Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

In games where each stage contains multiple quests, the goal is to facilitate user engagement by making it easier to progress to the next stage. [Solution] An information processing device is provided, comprising: an execution unit that executes a game which includes at least a first stage and a second stage, the order of play being determined to be the first stage followed by the second stage, and one or more quests associated with each of the first and second stages; and a reception unit that accepts the selection of a quest to play using a deck composed of multiple objects owned by the user, and when the user clears one or more quests from among the multiple quests associated with the first stage, accepts the selection of a quest to play from among the one or more quests associated with the second stage.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

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

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A game is considered in which a plurality of stages with a determined play order are prepared, and when a quest associated with each stage is cleared, the player can proceed to the next stage. In such a game, if there is a quest that cannot be cleared even after challenging it several times, the user may not be able to proceed to the next stage and may give up playing the game.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that makes it possible to promote the user's play opportunity by facilitating progress to the next stage in a game in which each stage includes a plurality of quests.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an execution unit that executes a game which includes at least a first stage and a second stage, the order of play being determined to be the first stage and the second stage, and one or more quests associated with each of the first stage and the second stage; and a reception unit that accepts the selection of a quest to play using a deck composed of multiple objects owned by the user, and when the user clears one or more quests associated with the first stage, accepts the selection of a quest to play from one or more quests associated with the second stage. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, in a game in which each stage contains multiple quests, it is possible to provide a technology that facilitates user play opportunities by making it easier to advance to the next stage. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

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

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

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

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

[0012] Terminal 20 is an information processing device that provides games to the user, and the user can run the game according to this embodiment by operating Terminal 20. Terminal 20 is a computer such as a mobile phone (including a smartphone), tablet, personal computer, arcade game machine, or consumer game machine. Terminal 20 is GPS The system notifies the game server 10 of its own position, which has been detected using a Global Positioning System (GPS) or similar method.

[0013] <Game Overview> Next, the outline 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 plurality of stages with a determined play order (which may also be referred to as the clear order) are prepared, and one or more quests are associated with each stage. When a user (which may also be referred to as a player) clears at least one of the one or more quests associated with each stage, it becomes possible to play the quests of the next stage. Note that in this embodiment, there is no limit to the number of stages and the number of quests associated with each stage.

[0014] Also, the user can obtain rewards by forming a deck with the objects selected from among a plurality of objects and clearing quests using the formed deck. In this embodiment, the act of the user playing a quest may be referred to as the user playing the game. That is, "the user playing the game" may include, in addition to or instead of the user playing the game itself, the meaning of "the user playing individual quests".

[0015] An "object" may be any object as long as it is an object that can be operated by the user. Examples of objects include characters, monsters, vehicles (cars, airplanes, ships, etc.), items, and objects.

[0016] A quest is a term that means a task that can be cleared by satisfying a predetermined certain condition. Quests are generally sometimes called exploration, tasks, and missions.

[0017] A deck is a term that means a group formed by combining a plurality of objects. When executing a quest, the user forms a deck with a plurality of objects and executes the quest. In this embodiment, the act of the user executing the game or executing the quest may also be referred to as the user playing the game or playing the quest.

[0018] Users who participate in a quest can clear the quest by meeting certain conditions, and upon clearing the quest, the users will be given rewards. The rewards include characters, items, and / or points, etc.

[0019] A quest can be executed jointly by multiple users. Hereinafter, the joint execution of a quest by multiple users is referred to as "multiplay". In multiplay, each user operates the objects assigned to themselves among the multiple objects for deck formation. The user who召集 multiplay is called the host user, and the users who participate in the multiplay召集 by the host user are called guest users.

[0020] In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the terms "first stage" and "second stage" will be described assuming that the play order is determined in the order of the first stage and the second stage. Note that the first stage and the second stage may be consecutive stages, or other stages may exist between the first stage and the second stage. Also, the first stage and the second stage mean any of the multiple stages provided in the game, and are not necessarily intended to be limited to the first stage and the second stage.

[0021] <Hardware Configuration> FIG. 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) and a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), a memory, a storage device 12 such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and / or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and a communication IF for wired or wireless communication It should be noted that the word "召集" in the original text seems to be incorrect or an uncommon term. I translated it as "召集" as it was in the original, but it might need to be corrected to a more appropriate word depending on the actual meaning.The interface (13) includes an input device 14 that accepts input operations and an output device 15 that outputs information. The input device 14 is, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse, and / or a microphone. The output device 15 is, for example, a display, a touch panel, and / or a speaker.

