Game device and program

Abstract

To simplify an operation of selecting among a plurality of candidates.SOLUTION: A game device includes: an operation detection part 231 for detecting location information of an input operation to an input device such as a touch panel, from the start to the end of the operation; an operation target selection part 251 for selecting an operation target object from among first candidate objects, based on location information in the start of the detected input operation; an instruction content determination part 252 for determining an instruction content for the operation target object, based on a movement locus from the start to the end of the detected input operation; an attack target selection part 253 for selecting a recipient target object from among second candidate objects, based on location information at the end of the detected input operation; and an execution part 254 for giving an influence to the recipient target object, based on the instruction content.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a game device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been known game devices that provide a game in which a plurality of objects owned by a user, for example, ally characters, are pitted against opponent characters owned by another user (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such games, in order to determine one instruction, the user may perform an operation to select from among a plurality of candidates. For example, when an ally character is to attack an opponent character with the instruction content indicated by the command type, the user operates an input device such as a touch panel to select three items for the user: the character to be used (operation target), the command type (instruction content), and the character that will deliver the attack (recipient). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-000498 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, a typical display screen for such a game is one in which ally characters m1 to m5 and opponent characters n1 to n4 are arranged facing each other, as shown in (a) of Figure 24. In such a display screen, the operation of selecting an operation target is an operation of selecting from among the displayed characters m1 to m5, and the operation of selecting a receiver is an operation of selecting from among the displayed characters n1 to n4, which can be said to be intuitively easy to understand.

[0005] However, since the area where characters m1 to m5 are arranged and the area where characters n1 to n4 are arranged are separated from each other, the user must separately perform an operation P to designate one of characters m1 to m5 (m4 in the figure) with a finger or the like, and an operation Q to designate one of characters n1 to n4 (n3 in the figure), as shown in (b) of the same figure. Furthermore, when selecting a type of command, an operation to separately designate the type of attack to be used from one or more types of attack is required.

[0006] As described above, in order to decide on one instruction in the above game, it is necessary to repeat the operation of selecting from among a plurality of candidates multiple times, which causes a problem of cumbersome operations for the user. The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide a technology that enables an operator to easily select an item from among a plurality of candidates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a game device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a game device that accepts input operations on an input device that can specify a position on a display screen, and has a display control unit that displays two or more first candidate objects that are candidates for an operation target in a first area of a display area, and displays two or more second candidate objects that are candidates for a recipient in a second area; an operation detection unit that detects position information of an input operation on the input device from the start to the end of the operation; an operation target selection unit that selects an operation target object from among the first candidate objects based on position information at the start of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit; an instruction content determination unit that determines instruction content for the operation target object based on a part or all of a movement trajectory from the start to the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit; a recipient target selection unit that selects a recipient target object from among the second candidate objects based on position information at the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit; and an execution unit that exerts an effect on the recipient object based on the instruction content.

[0008] A game system according to another aspect of the present invention is a game system that accepts input operations on an input device that can specify a position on a display screen, and includes: a display control unit that displays two or more first candidate objects that are candidates for operation targets in a first area of a display area, and two or more second candidate objects that are candidates for recipient targets in a second area; an operation detection unit that detects position information of input operations on the input device from the start to the end of the operation; an operation target selection unit that selects an operation target object from among the first candidate objects based on position information at the start of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit; an instruction content determination unit that determines the content of instructions to be given to the operation target object based on part or all of a movement trajectory from the start to the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit; a recipient target selection unit that selects a recipient target object from among the second candidate objects based on position information at the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit; and an execution unit that exerts an effect on the recipient target object based on the instruction content.

[0009] A computer according to yet another aspect of the present invention is a game device that accepts input operations on an input device that can specify a position on a display screen, and has a display control unit that displays two or more first candidate objects that are candidates for an operation target in a first area of a display area, and two or more second candidate objects that are candidates for a recipient in a second area; an operation detection unit that detects position information of an input operation on the input device from the start to the end of the operation; an operation target selection unit that selects an operation target object from among the first candidate objects based on position information at the start of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit; an instruction content determination unit that determines the content of an instruction to be given to the operation target object based on part or all of a movement trajectory from the start to the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit; a recipient target selection unit that selects a recipient target object from among the second candidate objects based on position information at the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit; and an execution unit that exerts an effect on the recipient object based on the instruction content.

[0010] A computer control method according to another aspect of the present invention is a computer control method for accepting input operations on an input device capable of specifying a position on a display screen, the method comprising the steps of: displaying two or more first candidate objects that are candidates for operation targets in a first area of a display area, and displaying two or more second candidate objects that are candidates for recipient targets in a second area; detecting position information of the input operation on the input device from the start to the end of the operation; selecting an object to be operated from the first candidate objects based on the position information at the start of the input operation, determining the content of instructions for the object to be operated based on part or all of the movement trajectory from the start to the end of the input operation, selecting an object to be received from the second candidate objects based on the position information at the end of the input operation; and affecting the object to be received based on the content of the instructions.

[0011] A program according to yet another aspect of the present invention causes a computer that receives an input operation on an input device capable of specifying a position on a display screen to function as a display control unit that displays two or more first candidate objects that are candidates for an operation target in a first area of a display area and two or more second candidate objects that are candidates for a recipient in a second area, an operation detection unit that detects position information of an input operation on the input device from the start to the end of the operation, an operation target selection unit that selects an operation target object from the first candidate objects based on position information at the start of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit, an instruction content determination unit that determines the content of an instruction to be given to the operation target object based on a part or all of a movement trajectory from the start to the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit, a recipient selection unit that selects a recipient object from the second candidate objects based on position information at the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit, and an execution unit that exerts an effect on the recipient object based on the instruction content. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system including a terminal device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a game server in the system. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a terminal device in the system. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the system. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of user information in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a battle process on the terminal device. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing attack determination processing in the terminal device. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a terminal device. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a terminal device. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a terminal device. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a terminal device. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of user information in the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a terminal device. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a terminal device. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a terminal device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a terminal device. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a terminal device. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a terminal device. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a terminal device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a terminal device according to an application example. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a terminal device according to an application example. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a terminal device according to an application example. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a system according to an application example. [Figure 24] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating examples of operations on a display screen of a conventional fighting game. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] First Embodiment 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a system including a terminal device according to the first embodiment. As shown in this diagram, the system 1 includes a plurality of terminal devices (game devices) 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, ... and a game server 10, and the plurality of terminal devices 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, ... are connected to the game server 10 via a mobile communication network Nb, a gateway 15, and the Internet Na. In the following description, the terminal devices 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, . . . will be generally described without specifying the terminal device, and the part after the "- (hyphen)" in the reference numeral will be omitted and simply referred to as "20."

[0015] In this embodiment, a game is provided to a user who owns a terminal device 20 via the terminal device 20. The game server 10 manages the game provided on the terminal device 20. To this end, the game server 10 provides necessary information to the terminal device 20 and manages various types of information. The content of the game and the various types of information that are managed will be described later.

[0016] 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of game server 10. As shown in this diagram, game server 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101 that controls the entire device, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102 that functions as the main memory of CPU 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103 that stores a boot program and the like, a communication unit 104 for communicating via a network, and a storage unit 108 that stores various programs and data. In storage unit 108, a storage unit (described later) is constructed by CPU 101, and various types of information are managed.

[0017] 1, the game server 10 is constructed as a single server, but it may be distributed across two or more servers and configured to appear as a single server when viewed from the outside. On the other hand, some of the functions of the game server 10 may be constructed on a server that provides other services. Also, the game server 10 may be configured to connect to the terminal device 20 via a relay server.

[0018] 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the terminal device 20. As shown in this figure, the terminal device 20 includes a CPU 201, a memory 202, a communication unit 204, a storage unit 208, a display panel 210, and a touch panel 220. This terminal device 20 is, for example, a mobile phone operated by a user, and has a touch panel 220 superimposed on a display panel 210, and is configured so that the user can input necessary information and give various instructions by performing touch operations on the screen displayed on the display panel 210.

[0019] In the figure, a CPU 201 controls the entire terminal device 20, and a memory 202 stores a basic program, an application program (game app) for providing a game, various data, etc. The game app referred to here is an application that causes the terminal device 20 to function as a game device when executed, and is downloaded from a specific site and installed in the terminal device 20. A communication unit 204 communicates with the game server 10 via the Internet Na, a mobile communication network Nb, etc.

