Program and System

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of realizing an action with a sense of unity of a plurality of characters with a simple operation.SOLUTION: In one embodiment, a program executed by a computer is provided. The program causes the computer to: enable a first character and a second character to be operated integrally; accept an operation for activating a skill possessed by the first character or the second character; and activate the skill corresponding to the operation in different modes between cases where either the first character or the second character possesses the skill and where both the first character and the second character possess the skill.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a program.

Background Art

[0002] Games are known in which an action is performed on a game object by an operation via a touch panel (see Non-Patent Document 1). In the game of Non-Patent Document 1, skills (special moves) are associated in advance with the directions of flick operations. When the start of an operation is detected, a guide UI is displayed to guide in which direction a flick operation should be input, and a skill corresponding to the direction of the input flick operation is activated.

[0003] Also, in a console-type game device, a technique is known that enables functions to be assigned to operation buttons with fixed positions (see Non-Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0004]

Non-Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Here, there is a type of game in which multiple characters form a party and perform actions in a virtual game space. Each of the multiple characters performs an action in the game space according to the operation of the game player (hereinafter, referred to as "user") or without the operation of the user. By having multiple characters perform actions according to their respective personalities, a variety of actions is brought about, which makes the game more interesting.

[0006] When a user controls multiple characters, the input of operations becomes very complicated. In particular, compared to console-type game devices where functions are assigned to dedicated buttons, when playing a game by operating via a touch panel, there are many restrictions on the input of operations. On the other hand, simplifying the input of operations may damage the sense of unity between multiple characters.

[0007] The present invention has been made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has as its object to provide a technique that enables a plurality of characters to perform actions with a sense of unity through simple operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides a program executed by a computer that causes a computer to perform the following operations: make a first character and a second character controllable as a single unit; accept an operation for activating a skill possessed by the first character or the second character; and activate the skill corresponding to the operation, wherein the skill is activated in a different manner when either the first character or the second character possesses the skill and when both the first character and the second character possess the skill. Effect of the Invention

[0009] A program according to one aspect of the present invention can provide a technique for realizing actions that create a sense of unity among multiple characters with simple operations.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the same or similar elements as the already described elements are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are basically omitted. For example, when there are a plurality of identical or similar elements, a common reference numeral may be used to describe each element without distinction, or a branch number may be used in addition to the common reference numeral to describe each element separately.

[0012] [One Embodiment] (1) Outline of the Game A program according to one embodiment is a program for realizing a game on a terminal device (hereinafter referred to as a "user terminal") used by a user who is a player of the game. Hereinafter, the program according to one embodiment will be referred to as a game program, distinguishing it from a program for realizing the functions of a general computer.

[0013] The game realized by the game program is not limited to a specific category, and may be, for example, a role-playing game (RPG), an action game, an adventure game, a simulation game, a breeding game, a shooting game, a sports game, a puzzle game, etc., or a part of such a game (a mini-game or an event, etc.).

[0014] A game program can realize a game by arranging various objects in a game space. The game space is a space for arranging various objects realized by the game program. Hereinafter, mainly the game space is a three-dimensional space, and the objects arranged in the game space are also mainly described as being three-dimensionally displayed. However, this embodiment is also applicable to two-dimensional game spaces and objects.

[0015] The various objects include character objects. The character is, for example, a human character, an animal character, an anthropomorphic character, etc., but is not limited thereto. The character object is an object that moves. The character object (hereinafter simply referred to as "character") includes a character that moves in response to a user's operation and an NPC (Non Player Character) that moves regardless of the user's operation. The various objects also include background objects. The background object is an object that constitutes the background of the game, such as trees, rocks, grass, sky, rivers, ponds, buildings, and facilities.

[0016] Each object has set values arbitrarily determined by a game designer or the like. The set values are those obtained by expressing position, size, shape, color, ability, attribute, and various other information as numerical values (also referred to as "parameters"). The character object may particularly have set values called status. The status includes, for example, information such as physical strength, attack power, defense power, and held skills, but is not limited thereto.

[0017] Hereinafter, as an example, a game will be described in which a plurality of characters perform actions in a field in response to a user's operation. The field is an example of a game space and can be represented as a variety of spaces imitating, for example, grasslands, forests, urban areas, dungeons (labyrinths, facilities, and other closed spaces), and the like. In the field, a character acquires items, avoids or encounters gimmicks and traps, and battles enemy characters it encounters. Actions include movement, attack, defense, evasion, and any other actions that can be taken within the game space. Actions include the activation of skills. A skill is a special technique used in the game. Each character can hold different skills. "Hold" may be read as "possess", "own", or "have". When the game program receives an operation for activating a skill held by a character and the activation conditions are met, the skill is activated. When a skill is activated, it affects the status of the character that activates it or the surrounding characters.

[0018] The plurality of characters includes a first character and a second character that can be operatively controlled together. Here, "operatively controlled together" means that the user's operation is reflected in the plurality of characters. Making the first character and the second character operatively controllable together includes, for example, making it possible to operate the first character and the second character as a single object, reflecting an operation on the first character or the second character on both the first character and the second character, or causing the other to perform an action with cooperation or complementarity automatically when either the first character or the second character is operated. The first character and the second character do not necessarily have to be operatively controllable together at all times during the progress of the game, and it is sufficient if they are operatively controllable together for a certain period before and after the activation of a skill described later.

[0019] When the game program receives an operation for activating a skill held by at least one of the first character or the second character, the game program can activate the skill. The game program also activates the skill in different ways when either the first character or the second character holds the skill, and when both the first character and the second character hold the skill.

[0020] Activating the skill in different ways includes activating the skill at a higher level when both the first character and the second character hold the skill than when only one of the first character or the second character holds the skill. Activating the skill in different ways includes activating the skill at a level that is the sum of the level of the skill held by the first character and the level of the skill held by the second character when both the first character and the second character hold the skill. Activating the skill in different ways also includes making it possible to activate the skill under more relaxed conditions when both the first character and the second character hold the skill. Activating the skill in different ways also includes adding a special effect to the game scene related to the activation of the skill when both the first character and the second character hold the skill. Activating the skill in different ways also includes changing the range or influence of the activation of the skill when both the first character and the second character hold the skill. Activating the skill in different ways can be paraphrased as adding a special effect to the activation of the skill.

[0021] In the following, it is assumed that the first character is a human character (hereinafter referred to as the "player character"), and the second character is a monster character (hereinafter referred to as the "monster"). Further, in the following, a game is assumed in which, while the player character is riding on the monster, various actions including the activation of skills held by the player character or the monster are integrally performed in response to user operations. In the following, the player character and the monster that are integrally operated are also collectively referred to as the "operated character".

[0022] The game program can be a game program that realizes the game locally on a single user terminal, a game program that realizes the game in cooperation with the user terminal and the server, a game program that realizes the game in cooperation with a plurality of user terminals (via the server or without passing through the server), etc. In the following, again as a mere example, a game system will be described in which the server comprehensively manages the game program, transmits the game program and related data, etc. in response to requests from the user terminal, and the actual game progress is mainly realized on the user terminal.

[0023] (2) Configuration (2-1) Game System FIG. 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of a game system 1 related to a game program according to an embodiment. The game system 1 includes a plurality of user terminals 100 and a server 200. Each user terminal 100 can communicate with the server 200 via a network NW. An arbitrary number of user terminals 100 can be connected to the server 200, but for simplicity, only the detailed configuration of one user terminal 100 will be illustrated and described.

[0024] The network NW is, for example, the Internet and can include access networks such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a mobile communication network, a wired telephone network, an FTTH (Fiber To The Home), and a CATV (Cable Television) network.

[0025] The user terminal 100 is a terminal used by a user who plays a game. The user terminal 100 realizes a game by executing a game program and realizes a game screen by displaying a game image corresponding to the progress of the game. The game image may include an image depicting a game space. The image depicting the game space may include images of a plurality of objects arranged in the game space. The game image includes a still image or a moving image. The game image may also include an image of a UI (User Interface) component represented two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally. The user terminal 100 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a notebook personal computer. The user terminal 100 may be a stationary computer such as a desktop personal computer. The user terminal 100 may also be a dedicated game terminal suitable for game play. Hereinafter, as an example, it is assumed that the user terminal 100 is a smartphone equipped with a touch screen and will be described.

