SIP - Chrysalis Quest: Sandbox community platform

1. Project Introduction

Good day, SamFam!

This proposal has been in the works since BC2, and we were unaware that a space for reviewing similar proposals had been opened. We would greatly appreciate it if you could also evaluate our proposal, which stems from our studio’s specific needs and the solutions that have driven us to where we are today within the ecosystem.

At Ashara Studios, we’ve built a reputation as the second most engaging studio in The Sandbox, and it is with great excitement that we present Chrysalis Quest. This initiative was born from the challenges we’ve faced and overcome while managing our own community. Chrysalis Quest is designed to empower community creators by offering a dedicated platform to manage gamified events, seasons, and missions.

Chrysalis Quest offers a centralized space where creators can build dynamic, interactive experiences that connect players to their gaming worlds. Through customizable events and missions, creators can design experiences that reflect their vision and reward participation with SAND tokens and NFTs. By gamifying engagement, Chrysalis Quest aligns with initiatives like the Builder Challenge, adding value for both creators and players.

The platform acts as a bridge between creators and players, offering a unique experience where players can join multiple events, complete missions, and unlock special achievements. With leaderboard systems, community-driven challenges, and mission verification (manual or automated), Chrysalis Quest empowers creators to foster vibrant, interactive communities within The Sandbox.

  • What is it?:
    A community management platform designed specifically for content creators in The Sandbox. Its purpose is to boost community engagement through gamified events and mission seasons, aligning with initiatives like the Builder Challenge.

  • Key Features:

  • Value Proposition:
    The platform not only enhances interactions between creators and players but also simplifies mission and reward management. This strengthens The Sandbox community and promotes content creation and participation.

2. Problem and Solution

  • Current Problem:
    In The Sandbox, creators like Ashara Studios face challenges in managing and fostering ongoing engagement within their communities. There is currently no centralized platform for creating and managing personalized events, distributing rewards, and tracking participation.
  • Proposed Solution:
    The platform will provide tools for creators to configure mission seasons, manage rewards, and validate player participation. This creates a more dynamic and participatory community around The Sandbox games and experiences.

3. Background and Context

  • Project Context:
    Since 2022, Ashara Studios has been part of The Sandbox, creating experiences like Tower of Myths and Exorcist Reborn. With the platform’s growth, there is a pressing need for a system that promotes engagement and ensures consistent player participation.Ashara Studios developed its own mission platform, which helped us achieve the milestone of becoming the second most engaging studio during BC2. By displaying real-time information about rewards and analyzing the most popular missions among our players, we were able to make data-driven decisions to keep users engaged in our games. This platform will serve as the initial foundation for building Chrysalis Quest.
  • Identified Challenges:
    • Increasing traffic to existing The Sandbox experiences and improving user retention.
    • Providing creators with tools to showcase their experiences effectively.
    • Simplifying access to The Sandbox experiences and rewards.

4. Features

Features for Creators:

  • Create events and/or seasons.
  • Create/duplicate missions and assign them to a season or event.
  • Set reward criteria (SAND or NFTs).
  • Distribute rewards directly from the platform.
  • Access mission analytics to monitor player participation.
  • Approve or reject completed missions submitted by players.
  • Upload games to associate them with the creator’s profile.
  • Option to purchase advertising space on the Chrysalis Quest homepage.

Features for Players:

  • A centralized mission dashboard for all The Sandbox games.
  • Claim achievements by completing challenges on the platform.
  • Participate in missions to complete season passes.
  • Earn rewards for participating in events and view them in real-time leaderboards.

5. Benefits

  • Community Impact:
    The platform will encourage active player participation while enabling creators to increase the visibility and engagement of their games in The Sandbox.
  • Added Value Proposition:
    It facilitates the creation of community-driven dynamics and allows creators to reward players’ loyalty and commitment, enhancing The Sandbox ecosystem.

6. Monetization System

For Creators:

  1. Mission Packages: Creators will receive 20 free missions per month. Additional missions will be available through the following packages:
  • 50 missions for $5/month
  • 100 missions for $9/month
  • Unlimited missions for $20/month
  1. Experience Promotion: Creators can pay to promote their experiences in a dedicated “Promoted” section on the homepage.

  2. Reward Packages: Due to transaction service costs, creators will be limited to 20 free rewards per month. Additional reward packages will be available:

  • 50 rewards for $5/month
  • 100 rewards for $9/month
  • 300 rewards for $20/month

For Players:

  1. Season Pass: A $7/month season pass that allows players to claim rewards (SAND and NFTs) by completing missions on the platform. These rewards will come from partners and a percentage of the monthly revenue from creator service fees.

7. Budget and Milestones

The project is planned for development over 9 months, including implementation and market launch. A total budget of $85,000 USD is requested, covering all execution areas as well as server costs for 36 months.

