Please note that your Early Access Pass must be bridged to GalaChain in order to unlock gameplay! Prime Character NFTs are playable from your connected Ethereum wallet.
Once you’re grappling for leaderboard position with the best hero hunters in the game, you’ll know you’re among the Superior elite. Ready for Challenges?
All About Speed and Kills
Superior’s Challenge runs are not for the faint of heart, and low level characters should enter at their own peril. Updated weekly, these special runs won’t cut you any slack.
Your Challenge score is determined by two equally weighted components: Your speed and your number of kills throughout the run. Finding the right balance is up to you, but in the words of the Ronin, your mantra should always be “Kill more, kill faster.”
Each Challenge run will cost you a Challenge Key. Challenge Keys are accumulated by saving any level of Earth in normal gameplay mode.
Just like the various Private Lobby “Earth” gameplay modes, a Challenge run goes through a complete sequence of specially assembled stages.
Just like in standard gameplay, players will progress through the sequence above, completing a variety of missions, killing enemies and collecting Juice for new superpowers. Between every stage, you have a chance to take a rest in the bar, spending your Credits on perks or healing, swapping out weapons and injecting new superpower for each Juice canister you’ve collected. But you’ll need all the additional powers and upgrades you can get, because as you progress through the stages toward the boss fight, the levels get more challenging.
For completing Challenge runs, you’ll still collect character XP and level up, but it’s still a good idea to do as much leveling as possible before you start taking on the week’s challenge. Rest assured that competition for the top leaderboard spots will be tight.
Advice for the Resistance
Taking on power-crazed super heroes on multiple timelines of the ruined earth is one thing, but going up against Resistance hunters from other timelines is– well… challenging. Don’t forget that every Challenge run costs a Challenge Key.
We suggest grinding up your skills and XP taking on the different earths in Private Lobby mode. As you do this, you’ll accumulate a nice pile of Challenge Keys for the week. Then once you’re almost ready to upgrade your favorite Prime’s Infamy, spend your Challenge Keys and give yourself the best shot at the Leaderboard. The Bartender is sure to raz you hard if you don’t measure up at the end of a Challenge. For a bucket of bolts, he sure likes to cop an attitude.
Weekly Refresh
The Challenge leaderboard resets weekly, giving you a new opportunity to secure a spot on the leaderboard and get your hands on the week’s awesome prize. Challenges rotate weekly between different objectives, bosses and themes, always keeping you on your toes.
Duos and Trios
Even in Challenge mode, you can team up with your fellow hunters. You’ll find separate Leaderboards in each category (Single, Duos, Trios), each with prizes for the top finishers.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when hunting with friends:
Don’t waste time passing and sharing items, unless you can do it fast.
Share items you don’t need by clicking your mouse wheel in front of them.
Don’t wait for each other, but stay close enough for a revive if needed.
One weak link can end your run in a hurry.
There are more baddies when you have more players… Lots more.
Use gestures and graffiti for voiceless comms in-game.
A Challenge is Waiting
So how about it? Think you have what it takes?
There are two ways to get in the current early access build:
A new week is underway for Gala Music, where we’re hard at work to revolutionize the music industry, empowering artists and fans with ownership and rewards.
If you haven’t started discovering new music on Gala yet, you’re missing out. Listen free as much as you like to directly support our fabulous lineup of artists, but that’s only scratching the surface.
As usual, let’s explore some of the most exciting drops and artist debuts happening throughout the week. Then we’ll get into the numerous ways that you can collect rewards for supporting the future of decentralized music. Get ready to go beyond the stream.
Featured Drops
“1992” by Nyku
Making his NFT debut, we’re pleased to welcome Los Angeles based Hip-hop and Jazz artist Nyku to the Gala Music platform. “1992” (prod. By SEVENDI) is dropping on Thursday, August 15th at 1pm PT, “a track created to give perspective and understanding where the stars align.”
Following a sellout of her debut Gala Music NFT with “What You Like” (Gala Edition), alt-pop artist YUNICE is back with a new one that really hits home with her characteristic “sad girl” vibes. Listen to the “sad girl” edit of “Chasing Magic now and get the NFT track while supplies last starting at 1pm PT on Friday, August 16th.
On Wednesday, Gala Music fan favorite Emily Faye is dropping another one to join her growing collection of captivating pop originals – Check them out now Emily Faye’s Gala Music artist page. The new track drops at 1pm PT on Wednesday, August 14th, but Loyalty Pool $MUSIC supporters can unlock early access to the sale at 12pm PT!
Fans love our Gala Music Mystery Boxes, and the latest $4.99 $MUSIC Box is available now. Each box has three chances to win $GALA, $MUSIC, NFT tracks (while supplies last) or even a Gala Music Jukebox Node (valued at $2000) so you can actually power the music yourself!
Get as many $MUSIC Boxes as you want for $4.99 each, then open them when you like through your Collection page.
