JP7624583B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program.

There is a known game in which a player uses a team of multiple characters, called a deck, to complete events that take place in the game, called quests. Patent Document 1 also discloses a game made up of multiple stages in which the player can consume an item to skip a stage that is about to start or a stage that is currently being played.

JP 2017-12424 A

In a game in which a player can obtain a reward by clearing all of a number of quests, each player may be able to progress through the game to an advantage by clearing the quests multiple times to collect rewards. However, if a player clears the quests multiple times, the player may find clearing the quests painful and lose motivation to play the quests.

The present invention aims to provide a technology that allows multiple quests to be played repeatedly.

An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention has a determination unit that determines a range of quests to be skipped from among a plurality of quests based on the number of times a player has previously cleared a game including the plurality of quests, from among a plurality of different ranges, and an execution unit that executes the game by skipping quests within the range of quests to be skipped determined by the determination unit.

The present invention provides technology that allows multiple quests to be played repeatedly.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a game system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a game server and a terminal. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of a game server. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a player management DB, a clear history DB, and a skip setting DB. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure performed by a game server. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure when a quest is executed in a mode in which the quest is skipped.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals denote the same or similar configurations.

<System Configuration>
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a game system 1 according to this embodiment. The game system 1 shown in Fig. 1 includes a game server 10 (game device) and a plurality of terminals 20. The game server 10 and the terminals 20 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network N such as the Internet, an intranet, a wireless LAN, or mobile communication.

The game server 10 is a device that performs some of the functions required for the terminal 20 to provide the game, such as managing various information related to the player and executing some of the game processing. The game server 10 may be composed of one or more information processing devices, or may be composed of a virtual server (such as a cloud server).

The terminal 20 is an information processing device that provides a game to a player, and the player can execute the game according to this embodiment by operating the terminal 20. The terminal 20 is, for example, a computer such as a mobile phone (including a smartphone), a tablet, a personal computer, an arcade game device, or a consumer game device. The terminal 20 notifies the game server 10 of its own position detected using a GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like.

＜Game Overview＞
Next, an overview of the game provided by the game system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. In the game provided by the game system 1 (hereinafter referred to as "this game"), the player can obtain new characters and items by organizing a deck with characters selected from a plurality of characters owned and clearing quests using the organized deck. In addition, the player can challenge quests with higher difficulty by developing a stronger character by synthesizing the plurality of characters obtained, or by strengthening the attributes of the character using items.

Here, a quest is a term that refers to a mission that can be cleared by meeting certain predetermined conditions. A quest is also called an exploration or a task. A player who participates in a quest can clear the quest by meeting the certain conditions. Clearing a quest gives the player a reward and progresses the story of the game.

The game also provides quests that are sets of multiple quests. In such quests, the player is given a reward and the story of the game progresses when all multiple quests are cleared. In the following explanation, a quest that is a set of multiple quests is referred to as a "set quest." In a set quest, the order in which the quests should be cleared may be set, or they may be cleared in any order (for example, an order specified by the player, or an order determined randomly).

The term "deck" also means a group made up of multiple characters. When a player executes (plays) a quest, the player selects characters with the appropriate abilities to clear the quest, organizes a deck, and executes the quest. The game server 10 can store multiple decks organized by the player, and when executing a quest, the player can select one of the stored decks to execute the quest.

When a player carries out a quest, a certain parameter that the player possesses, called "stamina," is consumed. The amount of stamina consumed differs for each quest. In addition, the upper limit of stamina is set according to the player's level and experience points, etc. Stamina consumed by playing a quest is automatically restored over time.

In this game, when a player replays a set quest that they have previously cleared, some of the multiple quests included in the set quest are skipped based on the number of times the set quest has been cleared in the past. Furthermore, the skipped quests are considered to have been cleared, and the player can move on to the next quest without playing the skipped quest. This allows the player to obtain rewards, etc., when replaying a set quest, without having to clear all of the multiple quests included in the set quest.

