Game program, information processing device, and height control method

Abstract

To provide a game program capable of changing gravitational force acting on an object.SOLUTION: A game program causes an information processing device to function as: a gravitational force setup section of dividing a virtual space into a plurality of layers and setting up to any layer, a gravitational acceleration different from those of other layers; and a height control section when an object moves in the virtual space, controlling height of the object based on the gravitational acceleration set up to the layer corresponding to the height of the object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] There are known games in which objects such as player characters can move three-dimensionally through space, including in the Y-axis direction. For example, the player character can glide through the air on a glider and travel long distances. Alternatively, flying characters such as birds can fly through the air, and objects such as submarines can move three-dimensionally underwater.

[0003] There are known techniques for changing the gravity acting on an object that moves three-dimensionally (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Patent Document 1 discloses a game device that changes the direction of gravity acting on a character in response to an instruction input from a player, and causes the character to fall in the direction of gravity. Patent Document 2 discloses a game program that can reduce the falling speed of a falling player character and extend the airtime if the character catches a balloon. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5846767 [Patent Document 2] JP 2007-202695 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the technique described in Patent Document 2 has a problem in that the processing load for determining the gravitational acceleration based on the size of the balloon, etc. is large.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a game program capable of changing the gravity acting on an object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In consideration of the above problems, the present invention provides a game program that functions as a gravity setting unit that divides a virtual space into a plurality of layers and sets a gravitational acceleration in any one layer different from that in the other layers, and a height control unit that controls the height of an object based on the gravitational acceleration set in the layer corresponding to the height of the object when the object moves in the virtual space. Effect of the Invention

[0008] It is possible to provide a game program that can change the gravity acting on an object. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of setting gravitational acceleration in the game system of the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a game system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an example of a functional block diagram illustrating functions of an information processing device divided into blocks. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating gravity data stored in a gravity data storage unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of setting gravitational acceleration with respect to the height of a player character from the ground. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of setting gravitational acceleration relative to the height of a player character from the ground. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of gravitational acceleration set in the opposite direction (negative value) so that a flying character does not fall due to gravity. [Figure 9]FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another setting example of gravitational acceleration with respect to the height of the player character in the setting example of FIG. 7. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the effect of gravitational acceleration when a player character glides in the air above a slope (downhill). [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the effect of gravitational acceleration when a player character glides in the air above a slope (uphill). [Figure 12] 11 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a procedure in which an information processing device controls the height of a player character. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of setting gravitational acceleration in water. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of setting gravitational acceleration with respect to the depth of an object from the water surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment for implementing the game program of the present disclosure and a method for controlling the height of an object by the game program will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in this specification and the drawings, substantially identical configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0011] <Outline of the Game System of the Present Embodiment> 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of setting the gravitational acceleration in the game system of this embodiment. In this embodiment, a player character 4 (hereinafter, referred to as PC4) can glide in the air using an item such as a glider 11.

[0012] In this embodiment, layers with different gravitational accelerations are set in the space where PC4 can glide through the air. A layer means something that overlaps, and in this embodiment, spaces with different gravitational accelerations overlap. The boundaries between layers and the differences between layers are not visible to the player, but may be made visible by player operations, etc.

[0013] In FIG. 1, three layers are set in the space as an example. The first layer 101 is the layer where PC4 fights enemy characters and moves, and is therefore a layer where normal gravitational acceleration (hereinafter referred to as 1G) acts. Normal gravitational acceleration in the real world is about 9.8 [m / s 2 ], but the gravitational acceleration in the virtual space (for example, the three-dimensional space in which the game takes place) can be any value.

[0014] The second layer 102 is a layer in which the gravitational acceleration gradually increases as the height from the ground increases. For example, if the boundary between the first layer 101 and the second layer 102 is 1G, then the boundary between the second layer 102 and the third layer 103 is 2G. In the second layer 102 (between the boundaries), the gravitational acceleration increases in proportion to the height. The third layer 103 is a layer on which the maximum gravitational acceleration (2G) of the second layer 102 acts.

[0015] When PC4 glides in such a space on the glider 11, the gravity acceleration of 2G acts on PC4 in the third layer 103, causing the altitude to drop rapidly. In the second layer 102, the gravity acceleration decreases as the altitude of PC4 decreases, so the descent speed gradually becomes gentler. In the first layer 101, PC4 descends gently with the gravity acceleration of 1G.