  • SIP Acceptance. Unlocks 20% - $17,000 USD
  • Phase I: 3 months - Development of the platform core, including user and creator registration and basic event and mission creation. Unlocks 20% - $17,000 USD
  • Phase II: 2 months - Integration of reward systems (SAND and NFTs) and mission validation. Unlocks 20% - $17,000 USD
  • Phase III: 2 months - Implementation of advanced features such as achievements for players, season pass functionality, and The Sandbox API for automatic validation. Unlocks 20% - $17,000 USD
  • Phase IV: 2 months - Platform optimization based on user feedback and analytics systems. Unlocks 20% - $17,000 USD

8. Success Metrics

  • Key Metrics:
    • Engagement: Number of events created, active players, and missions completed.
    • Retention: Recurring players and new participants.
    • Financial Impact: Increased usage of the SAND token within the platform.

9. Team

  • Project Manager: Responsible for coordination and planning.
  • Blockchain Developer: Handles the integration of NFTs and the SAND token.
  • UX/UI Designer: Designs the interface and ensures a user-friendly experience.
  • Fullstack Developers: Responsible for implementing the platform’s logic and visuals.
  • Community Specialist: Develops engagement strategies to attract and retain users.

APPENDIX

X: https://x.com/AsharaStudios
Discord: Ashara Studios
Web: https://asharastudios.com

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@cryptodiplo @KCL @Oldwon @hishmad @sebga @moefat @DAO @Biversen

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@meowl @Airvey @mo_ezz14 @rocksymiguel

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@Cyril @Fawne @Geraldine @Juampi @theKuntaMC

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I think this is a great idea.

Have a few questions though:

  • Do we know what the roadmap is for the Sandbox API? I’m most worried about delays on development from their side that cascade into your work, or their unwillingness to open the API up for certain data points.
  • What is the idea behind making players pay at all? Seems like it would reduce player engagement dramatically which is the main thing we need as an ecosystem.
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Hello Andrea, great presentation, detailed and well written.

We currently have an active SIP (the stage before voting) for creating a UGC platform, similar to what you are proposing. However, I think your proposal would fit perfectly as a part of the UGC SIP!

I have a few questions, but for this post, I’d like to ask just one: are the images you attached from an established website/platform that we can visit?

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Thanks for bringing this up @DrMetaverso. Was thinking that this should have turned up in the UGC platform RFP.

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Hello Andrea,

I’m thrilled about the Chrysalis Quest proposal and the exciting potential it holds for enhancing community engagement within The Sandbox. Before diving into the finer details, I have a few key questions that would help us better understand the vision and execution behind this innovative project. Here’s what I’m curious about:

How will Chrysalis Quest measure and ensure an increase in user engagement and retention beyond what existing tools or platforms in The Sandbox currently offer?

What specific metrics will you use to evaluate this, and what benchmarks are set for success?

Given the proposed monetization system with mission and reward packages, how do you plan to balance profitability with accessibility for creators, especially smaller or less financially established ones?

How will you ensure that the platform remains attractive and viable for all sizes of creator communities?

Appreciate your time.

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It would be ideal for the community to have a centralized place to access all event information, rather than having each studio use different tools.

But as others have pointed out, I think this should be integrated into Sandbox or the upcoming UGC platform, rather than creating another separate platform.

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The idea is good, but there are some things that are on my mind.

  • Why is the system paid? Creators are already spending a lot to distribute prizes. Wouldn’t it be better to shift your monetization model to an ad-based system instead of a creator pay-based one? Based on the proposal I’m looking at, I don’t see the platform as a platform for UGC, but more for UGC that pays money. I think this is a problem for small creators.

  • Sandbox APIs won’t provide most of the data you’ll want. In this case, I think Sandbox should create a custom API ends for you. How do you plan to overcome this problem? Because it will take a certain amount of time for them to create an API tip that is customized for you and security-proof. Have you spoken to TSB about this? Maybe they will tell you that they cannot give you such an API end before 1 year.

  • I found it strange that the design and maintenance budget was higher than the Marketing budget. 4.2% of the total budget. That’s about 3500 dollars. But I see that you allocated almost 20.000 dollars for design and maintenance. How will you promote the platform with such a low budget?

  • Isn’t your programming cost too high considering that most API ends will come from the Sandbox? I understand the extra work you will do to the Platform, but 62.7% of the Budget seems high to me.

  • We can create things like prize pools through the system. One of the things I don’t see in the system and the budget is security. What kind of measures do you plan to take for security? After all, there will be money inside and this will attract attention.

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Hello, the concept is really very interesting.

This looks like what should be set up via the UGC platform and in the case where this is financed by the DAO this cannot be done in your own name.

The best solution would certainly be to be able to integrate this idea into the discussion regarding the upcoming UGC platform.

As mentioned above :

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Sadly, we do not have a dev roadmap from TSB yet.

One of their chief concerns with the public release of their dev timeline seems to be spoiling the marketing opportunities of press releases.

However, the clear value of a roadmap for informing the most suitable proposals from the DAO is obvious. So, we will not give up on trying to attain a roadmap.

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This is a great initiative and presentation @Ashara_Studios

Good work!

