Open Testnet Part 3

[glacial dawn]

With the extension of the open testnet from 4 to 8 weeks, we have time for an additional part.

For context and clarity, we currently have part 1, where you collect illuvials, and part 2, where you collect ores to craft armaments and drone chips.

This post proposes the addition of a part 3. This third part of the open testnet airdrop would include new aspects to help the team test various features. As I don't have the inside perspective, I'll let the team decide what is best for this part.

That being said, it would make a lot of sense to include the Arena in part 3. By the time part 2 ends, everyone will have all the illuvials, weapons, and suits. Having the Arena in part 3 would enhance the experience for current users as they could start to experiment with the ecosystem interoperability and game loop. It would also enable us to fix as many bugs as possible in the Arena and help balance the game, ensuring the Arena is in a good state for the Open Beta launch.

I know everyone's plate is full until the Open Beta, but if there's a simple way to add a third part, perhaps simply with some points for games played in the Arena, I think it could have a tremendously positive effect 🍞

[visual moth]

if you dont want to retern rewards in ILV till mainnet, give us at least airdrop points for PVP, infinite PVE is boring (especially wen I catch zero (0) ophisto, malura, blaznite and axodon for ~25h of playing KEKW)

[violet coral]

It's a good idea to stress test the Gauntlet mode for sure.

[lost fjord]

I like this idea @glacial dawn because it leads players flow in a positive direction. Like you, I’m unsure of the inner workings of labs and the ultimate direction of PvP, but if arena is in that formula, then boosting player engagement in the arena towards the end of the testnet makes sense for the reasons you mention.

Balance and bugs, but also engagement. As pointed out by hetbonhe, some players really just prefer PvP and would perhaps be more engaged with the ecosystem overall if they weren’t “penalized by omission” for playing PvP instead of PvE.

Totally loving the game and the direction from labs. I do miss playing arena and would like some air drop love in here as well.

Also, there is Gauntlet to consider. Cannot wait to see that for the first time!

[glacial dawn]

Gauntlet isnt out, this would be for survival/ascendant

[violet coral]

it is included with launch so we should expect it in testnet previously.

[glacial dawn]

With OB launch, this post aims to add a 3rd part to the now extended open testnet

[violet coral]

exactly don't you expect the Gauntlet to be out when we hit that 3rd part?

[glacial dawn]

No, they said they would like to include it for OB but didnt talk about giving access to it in alpha/beta for testnet

[violet coral]

the announcement clearly says the Gauntlet will come with the launch on the 25th though.

it would be really bad to launch a new game mode without testing it...

[lilac hearth]

I agree. I think we will need a push to get people to take their Illuvials and equipment out of Overworld and into Arena, providing we have the funds to run something else.
My one concern is the how. OW airdrop is going to be easier to attain for highly skilled players but even less skilled players have a good chance to succeed by spending more time playing. A skilled player can get more Illuvials in each battle so a less skilled player will need to play a lot of hours, but it is possible. I like that aspect.
I'm not sure how to bring that into Arena. My concern would be if it was just top leaderboard spots we may not be bringing in as many people to test but instead just have it tested by the top players. Although, thinking while typing, maybe that is all we need, is the top players testing. They are the ones who know when something is bugged. I have watched Viper talk about how someone's Omega didn't go off and I was like, "It didn't?" Maybe incentivizing me to play Arena wouldn't be the best use of Illuvium's funds. I guess I would be OK with either a leaderboard scenario or a let's try to get everyone involved scenario.

[glacial dawn]

Doesnt necessarily have to be based on leaderboard or achievements. It can simply be games played. Only goal would be to lure people in the arena or anywhere the team choose to be the most worth it so we can test/balance as much as we can before the launch

[lost fjord]

Something as simple as play 3 arena games, earn 150 bonus AD points, win 3, 5, 10 games in a day, get x, y, z AD points can be effective enough until the dashboard is out.

[glacial dawn]

Yes for sure

Its not about rewards. If the team analyze that they still only need us to test OW because or xyz then im all for incentivizing to shoot rocks for as long as it takes

But now that we get a month extension, from the outside perspective it would make a lot of sense to include a 3rd part where we incentivize people to test other things such as arena

[shy jolt]

The new players on every stream ask me, "What are we collecting illuvials for? What do we do with them? It would be nice for them to enjoy this aspect during the open beta

[strong frigate]

I agree
I think going through the game loop is very helpful for players to understand Illvium

[quaint pebble]

would also be a good chance to make all the new players aware of arena modes / the potential for the illuvials they catch to be used in other games

oh thats already been mentions haha. Yea i agree with everything above, hopefully its not too much for the team to add in at this time

[mystic stump]

i'd totally agree if we had a way to get back god accounts

Or just let me swipe pack openings till i get them all and stop this madness of shooting npcs over and over so we can actually start playing the real game wher we haev to use our brains

[mystic stump]

new players won't hear of arena because it takes more time to get a full collection that the time they'll play before end of beta

