System, method, and program for allowing character to encounter another character in virtual space

Abstract

To improve encountering determination.SOLUTION: A system has one or multiple processors. The one or multiple processors determine whether they generate a first encountering event in which a user character and a first computer character participate when the user character is in an encountering enable state with the first computer character. The one or multiple processors determine whether they generate a second encountering event in which a user character and a second computer character participate when the user character is in an encountering enable state with the second computer character.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The disclosure of this specification mainly relates to a system, method, and program for allowing a character to encounter other characters in a virtual space. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a system that generates an encounter event when a character placed in a virtual space encounters another character. For example, a game system is known in which, when a user character moving in a virtual game field encounters an enemy character, a battle event occurs between the user character and the enemy character.

[0003] Known methods for determining whether a user character has encountered another character include "random encounter" and "symbol encounter."

[0004] In games that employ random encounters, a user character encounters other characters with a predetermined probability (event occurrence probability) while moving through the game field. The event occurrence probability refers to the probability that the user character will encounter an enemy character each time the user character travels a predetermined distance within the game field. In games that employ random encounters, whether or not an encounter will occur is determined probabilistically according to the predetermined event occurrence probability.

[0005] In a game that employs symbol encounters, when a user character moving in a game field enters an encounter area of ​​an enemy character in the game field, it is determined that the user character and the enemy character have encountered each other. A conventional game that employs symbol encounters for encounter determination is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2013-248521 (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-248521 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In games that employ random encounters, when a user character moves within a game field, an encounter event occurs at a frequency that corresponds to the event occurrence probability. Therefore, an encounter event that occurs due to a random encounter occurs forcibly while the user character is moving within the game field. Because an unexpected encounter event interrupts movement or exploration within the game field, the occurrence of an encounter event due to a random encounter can be distressing for the user. Furthermore, a random encounter can be unnatural in that an encounter event with an enemy character that is not displayed in the video representing the game field suddenly begins.

[0008] In games that employ symbol encounters, an encounter event is forcibly triggered when a user character enters an enemy character's encounter area, so the design of the game field and the placement of enemy characters must be carefully determined. For example, if an enemy character is placed in a narrow passage within the game field, an encounter event with the enemy character is forcibly triggered every time the user passes through the narrow passage. In this way, in conventional symbol encounters, an encounter event is forcibly triggered when a user character approaches an enemy character, so during game development, the topography of the game field and the placement of enemy characters must be appropriately determined so as not to degrade the user experience due to the forcible triggering of an encounter event.

[0009] As described above, conventional encounter determination has problems that need to be improved. An object of the various inventions described herein is to provide an improvement over conventional encounter determination. One of the more specific objects of the various inventions described herein is to provide a novel encounter determination for determining an encounter between a user's character and another character.

[0010] Conventional encounter determination has various unresolved problems other than those described above. The unresolved problems in conventional encounter determination can be clarified by referring to the entire specification. The various inventions disclosed in this specification may solve or alleviate at least some of the problems described in the "Form for Carrying Out the Invention" of this specification or that can be understood from the description of the "Form for Carrying Out the Invention" instead of or in addition to the above-mentioned problems. When the present specification describes the effects of an embodiment, the problems of the invention corresponding to that embodiment can be understood based on the description of the effects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A system according to one aspect of the present invention includes one or more processors. The one or more processors determine that a first character operated by a first user is in a first encounter possible state in which the first character can encounter a second character when the first character is present in an encounter possible zone associated with the second character in a virtual field. When the first character is in the first encounter possible state, the one or more processors also determine whether to generate a first encounter event in which the first character and the second character participate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention may provide improvements over conventional encounter determination. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a gaming system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a game field provided by a game system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3a] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an encounter zone used in one embodiment. [Figure 3b] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an encounter zone used in one embodiment. [Figure 3c] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an encounter zone used in one embodiment. [Figure 3d] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an encounter zone used in one embodiment. [Figure 3e] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an encounter zone used in one embodiment. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram illustrating user management data stored in the game system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a diagram illustrating game content management data stored in the game system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating encounter management data stored in the game system of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of an encounter determination process according to an embodiment. [Figure 8a] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an image of a game field in a game system according to an embodiment. [Figure 8b] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an image of a game field in a game system according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a game screen when an encounter event occurs. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the involvement of a player character in an encounter event that is not participating in the encounter event. [Figure 11a] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified example of the encounter zone. [Figure 11b] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified example of the encounter zone. [Figure 11c] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified example of the encounter zone. [Figure 11d] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified example of the encounter zone. [Figure 11e] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified example of the encounter zone. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified example of the encounter zone. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified example of the encounter zone. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified example of the encounter zone. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining an encounter with another character. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a game screen when an encounter event occurs. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining an encounter with another user character. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a game screen when an encounter event occurs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Various embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings as appropriate. Note that components common to multiple drawings are assigned the same reference numerals throughout the multiple drawings. The embodiments of the present invention described below do not limit the invention according to the claims. Elements described in the following embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0015] A game system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. The game system 1 is an example of a system to which the invention disclosed in this specification can be applied. The present invention can be applied to various applications other than games that provide a virtual space in which characters can move, but first, the game system 1, which is one embodiment, will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6.

[0016] 1 Overview of Game System 1 First, an overview of a game system 1 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the game system 1. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the game system 1 includes a user device 10 and a server 20. The game system 1 may also include a storage 30. Although FIG. 1 illustrates one user device 10 for simplicity, the game system 1 may include multiple user devices. The user device 10, the server 20, and the storage 30 are communicatively connected to each other via a network 5. The network 5 may be a single network or may be configured by connecting multiple networks. The network 5 may be, for example, the Internet, a mobile communication network, or a combination thereof. The network 5 may be any network that enables communication between electronic devices.

[0017] The user device 10 executes a set of instructions contained in a computer program to realize various game-related functions. The server 20 can provide various game-related services to the user device 10. The user device 10 and the server 20 can cooperate with each other as necessary to realize various game functions.

[0018] 1 may not all be necessary to realize the present invention. For example, the user device 10 may provide a stand-alone game. In this case, the server 20 is not an essential component of the game system 1.

[0019] 2 Overview of the game field In a game provided by the game system 1, a character of a user of the user device 10 (hereinafter referred to as the "first user") and other characters are placed in a game field constructed as a virtual space. The game field is the virtual space provided by the game system 1. Within the game field, user characters operated by the user, computer characters operated by a computer according to a predetermined algorithm, objects representing structures such as buildings and terrain, and other components of the virtual space are placed. The positions of characters and objects within the game field can be specified by coordinate values ​​in a three-dimensional global coordinate system set within the game field. The game system 1 employs a novel mechanism for allowing a user character placed within the game field to encounter a computer character. How an encounter between a user character and a computer character is determined will be described later.

[0020] An example of a game field is shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 schematically shows a part of the game field F1 provided by the game system 1. An X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis, which are perpendicular to each other, are set in the game field F1. Figure 2 shows a bird's-eye view of a part of the game field F1 from the Z-axis direction.

[0021] One or more user characters may be placed in the game field F1. In the illustrated example, a first user character C11, a second user character C12, and a third user character C13 are placed in the game field F1. The user characters can move within the game field F1 in response to user operations. In this specification, the first user character C11 is assumed to be a character of a first user of the user device 10. The first user can move the first user character C11 within the game field F1 through operations or inputs to a user interface 13 (described below) of the user device 10. In response to instructions from the first user, the first user character C11 can perform various actions within the game field F1, such as using items in addition to movement. In this specification, the virtual space in which the user characters are placed is referred to as a game field, but such a virtual space may also be referred to as a "world." In this specification, the term "game field" can be interpreted as "world."

[0022] The game field F1 may be displayed on the user device 10. For example, the game field F1 may be displayed on the user device 10 as part of a game screen together with an image of the game field F1 captured by a virtual camera installed within the game field F1. The first user can view the game field F1 displayed on the user device 10 and determine the movement direction of his or her first user character C11.

[0023] The game field F1 may be one of multiple game fields provided by the game system 1. A first user of the user device 10 can select the game field F1 from the multiple game fields. When the first user selects the game field F1, the first user's first user character C11 is placed within the game field F1. When the first user selects the game field F1 and starts game play within the game field F1, the first user can configure various settings for the game field F1. For example, the first user can configure whether other users can participate in the game field F1. The game field F1 may be a (semi-)closed field in which the first user restricts participation by other users or imposes conditions on participation by other users, or it may be an open field in which users other than the first user can freely participate. The game system 1 may issue an access code for participating in the game field F1, request a user requesting participation in the game field F1 to enter the access code, and, if the correct access code is entered, allow the user's user character to participate in the game field F1. The first user may publish the access code issued for the game field F1 using an in-game message or an external social networking service (SNS). The first user may make the access code public only to his / her friends. The second user character C12 and the third user character C13 placed in the game field F1 may be user characters of users who have entered the game field F1 by entering the access code provided by the first user.

[0024] The game field F1 may be a part of a larger game field. The user device 10 may display a certain range of the game field F1 centered on the first user character C11. That is, the game field F1 displayed on the user device 10 may be a partial area of ​​the entire game field in which the first user character C11 can move, the area being centered on the position where the first user character C11 is located. For example, when the first user character C11 is located at point A within the game field F1, a predetermined area of ​​the entire game field centered on point A is displayed as the game field F1. When the first user character C11 moves from point A to point B, after the movement, a predetermined area of ​​the entire game field centered on point B is displayed as the game field F1.

