We don’t often talk about the exclusive VIP community of Gala Games because we don’t want to overgrow it. If every audience member found their way backstage at the big show, would it still be a special and exclusive experience?
Exclusivity comes from curation and limitation. That’s why we’ve always gated Gala Gold membership behind a cost. At first when we were small, it was only $10 for lifetime membership in Gala Gold. Then for a time it was $50. Now the same lifetime membership will cost you $100. This is a carefully calculated cost to ensure that our VIP community of testers and early adopters remains small in comparison to the constantly growing Gala community at large.
Benefits to Gala Gold
Gala Gold was originally formed as a way to distinguish the most dedicated community members from the more casual ones. We understand that the majority of users in the GalaChain ecosystem might have no interest in spending much time in the Discord server, making online friends from around the world or even in testing games through various stages of development.
By gating the Gala Gold community behind a one-time fee, we were easily able to assemble a group of fully committed people, interested in providing feedback (good, bad or ugly), testing games and getting their hands on early collectibles.
Gala Gold is a Lifetime Membership
We won’t ask for a repeating subscription fee for a Gala Gold membership, but we can predict that the cost of joining Gala Gold will go up from time to time. This mechanism ensures that the earliest arrivals are appropriately rewarded for their loyalty and participation.
Gala Gold membership was first sold for $10, then updated to $50. Today, membership in this club will cost you $100. We cannot predict if or when the Gala Gold price will increase again.
Free NFTs from Time to Time
Oftentimes you’ll find Gala Gold the best place to receive special NFT items that relate to games in development or various stages of release. It could be that a certain game would like to start by distributing a certain in-game item to a select group, including thousands of people. Because of the limited-supply nature of NFTs, it rarely makes sense to distribute an item to all accounts. We prefer the approach where NFT item ownership has a degree of exclusivity attached to it.
All Gala Gold members receive the Common Ground World Express Depot, allowing them to make deliveries faster in-game, placing and replacing their Depot as they see fit. In the past, special characters, skins, weapons, avatars and more have been given to members of Gala Gold.
When Gala Gold NFT drops take place, they are based on a snapshot of everyone who is currently a member of Gala Gold, meaning that if you haven’t signed up and paid your fee by the time of the snapshot, you miss out on that drop.
Please note that there is no set schedule for regular NFT drops to members of Gala Gold. Instead, items are given at the discretion of individual game teams. Several months will often go by with no Gala Gold NFT drops, so joining with the expectation of regular free NFTs can lead to disappointment.
Discord Access
For the past couple years, most members would agree that the greatest benefit to Gala Gold is access to a special Gala Gold area of Discord.
Complete with an announcement channel, a special sneak peek channel, a place for suggestions, a bustling ongoing discussion hub and an exclusive stage for hosting events, Gala Gold is essentially a gated community within the greater Gala community.
Here you’ll find opportunities to bend the ears of team members in a more intimate setting, a place where we feel free to talk more openly about the ecosystem than in general channels. Company leaders are often directly involved in the conversations in Gala Gold, whether exchanging comments about the latest games and feature releases or accepting valued feedback from a trusted community.
Basically, Gala Gold Discord channels are a fantastic place to be heard, especially if you have constructive ideas (or criticisms) of the ecosystem. We have often been known to suddenly shift strategies based on important discussions that have taken place here.
In terms of leaks and alpha info, there is nothing better than Gala Gold. A company like Gala operates like a complex gear mechanism– When a company leader wants answers or responses quickly, they’re likely to take it straight to Gala Gold first. In many cases, you’ll have a chance to see something discussed here 1-2 days before it is mentioned on social media or in an official Gala blog. You may be surprised at the difference a couple days can make when it comes to the flow of information in the web3 era.
From the Gala Gold Suggestions channel
Testing Games
Testing is an incredibly important part of shipping games, whether it’s a first, second or third party title. For the community, testing is often seen as a special perk to paying attention. We take the testing of our games very seriously, and different stages of development require different sizes of test groups.
When testing a game with a community audience, we want to make sure that:
The size of the audience fits the game in its current state – Gala Gold is often called upon to test games in early stages, when the game is too far along for an “internal only” playtest” but not quite ready for a whole public platest.
