JP7842355B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

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

Facing powerful enemy characters known as bosses is one of the most exciting aspects of computer games (hereinafter simply referred to as "games"). Sometimes a single player faces off against a boss character, while other times multiple players cooperate to take on a single boss.

When multiple players face a single powerful boss character, their shared objective fosters a stronger sense of teamwork and camaraderie.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-114385

The stronger the boss character, the greater the satisfaction of defeating them. On the other hand, beginners lacking sufficient skill may contribute very little to defeating the boss character.

When the boss character is weak, even beginners can easily contribute to defeating the boss, but advanced players may find it harder to experience the sense of accomplishment that comes with defeating it.

This invention was completed based on the inventor's recognition of the above-mentioned problem, and its primary objective is to provide a technology for controlling a game in a way that sets a common objective for multiple players and makes it easier for each player to contribute to achieving that common objective.

An information processing device in one aspect of the present invention includes a common event control unit that generates a common event when predetermined event conditions are met by a first player, and a related event control unit that controls the progress of related events associated with the common event for a plurality of players, including a second player.
The common event control unit updates the progress of a common event when the achievement conditions set in the related event are met by the second player, and does not update the progress if the achievement conditions are not met.

According to this invention, it becomes easier to increase the motivation of multiple players to contribute to a common objective in a computer game.

This is a hardware configuration diagram of the game system. This is a hardware configuration diagram for the game server. This is a functional block diagram of the game system. This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the appearance of boss characters and the battle against clones. This is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the main boss character and its clone boss. This is a screenshot of the battle selection screen. This flowchart shows the processing steps after a normal quest has been completed. This is a flowchart showing the process of handling a battle against clones. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the processing steps for the subjugation reward in S32. This is a schematic diagram to explain the guest participation system for the clone battle. This is a schematic diagram to explain the diversification of difficulty levels in clone battles. This is a schematic diagram to explain the system of playing multiple clone battles sequentially.

[overview]
After briefly describing the outline of the computer game assumed in this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "Game X"), the specific configuration and control method of the game system will be described. Game X is a free-to-play (F2P) game that runs on smartphones and other devices and can be played by multiple people.

First, a friendship relationship is established between the players. Specifically, when Player P2 sends a "friend request" to Player P1 and Player P1 accepts it, a friendship relationship is established between Player P1 and Player P2. Establishing a friendship relationship enables cooperative play, as described later.

Players possess multiple characters (hereinafter, characters owned by the player will be referred to as "P-characters"). Players use their P-characters to complete various tasks called "quests" and "missions." In quests, P-characters battle enemy characters. P-characters grow stronger through completing quests and other tasks. P-characters are also strengthened by equipping weapons and armor. Furthermore, P-characters are strengthened through various items. The stronger a P-character is, the easier it becomes to defeat stronger enemy characters.

When a player wins a regular quest, a special "boss character" will appear with a predetermined probability. The boss character has a main body and a clone (hereinafter referred to as the "clone boss"). The player who summoned the boss character, and players who are friends with this player, can play a battle game against the clone boss (hereinafter referred to as the "clone battle"). Multiple players will each play the clone battle individually. Hereafter, "boss character" will refer to the main body, not the clone boss.

Defeating a clone boss is called "repelling" it. Players aim to repel the clone boss in the clone battle. If the repel is successful, damage is dealt to the main boss character. Players can deal damage to the main boss character by repelling the clone boss, but they cannot directly attack the main boss character. When many players deal damage to the main boss character one after another through the clone battle, and the main boss character's hit points reach zero, the main boss character is defeated. Defeating the main boss character is called "extermination," and fighting the main boss character through the clone battle is called "extermination battle." When the main boss character is exterminated, various rewards (hereinafter referred to as "extermination rewards") are given to the players who contributed to the extermination.
In this embodiment, the reward for defeating monsters is game points, and players can exchange game points for items and the like.

Figure 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of the game system 200.
In the game system 200, a game server 100 and multiple game terminals 102a, 102b, 102c...102n (hereinafter collectively referred to as "game terminals 102" when referring to them together or without distinction) are connected via the internet 106. In this embodiment, the game terminals 102 are assumed to be smartphones. The game terminals 102 may be portable game consoles or general-purpose computers such as laptop PCs. The game terminals 102 and the internet 106 are connected wirelessly, but may also be connected via a wired connection. Each game player is assigned a unique ID called a player ID. The game server 100 provides game X to each game terminal 102.

Figure 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the game server 100.
The game server 100 includes a storage 312 as non-volatile memory for storing computer programs, a volatile memory 304 for expanding programs and data, registers, an arithmetic unit, an instruction decoder, etc., and a processor 300 (CPU: Central Processing Unit) that reads and executes programs from the memory 304. The processor 300 is connected to a relatively high-speed first bus 302. In addition to the memory 304, a NIC (Network Interface Card) is connected to the first bus 302. The first bus 302 is also connected to a GPU.
Other devices, such as a Graphics Processing Unit, may be connected.

The first bus 302 is connected to the relatively slower second bus 310 via a bridge 308. In addition to the storage 312, output devices 316 such as a monitor or speakers are connected to the second bus 310. Furthermore, input devices 314 such as a mouse or keyboard, and peripheral devices 318 such as a printer may also be connected to the second bus 310.

Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the game system 200.
The game system 200 includes a game server 100 and a game terminal 102. Each component of the game server 100 and game terminal 102 is realized by hardware including arithmetic units such as a CPU and various coprocessors, storage devices such as memory and storage, and wired or wireless communication lines connecting them, and software stored in the storage devices that supplies processing instructions to the arithmetic units. The computer program may consist of device drivers, an operating system, various application programs located at a higher layer, and libraries that provide common functions to these programs. The blocks described below represent functional units, not hardware units.
The game server 100 may include a web server, and the game terminal 102 may include a portable communication terminal and a web browser installed thereon.

(Game Server 100)
The game server 100 includes a communication unit 112, a data processing unit 110, and a data storage unit 114.
The communication unit 112 is responsible for communication processing with the game terminal 102 via the internet 106. The data storage unit 114 stores various types of data. The data processing unit 110 performs various processes based on the data acquired by the communication unit 112 and the data stored in the data storage unit 114. The data processing unit 110 also functions as an interface between the communication unit 112 and the data storage unit 114.

The data storage unit 114 includes a game data storage unit 130 and a player data storage unit 132.
The game data storage unit 130 stores the game program as well as setting information for game X. The player data storage unit 132 manages various information about the player, such as friend relationships.

The data processing unit 110 includes a player registration unit 116, a game control unit 124, and a friend management unit 152.
The player registration unit 116 accepts player registration from the game terminal 102 via the communication unit 112. When a player registration request is received, the player registration unit 116 assigns a player ID to the player.

The Friend Management Unit 152 manages the friendship relationships between players. Specifically, the Friend Management Unit 152 displays a list of other players on Player P2's game terminal 102. Player P2 selects a player they wish to befriend from the list screen (not shown) and sends a friend request. For example, suppose Player P2 requests Player P1 as a friend. Player P2's game terminal 102 sends the friend request to Player P1 to the game server 100, and the Friend Management Unit 152 notifies Player P1's game terminal 102 of the friend request from Player P2. Player P1 then chooses to accept or reject Player P2's friend request.

Player P1's game terminal 102 sends a reply to the game server 100 indicating acceptance or rejection. The Friend Management Unit 152 notifies Player P2 of Player P1's reply. When Player P1 accepts the friend request, the Friend Management Unit 152 registers Player P1 and Player P2 as friends in the Player Data Storage Unit 132.

