Why Gran Saga: Unlimited Is More than Just a Game
How METAPIXEL is making GSU a truly unique and unforgettable experience
W e are entering a new era of web3 and games are at the forefront. The METAPIXEL team believes that, among many other benefits, blockchain technology can bring games and their economies closer to market equilibrium. We aim to create web3 games that fit this new paradigm, starting with our upcoming title — Gran Saga: Unlimited.
GSU is set in a new realm connected to the original world of Gran Saga, where the line between the real world and game world is blurred.
Gather in the world of GSU
GSU is a PC MMORPG featuring distinct character classes and roles, and the gameplay experience is greatly enhanced when multiple players play together. In GSU, players will create their own characters and interact with other players’ characters, crossing the border between reality and online games. Players can cooperate with each other to achieve common goals, or compete against each other for bragging rights and the spoils of war.
Players will create their own narratives, intrigue, and drama as they explore the rich virtual world of GSU. GSU goes beyond the original Gran Saga’s pre-written story based on characters controlling a game character, and incorporates players’ real-life experiences, creating an overarching metanarrative.
The METAPIXEL team wants to create a game where the community itself becomes an integral game feature, a game feature that reflects real-life society.
In essence, while players can enjoy GSU as a solo player, the true experience of GSU is unlocked by playing with others.
Exploration, discovery, and pioneering
GSU, which shares its world and general lore with the original Gran Saga, has many areas with new content and mysterious hidden spaces exclusive to GSU. Benefits will be given to explorers who are the first to find these hidden secrets and pioneer new areas.
Players can also discover powerful or rare monsters and acquire precious items from them.
Specially designed game elements will let players experience the fun of exploration, discovery, and pioneering in GSU, such as items that are revealed to all players but are challenging to actually obtain, and hidden treasures that are difficult to find.
The quest system in GSU astutely guides players through exploration. Rather than forcing players to act in a certain way or playing the game for them, it serves as a signpost for players to discover content and lets players enjoy the game in diverse ways.
In addition, the quest system acts as a nexus between GSU and the original Gran Saga, so that players can gain insight into the narrative of the original Gran Saga.
Play Together, Win Together
While adventuring in GSU, players will inevitably encounter extremely powerful monsters that are impossible to defeat without the help of other players of different classes.
Combat in GSU isn’t just about individual play and pumping vanity numbers, it’s about playing for the benefit of the team so everyone can win. Each class differs in its role, appearance, and skill effects, and each class will also experience and progress through the game differently.
Players will experience totally different gameplay every time they play a different class.
Players will come together as they fight through dungeons, explore, and overcome challenges together, and GSU provides numerous ways for players to express themselves. There’s a wide range of options to alter character appearances, with different clothing and hairstyles to express each player’s personality, along with various emotes to express their emotions.
GSU aims to blur the lines between online games and reality. Players can manifest their identity in the game by personalizing their avatar and interact with other players to establish relationships.
Players will naturally form bonds and build a strong, vibrant community.
System Agents’ role and the player-driven economy
The player’s mission in GSU is to become a System Agent, or an in-universe administrator of the GSU world that spans naturally between reality and the game realm.
In order to become a System Agent, players must compete with each other to become the best and rise to the top. Winning or losing is influenced by a combination of factors such as mastery of the GSU world, community support, skill, effort and luck.
System Agents can be individuals, or groups such as guilds or alliances. System Agents can wield special powers that may affect the GSU world, including aspects of the game’s economy and other areas of the game.
This dynamic will create groups of diverse interests and enrich the game world.
As a conceptual example, GSU’s planned item (NFT) drop system resembles the Hash Target algorithm of Bitcoin. Just as the hash rate of Bitcoin determines the difficulty of mining, a System Agent could affect the in-game hash rate, which can have a tangible impact on users and provide a deep meta-gameplay experience.
How do we define a successful game?
Web3 is the spirit of the times. Decentralization is about empowering those who deserve it.
We intend to delegate some of the authority, that previously only developers possessed, to the community.
We want to build trust with the community tangibly, by implementing new technologies and ideas, not just by convincing users with words.
- A structure in which player expenditure can ultimately benefit the participants of the ecosystem
- Content that can satisfy a wide spectrum of of needs, from low level (e.g. material) to high level (e.g. status)
- Game economy built on sound money, enabled by blockchain technology
We are well aware that there are many factors beyond this that are necessary for the longevity and legacy of a game. We want to build a game (and overall experience) that will be appreciated and remembered for a long time, and create memories that community members will be able to cherish.
Wouldn’t that be a successful game?
About Lucas Jeonghwan Ko
Lucas Jeonghwan Ko (Twitter) is the Head of Web3 at METAPIXEL. He has over 20 years of high-level experience in the game industry in both technical and management roles, previously working at companies such as Nexon and NeoPle.
Notably, he was Team Lead of the MapleStory development team and Team Lead of the Dungeon & Fighter development team.
Now, he’s excited to carry his expertise and experience into the world of web3 gaming at METAPIXEL, by creating an ecosystem of high-quality games with open economies.
METAPIXEL Links
METAPIXEL Brand Site: METAPIXEL: the Complete Gaming Metaverse
METAPIXEL Discord: discord.gg/metapixel
METAPIXEL Twitter: METAPIXEL (@Metapixel) / Twitter
NPIXEL Site: 엔픽셀 — NPIXEL
