12+ Decentraland Districts That have made AMAZING Progress | Shedding Light on Decentraland Districts
During the Decentraland Auctions, people had the option of bidding on a private property or ‘staking’ a parcel or 1,000 MANA in a District.
Districts are the purple land you see in Decentraland.
Each was initially proposed and approved and is being lead by an individual or group of people to see the build through. They will make a big part of Decentraland and are expected to have a ton of cool activities and attraction ready to be experienced in the near future.
There’s been a lot of District leaders hard at work and on the down low in terms of their builds. Some have shown off their creations, some have just put their head down and are hard at work.
This blog post is an effort to shed some light on Decentraland District information, current progress, what we can expect as a community and anything else that will bridge the gap between builders of Districts and potential end users of Decentraland.
It will not be the only blog post of it’s kind so don’t worry, I’ll be covering other districts in the future and exploring a little deeper.
Decentraland District Q&A
I reached out to a bunch of District Leaders to see if they could answer some questions the community have asked. Many got back to me fairly quickly, many others were busy and will get back to me in the near future. I will just paste and comment on what I’ve learnt so far.
DCL University District Q&A
James Ashton, (Discord)
Project Lead
‘To create a district of festivals’
‘Create the definitive centre of education in Decentraland’
Answers from James,
“Festival Land and Vegas City both have news letters in progress which address a lot of these questions”
For current investors, what are the planned benefits? For those that have staked lands
Contributors are able to create facilities, deliver educational content and charge tuition fees. We will also aim to make sure learner-contributors are catered for with some sort of membership scheme. Some contributors are also pitching in on the development and business side and getting involved in the behind the scenes stuff.
Is there a way for new people or investors to contribute/invest or take part in the project
Yes, people are welcome to take part and there are investment opportunities going forwards. I can be contacted on Discord, (James Ashton), to discuss this in terms of what the opportunities are.
What are some things being worked on at the moment? (current focus)
It’s a very broad question as there are numerous things being worked on. Some specific projects have been identified to be incorporated into our MVP. These projects are in different phases of development and have different sets of people involved. The Faculty of English has been the very most recent work done and comprises interior and exterior build. It is currently in wireframe awaiting textures.
Any partnerships in the works?
We recently released our partnership with LiveEdu – and that is our current focal point in terms of partnerships on the education side. I have been also talking with a development team who are also interested on taking on some instructional responsibility so that may emerge as some sort of partnership. We are currently working out how.
What is one of THE most exciting thing to look forward to/main attraction of the district
Well the University is a large district with many sub projects (over 20 currently) so it would be impossible to say. Although my personal favourite is the observatory which has some very talented and imaginative people involved..
How close are you in completing the project? (in terms of % or provide a short description)
The University is a project that will never be complete as it will always be in evolution in a quest for better education in VR.
When can we expect to enter or participate in this project, is there a basic roadmap?
As mentioned, anybody who would like to get involved should contact me on Discord. There is not a basic roadmap because it is a complex decentralised project. There are roadmaps for numerous projects. For example, The Observatory is charting a different course of milestones than the School of English. The best thing perhaps is to raise questions in the contributors chat about the particular area you are interested in, then the people actually working on that project can answer directly.
What are some challenges?
Getting the project launched as a team of volunteers when we are encountering costs as we go is a challenge. It limits the number of hours that can be spent in any given week by many of the people who are involved in the University.
Anything else you can add that you want people to know.
Anyone who would like to get involved with the university, whether they contributed or not could contact me on Discord.
Toke Social District Q&A
For current investors, what are the planned benefits? For those that have staked lands
Active contributors (have registered and voted on the startup plan) collectively have 50% of the say in all district matters including financial.
Is there a way for new people or investors to contribute/invest or take part in the project
Yes. The best way to take part in any project is to contribute their labour to the project.
What are some things being worked on at the moment? (current focus)
Building the models and layout based on concept designs.
Any partnerships in the works?
Yes, we have partnered with designers and 3d builders to develop the visual content. We also have a lead on a marijuana-related crypto project that may or may not come to fruition.
What is one of THE most exciting thing to look forward to/main attraction of the district, (if any)
Live speakers
How close are you in completing the project? (in terms of % or provide a short description)
20%
When can we expect to enter or participate in this project, is there a basic roadmap?
