Program and game device

Abstract

To make it easier for players to intuitively grasp operations during competitive games. [Solution] The program causes a computer that runs an electronic game between a player and an opponent by placing game elements on a field to execute a display control process that controls the display of a game screen including the field on a display device, and a selection process that selects one of the game elements associated with the player as a first game element, in which the display control process displays the first game element and a connecting element that has already been placed on the field among the game elements associated with the player and connects the first game element to a second game element that can be grouped, and the program further causes the computer to execute a grouping process that groups the first game element and the second game element in the electronic game, on the condition that the first game element has been moved to an area corresponding to the second game element.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program and a game device, and more particularly to an electronic game themed around a trading card game. [Background technology]

[0002] In the real world, there are trading card games (TCGs) in which players play cards on a game field. In real-world TCGs, the field generally has multiple areas with different functions, and players place cards in the appropriate areas to realize their strategy.

[0003] There are also electronic games based on such TCG themes that allow users to play against each other online (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-037078 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, when playing a TCG in an electronic game, one game screen must display the field of each player and opponent, and at least the player's hand. In recent years, electronic games have been developed so that they can be played on various devices, and the display devices on which the game screen is displayed are also various. Therefore, in consideration of the visibility of the game screen, some functional areas are omitted in the electronic game version, and are temporarily displayed when the use of the areas is expected, or the functions are specified by other operating methods.

[0006] However, such specifications make it difficult for players to understand the operations required to use the functions. In particular, when TCG services are provided in both a real-world format using actual items (cards and a table) and an electronic game format, players may not immediately understand the operations required to use the desired functions because the table is handled differently in both formats.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a program and a game device that allow a player to easily intuitively understand operations during a competitive game. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One embodiment of the program of the present invention is a program that causes a computer that runs an electronic game between a player and an opponent by placing game elements on a field to execute a display control process that controls the display of a game screen including the field on a display device, and a selection process that selects one of the game elements associated with the player as a first game element, wherein the display control process displays the first game element and a connecting element that has already been placed on the field among the game elements associated with the player and connects the first game element to a second game element that can be grouped with the first game element, and the program further causes the computer to execute a grouping process that groups the first game element and the second game element in the electronic game, on the condition that the first game element has been moved to an area corresponding to the second game element. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to make it easier for players to intuitively understand operations during a competitive game. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a game system according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a player terminal 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a server 200 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a game screen of a fighting game according to an embodiment and a modified example of the present invention; [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a battle area 401 in a battle game according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display related to an attacking action in a fighting game according to an embodiment and a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is another diagram illustrating an example of a display related to an offensive action in a fighting game according to an embodiment and a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a display relating to a combo operation in a fighting game according to an embodiment and a modified example of the present invention; [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an attack action activation presentation in a fighting game according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention; [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining changes in the display mode of the field 400 in a fighting game according to an embodiment and a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a competitive game process executed by a player terminal 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention; [Figure 12] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation phase process executed by a player terminal 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Figure 13] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a defensive action process executed by the player terminal 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features among the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0012] In the embodiment described below, an example of the present invention is applied to a game system in which a server that communicates with player terminals (communication terminals or game devices) used by each player matches two players connected at the same time and provides a service (battle service) to realize a battle game in which both players participate. However, the present invention can be applied to a system realized by any device configuration that can progress an electronic game in which multiple players participate. In addition, in this specification, the term "player" is described as a user who logs in and uses the battle service provided by the server 200 in this game system.

[0013] Game System Configuration 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a game system according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the game system is configured so that a server 200 and a plurality of player terminals 100 can be communicatively connected via a network 300. In this embodiment, the server 200 matches two players of the connected player terminals 100 as players of a competitive game, sets up a communication session for transmitting and receiving various information related to the competitive game, and provides a competitive service that realizes a competitive game in which the two players participate.

[0014] Each player can log in to the match service by starting a specific client application on the player terminal 100 used by the player. In the client application, the player can perform various settings and advance preparations for the match game to be executed, set a player profile, play (match, play) the match game, etc. Although details will be described later, the match game (electronic game) that can be played in the match service of this embodiment is a trading card game (TCG) in which game elements such as cards are placed on a specific game field to progress. The player terminal 100 can be any communication terminal equipped with a communication function such as a PC or a smartphone.

[0015] <Hardware configuration of the player terminal> Next, the hardware configuration of the player terminal 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the player terminal 100.

[0016] The control unit 101 is a processor such as a CPU, and performs various controls including operational control of each piece of hardware included in the player terminal 100. Specifically, the control unit 101 performs the relevant controls by, for example, reading out a necessary program stored in the storage device 102, expanding it in the memory 103, and executing it.

[0017] The storage device 102 is a device capable of permanently storing information, such as a non-volatile memory or HDD. The storage device 102 stores an operating system for operating the player terminal 100 and programs related to various applications, as well as parameter information required to realize various controls and various data used for display and communication functions related to the browser. The memory 103 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory. The memory 103 may be used not only as an area for developing each program, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during the operation of various hardware and various controls.

[0018] The GPU 104 is a drawing device that executes various drawing processes related to the generation of a display screen related to the player terminal 100. The GPU 104 also executes drawing processes of a game screen during the execution of a match game. The GPU 104 includes a GPU memory (not shown), and develops various graphics data read from the storage device 102, and generates various images including a screen by performing a predetermined calculation. The screen or image generated by the GPU 104 is presented to a player by being displayed on a display 110 provided in the player terminal 100, for example. The display 110 is a device for displaying information, such as a liquid crystal display, that is provided in the player terminal 100 or is detachably connected to the player terminal 100. The display 110 displays the screen generated by the GPU 104.

[0019] The operation I / F 105 is a user interface provided in the player terminal 100 for accepting an operation input. When the operation I / F 105 detects that an operation input has been made, it outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input to the control unit 101. In one aspect, the operation I / F 105 includes, for example, operation members such as buttons and various sensors provided on the exterior of the player terminal 100. Furthermore, the display 110 provided in the player terminal 100 of this embodiment is configured to be able to detect a touch input, and the operation I / F 105 includes a touch input detection sensor provided on the display 110.

[0020] The communication I / F 106 is a communication interface with an external device provided in the player terminal 100. Information communication between the communication I / F 106 and the external device may be performed via a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, or via a LAN or the like. Information communication performed by the communication I / F 106 will be described as being performed wirelessly, but this does not exclude wired information communication.

[0021] The speaker 120 is an audio output interface provided in the player terminal 100. The speaker 120 outputs various types of audio information including audio related to the client application.

[0022] <Server hardware configuration> 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server 200 according to this embodiment. In the following description, the hardware configuration that realizes the same functions as the player terminal 100 will be prefixed with "server" to clearly distinguish it from the configuration of the player terminal 100.

[0023] The server control unit 201 is a processor such as a CPU, and performs control related to the realization of various functions including operation control of each piece of hardware included in the server 200, player management related to the battle service, a matching function between players, and information transmission and reception and information sharing regarding the battle game being executed. Specifically, the server control unit 201 performs the relevant control by, for example, reading out a necessary program stored in the server storage device 202, expanding it in the server memory 203, and executing it.

[0024] The server storage device 202 is a device capable of permanently storing information, such as a non-volatile memory or HDD. The server storage device 202 stores an operating system for operating the server 200 and a program related to matching, as well as parameter information required for implementing various controls and various data required for providing a matching function. The server storage device 202 also has a database function for managing information on each player registered as a player of the game system. The server memory 203 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory. The server memory 203 may be used not only as an area for developing each program, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during the operation of various hardware and various controls.

[0025] The server communication I / F 204 is a communication interface with an external device provided in the server 200. Information communication between the server communication I / F 204 and the external device may be performed via a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, or via a LAN or the like. Information communication performed by the server communication I / F 204 may be performed either wired or wirelessly.

[0026] Overview of the match game The following provides an overview of a competitive game in which a play experience is provided in the game system of this embodiment.

[0027] The battle game is played on a predetermined field set by the game. Each player can build a "deck" in which a set of game elements is registered for the battle game, and can play the battle game using the deck that they built.

[0028] To build a deck, the player needs to obtain game elements, for example, through a lottery function that can be used by paying a fee. In other words, the game elements that the player can include in the deck he or she builds are limited to, for example, game elements that the player has already obtained. In addition, the deck that the player can build is not limited to one, and the player may be able to build multiple decks with at least some of the registered game elements that are different.

[0029] Information on game elements that a player has acquired and decks that the player has constructed is managed by being associated with identification information (player ID) that uniquely identifies the player and registered in the server storage device 202. More specifically, the server storage device 202 also functions as a database (DB) that manages various information related to each player as player information, and in the player information, which is one record in the DB, the player ID is associated with information on game elements that the player has acquired and information on decks that the player has constructed, and managed accordingly.

[0030] For example, for game elements acquired by a player, an element ID that uniquely identifies the game element and the number of the game elements are included in the player information, so that the number of game elements owned by the player can be managed. Also, for example, for a deck constructed by a player, identification information for the deck (deck ID) and the element IDs of the game elements included in the deck are included in the player information, so that the information on the deck constructed by the player (deck information) can be managed.