[0026] The server 200 is a device operated and managed by, for example, a game developer or the like. The server 200 comprehensively manages a game program and user information and supports the progress of the game on the user terminal 100. The server 200 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer. For example, the server 200 receives user information and various requests from the user terminal 100 via the network NW and transmits a game program and related data to the user terminal 100 via the network NW. The server 200 can simultaneously transmit and receive information to and from a plurality of user terminals 100 and can support the progress of games on the plurality of user terminals 100 in parallel.

[0027] The user terminal 100 may receive the game program and necessary setting data from the server 200 at once and then proceed with the game without communicating with the server 200 hereafter. Or the user terminal 100 may communicate with the server 200 as needed according to the progress of the game and receive the necessary game program or data from the server 200 each time.

[0028] (2-2) Hardware Configuration (2-2-1) Server As shown in FIG. 1, as hardware, the server 200 includes a processor 2001, a memory 2002, a storage 2003, a communication interface (communication I / F) 2004, and an input / output interface (input / output I / F) 2005, and these are electrically connected to each other via a bus 2006.

[0029] The processor 2001 controls the operation of the entire server 200. The processor 2001 includes, for example, general-purpose processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The processor 2001 is not limited to general-purpose processors and may be a dedicated processor such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0030] The memory 2002 is a main memory device and includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc.

[0031] The storage 2003 is an auxiliary storage device and includes non-volatile storage devices such as a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid state drive (SSD: Solid State Drive). The storage 2003 stores programs executed by the processor 2001 and setting data necessary for the execution of the programs, etc. A part of the program may be stored in the ROM.

[0032] The processor 2001 can realize the processing functions described later by reading a program from the storage 2003, expanding it in the memory 2002, and interpreting and executing the expanded program.

[0033] The communication interface (communication I / F) 2004 is a module for communicating with an external device such as the user terminal 100 via the network NW, and includes a signal processing circuit for transmission and reception, an optical connector, and the like. The communication interface 2004 may include, for example, an optical communication module.

[0034] The input / output interface (input / output I / F) 2005 captures operation data input by an operator through an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse, and outputs output data to an output device such as a liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display or a speaker.

[0035] (2-2-2) User Terminal As shown in FIG. 1, as hardware, the user terminal 100 includes a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a sensor 1004, a communication interface (communication I / F) 1005, an input / output interface (input / output I / F) 1006, and a touch screen 1007, and these are electrically connected to each other via a bus 1008.

[0036] The processor 1001 controls the overall operation of the user terminal 100. The processor 1001 includes, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU, an MPU, or a GPU. The processor 1001 may also be a dedicated processor such as an ASIC or an FPGA, not limited to a general-purpose processor.

[0037] The processor 1001 can realize the processing functions described later by reading a program from the storage 1003, expanding it in the memory 1002, and interpreting and executing the expanded program.

[0038] The memory 1002 is a main memory device and includes a ROM, a RAM, and the like.

[0039] The storage 1003 is an auxiliary storage device and includes a built-in or external semiconductor memory (e.g., a flash memory) and the like. The storage 1003 stores programs executed by the processor 1001, setting data necessary for the execution of the programs, and the like. A part of the program may be stored in the ROM.

[0040] The sensor 1004 is, for example, an image sensor, a sound sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a GPS sensor, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, or the like. The sensor 1004 converts various sensed information into an electrical signal and outputs it.

[0041] The communication interface (communication I / F) 1005 is a module for communicating with an external device such as the server 200 via the network NW, and includes a signal processing circuit, an antenna, a LAN terminal, and the like for transmission and reception. The communication interface 1005 may include a module for mobile communication, a module for wireless / wired LAN, a module for short-range wireless communication, and the like.

[0042] The input / output interface (input / output I / F) 1006 takes in input data from an external device and outputs output data to the external device. The input / output interface 1006 may include, for example, physical buttons of the user terminal 100, a speaker built into the user terminal 100, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, and the like.

[0043] The touch screen 1007 includes an input unit 1071 and a display unit 1072, and has a function of receiving a user's input operation and displaying various images to the user.

[0044] The input unit 1071 is, for example, a capacitive or resistive touch panel. The input unit 1071 detects a contact position where the user touches with a finger or a touch pen (stylus pen) and generates coordinate information of the contact position.

[0045] The display unit 1072 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and displays various images based on display data. The display unit 1072 realizes a game screen by displaying a game image.

[0046] The user terminal 100 can also receive user operations from external input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a controller connected via the input / output interface 1006. The user terminal 100 may acquire a game program and related data from an external storage device such as a memory card connected via the input / output interface 1006. The user terminal 100 can also output display information to an external output device such as a display and a speaker connected via the input / output interface 1006. The user terminal 100 may use an external storage device such as a memory card connected via the input / output interface 1006 as the storage 1003. The user terminal 100 may also receive a signal from the sensor 1004 as a user operation.

[0047] (2-3) Functional configuration (2-3-1) Server FIG. 2 shows an example of the functional configuration of the server 200 in the game system 1 shown in FIG. 1. Note that the functional configuration of a general computer and known configurations necessary for realizing a game are omitted from the illustration and description.

[0048] The server 200 has a function of communicating with each user terminal 100 and assisting the progress of the game in the user terminal 100. For example, the server 200 has a function of transmitting a game program, related data necessary for executing the game program, etc. to each user terminal 100 in response to a request from each user terminal 100. The server 200 includes a control unit 210 and a storage unit 220.

[0049] The storage unit 220 is mainly implemented by the storage 2003. The storage unit 220 includes a game program storage unit 221, a game information storage unit 222, and a user information database (DB) 223.

[0050] The game program storage unit 221 stores game programs.

[0051] The game information storage unit 222 stores various game information referred to when executing a game program.

[0052] The user information database (DB) 223 is a database that stores information about users associated with each user terminal 100, and stores, for example, user account information.

[0053] The control unit 210 is mainly implemented by the processor 2001 and the memory 2002. The control unit 210 controls the functions of the entire server 200. The control unit 210 can function as a reception control unit 211, a transmission control unit 212, and a game progress unit 213 by executing the game program stored in the game program storage unit 221.

[0054] The reception control unit 211 receives user information, a transmission request for a program or related data, information regarding the progress of the game in each user terminal 100, etc. from each user terminal 100.

[0055] The transmission control unit 212 transmits the requested program or related data, or an updated program, etc. to each user terminal 100. The transmission control unit 212 can also request each user terminal 100 to transmit information regarding the progress of the game.

[0056] The game progress unit 213 manages the progress of the game on each user terminal 100 by referring to the game information stored in the game information storage unit 222 and the account information stored in the user information database 223 according to the code described in the game program. The game progress unit 213 can also determine whether it is necessary to collect information from each user terminal 100 and whether it is necessary to transmit data to each user terminal 100.

[0057] For example, the control unit 210 receives a game program transmission request from the user terminal 100 through the reception control unit 211, determines the game program and related data to be transmitted to the user terminal 100 by the game progress unit 213, and transmits the determined game program and related data to the user terminal 100 through the transmission control unit 212.

[0058] (2-3-2) User Terminal FIG. 3 shows an example of the functional configuration of the user terminal 100 that can be used in the game system 1 shown in FIG. 1. Note that the functional configuration of a general computer and known configurations necessary for realizing the game are omitted from the illustration and description.

[0059] The user terminal 100 includes a control unit 110 and a storage unit 120. The storage unit 120 is mainly realized by the storage 1003. The storage unit 120 includes a game program storage unit 121, a game information storage unit 122, and a skill information storage unit 123.

[0060] The game program storage unit 121 stores the game program.

[0061] The game information storage unit 122 stores various game information referred to when the game program is executed. The game information includes, for example, setting values of various objects arranged in the game space and other various information related to the game space.

[0062] The skill information storage unit 123 stores various information related to skills. The skill information storage unit 123 stores, for example, an assignment table, a skill details table, a held skill table, and an effect table. The assignment table contains information indicating the correspondence between an operation and the skill assigned to the operation. The skill details table contains setting information of the skill, for example, the name of the skill, the operations to which the skill can be assigned, the description of the skill, activation conditions, etc. The held skill table contains information representing the skills held by each character and their levels. The effect table contains information specifying the effects for each level when each skill is activated. The skill information storage unit 123 further contains information specifying special effects to be added to skill activation when both the player character and the monster hold skills.