[0025] A user of a second user character C12 (hereinafter referred to as the "second user") can control the second user character C12 within the game field F1 by operating his / her own user device. Similarly, a user of a third user character C13 (hereinafter referred to as the "third user") can control the third user character C13 within the game field F1 by operating his / her own user device. The user devices of the second user and the third user are examples of user devices included in the game system 1, and have similar functions to the user device 10.

[0026] In addition to user characters, one or more computer characters operated by a computer according to a predetermined algorithm may be placed in the game field F1. In the illustrated example, a first computer character C21, a second computer character C22, and a third computer character C23 are placed in the game field F1. The game system 1 is configured to generate an encounter event in which the user character and the computer character participate when the user character encounters a computer character in the game field F1. The first computer character C21, the second computer character C22, and the third computer character C23 may be enemy characters that fight against the user character. When the user character encounters the enemy character, a battle event between the user character and the enemy character may be initiated as an encounter event. The first computer character C21, the second computer character C22, and the third computer character C23 may move within the game field F1 according to movement patterns generated by a generation AI such as ChatGPT.

[0027] The first computer character C21, the second computer character C22, and the third computer character C23 may be placed in the game field F1 from the time the game field F1 is generated. Some of the first computer character C21, the second computer character C22, and the third computer character C23 may be set to appear (be newly placed) in the game field F1 only when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the game field F1. The appearance of a computer character in the game field F1 may also be expressed as "spawning." For example, the second computer character C22 may be a boss character and may be spawned in the game field F1 after a predetermined condition is satisfied after the generation of the game field F1. The conditions for the second computer character C22 to spawn in the game field F1 may include a predetermined time having elapsed after the generation of the game field F1, defeating a predetermined number of computer characters in the game field F1, obtaining a predetermined item in the game field F1, and other conditions.

[0028] Various objects may be placed in the game field F1. In the illustrated example, a first object O11, a second object O12, a third object O13, and a fourth object O14 are placed in the game field F1. The objects placed in the game field F1 may be fixed to predetermined positions within the game field F1 or may be movable within the game field F1. The first object O11, the second object O12, the third object O13, and the fourth object O14 may each be an object representing a structure, an object representing natural terrain such as a mountain, hill, river, or forest, or any other object that may be placed in the game field F1. The objects placed in the game field F1 may include an object that the first user character C11 cannot enter. In the illustrated example, it is assumed that the first user character C11 cannot enter the area occupied by the first object O11 and the second object O12. For this reason, a bottleneck is formed between the first object O11 and the second object O12, and the third computer character C23 is placed in this bottleneck.

[0029] 3 Overview of encounter determination Next, with reference to Figures 3a to 3e, an overview of encounter determination that may be employed in a game provided by the game system 1 will be described. Figures 3a to 3e show a first user character C11 and a first computer character C21. Below, a determination of whether or not the first user character C11 will encounter the first computer character C21 (encounter determination between the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21) will be described, but this encounter determination may also be applied to encounter determination between other characters.

[0030] The encounter determination in the game system 1 involves (1) determining whether the first user character C11 is present within the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21, and (2) performing an event occurrence determination, if the first user character C11 is present within the encounter zone Z11, to determine whether an encounter event involving the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21 will occur. That is, the encounter determination is performed in two stages: a zone determination, which determines whether the first user character C11 is present within the encounter zone Z11, and an event occurrence determination, which is performed if the first user character C11 is present in the encounter zone Z11. Specifically, if it is determined in (1) above that the first user character C11 is present within the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21 and it is determined in (2) that an encounter event will occur, the first user character C11 encounters the first computer character C21, and an encounter event occurs. Simply entering the encounter zone Z11 by the first computer character C21 does not result in an encounter between the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21.

[0031] 3-1 Encounter Zone First, the encounter zone set for the first computer character C21 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3a, an encounter zone Z11 is set in association with the first computer character C21 in the game field F1. In the illustrated example, a zone within a first distance r1 from the coordinates of the position where the first computer character C21 is located on the XY plane is set as the encounter zone Z11. That is, in the illustrated example, the encounter zone Z11 is a circle with a radius r1 centered on the first computer character C21. The encounter zone Z11 may be defined three-dimensionally in the game field F1. For example, the encounter zone Z11 may be a zone within a sphere with a radius r1 centered on the position where the first computer character C21 is located.

[0032] 3a, since the first user character C11 is located outside the encounter zone Z11 set for the first computer character C21 in the game field F1, it is determined that the first user character C11 cannot encounter the first computer character C21. When the first user character C11 cannot encounter the first computer character C21, the first user character C11 is in a normal state.

[0033] When the first user character C11 moves in the game field F1 from the position shown in Fig. 3a in a direction approaching the first computer character C21, the first user character C11 enters the encounter zone Z11, as shown in Fig. 3b. In the example of Fig. 3b, the first user character C11 is located inside the encounter zone Z11 set for the first computer character C21, and therefore the first user character C11 is determined to be in an encounter state in which it can encounter the first computer character C21. In other words, when the first user character C11 enters the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21, the first user character C11 transitions from the normal state to the encounter state.

[0034] 3c, the first user character C11 can move from a position inside the encounter zone Z11 to a position outside the encounter zone Z11 in response to an operation by the first user. When the first user character C11, which has entered the encounter zone Z11 and become in an encounterable state, moves outside the encounter zone Z11, the encounterable state of the first user character C11 is canceled. In other words, when the first user character C11 moves from inside to outside the encounter zone Z11, the first user character C11 transitions from the encounterable state to the normal state.

[0035] The first computer character C21 may be controlled to chase the first user character C11 that has left the encounter zone Z11. For example, as shown in Fig. 3d, the first computer character C21 may move to chase the first user character C11 in order to leave the encounter zone Z11. As shown in Fig. 3d, after leaving the encounter zone Z11, the first user character C11 may be pursued by the first computer character C21 and re-enter the encounter zone Z11.

[0036] Whether or not the first user character C11 is located inside the encounter zone Z11 can be determined depending on whether or not the coordinates in the XY plane of the position where the first user character C11 is located are within the encounter zone Z11. Whether or not the first user character C11 is located within the encounter zone Z11 can be determined at a predetermined zone determination period. The zone determination period may be set to a time period that allows for determining whether or not the first user character C11 is located within the encounter zone Z11 substantially in real time. The zone determination period may be, for example, 0.1 seconds, or may be shorter or longer than 0.1 seconds.

[0037] 3-2 Event occurrence determination within the encounter zone In response to the first user character C11 becoming in an encounter-enabled state, an event occurrence determination is performed to determine whether an encounter event in which the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21 will participate will occur. In this specification, the determination of whether an encounter event in which the user character and another character (e.g., a computer character) will participate will occur, which is performed when the user character is in an encounter-enabled state with the other character, is referred to as an "event occurrence determination." The event occurrence determination can be performed in various ways. Below, an example of an event occurrence determination when the first user character C11 is in an encounter-enabled state with the first computer character C21 will be described. In this specification, for ease of description, an encounter event in which the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21 will participate will sometimes be referred to as a "first encounter event."

[0038] In one aspect, the event occurrence determination is made based on the event occurrence probability. For example, while the first user character C11 is in an encounter-enabled state, a determination as to whether or not to cause an encounter event is repeatedly made based on the event occurrence probability each time a predetermined time elapses. In other words, the event occurrence determination is repeatedly made at a predetermined event occurrence determination period after the first user character C11 enters an encounter-enabled state. The event occurrence determination period may be, for example, one second, or may be longer or shorter than one second. The elapsed time since the first user character C11 entered an encounter-enabled state can be measured based on the system clock.

[0039] The event occurrence probability used in determining whether an event occurs between the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21 represents the probability that a first encounter event will occur in one determination when the first user character C11 is in an encounter possible state where the first computer character C21 can be encountered (i.e., when the first user character C11 is present within the encounter possible zone Z11 of the first computer character C21). When the event occurrence probability is fixed, the event occurrence probability takes a value less than 100%. The event occurrence probability may be 50% or less, 30% or less, 20% or less, or 10% or less. The event occurrence probability may be, for example, 10%, or may be greater or less than 10%. The event occurrence probability may fluctuate. When the event occurrence probability fluctuates, the event occurrence probability may temporarily be set to 100%.

[0040] The event occurrence probability may be set within a range that allows the first user character C11 to avoid an encounter event with the first computer character C21 by entering the encounter zone Z11 and then leaving the encounter zone Z11. For example, if the event occurrence determination period is set to 1 second and the event occurrence probability is set to 10%, the probability that an encounter event will not occur within 5 seconds of the first user character C11 entering the encounter zone Z11 is approximately 59% ((9 / 10) to the fifth power). In this case, if the first user can exit the encounter zone Z11 within 5 seconds of entering the encounter zone Z11, there is an approximately 59% chance that the first user can avoid an encounter with the first computer character C21. If the event occurrence probability per 1-second event occurrence determination period is set to 20%, the probability that an encounter event will not occur within 5 seconds of the first user character C11 entering the encounter zone Z11 is approximately 33% ((4 / 5) to the fifth power). In this way, by setting the event occurrence probability, it is possible to determine how easily an encounter can be avoided after the user character is in an encounter-possible state. Furthermore, by changing the event occurrence determination period, it is possible to change the ease of avoiding an encounter. Specifically, as the event occurrence determination period shortens, the number of determinations per given time increases, making encounters more likely to occur. For example, if the event occurrence determination period is set to 0.5 seconds and the event occurrence probability is set to 10%, the probability that an encounter event will not occur by the time 5 seconds have elapsed is approximately 35% ((9 / 10) to the power of 10), making encounters more likely to occur than when the event occurrence determination period is 1 second. The event occurrence determination period used to determine the occurrence of an event between a user character and another computer character may be set individually for each computer character.

