Information processor, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To motivate a player to play a game.SOLUTION: Provided is an information processor having a determination part for determining an attribute of a material object that a user can acquire by playing a quest on the basis of difficulty set to the quest that the user plays, and a control part for controlling a base object regarding to which of multiple changed objects it is changed on the basis of an attribute of a material object to be consumed when the material object is consumed for the base object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a game in which a quest is cleared using a team composed of a plurality of objects called a deck. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a game in which a quest is executed using a player character possessed by a user.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a game as described above, it is necessary to enable a user to enjoy the game without getting bored.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program that can give a user a motivation to play a game.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a determination unit that determines an attribute of a material object that can be acquired by a user by playing a quest based on a difficulty level set for the quest played by the user, and a control unit that controls, based on the attribute of the material object consumed when the material object is consumed for a base object, which of a plurality of post-change objects the base object is changed to.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to give users a motivation to play the game. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the system configuration of the game system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of a game server and terminal. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the functional block structure of a game server. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the functional block configuration of a terminal. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a user management database and a character definition database. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a character transformation pattern. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of the processing steps performed by the game server. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of the processing steps performed by the game server. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of a game screen displayed on a device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In each drawing, components denoted by the same reference numerals have the same or similar configurations.

[0010] <System Configuration> Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration of the game system 1 according to this embodiment. The game system 1 shown in Figure 1 comprises a game server 10 and one or more terminals 20. The game server 10 and the terminals 20 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate via a communication network N such as the Internet, intranet, wireless LAN, or mobile communication.

[0011] The game server 10 is a device that performs some of the functions necessary for the terminal 20 to provide the game, such as managing various information about the player or executing some of the game's processing. The game server 10 may consist of one or more information processing devices, or it may be configured using a virtual server (such as a cloud server).

[0012] Terminal 20 is an information processing device that provides the game to the player, and the player can execute the game according to this embodiment by operating Terminal 20. Terminal 20 is, for example, a computer such as a mobile phone (including a smartphone), tablet, personal computer, arcade game machine, or consumer game machine. Terminal 20 notifies the game server 10 of its own location detected using GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like.

[0013] <Game Overview> Next, an overview of the game provided by Game System 1 according to this embodiment will be described. In the game provided by Game System 1, users (who may also be called players) can obtain new objects by clearing quests using a deck they have assembled. Furthermore, users can challenge more difficult quests by generating stronger objects from multiple objects they have obtained or by strengthening the attributes of objects. Objects may also be called game objects or game media. Objects may also be characters, items, game cards, etc.

[0014] A quest means a task that can be cleared by meeting certain predetermined conditions. Quests are generally also called explorations, tasks, and missions. A user who plays a quest can clear the quest by meeting the certain conditions, and when the quest is cleared, the user is given a reward or the game story progresses. Difficulty levels are set for quests. The difficulty level is an indicator showing the difficulty of playing a quest, and for example, it may indicate that quests are increasingly difficult in the order of A, B, C, ···. For example, a quest with a difficulty level of B may be a quest that is more difficult to play than a quest with a difficulty level of A. A quest that is difficult to play includes, but is not limited to, a quest that is difficult to clear because the enemy characters are strong, a quest that is difficult to clear because the operations are difficult, and a quest that is difficult to clear because the play time is long.

[0015] In this embodiment, it is assumed that various quests are provided in the game, but this embodiment is not limited thereto, and for example, only one quest may be provided. The term "quest" in this embodiment may mean the game itself. In this embodiment, a user executing the game or executing a quest may also be referred to as playing the game or playing a quest.

[0016] A deck means a group combining a plurality of objects. A user can compile a deck with objects selected from among the plurality of objects the user possesses.

[0017] In this embodiment, an object can be changed by consuming another object with respect to a certain object. The object for which another object is consumed is referred to as the "base object". Also, the other object to be consumed is referred to as the "material object". Further, the base object that has changed by consuming the material object is referred to as the "changed object". Note that, by consuming the material object with respect to the changed object, the changed object may be changed to another changed object. In this case, the changed object corresponds to the base object.

[0018] When a material object is consumed with respect to a base object, the base object may change to a changed object and the material object may disappear. That is, the base object may change to a changed object by consuming the material object. Also, "consuming a material object with respect to a base object" may include synthesizing the base object and the material object.

[0019] The material object can be obtained by playing a quest. The material object may be obtainable during the play of the quest or may be obtainable by clearing the quest. An attribute is set for the material object, and the attribute of the material object is determined (set) based on the difficulty level of the quest from which the material object can be obtained.

