"FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" is a Fun, Engaging Cardano Blockchain Game featuring collectable Game-Asset NFTs! Free-To-Play, Play-to-Earn!

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

James M. Smith (Jim)

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

jim@flutterbuzzerz.io

Additional applicants

No Other Applicants

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

9

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.” .

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

There will be numerous creative elements in the game such as its environment, characters, narrative (story), music, style, etc. When combined, these elements form a unique IP. As a business owner, my intention is to nurture and grow this IP into something substantial, which I feel obligated to protect as proprietary. Certain technical elements of the game may be intrinsically and inexorably connected to these proprietary, creative elements and must also be protected in kind. There will likely be core game mechanics that make the game unique in the field, and it would be commercially self-destructive to share the code for these elements by making them completely open source.

An external, unscrupulous team could, in theory, gain access to the entire code or even the more sensitive proprietary elements of it. This could enable them to beat us to market or create competition such that FlutterBuzzerz: Battle might appear as the copycat game and be driven out, when in fact it was the original! In this nightmare scenario, any Project Catalyst funding would be wasted. As owner, it's my responsibility to ensure that doesn't happen, protect the proprietary elements of the game, and safeguard any investment or grant capital that may be attained.

However, I also have a deep love for Cardano and its community, and I do intend to share game code on the game's GitHub repository (link provided above) as much as it can help other Cardano developers develop their own games, from their own ideas. I would love to see a robust gaming community rise up on the Cardano blockchain! Given Cardano's innate security and efficient, inexpensive transactions, I believe it provides an excellent environment for game developers. I intend to interact with and help developers within the Cardano community as much as I can. If funded, consider this intention a pledge. I hope that soon game designers will use the Cardano blockchain not just because they love Cardano, but because it's earned a reputation as the best game in town!

[METADATA] Category of Proposal

Gaming

[METADATA] SDG rating

SDG goals:

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

SDG subgoals:

By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature

Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning

By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally

By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world

By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development

Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species

By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species

By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts

Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems

Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation

By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality

Key Performance Indicator (KPI):

Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture

Progress towards sustainable forest management

Coverage by protected areas of important sites for mountain biodiversity

Mountain Green Cover Index

Red List Index

Proportion of countries adopting relevant national legislation and adequately resourcing the prevention or control of invasive alien species

(a) Number of countries that have established national targets in accordance with or similar to Aichi Biodiversity Target 2 of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 in their national biodiversity strategy and action plans and the progress reported towards these targets; and (b) integration of biodiversity into national accounting and reporting systems, defined as implementation of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting

(a) Official development assistance on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and (b) revenue generated and finance mobilized from biodiversity-relevant economic instruments

(a) Official development assistance on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and (b) revenue generated and finance mobilized from biodiversity-relevant economic instruments

Universal Human Rights Index (UHRI):

#proposertoolsdg

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Restatement of Problem:

"Most people arent interested in how a stereo works... they just want to listen to the music!"

Blockchain Tech and specifically the Cardano Blockchain, is a relatively new technology. Not only is it new, it is also one that aims to dethrone the existing technology in its space (and its a big big space). While we, the Cardano Faithful, see the inherent value in having decentralized internet, decentralized finance/commerce and decentralized communications, the average internet user does not. And even if they do see the value in it, simply seeing that value is not enough to get them to switch from 'the way they've always done it'!

We can't assume people will adopt blockchain just because its better! We have to make them WANT it!

While many of the dApps and programs being build on the Cardano Blockchain are incredible, foundational, essential, and frankly, much more important than a mobile game, they dont offer the user any Fun-Factor, High Motivation reasons to use them. They solve problems, provide utility, create/innovate the Cardano Blockchain and/or provide the security of decentralization. While I would personally like too thank all these developers and state emphatically that I am both grateful for and stand in awe of their brilliance... we have to acknowledge that most of the projects being built up to this point don't provide the user with good, old-fashioned F-U-N! As such, they lack the ability to draw in new users en masse (users who, unlike us, have not fallen madly in love with Cardano already).

In order to jar the average user out of their comfort zone and get them using a new technology, we need to entice them with something that is actually going to trigger some dopamine release in their brains! We need to give them something Fun!

Enter, "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Caverns!"

My Solution to the Problem:

Let's take a little step back for a moment so I can explain what is going on:

"FlutterBuzzerz: Battle!" is a Cardano-Based Mobile Game that will be available to users on their android or iphones. It will be a decentralized, 1v1 (1 real-life user versus 1 other real-life user), play-to-earn modeled game on the blockchain where in-game assets can be minted as NFTs and used perpetually in the game by the user, or sold to other users in the in-game marketplace. Once minted, the user can also take the asset off the platform and sell (or rent) that asset in any number of third party dApps from Cardahub to Opensea.

Because "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle!" was such a large and complex project, somewhat beyond the scope of a single funding cycle (Fund 10), I have broken the games creation into 3 parts or "PHASES".

PHASE 1: FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - The Crystalline Caverns!

• Focuses on the NFT portion of the game

PHASE 2: FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - The FlutterBuzzArena!

• Focuses on the 1v1 Battle portion of the game

PHASE 3: FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - The Mobile Game!

• Focuses on bringing it all together on Mobile!

I have Designed Phases 1 and 2 to act as their own "Game within a Game" projects, each with their own hands-on, playable, adoption-driving deliverables!

"But... what even IS a FlutterBuzzer? What the Heck is actually going on here?"

