FAM Newsletter #5 5/13/2024 - Captain_Atariman

Greetings, FAM members and Web3 Community!

Welcome to this week's edition of the FAM newsletter! Prepare to dive into a wealth of new insights and expert advice, with a special focus on the ever-evolving BigTime universe. As our community grows and thrives, we are dedicated to highlighting the remarkable individuals who energize and enrich our community. Additionally, we’ll continue to bring you a diverse array of topics from various community forums. Now, let’s delve into the thrilling updates we have lined up for you this week!

BigTime “Dungeon Boss” 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. Defeating Mecha Che Gearvara: Tackling Mecha Che Gearvara requires understanding and adapting to his two distinct phases. In the initial phase, players must remain constantly on the move to dodge the Rocket Barrage attacks—both the random barrage and the targeted ground rockets. Additionally, when Che executes his Spin Attack, it’s crucial for melee players to quickly back off to avoid massive damage. As the fight transitions into the second phase, Che introduces the Cross Slash, where players need to be vigilant for the cue of crossed arms to timely sidestep the attack. The Spin Attack persists into this phase, maintaining the need for spatial awareness and quick reflexes. Across both phases, spreading out can minimize the group damage during the Gun Spray, emphasizing the importance of positioning. Overall, success against Mecha Che Gearvara hinges on mobility, rapid response to attack cues, and effective spatial distribution of team members to reduce collective vulnerability.

2. Completing Align the Rings: The Align the Rings boss room challenge tasks players with aligning three separate rings by standing on specific platforms, with each alignment triggering more enemy spawns. The culmination of this task occurs when all three rings are aligned, leading to the emergence of crucial enemies marked by red triangles in the final phase. These key targets must be eliminated swiftly to complete the challenge. A strategic pro tip is to align all rings simultaneously allowing the team’s DPS to immediately focus on and quickly dispatch these critical marked targets. While this approach doesn't reduce the number of enemies, it concentrates the team's efforts on eliminating the primary objectives efficiently, bypassing extended fights with non-essential foes. This method requires excellent coordination and communication to ensure that all players are ready to execute their most potent attacks as soon as the final enemies are available to target.

3. Defeating the Elemental Monitor: The Elemental Monitor presents a multifaceted challenge with its phased attacks and a focus on environmental awareness. The boss uses AOE attacks color-coded as Fire, Frost, or Arcane, requiring players to quickly adapt and use corresponding protective measures. The crucial task is to collect the right colored orbs dropped by Orb Carriers while avoiding incorrect ones to prevent triggering the boss's enrage mode. Efficiently prioritizing targets among the Orb Carriers over lesser threats like drone bugs and spreading out to minimize the damage from AOE attacks are strategies that will lead to success in this intense battle.

4. Eliminating Boss Mobs: The Boss Mobs encounter is a straightforward but demanding challenge that tests a team's ability to manage and prioritize threats efficiently. In this scenario, players are tasked with eliminating a specific number of enemies, marked by red triangles, amid a larger group. Success hinges on the team's ability to quickly identify and focus on these key targets while managing the crowd of other hostile mobs. The team composition can significantly affect the outcome, where classes with strong area-of-effect (AOE) abilities can clear surrounding lesser enemies swiftly, allowing focused attackers to deal substantial damage to the marked bosses. Coordination and communication are essential, as players need to adapt their strategies dynamically, depending on the spawn patterns and behavior of the boss mobs, ensuring that they efficiently handle threats and minimize the damage taken by the team.

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 BigTime: $BIGTIME VIP Program

We are going to delve into the recently announced $BIGTIME VIP program, which kicked off with version v0.29.5. The program is designed to reward players based on how many $BIGTIME tokens a player holds in-game on their Open Loot account. It’s a tiered system, stretching from “Common” at 25,000 $BIGTIME tokens up to levels like “Unique,” which remains shrouded in mystery. The idea sounds promising as it offers tangible incentives for holding onto those tokens, potentially increasing both player engagement and token stability.

However, I do have some concerns. The program outlines a range of VIP tiers, but the token requirements for the higher levels such as Mythic to Unique remain undisclosed. The substantial token amounts needed even for the initial known tiers might already seem daunting, potentially discouraging newer players who are just discovering the game. While this tiered approach could introduce an exciting element of mystery and challenge, it could also lead to frustration among players who prefer clearly defined objectives. Additionally, the overall structure and future demands of the higher tiers still lack clarity.

