Relic Quest (Cafe Rise Episode)
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| Episode 150: Relic Quest (Cafe Rise Episode) | |
|---|---|
| Air Date | 2026-02-27 |
| Guest | None |
| Video | Watch on YouTube |
| Runtime | 47:12 |
| Topics | Building Kits, Crafting Recipes, Shooting Alley, Bounty System, AI Integration, Vending Machines, Relic Quest |
| Drinks | |
| Rob's Drink | Coffee |
| Josh's Drink | Spindrift Sparkling Water Fuji Apple |
Summary
The video transcript is a comprehensive behind-the-scenes episode from the development team of a game, marking their 150th episode. The hosts, Rob Greg and Josh Jones, provide an in-depth update on the game’s upcoming features, development progress, and community engagement. Central to the discussion is the imminent release of customizable apartments with extensive building kits, a significant expansion of the crafting system with hundreds of recipes, and improvements to gameplay features such as a new gun shop shooting range, arrow trails with leaderboards, and revamped game modes like Hot Zone. The episode also touches on upcoming PvP zones, bounty systems, and narrative quests including a relic hunt linked to a collaboration. Additionally, the developers address community questions regarding venture capital (VC) funding, tokenomics, and the use of AI in-game development and content creation. They emphasize the complexity of game development, the intentional use of AI as a tool rather than a replacement, and the importance of a strong, engaged community as a competitive moat in an evolving industry. The episode closes with teasers of new map visuals, a bullet vending machine, and a motivational narrative segment that sets a dramatic tone for the game’s world and story.
Highlights
🎉 Celebrated the milestone of 150 episodes with deep game development insights. 🏢 Upcoming apartments build with over 500 customizable parts and millions of combinations. 🍳 Crafting system vastly expanded to include 374 recipes contributed by the team and community. 🔫 New gun shop shooting range with moving targets and timed challenges across multiple difficulty levels. 🏹 Introduction of arrow trails with in-game leaderboards to enhance competitive gameplay. ⚔️ Implementation of a bounty system and safe zones, adding layers to PvP dynamics and player consequences. 🤖 Transparent discussion on AI usage in voiceovers and content creation, emphasizing a balance between technology and handcrafted quality.
Key Insights
🏢 Massive Customization in Apartment Building: The new apartment system represents a major leap in player customization, offering more than 500 parts with customizable materials, textures, and colors, resulting in millions of possible combinations. This level of detail rivals or surpasses AAA game standards, showcasing the indie team’s dedication and craftsmanship. The complexity requires extensive collaboration across departments, highlighting the challenge of integrating technical, artistic, and database elements in a seamless player experience.
🍳 Crafting System Expansion Enhances Gameplay Depth: Moving from just three recipes to 374 illustrates a dramatic broadening of in-game crafting complexity. This system incorporates multiple crafting tiers—from raw materials to intermediate components to final products—introducing multi-step quests and grinding gameplay that could engage players for 15-20 hours. The addition of community-suggested recipes like the humorous “Josh Taco” personalizes the experience and strengthens the bond between developers and players.
🔫 Improved Shooting Range Adds Dynamic Challenge: The gun shop’s shooting range now features moving targets and gates that open and close, combined with timed challenges and multiple difficulty settings. The addition of rock music aims to create an immersive and adrenaline-pumping atmosphere reminiscent of classic arcade games like Crazy Taxi. This feature not only offers skill-based training but also adds replayability and fun competitive elements.
🏹 Arrow Trails with In-Game Leaderboards Boost Competition and Engagement: The introduction of arrow trails in the onboarding pavilion, combined with integrated leaderboards visible in-game rather than on external websites, significantly enhances player motivation and immersion. By removing the need to exit the game to view rankings, players can immediately respond to their performance, encouraging repeated attempts and fostering a competitive spirit.
⚔️ Bounty System and Safe Zones Reshape PvP Dynamics: Implementing a bounty system introduces consequences for aggressive player behavior, where killing a player places a bounty on the offender’s head, encouraging a more balanced and strategic PvP environment. Safe zones prevent random attacks, improving the new player experience. The future integration of prisons for players who are killed with bounties adds further depth and consequences, promoting roleplay and emergent gameplay.
🤖 Balanced Use of AI in Development and Content Creation: The team uses AI primarily as a tool for prototyping and speeding up content creation, such as voiceovers and initial artwork. They recognize the current limitations of AI, especially in voice intonation and artistic consistency, and plan to replace AI placeholders with professional human actors and handcrafted assets over time. This approach respects the value of human creativity and acknowledges the perceived quality difference players expect, while still leveraging AI to stay efficient and competitive.
🌐 Community Building and Strategic Marketing as Competitive Advantages: In an industry increasingly influenced by technological commoditization and AI, the developers stress that their strongest asset is a dedicated, cohesive community. They are actively ramping up marketing efforts through automated funnels and outreach, aiming to bring new players into the game while relying on the existing community’s warmth and knowledge to welcome and retain newcomers. This community-centered strategy is positioned as vital for long-term project success and sustainability.
Transcript
View Full Transcript
00:00:11 - 00:01:01 Heat up here. Hey everybody, welcome. This is Cafe Rise. You've got Rob Greg here, Josh Jones. This is episode 150. Uh oh, he's grabbing something. >> Loads of stuff's buzzing behind me. It's just things charging and stuff. >> Okay, gotcha. I should have turned them off. Not very pro. >> No, no, you're good. You're good.