[0020] The base object changes to any one of a plurality of changed objects by the consumption of the material object. Which of the plurality of changed objects the base object changes to is determined based on the attribute of the consumed material object. For example, when a material object with an attribute of difficulty level A is consumed, the base object may change to changed object A, and when a material object with an attribute of difficulty level B is consumed, the base object may change to changed object B.

[0021] <Hardware Configuration> Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the game server 10 and terminal 20. The game server 10 and terminal 20 consist of a processor 11 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), a storage device 12 such as memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and / or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and a communication interface for wired or wireless communication. The interface (13) includes an input device 14 that accepts input operations and an output device 15 that outputs information. The input device 14 is, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse, and / or a microphone. The output device 15 is, for example, a display, a touch panel, and / or a speaker.

[0022] <Functional Block Configuration> (Game Server) Figure 3 shows an example of the functional block configuration of the game server 10. The game server 10 includes a storage unit 100, a reception unit 101, a determination unit 102, an assignment unit 103, a control unit 104, and a display control unit 105. The storage unit 100 can be implemented using a storage device 12 provided by the game server 10. The reception unit 101, determination unit 102, assignment unit 103, control unit 104, and display control unit 105 can be implemented by the processor 11 of the game server 10 executing a program stored in the storage device 12. The program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium storing the program may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, but may be a storage medium such as a USB memory or CD-ROM.

[0023] The memory unit 100 stores the game data necessary for the game server 10 to run the game. The game data includes various databases.

[0024] The reception unit 101 receives various inputs from the terminal 10. For example, the reception unit 101 receives the selection of the quest to play, the specification of material objects to be consumed for the base object, and so on.

[0025] The determination unit 102 determines the attributes of the material objects that the user can obtain by playing the quest, based on the difficulty level set for the quest the user is playing.

[0026] The granting unit 103 grants objects to the user according to the results of playing the quest, etc. For example, the granting unit 103 grants the user a material object with attributes determined by the determination unit 102. Note that the determination unit 102 may be part of the granting unit 103. In other words, the granting unit 103 may grant the user a material object with attributes corresponding to the difficulty level set for the quest the user is playing.

[0027] When a material object is consumed for a base object, the control unit 104 controls which of the multiple transformed objects the base object will be transformed into, based on the attributes of the material object being consumed.

[0028] The display control unit 105 displays various game-related screens on the terminal 20's display. For example, the display control unit 105 may display the game area and the selected position within the game area in a way that is visible to the user.

[0029] (terminal) Figure 4 shows an example of the functional block configuration of terminal 20. Terminal 20 includes a storage unit 200, a communication unit 201, a UI (User Interface) unit 202, and a control unit 203. The storage unit 200 can be implemented using a storage device 12 provided by terminal 20. The communication unit 201, the UI unit 202, and the control unit 203 can be implemented by the processor 11 of terminal 20 executing a program stored in the storage device 12. This program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium on which the program is stored may be a computer-readable non-temporary storage medium. The non-temporary storage medium is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a USB memory or a CD-ROM.

[0030] The memory unit 200 stores the game data necessary for the control unit 203 to execute the game. The game data includes image data, game scenarios, and the like.

[0031] The communication unit 201 has the function of performing various types of communication with the game server 10 using the communication IF 13.

[0032] The UI unit 202 has the function of receiving various inputs from the user and displaying various game screens on the display. The UI unit 202 also displays the game screen on the output device 15 (display) of the terminal 20 according to the instructions of the game server 10.

[0033] The control unit 203 works in conjunction with the game server 10 to provide various functions necessary for running the game. For example, the control unit 203 provides functions such as obtaining various information (icon image data, text data, etc.) from the game server 10 for drawing on the game screen.

[0034] Regarding the functional block configuration described above, it is also possible to configure the terminal 20 to have all or part of the following components included in the game server 10: the storage unit 100, the reception unit 101, the determination unit 102, the assignment unit 103, the control unit 104, and the display control unit 105, in the storage unit 200 or control unit 203 of the terminal 20. In other words, the various processes according to this embodiment may be executed in the game server 10, in the terminal 20, or in cooperation with the game server 10 and the terminal 20.

[0035] <Processing Procedure> Next, we will explain the specific processing steps performed by Game System 1. For convenience, in the following explanation, the base object and the transformed object will be assumed to be characters controlled by the user. Also, in the following explanation, the base object and the transformed object will be referred to as the "base character" and the "transformed character," respectively. Furthermore, the material object will be assumed to be an item obtainable by clearing a quest. In the following explanation, the material object will be referred to as a "material item." However, this embodiment is not limited to these.