Let me explain... Please endulge me for just a moment:

"In the world of Z'earth, battling FlutterBuzzerz in the International FlutterBuzzArena is the height of entertainment! To provide some context for those of us here on Earth, we are talking the World Cup combined with the Olympics combined with a healthy dose of the Academy Awards! Young and Old, Rich or Poor, watching FlutterBuzzer Swarmz battle it out is a pastime beloved by all, and one steeped in a rich sporting history! The best BuzzWranglerz in the world are, by default, the biggest celebrities and when the newest broods of FlutterBuzzerz are hatched, the eyes of the world are glued to their screens to see how powerful the newest FlutterBuzzerz might be... (and also, who will be the BuzzWrangler lucky enough to find and add them to their swarm!)

What is a FlutterBuzzer, absolutely no one from Z'earth might ask? A FlutterBuzzer, as it would appear to us here on Earth, is a combination of a Bee and a Butterfly - a Bee Body (and Bee Stinger!) with Big Beautiful Bright Butterfly Wings, the shape and color of which will indicate the type of powers the FlutterBuzzer has. FlutterBuzzerz have two great joys in life: 1. to join a Swarm and 2. to have that swarm engage in 'battle' with other FlutterBuzzer Swarmz! (disclaimer: FlutterBuzzologistz are quick to point out that no harm comes to the FlutterBuzzerz and that 'battling' it is an essential part of the FlutterBuzzerz lifecycle.)

Spawned from the mysterious Crystaline Caverns, no two FlutterBuzzerz are exactly alike. Some might possess the powers of the elements: Fire, Frost, Water or Z'earth. Some might be born with raw physical Strength. Some may have been imbued with electrical or poison abilities. Some might have even more mysterious powers - magical abilities to aid or heal their fellow swarm-mates in the heat of battle! FlutterBuzzerz are spawned every few days and there really is no telling what kind of power or combination of powers they will possess (or how potent those powers might be)! The only thing that IS certain is that every BuzzWrangler worth their salt will be there, searching with all their might for the best and brightest!

So whaddya say? Feel up to joining one of the illustrious BuzzWrangler Guildz? Who knows, if you show skill and dedication; if you are able to find the best FlutterBuzzerz faster than your competitors and deploy them in battle more strategically than all the rest, we might just see YOU one day posing for pictures outside the FlutterBuzzArena!"

"FlutterBuzzerz: Battle!" will have two main gameplay elements:

• The first element of the game and THE ELEMENT WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON IN PHASE 1, is the thrill of finding rare and powerful FlutterBuzzerz!
• Every few days new FlutterBuzzerz will be spawned in-game. The Players will have have various means of increasing their chances of finding the best FlutterBuzzerz available out of each brood. The FlutterBuzzerz themselves expire after a set amount of time... that is, unless the player decides to make that FlutterBuzzer a permanent member of their swarm, by minting it as an NFT, which the player can do utilizing ADA.
• Pokemon could be considered a frame of reference here, but as you will see, there are numerous differences that make FlutterBuzzerz wholey unique.]

• For context, let me introduce the second element of the game, which is the actual Battle itself, but please note this element is not the focus of FUND 10 and will come later in Phase 2!
• In the battle element, players will deploy their swarmz at the start of the game onto the field of battle. The FlutterBuzzerz will then engage members of the enemy swarm according to the own set of abilities. The stronger (and more strategically deployed and aided by the player) swarm will emerge victorious and earn the victor (and the loser too, though not as much) in-game currency. The economy of the game will be comprised of two, new ADA-based tokens, which can be used to forward progress in the game, purchase powerups, fund FlutterBuzzer searches and training, etc.
• Clash of Clans is a frame of reference here, although, again - there are notable differences.

"FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - PHASE 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!", like all parts of the game, will be decentralized and live on the Cardano Blockchain exclusively!

PHASE 1: The Crystalline Cavernz, while a part of the whole, will be a full fledged game in and of itself.

If funded, from the end of September, 2023 to the end of June, 2024 (9 months) I and my team will build the Crystalline Cavernz on the flutterbuzzerz.io website. Users can go and interact with the Cavernz to find FlutterBuzzerz! New FlutterBuzzerz are spawning all the time and not even the dev team will know what kinds will emerge! Some may be very ordinary and weak - users likely will not want to mint these (though, they can - ANY FlutterBuzzer spawned can be minted). Some FlutterBuzzerz, though, may be very rare and have special abilities or powers. These rare finds the user will likely want to mint, otherwise the FlutterBuzzer will expire after a certain amount of time!

Users will be able to connect their wallets to the website and store their FlutterBuzzerz as NFTs. FlutterBuzzer NFTs will be both digital collectables and usable, PLAYABLE Game Assets.

So, as you can see... we are creating a progression.

Once PHASE 2 is complete, users holding FlutterBuzzer NFTs can use them in battle in the FlutterBuzzArena!

Once PHASE 3 is complete, everything will be ported over to Mobile with a robust in-game economy, new & innovative game elements

But... one step at a time! Admittedly, its hard for me to not get ahead of myself as I have been wanting to build this game for awhile!

The reality is, "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle - PHASE 1: The Crystalline Caverns" has all the elements of highly successful Blockchain Games like CryptoKitties and HashMasks, but with the promise of exciting new things to come! Users will know that, while the game is engaging and fun, in and of itself, the NFTs they are minting will have actual utility! They aren't just collecting static (albeit, cute and beautiful) digital artwork, they are collecting Game Pieces that they can either hold onto and use once the game comes out, or sell on the open market!