[0020] Display panel 210 is a flat display such as a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) device. Although detailed description will be omitted, touch panel 220 detects a touch position (two-dimensional coordinate value) on the screen displayed by display panel 210 and supplies position information indicating the detected touch position to CPU 201. Based on the position information from touch panel 220, CPU 201 detects the moving direction and moving speed of the touch position, the type of touch operation, etc., and identifies the operation content provided to touch panel 220. Here, detectable types of touch operations include, for example, tapping, flicking, dragging, pinching, etc. Among these, tapping is an operation of lightly tapping the display screen with a finger. Flicking is an operation of lightly flicking an object displayed on the screen with a finger. Dragging is an operation of moving an object displayed on the screen while keeping it in contact with a finger. Pinch is an operation of spreading or pinching two fingers together while keeping them in contact with the display screen. In addition to the above types of touch operations, touch operations also include touch-on, which is the moment when a finger or the like touches the display panel 210 (touch panel 220), and touch-off, which is the moment when the touching finger or the like is released.

[0021] The terminal device 20 is not limited to being connected to the mobile communication network Nb, and may be configured to be connected to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). When connected to a wireless LAN, the terminal device 20 is connected to the game server 10 via a wireless base station (access point) and the Internet Na. The terminal device 20 is not limited to being a mobile phone, and may be a tablet computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or the like.

[0022] The game provided by the terminal device 20 is an SNS (Social Networking Service) game in which the user who owns the terminal device 20 participates and interacts with other users. Specifically, the game involves pitting a team made up of characters (e.g., objects such as monsters) owned by the user against a team made up of characters owned by other users, and earning rewards such as virtual gaming value depending on the outcome of the game. For ease of explanation, hereinafter, the user who initiates the game will be referred to as the "first user," and the opponents in the game will be referred to as the "other users."

[0023] FIG. 4 focuses on one terminal device 20 and shows functional blocks constructed in the terminal device 20 and the game server 10 when a game is provided on the terminal device 20. These functional blocks are constructed in the game server 10 by executing a predetermined program, and in the terminal device 20 by executing the game application. Note that the Internet Na in Figure 1, the gateway 15, the mobile communication network Nb, the communication unit 104 in Figure 2, the communication unit 204 in Figure 3, etc. are merely transmission paths for data, information, etc., and are therefore omitted from Figure 4.

[0024] As shown in Figure 4, on the game server 10 side, by executing the above-mentioned specified program, multiple functional units are constructed for providing the game to each terminal device 20, namely, a receiving unit 135, a memory unit 140, a transmitting unit 137, and a control unit 150. Of these, the receiving unit 135 receives a game start instruction and information indicating the result from the terminal device 20. The control unit 150 manages and controls the progress of the game according to the information received by the receiving unit 135, and also manages the user information Q stored in the storage unit 140. The storage unit 140 stores the user information Q as a master for each user of each terminal device 20. Details of the user information Q will be described later. The transmission unit 137 transmits user information Q corresponding to one user and user information Q(Qc) corresponding to another user to the terminal device 20 under the control of the control unit 150.

[0025] The game server 10 also transmits information to terminal devices 20 other than the focused terminal device 20, while receiving information etc. from terminal devices 20 other than the focused terminal device 20. In Fig. 4, arrows pointing from the transmitting unit 137 to a terminal device 20 other than the focused terminal device 20 indicate that information is also transmitted to terminal devices 20 other than the focused terminal device 20, and arrows pointing from a terminal device 20 other than the focused terminal device 20 to the receiving unit 135 indicate that information is received from other terminal devices 20.

[0026] Meanwhile, on the terminal device 20 side, the CPU 201 executes the game application, thereby constructing an operation detection unit 231, a storage unit 240, a display control unit 241, a transmission unit 235, a reception unit 237, and a management unit 250. Of these, the management unit 250, the details of which will be described later, constructs an operation target selection unit 251, an instruction content determination unit 252, an attack target selection unit 253, and an execution unit 254, and is configured to control each unit of the terminal device 20. A working area W is allocated to a part of the storage unit 240. In this working area W, when a game is provided, one piece of user information Q supplied from the game server 10, user information Q(Qc) corresponding to another user, and the like are temporarily stored.

[0027] The display control unit 241 controls the display content of the display area 205 in accordance with the information and instructions supplied from the management unit 250 . Display area 205 is an area where a display is made on display panel 210. Operation detection unit 231 detects an operation made by the user on touch panel 220 and outputs information about the operation. In detail, when an operation is made on touch panel 220, operation detection unit 231 detects position information of the touch operation, the type of the touch operation, etc., and supplies information indicating the operation content given to touch panel 220 to management unit 250. The transmitting unit 235 transmits various information such as instructions and results supplied from the management unit 250 to the game server 10. On the other hand, the receiving unit 237 receives user information Q and the like from the game server.

[0028] Next, the user information Q will be described. 5 is a schematic diagram of user information Q. As shown in the drawing, user information Q corresponding to a certain user includes user identification information, owned character information, and team information. Of these, the user identification information is information that uniquely identifies a user. The owned character information is a collection of unit data corresponding to one or more characters owned by the user (hereinafter referred to as "owned characters"), and each unit data includes character identification information, command information, and game information Y.

[0029] Here, focusing on a certain unit data, the character identification information, command information and game information Y in the focused unit data will be explained in relation to the owned character defined in the focused unit data. First, the character identification information is information for uniquely identifying the owned character. Although not shown in the figure, the character is accompanied by name information of the character and image information for display. This name information and image information are stored in the storage unit 140, for example, in association with the character identification information. Next, the command information is information that identifies the type of attack (command) unique to the owned character, and includes the name (type) of the command, the trajectory pattern to be applied to the touch panel 220 when giving the command, and information indicating the content of the command. For example, in the figure, the command information in the unit data of interest is an example in which three types are defined, with the names "bark," "bite," and "beam." Note that the command information differs for each character (it may be the same in some cases). Furthermore, unit data may or may not have multiple types of command information. If unit data does not have command information, the owned character corresponding to that unit data will only deliver "normal attacks," i.e., general command types that are not specific to a character, specifically, attacks specified by the game information Y (attack power information) of that owned character.

[0030] The game information Y is information that specifies the abilities of the owned character, and specifically includes stamina information, attack power information, and defense power information. Of these, stamina information is an index that indicates the stamina value (endurance ability) of the owned character. Attack power information is an index that indicates the offensive ability of the owned character, and defense power information is an index that indicates the defensive ability of the owned character. Such game information Y (stamina information, defense power information, attack power information) is updated appropriately through battles, etc.

[0031] Here, in this embodiment, a brief description will be given of the relationship between a battle in a game and game action information Y. For example, when a certain character (operable character) attacks another character (attack target character), the amount of attack inflicted on the attack target character is determined by the attack ability of the operation target character and the command used for the attack. In other words, if an appropriate command is used for the operation target character, a larger amount of attack can be generated, and conversely, if an inappropriate command is used, the amount of attack will be reduced. On the other hand, when the character being attacked receives an attack indicated by the attack amount, the character will not receive damage unless the attack amount exceeds the character's defensive ability, but if the attack amount exceeds the defensive ability, the character will receive damage equal to the excess, i.e., the stamina value is updated to decrease by the amount of damage received. Therefore, for a user on the attacking side, (1) which ally character to use, (2) which command to use, and (3) which enemy character to attack are extremely important strategies in this game.

[0032] It is also possible to specify only the character identification information of the owned character in each unit data, and store and manage the game information Y of each character as data separate from the user information Q in association with the character identification information. Furthermore, with regard to game information Y, for example, stamina and attack ability may be increased by a predetermined value based on game experience, and stamina may be restored by the effects of a predetermined item or after each game.

[0033] Furthermore, the team information included in the user information Q is information indicating which character, among the characters owned by the user corresponding to the user information Q, will be used to compete against other users. That is, in this embodiment, a user forms a team using the characters owned by the user and indicated by the team information, and competes against the opposing team. Regarding which characters from among the owned characters will make up the team, the user may select them in advance, or the management unit 250 may select them randomly, or a predetermined number of characters from among the owned characters that are ranked highest in descending order of attack power information or defense power information may be selected according to a predetermined rule.

[0034] Next, an overview of the game provided in this embodiment will be described. The game involves a team of characters owned by one user competing against a team of characters owned by another user, and is turn-based, with players taking turns playing the attacking and defending sides. Here, when a user's turn as an attacker comes and another user becomes a defender, the user specifies the content of the attack by performing the following operation. In detail, when a user's turn comes, the user performs the following operation. (A) Touch one of the remaining characters on your team (the character to be controlled), (B) From the touch-on position, while drawing a command trajectory corresponding to the target character, move the target character to a character that will attack the opposing team (target character), (C) Touch off at the position of the character being attacked. Note that these operations from (A) touch-on, through (B) path drawing, to (C) touch-off are actually continuous operations without any divisions, but for the sake of convenience, they will be explained separately in this explanation. Also, although the description "drawing the command trail" is used here, the trail may be drawn in the display area 205, or the trail may simply be the movement of the touched portion and may not be drawn.

