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Node Governance Vote Going Live for Referral Rewards

Node Governance Vote Going Live for Referral Rewards

by | Nov 16, 2021 | Gala Games

Today is the day many node owners have been waiting for! The debate over referrals often rages heavily in the Node Owner channels in Discord, and people have been eager to express their viewpoints.

To catch up, here is the basic breakdown of the proposal.

For starters, here is a chart that shows the per-point rewards for a variety of cases:

Rewards projected over the past six months with various settings
  • The blue line represents per-point GALA with NO referral structure
  • The red line represents per-point GALA with one-time node referral rewards only
  • The yellow line represents the per-point GALA with ongoing referral rewards only
  • The green line represents the per-point GALA with both one-time node referral rewards and ongoing rewards

Obviously, it is very clear that the per-point rewards are highest with no referral rewards — this is obvious and anyone capable of doing basic math can see that.

HOWEVER, it is also very important to note that a significant % of users and nodes that have been purchased have come via referrals. In specific markets, the expansion of the network has been basically entirely dependent on the referral structure. The removal of this, in part or in its entirety, could potentially jeopardize that network growth, which is in the long-term best interests of the ecosystem.

Initially, it was clear that the referral structure was very broken — in the earliest days 1000 points were rewarded for referring a node purchase. This was obviously extremely heavily weighted towards rewards as can be seen with this graph.

Projections over the entirety of the referral program

In interest of creating a forum for these discussions, we will be hosting an AMA at 11am Pacific time today. Jason “BitBender” Brink and Derek “Doc” Jarvis will be in attendance.

So, without further delay, the first component of the node governance vote will go live tonight. The question will be:

Question: If every six hours results in one point in the daily distribution, how much should each subsequent six hours of stable connectivity be worth?

  • 0 points — You get nothing extra for providing more services (Maximum points in any 24 period for one node: 1 point)
  • .5 points — You get something, but not as much as you received for the initial six hours of uptime (Maximum points in any 24 period for one node: 2.5 points)
  • 1 point — Six hours is six hours and a node operator should be rewarded for each six hours they are supporting the network. (Maximum points in any 24 period for one node: 4 points)
  • 1.5 points — Node operators should be incentivized to continue providing stable connections beyond the initial minimum. (Maximum points in any 24 period for one node: 5.5 points)

Note: Any changes determined by this series of governance votes will take effect when the next full version is released by the end of January.

There is a LOT more coming for the Gala Games ecosystem, so make sure to keep in touch, watch the Discord (http://galagames.chat) and get ready for more interesting news! Follow Gala Games on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or in our Discord!

The Nodemap: Node Ecosystem Growth and Development

The Nodemap: Node Ecosystem Growth and Development

by | Nov 16, 2021 | Gala Games

It has been over a year since we introduced the first basic plans for the future of the Gala Games Node Ecosystem, and it is high time for a solid update. As we go into this update, it is important to note that software and ecosystem development is fraught with change. As you build something, you often find that it won’t work exactly as predicted or that there is some other critical component that is necessary. This often leads to delays, changes in scope, and shifts in trajectory as newer and better ways to solve problems present themselves. It is for this reason that we do not publish “road maps,” “whitepapers,” or specific developmental timelines. We recognize that this makes us different and some find it frustrating, but we will always work to build what is best for the whole ecosystem, and sometimes things are slightly different than what we initially planned.

Subject to Change

In the interest of making it perfectly clear, everything in this document is subject to change without notice as we build out the ecosystem. Ideas that once seemed like a great plan are sometimes revealed by time, further thinking, and greater expertise to be a poor plans. We will always build to support the ecosystem, games, gamers, and our outstanding community. We will ask the hard questions and make some tough calls, while putting topics to node votes when it concerns specific requirements for the node ecosystem, like the vote currently in progress on the node referral reward structure. This means that there may be changes to websites or articles without an accompanying official announcement.

Two Big Changes

The first change is the removal of “paid” and “free” nodes from the ecosystem map. Given that the long-term stability of the network depends on nodes being online essentially 24/7, we feel that both a “paid” (rental) and “free” model would not achieve the goals or minimum requirements of the network to function. In the future, nodes may have the ability to be leased or rented, but this is not something currently on the roadmap. In addition to the network stability issue of issuing rented or free nodes, it has also become clear that individual publishers coming to the network need to have the freedom to do things with their node structures that would not be supported by this model. The “paid” node model assumes a monolithic ecosystem, but the reality is that nodes for various games may not actually interface with the Founders Node Ecosystem at all, depending on legal considerations, technical limitations, or game requirements. This required a fundamental rethinking of the ecosystem in general.

This led to the second change: the introduction of “Game Specific Nodes” or “Game Specific Workloads” — These are nodes that serve a specific purpose in-game, such as the Town Star Node which will go to a governance vote later this week. These Node Licenses (which will be sold) serve specific purposes in-game. In the case of Town Star, they will eventually enable a user to run their town without leaving a browser window open. The potential rewards for these nodes will be limited to the specific game from which they are derived. They will never receive GALA or be afforded the benefits and privileges afforded to those who operate Founder’s Nodes. These may, at the discretion of the game developer, also be used to poll Game Specific Node operators about game changes, but will not have a “governance” function except where the game designer feels it would benefit the game. This structure allows the game developers to create their own smaller ecosystem which exists solely to support the requirements of their game, which is needed for the rapid onboarding into the broader Gala Games Ecosystem.

