JP7744302B2 - Program and information processing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a program and a recording medium.

In recent years, gaming systems have become known in which players download games for mobile devices such as smartphones and enjoy the games while collaborating with other users. Some of these games allow players to use game items to gain an advantage in the game.

For example, there is a game in which the parameters of a player character are restored in exchange for consuming items (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2014-161487 A

On the other hand, when one event is made up of a plurality of game units called stages, there are games in which the branching stage to proceed to is determined according to a predetermined condition (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-179937).

However, in the case of the above-mentioned games, in which a plurality of player characters are playing together, there are cases where the characters are scattered across different stages, making it impossible to enjoy the collaborative play.

In addition to movement between stages, there is also a demand for enjoying cooperative play when multiple player characters are playing dispersedly in one game space.

Therefore, we provide a program that allows multiple player characters to play together even when they are dispersed between stages or when moving within the game space .

A program in one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as: game control means for forming groups including player characters operated by a player and non-player characters not operated by a player, and controlling the game so that game play can be performed on a group basis within a game space; and movement control means for moving a non-player character that satisfies a predetermined condition regarding movement based on the position of the player character when the player character and the non-player character are located apart from each other within the game space.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a game processing system according to an embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a game device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a server according to an embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a game device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a server according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functions of an application unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of functions of a movement control unit in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of user information according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of group information according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen (part 1) on the side requesting participation. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen (part 2) of a party requesting participation. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen (part 1) of a party receiving a participation request. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen (part 2) of a party receiving a participation request. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen (part 1) for selecting a quest after receiving a participation request. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen (part 2) for selecting a quest after receiving a participation request. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining movement control of a player character. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an effect application process of a server according to an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a migration control process of a server in an embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples, and are not intended to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly described below. In other words, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of its spirit. Furthermore, in the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by identical or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, ratios, etc. Parts in the drawings may have different dimensional relationships or ratios.

[Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a program and an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<Game Processing System Overview>
1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a game processing system 1 according to an embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the game processing system 1 includes, for example, game devices 10A, 10B, 10C of each user.
C, a server (information processing device) 20 provided by, for example, a game management company, and a billing server 30 are connected via a network N.

When describing the game devices individually, the reference numerals 10A, 10B, and 10C are used, and when describing them collectively without needing to distinguish between them, the reference numeral 10 is used. The game device 10 may be, for example, a mobile terminal, a tablet terminal, or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).
nt), personal computers, game consoles, etc.

The game device 10 connects online to a server 20 via a network N and executes game play in the form of a web game.

The server 20 controls, for example, a game that multiple players can play for free via the network N, a so-called F2P (Free to Play) online game, etc.
0 accepts operation instructions input from the game device 10, controls the progress of the game, and manages and distributes data necessary to execute the game.

The billing server 30 is a server that performs billing processing within the game in response to a billing request from the game device 10 or the server 20 .

The network N is the Internet or the like, and includes wireless LAN access points and mobile phone base stations.

<Hardware configuration>
Next, a description will be given of the hardware configuration of the game device 10. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the hardware configuration of the game device 10 shown in Fig. 1.

The game device 10 shown in FIG. 2 includes a mobile communication antenna 112, a mobile communication unit 114, a wireless LAN communication antenna 116, a wireless LAN communication unit 118, a storage unit 120, and a main control unit 15.
0, and further includes an external interface 140 including a camera 130 and an audio output terminal 142.

The touch panel 102 has the functions of both a display device and an input device, and is composed of a display (display screen) 102A that performs the display function and a touch sensor 102B that performs the input function. The display 102A is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescent) display.
The touch sensor 10 is configured by a general display device such as a display.
The touch sensor 102B includes an element for detecting a touch operation disposed on the upper surface of the display 102A and a transparent operation surface laminated on the element. The touch sensor 102B can employ any known touch detection method, such as a capacitance type, a resistive film type (pressure-sensitive type), or an electromagnetic induction type.

The touch panel 102 displays game images generated by the main control unit 150 executing the program 122 stored in the storage unit 120. The touch panel 102 as an input device is configured to receive a contact object (including a player's finger or a touch pen) that comes into contact with the operation surface.
By detecting the movement of a touch panel 102 (a "finger" will be described as a representative example), an operation input is accepted and information on the contact position is provided to the main control unit 150. The movement of the finger is detected as coordinate information indicating the position or area of the contact point, and the coordinate information is expressed as coordinate values on two axes, for example, in the short side direction and the long side direction of the touch panel 102.

The game device 10 is connected to a network (Internet) N via a mobile communication antenna 112 and a wireless LAN communication antenna 116 , and is capable of performing data communication with the server 20 .

The server 20 functions as a hub server for the game system, collecting play data of games and the like executed on the game devices 10 via the network N and controlling the progress of the games based on the play data.

In addition, in the embodiment, an online game system is constructed that can provide various games online to the game device 10 when the game device 10 is connected to the network N and the server 20. In this online game system,
By managing and providing play data corresponding to multiple types of game programs, it is possible to provide players with the same enjoyment as if they were playing a variety of games at an arcade.