The initial perks of the VIP program include the special $BIGTIME VIP Bonus Roll, which scales the rewards from Boss Chests according to the player's VIP tier. This feature certainly adds an exciting layer to the gameplay, rewarding players in a tangible way. Yet, there's a growing sentiment among the community that the current benefits may not live up to the anticipation. This makes me quite eager to see what additional perks will be rolled out in the future. The developers have indicated that this is merely the start, promising an expansion of the program with a variety of new benefits. The concept of a "dynamic and ever-evolving" program is indeed promising. However, I remain watchful about the potential shift towards a system where financial investment could overshadow the fundamental gaming virtues of skill and dedication.

Moving forward, I’m keeping an open mind about the $BIGTIME VIP program. I think it’s crucial for the developers to balance the perks with opportunities accessible to all players, not just those who can afford to accumulate tokens. Transparency about the upper-tier requirements and a careful approach to maintaining game balance will be key to making this program a success. Here's hoping that the VIP program brings more excitement and community engagement, without tipping the scales too heavily in favor of those who invest the most financially. Let's watch how this unfolds, and hopefully our feedback as a community can shape this into a feature that enhances the game for everyone.

FAM Guild Activities Update

In anticipation of the upcoming .30 patch release from BigTime, our next FAM meeting will occur after the update goes live. We aim to reconvene one to two weeks post-launch to explore new strategies and activities that will optimize our standing, especially in light of the expected character wipe. Next, we are excited to announce an upcoming live AMA session with our very own FAM streamer, YourNewDadd. Join us this Thursday at 9 PM EST to get insights, ask questions and engage directly with a key voice in our community. We will continue to keep all guild members updated on the latest changes, ensuring that everyone is well-informed and prepared for the impacts—both direct and indirect—on our guild.

Spotlight FAM Community Member: Captain_Atariman

Captain_Atariman's journey into Web3 and crypto gaming began from a foundation in traditional gaming environments such as those provided by Fortnite and COD. His transition was fueled by a curiosity that was initially piqued while reading whitepapers on cryptocurrencies. His background included a stint at Blizzard where he relished the concept of beta testing, which resonated when shifted his focus over to new upcoming Web3 gaming models. "The idea of earning or being rewarded for testing early access games isn't foreign to me. I worked at Blizzard for a short time and had wished 'beta testing' would have lasted forever but didn't pay as well back in the day," he reflected, drawing parallels between past experiences and his intrigue with the latest Web3 games.

Despite the innovative appeal of Web3 gaming, the journey was not smooth, fraught with financial pitfalls and deceptive practices that could deter less determined explorers. Captain_Atariman recounted, "From long-term rug-pulls to the quick gotcha ones I have had my share...Luckily, I have got pretty good at research, and Web3 had caught the eyes of many! Big Time came to the rescue; without Open Loot I may have sworn off Web3 gaming forever!" His resilience and adaptability allowed him to navigate through these challenges, becoming more selective and strategic about his investments. "Until Big Time, I never majorly invested anything more than time!" he declared, marking a significant shift in his engagement with Web3 gaming.

As Captain_Atariman's involvement deepened, he noted a pivotal shift in the industry towards broader acceptance and enhanced gameplay. He observed, "With mass adoption [of Web3 gaming] playing a huge role, as well as better gameplay, the opportunities now seem endless." This optimistic outlook was further enriched by the global friendships and connections he forged through platforms like BigTime and Sandbox. "The BigTime/Sandbox friends I have made are among the best friends I have ever met and the most diverse. They come from all over the world and being able to connect like that is priceless. Never have I ever felt I could fit in anywhere, I felt my peeps were scattered around the world and I was right. The more games that can do this, the better the experience will be."

Looking ahead, Captain_Atariman acknowledges the persistent and emerging challenges in the Web3 and gaming landscapes. He highlights, "There are always two major challenges in gaming: utilizing new software, also known as game builders, and preventing cheaters, hackers, and exploiters from taking advantage of any game, its market, and its community." He maintains a cautiously optimistic stance towards current trends in games like BigTime, understanding the importance of staying vigilant against potential threats to his investments.

Away from the virtual world, Captain_Atariman lives a comfortable life. "[Lucky] for me I am handi-capable! After gaming for a few hours daily, I like to research for an hour or so, garden, then watch a movie or two. But, when my kids are with me, I try to spend as much time as I can with them." His life reflects a harmonious blend of digital and real-world interests. His kids, whom he considers the best judges of a good game, bring joy and a fresh perspective to his evaluations of new games, highlighting the importance of family in his holistic approach to life and gaming.

This interview was not recorded but you can find out more about Captain_Atariman by joining his social medias here: https://link.space/@captainatari

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