BYOVERSE

LITEPAPER

v1

BYO

ECOSYSTEM

The BYO Ecosystem is a set of NFT collections that originated with BYOPills. From the 10,000 BYOPills, also known as Genesis Pills, holders were then able to mint Apostle characters and BYOCrafts, a collection of anti-gravity speeders. BYOStudios also launched the BYOLands collection, offering BYOPill holders the opportunity to mint NFT land parcels.

  • BYOPills

    BYOPills serve as consumables within the metaverse, offering holders power-ups, ability enhancements, and visual effects across various blockchain games and virtual worlds. This is part of a broader effort to promote digital ownership and interoperability. Through partnerships with games like Galaxy Fight Club and Legends of Venari, BYOPills are poised to extend their utility and scale alongside the growth of web3 gaming. Furthermore, BYOPills offer access to drops, such as the Apostle and BYOCraft free drops, and future product launches from BYOStudios.

  • Apostles

    Apostles: Genesis are fully rigged 3D characters that come in four tiers of increasing rarity: Voyager, Psychonaut, Ancient, and Goddess. These Apostles are not only playable in the BYOVerse and future BYOStudio game launches, but they also provide holders with exclusive playable characters in other games, such as Galaxy Fight Club and Worldside Webb, with more partnerships in the pipeline.

  • BYOCRAFTS

    BYOCrafts are 3D, game-ready vehicles designed for future use in the BYOVerse and the upcoming BYORacer, the first free-to-play, play-to-earn game launch from BYOStudios. The BYOCrafts come in five tiers of increasing rarity: Duster, Ryder, Spyder, Tytan, and Valkyrie. The tier of the craft awarded to a BYOPill holder was determined by the tier of the Apostle they owned, with the Duster tier being awarded to BYOPill holders who did not own an Apostle.

  • BYOLand

    BYOLand is a finite resource in the BYOVerse, with only 10,056 parcels to ever exist. Each BYOLand is uniquely abundant, featuring diverse terrains and resources originally created by a holder's BYOPill.

More details on the collections on https://www.byopills.com/

The VISION

We're excited about the unique, fun experiences web3 gaming can offer. It builds on decentralization, which has already given people financial control and a say in DeFi projects. Our next step is to integrate these governance systems directly into web3 games, making the concept more tangible. Simply put, we aim to turn governance and tokenomics into part of the game

GAME OVERVIEw

The BYOVerse is a fully dynamic, fully persistent cursed planet, where every action or event has irreversible consequences, where players must explore and survive in harsh evolving environments, exploiting resources, trading or fighting against/with other players, in a struggle for the survival of the world.

DESIGN PILLARS

PILLAR 1

DEEP EXPLORATION AND SURVIVAL MECHANICS

EXPLORE

.

ADAPT

.

PREPARE

.

SURVIVE

.

EXPLORE . ADAPT . PREPARE . SURVIVE .

Imagine a fusion of the Dune stillsuit and No Man’s Sky hazard mechanics, enhanced with biome-specific adaptation mechanics in unforgiving dynamic environments.

The world has suffered from major events from the past that have changed its very nature, infusing the 37 ingredients into the lands’ substance, merging them, and creating new biomes with diverse characteristics. Exploration in the BYOVerse isn't a casual stroll, it’s a thrilling challenge that demands environmental awareness and strategic planning.

  • Each territory/biome boasts its own unique characteristics and dangers.

  • Certain equipment aids players in analyzing their environment, assisting in making informed decisions when navigating a territory.

  • Pills and equipment help mitigate the dangerousness of the explored territory when used adequately.

PILLAR 2

STRIKING A BALANCE BETWEEN EXPLOITATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

COLLECT

.

TRADE

.

SUSTAIN

.

PROTECT

.

COLLECT . TRADE . SUSTAIN . PROTECT .

Picture Valheim’s dynamic wildlife and environments, but with their own resource consumption cycles, that can either flourish or falter. In a sci-fi setting. With unexpected, strange occurrences when things go awry.

In their struggle to survive and explore, the players can count on BYOlands as more reliable sources of materials than the wilderness. They will provide useful resources and ingredients, granted they are protected and sustained correctly. Moreover, land stability is impacted by player activities, and finding the right balance will constantly put the players on the edge between exploitation and sustainability.

  • Lands can be organized and developed to improve their productivity and defenses.

  • Deep interaction between environment components must be understood to collect efficiently.

  • If exploited excessively, lands become unstable and prone to large-scale detrimental events.

