Fixed-Point Scripting Engine for Deterministic Multiplayer Simulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multiplayer online real-time strategy games face challenges in synchronizing client devices due to varying hardware specifications, software configurations, and bandwidth, leading to out-of-sync issues during gameplay.
Innovation Solution
A multi-user interactive virtual simulation system using a scripting engine that implements a lockstep deterministic simulation across devices, converting values to fixed-point coordinates, and introducing artificial delays to ensure synchronized execution, even in suboptimal network conditions, with a focus on integer-based mathematics and fixed-point simulation space for precise calculations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If floating-point values are used for simulation calculations, then calculation flexibility is improved, but synchronization precision deteriorates due to non-deterministic results across different devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the numerical parameter type from floating-point to fixed-point representation. This parameter change ensures that the same calculation produces identical results across all devices, resolving the synchronization precision issue while maintaining sufficient calculation flexibility through the fixed-point format's ability to represent fractional values deterministically.
2Measurement precision
If continuous synchronization data is transmitted, then simulation state accuracy is improved, but network bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and transmits only the essential synchronization data (fixed-point simulation states and deterministic random seeds) rather than continuous streams of all simulation data. This selective extraction maintains simulation state accuracy while significantly reducing network bandwidth consumption by eliminating redundant information.
3Reliability
If deterministic simulation is implemented, then synchronization reliability is improved, but handling of non-deterministic operations (like random number generation) becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces deterministic random number generation as an intermediary mechanism. By using algorithms that produce identical random sequences from identical seeds across all devices, it maintains synchronization reliability while providing a systematic way to handle operations that would otherwise be non-deterministic, reducing the complexity of managing deterministic simulations.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-user interactive virtual simulation is provided to a plurality of devices in a first state as a function of an input layer, a rendering layer, a simulation layer, and a scripting layer. The multi-user interactive virtual simulation is provided to each of the plurality of computing devices over at least one respective network. Further, at least one value associated with an object associated with the simulation is received. The at least one computing device converts the received at least one value to at least one fixed point value. Moreover, the at least one computing device provides to the plurality of computing devices the multi-user interactive virtual simulation in a synchronized second state as a function of the converted at least one value. Further, the multi-user interactive virtual simulation is provided to the plurality of computing devices in the second state identically and substantially simultaneously.