FAM Newsletter #2 4/22/2024 - Avarupter

Greetings, FAM members and Web3 Community!

Welcome to this week's edition of our FAM newsletter, packed with fresh insights and expert advice, with a special focus on the BigTime universe. As our community grows and evolves, our newsletter remains dedicated to highlighting the remarkable individuals who add vibrancy to our community. We will continue exploring diverse topics of interest from various community forums, as well. Let's dive into this week's content!

BigTime Tips & Tricks

Navigating the world of BigTime can be as challenging as it is thrilling. Here are some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your adventure:

1. Choosing The Right Pocket Watch(es) To Level: Leveling up a subpar pocket watch timeline can feel frustrating or like a waste of time. Here are some considerations when choosing what timeline may be worthy of your time! The number of sockets on a pocket watch is determined by the tier level (commonly referred to as T#) and gears slotted in those sockets can help supplement additional skills to enhance and expand your character’s abilities. T2, T3, and T4 watches have 2 sockets available while T5 and T6 have 3 sockets, T7 and T8 have 4 sockets, and so on. Tiers are just as important to pay attention to along with the additional stats and subtrees. For example, a T4 pocket watch with better stats for a chosen class may not be as valuable as a T5 watch with lesser stats, additional sockets, and additional subtrees already loaded. However, if a T4 pocket watch does have additional subtrees befitting your playstyle and the stats are acceptable, it may be a better choice than waiting for a T5 of equal stats value. Don't hesitate to seek advice from the community, as many members have extensive experience across various timelines!

2. Continuously Optimize Your Skill Tree: Diversify your skill tree points based on your play style and the roles you prefer to play in team settings. Don’t be afraid to reset your skills regularly to better suit your current needs or to complement your team’s composition better. If you are looking for challenges, find ways to test new skills as they can possible become the new meta if built effectively. Keep in mind: These are your timelines…let your personality shine in any number of them!

3. Optimize Prestige Portal Runs: Finding the preferred prestige portals has increased in difficulty along with recent changes to de-buffs as well as entry costs and requirements. Once the “right” prestige portal is found, adding bonuses by spending Prestige Portal Mod Chips on rolls can be costly to get the “right” bonuses. Discuss with your team the goals of the prestige portal runs and determine who or how many rolls are acceptable between the party. For example, farming tokens efficiently requires gold rolls such as the ‘All Buffs’ gold bonus and a gold $BIGTIME increase token drop. We highly advise discussing with your team what the goals of the run(s) will be, the types of de-buffs on each considered prestige portal, the overall resource costs of entry, NFT requirements for entry, and the expected number of bonus rolls each member is expected to spend prior to entering a prestige portal together.

4. Keep Checking Out The Marketplace: The in-game marketplace is a dynamic environment where you can find valuable items or sell your crafted or acquired in-game NFTs. Prices can fluctuate based on demand and updates consistently; stay informed and seize opportunities to buy and sell wisely. Watching for events directly impacting demand for certain items on the marketplace creates an optimal selling opportunity. From a buying perspective, you may utilize completed events to load up on saturated markets with declining prices of needed items. As always, be mindful to avoid overextending your own budget and always have an exit strategy ready.

Remember, the journey in BigTime is as much about the community and shared experiences as it is about individual achievement. Let's continue to support each other and grow together!

Let’s Talk Tokenomics: $BIGTIME

We do not offer financial advice or encourage any type of behavior. We do encourage reviewing the information below and making decisions knowing inherent risks exist in any investment market.

The volatility of the BigTime Token's price is influenced by several factors. Positive developments such as increasing the number of active players, promotion of (potentially profitable) leaderboard challenges, and improvements in gameplay development tend to drive up its value. On the other hand, negative events like crackdowns on exploitive behavior (at least initially), decrease of motivation in existing repetitive non-profitable leaderboard challenges, or market sentiment shifts can lead to a decrease in value. Additionally, market speculation, investor behavior, and macro-tokenomic trends also contribute to the BigTime Token's volatility, as they impact the supply and demand dynamics within the cryptocurrency market.

Recent changes targeting token farmers and professional extractors aimed to stabilize the BigTime Token's ecosystem by addressing exploitative practices. These changes include adjustments made for anti-manipulation measures (additional costs and delays in utilization of workshops when account swapping). By discouraging manipulative behavior, we believe BigTime Studios seeks to create a healthier and more sustainable environment for investors and users of the BigTime Token, ultimately contributing to a more stable and less volatile marketplace on OpenLoot.

