FAM Newsletter #8 6/3/2024 - xDOMIN8ORx

Greetings, FAM members and Web3 Community!

Welcome to this week's edition of the FAM newsletter! We're thrilled to continue our journey through the world of Web3 games, diving deep into the fascinating universe of Guild of Guardians. Stay up to date with the latest FAM content and join us as we highlight another amazing streamer who brings unique energy to our vibrant community. Let’s explore the exciting updates and insights we have in store for you this week!

Let’s Talk Guild of Guardians: A FAM Favorite Web3 Game

Please note: this game is very in-depth, and there is so much content to consume initially. The goal of this review is to highlight some of the key aspects of Guild of Guardians as an introduction for anyone wanting to explore a new, fun, and addicting universe. If you find yourself unable to keep up with all the daily opportunities and in-game activities, you are not alone! There is much to do and so much to learn in this game. Let's get started!

Guild of Guardians (GOG) is a blockchain-based mobile RPG where players form teams of heroes to battle monsters, complete quests, and earn rewards. The global launch of GOG was on May 15, 2024. The game emphasizes strategic team-building within a fantasy setting. Players can collect and upgrade a variety of heroes with unique abilities and roles. The game leverages blockchain technology to enable ownership and trading of in-game assets providing a play-to-earn model where players can potentially earn real-world value through their in-game activities.

GOG is developed by Stepico Games, a Ukrainian game development studio known for creating mobile games with high production values and engaging gameplay. The project is published by Immutable, a leading company in the blockchain gaming space known for its platform Immutable X, which provides scalable, carbon-neutral Layer 2 solutions for Ethereum-based games. The collaboration aims to combine Stepico’s game design expertise with Immutable’s blockchain technology to create a compelling gaming experience.

GOG utilizes Ethereum-based cryptocurrencies and assets. The game operates on the Immutable X platform, which leverages the Ethereum blockchain to facilitate secure, decentralized transactions with low fees and high throughput. Unless purchased from an Immutable-compatible secondary marketplace (such as TokenTrove), all heroes collected in-game start as Web2 assets. A hero becomes a Web3 NFT when it is ascended using Ascension Shards which can only be acquired through leaderboard competitions (currently). Once ascended, the hero becomes minted which can then be traded on secondary markets. The primary currency within the game is gems, which players can earn through gameplay or purchase with fiat currency. These gems can only be used to buy in-game items, participate in events, and unlock new content.

In GOG, progression is achieved by leveling up heroes and improving their abilities. Heroes gain experience points through adventures, adventure challenges, EXP Scrolls, Endless challenges, and completing quests which allows them to level up and become more powerful. Players can also equip their heroes with various items and gear to enhance their stats and effectiveness in battle. Additionally, the game includes a crafting system where players can create new items and upgrades using resources gathered from material factories and material chests. Strategic management of hero abilities, team composition, and resource allocation are crucial for successful progression. Ascending heroes to higher levels will also increase the stats of heroes, as well.

GOG stands out as a promising blend of strategic gameplay and blockchain technology, offering players both an engaging fantasy RPG experience and the potential for real-world rewards. There is much more to GOG including Arena (PVP), Rush challenges, the use of pets, guilds, and other future developments that will continue to enhance the experience for the growing community which we could not cover in this summary. The collaboration between Stepico Games and Immutable ensures that the game benefits from continued top-tier game design and cutting-edge blockchain solutions. With its emphasis on hero collection, strategic team-building, and a robust play-to-earn model, GOG is well-positioned to attract a diverse audience of gamers and crypto enthusiasts alike. As the game continues to evolve, it is likely to set new standards for what players can expect from mobile blockchain-based gaming, making it a title worth watching in the rapidly growing intersection of gaming and decentralized finance!

Guild of Guardians Tips & Tricks

Mastering the strategies within Guild of Guardians can be as challenging as it is addictive. Here are some tips and tricks, which is meant to be debated and may change as new strategies are identified, to help you excel in your adventures.

