tokenpocket官方下载中文版|a chain game
tokenpocket官方下载中文版|a chain game
一文了解全链游戏(Full On-chain Game)的过去、现在和未来_腾讯新闻
一文了解全链游戏(Full On-chain Game)的过去、现在和未来_腾讯新闻
一文了解全链游戏(Full On-chain Game)的过去、现在和未来
出品:LK Venture
作者:Cynic
TL;DR
什么是全链游戏?
全链游戏面临的挑战与解决方案
为什么需要全链游戏?
什么链适合做全链游戏?
什么游戏适合全链?
全链游戏的过去:去中心化、无需信任,让我们在这里开个赌场
全链游戏的现在:高性能公链让全链游戏成为现实选项
全链游戏的未来:从全链游戏走向链上社会?
什么是全链游戏?
全链游戏(Full on-chain game)指的是一种将游戏逻辑和数据完全存储在区块链上的游戏。这种游戏的运行和交互都是基于智能合约,因此能够充分发挥区块链技术的优势,包括去中心化、零信任、可验证、透明可追溯等。
全链游戏与部分链上游戏(Partial on-chain game)相对应。部分链上游戏仅将部分游戏元素(如游戏资产、交易记录等)存储在区块链上,而游戏逻辑和数据处理仍然依赖于传统的中心化服务器。
部分链上游戏根据上链内容的不同,又可以分为核心逻辑上链、资产上链和成就上链。
核心逻辑上链,一般是将游戏的关键数据与算法存储在区块链上,可以确保其公平性和透明性。例如,将游戏内的随机数生成器(RNG)或战斗结果计算逻辑放在链上,可以防止作弊和操纵。或者是将游戏中的经济系统部分上链,可以设计更多样化和创新的激励机制。例如,玩家可以通过挖矿、质押或参与游戏内活动获得代币奖励。
通过资产上链,游戏内的虚拟物品、角色或其他资源通常以非同质化代币(NFTs)或者同质化代币(FTs)的形式表示,使得玩家可以拥有、交易和管理这些资产,为玩家提供经济收益,激励玩家参与游戏生态建设。
成就上链,通常指玩家在游戏中解锁某些成就,可以选择将其登记在链上,作为其游戏水平的证明,也可以作为后续空投的凭证,但无法直接交易。和资产上链相比,成就上链对玩家的经济激励小得多,但也让游戏回归其本质。“无论怎么说,游戏最重要的是好玩”。
根据上链程度不同定义的游戏类型
全链游戏面临的挑战与解决方案
全链游戏概念的提出至今,仍未受到大规模采用,LK Venture 总结,因为其在现实层面存 在许多问题:
1. 性能和扩容问题:区块链网络的处理能力相对有限,特别是在交易吞吐量和确认速度方面。全链游戏可能会导致网络拥堵和延迟,影响游戏体验。为解决这一问题,开发者需要研究扩容方案,例如分片技术、状态通道和二层扩容等。
2. 交易成本:全链游戏中的每个操作都需要作为交易提交到区块链,因此会产生相应的手续费(如以太坊的Gas费)。如果交易成本过高,可能会限制玩家的参与度和游戏的可玩性。降低交易成本需要考虑优化交易结构、使用更节能的共识算法等方法。
3. 用户体验:与传统游戏相比,全链游戏可能面临用户体验方面的挑战。例如,用户需要了解和使用加密货币钱包、处理私钥和交易等,这些对于普通用户而言可能存在一定的门槛和学习成本。
4. 隐私问题:由于区块链的公开和透明特性,全链游戏中的玩家数据和交易信息可能面临隐私泄露的风险。保护玩家隐私需要采用零知识证明、隐私计算等技术,但这些技术可能进一步增加系统的复杂性和开发成本。
5. 游戏设计限制:由于区块链技术的性能限制,全链游戏可能无法实现复杂的游戏机制和实时交互。这意味着全链游戏在游戏类型和玩法上可能受到限制,较难适应大规模多人在线游戏、动作游戏等高性能要求的游戏类型。
高性能Layer1与近来风头无两的Layer2有望降低交易成本,提升确认速度,很好地缓解问题1、2。
账户抽象AA能够降低用户门槛,解决问题3,ERC-4337已于2023年3月2日通过审计,于主网部署,账户抽象的大规模使用指日可待。
而零知识证明技术已被证明能够很好地保护隐私,解决问题4。至于问题5,我们真的需要将所有类型都上链吗?答案恐怕是否定的。
全链游戏面临的主要挑战与解决思路
为什么需要全链游戏?
全链游戏尚存如此多的问题,为什么我们需要全链游戏?这个问题从某种程度就像在问,我们为什么需要无许可的区块链?
LK Venture 认为,市场对全链游戏的需求,可以从以下几个方面来理解:
1. 去中心化的游戏世界,向所有人开放:全链游戏消除了对中心化服务器的依赖,使游戏运行更加去中心化。这可以增加系统的安全性和抗审查性,降低对单一组织或个体的依赖风险。
2. 无需信任、可验证的游戏公平性:由于游戏逻辑和数据都存储在区块链上,游戏规则和状态对所有人都是透明的。这使得玩家能够验证游戏的公平性和结果的正确性,增加了游戏的可信度。
3. 不仅是使用权,更是所有权:全链游戏可以使用非同质化代币(NFTs)表示游戏内的物品和角色,使玩家能够真正拥有和控制这些资产。这种所有权可以激励玩家参与游戏,同时为他们提供现实世界的价值和收益。
4. 一次上链,永久运行:由于游戏状态和逻辑都存储在区块链上,全链游戏具有较高的可持续性。即使游戏的原始开发者不再支持游戏,只要这条链不停止出块,游戏依然可以继续运行和发展。
5. 依靠社区,奉献社区:全链游戏通过智能合约和去中心化自治组织(DAOs)实现了社区驱动的开发和治理。这使得游戏可以更好地适应玩家需求和市场变化,增加了游戏的生命周期和吸引力。
6. 开放协作,用户创造使游戏迭代进化:开源的代码与开放的体系促进了个体间的开放协作,在AI大模型的辅助下,用户的创造活力将得到充分释放,UGC或者AIGC的内容将带来更多元、更丰富、更精妙的游戏体验。
市场对全链游戏的需求要素分析
什么链适合做全链游戏?
LK Venture 按照 TPS、确认时间、交易成本、安全性、独立性等方面进行对比,绘制五维图,满分为 5 分。
全链游戏各主要公链基础设施的参数对比
全链游戏的首要前提是出色的交易性能,短的确认速度能够带来更好的游戏体验,良好的生态能够为游戏提供配套的基础设施,安全性对于保护游戏资产至关重要,独立性则保证游戏不受到链上其他事件影响而引起网络拥堵。
现实世界没有银弹,各类方案各有优势与不足,游戏项目可以根据自身设计特性进行选择。
什么游戏适合全链?
LK Venture 认为,全链游戏应该发挥其全上链的优势,而不是简单地将运行逻辑迁移至链上。换言之,不应该为了全链而全链,全链不是目的,而是手段。
什么类型的游戏能够发挥区块链的优势?LK Venture 认为最合适的有两种类型。
一种是利用区块链公开、透明、可验证的多方博弈(Multi Party Game, MPG),有意思的一点是,Game既可以作游戏解,又可以作博弈解。
多方意味着游戏不是单机的,不是人与固定游戏逻辑的交互,而是人与人之间的互动,无许可的区块链让所有人都有机会参与游戏。
博弈意味着各方是对抗性的,通过全链我们保证游戏的公平,区块链的公开透明可验证让游戏设计者也无法篡改结果。
最直接的MPG就是博彩,再推广开来,各种棋牌类、回合制的策略性游戏也都可以归为MPG的范畴。MPG的特点是交互次数相对较少,更考验玩家的思考能力而不是反应速度,对抗性的各方通过区块链获得一个公正的裁决。
另一种是利用区块链开放、自治、所有权的用户生成游戏(User Generated Game,UGG)。
在这种类型中,游戏的最初设计者仅仅设定最小化的核心规则集,用户可以在核心规则集的基础发挥各自的想象力与创造力,探索出各种类型的玩法。在AI大模型的加持下,用户能够更轻易地将自己的创造力付诸实践,并从区块链的确权中获取自己创造力的收益。
没有中心化组织了,在UGG上只有个体与个体的联合,真正的自治是将治理权发放到每个人手中,这是最广泛的民主。如果对最初设计者的核心规则集不满意,当然也可以随时修改后部署一个新的合约,成为一个新的世界。
从最小的种子开始,在正反馈的飞轮加持下,游戏最终将成长为参天大树。
全链游戏的过去——去中心化、无需信任的博彩市场
2008年11 月1 日,中本聪发布《Bitcoin A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System》。2009年1月3日,比特币创世区块诞生。随着比特币交易逐渐为大众所知,人们开始将其用于在线赌博。2012年,第一个基于比特币的博彩游戏——SatoshiDice出现。
SatoshiDice是一款简单的基于比特币区块链的博彩游戏,玩家通过向游戏发送比特币投注,游戏会根据预先设定的赔率和随机数生成器返回输赢结果。在此阶段,区块链博彩游戏主要局限于比特币生态系统,且游戏种类有限。
Satoshi Dice 游戏主页截图
2013年,以太坊(Ethereum)项目启动,其智能合约功能对区块链博彩游戏产生了重大影响。2015年,以太坊主网上线,区块链博彩游戏开始从比特币向以太坊转移。利用以太坊的智能合约技术,开发者可以创建更复杂、更具交互性的博彩游戏。这一阶段涌现了许多基于以太坊的博彩游戏和平台,如vDice、Etheroll等。
2014年5月,Kevin McCoy and Anil Dash创造了第一个已知的NFT。2017年,加密猫(CryptoKitties)作为第一个基于以太坊的非同质化代币(NFT)游戏成功吸引了大量用户。NFT技术对区块链博彩游戏的发展产生了深远影响。NFT可以用于表示游戏内的独特资产,例如限量发行的赌博道具或虚拟代币,越来越多的博彩游戏开始使用NFT技术。
2020年夏天,DeFi Summer爆发,去中心化金融(DeFi)开始崛起,区块链博彩游戏进入了一个全新的发展阶段。博彩游戏开始与DeFi项目和平台相互融合,为玩家提供更丰富的金融功能,如流动性挖矿、质押和借贷等。
在同时期,公链赛道大爆发,BSC、Polygon、Solana、Tron等公链针对以太坊交易成本问题做出优化,为玩家提供更快速、更便宜的交易体验。
在区块链博彩游戏市场逐渐成熟的过程中,也出现了一些具有创新性的游戏类型和玩法。例如,预测市场平台如Augur和Gnosis允许玩家对未来事件的结果进行投注。这些平台使用智能合约和区块链技术实现公平、透明和无需信任的博彩环境。
博彩游戏,其实也是区块链上的第一个游戏。它天然是全链的,因为比大小、猜数字种种无非是数学上的计算,而通过简单的哈希函数就能实现可验证性。以史为鉴,可以知兴替。尽管大多数人对博彩的印象不佳,但是人们不应该忘记,全链游戏是从这里起步的。
全链游戏的现在——高性能公链让全链游戏成为现实选项
部分高性能公链对比
随着各类高性能Layer1与以太坊Layer2扩容方案的兴起,全链游戏逐渐具备了可行性的现实基础。人们对于全链游戏的探索也进一步深入,其中黑暗森林Dark Forest游戏的出现可以称得上全链游戏发展史上的里程碑事件。
黑暗森林 Dark Forest 游戏截图
Dark Forest 黑暗森林是首款全链上的不完全信息类游戏,既利用了区块链公开透明可验证的属性,又通过ZK-SNARKS技术隐藏影响游戏体验的信息,实现了不完全信息博弈,在链上还原了《三体》中黑暗森林的环境。
Dark Forest作为开放的MMO策略性游戏,鼓励玩家自己创造游戏内外的玩法,也因此诞生了庞大的社区生态,部分人联合起来成立了工会组织,在插件开发、游戏探索、活动筹划方面做出了巨大贡献。作为实时战略全链游戏,玩家的每次交互都通过合约调用方式呈现在链上,并且在不同玩家之间实时更新,通过ZK-SNARKs技术实现的“战争迷雾”,通过对玩家视野的遮蔽实现了不完全信息博弈,模拟了黑暗森林环境。
Dark Forest通过事实证明了全链游戏的可行性与可玩性,自此之后,全链游戏的大门真正打开了。
各大公链都在培育全链游戏赛道,但是最活跃的应该要数Starknet。在Starknet上,已经涌现出了LootRealms、GO L2、Isaac、Unstoppable Games等多款全链游戏,风头一时无两。但是考虑到当前Starknet仍居高不下的Gas Fee,游戏的主网上线仍遥遥无期。
从当前各类游戏项目的整体趋势来看,有两个游戏主题,一个是与Dark Forest类似的策略型对战游戏,另一个是突出金融属性的休闲小游戏。考虑到当前仍居高不下的Gas Fee,可能只有实打实的经济激励才能让人们参与到游戏中来。从这个角度来看,后者上线主网的速度会更快。
全链游戏的未来——从全链游戏走向链上社会?
