I used to be addicted to World of Warcraft.
I spend most of my 20's playing that game.
When I was playing World of Warcraft I thought about that game a lot.
Every time I would wake up in the morning I couldn't wait to start playing and check the latest news, do my quests and see if I sold anything in the auction house.
Years were lost doing that.
When I finally managed to break away from that game I was faced with an incredible amount of free time and absolutely nothing to show for the time I spend playing.
I decided to devote part of my free time to my IT business that was doing ok to get by at the time but not more than that.
It didn't take too long before I got more clients.
I also started to concentrate on my health and got fit.
I gave me confidence and due to some luck, I managed to find Bianca.
It was a perfect match 5 years ago and we are still together going strong.
I realized that putting your energy into something works.
And then Steem came around in 2016.
Now, there are a thousand ways you can look at Steem and try to explain what it is.
You can say it's an app-specific blockchain, with 3 second block times, no fees with a big community and all that.
But on the individual level, I think I saw it personally as a game. Especially back then.
A real-life MMO (Massively multiplayer online game).
You make a character (your account) on the Steem blockchain and from there you can do whatever you want.
The biggest difference from World of Warcraft? On Steem your character is tied to the physical world.
Improve your character on Steem = Improving your own life.
At first, you could only create a blog post on steemit.com (there were no other apps) and that's what I did.
I tried my utmost best, but I never got much traction doing that (besides a few posts).
To get better at playing the game you needed the support of the big players. That meant making connections.
And...I'm not the best at that if I'm honest. I can be socially awkward and I don't like asking for support and all that.
I like to be in control and have a goal to work towards.
I got my chance when the price tanked at the beginning of 2017.
I got an opportunity to buy STEEM, and then later they changed the reward curve to linear and the game became a little easier to play for everyone.
The goal of the game became clear too.
More Steempower = more STEEM.
Less Steempower = less STEEM.
A goal anyone can understand. And an especially great goal for the more socially awkward people that have trouble making the right connections.
Steem had created the perfect mix of opportunity for me.
A direct way to empower oneself without having to rely on others.
Powering up therefor became the only option and that's what I did.
I have been buying, grinding, earning Steem for the last 3 years.
I have been basically playing a game. The Steem MMO and what a great game it is.
And just like World of Warcraft, I wake up thinking about Steem.
I check the news and see if there are any updates. I know a lot about Steem.
Just like World of Warcraft I made friends playing the game, people I still talk to today.
And just like World of Warcraft Steem is an ever-growing game with more and more stuff to do!
In 2016 I could only read and posts blogs and check the price of STEEM. That was it.
In 2019, I can do a hell of a lot more.
My morning today:
Wake up and check the price of STEEM.
Play Steem Monsters earning DEC tokens and get my dailies done.
While playing read up about any new developments.
While playing check all the Discord channels of all the apps.
Play Next Colony.
Start working on a post.
Create account tokens.
Looking at the Pal and DEC prices on Steem Engine.
Watch some videos on dtube and 3speak.
You get the point.
The game is getting bigger with more opportunities for new players than ever.
But the game is also getting tougher. Earning STEEM is not as easy as it used to be. Especially as a new player.
Luckily Steem-engine and the communities it will empower will make earning other tokens besides STEEM a new goal for new players.
You can now concentrate on earning as much DEC tokens or as much PAL tokens. And just like STEEM they have value.
It's like starting a new game with new goals while its all still connected to the Steem blockchain.
It's actually all pretty cool stuff and makes me realize that this blockchain can't be stopped.
It's too good to be part of.
Empowering yourself within a community where, what you do, can actually change your real life for the better is something so powerful it will draw a lot of people here.
I'm not sure if this was part of Ned's vision for SMT's, but I believe it was and it's a stroke of genius. It will take this blockchain to new levels we can't even imagine.
My thanks also to the guys of Steem Engine for taking the idea of SMT's and carrying it out in the way that they have.
For me,
Steem is the best Real Life MMO I ever played and it's just getting started!
Steem on!
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incorrect, they were just the years preparing you for this real world MMO of blockchains, what you learned in there, you bought here.
You know what! I'm going to roll with that new mindset you just taught me! Thanks, man!
Hi Exyle
I really like your post because I have been playing Skyrim Elder Scrolls console version for about seven years. No lie! I love the game and God only knows how much time I sunk into the game. I really enjoyed it and still do. But I woke up one day thinking what if I put all that time into something which made money?
I felt bad. But not for to long 😊
Now I spend my free time on cryptocurrency, mainly Steem and stock option trading, mostly spreads. I realized that these things could be “gamified” unsure if that’s a word. But basically made fun to do.
I have grown my account a lot, from plankton to dolphin and I think it’s from focusing on what I can do to earn and not being preoccupied attacking others who started here before me and have more Steem. Instead I study them to figure out what they are doing and do that too.
Steem is a wide open opportunity. I am continually discovering new ways to earn. As I grow the opportunities grow with me. It’s a grind and it’s work. But I think it will payoff handsomely.
Thanks for your time.
Posted using Partiko iOS
This is well put. Thank you.
My pleasure. Thanks for the inspiration.
Greetings @exyle,
What a lovely read....and all so true.
Wishing you and your good lady all the best.
Cheers!
This platform really fulfills all the characteristics of an MMOG (Massive Multiplayer Online Game). Roblox, for example, is centralized and has a virtual currency of its own, Robux. Steem is decentralized but otherwise there is no difference in principle. Yes, you could argue that STEEM can be staked but Steem Power is not actually STEEM under the hood but Vests, a third token. So, in essence, Steem is a platform where you can earn tokens based on how well you play the game(s) playable on it.