[0022] <Functional Block Configuration> (Game Server) Figure 3 shows an example of the functional block configuration of the game server 10. The game server 10 includes a storage unit 100 and a game control unit 110. The storage unit 100 can be implemented using a storage device 12 provided by the game server 10. The game control unit 110 can be implemented by the processor 11 of the game server 10 executing a program stored in the storage device 12. This program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium on which the program is stored may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a USB memory stick or a CD-ROM.

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

[0024] The game control unit 110 provides various functions necessary to run the game. The game control unit 110 includes an execution unit 111, a reception unit 112, a recommendation unit 113, an assignment unit 114, and a display control unit 115.

[0025] The execution unit 111 executes a game that includes at least a first stage and a second stage, where the play order is determined to be the first stage followed by the second stage, and where one or more quests are associated with each of the first and second stages.

[0026] The reception unit 112 accepts the creation of a deck to be used in a quest, which is composed of multiple objects owned by the user. The reception unit 112 also accepts the selection of a quest to be played using the deck composed of multiple objects owned by the user. Furthermore, if the user has cleared one or more quests from among the multiple quests associated with the first stage, the reception unit 112 will be able to accept the selection of a quest to play from among the one or more quests associated with the second stage.

[0027] The recommendation section 113 selects a quest from among several quests that it recommends the user play.

[0028] The rewarding unit 114 grants rewards to the user when the user completes a quest. The rewarding unit 114 may also change the rewards depending on the difficulty level of the quest the user completes. For example, the rewarding unit 114 may grant the user more rewards when they complete a high-difficulty quest than when they complete a low-difficulty quest.

[0029] The display control unit 115 displays various screens in the game on the display of the terminal 20.

[0030] (terminal) Figure 4 shows an example of the functional block configuration of terminal 20. Terminal 20 includes a storage unit 200, a communication unit 201, a UI (User Interface) unit 202, and a game control unit 203. The storage unit 200 can be implemented using a storage device 12 provided by terminal 20. The communication unit 201, the UI unit 202, and the game control unit 203 can be implemented by the processor 11 of terminal 20 executing a program stored in the storage device 12. This program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium on which the program is stored may be a computer-readable non-temporary storage medium. The non-temporary storage medium is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a USB memory or a CD-ROM.

[0031] The memory unit 200 stores the game data necessary for the game control unit 203 to run the game. The game data includes image data of objects, game scenarios, and the like.

[0032] The communication unit 201 has the function of performing various types of communication with the game server 10 using the communication IF 13.

[0033] The UI unit 202 has the function of receiving various inputs from the user and displaying various game screens on the display. The UI unit 202 also displays the game screen on the output device 15 (display) of the terminal 20 according to the instructions of the game server 10.

[0034] The game control unit 203 works in conjunction with the game server 10 to provide various functions necessary to run the game. For example, the game control unit 203 provides functions such as obtaining various information (icon image data, text data, etc.) from the game server 10 for drawing on the game screen.

[0035] Regarding the functional block configuration described above, it is also possible to configure the game control unit 203 of the terminal 20 to have all or part of the execution unit 111, reception unit 112, recommendation unit 113, assignment unit 114, and display control unit 115 included in the game server 10. In other words, the various processes according to this embodiment may be executed on the game server 10, on the terminal 20, or by the game server 10 and the terminal 20 working together.

[0036] <Processing Procedure> Next, we will explain the specific processing steps performed by Game System 1. In the following explanation, "object" will be described as "character," but this embodiment is not limited to this.

[0037] The memory unit 100 of the game server 10 stores a user management DB (Data Base) 100a for managing each user's game data, a character ownership management DB 100b for managing the characters owned by each user, a stage management DB 100c for managing the data for executing quests included in each stage, and a play history management DB 100d for recording various history information when each user plays quests included in each stage.

[0038] Figure 5 shows an example of a user management database and a character ownership management database. User management database 100a stores, for example, a user ID that uniquely identifies a user, a nickname used as a username in the game, a friend registration list showing other users with whom the user is friends, location information indicating the location of the terminal 20 used by the user, and various parameters such as the user's experience points, rank, and stamina. Stamina is deducted by a predetermined amount when the user plays a quest. Stamina also increases automatically over time. Character ownership management database 100b stores, for example, a user ID that uniquely identifies a user, the character IDs of the characters owned by each user, and the current status of each character.

