Gm!
The holidays are fast approaching.
But we still have some more WASD content for you all before they get here!
😉
That’s because today, in this pre-holiday special, Akina will be taking a look at Tarochi!
Tarochi is an exciting onchain RPG built by Paima Studios using Paima Engine.
Akina has spent the past few weeks playing the game. Below, he’ll tell you all about his experience doing so and why he’s excited for its next release.
As a small housekeeping note before getting into the piece, WASD will NOT release an article this Monday.
(I know - Devastating news.)
However, we won’t be fully AFK next week*.*
We’ll still be releasing a (very light) piece on Thursday and The Weekly on Friday before getting back to our normal schedule in the new year.
Happy pre-holidays!
Author: 0xAkina
Gm gamers!
It’s me, your nerd Akina, back with another deep dive.
Today, I’ll discuss Tarochi, an onchain RPG developed by Paima Studios, the same team building the Paima Engine.
Last month, Tarochi released their Season 0 public alpha on the XAI Testnet.
The playtest saw significant traction, with over 2500 players and 100K transactions in the ~3 weeks post-launch before the team took a snapshot of participants.
I was one of these players, and got to try out the game over the past few weeks.
Based on my experience, I can say Tarochi is my favorite Paima ecosystem game I’ve played to date.
Below, I’ll explain why this is the case by diving into its gameplay, UX, and catalysts for its upcoming Season 1 release.
Let’s get into it!
Gameplay
Overview:
Tarochi is a free-to-play onchain RPG.
The game shares some similarities with Pokemon, as you’ll embark on an adventure where you can complete quests, explore, battle, and capture monsters.
Battles are a highlight of Tarochi, as they consist of PVE fights between monsters that can get up to 3v3 in size.
These contests are turn-based, and you can chain up to two consecutive moves to use during each one.
The damage a monster deals during your turn will depend on the moves you select and their positioning in your arsenal.
Unlike other games in the genre, Tarochi does not have evolutions. Instead, monsters can level up and equip cards or shards (that will be tradable in the future).
Along with combat, monsters in Tarochi stand out, as they are represented by stateful NFTs.
Stateful NFTs are NFTs whose metadata changes based on every in-game action you take.
Early Impressions:
For the most part, I enjoy the core gameplay of Tarochi.
Battles are well-balanced and neither too easy nor difficult.
While I died in my first few attempts, I was able to adjust the positioning of my monsters to carry out more effective attacks.
Along with battles, I am also a fan of the game’s daily rewards and the achievements section where players can track their progress.
This is a clever way to incentivize players to remain motivated and engaged.
Although there was a lot I liked, I do have some gripes with the playtest.
For starters, I think the game struggled with pacing, as battles felt way too long.
This was my primary gameplay-related concern, given that these lengthy combat sessions can detract from the overall experience.
Furthermore, I feel NPC interactions in the game were rather standard.
Although the team seems to be focusing on mechanics and infrastructure, more engaging conversations would help create a richer lore for the game world.
User Experience
Now that we’ve unpacked Tarochi’s gameplay, let’s look at the different facets of its user experience.
Onboarding:
It’s very easy to onboard into Tarochi.
The game utilizes burner wallets, meaning you don’t need to bridge or connect your own to get started.
It also enables the game to be transaction-free, helping create a smoother experience for players.
Aesthetics:
Tarochi has a retro aesthetic that harkens back to classic gaming eras.
For the most part, it looks great, and I’m a fan of the pixel art design.
In an effort to create a nostalgic, immersive experience, Tarochi uses an old-school, 8-bit soundtrack.
Music is subjective, but I felt that this sound design was a bit outdated and repetitive, especially during play sessions that lasted more than 30 minutes.
Performance:
I encountered a few bugs while playing Tarochi.
However, the Paima team was responsive on Discord, so I expect these issues to be addressed before Season 1.
I also found that transaction confirmations could be lengthy at times, particularly when starting a new battle.
What’s Coming Up in Season 1
Tarochi Season 1 is set to launch “early next year” and will introduce several new features to the game.
Let’s go through them below.
PVP Battles:
A major Season 1 addition will be PVP battles.
In this new mode, players will be able to challenge players in close proximity to themselves, or by entering their in-game address.
I think this is a cool new feature, as it creates competition and a sense of spontaneity that should help make the game more fun.
Gold Currency:
Another new feature in Season 1 will be gold.
Based on available information, gold will be used to purchase in-game items and serve as a reward for PVP battles.
I’m excited to see this implemented, as it should heighten the intensity of battles by upping the stakes.
Final Thoughts
I generally don’t play single-player games.
Nonetheless, I had a lot of fun with Tarochi, and I’m hyped for Season 1.
Battles strike a good difficulty balance and should only improve following the integration of PVP and gold.
The game also benefits from being highly accessible due to being free-to-play and the use of burner wallets.
With all this said, Tarochi is still a work in progress.
My primary issues with the game have been its pacing (especially in battles), and the lack of immersive interactions and lore to help keep me captivated.
However, I have a lot of confidence in Paima’s team, and so I expect them to deliver.
All in all, you can be sure I’ll be on top of the leaderboard when PVP battles go live in Season 1.
I hope to see many fellow WASD fans up there with me!
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