[0031] As described above, the battle game in which the battle service of this embodiment provides a play experience is a TCG, and the game elements that are given to the player and can be registered in the deck and used are cards (virtual cards that can be owned in the electronic game). In the battle game of this embodiment, the cards that the player can use are classified into two types, leader cards and member cards, which have different roles in the battle game, and the deck is required to include one leader card. In other words, the deck is constructed with one leader card and multiple member cards (one or more). Each card has a cost that corresponds to the degree to which it advantageously advances the battle game, for example, and the player needs to register a group of cards to be included in the deck so that the total cost of the deck becomes a specified value.

[0032] The battle game progresses as the player and the opponent place cards registered in their respective decks in each area of ​​the field, as in the conventional TCG. In the battle game of this embodiment, as exemplified by the game screen in FIG. 4, the game screen is provided with a field 400 where a performance display related to the progress of the battle game is mainly performed, as well as a plurality of areas each having a different role. In the example of the figure, a battle area 401 is provided in the field 400 where cards that directly cause battle actions in the battle game are placed, and an energy area 402 and a life area 403 are provided outside the field 400 or in a manner superimposed on the field 400 where cards that do not directly cause battle actions are placed. As shown in the figure, the battle area 401 is configured as an area shared by both players, and the energy area 402 and the life area 403 are configured as areas dedicated to each player.

[0033] The game screen illustrated in FIG. 4 is a screen presented to one player, and is displayed on the display 110 of the player terminal 100 used by the one player. Therefore, the field 400 in the game screen is configured in such a manner that the front side (lower part of the screen) corresponds to the player, and the back side (upper part of the screen) corresponds to the opponent. To facilitate understanding of the invention, in the following description of the battle game, the player using the player terminal 100 on which the game screen is displayed (the player assigned the front side of the screen) is referred to as the "player", and the opponent player (the player assigned the back side of the screen) who plays against the player is referred to as the "opponent", and when there is no need to distinguish between the player and the opponent, there are cases where they are referred to as "each player" or simply as "player". In addition, in order to distinguish between display elements related to the player and the opponent, the display elements related to the former are given the symbol "a" and the display elements related to the latter are given the symbol "b". When there is no need to distinguish between display elements related to the player and the opponent, they are described without the symbols.

[0034] In the battle game of this embodiment, each card is associated with a character related to the content of the battle game, and a specified value of life (a parameter indicating the number of attacks the leader character can withstand) is set for the character corresponding to the leader card (hereinafter, the leader character) at the start of the battle game. In the battle game of this embodiment, in order to ensure fairness between players, the life of any leader character is set to a fixed value of 8. Although details will be described later, life is one of the parameters related to the end condition of the battle game, and is managed for each player in the communication session related to the battle game.

[0035] During a battle game, the life of the leader character associated with each player is randomly selected from the member cards included in each player's deck and is displayed using cards (8 cards at the start of the game) placed face down (face down) in the life area 403 on the field. A player's life is reduced by 1 when an attack action by an opponent targeting the leader character is successful. At this time, one member card is removed from the life area 403a and added to the player's hand. Note that since it is not possible to identify which member card is placed in the life area 403, it is also possible to display a combination of a predetermined number of representative card images and an indication of the remaining number of cards, rather than displaying individual face-down card images equal to the remaining number of cards.

[0036] Information on each card is associated with a unique card ID (element ID) as card information and registered in the server storage device 202. More specifically, the server storage device 202 also functions as a DB that manages various information related to each card as card information, and manages card information, which is one record in the DB, including a card ID that uniquely identifies the card and information on the character associated with the card. Here, the information on the character associated with the card includes attribute information such as the character's name, graphics data of the character, and parameters referenced when using the character in a fighting game.

[0037] The character attribute information may include, for example, parameters that are referenced when the character acts in a battle game, and unique effects that are activated when the character acts or when a condition is achieved. The character attribute information may also include, for example, information on the character species related to a card that is required to be consumed in order to place the character in the battle area 401 in the field. Although details will be described later, each character is assigned a species, and in order to place one character in the battle area 401 and make it available for action, it is necessary to secure consumption elements (energy) by placing a member card associated with a character of the same species in an energy area 402 different from the battle area 401 prior to the placement (hereinafter referred to as "charging"). Here, the character species is not necessarily limited to biological classification, and may be a concept indicating any classification set in relation to the game, such as a color classification assigned in the game or a team determined in the story of the content.

[0038] The battle game is configured in a turn-based manner, with the action turn of the player and the action turn of the opponent player coming alternately. The action turn of each player is basically configured with an initialization phase, a charge phase, an operation phase, and a resolution phase. In the initialization phase, the reactivation of a card that acted in the previous turn and became inactive, and the drawing of a card from the deck 405 (the act of drawing one card and adding it to the hand 404) are performed without the operation input of the player. In the charge phase, the card in the hand 404 of the player in the action turn is placed in the energy area, so that energy is charged. In the operation phase, the action of the corresponding character is determined under the condition that the card in the hand 404 of the player in the action turn is placed in the battle area 401 by consuming the corresponding energy, or the card placed in the battle area 401 or the card already placed in the battle area 401 is made inactive. In the resolution phase, the action determined in the operation phase is resolved.

[0039] Here, the charge phase and operation phase are phases in which operation input by the player is accepted, whereas the initialization phase and resolution phase are phases in which operation input by the player is not accepted. Furthermore, the operation phase and resolution phase can occur multiple times in each player's action turn, depending on the number of cards in the player's hand 404 and cards placed in the battle area 401, and the amount of energy charge.

[0040] The battle game ends when the life of the leader character related to one of the players becomes 0, or when the deck (hand cards 404, deck 405, and member cards in the battle area 401) of one of the players becomes 0. That is, a player can defeat an opponent by making the life of the opponent's leader character 0 (making the cards placed in the life area 403b 0) or by making the opponent's deck become 0 first. A player is defeated by an opponent by making the life of his / her own leader character become 0 (making the cards placed in the life area 403a 0) or by making the deck become 0 first.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 4, the game screen is configured in such a manner that various GUIs are superimposed on a field 400. In the example shown in the figure, in addition to the above-mentioned battle area 401, energy area 402, and life area 403, a hand 404 and a deck 405 for each player are displayed. Note that in an analog TCG, for example, there is a discard area in which cards removed from the battle area 401 are placed, but in the battle game of this embodiment, cards to be discarded are controlled not to be displayed on the game screen so that the progress of the game can be easily seen by both players.

[0042] A set number of cards (e.g., six) are drawn from the hand 404 at the start of the match game, and one more card is drawn each time an action turn occurs, so that each player basically has one or more cards (member cards) in their hand when their action turn arrives. Cards in the hand 404 are not placed in any area, and can be moved and placed in either the battle area 401 or the energy area 402 by the operation of each player.

[0043] On the game screen, the cards in the hand 404a corresponding to the player are displayed face up so that it is possible to distinguish which card they are, whereas the cards in the hand 404b corresponding to the opponent are displayed face down so that it is impossible to distinguish which card they are. Also, the decks 405a and 405b are configured so that only the number of cards remaining can be seen, since it is unclear which card will be drawn next. In the energy area 402, cards are moved from the hand 404 and placed when the placement is specified by the player in the charge phase of each action turn.

[0044] In the life area 403, eight cards extracted at the start of the battle game are placed face down as described above. As with the deck 405, the cards placed in the life area 403 should remain unknown until they are removed by an attacking action and moved to the hand 404, so that only the number of remaining cards can be known. As described above, in the battle game of this embodiment, life is positioned as the number of endurance of the leader character, so as shown in FIG. 4, the life areas 403a and 403b are placed near the leader characters associated with the player and opponent, respectively, which will be described later, and are displayed together with a number image that clearly indicates the number of remaining cards.

[0045] As shown in the figure, the field 400 is provided with a battle area 401 in which cards that are targets of actions in a battle game are placed. To increase the interest of the battle game, the leader cards are placed in the battle area 401 in a character-type form (a three-dimensional model of the associated character) rather than a card-type form. In the example of FIG. 4, a leader character 411a corresponding to a leader card included in a player's deck is placed in the front side of the battle area 401, and a leader character 411b corresponding to a leader card included in an opponent's deck is placed in the back side of the battle area 401. The leader characters 411a and b are displayed with their appearances changing from time to time, for example, by applying a predetermined motion or adding an expression of being hit, depending on the actions caused by the player or the opponent in the battle game.

[0046] In contrast, member cards are placed in the battle area 401 in a card-type rather than a character-type form. In the example of Fig. 4, member card 412a placed in the battle area 401 by the player is placed to the side (right) of the leader character 411a, and member card 412b placed in the battle area 401 by the opponent is placed to the side (left) of the leader character 411b. Unlike leader cards, member cards 412 are always displayed in a card-type form with no change in appearance.

[0047] In this way, the leader cards and member cards registered as each player's deck are placed in the battle area 401, but the appearance of these cards is displayed in different ways on the game screen. In the following explanation, these cards may be referred to as leader characters and member cards in accordance with the display manner on the game screen, but since both are managed as information on cards in the processing related to the battle game, they may also be referred to simply as "cards."

[0048] (placement area) Here, the arrangement of each card in the battle area 401 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 5, the battle area 401 is configured in a quadrangle (parallelogram) shape. Note that in the example shown in the figure, the outer periphery of the battle area 401 is shown surrounded by a dashed line for the purpose of explanation, but this is for the purpose of explanation only, and the battle area 401 is not explicitly displayed in the field 400 as shown in Fig. 4.

