🌍Genesis of a Living World
1.1. Abstract
This whitepaper provides a comprehensive overview of the ROCKTREE project's vision, technical design, and economic model. ROCKTREE is a next-generation Play-and-Own (P&O) strategy role-playing game (RPG) utilizing the token ticker ROTR. To address the sustainability challenges faced by existing Play-to-Earn (P2E) models, ROCKTREE combines deep gameplay with a robust dual-token economic system. Players, as 'Architects,' will explore the dynamic world of 'Æthelgard,' gather resources, craft powerful NFT assets, and conquer territories. The project's core mission is to grant players true ownership of their assets and empower the community to shape the ecosystem's future through decentralized governance. This document presents the blueprint for how ROCKTREE will set a new standard for blockchain gaming, moving beyond simple profit generation to build a sustainable digital nation where players create and own value.
1.2. Introduction: The Unfulfilled Promise of Play-to-Earn (P2E)
The advent of blockchain technology has brought revolutionary changes to the gaming industry. The Play-to-Earn (P2E) model, which saw explosive growth starting in 2021, introduced a new economic paradigm where players could earn real-value cryptocurrency or tokens through in-game activities. Pioneering projects like Axie Infinity tokenized in-game assets as Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) on the blockchain, granting players unprecedented ownership and creating new economic opportunities for many.
However, behind their dazzling success, these first-generation P2E models revealed clear limitations. Many P2E games focused on simple, repetitive tasks—or 'grinding'—rather than deep stories or strategic gameplay. This led players to invest their time for 'profit' rather than 'fun,' undermining the very essence of the gaming experience. Furthermore, the infinite issuance of reward tokens and the absence of clear token sink mechanisms inevitably caused inflation, often leading to a sharp decline in token value and ecosystem collapse. This ultimately hampered the game's sustainability and entrenched a 'Pay-to-Win' structure that widened the gap between early and late players.
This phenomenon shows that the market is recognizing the limits of the initial P2E model. The era of P2E 1.0, which focused solely on the act of earning money, is coming to an end. Players and investors have experienced the fragility of short-term profit models, and the market now demands a more mature and sustainable approach. The time has come for a new paradigm that moves beyond simply 'extracting' value to one where players 'create' and 'own' value, and the process itself is an enjoyable experience.
1.3. ROCKTREE Vision: Building a Sustainable Digital Ecosystem
ROCKTREE was born to overcome the limitations of P2E 1.0 and present the next stage of blockchain gaming. Our vision is "to build a decentralized, player-owned world that rewards strategic mastery, fosters a vibrant community, and establishes a new standard for economic sustainability in blockchain gaming."
To this end, ROCKTREE proposes a 'Play-and-Own (P&O)' model that goes beyond the conventional 'Play-to-Earn.' P&O means that players not only earn consumable goods through the game but also create and own assets (NFTs) with lasting value, contributing to the ecosystem's growth and sharing in its success. This is a philosophical shift that elevates players from mere laborers to shareholders and citizens of the ecosystem.
To realize this vision, ROCKTREE has adopted the strategy RPG genre with a persistent world. This combines the immersive character growth of an RPG, the deep decision-making of a strategy game, and the asset appreciation elements of a virtual real estate game. Players will create their own narratives through diverse activities such as adventure, crafting, and territorial warfare in the mystical world of 'Æthelgard.'
ROCKTREE is built on the following four core values:
Gameplay First: Our top priority is to provide a fun and challenging gaming experience. A sustainable economy ultimately stems from a compelling game that players want to keep coming back to.
True Ownership: Players will fully own and control all their core assets, such as characters, equipment, and land, in the form of NFTs. This is true digital asset ownership, free from the control of a centralized game server.
Sustainable Economics: Through a sophisticated system of rewards and sinks, we aim to ensure the long-term stability and value retention of our token economy.
Decentralized Governance: ROTR token holders will directly participate in deciding the future of the ecosystem, including major game updates and the use of treasury funds, through community governance.
1.4. A Note on Identity: ROCKTREE and ROTR
In selecting our project's name and token ticker, we are aware of similar names that exist in the market. As this could cause potential confusion, we wish to clarify our identity here.
On "ROCKTREE": The name 'RockTree' is used by RockTree Capital, a prominent crypto fund and merchant bank headquartered in Beijing. We are fully aware of this brand overlap and seek to differentiate our identity. Whereas RockTree Capital operates from the perspective of a centralized institutional investor bridging traditional finance and Web3 , our ROCKTREE is a decentralized, grassroots ecosystem built from the ground up, by the community, for the community. Our name symbolizes the project's core philosophy.
'Rock' represents the permanence and solidity of our world, while 'Tree' signifies the organic and continuous growth driven by the community. This stands in stark contrast to the cyberpunk aesthetic pursued by RockTree Capital, as we will build our unique identity based on elements of nature and fantasy.
On "ROTR": The ticker 'ROTR' is widely known as an acronym for popular video games like Rise of the Tomb Raider or Rise of the Ronin. We intend to redefine this familiar acronym with our project's unique meaning. In the ROCKTREE ecosystem,
ROTR stands for 'RockTree Oracle Token.' This symbolizes its pivotal role in securing the ecosystem's core governance and value. Furthermore, it also signifies our mission: the 'Rise of True Rewards.' In ROCKTREE, we aim to usher in an era where not just time investment, but a player's skill, strategy, and contribution to the ecosystem are rewarded with true value.
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