What's New in CU? (3.1 Tribes and Gems Update)
Learn more about the new Tribes and Gems feature in this 3.1 update article!
Hey Unifam! We’re excited to show you the changes coming up next patch! Here are the following changes that will be applied to the core game in line with the upcoming release of Tribes.
The changes will be completed after the maintenance period on February 15, 2023 5:00PM UTC
Check out the article below for more details on the maintenance period.
Important Note:
This list is subject to change. Issues may arise during maintenance that can affect when these changes will be deployed. We’ll keep you updated by editing this post if any changes arise.
❗ The images and videos shown in these patch notes are taken from the dev build of the game, which may have different numbers compared to the live build.
In this Article
Key Features
Patch 3.1 is a monumental release for Crypto Unicorns that includes the introduction of Tribes, as well as an overhaul to Jousting.
The release of Unicorn Tribes is a significant milestone on the roadmap. For the first time, players will be able to work together directly in the core game and utilize resources to upgrade shared structures. The first of these structures is the Gemworks, which unlocks vertical progression for Unicorns that can now be upgraded by equipping Gems.
Tribe warfare will continue to evolve with future releases that will introduce more complexity and, eventually, culminate with the introduction of asynchronous Match3 PvP Tribe battles.
Tribes
The Basics
Tribes are CU’s first-ever in-game social feature where players can collaborate and mutually benefit from each other (and eventually, fight other Tribes).
You have two options to get started—choose an existing Tribe or create your own. When you join an existing Tribe, you can view a list of available Tribes that have specialties indicated by a logo next to their name. Tribes will be pre-sorted by Public first that have available spots, followed by Tribes set to Private that also have available spots.
You can also view a Tribe’s Townhall level, number of members, their preferred region, and privacy — all factors you’ll want to consider before joining a Tribe. Once you finally spot a Tribe that fits what you’re looking for, you can simply join and enter the Tribe as a Guardian, the starting rank of a Tribe member!
Can’t find a Tribe that suits your preference? Or are the Tribes you’ve been eyeing all full? No worries! You can create your own Tribe as long as you have the required T3 building materials to set it up. Generate your Tribe name, set your specialty, privacy, and region (optional) and you’re good to go!
Some players might prefer to limit their Tribe to a specific circle of Unicorn friends. As the Chief of your Tribe, you can set yours up to be Private and invite only specific members by pasting their wallet addresses in the required field and sending an invite. They’ll receive the invite message in their mailbox and will be redirected to the Tribes view.
Keep in mind that while users will still be able to view your Townhall level, specialty, number of Tribe members, and region in the Tribes list, they can’t join unless you send an invite.
Tribes Delegation
Players who wish to give Tribes access to their delegates must enable it in their settings. You can manage this by going to Settings, then Delegation, and going to the Tribes tab. Delegates can also be given permissions to stash in Rift Crystals and Unicorn Souls in the General tab.
Tribes View
Meet everyone in your Tribe! Scattered around are your fellow Tribe members. You’ll have to team up with them to upgrade your Tribe buildings and craft powerful gems to enhance your gameplay.
Tribe member islands surround the Tribe land, based on the order that they join the Tribe.
Townhall
The Townhall is where players can edit their profiles, view other Tribe members, and contribute to the Tribe’s inventory.
Overview
In Overview, players can edit their usernames which will reflect across relevant areas in the Tribe. Changing your username will trigger a blockchain transaction. Your username can be changed anytime, but avoid changing too often so your Tribe doesn’t confuse you for someone else. You can also choose among a variety of Tribe Island Avatars and Profile Avatars to make sure you stand out from the crowd! (Quick tip: you can also access your player profile in Settings.)
Usernames are not unique! They will also take at least 30 blockchain confirmations on Polygon to upgrade visually for your fellow Tribe members. Players will be able to change land avatars and profile images at any point throughout the game.
Members
You can view the total list of members, their usernames, and their ranks in this section.
Guardians are the lowest rank in the Tribe. They’re the default rank for members who join a Tribe.
Elders have higher authority in the Tribe and the status is granted by the Chief. They act as the Chief’s second in command and can upgrade the buildings.
The Chief is the head of the Tribe. They can change members’ ranks and assign them to Elder status, kick out specific Tribe members, and transfer ownership of the Tribe.