The Unique Power of Founder’s Nodes

What will not change is that Founder’s Nodes hold a place of utmost importance and honor in the ecosystem. We recognize that Founder’s Nodes are the core of the entire ecosystem, and we will always work to protect this position of honor. Founders Nodes will be the only nodes that receive GALA and NFTs for each game available on our platform. When new Game Specific Nodes are created and issued, a percentage of these will also be distributed to the operational node network in a random fashion similar to the way NFTs are distributed. However, as these nodes are not NFTs, they will be distributed as a redemption code via email to a selection of node operators active during the preceding 24 hours before the Node Licenses are officially made available for purchase.

There are further announcements regarding the Town Star Node, including an FAQ, which should answer many questions. There will also be VERY substantial updates to the node plan and ecosystem in the near future. Keep your eyes on this blog for updates, as well as in the Discord community! You never know when someone might post some leaky-leaks!

Join the Discussion in DISCORD

Let’s Shake Things Up — Elevating Energy

Let’s Shake Things Up — Elevating Energy

by | Nov 16, 2021 | Gala Games

Town Star cities are able to enjoy their many luxuries thanks to the hard work and production of small towns, led by you, the player-mayors of Town Star.

Absorbed in the extravagance of their high quality uniforms, durable blue steel and expertly decorated cakes, the leaders of the cities barely noticed the impending crisis of energy. They were using too much, and not paying close enough attention to the supplies that were coming in from the small towns, where most of the energy was produced in the first place.

With a keen sense of what was coming and the scientific knowledge to combat it, Nikole Tesla quickly built her first Tesla Coil factory in an undisclosed rural location, code named “The Backyard.” As she witnessed the first completed Tesla Coils coming off the massive robot assembly line, she felt emboldened by a new energy, and not just in the literal sense. She knew that all she needed to do was get Tesla Coils erected in as many small towns as possible.

The true beauty of the Tesla Coil generator is in the way it supports the extreme and ever increasing energy usage demanded by the cities (upon which small towns rely for livelihood), while also providing the modest amount of local energy needed by the small towns themselves. Growing up, Nikole had always been disappointed in the cities, not only for their culture of waste, but for their tendency to always fall short of their own potential. She never dreamed that one day she may be able to bolster the small towns of the world while also revitalizing cities in the same effort. If this was done correctly, towns and cities alike could experience what she began thinking of as an energy renaissance… one that was desperately needed throughout the world. She knew her path.

Perhaps the towns and cities weren’t as different as she suspected. They both consisted of and relied upon people. These people had similar flaws and ambitions, but also similar hopes, goals and dreams. If Nikole could help even a small percentage of them realize that these dreams were attainable in their lifetimes, then she could truly make the world a more abundant place.

Temporarily Changing the Meta

As those of you who have played Town Star for more than a couple months know, from time to time we like to shake up the rules. These META CHANGES sometimes involve shifts in amounts of in-game reward money for certain deliveries, and other times they rearrange the allocation of Stars awarded by delivery of certain goods.

Next 3 Weeks — “Elevating Energy”

This meta change focuses on delivering units of energy by drastically increasing its Stars. Additionally, a bunch of high tier crafts will be reduced to 0 Stars. These high tier deliveries will still earn in-game cash, but no points. Refer to the numbers below for a list of everything changing in this new meta.

Anything not listed below is not changing at all. No in-game cash amounts are changing; all changes deal with Stars.

Energy Units (Batteries) — 5000 Stars for delivery of 10

Stars Reduced by 50%

  • Wool
  • Silica
  • Lumber
  • Grapes
  • Uniforms

Stars Reduced to 0

  • Cotton Yarn
  • Wool Yarn
  • Blue Steel
  • Steel
  • Iron
  • Cakes
  • Batter
  • Baguettes
  • Wine
  • Bottles

Power Plant Changes

  • Power Plant energy production will now require 5 oil
  • Power Plant production timer increased
  • Nuclear Power Plant production timer increased

It’s time to get creative with your towns. The cities need energy, but they’re in a bad way, so they’re not able to pay you any more. You must do this for the Stars alone, which ought to make it well worth the effort.

Don’t forget to produce something that will earn money to drive your expansion. Energy may be where the points are, but the mere $1500 in-game you’ll receive for selling a load of energy won’t get you very far!

Good luck out there, mayors! Rally behind Nikole Tesla, and remember that her wondrous invention could lead you to victory in these strange times. Tesla Coils are available now for TOWN in the TOWN STAR STORE!

TOWN STAR WEBSITE

Node Governance Vote Going Live for Referral Rewards (part 2/4)

Node Governance Vote Going Live for Referral Rewards (part 2/4)

by | Nov 16, 2021 | Gala Games

After running over the weekend, it is very clear what the wishes of the node community are in regards to points for operating nodes for more than 6 hours! We are very pleased to announce that the community has, by a significant margin, chosen to support rewarding one additional point for each six hours a node is online. As of writing, 8059 votes (64.3% of the votes cast) were recorded in favor of a single additional point for was six hours which a node supports the ecosystem. This will incentivize people to keep their nodes online over the long term to maximize rewards and create a more sustainable ecosystem. This change will take effect in the next major node build following the New Year.

Starting today, a new node governance vote will commence and run for approximately 24 hours

Question: How much of a one-time referral bonus do you believe is fair for referring a node purchaser to the Gala Node Ecosystem?

  • 0 points — You get nothing extra for referring a new node operator
  • 5 points — You get something, but less than the current structure
  • 10 points — You receive a bonus in points which is similar to the current structure
  • 15 points — You believe that one-time referrals are essential to growing the ecosystem

This is a very important question for the “one time referral bonus” structure.

Tomorrow, another vote will take place:

Question: How much of an ongoing referral bonus do you believe is fair for referring a node purchaser to the Gala Node Ecosystem?

…followed by the final vote on Wednesday on the following questions:

Question: If the node operators elect to continue the long-term ongoing referral bonuses, how many levels deep should this bonus extend?

So, get your nodes online and be ready to participate in the voting!