Episode 97 - Ready Player Corn

In COPICafe Episode 97 titled "Ready Player Corn" - Josh Jones and Rob Greig discuss various upcoming features in the MMO game "Cornucopias."

These include the release of NFTs and the registration process for nodes, the rewards system for nodes, the upcoming new build with leaderboards and competitive tournaments, and the development of the player deck and progression system.

They also introduce a character artist named Natalia and discuss the integration of web 3 technology into gaming, allowing players to own and transfer assets.

The team is working on tools to make this process seamless for both mainstream and web 3 gamers, and they plan to release more player information soon.

The game will offer both long-term progression through skill trees and short-term seasonal progression, with competitions and rewards for winners. The team is also working on customizing outfits with different materials and textures, and new hair types and textures.

The avatar creator is in its second iteration, with previous improvements including tons of sliders and the ability to function. These updates give players more power to customize their characters in nuanced and grandiose ways. The team plans to release the new customization feature in Q3 July.

• 00:00:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Copi Cafe 97" by Josh Jones and Rob Greig, they discuss the upcoming features in the MMO game "Cornucopias." The game is set in a world of floating islands with unique environments and thriving communities. Players can explore vast landscapes, engage in various activities, and choose their own destiny. In the episode, they plan to talk about nodes, the new build, the updated land dock, and a similar player type deck. They also mention having a special guest on the show and potential leaks throughout the episode. The community is given a weekly vote to choose from at least one correct answer. The nodes are scheduled to happen on Monday.

• 00:05:00 In this section the speakers discuss the upcoming release of NFTs and the registration process for nodes to become eligible for rewards. NFTs will be released on Monday, and the first rewards period will begin in July. Users have until the end of the month to register their nodes, but must do so before the first round of rewards are distributed. The registration process will be simple and can be done through the website, which will be updated at some point during July. Users will need to hold the required amount of COPI for each node, and once registered, they will be able to see the status of their nodes and rewards on the website.

• 00:10:00 In this section the speakers discuss the rewards system for nodes in the project. If a node owner decides to sell their node before the end of the month, the new owner will receive the rewards for that month. The rewards are tied to the ownership of the node on the 31st of the month. The speakers also address the possibility of running multiple node pools on one machine and confirm that testing is ongoing. They also mention the potential for a VPS service, but it's still under consideration, and public pools could be an alternative for those who don't want to run their own pools.

• 00:15:00 In this section the speaker discusses the upcoming new build, which is expected to release in the second week of July. The main update includes leaderboards for racing and holocaches, enabling competitive tournaments and competitions for different classes of vehicles. The build also includes bug fixes for racing issues and the ability to communicate with the game through an API. After the release of this build, major infrastructure development, including the deployment of more servers to serve the game all over the world, will be tested. This infrastructure development is crucial for bringing in large communities and new players without performance issues. The speaker also mentions the possibility of a huge launch with a large Esports League.

• 00:20:00 In this section the speakers discuss the release of a land deck in their game and the feedback they received from the community. They clarified some unclear wording and acknowledged the challenge of balancing the expectations of web 3 and mainstream gamers. The speakers emphasized their commitment to entertaining players and building a community, but admitted to leaving out information about the player side of the game. They also mentioned the importance of timing in releasing information and their plan to release more player information soon.

• 00:25:00 In this section the speakers discuss the development of the player deck and progression system in their game. They explain that while they are not aiming for a massive player influx before next year, they will organically grow the player base through tournaments and releases leading up to January. The speakers then answer a question regarding the permanence of land and its associated items when sold or transferred, confirming that the land and its contents remain as NFTs. The main focus of the conversation shifts to the player progression system, which will include skill trees for various professions such as fishing, mining, and farming. These skill trees will allow players to gradually build up their skills and unlock new tasks and areas within the game.

• 00:30:00 In this section the speakers discuss the game's seasonal progression system. The game is divided into four seasons, each lasting 13 weeks, with the intention of aligning these seasons with real-world seasons such as summer, winter, autumn, and spring. This will affect various aspects of the game, including fishing and crop growth. Additionally, there will be short-term progression within each season, with a reset for players at the start of each seasonal part. New content will be introduced, and players will progress through seasonal challenges to level up. At the top level, players will receive an NFT reward, which could be an outfit, vehicle, or other in-game item that helps in specific disciplines like fishing or racing. The game will offer both long-term progression through skill trees and short-term seasonal progression. Competitions, such as racing and fishing leagues, will take place during each season, with various prizes for winners. The creators emphasize that the NFT rewards are player-owned assets and will be accessible to mainstream gamers without requiring extensive knowledge of web 3 technology.

• 00:35:00 In this section the speaker discusses the integration of web 3 technology into gaming, allowing players to own and transfer assets within a game and even rent them out to others. The goal is to make this process seamless for both mainstream and web 3 gamers. The team is working on tools to enable land ownership, education for newcomers, and mobile and web versions for accessibility. The game will cater to both casual and hardcore gamers, with leaderboards and competitions planned for the near future. The foundation for the game's infrastructure, content, and progression is being laid, with an exciting 2025 ahead for the project.

• 00:40:00 In this section a character artist named Natalia, discusses her background and how she got into art and her role at Cornucopias. She initially started as a freelance character artist creating VR chat avatars and models, and was discovered by the team at Cornucopias through her work on social media. She has been with the company for two years and has worked on many outfits and sets for their avatars. Currently, she is working on a casual feminine presenting outfit, which may take up to a week to complete depending on its complexity. Previously, she created mining outfits, which also took about a week to make due to their intricacy. She collaborates with David to ensure the designs align with the story and lore of their virtual world.

• 00:45:00 In this section the speakers discuss the development of outfits and hairs in the game. They mention various types of outfits such as fishing, mining, and racing outfits, and reveal that they also work on hair and other items. The team shares some examples of the hairs that will be available, including faux hawks, bull cuts, ponytails, and Bobs. They explain that players can switch between different variations of these hairstyles based on curliness and texture. The creators are using Unreal Engine 5 to bring these designs to life, and they discuss the process of adding materials to the hair to make it look more realistic. They also mention using open-source software like Blender for the hair creation process. Additionally, they hint at new menus and features, including facial hair presets.

• 00:50:00 In this section the speaker discusses new features in the game's avatar creator, specifically the ability to customize outfits with different materials and textures. This concept, called material cards, allows players to switch between various materials for each portion of an outfit, providing more choice and variety. The speaker also mentions the addition of new hair types and textures, as well as the possibility of customizing glasses and hats in future updates. The avatar creator is in its second iteration, with previous improvements including tons of sliders and the ability to function, but the team continues to add and iterate on the feature. Overall, these updates give players more power to customize their characters in nuanced and grandiose ways.

• 00:55:00 In this section the speaker expresses excitement over the new customization feature in Avatar Creator, which allows users to add textures and change colors on existing outfits from top to bottom. This innovation offers a significant variation to the current customization options and takes the platform to a new level, according to the speaker. The community is anticipated to be thrilled about this update, which is set to release in Q3 July. The speaker, Natalia, is thanked for her participation in the show and for her contributions to the Cornucopias community.