<Hardware Configuration>
2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the game server 10 and the terminal 20. The game server 10 and the terminal 20 each have a processor 11 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphical processing unit), a storage device 12 such as a memory, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and/or an SSD (Solid State Drive), a communication IF (Interface) 13 for wired or wireless communication, an input device 14 for accepting input operations, and an output device 15 for outputting information. The input device 14 is, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse, and/or a microphone. The output device 15 is, for example, a display, a touch panel, and/or a speaker.

<Function block configuration>
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block configuration of the game server 10. The game server 10 includes a storage unit 100 and a game control unit 110. The storage unit 100 can be realized by using a storage unit 12 included in the game server 10. Furthermore, the game control unit 110 can be realized by the processor 11 of the game server 10 executing a program stored in the storage unit 12. Furthermore, the program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium storing the program may be a non-transitory computer readable medium. The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a storage medium such as a USB memory or a CD-ROM.

The memory unit 100 stores a player management DB 100a, a clear history DB 100b, and a skip setting DB 100c.

Figure 4 shows an example of the player management DB 100a, the clear history DB 100b, and the skip setting DB 100c. The player management DB 100a manages game data owned by each player. The player management DB 100a stores, in association with each other, for example, an ID (player ID) that uniquely identifies the player, the name (nickname) of the player, the player IDs of other players registered as friends, the current location of the terminal 20 used by the player, the player's experience points, the player's rank, the player's stamina, and the IDs of items owned by the player.

The clear history DB 100b manages the number of times each set quest has been cleared by the player. In the clear history DB 100b, for example, an ID that uniquely identifies the player (player ID), an ID that uniquely identifies the set quest (set quest ID), and the number of times the set quest has been cleared (number of clears) are stored in association with each other. The number of clears in the clear history DB may be reset (return to 0) at a predetermined interval.

The skip setting DB 100c manages the quests to be skipped among the multiple quests included in a set quest. The skip setting DB 100c stores, for example, an ID (set quest ID) that uniquely identifies the set quest, setting information (quest setting) for each quest included in the set quest, and settings for quests to be skipped (skip setting), all associated with each other. The skip setting sets the range of quests to be skipped, for example, depending on the number of times played or the number of quests to be skipped. However, this is not limited to this, and it is also possible to explicitly set the quests to be skipped depending on the number of times played.

Returning to FIG. 3, the explanation will continue. The game control unit 110 provides various functions necessary to execute the game. The game control unit 110 includes a reception unit 111, a determination unit 112, an execution unit 113, and an assignment unit 114.

The reception unit 111 receives from the player the selection of a set quest to be executed, the selection of a deck to be used for the quest, etc. When executing a set quest, the reception unit 111 also receives the selection of whether or not to enable quest skipping.

When a player executes a set quest (game) that includes multiple quests, the determination unit 112 determines which of the multiple quests are to be skipped.

The execution unit 113 skips quests within the range of quests to be skipped determined by the determination unit 112, and executes the set quest.

When the player clears each quest included in the set quest, the granting unit 114 grants the player a reward for clearing each quest. When the player clears all quests included in the set quest, the granting unit 114 grants the player a predetermined reward for clearing all quests.

The functional blocks described above may be provided in the terminal 20 rather than the game server 10. The game server 10 and the terminal 20 may be referred to as a computer.

<Processing Procedure>
Next, a process procedure performed by the game server 10 when executing a set quest while skipping a quest will be described.

Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure performed by the game server. First, the reception unit 111 receives a selection of a set quest to be executed from the player (S10). Next, the reception unit 111 receives a selection from the player of whether or not to enable quest skipping when executing the set quest (S11). If a selection of enabling quest skipping is received (S11-YES), the set quest is executed in a mode that skips execution unit quests (S12). On the other hand, if a selection of not enabling quest skipping is received (S11-NO), the set quest is executed without skipping quests (S12).

