Gamemaster nodes are essential to provide the core functionality and decentralization that the Hemis project aims to provide. Gamemasters support gaming and transactional capabilities, aiming for a secure user experience. This post explains Gamemaster nodes, including their operation, requirements, and benefits.
Purpose and Functionality
Gamemasters, unique to the Hemis blockchain, manage game logic and outcomes. They execute game rounds and ensure the fairness and integrity of games, differentiating them from traditional nodes that validate transactions.
Gamemaster nodes will also entitle the owner to a vote in the Hemis Decentralised Autonomous Organisation (DAO). The Hemis DAO will be used to provide funding for feature and game development by the Hemis community.
Requirements for Operation
Operating a Gamemaster node requires 1000 HMS tokens to be locked as collateral, signifying the operator’s commitment to securing the network against attacks. These collateral tokens never leave your wallet and are not risked.
To operate a Gamemaster, we recommend a small VPS instance with a static IP address. Full details on hardware requirements will be released when Gamemasters are enabled on the Hemis chain in Q3 2024.
Ownership Benefits
Gamemaster operators receive rewards for operating a Gamemaster, paid in Hemis tokens. This aligns their interests with the project’s success.
When Gamemasters are enabled on the Hemis blockchain in Q3 2024, they will collectively receive 55% of the block reward in return for the services that they provide.
Operational Mechanics
Inspired by the Dash masternode system but adapted for gaming, Gamemaster nodes employ a quorum-based decision-making process for game executions. This decentralized approach prevents manipulation and ensures game outcome integrity.
What is a Quorum?
At the heart of Gamemaster operation is the concept of a quorum. A quorum is a randomly selected group of nodes that collectively agree on game outcomes, ensuring decentralized governance and security.
A quorum is chosen randomly from the pool of active Gamemaster nodes for each game round, a mechanism that prevents any predictable pattern that could be exploited by bad actors. This randomness is crucial for maintaining the integrity and fairness of the gaming process.
The selection process is designed to be resistant to manipulation, ensuring that no single node or small group of nodes can influence outcomes unfairly. By requiring a majority within the quorum to agree on a game’s result, the system effectively thwarts attempts by bad actors to alter game outcomes to their advantage.
This quorum-based approach not only democratizes decision-making but also significantly enhances the security and reliability of the gaming and transactional processes on the Hemis platform and offers an elegant way to offer higher transaction rates without needing to reach full consensus of a transaction confirmation across all nodes.
Look out for our next article, which will dive into the maths behind how quorums provide an effective economic and probabilistic discincentive that will make it extremely difficult to interfere with the Hemis blockchain.