Virtual Item Persistence Across Character Deaths
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Solution Overview
Problem
In permanent death type online gaming systems, virtual items acquired by players are typically tied to a specific character and become unavailable upon that character's death, forcing players to start anew, which can lead to loss of invested resources and progression.
Innovation Solution
A system where virtual items can transcend multiple character deaths by being stored in user-level inventories, allowing them to be used across multiple characters, with lifespan parameters determining their availability and gameplay parameters defining their benefits, which can be activated and incremented through consideration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If virtual items are tied to a specific character in permanent death games, then character progression and customization are improved, but player investment is lost upon character death
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides virtual items into two distinct categories: character-level items (tied to specific characters) and user-level items (accessible across all characters). This segmentation allows players to retain valuable virtual items at the user level while still enabling character-specific progression through character-level items, thus resolving the contradiction between character progression and item loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a user account as an intermediary layer between the player and virtual items. This intermediary maintains a user-level inventory that persists across character deaths, acting as a buffer that preserves player investment while allowing character-specific gameplay to continue with new characters.
2Adaptability or versatility
If players must start anew after character death, then game challenge and replayability are improved, but player engagement decreases due to loss of invested resources
Solution Approach 1:
The system adds a new dimension to item management by creating a hierarchical structure with character-level and user-level inventories. This dimensional change allows the game to maintain challenge through character death while preserving progression through user-level item retention, enabling players to continue gameplay with new characters without complete重新开始.
3Productivity
If virtual items transcend character deaths, then player retention is improved, but item scarcity and value are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different quality attributes to virtual items based on their level. Character-level items maintain scarcity and high value due to limited availability, while user-level items provide continuity but with different value propositions. This local differentiation of item qualities allows the system to preserve both item value and gameplay continuity simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
An online gaming system including virtual items that transcend multiple character deaths. The online game may take place within a virtual space. Users may interact with the online game by controlling virtual characters within the virtual space. A health parameter may be determined for the characters such that responsive to the health parameter reaching a threshold level, the character may be considered dead in the online game. After character death, users must take on new characters to interact with the online game. User-level inventories may be managed that include one or more virtual items which are made available to the user even after the death of a character which was used when the item was acquired.