Please describe your proposed solution.

With your support, the Aurora Initiative will overcome the challenges of engaging Web3 games with fun and immersion!

Our mission is to deploy a gaming-chatbot platform, embedding NFT-characters within a captivating storyline. Our journey begins by building a stunning anime-centered gaming universe, intricately weaving together enjoyable chatbot personalities and NFTs. Doing this, our focus will be on cultivating a profound user engagement through true ownership of various character assets. Utilising existing principles and tools, we'll consolidate diverse technologies into a unified, tailor-made experience - crafted exclusively on Cardano - to cater to a global audience.

What we ARE doing: In the Aurora Initiative characters and their cosmetics will be NFTs, with some characters and cosmetics being more rare than others. However, there will be a free-to-play version for those new to blockchain gaming and who want to jump in right away without having to buy an NFT (but they can always choose to do so later). Ultimately, the idea is to make a GREAT gaming experience in a world you want to spend time exploring. Think Azur Lane, Blue Archive or other similar gacha games + NFT empowered characters and cosmetics + AI chatbot functionality!

What we're NOT doing: There will be no on-chain game tokens or permanently on-chain features, as we don’t want to drown players in transaction fees, pump or dump prices, or have play-2-earn mechanics. This isn’t a Web3 game for the sake of it. Enjoyable game play features must come first.

Why the Solution of Fund 11: We’re aiming for the Solution category of Fund 11 of Project Catalyst because of the team’s past experience with similar interactive experiences on Ethereum. Specifically, many members of the Aurora Initiative worked on Atsuland Saga. Besides being on Ethereum, Atsuland Saga was also more adult themed and a bit more… naughty.

Please don’t hold that against us!

With the Aurora Initiative we’re taking all that worked with Atsuland Saga, but upgrading the features and setting, while also downgrading the boobas. We want the Aurora Initiative to be suitable for all players!

The website and socials for Atsuland Saga can be found here:

Website: <https://atsulandsaga.com/>

Twitter: <https://twitter.com/AtsulandSaga>

Medium: <https://medium.com/@atsulandsaga>

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community.

Our project - The Aurora Initiative - aims to enrich the Cardano community by introducing an immersive anime-NFT-chatbot experience, fostering engagement and utility within the ecosystem. We'll measure impact through user participation, community feedback, and later NFT transactions, gauging qualitative experiences and quantitative metrics like user retention and NFT marketplace activity. Outputs will be shared through community forums, social media, and the usual dedicated Catalyst reports, collaborating with Cardano stakeholders to showcase opportunities and insights gained from our project's success.

Our initial targets targets are as follows:

• Engage +2000 players in the Alpha release
• Onboard a minimum of 500 new players into the Cardano ecosystem
• Have +50% player retention after 1 month of Alpha release
• Have +3000 social media followers before Alpha release

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Our team, with diverse backgrounds spanning Cardano governance, tech entrepreneurship, game development, NFTs, art direction, and AI development, ensures trust and accountability in project delivery.

The Aurora Initiative is entirely feasible, as it is a combination of the various tech and game features that the team have already mastered over dozens of years of collective experience.

By combining our entrepreneurial prowess and management skills, we're equipped to manage funds responsibly. Strategies include transparent financial reporting, periodic audits, and Catalyst project reporting to showcase responsible resource utilisation to stakeholders and the Catalyst community.

What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Conceptualization and Design Phase Completed:

• Detailed Project Scope Finished: Define the specific features, functionality, and overall scope of the AI-chatbot anime-art NFT gaming project.
• Artistic Concept Development Completed: Collaborate with artists to create a detailed artistic concept for the anime art that will be used in the NFTs and the gaming environment.
• Technical Architecture Scoped-out: Design the technical architecture, including the integration of AI-chatbot capabilities, gaming mechanics, and the eventual planned NFT mint.

>Launch of Community Engagement and Marketing:

• Community Building Started: Start building a community around the project through social media, forums, and other platforms to generate interest and gather feedback.
• Marketing Campaign Begins: Develop and launch marketing campaigns to create awareness about the project, including the unique aspects of the anime art, NFTs, and gaming experience. Lean into existing relationships and connections to other projects.
• Start and Maintain Feedback Collection: Open channels for feedback and engage with the community to gather insights that can be used to improve the project before the Alpha release.

>Prototyping and Technology Development is Finished:

• Initial Chatbot Development is Complete: Build and integrate the AI-chatbot functionality, ensuring natural language processing and understanding to create engaging conversations within the gaming environment.
• NFT Smart Contracts Completed: Working with Patrick and NMKR, develop and deploy smart contracts for the creation, sale, and exchange of anime-art NFTs on a blockchain platform.
• Gaming Engine Integration Completed: Integrate the gaming engine, incorporating anime art assets and ensuring smooth interaction with the AI-chatbot. See about collaboration with Seb and Paima Studios.

