Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To motivate users to play the game. [Solution] An information processing device is provided that has: a determination unit that determines the attributes of a material object that a user can obtain by playing a quest based on the difficulty level set for the quest played by the user; and a control unit that, when a material object is consumed for a base object, controls which of a plurality of transformed objects the base object will be transformed into based on the attributes of the consumed material object.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] There are known games in which players complete quests using a team of objects called a deck. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a game in which players complete quests using player characters owned by the user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-044320 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned games, it is necessary to ensure that users can enjoy the game without getting bored.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can motivate users to play games. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention has a determination unit that determines the attributes of a material object that a user can obtain by playing a quest based on the difficulty level set for the quest played by the user, and a control unit that, when a material object is consumed for a base object, controls which of a plurality of transformed objects the base object will be transformed into based on the attributes of the consumed material object. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to motivate users to play games. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a game system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a game server and a terminal. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of a game server. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of a terminal. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a user management DB and a character definition DB. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a character change pattern. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure performed by a game server. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure performed by a game server. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen displayed on the terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same or similar components.

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

[0011] The game server 10 is a device that performs some of the functions required for the terminal 20 to provide a game, such as managing various information related to players and executing some of the game processing. The game server 10 may be configured using one or more information processing devices, or may be configured using a virtual server (such as a cloud server).

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

[0013] <Game Overview> Next, an overview of the game provided by the game system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. In the game provided by the game system 1, a user (which may also be referred to as a player) can obtain new objects by clearing quests using a deck that the user has organized. The user can also challenge more difficult quests by creating a stronger object from the multiple objects obtained or by strengthening the attributes of the object. The object may also be referred to as a game object or game medium. The object may also be a character, an item, a game card, or the like.

[0014] A quest refers to a task that can be completed by meeting certain predetermined conditions. Quests are also commonly referred to as explorations, challenges, and missions. A user playing a quest can complete the quest by meeting the certain conditions. Completing the quest results in a reward and progresses the game's story. A difficulty level is set for each quest. Difficulty is an index indicating the difficulty of playing the quest, and may be ranked in order of difficulty, such as A, B, C, etc. For example, a quest with difficulty level B may be more difficult to play than a quest with difficulty level A. Difficult quests include, but are not limited to, quests that are difficult to complete because of strong enemy characters, quests that are difficult to complete because of difficult controls, and quests that require a long play time.

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

[0016] A deck is a group of multiple objects. A user can create a deck using objects selected from the multiple objects that the user owns.

[0017] In this embodiment, an object can be transformed by consuming another object. The object from which the other object is consumed is called a "base object." The other object that is consumed is called a "material object." The base object transformed by consuming the material object is called a "transformed object." Note that consuming a material object on a transformed object may cause the transformed object to further transform into another transformed object. In this case, the transformed object corresponds to the base object.

[0018] When a material object is consumed by a base object, the base object may be transformed into a transformed object, and the material object may disappear. In other words, consuming a material object may transform the base object into a transformed object. Furthermore, "consuming a material object by a base object" may include combining the base object and the material object.

[0019] Material objects can be obtained by playing quests. Material objects may be obtained while playing a quest, or by clearing the quest. Material objects have attributes, which are determined (set) based on the difficulty level of the quest in which the material object can be obtained.

[0020] When a material object is consumed, the base object changes into one of a plurality of transformed objects. Which of the plurality of transformed objects the base object changes into is determined based on the attributes of the material object consumed. For example, when a material object with an attribute of difficulty level A is consumed, the base object changes into transformed object A, and when a material object with an attribute of difficulty level B is consumed, the base object changes into transformed object B.

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

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

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

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

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

[0026] The granting unit 103 grants an object to the user depending on the result of playing the quest, etc. For example, the granting unit 103 grants the user a material object with an attribute determined by the determination unit 102. Note that the determination unit 102 may be part of the granting unit 103. In other words, the granting unit 103 may grant the user a material object with an attribute according to the difficulty level set for the quest played by the user.

[0027] When a material object is consumed by a base object, the control unit 104 controls which of a plurality of transformed objects the base object is to be transformed into, based on the attributes of the consumed material object.

[0028] The display control unit 105 displays various screens related to the game on the display of the terminal 20. For example, the display control unit 105 may display the game area and a position selected within the game area so that the user can see it.

