Information processing program, information processing method, and information processing device

Abstract

To shorten waiting time occurring when matching forces in a game in which a plurality of characters belonging to a plurality of forces move and fight in a virtual space.SOLUTION: An information processing program causes a computer to display, in a virtual space in which a plurality of characters belonging to a plurality of forces are able to move, a graphic indicating that two or more forces among the plurality of forces have been matched, and to match a target force among the plurality of forces, the target force being a target force to which a player operating a target character belongs, with at least one of the two or more forces when the target character performs a predetermined action with respect to a displayed area of the graphic.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a battle royale game by a plurality of players.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Games are known that progress on a virtual space where a plurality of characters belonging to a plurality of factions can move. As one such game, there is a so-called battle royale game in which a plurality of characters belonging to a plurality of factions fight on a virtual space. In recent years, in such battle royale games, it has been considered to introduce a so-called matching system that matches factions and causes characters to fight each other. However, in the conventional matching system, it has not been possible to add a new faction to an already occurring match and perform matching. Therefore, there has been a problem that players who desire matching have to wait for an already occurring match to end.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a program, a method, and an apparatus that can shorten the waiting time of players in a game that progresses by matching factions on a virtual space where a plurality of characters belonging to a plurality of factions can move.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The information processing program according to the first aspect causes a computer to display a graphic indicating that two or more of the plurality of forces are matched on a virtual space where a plurality of characters belonging to the plurality of forces can move, and when a target character operated by a player belonging to a target force among the plurality of forces performs a predetermined action with respect to the range where the graphic is displayed, the target force is matched with at least one of the two or more forces.

[0007] The information processing program according to the second aspect is the information processing program according to the first aspect, and when the number of the matched forces has not reached the upper limit, the computer matches the target force with all of the matched forces.

[0008] The information processing program according to the third aspect is the information processing program according to the first or second aspect, and when the number of the matched forces has reached the upper limit, the computer matches the target force with a part of the matched forces.

[0009] The information processing program according to the fourth aspect is the information processing program according to the third aspect, and when the computer matches the target force with a part of the matched forces, the computer continues the matching with the remaining matched forces.

[0010] The information processing program according to the fifth aspect is the information processing program according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, and the upper limit is 3.

[0011] The information processing program according to the sixth aspect is the information processing program according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, and the computer causes the characters belonging to the matched forces to fight each other.

[0012] The information processing program according to the seventh aspect is the information processing program according to the sixth aspect, wherein the computer advances the battle in a command format in which the player instructs the character's actions from options.

[0013] The information processing program according to the eighth aspect is the information processing program according to the sixth or seventh aspect, wherein the computer causes the game effect that produces the fact that the battle is in progress to be displayed as the graphic.

[0014] The information processing program according to the ninth aspect is the information processing program according to the eighth aspect, wherein the computer causes the game effect to be displayed in a manner corresponding to the relative strength of the character during the battle with respect to the target character, causes a graphic indicating a numerical value generated during the battle to be displayed around the game effect, and causes at least any one of a graphic indicating the state of the character during the battle to be displayed around the game effect.

[0015] The information processing program according to the tenth aspect is the information processing program according to any one of the sixth to ninth aspects, wherein when the computer matches the target force with at least one of the two or more forces, the computer moves the target character to a predetermined position in the virtual space and provides the virtual space at the predetermined position as the stage of the battle.

[0016] The information processing program according to the eleventh aspect is the information processing program according to the tenth aspect, wherein the stage of the battle is a space in which a predetermined object is deleted from the virtual space at the predetermined position.

[0017] The information processing program according to the 12th aspect causes the computer, in the information processing program according to the 10th or 11th aspect, to display the graphic at the position where the matching occurs instead of at the predetermined position on the virtual space, and to execute at least one of not displaying the character belonging to the faction that made the match on the screen of the player who does not belong to the faction that made the match.

