At the beginning of June, Universe Projects announced their new game Voidspace on Kickstarter and introduced a concept to the gaming and digital currency world that looks to shape the way gamers play. The sandbox MMORPG looks to take the world from its very base and allow players to control every aspect of its evolution: all while using digital currency like Bitcoin and Dogecoin.
At the beginning of the game, characters are given no skills of significance as they enter The Void. In the raw world, Voidspace seems to allow players seriously to make their gaming experience as free as possible. That is if they can manage that experience while surrounded by other players.
“My favorite feature has to be the general, raw nature of the game,” Voidspace lead developer Nikolas Gauvreau told CCN, “It’s the surreal feeling that you’re actually existing in a virtual universe and not just playing a game.”
The Void
The Void is Voidspace’s world. The character has been flung into the Void through a series of wormholes, and cannot escape. Because of this, characters are forced to find ways to collect resources and survive while living amongst friends, or enemies.
Through research, characters will be able to study the void and unlock the secrets it holds. This can allow for invention production and give players an advantage among the world around them.
Players can explore The Void to find equipment, buildings, ammunition and other key pieces to their success, but only if they go out and seek it. While more players have the ability to join the game, alliances will form, and powers will begin to lead.
Digital Currency Implementation
One of the more interesting features of Voidspace is that they’ve decided to implement real-world digital currencies into their platform. Their frontrunner is Dogecoin, but they also will support Bitcoin, Litecoin, Quarkcoin and others.
Voidspace chose four reason for choosing Dogecoin as their main digital currency on their Kickstarter page:
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Dogecoin was founded on the idea that a digital currency should be fun and friendly, and we believe this ideal fits in very well for an in-game currency.
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Unlike Bitcoin, Dogecoin’s value is much less than a dollar, which makes it better suited for a game currency. It just feels better to get paid 1000 Dogecoins rather than 0.001 Bitcoins.
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Dogecoin transactions are much faster than Bitcoin (~8x faster) and Litecoin (~2.5x faster). This means that putting money into your account or sending money from your account will be much faster.
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Dogecoin has support from many currency exchanges so you can easily convert Doge into the currency of your own country. However, we would encourage you to check out Dogecoin services online that will accept Dogecoin directly!
This is something that will bring the gaming demographic together with the digital currency demographic, in a way that hasn’t been successfully seen before.
Game Mechanics: Researching and Inventions
As the player moves forward, new ideas will spark automatically. Ideas can be made into prototypes, and prototypes can be turned into full-fledged inventions. However, the focus and speed of the idea will need to be harnessed by the player through research facilities and labs.
Idea production is based on four things:
- The character’s intelligence
- A need that the character has been tagged with internally
- The availability of the materials required for the skill or invention, or the character’s knowledge and experience with these materials
- Other skills or inventions that the character has available to him
Prototypes can then be made, which will help the player make better inventions. The more prototypes created; the better the player’s inventions will be. Prototypes can be shared or sold between characters in the game, making them highly valuable.
Game Mechanics: Construction and Manufacturing
There are no NPCs in Voidspace, so players will be key in creating any infrastructure. Players can build outposts, buildings, bases, cities, ships, equipment and ammunition as they move forward. However, if a project is too large-scale, multiple players will need to join forces to complete its construction.
Players can then rent their manufacturing facilities to other players, as well as create cargo containers to ship items. However, other players can hack transports and inventions, making construction a difficult process if done alone.
Game Mechanics: HTML5 and Offline Play
The world of Voidspace is vast and active, so there’s no way to “log off.” Instead, players can plan routes that their in-game character will take when they’re offline. Players can also switch from their computer to their phone with speed and ease since the game uses HTML5. This is something that the developers are eager to show off, and believe will change the gaming industry.
Voidspace looks promising, but requires support. They have a Kickstarter page , as well as a Steam Greenlight campaign. As they move closer into The Void, support will be critical to their success. This technology looks to challenge the current limitations of the gaming industry, and provide players with a fun experience they won’t soon forget.
