Multiplayer balance and matchmaking in computer games

电脑娱乐在加拿大是一个蓬勃发展的行业，由电子艺界、生物制品和育碧等行业巨头支撑。然而，一个充满活力的独立（indie）开发者社区继续在技术和创造性上突破界限。网络游戏，特别是动作和射击游戏已经成为一个必需的功能。然而，开发强大的网络游戏，除了一个引人注目的单人战役往往超出了独立工作室的手段。此外，与独立游戏相关的受众较少，这意味着可能并不总是能够在网上找到合适的匹配。在本提案中，我们打算与当地独立开发商Alienrap合作，为他们的最新游戏《Apotheon》设计、构建和测试多人游戏系统，该系统将融入我实验室进行的游戏平衡研究中的元素。该项目将有助于为AlienTrap提供竞争优势，为我们的研究提供工业级测试平台，并有助于打开萨斯喀彻温大学计算机科学系与工业合作伙伴之间的联系。

Computer entertainment is a booming industry in Canada, anchored by industry heavy-weights such as Electronic Arts, BioWare and Ubisoft. However, a vibrant community of independent (indie) developers continues to push the boundaries technologically and creatively. Networked game play, particularly for the Action and Shooter genres has become a required feature. However, developing strong networked play in addition to a compelling single player campaign is often beyond an indie studios means. Furthermore, the smaller audiences associated with indie titles means that it may not always be possible to find an appropriate match online. In this proposal we intend to work with a local indie developer, Alientrap, to design, build and test a multiplayer system for their newest title Apotheon that will incorporate elements from the game balancing research that has taken place in my lab. This project will serve to provide a competitive advantage to Alientrap, provide an industrial-grade testbed for our research and serve to open ties between the Department of Computer Science at the University of Saskatchewan and the industrial partner.