[0036] Figure 5 shows an example of the user management DB 100a and the character definition DB 100b. The user management DB 100a is a database that stores various information about the user, such as a unique identifier (user ID) that identifies the user, the username (nickname) used in the game, the characters the user owns (owned characters), the quantity of each attribute of material items the user owns, the location of the terminal 20 used by the user (location information), the user's experience points, level, stamina, and number of skip rights (for example, the number of rights to skip quests). In Figure 5, A, B, and C in "Material Items" represent material items of attribute A, attribute B, and attribute C, respectively.

[0037] Character Definition DB100b is a database that stores information about the characters that appear in the game. Character Definition DB100b stores a unique identifier for each character (Character ID), a parameter indicating the character's rarity (rarity), information defining the transformation patterns when a character changes (transformation pattern information), and initial values ​​for various parameters indicating the character's strength (level, luck, HP (hit points), attack power, speed, etc.).

[0038] Rarity may indicate that a higher parameter value indicates greater scarcity (i.e., difficulty in obtaining). For example, between a character with low rarity and a character with high rarity, the character with high rarity may be considered rarer (i.e., more difficult to obtain). Additionally, a character's parameter may indicate that a higher value means the character is more powerful.

[0039] Figure 6 shows an example of a character transformation pattern. In the example in Figure 6, it is assumed that the material items granted by playing quests of difficulty levels A, B, and C are material items of attribute A, B, and C, respectively. Furthermore, the difficulty increases in the order of A, B, and C. Since quests of higher difficulty are more difficult to play, it is assumed that material items of attribute B are more difficult to obtain than material items of attribute A, and material items of attribute C are more difficult to obtain than material items of attribute B.

[0040] In Figure 6, base character C10 transforms into first-stage transformed character C100 when a material item of attribute A (also called material A) is consumed. Base character C10 also transforms into first-stage transformed character C110 when a material item of attribute B (also called material B) is consumed. Base character C10 transforms into first-stage transformed character C120 when a material item of attribute C (also called material C) is consumed. Transformed character C110 has higher abilities than transformed character C100, and transformed character C120 has higher abilities than both transformed character C110 and transformed character C100.

[0041] Furthermore, when the material item is consumed, the transformed character C100 transforms into one of the predetermined number (five types in the example of Figure 6) of second-stage transformed characters C101 to C105. Similarly, when the material item is consumed, the transformed character C110 transforms into one of the predetermined number (five types in the example of Figure 6) of second-stage transformed characters C111 to C115. Similarly, when the material item is consumed, the transformed character C120 transforms into one of the predetermined number (five types in the example of Figure 6) of second-stage transformed characters C121 to C125. The control unit 104 may control which of the multiple second-stage transformed characters the first-stage transformed character transforms into, depending on the attributes of the material item. When a first-stage transformed character transforms into a second-stage transformed character, the first-stage transformed character and the second-stage transformed character may be called the base character and the transformed character, respectively.

[0042] Here, material items may be associated with attributes other than those corresponding to the difficulty level of the quest as described above. These attributes and other attributes may be called the first type of attribute and the second type of attribute, respectively. These other attributes may be determined, for example, according to the attribute of the quest being played (fire attribute, water attribute, dark attribute, etc.). The control unit 104 may also control which of the multiple second-stage transformed characters the first-stage transformed character will be transformed into, according to the "other attribute" of the material item. For example, if the material item has the fire attribute, it may be transformed into a transformed character with the fire attribute. Alternatively, the control unit 104 may control which of the multiple second-stage transformed characters the first-stage transformed character will be transformed into, according to the time of day when the transformation takes place (whether it takes place during the day or at night, etc.).

[0043] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing steps performed by the game server 10. Using Figure 7, we will explain the processing steps involved when a user obtains material items by playing a quest.

[0044] First, the reception unit 101 accepts the user's selection of a quest to play (S10). Quests have difficulty levels, and users can select a quest to play according to the strength of the characters they possess and / or their own skill level. Next, the control unit 104 executes the quest accepted by the user (S11). Subsequently, the determination unit 102 determines the attributes of the material items to be given to the user based on the difficulty level of the quest played by the user, if the user has met the conditions for granting material items (S12). The conditions for granting material items may be clearing the quest, or the user may meet predetermined conditions during quest play (for example, defeating N enemy characters or clearing the quest within the time limit).

[0045] For example, the determination unit 102 may determine that the attribute of a material item obtained in a quest with difficulty level A is attribute A, the attribute of a material item obtained in a quest with difficulty level B is attribute B, and the attribute of a material item obtained in a quest with difficulty level C is attribute C. Subsequently, the granting unit 103 grants the material item with the determined attribute to the user.

[0046] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing steps performed by the game server 10. Using Figure 8, we will explain the processing steps when a user consumes material items, causing the base character to transform into the transformed character.

