Abstract: Data objects may be selectively retrieved from a network service such that a network data object corresponding to a cached data object may be retrieved responsive to a determination that a network-object hash associated with the network data object and a cache-object hash associated with the cached data object do not match. In some implementations, a network-object hash associated with a network data object at the network service may be generated. The network-object hash may be provided to a client device. The client device may have non-transient electronic storage media that store a cache that includes a cached data object that corresponds to the network data object. A request from the client device may be obtained. Initiation of the request by the client device may be responsive to a determination that the network-object hash and a cache-object hash associated with the cached data object do not match.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to systems and methods for facilitating data model substitution related to one or more pre-existing data objects in an expression of a game environment. A system may facilitate scalable addition of new game content by leveraging pre-existing data objects at a client computing platform. The system may include a game server that provides to the client computing platform data model substitutions for the existing data objects. The data model substitutions may be used to alter the behavior or function, look (e.g., visual appearance), description, and/or other characteristic of an expression of a pre-existing data object. Thus, by leveraging pre-existing data objects and providing such data model substitutions, new content or at least the appearance of new content from the user's perspective, may be provided without revising client code or requiring downloading new instructions that encode new data objects.

Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure relates to using FLASH symbols to define a travel grid formed by travel nodes in an online FLASH-based game. A FLASH symbol may be used that when instantiated defines a corresponding travel node that together with other travel nodes form a travel grid. The travel grid limits travel during gameplay by constraining travel from a travel node to its neighbor travel nodes. FLASH symbol properties may be leveraged to describe a travel node such as its location in the game space, neighbor travel nodes, and other information related to the travel node. In order to facilitate traversal of the travel grid formed by travel nodes, intelligence or other logic may configure a processor to obtain symbol properties of instantiated FLASH symbols that define travel nodes in order to dynamically make decisions during gameplay that determine next destinations to which travel is permitted.

Abstract: A quadrant based PNG image file may be used to encode compressed map information for a game map that is navigated during gameplay. The PNG image file encoded with compressed map information may be communicated to a gameplay device, which may decompress and decode the PNG image file to obtain the map information and generate the game map. Leveraging the lossless compression capabilities of the PNG image file format or other lossless image file format may reduce storage requirements and/or network bandwidth when playing the video game. Each pixel of the PNG image file may be used to encode multiple map tiles, allowing game maps to scale to large sizes while further leveraging the advantages of encoding the map information into the image file.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to systems and methods for facilitating data model substitution related to one or more pre-existing data objects in an expression of a game environment. A system may facilitate scalable addition of new game content by leveraging pre-existing data objects at a client computing platform. The system may include a game server that provides to the client computing platform data model substitutions for the existing data objects. The data model substitutions may be used to alter the behavior or function, look (e.g., visual appearance), description, and/or other characteristic of an expression of a pre-existing data object. Thus, by leveraging pre-existing data objects and providing such data model substitutions, new content or at least the appearance of new content from the user's perspective, may be provided without revising client code or requiring downloading new instructions that encode new data objects.