[0063] The control unit 110 is mainly realized by the processor 1001 and the memory 1002. The control unit 110 controls the functions of the entire user terminal 100. The control unit 110 can function as a game progress unit 111, an object control unit 112, a display control unit 113, an operation reception unit 114, a skill assignment unit 115, and a skill activation unit 116 by executing the game program stored in the game program storage unit 121.

[0064] The game progress unit 111 performs a process of advancing the game by arranging objects in the game space with reference to the game information stored in the game information storage unit 122 according to the code described in the game program. The game progress unit 111 can reflect the user's instruction specified from the user's operation received from the operation reception unit 114 described later in the progress of the game.

[0065] The object control unit 112 controls the operations and statuses of various objects arranged in the game space. The object control unit 112 enables the integrated operation of the player character and the monster. The object control unit 112 may enable the integrated operation of a plurality of characters including the player character and the monster. The object control unit 112 operates the operation character (a plurality of characters that can be integrally operated) according to the user's operation. The user can move the operation character or execute an action on the operation character through the input of an operation to the input unit 1071.

[0066] The display control unit 113 generates display data for displaying an image on the display unit 1072. The image may include a moving image or a still image. The display data generated by the display control unit 113 includes display data for displaying an image of the game space, for example, an image from a virtual camera (not shown) arranged in the game space. The virtual camera includes a virtual camera set to track or follow the operation character and a virtual camera fixed to the game space. The display data generated by the display control unit 113 also includes display data for displaying an image of UI (User Interface) components. For example, the display control unit 113 may generate display data for superimposing a 2D or 3D image of a UI component on a 3D image representing the game space. The display control unit 113 can also control the position, zoom, tilt, focus, field of view, magnification, etc. of the virtual camera according to the user's operation.

[0067] The operation reception unit 114 receives the user's operation input via the input unit 1071. Hereinafter, the notation "user's operation" shall refer to the user's operation input via the input unit 1071. The user's operation includes various types of operations via the input unit 1071 such as a tap operation, a long-press operation, a flick operation, or a swipe operation. The tap operation is an example of an operation in which a single touch position is detected at the input unit 1071 and becomes undetected within a predetermined time. The tap operation is input, for example, when the user lightly touches the touch screen with a fingertip and then immediately releases it. The long-press operation is an example of an operation in which a single touch position is detected at the input unit 1071 and the contact is continuously detected within a predetermined range for a predetermined time or longer. The flick operation is an example of an operation in which a single touch position is moved in time series in a short time at the input unit 1071. The flick operation is input, for example, when the user touches the touch screen with a fingertip and then lightly sweeps the finger in an arbitrary direction while keeping the finger touching the touch screen. The swipe operation is an example of an operation in which a single touch position is moved in time series for a longer time than the flick operation at the input unit 1071. The swipe operation is input, for example, when the user touches the touch screen with a fingertip and then moves the finger in an arbitrary direction while keeping the finger touching the touch screen. The flick operation and the swipe operation may be read as each other without distinction.

[0068] The operation reception unit 114 can determine the type and direction of the user's operation. The type and direction of the user's operation may be determined by a known method. The operation reception unit 114 can detect the start of the user's operation based on the detection of the contact position by the input unit 1071. The operation reception unit 114 can detect the end of the user's operation based on the transition from the detection to the non-detection of the contact position by the input unit 1071. The operation reception unit 114 can continuously acquire from the input unit 1071 the coordinate information from the contact position (start position) corresponding to the start of the user's operation to the contact position (end position) corresponding to the end of the user's operation, and can determine the direction of the user's operation. The operation reception unit 114 can determine, for example, flick operations in four directions of up, down, left, and right. The direction of the operation is determined, for example, based on the vertical direction of the game image (game screen) displayed on the display unit 1072. Also, the operation reception unit 114 can determine the type of the user's operation based on the contact position, contact time, or moving distance. The operation reception unit 114 can also determine the validity of the user's operation based on the contact position, contact time, or moving distance. The type of the user's operation includes information indicating the object of the user's operation. For example, the type of the user's operation includes a flick operation for activating the skill of the operation character, a swipe operation for moving the operation character, a tap operation for selecting a specific UI component, etc.

[0069] The skill assignment unit 115 has a function of assigning a skill (activation) held by a player character or a monster to an arbitrary operation according to the user's selection. The operation includes a flick operation. The operation may also include a long-press operation, a tap operation, a swipe operation, or any other arbitrary touch operation. The skill assignment unit 115 can also assign different skills to each of a plurality of operation directions (for example, each direction of the flick operation). The skill assignment unit 115 manages the correspondence between the operation and the skill assigned to the operation by the above assignment table.

[0070] The skill activation unit 116 has a function of accepting a user's operation and activating a skill corresponding to the accepted user operation. The skill activation unit 116 refers to the allocation table based on the type and direction of the user operation determined by the operation reception unit 114 to identify the skill to be activated. The skill activation unit 116 also identifies the level of the skill to be activated based on the information stored in the skill information storage unit 123. Generally, the higher the level of a skill, the greater the effect when the skill is activated. The skill activation unit 116 also determines whether an additional special effect is required. Further, the skill activation unit 116 calculates various parameters related to skill activation and updates the parameters of each character as the effect of skill activation.

[0071] (3) Operations Next, the information processing operations of the user terminal 100 shown in FIG. 3 will be described. The processing of the user terminal 100 generally includes processing related to skill activation and processing related to skill assignment.

[0072] (3-1) Processing Related to Skill Activation First, with reference to FIGS. 4 to 10, the processing related to skill activation will be described. When the user terminal 100 receives an operation for activating a skill, it can activate the skill corresponding to the operation. Hereinafter, as an example, it will be described that the operation for activating a skill includes flick operations in four directions: up, down, left, and right. Also hereinafter, the skill assigned to the flick operation or the skill activated by the flick operation will also be referred to as a "flick skill".

[0073] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing related to skill activation among the processing of the user terminal 100 shown in FIG. 3. Note that, as a premise for the subsequent processing, it is assumed that the game progresses according to the code described in the game program and display data is generated through the cooperation of the control unit 110 and the storage unit 120 of the user terminal 100. The game progress unit 111 arranges various objects within the game space (field). Also, it is assumed that skills are assigned to at least one-direction flick operation and the correspondence is stored in the assignment table.

[0074] In step S1, the control unit 110 enables the integrated operation of a plurality of characters including the player character and the monster by the object control unit 112. Here, the object control unit 112 enables the integrated operation of the player character and the monster as an integrated operation character in which the player character rides on the monster.

[0075] In step S2, when an operation is input via the input unit 1071 and received by the operation reception unit 114, the control unit 110 determines whether the operation is an operation for activating a skill or other operation. In one embodiment, when the operation reception unit 114 receives a flick operation in a predetermined area within the game image displayed on the touch screen 1007, the control unit 110 determines that the received operation is an operation for activating a skill (skill activation operation). When it is determined that the received operation is a skill activation operation ( "skill activation operation"), the control unit 110 passes the direction of the flick operation determined by the operation reception unit 114 to the skill activation unit 116, and the process proceeds to step S3. When it is determined that an operation outside the predetermined area is received or the operation is not a flick operation ( "other than skill activation operation"), the process proceeds to step S5.

[0076] In step S3, the control unit 110 determines, via the skill activation unit 116, whether there is a skill assigned to the received operation based on the assignment table stored in the skill information storage unit 123. If there is no skill assigned to the direction of the received flick operation (NO), the control unit 110 ends the process. At this time, an error message or the like indicating that there is no skill assigned to the operation may be displayed. If there is an assigned skill (YES), the process proceeds to step S4.

[0077] In step S4, the control unit 110 performs, via the skill activation unit 116, the activation process of the skill corresponding to the operation. The details of step S4 will be described later with reference to FIG. 5.

