If you haven’t played Common Ground World yet, this week is a great opportunity to join the fun and dive into the awesome community. Each week, players from around the world compete for three days with a unique new set of meta rules. Build an efficiently functioning town that produces and sells the right goods faster than the competition and you’re destined for the leaderboard.
Here’s the standard leaderboard reward chart
In addition to the huge variety of in-game buildings and characters, players can also take advantage of owned NFT items for an extra strategic edge. By playing with NFTs, you can enjoy faster and more flexible play, enhancing your production and avoiding costly builds. The best part of NFT ownership is that you actually own your items, so you can always list them for sale on the secondary market any time you want!
Last Friday’s Town Hall
Join us for the next live CGW Town Hall with the team, Friday August 16th at 8am PT on the Gala Games Youtube channel. If you haven’t caught last Friday’s yet, watch the replay at the link below.
Town Halls take place every 2 weeks on Friday morning. They’re the perfect place to get all the latest updates and hear about exciting new opportunities coming to the game!
Chandelier Earrings
This week’s competition starts at 10am PT on Tuesday, August 6th and ends at 10am PT on Friday, August 9th.
Your goal is to Craft and Sell Chandelier Earrings, which will fetch a handsome Star Boost for this event only.
Trade Time: 20s, 1 Gasoline Biome: Desert S Edges: Desert N, Desert E, Desert S, Desert W
You’ll be surrounded by desert, so be sure to stay hydrated! 💦
To jump in the ongoing discussion and meet people from the team and community, be sure to join the Gala Games Discord server and check out the latest in the Common Ground World channels.
Build to Own, Build to Win
Common Ground World was created by the pioneers of social gaming, some of the same amazing builders who brought the world the beloved Farmville series. Don’t let the relaxing and adorable feel fool you. This game is a masterfully crafted strategic experience, enhanced by web3 ownership through GalaChain and regular global competitions.
You don’t need to download anything to start playing Common Ground World today. All you need is a free Gala Games account– The game opens right in your browser! So what are you waiting for? Start building with this awesome free game today!
Music has always been an impactful voice for charitable causes, and at Gala we’re excited to bring that kind of passion and energy into the web3 world.
Throughout the world, people love to enjoy music in all its forms. No matter what people are going through or what challenges they’re facing in life, music is there to underscore their journeys. With a performance-based art form that commands such attention, it’s no wonder that musicians often put their gifts and talents to work for various causes that are meaningful to them. From performing at charity functions to donating revenue and speaking out in support of or against issues, many musicians do not miss an opportunity to be heard, on multiple levels.
With the community empowerment principles upon which GalaChain and Gala Music were built, it was only a matter of time before a new Gala Music artist hit the scene as a dedicated charity-focused project. Web3 has proven especially effective at encouraging artists to think outside the box and find new ways to reach the ones they want to reach.
No matter what people are going through or what challenges they’re facing in life, music is there to underscore their journeys.
Today, we’re sharing some written interview content from LionHeart Entertainment, who recently launched a Gala Music debut NFT with a different approach.
LionHeart Entertainment was chartered on 5/21/24 to enhance the well being of not only the emerging artist but the communities surrounding them. Our core mission is not only to assist at risk communities but to inspire hope. This will be accomplished by hosting charity concerts and other types of events across the US and abroad.
LionHeart Entertainment is a nonprofit organization. What causes are you passionate about, the ones that will always be a strong focus of your project’s giving?
Having been involved with various non profit organizations for over 20 years I am passionate about helping many causes. It is said you can change the world one child, one community at a time. Going into the heart of these at risk communities, helping to rebuild, inspiring hope, providing mentorship can have such an everlasting impact on generations.
Veterans will be a focus as well not only because I’m a combat veteran but if it wasn’t for their sacrifices none of this other stuff could be possible. In the United States, there are nearly 33,000 homeless veterans, we believe one is too many. Upon returning home, veterans face many challenges that can lead to homelessness, such as mental illness, substance abuse, foreclosure, poverty and unemployment. These issues are often compounded by misconceptions about veteran homelessness, particularly regarding the amount of support they receive from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
What can Gala Music’s web3 ecosystem uniquely bring to the table to enrich the experience of contributing to and supporting a nonprofit?
