Introduction to the full-chain game Words3: a word solitaire game developed based on MUD

Words3 is a full-chain game developed based on MUD. The game was first launched in November last year. However, after the first test of Words3, there was no public trial for a long time. It is rumored that the team is remaking the game based on MUD V2, which was still in the development process at that time.

From the link below, you can still browse the complete process of players filling in words when the last Words3 game event was held:

At present, Small Brain Games, the development team of the Words3 game, has officially announced that it will start a new round of testing activities on July 8. Therefore, we have also briefly organized the basic rules of the game based on Words3 official Wiki and other information. Readers who are interested in testing activities can also enter the official Discord to get detailed information about the testing:

01. Introduction to Words3

Words3 is an Optimism-based on-chain PvP crossword game (this test will be conducted on the test network), and the goal of players is to make money by filling in words. In the game, players use any letters on the grid to fill in words and score points. Each letter used by a player has a price that is constantly adjusted according to supply and demand.

At the end of the game, the player's income will depend on the following two parts: 1. The score the player gets; 2. Whether other players fill in new words based on your words;

02. Detailed Rules

The grid used for crosswords can be extended infinitely.

At the beginning of the game, there is only one initial word on the grid: infinite.

Anyone can place letters on the grid to form words

The player's new words must be formed based on words or letters already in the grid, and each word (including cross words) must be valid. The system will verify whether the word filled by the player exists in the dictionary according to the MercleProof. All letters can be used at any time during the game.

Each letter has a changing price

The price of each letter will be dynamically adjusted according to the supply and demand according to the VRGDA algorithm, and the price paid by each player is the sum of the prices of all the letters it places.

Players score points based on the words they fill in

Each letter in a valid word that a player fills in counts toward the player's score (even if the letters are part of an existing word), and each letter has a different point value.

Players get extra money if other players use their word

1/4 of the amount paid for buying letters per operation will be paid to the player whose word is used in the form of a "word reward". If a move uses more than one player's existing words, the 1/4 bonus is divided equally between them.

Players earn rewards based on the points they get

3/4 of the amount paid to buy letters per action goes to the game treasury. At the end of the game, the treasury distributes prize money as a percentage of each player's score. For example, if you have 20 out of 100 points, you get 20% of the stock.

Your Total Earnings = Your Word Rewards + Your Bonuses - Amount You Spend

In addition, players also need to take gas costs into account. During the game, the project party will not charge any additional fees. All funds entering the game are distributed to players via bonuses and word rewards (except for gas costs).

03. Game Strategy

Low price to get high score

In this game, the number of points is not as important as the purchase price of each letter. Think about it: even if you get 50% of the points, you still lose money because you paid more than 50% of the total game treasury. So, a sound strategy is to get as many points as possible in the cheapest way possible.

Earn "Word Usage Rewards"

Since 1/4 of the cost of each new word will be paid in the form of a word bonus to the player whose word is used, if a word has three other words based on it (assuming the price of each word is the same ), then the word is effectively free (the revenue offsets the cost of buying the letter) - all the points he brings in end up being pure profit for the player. So, an effective strategy is to fill in some long words early on, with the goal that at least three other players will use them.

04. What is the VRGDA algorithm

VRGDA (iable Rate Gradual Dutch Auctions, VRGDAs, Variable Progressive Dutch Auctions) is the mechanism Words3 uses to price each letter. Specifically, Words3 uses linear VRGDA. His goal is to sell 20 letters worth 1 cent per day for 0.0005 ETH. Letters selling at a rate above or below the target rate triggers a price increase or decrease.

The VRGDA of a given letter is affected by half their point value. For example, the letter Z is worth 10 points, and to calculate his target speed needs to be divided by half of the total score, which is 5. So the target speed of Z is: 20 / 5 = 4 / day. (Translator's Note: This test event is expected to speed up the original game speed proportionally)

This logic can be seen in the getPriceForLetter function in the Board contract. Since players all want to buy high-scoring letter words at a cheap price, this mechanism will produce an interesting gaming experience.