Kwari Game Play ScreenShots
Kwari Game Maps
On the surface Kwari is a rapid action first-person shooter, with all the sci-fi trimmings and weapons you’d ever need. However there is a whole lot more going on.
Kwari has been designed with a singular purpose in mind; to give you the opportunity to translate your shooter skills into some serious cash. Everything about the game has been tailored to that effect, so much so that even an average player should be able to quickly get ahead in the game.
Every time you hit another player in Kwari you make money. Every time you are hit by another player it costs you. Every shot counts. How much is down to the stake level you play in. But this is not the only way to win.
Doing damage to yourself, breaking crates, using certain map features, picking up additional weapons, or health packs may have a fractional cost attached. This is then spread between a series of jackpots, prizes and awards available in the game, all of which can be won by any player, regardless of the skill or stake level of game they prefer to play.
At no point, however, does Kwari take any of this money. 100% of the cash generated through playing the game goes back to the players in the form of prizes.
The most frequent of these prizes is The Pill (Flag) Jackpot, which is split between the player who carries The Pill (Flag) the longest, and the player who finishes the round holding The Pill (Flag).
Other jackpots in the game are won by collecting Kwari keys, which spawn regularly in the game until the prize has been won. Jackpots increase in size depending on the number of keys required to win them and the time period over which they are released, ranging from one hour to six months. Once a Jackpot has been won, the key series begins again and the prize fund for that Jackpot begins building up again. Kwari keys can be found inside various crates scattered throughout the game, but that’s not all they contain. Crates can carry pickups, weapons or even cash prizes as well as jackpot keys.
In addition, as you become more experienced at Kwari you will receive tasks to complete in the game which will earn you a cash bonus. These tasks can be completed in a single round or over many evening’s worth of play and they stay with you until they are completed.
Kwari offers a significant number of ways for players to win, which means there are a wide range of tactics to be employed – and it’s not simply a case of who’s the best FPS player.
Maybe you’re a highly skilled shooter gamer who prefers to make money from other players by excessive use of the rocket launcher. Perhaps you prefer a more stealthy approach, and make your winnings from picking off crates and taking their contents when nobody is watching. You might rather get the adrenaline rush of being the Pill carrier. All these tactics work well, and undoubtedly you will find the right method to make a killing in Kwari.
At no point does the house take any of this cash – if you win it, it’s yours. You can get your winnings back to your real bank balance easily and quickly.
The game is free to download, you’ll need ammunition and this is the only place Kwari charges for anything. Think of Kwari as your virtual arms dealer – Kwari supplies you with the ammo (which works in all weapons) for a fixed cost.
Some more Info is supplied in the FAQ.
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1. Release Date
1.1 When will Kwari be released?
To coin a phrase, “When it’s done.â€
We have a release date that we are working to at the moment, however we’re keeping it under our hats for the time being as many things may change as a result of testing before we hit that date. Be sure, there will be an announcement well in advance of our release date.
2. The Beta Test
2.1 How will I know if I’ve been accepted into the beta test?
The beta test for Kwari will run over several months, starting very small and build gradually. At each stage of the test we’ll bring in more players until eventually we hit open beta at which point all applicants will be invited to join.
You will be contacted by Kwari with details on how to take part in the beta in advance of that stage commencing.
2.2 Will beta testers need to use real money?
No.
All the money in beta testing will be simulated. Every player will have a fixed amount of beta cash to use (which isn’t real!) in order to test the game. At fixed intervals during the test every player’s beta cash will be restocked.
3. Playing Kwari
3.1 Will I be able to play Kwari without paying money?
Yes, Kwari will include a practise mode which will simulate the cash for ammo and game play. Every player who registers to play the game will receive enough practise cash to get to learn the game before playing for real.
When a player then joins the real game they will be credited with further practise funds so they can keep their skills sharp once playing for money.
3.2 Will team play be possible in Kwari?
Kwari has been designed to be a solo experience with every player playing it for themselves. As such it has been made as difficult as possible to identify other players in the game while playing it to avoid people who know each other working together. Kwari is a game which puts your individual ability to the test, not your ability to work as a team.
3.3 What’s to stop highly skilled players taking out new players for easy cash?
Kwari includes a bespoke skill matching system designed to pitch players against others of similar ability. The rating of your skill is not purely based on your accuracy, or the number of kills you’ve gained, the rating is built up from many areas of the game. To that end it is not a rating of how good you are at first person shooters, rather it is a rating of your competency at Kwari – it is entirely possible that you can increase your skill level without ever firing a shot!
This system will not, however, punish long term players. Your skill level will go down as well as up in order to ensure that you are always able to be in a game that you have a good chance of winning.
3.4 How does The Pill work?
The Pill spawns on every Pill mode map at a certain point within the round, these points can be identified by the unique mark on the floor of the level. The jackpot assigned to the Pill is split in two ways – the player who held the Pill longest, and the player who finishes the round with the Pill. If you fulfil both these criteria you win both parts of the Pill jackpot.
When the Pill spawns it will immediately be visible to all players in the level, and if you’re the one carrying it you can be certain it means that you’re a target.