The program 122 according to the embodiment may be installed in the game device 10, or may be provided with game functions online from a server (not limited to the server 20).

Next, the hardware configuration of the server 20 will be described. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server 20 in the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the server 20
The device has a control unit 202 , a communication interface 206 , a storage unit 208 , a display unit 214 , and an input unit 216 , and each unit is connected via a bus line 218 .

The control unit 202 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read On Memory),
The control unit 202 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) 204. The control unit 202 is configured to execute a control program 210 stored in the storage unit 208, thereby realizing, for example, processing related to online games in addition to the functions of a general information processing device.

The RAM 204 also temporarily stores various types of information and is used as a work area when the CPU executes various processes.

The communication interface 206 communicates with the billing server 30 and the game device 1 via the network N.
Controls communication with 0.

The storage unit 208 is formed of, for example, an HDD, and stores applications and data (not shown) for realizing functions as a general information processing device, as well as a control program 210. The storage unit 208 also has an information storage unit 212.

The control program 210 is a program for performing processing related to the game, receiving operation instructions from the game device 10 and controlling the progress of the game while playing based on these operation instructions. The control program 210 may be stored in a computer-readable recording medium, read from this recording medium, and stored in the storage unit 208.

The information storage unit 212 stores, for example, data necessary for use in the game, data related to the user, and the like.

The display unit 214 displays information to the administrator. The input unit 216 accepts inputs and instructions from the administrator. The server 20 does not necessarily need to be provided with the display unit 214 and the input unit 216, and the display unit 214 and the input unit 216 may be connected to the server 20 from outside.

<Game Overview>
Here, an overview of the game that is the subject of the embodiment will be described. In the game (controlled by the game device 10 or the server 20) in the embodiment, a predetermined group including multiple users can be formed, and in-game events can be executed on a group-by-group basis. In these in-game events, players can consume game items and the like that they own, regardless of whether they are the organizers or participants of the event. These game items can increase or decrease the parameters of the player's own player character, or their effects can affect other player characters. An example of an effect that affects other player characters (hereinafter also referred to as an overall effect) is an effect related to rewards granted to the player character in the event, which increases the probability of obtaining a reward or the rarity of the reward's contents while the effect is applied. Other examples of overall effects include an increase in experience points, or, in the case of a battle event, an increase in attack power or defense power. Other examples of game parameters that can be consumed include an item in which the parameters set in the item are consumed all at once to exert an effect, or an item in which the parameters set in the item are consumed over time and the effect continues until all of the parameters are consumed. Furthermore, game items used in this game may be game items for which parameters are not consumed, such as items that exert effects by possessing or equipping the game item.

In addition, in the game of the embodiment, the effect of the overall effect is extended to the player characters of players who join later in a group to which the overall effect is applied. This increases players' motivation to join a group to which the overall effect is applied, and allows players who join later to benefit from the effect. As a result, it becomes easier for new players to join a group to which the overall effect is applied.

In addition, in the game of the embodiment, for example, in the progression of a game in which a plurality of stages are cleared in order, if a predetermined condition regarding movement between stages is satisfied, the player character playing in the event may be moved to the position of the player character playing a stage preceding the player's own character. This allows a player who is progressing slower to catch up with a player who is progressing faster and enjoy the same stage together with other players. Next, the functional configurations of the game device 10 and the server 20 for executing the above-described game will be described.

<Functional configuration>
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the game device 10 according to the embodiment.
The game device 10 shown in FIG. 4 includes, for example, a first transmitting unit 302, a first receiving unit 304, a game executing unit 310, and a first storage unit 330.

The first transmission unit 302 can be realized by, for example, the main control unit 150, the mobile communication unit 114, the wireless LAN communication unit 118, the program 122, etc. The first transmission unit 302 transmits commands based on the operation content input by the user to the server 20. These commands include a request command to consume a game item and a participation command to join a group or a predetermined event (for example, a dungeon, etc.).

The first receiving unit 304 can be realized by, for example, the main control unit 150, the mobile communication unit 114, the wireless LAN communication unit 118, the game program 122, etc.
The information relating to the progress of the game is received from the game server 0. The information relating to the progress of the game includes screen information showing an execution screen of an in-game event, invitation message information for the event, and the like.

The game execution unit 310 may be realized by, for example, the main control unit 150, the program 122, etc. The game execution unit 310 executes the game (e.g., multiple in-game events). The game execution unit 310 includes an operation acceptance unit 312, a command issuing unit 314, a screen generation unit 316, and a display control unit 318.

The operation acceptance unit 312 accepts user operations input from the touch panel 102 during game execution. For example, the operation acceptance unit 312 accepts an operation for executing a lottery process during an in-game event, or an operation for participating in an in-game event. The accepted operation content is output to the command issuing unit 314.

