JP7775418B2 - Program, system, and method for providing games - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a program, system, and method for providing games.

A variety of games have been offered in the past that use parties (sometimes called decks or teams) comprised of multiple characters. In some of these games, a different type of object is assigned to the party from the characters included in the party, and special effects based on the object are generated. For example, the game disclosed in Patent Document 1 below is configured such that a team mascot is incorporated into the deck in addition to the baseball players included in the deck, and the parameters of players included in the deck who have attributes corresponding to the incorporated mascot are increased. Furthermore, in such games, the status (parameters such as HP and strength) of the object itself assigned to the party can be strengthened, and the degree of increase in the parameters of the above-mentioned characters can be changed based on the status. This mechanism improves the strategic nature of assigning objects to the party and can also provide an additional "element of challenge" by strengthening and developing the object.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-111138

However, in the conventional system described above, while the objects set in a party strengthen the characters included in that party, the use of characters not included in the party is not promoted. For example, relatively weak characters are unlikely to be used as party members, but among these weak characters there may be characters that the player has an attachment to. Therefore, it is desirable to realize a system that promotes the use of more characters.

One of the objectives of embodiments of the present invention is to promote the use of many characters in games that use parties that include multiple characters. Other objectives of embodiments of the present invention will become clear by reading this entire specification.

A program according to one embodiment of the present invention is a program for providing a game, causing a computer to execute a step of controlling the progress of the game based at least on a party including a plurality of first objects, wherein the step of controlling the progress of the game includes controlling the progress of the game based at least on the value of a first parameter possessed by a second object associated with the party, the value of the first parameter being determined based at least on a first object associated with the second object.

A system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a system for providing a game, comprising one or more computer processors, wherein the one or more computer processors, in response to execution of readable instructions, execute a step of controlling the progress of the game based at least on a party including a plurality of first objects, and the step of controlling the progress of the game includes controlling the progress of the game based at least on the value of a first parameter possessed by a second object associated with the party, the value of the first parameter being determined based at least on a first object associated with the second object.

A method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a method for providing a game, executed by one or more computers, comprising a step of controlling the progress of the game based at least on a party including a plurality of first objects, wherein the step of controlling the progress of the game includes controlling the progress of the game based at least on a value of a first parameter possessed by a second object associated with the party, the value of the first parameter being determined based at least on a first object associated with the second object.

Various embodiments of the present invention facilitate the use of multiple characters in games that use parties that include multiple characters.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a network including a game providing server 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a player information table 151. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a first object information table 152. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a second object information table 153. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a per-player first object management table 154. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a per-player second object management table 155. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by an assignment information table 156. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a player task management table 157. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a party setting screen 50. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating details of an individual display area 53 on the party setting screen 50. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a crystal setting screen 60. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a crystal details screen 70. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a link character display screen 80. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a link character change screen 90. 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the correspondence between the total value of link points and the content of status correction. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the generation of the effect of a crystal.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of a network including a game providing server 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the server 10 is communicatively connected to player terminals 30 via a communication network 20 such as the Internet. Although only one player terminal 30 is shown in Figure 1, the server 10 can be communicatively connected to multiple player terminals 30. The server 10 provides a game to users who operate the player terminals 30. The game providing server 10 is an example of a device that implements all or part of the system of the present invention.

The game providing server 10 is configured as a general-purpose computer, and as shown in Figure 1, is equipped with a computer processor 11, main memory 12, input/output I/F 13, communication I/F 14, and storage (storage device) 15, with each of these components being electrically connected via a bus or the like (not shown).

The computer processor 11 is configured as a CPU, GPU, or the like, and loads various programs stored in storage 15, etc., into the main memory 12 and executes the various instructions contained in those programs. The main memory 12 is configured, for example, from a DRAM, etc.

The input/output I/F 13 includes various input/output devices for exchanging information with an operator, etc. The input/output I/F 13 includes, for example, information input devices such as a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse, touch panel, etc.), audio input devices such as a microphone, and image input devices such as a camera. The input/output I/F 13 also includes image output devices such as a display, and audio output devices such as a speaker.

The communication I/F 14 is implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, various communication software, or a combination of these, and is configured to enable wired or wireless communication via a communication network 20, etc.