00:00:58 - 00:01:21
Well, the reason it's cafe rise is so that we can keep it casual, not go over produced. Um not not to say that we're not going to start having guests and uh and upgrading uh what we do on the show. That's that's definitely still in the plans. But um this is where we communicate with you guys, our community, what are we building on a weekly basis when we can.
00:01:18 - 00:01:47
Sometimes it's every other week, that sort of thing. We do our best to be regular with it. This is episode number 150 and I'm excited about it. We've got a lot of game stuff to talk about that's coming up in the next build. I'm just going to say that's the episode. A lot of game stuff. >> Welcome. You're here early. That's good.
00:01:44 - 00:02:06
>> Uh let's let's dig into it. Uh Rob, what are you drinking? >> Yeah. 150 episodes in. It's crazy crazy milestone. Well, today in this really interesting cup, >> my ketchup on my ketchup. >> I don't actually like red ketchup. Being from the blue part of Manchester, I don't like anything red.
00:02:02 - 00:02:29
That includes my sauce. That's why I prefer brown sauce. And funny fact, I was going to have a cup of tea today and I'm waiting for a delivery. And so I I used my last tea bag. I didn't have any milk, so I I reached for the powdered milk and ended up with some powdered sugar. Not that it matters or anything, so I threw it all away and then realized that was my last tea bag.
00:02:28 - 00:02:51
>> Oh. >> So, I have I have coffee in here, but um I'm not I'm not a very big coffee drinker at home. When I'm out and about, I drink like lattes and all the fancy coffees, and you know, I I like I like to pretend I'm trendy with people. So, this would have been tea, but it's coffee in ketchup.
00:02:48 - 00:03:19
What are you drinking? >> Rob's first time to have coffee. Well, no one will guess that. I actually have a coffee and my primary right now. I don't think I've had this on the show before. I have. >> It's delicious. It is delicious. >> How does it compare with the with the others that you used to have? the um >> it the flavor is just a little more intense. It's really good.
00:03:14 - 00:03:36
This one is one of the best. So, I highly recommend it. And uh we're not sponsored by Spin Drift. Okay. Maybe one day. So, >> you lost you lost your previous sponsor for what what was that can you used to have? >> I don't I don't remember. Gosh. >> Get them in England. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. Let's move on.
00:03:34 - 00:04:04
>> How to drag an episode out. >> So, so let's dig into it. Game time. Um, we've got some fun stuff uh to talk about. Number one, the apartments build. This is this is really the crux of what this next build is, is the release of being able to get into your apartments and use the building kits and use the building kits that you've bought and customize your apartment and build out and and do all sorts of fun stuff.
00:03:59 - 00:04:26
So, that is on the way. And that is the number one big issue uh for this build. There's a lot of data. There's a lot of there's database. Um it's just it's one of those releases that requires so much of the team to work collaboratively because there's multiple dependencies on other departments and what they're doing.
00:04:20 - 00:04:45
Thousands of assets um you know and and just a good amount of complexity. However, it's going really well. Uh we're making significant progress. And I don't know if you have anything else you would want to add to that >> to the crafting side. >> No, to the apartments. to the apartment side. Yeah. Sorry, I don't know why I drifted away.
00:04:39 - 00:05:11
I was I've got crafting in my head. Um the apartments we did a build I think it completed at half two this morning. I've not had a look at it yet. Um I know there's there's been a lot of work gone in that since since the the last internal build that that we had a week ago. So yeah, like you say that there's I think Dave said there's like did you say 500? like 500 different parts >> for for the apartments.
00:05:10 - 00:05:27
>> Yeah, there's there's a lot of individual bits that that they've built. I've seen some other systems that have come online. >> I know there's there's millions of options. I I think there's like 500 free, but then we've got the different kits as well. So, I think it totals up to >> Yeah, that's what I mean.
00:05:23 - 00:06:24
I've I've seen I've seen other games that have come out recently and and they're boasting that they've got, you know, hundred different pieces that they can have in their building kit. And I'm thinking, wow, how did we build 500? It's crazy. >> Yeah, it's more than 500. But then we've also got um the ability to change the material, the texture, the color, and so that that adds the I mean, you know, it's millions of com combinations what you >> I think it's just going to be exceptional. I I I know when I know when we first saw the the avatar, the avatar creator version one and then we had version two and and we were questioning ourselves, you know, why do we need such a detailed avatar and then we went on version three >> and you know it it just ranks ranks up there with you know with the AAA I've seen some AAA games that don't have a character creator as half as good as ours. So it just shows the quality of that and I think the same's happening
00:06:21 - 00:07:22
with the building system that that's going to be up there if not better than than some that I can see out there and we are only a small indie team so you know we shouldn't really be producing stuff of this quality but but we are doing and I think yeah I think it's just amazing to have it seems looking around to have more than like a hundred bits for a for a building is exceptional and and so to have 500 over 500 and the materials like you're saying it for those people that like that kind of apartment games which is you know build building games one one of the most trendy games at the moment. Everybody loves to to customize stuff. So you you will really be able to to stand out stand out with with everybody else playing not only for your character but for your for your apartment. And you know that's that's a few of the systems that we've got coming online. Yeah, it's good stuff. Very
00:07:19 - 00:07:42
exciting. I'm I can't wait. Um I think I ask David about it five times a week, so he's probably >> Yeah, I do see the messages. Huh. So, >> give me some good news. Where is it? Where is it? Where is it? When when? We have an internal one. >> Uh I just I'm going to set up a bot that just pings David when when? Um so, crafting, really great news on crafting.