[0047] First, the reception unit 101 accepts the user's selection of a base character from among the characters they possess (S20). For example, the characters that can be designated as a base character from among the characters the user possesses may be predetermined. Alternatively, any character from among the characters the user possesses may be designated as a base character. Next, the reception unit 101 accepts the user's selection of a material item to be consumed from among the material items they possess (S21). Next, the control unit 104 determines the transformed character to be created from the base character based on the attributes of the material item specified by the user. For example, in the example in Figure 6, if the material item has attribute A, the control unit 104 may decide to transform the base character C10 into the first stage transformed character C100; if the material item has attribute B, it may decide to transform the base character C10 into the first stage transformed character C110; and if the material item has attribute C, it may decide to transform the base character C10 into the first stage transformed character C120. Next, the control unit 104 transforms the base character into the determined transformed character. Furthermore, the control unit 104 accesses the user management DB 100a and changes the character ID of the base character in the user's "owned characters" to the character ID of the transformed character.

[0048] (Variations of processing procedures) Several modifications of the processing procedure described above will be explained with reference to Figure 6. [Difference #1] The number of material items required to transform a base character into a transformed character may be multiple (for example, 10 items). In this case, the user may be able to combine and consume material items with different attributes.

[0049] In this case, the control unit 104 may control which of the multiple transformed characters (transformed objects) the base character (base object) is transformed into based on the amount of each attribute of the material items (material objects) consumed for the base character (base object). For example, the control unit 104 may control which of the multiple transformed characters the base character is transformed into based on the ratio of the amount of each attribute of the material items consumed. As an example, the control unit 104 may transform the base character into the transformed character corresponding to the attribute of the material item with the highest consumption ratio. For example, in Figure 6, if material items with attributes A, B, and C are consumed in a ratio of 2:1:1, the control unit 104 may transform the base character C10 into the first transformed character C100.

[0050] Furthermore, the control unit 104 may set probabilities for each of the multiple transformed characters based on the amount of material items consumed for each attribute used for the base character, and control which of the multiple transformed characters the base character will be transformed into by a lottery based on these probabilities. For example, in Figure 6, if material items of attribute A, attribute B, and attribute C are consumed in a ratio of 2:1:1, the control unit 104 may change the base character C10 to the first transformed character C100 with a probability of 2 / 4, change the base character C10 to the first transformed character C110 with a probability of 1 / 4, and change the base character C10 to the first transformed character C120 with a probability of 1 / 4.

[0051] Furthermore, different weights may be assigned to the probabilities for each attribute. For example, since material items of attribute C can only be obtained by playing quests of higher difficulty level C, material items corresponding to higher difficulty quests may be assigned higher weights. For example, in Figure 6, let's assume that material items of attribute A, attribute B, and attribute C are assigned weights of 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In this case, if material items of attribute A, attribute B, and attribute C are consumed in a 1:1:1 ratio, the control unit 104 may change base character C10 to first-transformed character C100 with a probability of 1 / 6, change base character C10 to first-transformed character C110 with a probability of 2 / 6, and change base character C10 to first-transformed character C120 with a probability of 3 / 6.

[0052] This makes it possible to control which transformed character is created by a random selection based on the attributes of the material items consumed.

[0053] [Difference #2] In the following explanation (and in subsequent variations starting from Part 3), material items (material objects) may be defined to include at least a first attribute item (first attribute object) obtainable by playing a quest, and a second attribute item (second attribute object) obtainable by playing a high-difficulty quest that is more difficult than the quest in which the first attribute item can be obtained. When defined in this way, the first attribute item and the second attribute item may correspond to the material item of attribute A and the material item of attribute B, respectively, or to the material item of attribute A and the material item of attribute C, or to the material item of attribute B and the material item of attribute C.

[0054] Furthermore, multiple transformed characters (transformed objects) are created when the first attribute item is consumed, transforming the first transformed character from the base character (base object). It may also be defined as including a (first transformed object) and a second transformed character (second transformed object) whose base character changes when a second attribute item (second attribute object) is consumed. The first transformed character and the second transformed character may correspond to transformed characters C100 and C110 in Figure 6, or transformed characters C100 and C120, or transformed characters C110 and C110, respectively.

[0055] In the second modification, the control unit 104 may change the base character to the first transformed character if the amount of first attribute items consumed is greater than the amount of second attribute items consumed, and change the base character to the second transformed character if the amount of second attribute items consumed is greater than the amount of first attribute items consumed. In other words, when the control unit 104 changes the base character to a transformed character, it may control the transformation to the transformed character corresponding to the one with the larger number of material items consumed.

[0056] For example, in the example in Figure 6, if material B and material C are consumed and material C is consumed in greater quantities than material B, the control unit 104 changes the base character C10 to the first stage transformed character C120. Also, if material B and material C are consumed and material B is consumed in greater quantities than material C, the control unit 104 changes the base character C10 to the first stage transformed character C110.