  • Players can collaborate to counter these events and restore stability to the lands/regions.

PILLAR 3

A WORLD WHERE STORY, CRAFTING, AND PILLS INTERTWINE

RESEARCH

.

EXPERIMENT

.

DISCOVER

.

SHARE

.

RESEARCH . EXPERIMENT . DISCOVER . SHARE .

One global story, to bind all players together. Crafting-supported wilderness and dungeon exploration, for loot, but also for knowledge. Knowledge that, once unlocked, irreversibly changes the shape of the BYOVerse.

BYOPills are the creation of Boris, they are both a blessing and a curse to the BYOVerse and to the Apostles. By exploring the world’s many ruins and progressing in their mastery of pill crafting, players will uncover the truth about past events that led the world to its current state.

  • Pills are mandatory to explore the wilderness of the BYOVerse.

  • Crafting pills requires a lot of ingredients and thus further exploration.

  • Recipes are not available by default, players have to experiment and uncover them.

  • Some unique artifacts and crafted items will unlock story bits from The Codex and advance the global story, a story shared by all players.

PILLAR 4

PLAYER-DRIVEN, PLAYER-GOVERNED ECONOMY, ECOLOGY AND WORLD SURVIVAL

TEAM UP

.

COMBAT

.

GOVERN

.

ASSUME CONSEQUENCES

.

TEAM UP . COMBAT . GOVERN . ASSUME CONSEQUENCES .

Imagine if Guild Wars 2 open-world dynamic events were triggered by player activity as a meaningful reaction of the environment. Territory control and improvement mechanics that actually matter, with irreversible consequences at small, medium and global scales.

The Apostles are Boris' envoys, but they must carve their own path to salvation. Be it through powerful warring guilds, peaceful trading, and of course governance, all must acknowledge that they are an integral part of the BYOVerse, where their actions - and inactions - have meaningful consequences.

  • Resources and ingredients produced in BYOLands form the backbone of the BYOVerse’s economy.

  • Players compete over them through PvPvE activities by establishing trade routes, convoys, and guild bases.

  • Major events will threaten player-built world infrastructures, requiring world-scale awareness and coordination empowered by the BYOCouncil governance mechanics.

THE BYOVERSE

A LIVING WORLD

The Pills. The Apostles. They are the consequence of Boris’ actions. Some say Boris’ sins, some say Boris’ deeds. In either case, they don’t know what exactly Boris did, but we know for sure that it ended up with the appearance of the Pills and the Apostles and that it created a disturbance in the BYOVerse. Now we are stuck in here, facing hazards, using pills to survive, and following the tracks left by Boris…

The BYOLands are the beating heart of the BYOVerse. They span a third of the BYOVerse's surface, with each of the 10,056 unique BYOLands producing one of the 37 distinct Ingredients. The remaining part of the world, a neutral zone, is home to towns and outposts, as well as the Wilderness, a place of intrigue and danger, filled with ruins and relics from the BYOVerse's past.

Biomes

Each BYOLand belongs to one of the 16 diverse biomes, each with its own environmental characteristics that can be either beneficial or challenging. For instance, the Desolated Dune biome, known for its high temperatures and low humidity, is a haven for creatures that thrive in such conditions.

Influence of Ingredients

The Ingredient of a BYOLand also impacts its biome. For example, a BYOLand that yields Radioactive Prasiolite often sees mutations in the creatures that inhabit it, necessitating extra caution from explorers daring to explore it.

Environment Balance

The lands are alive and react to how they are treated. Overexploitation can lead to significant environmental reactions, such as an increase in environmental hazards or a rise in the number and danger of the fauna. It's a delicate balance between exploration and preservation in this fascinating world.

The BYOVerse existed before the birth of the Apostles and the Pills, with iconic landmarks standing as silent witnesses: the Bell Tower, the BYOP Facility, and more. Yet, we hold only fragments of knowledge about these places, and there's a world of discovery awaiting in the wilderness of the BYOVerse.

IMPORTANT LOCATIONS

These major locales in the BYOVerse serve as social hubs, bustling with players who gather to converse, exchange information, trade goods, and contribute to the evolution of the BYOVerse.

The Bell Tower a beacon in the darkness both literally and figuratively, houses the BYOCouncil. Players eager to share new information about the BYOVerse make their way to the Library, the original home of the stolen Codex, to aid in its reconstruction.

The BYOP Facility is believed to be the birthplace of Boris' inventions, where he experimented with the 37 ingredients, crafting pill and apostle prototypes. Here, players can craft pills and other items, experiment, and uncover new recipes, following in Boris' footsteps.

