Sunday, November 28, 2021

Wealth and Roleplaying

    Remæus, the head of the RoleplayGateway staff, has created an economy that can fund content creators.  It runs on a proprietary cryptocurrency known as INK, which is backed by Bitcoin.  Users gain INK through completing Achievements, through tips on their forum posts, or through selling NFT's on the Marketplace.  For example, if J.R.R. Tolkein released his intellectual property onto RoleplayGateway, any user could make INK tips on his posts, or even purchase items such as The One Ring.  This economy allows full-fledged authors or dedicated roleplayers to make a living posting.

By the same token, artists can also be paid INK (and hence, Bitcoin) for their work.  NFT's have already been proven to have value in the art world, with raw digital paintings being sold for millions of dollars.  It is not unthinkable that an illustrator could likewise make a living enhancing the stories of roleplayers.

RoleplayGateway is on the ground floor of digital publishing.  Where once it may have seemed ludicrous to be paid for doing a hobby as pleasurable as roleplaying, an increasing market has emerged from the lurker culture that prefers to read rather than participate.  "Out of Character" forums allow non-participants to engage with and offer suggestions to content creators.  Initiatives such as partially-star's "Universe of the Month" showcases interesting new developments in the community.  Roleplays have become a commodity.

There are other developments in the commodification of RPGW.  The RPG Chat is tied to the forums, allowing for a cross-platform immersion in roleplays.  Universes may consist of multiple locations, and moving from location to location is handled by movement commands that would be familiar to anyone who has played a Multi-User Dimension (MUD).  A player can hail a vehicle and move their character all across the Multiverse.  There are even hints in the air of a graphical interpretation of the game space.  Where this all fits in the growing RPGW economy is a question for the future to answer.


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Wealth and Roleplaying

     Remæus, the head of the RoleplayGateway staff, has created an economy that can fund content creators.  It runs on a proprietary cryptoc...