[0016] In the virtual space, cliffs, tall buildings, or platforms that the player has created with blocks or the like are provided, and originally, the player can use the glider 11 or the like from these locations to gain distance for the PC4 to travel (gliding from a high place takes longer to land on the ground, so the PC4 will travel a longer distance) or enjoy the scenery from the sky. However, when the PC4 glides from a relatively high place such as the top of a cliff, the PC4 may go too far. In other words, when the PC4 glides from a place that is too high, it stays in the air for a long time, which is inconvenient as it goes too far. In this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the PC4 from going too far without giving the player a sense of incongruity.

[0017] In this way, the game program of this embodiment can control the airborne time of PC4 by a simple process of changing the magnitude of the gravitational acceleration for each floor. Also, since it is difficult for the player to be aware that the gravitational acceleration changes depending on the height, it is unlikely for the player to feel uncomfortable.

[0018] <Terminology> The term "object" refers to a target object, and in this embodiment, it refers to people and things in the virtual space. For example, PC4, enemy characters, rocks, buildings, and other things that appear in the virtual space are all objects.

[0019] Gravitational acceleration is the acceleration that gravity causes to an object. Moving three-dimensionally means that the object is moving without touching the ground in the virtual space (for example, a virtual three-dimensional space). In other words, it is moving while floating in the air. It mainly includes movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane (Y-axis direction), but it also includes cases where there is no movement in the Y-axis direction. When there is no movement in the Y-axis direction, the object moves in the XZ plane in the air. Also, when the object is moving in the Y-axis direction, the object may move relative to the XZ plane or may remain stationary. Three-dimensional movement may be processed by a physics engine.

[0020] <Game System> First, a configuration example of a game system will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a game system 1 of this embodiment. The game system 1 has an information processing device 3, a game controller 5, and a display device 7. Each of the game controller 5 and the display device 7 is connected to the information processing device 3 so as to be able to communicate with each other via wire or wirelessly.

[0021] The information processing device 3 is, for example, a stationary game machine. However, the information processing device 3 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a portable game machine integrally equipped with an input unit, a display unit, etc.

[0022] Furthermore, the information processing device 3 does not have to be a dedicated game machine, and may be, for example, a computer, a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, or the like that is manufactured and sold as a computer, or a smartphone, a mobile phone, a phablet, or the like that is manufactured and sold as a telephone. These devices are usually used as general-purpose information processing terminals, but when a player executes an installed game program, the player can progress through the game in the same way as with a dedicated game machine.

[0023] The game program of this embodiment is installed in the information processing device 3. The game program is distributed in a state stored in an optical storage medium such as a CD-ROM or a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory, or is distributed in a form in which it is downloaded from a server.

[0024] The player uses the game controller 5 to input various operations. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the game controller 5 has, for example, a cross key 9 and a plurality of buttons 8. Note that the game controller 5 may have, for example, a joystick or a touchpad instead of or in addition to the above. The game controller 5 may also have a microphone, allowing voice operation. The game controller 5 may also have a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, or the like, allowing the player to operate the game controller 5 by changing its attitude.

[0025] Furthermore, the information processing device 3 may further communicate with a server on the network. In this case, a plurality of information processing devices 3 executing the same game program are connected to the server, enabling a so-called online game. An online game is, for example, a game in which multiple players can cooperate to operate the same game program. The server of an online game performs the minimum processing of accepting the positions and operation commands of other players and transmitting them to the information processing devices 3 of the other players. The information processing device 3 performs the actual game processing, such as rendering each player and reflecting the operation commands.

[0026] Furthermore, the game system 1 may be of a so-called P2P (Peer To Peer) type in which an information processing device 3 communicates with another information processing device 3.

[0027] The game system 1 may be a so-called cloud game. In the following, the game system 1 of the present embodiment will be described mainly with reference to the configuration of FIG.

[0028] <Example of hardware configuration of information processing device> Fig. 3 is an example of a hardware configuration diagram of the information processing device 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the information processing device 3 includes, for example, a CPU 501, a ROM 502, a RAM 503, a GPU 504, a dedicated integrated circuit 505 constructed for a specific purpose such as an ASIC or an FPGA, an input device 506, an output device 507, a recording device 508, a drive 509, a connection port 510, and a communication device 511. These components are connected to each other via a bus 513, an input / output interface 514, etc. so as to be able to transmit signals to each other.