[0039] Figure 6 shows an example of a stage management DB and a clear history management DB. The stage management DB 100c stores, for example, a stage ID that uniquely identifies a stage, a quest ID that uniquely identifies a quest associated with each stage, and various data used to execute quests (quest execution data) in association with each other. The stage management DB 100c may also store information indicating the difficulty level of each quest in each stage. For example, the quest difficulty may be information indicating the difficulty level between quests when compared within the same stage. For example, for stage S01, information indicating that the difficulty level of quest 01 is easier (or harder) than quest 02 may be stored. Alternatively, the quest difficulty may be the difficulty level when compared across all stages. For example, the difficulty level of quest 01 in stage S01 is 1, the difficulty level of quest 02 in stage S01 is 2, the difficulty level of quest 01 in stage S02 is 3, and the difficulty level of quest 02 in stage S02 is 2, indicating the absolute difficulty level within the game.

[0040] The play history management DB100d stores information (play history) that associates the user ID with whether the user cleared or failed to clear the quest associated with each stage. In addition, the play history management DB100d may store other information, not limited to that shown in Figure 6. For example, it may store information that indicates the characters included in the deck used by the user in the quest.

[0041] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure performed by the game server 10. In step S10, the reception unit 112 accepts the selection of a quest to play from the user (from the terminal 20). At this time, the reception unit 112 determines which quests are available for selection from the player based on whether or not the player has cleared the quests for each stage.

[0042] In step S12, the reception unit 112 accepts the deck composition to be used in the quest from the user (from terminal 20). For example, the reception unit 112 may refer to the owned character management DB 100b and accept the selection of one or more characters to be included in the deck from among the multiple characters owned by the user.

[0043] In step S13, the execution unit 111 executes the quest selected in the processing procedure of step S11. In step S14, the granting unit 114 grants a predetermined reward to the user if the user has completed the quest.

[0044] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure performed by the game server 10. Figure 8 provides a detailed explanation of the processing procedure in step S10 of Figure 7.

[0045] In step S100, the reception unit 112 determines whether the user has cleared at least one quest corresponding to stage N-1 (where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and so on). If the user has cleared at least one quest (S100-YES), the unit proceeds to step S101; if the user has not cleared at least one quest (S100-NO), the unit proceeds to step S102.

[0046] In step S101, the reception unit 112 accepts the selection of one or more quests associated with stages 1 to N. The display control unit 103 may display the quests that the reception unit 112 can accept selection for the user on the game screen in a manner that allows the user to select them, and display the quests that the reception unit 112 does not accept selection for in a manner that makes them unselectable.

[0047] In step S102, the reception unit 112 accepts the selection of one or more quests that correspond to stages 1 to N-1. The display control unit 103 may display one or more quests that correspond to stages 1 to N-1 from among the multiple quests that correspond to all stages available in the game in a manner that allows selection, while displaying quests that correspond to stages other than stages 1 to N-1 in a manner that makes them unselectable.

[0048] For example, let's assume that there are stages 1 through 3, and each stage has two quests associated with it. If the user has not completed any quests in stage 1, the reception unit 112 will accept a selection of quests from the two quests corresponding to stage 1. If the user has completed at least one quest in stage 1, but has not completed any quests in stages 2 or 3, the reception unit 112 will accept a selection of quests from the four quests corresponding to stages 1 and 2.

[0049] <Variation> Next, we will describe several modifications of the embodiments described so far. Note that the modifications described below can be combined in any way.

[0050] (Variation 1) In the first modification, the game server 10 may control which quests a user can play from among several quests associated with the next stage, based on the user's play history of quests played in the previous stage.

[0051] More specifically, the reception unit 112 may control which quests the user can select from among multiple quests associated with the second stage, based on the user's play history (information about the content of the play) of the quests the user has cleared in the first stage. This makes it possible to change the quests that the user can accept in the next stage based on the user's play history in the previous stage.

[0052] (Extreme variation 1-1) The "play history" described in Modification 1 may also be a history of the character used by the user when playing quests in the previous stage. In other words, the game server 10 may control which quests the user can play from among several quests associated with the next stage, based on the character used by the user when playing quests in the previous stage.

[0053] More specifically, the reception unit 112 may control which quests the user can select from among several quests associated with the second stage, based on the characters (objects) included in the deck used by the user in the first stage.