[0078] On the other hand, in step S5, the control unit 110 executes an action corresponding to the received operation in cooperation with the game progress unit 111, the object control unit 112, or the display control unit 113. Operations other than the skill activation operation can be arbitrarily associated with any action in advance by the game designer. For example, if the received operation is a flick operation or a swipe operation outside a predetermined area, the control unit 110 moves the operation character within the field. For example, if the received operation is a long-press operation outside a predetermined area, the control unit 110 displays the status information of the operation character. For example, if the received operation is a tap operation within a predetermined area, the control unit 110 pauses the game progress. If there is no action set in advance corresponding to the received operation, the game progress unit 111 may ignore the operation or display an error message or the like.

[0079] FIG. 6 is an example of a game image related to skill activation provided by the game program. The game image 10 is displayed on the display unit 1072. The game image 10 includes a player character 11, a monster 12, an effect 13, a status gauge 14, and a predetermined area 20.

[0080] The player character 11 is represented as a human character as an example. The monster 12 is represented as a character of a fictional creature. In the game image 10, the player character 11 is in a state of riding on the monster 12 and receives operations from the user as an integrated operation character.

[0081] The effect 13 is an example of an effect image displayed when a skill is activated. In FIG. 6, the effect 13 is represented as light around the operation character.

[0082] The status gauge 14 is a UI component that indicates the status of the operation character. The status gauge 14 shows the increase and decrease of the HP (hit points) and SP (skill points) of the operation character in real time. HP is the quantification of the amount of damage that the operation character can withstand and can also be paraphrased as physical strength. For example, when the operation character receives damage from an enemy character's attack, the HP decreases, and when the HP reaches 0, the operation character is set to be inoperable. SP is the quantification of the ability of the operation character to activate skills and is consumed when a skill is activated. For example, when the operation character activates a skill, the SP decreases, and when the operation character damages an enemy character with a normal attack other than a skill, the SP recovers (increases). Here, HP and SP are set as shared statuses for the player character and the monster.

[0083] The predetermined area 20 is an example of an area that receives an input of a skill activation operation. The flick operation detected within the predetermined area 20 is received as a skill activation operation (the "skill activation operation" in step S2 of FIG. 4). As an example, when both the start position and the end position of the flick operation are detected within the predetermined area 20, the operation reception unit 114 receives it as a valid flick operation for skill activation.

[0084] The predetermined area 20 is arranged on the right side within the game image 10 so that the user can input a skill activation operation with the right hand (e.g., the right thumb) while holding the longitudinal end of the user terminal 100 horizontally with the hand. In this case, the user can input a skill activation operation with, for example, the right thumb and input other operations (such as movement) with the left thumb. However, it is not limited to this. The predetermined area 20 may be arranged on the left side within the game image 10 or may be an area covering the entire game image 10. The position and size of the predetermined area 20 may be designed to change as the game progresses. The predetermined area 20 may be visibly displayed to the user or may not be visible to the user. Needless to say, the user's operation is not limited to the thumb and may be input with any finger.

[0085] FIG. 6 also shows the user's hand 30, the start position 21 of the flick operation, and the flick operation 22. The illustrated flick operation 22 is received as an upward flick operation. The start position 21 and the flick operation 22 are shown for convenience of explanation and are not displayed in the game image 10. Also, the user's operation is not limited to the index finger.

[0086] In one embodiment, when the start of an operation input is detected, the input operation is accepted as a skill activation operation without displaying a guide UI that guides the operation direction to which a skill is assigned or the assigned skill. Thereby, the game image becomes simple, the user's sense of immersion can be enhanced, and the processing load on the processor 1001 can be reduced. Alternatively, images such as the start position 21 and the flick operation 22 may be displayed in the game image as an effect. For example, an image showing the trajectory of an operation such as the flick operation 22 may be superimposed and displayed.

[0087] FIG. 7 shows an example of an allocation table stored in the skill information storage unit 123. The allocation table in FIG. 7 includes four-direction flick operations (up, left, right, down) and the skill IDs and skill names assigned to each of them. In FIG. 7, for convenience of explanation, the four-direction flick operations are shown in a schematic representation. The skill ID is unique identification information (identification / identifier) that links skills across multiple tables. The skill name is presented to the user, for example, to identify a skill in a game image (game screen). In FIG. 7, the skill "Jump" is assigned to the upward flick operation, the skill "Fire" is assigned to the leftward flick operation, no skill is assigned to the rightward direction (NA: Not available / Not applicable), and "Stomp" is assigned to the downward direction. The allocation table is designed by a game designer. Alternatively, the allocation table is assigned, changed, or set by the user as will be described later. The skill assigned to an operation in the allocation table is a skill held by at least one of the player character or monster, which is an operation character.

[0088] FIG. 8 shows an example of a skill details table stored in the skill information storage unit 123. The skill details table is arbitrarily designed by a game designer and includes setting information for each skill in the game. In this example, the skill details table includes information on skill ID, skill name, assignable direction, skill description, SP consumption, and special SP consumption.

[0089] The assignable direction is an example of information specifying an operation to which a skill can be assigned. In this example, each skill can be assigned to any one of the four directions of the flick operation. For example, the skill "Jump" can be assigned to the upward flick operation. The skill "Attack" can also be assigned to the upward flick operation. The skill "Fire" can be assigned to the leftward flick operation. The skill "Thunder" can be assigned to the rightward flick operation. The skill "Stomp" can be assigned to the downward flick operation.

[0090] The description of the skill includes character information that concisely describes the skill and can be presented to the user in the game image. The description of the skill may include a description of the effect when the skill is activated. The description of the skill may also be parameters that define the attack power and attack range.

[0091] The consumed SP indicates the SP required to activate the skill and is set for each skill. When the skill is activated, the SP possessed by the operating character as shown in the status gauge 14 of FIG. 6 is consumed. If the consumed SP is greater than the SP possessed by the operating character, the skill cannot be activated. Therefore, the consumed SP is one of the activation conditions of the skill. Here, the consumed SP of the skill "Jump" is set to 20, and the consumed SP of the skill "Attack" is set to 15. Note that here, the consumed SP is assumed not to depend on the level of the skill.

[0092] The special consumed SP can be adopted as a special effect when both the player character and the monster hold a specific skill. Here, the special consumed SP is set to a value smaller than the consumed SP, and the activation conditions are set to be relaxed for the skills held by both the player character and the monster.

[0093] FIG. 5 shows the details of the skill activation process in step S4 among the processes shown in FIG. 4. In step S401, the skill activation unit 116 determines whether the skill assigned to the operation is held based on the held skill table of the player character stored in the skill information storage unit 123, and reads the level if the skill is held. In step S402, the skill activation unit 116 determines whether the skill assigned to the operation is held based on the held skill table of the monster character stored in the skill information storage unit 123, and reads the level if the skill is held. Steps S401 and S402 may be executed in reverse order or simultaneously in parallel.

[0094] Figures 9A and 9B show an example of the held skill table stored in the skill information storage unit 123. The held skill table includes information on the skills held by each character (skills associated with each character). The skill information may include a skill ID, a skill name, and the level of the skill. The number or type of skills held by each character may change as the game progresses. For example, each character may be designed to acquire new skills when a predetermined condition such as an increase in experience points is satisfied. The number or type of skills held by each character may also be fixed. The level of the skill may also change as the game progresses for each character and for each skill. For example, the level of the skill may be designed to increase when a predetermined condition such as the passage of time or the frequency of use of the skill is satisfied. The level of the skill may also be a fixed value.

[0095] Figure 9A shows an example of the held skill table for a specific player character (Player Character A). Player Character A holds skills such as "Jump", "Fire", etc., and the level of "Jump" is 1 and the level of "Fire" is 2. Figure 9B shows an example of the held skill table for a specific monster (Monster B). Monster B holds skills such as "Jump", "Stomp", etc., and the level of "Jump" is 3 and the level of "Stomp" is 1.

[0096] The skill information storage unit 123 may store a held skill table such as that in Figure 9A or 9B for each character. For example, when a user can possess a plurality of player characters and a plurality of monsters in the game, if there are 3 player characters and 5 monsters, a total of 8 held skill tables can be stored.