[0041] The event occurrence probability used to determine whether an event has occurred between a user character and another computer character may be determined individually for each computer character. For example, an event occurrence probability may be determined individually for the first computer character C21, the second computer character C22, and the third computer character C23 placed in the game field F1.

[0042] The event occurrence probability used to determine whether an event has occurred between a user character and another computer character may be determined individually for each user character. For example, an event occurrence probability may be determined individually for the first user character C11, the second user character C12, and the third user character C13 placed in the game field F1.

[0043] The event occurrence determination may be performed using a common event occurrence probability that is used in common for all characters placed in the game field F1.

[0044] The event occurrence probability may change according to the time elapsed since the user character entered the encounterable state. For example, the event occurrence probability may gradually increase according to the time elapsed since the first user character C11 entered the encounterable zone Z11 (time spent in the encounterable zone Z11). An upper limit may be set for the gradually increasing event occurrence probability. The upper limit of the event occurrence probability may be, for example, 50%. The event occurrence probability after the gradual increase may reach 100%.

[0045] The probability of an event occurring between a user character and another character may vary depending on the distance between the characters in the game field F1. For example, the shorter the distance between the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21, the higher the probability of the event occurring. If the first user does not want to encounter the first computer character C21, the first user can move the first user character C11 away from the first computer character C21 in the game field F1, thereby making it easier to avoid an encounter with the first computer character C21.

[0046] In one aspect, the event occurrence determination is performed based on an event occurrence gauge. The event occurrence gauge can take a value between 0 and 100, for example. When the value of the event occurrence gauge reaches 100, it is determined that the first user character C11 has encountered the first computer character C21. In other words, when the event occurrence gauge reaches its maximum value, it is determined that the first encounter event has occurred. In this specification, the maximum value that the event occurrence gauge can take may be referred to as the "event occurrence value." The value of the event occurrence gauge may increase with the passage of a predetermined time. For example, the value of the event occurrence gauge may increase by 10 every second that elapses from the time the first user character C11 enters an encounter-enabled state. In this case, it is determined that the first encounter event has occurred when the first user character C11 remains in the encounter-enabled zone Z11 for 10 seconds. The value of the event occurrence gauge may gradually increase or decrease while the first user character C11 is present in the encounter-enabled zone Z11. The event occurrence value may be determined individually for each computer character, or may be determined commonly for all computer characters. The event occurrence value may increase or decrease as the game progresses. The value of the event occurrence gauge may be reset to 0 (zero) when the first user character C11 leaves the encounter zone Z11. The value of the event occurrence gauge may not be reset when the first user character C11 leaves the encounter zone Z11, and may be set so that when the first user character C11 re-enters the encounter zone Z11 after leaving, the value of the event occurrence gauge returns to the value it had when the first user character C11 previously left. The rate at which the value of the event occurrence gauge increases, the manner in which it increases or decreases, and / or whether or not it is reset when the first user character C11 leaves the encounter zone Z11 may be determined individually for each computer character.

[0047] 3-3 Contact Zone Next, the contact zone set for the first computer character C21 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3a, a contact zone Z21 is set in association with the first computer character C21 in the game field F1. In the illustrated example, a zone within a second distance r2, which is smaller than the first distance r1, from the coordinates of the position where the first computer character C21 is located on the XY plane is set as the contact zone Z21. That is, in the illustrated example, the contact zone Z21 is within a circle with a radius r2 centered on the first computer character C21. The contact zone Z21 may be a zone defined three-dimensionally in the game field F1. For example, the contact zone Z21 may be a zone within a sphere with a radius r2 centered on the position where the first computer character C21 is located.

[0048] When the first user character C11 enters the encounter zone Z11 from the position shown in Figure 3a as shown in Figure 3b and moves from this position in Figure 3b in a direction closer to the first computer character C21, the first user character C11 enters the contact zone Z21 set for the first computer character C21 as shown in Figure 3e. In one aspect, when the first user character C11 enters the contact zone Z21 set for the first computer character C21, it is determined that the first user character C11 has encountered the first computer character C21, and a first encounter event occurs. In other words, when the first user character C11 enters the contact zone Z21, the first user character C11 automatically encounters the first computer character C21. Whether the first user character C11 is inside or outside the contact zone Z21 can be determined depending on whether the coordinates in the XY plane of the position where the first user character C11 is located are within a circle of radius r2 centered on the coordinates in the XY plane of the position where the first computer character C21 is located.

[0049] The contact zone Z21 may not be set for the first computer character C21. In other words, the contact zone Z21 is not an essential element for determining an encounter. A contact zone may be set for some of the computer characters placed in the game field F1, and no contact zone may be set for the other computer characters.

[0050] 4 User Device Referring again to FIG. 1, the user device 10 will now be further described.

[0051] 4-1 User device configuration The user device 10 may be a smartphone, a personal computer (PC), a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, an e-book reader, a wearable computer, a game console, a head-mounted display, or any other type of information processing device. The user device 10 is intended to be used by a first user. The first user can input data into the user device 10 and play a game using images and sounds output from the user device 10.

[0052] The user device 10 includes a processor 11 , a memory 12 , a user interface 13 , a communication interface 14 , and a storage 15 .

[0053] The processor 11 is an arithmetic device that loads an operating system and various other programs from the storage 15 or other storage into the memory 12 and executes instructions included in the loaded programs. The processor 11 is, for example, a CPU, an MPU, a DSP, a GPU, various other arithmetic devices, or a combination of these. The processor 11 may be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC, a PLD, an FPGA, or an MCU.

[0054] The memory 12 is used to store instructions executed by the processor 11 and various other data. The memory 12 is a main memory that can be accessed at high speed by the processor 11. The memory 12 is configured by, for example, a RAM such as a DRAM or an SRAM.

[0055] The user interface 13 includes an input interface that accepts user input and an output interface that outputs various information under the control of the processor 21. The input interface is a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, a touch panel, or any other information input device that can input user input. The output interface is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, a display panel, or any other information output device that can output the calculation results of the processor 11.

[0056] The communication interface 14 is implemented as hardware, firmware, or communication software such as a TCP / IP driver or a PPP driver, or a combination of these. The user device 10 can send and receive data to and from other information devices, including the server 20, via the communication interface 14.

[0057] The storage 15 is an external storage device that is accessed by the processor 11. The storage 15 is, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or any other storage device capable of storing data.

[0058] 4-2 Data stored in Storage 15 The storage 15 stores a game application 15a for providing various game functions, encounter management data 15b used for encounter determination, and various other data.

[0059] Instructions included in the game application 15a can be executed by the processor 11. Details of functions realized by executing the game application 15a will be described later. The game application 15a may be downloaded to the user device 10, for example, from an application distribution platform (not shown). The user device 10 can obtain data necessary to progress through the game part from the server 20 as needed, and store the obtained data in the storage 15.

[0060] The encounter management data 15b will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The encounter management data 15b is a data set in which data referenced during encounter determination is structurally stored. The encounter management data 15b includes, for example, character identification information that identifies computer characters placed within the game field. In addition to the character identification information of the computer characters, the encounter management data 15b may include zone information set for the computer characters, event occurrence probabilities, and event occurrence determination periods.

[0061] The zone information of a computer character indicates the range of an encounter zone set for that computer character. The zone information may be coordinate information representing the encounter zone. For example, if the encounter zone is circular, the zone information may include coordinates representing the position of the computer character in the game field and the radius of the circle defining the outer edge of the encounter zone. The zone information of a computer character may be updated to reflect the latest position of the computer character moving within the game field. The zone information may be changed in accordance with user settings. For example, if a game allows two or more modes to be available based on user selection, different zone information may be set for each mode. Specifically, if a game has a hard mode in which encounters occur more frequently and an easy mode in which encounters occur less frequently, the zone information may be set so that a larger encounter zone is set when the hard mode is selected. The zone information may be updated or changed in response to an event other than a user selection.

[0062] As described above, the event occurrence probability set for a computer character represents the occurrence probability of an encounter event in which the user character and the computer character participate, in a single determination, when the user character is in an encounter-possible state with the computer character. This occurrence probability is stored as part of the encounter management data 25c. As with the zone information, the event occurrence probability may be changed in response to the user's mode selection or other events.

[0063] The event occurrence determination period set for a computer character represents the interval at which event occurrence determination is repeatedly performed for a user character that is in an encounterable state with the computer character. As with the zone information and the event occurrence probability, the event occurrence determination period may be changed in response to the user's mode selection or other events.

[0064] 4-3 User Device Functions The processor 11 of the user device 10 functions as a game progression unit 11a, a zone determination unit 11b, an event occurrence determination unit 11c, and an event execution unit 11d by executing the instruction set included in the game application 15a and other instruction sets as necessary.

[0065] 4-3-1 Game Progression Section 11a The game progression unit 11a progresses the game in accordance with an instruction set included in the game application 15a and, as necessary, based on input from the first user via the user interface 13 (e.g., a touch panel) of the user device 10. The game progression unit 11a can also progress the game in cooperation with the server 20. Operational inputs from the user include, for example, an input to select a game field, an input to specify the movement of the first user character C11 within the game field, an input to instruct the use of an item, an input to change game settings, and various other inputs related to the progress of the game. The game progression unit 11a can generate requests related to the progress of the game based on, for example, an instruction set included in the game application 15a and input from the user, and send the generated requests to the server 20. The game progression unit 11a can also receive various game data related to the progress of the game from the server 20 and progress the game based on the game data. The game progression unit 11a can display images corresponding to the progress of the game on the user interface 13 (e.g., a display). The game progression unit 11a can generate images of the game field F1 by rendering, for example.