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure when executing a quest in a mode that allows quest skipping. First, the determination unit 112 accesses the clear history DB 100b to obtain the number of times the player has previously cleared the set quest to be executed (S21). Next, the determination unit 112 determines which quests to skip based on the obtained number of clears (S22). A specific example of the process by which the determination unit 112 determines which quests to skip will be described later.

Next, the execution unit 113 starts executing the set quest (S22). The execution unit 113 selects one quest to be executed first from among the multiple quests included in the set quest.

The execution unit 113 determines whether or not the quest to be executed corresponds to a quest to be skipped that was determined in step S21 (S23). If the quest is not a quest to be skipped (S23-NO), the execution unit 113 executes the quest (S24). Furthermore, if the player completes the quest, the granting unit 114 grants the player a reward for completing the quest.

If the quest to be executed is a quest to be skipped (S23-YES), the execution unit 113 proceeds to the next quest (S25).

When a quest is cleared in the processing procedure of step S24, the execution unit 113 determines whether or not all quests included in the set quest have been cleared (S26). If all quests have not been cleared (S26-NO), the execution unit 113 proceeds to the next quest (S27). If all quests have been cleared (S26-YES), the execution unit 113 and the granting unit 114 execute processing to end the set quest (S28). For example, the execution unit 113 may display information specific to the set quest, such as the time it takes to clear each quest, on the screen of the terminal 20. In addition, the granting unit 114 may grant the player a reward for clearing all quests. The reward may be of greater value than the rewards granted for clearing each quest.

(How to decide which quests to skip)
Next, a method in which the determination unit 112 determines which quests to skip in the processing procedure of step S21 will be described.

[Method 1]
The determination unit 112 determines the range of quests to be skipped among the multiple quests from among multiple different ranges based on the number of times the player has cleared a set quest (game) including multiple quests in the past. The multiple ranges may be set so that the range of quests to be skipped is wider as the number of times the player has cleared the set quest in the past increases. For example, the order in which the multiple quests included in the set quest are cleared is determined, and the range of quests to be skipped may be set to range from the Nth quest (first quest) to the Mth quest (second quest), and the Mth quest may be set to be a later quest as the player has cleared the game more times in the past. Furthermore, the Nth quest may also be set to be a later quest as the player has cleared the game more times in the past.

A "later quest" refers to a quest that is to be cleared later. For example, if the player has cleared the game 2-5 times, the value of M is 5; if the player has cleared the game 6-10 times, the value of M is 10; if the player has cleared the game 11 or more times, the value of M is 15. In this way, the more times the player has cleared the game, the larger the value of M (i.e., the later the quest). Note that the quest for which the order of clearing is set may be a quest for which the later the quest is cleared, the greater the reward. In this case, "later quest" may refer to a quest for which the reward is greater. Note that the quest for which the order of clearing is set may be a quest for which the later the quest is cleared, the greater the difficulty. In this case, "later quest" may refer to a quest for which the difficulty is greater.

A specific example will be explained using Figure 4. Set quest Q100 is made up of 15 quests, quests SQ1 to SQ15. The skip settings for set quest Q100 indicate that if the number of plays has been 2 to 4, then the quest to be skipped is determined from quests SQ1 to SQ3; if the number of plays has been 5 to 7, then the quest to be skipped is determined from quests SQ1 to SQ6; and if the number of plays has been 8 or more, then the quest to be skipped is determined from quests SQ1 to SQ10.

For example, if the player has previously cleared set quest Q100 five times, the determination unit 112 determines which quests to skip from quests SQ1 to SQ6. Any method for determining the quests may be used, and the determination may be made randomly, for example. For example, quests SQ2 and SQ6 may be skipped, or quests SQ1, SQ4, and SQ6 may be skipped.

The number of quests to be skipped may be preset based on the number of times the player has previously cleared the set quest, and the determination unit 112 may determine which quests are actually to be skipped from within the range of quests to be skipped according to the preset number of quests to be skipped. Note that the number of quests to be skipped may be preset to be greater the more times the player has previously cleared the set quest.