[0057] Since items with the second attribute are more difficult to obtain than items with the first attribute, it will be more difficult for users to transform a base object into a character with the second attribute than to transform it into a character with the first attribute. On the other hand, generally, the more powerful a character a player has, the easier the game becomes. Therefore, according to modification 2, it becomes possible to motivate users to repeatedly play high-difficulty quests.

[0058] [Difference #3] The control unit 104 may be configured to allow changes between characters after the first stage of change, or between characters after the second stage of change.

[0059] For example, the control unit 104 may control the system so that the second-transformed character can be transformed back into the first-transformed character without consuming any material items (i.e., without consuming either the first-attribute item or the second-attribute item), based on instructions from the user who has transformed the base character into the second-transformed character. In other words, the control unit 104 may allow transformation from a character that can be transformed by consuming material items obtainable in high-difficulty quests (a transformed character with high abilities) to a character that can be transformed by consuming material items obtainable in low-difficulty quests (a transformed character with low abilities), without consuming any material items. The control unit 104 may also control the system so that the user can transform the second-transformed character back into the first-transformed character at any time without requiring the consumption of any objects (material items) owned by the user.

[0060] On the other hand, the control unit 104 may, based on instructions from the user who has transformed the base character into the first transformed character, control the system to prevent the first transformed character from being transformed into the second transformed character without consuming material items. In other words, the control unit 104 may prevent the transformation from a transformed character that can be transformed by consuming material items obtainable in low-difficulty quests (a transformed character with low abilities) to a transformed character that can be transformed by consuming material items obtainable in high-difficulty quests (a transformed character with high abilities).

[0061] For example, in Figure 6, the control unit 104 may allow the transformation from transformed character C120 to transformed character C110 or transformed character C100 without consuming material items, but may not allow the transformation from transformed character C100 to transformed character C110 or transformed character C120, or from transformed character C110 to transformed character C120.

[0062] This allows users to transform characters created by consuming material items for high-difficulty quests into characters that can be transformed by consuming material items for low-difficulty quests, thus enabling users to play the game with a variety of characters. On the other hand, the reverse is not allowed, which prevents users from feeling that it is unfair.

[0063] [Difference #4] The control unit 104 may control the system so that, when a user who has evolved a base character into a first-stage character plays a quest using the first-stage character and meets predetermined conditions, the first-stage character can be transformed into a second-stage character. In other words, the control unit 104 may enable the user to transform from a character that can be transformed by consuming material items obtainable in low-difficulty quests (a character with low abilities) to a character that can be transformed by consuming material items obtainable in high-difficulty quests (a character with high abilities) when the user meets predetermined conditions. The predetermined conditions are not particularly limited, but for example, they may include clearing any quest N times or more, or clearing a quest within M turns.

[0064] For example, in Figure 6, the control unit 104 may, upon user instruction, change the transformed character C100 to transformed character C110 or transformed character C120 when predetermined conditions are met by the user playing a quest using the transformed character C100.

[0065] Furthermore, the control unit 104 may determine that the above predetermined conditions are met if the number of times the high-difficulty quest has been played is equal to or greater than the first play count. In addition, the first play count may be less than the second play count, which is the number of times the high-difficulty quest must be played to obtain the material items consumed when transforming the base character into the second transformed object.

[0066] For example, in Figure 6, when transforming base character C10 into transformed character C110, 10 material items of attribute B are consumed, and these 10 material items can be obtained by playing a quest of difficulty B 10 times. Also, when transforming base character C10 into transformed character C100, 5 material items of attribute A are consumed, and these 5 material items can be obtained by playing a quest of difficulty A 5 times. In this case, the first number of times may be set to a number less than 10 (for example, 5 times).

[0067] If the initial number of attempts is set to 5, a user who owns the transformed character C100 can transform it into the transformed character C110 by playing high-difficulty quests 5 times. On the other hand, a user who does not own the transformed character C100 cannot transform their base character C10 into the transformed character C110 unless they play high-difficulty quests 10 or more times. In other words, transforming into the transformed character C100 first can reduce the number of times high-difficulty quests need to be played.

[0068] This allows users to easily switch between characters after the transformation, enabling them to play the game with a variety of characters.

[0069] [Variation 5] The control unit 104 may change the base character to a changed character selected from a list of changed character options. The selection may be made by the user or by lottery. In this case, the control unit 104 may ensure that the number of changed character options when the second attribute item (i.e., a material item with a high acquisition difficulty) is consumed in excess of a predetermined standard is greater than the number of changed character options when the second attribute item is not consumed in excess of the predetermined standard.