The storage 15 is composed of, for example, a magnetic disk, flash memory, etc. The storage 15 stores various programs, including an operating system, and various data. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the storage 15 stores a player information table 151 that manages information about players of the game, a first object information table 152 that manages information about first objects in the game, a second object information table 153 that manages information about second objects in the game, a per-player first object management table 154 that manages information about each player's first object, a per-player second object management table 155 that manages information about each player's second object, a task information table 156 that manages information about tasks in the game, and a per-player task management table 157 that manages information about each player's task. Furthermore, for example, the storage 15 stores a game program 40 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The program 40 is a program that causes the game providing server 10 to function as all or part of a system for providing a game. At least a portion of the game program 40 may be configured to be executed on the player terminal 30 via a web browser or other application.

In this embodiment, the game providing server 10 may be configured using multiple computers, each having the hardware configuration described above. For example, the server 10 may be configured from one or multiple server devices.

The game providing server 10 configured in this way functions as a web server and an application server, and executes various processes in response to requests from a web browser or other application (e.g., a game application) installed on the player terminal 30, and transmits screen data (e.g., HTML data) and control data according to the results of the processes to the player terminal 30. The player terminal 30 displays a web page or other screen based on the received data.

The player terminal 30 is configured as a general-purpose computer, and as shown in FIG. 1, is equipped with a computer processor 31, main memory 32, input/output I/F 33, communication I/F 34, and storage (storage device) 35, with each of these components being electrically connected via a bus or the like (not shown).

The computer processor 31 is configured as a CPU or GPU, etc., and loads various programs stored in storage 35, etc., into the main memory 32 and executes the various instructions contained in those programs. The main memory 32 is configured, for example, from a DRAM, etc.

The input/output I/F 33 includes various input/output devices for exchanging information with an operator, etc. The input/output I/F 33 includes, for example, information input devices such as a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse, touch panel, etc.), audio input devices such as a microphone, and image input devices such as a camera. The input/output I/F 33 also includes image output devices such as a display, and audio output devices such as a speaker.

The communication I/F 34 is implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, various communication software, or a combination of these, and is configured to enable wired or wireless communication via the communication network 20, etc.

Storage 35 is composed of, for example, a magnetic disk or flash memory. Storage 35 stores various programs including the operating system and various data. The programs stored in storage 35 can be downloaded and installed from an application market, etc.

In this embodiment, the player terminal 30 may be configured as a smartphone, tablet terminal, wearable device, personal computer, dedicated game terminal, etc.

A user (game player) of a player terminal 30 configured in this manner can play a game provided by the server 10 by communicating with the server 10 via a web browser or other application installed on the storage 35, etc.

Next, we will explain the functions of the game providing server 10 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the computer processor 11 of the server 10 is configured to function as a basic function control unit 111 and a game progress control unit 112 by executing instructions contained in a program (e.g., at least a part of the game program 40) loaded into the main memory 12.

The basic function control unit 111 is configured to execute various processes related to the control of the basic functions of the game. For example, the basic function control unit 111 transmits screen data and control data for various screens related to the basic functions to the player terminal 30, executes various processes in response to operation inputs by the player via the screens displayed on the player terminal 30, and transmits screen data and control data according to the results of the processes to the player terminal 30. Basic functions controlled by the basic function control unit 111 include, for example, login processing (user authentication), billing control, and player management (for example, updating the player information table 151), etc.

The game progression control unit 112 is configured to execute various processes related to controlling the progress of the game. For example, the game progression control unit 112 transmits screen data and control data of various screens related to the game to the player terminal 30, executes various processes in response to operation inputs by the player via the screens displayed on the player terminal 30, and transmits screen data and control data according to the results of the processes to the player terminal 30. For example, if the game provided by the server 10 involves a battle with an enemy character, the game progression control unit 112 may be configured to execute various processes including processing for the battle with the enemy character.

In this embodiment, the game progression control unit 112 is configured to control the progress of the game based at least on a party including multiple first objects. A party is typically made up of some of multiple first objects available to a player (e.g., first objects owned by a player). A party is a unit for progressing through the game and is sometimes called, for example, a deck or team. A first object is one of the elements used in a game and includes various types of electronic or virtual objects depending on the game design. For example, a first object may be configured as a character. For example, the game progression control unit 112 is configured to control the progress of the game based at least on the values of various parameters of each of the multiple first objects included in the party.

