Main thread: https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/vertcoin-first-scrypt-n-first-stealth-address-privacy-without-mixer-404364
Scrypt was utilized by Litecoin to try and deter ASIC use because large memory requirements are the best way to try and make ASIC financially unfeasible. Litecoin held out for a while, but the original memory requirements in the barebone litecoin distribution were just not high enough to lock out ASIC completely and we are now seeing the release of Scrypt ASICs such as the Gridseed GC3355.
Vertcoin has now been released as the logical evolution of Litecoin and introduces what's known as "Adaptive N-Factor". The N-factor component of Scrypt determines how much memory is required to compute the hashing functions. Vertcoin N-factor increases with time to stay one step ahead of any possible ASIC development.
Instead of using a fixed value of 10, such as Litecoin does, the Vertcoin N-factor begins at 11 and gradually increases over time using the following schedule (at original release):
We intend to change this schedule, because user feedback has indicated it is felt too aggressive, so we will change to a schedule that increases N-factor somewhere between 18 and 24 months.
Please vote for the interval you feel is best between N-factor increases.
When we fork to a new N-factor schedule, we will also be changing to the Kimoto Gravity Well difficulty algorithm. Please see the other poll at https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/vtc-vertcoin-how-long-until-we-fork-to-kimotos-gravity-well-431104 and contribute there.