00:07:40 - 00:08:01
I think we got like 300 recipes coming in or something. >> Oh my god. Yeah. I mean, I've just talked about everything that we've got for got for um you know, the apartments and and that. So, I spoke to to Joe. He's he's in charge of of the crafting. >> Mhm. >> Um because we have three at the moment in in the current build.
00:07:58 - 00:08:36
We have three recipes and he he released to me this morning um 374 recipes. >> 374. >> I'm like, what? Yeah. and and and he's just reached out to us all to to have some random recipes as well. >> Did you see the recipe I gave? >> Yours was Yeah. You I mean it had about 20 ingredients. What What was it again? >> What? >> He He turned it Did he call it Josh's taco or something in the end? >> Yeah.
00:08:32 - 00:08:54
He He can't be adding 20 ingredients to my my recipe. >> No, you when I read it, it felt like you you had the massive ingredients list. No, no. I think you're you're thinking of something else. So, mine was it it's the Jo it's the Josh Taco. You're right about the name that is that was not named by me. It was a a friend of mine.
00:08:52 - 00:09:20
This was back in college and you know, money's tight in college. And uh we went out every night drinking and partying in college, that sort of thing. So, the Josh taco is a flour tortilla, a piece of processed American cheese, and mustard. You can nuke it. You can nuke it for 10 15 seconds.
00:09:13 - 00:09:37
Um, but that that's the Josh taco. Three ingredients. And I told him I wanted I wanted that in game just because it's goofy. It's about as goofy as you can get. It's actually not bad. You can switch up the mustard with hot sauce, too, by the way. But when you don't have hot sauce and you're broke, you use what you can that's in the fridge.
00:09:35 - 00:09:54
>> I'll try I'll try it out. I I submitted bread and butter. >> No, you won't. Don't lie. No, I'll craft it cuz I'll build a quest for it. >> But I I I submitted bread and butter pudding. I had that the other day. Oh, I should add custard with it actually. >> You had what? >> Have you ever had bread and butter? It might be an English thing.
00:09:51 - 00:10:19
Have you ever had bread and butter pudding? >> I think I have. Is that It's a dessert, right? >> Kind of. Yeah, it's kind of like bread and sultanas, raisins, and all kind. It's it's like you say where when in the in the the low money families it's kind of throw every every I was brought everything I had was on bread.
00:10:15 - 00:10:37
So even cuz I loved bread even even if I could have cereal on bread I I would I would have cereal on bread. I'd have tea and bread but um so so yeah bread and butter pudding is just another layer of of bread. And I know that will probably horrify a lot of people, but it just is what it is. >> I love it.
00:10:32 - 00:10:58
Well, the the point there was Joe pinged the team because we're finalizing the crafting recipes and so everyone on the team gets to contribute a a food recipe. I think it's fun. It's a great way to to to add some. >> But then he intrigued me, you know, cuz cuz he said, "We've got 374 recipes." So I said, "We can craft all them in game.
00:10:54 - 00:11:28
" He says, "Yeah, all of them except two." I'm like, "H, what's these two?" And um, yeah. So, so we'll find out. So, so the the way the way the crafting will work is you have you have two levels, two two levels of of of u material of of. So, you have the raw materials. So, like maybe the the iron ore or or the copper ore or maybe dandelions.
00:11:22 - 00:11:55
And then for some of the recipes, you will have to craft those into another into another. So like maybe an iron ingot, you'd need two two iron oes. So So there'll be multiple levels. You'll you'll have the complete raw. You'll have the the the kind of part one crafted and then you'll get all those recipes together and you'll put them into into into the whatever the final product is.
00:11:49 - 00:12:17
So, we're working on um we're actually working on for those that like grinding that there's a there's a potential of uh supplying each town with maybe 20 different items. We're just currently working on this kind of settlement or I don't know what we're going to call it at the moment. It's it's like a three-part three-part quest where you'll get the initial raw ingredients.
00:12:12 - 00:12:40
Part two will be then to to craft some of those into part two of those basic ingredients and then part three will be will be to craft the final items and then go and sell them all to to to the town. Um that will probably somewhere between 15 to 20 hours of gameplay for the for those that like questing and that that kind of grinding.
00:12:35 - 00:12:59
Maybe we might just put three or or five of these towns in place. We we'll have to see. Dave doesn't really like the idea of pure grinding. So So we'll we'll we'll have we'll have to see how they come. But I think that'll be fun and it will really show off all the different places cuz you cuz some of them you'll be able to to to get in the gathering fields.
00:12:56 - 00:13:17
Some of them you might have to buy in the shop. Some of them you'll have to craft. Some of them you'll have to to find lying around. And some of them you have to go to the gathering fields. Maybe some of them are dropped loot, you know. So it's not going to be as easy as just just go and get these stuff.
00:13:10 - 00:13:35
So, so, so I think that'll be fun. We're also working on um a relic quest. Um, and this this is going to be quite a big one and this is going to be >> this is for the collab, correct? >> Yes. >> Was originally for the collab. We're kind of delaying the collab part of it. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Yeah.
