As of right now, there are over 6,000 Gala Games nodes online, which rivals just about any node network on the planet. There are only 6669 full Ethereum nodes (down from an average of 11,000 or so) according to EtherNodes. We are one of the most distributed node networks on the planet, thanks to the amazing Gala Games Community!

Together, we are constantly pushing the barriers of innovation, breaking the walls of what is considered possible in both the worlds of gaming and blockchain. However, we are only just beginning. Today, we would like to unveil the beginning of the Nodemap (Node Roadmap).

As was announced at GalaCon two weekends ago, the next major iteration of the Node Network will include the integration of the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) from Protocol Labs. Currently in Beta, the IPFS version of the Gala Game Node will allow users to support the ecosystem by contributing to the distributed content delivery network for Town Star and other games from Gala Games. This system is already completed and in the final stages of testing and will be released to the invite-only Gala Games Platform Testers within the next week. We expect that it will be released to the broader community over the next several weeks.

The current specifications to run an IPFS node are:

• A stable internet connection
• 4gb of ram
• 2 CPU cores
• 20gb of extra space
• Port Forwarding Authority

These can (and probably will) change before the final public release, but this is an idea of what might be needed.

What is next?

It is for this reason that we have compiled The Nodemap! Eventually, our wonderful designers will put this in a pretty graphic, but for now we wanted to get this to you as soon as possible so that you can understand what is being built and to position yourself to best support the fastest-growing decentralized network in the world.

Note: We have not included dates in this document, as this represents what we are working on and in which order they are likely to appear.

Next Major Milestones:

• Governance Voting: Undergoing Deployment — We are in the process of pushing the code that will enable us to make governance votes via the Gala Games Node Interface. This update will include some graphical updates to bring the Node Software into line with our new branding.
• IPFS: Decentralized Game Files — The IPFS node is getting ready to go into closed beta testing with the Gala Games Platform Testers. This will make it possible for the Town Star game files to load from all over the world from the nearest and best node. Initially, there will be no particular bonus for running an IPFS node, but in the future those who are using the IPFS nodes may receive additional points in the distribution based on where their nodes are and how much traffic they serve for the network.
• Oracle: Informing the Global NFT Supply: The Gala Games Node Network will serve as the supply oracle for the interconnected network of L1 and L2 solutions that Gala Games is working on integrating into the ecosystem. This includes projects like Flare and Binance Smart Chain, as well as others not yet announced. This will also include the supply and explorer for other subsidiary in-game currencies for all games on the Gala Games Network.
• API Interface: Distributed Endpoints for Network Information — One of the key components of a decentralized network is that the network can be independently audited by the community and people interested in supporting the network. In the interest of supplying this information, we will be adding distributed API endpoints with read only access to the network. Data provided by these APIs may include: The Treasure Chest, In-Network Gala Wallets, Critical Node Information, All In-Game NFTs, Daily and Historical Distribution Information, Game-Specific Data like Leaderboards, Store Supply and Current Prices, and a lot of other interesting information!
• Additional Distributions NFT and In-Game Currency Distributions: EVERYTHING that is released on the Gala Games Network passes through the Gala Games Node Ecosystem. This means that every single game on the Node Ecosystem will have both NFTs and in-game currencies dropped to the Gala Games Node Operators as rewards for helping to support the network. If you are interested in getting NFTs and in-game currencies to spend on microtransactions in games, the best way to do this is through supporting the network with a Gala Games Node.

Within the next week, we will be releasing a series of proposals which will allow users to learn more about the community initiatives surrounding the Gala Games Ecosystem. We look forward to continuing to improve the strength and robustness of the network as we grow the Gala Games team and community.