proof-of-work in video games

[grondilu]

I don't play any video games, but I had the following idea while I was reading an article about some MMORPG.  I hope you'll find it interesting.

Ever since I learned about the proof-of-work concept (quite a bit before I learn about bitcoin), I've always thought this idea is pretty cool.  Don't know why, but it's a fact:  there is something I immediately liked about this idea of using a hash function to challenge the computing power of a machine.

Now, when I think about some MMORPG, it appears to me that the concept of force is pretty lame there.  Basically you have a soldier whose strength is nothing but some parameter.   It's easy to modify (even if the game admins won't let you do it easily, but anyway).  There is a limit to it, and it's somehow 'costless'.   Someone with priviledge access to the program could get as much strength as he wants.  This is not cool and it does not fit with the idea of "strength".

So, what about using proof-of-work to emulate the physical concept of force?

Say, two soldiers wield their swords against each other.  The program would require each soldier's computer to solve some hash challenges in order to determine which sword gets to be thrown to the ground.

More generally, there is probably some way to emulate the basic mechanical concept of force and power.

To apply some force, the user asks the program for some hash-challenges to solve.  All this would be public, so that opponents can check that the guy is not cheating.  Better:  opponents provide challenges, so they don't have to trust the game admin.

So, during a fight, each player sends hash-challenges to the opponent, and the amount and speed rate they can sole determins the force they can apply to their sword.

I think a game would be much more fun to play if you can hear you GPU struggling during an intense fight.  At the end, the stronger player will be the one with biggest computing power.  But there are other ways than pure strength to win a fight:  ruse, speed and stuffs like that.
 
PS.  That's it.  As a proof-of-concept, I'll see if I can find some time to create the electronic equivalent of an Arm wrestling game website.

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World of Warcoin?

[Sukrim]

At the end, the stronger player will be the one with biggest computing power.

Advantages you cannot influence (or worse: only influence by investing a lot of money) make games become not fun very quickly.

Currently "proof of work" in shooters is how fast you can click on a moving pixel on the screen. Imagine someone with a faster computer running faster in these games.


You would need to "outsource" proof of work to the player - and input devices are also not that optimal, for example if you require to have something typed in, someone who is a fast typer has a real advantage and others might find this game rally hard and annoying.

Yes, you could implement various attacks/defenses etc. but then it gets complicated again.

Also you would kill a lot of computational power just to be able to not trust the persons whose game you bought and are playing...