By the end of 2018
What have your challenges been in building/completing the project?
Keeping up with Decentraland’s changes in development, design, processes and paperwork.
Central Marketplace District Q&A
For current investors, what are the planned benefits? For those that have staked lands.
I know many of our investors chose the NEXUS Market district becasue of the revenue potential, so we made sure that they’ll earn a good share of it. In addition our investors get first shot at open storefronts if they want to set up their own shop, and discounts on everything sold in the Market.
Is there a way for new people or investors to contribute/invest or take part in the project.
We don’t have a plan to take on new investors. But the Market is all about offering a centrally-located area where in-app vendors can display and sell in-app goods. So there will be plenty of opportunities for content creators to use our tools to open a storefront and offer their products.
Of course, if anyone wants to talk about investing in the district to help us build it out faster, and better, we’re definitely open to that.
What are some things being worked on at the moment? (current focus)
A: We are designing and building the basic structures and testing out scenes in the SDK. We’ve also sketched out some specialized smart contracts that we’ll need, to handle things like product sales that involve multiple parties, like buyer, seller, and publisher. We’ll be talking with the DCL team to understand which commerce features will be included in the SDK in the future, and which features we’ll need to add ourselves.
Any partnerships in the works?
We are talking with some content creators, and also some crypto-collectible developers, about opening branded stores in the Market. It’s a natural fit to have virtual stores that display and sell CryptoKitties or CryptoBeasties in DCL.
What is one of THE most exciting thing to look forward to/main attraction of the district, (if any)
The district will include themed shopping areas, like an open-air market, and an old-London-style shopping street. Another proposed area is The Underbelly — a cyberpunk-themed underground bazaar where edgier vendors can sell edgier products.
Any pics/videos I can add as a snapshot/preview of what’s in the works?
Here’s a artist’s concept of the Underbelly area — though this isn’t from the DCL SDK, so it’ll end up looking a lot lower-poly than this.
Anything else you can add that you want people to know.
Many of the commercial districts in DCL focus on selling real-world branded goods, but we are laser-focused on selling virtual goods that you can use in-app — like buildings and props for your land, and costumes or add-ons for your avatars.
How close are you in completing the project? (in terms of % or provide a short description)
We’re still quite a few months away from completion.
When can we expect to enter or participate in this project, is there a basic roadmap?
We plan to have the all the architecture designed and in place by the time of the first DCL client release. If we can do more than that by then, like actually displaying and selling in-app goods, we will definitely do so.
What are some challenges?
We still have questions about basic in-app features like how item inventory will be handled for avatars, how can we transfer ownership of in-app goods that are not NFTs, and things like that. The DCL team is making great progress on the SDK and the client, so I’m confident those will all be answered soon.
Anarchist International District Q&A
The Battleground District Q&A
“There’s funding available from Decentraland for developers interested in building games. Contact roadcrypto @ The Battleground if you’re a game dev and need some contiguous land (gaming zone).”
For current investors, what are the planned benefits? For those that have staked lands
Land holders will benefit from having a “gold membership” on the district. This will enable them to participate in the governance and shaping of the district and in return, will benefit from royalties that the District will distribute once the costs are covered.
Is there a way for new people or investors to contribute/invest or take part in the project
Financial contributions are limited to donations at this time to not dilute the land stakers’ claims. The Battleground is looking good talent who would like to participate in building from the ground up, that would share in the future benefits along with the land owners.
What are some things being worked on at the moment? (current focus)
The 3d modelling is going through some fine tuning, the general structure is built and ready. The Battleground would like to attract more game makers to utilize the gaming zones of the district.
Any partnerships in the works?
yes.
What is one of THE most exciting thing to look forward to/main attraction of the district, (if any)
Aside from being focused on hosting various games, wtf is inside that tower?
Any pics/videos I can add as a snapshot/preview of what’s in the works?sure.
Anything else you can add that you want people to know.
There’s funding available from Decentraland for developers interested in building games. Contact roadcrypto @ The Battleground if you’re a game dev and need some contiguous land (gaming zone).
Decentraland Museum Q&A
For current investors, what are the planned benefits? For those that have staked lands
Contributors will have spots in the museum to showcase their work or be the brokers of their spaces. The amount of slots will be proportional to their contribution.
Is there a way for new people or investors to contribute/invest or take part in the project
Artists can reach out and be involved in the first art showcase schedules. Investors could help with development costs and expanding.