[0066] The game progression unit 11a may obtain data necessary for the progression of the game from the various types of data stored in storage 25 of the server 20, and store the obtained data in storage 15. When necessary for game processing, the game progression unit 11a can read data from storage 15 as appropriate, and perform calculations using the read data.

[0067] 4-3-2 Zone Determination Unit 11b The zone determination unit 11b determines in which of the various zones set in the game field a user character placed in the game field exists. As shown in FIG. 2, when a first user character C11 is placed in the game field F1, the zone determination unit 11b can determine whether the first user character C11 is placed in the encounter zone of any computer character placed in the game field F1, based on the coordinates of the first user character C11 in the game field F1. For example, the zone determination unit 11b can determine whether the first user character C11 is placed in the encounter zone Z11 set for the first computer character C21, based on the coordinates of the position of the first user character C11 in the game field F1. When the first user character C11 is placed outside the encounter zone Z11 set for the first computer character C21, as shown in FIG. 3a, the zone determination unit 11b determines that the first user character C11 is placed outside the encounter zone Z11 set for the first computer character C21. In this case, the zone determination unit 11b determines that the first user character C11 is not in an encounterable state in which it can encounter the first computer character C21 (i.e., it is in a normal state). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3b, when the first user character C11 is located inside the encounterable zone Z11 (but outside the contact zone Z21), the zone determination unit 11b determines that the first user character C11 is located inside the encounterable zone Z11 set for the first computer character C21. In this case, the zone determination unit 11b determines that the first user character C11 is in an encounterable state in which it can encounter the first computer character C21.As shown in Figure 3c, when the first user character C11 leaves the encounter zone Z11 (i.e., when it moves out of the encounter zone Z11), the zone determination unit 11b determines that the first user character C11 is not in an encounter state in which it can encounter the first computer character C21.

[0068] The zone determination unit 11b can determine whether the first user character C11 is located in any of the zones set in the game field F1 at predetermined zone determination intervals. For example, the zone determination unit 11b can determine whether the first user character C11 is located in the encounter zone Z11 (or another encounter zone) at each zone determination interval. The zone determination interval may be short enough to enable detection of whether the first user character C11 is located in the encounter zone Z11 substantially in real time. The zone determination interval may be 1 second or less, 0.5 seconds or less, 0.3 seconds or less, 0.2 seconds or less, or 0.1 seconds or less.

[0069] As described above, the zone determination unit 11b can determine, substantially in real time, whether the first user character C11 is located within the encounter zone Z11, and, based on the determination result, can determine whether the first user character C11 is in an encounterable state with the first computer character C21. Similarly, the zone determination unit 11b can determine whether the first user character C11 is located within an encounter zone set for a computer character other than the first computer character C21. Similarly, the zone determination unit 11b can also determine whether a user character other than the first user character C11 is located within an encounter zone set for a computer character located within the game field F1.

[0070] The zone determination unit 11b can determine whether the first user character C11 is located within a contact zone (e.g., contact zone Z21) set for a computer character (e.g., first computer character C21) located within the game field F1. Similarly, the zone determination unit 11b can determine whether a user character other than the first user character C11 is located within a contact zone set for a computer character located within the game field F1.

[0071] 4-3-3 Event occurrence determination unit 11c The event occurrence determination unit 11c determines whether or not to cause a first encounter event to occur in response to the determination by the zone determination unit 11b that the first user character C11 is in an encounterable state. This event occurrence determination can be performed based on the event occurrence probability, as described above. For example, when the first user character C11 is in an encounterable state, the event occurrence determination unit 11c probabilistically determines whether or not a first encounter event will occur for each event occurrence determination period based on the event occurrence probability. If the event occurrence determination period is one second, the event occurrence determination unit 11c determines whether or not a first encounter event will occur every second as long as the first user character C11 is in an encounterable state. If the event occurrence probability is 20%, it is determined that an encounter event will occur with a 20% probability in one determination. Therefore, if the first computer character C21 stays in the encounterable zone Z11 for a long period of time, the possibility of an encounter event occurring increases. Conversely, even if the first user character C11 enters the encounter zone Z11, if the first user character C11 immediately leaves the encounter zone Z11 after entering, the possibility of an encounter event occurring is low.

[0072] The event occurrence determination unit 11c determines that a first encounter event has occurred when the zone determination unit 11b determines that the first user character C11 is located within the contact zone Z21.

[0073] 4-3-4 Event Execution Department 11d The event execution unit 11d executes a first encounter event when the event occurrence determination unit 11c determines that an encounter event has occurred. The encounter event is, for example, a battle event in which the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21 fight. The encounter event is not limited to a battle event. The encounter event may be a communication event in which the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21 have a conversation. The encounter event may be a trading event in which the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21 trade game media such as items. The encounter event executed by the event execution unit 11d is not limited to those explicitly described in this specification.

[0074] 5. Server equipment Next, the server 20 will be further described. The server 20 includes a processor 21, a memory 22, a user interface 23, a communication interface 24, and a storage 25. The above description of the processor 11, the memory 12, the user interface 13, the communication interface 14, and the storage 15 of the user device 10 also applies to the processor 21, the memory 22, the user interface 23, the communication interface 24, and the storage 25.

[0075] The storage 25 stores user management data 25a, game content management data 25b, and other data necessary for providing the game.

[0076] The user management data 25a will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The user management data 25a is a data set in which various data related to users who play games provided by the game system 1 are structurally stored. The user management data 25a may include user account information, various parameters set for the user, owned game media information related to game media owned by the user, used game media information related to used game media used by the user in the game, and various other data related to the user.

[0077] The account information is, for example, a user ID that identifies a user. The account information may also include a username. In the game system 1, a user is uniquely identified by the user ID. The username indicates the name of the user used in the game.

[0078] The parameters of a user may include the user's rank, experience points, acquired points, and other user parameters associated with the user that change as the user plays the game. The user's rank is a parameter that indicates the user's proficiency with the game. The rank may increase as the user plays the game.

[0079] The owned game media information of a user is information about game media owned by the user in a game. Game media is electronic data used in a game. Game media may include, for example, characters, cards, items, points, in-service currency (or in-game currency), tokens (e.g., Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)), tickets, characters, avatars, parameters, and other electronic data used in the game. Game media may be acquired, owned, used, managed, exchanged, combined, enhanced, sold, discarded, or gifted by a user in a game. Game media may also be used in ways other than those described above. The owned game media information may include a game media ID that identifies game media owned by the user in a game. When a game medium is acquired by a user, the game media ID that identifies the game medium is stored as owned game media information in association with the user ID of the user. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, game media "owned" by a user refers to the game media associated with the user ID of the user. Furthermore, "granting" game media to a user means associating the game media with the user's user ID as game media "owned" by the user. "Discarding" game media owned by a user means dissociating the game media from the user's user ID. "Consuming" game media owned by a user means generating an in-game effect in response to dissociating the game media from the user's user ID. "Selling" game media owned by a user means dissociating the game media from the user's user ID and associating other game media (e.g., virtual currency or items) with the user ID as game media owned by the user. "Transferring" game media owned by user A to user B means dissociating the game media from user A's user ID and associating the game media with user B's user ID. "Creating" game media means defining or determining at least a portion of the information related to the game media.

[0080] The used game media information is information indicating the game media used by the user in a game part (e.g., a battle game part). The game media used by the user in the battle game part is selected from among the owned game media. The game media used by the user in the battle game part may be selected in response to a user operation selection or automatically from among the used game media. Once the used game media are selected to execute the battle game part, a deck may be constructed using the used game media. In this case, the used game media information may include a deck ID that identifies a deck including the game media selected as the used game media.

[0081] The user management data 25a may include friend information. The friend information for a user indicates the user IDs of users who are friends with the user. For example, if user A is friends with users B and C, the friend information for user A includes the user IDs of users B and C. Users who are friends can play games together.

[0082] Some of the data stored as the user management data 25a is updated as the game progresses. For example, a user's rank increases as the user plays the game. Some of the data stored as the user management data 25a is not updated as the game progresses. For example, the user ID remains unchanged even as the game progresses.

[0083] The game content management data 25b will be described with reference to Figure 6. The game content management data 25b is a data set in which various data related to game content used in games provided by the game system 1 is structurally stored. The game content management data 25b may include game content identification information for various game content, game content names, game content information indicating the characteristics of the game content, and various other data related to the game content.

[0084] The game media ID is an ID that identifies the game media. The game media name indicates the name of the game media.

[0085] The game content information includes various information indicating the characteristics of the game content. The game content information includes, for example, rarity, level, cost, life, attack power, defense power, and game function information. Rarity is information indicating the scarcity (rarity value) of the game content. In other words, the rarity associated with a certain game content indicates the difficulty of obtaining the game content. The level indicates the growth level of the game content. For example, the higher the level value, the greater the growth level of the game content. In this embodiment, the level value may increase as the user plays the game. The cost is a parameter used when determining the deck to be used in the competitive game part. For example, a deck is set with an upper limit on the total cost of the game content that can be included in that deck. The user can select the game content to be included in the deck so that the total cost does not exceed this upper limit.

[0086] Life is a parameter used to determine whether a user wins or loses in a battle game part. In the battle game part, the user's character loses life when attacked by an enemy character. Life may be restored to an upper limit or a lower limit by using a recovery item. When the lives of all characters included in the user's deck reach zero, the user may be determined to have lost the battle game part.

