Chainbreakers is a virtual reality game in development from Qwellcode. Chainbreakers exists within Decentraland, a virtual world that does not rely on a central server to keep it running.
It has gained the attention of the blockchain community because it is part of Decentraland and because it uses a cryptocurrency token called “MANA” for all in-game purchases.
This article will explain in detail what Chainbreakers is and how it will work once it is finished.
Chainbreakers: a Decentraland game
Chainbreakers is not a standalone game. It exists solely within the virtual world of Decentraland. This is similar to titles such as Retail Tycoon, Meep City, Horizons, and The Vault, which exist within the worlds of Roblox and Second Life.
However, there is one big difference between Decentraland and these other virtual worlds. In Roblox and Second Life, the virtual world is stored on the developer’s servers. This means that if the developer goes out of business, the world will cease to exist.
It also means that the developer has enormous power, since it can potentially delete users’ accounts or transfer property from one person to another anytime it wants.
In Decentraland, the virtual world is stored on the Ethereum blockchain. And since Ethereum is a decentralized network, the developer cannot control it. This ensures that landowners and other participants truly own and control their virtual assets.
For more information on Decentraland, read our review.
Chainbreakers gameplay
Chainbreakers is still in an early stage of development, and there are many aspects of its gameplay that are not yet known. But here is what we know so far:
Ancient Greek setting
The setting for Chainbreakers is Ancient Greece. Player characters live in a city-state ruled by a despotic monarch. Slavery is rampant in this city, and it is the player characters’ job to free these slaves and defeat the ruling class.
Unit classes, roles, and stats
Each player assembles an army made up of units. And each unit plays a different role. Some units are tanks, while others are healers or DPS units. Some units have abilities from multiple roles. For example, paladin units are both DPS and healers.
Depending on the role of the unit, it will need certain stats to accomplish its objectives. Healers need Intellect and Wisdom. Tanks need Vitality and Charism. DPS units need Tactics and Dexterity. The higher these stats are, the faster these units can finish quests in questing areas.
Questing areas, experience levels, and progression
Most of the gameplay in Chainbreakers takes place in questing areas. These areas exist on various pieces of LAND within Decentraland.
As the players assemble their armies, they are able to send their followers on quests within these areas. When a unit participates in a quest, it earns experience points and eventually gains levels. As units reach higher levels, they unlock new areas to quest in.
Equipment vendors
Within each questing area are vendors that sell weapons, armor, training, and other types of helpful items. These items must be purchased with MANA, the native currency of Decentraland.
Prizes for “winning” players?
In Qwellcode’s official blog, they claim that some players will receive MANA dividends based on the amount of experience they gain within a questing area. This reward will be paid out of a pool funded by vendors within the area.
It’s unclear exactly how this reward-system will work. If players must buy items from within a questing area in order to earn dividends, there won’t be much point in earning them. On the other hand, if the items bought in one area can be used to farm MANA from other areas, then buying these items may be a valuable long-term investment.
However, Qwellcode will need to be careful not to run afoul of the law. Chainbreakers does not produce its own currency the way most games do. Prizes are paid out from the MANA taken in by vendors.
Because of this, the game could appear to authorities as a “contest” that charges an entry fee. If it gains this designation, the fact that the developer is selling advantages in the game may cause legal troubles for it.
Still, if the game can find a way around this problem, the ability to earn MANA from items collected will be a nice perk for dedicated players.
Rents to LANDowners
Players are not the only parties who receive dividends out of vendor proceeds. Owners of the LAND that questing areas are built on will also be paid a portion of these sales.
Chainbreakers demo
Qwellcode has produced a demo of what Chainbreakers will look like. You will need Metamask to view it.
The demo shows a Greek-style marketplace filled with equipment such as the Cavalryman’s Armor of Spirituality and the Executioner Axe of Defense.
Warning: This demo uses the Ethereum mainnet. If you click “buy,” make sure you reject the transaction through Metamask unless you actually want to buy the item.
The controls are similar to Minecraft. W, S, D, and A keys move the character forward, backward, right, and left, while the mouse turns the character in the direction the player desires. The graphics are also similar to Minecraft, Roblox, and other block-style games
The developer has also released a second demo. This one does not require Metamask, and you cannot make purchases within it. It shows a temple, some human characters, and a few pets.
Unfortunately, there are no actual quests in these demos. So they don’t really show what the gameplay will be like. But at least they show the basic controls and graphics.
Chainbreakers Beta
The Chainbreakers BETA for Decentraland is scheduled to go live on July 19th, 2019. All users that have a Celestial Ring will be able to join.
Who is Qwellcode?
Qwellcode is a virtual reality studio with expertise in Ecommerce, 3D Printing, and POS systems. It employs a team of 15 people. It has no previous experience producing games. However, it has produced numerous VR-oriented mobile apps and websites for clients such as Phoenix Contact, GOP Entertainment Group, Takko Fashion, and others.
Conclusion
Chainbreakers is a game that exists within the world of Decentraland. It is still in an early stage of development, but we do know a few things today about how it will work once it is finally released.
In this article, we’ve explained Chainbreakers’ Ancient Greek Setting, class and role system, leveling progression, and rewards system. We’ll have to wait and see what Chainbreakers is like once it is finished. But this is what we know about it so far.