[0029] (Terminal) FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block configuration of the terminal 20. The terminal 20 includes a storage unit 200, a communication unit 201, a UI (User Interface) unit 202, and a control unit 203. The storage unit 200 can be realized using the storage unit 12 included in the terminal 20. The communication unit 201, the UI unit 202, and the control unit 203 can be realized by the processor 11 of the terminal 20 executing a program stored in the storage unit 12. The program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium storing the program may be a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium. The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a storage medium such as a USB memory or a CD-ROM.

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

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

[0032] The UI unit 202 has a function to process various inputs from the user and to display various game screens on the display. The UI unit 202 also displays game screens on the output device 15 (display) of the terminal 20 in accordance with instructions from the game server 10.

[0033] The control unit 203 provides various functions necessary for executing a game by cooperating with the game server 10. For example, the control unit 203 provides a function for acquiring, from the game server 10, various information (icon image data, text data, etc.) for drawing on a game screen.

[0034] With regard to the functional block configuration described above, all or some of the storage unit 100, reception unit 101, determination unit 102, assignment unit 103, control unit 104, and display control unit 105 included in the game server 10 may be configured to be provided in the storage unit 200 or control unit 203 of the terminal 20. In other words, the various processes according to this embodiment may be executed by the game server 10, may be executed by the terminal 20, or may be executed by the game server 10 and the terminal 20 in cooperation with each other.

[0035] <Processing Procedure> Next, specific processing procedures performed by the game system 1 will be described. In the following description, for convenience, the base object and the transformed object are assumed to be characters operated by the user. In the following description, the base object and the transformed object are respectively referred to as the "base character" and the "transformed character." In addition, the material object is assumed to be an item that can be obtained by clearing a quest. In the following description, the material object is referred to as a "material item." However, this embodiment is not limited to these.

[0036] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the user management DB 100a and the character definition DB 100b. The user management DB 100a is a database that stores various information related to the user, such as an identifier (user ID) that uniquely identifies the user, a username (nickname) used in the game, characters possessed by the user (possessed characters), the quantity of material items possessed by the user for each attribute, the location (location information) of the terminal 20 used by the user, the user's experience points, level, stamina, and number of skip rights (for example, the number of rights to skip quests), etc. In addition, A, B, and C in "material item" in FIG. 5 indicate material items of attribute A, attribute B, and attribute C, respectively.

[0037] The character definition DB 100b is a database that stores information about characters that appear in the game. The character definition DB 100b stores an identifier (character ID) that uniquely identifies a character, a parameter (rarity) that indicates the rarity of the character, information that defines the change pattern when the character changes (change pattern information), and the initial values ​​of various parameters that indicate the strength of the character (level, luck, HP (hit points), attack power, speed, etc.).

[0038] The rarity may indicate that the larger the parameter value, the rarer the character (i.e., the more difficult it is to obtain). For example, between a character with a low rarity and a character with a high rarity, the character with a high rarity may indicate that the character with a high rarity is rarer (i.e., the more difficult it is to obtain). Also, the larger the value of a character's parameter, the more powerful the character.

[0039] 6 is a diagram showing an example of a character change pattern. In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that the material items granted in response to playing quests of difficulty levels A, B, and C are material items of attribute A, attribute B, and attribute C, respectively. The difficulty levels increase in the order of difficulty A, B, and C. Since the higher the difficulty level of a quest, the more difficult it is to play, it is assumed that material items of attribute B are more difficult to obtain than material items of attribute A, and material items of attribute C are more difficult to obtain than material items of attribute B.

[0040] In FIG. 6, a base character C10 changes into a first-stage changed character C100 by consuming a material item (also referred to as material A) of attribute A. Furthermore, the base character C10 changes into a first-stage changed character C110 by consuming a material item (also referred to as material B) of attribute B. The base character C10 changes into a first-stage changed character C120 by consuming a material item (also referred to as material C) of attribute C. The changed character C110 has higher abilities than the changed character C100, and the changed character C120 has higher abilities than the changed character C110 and the changed character C100.

