Chapter 5 APPLICATION AND SCENARIO
As we have mentioned in Chapter 3, D3 Accelerator is composed of a three-dimensioned model including Stakeholder Value Configuration System, Value Network Empowering System, Linkware Flow Experience Maximization System, and a dimension of measuring the achievements – Fulfillment of Critical Mass System, to help designers come up with a prototype which is capable to meet critical mass.
After elaborating our proposed approach, we then are going to show the details of our system scenario. However, our proposed is designed for service designers, in order to testify the validity and reliability of our theory, we design an application based on D3 Accelerator – BlockFarm. In this chapter, we will not only illustrate the background and motivation of BlockFarm, but also how the implementation complete. Besides, how our design completed following the proposed theory, and gradually become a critical mass propinquity application will be demonstrated in the evaluation of Chapter 6.
Background and Motivation of BlockFarm:
We are fortunately to be born in an era be rich in various resources, and the resources are constantly growing larger. Notwithstanding we have so much, we do not know to cherish and be satisfied. Contrary to the past relatively deficient in resources, the more we have, the more we waste. And it gives rise to a condition of resources wasted getting worse, and allocating is more unevenly than before.
In order to improve the situation mentioned above, we design a system to realized an equality, prosperity and harmony world with resource evenly distributed and not wasted. We expect our system to fulfill an ideal world has a great resemblance to the Utopia.
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Introduction of BlockFarm:
BlockFarm is a blockchain-based online game proposed for academic research (shown in Figure 5.1). As a farming game, planting crops is the fundamental function of our system. To connect with our research proposed and to increase the gamification interest of BlockFarm, we come up with an alignment mechanism for user to choose whether they would like to stole others crops or to help others to guard their farm, this also is a bonus mechanism for user to gain extra experience points.
Different from other farming game, the core value of BlockFarm will be the Blockchain-based transaction mechanism. We proposed a match-making system, users setting the importance of each crop at first and also determine the average significance of each crop to the ecosystem of BlockFarm. Based on the average significance and user’s preference, system will automatically execute crop’s ownership transference while successfully find out a best solution for property trading within all users. After each transaction completed, user will obtain additional experience points. New crops and properties will be unlocked as our user levels up.
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Figure 5.1 Blockchain-based Farming Game
The following shows whole application scenario of a teenage player named Claire, she is an extrovert who likes to interact with people and be open-minded to have connection with others. Nevertheless, familiar to other internet and smartphone addicts, Claire is also a heavy user of internet who on the other hand, has greater acceptance to new technologies and innovative applications. Due to the familiarity with technology, Claire gets the hang of BlockFarm fairly quickly.
User Application Scenario:
I. First Encounter Point: Registration
To be a part of our partner in this farm ecosystem and for especially operation of crops transactions, Claire has to register and log-in first. In order to make our system easy to use and convenient to connect to blockchain, user registration is simplified while we were designed. Claire just have to enter her email and set up password, our system will automatically register a blockchain address for her and binds it with her account (shown in Figure
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5.2). The motivation of not fetching user’s address on blockchain automatically to be the identification of BlockFarm by virtue of helping users to save trouble of the complicated procedures of becoming an authorized node on blockchain.
Figure 5.2 Login and Registration of BlockFarm
II. Second Encounter Point: Alignment Selection
Along with the registration, user have to select an alignment of their characters (shown in Figure 5.3). Two alignments of characters are the Thief and the Police respectively. The thief can steal other player’s properties by sneaking into their farms, and get the crops and extra experience points when mission succeed. Get nothing and drop the value of energy yet mission failed.
Besides, the chance of thieving successfully determines on the ranking of “the Thief”. The higher the ranking, the greater the chance of success.
On the other hand, the Police is to guard farms against thieving. Players can hire a police to guard their farm conditional on some crop rewards, the police also can decide whether giving assistance to the player or not by
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rewards. The employment of guarding and the rewards provided from employers (other farmers) should also be connected through match-making mechanism. The chance of guarding successfully determines on the ranking of “the Police”, and the Police will gain extra experience points while achieve defending.
