Introducing: ARTIFACTS (and a new type of event!)

  • The very first Artifact item, a completely new item class that can only be obtained via gameplay with immense game design implications, is now able to be obtained by looting Metallic creatures and embarking on ‘Haunted Mega Monster Mart’ Adventures for a short time! Read on to find out how this addition massively impacts the core Krafties experience moving forward.
  • Monster Metallic Mania! An new in-game event just kicked off: Increased sightings of Metallic creatures, spawning in extra-large sizes, are being reported. But they may not be visiting our world for long!
  • A small reminder: Did you know that in years past we’ve released multiple Dia De Los Muertos limited edition pets? You can buy them from other players in the app’s Shop by searching for the ‘Muerto’ element!

Before boss battles, let’s learn about Artifacts!

Rare and valuable equipment with powerful effects – Artifacts have been unearthed!

Artifacts, Explained

Dev Note: This is an entirely new game design excursion, so the following details are subject to change as the team receives player feedback and analyzes how this introduction affects the overall game.

Artifacts are a new, equippable item class with a twist! When equipped to pets, Artifacts may provide any number of novel, interesting, and powerful effects. However, the Artifact class of items differs from other item types in that they are unable to be sold or traded, and once equipped to a pet they cannot be unequipped without breaking said Artifact. In their current incarnation, all artifacts MUST be obtained by the player wielding the artifact! With this game addition the Krafties team has enabled the creation of meaningful and highly worthwhile content that rewards an active playstyle, all without meddling in our existing core systems and secondary markets. Read more about the decisions made in the FAQ at the end of this post!

Artifact basics:

  • Artifacts are equippable, unique items. When equipped to a pet they take up 1 Equipment slot.
  • Artifacts cannot be transferred between player accounts or purchased on the secondary market. Artifacts MUST be obtained via the player during active gameplay.
  • Each Artifact becomes locked to a pet upon being equipped. Removing an Artifact from a pet results in the item breaking and disappearing.
  • When transferred or sold, a pet’s equipped Artifacts automatically break and are removed.

* This new item class is being added with only a single Artifact in order to introduce the idea in a simple way, as well as create a dialogue around the concept in general. With the arrival of Boss Battles a myriad of Artifact types will be available for players to collect and utilize!

The Dread Gambit – A New Rare Artifact!

These formidable cards seem to be locked in place, held face-down by a dark and powerful force preventing the wielder from seeing the mysterious inscriptions upon their faces. Legends say that only by offering up a life as sacrifice may a single card be flipped in this dreadful game.

  • This equipment item grants a 25% chance to loot multiple items from wild creatures when defeated
  • Upon passing out (reaching 0 HP), the equipped pet incurs a 99% strength debuff for one minute
  • Decreases a pet’s total available health by 90% at all times

Dev Note: These values are a starting point and may be adjusted. The intention of this artifact is to give a modest reward to players who are willing to incur a relatively significant gameplay challenge. These values may be changed to better honor this intention as more information is gathered around Artifact use. Please keep in mind that while the penalties for this Artifact are steep, it is NOT intended for lower-level play and instead provides challenging opportunities for players closer to the "endgame".

There is currently a small chance to obtain The Dread Gambit from defeating Metallic Creatures or embarking on Adventures. However, The Dread Gambit item is only available from these sources for a short time during this introductory period. After that, it will become much more difficult to obtain!

Monster Metallic Mania

A brand new type of in-game event, brought to you by our amazing mod team! During the Artifact event, Metallic Creatures are being drawn to our world in greater numbers, and they… are ENORMOUS?! Now is the perfect time to collect any of the Metallic species badges you may be missing in order to fill out your Platinum status in the Creature Compendium, and of course get your hands on the new Dread Gambit Artifact!

* NOTE: Metallics have a *chance* of dropping the new artifact, but it is not guaranteed with each defeat. This chance slightly improves as metallic difficulty scales (bronze -> silver -> gold -> platinum), but this is a increase is intended to be minor.

FAQ

  • What are Artifacts in Krafties?
    • Artifacts are a new class of Equippable items in Krafties with unique and powerful effects.

  • How do I obtain Artifacts?
    • Currently, there is a single Artifact type (Dread Gambit) which can only be obtained through looting Metallic Creatures and Adventures (for a limited time). However, as players grow accustomed to this new addition and provide feedback, the Krafties team would like to integrate these items across every aspect of the game.

  • Can I trade or sell Artifacts to other players?
    • No, Artifacts cannot be traded or sold to other players. They are account-bound.