[0035] Of these successive operations, the operation target selection unit 251 in the management unit 250 determines (selects) the operation target character by touch-on (A). The instruction content determination unit 252 in the management unit 250 determines the attack content (instruction content) by the operation target character from the trajectory drawing (B). The attack target selection unit 253 in the management unit 250 determines (selects) the attack target character by touch-off (C). In addition, when the user performs consecutive operations from (A) to (C), the execution unit 254 in the management unit 250 executes processing in the game, such as updating the stamina information of the character to be attacked, so that the "character to be operated" applies the attack indicated by the "instruction content" to the "character to be attacked."

[0036] On the other hand, when the attacking turn of another user comes and the first user becomes the defending side, the operations (A) to (C) by the second user, i.e., which character will be the operation target character, what instructions will be given, and which character will be added to the attack target character, are determined by the management unit 250 of the terminal device 20 owned by the first user. Therefore, from the perspective of the first user, the game in this embodiment appears as if the first user is playing against another user, but in reality, the terminal device 20 borrows the character of the second user and progresses the game regardless of the other user's wishes.

[0037] In the game of this embodiment, when a turn arrives and the operations (A) to (C) are performed to select (1) the character to be controlled, (2) the instruction content, and (3) the character to be controlled and determine the attack content, the character to be attacked is given damage according to the attack content, and the character's vitality value (vitality information) is reduced by an amount equivalent to the damage. If the character's vitality value falls to zero or below due to an attack, the character is eliminated from the team. When the remaining number of characters constituting either one user's team or the other user's team reaches zero (when all characters are eliminated), the eliminated user becomes the loser, and the remaining user becomes the winner.

[0038] The result of the game (win or loss) is notified to the user who initiated the game, as will be described later. If the user becomes the winner, they will be given a predetermined item, virtual game value, etc. as a reward. On the other hand, the notification to other users may be triggered by a request from the terminal device 20 owned by the other users, or may not be notified at all. In either case, the other users are unaware that the game in which they are the opponent has been initiated by one user. Therefore, the game provided in this embodiment can be said to be an asynchronous game in which one user and another user do not need to play the game simultaneously, and therefore has the advantage that a large number of users can apparently easily participate in a competitive game, compared to a synchronous game in which multiple users are required to participate in the game simultaneously.

[0039] As described above, the game provided in this embodiment is an asynchronous type, and a game initiated by one user progresses by the terminal device 20 owned by that user borrowing the character of the other user, regardless of the will of the other users. Therefore, when a game is started by one user, in the terminal device 20 of that user, user information Q corresponding to that user and user information Q corresponding to the other users are transferred from the game server 10 and stored in the working area W of the storage unit 240, and the user information Q (game information Y) is updated as the game progresses. After the game ends, the user information Q corresponding to the one user is sent to the game server 10 and reflected in the storage contents of the storage unit 140, but the user information Q corresponding to the other users is discarded. As a result, from the viewpoint of the other users, even if the game is started regardless of their will, the user information Q of the other users stored in the storage unit 140 will not be changed. Although the game provided in the embodiment is an asynchronous game here, it goes without saying that it may also be a synchronous game.

[0040] <System Operation> Next, the operation of the terminal device 20 will be described.

[0041] 6 and 7 are flowcharts showing the battle processing in a game when one user initiates the start of the game. First, when one user performs a predetermined operation on the terminal device 20, for example, when the user taps a software button indicating the start of a match on a main menu screen (not shown) of the game, the operation detection unit 231 supplies operation information indicating the operation to the management unit 250. The management unit 250 transmits information identifying the one user and an instruction to start the game to the game server 10 via the transmission unit 235.

[0042] In the game server 10, when this information and instructions are received by the receiving unit 135 from the terminal device 20, the control unit 150 transmits to the terminal device 20 of the user in question information (such as nickname, proficiency level, possessed items, etc.) of users who can compete against the user in question. When the information is received by the receiving unit 237 in the terminal device 20, the management unit 250 transfers the information to the display control unit 241 and instructs the display control unit 241 to display an opponent selection screen (not shown) in the display area 205. The opponent selection screen is, for example, a screen that lists opponents that a user can play against, and prompts the user to select one opponent from the list. Examples of opponents that a user can play against include people who have a mutual relationship (friendship) with the user.

[0043] The one user selects one opponent according to this opponent selection screen. When the one user selects an opponent, the opponent is determined as the other user (step Sa11). When the operation detection unit 231 receives an operation to select another user, it supplies information identifying the selected user to the management unit 250. The management unit 250 transmits the information to the game server 10 via the transmission unit 235. The opponent may be determined by a method other than selection by a single user. For example, an opponent with a skill level close to that of the single user may be randomly determined, or an opponent close to the requirements of the single user may be searched for and determined.

[0044] On the other hand, when one user instructs the start of a game and other users are determined, the game server 10 and the terminal device 20 execute initialization processing (preparatory processing) for the game in which the one user competes against other users as follows (step Sa12). First, on the game server 10 side, the control unit 150 reads out user information Q corresponding to one user and another user from the storage unit 140 and transmits it to the terminal device 20 of the one user via the transmission unit 137. At this time, the control unit 150 acquires name information and image information of characters associated with character identification information in the user information of both users and transmits it to the terminal device 20 of the one user. Strictly speaking, only the characters indicated in the team information among the owned characters are used in the battle. Therefore, there is no need to supply user information Q (information on all characters owned by the user), and it is sufficient to transmit unit data of the characters constituting the team (and name information and image information) to the terminal device 20. However, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed here that the user information Q corresponding to one user and another user is transmitted to the terminal device 20 as described above. Furthermore, although the game provided in this embodiment is turn-based, for the sake of convenience, the rule is that the first turn falls on one user. Of course, the player who takes the first turn may be determined randomly or may be selected by one user.

[0045] On the terminal device 20 side, when the above information is received from the game server 10, the management unit 250 stores the user information Q corresponding to the one user and the user information Q corresponding to the other user in a working area W in the storage unit 240. Note that the user information Q corresponding to the other user stored in the working area W will be described using the symbol Qc to distinguish it from the user information Q corresponding to the one user. Furthermore, when the above information is received, the management unit 250 instructs the display control unit 241 to create a battle screen based on the information. In accordance with this instruction, the display control unit 241 creates the battle screen and displays it in the display area 205.

[0046] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a battle screen displayed in the display area 205 of the terminal device 20. As shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, in the display area 205, a first area A1 on the lower side and a second area A2 on the upper side are provided to sandwich a third area A3, and a fourth area A4 is provided above the second area A2.

[0047] Among these, the first area A1 displays the characters of one user, i.e., the characters that make up one user's team. In detail, the management unit 250 supplies image information of the characters indicated in the team information among the user information Q stored in the work area W corresponding to the received one user to the display control unit 241, and the display control unit 241 displays the supplied character images in the first area A1, thereby displaying the characters that make up the one user's team as first candidate objects that are candidates for operation targets. Note that the order of the characters arranged in the first area A1 at this time may be random or may be based on a predetermined rule, for example, the order of abilities indicated by the game information Y. In the example display shown in Fig. 8, five characters, M1 to M5, are displayed in the first area A1. Also, below the characters M1 to M5 in the figure, the stamina gauges of the corresponding characters are displayed. These stamina gauges normalize the current stamina value (stamina information) compared to when the stamina is full (100%) and display the remaining stamina value. More specifically, the further to the right the black bar is in the figure, the more stamina value remains.

[0048] In the second area A2, other users, i.e., characters constituting the opponent's team, are displayed as second candidate objects that are candidates for receiving the ball. In detail, the management unit 250 supplies image information of characters indicated in the team information among the user information Qc corresponding to other users to the display control unit 241, and the display control unit 241 displays the supplied image of the character in the second area A2, thereby displaying the characters constituting the other users' team. At this time, the order of the characters arranged in the second area A2 may be random, as in the first area A1, or may follow a predetermined rule. 8, four characters N1 to N4 are displayed in the second area A2. Also, below the characters N1 to N4 in the figure, the stamina gauges of the corresponding characters are displayed.

[0049] The third area A3 is an area for drawing the trajectory of the command in (B) above.