The Coliseum though not as ancient as the BYOP Facility or the Bell Tower, stands as a rallying point for players keen to test new tactics and pill recipes in intense battles.

The Heat Circuit the inaugural race track for BYOCrafts, is a place where TRYP Tempests are known to occur regularly. This spectacle draws the attention of aspiring racers willing to risk their BYOCrafts for a chance at TRYP harvesting.

WORLD

MECHANICS

  • In the BYOVerse, the story isn't an isolated narrative for each player. Instead, it's a shared adventure represented by the main Global Story Quest ("GSQ"), which aims to recreate the Codex by following the clues Boris left in the BYOVerse. Players may stumble upon these clues while exploring neutral territories, particularly during Exploration Expeditions. The fortunate few might discover unique NFT artifacts: an odd device, a page of notes, an audio log, a unique recipe, and so on. Upon finding such a rare item, players can choose to bring them to the Bell Tower to share with the community, advancing the GSQ and potentially unlocking new hidden mechanics, or they can keep their secrets, hoping to reap personal benefits...

  • BYOEnergy is a variable that gauges environmental stability at various scales in the BYOVerse: small (BYOLands), medium (town/outpost), large (region), and global (the BYOVerse itself).

    BYOEnergy is primarily generated by the extraction of rawTRYP, and the amount can naturally fluctuate depending on the distance to the nearest town/outpost. Generated BYOEnergy is usually referred to as BYO instability since it acts as an imbalance, causing a natural reaction of the environment to correct it. This correction takes the shape of a mechanic that generates Anomalies based on the level of BYOEnergy. Although Anomalies can technically happen anywhere, the likeliness of their appearance increases with proximity to the Wilderness, and inversely, with distance to towns and outposts.

  • When BYOEnergy becomes too unstable, a power surge may occur in a BYOLand, causing destruction. This phenomenon, known as an Anomaly, can manifest in various ways, such as a tempest that destroys facilities and crops, or the emergence of creatures that ravage the land. If left unchecked, the Anomaly will intensify, impacting the land's production until it halts completely and the surge spreads to nearby lands. Players must invest efforts to control the surge and end the Anomaly.

    Depending on the BYOEnergy level, Anomalies can happen at various scales, up to a point where Major Anomalies will inevitably threaten the survival of the BYOVerse itself.

  • The Genesis of the Apostles. The Awakening. There seems to be a grand design behind it all. Did Boris orchestrate everything? What role did he envision for the Apostles? What threat awakened the Ancients? What exactly are the Goddesses? So many questions, so few answers. One thing is certain: something is coming, and we must prepare.

    The BYOVerse operates in cycles tied to players' activities through BYOEnergy, Anomalies, the Main Story Quest, and more. Each cycle concludes when the major threats facing the BYOVerse finally overcome it, triggering a world reset and the start of a new cycle.

    In essence, the BYOVerse is a roguelite game on a massive multiplayer scale. It's a roguelite ecosystem where the player community must learn from past mistakes, improve their understanding of the world, and enhance their cooperation to create a sustainable environment where threats are tightly controlled and the balance between TRYP and BYOEnergy is maintained.

    Furthermore, better management in each cycle increases the overall wealth of the ecosystem, generating more TRYP to harvest.

HOW ANOMALIES WORK

THE ECONOMY

The economy of the BYOVerse revolves around three main pillars: 

TRYP BYOPILLS INGREDIENTS

These pillars are the keys to all activities players might be engaged in.

TRYP

THE ECONOMY

TRYP, also known as Tryptamine, is the crown jewel of the BYOVerse. Its capabilities are as expansive as the enigmas surrounding it. Where did it originate? Has it always been present? Does it have ties to Boris the Cook?

Raw TRYP is the form of TRYP extracted from the BYOLands (and other sources such as neurossimilation). It's an in-game token that primarily serves as the main currency of the BYOVerse. It's primarily obtained as a byproduct of gathering ingredients in BYOLands, from the minds of pill-dosed Apostles through a process known as neurossimilation, and by participating in a few other game activities.

RawTRYP can be utilized for various purposes in the BYOVerse, or processed in TRYP refineries at a predetermined fixed conversion rate, to produce TRYP, the ERC-20 token of the BYOVerse. While TRYP can be used as a medium of exchange for the most valuable items in the BYOVerse, it also plays a significant role in its governance, as the BYOCouncil needs to spend it as part of its various responsibilities.

