Big Time is a free-to-play multiplayer action RPG that offers players the opportunity to navigate through various points in time and space. Players of the GAM3 Awards Game of the Year winner can explore ancient mysteries and advanced civilizations, all while engaging in combat and progressing through historical scenarios. As you advance, you'll have the chance to obtain digital collectibles and tokens from defeated enemies.

These collectibles can be used to enhance your character or to customize your Personal Metaverse, a space designed for interaction and collaboration with other players. It's important to note that success in Big Time is determined by a player's skill and strategy, rather than financial investment. With the new Preseason launch just around the corner, this guide aims to provide you with a thorough understanding of the preseason dynamics, the new features, a better understanding of the $BIGTIME token, the game's economy, and more.

We will cover the following sections:

1. Brief Economy Overview
2. $BIGTIME Token
3. SPACE
4. Prestige Portals
5. Hourglasses
6. Cracked Hourglasses
7. Rentals
8. Time Wardens
9. Armory
10. Forge
11. Time Crystals
12. Seasons
13. Cosmetic Collectibles

Brief Economy Overview

Big Time emphasizes fair play as one of its core design principles, leading to the creation of a "Cosmetic Based Economy." This economic model is reminiscent of other successful free-to-play games, such as League of Legends, Fortnite, and Valorant. In these games, studios typically sell skins directly to players, enhancing the gaming experience without providing competitive advantages.

$BIGTIME Token

$BIGTIME Tokens are the game's cryptocurrency. While they cannot be traded within the game or its marketplace, players can transfer them from OpenLoot to their individual cryptocurrency wallets. Once transferred, players can perform all standard cryptocurrency operations with these tokens, including trading or transferring them as desired.

Big Time SPACE

SPACE is acquired as a rare in-game drop when players perform specific actions, such as defeating enemies or completing quests. Each SPACE has a single entrance and multiple exits, allowing players to connect multiple SPACEs to expand their Personal Metaverse. The number of exits a SPACE has depends on its rarity and size. Additionally, the size and rarity of a SPACE determine the benefits it offers, such as the number of Utility Collectibles that can be attached or the chance of finding a higher quality Cracked Hourglass. Each SPACE comes with a unique internal configuration, which is revealed only when it's "unwrapped." Renting is a significant aspect of the Big Time economy, allowing players with multiple SPACEs to lend their assets to others.

Prestige Portal

The Prestige Portal is an innovative feature in Big Time, allowing players to access unique game experiences based on specific cosmetic requirements. To enter a Prestige Portal, players must meet certain criteria related to Cosmetic Collectibles, which could be based on factors like the source, theme, season, or color of the collectible. Once these requirements are satisfied, players can pay an entry fee, either in $BIGTIME Tokens or Time Crystals, to access the portal. Some portals might not even have an entry fee.

Prestige Portals come with modifiers that can influence the gameplay, making encounters or adventures either more challenging or easier. Importantly, these portals do not offer any advantages in acquiring power-related items. Players can also engage in "Bonus Rolls" before entering a Prestige Portal, allowing them to customize their experience further. While Prestige Portals focus on cosmetic items, Regular Portals are designed for players to acquire power items.

For a more in-depth analysis and dissection on how Prestige Portals work in-game, check out our deep dive guide on them.

Hourglasses

Hourglasses are collectible items crafted by the Time Warden, serving as the primary method to obtain $BIGTIME Tokens. These collectibles come in ten rarity tiers, ranging from Common to Unique. The rarity of an Hourglass determines the amount of $BIGTIME Tokens a player can acquire. For instance, a Common Hourglass has a 0% bonus multiplier, while a Unique one offers a 2000% bonus.

The generation of $BIGTIME Tokens is influenced not only by the Hourglass's rarity but also by a player's in-game skill and efficiency. Players can equip multiple Hourglasses, with a maximum of five at once, by spending Time Crystals. Each Hourglass has a limited number of charges, and once depleted, it can be recharged using the Time Warden's Recharge Hourglass action.

For a more in-depth analysis and dissection on how Hourglasses work in-game, check out our deep dive guide on them.

Cracked Hourglasses

Cracked Hourglasses are consumable in-game items that generate $BIGTIME Tokens when equipped. However, they disappear from a player's inventory once their sand runs out. These hourglasses are soul-bound, meaning they cannot be traded among players. They can be found randomly in SPACEs, with larger or higher rarity SPACEs having higher drop rates. There are various types of Cracked Hourglasses, each with different multiplier values. For instance, a Low Quality (Common) Cracked Hourglass has a 10-50% bonus multiplier, while a Special Quality (Legendary) one offers a 100% bonus. The size of a connected SPACE in the Personal Metaverse determines the quantity of Cracked Hourglasses that can spawn, while its rarity determines the quality.