[0097] When the skill to be activated is "Jump", using the examples in FIGS. 9A and 9B, in step S401, the player character (Player Character A) holds the skill "Jump", and its level is "1". In step S402, the monster (Monster B) holds the skill "Jump", and its level is "3".

[0098] In step S403, the skill activation unit 116 determines whether both the player character and the monster hold the skill. If both hold it (YES), it proceeds to step S404. If only one of them holds it (NO), it proceeds to step S405. In the above example, since both the player character and the monster hold the skill "Jump", it proceeds to step S404.

[0099] In step S404, the skill activation unit 116 reads information specifying the special effect from the skill information storage unit 123 and prepares to add the special effect to the skill activation. The special effect refers to the effect added when both the player character and the monster hold the skill to be activated. By adding the special effect, when both the player character and the monster hold a certain skill, the skill is activated in a different manner from when only one of the player character or the monster holds the skill.

[0100] The first example of the special effect is to activate a skill at a level higher than the level of the skill held by either the player character or the monster. In this case, for example, the skill activation unit 116 reads from the skill information storage unit 123 the specified information that adopts, as the activation level, a level that is higher by a value M (M>0) than the level of the skill held by the player character or the monster. Taking the example of the skill "Jump", the skill activation unit 116 adopts, as the activation level, a level "1+M (for example, 2, 3, 4... etc.)" that is higher than the level "1" of the player character, or a level "3+M (for example, 4, 5, 6... etc.)" that is higher than the level "3" of the monster. The activation level is not limited to an integer and may be a decimal such as "2.5", "3.2", etc.

[0101] The second example of the special effect is to activate a skill at the total level obtained by adding up the level of the skill held by the player character and the level of the skill held by the monster. In this case, for example, the skill activation unit 116 reads from the skill information storage unit 123 the specified information that adopts, as the activation level, the total level of the player character and the monster. Taking the example of the skill "Jump", the skill activation unit 116 adopts, as the activation level, the total level "4" (1 + 3 = 4) obtained by adding up the level "1" of the player character and the level "3" of the monster.

[0102] The third example of the special effect is to make it possible to activate a skill under more relaxed conditions. In this case, for example, the skill activation unit 116 reads from the skill information storage unit 123 the specified information that adopts the above special consumption SP instead of the consumption SP. Taking the example of the skill "Jump", for example, the special consumption SP "12" is adopted instead of the consumption SP "20".

[0103] The fourth example of the special effect is to add a special effect to the game scene related to the activation of the skill. In this case, for example, the skill activation unit 116 reads information specifying the special effect to be added at the time of skill activation from the skill information storage unit 123. The special effect can be added to the normal effect (for example, effect 13 in FIG. 6) at the time of skill activation. The special effect includes, for example, visual effects on the game image such as changes in the color or light of the controlled character, changes in the color or light of the attack animation, wind noise, explosion sound, melody, and other sound effects output together with the game image, or effects by vibration. The special effect may be a combination of these.

[0104] The fifth example of the special effect is to change the range or influence of the skill activation. In this case, for example, the skill activation unit 116 reads information specifying the range or influence of the skill activation from the skill information storage unit 123. For example, the special effect enlarges the attack range or attack power by a predetermined magnification. The special effect may change the skill attribute, such as changing the fire attribute to the water attribute. Alternatively, the special effect may include other effects related to the battle scene with the enemy characters, such as an effect of recovering HP, an effect of freezing the enemy character for a certain period of time, and an effect of making the controlled character invincible for a certain period of time.

[0105] Due to such special effects, even for the same skill at the same level, the skill is activated in a different manner when both the player character and the monster hold the skill compared to the case where only one of the player character or the monster holds the skill. The above special effects may be adopted in combination. The content, setting values, combinations, etc. of the special effects may be arbitrarily set by the game designer.

[0106] In step S405, the skill activation unit 116 calculates various parameters related to the activation of the skill. The activation of the skill affects the status parameters of the controlled character, which is the activation subject, or the surrounding enemy characters.

[0107] As an example, the skill activation unit 116 first obtains the value of the consumption SP of the skill to be activated based on the skill details table stored in the skill information storage unit 123. The skill activation unit 116 also cooperates with the object control unit 112 to obtain the value of the SP owned by the operation character and compares it with the value of the consumption SP. If the value of the consumption SP of the skill is greater than the value of the SP owned by the operation character, the activation condition is not satisfied, so the skill activation unit 116 does not activate the skill. In this case, it may be configured to display "Insufficient SP" or the like in cooperation with the display control unit 113. If the value of the consumption SP of the skill is less than the value of the SP owned by the operation character, the skill activation unit 116 subtracts the consumption SP from the value of the SP owned by the operation character. Note that when special consumption SP is adopted as a special effect, "consumption SP" is read as "special consumption SP".

[0108] When the activation condition is satisfied, the skill activation unit 116 further reads from the effect table stored in the skill information storage unit 123 information (for example, information regarding attack power, attack range, recovery power, special effects, etc.) specifying the effect of the skill corresponding to the level to be activated. Based on the read information, the skill activation unit 116 calculates, for example, using a preset calculation formula, how much the physical parameter of the enemy character within the attack range should be reduced, how much the physical parameter of the operation character should be recovered, and so on. The skill activation unit 116 passes the calculated parameters to the game progress unit 111 and the object control unit 112 to update various statuses of the operation character and the enemy character.

[0109] FIG. 10 shows an example of the effect table stored in the skill information storage unit 123. The effect table includes information specifying the effect when the skill is activated for each level. The effect table is arbitrarily designed by the game designer. In FIG. 10, among various skills, the effects of the skills "Jump" and "Fire" are exemplified. "Level" means "total level" when the levels of the player character and the monster are added together.

[0110] In FIG. 10, for each level, the attack power is specified numerically, and the attack range is specified as a grid-like area (the black filling represents the position of the controlled character, and the hatching represents the range of the attack). Each skill is set such that the effect increases as the level increases. For example, for the skill "Jump", the attack power and the attack range increase as the level increases. For "Jump" at level 1, the attack power is 10 and the attack range is 1 block in front of the controlled character. For "Jump" at level 2, the attack power is 12 and the attack range extends to 8 blocks in front of and on both sides of the controlled character. For "Jump" at level 3, the attack power is 15 and the attack range extends to 24 blocks in front of and on both sides of the controlled character. The skill activation unit 116 can use such values for the parameter calculation in step S405. That is, as a special effect, when a skill is activated at a higher level or total level, a more powerful influence can be brought about, and the user can progress in the game more advantageously.

[0111] The effect table may further include setting information such that the effect of the skill becomes more powerful when the level reaches the threshold N. As an example, FIG. 10 shows that a special skill (described as "Special" in the figure) is activated when the level reaches N. Special skills include, for example, those in which the nature of the effect does not change but the effect becomes more powerful (the first special skill), those that produce a new effect that did not exist before the level reached N (the second special skill), etc. For example, for "Jump" at level N, the attack power is 100, and as a special skill, the attack also reaches the enemies behind. This is an example of the first special skill in which the nature of the effect does not change but the effect becomes more powerful. On the other hand, for the skill "Fire" at level 1, the attack power is 10 and the attack range is 11 blocks around the controlled character. For the skill "Fire" at level 2, the attack range remains the same and the attack power increases to 20. For "Fire" at level N, the attack power is 300, the attack range also expands, and as a special skill, an effect of becoming invincible for a certain time after the attack is produced. This is an example of the second special skill that produces a new effect that did not exist before the level reached N.

[0112] The special skill may be activated only when both the player character and the monster hold the skill. In this case, the special skill can be said to be an example of the special effects described above.

[0113] In step S406, the skill activation unit 116 generates and displays display data for displaying an image related to skill activation in cooperation with the game progress unit 111 and the display control unit 113. The image related to skill activation includes an image in which the player character rides on the monster and activates a skill held by the player character or the monster. The image related to skill activation also includes, for example, the effect 13 shown in the game image 10 of FIG. 6. As an example of the above special effect, the number of effects 13 may be increased or the color of the effect 13 may be changed. Skill activation may be expressed as if the player character 11 executed the skill, or as if the monster 12 executed the skill, or as if both executed the skill. For example, as an expression of the activation of the skill "Fire", an image in which fire blows out from the tip of the sword held by the player character 11, or an image in which fire blows out from the mouth of the monster 12, or both of them may be used.

