Proposed Structure

[DecentralisedGaming]

This is the proposed structure of the book.

Structure

non-technical

• 00_preface
• 01_introduction
• 02_online_gaming_problems
• 03_history_of_blockchain_games
• 04_pros/cons

technical

back-end

• 05_blockchain_gaming_architecture
  • 05b_comparing_blockchain_gaming_architectures
• 06_randomness, determinism and fault tolerance
• 07_token economics
• 08_funding_and_payments
• 09_governance
• 10_distibuted action verification
• 11_scaling

front-end

• 12_user_experience_(gameplay)
• 13_user_interace_and_graphics
• 14_wallets

appendices

• glossary

[DecentralisedGaming]

Structure

non-technical

00_preface

Content:
A short foreword of why we need this book plus author attributions (it's collaborative).

01_introduction

Content:
Some consideration of definitions:

• What is a game?
• What is decentralised game?
• what is a blockchain?

02_online_gaming_problems

This chapters looks at the current problems with online games in order to motivate why we need blockchain.

We will reference the current model of online games (perhaps more of a description of online games rather than a model).

Main problems:

• item ownership
• closed source lock-in
• action verification
• influence over development / governance

03_history_of_blockchain_games

• Huntercoin (2013? onward?)
• Spells of Genesis team had tokens on CounterParty
• CryptoKitties (2017 onward)

04_pros/cons

Nothing specifically drafted for this section yet, although there is a good collaborative document that's current private but ready to be copy edited.

Discussions started #13

References:

• BGU2020 blog.
• https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/34646/blockchain-gaming-part-i-the-opportunity

technical (back-end)

05_blockchain_gaming_architecture

Content:

• Overview of the different architectures.

05b_comparing_blockchain_gaming_architectures

Content:

• Quick comparison of the different architectures 

06_randomness, determinism and fault tolerance

Content:
The need for determinism and distributed / replicated computation.
The need for randomness in games (fun, unpredictable), also for anti-botting.

07_token_economics

Nothing really drafted for this section yet. The full topic of game economics might be too much for this book, but clearly something needs to be said and with particular reference to tokens.

Discussions started #19

Content:

• TBA

References:

08_funding_and_payments

Something was already drafted here, but not yet public.

Discussions started #9 and #10

Content:

• Review traditional funding / fundraising methods
• ICO
• Crypto subscriptions
• tx fees
• F2P conundrum

References:

• https://medium.com/@edward.thomson/governance-of-and-incentives-for-a-web-3-game-56edefb89cd4

09_governance

Early draft, unedited, private.

Discussions started #11

Content:

• decentralised governance
• forking
• on-chain governance
• guilds as companies (with revenues etc, meta-game contracts, guild protections)

References:

• https://medium.com/@edward.thomson/governance-of-and-incentives-for-a-web-3-game-56edefb89cd4
• https://medium.com/@edward.thomson/in-game-and-on-chain-guilds-can-become-companies-4f10d7906b2e

10_distributed action verification

Nothing really drafted for this section yet. This would cover some of the actual checks that should be made.

Content:

• Is this redundant with architecture?
• Can it also cover anti-botting?

References:

• https://medium.com/@edward.thomson/trusted-trade-offs-in-blockchain-gaming-416faa5b8df8

11_scaling

(nothing really drafted for this section yet)

Content:

• game channels / state channels
• rollups (ZK / Optimistic)
• Plasma (?)

References:

technical (front-end)

12_user_experience_(gameplay)

Nnothing really drafted for this section yet.

Content:

• TBA

References:

• TBA

13_user_interace_and_graphics

Nothing really drafted for this section yet.

Content:

• TBA

References:

• TBA

14_wallets

Nothing really drafted for this section yet.

Content:

• TBA

References:

• TBA

15_gameplay_to_hide_mechanics

Nothing really drafted for this section yet.

Discussions started #8

Content:

• TBA

References:

• TBA

appendices

glossary

TBA

[DecentralisedGaming]

Other topics to include....

There are likely missing topics here, so it would be great to brainstorm what they are. It may not be possible to capture every single sub-topic, but at least the major topics should be covered.

Perhaps some of the suggest topics could even be removed?

Economics

• in-game economics
• tokens as they related to the game economics (there is a suggested chapter for tokenisatoin, but that might not make sense to be a separate chapter)
• "game theory" perhaps is something to consider here, e.g. FOMO3D.

Gameplay in a decentralised game

• Is gameplay exactly? If it isn't now, can it ever be the same?
• How can clever gameplay design hide technological inadequacies?
• How to prevent botting in an environment where there is real money to be made. Is the only real way to do that PVP, or can PVE work too?