Lumiterra's recent move into the Ronin network, alongside with its massive $1 million USD prize pool, has sparked significant excitement for this multiplayer, open-world survival crafting game, where nearly every item can be turned into an NFT. Whether you already have game access or are just curious about the basics, you're in the right place, as today's issue of GAM3S.GG guides will focus on the ultimate beginner's guide for Lumiterra.

First off, the version I played for this guide is CBT#1, which already integrates the Ronin network. Access to the game can be obtained in several ways: owning an asset, being part of a partnered community, or winning whitelist access raffles on Lumiterra's socials, mainly on their Discord server. If you already have access, you can easily jump into Lumiterra by downloading the game from their website. It's available on multiple platforms (Windows, iOS, and Android) and supports cross-play.

The game has simple graphics, so you won't need a high-end device to run it smoothly. Once downloaded and installed, you can sign in to Lumiterra by connecting your whitelisted Ronin wallet. You can then choose a "line" to log in, which is similar to the concept of servers in other MMORPGs, but your progress is saved across all lines.

The Basics

Once you've logged in, you'll be dropped straight into the map. The first thing you should do is complete the Beginner tasks, which can be identified by talking to NPCs with specific indicators. Unlike other MMORPGs that focus on character classes based on weapon choices, Lumiterra offers a unique system that revolves around three core "Specialties" or "Professions": Farming, Combat, and Gathering.

Almost every action in the open world falls under these three categories. For example, killing monsters counts towards combat, planting seeds fall under farming, and chopping and collecting wood is part of gathering. The experience system also revolves around these three Specialties, with distinct XP accumulation for each. As you accumulate enough XP in a Profession, you can level up attributes or the general level within that Profession. The best part? Lumiterra doesn’t lock your character into just one Profession; you can progress in all three if you have the time and resources.

The Energy System

Before we go through the Professions, let’s discuss Lumiterra's energy system. Simply put, Energy limits the amount of resources you can extract from the game. Energy is crucial for gaining experience and collecting items through activities like Combat, Gathering, and Farming. When your Energy is depleted, you cannot earn experience or loot.

The Energy consumption is tied to the game's drop rate, with 1 point of Energy consumed at a 100% drop rate and 0.185 points at an 18.5% drop rate. Energy can be restored daily or by using crafted Energy Potions, which require materials like Energy Slime. Potions and empty bottles can be acquired through various in-game activities, crafting, and marketplace trades.

Combat

Similar to various MMORPGs, your Lumiterra character can equip armor and weapons to enhance combat stats. Since Lumiterra doesn’t have a weapon class system, any character can equip a variety of weapons, from swords to hammers and bows. You can place your weapons and other items in quick slots for easy access during combat. In the open world, different types of monsters appear, and eliminating them has a chance for loot drops, which depend on the drop rate (usually 18.5% in the open world).

Each successful monster elimination grants Combat XP, which you can use to unlock and upgrade skills in the Combat specialty skill tree. You can also use XP to upgrade the general Combat specialty level, unlocking the next layer of skills. Some skills unlock new item recipes, some add passive combat stats, while others are "active" and can be used in combat, similar to skills in MOBA games like AoE stuns and dashes. You can bind active skills to keyboard keys or skill slots on your phone via the "quick" tab at the bottom of the skill tree.

Gathering

The Gathering Specialty focuses on collecting resources scattered throughout the map. This typically involves using tools like a pickaxe (for minerals, stone, ores, etc.), a scythe (for weeds, plants, and bushes), and an axe (for chopping various types of wood). Similar to the Combat XP system, you lose Energy points with each successful gathering action. The Gathering skill tree improves your gathering efficiency, pet-catching skills, essence recipe unlocks, and more.

Farming

The Farming Specialty is all about, you guessed it, farming. Each player has access to a part of the map called "Homeland," the main farming area in the game. Here, you can use your hoe tool to cultivate parts of the Homeland, plant crop seeds (which can be obtained from monster drops or the Mavis marketplace), and water the crops.