More details will be released within the BYOVerse Economic Paper.

BYOPILLS

THE ECONOMY

The Pills. Some whisper they are the seeds Boris sowed for the BYOVerse to flourish, and for us to harvest the fruits. Those who possess Genesis pills can utilize their ingredients at will. That is, if they can procure those ingredients.

The Genesis pills are the 10,000 BYOPills crafted by Boris the Cook, and they are also represented by the BYOPills NFTs in the BYO ecosystem. They are pivotal items in the BYOVerse: each original BYOPill signifies a connection to a single unique ingredient. Furthermore, most consumable pills (and other craftable items) will require more than one ingredient to be crafted. Crafting such items necessitates a connection to a Genesis Pill of each ingredient. Pill holders will always have the connection to their pill when crafting, while non-holders will have to pay a minor fee to the holder of a pill whose ingredient they are using.

For instance, if a consumable pill X requires ingredient A and ingredient B, a player crafting that pill will pay a fee to an ingredient A pill holder and an ingredient B pill holder each time they craft it.

This connection is automated but still requires pill holders to be online, thus encouraging them to actively participate in the economy. In a sense, pill holders are the guardians of their pills' ingredients. Without them, those ingredients cannot be used.

Moreover, Genesis Pills grant a long-cooldown teleportation ability allowing their holder to return to the associated BYOLand.

On the flip side, crafted pills are essential for survival in the BYOVerse. They function as consumables used to enhance player abilities or to shield them against the threats they may encounter in the various biomes of the BYOVerse, from fauna to environmental hazards, and even other players.

Genesis Pills will also have a long-cooldown consumable effect.

INGREDIENTS

THE ECONOMY

In the BYOVerse, you can gather two types of materials: resources and ingredients.

Resources are tied to the biome (think ore veins in mountains, rare flowers in jungles, and so on) and can be found on both neutral and player-owned lands. They are the bread and butter for all basic crafting activities.

Ingredients, on the other hand, are linked to the BYOPill used to mint a BYOLand, and are generally only available in player-owned lands (and more rarely in neutral lands deep into the Wilderness). Most ingredients can be used as a catalyst with resources to create advanced materials, components, or items with specific environmental capacities related to their color.

Each type of ingredient has its own unique effects and/or uses. The main types of ingredients, excluding smiley and animal part ingredients, are:

  • Minerals, used to construct buildings, weapons, tools, and so on.

  • Liquids, used as fuels, chemical solutions, and so forth.

  • Plants, used for woodwork, weaving, infusing, and more.

  • Power-ups, used to enhance certain capacities.

In the BYOVerse, each of these uses has an added effect that depends on the ingredient’s color:

Yellow/Orange => Drought

Red => Heat

Green => Humidity

Purple => Psywave

Pink => Dust

Blue => Cold

We believe that this blend of ingredient type and environmental effects will create a captivating systemic experience that encourages players to explore and optimize their equipment and play style.

The most advanced recipes have to be unlocked by experimenting in the BYOP Facility and/or by exploring ruins deep into the Wilderness.

CORE ECONOMIC LOOP

THE ECONOMY

By creating a web of interdependency between resource collecting, crafting, and consumption, we hope to maintain a lively economy.

Land Management

BYOLand owners are the caretakers of their lands, seeking the best spots to gather resources and ingredients, and understanding the natural cycles that can either favor or threaten them.

To boost their land's resource production, landowners have several options:

  • Constructing suitable facilities

  • Activating a Genesis pill to spark a temporary surge of the land's activity (though this creates additional BYOEnergy disturbance)

  • Hiring other players to help clear their land of threats that impair production or to assist in gathering activities

Moreover, to prevent price speculation on unused lands, landowners must protect their land against TRYP poisoning. If ingredients aren't regularly harvested, the accumulated rawTRYP in the land can poison it, gradually reducing its ability to produce ingredients in the future, until the land becomes barren. However, this situation can be reversed by healing the land, which will require time and effort.

Gathering

Ingredients and resources, depending on their nature, are available through different gathering mechanics such as harvesting, mining, logging, and so on. Each gathering mechanic presents a unique challenge rather than just a simple button press. Furthermore, the production of resources follows a natural cycle, requiring players to integrate themselves sustainably.

Towns, outposts and road network

Buying, selling, and transporting hard-earned resources to/from the market is an important part of the gameplay in the BYOVerse. To facilitate this, players are encouraged to participate in various activities based on their play style: road construction and maintenance, protection against threats, convoys, and more. These activities will be rewarded based on supply and demand, granting local reputation and other rewards. Of course, BYOCrafts play a crucial role in players' ability to navigate the BYOVerse.