全链游戏生态的演进图谱
从短期来看,以Rollup为首的以太坊扩容方案起到的作用仍然有限,而且锚定在以太坊上会受到以太坊上其他金融活动的负面影响(例如加密市场价格波动较大时,MEV机器人的攻击导致Gas突增),对于较复杂的全链游戏而言代价仍然太过昂贵,仅凭游戏体验很难获得用户。而高性能Layer1上由于其不与EVM兼容的特性,开发者数量有限,且没有庞大的用户基础。
因此,短期而言,可能还是为玩家带来较高经济激励的GameFi占据主导。
从中期来看,我们相信以太坊的单极地位会被打破,更多高性能Layer1会因为更低的成本、更好的体验而吸引大量用户。ZK-Rollup的技术会更加成熟,真正将Gas费用降低到传统世界的交易水平。更多定制的专用链会出现,以避免无关时间造成网络拥堵。在这基础之上,各种复杂的全链游戏将真正部署到主网,在实践中探索全链游戏的更多可能。
从长期来看,游戏从娱乐出发,却可能产生现实的价值。游戏中每个玩家的交互记录,博弈的过程,都可能作为材料来训练AI,以反哺现实生活。而区块链的确权让每个用户都能够掌握自己的数据,从链上交互从中获得收益。例如,赛车游戏中玩家的反应,可以更好地训练自动驾驶系统,至少提供了很多现实生活中难以出现的边界情况。而UGG的出现,会让游戏逐渐向社会生态靠拢。
毕竟,人类社会,也是在一套核心的自然法则之下,通过个体之间的探索创造,而逐渐建立起来的,谁能说链上就不能发展出社会生态?
什么是Onchain Game全链游戏、与GameFi有什么区别? - 知乎
什么是Onchain Game全链游戏、与GameFi有什么区别? - 知乎首发于区块链专栏切换模式写文章登录/注册什么是Onchain Game全链游戏、与GameFi有什么区别?话李话外专注区块链知识分享与项目研究我们从公链/模块化/二层网络(Layer2)、以太坊ETH流动性质押、Web3钱包、DePIN去中心化物理基础设施网络、Onchain Game全链游戏、NFT赛道6个方面,分别来给大家梳理一下2023年有哪些值得关注的区块链潜在项目,希望能够给大家带来一些帮助。本文给大家分享的是关于Onchain Game全链游戏方面的内容。1. 什么是全链游戏随着2021年GameFi的火爆,诞生了不少明星项目。但除了GameFi,我们还需要去关注一下Onchain Game。Onchain Game(全链游戏)与 GameFi 的根本差别在于去中心化、免许可、可组合、互操作的程度不同。Onchain Game不仅仅是将游戏资产上链,整个游戏逻辑也以合约的方式存在于网络之中,游戏的状态存储、逻辑执行也完全在链上。未来,如果链游、 DeFi 、NFT 以及各类有潜力的 DApp 都能够与全链游戏相互操作,那么就有可能打破目前 Web2.0时代以垄断为商业模式的业务格局,给开发者和用户更完美的应用体验以及更有想象力的创造机会。游戏赛道作为二层网络最适合应用场景之一,On-Chain Game 是 StarkNet 和 OP Stack 强推的一个方向,在早期参与全链游戏的测试颇有一鱼两吃的机会。2. 2023年可以关注的几个潜在项目Isaac:StarkNet 首个全链游戏,基于《三体》小说设定的一款多人在线的物理模拟游戏,目前处于 Open Alpha 测试阶段。Loot Realms:大型多人、链上可组合的策略类游戏生态,在第一个版本,玩家需要持有 Realms NFT 才能开始游戏,在第二个版本可以通过铸造冒险家(Adeventers)参与游戏。Imperium Wars:一款融合卡牌、外交、军事、经济元素的沙盘策略类游戏,目前处于开发阶段。Lattice:目前已经开发了一个全链游戏开发框架 MUD,此 框架已经已经应用在 OP Stack。编辑于 2023-01-22 11:43・IP 属地北京游戏区块链(Blockchain)区块链游戏赞同添加评论分享喜欢收藏申请转载文章被以下专栏收录区块链专栏关注「话李话外」公众号了解更多区块链知识
Why Bring Games On-chain?从游戏核心乐趣漫谈全链游戏设计 - 知乎
Why Bring Games On-chain?从游戏核心乐趣漫谈全链游戏设计 - 知乎切换模式写文章登录/注册Why Bring Games On-chain?从游戏核心乐趣漫谈全链游戏设计区块链研究员区块链行业,咨询,方案设计,技术研发,安全方面(挽损)等前言任性地下个定义:全链游戏是使用智能合约构建,且core game loop直接运行在区块链上的复杂应用,but why bring games on-chain?从Atari 时代的“pong”开始,到arcade时代的格斗,到PC互联网时代上的FPS,MMO,到mobile上的水果忍者,又或者如今的ai生成剧情。video games发展历史中的一条草蛇灰线是新技术对新玩法/的启迪。如果说以游戏代币经济/道具NFT化为代表的游戏资产的上链为传统游戏注入了“real money”的元素,更多的是在把玩游戏的monetization和live-ops那么将游戏核心逻辑上链则是在游戏玩法设计的层面上,启迪一批能实现最大“游玩自由”的游戏——这是我们对提问的回答。全链游戏好玩在哪?While builders are still building, 能破圈的 killer fully on-chain game仍未出现, 聊聊未来的全链游戏会好玩在哪,如何设计一款 好玩 的全链游戏。我们或许都听过v神和魔兽世界设计师的那个悲惨故事,用全链游戏打造自主世界,订立digital物理法则的故事十分性感,近期也不乏项目也备受关注,但是完全去中心化游戏,玩家主权等叙事,笔者认为仍需要反复推敲琢磨。与其陷入定义之争——去讨论on-chain game的定义,上多少链的游戏才算fully on-chain,去讨论一个产品算不算游戏云云,不如回归第一性问题——如果把某个全链游戏产品定义为video game的话,作为作为一种游戏好玩在哪?谁会为他埋单?如果要向一个游戏玩家推荐这个品类里的任何产品,你会怎么讲?all after all, what‘s so fun about it?我们从GDC上一则新鲜出炉的新闻出发。Epic Games即将在3月22日开放旗下全新产品Unreal Editor for Fortnite(简称UEFN)的beta测试。简单来说,这款产品就是Epic“杀鸡用牛刀”,使用基于UE5引擎的技术打造了一款《堡垒之夜》专供的内容编辑器,供玩家在游戏中创作并分享内容。UEFN的前身是Epic Games在2018年推出的Fortnite Creative编辑器工具。Fortnite Creative的功能较为“傻瓜式”:玩家可操作人物四处走动,使用“手机”道具进行修改游戏内地形,对素材、物品的位置进行编辑和摆放等简单操作,可使用的资产也十分有限。此次推出的UEFN在功能性上更是远超于前辈。除了兼容Fortnite Creative中的所有工具外,Epic为玩家搭载了一整套虚幻5引擎中广泛使用的专业级开发工具,包括特效工具Niagara,动画工具Control Rig与Sequencer等等,玩家还可以载入外部纹理、网格、音频与动画文件,在UEFN中创建材质与3D建模,导入外部模型资产等等。此外,Epic甚至还将自家开发的编程语言Verse在UEFN中进行了首发。从功能性上来看,《堡垒之夜》中搭载的这款UEFN几乎可以被称作“UE5青春版”。聪明的制作者正在和玩家一起制作游戏。从传奇的私服,到到GTA 的mod,再Minecraft,Robolox,到最近的Fornite creative mode,甚至是眺望其他内容领域,经营者们会发现,最高效地构筑内容壁垒/对抗内容消耗的方式,永远是是给用户/玩家好用的创作工具,去繁荣UGC的生态。但回归到游戏,去中心化、赋能个体这个命题其实要复杂的多:作为第九艺术,作为一种互动沉浸式的内容,传统video games的设计开发,从indie到到商业游戏, 从一刀999到3A,其实是很看中自上而下的设计者意识传达的。作为总工程师,游戏制作人是游戏的第一作者,掌握着设计开发过程中的种种生杀大权。欧美3A大厂如此,推崇明星制作人体系的日本厂商更甚。在传统大型游戏的开发过程更像是建金字塔,其实是个高度中心化的事情。only a selected few get to set the rules. 这里面给到其他“生态参与者”的自由是很小的。游戏玩法本身就是关于规则的提炼和设计,为了保证作品主题和玩法的统一性,设计者意识/核心玩法设计是很难缺位的,否则就只某种社会实验罢了,那就不在“游戏”的讨论范畴了。归根结底,彻底的去中心化很难构建出好玩的沉浸式体验。2017年愚人节,Reddit上举办了一场社会实验r/space,数万名玩家在同一张,像素画布上作画。画作相互覆盖,百花齐放是很美,但是很难想像这个画布上能出现某一统一主题/玩法——创作者集体缺少足够共识。矛盾是:游戏设计者过分掌控创作自由,游戏一成不变玩家难以参与,过分让渡创作自由,难保游戏本身不会面目全非。那么如何在保证游戏核心玩法的前提下,充分让渡游戏的创作自由呢?全链游戏带来了某种曙光。与金字塔的例子对照,愚公跟后代说,你要跟你的后代说我们家要把这个山挖了,这样我们就能出海了。子子孙孙们有的用铲子一挖,有的用炸药炸,有的发明了飞机飞过去……如果我们用愚公移山的智慧——用简单但solid的共识凝聚玩家,将如何玩这款游戏的自由让渡给玩家,会有什么样的产品出现呢?手把手设计一款全链游戏全链游戏的乐趣应该是:在区块链上构筑稳固、不可篡改的核心玩法,并将衍生玩法的设计最大限度地让渡给玩家,使得游戏衍生本身能产生无数的可能,内容再次创作有无限的延展性。笔者觉得创作一款好玩的全链游戏能实现这个愿景,设计者要try to play god(当然是一个有趣的god),造一个有趣的世界,具体来说分三步:1)提炼出游戏的核心玩法,明确有哪些要素是希望刻进游戏dna里,不希望任何人(包括作者)能改变的,然后将核心玩法拆分成最小的原子2)将游戏原子用区块链变成玩家的共识,成为游戏世界运行的底层规则3)用合理的设计鼓励人类用这些原子去创造更有趣更丰富的世界。我们来想象一下:1)将核心玩法拆分成最小的原子。假设我们要设计一款中古题材的生存建造类全链游戏,游戏的核心玩法就是crafting:a+b=c,分析下来就是,在游戏中制作的物品根据它们所使用的资源继承属性,然后这些物品可以以某种方式被命名,以使游戏的其他要素可以对它们作出反馈。我们决定将crafting这部分逻辑放进智能合约,和中心化服务器中存储的游戏逻辑不同,所有人都可以了解并验证这些逻辑,这部分游戏就如同是这个世界运行的物理定理,不以任何人的意志为转移。2)将游戏原子用区块链变成玩家的共识,成为游戏世界运行的底层规则。接着我们去定义一个世界,这个世界上存在5种元素,LIFE(血) ATTACK(攻击) DEFENCE(防御)SPEED (速度)BULK(体积)。世界上的所有的物品都包含这些元素,如果在游戏遛弯捡起的木材有100点防御属性,那么它就能被制作成一块盾牌。将木材变成盾牌是写智能合约的工作,玩家也可以将这个smart contract加到地图上的建筑物上,从而创建用于将木材变成盾牌的工厂建筑物——武器工厂。这可能是一个非常简单的smart contract:输入木材,输出盾牌。但背后隐藏着这个世界的物理法则——1.物品和物品可以被合成新的物品 2.木头(defense)是可以抵挡攻击(attack)的。这个物理法则是不可篡改的,是所有玩家都需要respect的。但是要如何利用它——到底是将其附着在某个建筑上并命名这个叫武器工厂,还是将它附着在一个npc身上,将这个npc命名为女武神——同样能用魔法将木头变成名为所罗门的盾牌。那就交给玩家创作了。法无禁止即可为。智能合约不仅限于制作物品。作为游戏中的玩家,我想写一个关于圣盾的子故事。这可以使用含有大量BULK原子的材料创建一座建筑——堡垒。在这堵墙上附加一个smart contract,只允许携带名为所不朽圣盾的盾牌的过去的玩家通过。这样不朽圣盾除了在战斗中有用之外,还具有其他实用性。此外,这些物品本身可以用于制作新的物品,因此10个不朽之盾和一颗女巫牙可以参加一个抽奖,抽奖有概率开出上古之戒,让持有者通过继承的SPEED元素获得地图上的道路地图。这些设计师未曾设想的逻辑都可以被玩家开发并添加到游戏中,因为这部分规则是被留白的。除了以上crafting的核心以外,还有很多东西可以畅想。比如,建筑可以运行任何智能合约,允许AMM交易帖子、赌场、地牢。还记得你采集木材的那片森林嘛?它只是一个没有反击的带有一些LIFE元素的object。那条龙?它是另一个拥有大量ATTACK元素的object,需要很多带有ATTACK和DEFEND元素的玩家才能打败。设计师可以放心地将代码交给玩家编辑,将游戏敞开了任由玩家创作,因为他们可以确信,他们规定的东西是难以被篡改的。我并没有在天马行空,这些概念都正在被验证,比如在εxgrasia这款链上的沙盒游戏里,每块土地都是玩家可以编程的智能合约。3)用合理的设计鼓励人类用这些原子去创造更有趣更丰富的世界。最后一步其实最难,给你的游戏好的aesthetics和dynamics,告诉玩家,这个世界能做那么多事情,但我为什么要做呢?这里是传统游戏设计的范畴了,也是目前很多概念验证型的全链游戏项目还需要精进的方面,此处篇幅有限,不做展开。Closing thoughts当新概念事物难以被描述的时候,在老古董里找一个恰当参照是一个很好的办法。这尤其适用于游戏,从拉弓射箭到穿越火线,人类脑子里的那个feedback loop真的没怎么变过。如果问我把游戏的核心逻辑上链对游戏乐趣有什么添砖加瓦的地方,选个参照来解释的话……我会找具有玩家共建功能的桌游,又或者扑克——有一些被开发者设计限定的规则,这些hard rules 有着广泛的共识,不可篡改,如同扑克的手牌数量和花色。一方面,这些规则足够的简单,共识足够的广泛,以至得以在不同文化间,不同的时代间,传承流传而不会消损。另一方面,除了这些规则以外的一切都是自由的,你可以用他们打德州,斗地主,炸金花,甚至利用物理属性玩叠叠乐house of cards,飞镖等等等等。需要遵循规则都已被设计,但所有玩法都等待开发。With the strictest rules, comes the greatest freedom. 这才是能被设计出的最大游戏自由。发布于 2023-04-12 00:09・IP 属地广东游戏设计区块链(Blockchain)GameFi赞同3 条评论分享喜欢收藏申请
A Comprehensive Introduction of Fully On-Chain Games
mprehensive Introduction of Fully On-Chain GamesExchangeExchangeTrade over 1,400 cryptocurrenciesStartupToken launch and airdrop platformVenturesVenture capital for Web3.0NFTFind and create your own digital assetsLeaderboardTop crypto tradersHelp CenterAnnouncementsLatest platform updates regarding listings, activities, maintenances and more.PromotionsETH 2.0 UpgradeETH’s The Merge has finishedAffiliate ProgramEarn commissions by sharing Gate.io with your audienceInfluencer ProgramAffiliate Starter EditionReferral ProgramInvite your friends for fee disccount and moreInstitutional and VIP ServicesServices for quant, maket makers and brokersLearn & ExploreLearnEarn crypto while learningGate BlogGain insight on cryptoGate PostDiscover value in cryptoLive StreamLive crypto market analysisGroupChat with crypto tradersNewsWhat is happening in cryptoStart HereCoursesArticlesAllAltcoinsBitcoinBlockchainDeFiEthereumMetaverseNFTsTradingTutorialFuturesTrading BotsBRC-20GameFiDAOMacro TrendsWalletsInscriptionTechnologyGlossaryResearchJoin UsCreator's ArenaCampus AmbassadorVideo Creators FestLog InSign UpStart HereCoursesArticlesGlossaryResearchCreator's ArenaCampus AmbassadorVideo Creators FestLanguage and RegionSelect language and region简体中文EnglishTiếng Việt繁體中文EspañolРусский языкFrançaisDeutschPortuguês (Portugal)ภาษาไทยIndonesiaTürkçe日本語عربيУкраїнськаPortuguês (Brasil)Log InLog InSign UpStart HereCoursesArticlesGlossaryResearchCreator's ArenaCampus AmbassadorVideo Creators FestLanguage简体中文EnglishTiếng Việt繁體中文EspañolРусский языкFrançaisDeutschPortuguês (Portugal)ภาษาไทยIndonesiaTürkçe日本語عربيУкраїнськаPortuguês (Brasil)LearnA Comprehensive Introduction of Fully On-Chain GamesA Comprehensive Introduction of Fully On-Chain GamesIntermediateOct 29, 2023This article will introduce what a fully on-chain game is, compare it with GameFi and traditional Web2 games, and analyze its development status and prospects from an industry perspective.BlockchainWhat is a Fully On-Chain Game?Fully On-Chain vs GameFi vs Traditional GamesIndustry InfrastructurePopular Fully On-Chain GamesChallenges of Fully On-Chain GamesProspects of Fully On-Chain GamesConclusionWhat is a Fully On-Chain Game?Unlike the common GameFi that puts props and assets on the blockchain, a fully on-chain game stores all game logic and data on the blockchain. Take the simple “card drawing comparison” chess game as an example, common GameFi is good at tokenizing entrance tickets, chips, etc., turning them into NFTs or cryptocurrencies. But in the context of a fully on-chain game, the logic of “randomly issuing a card to a player, then comparing the size of the numbers represented by the player’s cards, and the larger one is the winner who wins the chips” is put on the blockchain, and the whole process is open and transparent.
