Game control method, computer and control program

Abstract

To provide a game control method and the like capable of sustaining a player's motivation for a game.SOLUTION: The game control method according to the present invention causing computers (2 and 3) to execute a game, includes: storing owned points that a player possesses for executing an event in the game, recovery points or recovery items for recovering the owned points; on the condition that the owned points are a prescribed value or more, executing the event and causing the player to consume a prescribed value from the owned points; and, when the owned points become less than the prescribed value, automatically recovering the owned points using recovery points or a recovery item.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a game control method, a computer, and a control program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, servers that provide games to mobile devices via communication networks have become widespread. These servers provide, for example, games in which players use their own characters to battle enemy characters, or games in which players complete so-called quests that progress according to a game scenario.

[0003] In such games, players are given points to complete various events, including battles and quests. These points are consumed each time a battle or quest is completed, and if the points fall below the required number to complete a battle or quest, the player will no longer be able to complete the battle or quest. These points are restored after a certain amount of time has passed, but they can also be restored without waiting for the certain amount of time to pass by using specific recovery items. However, the operation required to use specific recovery items is cumbersome for players, which can discourage players from continuing to play the game.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a game system in which, when the consumption parameters consumed in a battle with an enemy character are completely consumed, a bulk input button is displayed for inputting recovery and attack all at once, and when the bulk input button is selected by the player, the consumption parameters are recovered and an attack is made against the enemy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-230229 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the game system described in Patent Document 1, the player can recover and attack with just one operation, thereby saving the player time and effort. However, since the game (match) is temporarily stopped when the consumption parameters are completely consumed, there is a risk that the player's motivation to continue playing the game may be lost.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve these conventional problems, and aims to provide a game control method, computer, and control program that enable players to maintain their motivation to continue playing the game. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The game control method of the present invention is a game control method in a computer that executes a game, which includes storing owned points owned by a player for executing events in the game and recovery points or recovery items for restoring the owned points, executing an event and consuming a predetermined value from the owned points on the condition that the owned points are equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and automatically restoring the owned points using the recovery points or recovery items when the owned points fall below the predetermined value.

[0009] Furthermore, in the game control method according to the present invention, it is preferable that a setting by the player as to whether or not to automatically restore owned points is accepted, and that owned points are restored automatically only if it is set that owned points are restored automatically.

[0010] Furthermore, in the game control method of the present invention, it is preferable that the number and / or type of recovery items that can be automatically used is set by the player, and only the number and / or type of recovery items that can be automatically used are used to automatically recover owned points.

[0011] In addition, in the game control method according to the present invention, it is preferable that the value of the recovery points that can be automatically used is accepted as set by the player, and only the recovery points with the automatically usable value are used to automatically recover owned points.

[0012] In the game control method according to the present invention, it is preferable that a bonus be given to the player according to the number of times the player's points are automatically restored.

[0013] In the game control method according to the present invention, it is preferable that the recovery rate or the amount of points recovered is changed according to the number of times points have been automatically recovered.

[0014] In the game control method according to the present invention, it is preferable that the predetermined value to be consumed is changed according to the number of times owned points are automatically restored.

[0015] In the game control method according to the present invention, it is preferable that the recovery rate or amount of points recovered automatically is set to be greater than that of points recovered according to a player's instruction.

[0016] In addition, in the game control method according to the present invention, it is preferable that, for each player, other players related to the player are stored, and when owned points are automatically restored, owned points of other players related to the player are also automatically restored.

[0017] Furthermore, in the game control method according to the present invention, it is preferable that other players related to the player are other players who belong to the same group as the player, other players who are friends with the player, or other players who have rescued the player in a past match or quest.

[0018] Furthermore, in the game control method according to the present invention, it is preferable that the events include a first event and a second event different from the first event, and that when the points owned for the first event are automatically restored, the points owned for the second event are also automatically restored.

[0019] In addition, in the game control method according to the present invention, it is preferable to set the number of times that owned points can be automatically restored depending on the attributes of the game content used in the event owned by the player.

[0020] In the game control method according to the present invention, it is preferable to set the number of times that owned points can be automatically restored depending on the difficulty level of the event.

[0021] In the game control method according to the present invention, the event is preferably a battle or a quest.

