The problem Stack Shack solves

Gaming is an interactive medium, but it often lacks a deeper connection to the real world, especially in terms of ownership. What if the limitless potential of video games met real-world tangibility? Stack Shack bridges this gap by integrating Web3 technology, offering players true ownership of their in-game assets.

Imagine a game where your custom character is truly yours, minted and owned on the blockchain. This adds a new level of interactivity, making your gaming experience more immersive and meaningful. Our goal is to create an enjoyable and unique gaming experience that showcases the potential of Web3 integration.

Players can start by playing the game without any Web3 connection to ensure they enjoy the experience. Once they're ready, they can mint their characters and use them in the game. Long-term plans include rewarding players based on their performance and letting them mint the items they earn in the game.

This MVP lays the foundation for future expansions. The trajectory is to let players log in with an email and have the choice to pay with fiat or crypto. This way, players can focus on the fun, and we'll handle the Web3 complexities. We'll guide them through tutorials on making the most out of their wallets, assets, and progression, just like a video game tutorial.

Challenges we ran into

Creating a 3D game for the web was a thrilling adventure with some significant challenges. The game development process proved to be more challenging than the Web3 side.

1. Export Settings:
   Our initial web exports lacked proper lighting effects, leaving the map shrouded in darkness. Through extensive trial and error, we finally got the visuals to shine on the web. We meticulously went through the export settings to identify which materials were compatible with the web.

2. File Size:
   Our first version resulted in a 250MB compressed export file with a 350MB assets file—too large to host the game on the web. We embarked on a journey of optimization, reducing texture sizes and polygons in Blender. This painstaking process brought our index file under 100MB and our assets file to 150MB. Despite our efforts, our beloved Cirkus tent was too large to keep. Removing it was tough, but it allowed us to optimize the game's performance. Hopefully, the spirit still comes across in the other areas of the game.

3. Web Implementation:
   June was a wild month. A few of our Web3 implementation plans fell short due to some technical hurdles. The original plan was for the player integration to be automatic—mint and play instantly. Unfortunately, we couldn't pull this off before the deadline and had to import everything manually. This feature should be up and running in the next week or two. I'll leave an example of a previous implementation down below.

By overcoming these challenges, we've built a strong foundation for Stack Shack. We're eagerly ready to expand its Web3 elements and deliver a standout experience. Join us in this adventure, and let’s build something amazing together!