[0018] The information processing method according to the 13th aspect includes a step of causing a computer to display a graphic indicating that two or more of the plurality of factions have been matched on a virtual space in which a plurality of characters belonging to the plurality of factions can move, and a step of matching the target faction with at least one of the two or more factions when a target character operated by a player belonging to the target faction among the plurality of factions performs a predetermined action with respect to the range where the graphic is displayed.

[0019] The information processing apparatus according to the 14th aspect includes a processor, and the processor executes a process of displaying a graphic indicating that two or more of the plurality of factions have been matched on a virtual space in which a plurality of characters belonging to the plurality of factions can move, and a process of matching the target faction with at least one of the two or more factions when a target character operated by a player belonging to the target faction among the plurality of factions performs a predetermined action with respect to the range where the graphic is displayed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] According to the information processing program, information processing method, and information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure, in a game that progresses by matching factions on a virtual space where a plurality of characters belonging to a plurality of factions can move, the waiting time of the player can be shortened.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals. Also, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation and may be different from the actual ratios.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the game system 10 according to this embodiment. Here, a game is a collection of activities and rules for playing and competing. A game is played, for example, by a player making full use of strategies and techniques to achieve a specific goal. Games are played, for example, to achieve various goals such as competitive goals such as winning, battle goals such as defeating enemies, educational goals such as learning, and narrative goals such as the completion of a scenario progression.

[0024] Hereafter, as an example, a case will be described where the game system 10 plays a PvP (Player versus Player) online battle royale game in which a plurality of characters operated by a plurality of players (for example, up to 50 players) can freely move on a virtual space (hereinafter also referred to as a "field map"), and the characters fight against each other in a command format, and the player whose character survives until the end becomes the winner. However, it is not limited to this. The game system 10 may play any game that progresses by matching forces on a virtual space where a plurality of characters belonging to a plurality of forces can move, such as a PvE (Player versus Environment) game in which a player battles against a computer-controlled opponent or a game in which battles by matching proceed in an action format. The game system 10 includes a communication means 20, a server device 30, and a terminal device 40.

[0025] The communication means 20 communicably connects a plurality of computers. In this figure, the communication means 20 connects between the server device 30 and the terminal device 40. As an example, the communication means 20 may be the Internet. However, the communication means 20 may be any means that can communicably connect a plurality of computers, such as a LAN, a WAN, or an intranet.

[0026] The server device 30 transmits and receives data to and from the terminal device 40, executes processing according to the operations of the players, and provides the execution results to the terminal device 40. More specifically, the server device 30 may execute download processing of programs (applications) and the like to the terminal device 40, player login processing, management processing of various databases, and the like.

[0027] The server device 30 may be realized by cloud computing as an example. In this figure, a case where the server device 30 is a single device is shown as an example, but the server device 30 may perform the above-described processing in a distributed manner by a plurality of devices. Also, in this figure, a case where the game to be played is provided as an online game is shown as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. If the game to be played can be played offline, the game system 10 may not include the server device 30. That is, in the present disclosure, the server device 30 is not an essential component.

[0028] The terminal device 40 is a device for a player to play a game to be played. In this figure, a case where the terminal device 40 is a smartphone is shown as an example. However, the terminal device 40 may be any device capable of playing a game to be played by a player, such as a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a notebook computer, an all-in-one computer, a tablet computer, or a portable game machine.

[0029] Hereinafter, a case where the terminal device 40 is the information processing device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the server device 30 may be the information processing device 100 according to the present embodiment. That is, part or all of the information processing according to the present embodiment may be processed on the terminal side or on the network side.

[0030] The information processing device 100 according to the present embodiment displays a graphic indicating that two or more forces have been matched in a virtual space, and when a target character operated by a player belonging to the target force performs a predetermined action with respect to the graphic, the target force is added to the matching. This will be described in detail.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. The information processing apparatus 100 includes a processor 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, a storage 104, a communication interface 105, and a user interface 106. These components are communicably connected to each other via a bus 109.

[0032] The processor 101 executes various programs and controls each component. The ROM 102 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 103 temporarily stores a program or data as a work area. The storage 104 is configured by an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores various programs and various data including an operating system.