Initially, fully on-chain games were loved by a group of Web3 native developers and players, but with the explosion of fully on-chain games like Dark Forest, more and more people have recognized the incomparable advantages of fully on-chain games over traditional GameFi and off-chain games. The advantages are as follows:
Openness
Fully on-chain games are deployed on the blockchain, opening the game entrance to everyone. It is not limited by country, gender, age, etc.
Transparency
Due to the game logic being put on the blockchain, the possibility of cheating in the game is extremely low, and players can observe the game operation status through the deployment of contracts on the blockchain.
Asset Ownership
The assets obtained by participating in fully on-chain games are also on-chain assets, which players fully control and can freely transfer.
Community-oriented
Fully on-chain games pay more attention to community development, most of which are governed by DAOs, and the needs within the community will continuously improve the game.
Sustainability
Theoretically speaking, the code is deployed on the blockchain as smart contracts, and the blockchain is equivalent to a server. As long as the chain maintains normal use, players can experience the game at any time without worrying about the game’s lifespan.
Composability
In traditional games, the “game logic” that is on-chain in fully on-chain games belongs to the backend code. Therefore, it can borrow the difference of the game UI of different front-end pages, and even realize the function of multi-module games by connecting different fully on-chain game contracts to a front-end page.
Fully On-Chain vs GameFi vs Traditional Games
For easy comparison, we present the differences in table form:
From the comparison above, it can be seen that the fully on-chain games, due to their complete deployment on the chain, have more decentralized characteristics of Web3 in terms of data, assets, financing, and servers. However, the performance of the blockchain also limits their game operability and gameplay, and the fully on-chain users have not yet expanded out of Web3.
Industry Infrastructure
The development process of fully on-chain games is similar to that of traditional game development, but due to the on-chain game logic, it also has its unique technical stack. The core infrastructure of fully on-chain games is mainly the fully on-chain game engine and blockchain. Of course, technologies such as AA and zero-knowledge proof can also be applied to the fully on-chain game stack. Before discussing specific fully on-chain game projects, we need to understand the infrastructure in the industry (below the application layer).
Fully on-chain game industry level(source:IOSG’s Medium )
Blockchain
In fully on-chain games, blockchain serves the role of a server, with game logic deployed on the chain. Users need to connect with a wallet to play. Currently, most fully on-chain games are distributed on Ethereum and Layer2. When choosing a public chain for deployment, multiple factors to be considered:
Programmability of the public chainIn the early days of the development of fully on-chain games, Ethereum was chosen by many early fully on-chain games as the most powerful platform for smart contract programming. Now, the mainstream Layer1 and Layer2 platforms have made different optimizations for Dapp development. Aptos and Sui, for example, have optimized the programming experience at the programming language level. Public chains that are more developer-friendly and optimize the process of users calling contracts are more likely to be favored by public chain developers.
Network performancePlayers need to call contracts and get chain data feedback when playing games, which requires a certain level of chain performance. For instance, in a multi-user real-time game, multiple signatures are needed in a single game round. If the network is very congested, it can lead to a poor user experience. Currently, the TPS of Solana and Ethereum Layer2 can meet the underlying needs of existing fully on-chain games.
User volumeThe Web3 nativeness of fully on-chain games implies a higher user threshold. Furthermore, the gaming process may involve on-chain activities such as game prop trading. Therefore, choosing a chain with a higher number of users and better liquidity for deployment can increase the likelihood of success for fully on-chain games.
Network effects of public chain application layerAfter the launch of Fully On-Chain games, NFT marketplaces and DeFi protocols can substantially enhance the liquidity of in-game assets and native tokens, thereby attracting a larger user base. Concurrently, various service providers, including game engine developers, will tailor their offerings to be compatible with different blockchain architectures. It stands to reason that a high-caliber blockchain will not only excel in gaming applications but also pave the way for the thriving development of other decentralized applications (dApps), thereby maximizing network effects at the application layer.
Blockchain Game Engine
In traditional development processes, game engines like Unreal, Unity, and Phaser provide the basic building blocks of games, such as controlling movement, 2D and 3D rendering, object collision detection, sound, color, scripting and other physics engines, and even include server-client architecture, PC / game console / mobile frameworks and other one-stop service features.
In fully on-chain games, because the game state will be completely stored on the blockchain, game engines designed for on-chain games have emerged.
The first one developed for the Ethereum ecosystem was the MUD engine launched by Lattice, and then gradually other engines appeared for different ecosystems and using different programming languages, such as DojoEngine for Starkware, and Curio’s Keystone, Argus, etc.
Middleware
AA
AA is the abbreviation for “Account Abstraction.” Unlike the common encrypted wallets obtained with private keys and mnemonic words, wallets using account abstraction are programmable contract wallets. It distinguishes the logic and status of the account, allowing the creation of accounts with customized transaction verification and execution rules. AA has improved the user experience in many aspects and has a rich range of application scenarios, such as social recovery, multi-signature, and gas fee-free transactions.
By leveraging AA technology, Fully On-Chain games can resolve issues that degrade the user experience, such as the need for repetitive signatures and the requirement to use a specific wallet, thus achieving more user-friendly interactions.
Random Number
Random number generation technology is a commonly used technique in game development. Its basic principle is to generate a pseudo-random number sequence through a specific algorithm and seed. In games, random numbers can generate random events, random terrains, and random items, enhancing the game’s playability and entertainment value.
