Game Tutorial Highlighting via Scene Data Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current game tutorial systems require significant programming effort and maintenance, leading to non-reusable code and increased bugs, as each level and tutorial must be hardcoded, making it difficult to adapt tutorials to changes in game levels or player difficulties.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using a scene data structure to display game tutorials, where tutorial data identifies game elements to be highlighted, and a tutorial presenter component generates highlighting data to showcase these elements, allowing for flexible and reusable tutorial creation without modifying the core game code.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tutorials are hardcoded for each level or feature, then the tutorial system can provide specific guidance for each game element, but the programming effort and maintenance time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tutorial system into distinct components: a data structure defining tutorial elements (titles, descriptions, target objects, actions) and a processing system that retrieves and presents these elements. This segmentation allows designers to create tutorials independently from the core game code, reducing programming effort while maintaining tutorial accuracy through structured data organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a template-based approach where tutorial elements are defined as reusable data structures with standardized fields (title, description, target object, action). Once a tutorial template is created, it can be copied and instantiated multiple times with different parameters, eliminating the need to rewrite tutorial code for each level and significantly reducing programming time while maintaining consistency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If tutorials are hardcoded for each level, then the tutorial can be specifically tailored to that level, but adapting tutorials to level changes requires modifying game code
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new dimension of data-based configuration by separating tutorial definitions from game code into an independent data structure layer. This allows tutorials to be customized for different levels by simply changing data values rather than modifying code, making adaptation straightforward while maintaining the ability to tailor tutorials to specific level requirements through data parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal tutorial system where a single processing framework can handle multiple tutorial types across different levels and game elements. The standardized data structure with fields for target objects, actions, and descriptions enables the same tutorial mechanism to serve multiple purposes and adapt to various levels without requiring separate code implementations, greatly simplifying maintenance.
3Reliability
If programmers create and maintain all tutorials, then the tutorials can be precisely integrated with game mechanics, but designers are restricted from creating tutorials independently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a data structure as an intermediary layer between designers and the game engine. Designers work with high-level data definitions (titles, descriptions, target object identifiers) without needing to understand or modify the underlying game code. The processing system acts as a mediator that translates these data definitions into properly integrated tutorial presentations, ensuring reliable integration while granting designers full autonomy.
4Adaptability or versatility
If ad hoc changes are made to game code for different tutorials, then the tutorials can accommodate various game features, but code complexity and bug potential increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts tutorial-specific logic and data from the core game code into a separate data structure and processing system. This extraction eliminates the need for ad hoc code modifications for different tutorials, as all tutorial variations are handled through data configuration rather than code changes. The result is reduced code complexity and fewer bugs in the core game while maintaining full tutorial flexibility through the externalized data layer.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
The invention relates to a computer-implemented method of using a scene data structure to display a game tutorial on a display, the method comprising: accessing a scene data structure held in computer storage, the scene data structure having a plurality of display data elements, each display data element associated with a respective data element identifier, the display data elements containing display data for displaying game elements on the display in a game scene; accessing tutorial data held in computer storage by a tutorial presenter component, the tutorial data comprising a tutorial data element identifier, which identifies a game element to be highlighted in a tutorial scene; searching the scene data structure for one of said display data elements associated with the tutorial data element identifier, that data element containing display data for displaying the respective game element to be highlighted in the tutorial scene; generating highlighting data using the results of the searching step, the highlighting data for highlighting the respective game element on the display; and controlling the display by a rendering component to display the respective game element as a highlighted game element on the display in a tutorial scene using the generated highlighting data.