[0114] (3-2) Processing related to skill assignment Next, with reference to FIGS. 11 to 16, the processing related to skill assignment will be described. The user terminal 100 can assign a skill to an arbitrary operation according to the user's selection. Hereinafter, it will continue to be described on the assumption that the operation for activating the skill (the operation to which the skill can be assigned) is a flick operation in the four directions of up, down, left, and right. Also, hereinafter, it will be described on the assumption that the total level obtained by adding up the levels is used as a special effect added when both the player character and the monster hold the skill.

[0115] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a process related to skill assignment among the processes of the user terminal 100 shown in FIG. 3. As a premise for the subsequent processes, it is assumed that the game progresses according to the code described in the game program and display data is generated through the cooperation of the control unit 110 and the storage unit 120 of the user terminal 100.

[0116] In step S11, the control unit 110 determines, via the operation reception unit 114, whether an instruction for skill assignment processing has been received during the progress of the game. The instruction for skill assignment processing is received, for example, as an operation in which the user taps a specific UI button in a game image indicating an arbitrary game scene such as a field scene. The skill assignment process can be started at any timing when the user desires to check the assignment status or change the assignment at the start of the game or during the progress of the game. If the instruction is not received (NO), the progress of the game continues. If the instruction for skill assignment processing is received (YES), the process proceeds to step S12.

[0117] In step S12, the control unit 110 generates display data for displaying a game image showing the skill assignment status via the display control unit 113 and causes the display unit 1072 to display it. The display control unit 113 generates the display data based on the skill detail table stored in the skill information storage unit 123. As shown in FIG. 8, assignable directions are set in advance for each skill, and it is assumed that one skill can be assigned to each direction. In the example of FIG. 8, either "jump" or "attack" can be assigned to the flick operation in the upward direction. The skill may include a skill whose activation operation is assigned in advance by the game designer and whose assignment cannot be changed by the user. A plurality of assignable directions may be set for each skill, or the assignable direction of each skill may be limited by setting only one assignable direction.

[0118] Figure 14 is an example of a game image showing the skill assignment status displayed in step S12. The game image 50 is displayed on the display unit 1072 of the user terminal 100. The game image 50 includes a scene title 51, a back button 52, and a table 53. The scene title 51 includes the characters "Flick Skill Assignment" and indicates that the current display is related to flick skill assignment.

[0119] The back button 52 is an example of a UI component (operation button) that can be selected by the user. The back button 52 has a so-called "back" function. When the back button 52 is selected by a tap operation or the like, the game image 50 is switched to the image shown immediately before (for example, a game image showing a field scene).

[0120] The table 53 shows the skill assignment status in a list. The table 53 is generated based on the latest held skill table and assignment table each time the game image 50 is displayed. This example assumes a situation where skills have already been assigned to each direction of the flick operation. Similar to the assignment table in FIG. 7, "Jump" is assigned to the flick direction "up", "Fire" is assigned to the flick direction "left", and "Stomp" is assigned to the flick direction "down". The character information "No skill is held" is displayed in the flick direction "right". This indicates that the monster or player character does not hold a skill assignable to the flick direction "right" and no skill is assigned. Also, in this example, in addition to the flick directions of up, down, left, and right, a long-press operation (the central circle with hatching) is also displayed as in the bottom row. This is assumed to be a setting where the skill "Dive" is assigned to the long-press operation by default and the user cannot change the assignment.

[0121] Table 53 also includes, for each skill, the level of the player character (simply referred to as "player" in the figure) and the level of the monster. As shown in the holding skill table of FIGS. 9A and 9B, each character has a level for each skill it holds. Table 53 also includes the total level obtained by adding the level of the player character and the level of the monster. The skill "Jump" assigned to the upward flick operation has the player character at "Level 1", the monster at "Level 3", and the total at "Level 4" (4 = 1 + 3). On the other hand, the skill "Fire" assigned to the leftward flick operation has the player character at "Level 2" and the monster at "none" (the monster does not hold the skill "Fire"), and the total at "Level 2" (2 = 2 + 0). Thus, for a skill not held by either the player character or the monster, the total level is calculated with its level being zero (0). Table 53 may display "Level 0" instead of "none".

[0122] Table 53 also includes a detail button 54 and a change button 55. The detail button 54 is an example of a UI component selectable by the user. The detail button 54 is arranged one by one for each flick skill displayed in Table 53. When the detail button 54 is selected, the display control unit 113 causes a game image (skill detail image) showing detailed information about each skill, which will be described later, to be displayed.

[0123] The change button 55 is also an example of a UI component selectable by the user. The change button 55 is arranged one by one for each skill among the flick skills displayed in Table 53 that the user can change the assignment for. When the change button 55 is selected, the display control unit 113 causes a game image (skill change image) for changing the assignment of the skill, which will be described later, to be displayed.

[0124] By displaying an image showing the skill assignment status as shown in FIG. 14, for example, the user can check which skills are currently assigned to which operations. Further, when the user wants to finish checking the assignment status, the user can select the return button 52, when the user wants to check the details of the skills, the user can select the detail button 54, and when the user wants to change the skill assignment, the user can select the change button 55.

[0125] Even when the user performs skill assignment for the first time (at the initial assignment), the user can assign a skill to an operation by selecting the change button 55 from an image showing the skill assignment status as shown in FIG. 14. At the initial assignment, default-set skills may be temporarily assigned to each flick direction, or skills may not be assigned to all flick directions. If no skill is assigned to any flick direction, in the example of FIG. 14, the characters "No skill is assigned" and the change button 55 may be displayed in the row of the corresponding flick direction.

[0126] In step S13 of FIG. 11, the control unit 110 determines, via the operation reception unit 114, whether a predetermined operation has been received in the game image showing the skill assignment status. The predetermined operation includes an operation of switching the image showing the skill assignment status to another image. Here, it is assumed that the predetermined operation is an operation in which any one of the return button 52, the detail button 54, or the change button 55 in FIG. 14 is selected. If the predetermined operation is not received (NO), the image showing the skill assignment status is maintained, and if the predetermined operation is received (YES), the process proceeds to step S14.

[0127] In step S14, the control unit 110 determines, via the operation reception unit 114, the content of the received predetermined operation. Here, the content of the operation is any one of "return", "detail", or "change". If it is "return", the process proceeds to step S15, if it is "detail", the process proceeds to step S16, and if it is "change", the process proceeds to step S17. In step S15, the control unit 110 causes the display control unit 113 to display the image that was displayed immediately before the image of the skill assignment status. In step S16, the control unit 110 mainly causes the display control unit 113 to perform skill detail display processing described later. In step S17, the control unit 110 mainly causes the skill assignment unit 115 to perform skill change processing described later.

[0128] FIG. 12 shows the details of the skill detail display processing in step S16 among the processes shown in FIG. 11. In step S1601, the display control unit 113 acquires detailed information of the selected skill from the skill detail table stored in the skill information storage unit 123. For example, in FIG. 14, when the detail button 54 in the row of the skill "Jump" (upward flick operation) is pressed, the display control unit 113 acquires detailed information regarding the skill "Jump" from the skill detail table shown in FIG. 8.

[0129] In step S1602, the display control unit 113 generates and displays a skill detail image showing the skill information based on the acquired information.

[0130] FIG. 15 is an example of the skill detail image displayed in step S1602. The game image 60 can be displayed on the display unit 1072 of the user terminal 100. The game image 60 is an example of an image when the detail button 54 in the row of the skill "Jump" in FIG. 14 is pressed, and includes a scene title 61, a flick direction 62, a skill name 63, SP information 64, an explanation 65, a switch button 66, and a back button 67.

[0131] The scene title 61 includes the characters "Skill Detail" and indicates that the currently displayed image is a skill detail image (in this example, an image displayed as a result of pressing the detail button 54 in the image 50 showing the skill assignment status).