[0041] Furthermore, by consuming a material item, the transformed character C100 changes into one of a predetermined number (five types in the example of FIG. 6) of second-stage transformed characters C101 to C105. Furthermore, by consuming a material item, the transformed character C110 changes into one of a predetermined number (five types in the example of FIG. 6) of second-stage transformed characters C111 to C115. Furthermore, by consuming a material item, the transformed character C120 changes into one of a predetermined number (five types in the example of FIG. 6) of second-stage transformed characters C121 to C125. The control unit 104 may control which of the multiple second-stage transformed characters the first-stage transformed character will be transformed into, depending on the attributes of the material item. Note that when the first-stage transformed character changes into the second-stage transformed character, the first-stage transformed character and the second-stage transformed character may be referred to as the base character and the transformed character, respectively.

[0042] Here, the material item may be associated with an attribute other than the attribute corresponding to the difficulty level of the quest described above. The attribute and the other attribute may be referred to as a first type of attribute and a second type of attribute, respectively. The other attribute may be determined, for example, according to the attribute of the quest being played (such as a fire attribute, a water attribute, or a dark attribute). Furthermore, the control unit 104 may control which of the multiple second-stage characters the first-stage transformed character is to be transformed into, according to the "other attribute" of the material item. For example, if the material item has a fire attribute, the character may be transformed into a fire-attributed transformed character. Alternatively, the control unit 104 may control which of the multiple second-stage transformed characters the first-stage transformed character is to be transformed into, according to the time of day (whether the first-stage transformed character is to be transformed into during the daytime, at night, or the like).

[0043] 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure performed by the game server 10. The processing procedure when a user acquires a material item by playing a quest will be described with reference to FIG.

[0044] First, the receiving unit 101 receives a selection of a quest to play from the user (S10). Difficulty levels are set for each quest, and the user can select a quest to play based on the strength of the character the user owns and / or their own level of proficiency. Next, the control unit 104 executes the quest received from the user (S11). Next, if the user meets the conditions for granting a material item, the determination unit 102 determines the attributes of the material item to be granted to the user based on the difficulty level of the quest played by the user (S12). The condition for granting a material item may be clearing the quest, or may be when the user meets a predetermined condition while playing the quest (for example, when defeating N enemy characters or when completing the quest within a time limit).

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

[0046] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure performed by the game server 10. The processing procedure when a base character is transformed into a transformed character by a user consuming a material item will be described with reference to Fig. 8.

[0047] First, the reception unit 101 receives a designation of a base character from among characters possessed by the user (S20). For example, characters that can be designated as base characters among the characters possessed by the user may be predetermined. Alternatively, any character possessed by the user may be designated as a base character. Next, the reception unit 101 receives a designation of a material item to be consumed from among the material items possessed by the user (S21). Next, the control unit 104 determines a transformed character to which the base character will be transformed based on the attribute of the material item designated by the user. For example, in the example of FIG. 6, if the material item has attribute A, the control unit 104 may determine to transform the base character C10 into a first-stage transformed character C100; if the material item has attribute B, the control unit 104 may determine to transform the base character C10 into a first-stage transformed character C110; and if the material item has attribute C, the control unit 104 may determine to transform the base character C10 into a first-stage transformed character C120. Next, the control unit 104 transforms the base character into the determined transformed character. Furthermore, the control unit 104 accesses the user management DB 100a and changes the character ID of the base character in the user's "possessed characters" to the character ID of the transformed character.

[0048] (Modifications regarding processing procedures) Several variations of the above-described processing procedure will be described with reference to FIG. [Variation 1] The number of material items that need to be consumed to transform the base character into the transformed character may be multiple (for example, 10). In this case, the user may be able to consume a combination of material items with different attributes.

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

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

[0051] Furthermore, different weights may be assigned to the probabilities for each attribute. For example, since a material item for attribute C can only be obtained by playing a quest of higher difficulty level C, a higher weight may be assigned to the material item corresponding to a quest of higher difficulty level. For example, in FIG. 6, assume that weights of 1, 2, and 3 are assigned to material items for attribute A, attribute B, and attribute C, respectively. In this case, if material items for attribute A, attribute B, and attribute C are consumed in a 1:1:1 ratio, the control unit 104 may change the base character C10 to the first changed character C100 at a ratio of 1×1:1×2:1×3, i.e., with a 1 / 6 probability, with a 2 / 6 probability, with a 2 / 6 probability, and with a 3 / 6 probability, with a 1 ...

[0052] This makes it possible to control which transformed character the character will be transformed into by a lottery based on the attributes of the material item consumed.