Specifically in regards to LionHeart Ent., Gala Music can bring a lot to the table as our members are Gala Music artists, so when we approach the different venues, they are the ones who could potentially be performing depending on schedules. LionHeart Entertainment complements the Gala Music ecosystem and has the capabilities to not only get exposure to the artist and the Gala Music ecosystem through hosting these different charity events that will greatly impact at risk communities. With the Gala Music team’s vast knowledge in different areas having their support will greatly increase the reach and overall success of the different missions as we look to host events across the US and abroad. Having Gala Music as a core sponsor would greatly increase the power and reach of LionHeart Entertainment.
Did you create Lionheart Entertainment from ideas inspired by blockchain, or did you find that blockchain was the ideal way to make a previous vision into reality?
LionHeart Entertainment was inspired by the desire to not only help at-risk communities, but to help the artist and ecosystem get the exposure they deserve. It is difficult for artists to get those chances to have their breakout moments. With LionHeart Entertainment hosting charity concerts we are able to accomplish many of our goals at once, by combining our forces to rebuild and inspire hope in at-risk communities while getting exposure to our artists and the Gala Music ecosystem.
LionHeart Entertainment was inspired by the desire to not only help at-risk communities, but to help the artist and ecosystem get the exposure they deserve.
Tell us about your musical background? What are your favorite genres and artists, and what kind of songs move you on a personal level?
Growing up in New Jersey with my family involved in music, I have been immersed in the culture for a majority of my life in one form or another. I have been involved with setting up different music events at the Prudential Center for 9 years. My understanding and knowledge of the industry is always evolving as there are a lot of different aspects. I listen to different genres of music depending on what I’m doing, whether going to the gym, driving, or getting ready for bed. I tend to listen to a lot of music I resonate with. Music activates just about all areas of the human brain; it can also stimulate new connections. As Bono once said “Music can change the world because it can change people.”
You’ve said that NFT holders will sometimes receive special access to events. Do you have any teasers about what audiences can expect from your inaugural special access event (locations, venues, performers, etc.)?
I have approvals for different venues from Boston to Florida. I plan to hold these events from the east coast to the west coast and abroad. NFT holders will receive backstage vip access with exclusive meet and greets with the artists. I am currently working on securing the funding to lock in the dates. I can’t reveal too much, just know it is going to rock the foundation.
Do you plan to release Gala Music tracks regularly?
Yes, LionHeart Ent. plans on dropping more tracks. I’m hoping for some special drops in the near future as our members who are artists on the platform are able to drop tracks under LionHeart Entertainment’s profile, without disrupting their regularly scheduled drops, in order to help contribute towards the various causes. Artists still receive 20% of the drop plus the daily distribution of rewards.
Where can fans learn more about you, your project and your music?
LionHeart Entertainment recently created their social accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I am in the Gala Music discord regularly, @CryptoLion_420, feel free to message me with any questions. Right now we are in the process of having our website created and will share it as soon as it is complete.
LionHeart Entertainment is dropping its first track “The Anthem” this Friday all funds raised from the track sales are going directly to enhancing not only the artist but at-risk communities in need utilizing music to inspire hope. This will be accomplished by hosting charity…
Any advice for musicians considering applying to become Gala Music artists?
The best advice I can give to the artist wanting to join the Gala Music ecosystem is to get on discord and other socials and be active within the community while also promoting the ecosystem and your music. Gala music has the greatest community in web 3. It is truly a unique platform where you get to build a personal relationship with your fans like never before. You both get to experience the journey together in a beautiful symbiotic relationship.
“Even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.” — Stephen Chbosky
Proof-of-Work (PoW) is a consensus mechanism used in blockchain networks to validate transactions and secure the network.
Proof-of-Work (PoW) was the pioneering consensus mechanism that laid the groundwork for blockchain technology. It has since been joined by several other alternatives, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Several of these alternatives will be explored below.
It is the method by which network participants, known as miners, solve complex mathematical problems to add new blocks of transactions to the blockchain. Think of it as a competitive puzzle-solving race where the first participant to solve the puzzle gets to add the next block to the blockchain and is rewarded for their effort.