00:13:29 - 00:13:59
So, so this one, like some of the others, is cross cross all the solices. It will start off in the new um the new antique shop. So, you go to the antique shop. That's that's where you you will you will find this quest. Um, and then you'll have to find I don't know how many, maybe 30, maybe 40 different relics that are spread all the way across um, Solace.
00:13:54 - 00:14:18
There there is some law about it. I think it's got something to do with a ship that's that's landing and and maybe things have scattered all over. So, so, so that'll be that'll be a good find and seek quest and and then eventually you'll you'll hand them over to the antique shop. So, I I think that'll be a really good quest.
00:14:11 - 00:14:47
Um, >> then we have a new gun shop. I've seen two of them at the moment in the global map. So, we have all the solices, we have Kido, and we have this global map which is where the apartments are. >> Um, so there's there's two of those in in there. And actually in the basement of the gun shop, those that are playing the current build will know that there's there's a bit of a shooting alley and you can just go down there and you can just shoot all all the the static targets.
00:14:43 - 00:15:07
>> So, we've updated that. We've got rid of the static targets. The targets now move. Um, we have now gates on on that keep coming up and down. So, there's like six holes that you It's almost like a like a golf golf driving range. So, you've got all these six things. You've got these gates that keep coming up and down.
00:15:02 - 00:15:26
And we've got a timed challenge on there. So, we've got easy mode, we've got hard mode, and we've got impossible mode with a question mark. >> Those are actually showing off how well, first of all, that we've got these time challenges where you have to shoot them and and as the gate comes up, you'll have to find another gate. >> I really like the timed the timed element adds a lot of fun to it.
00:15:25 - 00:15:42
>> You've added some music to that. I I think that I think that would be fun and and you know if anybody gets if anybody can do the hard one I'll be impressed. The impossible one I don't know if you could do the impossible one but we like to set challenges >> now. Do we think this is definitely going to make the next build? >> Yeah, I think I think so.
00:15:39 - 00:16:00
Yeah, we got to work with Matteos on some of the performance of that. Um just to to to get it a little bit bit more performant. I'm going to turn it on and off and and stuff like that. >> No buggy no buggy types concerns. >> No got a bit of rock music playing while while you're doing that. I don't know if that will make it or not.
00:15:56 - 00:16:20
Again, Dave doesn't like the like like really music at the moment because we can't really turn it off. But um I'm really inspired by playing I don't know if you've ever played um Crazy Taxi back in the 2000s, you know. >> No, but I I know. Yeah, I'm familiar. Yeah. >> The the the the tunes that Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:16:17 - 00:17:18
Yeah. As as you're racing around. So, I mean, it'll have that kind of a feel to it. you you'll be shooting these targets trying trying to find the the gate that's open while you've got kind of like this rock music vibe going on against the clock that's coming down and every time you shoot a target you get another 3 seconds and then you've got the possibility of running out of bullets and the and you know it's it's a lot of fun especially with the meat grinder that's what I because you can shoot a couple at the same time but there's code in there to say only one of them will count so I think it'll be fun I think it'll be a lot of Love it. All right. >> There's some on the trails as well, right? >> Say that again. >> Updates on the trails. >> So, error trails. We do have a new arrow trail um in the pavilion. >> Mhm. >> And the and the reason we built one there is because that is that's good for the onboarding, you know, that's where you you're first learning the the shooting and and you you're learning all
00:17:16 - 00:17:44
all the other onboarding stuff. it kind of makes sense to introduce people not only to error trails but give them a go and it's quite an easy track. It just it just goes around. So that's that's in there. And also to do with that, we've just built in the leaderboards. So in-game leaderboards. So at the moment when you do an aerot trail course, people then go to the website and see where they are in the top 10 and we have competitions there.
00:17:42 - 00:18:05
Those will now be in game. They need a bit of a UI overhaul because that page is getting really busy at the moment. So that's something that we be working on with Matteas to to to get that looking good. But in-game leaderboards I think will be quite exciting because when you see where you are then you want to go again and again and and you won't have that break of immersion when you have to come out the game.
00:18:02 - 00:18:34
So so so that'll be really cool. >> Um >> it's not all good news though. We we do have some we do have some some slightly slightly sad news and and that's to do with the new PVP zone because because we it needs quite a bit of artwork to all the logic is working. You know, the zones are in there, the respawning, the flag, capture the flag, it's all there, but all the method >> we announced that already.
00:18:32 - 00:18:54
>> We we said it's it's in progress. We said that on the last rise, >> right? But >> we also said it was tentative. >> Yeah, we thought it might have made this build, but the logic the the the programming is is ready to test. I'm not saying it's finalized and it's not bug free, but it's ready to test.
00:18:48 - 00:19:14
But we just don't have um enough time to get everything done. I don't think for this build because of the the amount of, you know, crafting and and artwork that's that's gone into the building. So that is probably I would say 90% going to to miss this build but be the next one but um at least that's something to look forward to.
00:19:12 - 00:19:38
>> We got we got a ton of stuff. So >> you got the shooting zone in between. Yeah. >> Yeah. Plenty stuff coming in in this next build. Well, okay. That covers it for the game. There's there's a little bit >> more. Yeah. We've got um the Hot Zone game. So, so, so hot zone has has had a revamp.
00:19:30 - 00:20:02
So, at the moment, hot zone is you start on one zone and you run. So, so um guns and jetpacks are turned off. So, that's changed now. So, guns and jetpacks are now turned on. But in between the the big hot zones, there's these small ones where you have to go and claim them. You have to land on them for about 4 seconds to 12 seconds depending on on the score of them and and you do it in a team game.
