Adaptive Game Task Assignment via Player Profile Metrics

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Solution Overview

Problem

In social massively multiplayer online (MMO) games, players tend to become discouraged if tasks are too difficult and bored if they are too easy, leading to player attrition and reduced revenue, as existing systems struggle to find the optimal level of challenge.

Innovation Solution

A processor-executed method that assigns players a series of game tasks with specified durations, adjusting difficulty based on completion, with social tasks that can be completed with the assistance of friends, and providing rewards depending on task completion, allowing for adaptive task assignment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If players are assigned game tasks that are too difficult for them to accomplish, then the game challenge increases, but players become discouraged and withdraw from the game

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegame challenge levelVSAvoidplayer retention
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic task assignment where the difficulty level of game tasks is adjusted based on player performance metrics, skill level, and completion history. The system continuously adapts task parameters such as complexity, resource requirements, and time limits to match the player's current capabilities, ensuring challenges remain engaging without becoming overwhelming or repetitive

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system modifies multiple task parameters simultaneously including difficulty level, resource availability, time constraints, and social interaction requirements based on player profiles and performance data. This multi-parameter adjustment allows fine-tuned customization of game challenges to maintain optimal engagement for each player

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If players are assigned game tasks that are too easy, then players can complete them successfully, but players become bored and attrition occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetask completion easeVSAvoidplayer retention
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically increases task difficulty as players demonstrate proficiency and progress through game content. Task parameters such as enemy strength, resource scarcity, and mission complexity are automatically adjusted upward based on completion rates and player skill development, preventing boredom while maintaining achievability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements continuous feedback loops where player performance data from task completions is analyzed and used to adjust subsequent task assignments. The system monitors completion times, success rates, and resource management efficiency to provide real-time feedback that shapes future task difficulty, ensuring players consistently face appropriately challenging content

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the game dynamically adjusts task difficulty based on player performance, then player engagement improves, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplayer engagementVSAvoidtask assignment system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the task assignment system into modular components including player profile management, performance analytics, task generation engines, and difficulty adjustment algorithms. Each module handles specific aspects of the adaptive process independently, allowing the complex system to be developed, maintained, and scaled more efficiently while maintaining overall functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9604145B2Adaptive task assignment for online games that uses player profiles
Publication Date: 2017.03.28 ZYNGA INC
  • US9604145B2 patent drawing
  • US9604145B2 patent drawing
  • US9604145B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Software at an online game website assigns to a player of a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game a first game task in a conditional series of game tasks. The assignment is based at least in part on a measure of difficulty associated with the first game task. The measure of difficulty depends on a profile associated with the player that includes an Active Social Network (ASN) metric as determined by data that has been read from an in-memory database and that has been retrieved from a social networking website through an application programming interface (API) exposed by the social networking website. Then the software provides a reward to the player upon termination of the conditional series of game tasks. The reward depends at least in part on the game tasks in the conditional series of game tasks that were completed by the player.