A multi-protocol framework for the development of collaborative virtual environments

TL;DR

This paper proposes a versatile multi-protocol framework for developing collaborative virtual environments, supporting secure communication and interoperability, demonstrated through a distributed card game case study.

Contribution

It introduces a general framework enabling CVE development over multi-protocol networks with security and interoperability support, illustrated by a reusable software layer for distributed card games.

Findings

Framework effectively supports multi-protocol CVEs

Reusable software layer simplifies distributed game development

Case study demonstrates practical application and benefits

Abstract

Collaborative virtual environments (CVEs) are used for collaboration and interaction of possibly many participants that may be spread over large distances. Both commercial and freely available CVEs exist today. Currently, CVEs are used already in a variety of different fields: gaming, business, education, social communication, and cooperative development. In this paper, a general framework is proposed for the development of a cooperative environment which is able to exploit a multi protocol network infrastructure. The framework offers support to concerns such as communication security and inter-protocol interoperability and let software engineers to focus on the specific business of the CVE under development. To show the framework effectiveness we consider, as a case of study, the design of a reusable software layer for the development of distributed card games built on top of it. This layer is, in turn, used for the implementation of a specific card game.