It has been in operation for more than 20 years and has long maintained the highly popular game IP " MapleStory " in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The original Korean manufacturer NEXON announced this year that it will open a new MapleStory metaverse"MapleStory N", using NFT and a new economy model to create a fusion of classics and innovations. Recently (12/11) NEXON subsidiary " NEXPACE" responsible for the development of "MapleStory N" also came to Taiwan to release relevant information, confirming that the game will be officially open to global players in the first half of 2025. .
Before the game was officially launched, BlockTempo also fully participated in the first and second Pioneer tests and conducted research on the game mechanics related to "MapleStory N". I have to admire NEXPACE 's research on blockchain technology. Many mechanisms correspond to the chain game industry, and their application in "MapleStory N" is very advanced and mature, and it is an industry leader.
This article will explain in detail the integration mechanism of blockchain and games, as well as the basic experience content of the game for beginners in the pioneer test. Finally, from the perspective of game players and the blockchain industry, it will deduce the future development direction of the game and early players. Advantages.
Game innovations and changes
"MapleStory N" inherits the classic gameplay of the original computer version of " MapleStory ", but has made comprehensive innovations in the overall currency economy and equipment system. It is obvious that it wants to use NFT to give a new game mechanism:
Economic system changes
- Limited issuance replaces unlimited issuance
- Most of the dropped items include normal game props such as potions and equipment. When they are tradable, they are all limited releases. The tradable props are divided into two types of items:
- NFT (non-fungible token), that is, non-stackable, each different props, such as weapons, armor and equipment
- FT (homogeneous token), that is, every prop is the same, such as potions, scrolls, one-time props and other consumables
- Most of the dropped items include normal game props such as potions and equipment. When they are tradable, they are all limited releases. The tradable props are divided into two types of items:
- There is no game NPC merchant
- The game has removed the NPC merchant role. Players can only trade props and equipment with game currency $NESO through the game market. All transactions will be generated by interactions between players. Usable equipment and consumable props cannot be obtained from NPC characters.
- Issuance of prop tokens
- When the level reaches a certain level, players can use the casting function to cast untradeable props into NFT and FT (tradable props). Players can use the game market to sell or purchase these tradable props, whether in the game In-game currency can be used for transactions in the built-in mall or official web store $NESO
- Game trading currency $NESO, NXPC
- Players can obtain the virtual currency $NESO by killing monsters or completing Galxe mission rewards in the game. $NESO is currently the main game currency of " MapleStory N ". All tokens must be obtained by players through "Killing Monsters" Mining" and "Task Mining" output.
The official also announced that another token, $NXPC, will appear in the cryptocurrency wallet in the future.
Although the official has not announced the detailed token economics and exchange mechanism, it can be expected that " MapleStory N " will use dual tokens to operate the game economy in the future. $NESO is mainly an in-game economic token, while $NXPC may be used by players for transactions. The main token used for deposits and withdrawals.
Gameplay changes
- BOSS treasure drop adjustment
- Different from the original first-come-first-served approach, the BOSS battle drops in "MapleStory N" adopt a weighted lottery system to reduce disputes over grabbing prop tokens.
"MapleStory N" on-chain infrastructure
Since it is a serious blockchain game, of course it also has a real blockchain browser and various other on-chain infrastructure. Officials have also stated in the past that they may gradually open these blockchain tools after operating for a period of time in the future. Including API and SDK for the community, moving towards a sustainable blockchain game developed by the community.
From the construction of these chains, we can know that " MapleStory N " really spent a lot of effort to build the blockchain, extracting the various EVM program codes and various protocols on the public chain Avalanche to construct what the game needs. All tools in the subnet.
Usually in the Web3 track, these infrastructure constructions on a public chain are often tens of millions of dollars each. It can be seen that the Nexpace team has invested huge amounts of money and dedication in this game:
- MapleStory N blockchain browser: msu-testnet
- Galxe Task List: MapleStory N Play
- MapleStory N web version store (can be traded outside the game): MSU-MarketPlace
- MapleStory N Genesis test points: The Genesis
- MapleStory character domain name (name system: make-name
Game login method (wallet)
Since it is a Web3 game, there is basically no distinction between game regions. It adopts global international servers and allows global players to play at the same time without any VPN. The login method does not require entering any personal information to create an account. You only need to prepare a blockchain wallet, and Sign the wallet on the MapleStory N official website to create a game Profile. The detailed process is as follows:
- Install the wallet browser plug-in (such as Metamask, etc.). Those who have already installed it can skip it. For detailed instructions , click here
- Use to open MapleStory N official website
- Click the "Connect" button in the upper right corner to connect to the wallet
- Select the wallet in the pop-up window and sign
- After binding, you will jump to the official website account Profile creation process.
- After creating your personal profile, your personal image will appear in the upper right corner. At this time, you can click "Play Now" on the right to install the local client. After installation, click "Play Now" again to start the game.
It should be noted that the current "MapleStory N" client only supports Windows systems, but it may be launched on other platforms in the future. You may look forward to NEXPACE 's support for other platforms in the future.