[0029] The game program can be recorded in, for example, the ROM 502, the RAM 503, the recording device 508, or the like.

[0030] The CPU 501 may, for example, directly read out and execute the game program from the recording device 508, or may execute the game program after first loading it into the RAM 503. Furthermore, when the CPU 501 receives the game program via the communication device 511, the drive 509, or the connection port 510, for example, the CPU 501 may directly execute the received game program without recording it in the recording device 508.

[0031] Furthermore, the CPU 501 may perform various processes based on signals and information input from an input device 506, such as a mouse, keyboard, microphone, etc. (not shown), including the above-mentioned game controller 5, as necessary.

[0032] The GPU 504 performs processing for image display, such as rendering processing, in response to instructions from the CPU 501 .

[0033] Then, the CPU 501 and the GPU 504 output the results of the above-mentioned processing from an output device 507 including, for example, the above-mentioned display device 7 and audio output unit. The CPU 501 and the GPU 504 may transmit the results of the processing via a communication device 511 or a connection port 510 as necessary, or may record the results in the recording device 508 or recording medium 512.

[0034] The hardware configuration of the server or general-purpose information processing device may be the same as that of the information processing device 3, or may be different from that of the information processing device 3, but this does not pose any problems for the convenience of explaining this embodiment.

[0035] <About the function> Fig. 4 is an example of a functional block diagram for explaining functions of the information processing device 3 by dividing them into blocks. As shown in Fig. 4, the information processing device 3 has a gravity setting unit 31, a height calculation unit 32, a height control unit 33, an operation acceptance unit 34, an image data generation unit 35, and a display control unit 36. Each of these functional units of the information processing device 3 is a function or means realized by the CPU 501 shown in Fig. 3 executing a game program expanded in the RAM 503.

[0036] The gravity setting unit 31 divides the virtual space into a plurality of layers based on the gravity data stored in the gravity data storage unit 39, and sets a different gravitational acceleration to an arbitrary layer from that of the other layers. Since the gravitational acceleration when the PC 4 moves on the ground is constant at 1 G, the gravity setting unit 31 may set the gravitational acceleration to the second layer 102 or higher only when the PC 4 moves three-dimensionally in the air, water, or underground.

[0037] 5 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of gravity data stored in the gravity data storage unit 39. Each item of the gravity data will be described below. The area ID is the identification information for each area when the virtual space in which the PC4 moves is divided by design or coordinate range. For example, there may be areas according to the worldview of the game, such as grassland areas, town areas, sea areas, and desert areas. The items of the first layer 101, the second layer 102, and the third layer 103 define the range in the height direction of each layer. The range in FIG. 5 is merely an example, and is set variously depending on the virtual space realized according to the game content. The first layer gravitational acceleration, the second layer gravitational acceleration, and the third layer gravitational acceleration are values ​​of the gravitational acceleration of the first layer 101, the second layer 102, and the third layer 103.

[0038] In the areas with area IDs 001 and 002, as explained in Figure 1, the gravitational acceleration increases as the height increases. On the other hand, in the area with area ID 003, the gravitational acceleration decreases as the height increases. Gravitational acceleration like that in the area with area ID 003 is effective in areas where PC4 must glide over long distances (such as crossing the ocean). In other words, if PC4 satisfies the condition of starting to glide from a higher position, it can move to other areas.

[0039] Although there are only three layers in Fig. 5, the number of layers may be four or more, or may be two. Also, there may be one layer, and the gravitational acceleration may increase linearly or nonlinearly as the height from the ground increases.

[0040] Also, instead of setting the same gravitational acceleration uniformly to all objects existing in the same area, different gravitational accelerations may be set depending on the type of object. For example, the gravity setting unit 31 can set different gravitational accelerations depending on the object, such as PC4 and enemy characters, male characters, female characters and other genders, adult characters and child characters, kings and soldiers, etc. Alternatively, different gravitational accelerations may be set depending on the level representing the strength of the character. As the level increases, the character can glide farther. Alternatively, different gravitational accelerations may be set depending on the HP (hit points) or MP (magic points) possessed by the character. A character with high HP can glide farther.

[0041] Furthermore, gravitational acceleration acts not only on characters, but also on long-distance attack weapons, various items, and the like, so different gravitational accelerations may be set for different objects.