The huge NFT Boom & Bust cycle that happened awhile back, occured because creators failed to understand that NFTs need to have a purpose in order for them to have value. The soon-to-be-made "FlutterBuzzerz Saga".... specifically Fund 10's project focus of "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Caverns!" seeks to solve that problem and in so doing, work to solve the problem of Cardano Blockchain Adoption!

This is part of why I have approached the "Products and Integrations Challenge" the way I have - with a game! And not JUST a game - a game that has usable NFT assets.

Utility is key when it comes to NFTs!

I got swept up in the NFT hoopla just like everyone else a few years back, because I recognized just how cool NFTs were - how innovative a technology it was. But I also saw that people were creating (and in some cases spending WAAAAY too much) on... well, frankly... JUNK! It was in this time period where the seedlings of "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle!" began to form in my brain, because I wanted to create an ecosystem of NFTs with Utility! And what better way to do that, than with a game!

We'll talk more about this in the Proposal Points below, but in the meantime I'll close out this section by saying this - I'm obviously biased when it comes to "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Caverns!", but sincerely... as an avid, lifelong gamer, the only reason I'm trying to get this game made is because I think it sounds incredibly fun!

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

I believe a game like FlutterBuzzerz is not just a good way, but rather the PERFECT way to drive engagement in the cardano ecosystem!

Blockchain technology, at the time of Fund 10, is not at all in the publics 'realm of everyday use'. In fact, it isn't even in the public's 'realm of understanding'. We, as Cardano afficionados and Blockchain early adopters, can easily forget how foreign these technologies can seem to a global population of people that have quite a lot on their plate just with trying to survive.

Some Gaming Stats for you:

1. The Global Gaming Industry Is Now Worth More Than $300 Billion
2. Tencent Is the Leading iPhone Gaming App Publisher
3. Supersonic Studios Is the Leading Gaming App Publisher in the Google Play Store
4. The Number of Mobile Gamers Has Risen to 3 Billion
5. Mobile Game Consumer Spending Has Reached $41.2 Billion
6. Diablo Immortal Generated More Than $100 Million in Mobile Player Spending
7. Candy Crush Is the Top Grossing iPhone App
8. Subway Surfers and Garena Free Fire Among the Top Mobile Games by Downloads
9. 14.4 Billion Mobile Games Downloaded Globally Across App Store and Google Play
10. Arcade Is the Fastest-Rising Game Genre

Gaming is easily one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world. It crosses demographics in surprising ways. If we want to promote adoption on the Cardano Network, we must look to Gaming as a Key Option to do so... and that is exactly what I am doing with my project "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!"

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

Success of this project will actually be easily measured. I will post and report to the community the exact engagment numbers of the game. Every new player is, in every way, a new user of the Cardano Ecosystem. While the game will be free to play, in order to really engage with the game - collect tokens, mint unique FlutterBuzzerz as player-owned CNFTs - users will need to download one of the compatable Cardano wallets. They will need to purchase or earn some ADA in order to mint their NFTs. statistics on or about the game's engagment will be reported regularly.

I'm a big stats person. In games I am not really happy unless there are stats being shown to me about the game. "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" will have plenty of stats for its players to see. and the project itself will have plenty of stats to peruse during and after completion!

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

The "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Caverns!" project intends to be very active with the Cardano Community throughout the course of the 9 months the game will be built.

1. Through regular updates on the website, in the telegram chat, and the discord server (I'll even stoop to using twitter [~shudders~]) I will keep the Cardano Community in the loop as to how far along we are in creating the Crystalline Cavernz and the mechanics we are building to make interacting with the game Fun! (Always FUN is the name of the game)

I'll go into more detail on specific timelines in the section on Major Milestones

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

Let me get real with you a bit and introduce who I am... and also... who I am not! (Because I think both are important!) (See also the Development Team Section of the proposal for some more information on me! :)_

First... Hi, I'm Jim!

I am a 45 year old who is no stranger to managing projects and teams... and absolutely no stranger to hard work! While I currently work in the field of medical diagnostic neurotechnology as an electroencephalographic technologist (finally utilizing some of my biology-based education!), I actually worked in the food and bev industry in Napa, CA for close to twenty years in both high-end restaurants and world famous wineries. All of my career has been spent in service of some kind and much of it has been spent in a managerial capacity.

I managed a bonafide world famous Napa restaurant called Tra Vigne for several years. It's closed its doors now, unfortunately, but for two decades it build up a reputation as one of the best restaurants in an area considered top-tier in the world of dining. After Tra Vigne, I was sought out and offered the position of events manager for the Robert Mondavi Winery. I did that for several more years, managing large teams for their special events and summer concert series - huge events, one after another, all year long!

This project - creating a mobile game from the ground up - is all about management. Its about managing a team of real-life human beings. Managing people, which to me means choosing the right people for the job, identifying their talents, strengths and weaknesses and then aligning their efforts towards a unified goal, is something I know a great deal about!

There were times in my career where I managed teams of over a hundred people. These teams were comprised of staff of varying duties, skillsets and experience levels and included temporary staff, regular employees and assistant managers. In order to complete projects - often times under extremely stressful conditions - all of the individuals on my teams needed to be organized, inspired, (in some cases) taught and ultimately directed in harmony with each other and in harmony with the completion of the goal in mind.

