NPC State Switching for Lower Game Processing Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reducing the update frequency of objects in games leads to coarse movement, causing a sense of wrongness for players.
Innovation Solution
Implement a control mechanism that switches between a first and second object control process based on conditions, reducing processing load by minimizing automatic traveling and interaction detection in the second state while maintaining interaction detection and animation processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the update frequency of objects is reduced to decrease processing load, then the processing load is reduced, but the movement becomes coarse causing a sense of wrongness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by switching between two control processes (first object control process and second object control process) based on the current state of objects. When objects are in a first state (requiring full control including automatic traveling), the first control process is used; when in a second state (where objects are stationary and not interacting), the second control process is used which excludes automatic traveling, thereby reducing processing load while maintaining movement smoothness when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameters of objects based on their state. By determining whether objects satisfy conditions for the second state (not traveling, not interacting), the system adjusts the control process parameters - using the full first control process when needed and the reduced second control process (excluding automatic traveling) when conditions are met, thus optimizing both processing load and movement quality.
2Productivity
If automatic traveling process is removed to reduce processing load, then processing load is reduced, but interaction detection capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the object control process into two distinct processes: the first object control process that includes automatic traveling, animation, interaction detection, and behavior control; and the second object control process that includes only animation and interaction detection (without automatic traveling). This segmentation allows the system to use the simpler second process when objects are stationary, reducing processing load while maintaining interaction detection capability when needed through the first process.
Data Source
AI summary
In an exemplary game of the exemplary embodiment, a non-player character is set to a first state or a second state. In the first state, the non-player character is controlled based on a plurality of processes including a process of causing automatic traveling, an animation process, an interaction detecting process to detect an interaction with another object, and a process of causing a behavior according to an interaction detected. In the second state, the animation process related to animation not involving traveling and at least a part of the interaction detecting process are performed out of the plurality of processes, and the process of causing automatic traveling is not performed.