Oracle projects like ChainLink can provide random number components, and developers can also directly use blockchain-based random number generators, directly using the block hash values in the blockchain as random number seeds, thereby generating verifiable random numbers. Random numbers can bring more transparent and fair gameplay to fully on-chain games.
Zero-Knowledge Proof
Zero-knowledge proof is a cryptographic technology that can be used to prove the truth of a proposition without revealing the content of the proposition. This technology is widely used in areas such as protecting user privacy and data integrity. In fully on-chain games, zero-knowledge proof can be used to verify actions or events in the game, such as players completing tasks or challenges. Using zero-knowledge proof technology, players can prove that they have completed a task or challenge and receive corresponding rewards without revealing privacy information, and without the need to send related data to the game server, thus improving security.
Popular Fully On-Chain Games
Darkforest
Dark Forest is a fully on-chain MMO space conquest real-time strategy game based on the “Dark Forest Law”. The game’s background is set in a universe like a dark forest, where each civilization is a gun-toting hunter. They initially don’t know about each other’s existence, but once they discover each other, the most rational thing to do for self-preservation is to eliminate each other. The map and the opponent’s location in the game are hidden in the cryptographic fog of war, and players need to gradually reveal more parts of the universe through actions. Each action is recorded on the blockchain, and the player’s coordinates remain hidden from opponents.
DarkForest Game Screenshot(Source:Technology Review)
Dark Forest employs Fully On-Chain technology and zk-SNARK to create its unique gaming experience, where all game rules and logic are deployed on the blockchain as smart contracts.
Wolf Game
Wolf Game is a unique game based on the Ethereum blockchain. In this game, players can purchase and own non-fungible tokens (NFTs) of different characters, including wolves, sheep, and farmers. The goal of the game is to collect WOOL tokens by managing the actions of the characters.
There is only a limited supply of land in the entire game ecosystem, each piece of land is an NFT. The rarity of wolves determines their chance of stealing new castings, players can obtain WOOL tokens by shearing or removing mortgages, and can use these tokens to cast new animals. At the same time, the game also introduces a risk protocol, which requires players to balance benefits and risks.
Wolf Game Style Display(source: Wolf Game Official Website)
In the early stages of the game, it was planned to use L2 technology, that is a second-layer expansion solution, to increase transaction throughput and reduce transaction costs. To accelerate the development and design improvement of the game, after redesign, the game adopted a Web 3-Web 2 hybrid architecture, that is, the gameplay will take place off-chain, while asset ownership will be on-chain.
Loot Survivor
Loot Survivor is an adventure experimental game based on the Loot style, providing players with a unique gaming experience through the Play 2Die economic model. The game is deployed on StarkNet for testing and is jointly developed by team members from Bibliotheca DAO, DoJo, and Guildly.
The core gameplay is exploration, combat, upgrading, and trading. Players need to create a wallet and connect the wallet, and then start the adventure. In the game, players will face various challenges and enemies, and need to use strategies and skills to survive and win. Players can explore various locations, defeat bosses, collect rare items and equipment, and trade with other players to enhance their character’s abilities.
Loot Survivor Game Interface(Source: Official Website)
In Summary
From the three typical full-chain games shown above, we can see that the current Web3 Fully On-Chain games still have relatively limited gameplay, focusing mostly on strategy and simulation genres. The quality of special effects and animation is poor compared to mainstream games like ‘Elden Ring,’ ‘League of Legends,’ and ‘Call of Duty.’ Given the niche audience and the entry barrier of Web3, Fully On-Chain games face significant challenges in user acquisition.
Challenges of Fully On-Chain Games
Limitations of the underlying blockchain technology
Because blockchains are not exclusively for on-chain use, Fully On-Chain games still face the issue of network congestion. On chains with lower TPS (Transactions Per Second), the speed of game operations may also be delayed due to the time it takes to confirm the contract state on the chain. This also means that MOBA, FPS, and other multiplayer real-time online games cannot be implemented on the blockchain.
Limitations of complete transparency
Since the game logic is on the chain, some game plots can also be publicly visible on the chain, which is not conducive to the design and gameplay of setting hidden levels in the game. This also leads to potential cheating issues. When players send transactions to the public memory pool, if the transactions are submitted in a readable format, there may be behaviors of players cheating. This means that any observer of the memory pool may know the opponent’s next move in advance and take corresponding actions to counterattack.
High threshold
Users in fully on-chain games need to sign and confirm various operations on the chain, which not only reduces the fun of the game but also brings a high threshold to enter the game. Players must master enough Web3 knowledge, such as using wallets, signing contracts, etc., to enjoy the game.
Separation of assets, data, and users
The current market situation with multiple chains leads to Fully On-Chain games primarily being deployed on a single chain. Players cannot trade assets between different chains, and new users often need to perform cross-chain asset transfers before trying the game. The game also cannot attract users who are not on its hosting public chain.
Prospects of Fully On-Chain Games
Despite some flaws, with the development of technology and the improvement of infrastructure, fully on-chain games may usher in a “golden age”.
Scalability and the Development of RaaS
Regarding the performance issues of blockchain, solutions such as Layer2 and RaaS have already emerged. Today, many second-layer scaling projects are dedicated to scalability issues. Teams with sufficient funds can use general L2s such as StarkNet or Arbitrum Nova, or customized L2 frameworks like OP Stack for specific use cases, to build L2 expansion layers. They can use Caldera, Conduit, Eclipse, Alt Layer, and other RaaS (Rollup as a Service) according to the needs of custom application chains.
Increase in Infrastructure
Whether it is the development of blockchain game engines or the upgrade of middleware technologies like AA, fully on-chain games will experience a new development in gameplay and user experience. DeFi and NFT Market, which are not directly related to fully on-chain games, will also indirectly boost the development of fully on-chain games. On Layer2s like Starknet, we have already seen an ecosystem network that runs through the upstream and downstream from game engines to game stores, setting an example for other public chains.
Improvement in User Experience
The future fully on-chain games will lower the user threshold after integrating technologies like AA and cross-chain bridges. In the future, users may only need to log in with their email or social media accounts to start the game. During the game, they may only need to sign once or not at all to enjoy the whole game. More Web3 native operations in the game can be abstracted as the backend, while the frontend provides a silky gaming experience similar to Web2.
Conclusion
In summary, Fully On-Chain games return ownership to the players and make the game logic publicly transparent on the blockchain, aligning well with the decentralized spirit of Web3. They offer unprecedented levels of openness and freedom, allowing anyone to extend and modify their blockchain-based world without requiring permission. However, because they are closely tied to the blockchain, they are limited by the chain’s performance and infrastructure. As it stands, Fully On-Chain games are more suitable for card games and turn-based strategy games where contract interactions are less frequent. The design philosophies of focusing on community engagement, frontend-backend separation, and returning asset ownership to players inspire new design ideas for both Web3 applications and traditional games. As blockchain technology and middleware like AA continue to evolve, Fully On-Chain games will become increasingly suitable for various types of games and gradually offer a user experience comparable to Web2 games.
Author: WayneTranslator: SoniaReviewer(s): KOWEI、Hin、Elisa、Ashley He、Joyce* The information is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice or any other recommendation of any sort offered or endorsed by Gate.io.* This article may not be reproduced, transmitted or copied without referencing Gate.io. Contravention is an infringement of Copyright Act and may be subject to legal action.Related articlesIntermediateWhat Is Ethereum 2.0? Understanding The MergeA change in one of the top cryptocurrencies that might impact the whole ecosystem
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What Is On-Chain Gaming? | Chainlink
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Education/Blockchain GamingWhat Is On-Chain Gaming?Last Updated Date:December 21, 2023 DefinitionDEFINITIONOn-chain gaming refers to video games that are exclusively built using blockchain, smart contract, and oracle technology.Blockchain games are emerging as a new, superior way for games to attract and engage players, with gaming titans such as Square Enix, Nexon, and Ubisoft experimenting with this cutting-edge technology.However, blockchains are not a be-all-and-end-all solution for most games: For example, most first-person shooter (FPS) games today cannot be run on blockchains. Blockchains are too slow to support their gameplay, and it’s unrealistic to use the technology for registering sub-second player reaction times. That’s why most blockchain games are, in actuality, games that use blockchains for very specific aspects of their technology stack—most notably the distribution and movement of digital assets that represent in-game items and currencies.In most blockchain games, blockchain technology is used in combination with traditional game servers to offer players sovereign ownership of their in-game items.However, there is a niche but growing community of Web3-native developers and players that is pioneering games and gaming experiences built entirely on blockchains. In other words, fully on-chain games.