Deligating effectively was absolutely essential for survival. And understanding that I was dealing with real people with real emotions, unique personalities and lives outside work and that they were not simply cogs in a machine was CRUCIAL for us to acheive our goals.

(And I'll also say, because I think its worth mentioning, understanding this was CRUCIAL also to keeping my soul intact - too often I have seen people lose or forget their humanity in pursuit of greatness or excellence. At the end of the day, how we treat other people, is how the universe sees us. How we treat other people, is who we are.)

Anyway, bringing it back :) ...

I got into the food and bev industry working my way through college while I was studying biology, psychology, art and, briefly, theology). Because I was good at the job, while still in college, I received many offers for employment. I must admit it was never my intention to have a career in the high-end service industry in Napa, but at the time the offers were difficult to pass up.

In 2018, owing to a bad back and knees (walking upwards of 20-25 miles a shift takes its toll!), I sought and was offered a position in neurodiagnostics. I have worked for NeuroTechnical Services for the last five years, seeing patients and administering neurodiagnostic electroencephalographs (EEGs) in both hospital and office settings. I worked all through the pandemic in this position, which as you can imagine presented many unique problems. Working through problems and adversity to get the job done is a cornerstone of my career and who I am, regardless what industry I have been working in. I will bring that same energy, tenacity and skill to THIS project.

Several years ago I began investigating Blockchain Technology and promptly fell in love with one blockchain in particular - Cardano. I appreciated so much their principled approach to technology and their people-first approach to business. It is a love affair that has only grown stronger over the years. So much so that I even started to learn how to code - Haskell at first (using Robertino Martinez's IOG Academy Course!) and Plutus, but I also made a study of Python and C#. While I may not be the worlds greatest coder, I am proficient such that I can manage and communicate knowledgably with the programmers I intend to hire to code "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Caverns!"

Throughout my entire life, the one thing that has persisted regardless of circumstance is my love of gaming.

Zelda, Kings Bounty, Skyrim, World of Warcraft, The Caesar Sim Series, Heroes of might and Magic, Star Wars: The Old Republic, League of Legends... the list goes on and on and ON when it comes to the video games I have played avidly.

I also love tabletop games and have led several groups of eager adventurers through my own homebrewed DnD world.

I have dreamt for a long time of designing my own video game. Games, be they board games, family 'game-night' games, or video games offer us a singularily unique entertainment experience. Unlike passive forms of entertainment like movies, television or theatre (all of which I love as well, by the way) games allow us to participate in the the stories and worlds we engage. If you are reading this as a fellow lover of video games, you know what I'm talking about. Getting into a good video game is just... a unique experience all its own.

The point I'm trying to make is... I am PASSIONATE about games. I am PASSIONATE about Cardano. And I am PASSIONATE about tackling a project I care about and giving it everything I have!

I haven't been as excited about anything as I am about creating "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Caverns!"! Over the last two years the idea for this game (always decentralized and envisioned as part of the Cardano Ecosystem, by the way - this is not a game I have simply ported over for purposes of trying to get funding. FlutterBuzzerz has always been a Cardano Project in my mind, even before I knew what Project Catalyst was!) has steadily grown, evolved and formed in my mind's eye. Over the last few weeks, as I have worked on this proposal and experienced the game morphing from a Beautiful Idea to an Actual, Living, Breathing Project that soon, if it get funded, I will be creating and guiding the creation of... its difficult to express to you in words, here on this computer screen, how INVOLVED and ENGAGED I am in this endeavor. I want to make this game so badly!! And I believe so much that it can and will do great things for the Cardano Ecosystem!

If it sounds like I'm laying it on kinda thick... well, I am... but I'm also being completely honest and transparent and real with you. I feel tremendously passionate about creating this game! But I'm also being as open about it because I also want to tell you what I am not...

I am not the CEO of an established Gaming or Tech Company. I am not a lifelong coder or developer who has worked on 748 different projects including Famous Game A or Famous Game B. I am not someone who, as part of his profession... Makes a Video Game... even though that is what I dream of doing! The good part of this is that I want the community to know and understand that I am not a gaming or tech business owner or insider who, hearing about Project Catalyst and all the free money its giving away, decided to save his company some R&D capital. The "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Caverns!" project is not a title an established gaming company is trying to produce... its a grassroots brainchild of a life-long Gamer and Cardano Blockchain Early Adopter!

While I may not have the connections and experience some other proposers might have in this field, what I do have is a burning desire to get this project off the ground and flying high! What I do have is an intense desire to see it do exactly what we all want it to do - drive adoption of the best Cryptocurrency Project in Existence - Cardano. What I do have is a passionate need to bring this game from "some cool idea I had" to a game that will stand the test of time. Those games I mentioned early? Zelda... Skyrim... I want FlutterBuzzerz to be on that level! And I'm willing to work harder than I ever have (and believe me, that is saying something) to make it so!

While Project Catalyst was started to help promote, build, create, and drive adoption of the Cardano Blockchain and Ecosystem... I think that it also is about creating a Seeding Source for first time developers like me - giving 'the little folk' a chance to create, enhance and innovate within the Cardano Movement and contribute to its future and its evolution. I would also venture to say that if everything Project Catalyst funds is based on experience and industry establishment only as criteria, ignoring the Passion of the Individual, the Cardano Ecosystem as a whole will suffer as a result. I wouldn't presume to know another's mind, but if I had to guess, I think Charles Hoskinson would agree with me on that.

