Episode 101 - Wingman

In COPICafe Episode 101 Rob and Josh discuss their experiences at Rare Evo and share their excitement about the community interactions and industry partnerships at the event. They introduce the new build of the game, Cornucopias, which includes the Launch of Solace 1, 2 and 3.

The team is working on an interactive website for the land grab, which will not occur in-game. Some adjustments will be made to the current land, including flattening terrain with large rocks, trees, and bushes.

Upcoming changes to the game include the addition of lamp posts and street lights to increase visibility at night, updates to some town centers with new points of interest, and the removal of GPU restrictions, although users with lower-end graphics cards may experience performance issues. The team is also working on implementing DLSS for Nvidia cards to boost FPS.

The speakers introduce the "Wingman" Eric Peterson and discuss his experience and backgrounds in the gaming industry, specifically his involvement with the Star Citizen project.

The speakers discuss the realities of game building and the importance of making smart decisions about project development. They emphasize the importance of creating a fun and entertaining game and the unique interactive component of their gaming platform, which sets it apart from traditional entertainment avenues.

The team discusses the community aspect of game development and they reflect on the difference between the closed-door approach of publishers in the past and the openness of web 3.0, allowing fans to be part of the process and contribute ideas.

• 00:00:00 In this section the team members gather at Rare Evo Day 2 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. They share what they're drinking and express excitement about the event's success. The team has brought 13 members to RareEvo, and they discuss the importance of meeting in person, as they usually only interact digitally. They also share heartwarming stories of meeting community members and seeing their joy while playing the game. One such story involves a 14-year-old named Duke, who has been playing the game for a couple of months and is on the Holocache leaderboard. The team members discuss their experiences with the game and their favorite tracks.

• 00:05:00 In this section we hear the Community reactions to playing the new Solace build.

• 00:10:00 In this section the speakers discuss the current offerings at their booth and clarify that their game is no longer being branded as an MMORPG. They also introduce their new advisory group, which includes Philip Black, a game economist who has worked on projects like Amazon - New World, and Jennifer Donahoe, a marketing expert who has experience with games like League of Legends. The advisors were brought on intentionally to provide valuable insights and help define the game's core message to the right audience.

• 00:15:00 In this section the hosts announce the addition of game design veteran Eric Peterson, also known as "the Wingman," to their advisory board. Peterson, who has a significant background in the gaming industry, including the creation of the Wing Commander series, will bring valuable experience and wisdom to the team. Rob and Josh have already had impactful meetings with the new board and are looking forward to deeper dives in the future. Eric, Jennifer and Phillip have officially joined the advisory board and have already started contributing with emails and valuable insights. The video also covers recent game updates, including the introduction of Solace 1, 2, and 3, the new world travel system, and a land grab feature with a map system and custom markers. The team has been working on these developments for almost two years and plans to add more content and gameplay to the area over the next six months.

• 00:20:00 In this section the creators discuss the latest milestone in their project, which includes the introduction of three giant worlds of Solace, each one being part of the 1st Theme Zone of the twelve planned for the game. The creators express their excitement about the game's vastness, which is larger than the Grand Theft Auto 5 map. They also mention the core World Travel Loop, including exploring from dome to dome and going through the cloud gate. The team, led by David, put in extreme effort to get everything together for the release, which is expected to come out in the next few days. Later in the year new upcoming features will include tree chopping, mining, and MMO elements, with some surprises yet to be revealed.

• 00:25:00 In this section Farid expresses gratitude to the team for their hard work in developing a game with an expansive world, larger than that of Skyrim or Grand Theft Auto 5 combined. The QA team is specifically highlighted for their diligent efforts in finding and fixing bugs, contributing significantly to the game's improvement. The speaker also shares the excitement of seeing the community's reactions to the game and the joy it brings to the team. Upcoming events include racing tournaments and the Valkyrie F9-R Flying Vehicle sale on the BASE chain. The speaker also mentions their personal experience with the game and looking forward to collaborating with other creators.

• 00:30:00 In this section Rob and Josh reflect on their 100th episode and the importance of building a community and relationships. They express gratitude for their audience and the growth they have seen in the Cardano ecosystem and within their own team. As they look forward to future episodes and events, they express excitement for the potential growth and development in the game and the ecosystem. The closing section plays out with a montage of Solace showing to the soundtrack of "Butterflies" - a new song track by 7even.