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Could someone explain this ?

Thu, Jan 28 2010 7:57 AM (80 replies)
  • Therockdoctor
    232 Posts
    Sun, Jan 24 2010 8:01 PM

    I came across this today and wonfered if some one from wgt could try and explain it in a easier to understand format  for us thick ohs plz and how it effets my play cheers thedoctor

     

     

    The VEM... Virtual Equipment Model. What the VEM does is change the properties of the game as you get better at it to ensure you dont get too good at it. It is set up with preset variables and as you play if you do better than a predetermined threshold set by WGT then the game changes the characteristics of the virtual equipment to... welll let me copy and paste what it says... "Virtual equipment automatically adapts to reflect changes in user skill level and keep users challenged as their skill level improves. As a result, users are less likely to loose interest in a computer game. An associated user input model..." It goes on to say exactly how it works... apparently it's some cutting edge system... so much so that they filed a patent on it. here's some more... "In general, in another aspect, embodiments of the invention feature determining a user skill level for user interaction with virtual equipment in an interactive computer game. The virtual equipment is capable of being manipulated through user interaction with an associated representation. A sweet spot associated with the virtual equipment is automatically adapted based on the determined user skill level, the sweet spot governing how the virtual equipment behaves in response to user interaction with the representation."

    "A skill level monitor 306 monitors changes to user skill level. A change in user skill level can be detected by the user's proficiency at using a given piece of virtual equipment to achieve one or more goals in the virtual universe (e.g., such as an improved score), the ability to perform relatively advanced tasks with the virtual equipment, an achieved accuracy rate using the virtual equipment, an achieved precision rate using the virtual equipment, time spent using the virtual equipment, combinations of these, and other factors, in one implementation, user skill level is quantified as a number. If the skill level increases or decreases beyond a certain threshold, a change is communicated to the VEM 306, which in turn can communicate the change to the input model 302 and the representation 304. Using a non-zero threshold value can prevent the VEM 306 from changing too rapidly.

    Based on a change in skill level, one or more of the VEM 306, the input model 302, and the representation 304 can adapt to reflect the change. Adapting the VEM 306 can include changing the value of one or more variables in the set of variables, changing one or more relationships in the set of relationships, adding or removing one or more variables in the set of variables, adding or removing one or more relationships in the set of relationships, and combinations of these, in the case of an increased user skill level, for example, the virtual equipment model 306 could add additional variables for controlling the virtual equipment that were not available at a lower skill level and change variables representing distribution curves, thresholds and sweet spots.

    A game engine 310 maintains state for the virtual universe based on user input and the interaction of objects in the virtual universe. The game engine 310 can include a renderer for rendering graphical views of the virtual universe that can be presented on a display device. The game engine can also artificial intelligence capabilities for determining one or more future states for the virtual universe. Objects in the virtual universe such as virtual equipment are associated with assets 312 (e.g., content, models, sounds, physics, artificial intelligence). Assets are used by the game engine 310 to represent objects and render the computer game. The game engine 310 communicates with the skill level monitor 308 to convey user skill level information, such as detected changes to user skill level. The VEM 306 communicates with the game engine 310 to affect changes to the virtual universe based on user interaction with the VEM 306.

    FIG. 4 illustrates a virtual equipment model adaptation process. A user skill level for a piece of virtual equipment is determined by, for example, the skill level monitor 308 (step 402). It is then determined whether the skill level has increased or decreased beyond a threshold (step 406). If the user skill level has not increased or decreased beyond the threshold, the user skill level is determined again at a later point in time (step 402). Otherwise, the VEM 306 associated with the virtual equipment is adapted based on the user skill level (step 406), for example by changing the value of one or more sweet spots associated with the virtual equipment, or other variables."

  • Doublemochaman
    2,009 Posts
    Sun, Jan 24 2010 8:20 PM

    There you have it!  That explains why I haven't been able to break 50 for 18 holes!  Don't tell WGT that I have VEM on my real game, too.

  • jayjonbeach
    689 Posts
    Sun, Jan 24 2010 9:57 PM

    Holy jumping catfish!  

    Surely a lawyer wrote up all that garble.   You actually found this on the WGT somewhere?

    -----

    My very simple interpretation is that something in the game (VEM I think) monitors your progress and if you start getting too good with your current equipment, it starts to throw you curve balls to make you swear more.   (which might explain some of these deviation complaints we have been seeing)

    I could be wrong, since I didn't try to hard to read between all the lines they put there, and you might have also determined this much already as well, but my 2 cents anyway.

  • YankeeJim
    25,827 Posts
    Sun, Jan 24 2010 10:18 PM

    If I saw some documentation of these facts I could believe it. It would fit the scenario more than one player has run into-the increase in the number of WTF moments after you start out with 3 birdies.

  • DiKong
    1 Posts
    Sun, Jan 24 2010 10:20 PM

    Yes after buying the better equipment that is suppose to hit further. I find that my ball always land around the same spo. From Heck to Pro I am playing around the same score actually.

  • Therockdoctor
    232 Posts
    Sun, Jan 24 2010 10:34 PM

    i mate of mine found it there are 2 pdf doc's of a wgt patent pm me and i will send ya a link

  • Faterson
    2,902 Posts
    Sun, Jan 24 2010 11:41 PM

    YankeeJim:
    If I saw some documentation of these facts I could believe it.

    This has been discussed in the Ladders forum for a few days now. You'll find the links to the PDF documentation in that thread.

    I for one don't see what the fuss is all about. I like the general idea of this VEM model, provided it's applied fairly and consistently to the various WGT players and their levels of playing skills. There's nothing worse than a game that is boring because you shoot great scores every time. If VEM helps us avoid that kind of boredom and predictability, then that's great.

  • tibbets
    1,043 Posts
    Sun, Jan 24 2010 11:58 PM

    "Adapting the VEM 306 can include changing the value of one or more variables in the set of variables, changing one or more relationships in the set of relationships, adding or removing one or more variables in the set of variables, adding or removing one or more relationships in the set of relationships, and combinations of these, in the case of an increased user skill level, for example, the virtual equipment model 306 could add additional variables for controlling the virtual equipment that were not available at a lower skill level and change variables representing distribution curves, thresholds and sweet spots."

    Try having my stats across the board after 1500 rounds and see how you feel about it :)  It's what I've always thought of as "The Tibbets Effect", and it does go towards explaining a great many things.  A neat model.

    It ain't paranoia, speculation, or tin-foil-hat wearing.  It's fact.

    'Nuff said.

  • SLASHX
    278 Posts
    Mon, Jan 25 2010 12:27 AM

    I have to agree with you in saying that it is a "neat model" for sure... If you are WGT and you want to ensure that people don't get tired of your game by letting them get a taste of how well they could play and then slapping the hell out of them with inconsistency and randomness to have them try it again and again and again. Sure would have been nice if i could have been aware of this a long time ago rather than being left to figure it out for myself.

  • cobra4
    359 Posts
    Mon, Jan 25 2010 4:59 AM

    Faterson:
    There's nothing worse than a game that is boring because you shoot great scores every time. If VEM helps us avoid that kind of boredom and predictability, then that's great.

    "THE VEM" is preventing me from shooting low it seems, so how do i know if i will get bored off this game or not, if a piece off softwear is stopping me from shooting low. What a cracking find Slash, at least when some one complains about a shot going badly wrong, it is not now known as "THE BEAST" but "THE VEM"

    Is the "Bug Report" button a waiste off time then ?

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