[0033] In the information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, an information processing program is stored in the ROM 102 or the storage 104. The processor 101 reads out the information processing program from the ROM 102 or the storage 104 and executes it using the RAM 103 as a work area, thereby controlling each component and performing various arithmetic processes according to the information processing program.

[0034] The communication interface 105 is an interface for the information processing apparatus 100 to communicate with other devices. The user interface 106 is an input / output interface for the information processing apparatus 100 to exchange information with a user, that is, a player. The user interface 106 may include a touch panel, a keyboard, a microphone, etc. as input devices, and a monitor, a speaker, etc. as output devices.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. The information processing apparatus 100 includes a display unit 110 and a matching unit 120. The information processing apparatus 100 may further include a battle progress unit 130. These functional configurations are realized by the processor 101 reading an information processing program from the ROM 102 or the storage 104, expanding it in the RAM 103, and executing it.

[0036] The display unit 110 displays a graphic indicating that two or more of a plurality of forces are matched on a virtual space in which a plurality of characters belonging to a plurality of forces can move.

[0037] When a target character operated by a player belonging to a target force among a plurality of forces performs a predetermined action with respect to the range where the graphic is displayed, the matching unit 120 matches the target force with at least one of two or more forces. Hereinafter, as an example, a case where the target force is a force different from two or more forces that have already been matched will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The target force may be the same as any one of two or more forces that have already been matched.

[0038] The battle progress unit 130 causes the characters belonging to the matched forces to fight each other. The "matched forces" as used herein may include two or more forces that have already been matched in the first matching before the target force is matched. Further, the "matched forces" may include the target force matched in the second matching for matching the target force and at least one of two or more forces that have already been matched in the first matching.

[0039] The information processing executed by such an information processing apparatus 100 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4 and FIGS. 5 to 7 as appropriate.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of information processing executed by the information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. This flow is executed by the processor 101 reading an information processing program from the ROM 102 or the storage 104, expanding it in the RAM 103, and executing it.

[0041] In step S200, the processor 101 determines, as the matching unit 120, whether or not a match has occurred. Here, it is assumed that a PvP game in which players play against each other, and one player belongs to one faction. That is, matching the factions may be matching the players. In this case, for example, the processor 101 may cause a match to occur when a character operated by one of the players attacks a character operated by another player on the field map.

[0042] As an example, a player may have a plurality of characters, and one party may be formed by the plurality of characters. Here, it is assumed that player Pα has a first character PαC1, a second character PαC2, and a third character PαC3, and a party PTα is formed by the first to third characters PαC1, PαC2, and PαC3. Also, it is assumed that player Pβ has a first character PβC1, a second character PβC2, and a third character PβC3, and a party PTβ is formed by the first to third characters PβC1, PβC2, and PβC3. Similarly, it is assumed that player Pγ has a first character PγC1, a second character PγC2, and a third character PγC3, and a party PTγ is formed by the first to third characters PγC1, PγC2, and PγC3.

[0043] When a party is formed by a plurality of characters in this way, the player may be able to operate only one of the characters, for example, the first character, on the field map. That is, player Pα may operate character PαC1, player Pβ may operate character PβC1, and player Pγ may operate character PγC1 to freely move on the field map.

[0044] In such a case, when a character operated by any player attacks a character operated by another player on the field map, the processor 101 may generate a match.

[0045] As an example, assume that character PβC1 operated by player Pβ attacks character PγC1 operated by player Pγ on the field map. In such a case, the processor 101 may match player Pβ and player Pγ. When a match occurs, the processor 101 proceeds to step S210.

[0046] In step S210, the processor 101 causes the characters belonging to the matched forces to fight as the battle progress unit 130. For example, when player Pβ and player Pγ are matched, the processor 101 may start a battle between party PTβ of player Pβ and party PTγ of player Pγ.

[0047] In the battle by matching, the player may be able to operate all the characters forming the party. That is, player Pβ may operate the first to third characters PβC1, PβC2, and PβC3 forming party PTβ. Similarly, player Pγ may operate the first to third characters PγC1, PγC2, and PγC3 forming party PTγ. Thereby, a battle between characters PβC1, PβC2, and PβC3 against characters PγC1, PγC2, and PγC3 may be carried out.