The command issuing unit 314 issues a command according to the operation content accepted by the operation accepting unit 312, and transmits the issued command to the server 20 via the first transmitting unit 302. For example, the command issuing unit 314 issues a command (also called a request command) indicating an operation to consume a game item. At this time, user information or identification information for identifying the game device 10 is transmitted together with the request command. This allows the server 20 to know which user or which game device 10 has requested the game item. The command issuing unit 314 also issues a command (
Join command) etc.

The screen generation unit 316 acquires information relating to the progress of the game received by the first receiving unit 304, and based on this information, generates a screen to be displayed on the touch panel 102. The screen generation unit 316 outputs the generated screen to the display control unit 318.

The display control unit 318 displays the acquired screen on the touch panel 14. This allows the game device 10 to display an in-game event execution screen and progress the game based on the various information transmitted from the server 20. The above-mentioned screen is used to include still images and moving images displayed on the touch panel 102.

This allows the game device 10 to request the execution of an in-game event, request participation in the in-game event, and request the use of a game item in the in-game event.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the server 20 according to the embodiment.
The server 20 shown in FIG. 1 includes a second transmitting unit 402, a second receiving unit 404, a game control unit 410, and a second storage unit 430. By executing the control program 210, the server 20
The functions of the game control unit 410 and the like can be realized.

The second transmission unit 402 can be realized by, for example, the communication interface 206, the control unit 202, etc. The second transmission unit 402 transmits information relating to the progress of the game to the game device 10 in response to an instruction from the game control unit 410.

The second receiving unit 404 can be realized by, for example, the communication interface 206, the control unit 202, etc. The second receiving unit 404 receives, from each game device 10, a command indicating the operation content, etc.

The game control unit 410 can be realized by, for example, the control unit 202, the storage unit 208, etc. The game control unit 410 controls the execution of the game based on the received command. For example,
The game control unit 410 controls in-game events executed by a group including multiple users.

The second storage unit 430 can be realized by, for example, the storage unit 208. The second storage unit 430 stores information related to the game. For example, the information related to the game includes information about users who play the game, information about groups including multiple users, screen information for configuring the game execution screen, and other information necessary for the game.

Next, the game control unit 410 will be described in detail.
12, an event control unit 414, an initiation unit 416, an application unit 418, and a selection control unit 420.
, an output unit 422 , a search control unit 424 , and a movement control unit 426 .

The generation unit 412 generates a group including multiple users. The generation unit 412 may generate a group including a user who has output a request command and multiple users who are friends with the user, a group including users who have entered a specific in-game room, or a group including users who are physically close to each other. The method of generating a group is not particularly limited. A friend relationship refers to a relationship in which users have previously approved each other and are associated with each other.

The event control unit 414 controls the execution of a predetermined in-game event for a group including player characters operated by one or more players. For example, the event control unit 414 controls the execution of a predetermined game unit such as a quest, dungeon, or stage that can be executed by each player character in a room, which is an example of a group. A predetermined event may be a unit consisting of multiple stages that are cleared in order by the player.

The activation unit 416 activates an effect related to a predetermined event based on the operation of a predetermined player in the group. For example, when the activation unit 416 receives a command requesting the use of a game item from the game device 10, the activation unit 416 identifies the game item based on the game item ID etc. included in the command, and starts applying the effect of the identified game item.
Activation refers to identifying a game item and starting to apply the effect of the identified game item. The timing of activation may be immediately after identifying the game item, or may be a predetermined time after identifying the game item using a timer or the like.

The effect of a game item may affect only the player character that requested it (a single effect), or may affect each player character in a group (a global effect).
As described above, effects that affect each player character in a group include an increase in experience points, an increase in rewards, etc. A time limit may be set for a single effect or a global effect. When a time limit is set for an effect, the same effect may be exerted for a certain period of time, or the effect may become weaker as the time limit approaches.

In the case of a global effect, the application unit 418, at the first time when the effect is activated by the activation unit 416,
The application unit 418 applies an effect to each player character included in the group, or, if an effect has been applied at or after the first point in time, applies the effect to a player character that newly joins the group. In addition, in the case of a single effect, the application unit 418 applies the effect to the player character of the player who requested the use of the game item at the time the effect is activated by the activation unit 416. The function of the application unit 418 related to the overall effect will be described using FIG. 6.

6 is a block diagram showing an example of the functions of the application unit 418 in the embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the application unit 418 includes a first application unit 4182 and a second application unit 4184.

When a game item that activates a global effect is activated, the first application unit 4182 applies the global effect to at least one or more player characters that are included in the same group as the player who used the game item at the first time point when the game item is activated.

If an effect is applied after the first point in time, when a player character operated by a new player joins the group, the second application unit 4184 applies the activated overall effect to the player character, for example, on the condition that the player character joins the group. In other words, if the overall effect is applied, the second application unit 4184 automatically applies the activated overall effect to the player character that newly joins the group, regardless of a user operation.

The second application unit 4184 may change the degree of the overall effect from the degree of the effect applied by the first application unit 4182. For example, the second application unit 4184 may change the degree of the effect to be applied in accordance with the elapsed time from the first time point. More specifically, the second application unit 4184
The second application unit 4184 may change the degree of the overall effect depending on the order in which new members join the group.