The game control unit 124 controls the basic progress of game X.
The game control unit 124 includes a normal quest control unit 120, a bonus granting unit 122, a common event control unit 126, and a related event control unit 128. The normal quest control unit 120 controls the progress of normal quests (hereinafter referred to as "normal quests"). The player is always presented with multiple normal quests, and when the player selects a normal quest, the normal quest control unit 120 starts the selected normal quest.

The reward distribution unit 122 grants various rewards to the player according to the play results. The common event control unit 126 performs a lottery (hereinafter referred to as the "appearance lottery") to determine whether a boss character will appear when a normal quest is cleared. If the appearance lottery is successful, the common event control unit 126 considers the event conditions to be met and makes the boss character appear. The appearance of the boss character initiates the subjugation battle (common event). The appearance of the boss character may also be referred to as the "discovery" of the boss character.

The related event control unit 128 provides the opportunity to play the avatar battle (related event) to the player who fulfilled the event conditions, in other words, the player who "discovered" the boss character (hereinafter also referred to as the "discoverer"), and to another player who is friends with the discoverer (hereinafter simply referred to as the "friend"). The related event control unit 128 controls the progress of the avatar battle on each game terminal 102.

(Game terminal 102)
The game terminal 102 includes a user interface processing unit 136, a communication unit 134, a data processing unit 138, and a data storage unit 140.
The user interface processing unit 136 includes an input unit 142 that accepts operations from the player and an output unit 144 that performs image display and sound output. The output unit 144 includes a display unit 150 that displays various screens. The communication unit 134 is responsible for communication processing with the game server 100 and other game terminals 102 via the internet 106. The data storage unit 140 stores various data. The data processing unit 138 performs various processes based on the data acquired by the user interface processing unit 136 and the communication unit 134, and the data stored in the data storage unit 140. The data processing unit 138 also functions as an interface for the user interface processing unit 136, the communication unit 134, and the data storage unit 140.

The data processing unit 138 includes the game execution unit 146.
The game execution unit 146 works in conjunction with the game server 100 to control the progress of the game, particularly the normal quests and the clone battles. The game execution unit 146 of the game terminal 102 may be formed as a software module downloaded from the game server 100 as part of the functions of the game control unit 118.

The communication unit 134 acquires various game information from the game server 100, and the display unit 150 displays the game screen on the game terminal 102. The input unit 142 detects various inputs from the player, and some of the input information is notified to the game server 100. Based on the input information, the data processing unit 138, particularly the game execution unit 146, controls the progress of the game.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the appearance of a boss character and the battle against clones.
Here, we assume there are four players, Players P1 through P4. Friendships exist between Player P1 and Player P2, Player P1 and Player P3, and Player P3 and Player P4.

When player P1 completes a normal quest, that is, when the objective (mission) set in the normal quest is resolved and achieved, the boss character BA appears. At this time, the related event control unit 128 sets up a clone battle EA1 for player P1 (the discoverer), where they confront a clone boss of boss character BA. Also, the communication unit 112 of the game server 100 sends a "discovery notification" to player P1's friends P2 and P3.

The related event control unit 128 further sets up a clone battle EA2 on player P2's (friend's) game terminal 102, where the player confronts a clone boss of boss character BA, and also sets up a clone battle EA3 on player P3's (friend's) game terminal 102, where the player confronts a clone boss of boss character BA. As a result, players P1, P2, and P3 can play clone battles EA1, EA2, and EA3, respectively.

The battle against boss character BA begins when these three players each fight a battle on their respective game terminals 102. In other words, this battle is a concept that can be described as a cooperative battle group formed by the three players. Note that player P4 cannot participate in the battle against boss character BA because player P4 is not friends with player P1.

Similarly, suppose player P3 clears a normal quest and the boss character BB appears. The related event control unit 128 adds a clone battle EB1 to player P3 (the discoverer), where they will face a clone boss of boss character BB. The communication unit 112 sends discovery notifications to player P3's friends P1 and P4. The related event control unit 128 sets clone battles EB2 and EB3 for players P1 and P4, respectively. Since player P2 is not a friend of player P3, they cannot participate in the battle against boss character BB.

In summary, Player P1 can play the clone battle EA1 for boss character BA, which they discovered, and the clone battle EB2 for boss character BB, which Friend P3 discovered. Player P2 can play the clone battle EA2 for boss character BA, which Friend P1 discovered, but the clone battle for boss character BB is not set up. Player P3 can play the clone battle EB1 for boss character BB, which they discovered, and the clone battle EA2 for boss character BA, which Friend P1 discovered. And Player P4 can play the clone battle EB3 for boss character BB, which Friend P3 discovered. In this way, each player can participate in the group that hunts boss characters they discovered and the group that hunts boss characters discovered by their friends.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the main boss character and its clone boss.
This explanation assumes that player P1 discovers boss character BA, and players P1, P2, and P3 participate in a battle to defeat boss character BA. First, when the common event control unit 126 makes boss character BA appear, it determines the hit points (health value) of boss character BA. In this embodiment, the common event control unit 126 randomly selects a number within a predetermined range, for example, between 1 million and 100 million, and sets the selected number as the hit points of boss character BA. Players P1, P2, and P3 are not notified of the hit points of boss character BA.

Boss character BA is associated with clone bosses 162a, 162b, and 162c. Clone Battle EA1 is a game where you fight clone boss 162a of boss character BA. Player P1 fights clone boss 162a using their P character. Similarly, Clone Battle EA2 is a game where you fight clone boss 162b, and Clone Battle EA3 is a game where you fight clone boss 162c. Players P1, P2, and P2 each play Clone Battle EA1, EA2, and EA3 individually.

The common event control unit 126 randomly sets the hit points (attribute value) of the clone boss 162 within the range of 1,000 to 300,000. In this embodiment, the common event control unit 126 sets the hit points of clone bosses 162a, 162b, and 162c to the same value. When player P1 reduces the hit points of clone boss 162a to zero (a predetermined value) in clone battle EA1, the defeat is successful (the achievement condition is met). Defeating clone boss 162 may also be referred to as "clearing the clone battle."

The common event control unit 126 randomly selects one of four values (hereinafter referred to as "damage points"): "1,000", "5,000", "30,000", and "100,000" when the boss is defeated. The process of selecting damage points after defeating the clone boss 162 is called "damage lottery". The common event control unit 126 subtracts the selected damage points from the hit points of boss character BA. As described above, the player cannot directly attack the boss character BA itself, and indirectly reduces the hit points of boss character BA by defeating the clone boss 162. The remaining amount of hit points of boss character BA corresponds to the progress of the battle against boss character BA.
Hereafter, in order to distinguish between the hit points of the main boss character BA and the hit points of the clone boss 162, the hit points of the main boss character BA will be referred to as "main points," and the hit points of the clone boss 162 will be referred to as "clone points."

If player P2 can defeat clone boss 162b in clone battle EA2, the common event control unit 126 further reduces the main points of boss character BA (update executed). If player P2 loses to clone boss 162b, the common event control unit 126 does not reduce the main points (update not possible). In the clone battle, if the clone points (hit points of clone boss 162) become zero before the P character's hit points become zero, the player wins (successful defeat), and if the P character's hit points become zero before those of clone boss 162, the player loses (failed defeat).

