AdaQuest - Dungeon Crawler - Vertical Slice 1.0

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Marcin Kugla

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

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

12

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

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

After creating the Concept & Prototype for Phase 2 we have to develop the Release Candidate. This will allow us to deliver the finished product to the public. This is usually stated as Early Access.

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

Yes

[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.”

We will need the Unreal Engine 5 for this!

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

No

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

Currently, there are no plans to go fully open source with the Dungeon Crawler. However, after the release of our Early Access, we are strongly approaching to make some parts of the game accessible for the MODDING community!

Take a look at our Rough-GDD over here -->

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

PHASE 2 - Gameplay Concept - Dungeon Gameplay

INTRO:

After creating the Concept & Prototype we will go "All-in" end develop an early access game with unique features. So let all the business talk aside - no worries biz is still present in this proposal ;) - here comes all the stuff that matters for a game! Fun mode on:

Check out our Prototype Closed-Out Video here -->

Take a look at our Rough-GDD over here -->

Dungeon Gameplay – 10 important questions – some answers

1. What can you expect?

Since Phase 1 is all about individual character and ability development (Leveling), Phase 2 will bring your friends to the show! This will be a fully fleshed-out competitive dungeon crawler with some absolutely new and fresh unique features in this genre. Dungeons will be generated procedurally!

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2. This is what a Round in AdaQuest Phase 2 will look like!

After you and your friend (2vs2) decide on which tribe you will go to in season gameplay (dwarfish, barbarian, elfish, magician), you will be able to select one of the available dungeons.

In one of these dungeons, you will encounter a duo of a rival tribe. Besides this, the dungeons will offer hidden secrets, traps, monsters, and of course treasures!

(Somebody says NFT? - Example of a possible NFT equipment loot drop)

You and your comrade will explore the dungeon in real time and after solving some of the riddles and secrets you will be hopefully able to fight against the boss of each dungeon.

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3. What will happen to the rest of my NFTs, when I choose the seasonal gameplay?

Hopefully, this overview will make it easier to understand:

Phase 1 - ARENA: All of your characters are available for leveling - no gain of season points

Phase 2 - DUNGEON MODE: You choose a folk (Barbarian, Dwarves, Magician, Elves) for season gameplay:

• All other folks will be NOT available and locked for collecting season points!

• A Season can last 3-6 months. This has to be decided!

• There will be a bot mode for testing every NFT you like within one generic dungeon. 

• In the future, there will be more than one tribe within a folk (like two different Elf tribes e.g.)

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Can I fight against the player's rival tribe duo within the dungeon?

This will be possible and will include one of our secret mechanics we do not like to spoil now!

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5. Will I lose my equipment or even my NFTs?

NO! Even if you die this won´t happen. BUT you and your tribe will lose season points which will lead to loss of territory --> Please remember we are creating a whole World for this.

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6. What kind of battle mode will be used?

We asked already our community (over 1000 members on Discord) and the majority seem to like a real-time mode. Since we always communicate that this game is created by games for gamers, we will use the real-time mode for exploration and scouting instead of an early announced turn-based solution!

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7. Will it be possible to play Phase 2 in 1vs1 mode?

Yes! But this is more experimental and left out for our OPEN SOURCE idea of modding!

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8. How will matchmaking work?

For the first version, we will always adjust the power and level of each duo. Example:

• Your friends Stonebiter Bone Twister Dwarf (Level 10) and your Spade Walker Dwarf (Level 20) will meet in the Black Bay Caverns a Stormbreaker duo (Level 20 and 25).
• Since the Stormbreaker Barbarians have a stronger Power Level (45) than your team (30), the Stormbreaker level will be adjusted (thanks to a nice formula) to make this as fair as possible fight IF you will encounter this duo at any given time in the mentioned dungeon!

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9. My precious! My treasure! Where is all the gold? What can I earn?