The jackpot for the Pill is fuelled by several elements – self-inflicted damage, damage done by traps and costs associated to the pickups in game.
For every weapon, health pack and other optional pickup in the game a cost is attached, a percentage of this cost is then cycled into the Pill jackpot, as well as all the other prizes in the game. None of this pickup cost is taken by Kwari; it all goes back into prizes.
3.5 Will Kwari contain in-game advertising?
Advertising within Kwari is something that we’re considering, however for the initial release of the game it will not contain in-game advertising.
If at any point advertising is included in the game it will be in a manner which enhances either gameplay or the prizes available in game.
3.6 Kwari Winnings and Tax
Any money made through Kwari will be subject to the laws of your own country regarding taxable capital gains.
Tax in the case of large winnings will not be deducted by Kwari and it will be the responsibility of individual players to ensure they are abiding by their national taxation rules.
3.7 Is Kwari Gambling?
No, Kwari is a game of skill.
Kwari has been developed to ensure at all stages that success is generated by the ability of the player rather than luck in any fashion. This brings the game under the umbrella heading of being a game of skill and not a gambling enterprise.
Everything, from the exchange of cash due to shooting another opponent, to gaining the main map prize associated with the Pill, to winning a monthly key jackpot is down to the skill of the individual player. Nothing is decided through chance, it is the actions of the players in the game that dictate exactly who wins and how much.
Players are balanced in terms of their ability in the game to ensure that at no point should you ever be in a situation where you face someone who will dominate the entire match. As such every game of Kwari you play will see you on an equal footing to your opponents, it comes down to your skills, tactics and decisions you make as to whether you come out ahead or not.
3.8 How do Key Jackpots work?
Key Jackpots are generated over time from the cost of picking up weapons and power-ups in the game. Depending on the length of the Key Series attached to the Jackpot it will payout with a certain frequency, be that hourly, daily, monthly and so on.
The simplest way to explain how this system works is through example.
The Bronze Key Series is a Jackpot prize that pays out once an hour and is usually worth between K$50 and K$60 in value. In order to win the prize you have to be the first person of all active Kwari players to collect the entire Bronze Key Series, which in this case is 3 keys.
Keys are found in destructable crates in every Pill map in the game, and this is the only way to get them, however keys are not the only thing that can be found in crates. Crates also contain regular weapons and pickups, and cash prizes, which while often quite small can make the difference between a round in profit or not. There is a small cost for each one you destroy (the Kwari Corporation takes a dim view of people blowing up their containers!) However this charge will be minute and, as with other game charges, be cycled into more prizes you can win.
When picking up a key you won’t know which series it belongs to right away - maybe it will be the elusive last one you need for the week jackpot, maybe it’ll be another one for your collection toward the big 6 month prize. At any rate it’s always worth picking up as the biggest prizes in Kwari come from key jackpots!
Keys spawn in the every game on a constant basis, and there is no advantage to be had by playing at a certain level or certain game type - every player has an equal shot at getting all the keys first.
4. Money
How does Kwari make money?
We generate money from the game purely through the sale of ammo. The price has not been finalised yet, but it will not be expensive - after all, charging too much to play the game would severely dampen the interest in playing it. The ideal that we’re working towards is that the cost of ammo will be significantly outweighed by a successful, profitable single match.
This ammo charge allows us to provide the servers and infrastructure for players to compete on as well as financing further support, development and improvement of the game after it has been released.
How are prizes funded?
There are several ways the game creates prize money; the first and most frequent being a cost assigned to all weapons and pickups. The exact price will vary between different games, but for the sake of the following example we’ll say that every item (weapon, health, power-ups and so on) costs 5 Kwari cents to pick up.
From this 5c the majority is immediately cycled straight into the map jackpot, a share of which can be won either by carrying the Pill for the longest time or finishing the map in possession of it.
The remainder of this charge is then pooled into the other prizes in the game, such as Key Jackpots, Trophy Rewards and Crate cash drops.
100% of this 5c charge is cycled into prizes, none of it goes to Kwari.
Crates also cost a small amount to destroy, as they are the only place to find keys and cash drops, but once again the cost of this is put straight into the total prize fund.
In the event that a prize is not won at the end of a match, the Pill being left entirely alone for the duration of a match for example, the money is put straight back into the prize fund so it can still be won. Once again, none of this prize money goes to Kwari, the only time Kwari makes money is when you buy ammo.
4.1 How does Kwari allow me to handle my money?
The first part of your account is your Bankroll. This account is the one you transfer money from your payment system of choice into and out of the game from. This account is never touched by the game unless you authorise it, unless you win a Key Series Jackpot, at which point your winnings are put directly into your Bankroll.
The second account is your Game Account, often also referred to as Game Balance. This account sits with you in game and collects winnings from shooting other players, the Pill, crates and so on. Any charges for pickups, fines for self damage or traps, or costs from being shot are deducted from this account. Each stake level (1c per health point, for example) carries a recommended minimum Game Balance before you can join. Transfers between Game Balance and Bankroll happen in the lobby area of the game. If at any point your Game Balance drops to zero while in game you will be ejected from the game.
