Nine Chronicles uses Proof of Work. Here is why.

If you want to understand Proof of Work, read it first.

Nine Chronicles adopts the Proof of Work consensus algorithm. Today we want to talk about why we are adopting the old PoW consensus algorithm despite making a new blockchain. Many blockchain networks that are recently released often adopt PoS-based algorithms that require token staking, or adopt PoA-based algorithms, where only validators have the authority to create blocks. All of these algorithms have been favored in recent projects because they are more cost-effective than PoW and can easily achieve high throughput. Yet Planetarium believes that two requirements are important to build a reference-level decentralized game experience.

First, Nine Chronicles must function as a decentralized game.

This means, in other words, it must be a game that can operate permanently even if the original creator (in this case, Planetarium team) ceases to exist. Proof of Authority may seem to have no problem, but it does not meet our requirements in this regard. What if an authoritative block producer fails to create a block due to some random reason? Who should grant new authority? If you think about it, you can see that a Proof of Authority-based game is no different from a game operated by a single game company, where no decentralized value can be found.

Second, Nine Chronicles should be made in a structure that is as easy to understand as possible.

We think that recent blockchains require too much prior knowledge from users, which is a huge adoption hurdle. Proof of Stake can be decentralized by fair base coin distribution policy, but it needs to build token value to protect the network, and implement more complex governance into the game than a PoW based game. There are also challenging game-specific tech issues such as fair random number generation. It would cost a lot of effort to communicate the network concept to our gaming community, so we don’t think it is suitable for the first decentralized game.

To summarize, Nine Chronicles chose PoW to create a decentralized game that users can enjoy with minimal understanding. Players only need to understand is that mining options gives them the opportunity to mine gold using their computing resources. In this way, we want to deliver a true decentralized gaming experience to mass audience.