[0050] In the fourth area A4, a message from the game provider (system side) is displayed for one user. In detail, the management unit 250 supplies data of a message according to the progress of the game, etc. to the display control unit 241, and the display control unit 241 displays the message indicated by the supplied data in the fourth area A4. In the example of FIG. 8, the message displayed in the fourth area A4 indicates that one user's turn has arrived.

[0051] When the battle screen is displayed in the display area 205 of the terminal device 20, the management unit 250 determines whether or not a turn has arrived for one user (step Sa13). If it is the first user's turn (if the result of step Sa13 is "Yes"), the attack determination process for that first user is executed (step Sa14). On the other hand, if it is the second user's turn (if the result of step Sa13 is "No"), the attack determination process for the second user is executed (step Sa15). As mentioned above, the first turn comes to one user, so the attack determination process corresponding to one user, that is, step Sa14, will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

[0052] When a user's turn arrives, as described above, that user performs the successive operations from (A) to (C) to specify the attack content for that turn. First, it is determined whether or not a touch-on has been made, which is the start of this continuous operation (step Sb11). In detail, when a touch-on has occurred, the operation detection unit 231 supplies the position information of the touch-on to the management unit 250, and the management unit 250 determines whether or not the position information is in the display area of any of the characters (abbreviated as "ally characters" in FIG. 7) that make up the player's team in the first area A1 of the battle screen. If no touch is made, or if a touch is made but the touched area is not the display area of a character that constitutes the player's team (if the determination result in step Sb11 is "No"), the management unit 250 returns the processing procedure to step Sb11. Therefore, the processing procedure waits in step Sb11 until a character that constitutes the player's team is touched on.

[0053] On the other hand, when any of the characters constituting the player's team is touched on (the determination result in step Sb11 is "Yes"), the operation target selection unit 251 of the management unit 250 selects the touched-on character. The management unit 250 supplies the name information and unit data of the character to the display control unit 241, and instructs it to display a message including the name information and the command information (the name and trajectory pattern of the command) in the fourth area A4 (step Sb12). As a result, for example, on the battle screen displayed when a first user's turn arrives as shown in Fig. 8, when the first user touches on character M4 with the fingers of his or her left hand as shown in Fig. 9, the following message is displayed in the fourth area A4: That is, in the fourth area A4, a message is displayed that includes the name of character M4, "Great Pumpkin," and associates the names of the commands, "bark," "bite," and "beam," with their respective trajectory patterns.

[0054] When the position information of the touch-on starts to move, the operation detection unit 231 supplies the position information to the management unit 250, and the management unit 250 sequentially stores the position information in the storage unit 240 to determine the movement trajectory (step Sb13). Then, the operation detection unit 231 determines whether or not touch-off has occurred (step Sb14). If touch-off has not occurred and touch-on continues (if the determination result in step Sb14 is "No"), the operation detection unit 231 returns the processing procedure to step Sb13. Therefore, the processing procedure circulates between steps Sb13 and Sb14 until touch-off occurs. On the other hand, if a touch-off occurs (if the determination result in step Sb14 is "Yes"), the operation detection unit 231 supplies information indicating that a touch-off has occurred to the management unit 250. The attack target selection unit 253 of the management unit 250 determines whether or not the last piece of position information stored in sequence was the display position of the opponent character (step Sb15). Note that here, the position information stored immediately before the touch-off is treated as the position information of the touch-off, i.e., the position information at the end of the input operation. Even if a touch-off occurs, if the touch-off is made at a point other than the display position of the other character (if the determination result in step Sb15 is "No"), the management unit 250 returns the processing procedure to step Sb11. As a result, the touch operation from the touch-on to the touch-off is invalidated.

[0055] If a touch-off occurs at the display position of the opponent character (if the determination result in step Sb15 is "Yes"), the attack target selection unit 253 of the management unit 250 selects the opponent character corresponding to the display position where the touch-off occurred. Then, the management unit 250 reads out the position information from the touch-on to the touch-off from the storage unit 240, and executes the processes of the following steps Sb16 to Sb19. First, the operation target selection unit 251 in the management unit 250 determines the touched-on ally character as the operation target character (step Sb16).

[0056] The instruction content determination unit 252 in the management unit 250 determines the instruction content for the operation target character in the following manner (step Sb17). That is, first, the instruction content determination unit 252 compares the movement trajectory in the third area A3, among the movement trajectories from touch-on to touch-off, with the trajectory pattern of the command information in the command information corresponding to the operation target character, and determines whether there is a similar one, and if there is a similar one, identifies which trajectory pattern is most similar to the movement trajectory. Second, if there is a trajectory pattern similar to the movement trajectory, the instruction content determination unit 252 determines the command corresponding to the most similar trajectory pattern as the instruction content for the operation target character. At this time, if there is no trajectory pattern similar to the movement trajectory, it determines the command to be a "normal attack." Here, the degree to which the stamina of the attack target character is reduced is determined based on the content of the instruction. At this time, the content of the instruction (the degree to which the stamina is reduced) may be changed depending on the speed at which the movement trajectory is drawn. Furthermore, the content of the instruction may be changed depending on the relationship between the playable character and the attack target character, as will be described later.

[0057] Next, the attack target selection unit 253 in the management unit 250 determines the opponent character at the time of the touch-off position information as the attack target character (step Sb18). Once the operation target character, instruction content, and attack target character have been determined in this manner, the execution unit 254 in the management unit 250 executes game processing in which the operation target character attacks the attack target character with the attack indicated by the instruction content (step Sb19). Here, the game processing is specifically a process of updating the game information (stamina information) of the attack target character based on the determined instruction content. In this embodiment, the process is performed in the order of operation target character determination process, instruction content determination process, and attack target character determination process, but the order of these processes is arbitrary, and for example, the process may be performed in the order of operation target character determination process, attack target character determination process, and instruction content determination process. Thereafter, the processing procedure proceeds to step Sa16 in FIG.

[0058] Next, specific details of issuing an attack instruction and an example of the screen will be described with reference to FIG. 10 shows an example of touch operations in which one user touches on character M4 in the first area A1, draws a trajectory including a counterclockwise circle as shown by a solid line in the third area A3, and then touches off the other user's character N3 in the second area A2. In this case, the command information associated with character M4 includes "bark" as shown in FIG. Also, in the screen shown in Figure 10, the fourth area A4 displays a message including the name of the character to be operated M4, "Great Pumpkin," the name of the command, "Roar," and the name of the character to be attacked, "Tatsu."

[0059] 10, the character to be operated is determined to be the touched-on character M4, the command is determined to be "bark", and the character to be attacked is determined to be the character N3 at the time of touch-off. Therefore, the execution unit 254 executes game processing in which the ally character M4 attacks the opponent character N3 using the command "bark".

[0060] 6, when another user's turn has arrived (when the determination result in step Sa13 is "No"), the attack determination process for the other user is executed (step Sa15). As described above, in this embodiment, the other user is not actually participating in the game, but rather, from the perspective of one user, the game behaves as if the other user were playing. Therefore, when the other user's turn has arrived, the management unit 250 of the terminal device 20 selects, on behalf of the other user, a character to be used in the attack, a command to be used by the character, and a character to deliver the attack, according to a predetermined rule or randomly, determines the instruction content determined by these selections, and executes the game process. At this time, the instruction content selected on behalf of the other user may be presented to the one user. After this, the processing procedure proceeds to step Sa16.

[0061] In this way, when a turn has come to one user, the content of the attack instructions is determined by the terminal device 20, whereas when a turn has come to another user, the content of the attack instructions is also determined by the terminal device 20. Therefore, in either case, the content of the attack instruction is known on the terminal device 20 side. Next, the execution unit 254 of the management unit 250 in the terminal device 20 reflects the content of the instruction in the game performance information (stamina information) of the character targeted for attack, that is, updates the game performance information (stamina information) of the character targeted for attack stored in the working area W according to the content of the instruction. After updating, the management unit 250 determines whether the stamina value (stamina information) of the character targeted for attack is greater than zero (step Sa16).

[0062] If the stamina value of the character targeted for attack is greater than zero (if the determination result in step Sa16 is "Yes"), the management unit 250 immediately switches the turn (step Sa17). After the turn is switched, the processing procedure returns to step Sa13. On the other hand, if the stamina value of the character targeted for attack is zero or less (if the judgment result of step Sa16 is "No"), the management unit 250 instructs the display control unit 241 to erase the character from the battle screen in the display area 205 (step Sa18). As a result, an effect is produced in the terminal device 20 of one user in which the character that had been displayed up until then disappears.