What Are On-Chain Games?On-chain gaming refers to the growing ecosystem of games and NFT primitives that operate completely on blockchains. Effectively, this means that every aspect of the game other than the frontend (the part of the game the player sees on their screen) is run solely using blockchain technology. In an on-chain game, all player actions and data are recorded on-chain, rather than on a game server.The main difference between an on-chain game and a traditional blockchain game is the implementation of game logic directly into smart contracts and the storage of game state (such as a player’s name, rank, etc.) on the blockchain, rather than a centralized gaming server connecting with only an NFT smart contract. A game, or game-like experience, can only be considered an on-chain game if all its game logic and data are stored on-chain.How Does On-Chain Gaming Work?On-chain gaming requires that games solely use smart contracts (autonomous pieces of code executed by blockchains) to store their game logic and data. Broadly speaking, game logic dictates the rules of a game: If it’s an online trading card game (TCG), the game logic dictates how matches begin, which cards can be played in which order, when a match ends, and more. It is the core of the game, and in an on-chain game, these aspects are written into stone using smart contracts. Traditional blockchain games use both game servers and smart contracts, while on-chain games use only smart contracts and blockchains.Smart contracts are also used for creating, distributing, and moving digital assets. In the trading card game (TCG) mentioned in the above paragraph, the digital assets in use would be trading card NFTs. Digital assets are the most widely used technology in blockchain games, and they’ve already been implemented by NFT games such as Gods Unchained, Axie Infinity, Illuvium, WildCard, and Deadrop.Challenges of On-Chain GamingThere’s a reason why most games aren’t on-chain games: On-chain gaming is rife with challenges that force developers and players to operate under strict technical limitations and navigate burdensome user experiences. Blockchain Speed and ScalabilityBecause blockchains are like shared global computers that are operated by thousands of people around the globe, they lack speed and scalability, two critical technical elements to building a fast-paced game. These technical limitations are why on-chain gaming today is largely limited to turn-based games such as TCGs or strategy games—smart contracts aren’t fast enough to handle the game logic for fast-paced games such as MOBA, FPS, or even RTS games. Transparent Player ActionsSmart contracts and the transactions that run through them are transparently available for anyone to see. While this can be welcome in the case of financial transparency, it limits what’s possible for game design because there’s no privacy.For example, game mechanics such as fog of war in a MOBA or RTS game are almost impossible to implement because these games rely on players having incomplete information. There are technical solutions to this issue that have been implemented in one-off instances, but this problem has yet to be solved for on-chain games at scale. BottingThe design of on-chain games and smart contracts means that bots are capable of playing alongside players—and there’s no central entity to mandate anti-cheating software. This can diminish the player experience for certain games, especially because the botting incentive is relatively high when NFTs and other rare digital assets are offered as prizes in games. Technical LimitationsBlockchains and smart contracts are inherently incapable of performing certain tasks given their stringent, security-minded design principles.Two important limitations for on-chain gaming applications are accessing tamper-proof randomness and automating game logic when appropriate. On-chain randomness solutions, which almost all on-chain games have to use, are often manipulatable by the validators (or miners) on a network, as they can see the result of the randomness before it’s confirmed on-chain. Intermediary game actions, such as the propagation of a series of game logic based on a player’s actions, require automated smart contract function calls to reduce tedious gameplay, but this is not natively offered by blockchains or smart contracts. For example, if a player harvests a resource, automation may be required to collect the resource before it appears in their inventory. This is where a blockchain oracle network like Chainlink can play a pivotal role in expanding what’s possible with on-chain games: Chainlink provides secure, on-chain access to these necessary game features. Benefits of On-Chain GamingDespite the many challenges to creating fully on-chain games, the on-chain gaming ecosystem offers a myriad of benefits that align closely with the benefits of blockchains and smart contracts.Composable, Open-Source PrimitivesBecause the on-chain gaming ecosystem puts games completely on-chain, players and developers have the full ability to reuse game logic to create new types of games, build interfaces for the game itself so that it can manifest visually in a variety of ways, and create applications on top of the game to make the gameplay easier, more accessible, or more entertaining.For this reason, on-chain games can be viewed as game primitives. Much like the fantasy tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (DnD), on-chain games provide players with a certain set of rules that don’t change, and players can build on top of them accordingly (theoretically) forever.Decentralization, Digital Permanence, and ImmutabilityAn often overlooked aspect of fully on-chain games is their ability to function largely by themselves once they’re placed on-chain. Given the resilient nature of blockchains (they can stay online for as long as there are validators), on-chain games have a digital permanence: They can exist as code for as long as the blockchain is running. Theoretically, if the underlying blockchain the game is built on were to exist 300 years from now, the on-chain game and game logic would still exist and be stored on the blockchain, and players could still play the game.Low-Risk Technical InnovationThe process of applying and testing research in production can be a daunting task given the adversarial nature of blockchain environments and the value that they secure. This is particularly true for decentralized finance (DeFi). On-chain games provide researchers and developers with a low-risk way to test the in-production implementation of cutting-edge technologies such as zero-knowledge proofs and homomorphic encryption. This is because on-chain games run on the same infrastructure as more “risky” applications.Aesthetic DiversityBlockchains and smart contracts are fundamentally backend technologies: If a player were to play an on-chain game in its purest form, they would have to interact with it using code commands. This gives tech-savvy players and developers the ability to represent the on-chain game logic and data in any way they wish—they just have to connect a frontend (the aesthetic/graphic portion of the game that players largely interact with today) with the smart contracts that represent the game. Thus, it’s possible for a single on-chain game to have multiple user interfaces. Two players could be playing the exact same game, but one player might be playing in a medieval setting, and the other in a space-themed setting.On-Chain Gaming ExamplesThe roots of on-chain gaming lie back in 2013, and the area has continuously advanced since then. HunterCoinLaunched in 2013, HunterCoin is widely considered to be the first on-chain game. It was built as an experiment to demonstrate the potential for decentralized game building. The game itself was run on its own blockchain, and players queued transactions that doubled as orders for player actions such as moving, gathering, or attacking another hunter. What the HunterCoin world looks like.Dark ForestA more recent example of an on-chain game is Dark Forest, an RTS game set in space. Inspired by Cixin Liu’s popular sci-fi book The Dark Forest, players are placed on an unknown planet in space and are tasked with gathering resources and expanding their territory to incorporate new planets.Dark Forest was one of the first implementations of a fully on-chain incomplete-information game: The team behind it built the game as a research experiment in zero-knowledge technology, which prevented players from being able to see where each other were on the map. Dark Forest is an on-chain RTS game pitting players against each other in space.The Advent of Web3-Native GamesOn-chain gaming is relatively niche even within the Web3 ecosystem, but there are passionate community members, researchers, and developers who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in gaming when one uses only blockchain technology.ShareRelated articlesRandom Rewards in Blockchain GamesBlockchain for Esports: Monetizing a Digital-Native CommunityNFT Lending and Renting in Blockchain GamesWhat Is a Crypto Gaming Guild?Tokenizing In-Game AssetsHow To Monetize a Blockchain GameWhat Are NFT Games?What Is GameFi?What Are Blockchain Games?Learn more about blockchain technologyAsset TokenizationLearn how tokenization could bring trillions in value to blockchains.Blockchain GamingLearn how blockchain technology can enhance the gaming experience.Cross-ChainSee how cross-chain solutions enable a new frontier of dApp functionality.DeFiTake a deep dive into the burgeoning decentralized financial system.MetaverseExplore what’s possible in the metaverse and how you can visit it.NFTsDiscover how to create NFTs and make them dynamic using oracles.OraclesUncover why blockchains need oracles and how they power Web3.Smart ContractsLearn what smart contracts are and how you can build them.Web3Discover the next step in the evolution of the Internet.Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP)Explore how zero-knowledge proofs provide privacy guarantees.
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Top 10 fully onchain games - BlockchainGamerBiz
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Top 10 fully onchain games
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By Jenny Jordan
Last updated Oct 31, 2023
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100% onchain gaming is on the rise, so let’s take a look at the top 10 most prominent fully onchain games that are currently live or in development.
N.B. Titles are listed in alphabetic order.
Alien Worlds (by Dacoco)
One of the early launches into the emerging blockchain gaming scene was Alien Worlds from Swiss developer Dacoco. Following its launch in December 2020, the game experienced solid growth and has remained one of the most popular blockchain games through both bull and bear conditions.
A PC-based intergalactic space metaverse merging gaming with decentralized governance, mining and NFTs, Alien Worlds encourages full player autonomy through its deeply integrated Syndicates structure, which are based on the planets that make up the game’s universe.
Deployed on WAX with missions on BNB, the game is available to play via Alien Worlds’ website.
Downstream (by Playmint)
Developed by UK-based Playmint, Downstream is a fully open source and permissionless MMO with composability built into its design. This allows anyone to add smart contracts such as quests, clan systems, marketplaces and other features, to extend Downstream’s functionality.
As long as the added code adheres to the game’s underlying digital physics, which are immutable on the blockchain, it will work. As opposed to mods, these features are introduced in a single shared world.
Playmint CEO David Amor says the game aspires to be an autonomous world, meaning it’s an open-ended game using blockchain technology as a measure to safeguard its decentralized structure and eternal existence, which is achieved by Playmint overlooking it.
Downstream is currently in development on testnet, and anyone can apply to join the development of the game or sign up for its forthcoming playtest.
Stay up-to-date with the game via the Downstream website.
Dragginz
While Dragginz was the initial idea behind what became 1990’s hit Neopets, every attempt so far at creating it has turned into something else. According to the game’s developers, that’s a driving motivation for taking this 3D fantasy MMORPG fully onchain and build it on ICP. The fact this catalogue of games live eternally and can never be forced to shut down is one of its most appealing features, according to Dragginz co-founder and former Neopets developer Donna Powell.
In terms of gameplay, Dragginz is based on a simple game loop where a fantasy character – “probably elves” – has the job of hatching and looking after an evolvable baby Draggin. In addition, this open world fantasy MMORPG will include crafting, trading, and various adventures, among other features. PC-based and deployed on ICP, Dragginz is expected to launch towards the end of 2024 or early 2025.
Stay up-to-date with the game via the Dragginz website.
Gabby World (by Gabby World DAO)
As a fully onchain open game world with emphasis on user-generated and AI-generated content, Gabby World is created by its community, Gabby World DAO.
Described as one of the most innovative adventure-based autonomous worlds so far in the onchain gaming space, players can create AI characters, storylines and quests and participate in building the ever-evolving Gabby World universe.
Following its recent closed beta release which granted 500 players access, Gabby World revealed that over 14,000 explorations and over 3,600 experiences had been created. Browser-based and deployed on Ethereum as well as AGLD’s fully decentralized Lootchain, the game is powered by the AGLD token.
Find out more via the Gabby World website.
Influence (by Untoppable Games)
US-developer Unstoppable Games makes full use of the strengths of 100% onchain gaming in its space strategy MMO Influence. With resource-rich asteroids as a starting point, players take part in loops of mining and construction to build ships, which are a cornerstone for game progression. Strategy and cooperation is also essential for successful gameplay, which is enhanced by in-game marketplaces and trading powered by the game’s SWAY token.
Unstoppable Games recently launched Limited Release, a mode which aims to showcase the game’s successful migration from Ethereum to Starknet mainnet. While Limited Release enables existing players to migrate their assets to Starknet, the version is also a way for new players to familiarize themselves with the game.
Next stop on the roadmap is pre-release, Influence’s last testnet on Starknet, which will make the entire game available to players.
Stay up-to-date via the Influence website.
Nine Chronicles (by Planetarium)
Alongside Alien Worlds, open source RPG Nine Chronicles from South Korean developer Planetarium is one of the earliest fully onchain games to launch. While the web3 space has grown increasingly familiar with games being built fully decentralized with deep involvement from its community, Planetarium was one of the first developers to adopt this approach.
From an interview with BlockchainGamer.biz in 2019, Planetarium CEO Kijun Seo said “We’re not sure where its community will take Nine Chronicles over the years, but we’re eager to find out.”
The strategy has proven to be successful for this PC-based RPG – a mobile version has also been soft launched – which continues to rank as one of the top blockchain games by monthly DAUW.
Initially deployed on Planetarium’s native Libplanet blockchain, the game has more recently announced cross-chain integration and deployed on BNB. In addition, it’s also launched its WNCG token, a wrapped token that backs Nine Chronicles‘ in-game currency NCG.
Pirate Nation (by Proof of Play)
Pirate Nation developer Proof of Play recently announced it’s raised $33 million for the game and its open source tools, which raises the amount invested into the niche of fully onchain games significantly. In a recent interview, Proof of Play CEO Amitt Mahajan who co-created Zynga’s FarmVille amongst other games and tech, explains why there is an inherent utility in games built fully onchain. While he also describes Pirate Nation, which is the studio’s first game, as a sandbox experiment, players shouldn’t view it as the be-all-and-end-all game, “It’s the thing where we figure out how to build onchain games.”
In terms of gameplay, Pirate Nation offers a combination of active (turn-based battles) and idle (time-based loops) and is simple and fun enough to potentially be the experience that breaks through into the more traditional gaming quarters.
With its NFTs on Ethereum, the game is deployed on Arbitrum Nova. While players need to connect a wallet, the game is browser-based and currently live in beta via the Pirate Nation website.
Primodium
In techtree game Primodium players strategically design and build factories on a plot positioned in an asteroid. These automated factories are used for creating and mining resources which are used to evolve players’ industrial empires. While players can choose to either cooperate or compete with other players, a recently launched update enables players to build fleets of ships used in attacks against other players.
Developed by a team lead by co-founder Morris Hsieh and game engineer Emerson Hsieh, Primodium is browser-based and running on the Lattice testnet. Currently onboarding the game requires neither NFTs nor login, since all game progression is stored on the browser.
Find out more via the Primodium website.
Sage Labs (by ATMTA)
Browser-based 2D space economic simulator Sage Labs from ATMTA’s Star Atlas team launched at the end of Q3 2023, and has since attracted headlines due to its fast increase in blockchain transactions.
More than just a game however, ATMTA CEO Michael Wagner recently stated that “we’re a development ecosystem”, and part of that is Sage Labs’ recently launched open-platform developer tools. With access to these modding tools users are able to create, modify, or expand upon the existing Sage Labs game mechanics, make their own frontend UI, build live economies or use the game’s system to create entirely new experiences.
Browser-based and part of the Star Atlas ecosystem, Sage Labs is deployed on Solana.
Soccerverse (by Soccerverse)
In soccer management simulator Soccerverse players take the role of manager, agent, club owner, share trader or scout, or a combination of all, in a multiplayer open-ended game world called The Elite Championship. Players can be shareholders in clubs as well as in soccer players and earn dividends based on their performance in the weekly league matches. As a shareholder players are also able to appoint managers and agents.
Although the game is developed by a UK-based studio also called Soccerverse, the key driver behind the development of this fully permissionless and autonomous game universe is its community. Participants in the current beta release will shape the forthcoming game, set to launch in Q2 2024.
Deployed on Polygon, the game is currently in beta and available via Soccerverse’s website.
Also check out:
Top 10 most anticipated blockchain games
Alien WorldsDacocoDownstreamDragginzNine ChroniclesOnchainPlanetariumPlaymintPrimodiumSoccerverse
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Jenny started editing the Big Blockchain Game List in 2021; something that quickly sparked a passion for good blockchain projects and future possibilities for the whole industry.
Apart from editing BlockchainGamer.biz, she keeps busy cold-plunging, writing, deadlifting, drinking too much coffee and playing too few quirky onchain games.