So what am I getting at with all this touchy-feely stuff? Just that... I hope I've been able to convey to you how passionate (there's that word again!) about this project and creating this game... and how much I really do care about Cardano and wish to contribute to its adoption by creating "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Caverns!". And I also hope that as you make your decisions on who gets funding, you will take into account these things and give them at least as much weight as industry experience and connections. I wish I had a billion dollars in the bank! If I did making this game would be a snap, but unfortunately... I'm just a working man! And without funding, I dont know if I'd ever really be able to get this game off the ground. I'd still try but... while I'm a dreamer I'm also a realist and just putting this proposal together has made be see how intense and expansive creating a game like this is. So... I sincerely hope "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Caverns!" and I pass the vibe check, because I'd really love to get the things made and bring a few million new users into the Cardano Ecosystem!

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

Overall Goal:

• To get the "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Caverns!" NFT game built and released to the general population by June 27th, 2024 (just in time for the 4th of July Holiday, where I hope people in the USA at least, will have some time between BBQs and Fireworks to Really engage the game during its kickoff celebration!)

Secondary Goals:

1. To see increases in trackable user engagement with the Crystal Cavernz Widget on the website, month by month.
2. To see increases in volume of FlutterBuzzer NFTs minted on the blockchain, month by month.
3. To see increased engagement with the project through social media and website chat channels. This type of engagement is harder to quantify but stats on hashtag usage, number of unique threads created and responses made, will be tracked.
4. This is a very important metric. I am hoping that a community forms around the game and that peoples excitment for it and PHASES 2 & 3 will begin to snowball. This momentum is what is going to drive adoption and make All three PHASES and the Finished game a success!

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Here's a breakdown of the Major Milestones for the "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" Project:

Major Milestone #1 - Project Lauch and Our First Week!

September 29, 2023

Major Milestone #2 - The End of Part 1 of the Project

December 17th, 2023

Major Milestone #3 - The End of Part 2 of the Project

March 29th, 2024

Major Milestone #4 - One week from the End of Part 3 and the Completion of the Project

June 21th, 2024

Major Milestone #5 - "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" Launch!

June 28th, 2024

In addition to these Major Milestones, the Community can count on regular interaction, communication and updates from me in the socials and on the website. I will make myself available to answer any questions community members might have regarding the game or our progress.

There will also be Official Updates at the end of each month along with blog posts and "Lore Dropz" where I provide the community a glipse at the World and History the FlutterBuzzerz inhabit. These updates will appear the last day of the month.

With that in mind, lets go through the entire nine months of the "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" project, focusing on the end of each month as a lense though which to view that months key activities. We will use the Major Milestones as anchor points and list our key activities, to get the project from zero to completion.

End of September, 2023

1. Kicking things off, I'm on the phone with TopTal putting together the team. The reality is, I will have already spoke to Alex earlier in the week. Getting the team assembled will be much more Push Button by the time we know if we have funding or not.
2. Over that first weekend, I will schedule a 3 hour meeting with Toptal Creative Designer for a preliminary Creative meeting.
3. First Dev meeting Monday, Sept 25th
4. Project expectations, structure, workflows, reporting established
5. Team will have open lines of communication but will deliver to biweekly reports
6. Midweek Report needs only be short, stating whether they are on track
7. End of Week report will be more detailed.
8. projects deliverables schedule given to the team
9. First assignments given.
10. Blockchain Dev is shown the roadmap and told to keep in communication with the Game Dev. Heavy lifting through Part 1 will be done by the Game Dev and myself.
11. Huge emphasis on Game Asset creation this week.
12. Working with Graphic Designer to nail down FlutterBuzzer design
13. Create storyboards to show deliver to the community
14. Preliminary Sprites are created by the Game Dev based on assets produced by Graphics and Creative Director
15. Game Dev primary focus is the early stage creation of the randomizer code from the FlutterBuzzerz Spawner (aka The Crystal Caverns
16. Sessions scheduled with composer to start work on game theme song creation.
17. Any subscription based software or hardware upgrades needed are purchased
18. 45,000 ADA dispensed for Part 1
19. This will be directed to the Game Dev, Graphic Designer, Composer and software/hardware needs.
20. Reaching out to forge relationships with PR departments of Non Profits Asssociated with Protecting Pollinators Worldwide.

End of October

1. Graphic Designer Role is lessening as we have more and more assets created and a structured system in place to create more.
2. Graphic Design assets are funneled to Game Dev
3. In October Game Dev and Game Designer, hard at work in zoom meetings on specification for all the aspects of the game - chiefly the randomizer widget.
4. Game dev given assignment also to create Website widget for displaying FlutterBuzzerz.
5. Blockchain Dev in the loops but mainly waiting for some code from game dev.
6. End of month meeting with Game Dev and Blockchain dev to see how close we are on Blockchain Dev being able to integrate the assets to the wallet.
7. Security a major topic of this conversation.
8. Discussion on which wallets will be game ready by launch
9. In October, Project Manager will continue to reach out to non profits and will begin setting up third party entities to manage code and security audits.

