š Banana Oasis Live-Ops Event
Town Star ā Fall 2024
In Fall 2024, I designed and coordinated the Banana Oasis live-ops event for Town Star, blending player feedback, seasonal storytelling, strategic map design, and NFT integration to create an engaging, monetized gameplay experience.
Tagline: Get ready to go bananas in the dry heat! Can you rise to the challenge and bake the most Banana Bread without breaking a sweat?
Origin of Idea: Inspired by a community survey where "bananas" ranked as a top requested content idea. I led the initiative to bring it to life, using a data-driven, player-first approach.
Skills Demonstrated
- Community engagement and retention
- Live-ops event planning and execution
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Content creation and event storytelling
- Data-informed content development
- Event-driven game economy design
- Strategic map design for live events
- Social media marketing and Discord management
- NFT monetization strategy
- Player acquisition and lifecycle retention strategies
Content & Communications
Phase 1: New Items and Crafts
- Banana Tree & Banana resource added to farming system
- New Craft: Banana Split (ingredients include multiple ice cream cones and chocolate bar)
- Coordinated social and Discord announcements
Phase 2: Craft Expansion
- New Craft: Banana Bread (banana, flour, egg, sugar, butter)
- Legacy NFTs (Bakery, Ice Cream Parlor) repurposed to boost value
Phase 3: Monetization
- Released the Banana Monkey Tree NFT (passively generates bananas)
- Balanced perks to maintain fairness and encourage optional purchases
Map & Gameplay Design
Map: Desert Biome with Saltwater Edge
- Low natural water created banana farming challenges
- Saltwater allowed for key craft components
- Minimal tree requirements aligned with craft demands
- Scarcity balanced to nudge NFT usage without mandating it
Community Strategy
- Content inspired directly by survey feedback
- Staggered releases sustained multi-week engagement
- Thematic social and Discord engagement
- Live Town Halls: sneak peeks, AMAs, giveaways
- Monitored feedback in real time and adjusted accordingly
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Worked with Art Team on new assets
- Collaborated with Design and Economy for balance
- Aligned promotions with Marketing
Results
- DAU increase during event
- High engagement on Discord and Twitter
- Community praised legacy NFT use
- Exceeded NFT sales KPIs
- Boosted session length and return play
Key Takeaway
The Banana Oasis event showcases my ability to merge community-driven design, live-ops execution, progressive storytelling, fair monetization, and cross-team collaboration into a highly engaging live event. It reflects my passion for building strong player communities and delivering sustainable gaming experiences.