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The First Stage of the Autonomous World: Fully On-Chain Games
First Stage of the Autonomous World: Fully On-Chain GamesExchangeExchangeTrade over 1,400 cryptocurrenciesStartupToken launch and airdrop platformVenturesVenture capital for Web3.0NFTFind and create your own digital assetsLeaderboardTop crypto tradersHelp CenterAnnouncementsLatest platform updates regarding listings, activities, maintenances and more.PromotionsETH 2.0 UpgradeETH’s The Merge has finishedAffiliate ProgramEarn commissions by sharing Gate.io with your audienceInfluencer ProgramAffiliate Starter EditionReferral ProgramInvite your friends for fee disccount and moreInstitutional and VIP ServicesServices for quant, maket makers and brokersLearn & ExploreLearnEarn crypto while learningGate BlogGain insight on cryptoGate PostDiscover value in cryptoLive StreamLive crypto market analysisGroupChat with crypto tradersNewsWhat is happening in cryptoStart HereCoursesArticlesAllAltcoinsBitcoinBlockchainDeFiEthereumMetaverseNFTsTradingTutorialFuturesTrading BotsBRC-20GameFiDAOMacro TrendsWalletsInscriptionTechnologyGlossaryResearchJoin UsCreator's ArenaCampus AmbassadorVideo Creators FestLog InSign UpStart HereCoursesArticlesGlossaryResearchCreator's ArenaCampus AmbassadorVideo Creators FestLanguage and RegionSelect language and region简体中文EnglishTiếng Việt繁體中文EspañolРусский языкFrançaisDeutschPortuguês (Portugal)ภาษาไทยIndonesiaTürkçe日本語عربيУкраїнськаPortuguês (Brasil)Log InLog InSign UpStart HereCoursesArticlesGlossaryResearchCreator's ArenaCampus AmbassadorVideo Creators FestLanguage简体中文EnglishTiếng Việt繁體中文EspañolРусский языкFrançaisDeutschPortuguês (Portugal)ภาษาไทยIndonesiaTürkçe日本語عربيУкраїнськаPortuguês (Brasil)LearnThe First Stage of the Autonomous World: Fully On-Chain GamesThe First Stage of the Autonomous World: Fully On-Chain GamesIntermediateDec 03, 2023This article explores how fully on-chain games herald the birth of a new autonomous world. These games are not only a digital extension of the real world but also pioneers of the digital autonomous era. By reviewing the development and progress of blockchain games throughout history, the article reveals the unique solutions brought by Web3 games using innovative technologies. These solutions differ greatly from traditional game forms, providing players with a broader space for exploration and autonomy.BlockchainWhat is an Autonomous World/On-Chain Game?Autonomous Worlds as the Next FrontierGame State and Logic On-Chain (and Open Source)Autonomous Worlds as Permissionless PlatformAWs: Current State of PlayWhy are we Excited About AWSAutonomous World in the Next Three YearAutonomous Worlds as the Next FrontierIntroduction:From a historical perspective, Each new computing paradigm has historically unlocked a new set of possibilities for games:
Transistors, microprocessors, TVs — the concept of a computer gamePCs — expansion of gaming categories to include strategy and simulationInternet — multiplayerSocial-web — social-network gamesMobile — casual gamesVR — Spatial
With each new chapter of change, we have seen new teams succeed by embracing new modalities and technologies. Not incumbents, but rather fresh thinkers — game designers who were able to invent net-new experiences by leveraging the new affordances provided by each computing medium. This has also happened in the vibrant first movers of web3 games, each of whom has innovated in their own way.
In 2017, Crypto Kitties created the first crypto-game, allowing players to collect and breed new kitties.
In 2018, Axie Infinity put assets on-chain as NFTs and created an open liquid SLP economy.
In 2020, Dark Forest used zero-knowledge in conjunction with on-chain game logic to create the first on-chain game with incomplete information that was also permissionlessly extendable.
In 2021, Loot Project dropped, becoming an icon of a base layer IP that people could permissionlessly extend, and spawned hundreds of games, derivatives that incorporated it into its gameplay, Lore…etc.
In 2023, there is now a growing industry of new fully on-chain games / autonomous worlds.
With each successive experiment in on-chain games, we’ve uncovered net new experiences enabled by on-chain assets, game state and logic, permissionless extension and composability that point us towards the possibility of Autonomous Worlds as next generation crypto platforms. At 1kx, we believe that we are in the midst of a 0 to 1 in the development of the next generation of gaming — that of an on-chain game.
What is an Autonomous World/On-Chain Game?
Let us borrow gubsheep’s definition of a cryptonative game (abridged).
An on-chain game is a game where:
All game logic, state (assets and others) are on-chain, implemented via smart contracts.The source of truth for game data is the blockchain. The blockchain is not just used as an auxiliary store of data or a “mirror” of data stored in a proprietary server; all of the meaningful data (not just asset ownership) is stored on the blockchain. This allows the game to fully utilize the benefits of programmable blockchains: a transparent, permanent, and permissionlessly interoperable data stores.The game is developed in accordance with open ecosystem principles.The game contracts and (usually) an accessible game client are open-source.Third-party developers are empowered to customize or even fork their own gameplay experiences through plugins, third-party clients, interoperable smart contracts, and even full redeployment. This, in turn, allows game developers to harness the creative output of an entire (incentive-aligned) community.The game is client (front-end) agnostic.
An isomorphism to this mental model that we often see in the on-chain gaming literature is that of an “Autonomous World” or equivalently an “On-Chain Reality”. This nomenclature draws parallels between:
On-chain game state, where the blockchain is a source of truth for game data and the state of a “world” (think what is where at any snapshot in time).On-chain game logic that defines how a player can interact with the game and real world physics that define how people can interact with reality.Community and governance structures that stress open ecosystem principles and other malleable elements of the base layer and citizens and forms of government.
This world is “autonomous” because:
“Worlds with a Blockchain substrate are almost maximally autonomous: anybody can enforce the introduction rule, without damaging its objectivity. The disappearance or betrayal of any particular individual does not hurt the World: its diegetic boundary remains as hard as ever.” — “Lattice”
Autonomous Worlds as the Next Frontier
Two transformational unlocks make autonomous worlds extremely exciting:
By having game state and logic on-chain where actions have real economic stake, players will attach additional significance to their on-chain game actions and experience deeper levels of immersion and experience unbounded skin in the game. Censorship resistance of on-chain games will allow this immersion to grow without platform risk. Running on a public blockchain also means that the game can exist forever.By allowing anyone to extend or change the game, on-chain games encourage mods, better align incentives between modders and game developers, and allow the players to control the canonical game experience, working towards a grounds-up vision of an interoperable metaverse.
Game State and Logic On-Chain (and Open Source)
On-chain game state and logic enables:
Permanence and fault tolerance as inherited properties of the underlying network. In-game actions, asset ownership and earned credentials are incorruptible, verifiably yours and permanent. The game and surrounding ecosystem are censorship resistant.Something at stake. Assets inherently have monetary value as they can be made tradable (if not an NFT then a private key market). Enacting state transitions requires gas. There are real economic consequences to participation in an on-chain game, and often times real economic upside that can be unbounded.
“We must also remember that transactions cost money. Therefore, it will be most effective to make any transactional actions in the game strategic. This means you should strive to put as much of the player’s intellectual work into one transaction as possible” \
Bohdan from Mithraeum
As a consequence of the interplay of these qualities, we hypothesize that players of on-chain games will have a deeper, more immersive relationship to AWs because they have:
A stronger feeling of ownership of in-game assets and accomplishments. We have already observed people constructing digital identities around on-chain actions and accomplishments like the degen score, wallet profiling, game leaderboards, C4. This is something that we have also seen in web2 games with high value economies and items, where players grind thousands of hours, spend tens of thousands of dollars to obtain in-game rares and form communities around their possession. True ownership over assets and accomplishments will amplify this sentiment. As evidence, we have seen Dark Forest NFTs (NFTs awarded for winning Dark Forest rounds) have also historically sold for significant amounts despite having no functionality/utility.A stronger desire for mastery of the game to obtain high value assets and high value titles. We have seen players of Dark Forest build bots, monitoring tools and custom clients in an effort to climb the leaderboard. We have also seen communities in web3 that intimately identify with their pfps, particularly pfps of high monetary value.No worry of platform risk: In Web 2.0 there are many examples when game mods and auxiliary platforms are served a cease and desist from their parent IP, or digital distribution services. Regulatory arbitrage aside, on-chain censorship resistance, permissionless deployment and permissive open source licenses/cultures ensures that on-chain games and their surrounding ecosystem cannot be arbitrarily shut down.
In aggregate, we hypothesize that because of these consequences of on-chain state and logic, web3 games will have deeper immersion and longevity compared to web2 games.
Autonomous Worlds as Permissionless Platform
The history and development of gaming has been intimately tied with modding. Many era-defining games and genres were originally born or popularized as mods of popular titles. There is a plethora of evidence that players want to take part in the development of games they love, and many times, they end up creating experiences that others love (Roblox, Minecraft).
The downside of the popularity of mods was that though hypothetically they were accretive to awareness, they could cannibalize DAU of the main product. Out of this fact and a desire to closely control IP, strong End User License Agreements (EULAs) and enforcement action was put in place that stifled mod growth and monetization in the past two decades.
Recently, User Generated Content (UGC)-based games have been touted as a solution because they capture the value created by the community. The studio could provide creator tools and a constrained set of freedom that would ease the process of creating new experiences. Web2 UGC, however, still suffers from intolerant EULAs, high take rates, inflexible monetization schemes and a limited subset of freedom.
Autonomous worlds which are permissionlessly extendable and moddable is a much stronger solution than web2 UGC because:
On-chain game logic by default exposes every public facet of the underlying game for modding and extension. Any developer can create a set of smart contracts that interacts with the game state and logic instead of having to ask a game studio to expose a limited subset of creative freedom (e.g. the ability to create custom maps). This can look like games that read and use the original game’s state, a game whose outcome controls inputs in the base layer game, a game that directly calls functions on the original game logic, multiple games that share state, components…etc.Open source culture and the anonymity of smart contract deployments means that it is virtually impossible to enforce traditional web2 EULAs that prevent monetization and ownership of mods. Mods and extensions deployed on the blockchain have the ability to arbitrarily define value accrual parameters (fees to call functions) and the contract — if decentralized — is either owned by nobody or upgradability is controlled by a decentralized entity. This gives freedom to accrue value for produced mods and prevents EULA enforcements.
As a result of restrictive EULAs abetted by underinformed and outdated court rulings, modders cannot claim copyright to their own hard work, unable to easily monetize or control the use of their creations or easily protect against misappropriation by bad actors. Even absent the restrictions imposed by most EULAs, mods are considered derivative works that do not fall under fair use. While modders are generally allowed to create mods and distribute them for free, modders can neither assert ownership over the mods they create nor can they legally profit from their work without infringing the underlying game’s copyright.
There is better incentive alignment between mods and the original creators of the game — and even a blending of these roles. Whereas a mod of a game may be distributed as an entirely separate piece of software, value flows through an on-chain mod can route through the core game logic at the base layer. The more mods and extensions the base game state has, the larger the value of assets, accomplishments in the base layer or the more value accrual it receives from activity on applications that it supports. This is the same incentive structure as NFT IP and L1 blockchains where developers are encouraged to provide new experiences for holders of the NFT for value accrual to the IP, or to create dapps that increase blockspace demand.
With on-chain games, every content addition results in a multi-factor expansion of playable content. Economic players and resource accumulators have new financial opportunities they can exploit from the disequilibrium introduced by new content. For players who want to play the game itself there is more content and for players who want to build/mod the game there is another aspect they can incorporate, build on top of.
With regards to permissionless extension of on-chain games, we hypothesize that:
We will see an explosion of game mods and extended modules (on-chain downloadable content or DLCs).Each expansion creates much more opportunities for “fun” for different player archetypes.This loop goes on for as long as there is an active, engaged community. Within the community, there will always be a subgroup of builders.This results in games with real longevity of its player base.Over time some extensions of extensions, mods of mods, will become prevalent. The game ecosystem itself will become an ever evolving entity.