Crafting

In the BYOVerse, most consumable items, intermediate materials (BYOMats), and gear items (BYOGear) are crafted by the players themselves. These items are then exchanged in the bustling markets of towns and outposts. Since logistics can be a bit of a pickle, and resource availability is tied to biomes, players must organize expeditions to acquire resources and ingredients from far-off locations.

Resources are the backbone of the crafting system, opening the door to a multitude of basic crafts. The most common biomes have their own unique crafting recipes based on locally available resources. However, advanced crafting is a bit more adventurous and requires the combination of resources and ingredients that aren't available just anywhere.

Basic crafting can be done anywhere, while advanced crafting recipes require access to crafting stations only present in towns or outposts. Moreover, players who own BYOLands can dedicate a portion of their land to build their own crafting stations. The most advanced crafting activities, however, can only be performed in the BYOP Facility, whose availability and location are as variable as the wind.

Consuming

Crafted pills serve a dual purpose: they can be used to boost a character’s proficiency in an aspect of the game, and also to shield it against the dangerous environment of the BYOVerse.

When exploring the BYOVerse, players must prepare adequately by bringing the right gear and the right type and amount of consumables. Each biome encountered in the BYOVerse presents its own unique challenges to the players:

  • Different creatures to fight using the right tactics and boosts

  • Different hazards to endure using the right protective gear and/or consumables

While most common lands are relatively safe to travel, the rarest lands are extremely dangerous and require heavy preparation. Using the right combination of consumables is essential to survive their harsh environment and/or monsters.

GOVERNANCE

Reputation Soul Bound Tokens

Reputation Soul Bound Tokens (RSBTs) are like shiny badges of honor in the BYOVerse, reflecting a community member's dedication to making the BYOVerse a livelier and more engaging place. They can be obtained through:

  • Staking or donating refinedTRYP

  • Purchases made directly from BYOStudios' sales (cosmetics, tournament entry fees, etc.)

  • Participation in in-game activities

  • Other activities (TBD)

RSBTs grant two main advantages: voting power in the BYOCouncil Committees, and TRYP rewards from the Reputation Rewards Pool.

BYOCouncil

Governance is handled by the BYOCouncil. We believe that governance should not be accessible through TRYP holding/staking only, because players with low/no financial power would struggle to access governance. Therefore, governance rights are assigned through the ownership of Reputation Soul Bound Tokens, rewarding dedicated players and investors in as fair a way as possible.

To represent this variety of access to governance, the BYOCouncil is divided in gamified sections called BYOCommittees with different responsibilities, including decision making regarding the use of TRYP in the Treasury:

  • BYO Defense Force handles open-world PvE, including infrastructure such as roads, towns and outposts, but also open-world PvE Anomalies (such as Monster Tides)

  • BYO Arbitrator handles all things PvP, from Warzones to Tournaments to bounty hunting

  • BYO Scientific Bureau is responsible for the management of crafting activities but also instanced PvE Anomalies called Dungeons, where rare NFTs can be discovered

  • BYO Treasury is in charge of collecting TRYP from the various in-game flows and deciding on its allocation towards other committees, but also towards Reputation Rewards and BYOLands regeneration

Each committee has to deal with limited resources, and will inevitably face difficult choices as the threats to the BYOVerse will arise.

The voting power will follow the quadratic voting system, and will also be weighted towards the different BYOCommittees by the origin of the earned RSBTs

  • RSBTs earned in open-world PvE grant more voting power in the BYODefense Force

  • RSBTs earned during PvP activities grant more voting power in the BYO Arbitrator

  • RSBTs earned in instanced PvE and crafting grant more voting power in the BYO Scientific Bureau

  • RSBTs earned by staking/donating grant more voting power in the TRYP Treasury

Please remember to take all of the above with a grain of salt. More details will be released within the BYOVerse Economic Paper.

PLAYER

EXPERIENCE

We want to provide multiple layers of gameplay for the players to engage in, to satisfy many types of experiences that complement each other.