Gold Fever
Bitcoin has often been referred to as “digital gold” for several reasons: First, it has a finite total supply, just like gold buried within the rocks of the earth. Next, it acts as a store of value in the same way as gold, providing an alternative way to hold wealth to the world’s Fiat* currencies.
* “Fiat currency” is derived from the Latin “fiat,” which means a determination by an authority, or an arbitrary order. Basically, Fiat currencies are those decided upon and approved by governmental authorities… they have value because an authority told us they do.
Finally, Bitcoin resembles gold because it must be mined, converting time and energy into the retrieval of BTC for miners. In the same way, gold miners must commit financial resources, time and energy into their operations. A miner who only expects to find a few specks of gold can probably do so in a wise location with only simple panning equipment, but a large company with employees and equipment expenses needs to mine a great deal more gold to prove a profitable venture.
How Does Proof-of-Work Work?
Transaction Bundling: When users initiate transactions, these are grouped together into a block by miners.
Puzzle Solving: Miners compete to solve a cryptographic puzzle, which involves finding a hash (a fixed-length string of characters) that meets specific criteria. This process is computationally intensive and requires significant processing power. Most of these computations are executed by GPUs (Graphics Processing Unit) because of their ability to quickly perform extremely complex calculations.
Block Validation: The first miner to solve the puzzle broadcasts their solution to the network, which is then verified by other miners. If the solution is correct, the block is added to the blockchain.
Reward: The miner who successfully adds the block is rewarded with newly created cryptocurrency and any transaction fees from the transactions included in the block.
Security: PoW secures the blockchain by making it computationally expensive to alter any part of the blockchain. To change a block, an attacker would need to redo the PoW for that block and all subsequent blocks, requiring immense computational power.
Decentralization: PoW allows a decentralized network of miners to compete to validate transactions, reducing the risk of central control.
Integrity: It ensures that all transactions are processed in a trustless manner, meaning participants do not need to trust a central authority but can trust the network’s consensus rules.
“Consensus” in web3 – An agreement between all participants in a blockchain network on the order and content of blockchain blocks.
Proof-of-Work Simplified
Imagine a large-scale Sudoku competition where participants race to solve the puzzle. The first one to complete it correctly gets a prize and publishes their solution, which others can quickly verify as correct or incorrect.
Think of the PoW puzzle as a lock and the solution as the key. Each miner tries different keys (hash values) until one fits (meets the criteria). The first one to unlock the lock (solve the puzzle) can add a new block to the blockchain and collect its associated rewards.
Energy Consumption: PoW requires significant computational power, which translates to high energy consumption, raising a plethora of environmental concerns. This concern has been the primary driver of development of alternative consensus mechanisms in web3.
Centralization Risks: Despite being a decentralized mechanism, PoW can lead to centralization of mining power in regions with cheap electricity or in the hands of entities that can afford specialized hardware. Some people worry that mining operations will become overly centralized with this approach, especially if reward value continues to increase at a level that will justify large scale operations and great expense.
Scalability Issues: PoW networks, like Bitcoin, face scalability challenges due to the time and resources required to solve the cryptographic puzzles and add new blocks.
Alternatives to Proof-of-Work
In response to these challenges, alternative consensus mechanisms have been developed, such as Proof-of-Stake (PoS), which relies on validators who stake their cryptocurrency to propose and validate blocks, requiring less computational power.
Proof-of-Stake (PoS)
The main alternative to Proo-of-Work is Proof-of-Stake, in which Validators stake their cryptocurrency to participate in the network. They are selected to create new blocks based on the amount of staked cryptocurrency.
Strengths
Energy-efficient: Significantly less energy consumption compared to PoW.
Faster transaction times: Can process transactions more quickly.
Weaknesses
Potential for centralization: Wealthier validators can have greater influence.
Security risks: Vulnerable to attacks like the “nothing-at-stake” problem (when the cost to create blocks becomes too low).
With this mechanism, token holders vote for delegates who validate blocks. With fast transaction times, this method closely resembles PoS but with increased scalability. However, decentralization is reduced because more staking power can be concentrated in the hands of fewer delegates. Plus, if delegates are compromised for any reason, things can go awry for the chain.
Other Consensus Mechanisms
Proof-of-Authority (PoA): Relies on a pre-selected group of validators to validate transactions.