[0022] In addition, the computer of the present invention is a computer that executes a game and includes: a memory unit that stores owned points owned by a player for executing events in the game, and recovery points or recovery items for recovering the owned points; an event execution unit that executes an event and consumes a predetermined value from the owned points, on the condition that the owned points are equal to or greater than a predetermined value; and an automatic recovery unit that automatically recovers the owned points using recovery points or recovery items when the owned points fall below the predetermined value.

[0023] In addition, the control program of the present invention is a control program for a computer that executes a game, and stores the points owned by the player that are used to execute events in the game, and recovery points or recovery items for restoring the points owned, and causes the computer to execute an event and consume a predetermined value from the points owned, provided that the points owned are equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and automatically restore the points owned using the recovery points or recovery items if the points owned fall below the predetermined value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] The game control method, computer, and control program according to the present invention enable a player to maintain their motivation to continue playing the game by automatically recovering points or recovery items owned by the player when the points required to execute a specific event fall below a predetermined value. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a game system 1. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a mobile terminal 2. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a server 3. [Figure 4] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a player management table, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a card management table. [Figure 5] 10(a) to 10(d) are diagrams showing examples of the display screen of the mobile terminal 2. FIG. [Figure 6] 10(a) to 10(d) are diagrams showing examples of the display screen of the mobile terminal 2. FIG. [Figure 7] 10(a) to 10(c) are diagrams showing an example of a display screen of the mobile terminal 2. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an operation sequence of the game system 1. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operational flow of a game progression process by the server 3. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation flow of an automatic recovery setting process by the server 3. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operational flow of an event execution process by the server 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Various embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, it should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but extends to the inventions set forth in the claims and their equivalents.

[0027] (1) Overview of this embodiment In the game system of this embodiment, a player plays a game provided by a server using a mobile device. The server executes a battle (competition) with an enemy character using game media owned by the player as an event in the game provided by the server. The enemy character in the battle is a game media owned by another player or a non-player character. Game media is electronic data used in the game, and includes, for example, cards, items, characters, avatars, etc. Furthermore, game media is electronic data that can be acquired, possessed, used, managed, exchanged, combined, strengthened, sold, discarded, and / or gifted by a player in the game as the game progresses, but the manner in which the game media is used is not limited to those explicitly described in this specification. In this embodiment, cards pre-registered in the game system will be described as an example of game media.

[0028] In this game, players are given battle points for participating in battles. Battle points are consumed each time a battle is played, and if the battle points fall below the required number for playing a battle, the battle cannot be played. Battle points are restored by a predetermined amount every time a certain amount of time passes, and can also be restored by using specific recovery items. In the game system of this embodiment, a player can set the system so that if the battle points fall below the required number for playing a battle, they are automatically restored using a recovery item owned by the player. This allows the player to continue playing the game even if the battle points fall below the required number for playing a battle, without having to use a specific recovery item to restore the battle points, thereby maintaining the player's motivation to continue playing the game.

[0029] (2) Configuration of Game System 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a game system 1. As shown in FIG.

[0030] The game system 1 includes at least one mobile terminal 2 and a server 3. The mobile terminal 2 and the server 3 are connected to each other via a communication network, for example, via a base station 4, a mobile communication network 5, a gateway 6, and the Internet 7. A program executed on the mobile terminal 2 (for example, a browsing program) and a program executed on the server 3 (for example, a game program) communicate with each other using a communication protocol such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

[0031] (2.1) Configuration of mobile device 2 FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the mobile terminal 2. As shown in FIG.

[0032] The mobile terminal 2 connects to the server 3 via a base station 4, a mobile communication network 5, a gateway 6, and the Internet 7, and communicates with the server 3. The mobile terminal 2 executes a game provided by the server 3 in response to the player's operation of an operation unit (buttons, etc.). To this end, the mobile terminal 2 includes a terminal communication unit 21, a terminal storage unit 22, an operation unit 23, a display unit 24, and a device processing unit 25.

[0033] In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 2 is assumed to be a multi-function mobile phone (a so-called "smartphone"), but the present invention is not limited to this. The mobile terminal 2 may be any device to which the present invention is applicable, such as a mobile phone (a so-called "feature phone"), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable game console, a portable music player, or a tablet PC.