A specific example will be explained using Figure 4. It is assumed that it is predetermined that if the number of plays is between 2 and 4, one quest will be skipped, if the number of plays is between 5 and 7, three quests will be skipped, and if the number of plays is 8 or more, five quests will be skipped.

For example, if the player has previously cleared set quest Q100 five times, the determination unit 112 will determine three quests to be skipped from quests SQ1 to SQ6. The method of determination is arbitrary, but may be random, or may be determined in ascending or descending order of quest number. For example, quests SQ2, SQ5, and SQ6 may be skipped, or quests SQ1, SQ2, and SQ3 may be skipped.

[Method 2]
The determination unit 112 determines a range of quests to be skipped among the multiple quests from among multiple different ranges based on the number of times the player has previously cleared a set quest (game) including multiple quests. The determination unit 112 may determine the number of quests to be skipped based on the number of times the player has previously cleared a set quest, and may set the multiple ranges according to the determined number of quests to be skipped.

The determination unit 112 may also determine the number of quests to be skipped so that the more times the player has cleared set quests in the past, the greater the number of quests to be skipped.

A specific example will be explained using Figure 4. It is assumed that it is predetermined that if the number of plays is between 2 and 4, one quest will be skipped, if the number of plays is between 5 and 7, two quests will be skipped, and if the number of plays is 8 or more, three quests will be skipped.

In Figure 4, set quest Q102 is made up of 20 quests, quests SQ1 to SQ20. The skip settings for set quest Q102 indicate that if one quest is to be skipped, it will be skipped in the range from quest SQ1 to quest SQ3, if two quests are to be skipped, it will be skipped in the range from quest SQ1 to quest SQ5, and if three quests are to be skipped, it will be skipped in the range from quest SQ3 to quest SQ9.

For example, if the player has previously cleared set quest Q100 twice, the determination unit 112 will determine one quest to be skipped from quests SQ1 to SQ5. The method of determination is arbitrary, but may be random, or may be determined in ascending or descending order of quest number. For example, quest SQ3 may be skipped, or quest SQ1 may be skipped.

(How rewards are awarded for each quest)
6, when the player clears each quest included in the set quest, the granting unit 114 grants the player a reward for clearing each quest. At this time, the granting unit 114 may grant a reward when each quest is cleared, or may grant the player the rewards that were granted to the player for clearing each quest all at once when all quests are cleared.

The granting unit 114 may also consider a skipped quest as having been cleared and grant the reward that would be granted if that quest were cleared. Here, the granting unit 114 may grant the reward for the skipped quest when the quest is skipped. For example, assume that in a set quest in which five quests, quests SQ1 to SQ5, are to be cleared in order, it has been decided that quest SQ3 will be skipped. In this case, the granting unit 114 may grant the reward for quest SQ3 when quest SQ2, which is the quest immediately preceding the skipped quest, is cleared.

In addition, when all quests that are eligible for skipping in a set quest are skipped, the granting unit 114 may grant rewards for all of the quests together. For example, assume that in a set quest in which five quests, quests SQ1 to SQ5, are to be cleared in order, it has been decided that quests SQ2 and SQ4 will be skipped. In this case, the granting unit 114 may grant rewards for quests SQ2 and SQ4 when quest SQ3, which is the quest immediately preceding the quest that is eligible for skipping, is cleared. Alternatively, the granting unit 114 may grant rewards to the player for clearing each quest, including the quest that is eligible for skipping, all together once all quests have been cleared.

In addition, the multiple quests have a set order in which they must be cleared, and when the player clears a specific quest from among the multiple quests, the granting unit 114 may grant the player a reward for clearing any skipped quests that exist between the first quest and the clearing of the specific quest. The specific quest may be a fixed quest that is set in advance for each quest (or for all quests), such as the third quest or the last quest. The specific quest may also be a quest with a number determined by a specific formula. For example, the specific formula may be N×α (N=1, 2, 3, etc., where α is a positive integer). When α=5, the first quest, the fifth quest, and the tenth quest are the specific quests.