[0049] A leader character 411a corresponding to the player's leader card and a leader character 411b corresponding to the opponent's leader card are respectively placed in leader areas 501a and b provided at diagonal positions distributed at the furthest positions in the battle area 401. In addition, a member area 502 is provided in the battle area 401, sandwiched between the leader area 501a and the leader area 501b. A member card moved from the hand 404 by the player or opponent in the operation phase to be in an actionable state is placed in the member area 502.

[0050] The member area 502 is divided into the player side (below the center line 503 in the figure) and the opponent side (above the center line 503 in the figure) by a vertical center line 503 shown by a dashed line. That is, the player's member card 412a moved from the hand 404a to the member area 502 is arranged in a horizontally aligned manner in the lower part of the area. The opponent's member card 412b moved from the hand 404b to the member area 502 is arranged in a horizontally aligned manner in the upper part of the area. Although the center line 503 is not displayed on the game screen, the member cards 412a and 412b in the member area 502 are arranged in a horizontally aligned manner at different vertical positions and are displayed vertically spaced apart via the center line 503, so that the player can easily distinguish between the member card 412a placed by the player and the member card 412b placed by the opponent.

[0051] In order to allow the player to easily identify which member card 412b is placed in the member area 502 by the opponent, the orientation of both the member card 412a and the member card 412b is controlled so that the cards are displayed in the upright position. That is, unlike an analog TCG, the member card 412b is not displayed upside down so that it is in the upright position as seen by the opponent, but the display is controlled so that both cards can be confirmed in the upright position on the game screen. In other words, in a mode in which the display in which the up and down directions determined for each member card 412 match the up and down directions of the game screen is set as the reference orientation (orientation), both the member cards 412a and 412b are placed and displayed in the member area 502 in the reference orientation.

[0052] (Attribute information display) Although details will be described later, in the battle game of this embodiment, the player can designate the leader character 411a or member card 412a placed in the field 400 (battle area 401) to perform an attack action against the opponent's leader character 411b or member card 412b. The success or failure of the attack action is determined mainly based on the "power" parameter of the attribute information related to each card.

[0053] The power may change sequentially according to actions initiated by the player or the opponent, such as when a specific condition is met and a unique effect of the character or card is activated, reducing the power of the opponent's character or card. For this reason, in this embodiment, the power of each card placed in the battle area 401 is displayed on the game screen so that the player can easily grasp the power that may change as the battle game progresses.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 4, such power is displayed in different ways for the leader character 411 and the member card 412. As described above, the member cards 412a and 412b are always displayed in a card-shaped form in the battle area 401, and therefore the power value is displayed in the card area, similar to cards generally used in TCGs. On the other hand, the leader characters 411a and 411b are displayed in a character-shaped form in the battle area 401, and their appearances are controlled to change in order to favorably present the progress of the battle game, and therefore the power value is displayed in the vicinity of each leader character, but at a position that does not overlap with the leader character.

[0055] Offensive Actions Here, the offensive action required to achieve the end condition of the battle game will be described in detail. In the operation phase of the player's action turn, the player selects his / her own member card 412a as the action target for performing the offensive action, and further selects the opponent's card (leader character 411b or member card 412b) as the action target that is the object of the offensive action, thereby completing the input of the operation phase for the offensive action.

[0056] The player's cards that can be selected as action targets are cards that have already been placed in the battle area 401, and the player can select from a leader card (leader character 411a) and a member card 412a. The member cards 412a can include not only member cards that have already been placed in the battle area 401 in the player's previously completed action turn, but also member cards that the player has placed in the battle area 401 from his / her hand 404a in the current action turn.

[0057] When a player performs an operational input for his / her own card placed in the battle area 401, one or more options of actions that can be specified for the card are displayed, and by selecting an option related to an attack action from among them, the player can select the card as the target of the attack action. That is, the player is in a state of declaring an attack action for the card. At this time, the control unit 101 of the player terminal 100 newly generates action information that specifies the content of the attack action that the player wishes to perform. The action information includes, for example, type information indicating the action type for the action that the player wishes to perform, and target information that groups the action target and the action-receiving target. Therefore, the control unit 101 generates new action information in which each information is set to an initial value, and updates the type information of the action information and the action target information of the target information based on the operational input related to the selection of the attack action and the selection of the action target.

[0058] The player can then select a leader card (leader character 411b) or member card 412b related to the opponent to select that card as the target of the attack action. At this time, the control unit 101 updates the information of the target in the target information based on the operation input related to the selection of the target. By updating the action information, the card that is the target of the attack action that the player wishes to execute and the card that is the target of the attack action are associated with each other and grouped together. The action information is transmitted from the player terminal 100 used by the player to the server 200 via the communication I / F 106, and is shared with the player terminals 100 of the opponents participating in the same communication session.

[0059] When an input related to an attack action is made in the operation phase, the success or failure of the attack action is determined in the subsequent resolution phase. The success or failure of the attack action is basically determined based on a numerical comparison of the power of the character associated with the target card of the action and the power of the character associated with the card that is the target of the action. In the battle game of this embodiment, the attack action is configured to be successful on the condition that the power of the former is equal to or greater than the power of the latter, and to be unsuccessful on the condition that the power of the former is less than the power of the latter.

[0060] The effect of the successful attack action differs depending on whether the target of the attack is a leader card (leader character 411b) or a member card 412b. If the target of the attack is a leader card, the life of the leader character 411b is decreased by 1 as a result of the attack action. That is, one of the opponent's cards placed in the life area 403b is removed. The removed card is moved to the opponent's hand 404b, not to the discard pile. If the target of the attack is a member card 412b, the member card 412b is removed from the battle area 401 (becomes a discard pile) as a result of the attack action. Note that if the attack action fails, even if the attack action is executed, the action is nullified, or no change in the state of the target of the attack occurs between before and after the execution.

[0061] When the resolution phase for the attack action is completed, the card selected as the action target is set to an inactive state so that further action cannot be performed in the current action turn. Here, since the leader card is displayed in a character-type form (leader character 411a) in the battle area 401, unnaturally changing the character's appearance just because it has become inactive may reduce the sense of tension in the battle game. Therefore, the inactive state of the leader card may be indicated to the player simply by making the leader character 411a unable to be selected as an action target, etc. On the other hand, the member card 412a is not displayed in a character-type form like the leader card, and there is no problem in terms of presentation even if it is clearly in an inactive state. Therefore, the inactive state of the member card 412a may be indicated to the player by changing the appearance, for example, by graying out the member card 412a, by rotating the member card 412a 90 degrees and laying it down, or by adding a display indicating that it is in an inactive state.

[0062] The member cards 412b of the opponent that can be selected as targets for action are limited to the member cards 412b that are inactive at that time, that is, the member cards 412b that acted in the opponent's previous action turn. Although details will be described later, in the battle game of this embodiment, when an offensive action is designated in the operation phase of the player's action turn, the opponent can perform a defensive action in response to the contents of the offensive action. In the defensive action, an unplaced member card in the opponent's hand 404b at that time or a member card 412b that is active at that time can participate as an auxiliary.

[0063] That is, each player can appropriately select whether to make the member cards 412 placed in the battle area 401 perform an attacking action against the opponent's cards and take the risk of becoming the target of the opponent's attacking action, or to take a safe measure of not making the member cards 412 perform an attacking action against the opponent's cards in preparation for participating in a defensive action and excluding them from being the target of the opponent's attacking action. With this configuration, each player can devise various strategies from the perspective of how to make sure to leave member cards 412 that can participate in a defensive action until the opponent's turn to act, and how to surely reduce the number of member cards that can participate in a defensive action when attacking the opponent's leader character, and the like, which increases the interest of the battle game.

[0064] Therefore, when an operational input is made during a player's action turn to select an active member card 412b as an action target, the control unit 101 controls the display 110 to display a notification that the member card cannot be selected.

[0065] (Display of connected components) Incidentally, the number of cards placed in the battle area 401 may increase as the turns progress. Therefore, it is preferable to clearly indicate the target of the action and the target to be acted upon in the battle area 401 for the attack action selected by each player. In other words, it is preferable for the display to enable a player whose action turn can easily know whether or not the attack action he or she desired has been input, and for a player whose non-action turn can easily know what the attack action input by the opponent is.

[0066] In the battle game of this embodiment, when the information of cards indicating the action target and the action target are stored in the target information and grouped, a connecting element connecting these cards is displayed on the game screen as shown in FIG. 6. In the example of the figure, the player's member card 601 is selected as the action target and the opponent's leader character 602 is selected as the action target, and a curved connecting element 603 connecting them is formed and displayed. As shown in the figure, the connecting element 603 displays the action target and action target cards involved in the attack action in a different manner from other cards (leader character, member card) in the battle area 401, so that each player can more easily understand the contents of the attack action being input in the operation phase. In addition, the connecting element 603 is configured in the shape of an arrow from the member card 601 to the leader character 602, clearly indicating the relationship between the action target and the action target.

[0067] In the competitive game of this embodiment, taking into account the advantages of such connecting elements 603, the connecting elements 603 are configured to be displayed not only for attacking actions whose contents have been determined, but also when selecting a card to be acted upon after the card to be acted upon has been determined.