[quaint pebble]

well this will be gauntlet when its out, NFTs only cosmetic is my understanding. Im more referring to being introduced to the idea of them being able to use illuvials in other games, even if its not realistic to get a full team by end of beta

[quaint pebble]

yea agreed even something simple

[mystic stump]

ik, my point is anyone new to illuviam in this beta won't try arena because they won't get to the point where they can try it because the entry cost (in term of time) is too huge (for a beta)

[quaint pebble]

hmm yea good point, for sure no team that would be competitive

[sacred hollow]

tbh crafting and arena bonus points should have started from day 1

the bonus points from arena could be from winning matches and weekly leaderboard position

[mystic stump]

yup

[haughty dust]

Arena leaderboard rewards plsssss

[iron dagger]

I know kieran has mentioned a bit that Labs will try to introduce the new features in testnet prior to OB such as Gauntlet (arena) and Combat (overworld). That would be your part 3.

If this is not the case, Ill check on how we can re-activate leaderboard rewards for Arena but AFAIK it would be activated again once gauntlet is there.

[glacial dawn]

Thanks for this info @iron dagger if gauntlet and overworld combat are introduced in a 3rd part do you know if the plan would be to incentivize them? Thats what this post is about

About the leaderboard arena rewards themselves, following this #1244961081722540143 message im aware that kierans plan was for them to comeback with gauntlet only but I, and 56-0 for the community believe it should be at OB in any case, at least

[iron dagger]

Gauntlet for sure. I recall Kieran mentioning that. Not sure if via airdrop or via activating leaderboard rewards (or both). Combat (overworld) will just be the same setup as current airdrop conditions for overworld.

I read whats written in the feedback. If I understand correctly, you want to activate Ascendant as well not just gauntlet? In any case. I raised this to Labs already. This falls under marketing so Kieran would be the person to share this info if ever its in the cards.

On a personal note, while I understand the pov of activating ascendant again, we all need to look into why there is an incentive. Objectively speaking, I dont see much value in testnet to reward Ascendant UNLESS theres are major changes to Ascendant that needs extensive testing especially if gauntlet is dropped. We need to realize that theres more value (in testnet) to incetivie new game modes that havent been played yet.

That being said, I definitely agree that Ascendant should have specific airdrop conditions as well and its leaderboards be activated at Launch.

[glacial dawn]

Im with you on that Scruba, the ascendant suggestion here is made simply because it would make sense from our outside perspective and i didnt know about gauntlet possibly being out for open testnet at the time of writting

What this idea is proposing though is simply the inclusion of a 3rd part where the team expand the airdrop rules to include other features. It's for them to decide where they need us to test the most

[iron dagger]

Agree with this! Hopefully, I was able to provide some info and context to give assurane that Labs and the council are listening to the community and pushing the great ideas you guys are posting

[glacial dawn]

Yes, really appreciate you coming in. Thanks again :)

[sacred hollow]

imo it really depends on illuvial combat. if the combat is good, we dnt really "need" the auto battler

shifting the focus from arena to OW

another point, u dnt need to own illuvials to play the gauntlet, just like TFT. if the gauntlet is proven to be more popular than ascendant, then there is little need to incentivize ascendant

[mystic stump]

i'm sorry but that's never happening in 2024

have you played OW jaga ? for like more than 10 hours
First 10 hours of OW are fun, then it's just painful, in its current state it's just not a game, it's just a grind you have to do to access Arena where the sustainable fun is.

don't get me wrong i'm not here to sh*t on OW, it's very promising, solid base for creating a good game out of it, but rn it just lacks gameplay, you can't possibly just play OW on the long run as you just do lootbox opening by farming npcs.

[sacred hollow]

yea i got 100+ hours in OW
yes i agree that OW is a grind, and i probably wont spend more hours if its not for the airdrop.
personally, i wasnt planning on playing the autobattler at all, i just dont like it, but unfortunately they are rewarding catching

[mystic stump]

regardless of if you like the autobattlers, what it brings is novetly each game because you have a new oponent, hopefullyt a human being, who hopefully will force you to use your brain, while you can run OW in autopilot. that's why imo rn Arena is our best bet becvause it's the only game that can hook people on the long run

and putting rewards on top of it would help bringing more people, which is what arena needs because for a pvp game you need active players

[sacred hollow]

how many people got hooked from the arena when we still got arena leaderboard rewards

why do u think the team is developing the gauntlet?

i agree that arena is currently the only demand for illuvials, but i prob have to ask the team for their future plan

tbf this is what aaron said, it has been more than 2 weeks?

[mystic stump]

most of us dropped arena because it needed balancing, which wasn't done because the team was working on shipping the testnet version. Now we would need to try arena with the new illuvials and balancing that happened, except we can't because getting the full collection from OW is a major bottleneck

[iron dagger]

Expect gauntlet on testnet and incentive before launch. 🤞🤞