Our testers are diligent and experienced – Being an early Tester of a game is super fun, but we also want to ensure that as many participants as possible take the responsibility seriously. We have found that in Gala Gold, our members are very committed to the overall success of individual games, so they will honestly seek out bugs and provide excellent feedback.
Improvement is priority one – Finally, we want to ensure that our testers understand that anything can happen in a testing cycle for a game, no matter the genre or platform. Our Gala Gold members have repeatedly shown that they are mature and adaptable in these situations, never getting mad at us for doing what is necessary to improve a gaming experience.
Future Benefits Unknown
Gala Gold can be expected to evolve along with the Gala ecosystem. Existing perks can change as needed and new benefits will sometimes appear as new GalaChain functionalities allow.
Gala Gold is not for everyone, but we encourage anyone to join who considers themselves part of our most dedicated fanbase. If you’re spending a lot of time in the Discord community channels and are not yet a member, we think you would meet a lot of great people and find tremendous benefit in the Gala Gold channels.
As always, thanks for being part of the Gala community!
With the tokenization of in-game property becoming more popular all the time in the web3 world, Legacy is here to put a unique spin on NFT ownership.
Legacy is a game about entrepreneurial success, about building an enterprise from the ground up by designing and selling products. Through the game’s Design Competitions, you can compete against other players all over the world to design the most creative products around and sell them with the greatest efficiency.
Your “Land” in Legacy
When you get in the game, you’re joining the entrepreneurial elite who bet on themselves for success, whether you’re a Guild owning Legacy Tycoon sharing in the success of those you empower or an aspiring go-getter joining a Guild to chase your dreams on someone else’s dime.
Leading a Guild with a Deed
The only way to play Legacy on this level is to own a Legacy Deed, the equivalent to NFT land in Legacy. These Deeds are not currently available in the Gala Games store, but can often be found on the secondary market at OpenSea.
Each Legacy Deed unlocks your ability to organize and manage a Legacy Guild. Recruiting for your Guild is easy– In fact, the game will do it for you. As a Guild owner, you have a certain number of Legacy Keys with which players can join your Guild. The higher the rarity of your Legacy Deed, the more Legacy Keys you get, and the more members your Guild will have.
Legacy Deed NFTs exist in 5 different rarities. Click the heading links to view the items on OpenSea.
Please note that if you purchase a Legacy Deed from the secondary market, you will need to bridge it to GalaChain before configuring your Guild and recruiting players. This is done easily by connecting your Ethereum wallet to your Gala account. Learn more about connecting your web3 wallet here.
Joining a Guild with a Key
The best part about playing as a Legacy Keyholder is that you don’t need to go searching for a Guild to join. As long as Legacy Keys are available, you’ll be able to join a Guild as part of the initial game interface.
It’s tough in the world of business-building. If you want to make it big, you need to connect with a good leader– In Legacy, that means a good Guild.
When you first launch the game through the Gala Games launcher, you’ll be prompted to choose a Guild from the available options. When you select a Guild and get started, the Legacy Key and its access to the game will be yours.
The number of Legacy Keys for each Guild is determined by the Deed’s rarity:
Startup – 1 Legacy Key
Enterprise – 5 Legacy Keys
Firm – 15 Legacy Keys
Corporation – 50 Legacy Keys
Conglomerate – 125 Legacy Keys
Heart of London – 500 Legacy Keys
Qualities of an Effective Guild Leader
As a Legacy Deed NFT owner, you’re also the owner of the responsibility to run a Legacy Guild. Because you’re working with self-starting entrepreneurs, not much hand-holding is necessary, but as the boss, you get to call the shots.
In the same way that each Legacy player must keep a close eye on their town’s workers, ensuring they are rested and not overworked, each Guild leader must strike a proper balance for their Guildmates.
Setting an Effective Reward Split – The Guild leader can choose any percentage split they like for sharing Legacy Ticket rewards generated from Design Competitions in the game. With 50 active players for a Corporation Deed and 125 for a Conglomerate Deed, Guild leaders can benefit substantially from a meager reward share of even 1-2%, which will go virtually unnoticed by Keyholding players.
Sending Guild Messages – The Guild leader is called to rally the troops and coordinate strategies, building relationships with their Guildmates and preparing for the game’s expanded future features.