[0070] If the predetermined criterion is a "determined number," for example, the control unit 104 may present two options for the transformed character if the predetermined number or more material items are consumed, and present one option for the transformed character if the predetermined number or more material items are not consumed (i.e., if the number is less than the predetermined number). Furthermore, the number of options for the transformed character when the predetermined criterion or more material items are consumed may increase as the difficulty of obtaining the consumed material items increases.

[0071] For example, in the example in Figure 6, if the material items of attribute B are consumed in excess of a predetermined standard, the control unit 104 may present two options, transformed characters C100 and C110, as the target for changing the base character C10. If the material items of attribute B are not consumed in excess of a predetermined standard, the control unit 104 may present only transformed character C110 as the target for changing the base character C10. Alternatively, if the material items of attribute C are consumed in excess of a predetermined standard, the control unit 104 may present three options, transformed characters C100, C110 and C120, as the target for changing the base character C10. If the material items of attribute C are not consumed in excess of a predetermined standard, the control unit 104 may present only transformed character C120 as the target for changing the base character C10. On the other hand, for material items of attribute A (i.e., the easiest material items to obtain), regardless of whether they are consumed above a predetermined threshold, the only target for changing the base character C10 may be the changed character C100 (i.e., no options may be presented).

[0072] Furthermore, the above-mentioned predetermined criteria may also be a "predetermined percentage." The predetermined percentage may be, for example, a majority of multiple material items with different attributes. For example, if there are multiple material items (e.g., 10) that need to be consumed to transform a base character into a transformed character, the control unit 104 may determine the number of transformed character options based on the attributes of the material items that are consumed in amounts exceeding a predetermined criterion (i.e., a majority or more are consumed) among the consumption amounts of each attribute of the material items.

[0073] For example, in the example in Figure 6, suppose 10 material items are required to transform the base character into the transformed character. In this case, if the consumption of material items of attribute A, attribute B, and attribute C is 5:3:2, respectively (i.e., the most material items are attribute A), the control unit 104 may limit the selection of transformed characters to only transformed character C100. Alternatively, if the consumption of material items of attribute A, attribute B, and attribute C is 2:6:2, respectively (i.e., the most material items are attribute B), the control unit 104 may limit the selection of transformed characters to two: transformed character C100 and transformed character C110. Furthermore, if the consumption amounts of material items with attribute A, attribute B, and attribute C are 4:0:6 respectively (i.e., material items with attribute C are the most numerous), the control unit 104 may set the selection of transformed characters to three: transformed characters C100, C110, and C120. Also, if the consumption amounts of material items with attribute A, attribute B, and attribute C are 5:0:5 respectively (i.e., material items with attribute A and attribute C are the most numerous), the control unit 104 may set the selection of transformed characters to only transformed character C100 (i.e., if the consumption amounts are equal, the selection may be based on the attribute of the material item that is easiest to obtain), or it may set the selection to three: transformed characters C100, C110, and C120 (i.e., if the consumption amounts are equal, the selection may be based on the attribute of the material item that is difficult to obtain).

[0074] This allows users to increase their motivation to play high-difficulty quests, as the more difficult-to-obtain material items they consume, the more options they have for their transformed characters.

[0075] [Modification 6] In this embodiment, multiple difficulty levels may be set for the same quest. In this case, the determination unit 102 may determine the attributes of the material objects that the user can obtain by playing the quest, according to the difficulty level of the quest played by the user. For example, if difficulty levels A, B, and C are selectable for quest 1, and the user selects difficulty level B and plays quest 1, the determination unit 102 may determine the attributes of the material objects to be given to the user to be attributes corresponding to difficulty level B (for example, attribute B).

[0076] In this case, if a user clears a higher difficulty level among the multiple difficulty levels set for the same quest, the rewards distribution unit 103 may consider the quests of lower difficulty levels as having been cleared and distribute the rewards that would have been given for clearing each of those lower difficulty levels to the user all at once. For example, if a user selects difficulty level C and clears the quest, the rewards distribution unit 103 may distribute the rewards that would have been given for clearing difficulty level C, the rewards that would have been given for clearing difficulty level B, and the rewards that would have been given for clearing difficulty level A all at once to the user.

[0077] <Screen display example> Figure 9 shows an example of a game screen displayed on terminal 10. Screen M100 is where the player selects the material items to be consumed when they want to change the base character. On screen M100, character C100 is selected as the character to be changed, and it is shown that 5 material items are required for the change. Once 5 material items are selected on screen M100 and the change button B10 is pressed, the selected material items are consumed and the screen transitions to screen M110. On screen M110, the process of the base character C10 changing into character C100 is shown.