[0048] In step S220, the processor 101 causes the display unit 110 to display, on a virtual space in which a plurality of characters belonging to a plurality of factions can move, a graphic indicating that two or more of the plurality of factions have been matched. Here, refer to FIG. 5.

[0049] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. In this figure, an example of the display screen of the player Pα is shown in the case where the player Pβ and the player Pγ are matched and a battle is being fought between the party PTβ and the party PTγ.

[0050] As shown in this figure, on the screen of the player Pα, a target character 50, a game effect 60, a first graphic 70, and a second graphic 80 may be displayed.

[0051] The target character 50 is a character operated by a player belonging to a target faction among a plurality of factions. Here, it is the character PαC1 operated by the player Pα on the field map. In this figure, an example is shown in the case where the field map is viewed from a third-person perspective behind the character PαC1.

[0052] The game effect 60 produces an effect of being in the middle of a battle. In this figure, an example is shown in the case where the game effect 60 simply represents the state of characters fighting each other in the form of smoke. The processor 101 may thus cause the game effect 60 that produces an effect of being in the middle of a battle to be displayed as a graphic indicating that two or more of the plurality of factions have been matched.

[0053] At this time, the processor 101 can also display the game effect 60 in a manner according to the relative strength of the characters during the battle against the target character 50. For example, the processor 101 can classify the strength of the characters PβC1, PβC2, and PβC3 during the battle against the character PαC1, which is the target character 50, into five levels, for example, "extremely weak", "weak", "normal", "strong", and "extremely strong". Similarly, the processor 101 can classify the strength of the characters PγC1, PγC2, and PγC3 during the battle against the character PαC1, which is the target character 50, into five levels.

[0054] Then, the processor 101 can display the game effect 60 in colors according to the classified strength. For example, "extremely weak" can be blue, "weak" can be light blue, "normal" can be white, "strong" can be pink, and "extremely strong" can be red. As an example, when the characters PβC1, PβC2, and PβC3 are "weak" against the character PαC1, the processor 101 can display the left half of the game effect 60 in light blue. On the other hand, when the characters PγC1, PγC2, and PγC3 are "extremely weak" against the character PαC1, the processor 101 can display the right half of the game effect 60 in blue.

[0055] The first graphic 70 shows the numerical values generated during the battle. In this figure, an example is shown where the damage received by the characters during the battle is displayed around the game effect 60. The processor 101 can thus also display the first graphic 70 showing the numerical values generated during the battle around the game effect 60.

[0056] The second graphic 80 shows the status of the characters during the battle. In this figure, as an example, the names of the characters during the battle are shown in a color corresponding to the remaining physical strength of the character (also referred to as "HP"). For example, when the physical strength of characters PβC1, PβC2, and PβC3 remains 45%, the processor 101 may display the characters "PβC1", "PβC2", and "PβC3" in yellow. On the other hand, when the physical strength of characters PγC1, PγC2, and PγC3 remains 20%, the processor 101 may display the characters "PγC1", "PγC2", and "PγC3" in orange. In this way, the processor 101 may display the second graphic 80 indicating the status of the characters during the battle around the game effect 60.

[0057] The processor 101 may display these game effects 60, the first graphic 70, and the second graphic 80 at the position where the matching occurred on the field map. And when the target character 50 approaches these graphics on the field map, the processor 101 may display a message indicating that it is possible to participate in the battle. In this figure, as an example, a message "If you attack the place where the rivals are fighting, you can participate in the battle!" is displayed because the target character 50 has approached within a predetermined distance from these graphics on the field map. The processor 101 may, for example, display a message prompting the target character 50 to perform a predetermined action, here to attack. Return to the flow of FIG. 4.