[0053] [Variation 2] In the following explanation (the same applies to the explanations of Modification 3 and onward), material items (material objects) may be defined to include at least a first attribute item (first attribute object) that can be acquired by playing a quest, and a second attribute item (second attribute object) that can be acquired by playing a high-difficulty quest that is more difficult than the quest in which the first attribute item can be acquired. When defined in this way, the first attribute item and the second attribute item may correspond to the above-mentioned attribute A material item and attribute B material item, or may correspond to the attribute A material item and attribute C material item, or may correspond to the attribute B material item and attribute C material item, respectively.

[0054] In addition, multiple transformed characters (transformed objects) are the first transformed character that changes from the base character (base object) by consuming the first attribute item. 6. The first post-transformation character may be defined as including a first post-transformation object (first post-transformation object) and a second post-transformation character (second post-transformation object) into which the base character changes when a second attribute item (second attribute object) is consumed. The first post-transformation character and the second post-transformation character may correspond to the post-transformation character C100 and the post-transformation character C110 in FIG. 6, or may correspond to the post-transformation character C100 and the post-transformation character C120, or may correspond to the post-transformation character C110 and the post-transformation character C110.

[0055] In the second modification, the control unit 104 may change the base character to a first transformed character when the consumed amount of the first attribute item is greater than the consumed amount of the second attribute item, and may change the base character to a second transformed character when the consumed amount of the second attribute item is greater than the consumed amount of the first attribute item. In other words, when changing the base character to a transformed character, the control unit 104 may perform control so as to change the character to the transformed character that corresponds to the larger number of consumed material items.

[0056] 6, when material B and material C are consumed and more material C is consumed than material B, the control unit 104 changes the base character C10 to a first-stage transformed character C120. When material B and material C are consumed and more material B is consumed than material C, the control unit 104 changes the base character C10 to a first-stage transformed character C110.

[0057] Because second-attribute items are more difficult to obtain than first-attribute items, it is more difficult for a user to transform a base object into a second-transformed character than to transform a base object into a first-transformed character. On the other hand, possessing a character with higher abilities typically provides an advantage in the game. Therefore, according to the second modification, it is possible to motivate a user to repeatedly play quests with higher difficulty levels.

[0058] [Variation 3] The control unit 104 may allow a change between characters after the first stage of change or a change between characters after the second stage of change.

[0059] For example, the control unit 104 may control the second transformed character to be changeable into the first transformed character without consuming a material item (i.e., without consuming either the first attribute item or the second attribute item) based on an instruction from the user who transformed the base character into the second transformed character. In other words, the control unit 104 may allow a change from a character that can be transformed by consuming a material item that can be acquired in a high difficulty quest (a transformed character with high abilities) to a character that can be transformed by consuming a material item that can be acquired in a low difficulty quest (a transformed character with low abilities) without consuming a material item. The control unit 104 may control the second transformed character to be changeable into the first transformed character at any timing selected by the user, without requiring the consumption of any of the objects (material items) owned by the user.

[0060] On the other hand, the control unit 104 may perform control so as not to allow the first transformed character to be transformed into the second transformed character without consuming a material item, based on an instruction from the user who transformed the base character into the first transformed character. In other words, the control unit 104 may not allow a transformation from a transformed character that can be transformed into by consuming a material item that can be obtained in a low difficulty quest (a transformed character with low abilities) to a transformed character that can be transformed into by consuming a material item that can be obtained in a high difficulty quest (a transformed character with high abilities) without consuming a material item.

[0061] For example, in FIG. 6, the control unit 104 may allow a change from the transformed character C120 to the transformed character C110 or the transformed character C100 without consuming a material item, but may not allow a change from the transformed character C100 to the transformed character C110 or the transformed character C120, and a change from the transformed character C110 to the transformed character C120.

[0062] This allows users to change their transformed character, which they have created by consuming material items corresponding to high-difficulty quests, into a transformed character that can be changed by consuming material items corresponding to low-difficulty quests, allowing users to play the game using a variety of characters.On the other hand, by not allowing the reverse, it is possible to prevent a sense of unfairness from arising between users.