Galxe daily check-in, tasks, collection and airdrops
The reward system of "MapleStory N" is mainly supported by Galxe. Galxe is a Web3 integrated task airdrop platform. Players can earn token airdrops from different public chains and protocols as long as they complete tasks on the Galxe website.
However, in the "MapleStory N" game, players do not need to perform additional wallet interactions on the Galxe website. All tasks starting and receiving rewards have been automatically integrated into the "MapleStory N" game. This alone is already a model for the integration of third-party services in the Web3 industry, especially in the gaming industry.
Galxe reward tasks include daily check-ins, tasks and collections. In addition to game tokens $NESO, there are also galactic coins from the Galxe protocol. The tasks that can receive rewards basically include the following types (based on the second Pioneer Test as an example):
game tasks
- Daily solutions:
- Defeat 1,000 monsters every day that are within 20% of your level.
- Complete specific BOSS or other content tasks twice a day and submit them
- Use props to enhance one piece of equipment every day
- Daily buying and selling of props (NFT, FT)
- one-time tasks
- Job transfer (2nd, 3rd or 4th transfer)
- Upgrade the level (level 40~90, one task for every ten levels)
- Complete content tasks in each area
- Kill BOSS Balrog (easy), Balogu (easy), Balrog (easy)
- Complete various teaching procedures
Gear Up Now! Activity
In the second Pioneer Test, in addition to the characters that can be used in the first Pioneer Test, word card sign-in Gear Up Now is also available! The event allows players to reserve character data for the official version.
During the event, collect ten letters including "MAPLE STORY". After the collection is completed, experience doubling coupons and character name casting props will be issued the next day. After each completion, you can also get additional rewards:
- Sign in five times: you can get character costumes
- Sign in ten times: you can get a magnet pet
- Fifteen check-ins: Obtain a fourth-turn character and keep it until the official version.
- Required to complete all MapleStory N Play Quest missions on Galxe
NFT system and transaction status
In the game "MapleStory N" , after the character reaches level 30 (approximately 5 to 6 hours of game time), you can start using the NFT casting system and NFT store.
In the NFT store, players can use the acquired virtual currency $NESO tokens for consumption, and the official website also provides Web3 NFT stores , such as BLUR, OPENSEA, etc... NFT exchange webpages allow players to buy and sell NFT virtual items. with equipment and decorations.
In the second Pioneer test, it can be seen on the official website that there are currently 8.64 million auction tokens listed, and the number of active wallets is 490,000, with the total transaction volume reaching 6 million $NESO tokens, through Re-understanding the game "MapleStory N" through the blockchain is an amazing organic economy in itself.
Name character NFT store
When creating a character in the game, the default name is a random name. If you participate in the Galxe mission of the Pioneer game, you can obtain a prop for casting the character's ID. After using the prop, you will first seize the unique ID ownership of the game character. At this time, the character name is permanent. Exclusive (just like the concept of web3 domain names).
In the NFT store, you can select character NFTs in the market and see a variety of character NFTs, which include their exclusive IDs, professions and equipment. This is a bit like you can cut out the characters in your wallet and sell them, and keep them. If you have a character NFT, you can select the character in the start menu to play.
This means that "MapleStory N" can allow you to use the official mechanism and the official token $NESO to legally buy and sell account characters, which also increases the liquidity of the character itself as an asset.
Actual travel experience
It should be noted that the current game supports eight languages, but after testing, Traditional/Simplified Chinese is still in the BETA stage. Although it can be changed to Traditional/Simplified Chinese in the game, the general game UI interface and text, props, skills, and tasks Most of the descriptions are still in English. This may be the most important thing for users in Chinese-speaking areas. It is expected to be improved before the official version is launched.
The game process is similar to that of the PC game. After completing the basic novice tutorial, you can directly upgrade to level 10 and choose a career. There are currently five first-turn careers to choose from:
- swordsman
- Archer
- mage
- thief
- pirate
According to the large amount of guide content for "MapleStory" on the Internet, any profession can easily find a place to practice quickly. In just two pioneer tests, testers in the dynamic area can practice to the fullest by playing casually every day. It's nearly 150 levels in the middle and late stages, which also shows that MapleStory has gradually made many adjustments under the trend of faster pace of mainstream games in recent years, and it is not as hectic as in the past impression.
In "MapleStory N", in addition to enjoying the classic scenes and BOSS battles of the PC game, you can also benefit from the benefits of the new economic system, allowing the server and equipment economic ecology to move towards a healthier state.
There are many real people online
What I feel most deeply about the experience of "MapleStory N" is that you can interact with most players in "MapleStory N". Oh my God, this is something that is currently unseen in the PC game " MapleStory N ". This is The most unexpected direct benefits brought by blockchain.
It is speculated that the blockchain mechanism and the lottery of treasure hunting will also bring a certain degree of scale difficulty for the automatic treasure hunting studio. However, in the future, it will also test how NEXPACE operations can take advantage of mechanisms such as blockchain. Keep players active.