  • Explorers will roam through the BYOLands and the Wilderness, on a quest for rare resources or hidden secrets

  • Socializers will exchange whispers about new recipes, trade tales of rare story-related NFTs, and brand together to defend the BYOVerse against looming BYOThreats

  • Achievers will strive to conquer every branch of the Skill Tree and delve into every gameplay layer available

  • Killers will cross swords in PvP activities, battling each other for glory, reputation, and enticing rewards

  • Landowners will nurture their lands, construct facilities, gather resources, and stand guard against any threats

This breakdown draws inspiration from the Bartle taxonomy, a model that, even after twenty years, remains a guiding star. However, the player landscape has evolved, sprouting more subtypes, and we believe that web3 games have redrawn the map, expanding the realm of possibilities. We're doing our utmost to ensure that most of these player types find a home in the BYOVerse.

LET’S DIVE DEEPER INTO PLAYER EXPERIENCE

CHARACTER

PROGRESSION

AND CLASSES

Skill Tree

As players journey through the BYOVerse, they accumulate experience points in various fields of expertise, each tied to the actions they perform. For instance, harvesting resources yields harvesting experience, and so forth. As players level up in a particular field, they automatically unlock passive skills related to that domain and gain the option to purchase more potent, primary skills using in-game currency. Once purchased, these primary skills can be activated in the skill tree using Skill Points, bestowing their benefits upon the player.

The skill tree has many branches, each specialized in a specific domain of expertise, such as Harvesting, Mining, Hunting, Exploring, Crafting, Weapon Mastery, Driving, Survival, and more.

While any character may max out each and every branch in the Skill Tree, unlocking passive skills and purchasing primary skills, the number of active primary skills a character can have is limited by their Skill Points Pool. Apostle characters have a largerpool than standard characters. This limit can be increased by spending TRYP to raise the pool’s size.

  • Goddess: 100 skill points

  • Ancient: 80 skill points

  • Psychonaut: 60 skill points

  • Voyagers: 50 skill points

  • Standard: 30 skill points

This limitation doesn't mean that players with Apostle characters will outshine standard characters outright. Instead, they'll have more versatility, able to specialize in more branches of the Skill Tree (horizontal progression). Furthermore, all characters will have the option to "respec" by spending TRYP to reclaim their Skill Points, allowing them to adapt and evolve their skill sets as they see fit.

Class Archetypes

There won’t be a class system in the BYOVerse, but there will be class archetypes that players can mold their characters towards. This can be achieved by:

  • Selecting specific skills from the Skill Tree

  • Equipping gear with particular traits or abilities

  • Crafting and consuming suitable pills

The NFT characters currently available don't strictly adhere to specific classes, as most skill trees are open to all characters. However, there are a few exceptions. Goddesses and Ancients have unique access to certain areas, while Psychonauts and Voyagers find certain skill trees more accessible.

APOSTLES

The Apostles are genetically and technologically engineered cyborgs created by Boris the Cook.The purpose behind their creation remains shrouded in mystery, with only fragments of information revealed to the Apostles themselves.

We believe that simply offering gameplay advantages proportional to the cost of NFT characters would create an unfair playing field for those using less expensive or free characters. Thus, we aim to incorporate NFT characters through horizontal progression, offering complementary gameplay layers, rather than vertical progression.

Godesses

Goddesses are incredibly powerful beings. They seem to radiate pure energy - or is it TRYP? - through glowing cables woven into their bodies. Their ability to manipulate TRYP appears boundless

It is unclear whether the gods referred to by some tribes of the BYOVerse are the same as Goddess Apostles. Nevertheless, many legends surround the abilities of Goddesses, speaking about the blessings they bestow, the power they receive from their believers’ prayers, or more dangerous abilities like energy emissions or tenfold size increase…

Goddesses are extremely rare characters with their own dedicated gameplay layer in the BYOVerse.We aim to offer players who have invested in a Goddess a unique player experience that is impactful yet interconnected with the experiences of other players. Here are the currently planned mechanics:

  • Blessings/Curses: When a Goddess character is online, its power radiates around it, providing a significant boost or debuff to nearby allies or enemies

  • Defending: As Goddesses are massive beacons of TRYP, their presence inevitably draws attention, ultimately manifesting as events such as waves of monsters attacking the Goddess.

  • Praying: To summon a Goddess and allow her to unleash her powers, other characters can create altars in her name and spend resources on them.

  • Sharding: A Goddess can divide herself into shards, creating several NFT characters that are weaker versions of her. Sharding a Goddess allows multiple players to play as a Goddess with reduced risks and rewards.

Ancients

The Ancients, the inaugural Apostles crafted by Boris, have been the subject of much debate and speculation in various myths and legends. Some tales depict them as world protectors, slumbering until the arrival of imminent dangers.