Okay, okay understood. As already mentioned and typical for this genre, you will get for fighting monsters, rivals, bosses, traps, and secrets this kind of reward:

• Fragments (Special In-game currency – NOT buyable with Ada, Euro, Dollar, etc.)
• Gold (Also an in-game currency – Also NOT buyable with crypto or fiat)
• QuestToken (Our native token used for promo or buying cosmetics ONLY within our game)
• Basic Items (Only available within our game, more like FTs than NFTs )
• Equipment NFT (Our light paper is dealing with this issue in a more detailed way)

QuestToken - QTS // Fragments // Gold

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10. How many Heroes do I need to play this game?

Well, at least you will need one NFT AdaQuest hero to really enjoy the game with all the features. However, we decided also to create a basic Adventurer totally free to play. This hero will let you experience all the important mechanics you will not even need a Wallet to play our game. Like every other hero on Ada, this basic Adventurer will also use the basic items available through gameplay and at Tingle&Tangle special store 😊

So yes, AdaQuest is absolutely a pure Free 2 Play gaming project, for the dungeon crawler we think of a - spend what you like to reward the developers - early access payment model.

TL;DR;

SUM UP:

This Early Access Dungeon Crawler Version will offer:

• A procedurally generated Dungeon with implemented unique game mechanics
• A side quest to show and add some random events
• This will be a multiplayer version for 2vs2 (coop)
• A real-time mode within the dungeon
• Full implementation and use of AdaQuest NFT Destinies & Items

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community.

his game mode is the HEART of AdaQuest, as we like to call it. While the first mode is mainly about the single-game character, the Dungeon mode is targeting cooperative play. Of course, it's also possible to play this mode 1 vs. 1, but you'll have the best experience with your friends and collect more points for your tribe. We think that this is the logical addition to cover this challenges problem statement:

!Mass Adoption!

Adding more content is always a good way to generate revenue within the gaming business. Since Red Potion Studio is more focused on the mantra - GAME experience First - bringing this to life will deliver a real AAA candidate from the Cardano ecosystem.

Further since in 2023 the digital world is all about socializing, we think that bringing fun to the blockchain environment is the way you can accomplish mass adoption. So the Cardano way, our gaming dev experience, and the unique features of the dungeon crawler come together to reach this GOAL!

!AdaQuest offers the fundamentals to accomplish this challenge!

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Main focuses - AdaQuest Development

Game experience FIRST!

• Hand-drawn graphics
• Different game modes for different target groups & player styles
• Deep Lore related to the Cardano blockchain (names, places, people, etc.)

Reaching for a wide gamer-centric user base

• Real free to play model without any paywall or pay2win
• Easy and user-friendly game account/marketplace experience
• Involving the community in the development
• Fair prices and no power-creep-related NFTs

Ensuring the development cycle

• Using our native on-chain token(QuestToken) for marketing and further funding
• Reaching out to DEX and SEED funding platforms related to Cardano
• Collaborate with other developers from the Cardano ecosystem
• Onboarding young talents through AdaQuest into the Crypto world
• Introducing the - spend what you like to reward the developers - EA access payment model.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Our KPIs

Even if we are free and not at the "mercy" of a big publisher or investor, budget and time are always issues when it comes to creating games. As an independent developer, the biggest risk is that you will run out of money or dev power. Either someone will try to sell you a service he/she can´t deliver in time or someone create something you already paid for, but in the end, it is useless for your project :(

To mitigate this, we work only with people we already know and meet in RL or worked before with them. Sometimes we receive recommendations or test young talents before offering them a contract. Our working and project experience will ensure to keep track of the budget and put enough into our reserve to be prepared for turbulences and struggles, which sometimes you can´t avoid.

That´s why we will track & measure this:

• New user accounts after releasing a feature (after releasing this Early Access)
• Collected resources from our - spend what you like to reward the developers - program
• Website Visits, Page Impressions & Views (also YT, Twitter, etc.)
• NFT Sales 

Further tracking makes no sense for us since this is concept work!