The game progression control unit 112 is also configured to control the progress of the game based at least on the value of a first parameter possessed by a second object associated with a party. In this embodiment, the value of the first parameter possessed by a second object is determined based at least on the first object associated with the second object. The first object associated with the second object may be a first object included in the party, or may be a first object not included in the party. The value of the first parameter is managed, for example, in a per-player second object management table 155. The second object is one of the elements used in the game, and includes various types of electronic or virtual objects depending on the game design. For example, the second object may be configured as a specific item.

In this way, the game providing server 10 in this embodiment controls the progress of the game based on the value of a first parameter possessed by a second object associated with a party that includes multiple first objects, and the value of the first parameter is determined based on the first object associated with the second object. As a result, in addition to first objects such as characters included in the party, first objects associated with the second object also affect the progress of the game, making it possible to utilize first objects that are not included in the party. In other words, the game providing server 10 promotes the use of many characters in games that use parties that include multiple characters.

In this embodiment, the game progression control unit 112 can be configured to generate a predetermined effect based at least on the value of the first parameter when controlling the progress of the game. The predetermined effect includes various effects that can affect the progress of the game, such as effects (sometimes called buffs) that correct (e.g., strengthen) the values of various parameters possessed by a party and/or a first object included in the party. For example, the game progression control unit 112 can be configured to determine the type and/or magnitude (degree) of the predetermined effect to be generated based at least on the value of the first parameter, and can be configured, for example, to increase the degree of the predetermined effect as the value of the first parameter increases (or decreases).

In this embodiment, the game progression control unit 112 may be configured to set a first object selected (automatically by the server 10 or manually by the player) from among a plurality of first objects (e.g., a first object owned by the player, or a plurality of predetermined first objects, etc.) as a first object included in the party. For example, the game progression control unit 112 is configured to transmit screen data and control data for a screen for setting a first object included in the party to the player terminal 30, and to set a first object selected by the player via the screen displayed on the player terminal 30 as a first object included in the party. This configuration may provide the player with the fun of setting a first object included in the party.

The game progression control unit 112 may also be configured to set a first object selected (automatically by the server 10 or manually by the player) from among a plurality of first objects (e.g., a first object owned by the player, or a plurality of predetermined first objects, etc.) as the first object to be associated with the second object. For example, the game progression control unit 112 may be configured to send screen data and control data for a screen for setting the first object to be associated with the second object to the player terminal 30, and to set the first object selected by the player via the screen displayed on the player terminal 30 as the first object to be associated with the second object. This configuration may provide the player with the enjoyment of setting the first object to be associated with the second object.

Furthermore, when setting a first object to be associated with a second object, the game progression control unit 112 may be configured to set a first object selected from a plurality of first objects having the same predetermined classification value as the second object as the first object to be associated with the second object. The predetermined classification values of the first object and second object may be managed, for example, in a first object information table 152 and a second object information table 153, respectively. This configuration may promote the use of first objects having the same predetermined classification value.

The game progression control unit 112 may also be configured to generate a predetermined effect based at least on the value of the first parameter of a second object associated with the party, for a first object among multiple first objects included in the party that has the same value of the predetermined classification as the second object associated with the party. This configuration may encourage the use of first objects with the same value of the predetermined classification.

In this embodiment, the second object to be associated with the party may be selected from a plurality of second objects (e.g., a second object owned by the player, or a plurality of predetermined second objects, etc.). In other words, the game progression control unit 112 may be configured to set a second object selected from a plurality of second objects (automatically by the server 10 or manually by the player) as the second object to be associated with the party. For example, the game progression control unit 112 may be configured to transmit screen data and control data for a screen for setting the second object to be associated with the party to the player terminal 30, and to set the second object selected by the player via the screen displayed on the player terminal 30 as the second object to be associated with the party. This configuration may provide the player with the fun of setting the second object to be associated with the party.

In this embodiment, the value of the first parameter may be configured to be determined based at least on the status (state) of the first object associated with the second object. The status/state of the first object may include various parameters. For example, the game progress control unit 112 may be configured to manage the completion status of a challenge associated with the first object. In this case, the value of the first parameter may be determined based at least on the completion status of a challenge associated with the first object associated with the second object (e.g., the more challenges are completed, the stronger the first parameter). Challenges may be called missions, tasks, quests, etc., and are typically completed as the game progresses. Furthermore, the correspondence between challenges and the first objects associated with the challenges may be managed, for example, in the challenge information table 156. For example, the game progress control unit 112 may be configured to manage each player's completion status of challenges, including whether or not the challenges have been completed and the progress toward completion. Each player's completion status of challenges may be managed in the per-player challenge management table 157. This configuration enables the value of the first parameter to be updated through the completion of challenges associated with the first object.

