Transitioning from Web2 to Web3 is typically a difficult process because there are numerous new concepts to learn as well as new mindsets to adopt. For Web2 developers, there are also new developer tools, known by the industry as the Web3 engine, that must be learned before entering the Web3 world.
While it is a necessity to master a tool for application development, can the Web3 Engine provide any additional benefits for Web2 developers and assist in their success? In a recent interview conducted by Rangers Protocol, Caitou, a seasoned Web3 game developer from the DeHeroGame team, shared some valuable experiences of this matter.
Transitioning from Web2 to Web3 Development
Being a former Web2 game developer, Caitou is intimately familiar with the current state as well as the predicament of Web2 development. “When we started from Web2 games, the full-fledged industry has put a premium on all projects in the market,” Caitou says, “but now that the dividend is slipping, few incentives are left to prompt further advancement.”
It is an undeniable fact that the current Web2 market has been saturated with established big creators, with few opportunities left for newcomers to shine. Creating a revolutionary Web2 website or application, also, becomes expensive, risky, and nearly impossible. Web3, on the other hand, is ripe for exploration and possesses nearly limitless potential. It incentivizes creativity with sufficient rewards and is an alluring new option for Web2 developers with high aspirations.
On the other hand, despite the remarkable opportunity, there are also barriers for Web2 developers to enter the Web3 space. The most significant one, according to Caitou, is that all the concepts are very new. The fact that Web3 has not yet attained mass adoption has made the entire subject even more specialized and difficult to understand. “I call it the cognitive cost,” Caitou added, “for me, it was 6 months before I could form a general understanding of the industry. It’s both mentally-challenging and time-consuming.”
Another significant issue is the high barriers to Web3 program writing. Consider solidity, the programing language used to develop smart contracts in Ethereum, as an example. Even though Solidity is thought to be the most developer-friendly language for starters, it is extremely hard for anyone to become excel at it. Projects that have failed due to vulnerabilities in smart contracts being exploited are not just a few cases. Developing a successful Web3 application, therefore, would require a great deal of effort and skill.
In the face of the above challenges and obstacles, a well-functioning Web3 engine will be helpful as it alleviates many of the problems and contributes to a much smoother Web3 transition for Web2 developers.
The Web3 Engine’s Role in Addressing the Developer’s Needs
A robust Web3 Engine is no doubt a must for developers. To maximize its usefulness, however, developers will have to carefully select not just the best but also the most appropriate engine for their own application. In Caitou and the DeHeroGame team’s case, Rangers Protocol turns out to be the best fit. “Rangers Protocol indeed provides us with reliable technical support,” Caitou says, “but we chose this Web3 Engine more because it has a deep connection with games and is tailored for DeHeroGame’s need.”
Rangers Protocol, formerly known as Rocket Protocol, was first applied to HyperDragons, a blockchain game incubated by MixMarvel in 2018, in order to solve the problem of high cost and unstable state caused by high-frequency updates in the game. In 2021, it was upgraded to Rangers Protocol the Web3 Engine, and has been serving developers from various fields to make achievements in the Web3 world ever since.
For the DeHeroGame team, many of Rangers Protocol’s features show thoughtfulness for game development. For example, it provides the team with a basic random number generator, which significantly reduces the workload. This Web3 Engine also facilitates a one-stop deployment service, allowing the DeHeroGame team to deploy their game across chains with one move.
“Chains [in Web3 app development] are like different mobile operating systems in the Web2 world. And I would definitely love to publish my game on every system possible,” Caitou explains, “but there are hundreds of chains instead of just two or three systems for Web3 app development. The cost for me to adapt and run my game on every chain would be way too high.”
As more chains emerge to solve the scalability problem, it’s becoming more and more likely that the future of blockchain will be a multi-chain one. And a well-chosen Web3 engine, thus, will be needed to facilitate access to a multiple-chain ecosystem in which several blockchains are interconnected, so as to promote user experience.
In this sense, the Web3 engine is more than just an IDE tool; it is a comprehensive technical infrastructure that Web3 developers can rely upon. It satisfies the basic needs for app development internally and connects the app to the multi-chain ecosystem externally. It provides a solid technical base from the bottom and help delivers a better user experience to the top.
As there are also a lot of unfulfilled, desired functions and features expected to be realized through future Web3 engine upgrades, it is reasonable to assert that, though not a panacea, selecting an appropriate Web3 engine may lead Web2 developers one step closer to their success in the Web3 world.
About Rangers Protocol
Rangers Protocol is the backbone of a Web3 engine for creating immersive Web3 applications. It minimizes the development difficulty for Web3 developers and maximizes the user experience of its Web3 applications. Rangers Protocol provides comprehensive infrastructures for efficient complex-app development, successful cross-chain and mass distribution, diverse in-app NFT and DeFi features, and more. Through its full EVM compatibility, strategic industry partnerships, and curated all-in-one IDE, Rangers Protocol supports AAA and indie developers to succeed in the Web3 world.