  • What is the purpose of introducing Artifacts in Krafties?
    • Artifacts are introduced to encourage active gameplay and offer meaningful rewards, gameplay enhancements, and endgame content which cannot simply be purchased from the secondary market.

  • What’s the significance of making Artifacts account-bound in Krafties?
    • Artifacts represent an exciting new game design decision, and their account-bound nature stems from a deliberate choice to reward active participation in the Krafties ecosystem. Artifacts are meant to be coveted treasures that reflect your dedication and skill as a player. To achieve this, we’ve made Artifacts obtainable exclusively through in-game activities. This design decision ensures that acquiring Artifacts is a rewarding and engaging experience, adding depth to your journey in the world of Krafties.

  • How do account-bound artifacts help to preserve game balance?
    • To the best of our ability Krafties strives to create fair and meaningful experiences for all of our community members. By making Artifacts account-bound, we hope to better maintain this fairness and avoid scenarios where players with deep pockets are able to instantly acquire these exceptional items. Ideally, this creates an environment where players of all backgrounds are able to participate in activities on more even ground.

  • How does the account-bound approach impact the secondary market and in-game economy?
    • Krafties (loosely) follows a sandbox-style MMO design, with an emphasis on a robust player-driven economy and user-defined experiences. While most items in the game are freely tradable, Artifacts are designed to be a special exception. This helps maintain the rarity and significance of Artifacts, while other items will continue to contribute to our dynamic in-game economy.

  • How does this impact the perception of pay-to-win?
    • We understand that the concept of “pay-to-win” can be a sensitive topic for players, and there is not one shared universal definition (especially in an open world without predefined goals like Krafties). That being said, with account-bound Artifacts we hope to eliminate any perception that all in-game success can be bought with real money. Instead, we encourage players to showcase their skills and dedication as they conquer challenges and unlock the potential of Artifacts through gameplay.

  • How does the account-bound design support future expansions and balance changes?
    • With Artifacts being account-bound, we gain greater flexibility in shaping the game’s future. We can introduce new Artifact types, refine existing effects, and adjust gameplay elements without disrupting the item market or causing massive imbalances. This enables us to continually evolve and enhance the Krafties experience.

  • What’s the overall goal of this account-bound Artifact system?
    • Our aim is to create a vibrant gaming environment where players engage actively with the game world, enjoying an ever greater sense of accomplishment. By making Artifacts account-bound we hope to emphasize the importance of skill and dedication in the Krafties universe.

  • Are there different types of Artifacts?
    • Currently, there is one Artifact type available, but more will be introduced in the near future.

  • How do Artifacts work when equipped to a pet?
    • When equipped to a pet Artifacts take up one equipment slot. Each Artifact is locked to a specific pet and cannot be removed without breaking it. Once equipped, depending on the Artifact used any number of things may happen.

  • What happens if I remove an Artifact from my pet?
    • Removing an Artifact from a pet will break the Artifact and it will disappear.

  • Can I transfer a pet with an equipped Artifact to another player?
    • Yes, but when transferred or sold, a pet’s equipped Artifacts automatically break and are removed.

  • What kind of effects do Artifacts provide to pets?
    • There is no set, definitive answer to this question. Artifacts may provide a wide range of novel, interesting, and powerful effects.

  • Are there any restrictions on the number of Artifacts a pet can have equipped?
    • Artifacts are limited to the number of Equipment Slots available to a pet.

  • Can I collect and utilize multiple Artifacts on different pets?
    • Yes, players can collect and equip different Artifacts on various pets.

  • Can the effects of Artifacts be adjusted or changed in the future?
    • Yes, the values and effects of Artifacts may be adjusted based on player feedback and game balance considerations.

  • Will there be more information on Artifact use and balance in the future?
    • Yes, the development team will continue to analyze Artifact use and gather feedback to ensure they enhance the overall gaming experience. Additionally, we’ll be keeping an eye on how the addition of these items impacts progression, the in-game economy, and other areas of Krafties.

We’re eagerly awaiting your thoughts on this new addition in Krafties chat! Have fun!

A “Small” Developer’s Note

Hey all! I don’t want to waste your time re-iterating too many of the facts behind this design decision that are listed above (it’s a lot of information already), but I do want to hopefully give a bit more perspective on what this means for a game like Krafties from a design standpoint. In particular, I want to try and explain some of the less obvious implications and reasons around the decisions.