Furthermore, the status/state of the first object may include, for example, the level or favorability of the first object, and the value of the first parameter may be determined based on these values.

In this embodiment, multiple first objects may be associated with one second object. In this case, the value of the first parameter is configured to be determined based at least on the multiple first objects associated with the second object. This configuration encourages the use of more first objects.

In this embodiment, the progress of the game may be controlled based on not only the value of the first parameter possessed by the second object, but also the values of other parameters possessed by the second object. That is, the game progress control unit 112 may be configured to control the progress of the game based on at least the value of the second parameter possessed by the second object associated with the party, in addition to the value of the first parameter possessed by the second object associated with the party. In this case, the second parameter may be configured to be strengthened (e.g., the parameter value increases) in response to the use of a specified item. Furthermore, for example, the second parameter may be strengthened based on the number of uses of the party associated with the corresponding second object, the progress of the game, the consumption of specific points, etc. This configuration may provide the player with the enjoyment of strengthening the second parameter through the use of a specified item, etc.

Next, a specific example of a game providing server 10 of this embodiment having such functionality will be described. In this specific example, the game providing server 10 provides an RPG in which a party made up of multiple characters fights enemy characters. The RPG in this example has multiple stages, and each stage is made up of multiple areas. By defeating enemy characters that appear in each area, the player can advance to the next area, and by defeating the enemy character in the final area (e.g., a boss character), the stage is cleared. Note that this example is merely one example of a game in this embodiment, and various aspects of the embodiment of the present invention are not limited to this.

Figure 2 illustrates the information managed by the player information table 151 in this example. The player information table 151 in this example manages information about players of the game, and as shown, manages information such as "basic information" including account name, gender, date of birth, etc., "party information" which is information about the party used by the player in the game, "owned item information" which is information about items owned by the player, and "owned skill information" which is information about skills owned by the player, in association with a "player account" which identifies an individual player.

In this example, the party is made up of five characters (first objects), and the party information in the player information table 151 includes a character ID that identifies each character that makes up the party. Also, in this example, one crystal (second object) can be set to support the party, and the party information includes a crystal ID that identifies the crystal set in the party. Note that while this example is configured so that only one party can be set for one player, in other examples of this embodiment, it may be possible to configure multiple parties for one player.

Owned item information includes information (e.g., item ID) that can identify items owned by a player. Owned skill information includes information (e.g., skill ID) that can identify skills owned by a player. In this example, a player can acquire items or skills as various rewards, such as a reward for clearing a stage, by exchanging them for coins or other compensation, or by drawing lots (gacha).

Figure 3 illustrates the information managed by the first object information table 152 in this example. The first object information table 152 in this example manages information related to characters in the game, and as shown, manages information such as "basic information" including names, "attributes," and "series" (predetermined classifications) in association with "character IDs" that identify individual characters. Attributes are set to one of a number of predetermined values, such as fire, ice, lightning, and poison.

The characters are characters that appear in a specific series of games that form the motif of the RPG in this example, and the series in table 152 is set to a value corresponding to the series in which the corresponding character appears.

Figure 4 illustrates the information managed by the second object information table 153 in this example. In this example, the second object information table 153 manages information about crystals in the game, and as shown, manages information such as "basic information" and "series" including names in association with "crystal IDs" that identify individual crystals. In this example, one crystal is prepared for each series in the specific game mentioned above, which is the motif of the RPG, and table 153 manages information about each of the crystals in numbers corresponding to the number of series. The series in table 153 is set to a value corresponding to the crystal's series.

Figure 5 illustrates information managed by the per-player first object management table 154 in this example. In this example, the per-player first object management table 154 manages information about characters owned by each player. As shown, the per-player first object management table 154 manages information such as "experience points," "levels" that increase stepwise as experience points increase, "status information" that is information about status including various parameter values such as HP, attack power, and defense power, "equipment item information" that is information about items (weapons, armor, etc.) equipped by the corresponding character, and "equipment skill information" that is information about skills (magic, etc.) equipped by the corresponding character, in association with a combination of a "player account" that identifies an individual player and a "character ID" that identifies an individual character. In this example, a player can acquire characters at various times. For example, a player can acquire characters as various rewards, such as a reward for clearing a stage, in exchange for coins or other compensation, or through a lottery (gacha). Furthermore, in this example, characters included in a party acquire experience points as they clear a stage. Additionally, characters may gain experience points by using specific items. As experience points increase, characters' status will improve as they level up.

