Age of Rust

**Welcome to the Age of Rust Wiki!**Age of Rust is similar to Firewatch/Myst in a dystopian sci-fi setting. Game levels are mixed between exploration and combat in a first-person perspective. Players solve puzzles to progress to new areas and collect in-game and blockchain game items to aid progress in the game.  The game also features "premier" puzzles which are like a "treasure hunt" and are difficult high value cryptocurrency reward puzzles where by solving them, players can unlock real cryptocurrency (bitcoin, ethereum, enjin, rustbits, etc). Clues and hints are provided through social media and other communication channels to some of the premier-level puzzles.

Along with the Age of Rust game, occasionally Crypto Puzzles are released that give participants a chance to win cryptocurrency and Age of Rust game item prizes. These are free to attempt but require knowledge and skilled use of cryptography methods, logical thinking, problem solving and reasoning to solve them before others do. All these skills can be picked up by reviewing previous puzzles and study.

## Universe Background

The game takes place in a post apocalyptic distant future (~2500 years from now) where space travel is common. There's exoplanet mining, colonies, a military presence, privateers/bounty hunters, ai-driven robots called 'mechs'. A lot of the technology has broken down and isn't well understood due to a large pandemic. As a result,  advancements in technology, science, and culture stopped, the "Age of Rust" went on for about 1000 years after that in what is now "present day" in the game. There are dozens of colony ships in space that have tens of thousands of people on them that have been in a hibernation state for over a 1000 years.  Humanity is trying to get a new foothold and rebuild society, but there's quite a bit of lawlessness.

#### What is the current state of the universe?

There's a space flight technology that allows ships to reach other solar systems in the milky way galaxy called a Ring Drive. Once a solar system is discovered, it can be traveled to by building a stationary system called a fold gate. No one can presently leave the Milky Way galaxy because nothing has been mapped yet and no one is willing to risk traveling out and getting "stuck" out in the cosmos. There are no "aliens" in the galaxy, just lots of humans, mechs, and drones traveling about. There are some odd pieces of technology and ruins scattered about on habitable worlds but it's not clear if they were made by humans in the past or another civilization. Most of everything from a technical perspective is broken or failing in a post-apocalyptic style, so space travel is often problematic, lots of ships and people get stranded. Colonies and settlements will fight over whatever resources they can get ahold of, fuel, water, weapons, and food.

#### Who are the major players in the universe?

There are citizens, isolationists, bounty hunters, and a splintered military force. Citizens are trying to keep to themselves in colonies, away from the chaos. The isolationists take mostly to piracy and scavenging with a religion focused on technology they don't understand. There are bounty hunters that seek out to recover people, property, lost ships/drones, and other things of value. The military is what's left of any kind of order or law enforcement, they've got access to a large amount of weaponry, but they border on being chaotic themselves. Everyone clashes with each other, but citizens often align with bounty hunters for unsanctioned justice.

### Universe Timeline:

* 2117 - An accident leads to the discovery of the infinity particle.
* 2407 - The development of Ring Drive leads to mining and colonization on distant worlds in our own Milky Way Galaxy.
* 2591 - Silver Dawn, a colonization vessel was lost near Kepler-40b, nearly 8,800 light-years from earth.
* 2862 - An undiscovered vulnerability in regeneration pods led to a pandemic of all human population.
* 3000 - Exoplanet mining, discovery, military, and rescue is handed over to AI-driven androids.
* 3170 - Government and civilians are directed to long term hibernation ships to distant exoplanets to start new civilizations.
* 3400 - Advancements in technology, science, and culture cease, the "Age of Rust" begins.
* 3824 - A decaying exoplanet surveillance drone picks up a distress signal from the Silver Dawn.