This is a pack announcement!
But let's drop all the marketing flavor:
I would like to discuss in some depth about it!
So please enjoy your best tea and coffee... and take this connection train between crypto 2022 and EXODE 2325!
EXODE? CONTRACT PACKS?
Okay then, is your coffee ready?
So let's get some intro rolling.
Actually I would love to make you a video, and in fact I may later.
But right now let's speak about some of our EXODE content.
There are some innovations in this aspect of EXODE (the one of contract packs) but let's be honest:
it is cryptogaming and HIVE which allow so many new creative concepts.
New gameplay, new player value, new dynamics in a game; everything in games can now go forward! To us, we think it's the big time of indies with their own universe, IP, editorial and creative values. So yes, this helps to connect some dots and make some things happen.
Other people do things and sometimes we like them and sometimes we don't.
We often don't get why a project would ponzify or why it would close. For an indie, a project can survive as long as you can purchase pizza! because even alone an indie has to touch to all areas of game making so he/she can make things last and continue, even alone too, if it comes to that.
But for us in EXODE if we make new ideas it is because we are surrounded by creativity and potential in crypto gaming and we want to contribute in our own direction.
About contracts I think this is exactly what "connected the dots" for me; that something was possible, was not done yet, and there was no reason for it not to exist... because it actually made so much sense. So why not? Let's make it happen!
This is the same spirit for everything new in EXODE (as mentioned in our Game Manifesto) we are still scratching the surface of the potential we will want to deepen. But some other concepts were immediate and worked even quite well.
We are speaking of Contract Packs here!
They took some x3, x5, x10 or sometimes x15+ in value and still have some very interesting value with our stable player population even so many months after. They still show some resilience despite the current cryptocurrency 'winter', along with alpha boosters.
And yes, we have yet to open the doors to beta players ; though we are getting closer to that, as you can guess!
Why are they the most valuable asset in EXODE right now?
What are they, what do they provide?
Are new contracts are coming?
And if the answer is YES... then how to get your hands on one?
Let's find out!
WHAT ARE CONTRACTS?
Let's be more specific:
Contract Packs are acquired and once in your collection they will generate highly specific, theme-strong content every week.
Specifically, they give you new collection cards every week.
And there is even more: the generated content is tradable and is very interesting to players not having the contracts. This means that YOU, contract owners, become the only suppliers of it.
Contracts packs existed when we connected some ideas together such as combining cryptocurrency, game depth, interesting game themes and mechanics and lasting synergy between wallets.
You gain every week specific ammo, characters, equipment or even starships relevant to your contract theme and not accessible in boosters.
One big half of the contracts concept could easily be compared with "staking" ; yet it is actually so much more. It is different first in the game aspect of it - the assets provided are not a currency but have a strong game utility and have a consistent theme and identity - and also in capacity for other players, as you are provider of something which can be useful to them, which gives the basis of your utility.
If you want to read more about staking, please note we may share another article helping you to understand how it usually works in crypto. We "cut this section" from this article as it has a lot of info already.
Players can still do their game without your content - this is part of the concept of being fair, and we think a game should be fair actually or it's not even a game - but they will also always be interested in the content you can provide.
Sometimes as their game mature they can become more interested in your ammo supplies, your starships, your guns, characters or implants, because they represent new game options or solutions to some problems. In a regular game, this would be as if contract owners would have control and supply of the "DLC and expansion content" of EXODE.
This Syndicate contract pack owner holds the "Syndicate DLC" content and makes it available to players. Not us, not the shop... but a player! This is what is nice in cryptocurrency.
That's it, contract packs are actually even better than staking as this is a "decentralization of content expansions". And quite naturally, this will actually take value during beta once more player population comes, because we don't "mint" the same contract packs twice.
"Take the contract, or take the drops" is also always a very viable choice, with contracts being investments and drops being cheap in alpha.
Contracts allow a gradation with wallet capacity as players can aim to become owners of contract packs or instead use the content supplied by them which is much cheaper.
CONTRACTS RELEASED BEFORE
In the past we have released:
- Rekatron Weapon Drops, a contract supplying big guns and profusion of ammo along with "destructive quotes".
- Tom Settler "Premium Buddies", a contract providing colonization housing, exploration vehicles and equipment.
- The Syndicate Sponsorship, a versatile contract with characters, weapons, equipment and drugs (and drug formula to make yours) from the Criminal Syndicate.
There were a few players in the initial alpha so this made a low population of contracts. Players have always been interested in acquiring some more, and we did not supply them for so long as it was always meant to have only these contracts in alpha.