00:19:58 - 00:20:26
You go and find all these 61s. You land on them, you score, you go to the end. It's it'll be a lot easier to play than it will be to explain, but that will be coming as as well. So, so >> so much so, so many little things that can be done and so much variety uh where you can you can jump in this game and and you have this new digital life where you can choose how you want to explore and how you want to participate in the world and that is really exciting.
00:20:24 - 00:20:44
>> And one more stuff that I probably should have mentioned, >> yeah, on boarding sequences. We got to talk about those edits to that. But >> what was that? >> The onboarding sequences. The the the onboarding quests. >> Yeah, we're working part two. Yeah, we're working on part two. No, it's the very first thing on my list that I completely missed off.
00:20:43 - 00:21:11
>> Oh, the bounty. >> The bounty system. Yeah. So, >> Kai's been working on on this bounty system. Um, the idea of this and and his his exact words, somebody has to die for it to start. So, so where so we will we will have this notion of safe zones. At the moment, people come into the game and and you can just go and kill anyone you want to and and there's no consequences.
00:21:06 - 00:21:34
Well, we've been working on this bounty system for for quite a while now and and it's it's getting closer. So, we'll have safe zones, >> but we'll also have a bounty system. Whereas, if somebody comes in and actually shoots somebody and and kills them, you will then have a bounty on your head. And and that bounty on your head means that any other player can then go and kill you >> with no consequences.
00:21:29 - 00:21:54
they then won't get a bounty on their head or the security guard will will be coming after you and and they and they will they will be killing you as well. So So if you if you start being naughty, the game will um you know will respond to that. And we actually don't mind it because in the future prisons are coming.
00:21:51 - 00:22:14
>> And so so if if if you get a bounty on your head and you get killed, you'll be carted off to prison where we've got a a few a few more game experiences going on there. So prison prison won't be too bad either. That that will be in a whole new we can talk about that in the future. But um yeah, so we'll have part one of that.
00:22:09 - 00:22:34
I think I think it will make this build. Some some part of it will make this build because we won't be able to take it out. >> Not not sure what the prison bit won't be in in the following build, but the bounty probably will. And we will have security drones. I've just found out today in solids. So, I don't know if that'll be again in the next build, but it is coming in the future.
00:22:30 - 00:22:52
So, tons of tons of stuff working in the background. Tons of stuff coming. We're also still working on um the rift battles that's coming as we've said, not this build in in future build. We're still working on that. We're still working on more creatures that are coming through. We've had this elephant creature coming today.
00:22:48 - 00:23:09
I've had an update today on the fox. I've seen the fox snarling. I know we had a preview of that earlier. So, we've got other creatures coming, companion creatures or or maybe hunted creatures. And uh there's so much going on. That's why you you you you're not hear when you don't hear from us.
00:23:05 - 00:23:31
It's not because we've gone quiet and and we're we're playing golf or stuff. It's because there's just so much going on. >> It's because you can't juggle it all. >> No. So so much going on. >> It It's you just can't juggle it all. Um and you know, the one final thing that I would top that off with is just um on the marketing side, you you guys have seen new people coming into the community. Our ad funnels are working.
00:23:29 - 00:23:51
We've ramped them up a little bit. We're we're increasing that to test and see how the cost and how things go when we when we increase the numbers and it's going really well so far. Um it got us in touch with someone who's already joined our community and I actually met and ran around the game with him.
00:23:45 - 00:24:18
Great guy. Um, and uh I'm meeting with uh invited you to this meeting in 45 minutes with uh one of the founders of Regiment Gaming uh that uh is is part of that group. And so we're going to talk to them and see if we can do some sort of fun collab. Who knows what comes of it? But um a new approach that we're taking as we funnel people in, we're also taking more aggressive measures to reach out to larger groups and that sort of thing.
00:24:15 - 00:24:37
So there's there's the inbound funnel and then there's the outreach funnel and we're automating a lot of that as well as much as we can to get some of that um that traction warmer leads coming to us. And then from there we we have conversations and we see what kind of collabs we can do, what kind of fun we can have to get these larger groups in the game.
00:24:31 - 00:24:50
So the point here is that we're building up uh potential energy. We're funding people funneling people into the game. So, we'll gradually open the gateway where we get all these people that are filling out those forms that we have, which is thousands at this point. We're going to start trickling those people in as well.
00:24:48 - 00:25:09
And so, you guys, our community, thank you for being who you are, for welcoming uh these people in and uh showing them around because it really helps. We're going to really start ramping that up. So, you'll see more and more of that uh in the coming days. So, exciting stuff. Um, okay.
00:25:03 - 00:25:32
And that was just a small taste of what's going on in marketing. Um, but I guess that brings us to questions and a leak, right? >> Okay. Can you do a question? >> I saw a question actually pop in earlier today. >> Um, so from fauxhubris of the night. >> I wonder what happened to his show cuz they they they just kind of stopped.
00:25:27 - 00:26:02
So we'd like to have we'd like to see that show back. I used to like to watch that every week. Um, so the question is, with so many VC deals backfiring for projects, even when structured in good faith, as you seek new VC funding, how will you ensure any new investment is aligned with the project's long-term success and protects the token from harmful short-term sell pressure? >> That's a great question.