The functions of the above-mentioned components allow the effects of items to be applied not only to player characters that were initially included in a group, but also to player characters that join the group later, regardless of the player's operation instructions. In other words, if an effect that affects other characters is applied in an event, it is possible to prevent differences in the effects between player characters at the timing of their participation in the event.

5 , when any player operating a player character in a group invites another player to a predetermined event currently being executed, the selection control unit 420 controls the selection to accept the selection of players who are not participating in the predetermined event. For example, before the execution of the predetermined event starts, the selection control unit 420 accepts the selection of friends who are not participating in the predetermined event based on a user operation using a pop-up screen or the like. Methods for selecting players who are not participating include the player selecting players one by one from a list displayed on the screen, or the player selecting multiple friend players all at once.

The output unit 422 outputs a message including effect information to the device operated by the selected non-participating player, encouraging the player to participate in the predetermined event. For example, the output unit 422 outputs a message including the name of the currently activated game item, information about the effect of the currently activated game item, or a comment entered in advance by the inviter encouraging the player to participate in the predetermined event.

This allows a player who has been prompted to participate to check the effects of the items, and then join the group later, and enjoy the predetermined event while receiving the effects of the items.

The event control unit 414 may also control a predetermined event executed for one or more groups. For example, in addition to controlling the execution of an event on a room-by-room basis, the event control unit 414 may also control the execution of the same event in which player characters in multiple rooms can play, or the same event in which rooms compete against each other.

In this case, the first application unit 4182 may apply the overall effect to player characters in multiple groups participating in the same event at the first time point when the overall effect is activated. That is, the first application unit 4182 may apply the overall effect to each player character included in the group including the player who requested the activation of the effect and another group that is currently performing the predetermined event. This makes it possible to apply the overall effect on a predetermined event basis in which multiple groups participate. In this case, the effect may be canceled when the group that activated the item effect clears the event.

Furthermore, when the overall effect has been applied from the first point in time onwards, the second application unit 4184 may apply the overall effect to the player character of a player who newly participates in a predetermined event in which multiple groups participate. This allows the effect applied to each predetermined event in which multiple groups participate to be applied to player characters who join the predetermined event later.

When a player searches for an event that he or she wants to execute, the search control unit 424 controls the search so that events to which a global effect is applied are preferentially searched for. For example, the search control unit 424
The events may be displayed on the search screen in descending order of the remaining time for which the overall effect is applied and the degree of the effect. This allows the player to preferentially select and participate in attractive events that include groups to which the overall effect is applied. Furthermore, when multiple groups are participating in the same event, displaying the groups in the event and the effects applied to each group makes it easier to select which group to participate in within a specific event.

Next, the movement control unit 426 will be explained, but before explaining its function, a description will be given of prior art related to the movement control of the player character.

When one event is made up of multiple game units called stages, there are games in which the branching stage to proceed to is determined based on the time it takes for the branching condition of the branching event to be met (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-179937).

However, in the case of the above-mentioned games, in which multiple players play together, if the branching of each player's stage is determined based on the game results, etc., there is a possibility that the players will be dispersed across each stage, making it impossible to enjoy the collaborative play.

Furthermore, when a game is played in which players clear stages in a dungeon having multiple stages in turn, if a leading player causes another player's character to participate in the dungeon, it is conceivable that the leading player's instruction will cause the subsequent player's character to appear on the stage where the leading player is located.

However, in the above-mentioned games, subsequent players may, regardless of their own intentions, immediately after joining and end up playing a stage where the preceding player is already playing, which may prevent them from experiencing the stages in the middle, or if they fall behind in the middle of playing, they may not be able to easily correct this, and as a result, they may not be able to fully enjoy the game.

Therefore, the movement control unit 426 in this embodiment makes it possible to move a subsequent player character to the vicinity of the position of one of the preceding player characters at the timing when the player character can move between stages. This allows the subsequent player to enjoy the current stage until the timing of the stage change, and to catch up with the preceding player at the timing of the stage change, allowing the subsequent player to fully enjoy a game with multiple stages.
The function of 26 will be explained with reference to FIG.

7 is a block diagram showing an example of the functions of the movement control unit 426 in the embodiment. The movement control unit 426 shown in FIG. 7 includes a first determination unit 4262, a second determination unit 4264, and a movement unit 4266.
266.

The first determination unit 4262 determines whether each player character operated by one or more players:
For example, the first determination unit 4262 determines whether the data is distributed among different stages.
If the player characters are dispersed across at least two or more stages, it is determined that the player characters are dispersed.

When the player characters are distributed across different stages, the second determination unit 4264 determines whether a predetermined condition related to movement is satisfied for the player character of the player currently playing in one stage. For example, the predetermined condition related to movement may be that a predetermined character has cleared one stage, or that the player has used an item that enables movement.

