Massively multiple online role playing games as normative multiagent systems

The latest advancements in computer games offer a domain of human and artificial agent behaviour well suited for analysis and development based on normative multi agent systems research. One of the most influential gaming trends today, Massively Multi Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG), poses new questions about the interaction between the players in the game. If we model the players and groups of players in these games as multiagent systems with the possibility to create norms and sanction norm violations we have to create a way to describe the different kind of norms that may appear in these situations. Certain situations in MMORPG are subject to discussions about how norms are created and propagated in a group, one such example involves the sleeper in the game Everquest, from Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). The Sleeper was at first designed to be unkillable, but after some events and some considerations from SOE the sleeper was finally killed. The most interesting aspect of the story about the sleeper is how we can interpret the norms being created in this example. We propose a framework to analyse the norms involved in the interaction between players and groups in MMORPG. We argue that our model adds complexity where we find earlier norm typologies lacking some descriptive power of this phenomenon, and we can even describe and understand the confusing event with the sleeper in Everquest

Obligation Norm Identification in Agent Societies

Most works on norms have investigated how norms are regulated using institutional mechanisms. Very few works have focused on how an agent may infer the norms of a society without the norm being explicitly given to the agent. This paper describes a mechanism for identifying one type of norm, an obligation norm. The Obligation Norm Inference (ONI) algorithm described in this paper makes use of an association rule mining approach to identify obligation norms. Using agent based simulation of a virtual restaurant we demonstrate how an agent can identify the tipping norm. The experiments that we have conducted demonstrate that an agent in the system is able to add, remove and modify norms dynamically. An agent can also flexibly modify the parameters of the system based on whether it is successful in identifying a norm.Norms, Social Norms, Obligations, Norm Identification, Agent-Based Simulation, Simulation of Norms, Artificial Societies, Normative Multi-Agent Systems (NorMAS)

Boolean Game with Prioritized Norms

In this paper we study boolean game with prioritized norms. Norms distinguish illegal strategies from legal strategies. Notions like legal strategy and legal Nash equilibrium are introduced. Our formal model is a combination of (weighted) boolean game and so called (prioritized) input/output logic. After formally presenting the model, we use examples to show that non-optimal Nash equilibrium can be avoided by making use of norms.We study various complexity issues related to legal strategy and legal Nash equilibrium

Communicating open systems

Just as conventional institutions are organisational structures for coordinating the activities of multiple interacting individuals, electronic institutions provide a computational analogue for coordinating the activities of multiple interacting software agents. In this paper, we argue that open multi-agent systems can be effectively designed and implemented as electronic institutions, for which we provide a comprehensive computational model. More specifically, the paper provides an operational semantics for electronic institutions, specifying the essential data structures, the state representation and the key operations necessary to implement them. We specify the agent workflow structure that is the core component of such electronic institutions and particular instantiations of knowledge representation languages that support the institutional model. In so doing, we provide the first formal account of the electronic institution concept in a rigorous and unambiguous way

Modeling social norms in real-world agent-based simulations

Studying and simulating social systems including human groups and societies can be a complex problem. In order to build a model that simulates humans\u27 actions, it is necessary to consider the major factors that affect human behavior. Norms are one of these factors: social norms are the customary rules that govern behavior in groups and societies. Norms are everywhere around us, from the way people handshake or bow to the clothes they wear. They play a large role in determining our behaviors. Studies on norms are much older than the age of computer science, since normative studies have been a classic topic in sociology, psychology, philosophy and law. Various theories have been put forth about the functioning of social norms. Although an extensive amount of research on norms has been performed during the recent years, there remains a significant gap between current models and models that can explain real-world normative behaviors. Most of the existing work on norms focuses on abstract applications, and very few realistic normative simulations of human societies can be found. The contributions of this dissertation include the following: 1) a new hybrid technique based on agent-based modeling and Markov Chain Monte Carlo is introduced. This method is used to prepare a smoking case study for applying normative models. 2) This hybrid technique is described using category theory, which is a mathematical theory focusing on relations rather than objects. 3) The relationship between norm emergence in social networks and the theory of tipping points is studied. 4) A new lightweight normative architecture for studying smoking cessation trends is introduced. This architecture is then extended to a more general normative framework that can be used to model real-world normative behaviors. The final normative architecture considers cognitive and social aspects of norm formation in human societies. Normative architectures based on only one of these two aspects exist in the literature, but a normative architecture that effectively includes both of these two is missing

