I understand this topic may have come up before. I was genuinely trying to contribute constructively to the community discussion. I'll focus on other aspects of PlaneShift going forward.

 
Thank you for taking the time to provide your insights. While I agree with some of your points, I believe there's more to consider regarding blockchain technology.

Block chain is not a database it's a ledger a journal, databases also have journals.
Reverting changes to the block chain is impossible, that's the nature of it. Say someone found a way to get the server to issue to them extra items or Tria. To remove this, another operation has to be added of taking the items away, that's then added to the chain, bloating it in size. It's time consuming, slow and inefficient.

While blockchain is not a traditional database, it is a type of distributed database designed to function as a decentralized ledger. Blockchain technologies are continuously evolving to improve efficiency and scalability. For example, TON has been tested and proven to process 104,715 transactions per second.

For example, lets go with the idea you want to put the Tria players have into a chain. It will very quickly end in a single transaction taking 5-10 seconds to process. Do you want to be stuck with a spinner on screen waiting for that? No, that's going to make you never touch it again. I know the argument will be, "well the server can do that in the background". Sure it can, but memory consumption is a pain for MMO's already... and you want to add more to that? 

You raise valid concerns about practical implementation in high-demand environments like MMOs. Some blockchains, like Bitcoin, can have slow transaction times, while others, like TON, Solana, and Avalanche, can handle transactions in sub-seconds. Choosing the right blockchain technology based on the application's requirements is crucial. While memory consumption is a valid concern, workarounds and optimizations are available.

I shall skip the issue of storage space for the chain.

To keep the blockchain size manageable, there are strategies to mitigate this, such as pruning, sharding, and layer 2 solutions. Again, this is a valid concern but not without solutions.

I get this was brought up for decentralisation... why? What's the point/need? If you decentralise it, it has to get the latest blocks from all the nodes, and hope it can get a proper consensus from them all regarding the state of the chain.

Decentralizing an MMORPG can boost security, fairness, and protection against tampering. Modern methods ensure game data is consistent and updates quickly across servers, but careful implementation is needed to manage complexity and resource use. Your concern about necessity is valid, and it's crucial to assess whether decentralization's benefits outweigh the complexity in each specific case.

Next issue, server restarts.
Originally the entire chain had to be processed, again slow, cumbersome, memory, disk and CPU intensive.

Modern blockchains use databases to read the chain's current state, which helps mitigate some of these issues. Checkpoints or snapshots can also make server restarts more efficient. While these solutions add some complexity, they are necessary to overcome the challenges faced in blockchain implementations.

A database can be decentralised, replicated and is already super efficient, why add more unnecessary complexity to this? All I see is a bunch of people jumping onto a trendy shiny new word, not looking at the full implications of trying to use a journaling system as a database.

Traditional databases are indeed efficient and can be decentralized. Blockchain adds complexity but offers extra security, trust, and transparency. These features can be very important in an MMORPG, even though it’s more complex to implement.

And now to answer all the suggested uses...

Why would a player want to sell the item to a different game? 
If they want to sell that Healing Potion they can trade it in-game to another player.

I understand that in-game trading is convenient. However, blockchain-based ownership offers players true ownership, cross-game compatibility, and the ability to trade assets for real-world value. This can enhance the gaming experience and provide long-term value for their investments in the game.

No they don't, all a blockchain proves is something was done (work complete). The weak point is and always is the server/client machine, if you get hacked your stuff can get stolen. Which can be looked at in the database and reverted.

While it's true that server/client machines can be vulnerable, blockchain enhances security by providing an immutable and transparent record of transactions. This helps protect the integrity of in-game transactions and ensures that any corrections are traceable and transparent. Combining blockchain with other security measures can further enhance overall security.

Again, that's not what blockchain is... that's just a report Talad could pull from the database using some basic SQL statements.

Traditional databases are indeed efficient and capable of handling many of these tasks. However, the added benefits of blockchain in terms of security, transparency, and trust can be worth the extra complexity, especially in contexts where these factors are critical.

I... what? Just make a suggestion in Discord and vote on it, why make this complicated? All blockchain would do is show "Vote for yes... +1, Vote for no +1". Decentralised? Great now merge the two and and tally it...

I get that efficiency is your main concern and that using Discord for voting is simple and straightforward. However, blockchain can offer enhanced security, transparency, and trust, which might be valuable in creating a more democratic and fair governance system for the game.