[0087] The attack power of a game content is a parameter that contributes to the amount of damage inflicted on an enemy character by an attack from that game content. The larger the value of the attack power, the greater the amount of damage inflicted on an enemy character. The defense power of a game content is a parameter that contributes to the amount of damage that the game content receives from an attack from an enemy character. The larger the value of the defense power, the greater the amount of damage that the game content receives from an attack from an enemy character.

[0088] The game media information may include game function information. The game function information associated with the game media represents a game function that the game media uses to generate a game effect in a game part. In the technical field of the present invention, a game function may also be called a skill or an ability. In some games, a "spell" used by a character may also be considered a game function. When a game function is used in a game part, a game effect associated with that game function is generated. Game effects generated by using a game function in a battle game part include increased attack power, increased defense power, life recovery, and other effects that affect the outcome of a battle against an enemy character.

[0089] At least a portion of the user management data 25a and the game content management data 25b is referenced by the user device 10 as needed. At least a portion of the user management data 25a and the game content management data 25b may be stored in the user device 10 as needed.

[0090] The processor 21 of the server 20 functions as a game control unit 21a by executing an instruction set included in a program stored in the storage 25 and, as necessary, other instruction sets. The game control unit 21a processes requests and notifications from the user device 10 based on predetermined game logic, and also provides the user device 10 with various game data for executing the game, thereby controlling the progress of the game.

[0091] 6 Encounter determination flow Next, the flow of the process for determining an encounter will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The process shown in FIG. 7 may be performed by the processor 11 of the user device 10 executing instructions included in the game application 15a. Part of the process shown in FIG. 7 may be performed by a processor (e.g., the processor 21 of the server 20) provided in a device other than the user device 10. In FIG. 7, it is assumed that a first user is using the user device 10 to play a game provided by the game system 1 with a first user character C11. This game has multiple game fields, and the first user can select a preferred game field from among the multiple game fields.

[0092] First, in step S11, a game field F1 is selected in response to an operation performed by the first user on the user device 10. Once the game field F1 is selected, in step S12, a first user character C11 of the first user is placed at a predetermined spawn position within the game field F1. Once the first user character C11 spawns in the game field F1, an image visually representing the game field F1 is generated. The image of the game field F1 is generated by rendering field configuration information, including objects within the game field F1, physical conditions (gravity, light intensity, etc.), and virtual camera setting information. The image of the game field F1 may be generated using a known rendering engine. The image of the game field F1 represents a view of the game field F1 as seen from the virtual camera. FIG. 8a shows an example of an image 40 of the game field F1. The image of the game field F1 shown in FIG. 8a includes images of the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21, as well as various objects within the game field F1. FIG. 8a shows a view of the game field F1 from a virtual camera positioned behind the first user character C11. A view of part of the game field F1 as seen from the Z-axis direction may be overlaid on the image 40 as a map. In the illustrated example, a map 41 showing the area of ​​the game field F1 that includes the first user character C11 is displayed in the upper right corner of the image 40. The arrangement of the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21 shown in FIG. 8a corresponds to the arrangement shown in FIG. 3a.

[0093] The image 40 is displayed on the display of the user device 10. The first user can view the image 40 displayed on the user device 10 and perform an operation to move the first user character C11. The first user character C11 can move within the game field F1 in response to an operation on the user device 10 by the first user.

[0094] When the first user character C11 is placed in the game field F1, in step S13, it is determined whether the first user character C11 is placed within the encounter zone of any of the computer characters placed in the game field F1. The encounter zones set for each of the computer characters placed in the game field F1 may be stored as part of the encounter management data 25c. When the first user character C11 is placed at the position shown in FIGS. 8a and 3b, the first user character C11 is not within the encounter zone of any of the computer characters placed in the game field F1, and is therefore determined to be not in an encounterable state. The determination in step S13 is performed, for example, at every zone determination cycle, until it is determined that the first user character C11 is in an encounterable state.

[0095] When the first user character C11 moves from the position shown in Fig. 8a (the position shown in Fig. 3a) in a direction approaching the first computer character C21 in response to an operation on the user device 10 by the first user, the first user character C11 enters the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21. Fig. 8b shows an image 40 including the first user character C11 that has entered the encounter zone Z11. The position of the first user character C11 shown in Fig. 8b corresponds to the position where the first user character C11 is located in Fig. 3b.

[0096] When the first user character C11 enters the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21, the first user character C11 transitions from the normal state to the encounter state.

[0097] When the first user character C11 enters an encounterable state, the game screen displayed on the user device 10 of the first user can be changed to notify the first user that the first user character C11 has transitioned to an encounterable state. For example, when the first user character C11 enters an encounterable state, a graphic element indicating that the first user character C11 is in an encounterable state may be included in the image 40. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8b, a string-like graphic element 42 is displayed between the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21, which is in an encounterable state with the first user character C11. When the graphic element 42 is displayed between the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21, the first user can notice that the first computer character C21 has entered the encounterable zone Z11 of the first computer character C21. In the examples shown in FIGS. 8a and 8b, the boundary of the encounterable zone Z11 is not included in the image 40. In this case, the first user cannot determine from the image 40 which area in the game field F1 is the encounter zone Z11 until the first user character C11 enters the encounter zone Z11. By including the graphic element 42 in the image 40 when the first user character C11 is located within the encounter zone Z11, the first user can notice that the first user character C11 has entered the encounter zone Z11 even if the boundary of the encounter zone Z11 is not included in the image 40.

[0098] When the first user character C11 is present within the encounter zone Z11, in addition to or instead of the graphic element 42, characters indicating that the first user character C11 has entered the encounter zone Z11 may be displayed in the text display area 43. Without displaying the graphic element 42 or displaying text, or in addition to displaying these, the first user may be informed that the first user character C11 is within the encounter zone Z11 by using dramatic effects in the video 40. Such dramatic effects may include changing the color tone of the entire video 40 (for example, changing the color tone so that the entire video 40 appears redder than when the first user character C11 is outside the encounter zone Z11), generating sound effects, and vibrating the user device 10.

[0099] In one aspect, the boundary of the encounter zone Z11 may be included in the image 40. By displaying the boundary of the encounter zone Z11 in the image 40, the first user can move the first user character C11 to avoid the encounter zone Z11, or conversely, move the first user character C11 to enter the encounter zone Z11 in order to encounter the first computer character C21.

[0100] The above process in step S13 may be executed by the zone determination unit 11b.

[0101] If it is determined in step S13 that the first user character C11 is present in the encounter zone Z11 (i.e., the encounter state has been transitioned to), the processing proceeds to step S14. In step S14, it is determined whether or not a first encounter event will occur. That is, in step S14, an event occurrence determination is performed for the first user character C11. Whether or not the first encounter event will occur is determined probabilistically, for example, for each event occurrence determination period set for the first computer character C21, based on the event occurrence probability set for the first computer character C21. If it is determined in the first event occurrence determination that an encounter event will not occur, the processing returns to step S13. In step S13, it is determined again whether or not the first user character C11 is present in the encounter zone Z11. If the first user character C11 has already moved outside the encounter zone Z11 at this point, the determination result in this step S13 is NO, and the event occurrence determination for the next period is not performed. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S13 that the first user character C11 is present in the encounter zone Z11, an event occurrence determination for the next cycle is made in step S14. In this way, the event occurrence determination in step S14 is repeatedly made for each event occurrence determination cycle until it is determined in step S14 that an encounter event has occurred, or the first user character C11 moves out of the encounter zone Z11 before the encounter event occurs, thereby canceling the encounterable state of the first user character C11.

[0102] When it is determined in step S14 that a first encounter event has occurred (i.e., the first user character C11 has encountered the first computer character C21), the first encounter event is executed in step S15. In step S15, the encounter event is, for example, a battle event between the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21.

[0103] An example of processing in a battle event between a first user character C11 and a first computer character C21 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 shows an example of a play screen 50 that is displayed on the user device 10 in response to the occurrence of a battle event. An image of the first user character C11 and an image of the first computer character C21 are displayed on the play screen 50.

[0104] On the play screen 50 showing a battle event, a life L11 may be displayed in association with the first user character C11, and a life L21 may be displayed in association with the first computer character C21. When the first user character C11 is attacked, the life L11 decreases, and when the first computer character C21 is attacked, the life L21 decreases. The life may be recovered by using an item or activating a game effect such as magic. For example, the character that first reduces the opponent's life to zero is the winner of the battle event.

[0105] While the first encounter event is in progress, other characters can move within the game field F1. Therefore, while the first encounter event is in progress, a user character other than the first user character C11 may enter the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21 participating in the first encounter event. In one embodiment, even if a player character other than the first user character C11 enters the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21 during the execution of the first encounter event, the zone determination unit 11b does not transition the user character to an encounterable state. In other words, the zone determination unit 11b may transition a user character that has entered the encounter zone Z11 to an encounterable state only if the first computer character C21 is not participating in the encounter event. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10, a second user character C12 enters the encounter zone Z11 of the second user character C12 while the first encounter event is in progress. In this case, since the first computer character C21 is participating in an encounter event with the first user character C11, the second user character C12 does not transition to an encounterable state even after entering the encounterable zone Z11. Similarly, even if the second user character C12 transitions to the contact zone Z21 during the execution of the first encounter event, an encounter between the second user character C12 and the first computer character C21 does not occur.

