The Council of Nine and Distributed Governance
The power of the blockchain is immediately evident in economic gameplay elements: true digital ownership is a powerful tool, and the primary way blockchain-enabled games differentiate themselves from others.
But, of course, that’s not all the blockchain can do.
One of its lesser-sung uses is as a political tool: using it to ensure votes are submitted and tabulated in a completely fair, transparent, and tamper-free manner. We think this form of “distributed governance” has not only real-world implications and uses, but uses in the world of games, as well.
In the world of Cryptic Conjure, the fictional Iridium Corporation has a strangehold on politics and economics; it’s sort of a “magical cyberpunk” scenario. While it has a president, most day-to-day operations are handled by the Council of Nine, a group of nine individuals that vote weekly on a variety of issues that directly affect the playerbase.
While Vice President Lemma of the Iridium Corporation holds the ninth seat on the Council, the other eight spots will be held by players. Four of these seats (colloquially known as “The Commons”) will be held by democratically elected players in elections held every month. Players can be nominated, campaign, make promises, and eventually rise to the Council for a limited time. If they break their promises? Vote them out.
The other four (colloquially known as “The Regals”) will be permanent spots on the Council, offered in our pre-sale as the most valuable items for purchase. These spots will also come with a custom-created avatar (you’ll get to help design it!) that will appear both in-game and in a variety of promotional art.
What does the Council vote on, and how does it affect players? Well, of the eight elemental dungeons of Kyra, two of them will be closed off on any given week; the Council votes to decide which. This has significant implications: if your clan is notably proficient at destroying a particular boss in the Ravine Deep in record time, you normally earn extremely valuable artifacts and other rare items as a reward. But if the Ravine Deep is closed…well, you’re out of luck. Certain items will have their drop rates boosted, others will have their drop rates decreased, certain shops in town may be forced to drastically raise their prices…all controlled by the Council and its whims. What do players do to try and convince a member of the Council to vote in their favor? Promises, favors…even cold, hard bribes? This is politics, after all.
All council members also see some significant perks. While in office, Council Members will have an “of the Nine” suffix added to their name, for all players to see. They’ll gain access to a permanent artifact, allowing them to run a runic altar at all times, acting as a passive revenue stream. And finally, they’ll gain access to a locked-off area of the game, the Inner Fold, where votes are held and they interact directly with higher members of the Iridium Corporation.
Even though four seats can be permanently controlled, the Commons (and the tie-breaking vote of vice president Lemma) can still overrule them. While most players may never see a spot on the Council, their voices can still be heard through democracy. Just like in real life, your voice is your vote: make it count.
Be sure to sign up at www.crypticconjure.com for special items and more information about the game!
