🟦Assets & Equipment

The utility of any asset depends on how it is constructed in VoxEdit, what Attributes are created when it is uploaded or minted (for equipment), and how it is brought to life in Game Maker with logic.

What is an Entity?

An Entity is anything you can place in your Experience in Game Maker, including:

• Blocks - solid and liquid terrain (logic may not be applied)

• Assets - VoxEdit creations that can be minted and sold as NFTs, brought to life in Game Maker including characters, props, passes, and equipment. The Sandbox has provided a variety of free Basic assets in the Game Maker library that you may use in your Experiences.

• Logic Assets - invisible assets with no collisions that can have logic applied like a normal asset

• Presets - one or more objects with custom logic and location data saved for reuse or spawning

What are Assets?

About

About Assets

Assets are Entities made in VoxEdit that can be uploaded to your Workspace and minted as NFTs to sell on the Marketplace. They are used to populate Experiences in The Sandbox to create 3D interactions (physics and visual).

Equipment is a special asset that must be made with a template to work correctly.

Asset Categories

• Characters - non-player characters (NPCs) such as humans, animals, robots, etc.

• Props - static or interactive objects from buildings to buttons

• Passes - an NFT that will grant players access to a gated Experience

• Equipment - items applied to the player's avatar to change appearance or gameplay stats

Equipment can alter a player's stats when applied to the avatar. The effect depends on the Catalyst and Attribute Points applied.

Ownership

Ownership

• The Sandbox owns Basic assets in Game Maker, but you may use them in your Experiences.

• Creators own assets they make and upload for their own Game Maker projects. These do not need to be minted as NFTs even when publishing your Experience to LAND.

• Creators and players own NFT assets they purchase on The Sandbox Marketplace and can use them when creating or playing Experiences.

• As a creator, it is your right to decide if players can use their own Equipment NFTs in your Experience to design balanced gameplay.

Creative Use Cases

Creative Utility Examples

Asset can respond to player input or presence and communicate with the quests/objectives, the gameplay settings, and other Entities using Game Maker's logic system.

Any asset can be made interactive in various ways depending on logic set up in Game Maker.

They can also be designed for a variety of purposes:

• Game obstacles

• Modular architecture

• Building facades

• Performance art

• Kinetic art

• Monument components

• Varied looks as animations (doors, bookshelves, etc)

• Experience defining details

• Animated voxel effects*

• and more

*NOTE: VOXEL PARTICLES

Game Maker now offers over 100 visual effects that Experience builders can apply to objects and sometimes player Avatars.

Many VFX have customization options like color, size, motion, etc., which Experience creators will likely prefer to purchasing assets with voxel particles built in. However, a minimalist use of particles may improve aesthetics for some assets

Creating Assets

Visit the Asset Guide for creative considerations and recommendations to build specific asset types.

About

Create and Test Assets

VoxEdit: Create Assets

• VoxEdit Equipment Templates

• Asset Guide

Game Maker: Test, Build Experiences

• Upload Assets to Workspaces

• Place Assets and apply logic

Asset Guide

With VoxEdit, you can create Assets from scratch or use templates with built-in animations to save time. Visit the Asset Guide to explore design recommendations for a variety of content types including scenery, NPCs (non-player characters), 2D/3D art, and more!

🧍pageAsset Guide

3 Types

BLOCKS NOTE

Blocks are a different kind of entity that can be made in the Block Editor.

EQUIPMENT NOTE

Equipment is a special class of assets made with VoxEdit equipment templates, which can be animated. This is the only type of asset that players may apply to their avatars. When worn by a player, equipment can modify appearance and/or stats.

The Anatomy of an Asset

Assets may be static or have moving parts. Even the simplest assets can be dynamic when Game Maker's plug-and-play logic is applied.

Asset Files

• PNG - a thumbnail image of the asset

• VXM - a model file, which is the smallest part of what makes an asset

• VXR - a file containing data for a rigged asset using multiple models

• VXA - a file containing data for one of an asset's animations, which may be static or moving

Simple Assets

A single model's data

Difficulty

• Beginner, Easy

Characteristics

• 1 VXM model

• 1 collider

• Players CAN NOT enter empty spaces

Common Uses

• Simple static objects like building exteriors, statues, furniture, etc

Notes

• Also called "models," which can be used to make compound or animated assets

• All voxels align to a single XYZ grid ("blocky" as seen in the example image)

• Can be made in the Modeler or Animator

Compound Assets

Asset data, models, and still animations

Difficulty

• Easy, Medium

Characteristics

• 1+ VXM models

• 1 collider per VXM

• Players CAN enter empty spaces

Common Uses

• Static assets with angles, curves, and/or entry spaces

Notes

• Examine Templates to learn to Build a Rig

• Combine models to reduce nodes

• Made in the Animator

Animated Assets

Asset data, models, and moving animations

Difficulty

• Medium, Advanced

Characteristics

• 1+ VXM models

• 1 collider

• Players CAN NOT enter empty spaces

Common Uses

• Decorative or interactive objects like doors, animals, machines, etc

Notes

• Examine Templates to learn animation

• Build the rig, test poses, add motion

• Made in the Animator

Special: Equipment

What is Equipment?

