JP7672174B2 - Game Control Method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a game control method for providing a competitive game to each client device via a network.

In recent years, online game services provided from a server device to a client device via a communication network have been popular, and many game titles have been released for multiple platforms. The types and categories of these games are diverse, and among them, so-called social games that allow multiple players to participate in the same game are particularly popular.

As an example of this type of social game, a game has been proposed in which a group (a so-called guild) is formed with members each of which is operated by a plurality of players, and the members battle monster characters, etc. (See, for example, Patent Document 1.) Depending on the game, such a group may be called a "guild," a "party," a "team," a "community," or the like.

Recently, games have been proposed that implement a function that allows groups of players to play against each other. This function is specifically called "GvG," an abbreviation of "Guild vs. Guild."
In GvG, each game has a certain time period, for example, 8pm to 9pm, which is one hour of the day (some games have a shorter time period, while others have a longer time period, which is 30 minutes, and some games have a longer time period, which is 2 hours).
A predetermined time period is set, and groups that are paired during that time period will battle each other (for example, a "guild battle"). Depending on the game, multiple time periods during which group battles are held are set.

Group matches in a specified time period (hereinafter simply referred to as "time period group matches") are held, for example, as follows. That is, in one mode, a player who has been given entry authority, such as a master who is the leader of a group, or a sub-master who is a sub-leader, selects a specified time period from multiple set time slots for matches and enters. This allows the group to participate in the group match. In another mode, all groups are randomly paired for a preset time period (for example, one match each during the day and night), and a match is played according to any combination.

There are also multiple battle formats, such as a format in which the winner is determined by the total number of times the characters of the opponent's group are defeated, a format in which the winner is determined by who can annihilate all of the participating characters of the opponent's group, or a format in which the score changes significantly when the boss character of the opponent's group is defeated, and the winner is determined by the number of points.

JP 2013-244126 A

By the way, in time-based group battles, group members' tendency to participate in battles is as follows:
There is a tendency for participation rates to rise in the latter half of the time period. One of the reasons for this is that attacks are intentionally concentrated near the end of the game. In other words, this is done as a strategy to not give the opponent time to turn the game around, and to make efficient attacks by increasing the attack power (so-called combo) by consecutive attacks by multiple members in a short period of time in the latter half. Another reason is that if you defeat a boss character in the latter half, you can earn a high score, so even if you actively participate in the battle and attack the enemy in the first half, it may be easy to turn the game around in the second half. In addition, the number of attacks in group battles is often set to a finite number based on the battle points given at the start of the battle, and if you actively participate from the first half, you will use up the battle points you were given in the second half and enter a so-called ball-out state, making you unable to attack.

However, game providers would like players to actively participate in the group match for the entire duration of the match and enjoy the game for the entire duration of the match.

Furthermore, groups include both experienced and advanced players of the game, and beginners who have just started playing the game and whose levels and attack power are not high. However, in time-based group battles, there are often no level segments, such as battles against tough enemies (raid bosses) that appear in quests, and players may end up fighting opponents with significantly different attack powers. In such cases, beginners who are not familiar with the game may not be able to fully understand the "tacitly agreed" rules held by mature groups, such as efficient attacks such as combos and the timing of attacks within a guild, and may fail. As a result, beginners may feel uneasy about participating in group battles.
For these reasons, it is desirable to provide a game that can be enjoyed by players of a wide range of levels, regardless of their level, in a time-zone group match.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the circumstances described above, and its objective is to provide a game control method that can realize a time-limited group match that can be enjoyed by a wide range of players regardless of level differences or attack power, and that is likely to increase the participation rate throughout the entire set time period.

In order to solve the above problems, a game control method for providing a competitive game according to one embodiment of the present invention is a game control method for controlling a competitive game between groups whose members are characters operated by each player via a client device, and includes the steps of setting competition conditions for each of a plurality of periods divided over time such that the competition conditions of the competitive game in adjacent periods are different, and progressing the competitive game based on the set competition conditions, wherein the competition conditions do not change within each of the plurality of periods.