For example, assume that in a set quest in which 10 quests, quest SQ1 to quest SQ5, are to be cleared in order, it has been decided to skip quests SQ3 and SQ5. Also assume that the specified quest is quest SQ7. In this case, the granting unit 114 may grant rewards for quests SQ3 and SQ7 when the player clears quest SQ7.

The multiple quests may be cleared in any order, and when a predetermined number of the multiple quests are cleared, the awarding unit 114 may award to the player the reward that would be awarded if the player cleared any quests that were skipped before clearing the predetermined number of quests. The predetermined number of quests may be set in advance as a fixed number for each quest (or for all quests), such as 10 quests or all quests.

For example, assume that in a set quest in which ten quests, quest SQ1 to quest SQ5, are to be cleared in any order, it has been decided to skip quests SQ3 and SQ5. Also assume that the predetermined number of quests is five. In this case, the awarding unit 114 may award rewards for the skipped quests once the player has cleared the five quests.

(Additional information regarding processing procedures)
The order in which the multiple quests should be cleared is determined, and the execution unit 113 may execute the multiple quests in the order in which they should be cleared until a quest to be skipped is reached, and when a quest to be skipped is reached, the execution unit 113 may skip the quest to be skipped. For example, assume that a set quest is made up of 10 quests, quests SQ1 to SQ10, and that the quests need to be cleared in the order of quests SQ1 to SQ10. Also assume that the quests to be skipped are quests SQ3 and SQ5. In this case, when the player clears quests SQ1 and SQ2, the execution unit 113 skips quest SQ3 and proceeds to quest SQ4, and when the player clears quest SQ4, the execution unit 113 skips quest SQ5 and proceeds to quest SQ6.

The quests to be skipped may be preset for all players. For example, assume that there is a set quest consisting of five quests, quests SQ1 to 5. It may be predetermined that if the set quest has been played 2 to 4 times, quest SQ2 will be skipped, and if the set quest has been played 5 or more times, quests SQ3 and SQ4 will be skipped. In addition, the quests to be skipped may be updated at a predetermined interval (weekly, monthly, etc.).

The clear history DB may record quests that have been cleared from among the quests included in a set quest. For example, assume that a set quest requires the player to clear 10 quests, quests SQ1 to SQ10, in order, and that the player has cleared up to quest SQ3. In this case, the clear history DB may record that quests SQ1 to SQ3 have been cleared.

If cleared quests are recorded in the clear history DB, the execution unit 113 may be configured to skip the cleared quests when the player resumes execution of a set quest.

The determination unit 112 may make the skip process for a player who has never cleared a set quest different from the skip process for a player who has previously cleared a set quest. For example, when a player who has never cleared a set quest resumes execution of a set quest, quests that have already been cleared may be skipped. For example, assume that a player executes a set quest for the first time, in which 10 quests, SQ1 to SQ10, must be cleared in order, and clears up to quest SQ5 before abandoning the set quest. In this case, if the player executes the set quest again, it may be resumed from quest SQ6. On the other hand, assume that a player who has previously cleared a set quest clears up to quest SQ5 before abandoning the set quest. In this case, if the player executes the set quest again, it may be resumed from quest SQ1.

<Summary>
According to the embodiment described above, when a player replays a set quest that he or she has previously cleared, some of the quests included in the set quest are skipped based on the number of times the set quest has been cleared in the past. This makes it possible to provide a technology that allows a player to repeatedly play multiple quests.

The above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The flow charts, sequences, elements included in the embodiments, and their arrangements, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, etc., described in the embodiments are not limited to those exemplified, and may be modified as appropriate. In addition, configurations shown in different embodiments may be partially substituted or combined.