This is also the section where you can choose to leave the Tribe. As a Guardian or Elder, you can freely leave the Tribe anytime by clicking the drop-down button and hitting Leave Tribe. Chiefs may not leave the Tribe until all the other members have left, or have transferred the ownership to another member.
Inventory
Teamwork makes the dream work! All Tribe members can contribute materials to upgrade buildings.
The items necessary for upgrading Tribe buildings (Filigree Frame, Luminous Lintel, Pearlescent Panel, and Sparkling Shingles) can be crafted through workshops on individual players’ land.
Similarly, Tier I Gem Crafting Materials can be crafted in the workshop on individual players’ land. Higher tier Gems can only be earned through opening giftboxes.
Players will need to contribute to the Townhall inventory for the Tribe to be able to upgrade their buildings. Once items have been contributed, they can no longer be taken back or removed from the Tribe inventory.
Learn more about Tribes with our guides on GitBook and Zendesk.
Gemworks
There is now a way to upgrade the stats of existing Unicorns—all thanks to the Gemworks! This is the key structure where you will be able to craft Gems using Codices as blueprints.
Codex and Codex Pages
A Codex (or “Codices” plural) is like a blueprint used to craft Gems. Their stats are randomly generated when rolled, with bonuses varying based on the tier of the Codex (1-6). Codices are non-tradeable.
To craft Codices, you will need some RBW tokens and some Codex pages. Codex pages are obtained from loot boxes and gift boxes that come from in-game rewards. You’ll collect these over time as you continue questing, jousting, etc.
Common Codices are immediately unlocked with a level 1 Gemworks building. Higher Tier Codices will be unlocked when the building reaches levels 4 and 8, respectively.
A Codex also has a set number of charges, which means you can craft the same Gem up to the indicated amount of charges it has. Once a codex has been exhausted of charges it will be removed from a player’s inventory.
Gems
The cost to craft different Gems by tiers is listed below.
Starting at Tier 2, Rift Crystals will be required as a crafting ingredient. Similarly, starting at Tier 3, Unicorn Souls will be required as a crafting ingredient.
Note: Once Rift Crystals are locked in for Gem Crafting use, they can’t be unlocked.
Each tier of Gem has a range of stats that can be rolled, as well as a chance for a percentage-based stat increase. Below are the bonus ranges for each tier:
Note that the distribution between minimum and maximum bonus ranges is not linear. Rolling the maximum bonus in any given tier is considerably harder than rolling a lower value within the range.
After collecting a newly crafted Gem, it will pop up in the Locked tab under Gems. If the Gem meets the bonus range you wanted, then you’ll need to mint it to the blockchain before you can equip it to a Unicorn. (Remember, this will be much faster on XAI! But it’s important for Gems to be on-chain so they can actually affect a Unicorn’s metadata stats.)
Minted Gems can be equipped to Unicorns and increase their stats! Unicorns that haven’t been bred can have up to 2 Gems equipped, with a maximum of 8 Gem slots available to Unicorns that have been completely bred out.
It’s important to note that gem equipment is permanent — it can’t be unequipped. Players can, however, equip new Gems that replace/overwrite existing Gems. When replacing/overwriting Gems, the original Gem will be effectively burned.
Get started with Gemworks with our guides on GitBook and Zendesk.
Shadowforge
Glue Factory
If you find yourself crafting higher-tier Gems and running low on Unicorn Souls, the Glue Factory is now here to help!
Regardless of whether or not Twilight Tactics battles are active, the Glue Factory will be perpetually open for players to sacrifice Unicorns to acquire more Unicorn Souls.
Remember: this is a permanent action! Unicorns sent to the Glue Factory will be effectively burned.
Unicorns only have 1 soul, regardless of their total stats or number of Mythic parts.
For convenience, you will be able to send multiple Unicorns for sacrifice in a single transaction (maximum of 20 Unicorns per transaction) if you so choose.
Read our guide on Glue Factory on GitBook and Zendesk.
High Tier Minions
Shadowcorn holders rejoice—Higher tier Minions are here! Tier 2 and Tier 3 Minions will be added to Shadow Forge and future Twilight Tactics events. Here’s a sample of a Fire Minion’s visual differences at each Tier.