As we are getting closer to beta, we are reserving some beta contracts for current players.
NEW CONTRACTS IN BETA
We will reveal now the contract packs which are reserved to you.
These are the contract packs which will be available at beta release but are available now during October to current alpha players.
While there may be other content later, this won't be for beta release and will wait for much later. Also, we always want not to overlap with existing features so we will always target elements with a strong identity here.
Are you ready to discover your beta contracts?
Let's get into it!
ACHEANS ARE RELEASED AS A NEW FACTION!
Let's begin with a faction!
Some factions come strong in beta and one of them is the Achean Gangs.
Previously you had some of their cards with an Achean Racer.
Acheans also come in beta boosters but their contract will guarantee you vehicle modifications and tuning, new personal vehicles (such as their gang platforms), biker collection items, gang members, some hacker equipment and ammo modifications.
You should not want to miss on them especially for you alpha players with some criminal characters or synergy!
We know, we know! What the hell is the Federation doing?
There is so much criminal content distributed in EXODE alpha already!Alanna Vos has so much work to do. She is not going to stop anytime soon.
Rest assured: other Federal contents will also come!
YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE STARSHIPS
... and to customize them, you'll need the Starship Maintenance contract!
This is a corporation contract actually giving you many space modules.
Want to install a super engine to increase launch success chances?
To increase fuel or cargo capacity?
Or even a new scan equipment or weapon?
Do you want to increase the value of an Elite starship you have?
Starship modifications are there for that and none of it does it better than the Starship Maintenance Contract.
Gain modules to install, modification patterns for specific ship classes, ship ammunition or spare parts, ship construction schematics or knowledge, or trade all that to other players or give some of your drops to guildmates!
BUT NOTHING IS BETTER THAN A CUSTOM SUIT!
An environmental suit can make the difference between life and death.
And nothing is more important to a character than the protection it gives!
But there is more to suits than environmental protection.
Some have armor (of course). And different types of it.
Some increase attributes or skills.
Some allow some software memory.
Some can even be equipped with weapons!
And some are specialized for a planet type.
There will be a huge market for custom made suits to protect you in harsher environments and planets. And this contract will give you modules to install in Suit collection cards! All suits will allow customization with proper modules.
Time to reveal the engineer in you and improve these Eisen Suits to make them even more powerful!
HOW ABOUT A SHOP FRANCHISE?
Who wants a piece of the 2325 trade power?
You can take a shop franchise and own some nice 2325 technology equipments!
Everything from cables to new consumer software, food recipes and tools!
Software, hardware, there can be most of everything there, from consumer holocubes or holoplayers to tutoring programs, construction tools, and so on. This has some synergy with some starbase equipment too and starbase crates.
What's more, the shop also has a partnership with your existing Tom hardware, which means that some cards have synergy with equipments of the Tom Settler family. And this may continue with other corporations too!
Oh, and we almost forgot about another special.
This is a FRANCHISE PACK.
This means that it unlocks access to a special drop.
Read below to find more!
WHO WANTS TO CONTROL THE STREET?
Some of you may want to control the darker, less commercial version: the obscure street shops. There is a legion of such counters populate the darkest corners of urban cities, in what could be best described as a cyberpunk-inspired underworld.
These street shops have "the real stuff": implant modifications, ammo modifications, illegal software and hacking equipment, forbidden food and drinks, drug enhancers (something which works nicely with Syndicate drugs by the way), and so on.
If it's illegal, it's done there, and if it's legal, it's transformed there into something "better". This does not overlap with Syndicate ; this actually enhances it.
This is another FRANCHISE card, this time of the dark streets.
The more packs you have, the more control you have on the entire content.
WHAT ARE FRANCHISE PACKS?
The Shop and Street packs are separate Franchise packs.
We will keep a total of all franchise owners and how much they own of the global pack population in that franchise.
Once contract drops are opened and you start earning your weekly cards, then every month a special roll is made.
One special legendary card will be dropped randomly. The more packs you own of the franchise, the more chances you will have of receiving this special card.
If you receive it, tadam! you'll see a special notification once you log in to your game and an illustration of your special card.
This card is added, it does not replace the drops you have every week which will all work as normal.
Please note, it could be the same card every month, or a different card ; we keep the creative freedom to make something really nice of this feature.
There will be only one legendary card every month for the Commercial Shop Franchise, and one legendary card every month for the Street Shop Franchise.
This will of course favor big owners, but rolls are rolls. Just like with elite cards which can be dropped to any person, anyone with a contract pack still has chances to receive the special franchise card.
