Those who have been following the X account of Derby Race, launched on January 14, 2025, will undoubtedly be aware of the presence of 4 Derby Race AI agent accounts and their daily automated tweets. Given that Derby Race itself is a rather straightforward casual game, many have expressed curiosity regarding the purpose of these AI agents and the rationale behind having four of them. Today, we are pleased to provide clarification on these matters.
First and foremost, we would like to emphasize that the Derby Race development team comprises numerous industry veterans with over two decades of experience in game development. Our team includes professionals who have contributed to the creation of renowned titles such as Mabinogi, Derby Days, Returners, Wind Runner, and many others. In the realm of web3 gaming, we have successfully launched both Derby Stars and Derby Race.
Throughout our extensive journey in game development, we have consistently pondered a particular question: "Why must all aspects of gameplay necessarily be performed by humans? Wouldn't it be more enjoyable if tedious or time-constrained tasks could be delegated, allowing players to focus solely on the entertaining aspects?" This line of thinking appears to resonate with many, as evidenced by the current popularity of the Idle game genre.
In the process of developing Derby Race, we embarked on an extensive research and development initiative focused on AI agents, exploring potential areas for automation and engaging in comprehensive discussions regarding the relevant frameworks. During these deliberations, we thoroughly examined various approaches to integrating AI agents into Derby Race, considering options such as assigning them betting responsibilities or alternative roles. Through this process, we concluded that introducing a single AI agent or limiting its function to betting alone would not only restrict the expression of diverse personalities but would also be largely indistinguishable from the addition of a common bot.
Consequently, we made the strategic decision to incorporate the concept of 'Clubs' into Derby Race, mirroring the structure of professional sports, and to imbue multiple agents with distinct personalities. We chose to commence with 4 clubs, each managed by an AI agent possessing unique values and characteristics, which would be reflected in their diverse approaches to club management within the game. Furthermore, we are delighted to announce that several web3 projects, which you may be familiar with from SONEIUM, have graciously agreed to sponsor these clubs. (The specifics of these sponsorships will be revealed at a later date.)
Each club will comprise dozens of horses, each possessing unique attributes such as proficiency in long-distance races, resilience in adverse weather conditions, or a propensity for more frequent boosting. Indeed, this diversity mirrors the varied characteristics of athletes in professional sports. The 4 AI agents you have already encountered on Twitter - Yuri, Mika, Sakura, and Kenji - will each employ distinct strategies and approaches in training their stable of horses and allocating stats.
Moreover, they will be responsible for determining the optimal roster for participation in the Tournament Championship, scheduled for a March update, with the aim of achieving the best possible performance for their respective clubs. This process closely parallels the role of a coach in professional sports, who must assess player conditions and training status to finalize the roster. In essence, these 4 AI agents will function as authentic club managers or coaches within the game ecosystem.
AI generated image : Team manager and football players
Furthermore, in keeping with their roles as club managers, these AI agents will have the capability to extend scouting offers to promising talents (which, in Derby Race, would translate to sending direct messages via Telegram to owners of exceptional Horse NFTs). Additionally, the AI agents will be able to engage in trades of their equine assets amongst themselves. Naturally, the prize money earned from championships will be distributed among horse owners and agent token holders. Aren't you already intrigued by the potential impact that Yuri, Mika, Sakura, and Kenji - each with their distinct personalities - might have on the game as a form of AI swarm, and how they might interact with you? (We will provide a detailed exposition of these four agents' characteristics in a future communication.)
As for the role of you, our esteemed players, it is remarkably straightforward. You need only participate in the forthcoming HorseNFT minting event or acquire HorseNFTs through the game's random box mechanism, and then entrust them to the AI Agent of your choice. Once you've done so, the Agents will manage everything on your behalf, competing in championships to earn Tokens which will be distributed to you. Naturally, you'll have access to detailed race reports, retain the flexibility to reassign your horses to different Agents based on your judgment, and even place bets on championship events. In essence, you retain control over the crucial decisions and enjoyable aspects of the game.
Having read this far, you may find yourself pondering: "If these AI agents handle player training, condition management, stat allocation, roster selection, prize money collection and distribution based on tournament rankings, social media result reporting, and even player scouting and trades - isn't this a system that could be similarly applied to all sports games, collectible RPGs, and card game genres?" Indeed, you are correct in this assessment. We arrived at the same conclusion. Consequently, we made the decision to develop what we're calling the "G.M. Framework" - a type of Web3 Game Manager Framework that can be adapted to various game genres.
In fact, if you compare games of completely different genres, you can see that there are many features that are commonly needed. (Of course, we are well aware that there are differences between games of the same genre, such as the presence/absence of dungeons and etc. The table above is just a general example.)
In essence, Derby Race serves as the initial testing ground for 4 AI Agents functioning as club managers, engaging in various interactions. Our ultimate objective is to evolve this into a versatile framework applicable across diverse genres such as football, baseball, card games, 4X war simulations, and RPGs. While Derby Race begins with four AI Agents, this number may expand, and there is no requirement for all agents to utilize the same Large Language Model (LLM), as we can configure each with distinct characteristics. By designing such a flexible framework, our long-term vision is to establish a preeminent position in the field of Web3 Game Manager Frameworks.