"The 'positive' changes are made, and the price has dropped and is still lower than I am comfortable with; now what?" Speculation is not fact or fiction. Speculation is about confidence, trust in the product, perception of BigTime studio’s decisions, and overall sustainability of existing trends. It is crucial to understand the specifics of any changes and assess their long-term impact. Are these changes addressing fundamental issues, improving scalability, or fostering genuine utility for the token? Moreover, understanding market sentiment and investor behavior is vital. A drop in price post-positive changes could be due to short-term profit-taking, market overreaction, or a lack of immediate market understanding of the implications of these changes. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis combining technical aspects, market sentiment, and the broader cryptocurrency landscape is necessary to navigate through such price fluctuations and make informed decisions.

FAM Guild Activities Update

The FAM Guild continues expanding its presence in the Web3 arena. BigTime has served as a universally acclaimed foundational Web3 game among all FAM members, and the guild is now branching out into other Web3 spaces. Current additional interests include Shrapnel, Night Crows, WorldShards, Boss Fighters, Nyan Heroes, Metal Core, and Seraph. On the FAM Discord, there are dedicated channels for each of these projects, each fostering its own growing community focused on collective learning and development. If you're curious about the latest developments in any of these games, we recommend engaging with the dedicated channels and consulting the FAM trailblazers.

Spotlight FAM Community Member: Avarupter

Avarupter, a seasoned explorer in the Web3 and crypto gaming universe, began his journey with early adventures into Entropia Universe back in 2014 where he says it was not a true Web3 game but very similar in the cash-based economy structure. This is where the Avarupter name was born: “My name Avarupter evolved from my character in Entropia, which in Entropia, a character has 3 names (kinda like first, middle, last) Avalon Butterfly Erupter -- Avarupter.” After Entropia, Avarupter was diving into the worlds of Axie Infinity, Lost Relics, and his current focus, BigTime. His initial draw to Axie Infinity was "the earning potential," although he critiqued the game's balance adjustments, noting, "by nerfing an axie you also nerf its value." This comment highlights his deep interest in the economic dynamics of play-to-earn games, where gameplay and financial investment intersect to form a modern gaming narrative.

In navigating the Web3 gaming landscape, Avarupter promotes a thoughtful and community-centric approach. He advises newcomers to "start by understanding that in BigTime, the main currency in game is a cryptocurrency called the $BIGTIME TOKEN and it’s important to observe what markets have the most trading volume" and urges newcomers to "refrain from [immediately] jumping in with your wallet." Avarupter, like many streamers, is open to sharing his perspectives of successful paths within Web3 but, like many streamers, highly encourages trying and enjoying the game first before thinking about the potential rewards. One of Avarupter’s main tools used to help navigate his investments is Dashloot calling it “your friend” or companion.

Looking toward the future, Avarupter holds a cautiously optimistic view for the trajectory of Web3 gaming. He believes that "Web3 gaming is the way forward," envisioning a path from niche acceptance to mainstream adoption. Despite acknowledging the volatility and risks—"Either the organization behind the project makes too many mistakes or players exploiting the project destroy it"—his enthusiasm for the potential of gaming to offer both entertainment and financial opportunity remains strong. “Why would the average player dedicate their time and energy in a game that sucks money from them via subscription when they can invest their time and energy into a game that can deliver the same, if not better, level of entertainment and earn…or, should I say, potentially earn” which he does highlight there are no guarantees.

Avarupter's gaming journey is also deeply rooted in a love for traditional gaming, as evidenced by his fondness for "Final Fantasy VII" and engagement with strategic games like Magic: The Gathering. “I've always been a fan of RPG's growing up.” These passions reveal his broad connection to gaming culture, bridging the gap between digital economies and the rich storytelling, strategy, and community that have always defined gaming. His competitive nature is evident in his Magic: The Gathering tournament experiences, especially the memorable participation in the first ever Japanese Grand Prix, demonstrating his adaptability and competitive spirit.

Beyond the screens, Avarupter's life is woven with physical and cultural explorations. From engaging in Wallyball to experiencing the marvels of Japan, including "Tokyo Disneyland/Disneysea," his pursuits outside of gaming paint a picture of a life rich with activity and discovery. This mix of digital enthusiasm and real-world adventures portrays Avarupter not just as a gamer or crypto enthusiast, but as a well-rounded individual navigating the intersections of digital innovation, traditional gaming, and the diverse experiences that life has to offer.

This interview was not recorded but you can find out more from Avarupter by joining his Twitch streams here: https://www.twitch.tv/avarupter
Avarupter streams Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from 3AM-9AM EST.

Thank you for being a part of our vibrant community. Your passion and engagement are what make the FAM Guild truly extraordinary. Let's keep building, exploring, and achieving together in the exciting world of Web3 Gaming.

Until next time, game on, FAM!

The FAM Guild Team