Emulated Player Control Takeover in Multiplayer Games
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multiplayer online video games, players often face disruptions due to network connection issues or excessive lag, leading to frustration and disadvantage when a player's device disconnects or freezes, affecting the gameplay experience for others.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a player imitation model to emulate the player's actions when a connection problem occurs, allowing the game to continue with automated control of the player's virtual character, ensuring a smoother experience for other players by generating emulated control commands based on the current game state and previous player behavior.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a player disconnects or experiences network issues during gameplay, then the game experience for other players is disrupted and gameplay is interrupted, but implementing automated control takeover adds system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring player connection status and pre-positioning the imitation model to generate control commands. When disconnection is detected, the system has already prepared the framework for seamless takeover, minimizing disruption to gameplay continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The player imitation model acts as an intermediary between the disconnected player and the game system. Instead of direct control loss, the model mediates by simulating the player's expected actions, bridging the gap between player disconnection and game continuity requirements.
2Productivity
If the system implements automated control takeover using a player imitation model, then gameplay continuity is maintained and other players experience fewer disruptions, but the system requires sophisticated monitoring and model generation capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically monitoring its own connection status, detecting disconnections, and initiating control takeover without external intervention. The imitation model generates control commands autonomously based on game state and player behavior patterns, eliminating the need for manual player input during disconnection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring player connection status and control input, using this information to update the player imitation model. The model learns from actual player behavior patterns and adjusts its control generation accordingly, improving accuracy over time.
3Loss of time
If the system monitors connection status and generates emulated control commands in real-time, then response time to connection issues is reduced and gameplay is maintained, but computational resources and processing time are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by generating emulated control commands only for the specific virtual character(s) affected by connection issues, rather than recalculating all game physics and state. This selective approach maintains response time for critical player actions while reducing overall computational burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The player imitation model performs preliminary computation by pre-calculating and storing player behavior patterns and control responses during normal gameplay. When disconnection occurs, the system retrieves pre-computed data rather than performing real-time analysis, significantly reducing response time and computational resource consumption during critical moments.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for converting a player-controlled character or virtual entity in a video game to at least temporarily be under emulated control when certain criteria is met, such as when the player's device has lost its network connection to a game server. The character or virtual entity may continue to behave in the game in a manner that emulates or mimics play of the actual player until the end of the game session or until the underlying connection problem or other issue is resolved, such that other players participating in the game session have the same or similar gameplay experience as they would have had if the disconnected player had continued to play.