[0063] For example, when a user's turn arrives, the user touches on character M4 on the battle screen in Fig. 10, then touches off the opponent's character N3 while drawing the trajectory pattern of the command "bark," and the attack content is reflected, when the vitality value of character N3 drops to zero or below, the character N3 that had been displayed up until then disappears, as shown in Fig. 11. At this time, a message to that effect may be displayed in the fourth area A4, as shown in the same figure. In this example, the character of the other user is eliminated, but when the other user's turn comes, the character of the first user may be eliminated depending on the attack content. Also, when the attack content is reflected, it may be possible to present an attack as if it had been launched.

[0064] Next, the management unit 250 determines whether or not all characters of one or more users have been wiped out as a result of erasing the characters (step Sa19). If not all players are annihilated (if the determination result in step Sa19 is "No"), the management unit 250 switches the turn to continue the game (step Sa17), and then returns the processing procedure to step Sa13. On the other hand, if all players are eliminated (if the determination result in step Sa19 is "Yes"), the management unit 250 determines that the user who was eliminated is the loser and the user whose characters remain is the winner, and executes processing according to the outcome of the game (step Sa20). Note that the processing according to the outcome of the game may, for example, be processing to give the winning user a reward such as a predetermined item or virtual game value.

[0065] After executing processing according to the outcome of the game, the management unit 250 reads out the user information Q corresponding to one user stored in the working area W and transmits it to the game server 10 via the transmission unit 235, while discarding the user information Qc corresponding to the other users (step Sa21). In the game server 10, when the receiving unit 135 receives user information Q corresponding to one user, the control unit 150 replaces the user information Q corresponding to the one user stored in the storage unit 140 with the received user information Q. As a result, the battle result for the one user is reflected in the master in the game server 10. On the other hand, the user information Qc corresponding to the other user information is discarded and is therefore not reflected in the master in the game server 10. After step Sa21, this battle process ends and the screen returns to the main menu screen of the game described above.

[0066] As described above, in this embodiment, when a user's turn arrives, the user simply touches on a control target character to be used for attacking among the ally characters displayed in the first area A1, and while drawing a trajectory pattern of a command for the control target character, touches off on an attack target character among the opposing characters to be attacked. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the user can specify which character to use, which command to use, and which character to attack with a single operation from touching on to touching off. Furthermore, various commands can be specified by drawing a trajectory pattern. This adds a kind of variety to game operations, which tend to be monotonous. Furthermore, because the type of command can be changed depending on how the trajectory pattern is drawn, it provides an incentive for the user to improve their operation skills, thereby improving the game's appeal.

[0067] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this second embodiment, characters have compatibility, i.e., relationships between characters, such as whether one character is advantageous, disadvantageous, or equal to another character. In the second embodiment, the content of instructions is changed based on the relationship.

[0068] 12 is a schematic diagram of user information Q in the second embodiment. As shown in the figure, the user information Q is similar to that in the first embodiment in that it includes user identification information, owned character information, and team information, but differs from that in the first embodiment in that the unit data constituting the owned character information includes attribute information. Here, the attribute information is information indicating the attributes of the characters associated with the corresponding unit data. In this embodiment, the attributes are associated with, for example, one of "fire," "water," or "wood," and the compatibility between characters is determined by referring to and comparing this attribute information. In detail, a character whose attribute information is "fire" is strong against a character whose attribute information is "wood" and has an advantage in attacking (good compatibility), but is weak against a character whose attribute information is "water" and has a disadvantage in attacking (bad compatibility). Similarly, a character whose attribute information is "water" has a good compatibility with a character whose attribute information is "fire" but has a bad compatibility with a character whose attribute information is "wood", and a character whose attribute information is "wood" has a good compatibility with a character whose attribute information is "water" but has a bad compatibility with a character whose attribute information is "fire". Characters with the same attribute information have no advantage or disadvantage and are on an equal footing.

[0069] In the second embodiment, the compatibility between certain characters is specifically reflected in a battle as follows: For example, when a certain character (operable character) attacks another character (attack target character), the instruction content determination unit 252 multiplies the amount of attack inflicted on the attack target character by "1.2" if the compatibility is good, "0.8" if the compatibility is bad, and "1.0" if the compatibility is equal, based on the amount determined by the attack ability of the operation target character and the command used for the attack. Furthermore, the instruction content determination unit 252 may also change the instruction content so that it is canceled depending on the compatibility.

[0070] In the second embodiment, the battle process when one user initiates the start of a game is almost the same as the flowchart in FIG. 6 in the first embodiment, except that attribute information is referenced at various points.

[0071] First, in the second embodiment, on the battle screen, the ally characters M1 to M5 in the first area A1 and the opponent characters N1 to N4 in the second area are displayed with their strength gauges and attributes indicated by the attribute information in parentheses. For example, in FIG. 13, the attribute of character M4 is shown to be "wood." Regarding the display of attributes, there is another method, for example, for "tree", the character may be displayed in a green color, but for the sake of convenience, the attributes are displayed in parentheses as shown in FIG. 13.

[0072] In the second embodiment, when an ally character is touched on in step Sb11 (when the determination result in step Sb11 is "Yes"), the following identification mark is displayed together with a message in step Sb12. In detail, the management unit 250 identifies the attribute information (of unit data) corresponding to the touched-on character and instructs the display control unit 241 to display, for each of the opponent characters displayed in the second area A2, an identification mark indicating compatibility with the opponent character. 13, when character M4 of ally characters M1 to M5 is touched on, an upward-pointing triangular identification mark p indicating that character M4 has a good compatibility with character N3 of the opponent characters N1 to N4, which has a water attribute, is displayed near the character N3, which has a good compatibility with character M4, and a downward-pointing triangular identification mark n indicating that character M4 has a bad compatibility with character N1, which has a fire attribute, is displayed near the character N1. Note that no identification marks are displayed near characters N2 and N4, which are on an equal footing.

[0073] When the identification marks p and n are configured to be displayed in this manner in correspondence with the opponent's characters, identification mark p is displayed for opponent characters that are compatible with the touched-on character (easy to damage), and identification mark n is displayed for opponent characters that are incompatible with the touched-on character (hard to damage). Therefore, a user can know which of the opponent's characters to select to effectively inflict damage on the touched-on character before performing the operation to select the character to be attacked, i.e., before performing the operation to move the character to be attacked while drawing the trajectory of the command corresponding to the character to be operated. If the first user determines that the character they touched on cannot effectively inflict damage, they can simply touch off at a point other than the display position of the opponent character to invalidate the touch operation (so that the determination result in step Sb15 becomes "No"). This allows the first user to touch on another ally character during their turn and reconsider which character to use in the attack.

[0074] Furthermore, the compatibility may be displayed in a manner other than the identification marks p and n. For example, characters with good (bad) compatibility may be displayed in a different manner from the others, such as with a specific color or hatching pattern, so that the user can distinguish them.

[0075] In the second embodiment using attribute information, the following application example is also possible. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a touched-on character does not attack a character with which it has a bad compatibility (the character cannot be selected as a character to be attacked). Although a flowchart for this configuration is not specifically shown, in step Sb18 before the execution unit 254 executes the game processing (step Sb19), the attack target selection unit 253 compares the attribute information of the operated character with the attribute information of the attack target character, and if the operated character is compatible with the attack target character or they are equal, it notifies the instruction content determination unit 252 that the instruction content determined in step Sb17 does not need to be changed, but if they are not compatible, it notifies the instruction content determination unit 252 that the instruction content already determined in step Sb17 should be discarded. The instruction content determination unit 252, in accordance with the notification from the attack target selection unit 253, maintains or discards the instruction content determined in step Sb17.

[0076] 14, if one user touches on character M4, which has the "wood" attribute, and draws the trajectory pattern of the command "bark" as shown by the solid line, while touching off the opponent's character N1, which has the "fire" attribute, and performs an operation in which character M4 attacks character N1 with "bark," the operation may be invalidated by displaying an effect in which character M4 does not reach character N1 (does not attack) and returns to its original position, as shown by the dashed line in the figure. Also, a message to that effect may be displayed in the fourth area A4. In the screen shown in Figure 14, the fourth area A4 displays the name of the character M4 to be operated, "Great Pumpkin," the name of the command, "Roar," and the name of the character N1 to be attacked, "Bee," along with a message indicating that the "Bee" cannot be attacked.

[0077] Furthermore, the instruction content determination unit 252 may change or maintain the instruction content determined in step Sb17, taking into consideration not only compatibility but also combination with the command specified in the trajectory pattern.