We recently launched a new way to collect music rewards! Play Music Miner in Telegram to complete tasks, upgrade experiences and build a superstar stack of rewards that will later be minted as $TREZ on both GalaChain and TON.
All you need is a free Telegram account to get started tapping and collecting rewards. Experience what it’s like to rise through the ranks from street corners to packed worldwide venues. Do you have what it takes to reach the top?
Are you an artist ready for a refresh? Looking for a platform that works with you instead of against you? At Gala Music, we’re giving musicians what they deserve, with numerous revenue opportunities to explore and lots of ways to build a dedicated fan base.
With the power of the $MUSIC token, Gala Music has already paid out millions of dollars to both emerging and established artists. Artists on our decentralized platform typically make more than double per stream than on Spotify, and we’re just getting started.
NFT track ownership is the most effective way to collect rewards for your support of decentralized music. By owning tracks from limited run NFT sales, you can collect daily $MUSIC rewards as long as you own the track. And because it’s an NFT, you can always list it for sale on secondary market platforms like OpenSea – It’s actually yours.
For those looking to collect daily $MUSIC for multiple tracks without building a track collection of their own, becoming a Jukebox Node operator is a perfect option. Each upgradeable Jukebox Node comes with space for 10 hosted NFT tracks, allowing the operator to share in all the rewards.
The Gala Music team is thrilled to announce our newest Mystery Box item, with HUGE chances to win a plethora of potential prizes.
This $4.99 Mystery Box is the perfect way for a new Gala Music fan to start a collection, with great chances to pick up some $MUSIC or $GALA to fuel the beginning of their web3 music journey. We call it the $MUSIC Box for good reason.
Good luck picking up one of those awesome sold out NFT tracks, or better yet, a Jukebox Node of your own to multiply the rewards or a straight bankroll of $MUSIC to grow your collection through the roof!
If you buy multiple boxes, you can even open them all at once, watching your running prize total as each of them is automatically opened. Or savor each opening experience, cracking them one at a time through your Collection page!
Proof of Stake (PoS) is a consensus mechanism used in blockchain networks to validate transactions and create new blocks.
Unlike the Proof of Work (PoW) system, which relies on computational power to solve complex mathematical problems, PoS selects validators based on the number of tokens they hold and are willing to “stake” as collateral.
Simplifying Proof of Stake
Imagine a school raffle where students can buy tickets to win a prize. The more tickets a student buys, the higher their chances of winning. However, if a student is caught trying to cheat by using fake tickets, they lose all their tickets and are banned from future raffles. This is similar to how PoS works: the more coins you stake, the higher your chance of being selected to validate transactions, but you risk losing your stake if you act dishonestly.
One of the primary advantages of PoS over PoW is its energy efficiency. PoS does not require miners to use vast amounts of electricity to solve puzzles, making it a greener alternative. This will be explored below in greater detail.
Security and Decentralization
By requiring validators to put up their own funds, PoS aligns the interests of validators with the network’s security. This typically ensures that validators have a level of financial commitment to the blockchain proportional to the weight of their validating actions.
Validators are incentivized to act honestly because they risk losing their staked coins if they attempt to cheat the system. This mechanism helps maintain decentralization, as it lowers the barrier to entry compared to PoW systems, which often require expensive mining hardware.
Scalability
PoS systems can handle more transactions per second (TPS) compared to PoW systems. This increased scalability is crucial for the broader adoption of blockchain technology, as it allows networks to support a growing number of users and applications without compromising performance. Proof of Stake is the main reason that newer blockchains than Bitcoin have been able to implement a transactional approach for a wider variety of activities. When more transactions are possible, the blockchain can be used as more than a simple ledger that keeps track of token transfers.
In PoS, validators are chosen to create new blocks based on the number of coins they have staked. To become a validator, one must lock up a certain amount of cryptocurrency in the network. This locked-up amount is known as the “stake,” and the action of locking these tokens is generally referred to as “staking.”
Validator Selection
In a typical Proof of Stake system, validators are selected randomly, but the likelihood of being chosen is proportional to the amount of stake they hold. This process is often compared to a lottery, where each coin staked acts like a lottery ticket—the more tickets you have, the higher your chances of winning.
Once chosen, a validator checks the transactions within a block to ensure they are legitimate. Once the validator correctly validates the block they receive a reward, usually in the form of additional cryptocurrency. If they validate a fraudulent transaction, they lose a portion of their staked coins, a process known as “slashing.”
Consensus
Other validators in the network then verify the block. If most agree that the block is valid, it is added to the blockchain. This collective verification process ensures the integrity and security of the blockchain.
Advantages of Proof of Stake
Reduced Centralization
PoS reduces the risk of centralization found in PoW systems, where mining power can become concentrated in the hands of a few entities with the most powerful hardware. In PoS, even those with smaller amounts of cryptocurrency can participate in the validation process, promoting a more distributed network.
Lower Barriers to Entry
Becoming a validator in a PoS system typically requires less initial investment compared to the hardware and energy costs associated with PoW mining. This accessibility encourages more participants, enhancing the network’s decentralization.