[0042] When different types of objects are set to different gravitational accelerations, different types of objects will be affected by different gravitational accelerations even if they are all the same height above the ground and on the same floor. For example, you can control the airtime of enemy characters and PC4 to be different.

[0043] Returning to FIG. 4, the explanation will be given. The height calculation unit 32 calculates the height of each object from the ground. This height is the height from the ground directly below the object, and may differ from the Y coordinate of the virtual space. The height from the ground calculated by the height calculation unit 32 is the difference between the Y coordinate of PC4 in the virtual space (coordinate in the height direction) and the Y coordinate of the ground directly below PC4 (more precisely, the Y coordinate calculated from the plane equation of the polygon on the ground having the X and Z coordinates of PC4 and the X and Z coordinates).

[0044] In a layer where the gravitational acceleration is 1G, the height calculation unit 32 moves the object by, for example, a preset "arbitrary value to move in the Y coordinate direction per frame." In layers such as 2G and 3G, a value according to the gravitational acceleration is added to the "arbitrary value" for the falling speed at 1G.

[0045] In a layer where the gravitational acceleration gradually increases as the height from the ground increases, such as the second layer 102 in Figure 1, a value calculated based on "the height at which the object is located in the layer" and "how long the object has been in the layer" is added to the amount of movement in the Y-axis direction.

[0046] The operation reception unit 34 receives operations from the player to the game controller 5. The operation reception unit 34 can receive any operation possible within the game program, for example, operations for moving or attacking the PC 4.

[0047] The image data generation unit 35 converts the objects in the virtual space with a virtual camera placed in the virtual space as the viewpoint into image data. An image obtained by the virtual camera photographing the objects placed in the virtual space is obtained. The object is a three-dimensional solid. In computer graphics, a three-dimensional object is composed of polygons (or a collection of three-dimensional points). A polygon is polygonal data formed by connecting three or more vertices and is the minimum unit that constitutes a curved surface.

[0048] The display control unit 36 displays the image data generated by the image data generation unit 35 on the display device 7.

[0049] <Example of setting the gravitational acceleration with respect to the height of the PC> FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of setting the gravitational acceleration with respect to the height of the PC4 from the ground. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis represents the height and the vertical axis represents the magnitude of the gravitational acceleration. FIG. 6 is an example of setting the gravitational acceleration in the area with the area ID = 001 of the gravitational data storage unit 39. As shown in FIG. 6, in the first layer 101, it is constant at 1G regardless of the height, in the second layer 102, the gravitational acceleration increases up to 2G in proportion to the height, and in the third layer 103, it is constant at 2G regardless of the height.

[0050] The gravitational acceleration of the second layer 102 does not increase proportionally. As shown by the dotted line 121, the higher the height of the PC4, the more rapidly the gravitational acceleration may increase, or as shown by the dotted line 122, the lower the height of the PC4, the more rapidly the gravitational acceleration may decrease. Also, instead of setting the gravitational acceleration of the third layer 103 to be constant at 2G, it may be gradually increased with respect to the height as in the second layer 102.

[0051] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of setting the gravitational acceleration with respect to the height of the PC4 from the ground. FIG. 7 is an example of setting the gravitational acceleration in the area with the area ID = 003. As shown in FIG. 7, in the first layer 101, it is constant at 1G regardless of the height, in the second layer 102, the gravitational acceleration decreases up to 0.5G in proportion to the height, and in the third layer 103, it is constant at 0.5G regardless of the height.

[0052] The gravitational acceleration of the second layer 102 does not have to decrease proportionally as shown by dotted lines 121 and 122 in Fig. 6. Also, instead of setting the gravitational acceleration of the third layer 103 to a constant 0.5 G, it may be gradually decreased with height like the second layer 102.

[0053] <Example of setting gravitational acceleration for a flying character> Next, with reference to FIG. 8, an example of setting the gravitational acceleration for the flying character 12 will be described. For example, gravity also acts on the flying character 12 that flies like a bird. From the viewpoint of making the movement of the flying character 12 in the virtual space more realistic, there is a method in which the game system 1 gives the flying character 12 buoyancy due to flapping of wings, thereby preventing the flying character 12 from descending due to gravitational acceleration. However, calculating the buoyancy due to flapping of wings imposes a high processing load. As a method with a lower processing load, there is a method in which the game system 1 gives the flying character 12 a negative value of gravitational acceleration.

