1.31 Meks

Battle Mek Availability
The largest land weapon assets available to players in Mektropolis are building-sized walkers of various size and design, known as Meks. Each faction has its own unique Mek aesthetic, equipment and weaponry, however all have similar capability in battle. Each of the current four factions have different start capabilities and upgrade options for their Mek’s, in keeping with the technology and culture they represent.

Meks are assembled from a core chassis, with interchangeable and upgradeable parts attached to control their fire power, protection, speed, technology levels and energy to power it. Each core chassis has a minimum / start capability below which it cannot fall and a maximum / end capability beyond which it cannot improve. Improvements to each component of a Mek can increase its performance on the battlefield, but because each upgrade requires the player to craft, purchase or be gifted in some way the necessary materials (to use at the game foundry area), it becomes a key area of gameplay strategy to first upgrade the areas which better suit their gameplay style. For example, a player who prefers hit-and-run tactics may wish to upgrade speed and weapons over available power, force shields and armour. Conversely, a player who prefers direct hand-to-hand combat may prioritise power, shields and armour to survive longer in combat.

Each Mek, its upgrades and other available equipment are created and stored as a unique NFT on the RVN blockchain, and accessible in-game only to the player that owns them. Items can be obtained through progressive game play, but also may be traded as player-to-player item swaps, or direct purchases via the in-game NFT marketplace. All costs and prices associated with NFT transactions are made in RVN, the native coin of the Ravencoin blockchain network.

• Mektropolis does not inject RVN liquidity to the game environment; all liquidity is provided by the players themselves when transacting for goods and services
• RVN is needed for creating, modifying or trading NFT in the game. Players provide this directly, either by spending RVN they hold, or converting fiat currency (e.g. real-world money of an approved type) to the equivalent value of RVN

Battle Mek Design Each Mek has up to seven (7) core capabilities that can be upgraded or downgraded on a sliding scale, with the lowest ability corresponding to the lowest number, and the highest ability to the highest number. These capabilities are as follows:

1. [+1 to +10] CPU
2. [+1 to +15] Power
3. [+1 to +15] Strength
4. [+1 to +10] Defence
5. [+1 to +10] Attack
6. [+1 to +12] Speed
7. [+1 to +8] Mount Points

Battle Mek Crafting The start capabilities and upgrade path of each Mek allow it to be truly unique. The process of upgrade requires that key resources are provided for the selected upgrades, and the required foundry fees are paid in RVN. Depending on the level of upgrade, the foundry fee is set between 0.5 RVN and 5 RVN, moving in increments of 0.5 RVN per level of the upgrade applied. The outcome of each foundry effort is a combination of both known, and unknown variables, reflecting the uniqueness of each Mek and the value of the supplied upgrade resources. Although the outcome of any foundry process is slightly variable, it can be estimated before starting using the built-in foundry estimator. This allows each player to carefully adjust the resources used for an optimal outcome, or simply reject upgrade when the costs do not appear worth it to them This provides another level of player-based strategising, while allowing for truly unique Meks to populate the metaverse. With more desirable features, Meks can rapidly increase in value, allowing players to potentially trade them for RVN or other items at the marketplace. Battle Mek Pilots Each Mek must have at least one ‘pilot’ to function, and each faction has its own type of pilot, be it a computer firmware upgrade, hive mind or physical entity Pilots bring their own distinct capabilities to the Mek they control, and these will interact with the Mek’s capabilities as a multiplier effect, to increase or decrease certain capabilities. Pilot multipliers work in the same way as Mek ones, in that the highest number is the more desirable outcome. Their capabilities are as follows:

1. [-2 to +6] Courage
2. [-2 to +6] Intelligence
3. [-2 to +6] Reactions
4. [-2 to +6] Leadership
5. [-2 to +6] Luck
   

Much like a good racing horse can be made into a winner with the right jockey, or a good racing car with the right driver, a Mek can likewise be improved (or worsened) by the players choice of available pilot. While each Mek is only possible to upgrade with crafting items, over time, each pilot will improve (to their maximum) by experience gained in use. A winning pilot will improve their skill ratings more quickly than a losing one, making them into valuable NFT trading items between players.