EVE Frontier is a lawless, hardcore space survival universe where players must build and protect their own civilizations . Reigniting this civilization relies on player-made infrastructure, specifically Smart Assemblies like Smart Storage Units (SSUs) . The Aegis Protocol is a programmable security layer designed to protect these assets from the inherent risks of the Frontier.
In EVE Frontier, player organizations (Alliances) store massive amounts of value and critical intelligence inside Smart Storage Units (SSUs) . Because the universe is player-driven and features real consequences , these assets are highly vulnerable: Leader Abandonment: If an Alliance leader goes offline permanently, the assets locked inside the SSU become inaccessible. Theft and Sieges: If an SSU is attacked and destroyed by hostile players, all stored assets and intel are permanently lost or stolen.
The Aegis Protocol turns a static storage box into a smart, self-defending escrow vault. By bridging in-game events with the Sui blockchain , it introduces a "Dead Man's Switch," multi-sig emergency recovery, and an automated threat response mechanism.
The architecture takes advantage of Sui's object-centric model and sub-second transaction finality to bridge the on-chain and in-client experiences . It is divided into three distinct layers:
- On-Chain Layer (Sui Move) This layer utilizes the Move programming language to enforce the "Digital Laws" of the vault safely and concurrently
- Vault Object: A Move smart contract that wraps the standard SSU permissions, treating the SSU as a persistent, programmable object
- Access Control Matrix: Defines deposit/withdraw privileges based on organizational roles (e.g., Leader, Officer, Member).
- Time-Locked Recovery (Dead Man's Switch): A function that tracks the last_active_timestamp. If inactivity exceeds a predetermined limit (e.g., 30 days), ownership of the vault object automatically transfers to a predefined multi-sig address.
- Emergency Lockdown: A function that instantly revokes all standard withdrawal permissions when triggered, securing the assets during a siege.
- Off-Chain Relayer Engine (Rust) Hosted on an Ubuntu environment, this high-performance engine acts as the nervous system between the EVE Frontier game servers and the Sui blockchain.
- WebSocket Listener: A Rust service that continuously monitors the EVE Frontier API for specific threat events (e.g., StructureShieldDepleted, PlayerPodded).
- Transaction Builder: Upon detecting a threat, the relayer constructs a transaction to call the "Emergency Lockdown" function on the Sui network.
- Key Manager: Securely holds the programmatic wallet keys required to sign and execute emergency transactions with near-zero latency.
- Verifiable Storage Layer Designed for data too large or sensitive to store directly on the Sui chain (e.g., encrypted alliance intel, supply chain coordinates).
- Encrypted Payloads: Alliance data is encrypted locally.
- Decentralized Blob Storage: Encrypted payloads are pushed to a decentralized storage network.
- On-Chain Anchoring: The resulting storage hash (CID) is anchored inside the Sui Vault Object. Only players with the correct on-chain access matrix permissions can retrieve the hash and decrypt the data.
The following sequence triggers when an Alliance SSU falls under enemy attack:
| Step | Action | Component | Output / State Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enemy attacks Alliance SSU | EVE Frontier Server | Emits ShieldAlert event via API |
| 2 | Detects ShieldAlert event | Rust Relayer (Off-Chain) | Parses event data and verifies the target |
| 3 | Constructs lockdown transaction | Rust Relayer (Off-Chain) | Signs transaction via the programmatic Key Manager wallet |
| 4 | Executes LockdownVault | Sui Network (On-Chain) | Vault Object permissions updated instantly via Move contract |
| 5 | Vault locked to all users | EVE Frontier SSU | Assets secured against theft during the active siege |