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Kalpaware

SimNetwork is a real-time strategy game similar to SimCity where players take on the role of a network designer for a large telecommunications firm. The goal is to connect all customers and keep them happy by designing and maintaining digital communication networks. The game has three levels of difficulty and incorporates different types of routers, cables, and customers. Players must achieve optimal network flow and customer satisfaction to win the game. SimNetwork also serves an educational purpose, teaching fundamental techniques and strategies involved in network design and maintenance.

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Kalpaware

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  1. Kalpaware presents

  2. http://www.kalpaware.com

  3. Demo

  4. SimNetwork • Genre: Real Time Strategy • Similar to SimCity • Player is a network designer of a large telecommunications firm • Game goal: Connect all customers and keep them happy.

  5. SimNetwork • Educational purpose: teach the fundamental techniques and strategies involved in the design and maintenance of digital communication networks • Winning rule: player connects all customers and holds acceptable overall customer satisfaction rate in assigned time • Losing rule: balance falls below certain amount or overall customer satisfaction falls below certain percentage

  6. Game Play • 3 Levels – Easy, Medium, Hard • Customers appear at random • Different types of routers, cables, customers • Routers and cables are used to connect customers directly or indirectly • Based on the speed of the cable and type of router, different network flow is achieved – which in turn, affects customers’ satisfaction

  7. Game Play • Based on the quality of service provided, a satisfaction rate out of 100% is calculated for each customer • Each customer has set of peers it wants to connect to • Player is charged monthly maintenance fees for equipment and collects monthly payments from customers

  8. Game Scene Design • Mix of 2D sprites and 3D models • Toolbars and widgets • 2D sprites – tied to mouse input • Interactive timer and message fields • Widgets for customer negotiation and status of each entity in the game w/keyboard input • Accessible in-game help • Status Bars • Connection lines to show the flow of traffic

  9. Game Scene Design • Bounding boxes for selected entities and their peers • 3D scene mouse picking • Zoom in/out & camera movements • Keyboard assisted movement of the scene

  10. Game Scene Design • Lightning scheme – 4 side light sources, 1 main spot light • Collision detection system (placement of the entities)

  11. Game Logic • Data structures: 2 types of graphs • Links graph: undirected graphs, one instance • Peers graph: directed graphs, one instance peer customer • Algorithm • Traffic simulation algorithm • Fuzziness engine

  12. Simulation algorithm • Inputs: links + peers graphs • Output: traffic flow • Problem: Multi commodity circulation with intermediate node capacity • NP-Complete • Although size of network is manageable with respect to # of routers, cables, and customers, Brute force algorithm faced with 2^(Total capacity) choices

  13. Simulation algorithmOverview of circulation problem D = 10 Mbps r1 r2 c2 p1 5/10 5/10 5/10 c1 D = -5 Mbps r3 c3 p2 1/1 1/11 D = -5 Mbps

  14. Simulation algorithmAlternatives • Greedy algorithm • No greedy algorithm known • In general, greedy algorithm faced with exponential local decisions • Linear programming • Total linear conditions: N x M x 16 • Not guaranteed to perform well in real-time (worst case yields polynomial complexity)

  15. Simulation AlgorithmDesign choice • Design choice • Dynamic programming approach: remember partial solution and simulate when really necessary • Reduce problem to Max-Flow problem • Simulate traffic for each customer independently (# customers passes) • Combine result in one pass • Recap flow on the network • Complexity • Traffic simulation: O(# customer^3) • Combine: O(# customer) • Recap flow: O(# customer + # routers + # cables) • Not optimum, but works!

  16. Fuzziness Engine • Generates random events • Create new customer • Randomize access patterns • Create disasters • Customer requirements (bandwidth and fees) are based on fuzzy trapezoidal possibility distribution

  17. Models • Designed in Ac3D • Models for Customers, Cables and Routers. • Customers – Models inspired from Real Life and SimCity.

  18. Models • Types - Residential - Commercial/Industrial - Educational • Initial models : Almost fit to be alien space stations, Mini Castles …

  19. Textures • Jason’s Sci-Fi • Photographs • Free textures from the Internet • Tried creating textures using TextureMaker – Reichert Software Engineering.

  20. Audio Effects • Background music • Home made sounds: • menu selection, • tool selection, • demolish, • traffic sounds, • object placement, • Customer pop-up • Royalty Free sounds (downloaded from www.partnersinrhyme.com)

  21. It’s all about FUN • Create the right mood with music • Make customers jump when they appear • Added negotiate concept to personalize interactions with customers • Make learning about networks easy and fun • Added menu system before game start • 3 levels of difficulty • Pause button (F10)

  22. Various Motivations • Audio: The Video on Foley Artists! • Finite State Machines • A Game is about Winning! • Feedback to improve Game! • WooHoo!

  23. Future Development • Game allows researchers to plug in their own algorithms for evaluating performance • With modification, game could be used to teach algorithms on graphs and design of virtually any flow network

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