Unified Game Scripting Language Multi-Platform Interpreter

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Solution Overview

Problem

In client-server environments for multiplayer online videogames, maintaining separate code bases for different architectures leads to consistency errors, increased development complexity, and latency due to parallel updates and varied hardware capabilities.

Innovation Solution

A unified game scripting language with a multi-platform interpreter allows game designers to create high-level game logic scripts independently of specific platforms, which are then converted into platform-specific code using platform conversion modules, enabling clients to evaluate game logic locally and synchronize with servers, reducing latency and eliminating the need for parallel code maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If separate code bases are maintained for different architectures, then platform-specific optimization is achieved, but code maintenance complexity and consistency errors increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplatform-specific optimizationVSAvoidcode maintenance complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The code base is segmented into a unified high-level scripting layer and platform-specific execution layers. The unified scripting layer contains architecture-independent game logic, while platform-specific interpreters handle architecture-dependent optimizations. This segmentation allows each layer to be maintained independently, reducing overall maintenance complexity while preserving platform-specific optimization capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A universal high-level scripting language is designed to serve multiple platforms simultaneously. The same script can be executed on different architectures (x86, ARM, etc.) through platform-specific interpreters, eliminating the need for separate code bases while maintaining platform-specific optimization through the interpreter implementation rather than the source code.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If separate code bases are maintained for server and client architectures, then architecture-specific optimization is achieved, but update time and consistency are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvearchitecture-specific optimizationVSAvoidupdate time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The scripting languages for server and client architectures are merged into a single unified high-level scripting language. Both server and client scripts are written in the same language with consistent syntax and semantics, allowing developers to maintain a single code base while achieving architecture-specific optimizations through the interpreter implementation rather than the source code.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Platform-specific interpreters act as intermediaries between the unified high-level scripting language and the underlying architecture. These interpreters translate the architecture-independent scripts into architecture-specific machine code or bytecode, enabling architecture-specific optimization without requiring separate source code bases, thereby reducing update time and improving consistency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Speed

If clients evaluate game logic locally, then response time is reduced, but synchronization overhead with servers increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse timeVSAvoidsynchronization overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Clients perform partial evaluation of game logic locally using cached server state and local event queues, processing only the necessary logic for current game events rather than all possible logic. This partial execution reduces response time for immediate events while minimizing synchronization overhead by only communicating essential state changes to the server, rather than attempting to evaluate all game logic independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS9162145B2Unified game scripting language with multi-platform interpreter

Publication Date: 2015.10.20 DISNEY ENTERPRISES INC

AI summary

A method is provided for a unified game scripting language with a multi-platform interpreter. By providing a script editor that creates a unified game logic script, and by processing the unified game logic script through platform conversion modules, game designers can easily specify game logic without coding for a specific platform or making a distinction between server and client. As only a single unified game logic script needs to be maintained, consistency errors from manually maintaining parallel and mirrored code bases is completely eliminated. Moreover, game designers are freed from having to manually weigh the considerations of client side versus server side, low end hardware versus high end hardware, bandwidth limited networks versus bandwidth unlimited networks, specific hardware architectures, specific programming languages, and other technical details. Since platforms are defined by sets of rules, support for additional platforms is readily implemented by creating an associated platform conversion module.