End of November

1. Start of working around upcoming holidays will mean project manager will need to tighten schedule on team to ensure smooth workflow through Thanksgiving and up to Christmas/New Years.
2. Begin prep on deliverables for Major Milestone #2 on Dec 17th.
3. As Project manager I'll really focus team in on this Dec 17th deadline.
4. Graphics Designer role as to FlutterBuzzer creation has diminished, the bulk of the actual creation of the game assets which will get passed to Game Dev will be handled by me.
5. Graphics Designer may get tapped to help with Video Production for Dec 17th BTS video deliverable and/or a zoom session might be necessary with Graphics and Game Dev to discuss creation of FlutterBuzzer Creation deliverable.
6. Towards the end of the month, Blockchain Dev should have something to do, assuming we have kept Game dev on track.
7. Game Dev will be working easily 3x-4x what Blockchain in putting in
8. Game Dev will be at about 10-15 hours per week.
9. By last week of November, after thanksgiving, Theme song should be nearing completion and prep for recording underway.
10. By end of month, code for FlutterBuzzer Deliverable widget should be well under way as well, and Randomizer should be nearing testing stage.

End of December - End of Part 1/3

1. December will be hectic as we push towards early Dec 17 Major Milestone and first real round of Community deliverables.
2. BTS Video deliverable should be nearing completion and well into editing phase by first week of Dec. This video will be short - doesn't have to be long.
3. Where we are by first week in December will dictate how much team will be able to back off for the Christmas/New Years Holiday.
4. End of first week or start of send week in december, Theme song must be recorded.
5. All Hands meetin on Dec 4th to see where we're at Game Dev must be on schedule.
6. Auditors chosen and preliminarily scheduled.
7. Part One funds paid out predominantly to Game Dev
8. Funds may be required to be allocated to Auditors at this stage as well.
9. Funds for Part 2: 33,000 ADA should be received in early January.
10. Interaction by me with community over Holidays is crucial

End of January

1. Dec deliverables behind us, time to settle into good pace.
2. Blockchain should be more involved but Game Dev still dominates the workflow.
3. Blockchain will be working on wallets and security.
4. Meeting with Game Dev and Blockchain first week of jan to determine workflow and security.
5. January sees a head down, fast and steady workflow.
6. Team should know what is expected of them and working at a good clip towards that.
7. Composor Role is finished,
8. Graphics designer on standby for consultation if needed
9. By end off January Flutterbuzzers from a graphics asset pov will be complete.

End of February

1. By Mid February, Game dev will be transitioning away from Cavern Randomizer - The central Game apparatus should be almost done.
2. Game dev will transition to creating the Community interactive version of the FlutterBuzzer display Widget.
3. Mid to End of Feb, meeting to preliminary test of randomizer with Game dev and Blockchain.
4. By end of February we are focusing up on March 29th deliverables, security, wallet integration and looking ahead to audits and Closed Beta.
5. Touch base with graphics on website style and upgrades once Randomizer is fully ready.
6. Communication with Community Continues.

End of March - End of Part 2/3

1. March will see the team again pick up the pace for March 29th deliverables.
2. By MidMarch randomizer should be completed, meaning the game is pretty much there. Testing of NFT minting should be possible by mid or early March.
3. Game dev Making sure widget is completed by deliverables day and working with Blockchain to help with securing the game.
4. Both Game dev and Blockchain will be in a meeting with the auditors.
5. Code and Security audits scheduled for mid April.
6. Meeting with Devs about possible additions to the Github.
7. Early March conduct interview with Pollinator Rep
8. Graphics will help with Website upgrade mid march
9. all hands meeting around March 22nd to get everyone on board for Mar 29 deliverables
10. Meeing with devs discussing closed beta and stresstesting.

End of April

1. True to my blogpost we are in the homestretch!
2. Game is "Done" but for the testing.
3. Mid April - Audits!
4. Audits dominate The Month of April
5. Engaging Community and sharing results.
6. setting up Closed beta - this will be small - literally a few dozen to perhaps a hundred, connecting wallets and testing the system live.
7. Discuss with Graphics and Game dev Possible incentives for Launch week

End of May

1. By May, if we aint a finely oiled machine then we got problems!
2. May is all about the Closed Beta and preparing for Launch Week Deliverables and The Game Launch.
3. Schedule Whole Group AMA for the whole team - really want everyone there.
4. Results of Closed Beta shared with community.
5. By end of May, if we arent playing catch up, we are readying the website for the launch

End of June - End of part 3/3 and Project Completion

1. June sees the whole team back in it prepping for launch.
2. Graphics and Game Dev and Me making website look top notch. We are at bells and whistles and niceties stage.
3. Blockchain needs to update website as well with instructions and prrotocols for smooth UX ffor wallet integration.
4. And of Month Party atmosphere for Launch Week
5. June 28th, flawless launch!

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Lets get specific about deliverables and outputs! As noted above, "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" Project will be divided into three (almost) equal parts, each culminating in a Major Milestone. There will also be a Major Milestone a full week after the project's Kickoff and a week before the Game's Launch, for a total of Five (5) Major Milestones. Here are the dates for each of the Five Major Milestones:

Major Milestone #1 - Project Lauch and Our First Week!

September 29, 2023

Major Milestone #2 - The End of Part 1 of the Project

December 17th, 2023

Major Milestone #3 - The End of Part 2 of the Project

March 29th, 2024

Major Milestone #4 - One week from the End of Part 3 and the Completion of the Project

June 21th, 2024

Major Milestone #5 - "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" Launch!

June 28th, 2024

Here is what to expect from us at each of these Major Milestones:

September 21st, 2023

Major Milestone #0:

• This is an Unofficial Milestone. Unofficial since I want "Deliverables" to mean something Specific and Intentional - they are official outputs from the project, arising directly as a result of the Fund10 Funds. It would be silly not to acknowledge Fund Announcement Day as an important 'Milestone' in the "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" project TimeLine, though so hence, Milestone #0!
• I will definitely be taking to the socials to communicate my gratitude towards the commmunity for their votes and to express my excitement for the work to come!