The pioneering period has a strong flavor
Regarding the environment of the equipment market, testers from the mobile zone believe that the current equipment of "MapleStory N" on the market is still insufficient. Most players wear equipment that is lower than the level for training and hunting. This has also led to high The prices of level BOSS equipment continue to rise.
But on the other hand, this also means that the casting limit and economic model design have achieved the expected goals to a certain extent. The current environment of "MapleStory N" plays very much like the pioneering period. In other words, the distance between ordinary players and premium players There is no obvious gap yet, which is conducive to the promotion of the game and the entry of general players, as well as the long-term operational sustainability of the game.
Using the NFT mechanism also improves the efficiency of the trading market. If the equipment is rare and expensive, the price will naturally rise, which will also encourage many people to bet on BOSS. On the contrary, if the equipment becomes more abundant, the price will drop.
Conclusion and future
The game experience of "MapleStory N" is not much different from the original version, but its efforts in the economic system, blockchain tokenization, and on-chain infrastructure can be said to be very careful. To use the analogy of rare virtual treasures in "MapleStory N", if a certain piece of equipment may cost thousands of dollars, then the equipment and props in "MapleStory N" may be more valuable, and the earlier you enter, the more money you will make.
Are props more valuable?
As most props have NFT and FT casting upper limits, it is destined that many functional props and equipment cannot be issued infinitely, and they are bound to be rare and expensive. There are no limited quantities of props and equipment in "MapleStory" Usually it will only get cheaper. In the medium and long term of "MapleStory N", the price may not fall so fast, and may even show an upward trend against the trend after the casting limit is close to full.
Lower entry and exit threshold for players
The biggest advantage of putting the game on the chain and making the items scarce is that it can reduce the average player's entry cost. No matter how hard any player plays for a period of time, they will eventually be able to produce valuable items and will not be trapped in the past online game operations. In the medium and long term, the vicious cycle of inflation caused by the unlimited issuance of virtual treasures and gold coins.
This means that if a player stops playing for a while, he may be able to expect a small amount of game labor compensation when he quits, because the props and equipment he has worked and produced are better than those in non-blockchain games. Props are more valuable.
On the other hand, if players with a small budget enter the market, they will benefit from high liquidity and can purchase the equipment and items they need in less time. The highly efficient market and economy will make most players All the time is spent playing the game, thereby promoting the high-frequency consumption/production of props in the game itself, instead of falling into a vicious businessman's game of buying low and selling high.
Research and estimation of token value
Finally, what everyone cares about most is whether it is worth playing "MapleStory N" and whether you can make money. In fact, because the official has not announced detailed token economics, we will not make too many speculations here. This article We only make basic inferences in principle. Please note that this article is not any investment advice and is for academic research only.
First of all, the sooner the game is played, the better. First of all $NESO token output is adjusted according to each game cycle, so it is reasonable to estimate that when the number of players increases linearly, it is very likely that monsters and tasks will produce |_2024111120238_ | The amount of token drops will decrease in the new cycle in order to control the inflation of the overall token.
- The sooner you play when fewer people are playing, the more $NESO tokens you can potentially earn.
$NXPC, which was released later, is also one of the key points, because the $NESO token is bound to the token inside the "MapleStory N" game, but $NXPC is very likely to represent the entire Web3 ecosystem of NEXPACE in the future. value, which might allow us to reasonably boldly assume:
- The overall $NESO market value will be the overall market value of "MapleStory N";
Considering that NEXPACE may not only include "MapleStory N" ecologically in the future, we can deduce that:
- The token value of $NXPC is the sum of "MapleStory N" and the entire product ecosystem.
Therefore, we initially believe that if you can play "MapleStory N" in Vietnam in the early stage and earn $NESO in exchange for $NXPC, and hold it for a long time, it may be a more cost-effective strategy.
"MapleStory N" real players may be airdropped
Finally, let’s talk about the most scarce thing in this market: “real users.” The same situation has been verified by products such as Solana Saga.
We can estimate that most of the early users of "MapleStory N" will be real users, but even robots and plug-in studios can analyze airdrops from on-chain data, so Fake users can easily be identified as witches or fake users.
Therefore, the wallets of these real players are likely to become the first batch of very valuable airdrop targets in the Web3 world, and may be dropped by many other game manufacturers in the future in order to attract users to play their Web3 games.
Of course, we are not sure now whether NEXPACE is willing to open the "MapleStory N" chain analysis tools to other peers, but in view of the understanding of Avalanche, I think that the EVM public chain without much privacy will sooner or later be used by high-end It’s only a matter of time before on-chain analytics companies see through.
Instead of fighting against the nature of the block, a better strategy may be to embrace this feature as a promotional method to attract players. In the future, we may be able to observe how NEXPACE and the official will open the on-chain tools of "MapleStory N" to the public. Group use.
We can also look forward to seeing whether NEXPACE can use such blockchain game features to further reward real players and enhance the sustainability of the game.