[0063] [Variation 4] The control unit 104 may be configured to control the first transformed character to be changeable into the second transformed character when a user who has evolved a base character into the first transformed character plays a quest using the first transformed character and the user satisfies a predetermined condition. In other words, when the user satisfies a predetermined condition, the control unit 104 may be configured to change the transformed character (a transformed character with low abilities) that can be changed by consuming a material item that can be obtained in a low-difficulty quest to a transformed character (a transformed character with high abilities) that can be changed by consuming a material item that can be obtained in a high-difficulty quest. The predetermined condition is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, clearing any quest N times or more, or clearing a quest within M turns.

[0064] For example, in FIG. 6, when a predetermined condition is met by the user playing a quest using the transformed character C100, the control unit 104 may change the transformed character C100 to the transformed character C110 or the transformed character C120 at the user's instruction.

[0065] The control unit 104 may also determine that the predetermined condition is satisfied when the number of times the high difficulty quest has been played is equal to or greater than a first number. The first number may be less than a second number, which is the number of times the high difficulty quest has been played that is required to acquire the material item consumed when transforming the base character into the second transformed object.

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

[0067] If the first number of times is set to five, a user who owns the transformed character C100 can change the transformed character C100 to the transformed character C110 by playing a high-difficulty quest five times. On the other hand, a user who does not own the transformed character C100 cannot change the base character C10 to the transformed character C110 unless they play a high-difficulty quest ten or more times. In other words, changing the base character C10 to the transformed character C100 once can reduce the number of times the high-difficulty quest is played.

[0068] This allows the user to easily change the character between transformed characters, making it possible to play the game using a variety of characters.

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

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

[0071] 6, when material items of attribute B are consumed at a predetermined standard or more, the control unit 104 may present two options, post-change characters C100 and C110, as options for the character to be transformed into when the base character C10 is transformed, and when material items of attribute B are not consumed at a predetermined standard or more, the control unit 104 may present only the post-change character C110 as an option for the character to be transformed into when the base character C10 is transformed. Also, when material items of attribute C are consumed at a predetermined standard or more, the control unit 104 may present three options, post-change characters C100, C110, and C120, as options for the character to be transformed into when the base character C10 is transformed, and when material items of attribute C are not consumed at a predetermined standard or more, the control unit 104 may present only the post-change character C120 as an option for the character to be transformed into when the base character C10 is transformed. On the other hand, for material items of attribute A (i.e., the most easily obtainable material items), regardless of whether they are consumed in amounts greater than a predetermined standard, the only transformation destination for the base character C10 may be the transformed character C100 (i.e., no options may be presented).

[0072] Furthermore, the predetermined standard may be a "predetermined ratio." The predetermined ratio may be, for example, a majority of a plurality of material items with different attributes. For example, if a plurality of material items (e.g., 10) need to be consumed to transform a base character into a transformed character, the control unit 104 may determine the number of options for the transformed character based on the attributes of the material items that are consumed in amounts equal to or greater than a predetermined standard (i.e., more than half) of the amounts consumed for each attribute of the material items.

[0073] 6, for example, assume that 10 material items must be consumed to transform the base character into a transformed character. In this case, if the consumed amounts of material items of attribute A, attribute B, and attribute C are 5:3:2, respectively (i.e., when the amount of material items of attribute A is the most), the control unit 104 may set the transformed character to only the transformed character C100. Also, if the consumed amounts of material items of attribute A, attribute B, and attribute C are 2:6:2, respectively (i.e., when the amount of material items of attribute B is the most), the control unit 104 may set the transformed character to only two options, the transformed character C100 and the transformed character C110. Furthermore, when the consumption amounts of material items of attribute A, material items of attribute B, and material items of attribute C are 4:0:6, respectively (i.e., when material items of attribute C are the most), the control unit 104 may set the options for the transformed character to three: transformed characters C100, C110, and C120. When the consumption amounts of material items of attribute A, material items of attribute B, and material items of attribute C are 5:0:5, respectively (i.e., when material items of attribute A and attribute C are the most), the control unit 104 may set the options for the transformed character to only transformed character C100 (i.e., when the consumption amounts are the same, the option may be based on the attribute of the material item that is easier to obtain), or may set the options for the transformed characters C100, C110, and C120 (i.e., when the consumption amounts are the same, the option may be based on the attribute of the material item that is difficult to obtain).

[0074] This means that the more material items that are difficult to obtain the user consumes, the more options the transformed character will have, which can increase the user's motivation to play high-difficulty quests.

