User generated content (UGC) is not a niche anymore, with games like Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnite having a dominating presence among the young — the future generation of gamers. The issue with most of these platforms is that creators get the short end of the stick, having to hand over up to 75% of the revenue. This gives content creators little incentive to elevate their work into a high level of polish.
Fragnova is building the Creation Operating System that taps into the vast potential of UGC, while also providing the right tools to make the open metaverse a reality.
In order to unleash the power of content creators, we are developing the technology that will serve as a strong foundation for UGC, powered by the immutability, interoperability and decentralization provided by the Fragnova Network.
Some of the tools Fragnova will provide are a Game Creation System (an intuitive and low code multi-platform game engine, more about this in a future article), a living and decentralized marketplace and the topic of today’s article: Protos and Fragments, the platform’s innovative digital assets.
Proto-fragment — The building blocks
A Proto-fragment (aka Proto) is a digital asset that can be used to build a game or application. In game industry terminology it could be comparable to a “prefab”, “archetype” or “blueprint”.
Two or more Protos can be combined to generate a new Proto. When the Proto is ready to be released (as a game for example), that Proto generates a number of Fragments (copies of the game) which people can buy and use.
A Proto is a single asset that can be added (linked) to multiple projects at the same time, while the ownership of that entity remains unchanged.
When a Proto is added to a project and that project generates revenue, the owner of that Proto receives royalties. The same applies to every other Proto owner in that project.
Protos are the digital assets that populate the Creator Store in the Fragnova Marketplace. Content creators can upload their work in the store as Protos, and developers can find and add those creations to their projects through the store.
Fragment — The final product
A Fragment is a digital asset that can be used to enhance the user experience in a game or application, like an in-game item or user account. While an NFT and a Fragment are similar in their usage and concept, a Fragment has its own storage, metadata and digital life on its own.
Fragments are always generated by a Proto (or a combination of Protos), even when the creation process is started by another Fragment.
Take for example a card pack (Fragment A), a single card (Fragment B) and a card blueprint (Proto C). When a user opens a card pack, Fragment A will call a smart contract to request the creation of Fragment B from Proto C. The card blueprint stores the data to generate all cards, so Proto C will create (mint) Fragment B and any other card in that card pack.
And in this case Fragment A has the stored data to validate that request and also invalidate/burn itself after Fragment B is generated.
When you read the data from a Fragment you are actually reading the data directly from the Proto that generated that Fragment. However, this Fragment can also store additional data if needed, data that can complement or override the Proto’s data.
Fragments will generally be games or game items, from weapons to characters, cards and skins, which players can collect, sell and trade in the Metaverse Store.
Native and Detachable — Cross chain applications
Both Protos and Fragments are immutable and native to the Fragnova Network chain, being permanently stored there.
A trait common to both is that they can be detached from the Fragnova chain and transferred to another chain.
With this process, for example, a detached Fragment or Proto would be frozen in the Fragnova chain and a NFT that represents that asset will be minted in the desired chain. That NFT, which holds/represents the ownership of the asset, can then be traded or sold outside of the Fragnova Network.
A Proto can also generate and mint Fragments directly onto other chains, removing the need to detach those Fragments if the intention is to first sell them on another chain. In the future, games and applications running on the Fragnova Network will be able to read and utilize Fragments stored in other chains.
Living Assets — Dynamic metadata
The metadata is the core of a Fragment or Proto, it stores all the relevant data of how that asset behaves and looks, as well as any relationships with other assets.
One of the great benefits of Fragnova’s Protos and Fragments is that their metadata is dynamic, allowing useful changes to be made on-chain. Thanks to perpetual smart contracts, assets will live and evolve over time while keeping a change log that goes beyond simple transactions.
This brings paramount utility that is a must in any game: updating assets and logic to polish and improve the player’s experience and the game as a whole. Not only that, but instead of having to update each individual Fragment, developers can update the Proto that generated those assets and automatically update the data of related Fragments, allowing game (or platform) wide updates.
Building the future together
Protos and Fragments are meant to last a lifetime, and they will help solve the recurring issue of games closing down their servers and leaving players helpless. The borderless and interoperable nature of Fragnova’s assets, together with our peer-to-peer network, means games can stay online for as long as the community wants to and items can receive new life in different games.
We believe in the existence of one metaverse, the open, truly decentralized, ecosystem that is built by and for the community. Building the future in the right way is hard, so we invite creators and developers to join us and be part of the conversation!
About Fragnova
Fragnova is on a mission to revolutionize the gaming industry by promoting a more decentralized and creator-focused approach to game development, founded on User Generated Content (UGC). Via the Fragnova Network, creators and developers have a way to unleash their full potential and bring their creative visions to life. By building the new Creation Operating System, Fragnova empowers creators to not only create, but also preserve and licence their work.
At Fragnova, we believe in the power of creativity, and strive to make it accessible to everyone.