According to this invention, a competitive game that is played in a specified time period is divided into multiple parts, such as a first half, middle part, and second half, and the competition conditions are changed in at least one of the divided time periods. By dividing the time period of a competitive game into multiple parts and setting competition conditions for each time period, it is possible to bring about changes to competitive games that have traditionally been played according to fixed rules during a set time period. In particular, by setting competition conditions that are advantageous for specific targets, and changing and setting the competition conditions for the first half of a time period, where the participation rate in time-based competitive games is low, it is expected that the participation rate of characters will increase throughout the entire time period. Also,
As a battle condition, for example, the attack power of characters with low game levels equivalent to beginners can be increased, and so-called beginners can be given preferential treatment in the first half of the battle, when the participation rate is low.
It is possible to create an environment in which beginners can enjoy playing against each other.

According to the present invention, a game control method can be provided that can realize group matches that can be enjoyed by a wide range of players regardless of level differences or attack power, and that can be expected to increase the participation rate throughout the entire set time period.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a network configuration of the game system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a server device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a client device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a game screen according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a battle part process according to the present embodiment; FIG. 13 is an image diagram showing time management for a group match according to the present embodiment. 13 is an image diagram showing an example of the match conditions and the change targets of a group match according to the present embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a battle part process according to the present embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention (hereinafter, referred to as the present embodiment) will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Network Configuration Example: FIG. 1] FIG. 1 shows the network configuration of a game system 100 according to this embodiment.
The game system 100 includes a server device 10 that provides a competitive game service to a plurality of client devices 30 via a network 20. The server device 10 is a network node having a function of providing a competitive game service, and is, for example, configured by a host computer with high computational processing power, but is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, configured by a general-purpose communication terminal device. On the other hand, the client device 30 is a network node having a function of receiving the provision of the competitive game service, and is, for example, configured by a general-purpose communication terminal device. In this specification, regardless of computational processing power, a network node that provides the competitive game service is referred to as a "server device," and a network node that receives the provision of the competitive game service is referred to as a "client device." The server device 10 returns a response in response to a request from the client device 30, thereby providing an online game service.

The host computer constituting the server device 10 does not necessarily have to be a single unit, but may be composed of a plurality of sub-computers distributed on the network 20. In addition, the general-purpose communication terminal device constituting the server device 10 or the client device 30 may be, for example,
This includes desktop computers, notebook computers, tablet computers, laptop computers, and mobile phones. Mobile phones include, for example, PDC (Personal Digital Cellular).
lular), PCS (Personal Communication System), GSM (Global System
mobile communications), PHS (Personal Handy phone System), PDA (
A handheld mobile terminal such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), for example, W-CDMA
(Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), CDMA-2000 (Code Division Multiple Access)
ltiple Access-2000), IMT-2000 (International Mobile Telecommunication-2
000), Wibro (Wireless Broadband Internet), and other standards enable data communication.
The network 20 may be, for example, a wired network (for example, a local area network (LAN)
), wide area network (WAN), or value-added network (VAN), etc.) and wireless network (mobile communication network, satellite communication network, Bluetooth, WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), HSDPA (Hi
A gateway server that converts the communication protocol between the server device 10 and the client device 30 may be interposed between the server device 10 and the client device 30.

[Configuration of Server Device: FIG. 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server device 10 according to this embodiment.
The server device 10 includes a processor 11, a communication interface 12, and a storage resource 13. The processor 11 is composed of an arithmetic and logic unit that processes arithmetic operations, logical operations, bit operations, etc., as well as various registers (program counter, data register, instruction register, general-purpose register, etc.) and timers, and interprets and executes a computer program 40 stored in the storage resource 13, and returns responses to requests from multiple client devices 30.

The computer program 40 is a program for performing game processing in response to requests from multiple client devices 30, and includes multiple software modules that are called and executed within the main program. Each of these software modules is a modularized subprogram for executing a specific process (game calculation process, image display process, communication process, etc.), and is created using, for example, procedures, subroutines, methods, functions, data structures, etc. A module is a unit that can be compiled by itself.

As one of the subprograms modularized in this way, the computer program 40 has a performance processing module 50 having the function of a battle part processing unit 60 (described later) that performs performance processing of a battle part between groups. In addition to the battle part processing unit 60, the performance processing module 50 has functions such as a quest part processing unit 51 that executes a quest, which is a search game, a gacha part processing unit 52 that processes gacha, a synthesis part processing unit 53 that executes card synthesis, and a battle part processing unit 54 that executes processing to fight against enemy characters such as raid bosses that appear in quests other than the battle part, depending on the specifications of the game. Details of the battle part processing unit 60 will be described later, and explanations of the other part execution units 51 to 54 will be omitted because they are not specific to the present invention.