Finally is your ammo, which while not strictly an account does tie to the others. Ammo can be bought in batches of 5000 (currently, this may be subject to change) from the lobby and in game, the charge for which (is being finalised - but won’t be expensive) deducted from your Bankroll.
4.2 Who is Kwari aimed at?
Kwari is intended to be playable and potentially profitable to anyone who can play a first person shooter. It is not just aimed at elite first person shooter veterans, although they’re as able to make a killing in the game as anyone else.
Through skill matching players will face off against players who have performed to an equal level of competence as themselves which means that in every match you have an equal footing to those you’re playing against.
A new player entering the game for the first time will find that within very few rounds of play they will be able to hold their own in the game and make a profit without it seeming impossible or even too difficult as they’ll be playing against players of their own standard.
Additionally, there will be several different game stake levels to play at and over time better players will choose to move to higher stake games to increase the amount they can win. Even then skill matching is in effect, so the lowest skill-ranked player can still find a way to game when playing for more money.
This system allows Kwari to be playable by anyone who can play a first person shooter, regardless of how good they are, and while in every game some players will come out ahead and others behind, the system is designed so that nobody should be on a losing streak for long.
4.3 How can I make money from Kwari?
Shooting other players – The most straightforward way to reap financial rewards is to point your weapon at choice at the nearest opponent and fill them full of lead/rockets/whirling blades/superheated plasma.
Any damage you deal to other players will instantly make your bankroll rise, you don’t have to kill a player to make money, just damage them. Obviously, everyone else will be doing the same thing, so make sure you inflict maximum damage while minimizing the damage you accrue.
The Pill – There are several strategies around the Pill, which you are well advised to review on www.kwari.com. You don’t have to hold the pill the whole time to win the map jackpot; just holding it for the longest or being the player that has it when the map ends will secure you 50% of the money. Of course, the ideal scenario would be to hold it the longest AND end the map with it in your grasp, but with 15 other players all thinking the same thing that is going to be a hard fought exercise.
Cash In Crates – Located throughout the levels in Kwari are destructible crates, which can contain anything from weapons to pickups to jackpot keys to money! Shooting a crate will make it explode revealing its
Jackpots – A complete explanation of jackpots is available on www.kwari.com
So there’s a broad spectrum of ways to make money in Kwari; from the instant gains from shooting players and finding cash in crates, to the strategies and tactics around the Pill, to the longer term goal of winning a Jackpot.
Kwari, today announced and released details of its new multiplayer online gaming service, which will potentially change the PC gaming
landscape forever.
Kwari’s game of the same name is a first-person shooter (FPS) with a difference; players make money off each other in real-time. The game will ultimately be free to download online, but instead of being subscription-based it will use a unique free-to-play/pay-to-play model whereby Kwari sells the player ammunition in place of flat rate charges or monthly subscriptions.
The skill-based game has been built from the ground up around the concept of money changing hands at a tremendously fast rate, and was developed using some of the most advanced technology available to ensure total financial infallibility fused with benchmark playability.Â
Kwari flies in the face of the social network gaming ethos, which hinges on projecting an identity online, and for others to be able to interact or engage with that online persona. Bring money into the equation, however, and the rules have to change. Anonymity becomes necessary as well as psychologically appealing to a point where Kwari is virtually diametrically opposite to the core values of social networking.
“Money changes everything,†said Eddie Gill, founder and creator of Kwari. “I wanted to create something that had more of a buzz than a traditional FPS. The concept of playing for money is not a new one. However, these games tend to be an existing multiplayer game with a cash prize tagged on the end, much like clan tournaments, which means only a minority walk away with cash winnings – and usually a small amount at that.â€
Gamers playing Kwari for cash set up an account, are matched on the basis of skill, and enter a game at a pre agreed stake level ranging from one cent to one dollar a hit. During the four-round matches (3x 16-player maps, 1x 64-player last man standing map called ‘The Killing Floor’) every time a player hits another, money is decremented from the target’s stake and added to the shooter’s. In a way, the player’s money stake mirrors their in-game health, except it’s exchanged from one player to another.
There are also jackpot prizes which require keys to unlock. These jackpots are fed by self-inflicted damage sustained by the players in all games being played globally. For example, if a player jumps from the top of an arena or takes damage from a hazard, their stake is decremented and this feeds into the jackpots, which are then released hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly - the latter are expected to pay out millions of dollars. Most importantly; all money paid in to the game by players is won out of the game by players.
Being a game of skill, how much money a player can win depends partially on their in-game performance. So to ensure a level playing field, all games are skill-matched so that only players of equal ability are able to compete.
“This is an inevitable evolution for online gaming,†commented Al King, Global Marketing Director for Kwari. “Like most skill-based or competitive games, once played at a professional level or where money is involved, it’s unappealing to return to an amateur status.â€
The game will be available for download towards the end of the year. Until then, the company has opened a sign-up website for the beta test program starting next week.
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