[0075] [Variation 6] In this embodiment, multiple difficulty levels may be set for the same quest. In this case, the determination unit 102 may determine the attributes of the material objects that the user can acquire by playing the quest, depending on the difficulty level of the quest played by the user. For example, if difficulty levels A, B, and C are selectable for Quest 1 and the user selects difficulty level B to play Quest 1, the determination unit 102 may determine the attribute of the material object to be given to the user to be an attribute corresponding to difficulty level B (e.g., attribute B).

[0076] In this case, when a high difficulty level among multiple difficulty levels set for the same quest is cleared, the granting unit 103 may deem that the quests of difficulty levels lower than that difficulty level have been cleared, and grant to the user all the rewards that would have been granted if the quests of each difficulty level lower than that difficulty level were cleared. For example, when a user selects difficulty level C to clear a quest, the granting unit 103 may grant to the user all the rewards that would have been granted if the quest had been cleared by selecting difficulty level C, the reward that would have been granted if the quest had been cleared by selecting difficulty level B, and the reward that would have been granted if the quest had been cleared by selecting difficulty level A.

[0077] <Screen display example> FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen displayed on the terminal 10. Screen M100 is a screen for selecting material items to be consumed when changing a base character. Screen M100 displays that character C100 is selected as the post-change character, and that five material items are required for the change. When five material items are selected on screen M100 and the change button B10 is pressed, the selected material items are consumed and the screen transitions to screen M110. Screen M110 displays the base character C10 changing into character C100.

[0078] Here, the display control unit 105 may be configured to display, based on a material item designated by the user as an item to be consumed for the base character, information regarding candidate transformed characters to which the base character will change when the material item is consumed, before the material item is consumed. For example, when a user selects only the material to be consumed without designating a transformed character on screen M100 and then presses the change button B10, the screen may transition to screen M120, which displays candidate transformed characters. Alternatively, when a user selects a material to be consumed on screen M100, the display control unit 105 may be configured to display, in a user-visible manner (e.g., highlight by surrounding it with a frame, etc.), a candidate transformed character (e.g., C100) to which the base character will change when the material item is consumed, from among the three transformed characters C100, C101, and C102 displayed on screen M100. This allows the user to check the candidates for the transformed character before the material item is consumed.

[0079] The display control unit 105 may also display information regarding the attributes of material items that need to be consumed to transform the base character into a predetermined transformed object, based on the material object designated by the user as the object to be consumed for the base character. The information may include the attributes and number of material items that need to be consumed. For example, if character C120 is selected as the transformed character and material C is selected, screen M130 displays that 10 material items C are required to transform the base character into character C120. The display control unit 105 may also display the number of material items that need to be consumed in addition to (or instead of) the number of material items that need to be consumed. For example, if the user already has two material items C, or if the user selects two material items C as the material items to be consumed, the display control unit 105 may display, as shown in screen M130, that an additional eight material items C are required to transform the base character into character C120. This allows the user to easily grasp information regarding the material items required to transform the base character.

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

[0081] The above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The flowcharts, sequences, elements included in the embodiments, as well as their arrangements, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, etc., are not limited to those exemplified and may be modified as appropriate.

[0082] <Additional Notes> <Appendix 1> a determination unit that determines attributes of material objects that can be acquired by a user by playing a quest, based on a difficulty level set for the quest played by the user; a control unit that, when a material object is consumed by a base object, controls which of a plurality of transformed objects the base object is to be transformed into based on the attributes of the consumed material object; An information processing device having the above.

[0083] According to Appendix 1, users of various skill levels can be motivated to play the game. <Appendix 2> the control unit controls which of the plurality of transformed objects the base object is to be transformed into based on the consumption amount of each attribute of the material objects consumed for the base object. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1.

[0084] According to Supplementary Note 2, the user can select the transformed character by changing the consumption amount of each attribute of the material object. <Appendix 3> the control unit sets a probability for each of the plurality of transformed objects based on the consumption amount of each attribute of material objects consumed for the base object, and controls which of the plurality of transformed objects the base object will be transformed into by a lottery based on the probability. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

[0085] According to Supplementary Note 3, the transformed object is determined by lottery, allowing the user to enjoy the spectacle of which transformed object the character will be transformed into. <Appendix 4> the plurality of changed objects include a first changed object and a second changed object; the material objects include a first attribute object that can be acquired by playing a quest, and a second attribute object that can be acquired by playing a high difficulty quest that is more difficult than the quest in which the first attribute object can be acquired; When the consumption amount of the first attribute object consumed for the base object is greater than the consumption amount of the second attribute object consumed for the base object, changing the base object to the first changed object; changing the base object to the second changed object when the consumption amount of the second attribute object consumed for the base object is greater than the consumption amount of the first attribute object consumed for the base object; 4. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