[0132] The flick direction 62 indicates the flick direction to which a skill can be assigned. The skill name 63 indicates the name of the skill (in this example, "Jump"). The SP information 64 indicates information on the consumed SP and the special consumed SP. The description 65 includes the description of the skill. The switching button 66 has a function of switching the game image 60 to the skill details image regarding the next flick skill that was displayed in the image 50 of the previous skill assignment status. In this example, when the switching button 66 is selected, the game image 60 is switched to the image showing the detailed information of the skill "Fire" which is displayed in the row one below the skill "Jump" in FIG. 14.

[0133] The back button 67 provides a "back" function similar to the back button 52 in FIG. 14. In this example, when the back button 67 is selected, the game image 60 is switched to the image 50 of the skill assignment status that was shown immediately before.

[0134] In step S1603, the operation reception unit 114 determines whether a predetermined operation has been received in the skill details image. The predetermined operation includes an operation of switching the skill details image to another image. Here, it is assumed that the predetermined operation is an operation in which either the switching button 66 or the back button 67 is selected in relation to the example in FIG. 15. If the predetermined operation is not received (NO), the skill details image is maintained, and if the predetermined operation is received (YES), the process proceeds to step S1604.

[0135] In step S1604, the operation reception unit 114 determines the content of the received predetermined operation. Here, the content of the operation is either "switch" or "back". In the case of "switch", the process proceeds to step S1605, and in the case of "back", the skill details display process is exited, and the process shifts from step S16 to step S12 in FIG. 11. In step S12, the display control unit 113 displays the assignment status again.

[0136] In step S1605, the display control unit 113 selects the next skill (for example, the lower row) in the allocation status display image. Then, it returns to step S1601 again, obtains information regarding the next skill (S1601), generates a new skill detail image based on the obtained display, and displays it.

[0137] FIG. 13 shows the details of the skill change process in step S17 among the processes shown in FIG. 11. The skill change process is a process that enables assigning skills in each direction of the flick operation according to the user's selection. The skill change process can also be referred to as an assignment process or a setting process, and includes an initial setting process in which the user assigns a skill to the flick operation for the first time.

[0138] In step S1701, the operation reception unit 114 identifies the flick direction selected regarding the change of the skill. The selected flick direction is determined by which change button 55 is selected in the example of FIG. 14. For example, when the change button 55 within the row of the skill "jump" assigned to the upward flick operation is pressed, the operation reception unit 114 identifies that the upward flick operation is selected. The operation reception unit 114 passes the information representing the identified flick direction to the skill assignment unit 115.

[0139] In step S1702, the skill assignment unit 115 obtains all the skills that can be assigned to the selected flick direction and their respective levels among the skills held by the player character from the held skill table stored in the skill information storage unit 123. In step S1703, the skill assignment unit 115 obtains all the skills that can be assigned to the selected flick direction and their respective levels among the skills held by the monster from the held skill table stored in the skill information storage unit 123. Needless to say, step S1702 and step S1703 may be executed in the reverse order or simultaneously in parallel.

[0140] Next, in step S1704, the skill allocation unit 115 calculates the total level of each skill based on the information obtained in steps S1702 and S1703. More specifically, the skill allocation unit 115 first generates the union of the skills held by the player character and the skills held by the monster that can be allocated to the selected flick direction. The union is a set of skills held by at least one of the player character or the monster. Then, for each skill included in the union, the skill allocation unit 115 adds up the level of the player character and the level of the monster to calculate the total level.

[0141] In step S1705, the display control unit 113 displays a game image for skill change (skill change image). The skill change image can also be referred to as a setting image for setting skill allocation. In one embodiment, the skill change image includes the direction of the flick operation, information on the skills that can be allocated to the direction of the flick operation, the level of the skills held by the player character, and the level of the skills held by the monster.

[0142] FIG. 16 is an example of the skill change image or the setting image displayed in step S1705. The game image 70 can be displayed on the display unit 1072 of the user terminal 100. The game image 70 is an example of an image when the change button 55 in the row of the skill "jump" assigned to the upward flick operation in FIG. 14 is pressed, and includes information obtained from the held skill table in FIGS. 9A and 9B. The game image 70 includes a scene title 71, candidate columns 72 to 75, a cursor 76, an OK button 77, and a cancel button 78.

[0143] The scene title 71 includes the characters "Skill Change" and indicates that the currently displayed image is a skill change image (in this example, an image displayed as a result of pressing the change button 55 in the image 50 showing the skill allocation status).

[0144] Candidate fields 72 to 75 are an example of UI components that present candidates for skill changes. Candidate field 72 contains the character "Remove" and presents an option to remove (cancel the assignment) the skill assignment in the selected flick direction (upward in this example). Candidate fields 73 to 75 correspond to the union of the skills held by at least one of the player character or the monster that can be assigned in the selected flick direction. In this example, as skills that can be assigned upward, in addition to the assigned "Jump" (candidate field 73), "Attack" (candidate field 74) and "Slash" (candidate field 75) are presented. Candidate fields 73 to 75 also include information indicating, for each skill, the level of the player character (player level), the level of the monster (monster level), and the combined level (total level). For example, candidate field 73 includes the character information "Player level 1 + Monster level 3 = Total level 4" for the skill "Jump". For example, since the monster does not hold the skill "Slash", candidate field 75 includes the character information "Player level 1 + No monster level = Total level 1" for the skill "Slash". Candidate field 75 may be replaced with character information such as "Player level 1 + Monster level 0 = Total level 1" or "Player level 1 = Total level 1". When the number of assignable skills is more or less, the number of displayed UI components (candidate fields) also increases or decreases.

[0145] Cursor 76 is an example of a UI component that indicates that one of candidate fields 72 to 75 is selected. FIG. 16 shows a state where candidate field 73 is selected. The user can select candidate fields 72 to 75 by touching one of candidate fields 72 to 75 via, for example, touch screen 1007. When the user touches, cursor 76 moves to the selected candidate field 72 to 75. The movement of cursor 76 may also be caused by other operations such as a flick operation.

[0146] The OK button 77 is an example of a UI component that can be selected by the user and has a function of assigning the skill selected by cursor 76 in the flick direction.

[0147] The cancel button 78 is an example of a selectable UI component for the user, and has a function of canceling the change process and returning to an image (for example, game image 50) showing the skill assignment status displayed immediately before the game image 70.

[0148] When there are multiple skills assignable to a specific flick direction, which skill to assign is left to the user's preference. The user may assign the skill with the highest total level, or may assign skills considering the overall balance including other skills. When the level increases according to the number of times a skill is used, the user may assign the skill for the purpose of raising the level. Alternatively, the user's preference may be based on the effects when the skill is activated, etc.

[0149] In step S1706, the operation reception unit 114 determines whether a predetermined operation has been received in the skill change image. The predetermined operation includes an operation of switching the skill change image to another image. Here, the predetermined operation is assumed to be an operation in which either the OK button 77 or the cancel button 78 is selected in relation to the example of FIG. 16. If the predetermined operation is not received (NO), the skill change image is maintained, and if the predetermined operation is received (YES), the process proceeds to step S1707.

[0150] In step S1707, the operation reception unit 114 determines the content of the received operation. Here, the content of the operation is either "OK" or "cancel". In the case of "OK", the process proceeds to step S1708, and in the case of "cancel", the skill change process is exited and the process shifts from step S17 to S12 in FIG. 11. In step S12, the display control unit 113 displays the assignment status again.

[0151] In step S1708, the skill assignment unit 115 executes a process of assigning the skill selected by the cursor 76 in the selected flick direction. The skill assignment unit 115 executes the process of assigning the skill by reflecting the change in the assignment table as shown in FIG. 7. After that, the skill change process is exited, and the process proceeds from steps S17 to S12 in FIG. 11, and the display control unit 113 performs an assignment status display reflecting the latest skill assignment again. For example, in the skill change image 70 shown in FIG. 16, when the OK button 77 is pressed with the candidate column 74 (Attack) selected, the skill assignment unit 115 rewrites the row in the flick direction "up" in the assignment table of FIG. 7 from "Jump" to "Attack". For example, in FIG. 16, when the OK button 77 is pressed with the candidate column 72 (Remove) selected, the skill assignment unit 115 rewrites the "up" row from "Jump" to "NA". For example, in FIG. 16, when the OK button 77 is pressed with the candidate column 73 (Jump) selected, the skill assignment unit 115 maintains the "up" row as "Jump". The assignment table changed (updated) as described above will be read during the skill activation process.

