METHOD TO CONFIGURE OFFLINE PLAYER BEHAVIOR WITHIN A PERSISTENT WORLD GAME

• US 20070298886A1
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wargaming.Net Limited
• Original Assignee: Wargaming.Net LLP
• Inventors: Johns, Charles R., Nutter, Mark R., AGUILAR, JR., MAXIMINO
• Granted Patent: US 8,128,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/55 Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/537 for exchanging game data using a messaging service, e.g. e-mail, SMS, MMS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for configuring offline player behavior within a persistent world game. A player agent for an offline player includes an event monitor that monitors for events that occur in a persistent virtual world maintained by a game server. When a game event occurs that triggers an offline player rule, the player agent may generate game events on behalf of the offline player. The player agent may also receive messages from an offline player. The messages may include commands for adding, removing, or editing offline player rules. A message may also include a command to view a list of rules or fire a one-time execution of a rule upon receipt. Therefore, a player may contribute to the persistent virtual world even when offline by sending commands using a messaging client or Web browser.

Claims

1. A method for effecting offline player behavior within a persistent virtual world online game managed by a game server, wherein the game server observes and generates game events for the persistent virtual world online game, the method comprising:

activating a player agent for an offline player, wherein the player agent has an associated set of offline player rules and wherein each offline player rule in the set of offline player rules defines an action to be taken on behalf of the offline player in the persistent virtual world online game responsive to a specified game event;

monitoring, by the offline player agent, for an occurrence of a game event corresponding to an offline player rule in the set of offline player rules, wherein the occurrence of the game event triggers a corresponding offline player rule from the set of offline player rules;

responsive to the game event triggering the corresponding offline player rule, generating by the offline player agent one or more offline player game events; and

sending the one or more offline player game events from the offline player agent to the game server to effect an action on behalf of the offline player.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the player agent, a command from an offline player, wherein the command comprises a request to access the set of offline player rules.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the command comprises a request to add, remove, edit, or activate an offline player rule.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving a command from an offline player comprises receiving the command in a message from a messaging client associated with the offline player.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

processing the command;

responsive to the command being processed successfully, generating a confirmation message; and

sending the confirmation message to the messaging client associated with the offline player.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving a command from an offline player comprises receiving the command from a Web server that provides a Web-based offline player rule customization interface to a Web client associated with the offline player.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the player agent, a command from an offline player, wherein the command comprises a request to execute a script.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating one or more offline player game events comprises generating a sequence of offline player game events under control of a script.

9. A data processing system for effecting offline player behavior within a persistent virtual world online game, the data processing system comprising:

a game server that observes and generates game events for a persistent virtual world; and

a player agent that has an associated set of offline player rules, wherein each offline player rule in the set of offline player rules defines an action to be taken on behalf of the offline player in the persistent virtual world online game responsive to a specified game event;

wherein the player agent monitors for an occurrence of a game event corresponding to an offline player rule in the set of offline player rules, wherein the occurrence of the game event triggers a corresponding offline player rule from the set of offline player rules; and

wherein, responsive to the game event triggering the corresponding offline player rule, the offline player agent generates one or more offline player game events and sends the one or more offline player game events from the offline player agent to the game server to effect an action on behalf of the offline player.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the player agent receives a command from an offline player, wherein the command comprises a request to access the set of offline player rules.

11. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the command comprises a request to add, remove, edit, or activate an offline player rule.

12. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the player agent receives the command in a message from a messaging client associated with the offline player.

13. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the player agent processes the command;

and

wherein responsive to the command being processed successfully, the player agent generates a confirmation message and sends the confirmation message to the messaging client associated with the offline player.

14. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the player agent receives the command from a Web server that provides a Web-based offline player rule customization interface to a Web client associated with the offline player.

15. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the player agent receives a command from an offline player, wherein the command comprises a request to execute a script.

16. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the player agent generates the one or more offline player game events by generating a sequence of game events under control of a script.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

activate a player agent for an offline player, wherein the player agent has an associated set of offline player rules and wherein each offline player rule in the set of offline player rules defines an action to be taken on behalf of the offline player in the persistent virtual world online game responsive to a specified game event;

monitor, by the offline player agent, for an occurrence of a game event corresponding to an offline player rule in the set of offline player rules, wherein the occurrence of the game event triggers a corresponding offline player rule from the set of offline player rules;

responsive to the game event triggering the corresponding offline player rule, generate by the offline player agent one or more offline player game events; and

send the one or more offline player game events from the offline player agent to the game server to effect an action on behalf of the offline player.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

receive, by the player agent, a command from an offline player, wherein the command comprises a request to access the set of offline player rules.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

receiving, by the player agent, a command from an offline player, wherein the command comprises a request to execute a script.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein wherein the computer readable program causes the computing device to generate one or more game events by generating a sequence of game events under control of a script.