[0068] Specifically, the target of the attack action is configured to be determined in two stages, a preliminary selection and a final selection. First, as described above, when the player's card (leader character 411a or member card 412a) that is the target of the attack action is selected, the card is given a display effect such as light emission or color change, and is displayed in a manner that is identifiable from other cards on the battle area 401. After that, when selecting the opponent's card that is the target of the action, as shown in FIG. 7(a), a connecting element 703 is displayed in a manner that connects the coordinate 702 in the game screen where the player has input an instruction and the card 701 that is the target of the action. In the battle game of this embodiment, for example, the operation input by the player is accepted by mouse operation. In this manner, the player can know to which position the instruction input is being made, because the connecting element 703 connects the coordinate 702 where the instruction input is made by the mouse and the card that is the target of the action.

[0069] Also, when the instruction input for selecting the target enters (mouse-overs) an area corresponding to each of the opponent's cards placed in the battle area 401, the card is preliminarily selected as the target. At this time, the control unit 101 assumes that the opponent's card over which the mouse is over has been preliminarily selected as the target, and provisionally sets the target information of the target to the card. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the connecting element 713 is displayed on the game screen in a manner that connects the mouse-over card 712 and the target card 701 based on the provisionally set target information. In other words, during the period when the mouse is over an area corresponding to one of the opponent's cards 712, the connecting element 713 is fixedly displayed in a manner that connects the target card 701 and the preliminarily selected target card (the card over which the mouse is over) 712, regardless of the coordinates 702 where the instruction input is made. Also, as shown in the figure, the preliminarily selected card 712 is also displayed in a manner that a display effect is applied, similar to the target card 701.

[0070] Furthermore, when an operation input for selection confirmation is made while a preliminary selection has been made, the preliminarily selected card 712 becomes a state of being finally selected as a target to be acted upon. At this time, the control unit 101 updates the target information of the target to be acted upon, assuming that the opponent's card 712, which was provisionally selected at that time, is finally selected as a target to be acted upon. When a final selection is made, the contents of the attacking action are confirmed, and the target card 701 and the target card 712 are changed to a state in which they are raised on the field 400 as shown in FIG. 7(c), and are displayed in a state further different from the other cards arranged in the battle area 401. At this time, the display position of the connecting element 723 is adjusted to follow the raised target card 701 and target card 712.

[0071] 6 and 7, only a specific card is selected as the target of the action or the target of the action, but it goes without saying that other cards can be selected as the target of the action or the target of the action. In this case, it goes without saying that the connecting element is formed in a manner in which the length and shape change according to the position of the target card and the position of the target card.

[0072] In order to increase the interest of the battle game, an attack action may be configured to have an additional effect when a certain condition is satisfied. The certain condition may be, for example, a condition for activating a skill of a character associated with a member card of the target of the action, a skill of a leader character, or the like.

[0073] The additional effect may basically be an effect that transitions the target card to a state that favors the progress of the battle game. For example, the additional effect may include an effect that reduces the life of the opponent's leader character by 2 or more when the attack action against the leader character is successful. It is preferable that such an additional effect is notified to each player when it is activated or when the activation condition is met. Therefore, in such a situation, when the connecting element related to the content determination of the attack action is displayed, an effect that connects the target card and the target card is displayed together with the connecting element. The effect may be, for example, a lightning bolt moving from the target card to the target card along the connecting element, so that the transition direction between the cards is determined so as to inform the card that will be advantageous / disadvantageous due to the activation of the additional effect. In this embodiment, the effect related to the additional effect is described as being displayed together with the connecting element, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and the effect may be displayed instead of the connecting element.

[0074] (combo) However, in the above-mentioned aspect in which the success or failure of an attack action is determined based on the power of the character associated with the target card and the power of the character associated with the target card, each player can predict the result of the attack action without waiting for the resolution phase. In other words, if the result of the attack action is determined only by the power of the target card and the power of the target card, a player who can place a card in the battle area 401 with a higher power value than any of the opponent's cards will have an advantage, and it is difficult to overturn the advantage of the player. For example, if a player simply selects a card with a power higher than the opponent's leader character as the target card and performs eight attack actions on the leader character, a situation may arise in which the player is sure to win. In other words, in the aspect in which the result of the attack action is determined only by the power of the two target cards, there are few uncertain factors in the progress of the battle game, and the interest may be reduced.

[0075] For this reason, in the battle game of this embodiment, for an attack action specified in the operation phase, a "combo" function is provided in which the player whose turn is to act adds a card to the card that is the target of the action, and the player whose turn is not to act adds a card to the card that is the target of the action, which card supports the attack action or the defense action against the attack action. The combo function is a function in which, when a card (leader character 411 or member card 412) already placed in the battle area 401 acts, other cards are linked to the acting card as support, and the power value of the acting card can be increased by the link. Hereinafter, linking other cards as support will be simply referred to as "comboing".

[0076] More specifically, when it is the player's action turn, the player can combo a card in the battle area 401 that has declared an attack action (the leader character 411a or the member card 412a that is the action target) in the operation phase with an active member card 412a that is also placed in the battle area 401, or a member card included in the hand 404a. On the other hand, the opponent can combo a card in the battle area 401 that has been designated by the player as the target of the action (the leader character 411b or the member card 412b) in the battle area 401 that has not been inactive (is active) in the opponent's most recent action turn, or a member card included in the hand 404b, in the resolution phase.

[0077] The number of member cards (hereinafter sometimes referred to as combo cards) to be combined with one card (hereinafter sometimes referred to as action card) performing an offensive or defensive action can be decided arbitrarily by each player, but it goes without saying that it is limited to the number of active member cards 412 placed in the battle area 401 and the number of member cards in the hand 404. If the deck becomes empty first, the player will lose the battle game, so each player must strategically choose whether or not to combine each offensive action.

[0078] A combo for an action card is accepted by an operation (hereinafter referred to as a combo operation) of moving the combo card to a predetermined area (hereinafter referred to as a combo area) on the game screen. Unlike the life area and energy area, which play the same role throughout the match game and need to always inform the player of the card arrangement, the combo area is an area that needs to be displayed only during the period in which an attack action is performed (the period from the declaration of the attack action to its resolution). In addition, since the action card is determined by the player's operation related to the attack action, if the combo area is set in a fixed position, the player may not be able to intuitively perform the combo operation, especially when the action card and the combo area are far apart. In other words, the player may not be able to intuitively grasp that he or she is performing a combo operation on the action card.

[0079] Therefore, in the battle game of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8(a), only while the combo card 801 is being selected to perform a combo operation (while the selection operation input (e.g., the drag operation of the combo card 801) for the combo card 801 is continuing), the combo area 803 is displayed at the position of the action card 802. The example in the figure shows the display of the game screen when the player, whose turn it is, is trying to combo the combo card 801 in the hand 404a with the action card 802 selected as the action target. Since multiple cards can be placed on the battle area 401, the combo area 803 is displayed at the position of the action card 802 in this way, so that the player can understand the position on the screen to which the combo card 801 should be moved. Furthermore, a curved connecting element 804 connecting the combo card 801 and the action card 802 is displayed to notify that it is necessary to move the combo card 801 to the combo area 803 in order to combo the combo card 801 with the action card 802.

[0080] The connecting element 804 is configured in the shape of an arrow from the combo card 801 to the action card 802, and indicates to which position the combo card 801 should be moved to perform a combo. The connecting element 804 related to the combo operation and the connecting element related to the input of the contents of the attack action are different in that the former forms an arrow from the coordinates where the command is input (coordinates in the combo card 801) to the combo area 803 (action card 802), and the latter forms an arrow from the card to be acted to the coordinates where the command is input (or the card to be acted on in whose area the command is input).

[0081] The connecting element 804, like the connecting element related to the input of the contents of the attacking action, is displayed by changing its shape in a manner that follows the position of the combo card 801. At least while the combo card 801 is being moved, the action card 802 and combo area 803 are displayed without moving in the battle area 401, so that the connecting element 804 is displayed with one end fixed.

[0082] When the combo card 801 is moved to the combo area 803 and the selection state is released (a drag-and-drop operation is performed), the combo operation is completed and the combo card 801 is combined with the action card 802. When the combo operation is completed, the display of the combo area 803 and the connecting elements 804 is terminated, and the combined combo card 801 is arranged around the action card 802 in an arrangement manner related to the inactive state (horizontal in the example shown in the figure), as shown in Fig. 8(b).

[0083] At this time, the control unit 101 also generates / updates combo information indicating the contents of the combo related to the action card 802. The combo information includes, for example, a card ID that uniquely identifies the action card for a combo card that has been combined with an action card, a card ID that uniquely identifies the combo card, and change information that indicates a change in attribute information that occurs in the action card as a result of the combo card being combined. That is, the action card and the combo card are grouped by the combo information.

[0084] In the battle game of this embodiment, the power value of the action card is increased by the combo, and the change information stores information indicating the increase in power due to the combo (e.g., +5000). The increase in power due to the combo may be specified in the card information related to the combo card, for example, and may be indicated in the appearance of the member card displayed on the game screen. In addition, in response to the completion of the combo operation, the power value displayed on the action card is changed to a state that reflects the change due to the combo. In the example shown in the figure, the power of the action card 802, which was "15000" in FIG. 8(a) before the combo, has increased to "20000" in FIG. 8(b) after the completion of the combo operation. The combo information thus configured is sent to the server 200 and also transmitted to the player terminal 100 used by the opponent.

