Method for tracking durations in a game

Abstract

A method for tracking multiple durations in a game without the need for any accounting is provided. The invention readily scales from tracking just a few durations to tracking many durations without slowing the game down. Furthermore, the method provides an opportunity for all players to verify the results, making it suitable for a competitive environment. The method can be applied to any kind of game in which there is a need to track durations over several rounds of play.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 512,112, filed on Oct. 17, 2003, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1) Field of Invention [0003] This invention relates to miniature games, board games, card games, and role-playing games. [0004] 2) Discussion of Related Art [0005] Almost all games employ rounds of players taking turns: each player among two or more players has the opportunity to do something, such as move a game piece or play a card. When all players have taken a turn, a new round begins and each player has a chance to act as the cycle repeats. [0006] Trouble can occur when something in the game, some temporary effect, is supposed to last for set number of rounds and then end—in other words, if that effect has a duration within the game. For example, consider a character in a game that is poisoned by a snake. We wouldn't e...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] A method for tracking multiple durations in a game without the need for any accounting is provided. The invention readily scales from tracking just a few durations to tracking many durations without slowing the game down. Furthermore, the method provides an opportunity for all players to verify the results, making it suitable for a competitive environment. The method can be applied to any kind of game in which there is a need to track durations over several rounds of play.

Problems solved by technology

Trouble can occur when something in the game, some temporary effect, is supposed to last for set number of rounds and then end—in other words, if that effect has a duration within the game.

This method can be tedious for a player and can slow the game down considerably when several effects are being tracked.

Such a drastically simplified approach, besides being unrealistic, also causes game balancing problems.

For example, it isn't possible to give a player a powerful effect for only a short period of time to balance that power.

A character that acquires a magic wand that lets that character put opponents to sleep, for example, may have gone from very weak character in the beginning of the game to a very powerful one for the rest of the game, upsetting game balance severely.

If the duration of such an item could be limited, then its impact on the game could also be limited, allowing players to enjoy the powerful effect while limiting its impact on the game.

In many games this is not possible because, again, of the inability to easily track durations.

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