Others suggest they are the shepherds of ethereal creatures visible only to them, while a few believe they serve long-departed gods anticipated to return. Of course, it's impossible to confirm any of these theories, but further exploration of ancient ruins could provide some clues...…

Ancients share a unique bond with Goddesses. Besides being more robust characters than Psychonauts or Voyagers, they possess the ability to interact with Goddesses in several ways. Here are the currently planned features, with more to be revealed in the future:

  • Guardians: Ancients can access combat skills that allow them to shield nearby allies, particularly Goddesses, from enemy attacks (using abilities like shields, taunts, etc.).

  • Altar: Ancients have the ability to construct altars where they and other players can expend resources to summon or strengthen a Goddess.

  • Memories: Ancients can collect memories from artifacts discovered in ruins within the Wilderness, unlocking new recipes or abilities in the process.

Psychonauts, along with Voyagers, make up the majority of the Genesis Apostles. Their role in the BYOVerse seems to be a mystery, even to themselves. However, their proficiency in mental skills opens up intriguing possibilities with the tribes of the BYOVerse and/or the fauna.

Psychonauts are masters of mental powers and have much easier access to skills related to mental manipulation, including psychic-enhancing pills.

While they may be slightly more fragile than Voyagers, they compensate for this with their BYOPill Injectors - visible on their backpacks - which combine BYOPills to enhance their physical, psychic, or psychokinetic abilities.

Psychonauts

Voyagers

Voyagers, along with Psychonauts, form the main body of the Genesis Apostles. They are experts in the physical world, possessing an innate ability to connect with their environment in numerous ways. This makes them highly efficient in activities related to movement, exploration, resource spotting, espionage, and more.

Voyagers have much easier access to skills related to movement and physical manipulation, such as speed buffs or debuffs, exploration and spotting, teleportation, and more. Their resilience is average, providing a balanced experience for those who choose to navigate the BYOVerse as a Voyager.

SURVIVAL MECHANICS

BODY CONSUMPTION

Survival in the BYOVerse requires players to meet their characters' basic needs such as food, water, and oxygen. By fulfilling these essential survival objectives, the character's body can produce enough energy. This energy is then consumed to maintain body temperature, regenerate health, and generally navigate various gameplay loops.

However, the diverse biomes of the BYOVerse can disrupt this process, impairing its efficiency and threatening players' performance.

BYOSuit

A survival suit is a player's trusty companion, shielding the character's body against the various environmental hazards found in the many biomes of the BYOVerse. The survival suit, powered by the body's energy consumption loop, can be equipped with suit components such as a Head Apparatus, Filter, HUD, etc., each consuming a different amount of suit power slots. By default, the body can power a fixed amount of suit power slots in addition to supporting its vital functions. However, this amount is only applicable in "safe" conditions, which are rare in the BYOVerse. Most of the time, the body's energy demand will increase with environmental hazards, risking overloading the body's power supply if too many power-demanding components are used. Therefore, players will face challenging decisions depending on their play style and objectives: whether to go light or heavy on gear, rely heavily on BYOPills to boost their abilities, use specialized gear or versatile gear, etc. The current directions for suit components design include:

  • Suit boosting components to improve the suit's ability to mitigate environmental effects

  • Scanning components to enhance the player's ability to identify objectives or potential threats.

  • Converter components to benefit from environmental effects, using them as power sources.

  • Combat components to improve the player's combat efficiency.

  • And more…

With sufficient experience, players will have the capability to craft new suit components using BYOMats, which are made with specific ingredients. These components can then be equipped with various effects that are responsive to environmental hazards, enhancing the adaptability of your survival suit. Each Apostle character begins their journey in the BYOVerse with a full set of suit components. These components, each with their own unique capabilities, may or may not work together efficiently. On the other hand, F2P characters start their adventure with a basic suit. Its components are more uniform, but overall, they might not be as effective when evaluated individually.

Image courtesy of @0xSeba.

Image courtesy of @0xSeba.

Image courtesy of @0xSeba.

Image courtesy of @0xSeba.

Image courtesy of @0xSeba.

Image courtesy of @0xSeba.

Image courtesy of @0xSeba.

Image courtesy of @0xSeba.

Pill Consumption

and Habituation

The consumption of pills offers characters temporary advantages, while also permanently enhancing their affinity for the pill's ingredients. However, pill consumption isn't without its own set of challenges. Each pill consumed increases the character’s TRYP intoxication level, eventually necessitating a period of rest and neurossimilation to extract the rawTRYP from the character’s brain.