>Alpha Release Preparation:

• Alpha-version of User Interface (UI) Design Finished: Develop a visually appealing and user-friendly interface for the gaming environment, website, and NFT mint page.
• Completed Alpha Testing and Quality Assurance: Conduct thorough testing of the AI-chatbot, gaming mechanics, and NFT functionalities to identify and address any bugs or issues.
• Initial Security Audits Completed: Perform security audits to ensure the integrity and safety of user data, NFT transactions, and gaming interactions.

>Early Alpha Release:

• Begin Limited Access Release: Launch an early Alpha version of the project with limited access to a select group of users or community members.
• Start Feedback Iteration: Gather feedback from users and make iterative improvements to the AI-chatbot, gaming mechanics, and NFT features based on user experiences.
• Continue Community Involvement: Encourage community involvement during the Alpha release, fostering a sense of ownership and loyalty among early adopters.

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Project and Partnership Lead: Sheldon Hunt (<https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheldonhunt/>) is your resident Cardano-governance and utility maxi! Currently standing-up Intersect, he was previously at IOG as a key-player in the Voltaire team. Previously Sheldon has been a Canadian diplomat, gaming entrepreneur, businessman, and movie producer (an occupation he still dabbles in). Committed to driving innovation, adoption and governance within Cardano, he is keen to push forward with the engagement and fun the Aurora Initiative can provide to thousands of people - both inside and outside the ecosystem.

Game and Art Lead: Zack, a Master's Degree holder in Information Technology and seasoned Crypto Veteran. Serving as the CEO of both an innovative LED organization and Howitzer Studios, Zack seamlessly combines technical prowess with creative leadership. With a wealth of experience, he navigates the dynamic intersection of IT, business analysis, and the crypto space, showcasing a unique blend of skills and entrepreneurial flair.

Community and NFT Lead: Gambit a Jr. Computer Scientist with a robust background in AI and Image Processing. With over two years of hands-on experience in the NFT space, he has served as an advisor, community manager, collaboration manager for projects on both Ethereum and Solana. Currently contributing with his expertise to Weebox/San FranTokyo. Some of his previous works are with Nubbies and Nekozuma as a team member, advised Kevin Lynch for an official Kobe Bryant NFT drop. This individual brings a wealth of technical knowledge and practical experience.

Art Director: @0xOrona, an accomplished Art Director with a rich background in Digital Art. Having served as an art professor in esteemed universities such as Silpakorn University, Sripatum University, and Thammasat University, makes her a valuable asset in the creative realm. As the Art Director, @0xOrona's extensive knowledge and artistic vision contribute significantly to the projects she undertakes, adding a layer of depth and creativity to each endeavor.

Lead Developer: TechRat, is a coding maestro with a Master's Degree from RMIT, ranked 1st in Australia and 43rd globally. While there he was part of the aerospace rocketry engineering team supervising software development. TechRat's expertise goes beyond academic achievements however, having contributed significantly to AI development for situational awareness in dental treatment during his time in Bremen, Germany. As a Lead Developer, TechRat has played a pivotal role, overseeing all coding aspects for ITO Thailand, showcasing a commitment to excellence in technology on both a national and international stage.

Artists: 3 additional artists in Thailand

Game Developers: 3 additional game developers in Thailand

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Salaries and Expenses:

1) Project and Partnership Lead: Symbolic Salary - $500/month x 8 months = $4,000

2) Game and Art Lead: Symbolic Salary - $500/month x 8 months = $4,000

3) Community and NFT Lead: Symbolic Salary - $500/month x 8 months = $4,000

4) 4 Artists: $1,000/month x 8 months x 4 = $32,000

5) 4 Game developers: $1,200/month x 8 months x 4 = $38,400

6) Legal fees, company registration, insurance = $4,000

7) Code and blockchain audits = $8,000

8) Marketing and Promotion = $9,000

9) AI-chatbot and server maintenance = $8,600

10) Budget for Other Expenses + Licences + Equipment = $3,000

Total Salaries: $4,000 + $4,000 + $4,000 + $32,000 + $38,400 + $4,000 + $8,000 + $9,000 + $8,600 + $3,000 = $115,000 (300K ADA)

How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

We think the above budget breakdown is HIGHLY effective and wonderful value for money, as significant members of the team will be taking a symbolic salary for their work, while others will be taking a slight cut in their salaries. The team is global, but a lot of the artists and developers are based in Thailand, where the average salaries for these roles is lower. We’re confident that - while a small budget for a video game - we can deliver an incredible product for the Cardano ecosystem.