The memory resource (memory unit) 13 stores parameters 70 for each character. The parameters 70 include, for example, variables related to the attack power of the character (specifically, the character's "
Examples of such variables include, but are not limited to, variables that track changes in "attack value,""type of technique" and specific "items" related to techniques written on cards (details described below) used to attack characters from the opposing group in a match between groups, and "attributes" of items and cards.

For example, the parameters 70 may include a variable related to a "defense value" or a variable indicating a "reward" acquired in a battle game. The reward is a value concept that produces an effect of giving a player an advantage over an opponent in a battle game as the reward is higher. The reward may be, for example, a currency used to purchase items in a game, an item that increases a character's attack power, an item that restores a character's physical strength or damage, or points that are added by inflicting damage on an enemy character. The reward may have a value that can be exchanged between characters. Furthermore, the parameters 70 may include, for example, a variable indicating a period of time that has elapsed since the player participated in the battle game.

The storage resource 13 is, for example, a logical device provided by a storage area of a physical device (for example, a computer-readable recording medium such as a disk drive or semiconductor memory).
A plurality of physical devices may be mapped to one logical device, or a single physical device may be mapped to a plurality of logical devices. The storage resource 13 stores data and logs indicating the access history, play status, game progress status, etc. of each client device 30. The communication interface 12 is a hardware module for connecting to the client device 30 via the network 20, and is, for example, an ISDN modem, an ADSL modem, a cable modem, etc.

[Configuration of Client Device: FIG. 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the client device 30 according to this embodiment.
The client device 30 includes a processor 31, an audio output device 32, a communication interface 33, a storage resource 34, an input device 35, and a display device 36.
1 is an arithmetic logic unit and various registers (program counter, data register,
The computer program 80 is made up of registers (instruction registers, general-purpose registers, etc.) and timers, and interprets and executes a computer program 80 stored in the storage resource 34, sends requests to the server device 10 according to operation information input to the input device 35, and receives responses from the server device 10. The computer program 80 is an application program for connecting to the server device 10 and receiving a fighting game service. This application program can be distributed from the server device 10 over the network 20.

The storage resource 34 is a logical device provided by the storage area of a physical device (e.g., a computer-readable recording medium such as a disk drive or semiconductor memory), and also stores operating system programs, driver programs, various data, etc. used in processing the client device 10.

The driver programs include, for example, an input device driver program for controlling the input device 35, and an output device driver program for controlling the audio output device 32 and the display device 36. The various data include, for example, image data of each object and background that appears on the game screen.

The sound output device 32 is, for example, a sound player capable of reproducing sound data such as game sound effects, etc. The communication interface 33 provides a connection interface with the server device 10, and is configured by a wireless communication interface or a wired communication interface.

The input device 35 provides an interface for accepting input operations from the player, and is, for example, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The display device 36 provides an image display interface for displaying a game screen or the like to the player, and is, for example, an organic EL display, a liquid crystal display, a CRT display, etc.

When the player operates the input device 35 to input authentication information (ID, password, etc.) and logs into the game service of the server device 10, a My Page screen associated with the player's authentication information is displayed on the display device 36.

On the My Page screen, a menu screen related to the group to which each player belongs is displayed. A "group" is a virtual collection of characters operated by each player via the client device 30, and such a group may be created and formed for each game title, or may be common to multiple game titles. In the field of social games, a group formed for such a purpose may be called a "guild,""party,""team,""community," or the like. A character refers to a virtual object that acts in a virtual space on behalf of a player according to the player's instructions.

In principle, a character operated by a player who has participated in a game service provided by the server device 10 belongs to a group, and the historical information of the character is associated with the authentication information of the player and stored in the storage resource 13 of the server device 10. Based on such historical information, an edit menu screen for the group is displayed on the display device 36.

On the other hand, a character operated by a player participating in a game service provided by the server device 10 for the first time does not, in principle, belong to a specific group, and therefore a menu screen belonging to any group (for example, a screen for searching for a group or forming a new group) is displayed on the display device 36. After the group to which the player belongs is determined or selected, when the player selects to participate in the game service, a screen for the game event being carried out at that time is displayed on the display device 36.