Player P1 can continue to play Clone Battle EA1 repeatedly after defeating Clone Boss 162a, and can fight the same Clone Boss 162a multiple times. By repeatedly playing Clone Battle EA1 and defeating Clone Boss 162a, Player P1 can gradually reduce the main character's points. Furthermore, the more friends actively participate in the battle against boss character BA, the faster the main character's points will decrease.

As described above, the main points of the boss character BA gradually decrease as players P1, P2, and P3 play the clone battle on their respective game terminals 102. While players P1, P2, and P3 play the clone battle independently, they can foster a sense of camaraderie among themselves by cooperating to defeat the common and formidable boss character BA in a joint battle.

When the main points reach zero, the battle is considered successful, and the boss character BA disappears. Based on the player's contribution to defeating boss character BA, the reward distribution unit 122 grants each player a defeat reward (described later).

Assume that Player P1 is an experienced, advanced player with a powerful P-character, while Player P2 is an inexperienced, lower-ranking player without a powerful P-character. Since each of the 162 clone bosses has the same clone points, Player P1 has a higher chance of defeating clone boss 162a than Player P2 has a higher chance of defeating clone boss 162b.

After a successful defeat, the common event control unit 126 randomly selects damage points. Therefore, even if player P1 defeats clone boss 162a, it doesn't necessarily mean that significant damage will be dealt to boss character BA. On the other hand, if player P2 defeats clone boss 162b, significant damage may be dealt to boss character BA. Since damage points are determined by a damage lottery, even lower-ranked players have a chance to significantly contribute to defeating boss character BA. Conversely, advanced players have an advantage over clone boss 162, as they are more likely to defeat it.

Figure 6 is a screenshot of the battle selection screen 170.
In addition to the regular quest selection screen (not shown), the player can display a separate participation selection screen 170 (selection screen) for choosing a clone battle. The participation selection screen 170 includes a self-discovery area 178 and an other-discovery area 180. Figure 6 shows the participation selection screen 170 displayed by player P6 on the game terminal 102.

The self-discovery area 178 displays information about the boss character BC discovered by player P6. When player P6 has not discovered a boss character, the display unit 150 sets the self-discovery area 178 to a blank display. The other-discovery area 180 displays information about the boss characters BD, BE, and BF discovered by player P6's friends.

A predetermined "appearance period" is set for the boss character. In this embodiment, the appearance period is set to 50 hours. The common event control unit 126 makes the boss character retreat when 50 hours have elapsed since its appearance. Since the boss character escapes after the appearance period ends, each player must defeat the boss character as soon as it appears. In other words, if the appearance period expires without defeating the boss character, the discoverer and their friends who participated in the battle to defeat the boss character will no longer be able to play the battle against the boss character's clone boss.

The HP indicator 172 displayed in the self-discovery area 178 illustrates the remaining amount of the boss character BC's main points. The remaining amount of main points (progress of the battle) is indicated by the length of the HP indicator 172 gauge. However, as mentioned above, the actual numerical value (absolute value) of the main points is not notified to the player. The HP indicator 172 is merely a graph showing the progress of the battle. When player P6 touches the challenge button 174, the related event control unit 128 executes a clone battle for the boss character BC.

Multiple boss battle panels 176 are displayed in the other player discovery area 180. Player P6 can scroll through and display other boss battle panels 176 by operating the scroll bar 182. Boss battle panel 176a corresponds to boss character BD discovered by friend P5. Boss battle panel 176b corresponds to boss character BE discovered by friend P7, and boss battle panel 176c corresponds to boss character BF discovered by friend P11.

When player P6 touches the subjugation battle panel 176a, the related event control unit 128 starts a clone battle for boss character BD. A total of 28 players are participating in the subjugation battle for boss character BD (subjugation battle panel 176a), and there are 25 minutes remaining until boss character BD escapes. Since player P6 has previously played the clone battle on subjugation battle panel 176a, the display unit 150 adds a participation mark 184 indicating "Participating" to the subjugation battle panel 176a (an identifiable display). Each time a player plays a clone battle, the related event control unit 128 records in the player data storage unit 132, as part of the player information, which player participated in which boss character's subjugation battle, whether they defeated the clone boss 162, and how much damage was dealt to the main character's points.

Player P6 did not participate in the boss battle against boss character BE (battle panel 176b). Therefore, the display unit 150 does not assign the participation mark 184 to battle panel 176b. The same applies to battle panel 176c, which corresponds to boss character BF.

Upon successful defeat of the boss character, the reward distribution unit 122 awards rewards to the players who contributed to the defeat. "Players who contributed to the defeat" here refers to the player who discovered the boss character, the player who defeated the clone boss at least once in the clone battle, the player who delivered the final blow to the boss character, the player who inflicted the most damage on the boss character, etc. Further details will be discussed later in relation to Figure 9. Boss characters with low remaining main points become "prey" that are easier to obtain rewards from. When the HP indicator 172 gauge length shortens, players' motivation to participate is stimulated.

However, since the absolute value of the boss's base points is not disclosed to the player, a short gauge length doesn't necessarily mean the boss is close to being defeated. For boss characters with very high base points to begin with, a short gauge length might still indicate a surprisingly large amount of remaining base points. Conversely, for boss characters with low initial base points, a long gauge length might indicate the boss is close to being defeated. While the gauge length is a useful indicator, it doesn't show the actual remaining base points, so players need to carefully consider which battle to participate in.

Furthermore, as will be explained in more detail later, when a boss character that player P6 has previously participated in is defeated, player P6 can receive the defeat bonus even if the defeat was achieved by another player. Therefore, it is desirable for player P6 to actively participate in boss battles with characters they have previously participated in, from among the multiple boss battles displayed on the participation selection screen 170. The display unit 150 not only assigns a participation mark 184 to the boss battle panel 176 with prior experience, but also displays it higher (prioritizes display), making it easier for players to select boss battles with characters they have previously participated in.

Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing steps after a normal quest has been completed.
When a player completes a normal quest, the common event control unit 126 performs an appearance lottery (S10). The probability of winning the appearance lottery is set to approximately 1/10 to 1/20. If the appearance lottery is unsuccessful (N in S10), the subsequent processing is not executed.

When the appearance lottery is successful (Y in S10), the common event control unit 126 displays the boss character appearance screen (not shown) on the discoverer's game terminal 102 (S14). The common event control unit 126 randomly determines the boss character's body points from a predetermined range. The common event control unit 126 instructs the communication unit 112 to send a discovery notification to the discoverer's friend (S16). When the discovery notification is received, the display unit 150 of the game terminal 102 displays the boss character discovery screen (not shown). The related event control unit 128 sets up a clone battle for the friend (S18). As described above, at this time, the related event control unit 128 sets the clone points of the clone boss 162.

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the processing steps for the clone battle.
When the player selects one of the clone battles on the battle selection screen 170, the related event control unit 128 executes the clone battle, and the player plays a battle game against the clone boss 162 (S20). If the player fails to defeat the clone boss 162, that is, if the P character is defeated by the clone boss 162 (N in S20), the subsequent processing is not executed.

When the clone boss 162 is defeated (Y in S22), the common event control unit 126 performs a damage lottery (S24). The damage lottery determines the damage points. The common event control unit 126 updates the remaining main points by subtracting the damage points from the main points (S26). The reward granting unit 122 grants the player a defeat reward as a reward for defeating the clone boss 162. In this embodiment, the defeat reward is approximately 1000 game points.