00:25:59 - 00:26:21
first instinct is to say, well, so many VC deals. There are not many VC deals happening right now. Uh, so number one, there's not a lot happening. But that being said, I get the gist of your point. >> Um, >> number one, that the token like legally we can't even the token's not a part of the deal.
00:26:17 - 00:26:43
Like the if a token is a part of this, it cannot be released until a year later legally. Like that's that's just kind of a securities thing. So if if there was a token as part of a deal that we did, it's a year at minimum. And furthermore, it would not be all released all at once. That would even be gradually uh you know vested over time.
00:26:37 - 00:27:03
So that would be a controlled release um starting at one year after the date of the deal. So but that's even if we did that. So right now the token's in a place where, you know, that's not something that that that's something that could significantly affect our tokconomic structure and everything. So we're not really looking to do that kind of deal.
00:27:00 - 00:28:07
It's more of a exactly what you said, FO, having a long-term alignment with what we're doing on an equity side of things. Um, so on the fundraising side, we're still midse moving towards a crowd round. This is primarily equity structure. uh there there won't be a token part of the structure with the uh crowd round and so yeah I mean if you guys happen to know anybody that we should be talking with uh have them DM us or or whatever but um yeah it's going really well and um yeah it's it's tough times out there for anyone you guys have probably seen what's happening you know in the ecosystem uh everyone's fighting to keep going you got AI disrupting everything it's an interesting interesting time um but you know what do we do in interesting times we put our feet on the ground and we just keep building. Um, but anyway, that's a that's a great question. So, >> y and we do actually get quite a lot of VCs DMing us. >> Okay, that's a good point.
00:28:03 - 00:29:04
there is a a good amount of um inbound scammer type uh VC outreach that we get um which is and and it's actually not VC outreach. They'll they'll claim that they're with a financial company and that their mandate is to find a project and their check size is 500k and up and you know all these things and and um you know we we have it as part of our our process to make sure that they know that there's never any tokens or anything that's going to flow outward ahead of time to try to filter out like just just get the people that are trying to work this this token scam. It's it's amazing how many scammers there are out there and it's increased as of late. >> Yeah. I mean, they go after the community and and they come after us as well. I mean, I I receive daily maybe 30 or 40 scam emails. >> Some like
00:29:02 - 00:29:25
happening too now where they'll find out like people in the company that are in our HR department. They'll find out their names somehow and then they send these email as if it's from HR. It's anything to do with you just have to be vigilant. That's why we always say, you know, we we will never DM you.
00:29:21 - 00:29:46
And and now is a good time to actually pause, look in your Discord, and turn your DMs off because that's what people do. And and and they always come in, especially for the new people, you always have to be vigilant. The new people come in, they ask a question, and there's scammers or bots that are just sat there saying, "No, no, click on this for a support.
00:29:42 - 00:30:07
" There is zero reason to have DMs on because you can accept somebody's friend request. So, if you know the person, if you're comfortable with the person, you can accept a friend request. Be careful about that, too, though. >> Um, be very careful about any links that are ever sent. Um, and definitely very wise, safe practice to turn off DMs um in Discord.
00:30:01 - 00:30:28
Um, anyway, so let's let's move on to uh the next question. >> Another question, this is Braz from the Knights. When will Rise token be available on Drip Drops? Hasn't been able to claim for a few epochs now. >> Actually talked to Kyle of Drip Drops and Andrew in the last month, both of them.
00:30:23 - 00:30:47
Um Kyle a couple weeks ago, he was off traveling doing some stuff in Japan with everything that was going on with IOK and Charles and Foundation or whatever all that stuff. But >> um basically uh that should be coming very soon. I need to check on it. So, I'm glad you asked. Um, but it it shouldn't be far off. >> Yeah, we are on it though.
00:30:47 - 00:31:11
And then we >> Next question is for you actually. >> Okay, >> so uh this is from Blinky of the Nights. The use of AI in game feels a bit disruptive sometimes. There are some voiceovers with strange intonation and loading screens that seem a bit AIish and deformed. Why not use original artwork there? Maybe these are just placeholders, but just curious.
00:31:08 - 00:31:31
Just want to point out that players will notice this. >> Yeah, players notice. We notice. Um >> I hope we're not just choosing questions from the Knights. >> Well, we playing from the mafia. >> I think it's just a coincidence. Yeah. I just >> Yeah. >> Yeah. In what we they are they are in their kind of placeholders.
00:31:27 - 00:31:59
Everything that we do, you know, is is pre-alpha. So, we need to we need to see if if it works or not. And and we and we do know, you know, using AI is kind of frowned upon, especially for voices, but voices are getting better. But but the idea is that when when we've perfected the scripts, cuz even now we're working on the quests and and and what you have to do is you we are going to get um various voice actors.
00:31:53 - 00:32:20
We've used them in the past. So on on some of the early trailers, we did them, but there's so much work involved. You know, first of all, you got to find the right voice that fits. Sometimes you have two or three. Then they have to read it through and then they send you through the script and then you have to do edits and updates and it takes so long to do that.
00:32:15 - 00:32:39
So, so to do that when you kind of got a work in progress, that's actually quite not only is it quite time consuming, but it's also quite costly as well. So, so the plan is while we've got the opportunity to to use AI, we are going to and we know we're going shortterm it's it's not ideal, but it is kind of the best fit we've got.