In order for the player’s actions in the world to matter, there need to be consequences, both positive and negative. The perception of having meaningful skin in game is more immersive than any VR headset. In The Citadel, we want there to be something at stake, something to fight for, and the means by which to fight. We envision a world driven by economic, political, and military conflict over scarce resources. The initial game loop centers around economic competition, but over time new forms of risk and rivalry will be introduced.
AWs: Current State of Play
As one can see there are many teams that’re building out on-chain IP, infrastructure to make the development of AWs easier, publishing houses for AWs and other on-chain experiments.
Why are we Excited About AWS
There are many similarities between the very early stages nascent base layer systems — current vibrant ecosystems (like Ethereum), and on-chain games today:
1、Technological differentiation from existing platforms that enable new types of applications that previously did not exist.
2、An extremely strong community that is rallied around a vision or philosophy — often one that is congruent to the differentiating characteristics of the technology.
3、A strong initial developer ecosystem of builders attracted to the base layer by 1 and 2 building new applications.
4、A prevailing doubt over the commercial potential, viability, or UX friendliness of these new experiments.
Over and over again, we have observed the same flywheel:
Initial community builds very cool and innovative protocols utilizing compute characteristics of the base layer.Other builders that see these products come and join the community.Critically successful applications emerge over the course of thousands of experiments.
Autonomous worlds are at the very beginning of this cycle.
Autonomous World in the Next Three Year
Here’s what we see happening in the next few years:
1、An explosion in the number of playable on-chain games and consequently an explosion in community-led development building on top of popular titles. The games with the strongest communities will see development of multiple alternative clients, bots, plugins but also the first experiments in game modules, extensions, mods that are not forks but rather extend and interoperate with the base layer game. At least one of these mods will become more popular than the base layer game.
2、Experiments in permissionless UGC, including games whose output is the input into another game, games with shared state across multiple different games (which are as a consequence natively interoperable), custom front-ends that index different subsets of game components, systems. We will see the rapid development of these fueled by the availability of open source implementations of game elements (components and systems).
Autonomous Worlds as the Next Frontier
We believe that on-chain gaming is the beginning of a new paradigm that will permeate mainstream consciousness. We see in its qualities of previously successful networks: complete differentiation from the status quo, a unique value proposition, a concentration of energy, and a community of amazing builders.
Disclaimer:
This article is reprinted from[Meta Era Global]. All copyrights belong to the original author [1kx]. If there are objections to this reprint, please contact the Gate Learn team, and they will handle it promptly.Liability Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not constitute any investment advice.Translations of the article into other languages are done by the Gate Learn team. Unless mentioned, copying, distributing, or plagiarizing the translated articles is prohibited.
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Fully On-Chain Games: A Deep Dive into the World of Blockchain Gaming | by Galaxia Studios | Medium
y On-Chain Games: A Deep Dive into the World of Blockchain Gaming | by Galaxia Studios | MediumOpen in appSign upSign inWriteSign upSign inFully On-Chain Games: A Deep Dive into the World of Blockchain GamingGalaxia Studios·Follow3 min read·Oct 6, 2023--ListenShareIn recent years, blockchain technology has made significant inroads into various industries, and gaming is no exception. Fully on-chain games, powered by blockchain’s decentralized architecture, have emerged as a groundbreaking innovation in the gaming world. In this article, we will take an in-depth look at the intricate world of fully on-chain games, exploring their technical aspects, benefits, challenges, and the potential they hold for a highly educated, technical, and professional audience.Understanding Fully On-Chain GamesFully on-chain games, often referred to as decentralized or blockchain games, are a new breed of video games built on blockchain technology. Unlike traditional games that rely on centralized servers, fully on-chain games leverage blockchain’s decentralized ledger to manage in-game assets, transactions, and governance. Here’s a comprehensive examination of their key components:1. Smart Contracts: The Engine of On-Chain GamingSmart contracts, self-executing code stored on the blockchain, are the backbone of fully on-chain games. They dictate the rules of the game, govern asset ownership, and automate various in-game processes. Smart contracts enable trust and transparency, as players can verify game mechanics and outcomes.2. Ownership and Digital Scarcity: NFTsNon-fungible tokens (NFTs) represent unique, indivisible digital assets. In fully on-chain games, in-game items, characters, and assets are tokenized as NFTs. This not only gives players true ownership of their digital belongings but also creates a market for trading, buying, and selling these assets.3. Provably Fair GameplayFully on-chain games use blockchain’s transparency to offer provably fair gameplay. Random number generation and other game mechanics are executed on the blockchain, eliminating the possibility of cheating or manipulation by developers.4. Decentralized MarketplacesDecentralized marketplaces allow players to trade their in-game assets peer-to-peer. These markets provide liquidity and value to in-game assets, fostering a player-driven economy.Benefits of Fully On-Chain GamesThe adoption of fully on-chain games comes with several advantages:True Ownership: Players have full control over their in-game assets, with the ability to transfer, trade, or sell them at will.Security and Transparency: Transactions and game mechanics are recorded on the blockchain, enhancing security and transparency.No Intermediaries: Blockchain eliminates intermediaries, reducing fees and enabling direct peer-to-peer interactions.Global Play: Players from around the world can participate in fully on-chain games, breaking down geographical barriers.Challenges and Technical ConsiderationsWhile fully on-chain games hold immense promise, they are not without challenges:Scalability: Scalability issues on blockchain networks like Ethereum can lead to slow transactions and high fees. Layer 2 solutions and blockchain upgrades aim to address these limitations.User Experience: Some fully on-chain games may lack the polished user interfaces and graphics of traditional games, potentially limiting mainstream adoption.ConclusionFully on-chain games represent a paradigm shift in the gaming industry, offering unprecedented ownership, transparency, and trust to players. While they face technical challenges, ongoing developments and innovations are addressing these issues, paving the way for a future where blockchain gaming is the norm. As highly educated, technical, and professional individuals, you now have a deeper understanding of the intricate world of fully on-chain games and the potential they hold for revolutionizing the gaming landscape. Embrace this new era with curiosity and excitement, for the fully on-chain gaming revolution is just beginning.Blockchain GamingFully On Chain GamingFully On Chain GamesOn Chain GameBlockchain----FollowWritten by Galaxia Studios1.8K FollowersGalaxia Studios is a global leader in web3 and blockchain game development. https://www.galaxiastudios.comFollowHelpStatusAboutCareersBlogPrivacyTermsText to speechTeamsThe Future of On-Chain Gaming
Future of On-Chain GamingWritingVolt LabsOpportunitiesContactCareerswriting/The Future of On-Chain GamingThe Future of On-Chain GamingAlec ChenAug,30IntroCrypto gaming is still in its nascent stages. Recent advancements in blockchain scalability and infrastructure now allow new gaming genres to be built fully on-chain, opening up paths to integrating with the crypto economy and the broader decentralized ecosystem. As crypto gaming matures as an industry, both players and developers stand to benefit from the economic models, incentive structures, and identity and coordination primitives of the decentralized economy.On-Chain GamesOn-chain gaming is an example of a paradigm shift crypto brings to traditional gaming. Game designs are driven by their constraints. With execution bound by gas costs, current iterations of on-chain gaming are typically turn-based RTS games. In 0xMonaco, an on-chain car racing game in the latest iteration of Paradigm’s Capture the Flag challenge, players race against each other’s smart contracts and can adjust their strategy in response to opponents by customizing their smart contract logic. By introducing a multiplayer aspect, 0xMonaco adds a fun and competitive PvP dynamic. A resounding success in the community, 0xMonaco provides a glimpse into the possibilities of customizability in on-chain multiplayer games.Through advancements in blockchain infrastructure and scalability (e.g. zero knowledge proofs and data availability layers), genres like Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBAs) and First Person Shooters (FPS) can now be built fully on-chain, unlocking on-chain multiplayer online gaming at scale. The ability to bring highly interactive games on-chain adds mainstream appeal and attracts a broader audience to the existing on-chain gaming ecosystem, onboarding a generation of young gamers new to crypto.Minecraft Realms: Player-hosted personal serversCustomizabilityBuilding games on-chain brings transparency and strong immutability guarantees, while also providing customizability. By transforming core gameplay and functionality into hyperstructures, developers can build games with composability and customizability as first class citizens and take a decentralized, community-first approach to development and growth. In traditional gaming, modding communities provide an organic way for players to experience worlds outside of the core gameplay. User generated content (UGC) is a huge driver of revenue for games like Roblox and Minecraft, which outsource community management and development to independent creators. This unlocks an interesting new paradigm for game developers; with on-chain gaming, instead of having a game developer maintain an “official” game server, gaming studios can simply develop the underlying infrastructure (which can be as simple as smart contracts dictating core gameplay mechanisms) and outsource hosting and further development to the community. Independent creators can bring their fantasy realm alive by hosting a “private server” with customized skins, gameplay, and assets, building on top of the original game protocol. Communities can then deploy native currencies within their private server for governance and in-game purchases. In an analogy to blockchain infrastructure, a private server can be thought of as a rollup on a layer 1 base game, with each server and community having their own token and ecosystem. Similar to the innate composability and interoperability between rollups sharing a base layer, on-chain gaming allows interoperability for player assets and identities in previously fragmented communities. As an example, consider Minecraft servers. Each server has its unique assets, players, and communities, with no way to share or communicate between individual servers. Bringing gameplay on-chain allows for cross-server communication, allowing players to transfer their assets and progress from one fantasy realm into another. The open source nature of protocols and crypto facilitate this interdependence, and tokenization allows communities to benefit from the growth of the broader game ecosystem.Governance & CommunityBringing gaming on-chain also provides communities with a toolbox of crypto-enabled governance primitives. Decentralized governance allows players to participate and have a voice in the development of games: users would be able to participate in gameplay balancing and adjustments, with votes and proposals enabled through governance tokens. Additionally, building on open blockchain rails allows for verifiable on-chain data and asset ownership for players. Developers wishing to adopt a community-first approach to gaming can facilitate user engagement through on-chain integrations, harnessing crypto primitives for assets, community, and governance.On-chain gaming also opens up the possibility for incorporating community ownership as a core gameplay mechanism. An example of this could be a community-balanced game, where players can use crypto-enabled governance to make adjustments to smart contracts dictating core on-chain game mechanisms. Another interesting possibility is unlocking token-enabled governance natively in games. Gamers in multiplayer online games traditionally organize themselves into collectives - “guilds” - in order to coordinate towards in-game goals and objectives. In on-chain games, guilds can be organized through token-enabled DAO primitives, bringing a layer of transparency and digital native coordination tools to gaming collectives. Building these integrations on crypto rails is also beneficial to developers; compared to analog gaming where developers must spend engineering cycles implementing and maintaining governance logic, in crypto they can bootstrap a guild system by simply plugging in existing crypto primitives, using tokens for membership and DAO tooling solutions for governance. This unlocks further expressiveness and customizability for DAO guilds, unbound by constraints set by the game designers.Identity & Social LayerCrypto also offers gamers a robust and composable digital identity. For example, Steam has a thriving ecosystem where players customize their profiles and self-organize into communities based on shared interests or games. Bringing this system on-chain allows crypto gaming players to build reputations under a pseudonym, while at the same time being able to port over and utilize their identity and social graph in games outside of a specific developer or publisher ecosystem. This also has strong implications for reputation-based services. Since users accumulate reputation under pseudonyms in online games, or more broadly, digital communities, these on-chain metrics as well as a user’s gaming identity can be associated with identities from other contexts as a metric for authority and credibility.Cartridge's quest feature - complete quests on the platform and earn rewards.Crypto WalletsTraditional crypto wallets are designed for general-purpose use, and don’t have many of the advanced features that gamers are accustomed to in analog applications. Particularly important features for gaming absent from existing wallets are enshrined discovery, identity, and community primitives. A social