When the boss character is defeated and its main points reach zero as a result of taking damage (Y in S30), the reward granting unit 122 further executes a defeat reward processing (S32) to grant defeat rewards to one or more players. Details of the defeat reward processing will be described later in relation to Figure 9. If the boss is not defeated (N in S30), the defeat reward processing in S32 is not executed.

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing steps for the subjugation reward in S32 of Figure 8.
When a boss is defeated, the reward granting unit 122 first grants the discoverer of the boss character that was targeted for defeat a "discovery reward (first reward)" (S40). For example, when the boss character BA discovered by player P1 is defeated, the reward granting unit 122 grants the discovery reward to player P1. The discovery reward may be game points, or the reward granting unit 122 may perform the action of "adding new items that can be exchanged for game points" as a discovery reward. Players can obtain discovery rewards by clearing normal quests and making boss characters appear.

Next, the reward granting unit 122 grants a "reward for defeating the clone boss 162 (second reward)" based on the number of times the clone boss 162 has been defeated (S42). For example, suppose player P2 has defeated the clone boss 162b three times in a battle against the boss character BA. When boss character BA is defeated, the reward granting unit 122 grants player P2 game points equal to the number of defeats multiplied by a predetermined point value as a reward for defeating the clone boss 162. By defeating the clone boss 162 many times in a battle against the clone boss, the player has the potential to acquire many rewards for defeating the clone boss.

Next, the reward distribution unit 122 awards the "MVP (Most Valuable Player) reward (second reward)" to the player who contributed the most to defeating the boss character (S44). When a player defeats the clone boss 162, damage points are calculated through a damage lottery. The common event control unit 126 calculates the cumulative damage points for each player. Among the multiple players who participated in the boss battle, the reward distribution unit 122 awards game points as the MVP reward to the player with the highest cumulative damage points. Players can expect to receive the MVP reward by defeating the same clone boss 162 multiple times.

Finally, the reward granting unit 122 grants the player who delivers the final blow to the boss character a "LA (Last Attack) reward (second reward)" (S46). When the player's main points reach zero as a result of defeating the clone boss 162, the reward granting unit 122 grants game points to this player as an LA reward. As the remaining main points decrease, the expectation of obtaining an LA reward increases, so the LA reward functions as an element that enhances the excitement of the final stages of the battle.

[Summary]
The game system 200 has been described above based on the embodiments.
In Game X, multiple players each independently confront the clone boss 162, while sharing the common goal of defeating the boss character by defeating the clone boss 162. Since the battle is not designed for multiplayer, each player can challenge the clone boss at a time that is convenient for them, regardless of the progress of other players.

Advanced players can defeat Clone Boss 162 more easily than lower-level players, so players can contribute more to the battle by strengthening their P-characters. On the other hand, since damage points are determined by damage lottery, even lower-level players have a chance to inflict significant damage on the boss character if they can defeat Clone Boss 162. Therefore, even lower-level players can contribute significantly to defeating the boss character. It is desirable that Clone Boss 162 be set at a level that is not too easy for advanced players and not too difficult for lower-level players.

Game server 100 does not notify the absolute value of the main points, but only the rate of decrease in the main points as the gauge length. While each player can estimate how close they are to successfully defeating the boss character based on the gauge length, they cannot be certain how much damage they need to inflict on the boss character to achieve the goal. As the gauge length decreases, expectations for defeat rewards such as LA bonuses increase, resulting in the final stages of the battle becoming an exciting moment for Game X.

On the other hand, even when the gauge length is long, the actual remaining points may not be that high. Even with a long gauge length, the possibility of near-defeat remains, which helps maintain player motivation. Furthermore, to obtain various defeat rewards such as MVP rewards and participation rewards, it is advantageous to participate in the boss battle early. MVP rewards and other such benefits can stimulate player motivation even when the boss is not near-defeat.

In particular, since the Last Attack (LA) bonus is obtained by delivering the final blow to a boss character, players need to pay attention to the gauge length of each boss character when aiming for the LA bonus. Even players who contributed little to defeating a boss character can receive the LA bonus if they deliver the final blow. Players who have actively participated in boss battles are encouraged to participate especially actively in the battles near the end of the fight to prevent others from obtaining the LA bonus.

The display unit 150 adds a participation mark 184 to the battle panels 176 in which the player has previously participated on the battle selection screen 170. Players are more likely to receive MVP and participation rewards for battles they have previously participated in than for battles they have not. Therefore, by clearly displaying the battle panels 176 in which the player has previously participated using the participation mark 184, it becomes easier for the player to select battle panels 176 that offer a higher chance of obtaining rewards.

The appearance of boss characters is determined by a random draw after clearing a regular quest. This increases the player's anticipation of a boss character's appearance after clearing a regular quest. Furthermore, the likelihood of a boss character appearing is effective in increasing the motivation to play regular quests.

After a boss character appears, a discovery notification is automatically sent to friends, allowing the discoverer and their friends to participate in the boss battle. This discovery notification creates a sense of emergency summoning among friends, adding excitement to the battle.

Even if the discoverer doesn't contribute to defeating the boss character, they can still receive a discovery bonus if a friend defeats the boss character for them. Players also benefit from simply discovering the boss character. The discovery bonus further increases anticipation for the boss character's appearance and motivates them to play regular quests.

Each time a boss character is discovered, a discovery notification is automatically sent to friends. This allows Game X to strengthen "connections" among friends by encouraging them to report discoveries to each other. It also provides numerous players with a sense of unity, solidarity, and shared purpose through the project of working together to defeat boss characters found by friends.

Players can expect future rewards for participating in numerous battles. These rewards encourage players to actively participate in battles.

The boss battles also have the effect of encouraging the formation of friendships. The more friends a player makes, the more likely they are to receive discovery notifications, increasing their opportunities to play in avatar battles. Furthermore, the more friends a player has, the more likely they are to have others defeat the boss characters they have discovered, thus increasing their chances of obtaining discovery rewards. In Game X, sharing the objective of defeating boss characters allows for a mutually supportive gameplay experience where players help and give to one another.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, and can be materialized by modifying the components without departing from the spirit of the invention. Various inventions may be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the embodiments and modifications described above. Also, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments and modifications described above.

Although the game system 200 was described as being composed of multiple game terminals 102 and one game server 100, some of the functions of the game terminals 102 may be implemented by the game server 100, and some of the functions of the game server 100 may be assigned to the game terminals 102. Furthermore, a third device other than the game terminals 102 and game server 100 may perform some of the functions of the game server 100 or the game terminals 102. The collection of functions of the game terminals 102 and game server 100 described in Figure 3 can also be broadly understood as a single "information processing device (game device)." How to distribute the multiple functions necessary to realize the present invention to one or more hardware components should be determined in consideration of the processing capabilities of each hardware component and the specifications required for the game system 200.

[Variations]
In this embodiment, the difficulty of the subjugation battle and the clone battle is set by the main body points and the clone points. As a variation, the difficulty of the subjugation battle and the clone battle may be set by parameters other than hit points. For example, the difficulty of the subjugation battle and the clone battle may be adjusted by factors such as the attack power, defense power, type of special attack of the clone boss 162, and the characteristics of the battle field. Multiple clone bosses 162 may appear in the clone battle, and the difficulty of the clone battle may be adjusted by the number of clone bosses 162 that must be defeated.

The difficulty of the boss battle may be adjusted based on the boss character's appearance period. The common event control unit 126 may increase the difficulty of the battle by shortening the appearance period, or decrease it by lengthening it.