Kicking Inactive Players – While it is not a requirement, every Guild leader has the right to kick players from their Guild at any time and for any reason.
Start Playing Today
Your Legacy is waiting in this delightful free-to-play game created by 22cans. Become a titan of industry, competing for awesome prizes and unparalleled prestige!
We’re pleased to announce that TARELA, the multifaceted singer, songwriter, producer and entrepreneur, is joining the Gala Music family. Known for his distinctive blend of Afrobeats, Dancehall and Hip-Hop, TARELA brings a unique sound that resonates with his fans across the globe.
Tomorrow, July 23rd, TARELA drops his latest single “Oh Mama” as an NFT on Gala Music. This soulful Afrobeats tune is set to captivate your hearts and playlists. Featuring melodic guitar by SUCKARIE and co-produced by TARELA and MARPHY JAY, “Oh Mama” is crafted to be a top contender on your summer playlist.
TARELA, formerly known as Squeeze Tarela, has made a significant impact in the music industry with hits like “Hottest Thing,” “Better,” “Cocoa Butter,” “Bend,” and “Showers of Blessings.” His music is a testament to his audacious sound and emotive storytelling, often exploring themes of love, resilience, and the celebration of life. TARELA’s ability to fuse genres seamlessly creates a distinctive sound that sets him apart as an artist.
Reward-Enabled NFT
“Oh Mama” will be available as a reward-enabled NFT with only 100 digital copies. By owning this exclusive NFT track, fans can stack $MUSIC daily, providing an excellent alternative to purchasing on exchanges. This not only supports TARELA but also allows listeners to share in his success with regular $MUSIC rewards based on the track’s popularity on the platform.
$MUSIC has lots of uses in the Gala Music ecosystem, from unlocking ALl Access Experiences and special edition merch to buying Mystery Boxes with huge chances to win, from locking $MUSIC in support or your favorite artists to direct $MUSIC tipping… $MUSIC is bringing artists and fans closer together than ever before.
Join the Revolution
Owning NFT tracks is one of the best ways to support our incredibly talented and professionally curated artist lineup. By purchasing and hosting these tracks on a Jukebox Node, fans can directly contribute to the artist’s growth while enjoying daily $MUSIC rewards.
Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to own a piece of TARELA’s musical journey and support his rise within the Gala Music ecosystem. Be sure to grab your copy of “Oh Mama” on July 23rd and experience the future of music with Gala Music.
Join us in welcoming TARELA to the Gala Music ecosystem. Together, let’s put the power back into the artists’ hands!
Gather round, Common Ground World players and get ready for another exciting weekly competition, starting tomorrow (Tuesday July 23rd) at 10am PT!
Watch Friday’s Town Hall Replay
Thanks to the magic of live streaming, our bi-weekly Common Ground World Town Hall events live on as replays, giving players who couldn’t be there a chance to catch up on the latest and greatest updates and news from the game. Don’t miss your chance – Link below 👇
Our next Town Hall event is happening on Friday, August 2nd at 8am PT! Be there 👩🌾
This Week’s Box Bash
Running from 10am PT on Tuesday, July 23rd to 10am PT on Friday, July 26th, this contest features aged Oak Barrels, glittering Gold and Sweet Jam, celebrating some of the community’s top picks! Raise a toast, spread the sparkle and enjoy crafting your way to victory!
Goal: Sell Startlight Market Boxes Trade Time: 40s & 1 Gasoline Biome: Desert N Edges: Desert N, Mountain E, River S and River W
In addition to the standard $GALA rewards, top finishers will also pick up a special Crafty Candy Shop Blueprint, reducing the craft time of all Candy Shops, both in-game and NFT! Craft time reductions are determined by the rarity of the Blueprint from Uncommon (10%) all the way to Diamond 💎 (20% boost!). Good luck!
Starlight Market Boxes
Check out the new standard recipe for this craft, voted in by the community!
Ingredients: 8 Oak Barrels, 15 Gold, 2 Jam, 1 Wooden Box Made in: Boxing Facility Stored in: Warehouse Craft time: 60s Affected by: Nothing Standard Cash: $100K Standard Stars: 5010
💰Cash Boosts
Gold: $4880 👉 $9760
Oak Barrel: $5500 👉 $11K
Jam: $25K 👉 $50K
⭐Star Boosts
Starlight Market Boxes: ⭐5010 👉 ⭐50K!!