[0054] FIG. 8 shows gravitational acceleration set in the opposite direction (negative value) so that the flying character 12 does not fall due to gravity. In the opposite direction of gravitational acceleration, gravity acts in the direction in which the object floats. In FIG. 8, different gravitational accelerations are set for each of the six layers. Of the six layers, one or more layers closer to the ground have negative gravitational acceleration values, and one or more layers higher from the ground than the one or more layers have positive gravitational acceleration values.

[0055] A constant gravitational acceleration of -2G is set on the first layer 101 regardless of height, a gravitational acceleration that increases proportionally from -2G to -1G is set on the second layer 102, and a gravitational acceleration of -1G is set on the third layer 103 regardless of height.

[0056] A negative value of gravitational acceleration increases the height of the flying character 12. For example, the flying character 12 that takes flight from the first layer 101 rises suddenly with a gravitational acceleration of -2G, and the rise gradually becomes gentler in the second layer 102. Next, the flying character 12 passes through the third layer 103 while rising gently with a gravitational acceleration of -1G, and reaches the fourth layer. Therefore, by setting the gravitational acceleration as in the first layer 101 to the third layer 103 of FIG. 8, it is possible to realize in the virtual space the appearance of the flying character 12 taking off lightly. Note that the gravitational acceleration from the first layer to the third layer may be constant at -1G, or may gradually increase from -2G to -1G.

[0057] On the other hand, a constant gravitational acceleration of 1G is set on the fourth layer 104 regardless of height, a gravitational acceleration that increases proportionally from 1G to 2G is set on the fifth layer 105, and a constant gravitational acceleration of 2G is set on the sixth layer 106 regardless of height. A positive gravitational acceleration reduces the height of the flying character 12. For example, a flying character 12 that starts flying from the sixth layer 106, such as above a cliff, descends rapidly with a gravitational acceleration of 2G, and the descent becomes gradually gentler on the fifth layer 105. Next, the flying character 12 passes through the fourth layer 104 while descending gently with a gravitational acceleration of 1G, and reaches the third layer 103. Therefore, the flying character 12 lowers its altitude early, making it easier for the player to see.

[0058] At the boundary between the third layer 103 and the fourth layer 104, the direction of the gravitational acceleration switches, so a force that lowers the height of the flying character 12 acts on the third layer 103, and a force that raises the height acts on the fourth layer. As a result, the flying character 12 can fly stably on the boundary between the third layer 103 and the fourth layer 104, and if the flying character 12 enters the third layer 103 or the fourth layer 104 at a high speed, it can move back and forth between the third layer 103 and the fourth layer 104, moving in a manner similar to a bird flapping its wings.

[0059] If PC4 exists on the first layer 101, a gravitational acceleration of 1G acts on PC4 on the first layer 101, so that a different gravitational acceleration is set for PC4 and the flying character 12.

[0060] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing another setting example of the gravitational acceleration with respect to the height of PC4 in the setting example of Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 9, the gravitational acceleration is constant at -2 G in the first layer 101, increases to -1 G in proportion to the height in the second layer 102, and is constant at -1 G in the third layer 103. It is constant at 1 G in the fourth layer 104, increases to 2 G in proportion to the height in the fifth layer 105, and is constant at 2 G in the sixth layer 106.

[0061] 9, if the gravitational acceleration, which is a negative value, changes to a positive value at the boundary between the third layer 103 and the fourth layer 104, the behavior of the flying character 12 may be unnatural. In other words, since the gravitational acceleration changes from -1G to 1G (or vice versa) at a point at the height where the third layer 103 and the fourth layer 104 switch, the flying character 12 naturally rises below this point and naturally falls above this point. This may result in a situation where the flying character 12 hunts in the height direction or the height of the flying character 12 is maintained constant. Therefore, for example, as shown by the dotted line 123, the gravitational acceleration may be set so that the gravitational acceleration changes continuously (proportional to the height) from the third layer 103 to the fourth layer 104.

[0062] <Effects on slopes> Next, the effect of gravitational acceleration on a slope will be described with reference to Fig. 10 etc. Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining the effect of gravitational acceleration when PC4 glides in the air above a slope 13. In virtual space, PC4 may glide in the air above a downward slope. Even if PC4 glides at the same height (or even if the altitude gradually decreases at 1G), the heights H1 to H3 relative to directly below PC4 gradually increase. If the height is too high, PC4 may go too far, which is not preferable.