Rewards such as defeat rewards and subjugation rewards do not have to be game points. Rewards may be content such as items or characters, or they may change the player's character attributes (e.g., hit points, attack power) to the player's advantage. Rewards may also grant players opportunities to challenge new regular quests. Rewards should be elements that are effective in helping the player progress through Game X advantageously or that expand their gameplay opportunities.

The explanation stated that the player can challenge the same avatar battle any number of times. As a variation, the game control unit 124 may set action points for the P character. The related event control unit 128 may allow the player to challenge the avatar battle on the condition that action points are consumed. The game control unit 124 recovers action points over time. In this case, the player can only play the avatar battle when sufficient action points have been accumulated.

The bonus-granting unit 122 may grant action points to the player as a type of bonus. Restricting the opportunity to participate in clone battles based on action points encourages the player to carefully consider which of the multiple subjugation battles to participate in.

Normal quests may have a pre-set difficulty level. The difficulty level can be set arbitrarily by the designer of Game X. The common event control unit 126 may set a higher difficulty level for the boss battle when a boss character appears after a high-difficulty normal quest has been cleared.

Specifically, the difficulty level of the regular quests is set to one of three levels: A (high), B (medium), or C (low). When a regular quest (A) is cleared, the common event control unit 126 summons a powerful boss character (A). For example, the common event control unit 126 randomly selects the boss character's (A) base points within the range of 50 million to 100 million (high range). When a regular quest (B) is cleared, the common event control unit 126 randomly selects the boss character's (B) base points within the range of 10 million to 60 million (medium range). When a regular quest (C) is cleared, the common event control unit 126 randomly selects the boss character's (C) base points within the range of 1 million to 20 million (low range).

When a difficult regular quest is cleared, the difficulty of the subsequent subjugation battle also increases. Players who can clear difficult regular quests are likely to be advanced players. Furthermore, advanced players generally tend to have friends who are also advanced players. Therefore, when an advanced player clears a difficult regular quest, the common event control unit 126 can provide a challenging subjugation battle that will be rewarding for advanced players.

On the other hand, when an easy regular quest is completed, the difficulty of the subjugation battle decreases. Since players attempting easy regular quests are likely to be lower-level players, the common event control unit 126 can control the difficulty of the subjugation battle to prevent it from becoming excessively difficult for lower-level players. This control method makes it easier for the common event control unit 126 to provide subjugation battles of appropriate difficulty according to the player's skill level.

The related event control unit 128 may set the difficulty of the clone battle according to the difficulty of the normal quest. Specifically, when normal quest (A) is cleared, the related event control unit 128 selects the clone points of the clone boss 162 from the range of 100,000 to 300,000 (high range). When normal quest (B) is cleared, the related event control unit 128 randomly selects the clone points from the range of 10,000 to 150,000 (mid range). When normal quest (C) is cleared, the related event control unit 128 randomly selects the clone points from the range of 1,000 to 20,000 (low range).

When a difficult regular quest is completed, the difficulty of the clone battle increases, and when an easy regular quest is completed, the difficulty of the clone battle decreases. In this case, it becomes easier to provide a clone battle of appropriate difficulty according to the player's skill level.

The main character's hit points do not change according to the difficulty of the normal quest, and the related event control unit 128 may only change the clone points. Alternatively, the common event control unit 126 may change the main character's hit points according to the difficulty of the normal quest, but not the clone points. Alternatively, both the main character's hit points and the clone points may be changed according to the difficulty of the normal quest.

As mentioned above, the difficulty of the subjugation battle and the clone battle may be adjusted by parameters other than the main character points and clone points.

The common event control unit 126 may make the boss character appear by means other than a random appearance lottery. For example, the common event control unit 126 may make the boss character appear when a specific normal quest among several normal quests is cleared. It may also randomly make a specific normal quest appear. The common event control unit 126 may also make the boss character appear when the player meets certain conditions in a normal quest, for example, when the player character clears a normal quest without taking any damage, or when the player character clears a normal quest within a predetermined time.

The common event control unit 126 may change the probability of winning the appearance lottery according to the difficulty level of the normal quest. For example, the common event control unit 126 may set the probability of a boss character appearing to 1/5 when a normal quest (A) is cleared, to 1/10 for normal quest (B), and to 1/20 for normal quest (C). Making it easier for boss characters to appear when a difficult normal quest is cleared will encourage players to challenge higher difficulty normal quests.

The strength of the clone boss 162 may be inversely proportional to the main boss's points. For example, the related event control unit 128 increases the initial value of the clone boss 162's clone points as the main boss's points decrease. This control method makes it more difficult to defeat the clone boss 162 as the battle nears its end, thus making the final stages of the battle more exciting. Furthermore, increasing the difficulty of the clone battle makes it easier for advanced players to obtain LA (Last Attack) rewards, thus providing a gameplay experience that favors skilled players of Game X.

A player character may have a level assigned to indicate their strength. The player character may gain experience points and level up when defeating the clone boss 162. When the boss character is defeated, the reward granting unit 122 may grant experience points to the player character of the player who participated in the battle as a reward for defeating the boss.

Suppose Player P1 discovers and defeats Boss Character BA1. After defeating BA1, the next Boss Character P1 discovers, BA2, may be stronger than the defeated BA1. The difficulty of the battles increases as Player P1 continues to discover boss characters, thus providing a continuously challenging and rewarding experience that scales with Player P1's skill level.

When player P1 discovers boss character BA1, player P1 may be prevented from discovering any new boss characters until boss character BA1 is defeated or its appearance period ends and boss character BA1 disappears. In other words, a player may be prevented from discovering more than one boss character at the same time.

Players may be assigned a rank (player rank). The rank is a concept indicating the player's proficiency with Game X, and may, for example, be an indicator of the player character's strength, level, or equipment. The game control unit 124 may set the rank according to the cumulative play time of Game X.

The range of players who can form friendships may be restricted according to their rank. For example, the Friend Management Unit 152 may restrict friend requests to players with rank 50 to only those with rank 40 or higher. This control method makes it easier to equalize the levels of players participating in raid battles. By leveling out the levels of players participating in raid battles, the chances of all players obtaining raid rewards become equal, making raid battles more exciting.

Players may form hunting groups based on relationships other than friendship. For example, the game server 100 may be equipped with a location management unit (not shown) that manages the current location of each player using GPS (Global Positioning System). When player P1 discovers a boss character, the communication unit 112 may send a discovery notification to players within a predetermined range from player P1's current location. This control method allows for the creation of impromptu hunting groups among players who are geographically close. Furthermore, when a user's profile is registered with the game server 100, hunting groups may be formed among players living in the same region (e.g., town). In addition to region, hunting groups may also be formed among players who share common attributes such as age and player registration time.

The reward distribution unit 122 may differentiate the rewards for defeating bosses depending on the boss character. Similarly, the reward distribution unit 122 may differentiate the rewards for defeating clone bosses 162. For example, the rewards for defeating strong boss characters may be set to be more advantageous to the player than the rewards for defeating weaker boss characters. The reward distribution unit 122 may award more game points as rewards for defeating bosses as the difficulty of the battle increases. Similarly, the reward distribution unit 122 may award more game points as rewards for defeating clone bosses as the difficulty of the battle increases.

