Mammoth: a massively multiplayer game research framework

  • Authors:

  • Jörg Kienzle;Clark Verbrugge;Bettina Kemme;Alexandre Denault;Michael Hawker

  • Affiliations:

  • McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada;McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada;McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada;McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada;McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Foundations of Digital Games
  • Year:
  • 2009

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Abstract

This paper presents Mammoth, a massively multiplayer game research framework designed for experimentation in an academic setting. Mammoth provides a modular architecture where different components, such as the network engine, the replication engine, or interest management, can easily be replaced. Subgames allow a researcher to define different game goals, for instance, in order to evaluate the effects of different team-play tactics on the game performance. Mammoth also offers a modular and flexible infrastructure for the definition of non-player characters with behavior controlled by complex artificial intelligence algorithms. This paper focuses on the Mammoth architecture, demonstrating how good design practices can be used to create a modular framework where researchers from different research domains can conduct their experiments. The effectiveness of the architecture is demonstrated by several successful research projects accomplished using the Mammoth framework.