As the concept of what we are creating has evolved, so too has the understanding of what Eternum is and needs to be. In a broad sense:
Eternum has sometimes been a point of confusion. Games require constant iteration to transform into shippable products, and Eternum was and is no different, though its DNA is akin to the original idea: a world with fungible tokens upon which people can build.
While building Eternum, we identified issues with its original design. Specifically, it was overly centered on a global AMM rather than on gameplay. This focus led to non-rewarding gameplay since players could simply acquire what they wanted when they needed it - MEV with a couple extra steps. Anyone with a passion for games understands that for a game to remain engaging and stand the test of time, it must consistently provide rewarding experiences, or it risks becoming monotonous.
The current design of Eternum is currently playable on a custom L3 network with the infrastructure and base all laid out in a very methodical way to allow for maximum expansion. The current code comes bundled with an early SDK, along with initial game systems.
https://github.com/BibliothecaDAO/eternum
https://github.com/BibliothecaDAO/eternum-expansion-starter
The Eternum game client - on atlas view.
Eternum, as a game, is not something that can ever truly be 'finished' in a traditional game sense, just as you can't 'finish' Ethereum. Eternum is foundational infrastructure for building experiences. Therefore, it's best to consider the first release of Eternum as the Realms Autonomous Worlds Minimal Viable Physics. But what does this mean?
Economic systems closely resemble biological systems. They are always in flux, finding equilibrium except in the face of apocalyptic events, and even post-events they re-establish balance - but they do require time. Given Eternum’s radical openness, we must strive to build a solid base and allow an emergent, stable economic ecology to form. Only through this will the game truly find a balance between players. This is, of course, contrary to traditional games, where the balance can be perpetually modified at will - but we recognize that onchain games do not operate in this way.
The Eternum game client - in the Realm observation and management view.