[0085] Thus, it is important for the player to grasp various attribute information about cards that may be involved in an offensive action (or defensive action) during the progress of the battle game. Therefore, in the battle game of this embodiment, a card details window that displays various attribute information about cards placed in the battle area 401 and cards in the hand, such as the power value of the associated character and the increase in power due to a combo, can be displayed at any time during the progress of the game. For example, the card details window may be displayed in response to an operation input such as right-clicking while the mouse is over a card for which attribute information is desired to be displayed on the game screen.

[0086] In addition, when a combo is confirmed, when an action related to an action card is executed, for example, a presentation indicating that the action is strengthened by the combo may be displayed on the game screen. As described above, in the fighting game of this embodiment, since multiple combo cards can be combined with one action card, the increase in power due to the combo tends to increase as the number of combo cards to be combined increases. In other words, the more combo cards to be combined, the higher the power value and the higher the success rate of the action. For this reason, when an action related to an action card is executed, a presentation according to the number of combo cards to be combined may be displayed on the game screen.

[0087] (Awakening) In the battle game of this embodiment, in order to make the game more competitive, in addition to the combo function, a card awakening function is provided as an interesting element that can affect the success or failure of an attack. The card awakening function is a function that can be used only once for a leader card, provided that a certain condition is met during the progress of the battle game.

[0088] The predetermined condition under which the awakening function becomes available may be, for example, the halving of the leader character's life. In other words, if the leader character is assigned 8 lives at the start of the battle game, the player can use the awakening function of the leader character in the action turn when the life falls to 4 or less.

[0089] When the awakening function of the leader character is used, the leader character changes into an awakened character with a different appearance, and attribute information including power changes. Here, the awakened character with a different appearance may be the same character as the leader character but with a changed state, or may be a character different from the leader character. The attribute information of the awakened character with a different appearance is basically set to a state that gives the player an advantage in the progress of the battle game compared to the leader character, so that a player at a disadvantage can easily break through the battle situation. The change in appearance may be expressed by replacing the three-dimensional model of the leader character with the three-dimensional model of the awakened character when drawing the game screen, or may be expressed by adding a predetermined display effect to the three-dimensional model of the leader character.

[0090] The awakened character that the leader character will be can be confirmed in a card details window related to the corresponding leader card. The card details window may be configured to initially display the appearance of the card form and attribute information of the leader character associated with the front side of the leader card, and to switch to the appearance of the back side of the leader card in response to a predetermined operation input, and to display the attribute information of the awakened character associated with the back side.

[0091] (solved) In the resolution phase, a process related to action resolution is performed for an attack action instructed by a player whose action turn includes the contents of combo operations on a card to be acted by the player whose action turn is in progress, and the contents of combo operations on a card to be acted on by a player whose non-action turn is in progress. In the game system of this embodiment, the process of action resolution is performed by the server control unit 201, and the result information is shared via a communication session with the player terminals 100 used by each player participating in the competitive game. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that the process related to action resolution may be performed by the control unit 101 of the player terminal 100 used by the player whose action turn is in progress or the control unit 101 of the player terminal 100 used by the player whose non-action turn is in progress.

[0092] As described above, whether or not the attack action instructed by the player in the action turn will be successful is determined based on the power value (after combo) of the target card and the power value (after combo) of the target card. More specifically, the server control unit 201 determines that the attack action will be successful if the power value of the target card is equal to or greater than the power value of the target card. The server control unit 201 also determines that the attack action will fail if the power value of the target card is less than the power value of the target card.

[0093] If the attack action is successful, a display related to the attack action is made on the game screen. When the attack action starts, as shown in Fig. 9(a), first the connected elements are hidden, and the postures of the target card 901 and the target card 902 are changed so that their tops face each other. This posture change makes it possible to clearly show which of the opponent's cards the target card 901 will attack, or which of the opponent's cards the target card 902 will receive an attack from.

[0094] When the posture change of the target card 901 and the target card 902 is completed, the performance of the attacking action starts. For example, the performance can be composed of a series of movements such as the target card 901 rising from the battle area 401 as shown in Fig. 9(b), then moving to the position of the target card 902 as shown in Fig. 9(c), colliding with it, and returning to the original position.

[0095] After the effect is displayed, the handling of the target card differs depending on the type of the card. When the target card is a leader card, the server control unit 201 subtracts 1 from the life of the leader character of the player whose turn is not in action. With the subtraction of the life, on the game screen, one card is moved from the life area of ​​the player whose turn is not in action to the hand of the player whose turn is not in action. It is easy to understand that when the life becomes 0 as a result of the subtraction, the display content of the game screen transitions to a display related to the end of the battle game. Furthermore, when the target card is a member card, the server control unit 201 performs a process of removing the card from the battle area 401. At this time, on the game screen, an effect is presented in which the target card is broken and removed from the field 400.

[0096] After the attack action effect is displayed, the target card is controlled to an inactive state and cannot be operated. In addition, cards that are in a combo state with the target card or the target card are removed from the field 400 after the effect is displayed, and are not displayed thereafter in the progress of the battle game, that is, they are controlled to a state where they are not involved in the progress of the battle game.

[0097] <Field Display> Next, for the competitive game of this embodiment that proceeds in this manner, display control of the field 400 on the game screen will be described.

[0098] As described above, the display of each leader character is configured using a three-dimensional model. Therefore, the display of the field 400 is generated by arranging a three-dimensional model of the field, which is the ground on which the leader character and member cards are arranged, a three-dimensional model of the leader character, and a three-dimensional model of the member card as necessary, in a predetermined three-dimensional space, and drawing them from a viewpoint (camera) arranged in the same space. Hereinafter, these three-dimensional models are referred to as a field model, a character model, and a card model, respectively. That is, in the three-dimensional space, two character models and one or more card models as necessary are arranged on the field model, and the movements of the character models and the card models are controlled according to the progress of the battle game. As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, various camera parameters are set for the camera so as to generate an image capturing a bird's-eye view of mainly the battle area 401 of the field 400 from the player's side, and the camera captures the movements of the character models and card models on the field model within the angle of view.

[0099] In the TCG, the card operations performed in each action turn may need to be performed strategically, taking into account the attacking actions planned for the following action turn and the attacking actions that may be performed by the opponent. Specifically, for example, various development methods may be adopted according to the strategies proposed by each player, such as postponing the placement of member cards from the hand in the battle area 401 in consideration of the power and skill of member cards placed in the battle area 401 related to the opponent, or placing many member cards in the battle area 401 in one action turn to check the attacking actions of the opponent. Therefore, in the TCG, each action turn is configured to end when a declaration is made by the player, and the length of one action turn may be changed at the discretion of the player.

[0100] On the other hand, there are also constraints that limit the player's card operations during one action turn, such as cards in the battle area 401 that are inactive cannot be operated until the next action turn, and member cards from the hand cannot be placed in the battle area 401 if the remaining energy is insufficient. When such constraints occur or overlap, the player may be unable to operate any cards during the action turn and may only declare the end of the turn. However, particularly in the case of a beginner or other player who is unfamiliar with competitive games, it may take time for the player to recognize that he or she is in such a situation, which may result in a prolonged play time for the competitive game.

[0101] Therefore, in the battle game of this embodiment, in a phase where a player's operation input is required, control is performed to generate a game screen in which the display mode of the field 400 is changed according to the progress of the battle game so as to guide the player to the required operation. The display mode of the field 400 is changed by changing the position and attitude of the camera that depicts the three-dimensional space in which various three-dimensional models are arranged. In a phase where a player's operation input is required, the field 400 is displayed on the game screen mainly in two types of display modes as shown in Figures 10(a) and (b).

[0102] The game screen 1000 in FIG. 10(a) shows a display mode of the field 400 when there is an actionable card in the field 400 in a phase that requires an operation input by the player. The display mode is drawn by a first camera parameter set so that the display area of ​​the field 400 in the game screen is larger than a predetermined area threshold (or the occupancy rate of the image of the field 400 in the game screen is larger than a predetermined value) so that the player can easily pay attention to the cards (leader character 411a and member card 412a) related to the player on the field 400. For example, the game screen 1000 is displayed when there is an actionable card (active leader character 411a or member card 412a) in the field 400 in the operation phase of the player's action turn.

[0103] On the other hand, the game screen 1010 in FIG. 10(b) shows a display mode of the field 400 when there are no actionable cards in the field 400 in a phase that requires the player to input an operation. The display mode is drawn by a second camera parameter that sets a camera at a position farther away from the field 400 than the first camera parameter so as to draw the player's attention away from the cards related to the player on the field 400. As shown in the figure, the game screen 1010 is configured so that the display area of ​​the field 400 is smaller than the area threshold (or the occupancy rate of the image of the field 400 on the game screen is smaller than a predetermined value). Therefore, according to the second camera parameter, the display area of ​​the field 400 is smaller than when drawn with the first camera parameter. The game screen 1010 is displayed, for example, in the operation phase of the player's action turn when there are no actionable cards in the field 400. The game screen 1010 is also displayed in the charge phase of the player's action turn. With the game screen 1010 in this form, it is possible to inform the player that there is nothing he can do with the cards placed on the field 400 (he cannot manipulate the cards).