[0063] The setting of the gravitational acceleration in this embodiment is also effective in preventing the PC4 from going too far up a slope. That is, even if the height of the PC4 in Fig. 10(a) corresponds to the first layer 101 or the second layer 102, if the height of the PC4 in Fig. 10(b)(c) corresponds to the third layer 103, the gravitational acceleration of 2G can suddenly lower the height of the PC4. Therefore, even if the slope continues, the gravitational acceleration of 2G acts on the high PC4, so that it is possible to create a tendency for the height of the PC4 to be lowered while the slope continues.

[0064] Furthermore, if the height of PC4 is not the height from the ground directly below but the Y coordinate, if the distance from the ground is short but the Y coordinate is large (such as in a high altitude area), a large gravitational acceleration of 2G will act on PC4, which may result in the height of PC4 suddenly decreasing, shortening the gliding distance, or other strange behavior.

[0065] Also, as shown in FIG. 11, when PC4 glides uphill, it is effective that the gravitational acceleration is set for each layer. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the action of the gravitational acceleration when PC4 glides above an uphill slope 13. Even if PC4 glides at the same height (or the altitude gradually decreases at 1G), the heights H1 to H3 directly below PC4 gradually decrease. If the layer corresponding to the height of PC4 in FIG. 11(a) is the third layer 103, the height of PC4 decreases suddenly. However, by making the height of PC4 in FIG. 11(b) and (c) correspond to the first layer 101 or the second layer 102, the descent speed can be made gentle and PC4 can glide an appropriate (not too short) distance.

[0066] <Processing Procedure> 12 is an example of a flow chart showing a procedure in which the information processing device controls the height of the PC 4. Note that the process flow may be similar in the case of other objects such as the flying character 12 other than the PC 4.

[0067] First, the gravity setting unit 31 sets the gravitational acceleration for each layer based on the gravity data stored in the gravity data storage unit 39 (S1). The timing for setting may be when the area is switched, when three-dimensional movement in the air begins, or the like.

[0068] Height calculation unit 32 calculates the height of PC4 from the ground (S2). The height of PC4 is the difference between the Y coordinate of the part of PC4 closest to the ground in the virtual space (the sole of the foot when standing, or the stomach when crawling) and the Y coordinate of a stage object (a rock, a building, or other object that can serve as a foothold for the character) that collides with a raycast emitted vertically from PC4 onto the XZ plane. The height of PC4 may also be the Y coordinate of the waist, etc. of PC4 in the virtual space.

[0069] The height control unit 33 judges whether the PC4 is moving three-dimensionally (S3). This judgment can be made based on whether the height obtained in step S2 is equal to or greater than a threshold value. Even if the PC4 is moving three-dimensionally, the gravitational acceleration is constant at 1 G in the first layer 101, so there is no need to set the gravitational acceleration. For this reason, in step S3, it may be judged whether the PC4 is moving three-dimensionally at a position higher than the first layer 101. As another example of a judgment method, it may be judged based on information set for each motion as to whether or not the gravitational acceleration needs to be set. For example, when the PC4 is performing a running motion, the height control unit 33 does not set the gravitational acceleration, and when the PC4 is performing a motion such as jumping or flying, it sets the gravitational acceleration.

[0070] If the determination in step S3 is Yes, the height control unit 33 acquires the layer corresponding to the height of PC4 and the gravitational acceleration of this layer from the gravity data storage unit 39 (S4). If the layer corresponding to the height of PC4 is a layer in which the gravitational acceleration changes depending on the height, the height control unit 33 calculates the gravitational acceleration corresponding to the height. The height control unit 33 can calculate the gravitational acceleration acting on PC4 based on the correspondence (slope) between the height of PC4 and the gravitational acceleration in the second layer in FIG. 6, for example.

[0071] Then, the height control unit 33 updates the height of PC4 in accordance with the gravitational acceleration of the layer corresponding to the height of PC4 (S5).

[0072] If the determination in step S3 is No, the height control unit 33 applies a gravitational acceleration of 1 G to the PC 4 (S6).

[0073] <Example of gravitational acceleration in water> Setting different gravitational accelerations for each layer as described in this embodiment is effective not only in the air but also in water.