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the guest participation method in the clone battle.
In this embodiment, when player P1 discovers boss character BA, it was explained that only player P1's friends can participate in the battle against boss character BA. Furthermore, it was explained that only one player can participate in a clone battle (hereinafter referred to as "solo play"). As a variation, two or more players may participate in a clone battle (hereinafter referred to as "multiplayer").

In Figure 10, Player P1 and Player P2 are friends. Player P5 is not friends with either Player P1 or P2. When Player P1 discovers the boss character BA, the related event control unit 128 sets up the clone battle EA1 for Player P1. At the same time, the related event control unit 128 sets up the clone battle EA2 for Player P2. Here, Player P2 can set up multiplayer for the clone battle EA2.

When Player P2 sets up multiplayer for the Avatar Battle EA2, the related event control unit 128 sends a recruitment notification to another game terminal 102. Here, let's assume Player P5 responds to Player P2's recruitment notification. At this point, Players P2 and P5 can play Avatar Battle EA2 simultaneously. Specifically, Player P2's P-character and Player P5's P-character cooperate to attack the Avatar Boss 162b in Avatar Battle EA2. Player P2 can more easily defeat the Avatar Boss 162b with Player P5's cooperation. Player P2 plays Avatar Battle EA2 as the host (first role), and Player P5 plays Avatar Battle EA2 as a guest (second role).

In the multiplayer mode, Player P5 can enjoy the clone battle EA2 with Player P2. After Player P5 plays clone battle EA2, the related event control unit 128 sets up clone battle EA4 for Player P5. Clone battle EA4 corresponds to the battle against the boss character BA discovered by Player P1. Afterward, Player P5 can play clone battle EA4 solo. Player P5 can also recruit participants for multiplayer as the host of clone battle EA4.

In other words, if Player P5 participates in the clone battle EA2, they can then participate in the boss battle against character BA, even if they are not friends with Player P1. Even players with few friends can increase their chances of participating in boss battles by actively participating in multiplayer.

The related event control unit 128 may set up clone battle EA4 for player P5, provided that the clone boss 162b is successfully defeated in clone battle EA2. When setting up clone battle EA4, the friend management unit 152 may automatically send a friend request from player P5 to player P1. This control method allows player P5 to expand their friend list through guest participation.

In the multiplayer clone battle EA2, when clone boss 162b is defeated, the reward granting unit 122 grants defeat rewards to both players P2 and P5. When a boss character is defeated, restrictions may be placed on the defeat rewards for players who participated only as guests. For example, the reward granting unit 122 may not grant discovery rewards, MVP rewards, or LA rewards to players who participated only as guests.

Figure 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the diversification of difficulty levels in clone battles.
In this embodiment, it was explained that the clone points are the same for each of the multiple players participating in the subjugation battle. In other words, it was explained that the difficulty level of each of the multiple clone battles associated with a given subjugation battle is the same. As a variation, the difficulty levels of the multiple clone battles associated with a single subjugation battle may be different from each other.

In Figure 11, for the boss character BG subjugation battle, clone battles EG1, EG2, EG3, and EG4 are set for each player P1, P2, P3, and P4, respectively. The related event control unit 128 may set the difficulty of the clone battles according to the player's rank. Specifically, the related event control unit 128 sets the difficulty of clone battle EG1 to level A (high) for player P1 (advanced player) with a rank of "100" or higher, the difficulty of clone battle EG4 to level B (medium) for player P5 (intermediate player) with a rank of "50-99", and the difficulty of clone battles EG2 and EG3 to level C (low) for players P2 and P3 (lower-level players) with a rank of "49 or lower".

As one example of difficulty adjustment methods, the related event control unit 128 may adjust the clone points. That is, clone bosses appearing in high-difficulty clone battles will have higher clone points (162), making them more difficult to defeat. The related event control unit 128 can also set the difficulty of clone battles according to the player's rank, providing all players with clone battles of appropriate difficulty.

Alternatively, the related event control unit 128 may randomly set the difficulty level of the clone battles. For example, when the related event control unit 128 sets clone battle EG1 for player P1, it randomly selects the difficulty level of clone battle EG1 from A, B, or C. Similarly, the related event control unit 128 may randomly select the difficulty levels of clone battles EG2, EG3, and EG4.

Players assigned to clone battles with a lower difficulty level relative to their rank will have an advantage, as they will more easily obtain defeat and kill rewards. Conversely, players assigned to clone battles with a higher difficulty level relative to their rank will be at a disadvantage. By setting the difficulty of the clone battles randomly (unequally), players will need to decide which clone battle to play on the battle selection screen (170) to maximize their chances of success.

The display unit 150 may also display the difficulty level of the clone battle on the subjugation battle panel 176. The player can then decide which clone battle to challenge by checking the difficulty level.

The display unit 150 displays numerous battles with varying difficulty levels on the battle selection screen 170. At this time, the display unit 150 may control the display order of the battle panels 176 according to the player's rank. For example, when the player's rank is B level (intermediate), the display unit 150 may display battle panels 176 corresponding to difficulty level B at the top. Alternatively, the display unit 150 may display only the battle panels 176 that match the player's rank on the battle selection screen 170. For example, for a B-level player, the display unit 150 may display only the battle panels 176 corresponding to difficulty level B on the battle selection screen 170.

The higher the difficulty of the clone battle, the more favorable the damage lottery may be for the player. Specifically, the lottery table should be set so that higher damage points are more likely to be selected as the difficulty of the clone battle increases. This control method allows players to inflict greater damage on the boss character by challenging higher difficulty clone battles. Furthermore, the reward granting unit 122 may set the defeat rewards more favorable to the player as the difficulty of the clone battle increases.

Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a system in which multiple clone battles are played sequentially.
In this embodiment, it was explained that one type of avatar battle is associated with one player for each battle. As a variation, multiple types of avatar battles may be associated with one player for each battle.

In Figure 12, for the boss character BH's subjugation battle, player P1 is associated with various clone battles EH1, EH2, EH3, etc. The difficulty of the clone battles increases in the order of EH1, EH2, and EH3. Initially, player P1 can only play clone battle EH1. If player P1 successfully defeats the clone in clone battle EH1, they can play the more difficult clone battle EH2. Furthermore, after clearing clone battle EH1, the related event control unit 128 only allows play of clone battle EH2 and prohibits retrying clone battle EH1.

Similarly, the clone battle EH3 becomes playable only after successfully defeating the clone in clone battle EH2. The related event control unit 128 prohibits replaying clone battle EH2 after it has been cleared. Player P1 can continuously improve their P-character by defeating clone boss 162, and as the P-character improves, the clone battles gradually become more difficult, thus providing Player P1 with a fresh and exciting experience.

The difficulty levels of the clone battles EH1, EH2, and EH3 may be the same, or the content of the clone battles may differ in aspects other than difficulty. For example, clone boss 162 in clone battle EH1 may only perform normal attacks, clone boss 162 in clone battle EH2 may perform normal attacks in addition to special attack Q1 (e.g., fire attack), and clone boss 162 in clone battle ED3 may perform normal attacks, special attack Q1, and special attack Q2 (e.g., lightning attack). With this control method, player P1 can look forward to what kind of developments and presentations will occur in each new clone battle, allowing them to approach each clone battle with a fresh feeling.

The reward granting unit 122 may offer different rewards depending on the clone battle. Specifically, when the player clears clone battle EH1, the reward granting unit 122 may grant the player defeat reward R1, and when clone battle EH2 is cleared, it may grant the player defeat reward R2, which is more advantageous than defeat reward R1, or different from defeat reward R1. By diversifying the defeat rewards as the player continues to clear clone battles, the player's motivation to challenge the clone battles again can be stimulated.