00:32:34 - 00:32:57
We can get feedback on it. If the feedback is you're using an AI voice, you know, we we can accept that because we know that's going to change in the future, but really the the feedback is on the content that we're producing. And then we will get quite a quite a few voice actors in the future.
00:32:52 - 00:33:16
Um, and we will replace all those with with proper human tones cuz you you can you can tell the the difference between although it's it's getting harder and harder. But yeah, it's a good question. We do know the AI. We do know that you guys know that it's AI as well. But um, yeah, long term it will be humans.
00:33:10 - 00:33:43
We support humans. the the industry will will live on. >> AI is a it's a big it's a big topic obviously. Uh it's so incredibly disruptive. We've talked about it a ton. We're going to use it to optimize and speed up everywhere we can because you don't stay relevant if you don't stay with what's happening.
00:33:39 - 00:34:02
Um and it has enabled us to accelerate and do a lot of things that we did not think that we could do. Uh furthermore, we have something coming pretty soon that's actually going to help uh help things on the token volume side, etc., which is it's going to be great. Now, that's not a 100% thing, but it's looking more and more likely.
00:33:57 - 00:34:22
Uh and uh I'm just going to let people get curious because they probably have no clue what I'm talking about. But it will be fun. Um and uh you know it's something that was completely enabled by the fact that technology is no longer a barrier to entry in so many ways for um for business.
00:34:18 - 00:34:48
It's it's it's compressing things are changing. Thankfully on the game side though, there's a bit of a moat of protection uh because there's so many the game dev is so complicated and and I've seen some of these Twitters out there going around where like this game is doing um world creation videos and uh all of it super fast and people get all buzzed up about the hype of all of that.
00:34:45 - 00:35:10
The reality is a lot of those are even pre-built and then it's AI that's using pre-built art to rearrange it. So it's you know it takes all the time to build all of that like and nobody in particular I'm talking about there. And then there's there's the Google genie AI thing which everyone said oh game building is dead.
00:35:05 - 00:36:07
This is not this is not true. Like that that Google genie cannot replicate the same place again. like that's not going to work for an MMO style uh game. There's no memory to it. You can't go back to the same place. There's so many other problems with with how that's done. Now, it's a really cool tool and we're moving in that direction, but the reality is with a game engine, there are so many human touch points and you know this very well, setups, configurations, so many interdependencies that you know, yes, coding can speed up this little part and this little part and this little part, but you still got to connect it all together. Yeah. And I think I think I think on that, you know, there's there's there's a couple of AAA games as well that that use procedure generated worlds. For example, thousands and thousands of worlds. No two worlds are the same. But in reality, when it is procedurally generated, you you can tell there is certain patterns. All our worlds are all handbuilt. And I think
00:36:04 - 00:36:29
there definitely is a market um for for using AI to to build games and and do certain elements. But I also think it's like um it it's almost like like paintings, you know, where where you can use stencils to to to make like pictures and and and stuff like that and you can reproduce them and you can do them really fast.
00:36:28 - 00:36:52
But then when you go and look at an actual piece of art that was handcrafted, you can tell the difference. That's something that was handcrafted world compared with one that that was AI generated when when you spend enough time in them. And like we said before, >> gamers know when when you're using AI for voices.
00:36:46 - 00:37:46
The the the best gamers definitely know when worlds have been procedurally generated or or craft crafted by hand. And so you just get a much better product and AI will get better. Of course it will. >> But >> the beauty of our our giant and it's it's like so each world is so completely curated totally unique. And the same with the artwork, you know, it's hard for AI to to do these 3D models and then keep them consistent and then when you want to do a change for them and then that's the thing when you want to do a change or or or or keep things relevant or look at the same art style. That's actually quite hard to do with the with the little changes, especially if it's if it's all been >> kind of outsourced to AI. I'm definitely, you know, it in the early days I would have said yes, let let's speed up, let's use AI, let's let, you know, let's let's get this thing out and, you know, as fast as we can. But
00:37:44 - 00:38:11
now that I've seen the power of of of the of handcrafting stuff and and worked with the artists, the there there is something different about going to IKEA and having an offtheshelf shelf than going to to to you know somebody that handcrafts wood where when when you see what what the >> it's a good analogy.
00:38:05 - 00:38:31
That's that's 100% um accurate. And yes, we are using it where we can to speed up, but there's also areas where we won't sacrifice and there's also areas where we'll test like you were saying earlier. >> Yeah, great for prototype that question. Yeah, testing etc. So, um so much uh so many areas we can use it and that's what we'll do.
00:38:25 - 00:38:53
Um and the beauty of it is that the main point was just that um we have protection in the gaming industry because it is so complicated. It is so hard that uh but you know that's that's not going to last forever and that's the that's the other thing is it's like okay if it's five years out from you know Musk launching his gaming engine or whatever he's doing or if it's three years out whatever um I'm sure that'll be really powerful.
00:38:50 - 00:39:11
What is it going to come down to at that point? Cuz everybody's it's it's going to be gaming is getting commoditized and everybody can make a game. It's going to come down to community. Why do you think we've been so intentional about building a rockolid community with you guys? Because that is where it's at.
00:39:05 - 00:39:31
Like when when tech gets commoditized to the point where anybody can do it and there's no barrier to entry, what's going to matter is the people that have built communities and brands. Because you can't move something, you can't sell something unless you've got a a group of people that are committed to what you're doing and all aligned towards an end goal together.