Equipment is a special asset class allowing players to apply it to their avatars. It can modify their appearance and impact gameplay by changing their stats.

Equipment MUST be created using a template in order for the ecosystem to recognise it and make it a wearable item during gameplay. Equipment templates will NOT work if they are unlocked.

Visit the Equipment section of the Asset Guide for creative considerations and recommendations.

Equipment can be applied (worn) in 6 slots on a player's Avatar:

Left Hand

Right Hand

Head

Chest

Arms

Legs

Equipment can be applied in Single and Multiplayer Experiences. It can only visible for medium human avatars due to fit, but player stats are still affected by its Attributes. Players can also choose to make their equipment visible or not.

In Game Maker and the Game Client, players double click or drag-and-drop to use weapons and wearable equipment

Equipment Can Modify Player Stats

NEW CATALYSTS & ATTRIBUTES SYSTEM Learn about minting and listing assets for sale on the Marketplace.

Equipment can modify gameplay via Attributes chosen by its creator when uploaded to their Workspace. These properties carry over when it is minted as an NFT.

Equipment with a Defense Attribute increases the player's maximum life

Equipment with a Power Attribute increases attack damage to enemies (combat is currently only in singleplayer Experiences)

Equipment with a Speed Attribute increases the players movement speed.

Monetise: Mint & Sell

Upload Assets to Workspace

An asset is uploaded from VoxEdit to be ready for testing, Experience building in Game Maker, and for gameplay in Game Maker or the metaverse Game Client.

An asset does NOT need to be minted as an NFT if the creator plans to use it only in their own Experiences.

Once an asset is uploaded, it appears in your Game Maker Library so it's ready to place and apply logic.

Monetisation

You DO NOT need to mint your VoxEdit creations as NFTs to use them in your own Experiences.

There are three ways to monetise your creations today (see Monetistion for full detail):

• Selling Assets - Mint & List Assets to Sell as an independent artist or as an Experience publisher with a monetisation strategy that involves selling NFTs.

• Experience Gating - Publish your Experience to your metaverse LAND and set up Access Restrictions to require NFT ownership for entry to your Experience.

• NFT Sensor - Use this new component in Game Maker to require NFT ownership to trigger the gameplay logic you want. This unlocks huge potential to design unique player experiences within one game based on which NFTs players own.

Rarity & Attributes

NEW CATALYSTS & ATTRIBUTES SYSTEM Learn about minting and listing assets for sale on the Marketplace.

Legendary

Epic

Rare

Uncommon

Common

A Catalyst is special NFT that is burned when minting an asset into an NFT to define its rarity. One Catalyst is required per NFT created. You do not need to own a Catalyst NFT to create a Draft asset to use in your own Experiences.

The more rare the Catalyst, the more Attributes Points will be available to apply to equipment assets when minting an asset as an NFT to sell or creating a Draft asset for use in your own Experiences. This is done when uploading an asset to your Workspaces.

How to Create Attributes

Attributes are created when an asset is uploaded to Workspaces for testing or use in your own Experiences. This does not require minting the asset, for example, if you plan to use your custom assets in your own Experiences. You can modify the asset details up until it is minted as an NFT.

ASSETS FOR PLAYERS

Players may purchase equipment NFTs on the Marketplace and use it in most Experiences. They may also purchase assets as passes to gated Experiences.

Some players will purchase powerful equipment to complete your Experience more quickly or make it a bit easier if they get stuck. Some players will collect attractive Equipment as accessories regardless of how it may impact gameplay.

GAME DESIGN TIP You can gradually provide players with opportunities to collect and use more powerful equipment during an Experience to reward their achievements and balance out increasingly difficult enemies presented. It makes your Experience more thrilling! This can be part of your Experience's Ramp of Difficulty and Risk & Reward design.

Assets & Game Inventory

Ownership

Owned and Temporary Asset Use

Wallet - Across All Experiences Players can equip NFTs they own, which can modify their stats in any experience.

Local - The Current Experience Players can equip items collected in a game. If they restart or quit, the items no longer appear in the inventory.

OWNERSHIP NOTE You own all of the custom assets you create and do NOT need to mint NFTs for each one used in an Experience in order to share or launch it.

However, your launch strategy may include minting some assets from your Experience as NFTs to sell on the Marketplace, especially equipment players may have enjoyed using in your game. This allows others to own a piece of the world or universe you've created and use it for gameplay or their own creative projects.

Learn more: Terms of Use, Privacy & Legal

Inventory Use

Modifying the Inventory

Add item - the player interacts or collides with a collectible item

Remove item - the player drops an item

CONSUMABLES

Adding or removing a specific number of items (e.g., potions, crafting, economies, etc) is not a current feature, but logic and narrative can simulate simple systems.

ITEM NAMES

An NFT’s name is displayed in the inventory, so when using an NFT as a collectible item (e.g., for a quest) it’s best not to rename it in the experience.