Krafties is an interesting beast in many ways, and the design considerations that are taken into account are hard to map one to one with anything else that I’ve come across. Krafties is an MMO, and it’s… a lot of other things all at the same time. We’re not *just* designing a game, we’re creating a pet based product in a virtual world. This fact alone introduces a number of factors that lie outside of our control which have to be designed around. A lot of these are obvious and easy to explain. For example, if I had it my way you’d be able to go on infinite adventures across a vast and rich 3D world populated with interesting biomes and zany species with your cute companions, but the high price of virtual land in this particular virtual world model makes that (sort of) impossible. Some of them are less obvious, though, such as the general expectations residents have formed around games and entertainment in Second Life, very much influenced by its long history and the popular products and creations that have shaped those expectations. To put it in more simple and concrete terms, inside of Second Life a game like Krafties does not *thrive* without a robust secondary market. It is a requirement, and we treat it as such.

If your goal is to build a simple free market simulator then that works heavily in your favor. But, what if you want to create a full MMORPG experience, one that lives up to expectations of not just Second Life residents but also those who want to play a game that delivers on more than just the premise of a free market simulation? In that case, things get a bit more difficult.

If you study MMOs for a while you’ll begin to see some more or less clear lines in how they approach trading and economic balance, the format of their content releases, and generally how the mental model of the different “game worlds” are conveyed through their design decisions. You’ll definitely begin to see how loot drop tables, gear, and progression are all heavily tied to some of these macro design decisions. Do you want a heavy grind with random massive spikes of excitement? Maybe you want a higher baseline level with lower peaks?

As a thought experiment, let’s imagine two separate game worlds that both revolve around combat and use powerful magic swords heroes get from exploring treacherous dungeons. In the first world, imagine that these powerful swords are able to be bought and sold freely with absolutely no limitations. Players find them in dungeons, put them on the market, get gold, and use that gold to upgrade their swords. However, in the second game world every sword you encounter becomes attuned to your soul, binding to you for eternity. You are the only hero able to wield its magic. In both worlds, the swords have the exact same effect in combat. Now let’s build a scenario…

World 1 (buy and sell everything)

You have journeyed deep into an unforgiving dungeon, uncovering a LEGENDARY “Blade of Being The Best Weapon In The Entire Game”. You’ve seen this sword on the market and you know exactly what it’s worth the moment you see it. It’s worth about 1 million and seventy three garlic bulbs, or one hundred thousand bundles of bananas (items you’ve been looting for the past 10 years and are intimately familiar with their trading value). This is a VALUABLE sword, and it would have taken you AT LEAST three months of grinding to buy from the market. You were planning to buy one soon, but now you don’t have to. That’s cool.

World 2 (soul bound sword)

You have journeyed deep into an unforgiving dungeon, uncovering a LEGENDARY “Blade of Being The Best Weapon In The Entire Game”. You’ve seen this sword on forums, along with one random high level character in the overworld holding one with a crowd around them, but you NEVER thought that you would ever own one. The spawn rate on the legendary guardian you just killed is crazy low, and what’s even the drop rate for this sword? Like .0000000001%??? You equip the sword and run to town to show it off. You are now a LEGEND. That’s epic.

Please forgive the hyperbole, but I hope it helps to illustrate the difference in mentality that these two systems can create from a player perspective. One last note here before I move on, again from a player perspective. In the first world where everything can be bought and sold, you may notice that, in aggregate, loot drops feel less “valuable”, while in the second world the loot table feels a lot more “generous”. Simply put, when everything is essentially fungible and able to be transferred freely loot drops must necessarily be adjusted to account for the journey of the entire game population being interconnected, while in the second individual players are able to be rewarded perfectly on every step of their journey with a more handcrafted, artisanal approach. Which one is better? Well, I don’t know. Let’s try both.

I know this is long, but I’d like to (hopefully) now give you a quick and very real dev perspective.

Are you ready? Here it is. Krafties wants to create a rich gaming experience, and in a game world where everything is completely fungible it’s simply easier for a bit of dullness or cloudiness to seep in. That, coupled with the fact that managing the economy of the game is a full time job when taking into account balance and security concerns, means that over the years there’s been a lot of “analysis paralysis” when the thought of adding new items comes up. Now, recently you may have noticed a slightly new approach that’s being taken to shake off that paralysis (the approach of “you know what, let’s just do it and then deal with the problems it causes so we can try something new”), but that approach comes with its own drawbacks. In truth, as a designer balancing a game, the account-bound nature of Artifacts is a huge blessing. It feels like a massive burden has been lifted from every thought that starts with “wouldn’t it be cool if…”

With that, I’ll end this “small” note.

Happy Krafties everyone!