In Figure 12, similarly, the battles against other boss characters BI are associated with clone battles EI1, EI2, EI3, etc. Player P1 can challenge clone battle EI2 only after defeating clone boss 162 in clone battle EI1. Similarly, Player P1 will not be granted the right to challenge clone battle EI3 unless they clear clone battle EI2.

Player P1 can participate in battles against both boss characters BH and HI. Initially, Player P1 can challenge clone battles EH1 and EI1. Suppose Player P1 clears clone battle EH1. At this point, the related event control unit 128 may grant Player P1 the right to challenge not only clone battle EH2 but also clone battle EI2. More specifically, the difficulty levels of clone battles EH1, EH2, and EH3 are set to C level (low), B level (medium), and A level (high), respectively. Similarly, the difficulty levels of clone battles EI1, EI2, and EI3 are set to C level (low), B level (medium), and A level (high), respectively. In other words, the difficulty levels of clone battles EH1 and EI1, EH2 and EI2, and EH3 and EI3 correspond to each other. When the clone battle EH1(C) is cleared, it is assumed that player P1 has the ability to clear a C-level clone battle and also the ability to perform well in a B-level clone battle. At this point, the related event control unit 128 grants the player the right to challenge not only clone battle EI1(C) but also clone battle EI2(B), which is considered to be of an appropriate difficulty level for player P1. With this control method, clearing clone battle EH1(C) grants the player the right to challenge clone battle EI2, essentially like "skipping a grade," thus freeing the player from the hassle of clearing clone battle EI1(C), which is too easy for their level.

In this embodiment, the damage selection process was described as selecting one of four types of damage points. As a variation, the common event control unit 126 may randomly select one damage point from a predetermined range, for example, from 1,000 to 100,000.

The common event control unit 126 may change the damage lottery table according to the player's rank. Specifically, the common event control unit 126 may perform the damage lottery based on a lottery table in which rank A players (advanced players) are more likely to select larger damage points than rank B players (intermediate players). As players increase their rank, they become more likely to contribute to the subjugation battle and acquire subjugation rewards, thus stimulating their motivation to play Game X.

The common event control unit 126 may allow the boss character's main points to recover over time. In other words, the boss character may be granted regeneration capabilities. In this case, players will need to concentrate their attacks on the boss character in a short period of time, which makes it easier to encourage a large number of players to participate in the clone battle.

In this embodiment, the objective of the subjugation battle (common event) was explained as reducing the boss character's main points to zero. However, the objective of the common event is not limited to defeating the boss character; it can be set arbitrarily. For example, players may play a shooting game (related event), and when the total score earned by multiple players reaches a predetermined threshold, the objective of the common event may be considered achieved. Alternatively, players may play an action game (related event), and when the cumulative game time by multiple players reaches a predetermined threshold, the objective of the common event may be considered achieved.

In this embodiment, battles in which a player is participating are distinguishable from battles in which they are not participating by adding a participation mark 184 to the battle panel 176. However, the display unit 150 may also distinguish between battles in which a player is participating and those in which they are not participating by varying the display order, size, color, etc., of the battle panel 176, rather than using only the participation mark 184.

In addition, the display unit 150 may display the battle panels 176 corresponding to the battles in a manner that allows for mutual identification using various methods. The display unit 150 may also display battles in which the player has successfully defeated the clone boss 162 and battles in which the player has not. The display unit 150 may prioritize battles in which the player has participated frequently. The display unit 150 may prioritize battles that are considered to offer the player the closest opportunity to receive the MVP reward, or battles with less time remaining before the boss character escapes. Alternatively, the display unit 150 may prioritize battles with fewer participants. Fewer participants offer an advantage to the player in that it makes it easier to obtain battle rewards such as MVP rewards and participation rewards.

The display unit 150 may prioritize displaying battles with shorter gauge lengths, or it may display battle panels 176 for battles with particularly short gauge lengths in a different color from the other battle panels 176. Furthermore, as described above, the display unit 150 may control the display order of the battle panels 176 according to the difficulty level of the battle or clone battle.

From the above description of embodiments and modifications, the following invention can be understood. A1. A common event control unit that generates a common event when predetermined event conditions are met by the first player,
The system includes an associated event control unit that controls the progress of associated events associated with the common event for multiple players, including a second player,
The common event control unit is an information processing device that updates the progress of the common event when the achievement conditions set in the related event by the second player are met, and does not update the progress if the achievement conditions are not met.

According to the invention described in A1, a common event can be advanced by a different second player fulfilling the achievement conditions in related events. Since the objective of advancing the common event is achieved by multiple players, including the second player, each fulfilling the achievement conditions in related events, a sense of solidarity based on the common event can be fostered among multiple players. Furthermore, because players can contribute to the progress of the common event by fulfilling the achievement conditions, it becomes easier for them to make their own contributions even when there are differences in skill levels among players.

A2. The information processing device according to A1, further comprising a reward granting unit that grants a first reward to the first player when the progress of the common event reaches a predetermined value.

According to the invention described in A2, since players can obtain rewards by triggering common events, it is possible to increase the player's anticipation regarding whether or not the event conditions will occur.

A3. The information processing device described in A2, wherein the reward granting unit grants a second reward to a second player who has fulfilled the achievement conditions for a related event associated with the common event when the progress of the common event reaches a predetermined value.

According to the invention described in A3, players who have previously met the achievement conditions for related events may be eligible for rewards, thus encouraging active participation from players in related events.

A4. The common event control unit is an information processing device according to any one of A1 to A3, which determines whether the event condition is met when the mission is completed by the first player.

According to the invention described in A4, since the mission must be completed in order for the event conditions to be met, it becomes easier to stimulate the player's motivation to complete the mission.

A5. The related event control unit, when the event condition is met, sets the difficulty level of the related event associated with the common event according to the difficulty level predetermined for the mission achieved by the first player, as described in A4.

According to the invention described in A5, the difficulty of related events is set according to the difficulty of the mission, making it easier to set related events that match the player's skill level. Furthermore, if easier related events are set upon completing a difficult mission, it becomes easier to motivate players to take on more challenging missions.

A6. The second player is a player that has a predetermined relationship with the first player,
The information processing device according to any one of A1 to A5, wherein the related event control unit permits the second player to play the related event associated with the common event in a first role, and permits a third player, who is not related to the first player, to play the related event in a second role.

According to the invention described in A6, even a third player who has not established a "predetermined relationship" with the first player can participate in a common event based on the first player through the second player as an intermediary, thus flexibly expanding the opportunities for players to participate in common events.

A7. Further comprising a display unit that displays a selection screen for the relevant event to be played to the player,
The information processing device according to A4, wherein the display unit displays related events that the second player has played and related events that the second player has not played in a manner that is identifiable to the second player.

According to the invention described in A7, players can more easily identify committed related events or related events that offer a higher chance of obtaining rewards.

A8. The related event control unit, when the second player plays a related event associated with the common event in a multiplayer manner, allows the third player, who participated in the second player's multiplayer in the second role, to play the related event in the first role after the multiplayer session of the related event, as described in A6.

According to the invention described in A8, a third player can participate in the same common event role with the first role by participating in the related event with the second player using the second role, thereby increasing the motivation to participate in multiplayer. Furthermore, it is effective in increasing the number of applicants when recruiting participants for multiplayer.