Congratulations player! you won 100 Tria, please enter your 512 bit key so we can spend the next 10 seconds trying to give it to you...  No, it does not, it does nothing of the sort.

Again, I understand that your main concern is efficiency and that traditional methods of distributing rewards are simple and effective. However, blockchain can introduce new features like automated rewards, enhanced security, and cross-platform usability, which can offer additional benefits to the reward system.

No, it really doesn't, for those example dumpster fires, it means each player needs to have a private key/wallet and ethereum to do any "trading"

I understand that efficiency and ease of use are essential and that blockchain technology presents some challenges. However, it's important to note that the technology is rapidly evolving. Developers are constantly improving blockchain to make it faster, cheaper, and easier to use. This means that many current issues, like high transaction fees and complex interfaces, are being addressed. For example, integrating user-friendly wallet solutions can make it much simpler for players to manage their assets. These innovations can help PlaneShift stand out in the crowded MMORPG market. Offering something new and valuable can draw more players and keep them interested in the long run.

Please learn what things are before jumping onto the "I'm using the latest buzz word tech, so it must be good" band wagon...
Block chain adds NOTHING to Planeshift and many other projects it's used in.

I acknowledge that PlaneShift might not need blockchain to succeed and that traditional databases are efficient and effective. However, exploring blockchain’s potential benefits can open up new possibilities and innovations that might enhance the player experience and set the game apart in the competitive MMORPG market.

Thank you for your insights and for highlighting these important considerations. Your feedback helps ensure we make informed and thoughtful decisions about the technologies we implement. I'm here to learn from others like you.

Greetings fello Planeshifters,

Let's educate ourselves today (including me, but I've already started!):

What are they actually?
https://www.gameinformer.com/opinion/2021/03/17/what-are-nfts-and-what-is-their-impact-on-the-gaming-industry

Potentials
https://hackernoon.com/the-next-nft-craze-monetizing-mmos-for-gamers-wt2c339a

On the Philosophy of why:
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/nfts-and-gaming%3A-a-match-made-in-heaven-2021-07-08

Answering Gonger, I would say, it's not necessarily "Play to Earn" but actually a self-sustained model of evolving into something everybody enjoyed playing, and at the same time evolving.
Who wouldn't love a game he owns a piece of? I would love to have a sword that nobody else has, and might consider selling it someday because it's only MINE.

I believe it's an application worth pondering and discussion, specially with the DEVS, and I have reasons to believe it's about time.

New trends are not always bad, unless proven.

I just remembered posting about blockchain-based games.

Have you heard about NFTs? Games are taking off, and they're not even half what planeshift is.
It's a shame.

Just an update. what do you think about this?

https://techcrunch.com/2018/11/16/blockchain-gaming-gets-a-boost-with-mythical-games-16m-series-a/
And sorry I couldn't follow up on the topic guys, my bad.

although a decentralized mmorpg would be interesting(if it goes beyond having instances hosted by players) I don't see how using blockchains would bring a self-sustained economy(presuming you meant that) to the game, well at least not anymore than there already is. A large problem with the current economy in the game is that essentially everyone has plenty of tria because there are plenty of ways to generate tria but not many sinks(places where tria gets destroyed).

I'm also not seeing how how a blockchain implementation would increase leveling since that would mean you would need to chance the game's code for that. Although it may be tempting to want that, allowing the playerbase to directly affect it may be disastrous.

That said, I have advocated for open sourcing (most) of the game's content and decreasing the barriers to contributing to the game.

I may be missing what you mean with what you said, if that is the case please do bear with me and explain.

In terms of drive and incentive, it would bring an environment with self-sustained worth because you'll be able to have your own unique assets and to trade those assets, knowledge, whatever for something tangible in both the real and the virtual world opening many possibilities, and I believe it would be much more than what we have right now.
Supply and demand would become a reality of this game, and new features become something eminently related to what the people of Yliakum want to manifest in the game(in terms of development and future versions).

Development would still demand the same fan-base and the developing expertise currently at work but it would mean an autonomous world of possibilities, a final world of real virtual interaction. I believe that's the future to come.

About open sourcing, I agree with you that opening up to it would bring imagination and pioneering qualities to this game.

my deepest condolences Barike. I used to play planeshift a lot (Cheshire House) by the name of Hitsuguya.
I'm very sad to hear the news. My thoughts are with you and your family.