[0058] In step S230, the processor 101 determines whether the target character 50 has performed a predetermined action. As an example, the processor 101 may determine whether a predetermined action has been performed based on whether the player Pα presses the attack button while the target character 50, which is the character PαC1, approaches the game effect 60 that produces the state of being in combat. If it is determined that the predetermined action has not been performed, the processor 101 returns the process to step S220. On the other hand, if it is determined that the predetermined action has been performed, the processor 101 advances the process to step S240.

[0059] In step S240, as the matching unit 120, the processor 101 matches the target power with at least one of two or more powers when the target character operated by the player belonging to the target power among a plurality of powers has performed a predetermined action with respect to the range where the graphic is displayed. More specifically, the processor 101 may execute steps S242 to S246 as sub-steps according to the upper limit number of people.

[0060] In step S242, as the matching unit 120, the processor 101 determines whether the number of the matched powers has reached the upper limit. Here, it is assumed that the upper limit is 3. As an example, when the matched powers are player Pβ and player Pγ, the processor 101 may determine that the number of the matched powers is 2 and thus has not reached the upper limit. If it is determined that the upper limit has not been reached, the processor 101 advances the process to step S244.

[0061] In step S244, the processor 101 matches the target force with all of the forces that have already been matched. As an example, when a game effect 60 that produces the effect that the party PTβ operated by the player Pβ and the party PTγ operated by the player Pγ are in the middle of a battle is displayed, if the character PαC1 operated by the player Pα attacks, the processor 101 may match the player Pα with both the player Pβ and the player Pγ. Thereby, the processor 101 causes the first to third characters PαC1, PαC2, and PαC3 that form the party PTα of the player Pα to enter the battle. Here, refer to FIG. 6.

[0062] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a battle screen when entering a battle. In this figure, an example of the display screen of the player Pα is shown when the party PTα of the player Pα enters during the battle between the party PTβ of the player Pβ and the party PTγ of the player Pγ. Thereby, a three-team battle between the characters PαC1, PαC2, and PαC3, the characters PβC1, PβC2, and PβC3, and the characters PγC1, PγC2, and PγC3 may be started.

[0063] In the battle by matching, the player Pα may respectively instruct the actions of the first to third characters PαC1, PαC2, and PαC3 from options such as "defense", "attack", "tool", and "skill" as shown in this figure. Also, the player Pα can also automatically instruct the actions of the first to third characters PαC1, PαC2, and PαC3 respectively by selecting "auto" indicated by a triangle mark in this figure. In this way, the processor 101 may advance the battle by matching in a command format in which the player indicates the actions of the characters from the options. However, it is not limited to this. The processor 101 may advance the battle by matching in any format, such as in an action format in which the player directly operates the actions of the characters. Return to the flow of FIG. 4.

[0064] On the other hand, if it is determined that the upper limit has been reached, the processor 101 proceeds with the process to step S246. Here, refer to FIG. 7.

[0065] FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing an example of splitting a match. In this figure, for the range in which a game effect 60 is displayed, which depicts that the parties PTβ of player Pβ, PTγ of player Pγ, and PTε of player Pε are in the middle of a battle, an example of how the match is split when the character PαC1 operated by player Pα attacks is shown.

[0066] In such a case, the processor 101 selects one of the matched players Pβ, Pγ, and Pε. At this time, the processor 101 may randomly select one, or may select one considering other elements, for example, the strength or state of the character. In this figure, an example where player Pε is selected from the matched players Pβ, Pγ, and Pε is shown.

[0067] In this case, the processor 101 may match player Pα and player Pε. As a result, a battle may be started between party PTα and party PTε. At this time, the processor 101 may continue the battle between the remaining party PTβ of player Pβ and party PTγ of player Pγ.

[0068] For example, in this way, when the number of matched forces has reached the upper limit, the processor 101 may match the target force with a part of the matched forces. At this time, when the processor 101 matches the target force with a part of the matched forces, it may continue the match with the remaining matched forces.

[0069] When the matching is split in this way, the processor 101 may intentionally shift and display a game effect 60 that produces the effect of being in the middle of a battle. That is, when a first battle occurs between the party PTα of player Pα and the party PTε of player Pε, and a second battle occurs between the party PTβ of player Pβ and the party PTγ of player Pγ, the processor 101 may shift and display the position of at least one of the graphics so that the graphic indicating the first battle and the graphic indicating the second battle do not overlap on the virtual space.