A9. Further comprising a display unit that displays a selection screen for the relevant event to be played to the player,
The information processing device according to any one of A1 to A8, wherein the display unit changes the display priority of multiple related events corresponding to multiple common events generated by players other than the second player, based on the play history of the second player.

According to the invention described in A9, it becomes easier to select relevant events appropriate for the player based on their play history.

A10. The common event control unit updates the progress of the common event associated with the related event based on an update level selected from multiple update levels when the achievement conditions of the related event are met by any of the multiple players, as described in any of A1 to A9.

According to the invention described in A10, when a player fulfills the achievement conditions for a related event, their contribution to the common event is determined based on the selection of their update level. Therefore, even beginners can have a significant opportunity to contribute to the common event.

A11. Further comprising a display unit that displays a selection screen for the relevant event to be played to the player,
The aforementioned common event is associated with multiple related events of varying difficulty levels.
The display unit is an information processing device according to any one of A1 to A10, which displays the plurality of related events along with their difficulty levels on the selection screen.

According to the invention described in A11, by varying the difficulty level of related events, diversity is added to the related events, and players can more easily choose related events with a difficulty level that suits them.

A12. The related event control unit sets related events that the second player can play according to the rank of the second player, as described in any of A1 to A11.

According to the invention described in A12, it becomes easier to select and limit relevant events appropriate for the player, depending on the player's rank, or in other words, their skill level.

A13. The information processing device according to A12, wherein the related event control unit executes a battle game against an enemy character as a related event associated with a common event, and makes the attribute values of the first enemy character in the first related event associated with the common event different from the attribute values of the first enemy character in the second related event associated with the common event.

According to the invention described in A13, by making the attribute values of enemy characters different for each related event, it becomes possible to bring diversity to related events.

A14. The information processing device according to A12 or A13, wherein the common event control unit updates the progress of the common event at a different update rate depending on the difficulty level of the related event when the achievement conditions of the related event are met by the second player.

According to the invention described in A14, for example, it becomes possible to control the game so that clearing difficult related events brings the player significantly closer to achieving the objective of the common event, thereby increasing the motivation to take on difficult related events.

A15. The information processing device according to any one of A12 to A14, wherein the related event control unit, triggered by the second player fulfilling the achievement conditions for the first related event associated with the first common event, permits the second player to play the second related event associated with the first common event.

According to the invention described in A15, the second related event cannot be played unless the completion conditions of the first related event are met. Therefore, it is easier to motivate the player to fulfill the completion conditions of the first related event. Furthermore, because multiple related events are played sequentially, it is possible to create a sense of anticipation for the content of the new related events in the player's mind.

A16. The second related event associated with the first common event is set to a higher difficulty level than the first related event.
The second common event is associated with a third related event and a fourth related event that is set to be of a higher difficulty than the third related event.
The related event control unit, upon the second player fulfilling the achievement conditions for the third related event, permits the second player to play the fourth related event, and
The information processing device according to A15, which, when the second player has met the achievement conditions for the first related event, allows the second player to play the fourth related event even if the second player has not met the achievement conditions for the third related event.

According to the invention described in A16, in multiple common events, by granting the right to challenge a second common event from an appropriate related event based on the play history related to the first common event, the player is freed from the hassle of dealing with a third related event that is not suited to their level.

A17. When the first player satisfies a predetermined event condition, the computer generates a common event.
The computer controls the progress of related events associated with the common event for each of the multiple players, including the second player.
An information processing method in which a computer updates the progress of a common event when the achievement conditions set in the related event by the second player are met, and does not update the progress if the achievement conditions are not met.

According to the invention described in A17, the same effects as those described in A1 can be achieved.

A18. A function to trigger a common event when predetermined event conditions are met by the first player,
A function to control the progress of related events associated with the common event for each of multiple players, including a second player,
A program that causes a computer to perform the following functions: updating the progress of the common event when the achievement conditions set in the related event are met by the second player, and not updating the progress if the achievement conditions are not met.

According to the invention described in A18, the same effects as those described in A1 can be achieved.

100 Game Server, 102 Game Terminal, 106 Internet, 110 Data Processing Unit, 112 Communication Unit, 114 Data Storage Unit, 116 Player Registration Unit, 120 Normal Quest Control Unit, 122 Bonus Granting Unit, 124 Game Control Unit, 126 Common Event Control Unit, 128 Related Event Control Unit, 130 Game Data Storage Unit, 132 Player Data Storage Unit, 134 Communication Unit, 136 User Interface Processing Unit, 138 Data Processing Unit, 140 Data Storage Unit, 142 Input Unit, 144 Output Unit, 146 Game Execution Unit, 150 Display Unit, 152 Friend Management Unit, 162 Clone Boss, 170 Participation Selection Screen, 172 HP Indicator, 174 Challenge Button, 176 Extermination Battle Panel, 178
Self-discovery area, 180 Other-discovery area, 182 Scroll bar, 184 Participation mark, 200 Game system, 300 Processor, 302 First bus, 304 Memory, 308 Bridge, 310 Second bus, 312 Storage, 314 Input devices, 316 Output devices, 318 Peripherals

Claims (5)

The processor comprises,
When a predetermined event condition is met by the first player, a first event is triggered, the predetermined event condition is that the first player fulfills a predetermined condition in a quest associated with the first event, and the difficulty level of the first event is set according to the difficulty level of the quest associated with the first event.
The aforementioned first event is associated with multiple second events of varying difficulty levels.
For a second player different from the first player, a second event is set that the second player can play, according to the rank of the second player.
If the achievement conditions set in the second event are met by the second player, the progress of the first event is updated; if the achievement conditions are not met, the progress is not updated.
Information processing device. The processor displays to the second player, in a selectable manner, the second event that the second player can play, in a manner that allows the difficulty level to be identified.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. The processor generates a first event when a predetermined event condition is met by a first player, the predetermined event condition being the fulfillment of a predetermined condition in a quest associated with the first event, the difficulty of the first event being set according to the difficulty of the quest, and the first event being associated with a plurality of second events of different difficulty levels.
The processor sets a second event that the second player can play, according to the rank of the second player, for a second player different from the first player.
The processor updates the progress of the first event if the achievement condition set in the second event by the second player is met, and does not update the progress if the achievement condition is not met.
Information processing methods. The processor is instructed to generate a first event when a predetermined event condition is met by a first player, the predetermined event condition being the fulfillment of a predetermined condition in a quest associated with the first event, and the difficulty of the first event being set according to the difficulty of the quest.
The aforementioned first event is associated with multiple second events of varying difficulty levels.
The processor is instructed to set a second event that can be played by a second player, who is different from the first player, according to the rank of the second player.
The processor is instructed to update the progress of the first event if the achievement conditions set in the second event by the second player are met, and not to update the progress if the achievement conditions are not met.
program. Equipped with a server and multiple terminal devices,
The server generates a first event on a first terminal device used by a first player when predetermined event conditions are met on the first terminal device, the predetermined event conditions being the fulfillment of the conditions of a quest associated with the first event, and the difficulty level of the first event is set according to the difficulty level of the quest.
The aforementioned first event is associated with multiple second events of varying difficulty levels.
For a second terminal device used by a second player different from the first player, the second event is set to be playable by the second player according to the rank of the second player.
If the achievement conditions set in the second event are met by the second player, the progress of the first event is updated; if the achievement conditions are not met, the progress is not updated.
system.