[0034] The terminal communication unit 21 has a communication interface circuit including an antenna having a sensitivity band within a predetermined frequency band, and connects the mobile terminal 2 to a wireless communication network. The terminal communication unit 21 establishes a wireless signal line using a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) system or the like to communicate with the base station 4 via a channel assigned by the base station 4. The terminal communication unit 21 transmits data supplied from the terminal processing unit 25 to the server 3 or the like. The terminal communication unit 21 also supplies data received from the server 3 or the like to the terminal processing unit 25.

[0035] The device storage unit 22 includes, for example, a semiconductor memory. The device storage unit 22 stores an operating system program, a driver program, an application program, data, and the like used for processing by the device processing unit 25. For example, the device storage unit 22 stores, as driver programs, an input device driver program that controls the operation unit 23, an output device driver program that controls the display unit 24, and the like. The device storage unit 22 also stores, as application programs, programs that acquire and display display data related to the game provided by the server 3, and the like. Computer programs may be installed into the device storage unit 22 from a computer-readable portable recording medium, such as a CD-ROM (compact disk read-only memory) or a DVD-ROM (digital versatile disk read-only memory), using a known setup program or the like. The device storage unit 22 also stores, as data, display data, video data, image data, and the like related to the game received from the server 3. The device storage unit 22 may also temporarily store temporary data related to predetermined processing.

[0036] The operation unit 23 may be any device capable of operating the mobile terminal 2, such as a touch panel input device or a keypad. The player can input letters, numbers, etc. using the operation unit 23. When operated by the player, the operation unit 23 generates a signal corresponding to the operation. The generated signal is then supplied to the device processing unit 25 as an instruction from the player.

[0037] The display unit 24 may be any device capable of displaying videos, images, etc., such as a touch panel display device, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, etc. The display unit 24 displays videos corresponding to the video data supplied from the device processing unit 25, images corresponding to the image data, etc.

[0038] The device processing unit 25 includes one or more processors and their peripheral circuits. The device processing unit 25 comprehensively controls the overall operation of the mobile device 2 and is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The device processing unit 25 controls the operation of the device communication unit 21, display unit 24, etc. so that various processes of the mobile device 2 are executed in an appropriate order in accordance with the programs stored in the device storage unit 22, the operation of the operation unit 23, etc. The device processing unit 25 executes processes based on the programs (operating system programs, driver programs, application programs, etc.) stored in the device storage unit 22. The device processing unit 25 can also execute multiple programs (application programs, etc.) in parallel.

[0039] (2.1.1) Configuration of the terminal processing unit 25 The device processing unit 25 includes at least a browsing execution unit 251. The browsing execution unit 251 is a functional module realized by a program executed by a processor included in the device processing unit 25. Alternatively, the browsing execution unit 251 may be implemented in the mobile terminal 2 as firmware.

[0040] The browsing execution unit 251 executes a game provided by the server 3 in response to an instruction from the player using the operation unit 23. When the browsing execution unit 251 receives an instruction to start a game from the player using the operation unit 23, the browsing execution unit 251 further receives a player ID and password from the player using the operation unit 23, and transmits a game start request including the received player ID and password to the server 3 via the device communication unit 21. Note that the player ID and password may be stored in advance in the device storage unit 22, and the browsing execution unit 251 may acquire the player ID and password by reading them from the terminal storage unit 22. Note that when the server 3 is successful in authentication processing using the player ID and password, it transmits home screen display data for displaying a home screen, which will be described later, to the mobile device 2.

[0041] When the browsing execution unit 251 receives home screen display data from the server 3 via the device communication unit 21, it creates drawing data based on the received display data. That is, the browsing execution unit 251 analyzes the received display data to identify control data and content data, lays out the identified content data according to the identified control data, and creates drawing data. Then, the browsing execution unit 251 outputs the created drawing data to the display unit 24.