[0078] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. When a character to be operated is touched on, the command associated with that character and the trajectory pattern are simply displayed as a message in the fourth area A4 in the first embodiment as shown in FIG. 9, and in the second embodiment as shown in FIG. 13. Therefore, in this third embodiment, in order to support the user, a function is provided to display, as a guide, the trajectory pattern of the command associated with the touched-on character.

[0079] In the third embodiment, when an ally character is touched on in step Sb11 (when the judgment result of step Sb11 is "Yes"), the management unit 250 identifies the command information (unit data) corresponding to the touched-on character and reads out the command information from the working area W. There are cases where multiple types of commands are associated with the command information (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the management unit 250 determines which of the opposing characters can inflict the most damage when the touched-on character uses each command. Then, the management unit 250 instructs the display control unit 241 for each command to display a guide of the trajectory pattern of the command from the touched-on character to the opponent character that can inflict the most damage.

[0080] 15 is an example of a battle screen in the third embodiment. This figure shows an example in which, for example, when character M4 is touched on and the character that can inflict the most damage when using the "bark" command among the commands associated with character M4 is character N3, the trajectory pattern of the command is displayed as a guide with a broken line. Furthermore, on this screen, a message is displayed in the fourth area A4 to guide the user by indicating that the trajectory pattern is a guide. This trajectory pattern serving as a guide may be displayed for a predetermined time (for example, one second) immediately after touch-on, or may be displayed continuously until touch-off is actually performed.

[0081] According to the third embodiment, it is not necessary to memorize the command trajectory patterns for each character, and it is also possible to know which opponent character should be targeted for attack.

[0082] Instead of displaying the trajectory patterns of the commands from the touched-on character to the opponent character capable of inflicting the most damage, the trajectory patterns of the commands associated with the touched-on character may simply be displayed in order. The trajectory patterns of the commands may be automatically switched every predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds), or may be switched by a user's operation using a software key such as a cursor that is separately displayed. The display order may also be based on the order of damage inflicted on the opponent team or the order of registration in the command information. Alternatively, the movement trajectory from the start of the input operation may be sequentially compared with the trajectory patterns of the commands, and similar trajectory patterns may be displayed.

[0083] In the third embodiment in which a trajectory pattern is displayed as a guide, the following application example is also possible: The amount of attack to be inflicted on the opponent may be changed depending on the degree of similarity between the trajectory pattern displayed as a guide and a trajectory pattern actually drawn by a user. Although a flowchart for this configuration is not specifically shown, before the execution unit 254 executes the game processing (step Sb19), the instruction content determination unit 252 may calculate the similarity between the trajectory pattern displayed as a guide and the trajectory pattern actually drawn by a user, and change the attack amount (attack power) according to the similarity.

[0084] 16, for example, in the case where the trajectory pattern of the command displayed as a guide is shown by a dashed line and the trajectory of the command drawn by the user is shown by a solid line, when the instruction content determination unit 252 determines that the similarity is high, the attack level defined by the game information Y (attack level information) of the character M4 and the command "bark" is increased. In this case, a message to that effect may be displayed in the fourth area A4. Although not shown, if the similarity between the trajectory of the command drawn by the user and the trajectory pattern of the command displayed as a guide is low, the instruction content determination unit 252 reduces the amount of attack.

[0085] In a configuration in which attack power is changed according to similarity, for example, as the user's proficiency increases, the similarity increases, making it easier to defeat the opposing team. Therefore, if a high similarity state continues a predetermined number of times (a predetermined time), for example, as shown in Fig. 17, the vertical size of the third area A3 may be narrowed to make it more difficult for the user to draw a command trajectory pattern (to prevent the similarity from becoming too high). The size of the third area A3 may be changed in the left-right direction in the drawing, or in both the vertical and horizontal directions. There are many other possible conditions for changing the size of the third area, such as the number of days (hours) since the start of the game (the time of installation), the number of characters owned, and the number of characters in a team.

[0086] On the other hand, increasing attack power can be seen as a kind of reward as the game progresses. For this reason, the size of the third area may be increased when certain conditions are met, such as when the user's proficiency level improves or the level of the owned character improves.

[0087] Furthermore, the degree of similarity between the trajectory of the command drawn by the user and the trajectory pattern of the command displayed as a guide may be notified to the user by, for example, changing the color of the third area A3, in addition to the message in the fourth area A4. For example, as shown in Fig. 18, when the background of the display screen is white, the third area A3 may be displayed in a darker color that blinks against the white background as the degree of similarity increases. Alternatively, the blinking period may be shortened (or conversely, lengthened) according to the degree of similarity.

[0088] <Fourth embodiment> A fourth embodiment of the present invention will now be described. In the first, second and third embodiments described above, the command to be used by the character to be operated is specified by touching on the character and drawing a trajectory pattern associated with the character (i.e., the trajectory pattern included in the command information as shown in FIG. 5). In the fourth embodiment, the designation of the commands used by the characters is changed.

[0089] In the fourth embodiment, the command information does not have a trajectory pattern such as that shown in Fig. 5. Therefore, first, in the fourth embodiment, when an ally character is touched on in step Sb11, the management unit 250 identifies and reads out command information (of unit data) corresponding to the touched-on character from the working area W when displaying a message in step Sb12, and causes the display control unit 241 to display the name of the command included in the command information in a predetermined shape in the third area A3.

[0090] 19 is an example of a battle screen in the fourth embodiment. This figure shows an example in which, when a user touches, for example, character M4, the names of commands associated with character M4, such as "bark," "bite," and "beam," as well as a "normal attack" that is not associated with (is not unique to) character M4, are each displayed within an ellipse in the third area A3.

[0091] Next, in the fourth embodiment, the user specifies the command as follows: The user specifies the command by drawing a trajectory that passes through the display portion of the desired command from the time when the user touches on one of the ally characters that the user wishes to control until the time when the user touches off on one of the opponent's characters that the user wishes to attack. Meanwhile, the instruction content determination unit 252 determines the instruction content, i.e., the command that the touched-on character will use to attack, by identifying which part of the command display area displayed in the third area A3 the movement trajectory from touch-on to touch-off has passed through (step Sb17 in Figure 7). 19, when the user draws a path as shown by the solid line from touch-on to touch-off, the instruction content that character M4 uses the command "bark" is determined by the instruction content determination unit 252. In this case, the target of attack is character N3. Other processes are the same as those in the first embodiment, for example.

[0092] According to the fourth embodiment, the user does not need to memorize or draw complex trajectory patterns associated with the character to be controlled, as in the first embodiment. That is, the user simply needs to draw a trajectory that passes through the display area of the command. Therefore, the user is not required to have the skill to draw a trajectory pattern corresponding to the command, which lowers the psychological barrier to playing the game.

[0093] <Applications and Modifications> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various applications and modifications are possible, for example, as described below. Note that the following application and modification aspects can be arbitrarily selected and combined as appropriate.

[0094] <Frontline / Rearline> In each embodiment, the allied characters are arranged in a single horizontal row in the first area A1, and the opposing characters are arranged in a single horizontal row in the second area A2, but they may be arranged in multiple rows. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, the opposing characters in the second area A2 may be arranged in two rows, one in front (lower on the screen) and one in back (upper on the screen) as viewed from the first area A1 where the allied characters are arranged. In other words, they may be arranged in two rows, front line 320F and rear line 320B. By arranging them in this way, the number of characters constituting a team can be increased.

[0095] In such a two-row arrangement, the characters in rear guard 320B are protected by the characters in front guard 320F. For this reason, a game rule may be adopted in which the characters in rear guard 320B cannot be selected as attack target characters unless all the characters in front guard 320F are defeated. For example, if a user touches on character M4 and touches off with one of the characters in rear guard 320B while drawing a trajectory pattern of a certain command, if a character in front guard 320F is present, the attack target selection unit 253 may prevent the character in rear guard 320B from being selected as an attack target character, and the instruction content determination unit 252 may change the instruction content to invalidate the operation, as in the case of poor compatibility in the second embodiment. The arrangement is not limited to two rows, but may be three rows, such as a front row, a middle row and a rear row, or may be four or more rows.

[0096] <2-target attack, etc.> In each embodiment, operation using one finger is assumed, and therefore one controlled character attacks one attack target character with a certain command. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, attacks may be made by independent operations using one finger each on the left and right hands. In other words, multi-touch may be supported.