[0054] For example, let's assume that in Stage 1 and Stage 2, there are corresponding quests A and B, which have gimmick A, and quests C and D, which have gimmick B. A gimmick refers to a mechanism or special effect, such as an obstacle that hinders the user's gameplay or a wall that inflicts damage upon contact. Let's also assume that there are two characters: Character A, who is good at avoiding gimmick A but bad at avoiding gimmick B, and Character B, who is bad at avoiding gimmick A but good at avoiding gimmick B. In this case, if the user has cleared quest B in Stage 1 with a deck including Character A, the reception unit 112 may accept quests A and B, which have gimmick A that is easy for Character A to clear, as playable quests for the user in Stage 2. This allows the user to play quests that are easier to clear in the next stage.

[0055] (Variations 1-2) The "play history" described in Modification 1 may also be a history of which quests the user has completed out of multiple quests in the previous stage. In other words, the game server 10 may control which quests the user can play from among multiple quests associated with the next stage, based on the quests the user has completed in the previous stage.

[0056] More specifically, the reception unit 112 may control which of the multiple quests associated with the second stage the user can select, based on which of the multiple quests associated with the first stage the user has completed.

[0057] For example, suppose that in Stage 1, Quest A, where the enemy character has attribute A, and Quest B, where the enemy character has attribute B, are associated, and in Stage 2, Quest C, where the enemy character has attribute A, and Quest D, where the enemy character has attribute B, are associated. Also, suppose that using a character with the same attribute as the enemy character makes it easier to clear the quest. In this case, if the user has cleared Quest A in Stage 1, the reception unit 112 may accept Quest C, among the quests in Stage 2, where the enemy character's attribute is the same as the enemy character's attribute in the quest already cleared in Stage 1, as a playable quest for the user in Stage 2. This is because a quest with the same enemy character's attribute as a quest already cleared in Stage 1 is considered easier to clear. This allows the user to play a quest that is easier to clear in the next stage.

[0058] (Modification 2) The game server 10 may also control the number of quests that the user can select in the next stage based on the number of failures in multiple quests corresponding to the previous stage.

[0059] The reception unit 112 may increase the number of quests available to the user in the second stage based on the number of times the user failed to complete the multiple quests associated with the first stage. For example, the more times the user fails to complete each of the multiple quests associated with the first stage, the more quests available to the user in the second stage may be increased. This allows the user to play quests that are easier to complete in the next stage, the more times they failed to complete the previous stage.

[0060] (Variation 3) The game server 10 may control whether or not to make other quests corresponding to a given stage playable based on the results of playing one or more quests from among several quests corresponding to that given stage.

[0061] More specifically, each predetermined stage (for example, the first stage) is associated with at least a first quest and a second quest, and the reception unit 112 may make the second quest available for the user to select based on the user's performance when they play the first quest.

[0062] Furthermore, each predetermined stage (for example, Stage 1) is associated with at least Quest 1, Quest 2, and Quest 3, and the reception unit 112 may make Quest 3 available for the user to select based on the user's play results when they play Quests 1 and 2.

[0063] For example, suppose that quests A and B are associated with a predetermined stage, and the user is presented with only quest A as a selectable quest. In this case, if the user fails to complete quest A, the reception unit 112 may make both quest A and quest B selectable. This makes it easier for the user to advance to the next stage, as the number of selectable quests in that predetermined stage increases if they fail to complete a quest in that stage.

[0064] Furthermore, let's assume, for example, that Quest A and Quest B are associated with a predetermined stage, and that only Quest A is presented to the user as a selectable quest. In this case, if the user successfully completes Quest A, the reception unit 112 may make both Quest A and Quest B selectable. This allows the user to enjoy more quests, as the number of selectable quests in a predetermined stage increases after completing a quest in that stage.

[0065] Furthermore, let's assume, for example, that quests A, B, and C are associated with a predetermined stage, and that quests A and C are presented to the user as selectable quests. In this case, if the user successfully completes quests A and B, the reception unit 112 may make quests A, B, and C selectable. This allows the user to enjoy more quests, as the number of selectable quests in a predetermined stage increases after completing quests in that stage.

[0066] Furthermore, "play result" may refer to both the characters included in the deck used by the user when playing the first quest and whether or not the user cleared the first quest. In other words, the reception unit 112 may control whether or not to make the second quest available for the user to select as a playable quest, based on the characters included in the deck used by the user when playing the first quest and whether or not the user cleared the first quest.