Figure 6 illustrates the information managed by the per-player second object management table 155 in this example. The per-player second object management table 155 in this example manages information on a crystal-by-crystal basis for each player, and as shown, manages information such as "experience points," "level" which increases in stages as experience points increase, "status information" which is information about status (second parameters) including values of various parameters such as HP, attack power, and defense power, "effect information" which is information about the effects of crystals, "link character information," and "link points (total value)" (first parameters), in association with a combination of a "player account" which identifies an individual player and a "crystal ID" which identifies an individual crystal.

In this example, the player already owns all of the crystals (a number of crystals corresponding to the number of series of the specific game that is the motif), but some or all of these crystals may be acquired (made available/released) upon fulfilling certain conditions.

In this example, the crystal gains experience points by using a specific item to strengthen the crystal. The player can obtain these items as various rewards, such as for clearing a stage, by exchanging them for coins or other consideration, or by lottery (gacha). The crystal's status is strengthened as the player levels up in accordance with the increase in experience points.

In this example, one or more characters can be associated with a crystal as "link characters," and the link character information in table 155 includes a character ID that identifies each link character. Link points, which will be described in more detail below, are parameters that are determined based on the progress of tasks (missions) associated with the link characters.

Figure 7 illustrates the information managed by the task information table 156 in this example. The task information table 156 in this example manages information related to tasks (missions) in the game, and as shown, manages information such as a "mission ID" that identifies an individual mission, an "associated character ID" that identifies the character with which the mission is associated, an "awarded points" that indicates the number of mission points awarded to the player upon completion of the mission, and "mission content" that describes the content of the mission.

In this example, the mission content relates to the associated character, and includes, for example, raising the character's level to a predetermined value, using a predetermined number of items on the character, etc.

Figure 8 illustrates the information managed by the per-player task management table 157 in this example. The per-player task management table 157 in this example manages information on a mission-by-mission basis for each player, and as shown, manages information such as "achievement status" in association with a combination of a "player account" that identifies an individual player and a "mission ID" that identifies an individual mission. In this example, the achievement status is set to a value that corresponds to whether or not the mission has been completed.

Figure 9 shows an example of a party setting screen 50 displayed on the player terminal 30. This screen 50 is used by the player to set up a party, and as shown, has a character list display area 52 that displays a list of the five characters included in the party, a crystal display area 54 that displays the crystals set in the party, and an automatic button 56 located in the upper right corner of the screen. The automatic button 56 is an object that causes the server 10 to automatically select the five characters to be included in the party.

The character list display area 52 has five individual display areas 53 arranged vertically, each displaying information about an individual character. Figure 10 shows an example of the details of the individual display area 53. As shown, this area 53 displays the name, level, HP, etc. of the corresponding character, and also has an image display area 531 that displays an image of the character, an equipment item setting area 532 for setting items to be equipped for the character, and an equipment skill setting area 533 for setting skills to be equipped for the character.

When the image display area 531 is selected, a list of characters owned by the player is displayed, and the player can change the characters included in the party by selecting the desired character from the displayed list. As the characters included in the party are changed, the display content in the individual display area 53 is updated, and the party information in the player information table 151 is also updated.

The equipment item setting area 532 has three individual display areas 5321 arranged horizontally, each corresponding to an individual item. The individual display area 5321 displays an image of the corresponding item, and when one of these areas 5321 is selected, a list of items that can be equipped by the corresponding character is displayed. The player can change the item equipped by the corresponding character by selecting the desired item from the displayed list. As the item equipped by the character is changed, the display content in the equipment item setting area 532 is updated, and the equipment item information in the per-player first object management table 154 is updated.

Similarly, the equipment skill setting area 533 has two individual display areas 5331 arranged side by side in the left-right direction, each corresponding to an individual skill. The individual display area 5331 displays an image of the corresponding skill, and when that area 5331 is selected, a list of skills that can be equipped by the corresponding character is displayed. The player can change the skill equipped by the corresponding character by selecting the desired skill from the displayed list. As the skill equipped by the character is changed, the display content in the equipment skill setting area 533 is updated, and the equipment skill information in the per-player first object management table 154 is updated.