[Game Screen Example: FIG. 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a game screen 200 according to this embodiment.
The game screen 200 includes an event field 201 and a palette 202. The event field 201 is a virtual field in which a battle game between the groups 300 and 400 is played.
3 and characters 401, 402, and 403 belonging to the other group 400 are displayed.

Battles between groups are called "guild wars" or "guild battles," or "GvG" after the first letter of the guild name. Characters belonging to the same group communicate with each other and attack characters belonging to the opposing group.

The palette 202 is a virtual field for selecting a "technique" that each character can use when attacking an opponent character. The palette 202 contains a deck 600, which is a virtual stack of cards, and a number of cards 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 606, 607, 608, 609, 610, 611, 612, 613, 614, 615, 616, 617, 618, 619, 620, 621, 622, 623, 624, 625, 626, 627, 628, 629, 630, 631, 632, 633, 634, 635, 636, 637, 638, 639, 64
03 is displayed. Each card has a display (illustration or text) indicating the type of technique, and a specific item related to the technique. Each card also has an attack value (such as the technique or attack points), a defense value (such as physical strength or vitality), and an attribute (fire, water, wood, earth, etc.).

Each player turns over a number of cards 601, 602, 603 from a deck 600, attacks an opponent character according to a combination of techniques, attack values, specific items, defense values, etc. displayed on those cards 601, 602, 603, and the damage inflicted on the opponent character and the damage received by the player himself are calculated.

The gauge 501 displays the number of times that the characters 301, 302, and 303 belonging to the group 300 have consecutively attacked the opponent characters 401, 402, and 403. Similarly, the gauge 502 displays the number of times that the characters 401, 402, and 403 belonging to the group 400 have consecutively attacked the opponent characters 301, 302, and 303. The number of consecutive attacks is called the "combo number," and the gauges 501 and 502 that display the combo number
is called the "combo gauge."

[Configuration of the Battle Part Executing Unit: FIG. 5] The battle part processing unit 60, which constitutes one of the functional units of the performance processing module 50, includes, as shown in the functional block diagram of FIG. 5, a battle time management unit 61, a battle condition extraction unit 62, a change target setting unit 63, a battle condition change unit 64, and a battle result tallying unit 65.
5 and a battle performance processing unit 66.

The match time management unit 61 is a function that manages the time of a match between groups by referring to the timer and the memory resource 13. As shown in Fig. 6, the time managed by the match time management unit 61 includes the start time S and end time E, and in the case where the match time BT is divided into multiple parts (for example, the first half F, the middle part M, and the second half L), the time managed by the match time management unit 61 also manages the start time (MS) and end time (ME/LS) of the divided time. In other words, the match time management unit 61 has the function of determining the arrival of the start time and the end time, determining the end of the match time, and inputting these determination results to other functional units of the match part processing unit 60.

With regard to the time period for a match, multiple patterns are possible depending on the game specifications, such as a 30-minute, 1-hour, or 2-hour interval between the start and end times. In addition, with regard to the divided time period, various patterns are possible, such as a time period divided into a first half and a second half, or a time period divided into four or more parts, and can be appropriately selected depending on the game specifications. In addition, this information is stored in the storage resource 13.

The match condition extraction unit 62 is a function that refers to the storage resource 13 and determines whether or not to change the conditions (match conditions) of a match to be held in a specific time period. In other words, the match condition extraction unit 62 is a means for activating a match condition change function for a time period group match.

Here, the battle conditions broadly include conditions that are added in group battles. Details will be described later, but for example, the battle conditions may include the attack power, defense power, etc. of characters.
This includes changing the ability values of individual characters, such as changing parameters 70 (see FIG. 2) that exert abilities in a battle. In addition, the battle conditions also include providing rewards to players who operate characters, and imposing conditions on a battle, such as tallying up battle results in the first half of a divided time period and reflecting the results in the subsequent time period.

The change target setting unit 63 is a function that sets a change target based on the extracted battle condition by referring to the storage resource 13. For example, if the battle condition is to increase the level, attack value, or defense value of the lowest n characters belonging to a group, the change target setting unit 63 extracts n characters with low levels, low attack values, or low defense values as change targets from a data table that lists the characters belonging to the group, and sets these characters as change targets.