What are some things being worked on at the moment? (current focus)
We are designing the Museum using the SDK.
Any partnerships in the works?
I know renowned artists around the world, and starting to plan how will they showcase and get involved and excited as well.
What is one of THE most exciting thing to look forward to/main attraction of the district, (if any)
I personally look forward to communal activities and shared experiences. From watching a piece of art, to watching an artistic movie session in one of the museum spaces. I also look forward to artists interacting with international visitors in the Museum.
Any pics/videos I can add as a snapshot/preview of what’s in the works?
Anything else you can add that you want people to know.
We want to be main museum experience in DCL. We are engaging with artists, curators, contributors to create a vision together, and build something different and unique for the art community.
When can we expect to enter or participate in this project, is there a basic roadmap?
The are some timeframes in the proposal, depending on the progress of the platform, we are shooting to have a first art showcase early next year to start getting feedback.
What are some challenges?
Development time and costs in an ever changing landscape.
Carl Fravel District Comments
Mission statement from the blog:
“The mission of the Decentraland Conference Center is to be the premier venue in Decentraland for meetings and conferences, for its members and the broader Decentraland community, as well as a place where outside organizations can make use of virtual reality for their conferences and meetings.
The Decentraland Conference Center will be a welcoming place in Decentraland where we can consult about its development and future, and about how our work, creativity and play in Decentraland can bring benefits both in-world and in the physical world.
We also provide office and business space for those that want to establish a presence in the Conference Center.”
More District Research
These are districts I’ve looked into myself. I will be investigating them further in another blog post.
VARC District
This was covered in more depth in DCL PLazas
A District for All things Architecture
VARC will be a district for Architectural professionals, students, hobbyists, and admirers. I envision this district having many roles and projects under four main categories: Presentation, Education, Design, and Commerce.
Shwedagon Pagoda
Project Lead
Full size – beautiful Swedagon Pagoda – 100% replica of a real one
Inside the Pagoda you will be able to see all famous stories from the life of the Buddha
It is a charity project.
Greenpoint District
Project Lead
There is a lot of progress being made with Greenpoint district behind the scenes including their 300 page bitcointalk forum thread!
They even have their own coin. MVT
Greenpoint is a virtual headquarter for decentralized collaboration, built by and for people from all around the world to connect and create across borders and cultures. The Movement DAO is a pioneering decentralized organization and movement for the advancement of decentralized grassroots activity worldwide. It allows anyone who desires to take part in its governance and development. Its core aims are to enhance and foster decentralized collaboration, and to build valuable networks based on trust and friendship.
Fashion Street District
Project Lead
“Fashion Street aims to be the most exclusive shopping street in DCL, like New Bond Street in London, The Ginza in Tokyo or Via Montenapoleone in Milan.”
Emberell: Responsible for maintaining open lines of Communications Between District Leads and Decentraland
What is your overall feel for the progress being made by districts?
The active districts all feel like they’re making significant strides towards having their first initial builds done. Many, in fact, already do, and are instead working to craft their online presence and community as much as possible. District progress may seem a little slow in the chats, but the behind the scenes work is a lot more than you might expect.
Are all districts making progress? Are any of them being dissolved due to inactivity?
A vast majority of the districts are making progress. of 56 total districts, only 15 never made any progress at all. They will be dissolved, but the rest of the districts have all continued to move forward.
Where are most districts feeling difficulties or having challenges. Is there anything that can be assisted from the community.
The community can help districts in a lot of ways. I think the biggest thing the community can do is assist with the 3D modelling and design of the districts – many districts are in need of creators and artists. Acquiring the assets for a district, big or small, can be a very expensive venture, so besides simple financial investments, it can help a lot to get involved and ask “How can I help build the district?”
Final Words From DCLBlogger
It’s evident there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes that we should be excited for. The great and unique thing about Decentraland is that there are many teams and individuals coming together to build Genesis City.
There is ample space for new investors and individuals that would like to help to reach out to district leaders and ask how they can help.
I will be chasing up more district leaders and hopefully getting information about the rest of the districts.
About The Author
Mateen
Matty is an Investor in Decentraland, Gods Unchained and NFT Art and frequently writes Analysis posts/updates on the NFT market. You can follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/DCLBlogger