Virtual Space Encounter Determination Using Avoidable Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional encounter determination methods in virtual spaces, such as games, often result in unnatural and forced encounters, disrupting user experience due to probabilistic or spatially forced interactions, leading to user frustration and degraded gameplay.
Innovation Solution
A system that determines encounterability based on a character's presence within a defined encounterable zone and uses event occurrence probabilities to decide on encounter events, allowing users to voluntarily engage or avoid encounters by moving within or out of the zone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If random encounter method is used, then encounter events occur with predetermined probability, but user experience deteriorates due to forced and unnatural encounters
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by allowing users to pre-set encounter avoidance conditions and zones before encountering enemies. The system proactively prevents forced encounters by checking whether the user character is in an avoidable zone and whether avoidance conditions are met, thereby counteracting the forced nature of random encounters before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamics by making encounter determination flexible and adaptive rather than fixed. Encounter probabilities, avoidable zones, and avoidance conditions can be dynamically adjusted based on user settings, character attributes, and game state, transforming the static random encounter system into a dynamic one that responds to user needs.
2Reliability
If symbol encounter method is used, then encounter events occur when entering encounter area, but user experience deteriorates due to forced encounters at bottlenecks
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by pre-defining avoidable zones and avoidance conditions for symbol encounters. Before forcing an encounter when the user enters an enemy's encounter area, the system checks whether the zone is avoidable and whether avoidance conditions are satisfied, thereby preventing forced encounters at bottlenecks and other constrained areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by differentiating encounter handling based on location characteristics. Different zones are classified as avoidable or non-avoidable based on their geometric properties and game context. Bottleneck areas and constrained zones are specifically identified as avoidable, while open areas remain as traditional encounter zones, creating localized encounter policies.
3Device complexity
If encounter events occur forcibly, then encounter determination is simple, but user control over encounter frequency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies segmentation by dividing the game field into different types of zones (avoidable zones, non-avoidable zones, encounter zones) and applying different encounter determination rules to each segment. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simple determination within each zone type while providing overall user control through the zoning structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamics by allowing users to dynamically configure encounter avoidance conditions, zone definitions, and probability parameters. The encounter determination system adapts to user preferences and game progression, transforming from a static forced-encounter system to a dynamic one that respects user control while maintaining operational simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for providing improvements in conventional encounter determination, which may include one or more processors. When a first character operated by a first user is present in an encounterable zone set in association with a second character in a virtual field, the one or more processors determine that the first character is in a first encounterable state in which there is a possibility of encounter between the first character and the second character. In addition, when the first character is in the first encounterable state, the one or more processors determine whether to generate a first encounter event in which the first character and the second character participate.