Returning to the party setting screen 50 in Figure 9, the crystal display area 54 displays information (image, name, etc.) about the crystal set for the party. When the crystal display area 54 is selected, the crystal setting screen 60 shown in Figure 11 is displayed on the player terminal 30. As shown, this screen 60 has a crystal information display area 62 that displays information about the set crystal, a list display area 64 that displays a list of multiple crystals, and a confirm button 66.

As shown in FIG. 11, the crystal information display area 62 displays the crystal's status (HP, attack power, defense power, magic power, mental strength, speed, etc.), image, level, etc. In the list display area 64, as shown in the figure, multiple individual display areas 641, each displaying information about an individual crystal, are arranged in a grid pattern. Furthermore, in the list display area 64, a circular setting object 642 marked with "E" is placed in the individual display area 641 corresponding to the crystal currently set in the party. When one of the multiple individual display areas 641 displayed in the list display area 64 is selected by a single tap, the crystal corresponding to the selected area 641 is set in the party, replacing the crystal currently set, and the display content in the crystal information display area 62 is updated. Then, when the confirm button 66 is pressed, the crystal setting is confirmed, and the party information in the player information table 151 is updated.

Furthermore, when one of the multiple individual display areas 641 displayed in the list display area 64 is selected by a long tap operation, a crystal details screen 70, as shown in FIG. 12, is displayed on the player terminal 30. As shown, this screen 70 displays information (such as the corresponding image, level, and status) about the corresponding crystal (the crystal corresponding to the individual display area 641 selected by the long tap operation), as well as an effect display area 72 that displays the effect of the crystal, a link character display area 76 that displays the link character that is associated with the crystal, and a close button 78. The effect display area 72 displays information about the effect of the crystal (such as the corresponding image, etc.).

The link character display area 76 displays information about each of the five set link characters (corresponding images and link points (e.g., 100%)). When a long tap operation is performed on the link character display area 76, a link character display screen 80, as shown in FIG. 13, is displayed on the player terminal 30. As shown, this screen 80 has a link character information display area 82 that displays information about the set link character, a mission list display area 84 that displays a list of missions associated with the character selected in this area 82, a close button 86, and a change button 88 located in the upper right corner of the screen.

Five image display areas 821, each displaying an image of an individual link character, are arranged horizontally in the link character information display area 82, and the link points of the corresponding character are displayed below each area 821. The link character information display area 82 also displays the total value of the link points of the five link characters ("420%" in the example in Figure 13).

The mission list display area 84 has multiple individual display areas 841 arranged vertically, each displaying information about an individual mission. These areas 841 display the number of points awarded for the corresponding mission and the details of the mission. Furthermore, the individual display area 841 corresponding to a completed mission has a completed object 842 labeled "CLEAR!" at its right end.

When one of the five image display areas 821 in the link character information display area 82 is selected, the display content in the mission list display area 84 switches to information about the mission associated with the link character corresponding to the selected area 821.

Here, we will explain the link points each character has. In this example, a character's link points are determined based on the total mission points awarded in response to the completion of missions associated with that character. Specifically, in this example, if the total mission points is 100 or less, the total mission points are used as the link point value as is, and if the total mission points exceed 100, the link point value is maintained at 100%. In other words, in this example, link points are defined as the ratio (progress rate) of the current total mission points to the target total of 100 points. For example, in the example of Figure 13, the awarded points for the six completed missions are 40, 10, 10, 5, 5, and 10, respectively, so the total of these 80 points is used as is, and the link point value is 80%.

The change button 88 is an object for changing the link character. When this button 88 is selected, a link character change screen 90, as shown in FIG. 14, is displayed on the player terminal 30. As shown, this screen 90 has a link character display area 92 that displays the link character currently set, a character list display area 94 that displays a list of characters that can be set as link characters, and a confirm button 96. In this example, the characters that can be set as Crystal's link characters, listed in the character list display area 94, are characters from the same series as the Crystal, and include both characters that are included in the party and characters that are not included in the party. However, in other examples of this embodiment, the characters that can be set as link characters are limited to characters that are not included in the party, and characters that are included in the party may be excluded.

Five image display areas 921, each displaying an image of an individual link character, are arranged horizontally in the link character display area 92. Furthermore, below each area 921, the link point of the corresponding link character is displayed.