[0070] In the conventional matching system, it was not possible to add a new force to an already-occurring matching, that is, to allow a latecomer to participate. Therefore, even if a matching system was introduced into a so-called battle royale game or the like, there was a problem that a player who desired to match had to wait for the already-occurring matching to end.

[0071] On the other hand, the information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment displays a graphic indicating that two or more forces have already been matched on a virtual space in which a plurality of characters belonging to a plurality of forces can move, and when a target character operated by a player belonging to a target force performs a predetermined action with respect to the graphic, the target force is matched with at least one of the two or more forces. Thus, according to the information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide an opportunity to participate later in a matching that has already occurred on the virtual space, so that the player does not need to wait for the end of the already-matched state.

[0072] At this time, when the number of already-matched forces has not reached the upper limit, the information processing apparatus 100 may match the target force with all of the already-matched forces. Thus, according to the information processing apparatus 100, it is possible to provide a three-way or more free-for-all multiplayer game, so that the head-to-head battle can be made more interesting.

[0073] In addition, when the number of matched factions reaches the upper limit, the information processing apparatus 100 may match the target faction with a part of the matched factions. According to the information processing apparatus 100, in this way, it is possible to continuously provide a mechanism for establishing a match without being limited by the upper limit.

[0074] Further, when the information processing apparatus 100 matches the target faction with a part of the matched factions, it may continue the matching with the remaining matched factions. According to the information processing apparatus 100, in this way, the matching can be split and continued, so that all the players who have been matched can continuously enjoy the game progress by the matching.

[0075] At this time, the upper limit may be 3. According to the information processing apparatus 100, in this way, it is possible to suppress the situation where the number of matched factions becomes too large and the game progress becomes boring, and to suppress the matching process from becoming overloaded, so that the waiting time of the players can be shortened.

[0076] In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 may cause the characters belonging to the matched factions to fight each other. According to the information processing apparatus 100, in this way, a matching battle can be provided.

[0077] At this time, the information processing apparatus 100 may advance the battle by matching in a command format in which the player instructs the actions of the characters from the options. According to the information processing apparatus 100, in this way, for example, while retaining the world view of a series of games such as role-playing games that have been advanced in the command format since ancient times, it is possible to provide a battle royale game as a new title. Further, according to the information processing apparatus 100, in a game in which the battle progresses in the command format, although it was originally a principle to fight one-on-one, it is possible to provide an epoch-making game that greatly overturns such a principle.

[0078] In addition, the information processing device 100 may display, as graphics, game effects that produce the impression of being in the middle of a battle. According to the information processing device 100, this can reduce the display processing load compared to the case of directly displaying the state during the battle, so smooth display can be provided even in an environment where the processing power and communication quality of a smartphone or the like are insufficient.

[0079] At this time, the information processing device 100 may display the game effects in a manner corresponding to the relative strength of the characters during the battle against the target character. According to the information processing device 100, this can provide the player with materials for determining whether or not to participate in the battle through the game effects.

[0080] In addition, the information processing device 100 may display, around the game effects, graphics indicating numerical values generated during the battle. According to the information processing device 100, this can provide the player with information objectively quantifying how much battle is taking place.

[0081] In addition, the information processing device 100 may display, around the game effects, graphics indicating the state of the characters during the battle. According to the information processing device 100, this can provide the player with materials for determining the timing to participate in the battle. In this way, according to the information processing device 100, a more strategic and innovative game can be provided.

[0082] So far, the case of shortening the player's waiting time by devising the matching mechanism has been described. However, in addition to this, the player's waiting time can be further shortened by devising the stages used in the battle.

[0083] In the information processing apparatus 100 according to the modification example, the battle progress unit 130 provides stages of battles by matching. More specifically, when the processor 101, as the battle progress unit 130, matches a target force with at least one of two or more forces, the processor 101 moves the target character to a predetermined position in the virtual space, and provides the virtual space at the predetermined position as a stage of the battle.