When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the moving unit 4266 moves a predetermined player character based on the position of an arbitrary player character that exists in a stage preceding the predetermined player character. For example, when it is determined that the predetermined player character is capable of moving between stages, the moving unit 4266 moves the predetermined player character to the vicinity of one of the preceding player characters.

With the movement control functions described above, players can easily move to stages where other players are playing with the same ease as normal stage movement, allowing them to enjoy cooperative play, and because they do not necessarily move to the stage where the leading player is playing, they can enjoy playing on more stages than before.

When there are multiple leading player characters, the movement unit 4266 may automatically select one player character, or may have the player select one. Furthermore, when a player is automatically selected, the selection may be random or may be based on a predetermined criterion.

As a predetermined criterion, for example, if the player character that is closest to the position of a predetermined player character is selected, the player operating this predetermined player character will be able to play the stages in a more orderly manner.

In addition, movement by the movement unit 4266 may be movement from a stage to a post-clear game space called a lobby, in addition to movement between stages.

In addition, the movement unit 4266 receives position information of the preceding player character in the game space,
Stage information is acquired, and the subsequent player characters are moved based on this information.
The position after movement may be a position such as the start of the stage, or may be near the position of the preceding player character.

The movement mode may be a mode of movement such as teleportation, or a mode of movement in which the player character shortens the movement time by dashing, or a combination of both.

As described above, the server 20 has various functions, which enable it to control the application of overall effects used within a specific event and to control the movement of the player character, thereby making the game more interesting.

<Data structure>
Next, the data structure of some information related to the embodiment will be described. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of user information in the embodiment. In the user information shown in Fig. 8, each row corresponds to one user (player). Each piece of user information includes a user ID, a user name, game items owned by the user, friends registered by the user, the current position of the player character being controlled by the user, etc.

The user ID is an identifier assigned to each user by the server 20 in order to identify each user. In the example shown in Fig. 8, identifiers such as "U0001" and "U0002" are assigned to each user.

A user name is a name that each user can choose for themselves to use in online games, and is composed of any character string. In the example shown in Figure 8, character strings such as "AAA" and "BBB" are registered as user names.

Game items are game items that users possess during online games, obtained by defeating enemy characters, picking them up, or acquiring them through a lottery. Game items can be equipped to the player character, affecting parameters related to battles with enemy characters, and affecting rewards awarded during events.

The friend field contains the user ID of the user who is registered as a friend associated with the user.
The friend information includes as many user IDs as the number of registered friends. When friend information is shared with other games, friend information stored in another server linked to the user ID may be used.

The current position is information indicating the current position of the player character operated by the user. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8 , information such as "CL1" and "CL2" is assigned, and this information includes stage identification information and the coordinates of the stage within the game space. The information is controlled so as to be rewritten at predetermined intervals or each time the position of the player character changes as the game progresses. Note that the current position information only needs to be linked to the user ID, and may therefore be stored separately from the user information.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of group information in an embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 9, each row corresponds to one group. In the example shown in FIG. 9, a group is called a room, but it may also be called a party or the like. When the host user selects multiplay and the game device 10 transmits a group creation request to the server 20, the server 20 creates new group information.

Each group information includes a room ID, host user information, guest user information, and item information.

A room ID is an identifier assigned to each group.

The host user information is information about the user who will be the host of each group. The host user information includes a user ID for identifying the user, game items owned by the user, the current location, and may also include other information such as the user name.

Guest user information is information about users who have joined a group by being invited by a host user or by receiving a group participation notification from the system. The information contained in guest user information is basically the same as the information contained in host user information.

The item information is information about game items that are currently activated in the room, and in particular, information about game items that have a global effect is associated with the item information.

Here, the application unit 418 can easily grasp the currently activated game item by referring to the item information in the group information. Therefore, when a new player joins the room, the application unit 418 can apply the overall effect to the newly joined player by referring to the item information.

Note that item information is not necessarily included in the group information. If the group information does not include item information, the application unit 418 searches for game items used by players in the room, and if the game item being used has a global effect,
The overall effect can be applied to each player character in the room.

<Specific examples>
Next, specific examples of the application control of the overall effect and the movement control in the above-mentioned game will be explained. First, the application control of the overall effect will be explained using a screen example, and then the movement control will be explained using a stage transition diagram. In the specific examples shown below, the in-game events will be called quests.

<<Overall effect application control>>
As a concrete example of controlling the application of the overall effect, the party requesting participation in a quest (the party inviting)
The following description will be given using example screens showing a party receiving a participation request (invitation) and a party receiving a participation request (invitation). The generation of the screen data shown below and the control of screen transitions are performed by the game execution unit 310, which includes the above-mentioned components.

(Screen of the person requesting participation)
10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen (part 1) of a side requesting participation. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the display screen D10 includes various display areas and UI components (e.g., buttons) described below.
Includes:

The quest selection areas Q11, Q12, Q13, and Q14 display the quest name,
This is an area that displays the parameters consumed by the execution of a quest. For example, when a position in each area or a specific button is pressed, a request to join the quest is output to friends who are not participating in the quest. The selection of friends is accepted by the selection control unit 4
The request to participate in a quest is executed by the output unit 422.