[0097] For example, as shown in Figure 21, consider an operation in which the fingers of the left hand touch on the ally character M2, draw a trajectory L, and while maintaining the touch on the opponent's character N1, the fingers of the right hand touch on the ally character M4, draw a trajectory R, move to the opponent's character N3, and then touch off the fingers of the left and right hands almost simultaneously.

[0098] In this case, the operation detection unit 231 and the management unit 250 (operation target selection unit 251, instruction content determination unit 252, attack target selection unit 253) execute processes according to the respective operation information. In detail, the operation detection unit 231 determines whether or not a multi-touch is performed, and if so, supplies each piece of operation information to the management unit 250. For example, when two points on the ally characters M2 and M4 are touched on, the operation detection unit 231 sequentially supplies the position information of the two points to the management unit 250, and the management unit 250 sequentially stores each piece of position information in the storage unit 240. When a touch-off is performed, the operation detection unit 231 determines for each touch whether or not the touch-off occurred at the display position of the opponent's character, and the operation target selection unit 251 executes a process for selecting the touched-on character as the operation target character for each touch. The instruction content determination unit 252 executes, for each touch, a process of determining an instruction content for the operation target character based on a trajectory pattern from touch-on to touch-off. The attack target selection unit 253 executes, for each touch, a process of selecting an opponent character at the touch-off position as an attack target character. The execution unit 254 executes game processing in which the operation target character attacks the attack target character with the attack indicated by the instruction content, in a chain reaction (so-called combo) for the number of touches. When multiple operation target characters are instructed to attack the same attack target character, the instruction content determination unit 252 may change the instruction content determined by the movement trajectories of the multiple operation target characters to form a coordinated attack by the multiple operation target characters. In this case, whether or not the multiple operation target characters are instructed to attack the same attack target character can be determined by whether or not multiple operation target characters are instructed to attack the same attack target character within a predetermined time period.

[0099] By supporting multi-touch in this way, the user can input even more advanced and complicated instructions with simple operations. 21, the following message may be displayed: That is, a message including the name of character M2, "Sweets," the name of the command, "Normal Attack," and the name of character M4, "Great Pumpkin," and the name of the command, "Roar," may be displayed in fourth area A4.

[0100] In a case where multi-touch is supported in this way, attacking characters may be concentrated. For example, as shown in Fig. 22, attacks may be concentrated on the same character N3 by touching on ally character M2 with the fingers of the left hand, drawing a path L, and while maintaining the touch-on state on opponent character N3, touching on ally character M4 with the fingers of the right hand, drawing a path R, and moving to character N3, and then almost simultaneously touching off the fingers of the left hand and the fingers of the right hand. In such a configuration, the trajectories (commands) drawn by the two fingers may be different, but as shown in the same figure, for example, when the trajectory R drawn by the fingers of the right hand is made to follow a trajectory pattern and the trajectory L drawn by the fingers of the right hand is made symmetrical to the trajectory pattern, the instruction content determination unit 252 may determine that the same command has been specified. By concentrating attacking characters in this way, a certain level of interest can be added to the game. Also, although two bodies have been described here, three or more bodies may be used.

[0101] <Browser type> Furthermore, in the embodiments and applications / variations, the so-called native application type has been described in which the terminal device 20 provides the game by executing a dedicated game app, but a so-called browser type configuration may also be used in which the game server 10 creates a battle screen on a web screen and transmits it to the terminal device 20, and the terminal device 20 displays the web screen on a browser.

[0102] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing functional blocks constructed in the system 1 in the case of such a browser type. As shown in this diagram, in the browser type, the display control unit 160 in the game server 10 creates a battle screen as described above on a web screen and supplies language information describing the web screen to the terminal device 20 via the transmission unit 137. Meanwhile, when the reception unit 237 in the terminal device 20 receives the language information, the management unit 250 transfers the information to the browser 261, and the browser 261 interprets the language information to display the web screen in the display area 205. Furthermore, in this configuration, information indicating the operation content detected by the operation detection unit 231 in the terminal device 20 is supplied to the game server 10. The control unit 150 of the game server 10 is configured with an operation target selection unit 151 that selects an operation target character, an instruction content determination unit 152 that determines the instruction content to be given by the operation target character, an attack target selection unit 153 that selects an attack target character, and an execution unit 154 that executes the game so that the "operation target character" inflicts the attack indicated by the "instruction content" on the "attack target character."

[0103] In this browser type, the terminal device 20 only displays the web screen created by the game server 10, reducing the processing load.

[0104] Considering such a browser-type configuration, in the system 1, the control unit 150, the storage unit 140 (240), the management unit 250, and the display control unit 241 (160) in FIG. 4 (FIG. 23) may be constructed on the game server 10 side or on the terminal device 20 side, whichever is desired. In other words, these functional blocks may be provided on either the game server 10 or the terminal device 20. Furthermore, the storage unit 140 (240) may be configured to be managed by a server other than the game server 10, that is, managed by cloud computing.

[0105] <Other> In each embodiment, the objects are described as characters that appear in a game, but the objects are not limited to these depending on the content of the game. For example, the object to be operated and the object to be received may be something like a "marble" displayed in the display area 205. In this case, the display control unit 241 displays multiple "marbles" as candidates for the operation object and the recipient object in the display area 205, while the instruction content determination unit 252 determines the instruction content (flicking) for the "marble" of the operation object based on the movement trajectory from the "marble" of the operation object to the "marble" of the recipient object, and the execution unit 254 executes a process that affects the "marble" of the recipient object from the "marble" of the operation object (for example, a process of changing the display position of the "marble" of the recipient object by flicking it). Note that the operation object selection unit 251 selects the "marble" corresponding to the start position of the movement trajectory as the "marble" of the operation object, and the attack object selection unit 253 selects the "marble" corresponding to the end position of the movement trajectory as the "marble" of the recipient object. Furthermore, as in the above-described embodiment, the object (ally character) that is a candidate for the operation target does not need to stop at the same position in the first area A1, but may be appropriately repositioned or given a predetermined movement (motion).Similarly, the object (opponent character) that is a candidate for the receiver does not need to stop at the same position in the second area A2, but may be appropriately repositioned or given a predetermined movement (motion). It can be applied to any application other than games, and for example, when moving an email document to a folder, it may be determined whether to move it as a read document or an unread document based on a single email document selected as the object to be operated, a single folder selected as the object to be received, and the movement trajectory.

[0106] In addition, in the embodiment, the command used by the character to be operated is determined by the trajectory drawn in the third area A3, that is, by a portion of the trajectory from touch-on to touch-off, but it may also be determined by the entire trajectory from touch-on to touch-off.

[0107] <Summary> As described above, the game device according to the embodiment and applications / modifications, for example, the terminal device 20 that receives an input operation to an input device (for example, the touch panel 220) that can specify a position on a display screen, includes a display control unit 241 that displays two or more first candidate objects (for example, ally characters) that are candidates for an operation target in the first area A1 of the display area 205, and displays two or more second candidate objects (for example, opponent characters) that are candidates for a receiver in the second area A2, an operation detection unit 231 that detects position information input to the input device from the start to the end of the operation, and a target object to be operated (for example, the character to be operated) among the first candidate objects. an instruction content determination unit 252 that determines the instruction content for the operation target object based on a part or all of the movement trajectory from the start to the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit 231; a recipient target selection unit (e.g., an attack target selection unit 253) that selects a recipient target object (e.g., an attack target character) from among the second candidate objects based on the position information at the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit 231; and an execution unit 254 that exerts an effect on the recipient target object based on the instruction content. According to this configuration, the operation target object is selected by the start of the operation, the instruction content is determined by the movement trajectory from the start to the end of the operation, and the recipient object is selected by the end of the operation. Therefore, the instruction content that affects the recipient object based on the instruction content from the operation target object can be achieved with a series of operations from the start to the end of the operation using the input device.

[0108] When the operation target object has a predetermined relationship with the recipient target object, the instruction content determination unit 252 may determine the instruction content taking into consideration the relationship. Note that the relationship may be, for example, the compatibility (advantageous, disadvantageous, equal) between the operation target object and the recipient target object.

[0109] When an operation target object is selected by the operation target selection unit 251, the display control unit 241 may display second candidate objects so that the relationship of the operation target object is identifiable. Since the second candidate objects are displayed so that the relationship of the selected operation target object is identifiable, it is possible to know which of the second candidate objects should be selected as the receiver object.

[0110] For each object of the first candidate objects, one or more instruction contents and a trajectory pattern of the instruction contents are associated in advance, and when an operation target object is selected by the operation target selection unit 251, the display control unit 241 may display the trajectory pattern of the instruction contents associated with the operation target object in the display area 205. Since the trajectory pattern is displayed as a guide, the user does not need to remember the trajectory pattern of the instruction contents for each object.