1. The Art of Party Building: Creating a well-rounded team in Guild of Guardians is crucial for success. When forming your party, consider the unique abilities and roles of each Guardian. Balance your team with a mix of tanks, damage dealers, and support characters to handle different challenges. Pay attention to synergies between Guardians' skills and their faction bonuses. Equipping your Guardians with appropriate gear based on their domain (Cinder, Hydris, Solas, Terra, Umbrus, Vulos) can significantly enhance their performance. Experiment with different team compositions to find the optimal setup for various dungeons and quests, but do not try to level all Guardians at once. It is recommended to focus on 5 to 7 heroes initially, leveling them at about the same rate (i.e it is not recommended to have a hero at level 70 while the rest of the team is around level 30). When deciding which Guardians to level up first, look to community discussions to identify any non-legendary heroes that will maximize the efficiency of your experience scrolls. For example, Flix is considered the best healer in the game and should be a great fit for any starting team build if acquired.

2. Complete Your Daily Tasks: Completing daily tasks can consistently provide substantial rewards for leveling heroes and improving your team’s gear efficiently. Participating in daily dungeon runs can yield rare items and improve your Guardians' power, as well. If you do not have time to maximize rewards from Adventure Challenges, use the Sweep feature to complete dungeons quickly and obtain the rewards before the daily reset. Don't miss out on logging in daily to claim login bonuses and check the in-game events for special challenges. Completing daily Endless Dungeon challenges and progressing through the tiers will significantly improve your leveling efficiency with rewards associated with the progression as well as leaderboard rewards for participating.

3. Spend Your Currency!: Gold and gems will be replenished quickly if all tasks and quests are completed daily. Do not be afraid to use everything early and often to upgrade your heroes and progress through more content. You can also spend gold and gems at the in-game store on targeted items (such as XP scrolls and gear upgrades). Additionally, do not forget to spend your dungeon coins while in Adventures! Dungeon coins are specific to the dungeon you are in and do not carry over; use them or lose them. When at a merchant, look at all the options for runes to purchase which may improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your team. You may not get another chance later to spend them, so always take advantage of the opportunity and spend those dungeon tokens!

4. Runes (Buffs) and Curses (Debuffs) — Adventure Quick Reference Guide: Strategy is key when reflecting on the failures and successes of dungeon runs, especially in the Endless Dungeon. Maximizing opportunities to improve your team's effectiveness with runes while keeping aware of the lasting curse impacts over time is what separates a short run from an extended, successful dungeon run.
   
   For example, if you rely heavily on magic and non-melee units, the best buffs to look for include Charm and Spider Web, which initially stall immediate assaults on your heroes at the beginning of each round. This is also a great strategy when ultimates from heroes are ready to unleash chaos on the opposing forces at the beginning of a round. Partnering Charm and Spider Web runes with a reduction of initial health by choosing Pre-emptive Strike runes can position your team for quick, successful rounds (especially if ultimates are ready to drop AOE damage on dungeon monsters and bosses).
   
   Choosing the path to camp is always encouraged to gather an advanced rune to guarantee continued stacking of your buffs. An argument can be made to choose merchant paths to spend dungeon coins on specific buffs, but there is no guarantee the buffs you are looking for will be available (and legendary advanced runes are rarely available for purchase unlike when an advanced rune is chosen from the campsite).
   
   Curses, whether temporary in specific rounds or continuous, also require careful consideration. For example, with magic/non-melee units, always avoid curses that prevent magic damage. Each round, you can click on the symbols above the rewards to identify what temporary debuffs will be associated with the current round. A suggested strategy is to always avoid any health regenerations, revivals/resurrections of enemies, or invincibility gains for temporary periods (a few seconds of an invincible enemy target can be detrimental to your team in both early and later rounds; always avoid these when possible).
   
   When choosing the “Curse of Fate” options, which are debuffs that will remain through Endless Adventures until your team is defeated, each curse has a consideration that can significantly reduce the effectiveness of your team. The three highly recommended to always avoid include: Exhaustion (reduces your party's energy to 0 after every round), Madness (increases enemy energy recovery by 100%, allowing enemy ultimates to be used more frequently), and Inhibition (makes your heroes unable to use their ultimates within the first 10 seconds of battle). When possible, adding shields to your enemies is a safe option and can be countered by obtaining the rune Shield Breaker (increases your attack to shields by 100%).
   
