Shattered Legion: “Web2.5” Opens Up a Wider Development Space
Shattered Legion is a Strategy and Logistics game (SLG) that embodies the Web3 ideology and retains all the defining features of a GameFi game while introducing unique selling points. The game is deployed on high-performance centralized servers, leveraging decentralized blockchain technology for hosting assets for players. This design approach promises optimal gaming experience and guaranteed asset security for every player while saving them significant fees for gaming operations. However, deeper considerations are required for such a “combined” game design.
Recent advancements in Web2.5 align with Shattered Legion’s game design. This article examines the game from a Web2.5 perspective to shed light on the gaming concept. There is always a gap between the ideal and reality, which is pronounced in the crypto industry’s quest for Web3. While many claim to have achieved Web3, the reality is not yielding the projected results. For instance, the Web3 infrastructure is underutilized, with Ethereum, Solana, and Avalanche’s Layer1 network and Polygon, Arbitrum, and Optimism’s layer2 network yet to be proven in practice. The blockchain systems’ inadequacy results in many problems, making it irresponsible to label something as Web3.
A compromise approach that links Web3 assets with a Web2 user-friendly front-end application is essential. Utilizing centralized exchanges and hosted wallets to bridge the infrastructure-asset gap brings Web2.5, a vital stepping stone and a necessary stage for the industry’s further development. This article looks at how Web2.5 can benefit GameFi and, by extension, the gaming industry.
Web3 gaming is a progressive ideology that guarantees every player the right to their assets. It has paved the way for gamers to identify new revenue streams within the sector. GameFi brings value to gaming, and many believe it is the future game development trend. However, fully Web3ized GameFi sectors underperform and have a life cycle of only 2–3 months.
The problem lies in early GameFi’s focus on the attribute of “Fi,” which undermines the essence of “Game.” It is challenging to balance the two attributes, posing a challenge for development teams. The early GameFi sector raises the question of whether it benefits investors or actual players. Research shows that traditional players prefer games with higher playability, and the introduction of Web3 elements is welcomed if the game remains fun. Currently, limited Web2 game users play the GameFi sector, and it lacks quality products. Complex game logic on the blockchain, high gaming costs, and low gaming efficiency pose challenges, limiting playability.
Deploying games on high-performance centralized servers in the form of Web2.5 while using blockchain technology to host assets for players better balances the “Fi” and “Game” attributes. A combination of these strategies leads to progress, a new form for GameFi. Shattered Legion’s game mechanics, including strategy-based city development, battles, alliance-making, scientific research, and military training, are robust and multi-layered. Players build cities and acquire resources through strategy-based city development, upgrade buildings, and improve their combat power to fight off wild monsters and other players.
The Shattered Legion gaming model is a unique fusion of traditional SLG games and Web2 gaming characteristics. This approach creates a relatively low entry threshold for traditional game players to join the game. Shattered Legion holds considerable competitive and development advantages over its industry counterparts. Thus, by deploying a Web2.5 approach, Shattered Legion opens up a wider development space, paving the way for traditional SLG games and GameFi to co-exist within one game.