In the character list display area 94, multiple image display areas 941, each displaying an image of an individual character, are arranged in a grid pattern. The link points of the corresponding characters are also displayed below the areas 941. In addition, in the character list display area 94, a circular set object 942 marked with the letter "E" is placed in the area 941 corresponding to the character currently set as a link character.

When one of the areas 921 displayed in the link character display area 92 is selected and then one of the areas 941 displayed in the character list display area 94 is selected, the link character is changed (swapped); specifically, the character corresponding to the selected area 941 is set as the new link character, replacing the link character corresponding to the selected area 921. Then, when the confirm button 96 is selected, the change of link character is confirmed, and the link character information in the per-player second object management table 155 is updated.

Here, we will explain the effect of the crystal in this example. In this example, the crystal exerts its effect on characters in the party who are of the same series as the crystal. Such effects include, for example, "adding 10% of the crystal's HP to the character's HP." Also, such effects include, for example, "adding 20% of the crystal's attack power to the character's attack power." In this way, the effects of crystals include effects whose magnitude (degree of effect) is determined based on the crystal's status (HP, attack power, etc.).

In this example, the crystal's status is corrected based on the total link points of the crystal's five link characters. Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating the correspondence between the total link points and the status correction content. As shown in the figure, for example, if the total link points of the five link characters is within the range of "0-349%," no status correction is performed. If the total link points is within the range of "350-399%,," the values of various parameters included in the status are corrected by "1.2 times." Similarly, if the total link points is within the range of "400-449%,," the correction is made by "1.4 times." If the total link points is within the range of "450-499%,," the correction is made by "1.6 times." If the total link points is "500%,," the correction is made by "1.8 times." When displaying the crystal's status on the crystal setting screen 60 and/or crystal details screen 70, the values before and after this correction based on the total link points may be displayed.

For example, if the attack power of a crystal is 100, the effect described above of "adding 20% of the crystal's attack power to the character's attack power" will have the effect of "adding 20 (= 100 x 0.2) to the character's attack power" if the crystal's status modifier based on the total number of link points is not taken into account. However, if the status modifier (1.4x) is taken into account when the total number of link points is 420%, the effect will be "adding 28 (= 100 x 1.4 x 0.2) to the character's attack power." In this way, the total number of link points can be said to be a parameter that strengthens the effects of the crystal.

Figure 16 is a diagram explaining the generation of the effects of crystals. As shown in the figure, the effect of a crystal set in a party is generated for characters in the party who are in the same series as the crystal (characters from "Series II" in the example of Figure 16). Furthermore, the link characters set in a crystal are characters in the same series as the crystal, and the crystal's status is corrected (buffed) by the total value of the link points of these link characters. As mentioned above, as the crystal's status is strengthened, the crystal's effects are also strengthened, so even if the link character is not in the party, they will contribute to the battle against enemy characters through the crystal's effects on the characters in the party.

Battles with enemy characters are controlled based on a comparison of the status of each character in the party and the enemy character. For example, when an ally character in the party attacks an enemy character, damage based on a comparison of their status is inflicted on the enemy character, while when an enemy character attacks an ally character, similar damage is inflicted on the ally character. If the party defeats all enemy characters (reducing their HP to 0), the party wins; however, if the HP of all characters in the party reaches 0 before all enemy characters are defeated, the party loses.

In the example above, the crystals are configured as items to support characters in the same series among the characters included in the party, but in addition to these crystals, items configured to support characters in the party with the same attribute (for example, to generate a specified effect) may also be applied. In this case, the party may be configured to selectively set items that support characters with the same attribute and crystals (only one can be set). This configuration improves the strategic use of items that support characters based on their series and items that support characters based on their attributes.

In the example described above, the link point value of a character is determined based on the completion status of the task associated with that character, but the task completion status is an example. In other examples of this embodiment, the link point value may be determined based on various other situations/conditions of the character; for example, the link point value may be determined based on at least a portion of the character's status (for example, the higher the character's level, favorability, etc. parameters, the higher the link point value).