When a request to participate in a quest is made in the state shown in FIG. 10, the output unit 422 outputs a message including information about the quest being performed to the game device 10 operated by the friend user.

11 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen (part 2) of a side initiating a participation request. The display screen D12 shown in FIG. 11 has the same basic screen configuration as the display screen D10 shown in FIG.

The display screen D12 shown in FIG. 11 differs from the display screen D10 shown in FIG. 10 in that information about the activated overall effect is displayed in the item display area AR10.
For example, the item name "EXP Flora Boost II" is displayed in the item display area AR10. This effect is a global effect that increases the experience points of each player character in the group. The item display area AR10 also displays the remaining time until this effect is applied.

When a request to participate in a quest is made in the state shown in FIG. 11, the output unit 422 outputs a message including information on the overall effect together with information on the quest being executed to the game device 10 operated by the friend user.

(The screen of the person being invited to join)
12 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen (part 1) of a party receiving a participation request. In the example shown in FIG. 12, a display screen D20 includes various display areas and UI components (e.g., buttons) described below.

When the above-mentioned message is received, a pop-up screen P20 is displayed on the display screen D20 of the game device 10 of the user who has been requested to participate. The pop-up screen P20 displays quest information, a UI component B20 for refusing to participate in the quest, and a UI component B22 for participating in the quest. The quest information includes the requester's name, the quest name, and consumption parameters. When the UI component B20 for refusing to participate is pressed, the quest information is stored on the game device 10 side and the server 20 side so that the quest in which participation is requested can be selected from the quest selection screen.

The display screen D20 shown in FIG. 12 is a screen that is displayed on the device that receives the participation request when the participation request is made from the display screen D10 shown in FIG.

13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen (part 2) of the side receiving the participation request. The display screen D22 shown in FIG. 13 has the same basic screen configuration as the display screen D20 shown in FIG.

The difference between the display screen D22 shown in Fig. 13 and the display screen D20 shown in Fig. 12 is that information about the overall effect being activated is displayed in the item display area AR22. For example, "1.50x boost in acquired experience points!" is displayed in the item display area AR22. Also, as shown in Fig. 13, the item display area AR22 may display the effect itself instead of the item name. This allows the player who receives the participation request to easily understand what the effect is.

The display screen D22 shown in FIG. 13 is a screen that is displayed on the device that has received the participation request when the participation request is made from the display screen D12 shown in FIG.

(Quest selection screen after being asked to join)
14 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen (part 1) for selecting a quest after receiving a participation request. In the example shown in FIG. 14, the display screen D30 includes various display areas and UI elements, which will be described next.
Includes I parts (e.g., buttons).

The quest selection areas Q21, Q22, and Q23 include a display area for the quest name.
The selection area Q21 is an area that displays a quest for which participation (support request) has been made from the display screen D10 shown in Fig. 10. The selection area Q21 includes information such as the fact that participation has been requested, the name of the quest, the name of the player who made the request, and the parameters to be consumed.

15 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen (part 2) for selecting a quest after receiving a participation request. The display screen D32 shown in FIG. 15 has the same basic screen configuration as the display screen D30 shown in FIG.

The difference between the display screen D32 shown in Fig. 15 and the display screen D30 shown in Fig. 14 is that information about the overall effect being activated is displayed in the item display area AR30. For example, "1.50x boost in acquired experience points!" is displayed in the item display area AR30. Also, as shown in Fig. 15, the item display area AR30 may display the effect of the item itself, rather than the name of the item. This allows a player selecting a quest to easily understand the effect of that quest.

At this time, the search control unit 424 controls the display so that quests for which a global effect has been activated are preferentially displayed at the top, making it easier for the player to search.

Movement Control
Next, a specific example of movement control will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a diagram for explaining movement control of player characters. In the example shown in Fig. 16, an event consists of five stages (ST1 to ST5), and a room includes player characters (PC10, PC12, PC14, and PC16) respectively operated by four players.

In the example shown in FIG. 16, the player character PC10 is being operated and controlled on the stage ST1, the player character PC12 is being operated and controlled on the stage ST2, the player character PC14 is being operated and controlled on the stage ST4, and the player character P
C16 is controlling the operation on stage ST5.
Let's say you clear T1, ST2, ST3, ST4, and ST5 in that order.

At this time, the first determination unit 4262 determines that the player characters are dispersed because there are two or more stages on which the player characters are located within the room.

Next, the second determination unit 4264 determines whether a predetermined condition is satisfied for each player character. Note that the second determination unit 4264 does not perform the determination of whether the predetermined condition is satisfied for the leading player character.

The predetermined condition is, for example, that the player's current action has cleared the stage. For example, when the player character PC10 clears the stage ST1, the second determination unit 4
264 determines that the player character PC10 satisfies a predetermined condition.

