I simply did not know what an NFT (Non-fungible token) was, let alone what the term Smart Contract, Blockchain Technology, or Gas Fees meant. As with real life, it did not take me long to figure out I hate gas fees connected to NFTs just as much as I do to gas fees in real life!
This launch was a dream come true for its creator and development team. I have since learned over the following months that it is rare for a project to sell out so quickly unless there is demand from an enthusiastic and engaged community. Indeed, this was the case for the launch of the PANDA DYNASTY NFTs. The whole project was minted within 24 hours and was in the digital wallets of its fans and supporters.
This was just the beginning for creator Gabriel Mamou-Mani (also known as GANONDORF) and the team from PANDA DYNASTY as they had set out a roadmap to act upon after the mint. Now encouraged by their new community of NFT holders, all eager to see the world of PANDA DYNASTY expand, it was time to develop their project to sit alongside the greats that had minted before them.
At this point, I was still oblivious to this feat of marketing and brand engagement with its audience or how and when my path would cross with this dynamite NFT collection of artwork involving a much-endangered icon in the real world.
When a friend showed me the digital art, they had bought using Cryptocurrency, I was unaware of the term NFT.
It seemed somehow stock related and sounded way too techy for my mind to wrap itself around. So, I did what all good friends do in times like these. I appeared impressed and applauded him on his latest choice of discord gaming avatar.
While I sounded impressed, it did not pique my interest in the least. We can all screengrab an image to use as a kick-ass avatar, right? Why waste very lucrative crypto coins on something you can get for free? I soon found myself schooled on the ways of NFT and the benefits of digital ownership unlike that of the real world which suggests imitation is high praise, even when it's stealing potential earnings from the original artist(s).
Being a creative myself, I was always wary of giving out showing works to the world online. After researching how NFTs work, I saw the incredible benefits and potential NFTs could deliver, even in the technology's infancy. Verified ownership by way of Smart Contracts using Blockchain Technology and receiving royalties for your work as it possibly increases in value and moves from hand to hand is incredible.
I was sold on the concept straight away. After discovering the vast array of NFT artworks on numerous marketplace platforms, I threw myself down the rabbit hole, eager to learn and discover more as well as find something I could afford in this new medium of art.
After realising that I was late discovering NFTs and that the well-established NFTs on the market were well out of my financial reach, I just wanted one piece of art that I hang in my study. Then began a daily hunt through the masses of pixel art, questionable copyrighted material or blatant scam pieces to try and find something that screamed out for me to buy it.
Scrolling on the OPENSEA.IO marketplace, I discovered a hairy face and torso that made me chuckle before slamming the confirm button and buying that golden grinning, donut glasses and unicorn t-shirt wearing PANDA numbered #6250. I had now found my tribe. The artwork was amazing and after checking the creator's collection, I found that my PANDA had 8,887 more friends...
After announcing to my friend that I had purchased a PANDA DYNASTY NFT, he quietly whispered that there were more of me online and said I was now part of a large art-loving digital community. We were both gamers using Discord for chats during gaming. It took only a few seconds for him to lift the carpet of the Discord Gaming server channels to show me the NFT communities living in harmony on another level.
I quickly searched up PANDA DYNASTY and was welcomed into the Discord Server of PANDA DYNASTY NFT holders like they had been waiting for my arrival since my purchase. I felt a little embarrassed thinking that I was somehow late, but this was soon dismissed by those I met roaming around the sub-channels of the community. I was eager to find out what was in store for the community and how the project would grow from 8,888 pieces of artwork.
With the PANDA DYNASTY MINT selling out within 24 hours, the creative team’s moment of joy was just that…a moment as they now needed to set about creating the PANDA DYNASTY COMIC. Characters and artwork from the PANDA DYNASTY NFT were to be turned into a comic strip as part of the first milestone on the PROJECT ROAD MAP. The sheer speed of the PANDA DYNASTY MINT sell out was a clear indication that supporters of the project were eager to learn more about the world of their unique characters.
Demand for the PANDA DYNASTY COMIC meant that GANONDORF and the team were back into action to deliver upon this promise. The content must connect with community members and provide a solid foundation for a universe, characters, and situations that would become lore and influence future productions.
Rather than keeping the story development in-house with the team, GANONDORF threw open the door to the PANDA DYNASTY DISCORD COMMUNITY. He invited members to participate in the creation of the PANDA DYNASTY COMIC alongside artist PANDITA. As the black ink on white paper flowed, so did the beginnings of an origin story where Man and Panda were set on a collision course and destined for conflict. The involvement of community members ensured that the team capitalised on the enthusiasm from the PANDA DYNASTY MINT and had this collaboration steaming full-ahead into world-building through an eight-episode comic.
I can picture GANONDORF (FRA) nervously pacing his studio floor, laser-focused on keeping the project to its promised deadline for the broader community as the ideas firmed under the brush of PANDITA (ESP). SARKASTIC WARRIOR (USA) took up the role of Project Owner and set about translating the concept of community into a scenario. The whole PANDA DYNASTY community embraced the opportunity to be part of the development of the origins story and PANDA DYNASTY COMIC.
Next was to select a suitable platform to deliver the comic to the community. WEBTOON, a free-to-view site where artists post cartoon artwork from all genres, was chosen. Now the home to the first episode of PANDA DYNASTY COMIC: AGE OF THE DYNASTY EPISODE 1.
With colour added, text aligned, and the humour applied, the first comic strip and subsequent episodes will provide clues to assist community members in undertaking the PANDA DYNASTY TREASURE HUNT. During the development of the PANDA DYNASTY COMIC and its world, the community identified and incorporated many real-world items into the story. These items now hold special significance as they assist in moving through eight steps to complete the PANDA DYNASTY TREASURE HUNT.
As community members move along the eight steps, each step comes with a specific PANDA PASS that provides instructions on how to complete a task to move to the next step. With hints throughout the PANDA DYNASTY COMIC and elsewhere on the PANDA DYNASTY WEBSITE, all community members need to do is complete each step to be a step closer to being one of the first eight to
I have never been that great at puzzles or winning things; however, this is a fantastic opportunity for all community members (even me) to participate with a real chance at winning. Unlike other situations where one winner takes all, there is an opportunity for the first eight community members that succeed to share the prize. Using their PANDA DYNASTY NFT and the PANDA PASSES that they collect at each of the eight steps, they will get to unluck the Treasure Chest that awaits them.
Members will learn about the wider PANDA DYNASTY world and its origins through the PANDA DYNASTY COMIC and the TREASURE HUNT that both serve to provide a rich backstory for PANDA characters. Another reward for the community is interacting with your PANDA DYNASTY NFT along each of the eight steps as you get closer to hopefully sharing in the Treasure Chest Prize. So read the PANDA DYNASTY COMIC to keep one step ahead of the other thousands of community members eager to win. Good luck to all PANDA DYNASTY NFT holders in attempting to claim one of the eight final spots in the TREASURE HUNT. Keep an eye out for further clues as you collect those PANDA PASSES.
Website : https://www.pandadynasty.io/
OpenSea : https://opensea.io/collection/pandadynasty
Twitter : https://twitter.com/PandaD_NFT
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/pandadynastynft/
Discord : https://discord.gg/7U5mJXgNPW
Next, I will dig a little deeper into the eight steps of the PANDA DYNASTY TREASURE HUNT. I also have interviews with the international members of the PANDA DYNASTY team.
OZFr1day (AUS)
