So before I even begin to talk about this awesome quantum leap for the Steem blockchain, let me begin by saying that am a hippie through and through, and that anything that glorifies the death-ridden environment surrounding hard drugs and their supply chains has always pissed me off & turned me off massively.
That said, we're human beings and we like to play games in all sorts of ways... Possibly so that we don't have to get into those shady circles and businesses in our real lives, but can instead put a badass gangster costume on now and then, and go back to saving the world after we have taken it off again. Seems much more healthy for everyone involved ;)
I never thought I would write about gaming on my blog but I guess the day has finally come^^
So... did I mention @DrugWars feels like a quantum leap for interacting with the Steem blockchain?
It's basically a browser based strategy game that comes down to numbers - resource management, planning, strategizing, becoming efficient in your gameplan. It looks charming, it allows Steemians to battle each other for resources and you actually get the option to earn steem playing it. Yes, even without the lone grinding-whale!
You upgrade your buildings, units and capabilities bit by bit in a way you deem smart and try to protect your "drugs" from other steemians who may try to rob them from you. No idea what that means either, but I kinda feel it won't be long until I find out.
DrugWars is in its very beginnings now, probably a great time to get in and check it out.
Since it doesn't cost you anything to sign up you may as well take a peak(referral link) in case you already have a normal steem account - if only to see what steem can actually do, and how it could become a real magnet for gamers out there, something I had long underestimated until I saw how beautifully 
There are several reasons that make a really good first impression after dabbling with this early access version of the game for a little bit that I can already share:
- It's free and a fun experiment to suddenly find yourself in some sort of playful adversary position with the people you normally share your passions with on Steem. Lots of familiar faces.
- You can use your Steem balance to upgrade buildings and your empire faster. That said, you could just as easily be patient and get somewhere without ever paying anything. It basically depends on your level of patience, kinda like people who bought BTC at a dollar and held on long enough to let it reach amazing highs^^
- You actually get rewards in Steem for the empire you are building in a way that does not feel like a total ripoff. The more you invest into the game (time &patience / steem) the more steem you will earn. I have barely gotten started and already got a decent payout considering the fun I had, the vision it opened up for what is possible with games running on a blockchain, and the little bit of steem dust I "invested" to get off the ground a bit faster.
- A great way to interact with other steemians even when your feed is pretty dry and uneventful.
- Seems to be a lot less time-demanding compared to most games these days. Similar to your voting power (mana) your resources will slowly replenish instead of forcing you onto endless gaming marathons. Less is more.
I had high hopes for Steem Monsters but quickly saw that it was nowhere near what I expected from a trading card game, neither in style nor gameplay. Maybe it's just taste and personal preference, lots of people seem to dig it a lot but I never saw the point really.
This game instantly felt different! Though I gotta admit I am easily impressed whenever I feel something is done right and doesn't just instantly suck like the latest version of windows or the latest iphone or something ;)
It is still early access and I didn't even have a fight yet, nor have I put much time in but the whole idea of putting less emphasis on your steem stake and more on your choice to dabble with a game on the steem blockchain to also earn you rewards is a real breakthrough already, I can tell. It feels at times like this is a parallel steem blockchain, but then you remember it is seamlessly integrated with your steem account via steemconnect.
It is slow, it has vision and it may just turn out to be a real gamechanger once the world gets wind of it, not to mention all those people who played the original game back in the day that DrugWars is based on. Or just people who like to be a badass now and then but want to keep the simulation to the information content only, and can pass on the gore and HD graphics of most games these days.
Well, here's your chance!
In a shameless bit of promoting my own empire (again), may I make an offer you can('t) refuse? Use this referral link to check out the game and buy my virtual kingpin palace a few guard dogs at no extra cost to you. Bam!
This game will probably be everywhere in people's feeds in the next days - if it isn't already.
About the only thing that was a little awkward is the memos that come with the transactions to and from the game with your steem account. If someone stumbled upon the gamers' accounts from outside, without any knowledge about the game or the steem blockchain, it may seem like all of us had a real life crime ring going on steem which we blatanly fund through our accounts.
Like:
Kind of an inside joke, but really, maybe you want to change the memos a bit to not get into any misunderstandings 5 years down the road, lol!!! So for the record, for my kids, grandkids and anyone calling themselves governments: I do not and have never funded a crackhouse, this is just a game without proper declaration in the memos, ahaha.
Anyway, I should be checking how the "drug production rate" is going and how long until i can afford someone with a gun to guard the place before it's all gone and I have to take revenge on someone out there.
Finally I can pretend being a questionable asshole for a bit, sounds like a fun experiment considering my heavy leaning towards a role of empathy, peace and the establishing of cooperative connections between people in my real life as my usual default <3
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