After watering, a green meter will show how much time is needed for the plant to grow to its next phase. After it reaches the next phase, you water it again until it’s ready for harvest. While this process seems simple, the Farming skill tree offers more depth, including aspects like fertility, planting efficiency, and pet-related attributes.

Another part of the Farming Specialty involves "Pets," which are monsters that players catch and tame. These pets can follow their masters and assist with various tasks. The details about pets are complex (feeding, grooming, and maintenance), so for more information, refer to the Pets section of the whitepaper. 

Crafting and Essence

Crafting is a fundamental aspect of MMORPGs, and Lumiterra brings a unique twist to it with the introduction of Essence. In the game, specific NPCs are designated to craft particular items, and as you advance, unlocking skills and talents, you'll gain access to recipes for more powerful tools. And who doesn't like RNG? Most of the tools and items you craft have a small probability of producing a higher tier item, or sometimes the chance of getting additional items. The attributes of the tools you crafted also depend on RNG as they have a certain range of stats that it can fall under. Take note of this especially when buying tools/gear in the marketplace.

These advanced tools require an item called Essence, which is categorized into different types and levels, aligning with the game's three core Specialties: Farming, Combat, and Gathering. For instance, to craft a superior gathering tool, you’ll need a specific Essence from another Specialty, creating an interdependence among the Professions. This system ensures that even if you focus on mastering one Specialty, you'll still need resources from the others to progress, leading to a balanced and interconnected game economy.

Packaging Items into NFTs

Nearly every item in Lumiterra (except for the free starter items) can be turned into NFTs and sold in the Mavis marketplace. You can find the items you’ve collected in your inventory, which is accessed by pressing B on the keyboard (or clicking the inventory under the Menu tab). Each item has an item level, usually indicating its quality or rarity. Some combat items also require your character to be at the same or a higher level to equip them.

To turn your items into NFTs, you’ll need to go through a process called "packaging," which involves minting your in-game items into NFTs, making them on-chain items. This requires an item called a "packaging box." The packaging box items also have item levels, and to mint in-game items, you’ll need a packaging box of the same level for each item.

The minting process will burn the packaging box item. Packaging boxes can be obtained through the Mavis marketplace or various in-game tasks. However, before you can start minting items, you must have a high enough "reputation" score, which we will discuss in the next section.

Storehouse, PvP, and Reputation

In town, you can find an NPC that offers Storehouse services for 5 RON per week. A Storehouse is useful for expanding your inventory, especially if you're gathering various items. It also keeps your precious items safe when venturing into PvP zones.

In Lumiterra, PvP is available in specific areas on the map, marked in red. If you die in these areas, there’s a chance that some items in your inventory will be lost. Renting a Storehouse allows you to store valuable items before entering PvP zones, minimizing the risk of losing them. Another reason to rent a Storehouse is that it significantly increases your Reputation score.

Reputation is a system that rewards loyal players with various benefits, such as higher thresholds for on-chain game items, better chances of earning $RON, unlimited withdrawals, extended Homeland server time, and faster crafting. A low Reputation score results in restrictions like limited withdrawals, reduced on-chain item thresholds, and longer crafting times. Players can increase their Reputation by completing tutorials, using the warehouse, holding in-game assets, finishing dungeons, appearing on leaderboards, and maintaining an older account.

Tasks and Token Tasks

After clearing the beginner tasks, the game opens up for exploration and adventure. To keep things fresh, challenging, and rewarding, Lumiterra offers regular Tasks and Token Tasks. You can access Tasks via the task panel on the menu. Tasks can come from NPCs you meet in the game, asking for items or requiring you to eliminate a specific number of monsters for a reward.

Daily tasks consist of 10 challenges that can be cleared for rewards like XP and in-game items, such as a daily challenge (dungeon ticket). XP tasks, on the other hand, provide a boosted amount of XP for each completion. Before choosing a task, you’ll first select from the 3 Specializations to receive a corresponding task. Tasks can usually be "tracked," with an indicator on the map showing where they can be completed.

