Systems and Methods for Identifying Virtual Entities in a Virtual Environment

摘要

Disclosed herein are systems and related methods for providing a gaming environment where users of a network system can be connected with each other, and by using predefined player virtual entities, or by creating new ones, they can play against each other, or against an artificial intelligence (AI) opponent alone or in a cooperative mode. The disclosed principles provide various options to users, and depending on a user's choice and/or the specifications of his virtual gaming entity, a system or process in accordance with the disclosed principles provides a very fast and efficient matchmaking process for identifying other virtual entities and/or users for gameplay with the searching user. This corresponds to a pleasing gaming experience for all the users participating in a virtual gaming environment, and provides a fair chance to all users to complete given goals within the gaming environment.

主权项

1. A method of identifying virtual entities for competitive or cooperative gameplay in a virtual gaming environment, the method comprising:
establishing a virtual entity for use by a first user in a virtual environment; placing the virtual entity in a virtual lobby associated with the virtual environment; initiating a matchmaking search to identify other virtual entities controlled by other users by determining if one or more characteristics of the first user or the first user's virtual entity respectively matches one or more characteristics of the other virtual entities or the other users; when no matching virtual entities are identified, reducing a threshold for determining if one or more characteristics of the first user or the first user's virtual entity respectively matches one or more characteristics of the other virtual entities or the other users; continuing the reducing of the threshold a predetermined number of times, each reduction increasing the likelihood of identifying of one or more matching virtual entities; if one or more matching virtual entities are identified, receiving a selection by the first user of one or more of the identified matching virtual entities; and initiating gameplay in the virtual environment with the first user's virtual entity and one or more of the selected matching virtual entities.