[0078] Here, the display control unit 105 may display information regarding candidate transformed characters, which the base character will change into when a material item is consumed, based on the material item specified by the user as the target to be consumed for the base character, before the material item is consumed. For example, if only the material to be consumed is selected on screen M100 without specifying a transformed character and the change button B10 is pressed, the system may transition to screen M120, which displays candidate transformed characters. Alternatively, if the YES button is pressed on screen M120, the selected material item may be consumed and the system may transition to screen M110. Or, if a material item to be consumed is selected on screen M100, the display control unit 105 may, before the change button B10 is pressed, display a candidate transformed character (e.g., C100) from the three transformed characters C100, C101, and C102 displayed on screen M100, in a manner that is visible to the user (e.g., by highlighting it with a border). This allows users to see potential transformed characters before the material items are consumed.

[0079] Furthermore, the display control unit 105 may display information regarding the attributes of material items that need to be consumed to transform the base character into a predetermined transformed object, based on the material object specified by the user as the target to be consumed for the base character. This information may include the attributes and quantities of the material items that need to be consumed. For example, screen M130 displays that if character C120 is selected as the transformed character and material C is selected, then 10 pieces of material C are needed to transform the base character into character C120. In addition, the display control unit 105 may display (or instead of) the number of material items that need to be consumed, the number of material items that are insufficient. For example, if the user already possesses 2 pieces of material C, or if the user selects 2 pieces of material C as the material items to be consumed, the display control unit 105 may display, as shown on screen M130, that 8 more pieces of material C are needed to transform the base character into character C120. This makes it easy for the user to understand the information regarding the material items needed to transform the base character.

[0080] <Summary> According to the embodiment described above, the game server 10 determines the attributes of the material items obtainable by playing a quest according to the difficulty of the quest, and transforms the base character into one of several transformed characters according to the attributes of the material items consumed. For example, beginner users can enjoy transforming their characters by obtaining material items by playing easy quests, while advanced users can obtain hard-to-obtain material items by playing difficult quests and transform their base character into a rare character. This makes it possible to motivate users of various skill levels to play the game.

[0081] The embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit its interpretation. The flowcharts, sequences, elements of the embodiments, and their arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, and sizes described in the embodiments are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate.

[0082] <Note> <Note 1> A determination unit that determines the attributes of material objects that the user can obtain by playing a quest, based on the difficulty level set for the quest the user is playing, When a material object is consumed for a base object, a control unit controls which of a plurality of transformed objects the base object is transformed into based on the attributes of the consumed material object. An information processing device having

[0083] According to Appendix 1, it is possible to motivate users of various skill levels to play the game. <Note 2> The control unit controls which of the plurality of transformed objects the base object is transformed into, based on the amount of each attribute of the material object consumed for the base object. The information processing device described in Appendix 1.

[0084] According to Appendix 2, users can select a modified character by changing the amount of each attribute consumed by the material object. <Note 3> The control unit sets a probability for each of the multiple transformed objects based on the amount of each attribute of the material object consumed for the base object, and controls which of the multiple transformed objects to transform into by a lottery based on the probabilities. The information processing device described in Appendix 1 or 2.

[0085] According to Appendix 3, since the transformed object is determined by lottery, it becomes possible to entertain users by letting them wonder which transformed object they will become. <Note 4> The aforementioned plurality of transformed objects include a first transformed object and a second transformed object, The aforementioned material object includes a first attribute object obtainable by playing a quest, and a second attribute object obtainable by playing a high-difficulty quest that is more difficult than the quest in which the first attribute object can be obtained. If the amount of the first attribute object consumed for the base object is greater than the amount of the second attribute object consumed for the base object, the base object is transformed into the first transformed object. If the amount of the second attribute object consumed for the base object is greater than the amount of the first attribute object consumed for the base object, the base object is transformed into the second transformed object. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3.

[0086] According to Appendix 4, by consuming more material objects obtained from playing high-difficulty quests than from playing low-difficulty quests, it becomes possible to transform one of the multiple transformed characters into the transformed character corresponding to the material objects obtained from playing high-difficulty quests. This encourages users to play high-difficulty quests. <Note 5> The control unit controls the second transformed object to transform into the first transformed object without consuming the material object, based on instructions from the user who has evolved the base object into the second transformed object. The information processing device described in Appendix 4.

[0087] According to Appendix 5, users will be able to modify objects between the modified objects. <Note 6> The control unit controls the first transformed object to be transformable into a second transformed object when a predetermined condition is met by a user who has evolved the base object into a first transformed object and is playing a quest using the first transformed object. The information processing device described in Appendix 4 or 5.