Rentals

Big Time introduces a unique rental system in its latest Preseason update, drawing inspiration from successful gaming models like Fortnite's creator code system. In Fortnite, creators earned a portion of sales they influenced by allowing players to input a specific creator's code during purchases. This system not only motivated creators to endorse the game but also fostered a mutual relationship between the developers and the creator community, boosting Fortnite's sales and providing creators with a fresh revenue source.

Similarly, Big Time's rental system enables guilds to partner with prominent streamers, offering them distinct in-game assets for rent. Guilds can craft specialized in-game packages that align with a streamer's brand, which can then be rented to their audience. This approach, much like Fortnite's, aims to benefit both the game and the creators, enhancing player engagement and sales through the influence of creators.

For a more in-depth analysis and dissection on how the new rental system works in-game, check out our deep dive guide on them. 

Time Wardens

Time Wardens are unique collectibles in Big Time, primarily centered around crafting, upgrading, and recharging hourglasses. They come in various rarities and types, each offering distinct bonuses and functionalities. Each Time Warden has a rarity, ranging from Common to Unique, which dictates its capabilities. They also have specializations that enhance specific crafting actions.

For instance, a Legendary Time Warden can craft hourglasses from Common to Mythic. Additionally, Time Wardens have colors that offer group bonuses, with the Rainbow color being the most versatile. Time Wardens craft hourglasses using Time Crystals. They can also upgrade and recharge these hourglasses. As they engage in these activities, Time Wardens gain experience. Once they accumulate enough experience, they can level up, enhancing their crafting stats and unlocking additional benefits.

For a more in-depth analysis and dissection of what Time Wardens do in-game, check out our deep dive guide on them.

Armory

Armories are crafting stations in Big Time, focusing on creating and enhancing armor. They also have a role in refining specific materials into usable crafting resources. Armories come in ten different rarity tiers, each with its crafting capabilities. They also have ten distinct types, each associated with a color and a unique crafting bonus. For example, the "Armory of Quickness" specializes in gloves and is colored red.  Armories refine certain materials into refined shards for crafting. They can craft various armor pieces and upgrade them to higher rarities. As Armories are used, they gain experience. Players can level up their Armories, which boosts their crafting efficiency and offers other benefits.

For a more in-depth analysis and dissection of what the Armory does in-game, check out our deep dive guide on them.

Forge

Forges in Big Time are specialized crafting stations that allow players to create weapons and other equipment. They play a pivotal role in enhancing a player's combat capabilities. Forges come in various rarities, from Common to Unique. The rarity of a Forge determines the quality of items it can produce. Each Forge also has a specialization, enhancing specific crafting actions and dictating the type of items it can create.  Players use Forges to craft new weapons and equipment. They can also enhance existing items, boosting their stats and abilities. As players utilize their Forges, they can unlock additional crafting options and benefits, making them essential tools in the Big Time universe.

For a more in-depth analysis and dissection of what the Forge does in-game, check out our deep dive guide on them.

Time Crystals

Time Crystals are Big Time's premium non-crypto currency. They can be acquired either by purchasing them directly from Big Time or as a rare in-game drop. These crystals are primarily used to buy additional Hourglass equip slots. They are bound to a player's account and cannot be traded. Time Crystals can be purchased from Open Loot, with prices ranging from $4.99 for 500 crystals to $99.99 for 13,500 crystals.

For a more in-depth analysis and dissection on what Time Crystals do in-game, check out our deep dive guide on them.

Big Time Seasons

In Big Time's economy, there's a concept of Craftable Cosmetic Collectibles, which have a max issuance based on their rarity. For any given line of these collectibles, there can only be one unique item. This setup creates a competitive environment where players race to craft the unique item first.

Cosmetic Collectibles

Craftable 

Craftable Cosmetic Collectibles come in ten rarity tiers, ranging from Common to Unique. Each tier offers a distinct visual appearance, with higher rarity tiers looking more impressive. The maximum issuance numbers for these collectibles are immutable, meaning they will not change. However, future sets of Craftable Cosmetic Collectibles might have different issuance numbers, but this won't affect older sets. When a Craftable Cosmetic Collectible is burnt or destroyed, it frees up the allocated issuance for that specific collectible line. This typically occurs when upgrading a collectible to a higher rarity.

Non-Craftable

Non-Craftable Cosmetic Collectibles also span ten rarity tiers, from Common to Unique. Similar to their craftable counterparts, each rarity tier offers a baseline visual, with the appearance becoming more elaborate and impressive as the rarity increases.

The Big Time Preseason launch completes a major milestone for the web3 MMORPG and shows the studio's commitment in delivering a truly unique and memorable experiences. Soon enough the time you used to spend grinding on World of Warcraft will be transitioned into playing a game that promotes asset ownership and rewards you for your time, all while having fun with friends and slaying mythical monsters in a world where time has no limit.