[0106] The second user character C12 can use a buff effect on the first user character C11 during the first encounter event. The buff effect used by the second user character C12 may enhance the abilities of the first user character C11, such as offensive power or defensive power, during the first encounter event. In one aspect, the second user character C12 can use a buff effect on the first user character C11 battling the first computer character C21 only when the second user character C12 is located within the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21. If the second user character C12 is far from the first user character C11 and the second computer character C22 participating in the first encounter event in the game field F1, the second user character C12 cannot use the buff effect on the first user character C11, and can only use the buff effect when the second user character C12 approaches the first computer character C21 until the second user character C12 enters the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21.

[0107] When the first encounter event ends by either the first user character C11 or the first computer character C21 winning the battle, the first user character C11 returns to the game field F1 in step S16. In this case, the first user character C11 may be placed in the same position as when the first encounter event occurred. The first user can move the first user character C11 again within the game field F1 by operating the first user character C11 that has returned to the game field F1.

[0108] In this manner, an encounter determination is performed between the first user character C11 and the first computer character C21 placed in the game field F1, and the first encounter event is processed when an encounter occurs.

[0109] The first user character C11 can encounter computer characters other than the first computer character C21 that are placed in the game field F1.

[0110] The first user character C11 may also encounter other user characters (e.g., the second user character C12 or the third user character C13) placed in the game field F1. An encounter event that occurs when user characters encounter each other may be a conversation event in which the user characters converse with each other, or a transaction event in which the user characters trade items with each other. If the game system 1 provides a function that allows user characters to battle each other, an encounter event that occurs when user characters encounter each other may be a battle (combat) event between user characters.

[0111] Similar to the first user character C11, user characters other than the first user character C11 placed in the game field F1 can also encounter other computer characters and / or other user characters in the game field F1. The encounter determination for user characters other than the first user character C11 can also be performed according to the method shown in the flow of FIG. 7.

[0112] 7 Variations of Encounter Zones 3a to 3e have been described with reference to an embodiment in which the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21 is a zone within a circle centered on the first computer character C21. The shape of the encounter zone Z11 in the game field F1 that can be applied to the present invention is not limited to a circle. Therefore, below, modified examples of the encounter zone Z11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11a to 11e.

[0113] As shown in Fig. 11a, the encounter zone Z11 may have a non-circular shape on the XY plane of the game field F1. Fig. 11a shows, as an example of a non-circular encounter zone Z11, an encounter zone Z11 that is sector-shaped, has a radius r1 centered on the first computer character C21, and a central angle of approximately 60°. This sector-shaped encounter zone Z11 may correspond to the field of view of the first computer character C21.

[0114] When the first computer character C21 has a fan-shaped encounter zone Z11, even if the first user character C11 enters an area of ​​radius r1 from the first computer character C21, it may not enter the encounter zone Z11, as shown in FIG. 11a. When the first user character C11 moves to the position shown in FIG. 11a, the distance between the first computer character C21 and the first user character C11 is smaller than r1, but the first user character C11 is located outside the encounter zone Z11 and does not transition to an encounterable state. As shown in FIG. 11b, the first user character C11 enters an encounterable state by moving into the fan-shaped encounter zone Z11. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11c, the first user character C11 can leave the encounter zone Z11 by moving into the blind spot of the first computer character C21 without moving away from the first computer character C21.

[0115] In one embodiment, the encounter zone Z11 can move within the game field F1. For example, the encounter zone Z11 can move in response to movement of the line of sight of the first computer character C21. The first computer character C21 may be controlled to track the first user character C11 that has left the encounter zone Z11 by moving its line of sight. For example, as shown in FIG. 11d, by rotating the line of sight clockwise around the position of the first computer character C21, the first user character C11 that has moved into a blind spot in FIG. 11c can be tracked and captured again within the encounter zone Z11.

[0116] If the encounter zone Z11 does not surround the first computer character C21, the first user character C11 can enter the contact zone Z21 without entering the encounter zone Z11. For example, as shown in FIG. 11e, the first user character C11 can enter the contact zone Z21 from the blind spot of the first computer character C21, avoiding the encounter zone Z11. Entering the contact zone Z21 causes an encounter event. When the first user character C11 enters the contact zone Z21 without entering the encounter zone Z11, the encounter event may be generated under conditions more advantageous to the first user character C11 than when an encounter event occurs after the first user character C11 enters the encounter zone Z11 (for example, when an encounter event occurs due to an event occurrence determination while the first user character C11 is located in the encounter zone Z11, or when an encounter event occurs when the first user character C11 enters the encounter zone Z11 and then enters the contact zone Z21). For example, when the encounter event is a turn-based battle event, the battle event may be started with the first user character C11 taking the lead. Also, when the encounter event is a turn-based battle event, only the first user character C11 may be allowed to attack for the first few turns (for example, three turns), rather than attacks being made alternately.

[0117] The first computer character C21 may have a perception zone for perceiving the presence of a user character, separate from the encounter zone Z11. The perception zone of the first computer character C21 is a zone occupying a portion of the game field F1 associated with the first computer character C21, and indicates the range of the first computer character C21's perception. In one embodiment, when a user character enters the perception zone of the first computer character C21, the first computer character C21 can perceive the presence of the user character. When the first computer character C21 perceives the presence of the user character, it can track the user character by moving in a direction toward the user character. When the first computer character C21 perceives the presence of the user character, it may be able to attract the user character toward the first computer character C21. The perception zone of the first computer character C21 may be, for example, a visual zone corresponding to the field of view of the first computer character C21. The perception zone of the first computer character C21 may be, for example, an auditory zone corresponding to the hearing threshold of the first computer character C21. When the user character performs an action that produces a sound (e.g., talking, moving, or using an item) while present within the auditory zone of the first computer character C21, the first computer character C21 may be able to perceive that the user character is present within its own auditory zone. The perception zone of the first computer character C21 may be, for example, an olfactory zone representing the olfactory threshold of the first computer character C21. When an odor emitted by the user character while present within the olfactory zone of the first computer character C21 exceeds the olfactory threshold set for the olfactory zone, the first computer character C21 may be able to perceive that the user character is present within its own olfactory zone. The odor emitted by the user character may be determined based on the user character's equipment, possessed items, attributes of the user character, and other factors.

[0118] Another example of the encounter zone Z11 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. In the example shown in Fig. 12, the encounter zone Z11 is set as a zone within the perception zone Z13 of the first computer character C21 that overlaps with the proximity zone Z12, which is a zone within a distance r1 from the first computer character C21. In other words, the encounter zone Z11 is set as a zone within the perception zone Z13 of the first computer character C21 that is within a distance r1 from the first computer character C21.

[0119] In the example shown in Figure 12, the first user character C11 is located outside the encounter zone Z11, so the first user character C11 is not in an encounterable state, but because it is located inside the perception zone Z13, the first computer character C21 can perceive the presence of the first user character C11 and track the first user character C11.

[0120] In one embodiment, the perception zone of the first computer character C21 may coincide with the encounter zone Z11.

[0121] Referring to FIG. 13, another example of the encounter zone Z11 will be described. As shown in FIG. 13, the encounter zone Z11 does not include the first computer character C21 and does not necessarily have to be adjacent to the first computer character C21. In other words, the encounter zone Z11 for the first computer character C21 may be located at a distance from the first computer character C21 in the game field F1. By placing the encounter zone Z11 for the first computer character C21 at a distance from the first computer character C21, it is possible to set an encounter zone Z11 that reflects the attributes and characteristics of the first computer character C21. For example, for a computer character that is good at exploring and attacking remote locations, it is possible to set an encounter zone Z11 that is compatible with the attributes of the computer character by setting the encounter zone Z11 at a distance from the computer character.

[0122] Referring to FIG. 14, another example of the encounter zone Z11 will be described. The encounter zone Z11 may be configured by combining two or more subzones. In the example shown in FIG. 14, the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21 is configured from a first subzone Z11a and a second subzone Z11b. In this case, when the first user character C11 is present inside either the first subzone Z11a or the second subzone Z11b, the first user character C11 is determined to be in an encounterable state. In the example shown, the first subzone Z11a is a zone within a circle with a radius r1 from the first computer character C21, and the second subzone Z11b is a zone inside a sector centered on the first computer character C21, with a radius r3 and a central angle of approximately 15°. The radius r3 is greater than the radius r1. For example, by setting the second sub-zone Z11b to include the direction in which the first computer character C21 is looking, the encounter zone Z11 can be set so that it is wide in the direction in which the first computer character C21 is looking and narrow in other directions.

[0123] The event occurrence probability set for the first sub-zone Z11a may be different from the event occurrence probability set for the second sub-zone Z11b. In other words, an event occurrence determination may be performed using a different event occurrence probability when the first user character C11 is in an encounterable state because the first sub-zone Z11a and when the first user character C11 is in an encounterable state because the first sub-zone Z11b. The event occurrence determination period set for the first sub-zone Z11a may be different from the event occurrence determination period set for the second sub-zone Z11b.

[0124] 8. Encounter events in which multiple user characters can participate For some computer characters placed in the game field F1, while an encounter event is being executed between the computer character and a user character, other user characters may be allowed to participate in the encounter event. In the following, for the second computer character C22, it is assumed that while an encounter event is being executed between the first user character C11 and the second computer character C22, other user characters may also be allowed to participate in the encounter event.

[0125] As shown in FIG. 15, when the first user character C11 is present within the encounter zone Z31 of the second computer character C22, the first user character C11 is in an encounterable state in relation to the second computer character C22. When the first user character C11 is in an encounterable state, an event occurrence determination is performed as described above, and an encounter event in which the first user character C11 and the second computer character C22 participate occurs depending on the result of this event occurrence determination. Hereinafter, for ease of description, an encounter event in which the first user character C11 and the second computer character C22 participate may be referred to as a "second encounter event." The second encounter event also occurs when the first user character C11 enters the contact zone Z41 of the second computer character C22. The description regarding the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21 also applies to the encounter zone Z31 of the second computer character C22. Additionally, the description regarding the contact zone Z21 of the first computer character C21 also applies to the contact zone Z41 of the second computer character C22.