So if this is your experience, what do you think about blockchain-based gaming? Do you think the big gaming studios will ever let you transfer value from one of their games to another game from another studio (say through some combination of NFTs and a DEX, for example)? This is something I have been thinking about a lot lately.
Posted using Partiko iOS
I'm not sure how effective 100% blockchain gaming will be. I think it will be to slow for most games. But I am not an expert.
I am a huge believer though in putting Digital assets on a blockchain and make them tradable. The possibilities are endless. Everything I do in Splinterlands for instance now earns me something of value that I can trade. I find it very difficult to go back to games and work/play for something I can't trade. It feels like a waste of time.
I do want to try to break that mindset though for April 2020. I saw the Cyperpunk game demonstration. Man, that looks amazing and it's a game from one of my favorite studios.
Yeah, that’s what I mean, just keep the assets and the in-game currency on-chain (currency can even use some kind of Lightning Network 2nd layer to write the state of the balance at the end of the gaming session)... and the gaming occurs off-chain.
Posted using Partiko iOS
Ahhh next colony I will grow that too. And the steemjar of my kids. But doing all this gives me a day job on doing this but wow did that also. 🤣😂 you see that the pal coin is rising? I'm lucky I bought in early. 😇 and it is a game yes this whole steem adventure. Grind it work it play it...
Interesting post. Colorful. Upvoted at full pwr.
Especially that I hate having PAL voting power idling.
Is there any other ways to earn DEC, besides playing Steem Monsters?
You can burn Steem Monsters cards for DEC but otherwise no.
That is a pretty awesome analogy and history of your time on Steem. I was the same way with WoW. I miss it from time to time, but I am glad that my wife helped me kick that addiction. :) SMT's are going to be really awesome and I am excited for what the future holds.
I still believe that tokens will be what really empowers the authors, we can see it with WEED, PAL, AFIT, HUNT...every community with its own economy, all powered by the Steem blockchain for resources, now the vision is clear and unfolding! SMTs is just the icing on the cake, I feel like I have been waiting for ages for its deployment 😂😂
Man, SMT sure took its time...
You just planted 0.10 tree(s)!
Thanks to @ucukertz
We have planted already
8194.95 trees
out of 1,000,000
Let's save and restore Abongphen Highland Forest
in Cameroonian village Kedjom-Keku!
Plant trees with @treeplanter and get paid for it!
My Steem Power = 21365.16
Thanks a lot!
@martin.mikes coordinator of @kedjom-keku
I have been selling all my Steem alt coins to buy Steem. I guess I am a Steem maximalist. I did dabble in buying a few but changed my mind and I keep some of the amusing ones.
Posted using Partiko Android
Sounds so much like my life I was also stuck a long time in wow but lucky I got out I think I must have a look at steem monsters sounds awesome. Do you make alot of steem of it?
Posted using Partiko Android
For what I have to do (playing the game and having fun) I'm earning a respectable amount of STEEM yes.
Cool maby one day we will meet on it but I'll most probably get f up.....
Posted using Partiko Android
Really good comparison, I must say I never liked MMO´s very much, probably because I would get lost a lot of times and never decided to commit to any of them.
But with STEEM it is different and although I've never thought of it as an MMO game in real life, it makes absolute sense, which means I´m "playing" for money, something that I´ve been looking for since I understood the importance of money.
I am just hitting my 2 year mark and the changes you describe are spot on.
While sometimes it is hard to keep up with what is going on... The possibilities of the steem blockchain seem to be really revealing themselves.
Mark @exyle even Old Guys Like Me can Get Excited about PAL and Steemmonsters and STEEM. We Really are Just Getting Started.
Haha! Glad to hear it! And you are right. This thing has only just begun!
The concept of STEEM 3 second transaction and doing a transaction free as well it's a great thing to be part like this blockchain. Regrading MMO development on STEEM let's see how it can be done in near future with good graphics game. 👍
Posted using Partiko Android
Very true bro.
That true and i agree with you😉
Fun part is just beginning! Even though some already had lots of it already. Let's play!
Thank you so much for participating in the Partiko Delegation Plan Round 1! We really appreciate your support! As part of the delegation benefits, we just gave you a 3.00% upvote! Together, let’s change the world!
Another journey, new learning not too much by by what I see, exciting times on Steem!
I totally agree with you friend. I talk about something like that on my post..
https://partiko.app/yuriitonkov/are-you-become-a-steem-s-apostle
Posted using Partiko Android
Great points @exyle it has become a game for me as well with some different dynamics in interacting with others across the world with some things in common with you, the user, and then a multitude of people with virtually nothing in common with you that you meet and wind up becoming friends with them actually here on steemit. I could not agree more in the "gameification" of steemit as being a great thing rolling forward. I personally would like to see them turn as many of the platform dynamics into a RPG model actually. Make character traits and habits develop your avatar on here over time, and make it interesting and fun. Some people consider talking about rshares, bandwidth, other tech talk fun, but a multitude of people consider playing a game with them being the star of the RPG much more fun--ie: virtually every single social media. Tokenize and monetize that and I think we have something. Oh wait, steemit already did and is now stepping up the game making tokenizing communities on the platform much more nimble and efficient. Oh wait, that was palnet, spt, and the other sub platforms within steemit, lol. Decentralization can be a great thing when allowed to breath freely.
Entropia Universe is still up there for me. It was a real cash economy game and my friend had a space ship we charged rich people to take them out to different planets to go on their hug hunting trips. I was also an armor dealer along with a few other side gigs in that game.
I do have hopes in the future Steem can surpass those times I had in that game. Along with all that coin I made trading and mining!
Hi @exyle
I absolutely love idea of seeing Steemit as a game :)
Cheers, Piotr