Figure 5.3 Alignment Select at Registration
III. Third Encounter Point: Planting Crops
For easy operating, we design a user friendly interface for players to get the hang of it. Before planting, Claire is taught to have soil filled by the pop-out reminding window (Figure 5.4 Reminder of Farming). She can instinctively manipulate whole planting process against menu of plant that is settle in the resident column on the left-hand side (Figure 5.5 Resident Column of Planting), a click on it will be ready to plant/put on. After finish planting, just wait for her crops to grow and to mature, waiting time will be demonstrated when Claire’s mouse hover to her crops (Figure 5.6 Remaining Time of Maturation). Clicking the button draw with a cross to close the foreseeing of planting then Claire is free to operate the other functions or can
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visit other player’s farm. Incidentally, the tradable number of the crop will also be demonstrated and can be modified in the resident column (Figure 5.7 Resident Column of Tradable Crop).
Figure 5.4 Reminder of Farming
Figure 5.5 Resident Column of Planting
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Figure 5.6 Remaining Time of Maturation
Figure 5.7 Resident Column of Tradable Crop
IV. Forth Encounter Point: Crop Trades
As we have mentioned before, crop trading is based on the average importance of each crop setting by all players (including owners). First, Claire should note down the importance of all crops in this farming ecosystem,
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she can refer to the average importance of the crop made by other players.
Then our system will calculate an updated average importance based on Claire’s modifications (Figure 5.8 Set up Rating for Transaction). It is the most significant process that means a lot to the match-making mechanism and will directly cause an impact on the transaction result. Next, Claire should proclaim the amount of expected to be transferred of each crop (the same as tradable number show in Figure 5.7), meanwhile, Claire’s crop will be taken into the process of transaction calculating operation.
First of all, the algorithm of match-making will choose a starting point which is the maximum of the difference between average importance and every player’s importance setting of each crop. Next, according to the greedy algorithm, our system will come up with an initial result of match-making. It is worth to be mentioned that our algorithm considers about user’s degree of tolerance toward the transaction. We set up minimum acceptable rating (shown in Figure 5.8 as well), that will dislodge the crops which are below the rating from receiving list of properties. After match-making, we establish a checking point for players to determine whether they accept the result or decline the transaction within ten minutes (match-making executes every five minutes). The transaction will be compulsorily executed if there are over a half of participants agree this transaction. Finally, the bartering transaction accomplished and Claire got the crops that she desires for.
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Figure 5.8 Set up Rating for Transaction
V. Fifth Encounter Point: Questionnaires
In our research, questionnaire is not only for knowing our users but most for testifying our proposed. For better answering experience, we had considered about separating our questionnaires of this research and other three from the Destination Value Configuration of Digital Ecosystem Entities into several and display in different circumstances. However, pondering deeply over whole gaming process and the data collecting discrepancy of each question, we decide to require our users to fill in a 39 questions questionnaire at Level 5 of their farmer characters (Figure 5.9 Questionnaire of BlockFarm). The reason of setting a threshold of Level 5 is owing to that we believe our user is familiar to the gaming mechanism after having a succession of interactions and reaching Level 5.
Each dimension in this research and the Destination Value Configuration of Digital Ecosystem Entities has its own question for users to answer. For instance, first perspective, Completeness Operant Configuration, has to
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verify the concepts of service desirability and disruption. Second perspective, Degree of Operant Empowerment, has to certify the concepts of influence, efficacy and empowerment. Third perspective, Operation Flow of Linkware Design, has to testify the concepts of complexity, completeness and linkware design. In our research, we have to verify the concept of critical mass, and our design logic will clarify in Chapter 6.2 at below.
Figure 5.9 Questionnaire of BlockFarm
After introductions of motivation, background, concept and scenario, we are going to talk about the structure of implementation. We all know that we should evaluate the situation, arrange project schedule, consider funds and limits, think over data storage and information security, and so on. before developing a system. In BlockFarm project, due to the limitations especially transaction complexity and waiting time of blockchain, our farming game which depends on a large quantity of interactions and instantaneity is not suitable to implement on blockchain in its entirety. Moreover, our core value of property transfer is involved in the issue of personal assets and privacy, therefore, our
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system puts into practice by both blockchain and platform.
On blockchain side, we allow data bound up with ownership transfer of properties in storage. For instance, the ranking of crop importance, the computing path of match-making, the period and result of match-match-making, and the ownership transference. On the other side of platform, we deal with all processes during farming behaviors and store up data related to personal privacy. Theoretically speaking, the best solution to user is to retain their private information at the individual user side of blockchain. For simplicity of the implementation of this project, we build a platform and to manage the safekeeping.