Economic Incentives
Validators earn rewards in the form of transaction fees and newly minted coins. This economic incentive aligns validators’ interests with the health and security of the network, as they have a financial stake in its success.
The Energy Efficiency of Proof of Stake
Why Proof of Work is Energy-Intensive
Proof of Work (PoW) requires miners to solve complex mathematical puzzles to validate transactions and create new blocks. This process, known as mining, involves a significant amount of computational power. As miners compete to solve these puzzles, they use large amounts of electricity to power their specialized hardware, leading to substantial energy consumption. This is particularly true for major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, where the difficulty of these puzzles increases over time, demanding even more computational resources and energy.
Proof of Stake (PoS) eliminates the need for energy-intensive mining. Instead of solving complex puzzles, validators are selected based on the number of coins they hold and are willing to stake. This selection process requires minimal computational power. Here’s why PoS is more energy-efficient:
No Complex Calculations: PoS does not rely on solving complex puzzles, which are the primary driver of high energy consumption in PoW systems.
Reduced Hardware Requirements: PoS validators do not need powerful, energy-hungry hardware to participate in the network. Standard computers can serve as validators, significantly lowering energy usage.
Fixed Energy Use: The energy consumption in a PoS system is relatively constant and low, regardless of the number of validators, as it primarily involves basic computational tasks rather than intensive calculations.
Scalability: PoS systems can scale more efficiently than PoW systems. As the network grows, adding more validators does not proportionally increase energy consumption.
On GalaChain
GalaChain is built on Hyperledger Fabric, using a hybrid consensus model which includes Proof of Stake.
To learn more about how GalaChain is built or to explore the possibility of developing a project of your own on this speedy, scalable and secure L1 blockchain, check out GalaChain’s SDK or apply as a Creator at the Gala Creators Portal.
Real-World Impact
The transition from PoW to PoS can lead to a dramatic reduction in the energy footprint of blockchain networks. For example, Ethereum’s shift to PoS with its Ethereum 2.0 upgrade is expected to reduce the network’s energy consumption by over 99%. This makes PoS a more sustainable and environmentally friendly option, aligning with global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and promote green technologies.
Proof of Stake represents a significant evolution in blockchain technology, offering solutions to many of the challenges faced by Proof of Work. Its energy efficiency, scalability, and economic incentives make it a compelling choice for new blockchain projects. As the web3 ecosystem continues to grow, PoS will likely play a crucial role in ensuring secure, efficient, and decentralized networks.
Welcome to a new week, Common Ground World players! 🎉 We’ve got an exciting new competition in store, starting tomorrow at 10am PT and lasting for 3 days. As always, this competition is a great way to win $GALA for outcrafting and outselling the competition!
Join us every two weeks on the Gala Games Youtube channel for a live Town Hall to bring us home just before the weekly competition ends, Friday mornings at 8am PT.
Catch a new Town Hall event this Friday, August 16th and watch the replay of August 2nd’s Town Hall at the link below if you haven’t watched yet! These live events are a great way to stay informed on all the latest– Things change a lot around town to keep you on your toes!
Sushi Boat Bash
Set sail with the Sushi Boat Bash! Craft and sell Sushi Boats loaded with salmon, shrimp, eel, and a zesty side of wasabi. It’s a fish-tastic race to deliciousness!
You’ll find the standard Cash and Star values for all crafts in the Gala Games Discord community’s CGW-FAQ channel.
Epic Shrimp Farm
If you’re looking for an NFT solution to crafting Shrimp, look no further than the new Epic Shrimp Farm, available now while supplies last in the Common Ground World store.
Upgrade your farm with the Shrimp Farm NFT! This eco-friendly marvel crafts Shrimp from Seaweed, unaffected by pollution, and comes with its own dedicated Aquaculturist. Dive into cleaner, greener shrimp farming and watch your harvest soar!
Crafts Shrimp from 2 Seaweed like its in-game counterpart
Not affected by Dirty proximity effects
3×3 size (¾ of a standard in-game tile)
Includes an Aquaculturist worker
No Road required
No wage paid
This NFT is being sold by increasing price tiers, so do not hesitate to get yours. When each tier’s supply sells out, the next pricing tier will be unlocked:
TIER 1 – 1-10: $99.99
TIER 2 – 11-60: $149.99
TIER 3 – 61-160: $199.99
TIER 4 – 161-300: $$249.99
Get your Shrimp Farm now!
Join in the Farming Fun
If you’ve never played Common Ground World before, this week’s competition is a perfect time to get involved with the most exciting community of players in the web3 world! You’ll love the simple and relaxing (but strategic and challenging) gameplay!
Common Ground World was created by some of the earliest pioneers of the social gaming realm whose experience brought the world titles like Farmville 2, Words with Friends, Zynga Poker and more! It’s free to play and no download is needed. Plus, you can enhance the experience and your chances of winning by building an NFT collection of your own!
