Astra Nova: The first AAA-rated blockchain-based RPG
Blockchain gaming is one of the top avenues to helping the cryptocurrency ecosystem gain widespread adoption, but up to this point, Web3 gaming has failed to capture the attention of dedicated gamers who are used to AAA gaming experiences.
That fact is what motivated the founders of Astra Nova to launch the project and establish itself as revolutionary Web3 RPG that is capable of unlocking Web3 gaming’s potential.
You may be asking yourself, what exactly is a Web3 RPG?
A Web3 RPG combines the adventurous, collaborative gameplay of MMORPGs with the benefits of Web3 transparency and ownership.
Building on the popularity of MMORPGs in the world of gaming and play-to-earn (P2E) in the world of crypto, Astra Nova introduces the novel concept of offering an exciting, illuring and entertaining game that also gives players the ability to play-and-earn a game that they would enjoy playing even without monetary gain.
Gamers can now do what they love most and be rewarded for their time while also interacting with a growing community of like-minded individuals. Astra Nova set out to help define a new generation of Web3 gaming and help expand the Web3 gaming community around the world to usher in the era of blockchain gaming.
Creating the first AAA-rated Web3 RPG
To achieve the goal of becoming the first AAA game in blockchain, the developers behind Astra Nova have created an ever-evolving, immersive storyline that is enhanced by intuitive UI. In order to offer a new gaming experience that the community has never seen, Astra Nova is upending the old ways of gaming by co-creating a Web3 RPG with the direct input of its community.
And with sustainable economies that offer game players multiple avenues to own and earn in-game, Astra Nova offers the opportunity to generate side income while simultaneously experiencing the best that blockchain gaming has to offer.
The platform also offers NFT staking pools that allow users to earn in-game upgrades without needing to spend any of their hard-earned money, and the team behind Astra Nova is also planning on working with other NFT and GameFi projects to provide true interoperability.
Astra Nova is free to play and operates on the Hedera Network, which means that the cost to transact and do other in-game functions costs a fraction of a penny — drastically less than other blockchain networks, such as Ethereum. In fact, Hedera is the only carbon-negative network in operation and offering gaming capabilities.
Astra Nova: It’s the end of the world as we know it
The storyline behind Astra Nova is one of rebirth after prior devastation.
In the Universe of Astra Nova, five formerly thriving outer-dimensional home worlds now lie in ruin, devastated by the unending conflict between two primordial celestial entities: The Weavers of Space-Time who are being of pure energy that believe in order and creation; and The Accretion, an all-consuming entity of entropy and chaos that believes in renewal through destruction.
Unfortunately, The Accretion proved to be too much for The Weavers when it came to The Five Worlds. After corrupting the hearts and minds of all 15 species on The Five Worlds, rotting the planets to their cores while the social fabric of society disintegrated, it all came to a head on one fateful day when The Accretion delivered its final blow and destroyed The Five Worlds in one coordinated attack.
Surviving refugees hastily sought sanctuary by escaping through mysterious portals — created as a backup plan by The Weavers — that transported survivors to a land of final salvation and rebirth: Astra Nova.
But this new land is itself a mystery — a Web3 RPG world steeped in millennia of interplanetary lore and full of new and ruined worlds. Users traverse these known and forgotten lands, collecting modern materials and ancient artifacts along the way and discovering long-lost magics which they harness to rebuild their societies, unite their civilizations, and prepare to battle The Accretion.
The Deviants of Astra Nova
As a way to test out the habitability of Astra Nova, The Weavers created The Deviants — miniature versions of the various inhabitants of The Five Worlds who are imbued with thousands of genetic alterations to ensure that every possible combination is accounted for.
While The Deviants are creations of The Watchers and the first inhabitants of the hidden land, they answer to no one and have proven to be more troublesome than anticipated. Some have managed to escape the grasp of The Watchers and are now thriving on their own in the wilds of Astra Nova.
When it comes to gameplay, The Deviants mainly exist as NFT wearable Talismans that give players special attributes, but some can still be found scattered throughout the world.
Explorers in a new land
As players begin their journey in Astra Nova, they wake up faced with the task of survival and a mission to tame this strange, ancient land and transform it into their new home.
After some exploration, a team of archaeologists and scientists discover entry into large monoliths that contain a complex network of machines that seem capable of harnessing vast amounts of power (“Alluron”) from the planet itself. Bringing these ancient power harvesters online is the first step to survival in this dangerous new world.