On the other hand. Token tasks are similar to regular tasks but have a chance to reward tokens (RON and LUAG). For the current CBT, token tasks work alongside the "luck score," where clearing token tasks increases your luck score. The higher your luck score, the better the chances of receiving a task with a token reward

Dungeons

Dungeon runs are a classic feature of MMORPGs, and Lumiterra offers both PvE and PvP dungeons to cater to different playstyles. PvE dungeons are divided into the three core Specializations—Combat, Gathering, and Farming. Combat and Gathering missions can be tackled solo or with a team, while the Farming challenge is a solo-only experience. To enter a PvE dungeon, you'll need a badge or ticket, which can be obtained through daily tasks.

These dungeons, also known as daily challenges, feature a series of levels (from 1-9), with rewards depending on the highest level you clear. As you progress through the dungeon, you’ll earn progressively better rewards, including experience points and NFTs such as equipment and materials. These rewards come from defeating monsters, gathering resources, and completing chapters.

PvP dungeons, on the other hand, cater more to the competitive, end-game side of things. These dungeons, called Training Grounds, have restricted opening hours, which are indicated by a timer showing when the next session begins. Similar to PvE dungeons, you'll need a badge or ticket to enter. PvP dungeons are tied to the game's leaderboard, and performing well in these dungeons can earn you valuable rewards.

Tips and Tricks

Before we conclude, here are some tips and tricks to help you get a head start in Lumiterra:

• Mastering Specialties: While it's possible to master all three Specialties, it's time-consuming and requires a lot of effort. Realistically, it's more efficient to focus on maximizing one or two Specialties and buying the materials you need from the remaining ones.
• Careful Leveling: As mentioned earlier, Lumiterra doesn’t have a single XP bar for overall character growth. Instead, XP is divided among the three Specialties, and it’s up to you to decide which to prioritize. Within each skill tree, there’s a general level-up for that specific Specialty, which unlocks new layers of skills and talents. While it might be tempting to level up quickly, be cautious, leveling up your Specialties will increase the difficulty of tasks, such as venturing into red zones or facing higher-level monsters. Additionally, resetting your talent/skill points later on will cost you the stats and talents you gained, without returning the XP spent, and on higher levels, leveling down will require a hefty amount of RON. As a general rule, try to craft a full gear set (weapon and armor) before jumping to the next level.
  

• Squad Up: Having a squad will immensely help in various parts of the game. For example, combat tasks often require eliminating multiple monsters, and having a squad can speed up this process as monster eliminations are credited to your squad. A full squad can also assist in daily challenges and dungeons. You can create or join a squad by clicking on the party icon next to the task icon.
• Energy Management: Remember, you won’t earn any loot if you have no energy. Manage your energy by farming energy materials or buying energy potions from the marketplace. If you’re a free-to-play player, you can wait for the daily free energy the game gives out.
• Cheesing and kiting Monsters: At lower levels, monsters can deal significant damage, especially if you don’t have good enough gear. However, there are ways to "cheese" certain monsters, particularly melee ones. One person in your squad can use a bow to bait a monster while others attack from behind. The monster will typically follow the baiter, allowing the others to attack freely. Just be careful monsters in Lumiterra have specific ranges, and if you kite them too far, their health will reset. Also, note that some monsters have AoE attacks that can still hit other squad members. The innate"dodge" skill of your character can also be used to dodge incoming projectiles.
• Maximizing Gathering Efficiency: Your gathering tools (axe, pickaxe, scythe) have specific ranges for the items they can collect. To maximize efficiency, try to find clusters of items that are close to each other so you can gather them simultaneously, saving you some time. 

Lumiterra may start simple, but as you advance, its economy and gameplay reveal new layers of complexity. We hope this guide has given you a solid foundation to begin your adventure. Now, gather your friends, farm that RON tokens, and prepare for the intense combat challenges that await in Lumiterra!