component is paramount to the success of multiplayer gaming; players want to be able to see what games their friends are playing, organize themselves into communities based on shared interests, and discover new games. Integrations with crypto gaming through traditional channels are unlikely: due to pushback against crypto by the traditional gaming industry, such as Valve banning all NFTs and cryptocurrencies on its platform, it seems an equivalent solution for crypto must be built natively. A team working to bridge this gap is Cartridge, the “Steam” of crypto gaming. Users on Cartridge will be able to browse and launch a selection of curated crypto games, earn rewards from quests and upgrade their avatar, and interact with friends and communities. Gaming-specific crypto wallets provide these missing discovery and social features to blockchain gamers: platforms like Cartridge serve as the infrastructure bridging the composability benefits of crypto gaming beyond the application layer.Cartridge allows users to browse and discover new on-chain games.TakeawaysPlatforms like Steam provide composability and an ecosystem for games, but can also unilaterally impose restrictions on players, oftentimes against community consensus. Decentralized alternatives such as Cartridge allow users to benefit from the core identity, governance, and social innovations of the decentralized gaming ecosystem while preserving free market principles. Ironically, the core innovation of gaming built on decentralized rails results in the centralization of assets, identity, and community in the fragmented gaming ecosystem. Building games on-chain enables composability by default, and unlocks new gaming mechanisms and paradigms for both developers and users. Let's not forget the purpose of scaling throughput and improving blockchain infrastructure in the first place: unlocking the potential for novel apps to be built on decentralized rails. If the thesis is that onboarding of the next billion users to crypto will be through gaming, it’s essential to create crypto games with broad, mainstream appeal while also providing an exceptional user experience through well-designed incentive structures, sustainable economies, and platforms. If you're a founder working on blockchain gaming, or have any feedback on the above, we'd love to chat! Please get in touch with us at opps@volt.capital.Special thanks to the team at Cartridge and Matt Katz from Constellation Labs for their thoughts and feedback!If you're interested in trying out Cartridge when it launches, sign up for updates here!©2024 Volt. All rights reserved.Designed & Built by Yaw OwusuPrivacy PolicyTerms of ServiceCookies Setti
Understanding Full-Chain Games in One Read
rstanding Full-Chain Games in One ReadExchangeExchangeTrade over 1,400 cryptocurrenciesStartupToken launch and airdrop platformVenturesVenture capital for Web3.0NFTFind and create your own digital assetsLeaderboardTop crypto tradersHelp CenterAnnouncementsLatest platform updates regarding listings, activities, maintenances and more.PromotionsETH 2.0 UpgradeETH’s The Merge has finishedAffiliate ProgramEarn commissions by sharing Gate.io with your audienceInfluencer ProgramAffiliate Starter EditionReferral ProgramInvite your friends for fee disccount and moreInstitutional and VIP ServicesServices for quant, maket makers and brokersLearn & ExploreLearnEarn crypto while learningGate BlogGain insight on cryptoGate PostDiscover value in cryptoLive StreamLive crypto market analysisGroupChat with crypto tradersNewsWhat is happening in cryptoStart HereCoursesArticlesAllAltcoinsBitcoinBlockchainDeFiEthereumMetaverseNFTsTradingTutorialFuturesTrading BotsBRC-20GameFiDAOMacro TrendsWalletsInscriptionTechnologyGlossaryResearchJoin UsCreator's ArenaCampus AmbassadorVideo Creators FestLog InSign UpStart HereCoursesArticlesGlossaryResearchCreator's ArenaCampus AmbassadorVideo Creators FestLanguage and RegionSelect language and region简体中文EnglishTiếng Việt繁體中文EspañolРусский языкFrançaisDeutschPortuguês (Portugal)ภาษาไทยIndonesiaTürkçe日本語عربيУкраїнськаPortuguês (Brasil)Log InLog InSign UpStart HereCoursesArticlesGlossaryResearchCreator's ArenaCampus AmbassadorVideo Creators FestLanguage简体中文EnglishTiếng Việt繁體中文EspañolРусский языкFrançaisDeutschPortuguês (Portugal)ภาษาไทยIndonesiaTürkçe日本語عربيУкраїнськаPortuguês (Brasil)LearnUnderstanding Full-Chain Games in One ReadUnderstanding Full-Chain Games in One ReadAdvancedNov 22, 2023Full-chain gaming technology, which has intrigued gaming giants such as Square Enix, Nexon, and Ubisoft, boasts advantages like composability and decentralization. However, it also grapples with technical bottlenecks and scalability challenges. This article delves into the operational mechanisms, challenges, and benefits of full-chain games and introduces titles like Hunter Coin and Dark Forest.BlockchainNFTsIntroductionWhat are Full-Chain Games?Operational Mechanism of Full-Chain GamesChallenges Faced by Full-Chain GamesAdvantages of Full-Chain GamesFull-Chain Games Case StudiesDevelopment of Web3 Native GamesIntroductionBlockchain games represent an innovative genre that has captured the attention of gamers worldwide. Gaming giants like Square Enix, Nexon, and Ubisoft are all exploring this cutting-edge technology.
Most blockchain games combine traditional game servers with blockchain technology to ensure players’ ownership of in-game items.
However, for many games, blockchain isn’t a cure-all. Most first-person shooter games can’t operate on a blockchain. The speed of blockchain is too slow to support the smooth operation of games, and achieving sub-millisecond player reaction times using blockchain is entirely unrealistic. Thus, most blockchain games use blockchain as just one part of their technology stack, primarily for allocating and transferring digital assets and currency within the game. However, a growing cohort of Web3 native game developers and players are now striving to create a purely on-chain gaming experience. Such blockchain games are termed “Full-Chain Games.”
What are Full-Chain Games?
Full-Chain Games refer to games and NFT ecosystems that operate entirely on the blockchain. This means that apart from the frontend (what players see on their screens), everything else runs on the blockchain.
In Full-Chain Games, all player actions and data are recorded on the chain, rather than on game servers
The primary distinction between Full-Chain Games and traditional blockchain games is that the former implements game logic directly within smart contracts and uses NFT smart contracts to store game data such as player names and rankings on the blockchain, rather than centralized game servers. A game can only be labeled a “Full-Chain Game” when all its game logic and data are stored on the chain.
Operational Mechanism of Full-Chain Games
Full-Chain Games operate entirely through smart contracts, encapsulating both the game logic and data. In broader terms, the game logic dictates a game’s rules. For instance, in an online trading card game (TCG), the game logic determines how each match begins, the sequence in which cards are played, and when the match ends. Rules are the soul of a game. In Full-Chain Games, these rules are embedded within smart contracts, making them immutable and resistant to alterations.
While traditional blockchain games employ both smart contracts and game servers, Full-Chain Games exclusively utilize blockchains and smart contracts
Smart contracts are also pivotal for creating, distributing, and transferring digital assets. In the aforementioned card game, these digital assets are the traded card NFTs. Digital assets remain the most widely adopted technology in the blockchain gaming arena, with several NFT games, including Gods Unchained, Axie Infinity, Illuvium, WildCard, and Deadrop, utilizing them.
Challenges Faced by Full-Chain Games
Why aren’t the majority of games today fully on the blockchain? It’s primarily because Full-Chain Games present various challenges. Developers must adhere to stringent technical standards, and the gaming experience for players can be considerably diminished.
Blockchain Speed and Scalability
A blockchain is a shared computational network, maintained by thousands of computer nodes worldwide. As a result, it faces bottlenecks in speed and scalability, two essential elements for crafting fast-paced games. These technical constraints currently restrict Full-Chain Games to genres like card games or strategy games, where players take turns. The speed of smart contracts doesn’t yet support fast-paced games like Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBA), First-Person Shooters (FPS), or even Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games.
Transparent Player Activities
Smart contracts and their transactions are completely transparent, accessible to anyone for inspection. While transparency is a boon in financial contexts, it’s a hindrance in gaming due to privacy concerns. For instance, features like the “fog of war” in MOBAs or RTS games, which conceal parts of the gameplay, are nearly impossible to implement on-chain. While some technological solutions might mitigate occasional issues, they still don’t fully address the privacy challenges in Full-Chain Games.
Bots
The design of Full-Chain Games and smart contracts inadvertently creates an environment where bots and genuine players coexist. Without a centralized entity to deploy anti-cheat software, this can deteriorate the experience for gamers. Especially when rare digital assets or NFTs are rewarded in a game, bots become more rampant, lured by the substantial rewards.
Technical Bottlenecks
Prioritizing security, blockchains, and smart contracts face certain technical constraints that prevent them from executing specific tasks.
The two most prominent hurdles for Full-Chain Games are obtaining tamper-proof random numbers and automating game logic.
Almost every Full-Chain Game relies on on-chain random number solutions, which can be manipulated by the network’s validators (or miners) as they can view these numbers before they are finalized on the chain. Intermediate in-game processes, like transmitting a series of game logic based on player actions, require automated smart contract functions to enhance the gaming experience. However, both smart contracts and the blockchain itself fall short in executing these tasks. For instance, if a player acquires an asset, an automated asset retrieval operation must be initiated before it appears in the player’s inventory.
Advantages of Full-Chain Games
Developing a full-chain game involves overcoming numerous challenges, yet the ecosystem of full-chain games can leverage the benefits of blockchain and smart contracts to offer both players and developers immense value.
Composability and Open Source
Since full-chain games deploy the entire game on the blockchain, players and developers can replicate game logic, creating entirely new game genres. They can design diverse interfaces and develop a variety of applications based on the game to enhance the gaming experience, thereby promoting openness and entertainment. Therefore, full-chain games can be seen as a type of “game primitive.” Just like fantasy games such as “Dungeons & Dragons,” full-chain games provide a consistent set of rules for players, upon which endless creative expansions can be built.
Decentralization, Digital Permanence, and Immutability
A commonly overlooked feature of full-chain games is their autonomy once deployed on the chain. As long as there are validators in the blockchain network, the game can remain online indefinitely. This ensures eternal data security for full-chain games. As long as the blockchain operates, the game code can run indefinitely. In theory, if the blockchain hosting the game remains active for the next 300 years, the game and its logic will persist and remain stored on the blockchain, allowing players to engage with it continuously.
Low-Risk Technological Innovation
Given the susceptibility of the blockchain environment to various attacks and the substantial assets it protects, translating theoretical research into practice is daunting, especially in the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector where the risks of applying new technologies are immense. Full-chain games offer researchers and developers a low-risk environment to explore cutting-edge technologies like zero-knowledge proofs and homomorphic encryption. While full-chain games and high-risk applications like DeFi often share the same infrastructure, the former poses a lower risk, making it a more suitable testing ground.
Diverse Game Front-End Interfaces
Blockchain and smart contracts are inherently back-end technologies. For players to interact with the most genuine chain-based game, they would typically require a command line. Tech-savvy players and developers can develop various front-end interfaces based on the same blockchain logic and data. They need only connect the game’s front-end interface to the backend smart contract. As a result, a single on-chain game can have multiple game interfaces. Two players could be playing the same game, but one might be immersed in a medieval setting while the other explores a space-themed environment.
Full-Chain Games Case Studies
The earliest full-chain games appeared in 2013. Since then, the field has continuously advanced.
HunterCoin
Launched in 2013, HunterCoin is widely recognized as the first full-chain game. This game was an experimental endeavor to demonstrate the potential of decentralized game development. The game was deployed on its own blockchain, with players’ in-game actions, such as movement, gathering, and attacking, being submitted as transactions.
HunterCoin: Gaming World
Dark Forest
Dark Forest is a more recent real-time strategy full-chain game set in space. Inspired by Liu Cixin’s science fiction novel “The Dark Forest” from the “Three-Body” series, players are placed on an unknown planet in space with the mission to gather resources, expand territory, and conquer new planets. Dark Forest is the first full-chain game to incorporate a “fog of war” feature. The game was developed with the objective of exploring zero-knowledge proof technology; they use zero-knowledge proofs in the game to hide players’ location information from one another.
Dark Forest: A Real-time Strategy Game on the Blockchain, Where Players Battle in Space
Development of Web3 Native Games
Though full-chain games are a relatively niche track within the Web3 ecosystem, there remains an enthusiastic exploration from community members, researchers, and developers into the boundaries of blockchain gaming.
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This article is reproduced from [Foresightnews], and the copyright belongs to the original author [Chainlink]. If there are objections to the reproduction, please contact the Gate Learn team, and the team will process it promptly according to relevant procedures.Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article represent only the personal views of the author and do not constitute any investment advice.Other language versions of the article are translated by the Gate Learn team. Without mentioning Gate.io, it is not permitted to copy, disseminate, or plagiarize the translated articles.
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