In addition, if the battle conditions are, for example, to increase the attack value of items such as characters or cards classified into a specified attribute such as fire, water, wind, wood, or earth by 30%, the character or item with the corresponding attribute is set as the target for change from a data table listing the attributes of characters belonging to a group or cards listed on a character's deck.

The battle condition change unit 64 is a function for changing the battle conditions to be changed that are picked up by the change target setting unit 63. Specifically, it changes the parameters 70 (see FIG. 2) of the character or item to be changed. Note that the parameters referred to here include values that are indicators of the strength of the character in a battle, such as attack value and defense value, and if the change in the battle condition is to increase the attack value from 10,000 points by 30%, for example, the attack value after the increase will be 13,000 points.

For example, if the battle condition in the change target setting unit 63 is to increase the level, attack value, or defense value of the bottom n characters belonging to the group by 30%, the battle condition change unit 64 performs processing to increase the attack value of the extracted character by 30%. Also, if the change target is a character or card classified as a fire attribute, for example, processing to increase the attack value of an item with that attribute by 30% is performed.

The battle result counting unit 65 is a function that counts and outputs the battle results in a divided time period when the battle conditions are such that the battle results counted in the first half of the divided time period are reflected in the later time period. That is, the battle result counting unit 65 is a function that counts, for example, the number of attacks by characters in the first half as the battle conditions for the first half. Then, based on the counted results of the first half, the battle condition changing unit 64 described above grants a predetermined reward as the battle condition for the second half. In addition to the number of attacks by characters as exemplified above, items that can be counted as battle results include attack values or total damage dealt. Also, the participation rate of group members can be counted.

The battle performance processing unit 66 has a function of executing a battle-related game performance process based on the changed battle conditions. This function is not specific to this embodiment, but executes game processing using a conventional method, for example, performing a battle performance using the screen example shown in FIG.

[Examples of Battle Conditions and Changed Items: FIG. 7] Next, examples of battle conditions and changed items will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 7. The examples shown here are the following two modes.
In one example, the battle conditions are changed randomly or according to a predetermined setting in each divided time period (see FIG. 7(a)).
This is an example in which the participation status and battle results in a preceding time period are tallied, and the tallied results are reflected in the battle conditions for a time period following the preceding time period (see FIG. 7(b)).

[Examples of changing battle conditions according to time] (1) Attack value increase for bottom n characters in a group: For example, the attack value of the bottom few characters in terms of abilities required for battle, such as level, attack value, and defense value, among the characters who are members of a group, or the bottom 30% of the group members, is increased by 30%. (2) Item attribute attack value increase: For example, the attack value of items such as characters or cards classified into attributes such as fire, water, wind, wood, and earth is increased by 10%. (3) Attack value increase according to player attributes: For example, the attack value is increased by 20% depending on whether the gender registered as the player is male or female. (4) Combo effect doubling: For example, in a time period with a low participation rate, such as the first half of a group battle time, the attack value is increased by 15% instead of the usual 10% increase due to successive attacks, and the combo effect is changed depending on the time period.

The above-mentioned battle conditions can be changed as desired depending on the time of day. An example of this is shown in FIG. 7(a). As shown in FIG. 7(a), for example, in the first half of the battle, "the attack values of the bottom five players in terms of battle ability are increased by 30%." In addition, in the middle of the battle, "the attack value of cards classified as water attribute is increased by 30%." Furthermore, in the second half of the battle, "if the player is female, the attack value is increased by 30%." Note that the above-mentioned percentage of increase in attack value is merely an example, and the definition can be changed depending on the game specifications. Also, as mentioned above, the objects to be changed are not limited to attack values, but include defense values and levels, etc., and the parameters 7 set for characters and items can be changed.
Broadly including 0.

In this way, by favoring so-called beginners in the first half of the game, when the participation rate of the match is not so high, it is possible to create an environment where beginners can enjoy the match. Also, by changing the parameters so that the attack value increases in the middle and latter half of the game, it is possible to stimulate the participation motivation of characters that match the parameters, and to increase the participation rate of the match.

[Example of changing match conditions according to participation status and match results] Another example of match conditions is, for example, tallying up the participation status in a group or the results of matches in an earlier time period of a divided match time period. It is also possible to set predetermined match conditions from the tallying up results for matches in a time period after the earlier time period. For example, as follows.