Also, we may add more franchise cards from time to time ; such as a special "yearly card"!
Imagine the rarity of that one...
HOW? WHEN? WHERE? WHO? AND HOW MUCH?
You will have some packs reserved to you.
You will have 10 days to decide about taking your packs or not.
Rushing, FOMO, that's quite interesting for a shop but we believe you can rely on our information and the quality of our contract packs to make your calm decision.
You can decide to take the packs to trade them - as they will become tradable very soon! - or to take the packs to hold them, to benefit from the drops once contract opening is available. Contract opening (this is when the drops start) will only be available once beta opens later, but as for previous packs, this will be hot at that time.
All that will be your decision: people have been missing the opportunity to take contracts for so long! This is a new opportunity for EXODE and contracts will always have a limited supply.
But we understand you may want to take some time to think about it.
Only previous alpha players will have access to that content.
If you played EXODE in the past weeks or months, you should all unlock access to at least 1 unit of every contract.
This means that you will get some packs reserved to you ; if you don't take them, the reservation will be lost.
You don't have to "rush": you'll have 10 days to decide to take your reserved packs or not.
The more collection power and settler points (a concept available to former players), the more units you will have reserved to you. We will refine the formula but active players should expect a few units reserved.
The dates to make your decision are expected to be from Wednesday evening, October 12th, to October 22nd. Please note, our dates are always estimates. (you know about it, single and small team indies are more vulnerable to little delays, creative ideas and QA). Edit: we actually opened the new website on October 12th, and will allow purchases of your reserved packs from October 14th to 24th, after which all packs are put in a pool until October 27th.
Contract packs will all be released at the expected price of 90 USD for one pack.
If you ask yourself about "why so high" please understand players have alpha contracts which they purchased around that price but that have several hundreds USD in value on player market. We don't want to make the new content compete with alpha contracts value even if they address different EXODE features. Also, it's an ownership of card producing content; players can still purchase the cards dropped instead!
If you ask yourself about "why so low", this is because we are here to propose an opportunity to players despite the crypto winter. We understand the situation of crypto right now. Also players know this will increase in value and player value is what is important too.
Beta boosters will also be available and will be there at a lower price than beta release. Price cannot be revealed yet although we consider 3.50 USD or 4 USD for the special reservation release with a limited population of boosters.
They are not "alpha boosters". Beta boosters will not have the same epics or legendaries than alpha, and won't have access to "all" the same common and rare cards too.
There is a distribution "soft limit" of contract packs of each type. The number is estimated to be 300. If all players take their reserved packs we will exceed that limit.
After these days, depending if we have reached the distribution soft limit or not; packs which have not been taken will be available in a global pool on a first come, first served basis, for a duration of 3 days.
Packs you take during your reservation time cumulate with later if you want to activate a discount. If you take enough packs during the reservation time to acquire a discount, this discount will also carry to this 3 days time. This means there is no disadvantage in taking your packs during reservation time instead of waiting ; during the 3 days time there is also no guarantee that someone won't take packs before you try to.
After these 3 days, remaining packs, if any, will join the population of beta release which comes weeks later.
Beta release will be with a higher price which begins at 140 USD but increases price as supplies dwindle. If all reserved packs are taken, initial price of that pack will actually be 180 USD. So the alpha reservation does have a nice discount compared to beta release! Undercutting the shop to propose your packs will be allowed too.
These contract packs do not overlap with current contents: there will be nothing contesting the might of a Rekatron Contract, the colonization content of a Tom Premium Buddies or the versatile criminality, theme, fighters and drugs of the Syndicate. These alpha contracts are unique and will continue to receive new drops to their content.
Wow! this was some information package! :D
Sorry if there was so much to share in a single article.
People have been waiting for many months to get their hands on contracts, and now is their opportunity!
Please note these are beta contracts.
There won't be any more mint of alpha contracts.
If you want alpha contracts, you'll have to convince someone to separate himself/herself from it!
I wanted to add a few sections about the next gameplay release... but that will have to wait for the next article!
A big thanks for being there with us, pilots.
More information about EXODE can also be found on our Discord, or multiple posts such as this one about our epic characters, or this trailer made by a fan, or this review or this one . A summary of latest posts and events is also here.
We also have a witness node:
You can approve it with peakD or vote for it on Hivesigner.
Or, of course, you can head into the game right away on its website!
PS: what you see here are illustrations featured in the contract packs ; but contract packs themselves will have a new beta template and look even more unique!