[0074] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of setting the gravitational acceleration in water. The first layer 101 just below the water surface 14 has a gravitational acceleration of 1G regardless of height. The second layer 102, which is deeper than the first layer 101, is a layer in which the gravitational acceleration gradually increases the deeper it is from the water surface 14. For example, if the boundary between the first layer 101 and the second layer 102 is set to 1G, the boundary between the second layer 102 and the third layer 103 is set to 2G. In the second layer 102 (between the boundaries), the gravitational acceleration increases in proportion to the depth. The third layer 103 is a layer on which the maximum gravitational acceleration (2G) of the second layer 102 acts regardless of height.

[0075] When an object 15 such as a submarine moves three-dimensionally through such water, it slowly sinks with a gravitational acceleration of 1G in the first layer 101. In the second layer 102, the deeper the object 15 goes, the greater the gravitational acceleration becomes, so the sinking speed gradually increases. In the third layer 103, a gravitational acceleration of 2G acts on the object 15, and the object 15 suddenly becomes deeper.

[0076] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the manner in which an object sinks in water can be easily expressed by setting the gravitational acceleration.

[0077] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of setting the gravitational acceleration with respect to the depth of an object 15 from the water surface. In Fig. 14, the horizontal axis represents the depth direction, and the vertical axis represents the magnitude of the gravitational acceleration. As shown in Fig. 14, the gravitational acceleration is constant at 1 G in the first layer 101, increases to 2 G in proportion to the depth in the second layer 102, and is constant at 2 G in the third layer 103.

[0078] The gravitational acceleration of the second layer 102 does not increase proportionally, but may increase more rapidly the deeper, or decrease more rapidly the shallower, as explained with dotted lines 121 and 122 in Fig. 6. Intermediate layers such as the second layer 102 may have a constant gravitational acceleration like the first layer, third layer, etc. Also, the gravitational acceleration of the third layer 103 may not be set to a constant 2G, but may be gradually increased with depth like the second layer 102.

[0079] Also, the gravitational acceleration may be increased in shallow layers and decreased in deep layers, the opposite of Figures 13 and 14. By reversing the magnitude of the gravitational acceleration, it is possible to express an object suddenly sinking.

[0080] Therefore, the way an object sinks into water when the object 15 is rapidly diving can be easily expressed by setting the gravitational acceleration. Even when the object is underwater, the depth of the object is controlled in the same manner as in the flowchart of FIG.

[0081] <Major Effects> As described above, the game program of this embodiment can control the airborne time of PC4, etc., by a simple process of changing the magnitude of gravitational acceleration for each layer. In addition, since it is difficult for the player to be aware that gravitational acceleration changes depending on the height, it is difficult to cause discomfort in the movements of PC4, etc.

[0082] <Other application examples> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and technical concept of the present invention.

[0083] For example, in the present embodiment, the gravitational acceleration is set for each layer according to the area, but the player may be able to change the gravitational acceleration for each layer, or may specify the number of layers or set the gravitational acceleration for each layer.

[0084] In addition, in this embodiment, the gravitational acceleration when the PC 4 moves from a high position to a low position has been described, but the gravitational acceleration also acts when the PC 4 moves from a low position to a high position. For example, when the PC climbs a pole or goes up a staircase or a slope, the gravitational acceleration can be increased or decreased according to the height. Alternatively, the gravitational acceleration acting on the PC 4 may be changed depending on whether the PC is moving from a high position to a low position or from a low position to a high position.

[0085] In addition, in this embodiment, the action of the gravitational acceleration when the PC 4 glides on the glider 11 has been described, but the PC 4 may glide on a paraglider, a hang glider, or the like. In addition, the present invention may be applied to a powered airplane, a drone, or the like.

[0086] Also, the player may be able to set different gravitational acceleration for each object (PC4, enemy characters, various characters, items, etc.).

[0087] Further, different gravitational accelerations may be set for different layers not only in the air and underwater but also underground.

[0088] Moreover, the configuration example in Fig. 4 and the like is divided according to main functions in order to facilitate understanding of the processing by the information processing device 3. The present invention is not limited by the manner in which the processing units are divided or the names of the processing units. The processing by the information processing device 3 can be divided into more processing units according to the processing contents. Also, it can be divided so that one processing unit includes more processes.