Proof-of-Burn (PoB): Requires users to destroy cryptocurrency to become a validator.
Proof-of-Capacity (PoC): Uses hard drive space as a measure of stake.
Proof of Storage (PoS): Validators prove they are storing data to secure the network and earn rewards.
GalaChain is a highly advanced blockchain, first built by our web3 experts to accommodate the rapidly expanding and evolving needs of gaming and entertainment.
It uses a special hybrid model of pluggable blockchain consensus. GalaChain was built on the Hyperledger Fabric protocol, which allows consensus to be highly customizable on individual channels. An Ordering Service works with predesignated peers on the network to sign transactions in a multi-step, asynchronous system.
Despite its criticisms, PoW remains a foundational technology in the blockchain space, particularly for major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Innovations and improvements in mining technology and energy efficiency are being explored to mitigate its environmental impact. Even as other consensus mechanisms are introduced, Proof-of-Work elements will still be used in a growing variety of hybrid consensus models.
Even if Proof-of-Work is gradually phased out of prominence as a consensus mechanism, it will continue to work well as an educational basis to help anyone understand the decentralized nature of blockchains and cryptocurrencies.
Proof-of-Work is a vital component of many blockchain networks, providing security, decentralization and integrity. Understanding PoW is essential for grasping how blockchain technology works and its implications for the future of digital transactions and decentralized systems.
Roughly three days remain before the final Conquest of the season. Are you prepared? Will your forces carry the day or be crushed by your opponents?
Conquest 101
Quick review for those who haven’t fought hard in a Conquest in the past:
Conquest is vastly different from the rest of the season. If you’ve only scratched the surface of these epic battles so far, it’s definitely worth it to dive in and fight for your guild. If you haven’t joined a guild, Conquest is one of many great reasons to do so. War is a team sport!
During the Conquest, guilds will compete for control of the 16 Ruins positioned around the map. Normally these can be explored by any player, but during Conquest they become positions that can be occupied. Guilds will plan which to attack and make large rallies to fight off the competition.
Guilds gain points for each second they occupy a Ruin, but they’ll also get a large chunk of bonus points every 30 minutes for the 90 minute duration of Conquest. After the first 30 minute period, the Ring of Ruin will open for conquest in the center of the map. This provides more points than each Ruin and is often a critical factor in determining the winner.
Points gained in Conquest are based on the rank of your guild, and each guild’s members will get a portion of those points equal to their contribution percentage, which is viewable on the “Share” screen in the guild menu. At the end of the season, 60% of all season rewards will be distributed to individual players according to their Conquest rank.
The Battle for Season 5
Now that we’re all caught up with each other, let’s break down where we’re at in season 5. SquareXII is firmly in the lead with their members occupying more than the top 30 spots on the leaderboard!
BTB isn’t going down without a fight though, and they’re not too far behind. EPx and GFX could still be players in the top ranks yet with some fireworks in this last Conquest.
Dome seriously dramatic action will need to happen to unseat XII from the Season 5 throne… but unexpected things happen in Conquest.
Conquest Tips
Let’s run down some quick tips and best practices for Conquest.
Even if this is the first time you’re going to join the fight, there’s more battles in the future. Season 6 is just around the corner. Give it all you’ve got this time to sharpen your tactics for bigger battles ahead!
All you seasoned veterans may find one or two things in here to improve your game… no captain knows everything!
Synergy, synergy, synergy…
War Synergy is everything in Conquest. Hunting Synergy does not count in PvP combat.
This is very important. This means your 9m power fire troop will be much less powerful than your 7m light troop with 40% War Synergy. Light and Dark are crucial in Conquest, and don’t mix them in your troops when possible.
No T1s
During normal gameplay, a lot of captains will mix in a few T1s with their troops to absorb any losses they may take. The lowest tier soldier dies first.
Don’t do this in Conquest. It lowers your troop power by a lot, but also your War Synergy. There are no light and dark T1s. If you are very short on high tier soldiers, use T6 light and dark. Make a pile of them the day before Conquest and mix them into your saved troops.