Certain branches of the Skill Tree are dedicated to ingredients, enabling players who reach specific affinity milestones to unlock skills that optimize the benefits derived from ingredients. This could involve reducing the intoxication level or amplifying the pill's effect. Consequently, the most committed players will, over time, cultivate an enhanced ability to assimilate multiple ingredients simultaneously, leading to more potent combined effects.

PvP/PvE

We understand that in the vast cosmos of the BYOVerse, there's a place for both the thrill of Player versus Player (PvP) engagements and the allure of Player versus Environment (PvE) adventures. Striking the right balance between these two gameplay styles is a delicate dance, and we aim to create an environment where both can thrive in a complementary fashion, rather than existing as opposing forces.

PLAYER VS ENVIRONMENT

  • The BYOVerse offers many opportunities for PvE enthusiasts. Activities centered around the core economic loop form the heart of open-world PvE. Yet, for those with a taste for the unknown, the Wilderness awaits. These unclaimed territories, far removed from the hustle and bustle of towns and outposts, offer a different kind of challenge. Here, Anomalies are more frequent, posing both a risk and a reward. They may lead to the emergence of valuable resource spots or even trigger Expeditions.

    More information can be found on https://www.byodocs.com/docs/exploring-the-byoverse

  • BYOThreats are Anomalies that threaten large areas and thus have a high potential of hindrance to the core economic loop of the game. They can manifest in various forms, from TRYP Tempests to Monster Tides, and more. To combat these extraordinary phenomena, the BYOCouncil can rally players by initiating global quests. These quests reward those brave enough to step up and tackle the BYOThreats head-on.

  • Expeditions are instanced dungeons that groups of players can stumble upon. Expeditions appear as the consequence of Anomalies in the Wilderness and must be discovered by players on their own. They don’t stay forever though, and the most determined players will organize raiding parties to explore them and reap the potential rewards before the Expedition disappears.

PLAYER VS PLAYER

  • In the vast open world of the BYOVerse, beyond the safety of towns and outposts, player versus player (PvP) interactions are governed by a unique corruption mechanic*. This system is designed to encourage PvP engagement while also deterring ganking attacks on non-flagged players. Drawing inspiration from games like Lineage 2 or Ashes of Creation, a player who initiates combat against a non-flagged player will become corrupted and face various penalties.

    Adding a distinctive twist to this corruption mechanic, a corrupted player absorbs a portion of the rawTRYP present in their victim's brain. This increases their TRYP intoxication, making them a prime target for other players and nearby hostile NPCs.

    To further stimulate PvP activities, we plan to introduce three main PvP events: Warzones, Guild Wars, and Tournaments.

    *This idea was proposed by our valued community member Jokka.

  • Warzones are temporary, large-scale anomalies that occur in specific areas where TRYP has distorted reality, thrusting people into frenzied, lethal confrontations. In these zones, PvP is mandatory.

  • Guilds have the option to declare war on each other, which results in guild members being automatically flagged for combat against each other until the war concludes.

  • Regular tournaments will take place in The Coliseum, providing seasoned players with an opportunity to refine their skills in deadly competitions.

GUILDS

Players will have the opportunity to form guilds with their friends for mutual support and camaraderie. BYOLands will play a pivotal role in this aspect of the player experience. To establish a guild and unlock the ability to construct guild-specific facilities, a group of players will need to own a certain number of adjacent lands.

Being part of a guild comes with several benefits, including:

  • Access to guild-specific facilities such as guild halls and resource production boosters.

  • Territory control features, such as automatic PvP flagging for non-guild members.

However, to prevent the formation of economy-disrupting monopolies, we plan to introduce balancing mechanics. These will frequently generate hostile events targeting the territories of the most dominant guilds, ensuring a fair and balanced gameplay experience.

In the event of a character's death, all the rawTRYP stored in their brain, as well as any items in their inventory (excluding equipped gear/items), will remain with the corpse. Players can utilize BYOSafes to secure their most valuable items. These safes will also stay near the corpse but can only be accessed with the corresponding key.

Respawning at a nearby town or outpost will incur a TRYP cost, which is offset by the amount of rawTRYP stored in the character’s brain (this encourages pill consumption). The remaining rawTRYP can be retrieved by the player (through corpse running), but it will also attract nearby creatures that feed on rawTRYP.

Players have the option to set up camp in the wilderness, using their camp as a free respawn beacon, which can also be shared with other players.

DEATH MECHANIC