[0084] As an example, various attributes such as "village", "grassland", "mountain", etc. may be assigned to the field map according to the position. In such a case, a destination position may be set in advance for each attribute. Such a destination position may be a position with few undulations, preferably a flat position, on the field map. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the screen during the battle from being disturbed by undulations. Further, the destination position may be a position including a background representing each attribute (for example, houses and churches in the case of a "village"). Thereby, it is possible to suppress the sudden change of the scenery and giving a sense of discomfort to the player.

[0085] Then, when a match occurs on the field map, the processor 101 may move, that is, warp, the character operated by the matched player to a destination position to which the same attribute as the position where the match occurred is assigned. As an example, it is assumed that player Pα is matched with players Pβ and Pγ at a position on the field map to which the attribute of "village" is assigned. In this case, the processor 101 may warp the party PTα of player Pα to a destination position to which the attribute of "village" is assigned. Note that the parties PTβ of the already-matched player Pβ and PTγ of player Pγ have already been warped to the same position. Thereby, the virtual space at the predetermined position is provided as a stage of the battle. That is, instead of preparing a dedicated stage as a stage of the battle, a part of the field map is substituted as a stage of the battle.

[0086] Note that various objects such as characters operated by other players, monsters generated on the field map, items dropped on the field map, etc. may appear at the positions predetermined as the destinations. In this case, it may not be preferable to provide the battle stage while leaving such objects. Therefore, the processor 101 may delete such unnecessary objects. In other words, unnecessary objects are objects that have no relation to the battle. Thus, the battle stage may be a space from which predetermined objects have been deleted in the virtual space at the predetermined position.

[0087] Also, it is not preferable in terms of game progress for a player unrelated to the matching to see a character suddenly warped to a predetermined position. Therefore, the processor 101 may make the warped character invisible on the field map of a player unrelated to the matching. For example, the processor 101 may control in this way so that characters belonging to the matched faction are not displayed on the screens of players who do not belong to the matched faction.

[0088] Note that the game effect 60, the first graphic 70, and the second graphic 80 shown in FIG. 5 are displayed only at the position where the matching has occurred on the field map, that is, the original position, and do not have to be displayed at the destination position. Thus, the processor 101 may display the graphic indicating that the matching has been completed at the position where the matching has occurred without displaying it at the predetermined position in the virtual space.

[0089] In this way, when the information processing apparatus 100 according to the modified example matches the target force with at least one of two or more forces that have already been matched, it moves the target character to a predetermined position in the virtual space and provides the virtual space at that position as a battle stage. Thereby, according to the information processing apparatus 100 according to the modified example, there is no need to prepare a dedicated stage as a battle stage. Therefore, there is no need to load a dedicated stage from the field map when the battle starts, nor to load the field map from the dedicated stage when the battle ends. Thus, even on a smartphone or the like with little memory, the waiting time of the player associated with the battle by matching can be shortened, and the player can play the game comfortably.

[0090] At this time, the battle stage may be a space from which a predetermined object has been deleted in the virtual space at a predetermined position. Thereby, according to the information processing apparatus 100, it can be made to appear as if fighting on a dedicated stage.

[0091] Also, the information processing apparatus 100 may display the graphic indicating that the matching has been completed not at a predetermined position in the virtual space but at the position where the matching has occurred. Further, the information processing apparatus 100 may not display the character belonging to the force with which the matching has been made on the screen of the player who does not belong to the force with which the matching has been made. As described above, the virtual space at the predetermined position is a position set for convenience in order to reduce the processing load and has no relation to the progress of the game. Therefore, according to the information processing apparatus 100, by not displaying the graphic at such a destination position and displaying the graphic only at the position where the matching has occurred, or by not displaying the character belonging to the force with which the matching has been made on the screen of the player who does not belong to the force with which the matching has been made, it is possible to provide an environment in which other players can continue to play without feeling uncomfortable.