[0086] According to Appendix 4, by consuming more material objects that can be obtained by playing quests with a high level of difficulty than material objects that can be obtained by playing quests with a low level of difficulty, it becomes possible to transform one of multiple transformed characters into a transformed character that corresponds to the material objects that can be obtained by playing quests with a high level of difficulty, thereby encouraging the user to play quests with a high level of difficulty. <Appendix 5> the control unit controls the second transformed object to be transformable into the first transformed object without consuming the material object, based on an instruction from a user who has evolved the base object into the second transformed object. 5. The information processing device according to claim 4.

[0087] According to Appendix 5, the user can change the object between the changed objects. <Appendix 6> the control unit controls the first transformed object to be transformable into the second transformed object when a predetermined condition is satisfied by a user who has evolved the base object into the first transformed object playing a quest using the first transformed object. 6. The information processing device according to claim 4 or 5.

[0088] According to Appendix 6, the user can change the object between the changed objects. <Appendix 7> the control unit determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied when the number of times the high difficulty quest has been played is equal to or greater than a first number of times; The first number of times is less than a second number of times, which is the number of times a high difficulty quest is played that is required to acquire a material object that is consumed when transforming the base object into the second transformed object. 7. The information processing device according to claim 6.

[0089] According to Supplementary Note 7, since the user can easily change objects between transformed objects, it becomes possible to play the game using a variety of objects. <Appendix 8> the control unit transforms the base object into a transformed object selected from the plurality of options for the transformed object; the number of options for the plurality of changed objects when the second attribute object is consumed by a predetermined standard or more is greater than the number of options for the plurality of changed objects when the second attribute object is not consumed by the predetermined standard or more; An information processing device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 4 to 7.

[0090] According to Appendix 8, the more material objects that are difficult to obtain a user consumes, the more options for transformed objects the user will have, which can increase the user's motivation to play high-difficulty quests. <Appendix 9> a display control unit that, based on a material object designated by a user as an object to be consumed for the base object, displays information regarding candidates for a transformed object to which the base object will be transformed when the material object is consumed, before the material object is consumed; An information processing device according to any one of appendices 1 to 8.

[0091] According to Supplementary Note 9, the user can check candidates for the transformed object before the material object is consumed. <Appendix 10> a display control unit that displays information about attributes of material objects that need to be consumed to transform the base object into a predetermined transformed object, based on material objects designated by a user as targets to be consumed for the base object; An information processing device according to any one of appendices 1 to 8.

[0092] According to Supplementary Note 10, the user can easily grasp information about the material objects required to change the base object. <Appendix 11> determining, by the information processing device, attributes of material objects that can be acquired by the user by playing a quest based on a difficulty level set for the quest played by the user; a step in which, when a material object is consumed by a base object, the information processing device controls which of a plurality of transformed objects the base object is to be transformed into based on attributes of the consumed material object; An information processing method, including:

[0093] According to Appendix 11, users of various skill levels can be motivated to play the game. <Appendix 12> determining attributes of material objects that can be acquired by a user by playing a quest based on a difficulty level set for the quest played by the user; a step of controlling, when a material object is consumed for a base object, which of a plurality of transformed objects the base object is to be transformed into based on attributes of the consumed material object; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

[0094] According to Appendix 12, users of various skill levels can be motivated to play the game. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 10...game server, 11...processor, 12...storage device, 13...communication IF, 14...input device, 15...output device, 20...terminal, 100...storage unit, 100a...user management DB, 100b...character definition DB, 101...reception unit, 102...determination unit, 103...assignment unit, 104...control unit, 105...display control unit, 200...storage unit, 201...communication unit, 202...UI unit, 203...control unit

Claims

[Claim 1] a determination unit that determines attributes of material objects that can be acquired by a user by playing a quest, based on a difficulty level set for the quest played by the user; a control unit that, when a material object is consumed by a base object, controls which of a plurality of transformed objects the base object is to be transformed into based on the attributes of the consumed material object; An information processing device having the above.

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