The game providing server 10 according to the present embodiment described above controls the progress of a game based on the value of a first parameter (e.g., the total value of link points) possessed by a second object (e.g., a crystal) associated with a party including multiple first objects (e.g., characters), and the value of the first parameter is determined based on the first object associated with the second object (e.g., determined based on the completion status of a mission related to the link character). As a result, in addition to first objects such as characters included in the party, first objects associated with the second object also affect the progress of the game, making it possible to utilize first objects that are not included in the party. In other words, the game providing server 10 promotes the use of many characters in games that use parties including multiple characters.

In other embodiments of the present invention, some or all of the functions of the game providing server 10 in the above-described embodiments may be realized by cooperation between the game providing server 10 and the player terminal 30, or may be realized by the player terminal 30.

The processes and procedures described herein, in addition to those explicitly described, may be implemented using software, hardware, or any combination thereof. For example, the processes and procedures described herein may be implemented by implementing logic corresponding to the processes and procedures in media such as integrated circuits, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or magnetic disks. Furthermore, the processes and procedures described herein may be implemented as computer programs corresponding to the processes and procedures and executed by various computers.

Although processes and procedures described herein are described as being performed by a single device, software, component, or module, such processes or procedures may be performed by multiple devices, multiple software, multiple components, and/or multiple modules. Furthermore, the software and hardware elements described herein may be implemented by combining them into fewer components or breaking them down into more components.

In this specification, even if a component of the invention is described as either singular or plural, or is described without limitation as either singular or plural, the component may be either singular or plural unless the context requires otherwise.

10 Game providing server 11 Computer processor 111 Basic function control unit 112 Game progress control unit 15 Storage 151 Player information table 152 First object information table 153 Second object information table 154 Per-player first object management table 155 Per-player second object management table 156 Task information table 157 Per-player task management table 30 Player terminal 40 Game program 50 Party setting screen 60 Crystal setting screen 70 Crystal details screen 80 Link character display screen 90 Link character change screen

Claims (8)

A program for providing a game, which is installed on a computer,
setting a deck including a plurality of first characters selected from a plurality of characters owned by a player;
a step of setting, in response to an operation by the player, a plurality of second characters selected from among the plurality of characters possessed by the player, excluding the plurality of first characters included in the deck, to the object set in the deck and different from the characters;
displaying object information relating to the object, the object information including information relating to the second character set for the object;
the step of setting the second character includes setting the character placed by the player in an area selected by the player from among a plurality of areas associated with the object as the second character;
the object has an effect based on the second character having the same value of a predetermined classification as the object;
program. the step of setting the second character includes setting the character having the same value of the predetermined classification as the object as the second character , and not setting the character having a value of the predetermined classification different from the object as the second character ;
The program of claim 1. the step of setting the second character includes displaying, on the object, the character currently set as the second character and the character that can be newly set as the second character in a distinguishable manner;
The program of claim 1. The object has a first parameter;
the value of the first parameter is determined based at least on the plurality of second characters set for the object ;
causing the computer to further execute a step of controlling progress of the game based at least on the value of the first parameter;
The program of claim 1. The character is associated with a plurality of tasks, including reaching a predetermined level;
causing the computer to further execute a step of displaying completed tasks and uncompleted tasks included in the plurality of tasks in a distinguishable manner;
The program of claim 1. The deck is automatically set with one predetermined object.
The program of claim 1. 1. A system for providing a game, comprising one or more computer processors, comprising:
The one or more computer processors, in response to execution of the readable instructions:
setting a deck including a plurality of first characters selected from a plurality of characters owned by a player;
a step of setting, in response to an operation by the player, a plurality of second characters selected from among the plurality of characters possessed by the player, excluding the plurality of first characters included in the deck, to the object set in the deck and different from the characters;
displaying object information relating to the object, the object information including information relating to the second character set for the object;
the step of setting the second character includes setting the character placed by the player in an area selected by the player from among a plurality of areas associated with the object as the second character;
the object has an effect based on the second character having the same value of a predetermined classification as the object;
system. 1. A method executed by one or more computers for providing a game, comprising:
setting a deck including a plurality of first characters selected from a plurality of characters owned by a player;
a step of setting, in response to an operation by the player, a plurality of second characters selected from among the plurality of characters possessed by the player, excluding the plurality of first characters included in the deck, to the object set in the deck and different from the characters;
displaying object information relating to the object, the object information including information relating to the second character set for the object;
the step of setting the second character includes setting the character placed by the player in an area selected by the player from among a plurality of areas associated with the object as the second character;
the object has an effect based on the second character having the same value of a predetermined classification as the object;
method.