New NFT Items Available
Iron Mine (Rare)
This eco-friendly marvel crafts without being slowed down by nearby Water, producing just a third of the pollution compared to a regular Iron Mine! Keep your production swift and your air clean with this rare gem of a mine!
When using offline mode you do need to log back in before the event ends to make fast forward happen.It is run by your computer currently, and if you do not load the game back up, fast forward will not take place.
If you use Fast Forward check in often, the longer you stay offline, the longer it takes to bring your town up to date.
Always make sure the game is the ONLY TAB in the browser it’s running on.
Don’t fully cover the browser window with another window or program if you are actively playing. If you do, make sure to relaunch the game before trying to play again.
Thanks for Playing!
If you’re enjoying Common Ground World, thank you so much for being part of our amazing community. If not, we hope you’ll consider joining in the relaxing and strategically challenging action today! It’s fun and easy to learn, created by some of the same developers who brought the world the beloved Farmville franchise!
You can start playing Common Ground World right away in your browser through Gala Games– No need to download anything or spend any money at all! You’ll love watching your town grow!
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the advent of the internet revolutionized the world of poker, breathing fresh new life into an already beloved game played all over the world.
Online poker platforms emerged, offering players the opportunity to play from the comfort of their homes. Texas Hold ‘Em in particular, which was known casually in poker circles as “the Cadillac of poker,’ quickly became a worldwide phenomenon, attracting a whole new type of player to the game.
The early 2000s saw a significant boom in online poker, particularly after Chris Moneymaker, an amateur player who qualified through an online satellite tournament, won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in 2003. This victory inspired millions to try their hand at online poker, believing they too could win big.
By combining the streamlined appeal of video games with the thrill of gambling on well-known and trustworthy games of skill, online poker companies made billions of dollars, one $50 deposit at a time.
Despite the convenience and accessibility of online poker, there are elements of live poker that are typically missed by an online remote experience. There’s something special about sitting down at a green felt table for a game as exciting and historically rich as poker.
Physically Reading Players
In live poker, the ability to read physical tells and body language is a crucial skill and an intrinsic part of the game. Players can observe their opponents’ reactions, postures and facial expressions to gain insights into their typical behaviors with certain hands. On top of that, a player will typically spend a lot more time in a live game seat than an online one, giving opposing players more of an opportunity to draw conclusions about their patterns and behaviors.
Communication at the Table
Live poker provides a social atmosphere where players can engage in conversations, banter and psychological games. This social interaction adds a layer of depth to the experience. Sometimes live players will bond of a big pot hand in a way that can lead to a lifelong friendship, while you’ll seldom find a similar bonding experience in an online game. Even the most serious live poker players will tell you they enjoy conversations they have had at poker tables, or that they have kept in touch with people they met at memorable card games.
Even with its inherent connection to money and wagering, poker is a distinctly social game, and one of its most enjoyable aspects is the camaraderie of sitting around a table for hours, having refreshments and engaging in light conversation with other players. Some players even like to use this conversational aspect as an important dimension of strategy, allowing their friendliness or intimidation tactics to influence the ways their opponents act and react within hands.
The “Dealer” Experience
The presence of a human dealer who shuffles and deals the cards, manages the pot, and controls the pace of the game adds a tangible authenticity to the game. The dealer also acts as an impartial mediator, ensuring the rules are followed and calling out the action in a convenient way that makes the game easy for players to follow.
Even the physical game components themselves are a very enjoyable piece of what makes live poker such a popular game throughout the world. The shuffling, passing and holding of cards is extremely satisfying to the players. Playing cards are a timeless form of gaming and perhaps the most popular type of game in the world. There are hundreds and hundreds of card games that can be played with the standard deck alone, and over a hundred different games within the card game family we call Poker. Additionally, almost all board games have some kind of card element. People love playing with cards.
Even with all the magic of live poker, online poker offers several benefits that enhance the gaming experience in ways live poker cannot:
Easier to Find Players
Online platforms host millions of players from around the world, making it easy to find a game at any time. This vast pool of players ensures a diverse range of skill levels and game types. Whether you’re looking for a heads up showdown, a ring game or a large multi-table tournament, you can be almost certain that the type of game you’re looking for is somewhere on the internet, just waiting for you to take a seat.