In the Rituals section of the Shadowforge, players will easily identify which tier a Minion Ritual is by the star on the left side of the minion. The number of stars will match the tier (e.g. 1 star for Tier 1). Aside from the usual requirements, some Rituals for Higher Tier Minions might require consuming a lower-tier Minion of the same class and Rift Crystals.
These upgraded Minions will be useful in future battles of Twilight Tactics.
In the meantime, we have created a leaderboard for Minion crafting similar to the original Shadow Forge leaderboard from last year. The exact details and rewards of that leaderboard is here:
Jousting: The Great Rework
Jousting has been overhauled with a brand new formula for calculating scores when two Unicorns are going head-to-head in the arena.
The new formula changes Jousting to be more of a balanced RPS (rock-paper-scissors) system that considers all four of the major stat categories (Power, Speed, Endurance, Intelligence) instead of prioritizing Power and Intelligence. This means that all classes of Unicorns will now be viable to participate in Jousting to some degree, with more emphasis on total stats.
Stat categories will contribute to the new formula in the following ways:
Power increases bonus damage
Speed increases the chance to get a speed burst, the chance to dodge
Intelligence Increases the chance to dodge and reduces the chance to stumble.
Endurance Reduces the chance to stumble, increases base damage absorption, increases the chance to recover, and increases the chance to stagger.
Universal Hit Chance
In the previous Jousting formula, a Unicorn’s chance to hit was driven largely by how much Intelligence they have. This put too much emphasis on Intelligence as the most significant stat.
Now the chance to hit is standardized and only affected when a Unicorn stumbles.
Stumble & Speed Boost Changes
Stumble and Speed Boost have been adjusted to match the visual element: Stumbles reduce the chance to hit and Speed Boosts increase the chance to Knockout.
New: Absorption
To counteract the effectiveness of Power in increasing potential damage done, there is now a defensive mechanic called Absorption that decreases damage done on a percentage basis. Higher endurance will increase Absorption.
New: Recovery Points
Along with changes to the formula, we are also introducing points for recovering to help counteract the effectiveness of Knockouts.
When KO’d, Unicorns will now receive points based on how quickly they recover. The more endurance a Unicorn has, the more likely they are to recover quickly.
Tuning Values & Community Testing
Thanks to the great work from Venticello, community members can run their own Jousting simulations and experiment with different tuning values themselves!
For this first release of the new Jousting formula, we have chosen values that attempt to create a more level playing field for all Unicorns, while also considering that Star Unicorns have been bred considerably more at higher total stats than other classes.
The beauty of this update is that now have a lot more control over the formula with tuning values alone. This means that we can make updates to Jousting much more frequently, enabling us to experiment quickly and make corrections as needed.
We are excited about the potential of this Uniwu tool to provide players with more data and the ability to make specific suggestions when it comes to tweaking the formula further.
The Jousting simulator is directly accessible here: https://uniwu.me/fight/all
The exact tuning values used in 3.1 will be shared later this week.
Delegation Error Message
When the Owner of the account is logged in and the Delegate attempts to log in as well, they now get an error message to wait until the Owner ends their session.
Open Multiple Boxes
We finally made it happen! You can now open multiple boxes at the same time, be it giftboxes or lootboxes! Just indicate how many boxes you’d like to open (better yet, hit that MAX button to open them all) and a pop-up window will appear showing all of your collected loot.
Removed Total Breeding Points from Unicorn Card
To remove clutter from the Unicorn Card, we removed the total breeding points (#/8) displayed in the card. Now, users will only see how many breeding points are left.
Questing Notifications
Users now get a red notification indicator in Quest Board and Events when a Unicorn has finished questing. These will act as “breadcrumbs” that navigate players to the specific event or daily/weekly quest that has been completed.
Improved Unicorn Filter
Do your Unicorn filters reset when moving from building to building? Say less! We’ve improved the filter system so it keeps the previous filter you set and will persist across all navigation areas until you change it again.
Changelog
15 Feb 2024, 06:35 UTC - The values for the “3.1 Gem Crafting Materials and Codex Pages on Gathering Carts” has been updated.
18 Feb 2024, 06:41 UTC - Added a note about Rift Crystals being locked in-game.