[0152] (4) Effect As described in detail above, when the game program according to an embodiment receives an operation for activating a skill held by a player character or a monster, it activates the skill corresponding to the received operation. Here, when both the player character and the monster hold the skill, the game program activates the skill in a mode different from the case where either the player character or the monster holds the skill by adding a special effect. Thereby, in a game in which a plurality of characters can be operated integrally, while ensuring the diversity that a skill held by any one of the characters can be activated, a sense of unity in operating a plurality of characters can be brought about, and the interestingness can be enhanced.

[0153] Also, the game program according to one embodiment enables assigning skills to each of a plurality of directions of a flick operation according to a user's selection. The game program stores, in the skill information storage unit 123 as an assignment table, the correspondence between the operations and the skills assigned to the operations. The game program also enables the user to change the skill assignment. The user can strategically assign skills according to the progress of the game and activate the skills with simple operations. By providing certain restrictions, such as setting the operations that can be assigned to each skill in advance, the strategic nature of the game is enhanced and the interestingness is improved. Even on a user terminal without physical buttons such as a console-type device, by storing the correspondence between the operations and the assigned skills like the above-described assignment table, the skills corresponding to the input operations can be activated without an excessive processing load.

[0154] Therefore, according to one embodiment, it is possible to provide a technology that can realize an integrated action of a plurality of characters with simple operations.

[0155] [Other Embodiments] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. In the above, a game in which a player character rides on a monster and takes actions in the field has been described as an example, but it is not limited to this. For example, if a plurality of characters can be operated integrally, they may be in a mode where two characters run side by side, or in a mode where one character chases another character, or it is also applicable to a mode where a plurality of characters combine and accept operations as a new single character. Also, the embodiment is not limited to a game that enables operating two characters integrally, and is similarly applicable to a game that enables operating three or more characters integrally. When operating three or more characters integrally, the skills may be activated in different modes depending on whether only one character holds skills, two characters hold skills, or three or more characters hold skills.

[0156] The game realized by the game program may be a game in which the user can change the operation character. For example, the user has a plurality of player characters with different holding skills respectively, and also a plurality of monsters with different holding skills respectively, and can create a combination of player characters and monsters according to the strategy. When the combination of player characters and monsters is changed, the user may be made to execute the assignment of flick skills each time.

[0157] Note that the function of assigning skills to operations according to the user's selection is not premised on a game that operates a plurality of characters integrally. The same function can be adopted in a game in which the user operates a single character. In this case, the control unit 110 can omit steps S1703 to S1704 shown in FIG. 13, extract skills that can be assigned to a specific operation from the skills held by a single character, and present them to the user as assignment candidates.

[0158] The operations to which skills can be assigned are not limited to flick operations. The embodiment is applicable to any operation that can be input to the touch panel. Similarly, the embodiment is also applicable to operations of selecting UI components (for example, operation buttons, icons, soft keyboards) displayed within the game screen, or operations via other physical input devices. Therefore, although the touch panel has been described as an example of the input unit 1071, it is not limited thereto. The input unit 1071 may be a controller provided with a plurality of buttons. The user's operation on the input unit 1071 may be replaced with an operation on the controller buttons, or an operation via a keyboard or a mouse. For example, a tap operation may be rephrased as a click operation.

[0159] Furthermore, the flick operation to which skills are assigned is not limited to the four directions of up, down, left, and right, and may include the four diagonal directions. Without distinguishing the flick directions, a single skill may be assigned to all flick operations. For example, different skills may be assigned to flick operations, single tap operations, and double tap operations, respectively. The embodiments are also applicable when skills are assigned to other user operations such as tap operations (single tap / double tap), long press operations, swipe operations, pinch-in operations, and pinch-out operations.

[0160] The operation reception unit 114 can also receive the signal from the sensor 1004 as a user operation. For example, the operation reception unit 114 can detect a user gesture via an image sensor or a gesture sensor and receive it as an operation. Alternatively, the operation reception unit 114 can detect a user's voice via a sound sensor and receive it as an operation. In this case, it is also possible to assign skills to specific gestures or voice keywords.

[0161] The specific numerical values, game images, detailed settings of skills, etc. described above are only shown for the convenience of explanation, and various other values may be adopted.

[0162] The flow of the process described using the flowchart is not limited to the described procedure, and the order of some steps may be swapped, or some steps may be performed in parallel. Also, the series of processes described above do not need to be executed continuously in time, and each step may be executed at any timing.

[0163] The configurations of the server 200 and the user terminal 100 may be replaced with other configurations capable of implementing the game program according to the embodiments. The configurations of the server 200 and the user terminal 100 may be omitted, distributed and arranged in a plurality of devices, or replaced with similar configurations. Each functional unit of the server 200 and the user terminal 100 may be implemented by using a circuit. The circuit may be a dedicated circuit for implementing a specific function, or a general-purpose circuit such as a processor.

[0164] At least a part of the processing of each of the above embodiments can also be realized, for example, by using a processor mounted on a general-purpose computer as basic hardware. The program for realizing the above processing may be stored and provided in a computer-readable recording medium. The program is stored in the recording medium as an installable file or an executable file. Examples of the recording medium include a magnetic disk, an optical disk (such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, DVD), a magneto-optical disk (such as an MO), and a semiconductor memory. Any recording medium may be used as long as it can store the program and is readable by a computer. Further, the program for realizing the above processing may be stored on a computer (server) connected to a network such as the Internet, and downloaded to a computer (client) via the network.

[0165] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist thereof at the implementation stage. Also, the embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations, and in that case, the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combinations selected from a plurality of disclosed constituent elements. For example, even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiments, if the problem can be solved and the effect can be obtained, the configuration from which these constituent elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0166] 1…Game system, 100…User terminal, 110…Control unit, 111…Game progress unit, 112…Object control unit, 113…Display control unit, 114…Operation reception unit, 115…Skill assignment unit, 116…Skill activation unit, 120…Memory unit, 121…Game program memory unit, 122…Game information memory unit, 123…Skill information memory unit, 200…Server, 211…Reception control unit, 212…Transmission control unit, 213…Game progress unit, 220…Memory unit, 221…Game program memory unit, 222…Game information memory unit, 223…User information database, 1001…Processor, 1002…Memory, 1003…Storage, 1004…Sensor, 1005…Communication interface, 1006…Input / output interface, 1007…Touch screen, 1008…Bus, 1071…Input unit, 1072…Display unit, 2001…Processor, 2002…Memory, 2003…Storage, 2004…Communication interface, 2005…Input / output interface, 2006…Bus.

Claims

1. Computer, a display means for displaying on the same screen a flick direction of a flick operation, a skill name of a skill assigned to the flick direction, a first level of the skill held by a first character, a second level of the skill held by a second character, and a total level of the first level and the second level held by the first character and the second character, respectively; Function as a The total level is a level of a predetermined skill when the first character and the second character are operated together to activate the predetermined skill, and both the first character and the second character have the predetermined skill. program.

2. The program according to claim 1 , wherein the flick direction includes at least one of an upward direction, a downward direction, a leftward direction, and a rightward direction, and a different skill can be assigned to each of the flick directions.

3. A computer comprising: The program according to claim 1 or 2, further functioning as a setting means for changing, allocating, setting or initially setting the skill assigned to the flick direction in which the change button is arranged based on the selection of the change button arranged for each flick direction.

4. The program according to claim 3 , wherein the setting means presents one or more skills as candidates for a skill change to be assigned to the flick direction.

5. A computer comprising: It also functions as a means of displaying skill details, The program described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the skill details display means presents information regarding the skill assigned to the flick direction in which the details button is arranged, based on the selection of a details button arranged for each flick direction.

6. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first character and the second character are operable as a unit.

7. a display means for displaying on the same screen a flick direction of a flick operation, a skill name of a skill assigned to the flick direction, a first level of the skill held by a first character, a second level of the skill held by a second character, and a total level of the first level and the second level held by the first character and the second character, respectively; Equipped with The total level is a level of a predetermined skill when the first character and the second character are operated together to activate the predetermined skill, and both the first character and the second character have the predetermined skill. system.

Images