[0067] For example, let's assume that a predetermined stage is associated with Quest A, which has gimmick A set up, and Quest B, which has gimmick B set up. Let's also assume that there are two characters: Character A, who is good at avoiding gimmick A but bad at avoiding gimmick B, and Character B, who is bad at avoiding gimmick A but good at avoiding gimmick B. In this case, if the user plays Quest A using Character B and fails to clear Quest A, the reception unit 112 may make Quest B available as a playable quest in the predetermined stage. This makes it easier for the user to advance to the next stage, as they can choose a quest that is easier to clear in that predetermined stage if they fail to clear a quest in that stage.

[0068] (Variation 5) A predetermined stage (for example, Stage 1) is associated with at least a first quest and a second quest, and the execution unit 111 may control the content of the second quest based on the user's play results in the first quest. The content of the second quest may include, for example, the attributes of the enemy characters that appear in the second quest, the levels of the enemy characters, the difficulty level of the second quest, and / or the gimmicks that appear in the second quest.

[0069] For example, if the character used by the user in the first quest is below a predetermined level, and the user fails to clear the first quest, the execution unit 111 may change the difficulty level of the second quest to be lower than that of the first quest. This makes it easier for the user to advance to the next stage, as they can choose the second quest, which is easier to clear in a given stage, if they fail to clear the first quest in that stage.

[0070] (Experimental variation 6) Game server 10 may be configured to allow more quests to be played in the second stage the more quests are completed in the first stage.

[0071] More specifically, the reception unit 112 may control the number of quests that a user can select in the second stage if the user clears a first predetermined number or more of the quests associated with the first stage, so that the number of quests that a user can select in the second stage if the user clears less than the first predetermined number of quests associated with the first stage.

[0072] Furthermore, the reward distribution unit 114 may also grant to a user who has cleared a predetermined number of quests from among the multiple quests associated with the second stage, the rewards for clearing quests that the first user has not cleared from among the multiple quests associated with stages prior to the second stage (including at least the first stage, but also including stages other than the first stage). In other words, quests in lower stages that have not been cleared may be considered cleared and rewards granted to the user accordingly.

[0073] Furthermore, the rewarding unit 114 may increase the rewards for players who have cleared two or more predetermined quests associated with the same stage, for subsequent stages. A user who clears only one quest in the same stage and advances to the next stage will receive more rewards than a user who clears multiple quests in the same stage and advances to the next stage. This provides an incentive for users to clear more quests.

[0074] Furthermore, the game server 10 may allow players who have completed two or more predetermined quests associated with the first stage to play more quests in the second stage than players who have completed one or more but less than a predetermined number of quests.

[0075] More specifically, the reception unit 112 may allow a first user who has completed a second predetermined number of quests from among the multiple quests associated with the first stage to select more quests in the second stage than a second user who has completed fewer than the second predetermined number of quests from among the multiple quests associated with the first stage.

[0076] Furthermore, the rewarding unit 114 may also provide a larger reward for completing quests corresponding to the second stage to a first user who has completed a second predetermined number of quests from among the multiple quests corresponding to the first stage, compared to a second user who has completed fewer than the second predetermined number of quests from among the multiple quests corresponding to the first stage.

[0077] This means that the more quests a user completes in the previous stage, the more quests become available in the next stage, making it easier to complete quests in the next stage. Furthermore, the more quests a user completes in the previous stage, the more rewards they receive in the next stage, thus motivating them to play more quests in the next stage.

[0078] (Example 7) Game server 10 may control the number of quests available in the second stage based on the difficulty level of the quests completed in the first stage.

[0079] More specifically, the first stage is associated with the third quest and the fourth quest, which is less difficult than the third quest, and the reception unit 112 may control the number of quests that a user can select in the second stage if they clear the third quest, so that the number of quests that a user can select in the second stage is greater than the number of quests that a user can select in the second stage if they clear the fourth quest.

[0080] This allows users to decide whether to challenge more difficult quests in the current stage in order to easily clear the quests in the next stage, thus enabling users to progress through the game while considering various strategies.

[0081] (Variation 8) The game server 10 may notify users of one of several quests associated with the second stage as a recommended quest based on their play history in the first stage.