(1) Providing incentives based on mid-game tally: For example, the number of attacks by characters in the first half is tallied as a battle condition for the first half, and a predetermined reward is given based on the results of the first half as a battle condition for the second half. If the reward is a card that can be used in the second half, an event bonus can be given to the card, making it an advantageous reward such as doubling the attack power during the second half. (2) Changing battle conditions based on mid-game tally: For example, the participation rate or number of participants of a group in the first half is extracted. For groups whose participation rate in the first half is equal to or higher than a predetermined rate or whose number of participants is large, the attack power in the second half is increased by a uniform 10%.

As shown in Fig. 7B, the results of the matches in the preceding time period (first half F) are tallied and reflected in the following time period (second half L). This requires participation in the first half F and active matches in the first half in order to gain an advantage in the second half L, where the outcome is decided. This is expected to improve the participation rate across all time periods, from the first half to the second half.

[Flow of the performance processing: Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the performance processing in the battle part processing unit 60 according to this embodiment. Note that the performance processing module 50 is a subprogram written using a command set for causing the server device 10 to execute the functions of the battle part processing unit 60 as the processing of steps 101 to 110.

In the battle part processing unit 60, the battle time management unit 61 refers to the timer and the storage resource 13 and determines whether the timing for executing the battle between the groups, i.e., whether the start time of the battle has arrived (step S101). That is, the battle time management unit 61 determines whether the start time S shown in FIG. 6 has arrived.

If the match time management unit 61 determines that the match start time has not arrived (step S101: NO), it repeats the process of step S101. On the other hand, if the match time management unit 61 determines that the match start time has arrived (step S101: YES), the match condition extraction unit 62 refers to the storage resource 13 and checks whether a flag indicating that the match conditions are to be changed is set for the match (step S102).

If the battle condition extraction unit 62 determines that a flag for changing the battle conditions is set for the battle (step S102: YES), it reads the battle conditions to be changed from the storage resource 13 (step S103). On the other hand, if the battle condition extraction unit 62 determines that a flag for changing the battle conditions is not set (step S102: NO), it determines that there will be no change in the battle conditions for the battle time, and proceeds to step S109.

Based on the battle conditions read in step S103, the change target setting unit 63 refers to the storage resource 13 and determines whether or not there is a character or an item such as a card owned by the character that is to be changed and belongs to the battle group (step S104). When the battle condition extraction unit 62 determines that there is a change target (step S104: YES), the change target setting unit 63 extracts the change target and sets it as the change target (step S
105).

The battle condition change unit 64 changes the battle conditions for the character or item set as the object of change (step S106), and proceeds to step S109.

On the other hand, if the change target setting unit 63 determines that there is no character or item to be changed (step S104: NO), the process proceeds to step S107.

In step S107, if there is no target to be changed as a battle condition, that is, if the battle condition is not a target character belonging to a battle group or an item such as a card possessed by the character, but is a "tally of battle results", it is determined whether or not the target condition is
If it is determined that the result of the battle is to be tallied (step S107: YES), the battle result tallying unit 65 tallies the number of attacks of the characters, the attack value or the total damage dealt, the participation rate of the group members, and the like in the battle (step S108).
If it is determined that the result of the match is not to be tallied (step S107: NO), the process proceeds to step S109.

In step S109, the match performance processing unit 66 executes match performance processing based on the changed match conditions.

Next, in step S110, the battle time management unit 61 determines whether or not there is a next divided change time period. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, it determines whether or not there is a start time (MS) of a time period divided into multiple parts of the battle time BT.

In step S110, when the battle time management unit 61 determines that there is a next divided time period (e.g., MS in FIG. 6) (step S110: YES), it determines whether or not the divided time period has arrived (step S111). When the battle time management unit 61 determines that the divided time period has not arrived (step S111: NO), it repeats the process of step S111. On the other hand, when the battle time management unit 61 determines that the divided time period has arrived (
If the result of step S111 is YES, the process returns to step S102, and the processes from step S102 to step S109 are repeated. This causes the process of changing the target conditions for the next divided time slot (for example, time "ME/LS" in FIG. 6) to be executed.

