Mission Progress Synchronization in Peer-to-Peer Multiplayer Games
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multiplayer open world video games on peer-to-peer connected game consoles face challenges in managing processing, memory, and bandwidth, leading to strain on consoles when one console acts as a server for multiple players, often requiring tethering to limit player movement and restrict independent gameplay.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for synchronizing mission progress among players by tracking and updating mission progress lines in a peer-to-peer network architecture, allowing players to complete objectives and conditions independently and then synchronizing their progress, enabling seamless reconnection and continued gameplay without tethering constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If one console acts as a server for multiple players in a peer-to-peer network, then multiplayer gameplay is enabled, but console resources (processing, memory, bandwidth) become strained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the server functionality into distributed components across all peer consoles rather than concentrating it on one console. Each console maintains local game state and synchronizes with others, distributing the processing, memory, and bandwidth load across the network instead of overloading a single server console.
Solution Approach 2:
Each peer console maintains a copy of the game state and mission progress information locally. Instead of one console storing all game data and serving others, every console has its own copy of the relevant game state, reducing the need for constant data retrieval and lowering network bandwidth requirements while enabling independent processing.
2Power
If tethering is implemented to limit player movement, then console resources are preserved, but player independence and open world exploration are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary synchronization of mission progress and game state before players split off to explore independently. Each console receives and stores the current game state and mission objectives in advance, allowing players to diverge from the group without requiring continuous real-time coordination or tethering, thus preserving resources while maintaining player independence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic feedback synchronization where consoles exchange mission progress updates at predetermined intervals or upon completing objectives. This feedback mechanism allows players to independently explore and complete objectives without continuous communication, reducing bandwidth usage while ensuring all players remain synchronized on mission progress without requiring tethering.
3Adaptability or versatility
If players split off independently without tethering, then player independence is improved, but synchronization of mission progress becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Before players split off independently, the system performs preliminary synchronization of mission progress lines and game state. Each console receives and stores the complete mission objective list and current progress status in advance, establishing a synchronized baseline that allows independent gameplay without losing track of mission requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements automated feedback synchronization where each console monitors its own mission progress and automatically exchanges updates with other peers upon completing objectives or at predetermined intervals. This feedback mechanism ensures all players' mission progress remains synchronized without requiring continuous communication or tethering, preventing information loss while maintaining player independence.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are described for a multiplayer video game on a network in which a player's or players' missions are tracked individually as mission lines, each mission line being composed of a series of ordered objectives. Each objective generally must be completed in order of the sequence with no forking of objective paths. Each objective can include one or more conditions that can be completed in any order within the objective. Players can go off on different missions and then come back to synchronize their mission progress so that they benefit from the other player's gameplay. Players can also synchronize the conditions achieved within the missions during long missions with many difficult conditions to achieve in order to advance their combined progress.