Extensión de Jason para implementar agentes normativos emocionales

[ES] La mayoría de las decisiones que toman las personas, incluidas las económicas, se basan en gran medida en consideraciones normativo-afectivas, no solo en lo que respecta a la selección de objetivos, sino también de los medios. Sin embargo, aunque las emociones son inherentes al comportamiento humano y también son relevantes cuando se trata de los procesos de toma de decisiones, la relación entre normas y emociones apenas se ha considerado en el campo (o bien área) de los sistemas multiagente, y la mayoría de los sistemas multiagentes normativos no las toman en cuenta como una variable para su cálculo. Así, muchos sistemas normativos modelan agentes que realizan el razonamiento práctico sin tener en cuenta las emociones del agente. Dentro de este marco, este trabajo de fin de grado propone una extensión del lenguaje de programación de sistemas multiagente Jason, que permita implementar un agente normativo emocional (NEA) capaz de manejar tanto normas como emociones. Para ello, se analizan las ventajas de incluir emociones dentro de un sistema normativo y cómo las emociones y las normas se afectan entre sí. En este trabajo se realiza una revisión del trabajo realizado en este campo hasta ahora y se presenta una propuesta de un modelo normativo y emocional propios, que se implementa como una extensión en Jason y por último se presenta un caso de estudio sencillo para mostrar las aportaciones de los agentes NEA.[CA] La majoria de les decisions que prenen les persones incloses les econòmiques, es basen en gran mesura en consideracions normatiu-afectives, no només pel que respecta a la selecció d’objectius, sinó també dels mitjans. No obstant això, encara que les emocions són inherents al comportament humà i també són rellevants quan es tracta dels processos de presa de decisions, la relació entre normes i emocions gairebé no s’ha considerat en el camp (o bé àrea) dels sistemes multiagent, i la majoria dels sistemes multiagents normatius no les tenen en compte com una variable per al seu càlcul. Així, molts sistemes normatius modelen agents que realitzen el raonament pràctic sense tenir en compte les emocions de l’agent. Dins d’aquest marc, aquest treball de fi de grau proposa una extensió del llenguatge de programació de sistemes multiagent Jason, que permeti implementar un agent normatiu emocional (NEA) capaç de manejar tant normes com emocions. Per a això, s’analitzen els avantatges d’incloure emocions dins d’un sistema normatiu i com les emocions i les normes s’afecten entre si. En aquest treball es realitza una revisió de la teball fet en aquest camp fins ara i es presenta una proposta d’un model normatiu i emocional propis, que s’implementa com una extensió en Jason i finalment es presenta un cas d’estudi senzill per mostrar les aportacions dels agents NEA.[EN] Most people’s choices, including economic ones, are largely based on normative-affective considerations, not only with regard to the selection of goals but also of means. However, although emotions are inherent in human behavior, and they are also relevant when dealing with the decision-making processes, the relationship between norms and emotions has hardly been considered in the multiagent field, and most normative multi-agent systems do not take emotions into account, as a variable for their computation. Thus, many normative systems model agents that perform practical reasoning without taking into account the emotions of the agent. Within this framework, this end-of-degree project proposes an extension for the multiagent system programming language Jason, that will allow the implementation of an emotional normative agent (NEA) capable of dealing with both norms and emotions. To do this, we analyze the advantages of including emotions within a normative system and how emotions and norms affect each other. In this work, a review of the work done so far in this field is carried out, and we present a proposal for a normative model as well as an emotional model, which is implemented as an extension in Jason and finally a simple case study is presented to show the contributions of NEA agents.Lliguin León, KY. (2019). Extensión de Jason para implementar agentes normativos emocionales. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/128197TFG

Using Norms To Control Open Multi-Agent Systems

Internet es, tal vez, el avance científico más relevante de nuestros días. Entre otras cosas, Internet ha permitido la evolución de los paradigmas de computación tradicionales hacia el paradigma de computaciónn distribuida, que se caracteriza por utilizar una red abierta de ordenadores. Los sistemas multiagente (SMA) son una tecnolog a adecuada para abordar los retos motivados por estos sistemas abiertos distribuidos. Los SMA son aplicaciones formadas por agentes heterog eneos y aut onomos que pueden haber sido dise~nados de forma independiente de acuerdo con objetivos y motivaciones diferentes. Por lo tanto, no es posible realizar ninguna hip otesis a priori sobre el comportamiento de los agentes. Por este motivo, los SMA necesitan de mecanismos de coordinaci on y cooperaci on, como las normas, para garantizar el orden social y evitar la aparici on de conictos. El t ermino norma cubre dos dimensiones diferentes: i) las normas como un instrumento que gu a a los ciudadanos a la hora de realizar acciones y actividades, por lo que las normas de nen los procedimientos y/o los protocolos que se deben seguir en una situaci on concreta, y ii) las normas como ordenes o prohibiciones respaldadas por un sistema de sanciones, por lo que las normas son medios para prevenir o castigar ciertas acciones. En el area de los SMA, las normas se vienen utilizando como una especi caci on formal de lo que est a permitido, obligado y prohibido dentro de una sociedad. De este modo, las normas permiten regular la vida de los agentes software y las interacciones entre ellos. La motivaci on principal de esta tesis es permitir a los dise~nadores de los SMA utilizar normas como un mecanismo para controlar y coordinar SMA abiertos. Nuestro objetivo es elaborar mecanismos normativos a dos niveles: a nivel de agente y a nivel de infraestructura. Por lo tanto, en esta tesis se aborda primero el problema de la de nici on de agentes normativos aut onomos que sean capaces de deliberar acercaCriado Pacheco, N. (2012). Using Norms To Control Open Multi-Agent Systems [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/17800Palanci