<Additional Notes>
<Appendix 1>
a determination unit that determines a range of quests to be skipped from among a plurality of quests based on the number of times a player has cleared a game including the plurality of quests in the past;
an execution unit that executes the game by skipping quests within the range of the quests to be skipped determined by the determination unit;
An information processing device having the above configuration.

According to Appendix 1, it will be possible to play multiple quests repeatedly.

<Appendix 2>
the determination unit determines the number of quests to be skipped based on the number of times the player has cleared the game in the past, and sets the multiple ranges according to the determined number of quests to be skipped.
The information processing device according to claim 1 .

According to Appendix 2, it will be possible for the player to change the number of quests to be skipped depending on the number of times they have cleared the game. Also, by changing the number of quests to be skipped, it will be possible to change the range of quests to be skipped.

<Appendix 3>
the determination unit determines the number of quests to be skipped such that the number of quests to be skipped increases as the number of times the player has cleared the game in the past increases.
The information processing device according to claim 2 .

According to Appendix 3, it will be possible to increase the number of quests that can be skipped depending on the number of times the player has completed the game.

<Appendix 4>
the plurality of ranges are set such that the more times the player has cleared the game in the past, the wider the range of quests to be skipped;
The information processing device according to claim 1 .

According to Appendix 4, the more times a player completes the game, the wider the range of quests that can be skipped.

<Appendix 5>
The plurality of quests have a set order for completion;
the range of quests to be skipped is a range from a first quest to a second quest,
the second quest is set so that the more times the player has cleared the game in the past, the later the quest becomes;
The information processing device according to claim 4.

According to Appendix 5, the more times a player has cleared the game, the more later quests can be included in the range of quests that can be skipped.

<Appendix 6>
The plurality of quests have a set order for completion;
the execution unit executes the plurality of quests in the order until the quest to be skipped is reached, and when the quest to be skipped is reached, skips the quest to be skipped.
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

According to Note 6, it will be possible to clear quests in a set order until you reach the quest to be skipped. <Note 7>
The plurality of quests have a set order for completion;
a granting unit that grants to the player, when a predetermined quest among the plurality of quests is cleared, a reward that is to be granted when a skip target quest that exists between the predetermined quest and the player is cleared,
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

According to Appendix 7, when a player completes a certain quest, it becomes possible to give the player rewards for quests that have been skipped up to that point.

<Appendix 8>
a step of the computer determining a range of quests to be skipped from among a plurality of different ranges based on the number of times a player has cleared a game including a plurality of quests in the past;
a step of executing the game by the computer while skipping quests within the range of the quests to be skipped determined in the determining step;
An information processing method for performing the above.

According to Appendix 8, it will be possible to play multiple quests repeatedly.

<Appendix 9>
On the computer,
determining a range of quests to be skipped from among a plurality of different ranges based on the number of times a player has cleared a game including a plurality of quests in the past;
executing the game while skipping quests within the range of the quests to be skipped determined in the determining step;
A program for executing.

According to Appendix 9, it will be possible to play multiple quests repeatedly.

1...game system, 10...game server, 11...processor, 12...storage device, 13...communication IF, 14...input device, 15...output device, 20...terminal, 100...storage unit, 110...game control unit, 111...reception unit, 112...determination unit, 113...execution unit, 114...granting unit

Claims (3)

A processor is included.
the processor determines from a plurality of ranges of quests to be skipped among the plurality of quests based on the number of times a player has cleared a set quest including the plurality of quests in the past, and changes the quests to be skipped at a predetermined cycle;
An information processing device that executes processing. the processor determines from among a plurality of ranges of quests to be skipped based on the number of times a player has previously cleared a set quest including a plurality of quests, and changes the quests to be skipped at a predetermined cycle;
Information processing methods. causing the processor to determine from a plurality of ranges of quests to be skipped among the plurality of quests based on the number of times a player has cleared a set quest including the plurality of quests in the past, and to change the quests to be skipped at a predetermined cycle;
program.

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