The moving unit 4266 moves a player character that satisfies a predetermined condition based on the position of any preceding player character. For example, the moving unit 4266 moves the player character PC10 to the stage ST4 where the player character PC14 is located.

At this time, the position to which the player character PC14 is moved may be the start position of the stage ST4 or may be near the position of the player character PC14. This allows the subsequent player to play on the same stage as the preceding player character if a predetermined condition is met.
You can enjoy the game together with other players.

Furthermore, the movement unit 4266 may move the player character PC10 based on the position of the player character PC12 that is closest to the player character PC10. This allows subsequent player characters to enjoy the game on the stage together with other players in a relatively sequential order.

Note that the moving unit 4266 may prohibit the player character PC14 from being moved to a retreating position when controlling the movement. For example, the moving unit 4266 may prohibit the player character PC14 from being moved based on the positions of the player characters PC10 and PC12. This can prevent the progress of the game from slowing down.

<Operation>
Next, the operation of the server 20 in the embodiment will be described. Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the effect application process of the server 20 in the embodiment. In step S102 shown in Fig. 17, when the event control unit 414 is controlling the event, the initiation unit 416
During or before the event starts, a game item selected by a player is acquired.

In step S104, the activation unit 416 activates the selected game item.

In step S106, the application unit 418 determines whether the activated game item is a special item. A special item is, for example, a game item that has a global effect. If the activated game item is a special item (step S106—YES), the process proceeds to step S110.
If it is not a special item (step S106-NO), the process proceeds to step S10
Go to 8.

In step S108, the application unit 418 applies the effect to the player character controlled by the player who used the game item.

In step S110, the first application unit 4182 applies the activated effect to each player character in the group to which the player who used the game item belongs. Note that this step S110 does not necessarily apply to all players in the group, and may apply to, for example, player characters other than the player character operated by the player who used the game item,
It may also be possible to limit the application to only one or more characters in a group with small parameters such as HP.

In step S112, the selection control unit 420 determines whether or not a player who has not yet participated in the predetermined event has been selected to be invited to the predetermined event.
If an invitation instruction is received (step S112-YES), the process returns to step S
If there is no invitation instruction (step S112-NO), the process returns to step S11
Go to 6.

In step S114, the output unit 422 outputs the game information of the game device 10 operated by the selected player.
A message including information about the overall effect and encouraging participation in a predetermined event is output to the user.

In step S116, the second application unit 4184 determines whether or not there is a new player who wishes to participate in the predetermined event after applying the effect in step S110. If there is a player who wishes to newly participate (step S116—YES), the group information is updated to allow that player to participate in the event, and processing proceeds to step S118. If there is no player who wishes to newly join (step S116—NO), processing proceeds to step S120. Note that by updating the group information, it is possible to have the player character operated by the newly joining player join the group during control of the predetermined event.

In step S118, the second application unit 4184 automatically applies an effect to the player character operated by the newly joining player. At this time, the parameters such as HP of the player character operated by the newly joining player may be compared with the parameters of characters in the group to which effects have already been applied, and if the parameters are greater than these, the effect may not be applied (the effect may be applied only if the parameters are smaller than the parameters of characters in the group to which effects have already been applied). Also, if the effect applied in step S110 has already expired when a new player joins, the effect may not be applied.

In step S120, the application unit 418 determines whether a predetermined time, which is the application period of the effect, has elapsed. If the predetermined time has elapsed (step S120—YES), the effect application process ends. If the predetermined time has not elapsed (step S120—NO), the process returns to step S120.
Return to step S12. Note that in step S120, the decision as to whether to continue or end the effect application process may be made based on the progress of the game, such as the end of an event, rather than the passage of time.

By the above processing, when an effect that affects other characters is applied in an event, it is possible to prevent differences in the effect from occurring between the player characters at the timing of their participation in the event.

18 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a movement control process of the server 20 in the embodiment. In step S202 shown in FIG. 18, the first determination unit 4262 determines whether or not each player character operated by one or more players is distributed in different events (first
If the player characters are dispersed (step S202
If the player characters are not dispersed (step S202--YES), the process proceeds to step S204, and if the player characters are not dispersed (step S202--NO), the process proceeds to step S208.

In step S204, when the player characters are distributed across different events, the second determination unit 4264 determines whether a predetermined condition (second condition) regarding movement between stages is satisfied for a predetermined player character controlled by a player playing in one event. If the predetermined condition is satisfied (step S204—YES), the process proceeds to step S206. If the predetermined condition is not satisfied (step S204—NO), the process proceeds to step S208.

In step S206, if a predetermined condition is satisfied, the movement unit 4266 selects any player character that is located in a position ahead of the predetermined player character, and moves the predetermined player character based on that position.

In step S208, the movement control unit 426 determines whether or not the predetermined event has ended. If the predetermined event has ended (step S208—YES), the movement control process ends. If the predetermined event has not ended (step S208—NO), the process returns to step S202.
Return to.

By the above process, the subsequent player characters can enjoy the game on the stage together with other players in a relatively orderly manner.