   Take time to read the curses and test out your own theories. Then, discuss these strategies with others in the GOG community to help fine-tune an approach appropriate to your team makeup.

Remember, the journey in all Web3 games 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!

FAM Guild Activities Update

Our FAM guild's adventures continue branching out beyond BigTime extending into various exciting projects. We are continually exploring, evaluating, and sharing insights on new opportunities within Web3 gaming daily. When FAM guild identifies a promising project and establishes a significant presence, we create a new channel in our Discord to coordinate our growth efforts. The current list of channels dedicated to supporting other Web3 projects within the FAM discord includes WorldShards, Guild of Guardians, Shrapnel, MetalCore, Nyan-Heroes, Night-Crows, Seraph, and BossFighters.

We are still waiting in anticipation for the upcoming .30 patch release from BigTime and 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.

Always stay up to date by visiting our continuously improving website (https://famguild.com), watching the FAM Stream Team (broadcasting 24/7 on Twitch), and being a part of the FAM discord.

Spotlight FAM Community Member: xDOMIN8ORx

xDOMIN8ORx's journey into the world of Web3 and crypto gaming began when he was searching for a new game to enhance his streaming experience. He initially encountered Big Time through another streamer Killersaints1313 but it wasn't until he acquired his first NFT from the town Fragment trader that he became truly captivated. The thrill of obtaining looted NFTs and eventually securing a legendary throne kept him hooked on the game.

What drew xDOMIN8ORx deeper into Web3 gaming was the unique value proposition these games offered. He appreciated how items purchased within the game could maintain value and how the financial aspect worked both ways. “I like that in Web3 games some of the stuff you purchase maintains a value and the $ goes both ways. That is cool,” he noted, highlighting one of the key aspects that motivated him to invest more time in this field.

In terms of learning resources, xDOMIN8ORx found immense support from fellow streamer Killersaints1313 and his community. The guidance and camaraderie from various guilds like Norsty Realms, METFI, and FAM significantly helped him get accustomed to the game and the larger Web3 gaming ecosystem. His engagement with the Big Time community, especially through active participation in the official Discord, also played a crucial role in his learning journey.

As his involvement in Web3 gaming grew, xDOMIN8ORx realized the importance of being an early adopter. He expressed a keen interest in exploring new developments within the Web3 space, such as VR and racing games, and saw tremendous potential for growth. He also speculated on how Web3 gaming could address significant industry challenges like hacking, believing that new tools could provide safer and fairer gaming environments.

Streaming has been a primary way for xDOMIN8ORx to engage with the Web3 community, showcasing his deep love for his community and his commitment to helping everyone grow together. Through his live sessions, he not only shares his experiences and discoveries but also fosters a supportive network where mutual learning thrives. "I have always been a game-with-viewers streamer," he shared. To further invest in his community, he has initiated weekly team-ups, generously giving away over 1000 USDC to his viewers since starting this initiative! This dedication underscores his belief in the collective growth and success of everyone involved.

Reflecting on his broader experiences with crypto, xDOMIN8ORx recounted his history with mining various cryptocurrencies like ETH and Zcash. Despite facing setbacks when ETH transitioned from Proof of Work, he remained optimistic and involved in different crypto projects. This background provided a strong foundation for his current endeavors in Web3 gaming.

To maintain a balanced lifestyle, xDOMIN8ORx prioritizes spending quality time with his lovely lady. He ensures they have daily moments together, such as going for walks or watching TV, and they maintain a weekly date night. "We have been together 10 years and it is AWESOME," he enthused. Beyond his relationship, he also enjoys music, albeit as a self-proclaimed terrible guitar player, and is a dedicated Arizona Cardinals football fan. Additionally, taking care of neighborhood stray cats adds a fulfilling dimension to his life. "A momma kitty had 3 babies on our back porch a few weeks ago, they are fun," he mentioned, showcasing his nurturing side. When you stop by xDOMIN8ORx’s stream next, let ‘Pa’ know you seen his newsletter!

This interview was not recorded but you can find out more about xDOMIN8ORx by joining his social medias here:
Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/xdomin8orx
X - https://twitter.com/xDOMIN8ORxTTV
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@xDOMIN8ORx_TV 
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@xdomin8orx

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