[0089] In addition, in this embodiment, some or all of the processing performed by the game program may be performed by a hardware processing circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (digital signal processor), or an FPGA (field programmable gate array). [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1. Game System 3. Information processing equipment 5. Game Controllers 7 Display device

Claims

1. An information processing device, a gravity setting unit that divides the virtual space into a plurality of layers and sets a gravitational acceleration in an arbitrary layer different from that in other layers; a height control unit that controls a height of an object based on a gravitational acceleration set for the layer corresponding to a height of the object when the object moves in the virtual space; Function as a the height of the object is a difference between a coordinate of the object in the virtual space in a height direction and a coordinate of a stage object directly below the object in a height direction, and the layer corresponding to the height of the object is determined based on the difference; the object is a player character, and the gravity setting unit sets a different gravitational acceleration depending on a level representing a strength of the player character; Game program.

2. The game program according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of layers is a layer in which the gravitational acceleration increases as the height of the object increases.

3. Among the plurality of layers, a first layer that is closest to the ground has a constant gravitational acceleration regardless of the height of the object; a second layer that is higher from the ground than the first layer is a layer in which the gravitational acceleration increases as the height of the object increases, 3. The game program according to claim 1, wherein the gravitational acceleration is constant in a third layer that is higher from the ground than the second layer, regardless of a height of an object.

4. Among the plurality of layers, one or more layers closer to the ground have a negative gravitational acceleration, 3. The game program according to claim 1, wherein the gravitational acceleration is a positive value in one or more layers that are higher from the ground than the one or more layers.

5. 5. The game program according to claim 4, further comprising a layer in which the gravitational acceleration increases in proportion to a height of the object, and in which the gravitational acceleration switches from a negative value to a positive value.

6. The game program according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of layers is a layer in which the gravitational acceleration decreases as the height of the object increases.

7. 2. The game program according to claim 1, wherein the gravitational acceleration increases as a layer becomes farther from the ground.

8. When the layer corresponding to the height of the object is a layer in which the gravitational acceleration changes depending on the height of the object, The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein the height control unit calculates the gravitational acceleration corresponding to the height of the object based on the correspondence between the gravitational acceleration and the height.

9. When the virtual space is on the ground, the height control unit controls a height of the object by applying the gravitational acceleration of the layer corresponding to a height of the object to the object; 4. The game program according to claim 3, wherein the object descends faster in the third layer than in the first layer or the second layer, the descent speed of the object gradually slows in the second layer, and the object descends more slowly in the first layer than in the second layer.

10. When the virtual space is underwater, 2 . The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of layers is a layer in which the gravitational acceleration increases as the object becomes deeper from the water surface.

11. Among the plurality of layers, a first layer that is closest to the water surface has a constant gravitational acceleration regardless of a depth of the object from the water surface; a second layer that is deeper from the water surface than the first layer, in which the gravitational acceleration increases as the object becomes deeper from the water surface; The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the gravitational acceleration is constant in a third layer that is deeper from the water surface than the second layer, regardless of the depth of the object from the water surface.

12. 12. The game program according to claim 1, wherein the gravity setting unit sets a different gravitational acceleration depending on the type of the object.

13. An information processing device that executes a game program, a gravity setting unit that divides the virtual space into a plurality of layers and sets a gravitational acceleration in an arbitrary layer different from that in other layers; a height control unit that controls a height of the object based on a gravitational acceleration set for the layer corresponding to a height of the object when the object moves in the virtual space; having the height of the object is a difference between a coordinate of the object in the virtual space in a height direction and a coordinate of a stage object directly below the object in a height direction, and the layer corresponding to the height of the object is determined based on the difference; the object is a player character, and the gravity setting unit sets a different gravitational acceleration depending on a level representing a strength of the player character; Information processing device.

14. A height control method performed by an information processing device that executes a game program, comprising: a gravity setting unit dividing the virtual space into a plurality of layers and setting a gravitational acceleration in an arbitrary layer different from that in other layers; a height control unit controlling a height of the object based on a gravitational acceleration set for the layer corresponding to a height of the object when the object moves in the virtual space; having the height of the object is a difference between a coordinate of the object in the virtual space in a height direction and a coordinate of a stage object directly below the object in a height direction, and the layer corresponding to the height of the object is determined based on the difference; the object is a player character, and the step of setting the gravitational acceleration includes a step of setting a gravitational acceleration that differs depending on a level representing a strength of the player character; Height control method.

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