[0104] In addition, in the game screen 1010, the hand 404a is displayed in a more emphasized manner than in the game screen 1000 so that the player can easily pay attention to the cards in the hand 404a rather than the cards related to the player on the field 400. In the example of FIG. 10(b), the emphasis on the hand 404a is realized by making the display area of ​​the hand 404a larger than that of the game screen 1000.

[0105] In the example of the game screen 1000 and the game screen 1010 shown in Fig. 10(a) and (b), for example, an inoperable card in the field 400 is shown in an inactive state (in the example shown, a text image of "REST" is added to indicate that the card is in an inactive state), thereby indicating that the card cannot be operated. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, in order to inform the player of cards that can be operated, the game screen 1000 and the game screen 1010 may display cards in the field 400 or the hand 404a that can be operated in an emphasized manner. For example, the emphasized form can use an effect such as illuminating the outer periphery of a card that can be operated.

[0106] In the above description, the game screen 1000 and the game screen 1010 are switched depending on the presence or absence of actionable cards in the field 400 mainly during the action turn of the player. On the other hand, the phase in which the player's operation input is required is not limited to the action turn of the player. That is, during the action turn of the opponent, the player's operation input related to the defense action is possible in the resolution phase when the attack action by the opponent is specified. At this time, at least the card of the player selected as the target to be acted upon is forcibly made in an actionable state (a state in which it can be specified as a combo destination) regardless of whether it was in an inactive state in the action turn of the most recent player. Therefore, during the resolution phase of the action turn of the opponent, it is treated as if there is an actionable card in the field 400, and the field 400 is drawn using the first camera parameters. In other words, during the resolution phase of the action turn of the opponent, the field 400 is always displayed in the display mode of the game screen 1000.

[0107] On the other hand, in a phase in which the player's operation input is not required, the field 400 is displayed on the game screen in a display mode as shown in FIG. 10(c). The game screen 1020 displayed in this phase is displayed in a state in which the player's operation input is not accepted, so there is no need to display the field 400 in a display area equal to or larger than the area threshold as in the game screen 1000, or to display the field 400 in an emphasized manner in the hand 404a as in the game screen 1010. In other words, the game screens 1000 and 1010 are game screens configured to facilitate operation input of the player's cards placed on the field 400 or the cards included in the hand 404a, respectively, but there is no need to display the field 400 in a display mode suitable for operation input in a phase in which the player's operation input is not required. For this reason, the display mode of the field 400 on the game screen 1020 is drawn using a third camera parameter intended to make the battle performance unfolding on the field 400 look good.

[0108] The third camera parameters are camera parameters set so that the entirety of all three-dimensional models (field models, character models, and card models) in the three-dimensional space is included in the angle of view. As described above, in the battle game of this embodiment, a battle performance in which the action target card and the actioned card are moved in the resolution phase is displayed, so the third camera parameters are adaptively changed to show the player a more realistic display mode. That is, since the spatial positions of the character models and card models and the form (appearance) of the character models may change according to the progress of the battle game, the third camera parameters may be adjusted so that they are captured within the angle of view each time, taking into account their positional relationship. For example, in a mode in which the leader character becomes giant due to awakening, the third camera parameters may be adjusted to different values ​​before and after awakening so that the entire body of the character model is included in the angle of view.

[0109] Therefore, the camera for drawing the field 400 transitions in the following order during the player's action turn: the third camera parameter in the initialization phase, the second camera parameter in the charge phase, the first camera parameter (if an active card exists in the field 400) or the second camera parameter (if an active card does not exist in the field 400) in the operation phase, and the third camera parameter in the resolution phase. The camera for drawing the field 400 transitions in the following order during the opponent's action turn: the third camera parameter in the initialization phase, the third camera parameter in the charge phase, the third camera parameter in the operation phase, and the first camera parameter in the resolution phase. Note that even during the resolution phase of the opponent's action turn, if there are no selectable member cards in the hand 404a for combo operation (if the player has 0 cards in his hand and it is a phase in which operation input is substantially impossible), the third camera parameter may be selected.

[0110] In addition, comparing these three display modes of the field 400, the following relationship is also shown. The display area of ​​the field 400 in the game screen is maximum when the first camera parameters are adopted (game screen 1000). In other words, the first camera parameters do not change the angle of view according to the state of various three-dimensional models as in the case of the third camera parameters, and therefore can keep the display area of ​​the field 400 fixed at the maximum, thereby providing a display mode that makes it easiest to input operations for cards placed on the field 400. In addition, in phases where the player's operation input is required, a part of the field 400 is displayed (game screen 1000, game screen 1010), while in phases where the player's operation input is not required, the entire field 400 is displayed (game screen 1020).

[0111] 10, the appearance of the field 400 does not change, but the appearance of the field 400 may be configured to change as the battle game progresses in order to increase the interest of the battle game. Changes in the appearance of the field 400 may include, for example, the addition of expressions of damage or collapse of the ground in response to a decrease in life, the occurrence of an attack action involving a combo, or the awakening of a leader character.

[0112] "Match Game Processing" A specific process of the competitive game process executed to provide a playing experience of a competitive game in the player terminal 100 of the present embodiment having such a configuration will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 11. The process corresponding to the flowchart can be realized by the control unit 101 reading out a corresponding processing program stored in the storage device 102, for example, and developing and executing the program in the memory 103. The competitive game process will be described as being started, for example, when the server 200 completes the matching of the opponents. In the competitive game process, some of the display control processes related to the competitive game, such as the application of motion to the character model and the display of effects, may be omitted because they are similar to the display control related to the conventional game, but this does not limit the present invention to the fact that such processes are not executed. In addition, to facilitate understanding of the invention, the explanation may be omitted, but information necessary for display and control in each player terminal 100 is basically calculated in the server 200 and provided to each player terminal 100 each time so that the progress of the competitive game is synchronized between the player terminal 100 used by the player and the player terminal 100 used by the opponent.

[0113] In S1101, the control unit 101 executes start-up processing related to the start of a competitive game. The start-up processing includes processing such as displaying the profiles of each player and an introduction of the leader card, shuffling the deck, selecting the initial hand, and determining who will play first or second in a turn-based game. These processing may be performed based on information obtained from the server 200.

[0114] In S1102, the control unit 101 determines whether the current action turn is the player's action turn. If the control unit 101 determines that the current action turn is the player's action turn, the process proceeds to S1103, and if the control unit 101 determines that the current action turn is the opponent's action turn, the process proceeds to S1110.

[0115] In S1103, the control unit 101 executes the process of the initialization phase related to the action turn of the player. The process of the initialization phase includes making the member card 412a placed on the field 400 and the member card placed in the life area 403a related to the player active, and drawing one member card from the deck 405a and adding it to the hand 404a. The control unit 101 also sets a third camera parameter for drawing the field 400.

[0116] In S1104, the control unit 101 executes the process of the charge phase related to the action turn of the player. In the process of the charge phase, one member card selected from the hand 404a is placed on the energy area 402a. In addition, the control unit 101 sets the second camera parameters for drawing the field 400.

[0117] In S1105, the control unit 101 executes an operation phase process related to the operation phase of the player's action turn.

[0118] <Operation Phase Processing> Here, the operation phase process executed in this step will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0119] In S1201, the control unit 101 determines whether or not there is an actionable card (an active card) among the cards related to the player and placed on the field 400. If the control unit 101 determines that there is an actionable card on the field 400, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S1202 and sets first camera parameters for drawing the field 400. If the control unit 101 determines that there is no actionable card on the field 400, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S1203 and sets second camera parameters for drawing the field 400.

[0120] In S1204, the control unit 101 judges whether or not an operational input has been made to select a card (action card) that is the target of the attack action to be executed. If the control unit 101 judges that an operational input has been made to select an action card, the process proceeds to S1205, and if not, the process proceeds to S1216.

[0121] In S1205, the control unit 101 generates behavior information of an initial state, and updates the information of the behavior target of the behavior information based on the operation input accepted in S1204.

[0122] In S1206, the control unit 101 judges whether or not an operation input related to the selection of a combo card to be combined with the action card has been made. If the control unit 101 judges that an operation input related to the selection of a combo card has been made, the process proceeds to S1207, and if not, the process proceeds to S1210.

[0123] In S1207, the control unit 101 controls the operation of the GPU 104 so as to display a combo area at the position of the action card, and further to display a connecting element connecting the selected combo card and the action card.

[0124] In S1208, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the combo operation has been completed. The combo operation is completed, for example, when a drag-and-drop operation is performed to place a combo card in the combo area. If the control unit 101 determines that the combo operation has been completed, it moves the process to S1209, and if it determines that the operation has not ended, it repeats the process of this step. Note that if the combo card is deselected or placed outside the combo area, the control unit 101 does not determine that the combo operation has been completed, and performs control to hide the combo area and connected elements, and then moves the process to S1210.

[0125] In S1209, the control unit 101 generates combo information based on the completed combo operation.

