users to pay whatsoever.
The main objective of this game is to play, have fun, and collect items. It is possible to purchase blockchain-based in-game items, but users can simply go ahead and collect the free stuff that comes their way. As the name suggests, EtherCraft is also about crafting items according to specific recipes and attempting to sell or trade said assets along the way. It is an interesting take on traditional gaming, although it remains to be seen if it has any chance of success.
On paper, EtherCraft has three main components. The crafting aspect is by far the most important, as it lets users combine items, break down items for raw materials, and open loot crates to get new stuff. Additionally, there is the video game element, as EtherCraft is an actual video game which can be accessed through one’s browser. Users equip their characters and explore dungeons in search of new items and other materials. That’s not a requirement, though, as people who just wish to trade, collect, and craft can do so at no disadvantage.
As one would expect, the EtherCraft game also has its own native currency. Everything is denominated in gold pieces, and the currency is known as XGP. This currency will be an intermediary between everything involved with ETH transfers, and it will also be part of the game’s governance system. Gold pieces are governance tokens which grant holders the right to vote on how EtherCraft evolves as a game. It’s an interesting approach, and one that will certainly get a lot of interest from the public.
Whether or not a project like EtherCraft will become particularly popular remains to be determined. It is good to see developers doing something other than just creating a smart contract and expecting people to send them money in exchange for digital items. The fact that this is an actual game where players can achieve goals is a more than welcome upgrade. It is not the most visually attractive game, but that doesn’t make it any less fun to play – especially when you can just find free items, craft new things, and potentially make some money from doing so.
The bigger question is how this game will impact the Ethereum blockchain. Every new project on top of this infrastructure seems to slow down the network. EtherCraft is a game which will add transactions around the clock, whereas some of the projects will be all but forgotten in a week or two. Assuming Ethereum can properly scale soon, that shouldn’t be much of an issue. For now, we will have to wait and see how things evolve in this regard. EtherCraft certainly is an interesting way to showcase the potential of blockchain technology.