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Target Groups

Primarily:

• Strategic hack & slay lovers
• Fans of competitive games
• Core gamers

Secondary:

• NFT & blockchain enthusiasts
• Hand-drawn art lovers
• Casual gamers

Tertiary:

• PC gamers
• Curiosity-seekers

We see our 3 game pillars as a perfect recipe to achieve the main goal of this challenge -->.

Turning good concepts into successful products and thus putting the Cardano ecosystem on the map.

We are all aware that game development costs accordingly. With the additional experience of the last 3 years in Web3, we see ourselves well-equipped to reach the goal of mass adoption with our dungeon crawler.

After the current journey with AdaQuest, we know exactly that the mix of new and known features (pillar 1) is the right way. In addition, we see our interconnectivity concept as a strong USP so far (pillar 2). The goal is still to combine all 3 game modes and to need only ONE NFT character.

Finally, our social approach and the competitive idea (pillar 3) have been described several times as very correct and consistent. We want to bring the players to play together (2vs2) and measure their strength. With tournaments, special events, and competitions we will build a corresponding community within the Cardano ecosystem.

Important:

The main goal besides the three pillars is of course the economic success of AdaQuest. We would like to be self-supporting and self-financing in the future, but for this, we first need the help of the community!

[Project Milestones] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Timeline & key milestones:

• Each team member takes part in a kick-off meeting
• Project structure definition & concept realization
• Dividing tasks within the resources
• Start to build the coding framework
• Finalizing the game concept, mechanics, visuals
• UI/UX concept will be turned into assets(graphic elements)

• Coding on the basis of the framework starts
• Focus on procedural Level creation
• Implementation of the UI elements
• Finishing the UI/UX concept and using the outcome
• Level Design
• Creation of the 1st Building Blocks for the procedural Level
• Narrative Design
• Finalize Lore Definition for all the monsters, NPCs, and environments
• Game Design provides "numbers" for the stats
• Illustration
• Drawing room assets & monster scribbles
• Due to the nature of this month (Holiday & Xmas) team will be only 50% available

• Coding
• Implementation of several finished assets and stats
• Character movement, control, and action animation
• Animation
• Basic character F/M modeling, rigging, and animating
• Illustration
• Drawing visual & environmental effects
• Testing
• First performance testing
• Level Design
• Finalize each room for the initial Early Access Level
• Sound Design
• First FX sound & Background music creation

• Coding
• The first iteration of Multiplayer Netcode
• Refine movement, control, and action
• Animation
• Animate the first two Barbarian NFTs (Stormbreaker)
• Animate corridor features like traps etc.
• Visual Effects
• Starting animate first visual & environmental effects
• Starting animate corridor features
• Testing
• Ongoing performance testing
• Controls & movement focus testing
• Illustration
• Completing corridors design with traps, hidden doors, barriers, obstacles, pit falls
• Level Design
• Using the corridors illustration to finalize the special features
• Sound Design
• Finalizing FX sounds & Background music

• Coding
• Ongoing Multiplayer Netcode testing & coding
• Implementing abilities, visual & environmental effects, corridor "features"
• Setting up first Enemy-AI implementation with spawn mechanic
• Animation
• Finalizing Monster movement with abilities
• Finalize corridor features
• Visual Effects
• Complete visual & environmental effect animation
• Finishing corridor effects
• Testing
• Multiplayer testing focus
• Ongoing control & movement testing
• Corridor feature test
• 
  

• Coding ONE
• Ongoing Multiplayer Netcode optimization
• Polishing corridor effects
• Implementation of Monster NPC mechanic
• Implementation of all available characters
• Final polishing and bug fixing
• Code FREEZE!
• Animation
• Finalize the first two Elfen characters
• Finalize the first Mage character
• Finalize the first two Dwarfen characters
• Finalize the second Mage character
• Testing
• Ongoing Multiplayer tests
• New performance test with implemented AI
• Start of Full feature tests
• Perform comprehensive testing of the entire game
• Including all implemented features. Fix any remaining bugs or problems.
• Coding TWO
• Polishing & Finalize Multiplayer Netcode
• Finalize corridor effects
• Finalize Monster NPC + Boss mechanic
• Finish Implementation of all available characters

OUTCOME:

• Early Access Release Candidate ready
• Playtesting within Founders, Early Adopters (closed Beta)
• End of month RELEASE Party!