[0126] In S1210, the control unit 101 judges whether or not an operation input has been made to move to the selection of a card to be acted. As described above, in the fighting game of this embodiment, the player can arbitrarily select whether or not to combo a combo card with an action card, and how many combo cards to combo. Therefore, in this step, the control unit 101 judges whether or not to end the acceptance of the combo operation based on the operation input from the player to move to the selection of a card to be acted. If the control unit 101 judges that an operation input has been made to move to the selection of a card to be acted, the control unit 101 moves the process to S1211, and if it judges that an operation input has not been made, the control unit 101 returns the process to S1206.

[0127] In S1211, the control unit 101 judges whether or not an operation input related to the preliminary selection of a card to be acted has been made. If the control unit 101 judges that an operation input related to the preliminary selection of a card to be acted has been made, the process proceeds to S1212, and if it judges that an operation input related to the preliminary selection of a card to be acted has not been made, the process of this step is repeated.

[0128] In S1212, the control unit 101 updates the action target information of the action information to a pre-selected state. The control unit 101 also controls the operation of the GPU 104 to display a connecting element connecting the action card and the pre-selected action target card.

[0129] In S1213, the control unit 101 judges whether or not an operation input related to the final selection of the card to be acted has been made. If the control unit 101 judges that an operation input related to the final selection of the card to be acted has been made, the control unit 101 moves the process to S1214, and if it judges that an operation input related to the final selection of the card to be acted has not been made, the control unit 101 returns the process to S1211.

[0130] In S1214, the control unit 101 updates the information of the target of the action in the action information to the final selection state. The control unit 101 also controls the operation of the GPU 104 to display the action card and the card of the target of the final selection in a floating manner.

[0131] In S1215, the control unit 101 transmits information related to the attacking action to the server 200 via the communication I / F 106, and completes this operation phase process. The information related to the attacking action includes not only action information, but also combo information if a combo operation is performed.

[0132] On the other hand, if it is determined in S1204 that no operation input has been made for the selection of an action card, the control unit 101 determines in S1216 whether or not an operation input has been made for the placement of a member card in the hand 404a. If the control unit 101 determines that an operation input has been made for the placement of a member card, it shifts the process to S1217, and if not, it shifts the process to S1218.

[0133] In S1217, the control unit 101 executes a process of placing the designated member card in the hand 404a in the corresponding area based on the operation input accepted in S1216.

[0134] In S1218, the control unit 101 judges whether or not an operation input related to a declaration of the end of the player's action turn has been made. If the control unit 101 judges that an operation input related to a declaration of the end of the action turn has been made, the control unit 101 completes this operation phase processing and moves to S1109 of the fighting game processing, and if it judges that an operation input related to a declaration of the end of the action turn has not been made, the control unit 101 returns the processing to S1201.

[0135] When the operation phase process is completed in this manner, the control unit 101 advances the competitive game process to S1106.

[0136] In S1106, the control unit 101 executes processing of the resolution phase of the player's action turn. In processing the resolution phase, the server control unit 201 executes processing related to action resolution based on the action information transmitted in the operation phase processing and the information of the operation input by the opponent. When the server control unit 201 obtains the result of resolving the attack action, it transmits result information related to the result to the player terminals 100 used by the player and the opponent connected to the corresponding communication session. Therefore, the processing of the resolution phase includes receiving the result information and generating and displaying a corresponding game screen based on the received result information.

[0137] In S1107, the control unit 101 judges whether or not the end condition of the competitive game has been satisfied as a result of the processing of the solution phase in S1106. That is, the control unit 101 judges whether or not the outcome of the competitive game has been determined. If the control unit 101 judges that the end condition of the competitive game has been satisfied, it displays the match result and completes this competitive game processing, and if it judges that the condition has not been satisfied, it moves the processing to S1108.

[0138] In S1108, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an operation input related to a declaration of the end of the player's action turn has been made. If the control unit 101 determines that an operation input related to a declaration of the end of the action turn has been made, the control unit 101 moves the process to S1109, and if the control unit 101 determines that an operation input related to a declaration of the end of the action turn has not been made, the control unit 101 returns the process to S1105.

[0139] In S1109, the control unit 101 ends the current action turn, transitions to the action turn of the next player, and returns the process to S1102.

[0140] On the other hand, if it is determined in S1102 that the current action turn is the opponent's action turn, the control unit 101 executes processing of the initialization phase related to the opponent's action turn in S1110. The control unit 101 also sets third camera parameters for drawing the field 400.

[0141] In S1111, the control unit 101 executes processing for the charge phase related to the opponent's action turn.

[0142] In S1112, the control unit 101 executes processing of the operation phase related to the opponent's action turn. Here, the processing of the operation phase includes displaying a game screen corresponding to the opponent's operation input based on information input during the operation phase processing performed in the opponent's player terminal 100 and transmitted to the player's player terminal 100 via the server 200.

[0143] In S1113, the control unit 101 judges whether or not an attack action has been instructed to be performed in the operation phase processing of the opponent's action turn. If the control unit 101 judges that an attack action has been instructed to be performed, the process proceeds to S1114, and if the control unit 101 judges that an attack action has not been instructed, the process proceeds to S1117.

[0144] In S1114, the control unit 101 executes a defensive action process for receiving an operation input related to a defensive action in the resolution phase of the opponent's action turn.

[0145] <Defensive Action Processing> Here, the defensive action processing executed in this step will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0146] In S1301, the control unit 101 sets the first camera parameters for drawing the field 400.

[0147] In S1302, the control unit 101 judges whether or not an operational input has been made to select a combo card to be combined with the target card for the attack action to be executed. If the control unit 101 judges that an operational input has been made to select a combo card, the process proceeds to S1303, and if not, the process proceeds to S1306.

[0148] In S1303, the control unit 101 controls the operation of the GPU 104 so as to display a combo area at the position of the target card and further display a connecting element connecting that card and the selected combo card.

[0149] In S1304, the control unit 101 judges whether the combo operation is completed. If the control unit 101 judges that the combo operation is completed, the process proceeds to S1305, and if the control unit 101 judges that the combo operation is not completed, the process of this step is repeated. Note that if the combo card is deselected or placed outside the combo area, the control unit 101 does not judge that the combo operation is completed, and performs control to hide the combo area and connected elements, and then proceeds to S1306.

[0150] In S1305, the control unit 101 generates combo information based on the completed combo operation.

[0151] In S1306, the control unit 101 judges whether or not an operation input related to the end of the defensive action has been made. If the control unit 101 judges that an operation input related to the end of the defensive action has been made, the process proceeds to S1307, and if the control unit 101 judges that an operation input related to the end of the defensive action has not been made, the process returns to S1302.

[0152] In S1307, the control unit 101 transmits information related to the defensive action to the server 200 via the communication I / F 106, and completes this defensive action processing. The information related to the defensive action includes combo information when a combo operation has been performed, and includes information indicating that a combo operation has not been performed when a combo operation has not been performed.

[0153] When the defensive action process is completed in this manner, the control unit 101 advances the competitive game process to S1115.

[0154] In S1115, the control unit 101 executes processing of the resolution phase of the opponent's action turn. In processing the resolution phase, the server control unit 201 executes processing related to action resolution based on the action information transmitted by the operation phase processing executed in the player terminal 100 used by the opponent and the information related to the defensive action transmitted by the defensive action processing. When the server control unit 201 obtains the result of resolving the offensive action, it transmits result information related to the result to the player connected to the communication session and the player terminal 100 used by the opponent. Based on the result information received from the server 200, the control unit 101 generates and displays a corresponding game screen.

[0155] In S1116, the control unit 101 judges whether or not the end condition of the competitive game is satisfied as a result of the processing of the solution phase in S1115. If the control unit 101 judges that the end condition of the competitive game is satisfied, it displays the match result and completes this competitive game processing, and if it judges that the end condition is not satisfied, it moves the processing to S1117.

[0156] In S1117, the control unit 101 judges whether or not the opponent has declared the end of the action turn. If the control unit 101 judges that the opponent has declared the end of the action turn, it moves the process to S1109, and if it judges that the opponent has not declared the end of the action turn, it returns the process to S1113.

[0157] As described above, the communication terminal of this embodiment makes it easier for players to intuitively understand operations during a competitive game, while supporting optimal game progress and providing a highly entertaining playing experience.

[0158] [Variation 1] In the above embodiment, when an attack action targeting a member card is successful, the member card is removed from the field 400. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a durability parameter (attribute information) may be provided for the member card, and when an attack action targeting the member card is successful, the durability may be reduced by a certain amount or an amount corresponding to the power difference. In this embodiment, the removal of the member card from the field 400 may be on the condition that the durability falls below a predetermined value such as 0. Therefore, on the game screen, durability information may also be displayed for each member card arranged in the field 400, and display control for changing the durability may be performed after displaying a performance involving the movement of the card that is the target of the attack action.

[0159] [Variation 2] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the operation input for specifying an attack action is performed in two stages, that is, the operation input for selecting the target of the action and the operation input for selecting the target of the action, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. The operation input for specifying an attack action may be accepted by, for example, dragging and dropping the target card onto the target card, similar to a combo operation. In addition, the operation input for specifying an attack action may be configured to be accepted in two types of input methods, one involving the movement of the target card and one not involving the movement.