September 29th, 2023

Major Milestone #1 Deliverables:

1. The Dev Team is officially introduced to the Community, both on the website and on the socials!
2. The Project Roadmap will get an upgrade on the Website, outlining the newly kicked off "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" Projects Timeline.
3. While the community has been seeing a lot of informal artwork on the website over the last couple months, at the end of this first week, official "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" storyboards will be presented to the community showing our intensions as to style and form when it comes to the games themes and Central Sprites - the FlutterBuzzerz!
4. The "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" Social Cause - Protecting Pollinator Populations WorldWide - will receive an update where the organizations the game supports (and will ultimately donate to) are galvinized and pledged to!
5. A blogpost outlining the projects first week will appear on the website.
6. A "Sentiment of Thanks and a Statement of Commitment" will appear on the website - this will be an official statement by me thanking the community for funding the "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" project and will act as a Declaration of Accountability...(Basically a promise to deliver what we promised!)

December 17th, 2023

Major Milestone #2 Deliverables:

1. The FlutterBuzzerz have arrived! Up to this point, concept art and official storyboards have been dropped regularly on the website, as well as teases on the style of sprites themselves. But on Major Milestone #1, the community gets its first look at the finished and finalized FlutterBuzzerz Design!
2. A New Widget will appear on the Website that cycles through randomized Flutterbuzzerz. This will allow the community to SEE how diverse FlutterBuzzerz can be. Stats on each Flutter Buzzer will appear along with the visual elements and style of the sprites themselves!
3. Just in time for the Holiday Season, a Holiday Themed Behind the Scenes video drops on the website and FlutterBuzzerz Youtube Channel. In this short video, the Community gets to see a little bit of the process of the "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" project! Snippets of dev meetings, Time-lapse asset creation, Theme Song Creation, etc.. This video's purpose is to show to the community that the "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" is alive, active and producing results!
4. The "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle!" Theme Song is Dropped on Spotify and on the Website!
5. Updates on the game's Social (and what will ultimately be Charitable) Cause - Protecting Pollinator Populations WorldWide - will get an update on the website as well as a post specifically on State of Pollinators Globally will appear on the website.
6. Via blogpost, the Community will get a 'First Look at Wallet Integration with a focus on Security and Third Party OverSight' This integration of the game with the blockchain will be a major focus of Part 3 of the project.

March 29th, 2024

Major Milestone #3 Deliverables:

1. The FlutterBuzzer Randomizer Widget which up till now has been cycling passively through possible FlutterBuzzer Combinations - both visually and Statistically speaking, gets a significant upgrade, allowing Community Members to interact with the widget!
2. The website on this date will get a huge upgrade! The Community will start seeing the website in the form it will have when the game is live!
3. A video interview with someone from the Game's Protecting Pollinators Worldwide Social Cause will drop on Youtube and the Website.
4. Dates for, and information regarding, Third Party Code and Security Audits are announced on the website and in the socials with protocols for full transparency of the results open to the community.
5. Any helpful, nonproprietary code regarding wallet integration that might be useful to the community and not compromise security, will be dropped on the FlutterBuzzerz Github.
6. Blogpost "The Home Stretch" appears on the website and promoted in the socials. Three months left and I will give the community a detailed rundown of where we are in the project and how the roadmap looks to take us to the end!
7. Outline of the Limited Closed Beta is announced - Signup sheet will go up on the Website

June 21st, 2024

Major Milestone #4 Deliverables:

1. Launch Week Commences! Results of Audits have already been shared. Results of Limited Closed Beta formalized in a blog post which includes all quantifiable data from the Beta.
2. Data from the Security Audit moved to the forefront to instill confidance
3. AMA with the Dev Team announced for sometime during launch week.
4. Instructions on wallet integration posted on Website.
5. Date users can connect their wallets to the site announced.
6. Promotional Incentives for participation in the launch finalized and announced.
7. Countdown timer to Launch started.
8. All Out Media Blitz begins on this date and continues through the week!
9. Online Live Launch Party announced

June 28th, 2024

Major Milestone #4 Deliverables:

1. Game Launch!
2. Official Live Launch Party commenses!
3. Some sort of Ceremonial Christening of the First Official FlutterBuzzer Minted!
4. Going forward from this day:
5. Regular Publishing of Website and Game Engagement and Game demographics. As much as ethically possible, we are going to see who is playing the game and where they are coming from.
6. Regular interaction with the Cardano Community on the Socials to answer quesions and otherwise promote the game.

Major Milestone #3 Deliverables:

Official Onboarding for the Closed Beta commences. Along with a limited playable version of the mobile game on the flutterbuzzerz.io website. This initiation of Closed Beta Onboarding will consist of daily updates between Onboarding initiation and start of Closed Beta.

Major Milestone #4 Deliverables:

Here we have a working game with a viable ecosystem - A finished, if not yet thoroughly tested product. Open Beta Launch commences, exactly 12 months from funding announcment

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

I will act as both the Operations Manager and Game Designer and will not draw a salary.