[0082] More specifically, the recommendation unit 113 may recommend to the user a quest selected from among multiple quests associated with the second stage, based on which of the multiple quests associated with the first stage the user has completed.

[0083] For example, suppose that in Stage 1, Quest A, where the enemy character has attribute A, and Quest B, where the enemy character has attribute B, are associated, and in Stage 2, Quest C, where the enemy character has attribute A, and Quest D, where the enemy character has attribute B, are associated. Also, suppose that using a character with the same attribute as the enemy character makes it easier to clear the quest. In this case, if the user has cleared Quest A in Stage 1, the reception unit 112 may accept Quests C and D as quests the user can play in Stage 2. Furthermore, the recommendation unit 113 may recommend Quest C, among the quests in Stage 2, as a quest the user can play in Stage 2, because the attribute of the enemy character is the same as the attribute of the enemy character in the quest that was cleared in Stage 1. It is considered that quests with the same attribute as the enemy character in the quest that was cleared in Stage 1 are more likely to be easier to clear. This allows the user to select and play quests that are easier to clear in the next stage.

[0084] Furthermore, when a user is creating a deck, the recommendation unit 113 may select characters from the user's owned characters that are recommended to be included in the deck, based on the parameters set for multiple quests associated with each stage. In addition, the display control unit 115 may display the selected characters in an identifiable manner, for example, on the deck creation screen.

[0085] (Extreme variation 9) The game server 10 may limit the number of times a specific quest (for example, a quest with a low difficulty level) can be played among multiple quests associated with each of the multiple stages.

[0086] More specifically, the reception unit 112 may control the system so that, for one or more quests that meet predetermined conditions (for example, quests with a low difficulty level) among multiple quests associated with multiple stages including the first and second stages, the user cannot select a quest to play within a predetermined range of stages more than a predetermined number of times.

[0087] For example, let's assume that the game has 20 stages, numbered 1 to 20, with three quests associated with each stage. Let's also assume that one of the three quests in each stage is a low-difficulty quest. Let's also assume that the predetermined number of attempts is set to 3, and the predetermined range is set to stages 1 to 10. Let's say the user clears stages 1 to 5 using all quests except the low-difficulty one, and then clears stages 6 to 8 by selecting the low-difficulty quest. In other words, at this point, the user has selected the low-difficulty quest three times. In this case, the reception unit 112 may refuse to accept the selection of the low-difficulty quest for stages 1 to 10. This makes it possible to prevent the game balance from deteriorating by providing low-difficulty quests, which would lower the overall difficulty of the stages.

[0088] Furthermore, even if the user has selected a quest that meets the predetermined conditions a predetermined number of times, the reception unit 112 may also accept the selection of a quest that meets the predetermined conditions if the user has used a predetermined game medium (for example, a paid item).

[0089] (Variation 10) The game server 10 may also grant rewards when the number of completed quests, which are associated with each of the multiple stages, reaches a predetermined number.

[0090] More specifically, the rewarding unit may grant a reward to a user when the number of quests completed by the user reaches a predetermined number, among a plurality of quests associated with multiple stages, including the first and second stages. This makes it possible to motivate the user to play more stages.

[0091] (Variation 11) The game described above, which has multiple stages with a predetermined play order and one or more quests associated with each stage (hereinafter referred to as "Game X" for convenience), may be playable only for a limited period of time, and may be playable again for another predetermined period after the predetermined period has elapsed. For example, Game X may be playable for two months from January to February, and then become playable again from May to June.

[0092] In this case, the game server 10 may allow users who have completed a predetermined number of quests corresponding to the first quest within a predetermined period to proceed to the second quest in the next predetermined period (i.e., they do not need to start over from the first quest). On the other hand, users who have completed less than a predetermined number of quests corresponding to the first quest within a predetermined period may not be able to proceed to the second quest in the next predetermined period and must start over from the first quest.

[0093] More specifically, the reception unit 112 may, for a first user whose number of completed quests among the multiple quests associated with the first stage prior to a predetermined time is one or more but less than a predetermined number, accept a selection from the first user to play from among the multiple quests associated with the second stage if the first user completes a predetermined number or more of the multiple quests associated with the first stage after the predetermined time. Furthermore, the reception unit 112 may, for a second user whose number of completed quests among the multiple quests associated with the first stage prior to a predetermined time is a predetermined number or more, accept a selection from the first user to play from among the multiple quests associated with the second stage, regardless of whether the second user has completed any of the multiple quests associated with the first stage after the predetermined time. The predetermined time may be at least one of the timings between the first period and the second period, which is the period during which the multiple quests associated with the first stage and the multiple quests associated with the second stage are playable.

