To play EtherStrike, you'll need at least one planet (find them for sale in the Universe). Planets cost Ether (ETH), so you'll need some of that. And to spend ETH in the game, you'll use a digital wallet called MetaMask, so you'll also want that.

Short Answer: MetaMask -> ETH -> Planet

MetaMask is a digital wallet that will hold your ETH and your planets. To download it to your browser, visit the Metamask download site.

If you see a fox looking all around, you'll know you're in the right place.

There are multiple exchanges that will allow you to purchase ETH. One of the more popular ones is Coinbase. You can create a free account and start purchasing ETH by clicking here.

Once you've purchased ETH on an exchange, simply transfer however much you'd like to your MetaMask wallet address. In Coinbase, open your ETH Wallet and click the arrow in the top right, then enter your MetaMask info. It should appear after the completion of the next block.

EtherStrike is all about owning the universe through the acquisition of planets. Unlike many blockchain games out there, our planets aren't just collectibles...they're war machines! So while you can still buy planets in the marketplace, you can also take them with some good ol' fashioned brute force.

A battle? Definitely. A planet? For sure.

The whole universe? Well, that's the tough part. The universe is pretty big. But if you're growing your planet wallet with valuable, resource-generating planets, trust us, you're winning.

Well since you asked...

Blockchain is a digital ledger that exists on a network of computers around the world. Without going down the rabbit hole, basically it allows for secure transactions to occur across the network without intermediaries.

For EtherStrike, blockchain means everything is your wallet is yours until it is sold or taken through attack. It also means you can buy and sell planets/shields/resources securely on the blockchain.

Better question: Why not?! Blockchain is a newly developing area of technology that has produced some pretty awesome games, cryptocurrencies, and a more connected world. We think that's pretty neat, and we're excited to be one of the early blockchain games out there.

Planets in Etherstrike are functional tokens held in your wallet. Each token has a unique set of attributes that make it different from all other tokens (planets) in the EtherStrike universe.

Planets have a number of uses in the game. You can:

• Sell/buy planets
• Use them to attack
• Shield them
• Use them to generate resources

Or simply hold them in your wallet. But you wouldn't buy a car just to keep in the garage, would you?

Not really a question, but worth talking about.

Because of the nature of blockchain technology, what a player sees on the game interface may not be 100% reflective of the most recent information on the blockchain. That said, we highly recommend that players refresh their browser windows frequently; especially after the completion of a transaction, whose progress can be watched in the MetaMask plugin.

Players are welcome to buy and sell planets from within the EtherStrike Universe using auctions. You can find them by using the filters; also, all planets for sale will have a "Buy" option next to "Attack!" and a For Sale sign on the planet image.

When selling a planet, you'll denote a start and end price, and a duration. The price will fall in a mathematical straight line towards the end price for the duration, then remain there. You can cancel an auction any time you wish.

Any time a planet is sold, EtherStrike keeps 5% of the sales price as commission. Something has to keep a roof over our heads; it's pretty tough to program in the rain!

Shields are the best way to keep your planets from being attacked. Any planet with an active shield is immune from attack until the shield's expiration.

Shields are available for purchase from the marketplace. There are also two ways to earn a shield:

1. Any time you're attacked, assuming you don't lose the planet you'll be given a shield
2. If you attack and win a planet, that planet will come with a shield automatically

Just remember: If you have an active shield and attack someone with that planet, you forfeit your shield. Feel free to buy another when you're done, though!

Sorry, Charlie. Just like in life, there are some things you can't control. Every now and then a natural disaster hits all or part of the EtherStrike universe, and even a shield won't protect you.

At least you can take solace in the fact that if you got hit, so did a bunch of others. And misery loves company.

The following planet attributes comprise resources in the game:

• Population
• Food
• Energy

To attack another planet you will need varying quantities of all three resources, depending on the matchup.

There are two ways of getting resources; buying and harvesting. Each planet will automatically generate its own resources at a rate dependent on two attributes: Fertility (for Population), and Industrialization (for Food and Energy). The higher a planet's Fertility and Industrialization rates, the faster the associated resources will grow. However, a planet will not be able to utilize the accumulated resources until they are harvested, which can be done from the My Planets screen.

Players can also purchase resources from other players in the Marketplace.

Nope! Well, unless your planet is stolen, in which case you lose everything on it as well.

One small caveat is that while population cannot be stolen, it will be decreased for every battle you lose while being attacked. Food and Energy will remain unaffected unless you lose the planet.

You can certainly try! Some planets with high Fertility or Industrialization rates may yield more resources than you know what to do with. Feel free to try to sell excess resources in the Marketplace.