On the other hand, if the battle time management unit 61 determines that there is no next divided time slot (step S
110: NO), and then it is determined whether the end time has arrived (step S112).
That is, when the match time management unit 61 determines that the match end time (time "E" in FIG. 6) has not arrived (step S112: NO), it repeats the process of step S112. On the other hand, when the match time management unit 61 determines that the match end time has arrived (step S112: YES), it performs the match end process (step S113) and ends this process (END).

[Effects] According to the present embodiment described above, a battle game that is played over a predetermined time period is divided into a plurality of periods, such as the first half, the middle, and the second half, and the battle conditions are changed in at least one of the divided time periods. In this way, by dividing the time period of the battle game into a plurality of periods and setting battle conditions for each period, it is possible to bring about changes to a battle game that has been played according to a fixed rule during a predetermined time period during which the battle game is played. In particular, in the first half of the battle, battle conditions that are advantageous for a specific target, such as increasing the attack power of a character with a low game level, are set. In addition, the battle conditions are changed and set in the first half of the time period when the participation rate in the time-based battle game is low. By setting battle conditions for each time period in this way, it is expected that the participation rate of characters will increase throughout the entire time period.

In particular, by setting the target of change as the battle condition to the ability values that the group members can demonstrate in the battle, such as offensive power or defensive power, the parameters can be changed in a responsive manner to advance the battle to an advantage, thereby stimulating enthusiasm for participating in the battle.

As described above, by increasing the attack power of characters with low game levels equivalent to beginners as a battle condition and favoring so-called beginners in the first half of the game when the participation rate in the battle is not so high, it is possible to create an environment in which beginners can enjoy the battle. Also, by changing the attack value to increase in the middle and second half, it is possible to stimulate the participation motivation of characters that match the parameters, and it is possible to increase the participation rate in the battle and eliminate the sense of unfairness. Therefore, it is possible to provide a game that can be enjoyed by players of a wide range of levels, regardless of their level.

Furthermore, the battle conditions are set so that the results of battles in the preceding time period (e.g., the first half) are tallied, and the results are reflected in the time period following the preceding time period (e.g., the second half). As a result, in order to gain an advantage in the second half, where the outcome is decided, it is necessary to participate in the first half and to play an active game, such as actively attacking the enemy while consuming battle points in the first half. Therefore, it is expected that the participation rate will increase over a long time period from the first half to the second half.

[Other embodiments] The processing in this embodiment described above is realized by cooperation between the performance processing module 50 and the processor 11, but similar performance processing may be performed by dedicated hardware resources (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) or firmware.

The computer program 40 may be written in, for example, an object-oriented language. In an object-oriented language, each of the characters 301 to 303 is treated as an object, parameters 70 are defined as the "attribute values" of each of the characters 301 to 303, and the behavior of the characters 301 to 303 (e.g., attacks, etc.) is defined as the "attribute values" of each of the characters 301 to 303.
By defining the character 301 as a "method", it is possible to process a fighting game.
Not only the gauges 501, 502 and cards 601, 602, 603, etc. displayed on the game screen 200 are also treated as objects, and their "attribute values" and "
By defining "methods", it is possible to control image display.

However, the computer program 40 is not limited to being written in an object-oriented language, and may be written in, for example, a procedure-oriented language. The computer program 40 can be encoded into a predetermined signal format and then transmitted between nodes via a transmission medium (wired communication network) or a transmission wave (radio wave).

The above-described embodiment is an example for explaining the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention to the embodiment. Furthermore, the present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the invention. For example, a person skilled in the art can replace the resources (hardware resources or software resources) described in the embodiment with equivalents, and such replacements are also included in the scope of the present invention.