IMPORTANT: Each month contains two Sprints (2 weeks each) which lead to a monthly milestone!

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Art Direction: Christian is our Illustrator and UX Designer with more than 15 years of professional work in digital art, gamification, interface- and app design in the industry. Starting as a big fan of the classic "point & click" adventures (e.g., Monkey Island, Beneath a Steel Sky, Day of the Tentacle) on DOS and hoarding tons of comic books, he turned his geek hobby into an ever-expanding full-time job! (LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-hayungs-9ba22457)

Game Design & Balancing: Alex worked as a creative director at Ubisoft's campus and as lead developer of Faith and Honor Barbarossa. He has considerable experience researching psychological and neurological sweet spots in game-based learning. With over 4 years of experience in game design, Alex is geared to bring the best gaming experience to AdaQuest!

(LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-cimpeanu-b9507a112)

Tech Lead: Dirk worked for Ubisoft, founded two gaming studios as a Dev Lead, and is currently working as a Technical Architect. He is the go-to guy, well in everything tech-related. Besides running and tracking our stake pool he is doing his magic to create the foundation for our project. 20 years of experience! IF var string = "you are looking for a coder?" THEN result = "Dirk"

(LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirk-potulski-71313428)

Strategic Advisor & Founder: Marcin worked in marketing, sales, and project management for THQ, Ubisoft, CI Games, Daedalic Entertainment, and Rockstar. In the past 10 years, he has helped some start-ups in their initial phase, and he will also provide guidance for the Cardano gaming community, as well! (LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcin-kugla-a92b5964)

Freelancers we are working with:

Artists, Illustrators, Animation, Design, Coders, Writers

Robert Schneider - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertschneider138/

Oleg Gorshkov - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gorshkov-oleg-3408468a/

Kevin Unger - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-unger-6124b5b2/

Simon Latusek - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-latusek-094728143/

Christopher Smith - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-smith-783b6b93/

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

This file is gonna be added for DOWNLOAD for a better overview and presentation.

Within the budget is already a 25% tax deduction, which should be added to every project!

ADA prices include a 20% margin for volatility - We are asking for overall 285K$

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

The AdaQuest Dungeon Crawler PC game can be advantageous for the Cardano ecosystem due to the following reasons:

1. Mass adoption: The popularity of AAA games can introduce blockchain to a broader audience, driving widespread adoption of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies.
2. Player ownership: By leveraging blockchain's non-fungible tokens (NFTs), players can have true ownership of in-game assets, enhancing player engagement and loyalty.
3. Tradable assets: Cardano enables easy trading of in-game assets, creating a virtual economy and allowing players to monetize their achievements.
4. Transparent transactions: Blockchain ensures secure and transparent transactions, providing players with confidence and authenticity of rare items.
5. Community-driven development: Our ecosystem promotes community involvement and collaborative development.
6. Immutable game data: Storing game progress and data on the blockchain prevents loss, cheating, and manipulation, ensuring a fair gaming experience.
7. Interoperability: Cardano enables cross-game functionality and interoperability, allowing players to use assets from AdaQuest in other blockchain-based games as well.

By combining a AAA game like AdaQuest Dungeon Crawler with blockchain, the ecosystem benefits from wider adoption, player ownership, tradable assets, transparency, community participation, and interoperability.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agrees to Fund 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