Mid-Game Joining Control for Game Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing game systems do not allow users to join a game in progress without disrupting the ongoing game, potentially causing confusion or disadvantage to the user and their team, especially when joining mid-game.
Innovation Solution
A game system that includes means to determine the game situation and restrict mid-game joining based on predefined conditions, allowing users to join only when the game is paused or meets specific criteria, ensuring a smooth integration into the game.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users are allowed to join a game in mid-game, then user participation and engagement are improved, but game stability and fairness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the joining policy based on real-time game situation. When the game situation meets predetermined conditions (e.g., pause state, specific gameplay phases), mid-game joining is permitted. When conditions are not met, joining is restricted. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the system flexible enough to allow participation when appropriate while maintaining stability when necessary.
2Ease of operation
If users can join mid-game without restrictions, then ease of operation is improved, but game fairness and situation awareness worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of the game situation before allowing mid-game joining. By checking whether predetermined conditions are met (such as game pause state or appropriate gameplay phases), the system ensures that users only join when they can adequately grasp the game situation. This preliminary check prevents users from joining at inappropriate moments when they would be disadvantaged by lack of situation awareness.
3Reliability
If mid-game joining is restricted, then game fairness is improved, but user engagement and participation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic joining restrictions based on game situation. Rather than applying fixed restrictions throughout the entire game, the system selectively restricts joining only when game fairness would be compromised, while allowing joining during appropriate phases. This resolves the contradiction by balancing fairness requirements with engagement opportunities.
4Ease of operation
If the game progress is paused for mid-game joining, then user integration is improved, but game duration and time efficiency worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary checks to determine whether pausing is necessary before allowing mid-game joining. By assessing the current game situation against predetermined conditions, the system only pauses when absolutely necessary for user integration, thereby minimizing time loss while ensuring proper user onboarding when required.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a game device for executing a game in which a user participates and another user is allowed to join the game in mid-game. The game device obtains stored data from a unit for storing data that indicates a situation of the game being executed and that is updated with progress of the game. A situation determining unit determines whether or not the situation of the game being executed satisfies a given condition. A mid-game joining restricting unit keeps a user who has not joined the game being executed from joining the game in mid-game, based on a result of the determination of the situation determining unit.