00:39:27 - 00:39:47
And that's the power of what we've been doing all along. >> We we've seen AI in I I I watched this recent thing. There were some actors and they were talking about they were copyrighting and and and um and putting trademarks against their name and their voices and and their appearance and this kind of stuff.
00:39:44 - 00:40:06
And and one of them said, you know, in the future there will be a category at the Oscars for AI generated films, but that's all it will be. It'll be it'll be a category, you know, and and when you look at games in the future, there'll be a category for AI created games or games that use AI within them.
00:40:02 - 00:40:28
And then there'll be the the ones that are handcrafted, you know, you know. So that's the category we're going to be in. And then that's the that's in my opinion that's the preferred category to be in. But yeah, we there will be a AI category as well. But where do you think the value is going to be? You know, you got the Mona Lisa as as opposed to the the color color.
00:40:27 - 00:40:52
>> Well, also there's there's there's a perceived value, right? >> That's what I mean. Yeah. >> Yeah. That's that's what you're talking about. The the perceived value is higher when you know the work, the blood, the sweat, the tears that went into doing like and if somebody comes out and they're like, "Woo, we did this in 20 seconds." Whatever.
00:40:47 - 00:41:12
The perceived value just goes Yeah, >> right. >> And you'll be buying that game >> that too. Now, I don't I don't know what's going to happen with with the blending of that in the future, but um because you know um there's still also the value you experience when you get in and you play something and and you you enjoy it or whatever, but perceived value will definitely go down on the AI side of things.
00:41:09 - 00:41:33
Okay, we need to move into our leak. >> Yeah, of course. >> Unless you had No, >> no, we could just talk forever on this. >> Oh, yeah, we definitely could. A lot of the leaks is in the words that that we've said to today on what's coming, but but we'll we'll we'll show you some still images while while we we don't we're still working on test.
00:41:29 - 00:41:58
This >> that's a great shot, bud. That's a great photo. >> Yeah, this this is the new global maps. On the far right hand side there, you can see some of the free apartments at the back. We we've got some of the huge huge huge um skyscrapers and buildings that are coming. And then in the in the foreground, that building that you can see there is the new antique shop.
00:41:53 - 00:42:26
It's not colored in yet. It's a bit of an antique. It's it's a work in progress. And um that will be where you start the the the relic quest from. Um but yeah, the quite quite a nice antique shop. That's that leak. And then this leak here is the vending machine. And we we've spoke about this vending machine in the past.
00:42:23 - 00:42:43
Um so there'll be something special about this particular vending machine, but I'm not telling you what it is at the moment because I don't have that information at hand to share. >> You But you know, we Okay, gotcha. >> Yeah. Are you keeping it secret on purpose? >> I can't remember. >> That's a bullet.
00:42:40 - 00:43:09
A bullet vending machine or >> bullet vending machine. Right. Okay. Well, we'll edit all that out. So, here is the a bullet vending machine. Bullet vending machine. >> Okay. >> All righty. >> Fair enough. >> Hey, you got to get your you got to get your supplies, man. >> Yeah. I've heard in Dubai there's like gold vending machine, so why not have a bullet vending machine? >> Yeah, exactly.
00:43:04 - 00:43:35
Why not? the the age check. >> So, I mean, you you got to reload somewhere. The um Yeah, I think that brings us to a conclusion. It's a good episode. A lot of exciting stuff ahead. I can't wait till this next build is coming out. I'm sure everybody's thinking when Well, so are we. >> 30 days. >> 30 days. >> 30 days. Win-win. We can't wait.
00:43:30 - 00:43:49
We want to get it in your hands, everyone. We're excited. Uh we're doing everything we can and man I I say win-win to our team pretty much every single day. >> We're at the polishing stage now. So So like I say, we have to pull a few things back if we want to make a certain release date.
00:43:45 - 00:44:06
Otherwise, we have to kick it forward another three or four weeks. So I'm sure we'd prefer regular releases rather than than one big one big chunk. >> But everybody, thank you very much for watching. Uh if you haven't yet, please like, subscribe, comment, all the fun stuff. And thank you for being a part of our community and what we're doing.
00:44:02 - 00:44:43
We really value you and we will see you in the next one. >> Bye-bye. >> Welcome. You're here early. That's good. Means there's something special about you. We got a whole lot going wrong around here. You better train up. We got terror knocking on our infrastructure and some mighty strange occurrences going on.
00:44:38 - 00:45:13
I'm afraid our world is at risk. Without people like you, cornucopius might fall into darkness. Better get smart, get trained, and be ready. A storm is coming. I can feel it. I'd like to say we've been through worse, but this time I'm not so sure. Good luck out there. You're going to need every bit you can get.
00:45:14 - 00:45:46
Children of the multiverse, you have crossed the veil through the gate to stand with us in cornucopia. You have my appreciation. I am but a messenger, a guide sent to show you the path that must be walked. But know this, the rifts are only the beginning. What you have seen is but a shadow of what is yet to come.
00:45:47 - 00:46:20
The path ahead is dark and the cost will be great. For the dangers you face are not born of this world alone, but from beyond it. Some of you will fight the tide. Others will build and restore. Some will weave knowledge while others will sustain through trade and creation. Strength, will and unity.
00:46:13 - 00:47:10
These are the bonds that will endure when all else is broken. Rise now. Stand against the tide. For infinity does not end. It begins. Infinity is rising. Heat up here.