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Hello @cryptodiplo,

We don’t have a release date for the API yet, but we hope that the approval of the proposal will prioritize it, as automating the recognition of in-game missions is crucial.

The season pass is an alternative for earning more rewards within the platform. We’ve operated with season passes throughout the past year and found that they help players stay more engaged with the game. Our model allows users to pay for the pass once, and if they complete it, they receive the next pass entirely free. However, free-to-play players can still access the entire platform without any issues—the only difference is that those with a pass receive enhanced rewards.

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Hi @DrMetaverso.

The images come from our website, https://asharastudios.com/. Unfortunately, only the user-side views are available, as the administrative panel is exclusively accessible to Ashara members. The following video showcases the administrative functionalities in action.

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Hello @hishmad,

Thank you for these excellent questions.

Answering your first and second questions:
The metrics system measures which quests are most frequently completed by users. We use this information primarily for two purposes:

  1. To identify the best-performing quests based on their completion rates.
  2. To improve the design of our games by aligning them with the types of missions our players enjoy the most. This approach contributed to us securing second place in BC2.
    Currently, The Sandbox platform does not provide data on the most completed quests by users.

Regarding the monetization systems:
They are balanced according to our metrics. During the last two BCs, to position our experiences, we released a maximum of five quests per week per experience. This means that with the free plan, any user can position their experience as long as it resonates with players. The other packages are designed for studios that want to position multiple games simultaneously.

Answering the last question:
We aim to ensure that small studios have tools to position their experiences just as effectively as larger studios like ours. This enables them to generate earnings from participating in BC and AS events, encouraging them to position more experiences simultaneously. A small percentage of their earnings from these events can be reinvested in acquiring the packages. This system is designed to facilitate a progression from managing one experience to many. This is the same path that helped us—starting by focusing on making our first experience engaging before scaling up.

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Hello @meowl,

We completely agree that centralizing quests would make experiencing The Sandbox even more fun and engaging.

We’re open to the idea of integrating the platform within The Sandbox. However, during a BC, where dozens of creators launch events simultaneously, it might become somewhat chaotic to manage everything in one place. Additionally, Chrysalis Quest, as a platform, has its own monetization system, which we hope will make it self-sustainable. This could make full integration more challenging.

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Hello @Biversen,

Thank you for these wonderful questions.

  • As creators in the ecosystem, we’ve invested in building our own mission platform and marketing services. Our aim is to simplify and reduce these expenses for other creators. While an ad-based system could potentially generate some revenue, and we don’t rule out its implementation as an additional funding source, we’ve already tested similar marketing models within our Guild and found them challenging to execute effectively. The free rewards and missions package is balanced based on how we positioned ourselves as the second studio with the highest engagement on the platform. The other packages are designed for larger studios looking to position multiple experiences simultaneously. That said, we are fully open to adjusting these values to better suit the needs of creators. Ultimately, exploring various monetization systems is part of our commitment to building a platform that returns resources to the DAO, which we understand is a fundamental requirement for projects developed here.

  • From what we’ve learned through The Sandbox events, there is already an internal API to validate user missions. Our goal is to open these endpoints for use within the platform. Currently, we’ve implemented a manual review system that fulfills the platform’s objectives but adds extra work for creators. Over the past year, we’ve made numerous requests for API access in various forums, and we hope this proposal will expedite the process.

  • It’s important to note that The Sandbox API would only potentially provide mission completion confirmations. All other systems—database, backend, Web3 connections, frontend, DevOps, etc.—would need to be developed by us. These development costs are, in fact, adjusted to Latin American budgets, which are significantly more competitive compared to other economies.

  • Design costs include everything related to UI/UX and software architecture. Maintenance costs are calculated to sustain the platform long enough to achieve market fit, particularly in the Web3 space. Since we rely on Thirdweb—a constantly evolving platform—it requires a high level of maintenance. Lastly, marketing costs are relatively low because we anticipate that this proposal will be featured on The Sandbox’s main channels, allowing it to reach the majority of platform creators. Additionally, we have the list of all studios participating in the BC, so reaching out to them directly won’t require much effort at this stage of the project.

  • For the last scenario, we’ve considered two solutions. The first is a restrictive approach where creators must add their prize pool and NFTs before publicly launching an event with rewards. However, this could discourage new creators who might not have the required SAND for their prizes upfront. Alternatively, we propose implementing a credibility system, allowing users to vote to validate a creator, as well as introducing a verified creator system—similar to verified collections on OpenSea—that provides players with confidence when participating in events.

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Hello @sebga,

Thank you very much! What should we do to ensure this proposal is included in the discussion about the UGC platform?

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I suggest starting by inserting yourself in the conversation on the UGC thread, HERE.

Since the process for the UGC discussion going to vote is already underway (albeit paused temporarily), I think the best action for supporters of the initiative you’ve proposed here, @Grumysh, as an alternative to either of the two UGC proposals included the UGC SIP, would be to vote ABSTAIN on that SIP and to make it clear to the community why they’re doing so.

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