Virtual Presence Prediction for MMOG Social Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Establishing and maintaining online social relationships in massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) is challenging due to differences in players' real-world schedules and the lack of mechanisms to predict when avatars are virtually present, making it difficult for players to coordinate interactions.
Innovation Solution
The technology tracks and analyzes players' virtual presence patterns to create temporal profiles, predicts when players will be available, and recommends interactions based on compatibility, allowing the game environment to encourage relationships between players with similar schedules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If players from different time zones play during their daytime hours, then they can establish online social relationships, but they cannot coordinate interactions due to conflicting schedules
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of player presence patterns and generates predictions about when players will be available before actual interaction occurs. This allows players to plan coordinated activities in advance without needing to communicate or coordinate in real-time, resolving the contradiction between cross-timezone compatibility and coordination time requirements
2Reliability
If players manually coordinate interactions via chat or email, then they can schedule future interactions, but the process is complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically analyzes player presence data and generates scheduling recommendations without requiring manual intervention from players. The automated prediction and recommendation system handles the coordination process, eliminating the need for players to manually communicate via chat or email, thus reducing complexity while maintaining reliable interaction scheduling
3Ease of operation
If the game provides detailed presence prediction data, then players can better coordinate interactions, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary layer of automated prediction and recommendation mechanisms that process complex presence data and translate it into simple, actionable suggestions for players. This intermediary system handles the complexity of data analysis while presenting information in an easy-to-understand format, improving ease of operation without exposing players to system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed that access a first coefficient vector that represents a first temporal profile and a second coefficient vector that represents a second temporal profile. The first and second temporal profiles represent presence histories of a first entity and a second entity within a persistent virtual environment. Once the coefficient vectors are accessed, the technology generates a predictive function responsive to the coefficient vectors. The predictive function provides a likelihood with respect to a future time that the first entity and the second entity will be temporally compatible. The technology then presents a representation of said predictive function or information derived from said predictive function.