Instant Access
Players can log in and start playing instantly without the need to travel to a physical location. This convenience is a major draw for many players. Even when you factor in things like creating an account, KYC procedures and jumping through deposit hoops, chances are that these obstacles will be far easier than traveling to the nearest casino game.
This aspect also makes it easier than with live games for players to get up and switch seats as often as they like. When you know there is another seat waiting for you at another table only 30 seconds away with a fresh set of players, you’ve got more options and you can play more freely.
Without the need for things like shuffling and physical dealing, online poker typically has faster gameplay, allowing players to play far more hands per hour compared to live poker. This can drastically influence play style for many players, usually resulting in tighter and more mathematical gameplay online. The more hands you play, the truer the statistics and the odds become and the less likely that there will be probability outliers.
I’ve known online players who will keep a game going for hours while barely paying attention to it, simply folding every hand until they see pocket Kings, pocket Aces or AK. This is an extremely tight mode of gameplay made possible by online poker, but even that method has its pitfalls– If you have to wait 60 hands to see that high pocket pair, then chances are you’ll expect to win once you get it, which could make you less likely to fold against someone else’s drawn straight or flush. You can still lose with good hole cards.
Less Patience Required
The pace of online poker means there is less waiting time between hands, catering to those who prefer a faster-paced game. The addition of buttons like “Fold to Any Bet” or “Check/Fold” have also given online players the ability to auto-select their coming action based on the action of those before them in the round. Thus, a great deal of strategic play in online poker has morphed into what I call “reaction time” strategy. If you have auto-selected your action and therefore act instantly, you’re indicating that you barely had to think about it. On the other hand, if you almost let your action timer run out before calling, checking or folding, you’re showing opponents that you were really thinking about this one.
Multiple Games at Once
This is one of those things that’s entirely impossible in the world of live poker and only became a reality because of online gameplay. Online platforms allow players to participate in multiple games simultaneously, significantly increasing the potential for winnings and providing a more engaging experience. In the heyday of online poker, I was often playing on 4 cash game tables at a time, and I remember speaking with skilled online players who would play more than that simultaneously.
One friend used to say that he’d always have a tilt table in play to ensure that he could play responsibly on the other ones. He’d use that table to make wild bets, play with rags and basically blow off steam whenever he was mad about the results of a hand from one of the more legit tables.
Evolution of Poker into the 21st Century
Both live and online poker have evolved to meet the demands of modern players, each bringing unique advancements to the game:
Live Play as a Spectator Sport
Professional poker has transformed into an exciting spectator sport, with live broadcasts showing players’ hands and featuring expert commentary. This transparency and analysis bring a new level of engagement and education for viewers. While professional players probably have mixed feelings about their gameplay becoming so transparent, aspiring players have been able to learn all sorts of new tactics from watching the pros. Overall, the adoption of poker as a spectator sport has elevated the game throughout the world.
In the same way that casinos have continued to enhance security and grow with the latest technologies, online poker platforms have continuously improved their security measures to combat cheating and bot usage. This has led to stronger, more secure platforms that provide a fair playing environment for all users.
The integrity of the game of poker is paramount to its enjoyability. If someone is rigging the system somehow, it’s good for the whole poker community when that person is discovered and removed from the game. In the Wild West, we may have had outlaws with aces up their sleeves, but the new outlaw can sometimes take the form of a hacker with a bot network up their sleeve.
Despite the differences, both online and live poker remain immortal games of chance, skill and strategy. Whether played on a phone, PC or at a live casino table, the core essence of poker endures, captivating players worldwide.
Join the Fun with Sweep It Poker
Experience the best of casual and free online poker with Gala’s first poker title, Sweep It Poker. Enjoy completely free gameplay, and earn more chips each day to accumulate entries in the Weekly Sweepstakes. Sweep It Poker is not gambling. It’s just a chance to play some cards with Gala players from around the world, sweetened with a weekly chance to win some $GALA.
Join the vibrant community of poker enthusiasts. See you at the tables, and we look forward to sharing some more poker content with you again soon!