[0088] According to Appendix 6, users will be able to modify objects between the modified objects. <Note 7> The control unit determines that the predetermined conditions are met if the number of times the high-difficulty quest has been played is equal to or greater than the first number of times, The first number of times is less than the second number of times, which is the number of times a high-difficulty quest must be played to obtain the material objects consumed when transforming the base object into the second transformed object. The information processing device described in Appendix 6.

[0089] According to Appendix 7, users will be able to easily change objects between modified objects, making it possible to play the game using a variety of objects. <Note 8> The control unit transforms the base object into a transformed object selected from the multiple options of transformed objects. The number of options for the multiple transformed objects when the second attribute object is consumed in excess of a predetermined standard is greater than the number of options for the multiple transformed objects when the second attribute object is not consumed in excess of a predetermined standard. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 4 to 7.

[0090] According to Appendix 8, the more difficult-to-obtain material objects a user consumes, the more options they have for transformed objects, which can increase their motivation to play high-difficulty quests. <Note 9> The system includes a display control unit that, based on a material object specified by the user as the target to be consumed for the base object, displays information regarding candidate transformed objects that the base object will change into when the material object is consumed, before the material object is consumed. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 8.

[0091] According to Appendix 9, users will be able to see candidate modified objects before the source objects are consumed. <Note 10> The display control unit displays information regarding the attributes of material objects that need to be consumed to transform the base object into a predetermined transformed object, based on the material objects specified by the user as targets to be consumed with respect to the base object. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 8.

[0092] According to Appendix 10, users will be able to easily obtain information about the material objects necessary to modify the base object. <Note 11> The information processing device determines the attributes of material objects that the user can obtain by playing a quest, based on the difficulty level set for the quest the user is playing. The information processing device, when a material object is consumed by a base object, controls which of a plurality of transformed objects the base object will be transformed into based on the attributes of the consumed material object. Information processing methods, including those mentioned above.

[0093] According to Appendix 11, it is possible to motivate users of various skill levels to play the game. <Note 12> The steps include determining the attributes of material objects that the user can obtain by playing a quest, based on the difficulty level set for the quest the user is playing, When a material object is consumed for a base object, the step of controlling which of a plurality of transformed objects the base object is transformed into based on the attributes of the consumed material object, A program that causes a computer to execute something.

[0094] According to Appendix 12, it is possible to motivate users of various skill levels to play the game. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0095] 10...Game server, 11...Processor, 12...Storage device, 13...Communication interface, 14...Input device, 15...Output device, 20...Terminal, 100...Storage unit, 100a...User management DB, 100b...Character definition DB, 101...Reception unit, 102...Decision unit, 103...Assignment unit, 104...Control unit, 105...Display control unit, 200...Storage unit, 201...Communication unit, 202...UI unit, 203...Control unit

Claims

1. A processor, the processor comprising: imparting a first attribute object in response to the user's play of a first quest; imparting a second attribute object in response to the user's play of a second quest; When the first attribute object is used for a base object possessed by the user, the base object is changed into a first changed object; When the second attribute object is used for the base object, the base object is changed to a second changed object; When a predetermined condition is satisfied by a user who has changed the base object into the first transformed object playing a quest using the first transformed object, the first transformed object is controlled so as to be transformable into the second transformed object. Information processing device.

2. The first quest and the second quest are quests of at least different difficulty levels, and the second quest has a higher difficulty level than the first quest. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. A processor that grants a first attribute object in response to a user's play of a first quest; a processor grants a second attribute object in response to the user's play of a second quest; a processor, when the first attribute object is used for a base object owned by the user, changing the base object to a first changed object; a processor, when the second attribute object is used for the base object, changing the base object to a second changed object; a processor controls the first transformed object to be transformable into the second transformed object when a predetermined condition is satisfied by a user who has transformed the base object into the first transformed object playing a quest using the first transformed object; Information processing methods.

4. A processor is configured to grant a first attribute object in response to a user's play of a first quest; causing the processor to impart a second attribute object in response to the user's play of a second quest; a processor that, when the first attribute object is used for a base object owned by the user, changes the base object to a first changed object; a processor that changes the base object to a second changed object when the second attribute object is used for the base object; causing a processor to control the first transformed object so as to be transformable into the second transformed object when a predetermined condition is satisfied by a user who has transformed the base object into the first transformed object playing a quest using the first transformed object; program.

5. A server and a terminal device, the processor of the terminal device imparting a first attribute object in response to the user's play of a first quest; imparting a second attribute object in response to the user's play of a second quest; When the first attribute object is used for a base object possessed by the user, the base object is changed into a first changed object; When the second attribute object is used for the base object, the base object is changed to a second changed object; When a predetermined condition is satisfied by a user who has changed the base object into the first transformed object playing a quest using the first transformed object, the first transformed object is controlled so as to be transformable into the second transformed object. system.

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