Follow the Leader
If everybody in the guild is doing their own thing, you won’t get very far. Designate rally leaders, then designate backup rally leaders. Listen to your rally leaders – argue about strategy before and after Conquest. Make sure you’ve got at least a few groups working on different goals at the same time, but coordinate them towards one greater goal.
At a last Conquest like this, most players will have at least three if not all four operational slots unlocked. That means you could potentially have your whole guild involved in four battles at once. Some of those troops will get locked up in Ruins scoring points though… be careful to not put all your power into holding ruins and not be able to fight back against attackers!
Defend the Rally Points!
A rally disbands when the rally leader’s fortress warps. This means that if you’re holding the Ring of Ruin solidly with only minutes to go, an enemy can make your rally disband by attacking the rally leader’s fortress.
Save some arrows for when those attackers come. Try to hide your rally leaders if you can. Iif the enemy knows who they are, make sure you can defend them!
In season 1, SXII created a signature strategy to hide their rally leaders!
Don’t forget you can support an ally’s fortress with your own troops! It takes an operational slot to do so and you won’t score any points for your guild from it, but if it saves an entire rally from disbanding it could be an amazing help.
For Elysium!
The battle is almost here. Good luck captains!
Of course Alex and Emma will be back to recap all the action next week. Get out there and give them something to talk about!
Miss the last conquest? Check out the recap below!
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our GalaChain TestNet, a significant milestone in our journey towards becoming an open-source blockchain. This new public testing environment allows external developers to deploy, test and refine their chaincode without any real-world consequences.
With more freedom to experiment with chain code, developers will enjoy a GalaChain environment that helps them realize their full potential in the web3 world, whether or not they have blockchain development experience. We want to elevate the work of veteran blockchain developers while ensuring that the first-time experience for new devs from the traditional web2 world is a good one.
What is a TestNet?
For those unfamiliar with blockchain terminology, a TestNet is essentially a sandbox environment where developers can experiment with new features and applications. It operates just like the real blockchain (known as the MainNet) but uses test tokens instead of real cryptocurrency. This allows developers to test and debug their projects in a safe space, ensuring everything works perfectly before going live on the MainNet.
In a future blog from our web3 explainer series, we’ll delve more deeply into TestNets, exploring their importance and providing some examples of testnets in action in the web3 world.
Accessing the TestNet
Are you ready to start building using the GalaChain TestNet? Get started through Gala Creators, following the steps below:
Deployment Chaincode from Docker Containers: Developers can now deploy their chaincode from Docker containers to the TestNet environment, enabling seamless integration and testing of applications.
Comprehensive API Access: Users can call the REST API to interact with their chaincode, ensuring full functionality and integration with existing systems.
Redeployment Capabilities: If a deployment fails, users can redeploy their chaincode effortlessly by passing the chaincode name in the command line, streamlining the testing process.
Chaincode Approval and Verification: To ensure security and integrity, chaincode deployment requires approval from GalaChain support, including Docker Image Tag and public keys for both the developer and the chaincode admin.
Accessible Testing Environment: The TestNet environment is designed to be user-friendly, with step-by-step guides to assist developers through the deployment process.
This TestNet launch is a crucial step in preparing GalaChain for a broader influx of external developers. By providing a secure and isolated environment for testing, we are fostering an ecosystem of innovation, enabling developers to create and refine applications that will power the decentralized future.
Why This Matters
The launch of the TestNet is more than a technical milestone; it’s a demonstration of our commitment to building an open and collaborative blockchain ecosystem that goes beyond entertainment into multiple world industries. GalaChain will empower countless developers to experiment and innovate freely, laying the groundwork for the robust applications that will define the next era of decentralized technology.
Join the Revolution
As we continue to expand and refine GalaChain, we invite developers from around the world to join us in this exciting journey.
Whether you’re an experienced developer looking to explore the new possibilities that come with web3, an visionary with an idea ready to change the world when paired with the right technology or an entrepreneur sitting on the next big wave in tech business, we want you to build on GalaChain.
Your creativity and ingenuity are the keys to unlocking the full potential of blockchain technology. Together, we will shape the future of digital interactions to create a more inclusive and decentralized world.
We look forward to seeing the innovative projects that will emerge and thrive from the release of this TestNet. Thank you for being part of the Gala community and for your continued support.