17 and 18, the processing steps included in the processing flows can be executed in any order or in parallel as long as no contradiction occurs in the processing content, and other steps can be added between the processing steps. Furthermore, a step described as one step for convenience can be executed by dividing it into multiple steps, while a step described as multiple steps for convenience can be understood as one step.

[Modification]
Although the above embodiment has been described using an online game as an example, the game device 10 in the embodiment can also be implemented as a game machine for so-called arcade games. Portable game devices and stationary game devices are collectively referred to simply as terminals. The present invention can be applied as long as one event is executed and controlled for a predetermined group including player characters operated by one or more players.

In addition, in the embodiment, an example has been described in which the server 20 has the functions of effect application control and movement control, but the functions of effect application control and movement control may be provided on the terminal side, for example, when connecting between terminals. In other words, it is sufficient to decide whether each function is implemented on the server side or the terminal side as appropriate.

Furthermore, with regard to the effect application control described above, when a player operating a player character to which an overall effect activated by another player has been applied invites a friend or the like to the event, the effect information may be included in the invitation message by referring to the group information, thereby further expanding the scope of effect application.

Furthermore, the effects of the same item may be activated multiple times, or the effects of multiple items may be activated to obtain a stronger overall effect. Furthermore, the scope of application of the effect may be limited to only characters that satisfy a predetermined condition, such as HP or other parameters being below a predetermined value, rather than to all player characters included in the group. The same applies to newly joining player characters.

Furthermore, although the movement control described above has been mainly explained with respect to movement between stages, even when multiple player characters are playing dispersedly in one game space, there is a desire to play cooperatively with other players. Therefore, in such a game, when a predetermined condition related to movement is satisfied, the movement control unit may control the movement of the player character based on the position of a player character operated by another player.
The predetermined condition in this case is, for example, when a predetermined enemy character is defeated.

Furthermore, with regard to the effect application control and movement control described above, the present invention can be applied to player characters that are not necessarily directly controlled by the player. For example, the player may configure the character by setting up the equipment and other parameters, storing the configuration information, and after instructing participation in an event, the character may be automatically controlled by a computer using the stored configuration information to control the character. Furthermore, at the start of the event, only the organizer or a player who has completed the entry process before the start of the event may control the character. If the number of participating characters is less than a predetermined number (e.g., four), the game may be played with the remaining NPCs. If a player's participation is accepted midway through the event, one of the NPCs may be selected (either by the computer or the player) and replaced with that NPC.

Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and variations other than the above embodiments are possible within the scope of the claims.

The following additional notes will be disclosed below regarding the embodiments.
(Appendix 1)
On the computer,
a control step of controlling a game in which each player character operated by one or more players moves through a game space and clears objectives;
a determination step of determining whether a predetermined condition regarding movement within the game space is satisfied for a predetermined player character operated by a player during game play;
a selection step of selecting one position from positions of player characters other than the predetermined player character when the predetermined condition is satisfied;
a moving step of moving the predetermined player character to the selected position;
A program that executes the following.
(Appendix 2)
The program described in Appendix 1, wherein the player character other than the specified player character is the player character that is closest to the position of the specified player character among the player characters that are ahead of the specified player character.
(Appendix 3)
A computer-readable recording medium having the program according to claim 1 or 2 recorded thereon.

1 Game processing system 10 Game device 20 Server 30 Charging server 120 Memory unit 150 Main control unit 202 Control unit 208 Memory unit 310 Game execution unit 330 First memory unit 410 Game control unit 412 Generation unit 414 Event control unit 416 Initiation unit 418 Application unit 420 Selection control unit 422 Output unit 430 Second memory unit

Claims (5)

Computer,
a game control means for forming groups including player characters operated by a player and non-player characters not operated by a player, and controlling the game so that the game can be played on a group basis within the game space;
movement control means for, when the player character is ahead of the non-player character and the player character and the non-player character are located apart from each other in the game space, moving the non-player character that satisfies a predetermined condition regarding movement based on the position of the leading player character;
It functions as
the movement control means controls the non-player character that satisfies the predetermined condition to dash within the game space, thereby shortening the movement time ;
program. the movement control means moves the non-player character that satisfies the predetermined condition to a position near the position of the player character;
The program according to claim 1. the movement control means instantaneously moves the non-player character that satisfies the predetermined condition to a position near the position of the player character without making the non-player character move in a dash manner ;
The program according to claim 1 or 2. the game control means makes it possible to replace the non-player characters by a player's operation when the number of characters in the group reaches a predetermined number during game play;
The program according to any one of claims 1 to 3. a game control means for forming groups including player characters operated by a player and non-player characters not operated by a player, and controlling the group units in a game space so that a game can be played;
movement control means for, when the player character is ahead of the non-player character and the player character and the non-player character are located apart from each other in the game space, moving the non-player character that satisfies a predetermined condition regarding movement based on the position of the leading player character;
Equipped with
the movement control means controls the non-player character that satisfies the predetermined condition to dash within the game space, thereby shortening the movement time ;
Information processing device.