[0094] This will make it easier for users who complete many quests to advance to the next stage in the future, thus providing an incentive for users to play many quests.

[0095] (Additional information) Multiple quests associated with the same stage may differ in terms of difficulty level, mechanics, rewards for completion, cost (stamina) to play the quest, and / or the number of times they can be played (corresponding to the number in Variation 9).

[0096] The rewarding unit 116 may grant a special reward (for example, a character of high rarity) to a user when the user clears a specific stage in a series of stages (i.e., when the user clears a quest corresponding to a specific stage).

[0097] <Screen display example> Figure 9 shows an example of a game screen. In the example in Figure 9, Quest 01 and Quest 02 are associated with Stage 1 and Stage 2, respectively. The quest selection screen M10 shows an example of how it looks when the user has not cleared any quests in Stage 1. As shown in the quest selection screen M10, Quest 01 and Quest 02 in Stage 2 are grayed out, and the user cannot select Quest 01 or Quest 02 in Stage 2.

[0098] Quest selection screen M11 shows an example of how it looks when the user has cleared either Quest 01 or Quest 02 of Stage 1. Unlike Quest selection screen M10, Quest 01 and Quest 02 of Stage 2 are not grayed out on Quest selection screen M11, so the user can select Quest 01 or Quest 02 of Stage 2.

[0099] <Summary> According to the embodiment described above, the game server 10 is configured to allow a user to select a quest to play from one or more quests associated with the second stage when the user has cleared one or more quests associated with the first stage. This makes it easier for users to progress to the next stage in games where each stage contains multiple quests, thereby promoting opportunities for users to play.

[0100] The embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit its interpretation. The flowcharts, sequences, elements of the embodiments, and their arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, and sizes described in the embodiments are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate.

[0101] <Note> <Note 1> An execution unit that executes a game which includes at least a first stage and a second stage, in which the order of play is determined to be the first stage and the second stage, and in which each of the first stage and the second stage is associated with one or more quests, A reception unit accepts the selection of a quest to be played using a deck composed of multiple objects owned by the user, and when the user clears one or more quests from among the multiple quests associated with the first stage, it accepts the selection of a quest to be played from among the one or more quests associated with the second stage, An information processing device having

[0102] According to Appendix 1, in games where each stage contains multiple quests, making it easier to advance to the next stage can encourage users to play more.

[0103] <Note 2> The reception unit controls which quests the user can select from among a plurality of quests associated with the second stage, based on information regarding the content of the quests the user has cleared in the first stage. The information processing device described in Appendix 1.

[0104] According to Appendix 2, it will be possible to change the quests that the user can accept in the next stage based on information about the user's gameplay in the previous stage.

[0105] <Note 3> The reception unit controls the quests that the user can select from among a plurality of quests associated with the second stage, based on the objects included in the deck used by the user in the first stage. The information processing device described in Appendix 1 or 2.

[0106] According to Appendix 3, it will be possible to change the quests that the user can select in the next stage based on the objects the user used in the previous stage.

[0107] <Note 4> The reception unit controls which of the multiple quests associated with the second stage the user can select, based on which of the multiple quests associated with the first stage the user has cleared. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3.

[0108] According to Appendix 4, it will be possible to change the quests that the user can select in the next stage based on the quests the user has cleared in the previous stage.

[0109] <Note 5> The reception unit increases the number of quests that the user can select in the second stage based on the number of times the user failed to complete the multiple quests associated with the first stage. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4.

[0110] According to Appendix 5, it will be possible to change the quests that the user can select in the next stage based on the number of times the user has failed to clear the previous stage.

[0111] <Note 6> The aforementioned first stage is associated with at least the first and second quests, The reception unit, based on the user's play results when playing the first quest, makes the second quest available for the user to select as a playable quest. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 5.

[0112] According to Appendix 6, it becomes possible to increase the number of selectable quests within the same stage based on the results of quests played in the same stage.

[0113] <Note 7> The reception unit controls the number of quests that the user can select in the second stage if the user clears a first predetermined number or more of the quests associated with the first stage, so that the number of quests that the user can select in the second stage if the user clears less than the first predetermined number of quests associated with the first stage. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 6.