The inventions described in the claims of the original application of this application are set forth below.
[1] A game control method for controlling a competitive game between groups whose members are characters operated by each player via a client device, comprising:
Dividing a battle time period of the battle game into a plurality of divided battle time periods;
setting a battle condition for at least one of the divided battle time periods to be different from battle conditions for the other divided battle time periods;
and progressing the competitive game based on the set competitive conditions.
[2] The game control method according to [1] above, wherein the step of setting the battle conditions includes setting different battle conditions for each of the divided battle time periods.
[3] The game control method according to [1] or [2] above, wherein the battle conditions include changing the ability values of the members of the group.
[4] The game control method described in [1] or [2] above, wherein the battle conditions include increasing the ability values of members of the group who have low ability values that can be demonstrated in the battle by a predetermined ratio.
[5] The game control method according to [1] above, wherein the step of setting the battle conditions includes changing and setting the battle conditions for a time period subsequent to the time period based on a battle result in an earlier time period among the divided battle time periods.
[6] The game control method described in [5] above, wherein the match conditions include setting items that the members of the group can use in the match based on the match results in the preceding time period.
[7] A server device for controlling a competitive game between groups whose members are characters operated by each player via a client device, comprising:
A means for dividing a time period during which the competitive game is played into a plurality of divided time periods;
A means for setting a battle condition for at least one of the divided battle time periods so as to be different from a battle condition for the other divided battle time periods;
and a means for progressing the competitive game based on set competitive conditions.
[8] A program for causing a server device to control a competitive game between groups, each of which is made up of a character operated by each player via a client device, comprising:
This program is provided to the server device.
A function of dividing a battle time period of the battle game into a plurality of divided battle time periods;
A function of setting a battle condition for at least one of the divided battle time periods so as to be different from a battle condition for the other divided battle time periods;
A program that realizes a function of progressing the competitive game based on set competitive conditions.

10... Server device 11... Processor 12... Communication interface 13... Storage resource 20... Network 30... Client device 31... Processor 32... Audio output device 33... Communication interface 34... Storage resource 35... Input device 36... Display device 40... Computer program 50... Performance processing module 60... Battle processing part section 70... Parameters 80... Computer program 100... Game system

Claims (11)

A game control method for controlling a competitive game between groups whose members are characters operated by each player via a client device, comprising:
storing information about a plurality of divided battle time periods constituting a battle time of the battle game;
setting a match condition for at least one divided match time period among a plurality of divided match time periods constituting a match time of the match game such that the match condition is different from the match conditions for the other divided match time periods;
progressing the competitive game based on the set competitive conditions;
Including,
The opponent group does not change during the match time of the match game,
The battle conditions do not change during each of the divided battle time periods.
Game control methods. 2. The game control method according to claim 1, wherein the step of setting the match conditions includes setting the match conditions for at least one of the divided match time periods so that the match is advantageous for a predetermined member of the group. 3. The game control method according to claim 2, wherein the specified member is one of those having lower abilities required for a match, those classified into a specified attribute, and those in which the player operating the character of the member is classified into a specified attribute. 4. The game control method according to claim 1, wherein the step of setting the battle conditions includes changing and setting the battle conditions for each of the divided battle time periods. 5. The game control method according to claim 1, wherein the battle conditions include changing ability values of members of the group. 6. A game control method according to claim 1 , wherein the match conditions include increasing the ability values of members of the group who have low ability values that can be demonstrated in the match by a predetermined ratio. 7. A game control method according to claim 1, wherein the step of setting the battle conditions includes changing and setting the battle conditions for a time period subsequent to the time period based on a battle result in an earlier time period among the divided battle time periods. 8. The game control method according to claim 7 , wherein the match conditions include setting items that can be used in the match for the members of the group based on the match results in the preceding time period. The game control method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of storing information regarding which group the character belongs to. A server device for controlling a competitive game between groups of players each having a character operated by a client device, comprising:
A means for storing information regarding a plurality of divided battle time periods constituting a battle time of the battle game;
a means for setting a match condition for at least one divided match time period among a plurality of divided match time periods constituting a match time of the match game such that the match condition for the divided match time period is different from the match condition for the other divided match time periods;
a means for progressing the competitive game based on set competitive conditions;
Equipped with
The opponent group does not change during the match time of the match game,
The battle conditions do not change during each of the divided battle time periods.
Server device. A program for causing a server device to control a competitive game between groups, each of which is made up of a character operated by each player via a client device, comprising:
This program is provided to the server device.
A function of storing information regarding a plurality of divided battle time periods constituting the battle time of the battle game;
A function of setting the match conditions such that the match conditions of at least one divided match time period among a plurality of divided match time periods constituting the match time of the match game are different from the match conditions of the other divided match time periods;
a function of progressing the competitive game based on set competitive conditions;
Realize this,
The opponent group does not change during the match time of the match game,
The battle conditions do not change during each of the divided battle time periods.
program.