Before we delve into their application in our game, let us very quickly explain what tokens are for those who may need a quick primer. Our tokens are digital assets that are stored on the Ethereum blockchain. In the case of ERC-20 tokens such as RUSH Coin (our in-game currency), these are fungible tokens. “Fungible” simply means that they are entirely interchangeable: you can exchange 1 RUSH Coin for any other 1 RUSH Coin and be no better or worse off, just like swapping any 1 dollar bill for another 1 dollar bill, the value is exactly the same.
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), however, such as those using the ERC-721 token standard, have differing attributes and characteristics. A good analogy is that of a plane ticket. While plane tickets may have the same general size and shape, the name, seat number, scheduled flight information and so on not only differ, but are all vitally important: you certainly would not be in the same situation if you exchanged your ticket for any other.
In Hash Rush, NFTs are used to create a category of items known as Cards. These in-game items allow players to store and bring into play numerous types of game assets. They can range from units such as workers or soldiers to resource gathering boosts, through to custom skins, and beyond.
Some of the Cards you’ll find in Hash Rush:
- Units
- Buildings
- Buffs (bonuses to units)
- Boosts (bonuses to process)
- Resources (common)
- Cosmetic Items (titles, icons, skins, etc.)
- Special Edition event cards
- Blueprints (can be reusable)
- Crafting Resources
- Premium Membership Time
Hash Rush gives these Cards as rewards to players for completing quests, earning achievements, and for reaching certain levels in our Reward Pool challenges. Players may keep these cards in their inventory for later use or trade them to other players in return for the in-game currency (RUSH Coin) — which can, in turn, be used to purchase additional cards.
Now, depending on what the application of the Card is, you can expect to find them in varying levels of rarity, ranging from thousands for common Cards to just a few for the more legendary items. For example, we have very common Cards that provide a small, temporary buff to the damage of your military units. We also have five single-use spells to wipe out all life on a planet’s surface. The more powerful and unique a Card is, the rarer and more valuable.
We also have special Cards called ‘blueprints’ which let players craft their own ERC-721 compliant cards. So how would this be used? Well, one example is that there are cards which will allow you to instantly spawn units. But there are also blueprint cards for making an Ernack Swordsman Card… just combine the Blueprint, an actual Swordsman, and a few other crafting resources and BAM… you now have a new, ERC-721 compliant Ernack Swordsman Card to save, use, or sell.
So why are we so excited and driven to make all our Cards be NFTs? Simple: ownership. All of our cards, from the most common buff to the most powerful spell are worth something in RUSH Coin, which in turn assigns them a real monetary value (as RUSH Coin can be purchased and sold both in and out of Hash Rush) — allowing the player to profit from them. To ensure transparency on the scarcity and history of these cards it is vital that we tokenize our Cards. This allows players to see exactly how many of these Cards exist and also highlights the fact that it is one-of-a-kind. Each card is 100% owned by the player, and cannot be duplicated or stolen (provided players keep their private keys safe, of course!).
So how would you as a player be able to utilize these NFTs? The first case is obvious, these are all items that are used in the game itself. Players can use them by activating them to receive the bonus that the card provides. The second case is to earn some money for the time invested in the game. As these cards are all blockchain assets, players can take these cards out of the game at any point and either store them privately, trade them privately or sell them at a third party market.
On the topic of third-party markets, we recently partnered with WAX who are able to offer trading on their WAX ExpressTrade platform along with being able to purchase items through OPSkins.
Beyond using NFTs as a security feature and for rarity protection, they also open new gameplay possibilities. Imagine cards that track the history of their use, so that they have grand lineages. Imagine being able to see the kills, events participated in and other key statistics — the possibilities are endless. This also allows us to create uniquely branded items. For instance, imagine having a signed Hash Rush skin in your favourite first-person shooter, or being able to have a themed skin for one of your buildings (anyone for a Vitalik Buterin statue for their colony?).
The team is ultra-passionate about exploring and conquering this new frontier, and here’s what a few of them they had to say.
Rob Nicholls
Lead Game Designer
graf wrote:The possibilities that NFT’s present are very exciting for us. Not only does this mean we can assure total authenticity and fraud protection, but we can offer players virtual goods that have value outside of the game itself. And as far as in-game uses, we are already planning for the obvious — tokens that can be redeemed for game units, skins, titles, and resources; tokens that can be traded between players in our marketplace; and limited edition tokens that are rare and collectable. And once we get these established, there is a whole new realm of possible uses to explore; it is a very interesting time for us!
Kristaps Vaivods
CEO & Co-Founder
graf wrote:We will be distributing our own tokenized in-game items and allowing players to tokenize items themselves. As trading is one of the primary game pillars in Hash Rush, NFTs are going to be an important part of the gameplay. ERC-721s will allow players not only to get unique items, units and skins but also much more. As an example, we are planning blueprint cards which will allow players to craft and distribute entirely new NFTs.
Craig Ritchie
Director of Marketing
graf wrote:The team is very excited by what this nascent technology will open up, not just for our game but for the industry in general. I’m particularly keen to see new ways of cross-game item use and cross-game customization options. Given how much in the NFT and blockchain gaming space is being driven by independent, passionate developers unencumbered by the restrictions of the large publishing houses, I’m expecting some great partnerships and innovative uses of NFTs as a result.
We are the cusp of a brand-new ocean of possibility and like those brave sea-faring captains of old, we are hoisting our sails and following the stars into the new world of blockchain.
