Challenges
While the use of blockchain technology brings the affordances just listed, they also bring with them challenges. The challenges as we see them are:
Scalability, to achieve consensus on the state of the world and record the transitions of that state, blockchains incur a cost over traditional databases. We will overcome this cost by initially balancing what state to put on-chain and what to put in a traditional database managed by a centralized server. Over time as technologies and techniques develop, EVE Frontier will transition from centralized servers to full decentralization and on-chain provability.
Privacy, the inherent transparency of current blockchain implementations pose challenges in maintaining information asymmetry - critical for experiences like territorial conquest in EVE Frontier. To address this, EVE Frontier will continue to adopt innovative cryptographic constructs that safeguard privacy, while ensuring composability and security, allowing for the strategic depth and secrecy that are core to the game's experience.
The following image shows a snapshot of the body of cryptographic tools that may help overcome these challenges. Although the field of advanced applied cryptography is moving fast, we have experimented with various technologies to establish a clear path toward building information asymmetry concepts, such as "fog of war," as provable on-chain mechanisms. This approach allows us to maintain the strategic complexity of these features while preserving the composability and flexibility that smart contracts offer.
Coincidentally, these same technologies allow us to securely, verifiably, and provably enforce strong data guarantees for off-chain operations. This unlocks a pragmatic path towards scaling Frontier: off-chain provable execution, which, when necessary, can transmit its state on-chain.
Once the world’s initial conditions are established in collaboration with the community, players will then become the owners and operators of the world, acting as architects in the reconstruction of the Frontier’s civilization. Our long-term vision is to foster the creation of a truly autonomous world - one owned, operated, and lived in by its inhabitants, self-sustaining and continuously evolving.
To achieve this ambitious vision, we have experimented with a wide range of cutting-edge technologies to identify the best foundational tools for constructing the Frontier. While we have settled on a core technology stack that aligns with our goals, we remain pragmatic in our approach: we will always prioritize the best available solutions and adapt as technology evolves, rather than being constrained by our initial choices. Above all, our mission is to create a living world that delivers fresh, emergent gameplay experiences which truly belongs to the community.
The following sections outline the foundational technologies and the current evolution of thought regarding the technological solutions identified as fit-for-purpose for rebuilding the cosmos. These technologies form the backbone of the Frontier’s world, selected for their capacity to meet the demands of an ever-evolving virtual environment.
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