[0111] The display control unit 241 may select and display a trajectory pattern of the instruction content associated with the operation target object based on a predetermined criterion, such as a pre-set order, a randomly selected one, or a single one that is considered to be most appropriate for the progress of the game.

[0112] One or more instruction contents and trajectory patterns corresponding to the instruction contents are set in advance, and the instruction content determination unit 252 may change the instruction content according to the similarity between the movement trajectory from the start to the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit 231 and one of the trajectory patterns of the instruction content. Since the instruction content is changed according to the similarity, it not only adds a kind of fun to the game but also motivates the user to try to memorize the correct trajectory pattern.

[0113] The instruction content determination unit 252 may determine the instruction content based on the movement trajectory in the third area A3 of the display area 205, among the movement trajectories from the start to the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit 231. Here, the display control unit 241 may vary the size of the third area A3 based on predetermined conditions. Since the instruction content is determined by the movement trajectory in the third area A3, varying the size of the third area A3 can change the difficulty level of the game. Examples of predetermined criteria include the user's level of proficiency and the number of days and hours since the start of the game (the time of installation). The size of the third area includes the vertical size, horizontal size, and both the vertical and horizontal sizes (area).

[0114] The receiver target selection unit (for example, the attack target selection unit 253) may limit the selection of second candidate objects that have a predetermined relationship with the operation target object. The predetermined relationship may be compatibility or game rules (for example, a rear guard cannot attack unless the front guard defeats the rear guard).

[0115] Game information is associated with each object of the first candidate objects, and the instruction content determination unit 252 may change the instruction content in accordance with the game information of the operation target object when the operation target object is selected by the operation target selection unit 251. In this way, the game information is reflected in accordance with the progress, results, etc. of the game.

[0116] The operation detection unit 231 determines whether there are multiple input operations on the input device, and if the operation detection unit 231 determines that there are multiple input operations, the operation target selection unit 251 selects multiple operation target objects based on the position information at the start of each of the multiple input operations, the instruction content determination unit 252 determines the instruction content for each of the multiple operation target objects based on the movement trajectories based on the multiple input operations, and the recipient selection unit may select one or more recipient target objects based on the position information at the end of each of the multiple input operations. With this configuration, more complex and advanced instruction content can be given.

[0117] If it is determined that there are multiple input operations, and the same target object (e.g., attack target character) is selected based on each of the multiple input operations, the instruction content determination unit 252 may change the instruction content for each selected target object, which can add a certain level of interest to the game.

[0118] Furthermore, a game system (system 1) including a game server 10 and a game device (for example, a terminal device 20) and receiving an input operation to an input device (for example, a touch panel 220) capable of specifying a position on a display screen includes a display control unit 241 that displays two or more first candidate objects that are candidates for an operation target in a first area A1 of a display area 205 and displays two or more second candidate objects that are candidates for a receiver in a second area A2, an operation detection unit 231 that detects position information input to the input device from the start to the end of the operation, and a display control unit 242 that detects the position information of an operation target object among the first candidate objects. an instruction content determination unit 252 that determines the instruction content for the operation target object based on a part or all of the movement trajectory from the start to the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit 231; a recipient target selection unit (e.g., an attack target selection unit 253) that selects a recipient target object from among the second candidate objects based on the position information at the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit 231; and an execution unit 254 that exerts an effect on the recipient target object based on the instruction content.

[0119] On the other hand, a computer (for example, a game device, specifically, terminal device 20) that receives an input operation to an input device (for example, touch panel 220) that can specify a position on a display screen includes a display control unit 241 that displays two or more first candidate objects (for example, ally characters) that are candidates for an operation target in a first area A1 of display area 205, and displays two or more second candidate objects (for example, opponent characters) that are candidates for a receiver in a second area A2, an operation detection unit 231 that detects position information input to the input device from the start to the end of the operation, and a target object to be operated (for example, The configuration includes an operation target selection unit 251 that selects an operation target object (e.g., an operation target character) based on position information at the start of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit 231, an instruction content determination unit 252 that determines the instruction content for the operation target object based on a part or all of the movement trajectory from the start to the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit 231, a recipient target selection unit (e.g., an attack target selection unit 253) that selects a recipient target object (e.g., an attack target character) from among the second candidate objects based on position information at the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit 231, and an execution unit 254 that exerts an effect on the recipient target object based on the instruction content. The computer referred to here is not limited to the game device described in the embodiment, but is a general term for any device that executes information processing according to a program.

[0120] Furthermore, a control method for a computer (for example, a game device, specifically, the terminal device 20), for example, a control method for the terminal device 20 that receives an input operation to an input device (for example, the touch panel 220) that can specify a position on a display screen, includes the steps of: displaying two or more first candidate objects that are candidates for an operation target in a first area of the display area 205, and displaying two or more second candidate objects that are candidates for a recipient in a second area; detecting position information of the input operation on the input device from the start to the end of the operation; selecting an operation target object from among the first candidate objects based on the position information at the start of the input operation, determining the content of an instruction to be given to the operation target object based on a part or all of the movement trajectory from the start to the end of the input operation, and selecting a recipient target object from among the second candidate objects based on the position information at the end of the input operation; and exerting an influence on the recipient target object based on the content of the instruction.

[0121] Further, as a program to be run on a computer (for example, a game device, specifically, the terminal device 20), for example, the computer (for example, the terminal device 20) that accepts an input operation to an input device (for example, the touch panel 220) that can specify a position on a display screen includes a display control unit 241 that displays two or more first candidate objects (for example, ally characters) that are candidates for an operation target in a first area A1 of the display area 205, and two or more second candidate objects (for example, opponent characters) that are candidates for a receiver target in a second area A2, and an operation detection unit 231 that detects position information input to the input device from the start to the end of the operation. The operation target selection unit 251 selects an operation target object from among the first candidate objects based on position information at the start of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit 231; an instruction content determination unit 252 determines the instruction content for the operation target object based on a part or all of the movement trajectory from the start to the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit 231; a recipient target selection unit (e.g., an attack target selection unit 253) selects a recipient target object from among the second candidate objects based on position information at the end of the input operation detected by the operation detection unit 231; and an execution unit 254 that exerts an effect on the recipient target object based on the instruction content. The program may be recorded on a recording medium. By using this recording medium, the program can be installed on the computer. The recording medium storing the program may be a non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM. A program (game app) that causes a computer to function as a game device (e.g., terminal device 20) also includes an internal or external recording medium accessible from a distribution server for distributing the program. The program code stored on the distribution server's recording medium may be different from the program code in a format executable on the game device. In other words, the format in which the program is stored on the distribution server does not matter as long as it can be downloaded from the distribution server and installed in a format executable on the game device. Note that the program may be divided into multiple parts that are downloaded at different times and then combined on the game device, or each of the divided programs may be distributed by a different distribution server. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 1...system, 10...game server, 20...terminal device, 101, 201...CPU, 205...display area, 231...operation detection unit, 241...display control unit, 250...management unit, 251...operation target selection unit, 252...instruction content determination unit, 253...attack target selection unit (recipient target selection unit), 254...execution unit, A1...first area, A2...second area, A3...third area.

Claims

1. A game device having a touch panel display screen, a display control unit that displays, on the display screen, operation target candidate objects that are candidates for operation targets and recipient target candidate objects that are candidates for recipient targets; an operation target selection unit that selects an operation target object to be operated based on a touch-on position; an instruction content determination unit that determines instruction content associated with the operation target object according to a trajectory of successive operations based on the touch from the touch-on through a screen operation to the touch-off; a target object selection unit that selects a target object to be the target of receiving the touch based on a position of the touch-off; an execution unit that exerts an effect on the recipient object based on the instruction content determined by the instruction content determination unit; A game device comprising:

2. When the operation target candidate object is touched on, The display control unit Displaying instruction content associated with the operation target candidate object on the display screen 2. The game device according to claim 1.

3. A computer having a touch panel display screen, a display control unit that displays, on the display screen, operation target candidate objects that are candidates for operation targets and recipient target candidate objects that are candidates for recipient targets; an operation target selection unit that selects an operation target object to be operated based on a touch-on position; an instruction content determination unit that determines instruction content associated with the operation target object according to a trajectory of successive operations based on the touch from the touch-on through a screen operation to the touch-off; a target object selection unit that selects a target object to be the target of receiving the touch based on a position of the touch-off; and an execution unit that exerts an effect on the recipient object based on the instruction content determined by the instruction content determination unit; A program that functions as a

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