[0126] If the second encounter event is a battle event, a play screen 60 for the battle event shown in FIG. 16 is displayed on the user device 10. An image of the first user character C11 and an image of the second computer character C22 are displayed on the play screen 60. On the play screen 60, a life L11 is displayed in association with the first user character C11, and a life L22 is displayed in association with the second computer character C22. In a battle event, the character that first reduces the opponent's life to zero wins the battle.

[0127] If another player character satisfies a predetermined participation condition while the second encounter event is being executed, the other player character can participate in the second encounter event. For example, as shown in FIG. 17 , when the second user character C12 enters the encounter zone Z31 of the second computer character C22 while the second encounter event is being executed, the second user character C12 can participate in the second encounter event. Specifically, when the zone determination unit 11b determines that the second user character C12 has entered the encounter zone Z31 of the second computer character C22, the second user character C12 can participate in the second encounter event. The third user character C13 can also participate in the second encounter event, similar to the second user character C12. When the second user character C12 and the third user character C13 participate in the second encounter event, the second user character C12 and the third user character C13 are added to the play screen 60, as shown in FIG. 18 .

[0128] During execution of the second encounter event, the settings for the encounter zone Z31 of the second computer character C22 may be changed compared to when the second encounter event is not being executed. For example, during execution of the second encounter event, the encounter zone Z31 of the second computer character C22 may be expanded. In other words, the area of ​​the encounter zone Z31 during execution of the second encounter event may be larger than the area of ​​the encounter zone Z31 while the second encounter event is not being executed. This makes it easier for user characters other than the first user character C11 to participate in the second event. Furthermore, the shape of the encounter zone Z31 during execution of the second encounter event may be different from the shape of the encounter zone Z31 while the second encounter event is not being executed. Furthermore, the event occurrence determination period in the encounter zone Z31 during execution of the second encounter event may be different from the event occurrence determination period in the encounter zone Z31 while the second encounter event is not being executed.

[0129] In addition to entering the encounter zone Z31 described above, the following conditions are included as conditions for allowing other user characters (e.g., the second user character C12) to participate in an event (second encounter event) in which the first user character C11 and the second computer character C22 participate. (1) During the execution of the second encounter event, it is detected that the second user character C12 has entered the contact zone Z41 of the second computer character C22. The detection of the entry into the contact zone Z41 can be performed by the zone determination unit 11b. (2) The first user has invited the second user, the second user character C12, to the second encounter event. (3) During the execution of the second encounter event, the second user character C12 is placed in the game field F1. The participation conditions for permitting other user characters to participate in the second encounter event are not limited to the above conditions.

[0130] 18, a second user character C12 and a third user character C13 are participating in a battle event between a first user character C11 and a second computer character C22. The first user character C11, the second user character C12, and the third user character C13 can cooperate to fight against the second computer character C22.

[0131] 9. Effects Next, some of the effects achieved by the above-described embodiment will be described.

[0132] In one embodiment, when the encounter determination determines that the first user character C11 is in the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21 and is in an encounterable state, an event occurrence determination is performed to determine whether to cause an encounter event with the first computer character C21 for the first user character C11 in the encounterable state. Depending on the result of this event occurrence determination, the first user character C11 encounters the second computer character C22, causing an encounter event. Therefore, unlike conventional random encounters, the encounter determination in one embodiment does not forcibly cause an encounter event based solely on probability. Therefore, the user can move within the game field F1 without encountering the first computer character C21 by moving within the virtual field so as to avoid the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21. Therefore, the encounter determination in one embodiment can eliminate or mitigate the problems of conventional random encounters, which are caused by forcibly causing an encounter event based solely on probability.

[0133] Furthermore, in one embodiment, rather than automatically triggering an encounter event in response to the first user character C11 entering the encounter zone Z11, the first user character C11 in the encounter zone Z11 is determined to be in an encounterable state, and an event trigger determination is further performed to determine whether to trigger an encounter event with the first computer character C21 for the first user character C11 determined to be in the encounterable state. In this way, an encounter is not automatically triggered when the first user character C11 enters the encounter zone Z11 of the first computer character C21. This eliminates or mitigates the problem of conventional symbol encounters, which are caused by the forced triggering of an encounter event due to approaching another character. For example, even if a computer character is placed in a narrow passage within the game field F1, it may be possible to avoid an encounter with the computer character placed in the narrow passage by moving the first user character C11 through the narrow passage so as to shorten the time spent in the encounter zone set for that computer character. Thus, according to one embodiment, situations in which an encounter is unavoidable are unlikely to occur, so degradation of the user experience due to the occurrence of forced encounter events can be suppressed.

[0134] In one embodiment, a user who wishes to encounter the first computer character C21 can voluntarily cause an encounter event with the first computer character C21 by having the first user character C11 enter the contact zone Z21 of the first computer character C21. This allows the first user to cause an encounter event with the first computer character C21 by operating the first user character C11, without waiting for the encounter event to occur probabilistically.

[0135] In conventional symbol encounters, if the opponent character is large, the opponent character displayed on the game screen becomes too large when the user character enters the opponent character's encounter area and an encounter determination is made. If the opponent character is displayed too large during an encounter, only a portion of the opponent character is displayed on the screen, making it difficult to discern the appearance of the encountered opponent character. Therefore, when the game transitions to an encounter event, it is difficult to distinguish between the opponent character before the transition and the opponent character in the encounter event. Thus, adopting a symbol encounter when the opponent characters vary in size may give the user an unnatural impression during the encounter. Increasing the encounter area of ​​a large opponent character can cause an encounter to occur before the opponent character's display on the game screen becomes too large, but this can result in frequent encounter events with large opponent characters, making it difficult to maintain proper game balance. The embodiments described herein can solve the above problems of conventional symbol encounters. That is, according to the embodiment described in this specification, for a computer character with a large appearance, by setting a large encounter zone, the user character can be transitioned to an encounterable state before the computer character is displayed large on the game screen (before the computer character gets close enough to be displayed in this manner). Furthermore, even if the encounter zone is made large for a computer character with a large appearance, the problem of encounters with large-appearing computer characters occurring too frequently can be prevented by reducing the encounter occurrence probability in the encounter zone or lengthening the event occurrence determination cycle.

[0136] 10 Applications outside of games The inventions disclosed herein can also be applied to applications other than games. For example, the inventions described herein can be used to determine whether or not users' characters (avatars) are encountered in a metaverse space. The metaverse space virtually reproduces interactions between users, work and play activities involving multiple users, and other real-world social activities. Users can participate in the metaverse space through their own avatars. User avatars can freely roam the world of the metaverse space and communicate with each other. In an embodiment in which the inventions described herein are applied to a metaverse space, an encounter zone Z11 occupying a portion of the metaverse space is set for a first avatar placed in the metaverse space. When a second avatar enters this encounter zone Z11, the second avatar is determined to be in an encounter-possible state, and whether or not the second avatar will encounter the first avatar can be determined for each event occurrence determination period based on the event occurrence probability.

[0137] 11 Notes The game system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a system to which the present invention can be applied, and game systems to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the one shown in FIG. 1. The game system 1 to which the present invention can be applied may not include some of the components shown in the figure. For example, the game system 1 may not include the storage 30. The game system 1 may include components that are not shown. Although FIG. 1 shows only one user device 10 for the sake of simplicity, the game system 1 may include any number of user devices 10 greater than or equal to two. The game system 1 may also include a cloud environment for distributing and processing processes to be executed by the user devices 10 or the server 20.

[0138] In the game system 1, there are no particular limitations on where data is stored. For example, various data that can be stored in storage 15 may be stored in a storage (e.g., storage 30) or a database server that is physically separate from storage 15. In this specification, data described as being stored in storage 15 may be stored in a single storage, or may be distributed and stored across multiple storages. Furthermore, in this specification and claims, when the term "storage" is used simply, it may refer to either a single storage or a collection of multiple storages, as long as the context allows. The above description of data that can be stored in storage 15 also applies to data stored in storage 25 as much as possible.

[0139] The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, some or all of the functions executed by processor 11 and processor 21 may be implemented by a processor not explicitly described herein, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Although processor 11 is illustrated as a single component in FIG. 1, processor 11 may be a collection of multiple physically separate processors. The same applies to processor 21. In this specification, programs or instructions included in the programs described as being executed by processor 11 and processor 21 may be executed by a single processor or may be distributed and executed by multiple processors. Furthermore, programs or instructions included in the programs executed by processor 11 and processor 21 may be executed by one or more virtual processors.

[0140] The programs executed by processor 11 and / or processor 21 may be stored in various types of non-transitory computer-readable media other than the illustrated storage. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), CD-R, CD-R / W, and semiconductor memory (e.g., mask ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), flash ROM, random access memory (RAM)).

[0141] Although processes and procedures described herein are described as being performed by a single device, software, component, or module, such processes or procedures may be performed by multiple devices, multiple software, multiple components, and / or multiple modules. Furthermore, although data, tables, or databases described herein are described as being stored in a single memory, such data, tables, or databases may be stored in multiple memories within a single device or multiple memories distributed across multiple devices. Furthermore, the software and hardware elements described herein may be realized by combining them into fewer components or by breaking them down into more components.