[0114] According to Appendix 7, the user will find it easier to advance to the next stage because the number of selectable quests will increase in the second stage.

[0115] <Note 8> The aforementioned first stage is associated with the third quest and the fourth quest, which is less difficult than the third quest. The reception unit controls the number of quests that the user can select in the second stage if the user clears the third quest, so that the number of quests that the user can select in the second stage if the user clears the fourth quest is greater than the number of quests that the user can select in the second stage if the user clears the fourth quest. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 7.

[0116] According to Appendix 8, the user will find it easier to advance to the next stage because the number of selectable quests will increase in the second stage.

[0117] <Note 9> The system includes a recommendation unit that recommends to the user a quest selected from a plurality of quests associated with the second stage, based on which of the plurality of quests associated with the first stage the user has completed. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 8.

[0118] According to Appendix 9, users will be able to select and play recommended quests in the next stage.

[0119] <Note 10> The reception unit controls the system so as not to accept from the user an additional number of times for a quest to be played within a predetermined range of stages, for one or more quests that meet predetermined conditions among a plurality of quests associated with a plurality of stages including the first stage and the second stage. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 9.

[0120] According to Appendix 10, it becomes possible to limit the number of times a quest can be played if it meets certain conditions.

[0121] <Note 11> The system includes a rewarding unit that, when the number of quests completed by the user reaches a predetermined number among a plurality of quests associated with a plurality of stages including the first stage and the second stage, grants the user a reward. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 10.

[0122] According to Appendix 11, it will be possible to reward users based on the number of quests they complete.

[0123] <Note 12> The aforementioned reception unit is For a first user whose number of completed quests among the multiple quests associated with the first stage prior to a predetermined time is one or more but less than a predetermined number, if the first user completes the predetermined number or more of the multiple quests associated with the first stage after the predetermined time, the first user will be asked to select a quest to play from among the multiple quests associated with the second stage. For a second user whose number of completed quests among the multiple quests associated with the first stage is greater than or equal to a predetermined number before a predetermined time, regardless of whether the second user has completed any of the multiple quests associated with the first stage after the predetermined time, the first user will select a quest to play from among the multiple quests associated with the second stage. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 11.

[0124] According to Appendix 12, users who complete many quests will be more likely to advance to the next stage in the future, thus providing users with an incentive to play many quests.

[0125] <Note 13> A step of running a game which includes at least a first stage and a second stage, the order in which the first and second stages are played is determined, and each of the first and second stages has one or more quests associated with it. The process includes accepting the user's selection of a quest to play using a deck composed of multiple objects owned by the user, and, if the user clears one or more quests from among the multiple quests associated with the first stage, allowing the user to select a quest to play from among the one or more quests associated with the second stage, An information processing method performed by an information processing device, including the above.

[0126] According to Appendix 13, in games where each stage contains multiple quests, making it easier to advance to the next stage can encourage users to play more.

[0127] <Note 14> A step of running a game which includes at least a first stage and a second stage, the order in which the first and second stages are played is determined, and each of the first and second stages has one or more quests associated with it. The process includes accepting the user's selection of a quest to play using a deck composed of multiple objects owned by the user, and, if the user clears one or more quests from among the multiple quests associated with the first stage, allowing the user to select a quest to play from among the one or more quests associated with the second stage, A program that causes a computer to execute something.

[0128] According to Appendix 14, in games where each stage contains multiple quests, making it easier to advance to the next stage can encourage users to play more. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 1...Game system, 10...Game server, 11...Processor, 12...Storage device, 13...Communication interface, 14...Input device, 15...Output device, 20...Terminal, 100...Storage unit, 100a...User management DB, 100b...Owned character management DB, 100c...Stage management DB, 100d...Play history management DB, 110...Game control unit, 111...Execution unit, 112...Reception unit, 113...Recommendation unit, 114...Assignment unit, 115...Display control unit, 200...Storage unit, 201...Communication unit, 202...UI unit, 203...Game control unit

Claims

[Claim 1] An execution unit that executes a game which includes at least a first stage and a second stage, the order of play is determined to be the first stage and the second stage, and one or more quests are associated with each of the first stage and the second stage. A reception unit accepts the selection of a quest to be played using a deck composed of multiple objects owned by the user, and when the user clears one or more quests from among the multiple quests associated with the first stage, it accepts the selection of a quest to be played from among the one or more quests associated with the second stage, An information processing device having

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