Over time, tension begins to brew among the varied inhabitants as Warmonger tribes threaten to tip the careful balance of armistice among the First Settlements. The appearance of mysterious, dark new abilities further complicates matters while the newfound power from the World Engine has aided the growth of new fauna that is curiously attracted to the Settlements.
As the monstrous creatures began to grow increasingly aggressive by the day, the citizens of The Settlements realized they must unite to defend against the rising threat of these fearsome monsters.
Eventually, a unified Settlement Army rose up to fend off the monsters and keep the natural fauna at bay. But beneath the surface, something or someone sinister was turning the hearts of Astra Novans towards darkness, one soul at a time. The Warmongers were just a symptom of this hidden dark power.
Now, Explorer parties have started to go missing, and one dying party member left the other inhabitants of Astra Nova with this warning: The Horde is coming!
Tokens that power Astra Nova
Gameplay in Astra Nova is powered by the ecosystems’ two tokens: Revive Token ($RVV) and Governance Token ($GTKN)
$RVV is the main token used for gameplay and powers all in-game transactions, including payments. All purchases on Astra Nova’s NFT Marketplace are made using $RVV, and the token is also used to fund all NFT upgrades and power-ups. Tournament entry fees are also paid using $RVV along with all council-related fees, such as the costs associated with advertising or gaming licenses.
For those looking for more hands-on involvement in the future of Astra Nova, there’s Governance Token ($GTKN). This token is considered to be more of a meta-token, which lets players join the Astra Nova decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), vote on important future developments, and become part of the community that is collectively building the Astra Nova world for players from all over the world to enjoy.
Welcome to Astra Nova
As a new explorer in Astra Nova, each player begins with the ability to assign points to their character across seven core attributes: Strength, Endurance, Agility, Intelligence, Karma, and Persuasion. Users also have the ability to choose the Race and starting primary class of their character.
Race selection will assign additional attribute bonuses as well as unlock a character’s origin planet story and quest line. Character class will determine a player’s initial style of gameplay, and over time, users will be able to unlock new classes and the ability to Specialize or add a Secondary Class tier to their build.
The ten character races available to choose from include: apelike PanGuenters, robotic Mecchoids, cyborg MecGuenters, elven Elari, humanoid Fielduins, skeletal Ossodrim, faerie Minaki, elemental Hora, troll-like Onark, devil Insidiaens, vampiric Saängwyr, zombie Reviands, angelic Coruscoros, ghoulish Bodachim, and alien Tingavans.
Players have the option of choosing a moral alignment that impacts the character interactions and choices they make in the game: Selfless, Neutral, Chaotic, and Selfish. Acting in accordance with a player’s alignment influences both their story quests and directly impacts their Awakened buff (which will unlock later in the game).
To begin with, each starting Combat Class benefits from an initial boost in Learned Skills. Among the initial primary Classes, there are three core spheres: Mind, Body and Soul. Certain Classes are only available to specific Races and Alignments.
Each Class has its own distinct advantages in DPS, status de/buffs, cooldowns and ranged vs close combat. Each of these spheres includes multiple branching Sub Classes (unlocked at lvl 30–50) within which players can choose to specialize over time.
The Sub Classes for the Mind sphere are Mage, Scientist, and Psionic Body. The Sub Classes for the Body sphere are Warrior, Ranger, and Rogue. The Sub Classes for the Soul sphere are Cleric, Druid, and Paladin
As the game progresses, players will be able to unlock the ability to add a Secondary Class across any sphere, or, alternatively, choose to Specialize in one Sphere for added buffs.
Some of the other unique challenges and role-play possibilities in Astra Nova include:
- Combat — impacting critical hit rates, cooldowns, tactical advantages, etc.
- Diplomacy — impacting role-playing dialogue options, alliance building, etc.
- Crafting — impacting item creation, customization, resource gathering, etc.
- Exploration — impacting lore discovery, area unlocks, territory upgrades, etc.
When Astra Nova launches, the core game storyline will be playable as a single player. By playing through the core campaigns, players will unlock additional game modes, including multiplayer group missions.
Game modes currently in active design and development include the Main Campaign Story, Diplomatic Sidequests, Origin Planet Sidequests, Mini Boss Multiplayer Raids, and Class Specialization Missions. Future seasons of Astra Nova will introduce Building, PvP and New Campaign Quests.
With the launch of Astra Nova, gamers can say goodbye to the grindy nature of play-to-earn and empty metaverse playgrounds and dive into an immersive Web3 gaming experience that draws its inspiration from fan-favorite classics like FF14, Fortnite and Destiny.