[0142] In the processing procedures described in this specification, particularly in processing procedures described using flow charts or sequence diagrams, it is possible to omit some of the processes (steps) that make up the processing procedures, to add processes that are not explicitly stated as processes that make up the processing procedures, and / or to change the order of the processes, and processing procedures in which such omissions, additions, or changes in order have been made are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the present invention.

[0143] The terms "first," "second," "third," etc. used in this specification and claims are used to identify components and do not necessarily limit the number, order, or content of the components. Furthermore, numbers used to identify components are used context-specifically, and numbers used in one context do not necessarily indicate the same configuration in another context. Furthermore, this does not prevent a component identified by a certain number from also fulfilling the function of a component identified by another number.

[0144] 12. Appendix This specification also discloses the following techniques: [Appendix 1] 1. A system comprising one or more processors, the one or more processors: displaying a virtual field in which the second character is placed on a user device of the first user; determining that a first character operated by the first user is in a first encounter possible state in which the first character can encounter the second character when the first character is present in an encounter possible zone set in association with the second character in the virtual field; when the first character is in the first encounter possible state, determining whether or not to generate a first encounter event in which the first character and the second character participate, depending on the elapsed time since the first character entered the first encounter possible state; system. [Appendix 2] determining whether to cause the first encounter event to occur based on an event occurrence rate representing the probability that the first encounter event will occur in the encounter zone when the first character is in the first encounter possible state; The system described in [Appendix 1]. [Appendix 3] The event occurrence rate is a first event occurrence rate determined for the first user. The system described in [Appendix 2]. [Appendix 4] When a third character operated by a second user is present within the encounter zone, it is determined that the third character is in a second encounter state in which the third character can encounter the second character; when the third character is in the second encounter possible state, determining whether or not to cause a second encounter event in which the third character and the second character participate, based on a second event occurrence rate representing the probability that the first encounter event will occur in the second encounter possible zone; The system described in [Appendix 3]. [Appendix 5] increasing or decreasing the value of an event occurrence gauge according to the time that has elapsed since the first character entered the first encounter-enabled state; causing the first encounter event to occur in response to the value of the event occurrence gauge reaching the event occurrence value set in the event occurrence gauge; The system described in [Appendix 1]. [Appendix 6] the value of the event occurrence gauge is set to an initial value in response to the first character leaving the encounter zone; The system described in [Appendix 5]. [Appendix 7] the encounter zone is a zone within a first distance from a position in the virtual field where the second character is located; The system described in [Appendix 1]. [Appendix 8] a perception zone indicating a perception range of the second character is set in the virtual field; the encounter zone is inside the perception zone; The system described in [Appendix 1]. [Appendix 9] a perception zone indicating a perception range of the second character is set in the virtual field; the encounter zone is a zone within the perception zone that is within a predetermined distance from a position where the second character is located in the virtual field; The system described in [Appendix 1]. [Appendix 10] The encounter zone is a zone that does not include the second character. The system described in [Appendix 1]. [Appendix 11] The encounter zone includes a first sub-zone and a second sub-zone. The system described in [Appendix 1]. [Appendix 12] the event occurrence rate varies depending on the time the first character stays in the encounter zone; The system described in [Appendix 2]. [Appendix 13] The event occurrence rate varies depending on the distance between the first character and the second character. The system described in [Appendix 2]. [Appendix 14] a contact zone is set in the virtual field, the contact zone being a zone within a second distance from a position where the second character is placed, the second distance being smaller than the first distance; generating the first encounter event in response to the first character entering the contact zone in the virtual field; The system described in [Appendix 1]. [Appendix 15] When the first character is present within the perception zone, the second character moves in a direction approaching the first character in the virtual field. The system described in [Appendix 3]. [Appendix 16] executing computer readable instructions by one or more processors to cause a user device of the first user to display a virtual field in which the second character is located; a first determination step of determining that a first character operated by the first user is in a first encounter possible state in which the first character can encounter the second character when the first character is present in an encounter possible zone set in association with the second character in the virtual field; a second determination step of determining, when the first character is in the first encounter possible state, whether or not to generate a first encounter event in which the first character and the second character participate, depending on the elapsed time since the first character entered the first encounter possible state; A game processing method comprising: [Appendix 17] one or more processors, displaying a virtual field in which the second character is placed on a user device of the first user; a first determination step of determining that a first character operated by the first user is in a first encounter possible state in which the first character can encounter the second character when the first character is present in an encounter possible zone set in association with the second character in the virtual field; a second determination step of determining, when the first character is in the first encounter possible state, whether or not to generate a first encounter event in which the first character and the second character participate, depending on the elapsed time since the first character entered the first encounter possible state; A game program that executes the above.

[0145] [Appendix 1] [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 1. Game System 10 User Device 11 processors 11a Game Progression Section 11b Zone determination section 11c Event occurrence determination unit 11d Event Planning Department 15. Storage 15a Game Applications 15b Encounter Management Data 20 servers

Claims

1. 1. A system comprising one or more processors, the one or more processors: displaying a virtual field on a user device of a first user, in which a first computer character and a second computer character are arranged; when a user character operated by the first user is present within a first encounter zone set in association with the first computer character in the virtual field, determining that the user character is in an encounter possible state in which the user character can encounter the first computer character; When the user character is present within a second encounter zone that is set in association with the second computer character in the virtual field, it is determined that the user character is in an encounter state in which the user character can encounter the second computer character; determining whether or not to generate a first encounter event in which the user character and the first computer character participate, when the user character is in the encounter-enabled state with the first computer character; determining whether or not to generate a second encounter event in which the user character and the second computer character participate, when the user character is in the encounter-enabled state with the second computer character; system.

2. In the virtual field, the second encounter zone occupies a different area from the first encounter zone. The system of claim 1 .

3. when the user character is in the encounterable state with the first computer character, determining whether or not to cause the first encounter event to occur based on a first event occurrence probability set for the first computer character; when the user character is in the encounter possible state with the second computer character, determining whether or not to cause the second encounter event to occur based on a second event occurrence probability set for the second computer character; The system of claim 1 .

4. when the user character is in the encounterable state with the first computer character, determining whether or not to cause the first encounter event to occur for each first event occurrence determination period set for the first computer character based on the first event occurrence probability; when the user character is in the encounterable state with the second computer character, determining whether or not to cause the second encounter event to occur for each second event occurrence determination period set for the second computer character based on the second event occurrence probability; The system of claim 3 .

5. increasing a value of a first event occurrence gauge according to an elapsed time since the user character entered the encounterable state in the first encounterable zone; generating the first encounter event in response to the value of the first event occurrence gauge reaching a first event occurrence value set for the first computer character; increasing a value of a second event occurrence gauge in accordance with an elapsed time since the user character entered the encounterable state in the second encounterable zone; causing the second encounter event to occur in response to the value of the second event occurrence gauge reaching a second event occurrence value set for the second computer character; The system of claim 1 .

6. the value of the first event occurrence gauge is set to an initial value in response to the user character leaving the first encounter zone; The system of claim 5.

7. an increase rate of the value of the first event occurrence gauge is different from an increase rate of the value of the second event occurrence gauge; The system of claim 5.

8. the first encounter zone is a zone within a first distance from a position in the virtual field where the first computer character is located; The system of claim 1 .

9. a perception zone indicating a perception range of the first computer character is set in the virtual field; the first encounter zone is inside the perception zone; The system of claim 1 .

10. the first encounter zone is a zone within the perception zone that is within a predetermined distance from a position where the first computer character is located in the virtual field; The system of claim 9.

11. the first encounterable zone is a zone that does not include the first computer character; The system of claim 1 .

12. the probability of the first event occurring varies depending on the amount of time the user character stays in the first encounter zone; The system of claim 3 .

13. the first event occurrence probability varies depending on the distance between the user character and the first computer character; The system of claim 3 .

14. a contact zone is set in the virtual field, the contact zone being a zone within a second distance, the second distance being smaller than the first distance, from a position where the first computer character is placed; generating the first encounter event in response to the user character entering the contact zone in the virtual field; The system of claim 1 .

15. the second computer character does not have the contact zone defined thereon; The system of claim 14.

16. The one or more processors execute the computer-readable instructions, displaying a virtual field on a user device of a first user, in which a first computer character and a second computer character are located; a first determination step of determining that a user character operated by the first user is in an encounterable state where the user character can encounter the first computer character when the user character is present in a first encounterable zone set in association with the first computer character in the virtual field, and determining that the user character is in an encounterable state where the user character can encounter the second computer character when the user character is present in a second encounterable zone set in association with the second computer character in the virtual field; a second determination step of determining whether or not to generate a first encounter event in which the user character and the first computer character participate when the user character is in the encounter-enabled state with the first computer character, and determining whether or not to generate a second encounter event in which the user character and the second computer character participate when the user character is in the encounter-enabled state with the second computer character; A game processing method comprising:

17. one or more processors, displaying a virtual field on a user device of a first user, in which a first computer character and a second computer character are located; a first determination step of determining that a user character operated by the first user is in an encounterable state where the user character can encounter the first computer character when the user character is present in a first encounterable zone set in association with the first computer character in the virtual field, and determining that the user character is in an encounterable state where the user character can encounter the second computer character when the user character is present in a second encounterable zone set in association with the second computer character in the virtual field; a second determination step of determining whether or not to generate a first encounter event in which the user character and the first computer character participate when the user character is in the encounter-enabled state with the first computer character, and determining whether or not to generate a second encounter event in which the user character and the second computer character participate when the user character is in the encounter-enabled state with the second computer character; A game program that executes the above.

Images