[0160] [Variation 3] In the above embodiment, the combo card 801 in the combo state as shown in Fig. 8(b) is simply placed in an inactive state near the action card 802, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, after being placed near the action card 802, the display of the combo card 801 may be terminated, and instead the action card 802 may be displayed in a state in which an emphasis effect has been added. Such emphasis effects may include, for example, display effects such as scattering of light particles or rubble, burning, or simply display effects such as changing of brightness or color.

[0161] [Variation 4] In the above embodiment, the combo card designated as a combo card on an action card is described as being arranged in a landscape state in the vicinity of the action card, which is an inactive state that does not accept operation input, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. The combo card designated as a combo card may be configured to be able to cancel the combo designation, for example, before the corresponding attack action is executed, that is, before the card to be acted on is designated and the operation phase is completed. The cancellation of the combo designation may be accepted, for example, when the combo card is moved away from the action card by a drag operation by a predetermined distance or more. In this case, the card whose combo designation has been cancelled may be changed to a portrait state (standard posture) and returned to the arrangement position before the combo designation.

[0162] [Variation 5] In the above embodiment, it has been described that it is possible to combine a combo card with an action card without consuming energy, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in order to require more strategy, the combo operation may be accepted on the condition that the energy associated with the combo card is consumed.

[0163] [Variation 6] In the above embodiment, the connecting elements related to the attacking action and the connecting elements related to the combo operation are configured in a curved shape, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, at least one of them may be formed in a straight line.

[0164] [Summary of the embodiment] The above embodiment discloses at least the following program and game device.

[0165] (1) A computer that executes an electronic game in which game elements are placed on a field to play between a player and an opponent, a display control process for controlling display of a game screen including the field on a display device; a selection process for selecting one of the game elements associated with the player as a first game element; A program for executing in the display control process, a connecting element that connects the first game element and a second game element that can be grouped and that is already placed in the field among the first game element and the second game element associated with the player is displayed, The program further causes the computer to execute a grouping process that groups the first game element and the second game element in the electronic game on the condition that the first game element has been moved to an area corresponding to the second game element.

[0166] (2) in the selection process, in response to a selection operation input by the player for a game element associated with the player, the game element is selected as the first game element; The program described in (1), wherein, in the display control process, the connecting element connecting the first game element and the second game element is displayed during a period during which a selection operation input for the first game element is continued.

[0167] (3) the first game element is movable within the field while a selection operation input for the first game element is being continued; The program according to (2), wherein, in the display control process, the connected element is displayed in a deformed manner depending on the position of the first game element.

[0168] (4) The program according to (2) or (3), wherein in the display control process, the connected element is controlled to be hidden in response to an end of a selection operation input for the first game element.

[0169] (5) The program according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein, in the display control process, the second game element is displayed without moving during a period in which the connected element is displayed.

[0170] (6) A program described in any one of (2) to (5), wherein, in the display control process, during the period in which the connecting element is displayed, the first game element, the second game element and the connecting element are displayed with a first display effect added.

[0171] (7) Each of the game elements is associated with attribute information; The program according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein in the grouping process, the attribute information of the second game element is changed based on the attribute information of the first game element, with grouping being a condition.

[0172] (8) the second game element is a game element that acts in the electronic game; The program described in (7), further causing the computer to execute a process of controlling the first game element grouped with the second game element to a state in which it is not involved in the electronic game after the action of the second game element.

[0173] (9) the action of the second game element is an attack action of the second game element against any of the game elements associated with the opponent, or a defense action against an attack action of any of the game elements associated with the opponent against the second game element, The program described in (8), wherein, when the second game element is grouped with the first game element, in the display control process, a presentation corresponding to the grouping is displayed when the second game element takes an action.

[0174] (10) In the grouping process, one or more of the first game elements can be grouped with the second game elements; The program described in (8) or (9), wherein, in the display control process, when the second game element is acted upon, a presentation corresponding to the number of the first game elements grouped with the second game element is displayed.

[0175] (11) The program according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein in the grouping process, the first game element and the second game element are grouped on the condition that a consumption element associated with the player is consumed.

[0176] (12) The program according to any one of (1) to (11), wherein the connecting elements are formed in a straight line or a curved line.

[0177] (13) A program described in any one of (1) to (12), wherein when the first game element and the second game element are grouped, in the display control process, the first game element is displayed in a positional arrangement different from a standard positional arrangement and positioned near the second game element.

[0178] (14) The program described in (13), in which, in the display control process, in response to an operational input being made to ungroup the first game element grouped with the second game element, the first game element is changed to the standard arrangement state and displayed.

[0179] (15) A program described in (13) or (14), in which, when the first game element and the second game element are grouped, in the display control process, the first game element is displayed with a second display effect applied.

[0180] (16) The program described in (15), wherein when the first game element and the second game element are grouped, in the display control process, the first game element is placed in the vicinity of the second game element in the different placement manner, and then the first game element is given the second display effect and displayed.

[0181] (17) A gaming device that executes an electronic game between a player and an opponent by placing game elements on a field, comprising: a display control means for controlling the display of a game screen including the field on a display device; a selection means for selecting one of the game elements associated with the player as a first game element; Equipped with the display control means displays the first game element and a connecting element that is already placed in the field among the game elements associated with the player and connects the first game element with a second game element that can be grouped; The game device further includes a grouping means for grouping the first game element and the second game element in the electronic game on the condition that the first game element is moved to an area corresponding to the second game element.

[0182] [Other embodiments] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0183] 100: player terminal, 101: control unit, 102: storage device, 103: memory, 104: GPU, 105: operation I / F, 106: communication I / F, 110: display, 120: speaker, 200: server, 201: server control unit, 202: server storage device, 203: server memory, 204: server communication I / F, 300: network

Claims

1. A computer that executes an electronic game in which game elements are placed on a field to play between a player and an opponent, a display control process for controlling display of a game screen including the field on a display device; a selection process for selecting one of the game elements associated with the player as a first game element; A program for executing in the display control process, a connecting element that connects the first game element and a second game element that can be grouped and that is already placed in the field among the first game element and the game elements associated with the player is displayed, The program further causes the computer to execute a grouping process that groups the first game element and the second game element in the electronic game, on the condition that the first game element has been moved to an area corresponding to the second game element.

2. in the selection process, in response to a selection operation input by the player for a game element associated with the player, the game element is selected as the first game element, In the display control process, the connecting element that connects the first game element and the second game element is displayed during a period during which a selection operation input for the first game element is continued. The program according to claim 1.

3. the first game element is movable within the field while a selection operation input for the first game element is being continued; In the display control process, the connected element is displayed in a deformed manner according to the position of the first game element. The program according to claim 2.

4. 3. The program according to claim 2, wherein in the display control process, the connected element is controlled to be hidden in response to an end of a selection operation input for the first game element.

5. The program according to claim 2 , wherein, in the display control process, the second game element is displayed without moving during a period in which the connected element is displayed.

6. The program according to claim 2 , wherein, in the display control process, the first game element, the second game element and the connected element are displayed with a first display effect applied during a period in which the connected element is displayed.

7. Each of the game elements is associated with attribute information; In the grouping process, the attribute information of the second game element is changed based on the attribute information of the first game element, with the grouping being a condition. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the second game element is a game element that acts in the electronic game; The program further causes the computer to execute a process of controlling the first game element grouped with the second game element to be in a state not involved in the electronic game after the action of the second game element. The program according to claim 7.

9. the action of the second game element is an attack action of the second game element against any one of the game elements associated with the opponent, or a defense action against an attack action of any one of the game elements associated with the opponent against the second game element, When the second game element is grouped with the first game element, in the display control process, a presentation corresponding to the grouping is displayed during an action of the second game element. The program according to claim 8.

10. In the grouping process, one or more of the first game elements can be grouped with the second game elements; In the display control process, when the second game element is acted upon, a presentation corresponding to the number of the first game elements grouped with the second game element is displayed. The program according to claim 8.

11. The program according to claim 1 , wherein in the grouping process, the first game elements and the second game elements are grouped on the condition that a consumption element associated with the player is consumed.

12. The program according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting elements are formed in a straight line or a curved line.

13. 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein when the first game element and the second game element are grouped, in the display control process, the first game element is displayed in the vicinity of the second game element in an arrangement manner different from a predetermined standard arrangement manner for the arrangement of game elements on the field.

14. The program according to claim 13, wherein, in the display control process, in response to an operational input for ungrouping the first game element grouped with the second game element, the first game element is changed to the reference arrangement state and displayed.

15. The program according to claim 13 , wherein when the first game element and the second game element are grouped, in the display control process, the first game element is displayed with a second display effect applied.

16. The program according to claim 15, wherein, when the first game element and the second game element are grouped, in the display control process, the first game element is placed in the vicinity of the second game element in the different placement manner, and then the first game element is given the second display effect and displayed.

17. A game device for executing an electronic game proceeding between a player and an opponent by placing game elements on a field, comprising: a display control means for controlling the display of a game screen including the field on a display device; a selection means for selecting one of the game elements associated with the player as a first game element; Equipped with the display control means displays the first game element and a connecting element that is already placed in the field among the game elements associated with the player and connects the first game element with a second game element that can be grouped; The game device further includes a grouping means for grouping the first game element and the second game element in the electronic game on the condition that the first game element is moved to an area corresponding to the second game element.

Images