The bulk of the budget will go towards skilled developers. At this time, my sites are on 2 primary developers working with me part time over the course of the 9 month project. Developer #1 will be on the GameDev side and Developer #2 will be the Blockchain Backend/Integraton side. While I am a frugal person by nature, in the field of developers, sometimes what you pay for is what you get. That is why I have forged inroads with TopTal to help me form up my team - at the time of proposal submission, I have had several productive dev meetings with Alex Sevilla, Chief Engineer of the TopTal team - they know my goals, what I need and are heads up ready to move on September 21st. Please Note: TopTal's fee is built into the developer's compensation so the figures below reflect both the cost of the talent and the talent's management combined.

Proposed Budget for FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! Phase 1: 93,000 ADA

Breakdown:

Primary Project Resources: 72,000 ADA

1. Unity Software/C# Engineer - 38,000 ADA
2. Cardano BlockChain/Haskell/Plutus Consultant - 21,000 ADA
3. Mobile Game Designer Consultant - 7000 ADA
4. Graphics Artist for Asset Design - 3000 ADA
5. Sound/Musical Design - 3000 ADA

Estimated Unity Software/Licensing Expenditure: 3000 ADA

Code and Security Auditing: 15000ADA

Website Cost/Design: 1000 ADA

Hardware/CloudHosting/Misc : 2000 ADA

Total Cost of Phase 1:

93,000 ADA

1. 45,000 ADA at the Start of Project, Sept 21, 2023
2. 33,000 ADA at the Start of Phase 1, Part 2, Jan 2, 2024
3. 20,000 ADA at the Start of Phase 1, Part 3, April 2, 2024

FlutterBuzzerz:Battle! Phase 1 ends on June 27th, 2024

1. All finalized Deliverables - Interactive Widgets, Blockchain and Wallet Integration of UI and CNFT Assets completed and open/available to the Cardano Community to use - Finding & Minting CNFT FlutterBuzzerz and storing them in Cardano-Compatible Wallets will be operational. (While ultimately the game will be developed for Mobile Devices, Phase 1 focuses on Browser-Based UX. All interface will be available on the flufferbuzzerz.io (or flufferbuzzerz.com) website!)

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

"FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" is not merely one part of a video game, unfinished or unusable without the completion of Phases 2 and 3. Far from that, the end result of this project will deliver significant value to the Cardano Community in terms of engagement and adoption!

The deliverables associated with Phase 1 are on par with many successful blockchain projects like CryptoKitties and HashMasks, only much more so considering the NFTs we are going to produce will have Intrinsic Value as they will be usable game assets in the Flutter-Buzzerz: Battle! game itself. Phase 1, in addition to being a fun, engaging activity all on its own, will act as a herald of the game that is to come!

At the end of our nine month project, I will present to the Cardano Community a working NFT game call "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" which, in addition to being a dynamic and engaging piece of digital machinery all on its own, will be a primary component of the completed FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! game. "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" is a digital randomizer that produces NFT game assets - the actual FlutterBuzzerz themselves! These assets will be fully mintable and ownable for users with Cardano compatable wallets at the end of the Phase 1 project in June of next year!

For fun... here's some early concept art!

Here's a breakdown of value added to the Cardano Ecosystem by Phase 1 of FlutterBuzzerz: Battle!

1. The finished product - "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" on the flutterbuzzerz.io website, full of light and music, will be Immediately Demonstrative of the type of engaging, colorful Games and dApps that can exist on the Cardano Blockchain.
2. Users will, in stages, be invited to engage the Cardano Blockchain at their own pace.
3. Users can go and use "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" game for free as much as they want on FlutterBuzzerz.io (or FlutterBuzzerz.com - same landing)
4. If, however, they are able to find a strong or unique FlutterBuzzer that they want to keep as their own, they will need to follow the simple steps outlined on the site to download a Cardano Wallet and mint the FlutterBuzzer as a CNFT!
5. Obviously this does not present a problem for people already in the Cardano Community. But this sort of thing is essential for adopting new users from the general population - especially people not already using any BlockChain, let alone Cardano.

1. Desire (Fun) + Ease of Use = New Users!!!

1. Brand new users will naturally, organically start to understand and use Cardano through these fun, cute and engaging NFT FlutterBuzzerz. They will see the difference between a static in-game-only asset and one that is actually owned by them! What a golden opportunity! With zero arm twisting, users who might not have heard of Cardano for years get to actively engage its Blockchain, understand its native currency - ADA, and see first hand the benefits of ADA in both an economic and utililitarian way!
2. Users of other Blockchains like Ethereum or Solana will see that Cardano is second to none in the Gaming and dApp arena! The Phase 1 UX will be faster, less expensive and more secure than dApps built on these other blockchains.
3. Phase 1 will Act as a Herald of the final FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! game still to come and generate excitement all while creating its own fun! This will then keep people engaged in the blockchain over time, which is critical for adoption. (Who knows, maybe they'll even find some other cool dApps to engage with while they are waiting! ;-)

Its worth noting, I dont plan on just slapping an ugly widget on my website, this will be a fun, bright, cool presentation, with Lights, Color & Sound! Indeed, while Phase 1 is technically the first of three Phases producing a game, it will, in reality, be like a game all on its own! And its gonna be FUN! he way I'm going to do it, its going to be Fun! Its a minigame that promises tremendous utility for the future! And the Return on Investment for the Cardano Commuity is SkyHigh!

Again, this widget, "FlutterBuzzerz: Battle! - Phase 1: The Crystalline Cavernz!" game, will be fully usable by the community or anyone outside the community at the end of the 9 month project, and will act as a Herald for things to come! Considering what I intend to produce and the funds I'm requesting, I feel the return on investment for the Community is Fantastic!

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept