Episode 90 - Node Mastermind

In COPICafe Episode 90 titled "Node Mastermind", the hosts Josh Jones and Rob Greig discuss the advancements in their open world MMO project, Cornucopias.

The episode features a special guest and covers topics such as the importance of using correct pool IDs, ongoing scams and hacks in the crypto world, and the Avatar Creator feature's success.

The speakers also share their experiences and plans for the project, including the development of a file distribution node system and the upcoming launch of new zones.

Additionally, the host expresses gratitude towards the community and reminisces about the '90s.

• 00:00:00 The episode is the 90th installment of COPICafe, and the host talks about a recent SPO (Stake Pool Offering) for the game's currency, $COPI, which has already gained significant traction. The host explains that the $COPI earned from pool fees will be converted to $COPI based on the $COPI-Ada price, ensuring fairness and preventing price manipulation. The episode also features a special guest and other topics.

• 00:05:00 In this section the speakers discuss the importance of using the correct pool ID instead of just the name. They also mention the ongoing issue of scams and hacks in the crypto world, and share an experience of a recent attempted hack on their Discord server. The speakers emphasize the need for users to be cautious and to verify the authenticity of links and websites before engaging with them. They also advise keeping two-factor authentication enabled and not accepting direct messages from unfamiliar users. The team has experienced several scam attempts and has a team dedicated to addressing them promptly.

• 00:10:00 In this section the speakers discuss the success of the Avatar Creator feature and announce an upcoming competition for users to create lookalike avatars of celebrities. They encourage users to use the celebrity's image for reference and to post their entries side by side for easier judging. The deadline for the competition has been extended, and more details, including prizes and celebrity names, will be announced in a separate post. The speakers also mention plans to add more features to the Avatar Creator in future releases. The special guest of the day, Greg, is introduced, and it is revealed that he is involved in helping with nodes for the project.

• 00:15:00 In this section, Greg shares his background in working on small teams and startups before joining Cisco nine years ago, where he gained experience in cloud infrastructure, data encryption, and real-time data processing. He then describes how he and his team have been working on a project called "file nodes" for several months and improving the design from the prototype. The software is now functioning internally, and Greg expresses gratitude for the team's support. They spent six months to a year researching and planning before building a prototype, which was then handed over to Greg for development due to his expertise. Greg's' thorough approach and documentation have opened up opportunities for existing node holders and made the project even more exciting for the team.

• 00:20:00 In this section the speaker expresses their excitement about the community's positive feedback and the potential of their decentralized file distribution node project. They discuss the challenges of securing the system and making it user-friendly, and share their development process, which includes starting with orchestration to ensure the nodes perform efficiently and reducing hardware requirements to make them accessible to a wider audience. The goal is to create an efficient and cost-effective system for distributing files.

• 00:25:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the current stage of their project, which involves integrating their system into Amazon's infrastructure. They have running pool servers in the cloud, and they are working on the client downloader component that will leverage all nodes to download game files. The files will start in the cloud and be distributed to pool servers, which will then distribute them to clients. The speaker mentions that the same overview from before still applies, but with significant improvements. They are currently focusing on integrating their system into the Cornucopias infrastructure and working on internal testing before a rollout in July 1 2024, where everyone will be asked to activate their node through a simple process, and rewards will be distributed among all participants.

• 00:30:00 In this section the speakers discuss the community's role in operating nodes and monetization in the decentralized direction. They aim to provide the best user onboarding experience by ensuring the quality of node operators. Initially, everyone will receive rewards, but this will change, and operators will need to provide great service. The transition to the new method will take months, with a hybrid system in place until everything is complete. The speakers plan to train node operators and gather their feedback on performance. There is much more to discuss, and they look forward to future conversations. A leak is revealed, and the speakers move on to answering questions.

• 00:35:00 In this section the speaker discusses the development of Esperanza, which will house the next three zones to be launched after Solace. Art production for Esperanza has begun, and players who hold land NFTs in Cornucopias will have the opportunity to select properties in Esperanza this year. The team is also preparing for an upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.4, but they need to evaluate the potential issues and costs before implementing it. Fishing is another feature that the team is interested in adding to the game, and they believe it will be a great addition due to the vast amount of real estate available in Cornucopia.

• 00:40:00 In this section Rob discusses the vastly explorable real estate in Cornucopias, which will be over 90% more than most MMOs on the market. The development team has been able to achieve this in one and a half years, thanks to the switch to Unreal Engine 5. Fishing, a significant aspect of the game, will offer multiple rivers and lakes, making it a major feature. Although there are no updates yet, fishing mechanics are in the planning process, and leaderboards and other fun elements are planned. Regarding "Nvidia GeForce Now" streaming service as streaming could make the game accessible to older and non Windows systems. The team aims to make the game as performant and accessible as possible.

• 00:45:00 In this section Rob and Josh reminisce about their fashion sense in the '90s, describing their long hair and eclectic clothing choices. They joke about their disheveled appearance and the conversation moves on to express gratitude toward their community.