[0092] So far, the implementable forms have been shown as examples. However, the above-described embodiments can also be modified in various forms or applied to various uses.

[0093] In addition, in the above-described embodiments, the processor refers to a processor in a broad sense, including a general-purpose processor (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and a dedicated processor (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0094] Also, the operation of the processor in the above-described embodiments may be achieved not only by a single processor but also by a plurality of physically separated processors cooperating. Also, the order of each operation of the processor is not limited to the order described in each of the above embodiments and may be changed as appropriate.

[0095] In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 in the present embodiment has been described as being configured by a single apparatus as an example, but it may be configured by a plurality of apparatuses.

[0096] Also, the processing performed by the information processing apparatus 100 according to the above-described embodiments may be processing performed by software, processing performed by hardware, or processing combining both. Also, the processing performed by each part of the information processing apparatus 100 may be stored in a storage medium as a program and distributed.

[0097] Also, the present disclosure is not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made and implemented within the scope not departing from the gist thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0098] 10 Game system 20 Communication means 30 Server device 40 Terminal device 50 Target character 60 Game effect 70 First object 80 Second object 100 Information processing device 101 Processor 102 ROM 103 RAM 104 Storage 105 Communication interface 106 User interface 109 Bus 110 Display unit 120 Matching unit 130 Battle progress unit

Claims

1. Cause a computer to display, on a virtual space in which a plurality of characters belonging to a plurality of forces can move, a graphic indicating that two or more of the plurality of forces have been matched, and when a target character operated by a player belonging to a target force among the plurality of forces performs a predetermined action with respect to the range where the graphic is displayed, match the target force with at least one of the two or more forces, An information processing program.

2. Cause the computer to match the target force with all of the matched forces when the number of the matched forces has not reached the upper limit, The information processing program according to claim 1.

3. Cause the computer to match the target force with a part of the matched forces when the number of the matched forces has reached the upper limit, The information processing program according to claim 2.

4. Cause the computer to continue matching with the remaining matched forces when the target force is matched with a part of the matched forces, The information processing program according to claim 3.

5. The upper limit is 3, The information processing program according to claim 4.

6. Cause the computer to make the characters belonging to the matched forces fight each other, The information processing program according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. Cause the computer to advance the battle in a command format in which the player indicates the actions of the characters from the options, The information processing program according to claim 6.

8. Cause the computer to display, as the graphic, a game effect that produces the effect of being in the middle of the battle, The information processing program according to claim 6.

9. Cause the computer to display the game effect in a manner corresponding to the relative strength of the characters in the battle against the target character, display a graphic indicating the numerical values generated during the battle around the game effect, and display a graphic indicating the state of the characters during the battle around the game effect at least any one of The information processing program according to claim 8.

10. Cause the computer to When the target force is matched with at least one of the two or more forces, move the target character to a predetermined position in the virtual space, and provide the virtual space at the predetermined position as the stage of the battle. The information processing program according to claim 6.

11. The stage of the battle is a space in which a predetermined object is deleted from the virtual space at the predetermined position. The information processing program according to claim 10.

12. On the computer, Cause the matching to occur at a position where the graphics are not displayed at the predetermined position in the virtual space but are displayed at the position where the matching occurs, and Do not display the characters belonging to the matched force on the screen of the player who does not belong to the matched force Execute at least one of The information processing program according to claim 10.

13. A computer, Displaying a graphic indicating that two or more of the plurality of forces have been matched on a virtual space in which a plurality of characters belonging to the plurality of forces can move; and When a target character operated by a player belonging to a target force among the plurality of forces performs a predetermined action with respect to the range where the graphic is displayed, matching the target force with at least one of the two or more forces. An information processing method including

14. An information processing apparatus comprising a processor, the processor Performing a process of displaying a graphic indicating that two or more of the plurality of forces have been matched on a virtual space in which a plurality of characters belonging to the plurality of forces can move; and Performing a process of matching the target force with at least one of the two or more forces when a target character operated by a player belonging to a target force among the plurality of forces performs a predetermined action with respect to the range where the graphic is displayed. Executing

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