[0042] Furthermore, in response to an instruction from a player using the operation unit 23, the browsing execution unit 251 transmits a game progress request including a request type corresponding to the instruction and the player ID of the player to the server 3 via the device communication unit 21. The request type is specified as any one of a request to acquire display data for various screens such as home screen display data, an automatic recovery setting request for setting automatic recovery of battle points, a request to execute a battle, etc. In response to the game progress request, the browsing execution unit 251 receives corresponding display data from the server 3 via the device communication unit 21, creates drawing data corresponding to the received display data, and outputs it to the display unit 24.

[0043] (2.2) Server 3 Configuration FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of the server 3. As shown in FIG.

[0044] The server 3 is an example of a computer that executes a game. In response to a request from the mobile device 2, the server 3 provides a game in which a battle is executed, and also consumes and recovers battle points. In response to a request from the mobile device 2, the server 3 also creates display data and transmits it to the mobile device 2. To this end, the server 3 includes a server communication unit 31, a server storage unit 32, and a server processing unit 33.

[0045] The server communication unit 31 includes a wired communication interface circuit such as Ethernet (registered trademark) for connecting the server 3 to the Internet 7, and communicates with the Internet 7. The server communication unit 31 then supplies data received from the mobile terminal 2 or the like to the server processing unit 33. The server communication unit 31 also transmits data supplied from the server processing unit 33 to the mobile terminal 2 or the like.

[0046] The server storage unit 32 includes, for example, at least one of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic tape device, a magnetic disk device, and an optical disk device. The server storage unit 32 stores an operating system program, a driver program, an application program, data, and the like used in processing by the server processing unit 33. For example, the server storage unit 32 stores, as an application program, a game program that executes battles, consumes and recovers battle points, and creates display data related to the results. The computer program may be installed into the terminal storage unit 22 from a computer-readable portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM using a known setup program. The server storage unit 32 also stores, as data, a player management table ( FIG. 4( a) ) that manages players, a card management table ( FIG. 4( b) ) that manages cards, and the like. The server storage unit 32 may also temporarily store temporary data related to predetermined processing.

[0047] FIG. 4(a) shows an example of the data structure of a player management table for managing players. For each player, the player management table stores the player's player ID, password, name, image data file name, group ID of the group to which the player belongs, card ID of the card used by the player in battle, battle points owned by the player, an auto-recovery setting indicating whether or not battle points are automatically restored, information about recovery items and recovery points for restoring battle points, and the number of times auto-recovery has been performed. A group to which a player belongs is a group of multiple players who have built a specific cooperative relationship and share information using a message sending / receiving function in a game, such as a team formed by multiple players in an event such as a so-called RAID battle. Battle points are an example of points owned by a player. The auto-recovery setting is stored as enabled or disabled. Information about recovery items, such as the item name, number owned, number automatically usable, and number used, is stored in association with each type of recovery item. Information about recovery points, such as the owned value, automatically usable value, and used value, is stored. Recovery points are, for example, an in-game currency, and players can acquire recovery items by spending recovery points.

[0048] 4(b) is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a card management table that manages cards. The card management table stores, for each character's card, the card ID, name, image data file name, number of consumed points, attack power, vitality, etc. The number of consumed points is the number of points required to perform one battle using that card, and indicates the predetermined number of points consumed from the battle points each time a battle is performed.

[0049] The server processing unit 33 includes one or more processors and their peripheral circuits. The server processing unit 33 comprehensively controls the overall operation of the server 3 and is, for example, a CPU. The server processing unit 33 controls the operation of the server communication unit 31 and the like so that various processes of the server 3 are executed in an appropriate order according to the programs and the like stored in the server storage unit 32. The server processing unit 33 executes processes based on the programs (operating system programs, driver programs, application programs, etc.) stored in the server storage unit 32. The server processing unit 33 can also execute multiple programs (application programs, etc.) in parallel.

[0050] (2.2.1) Functions of the server processing unit 33

[0051] 5(a) to (d), 6(a) to (d), and 7(a) to (c) are diagrams showing examples of the display screen of the mobile terminal 2 based on the display data created by the server 3.

[0052] 5(a) shows a home screen 500 that is displayed when a game is started. The home screen 500 displays game-related notices 501, a "Game Selection" button 502, and a "Battle Point Auto Recovery Settings" button 503. When the "Game Selection" button 502 is tapped, a game selection screen for selecting the game to play is displayed, and when the "Battle Point Auto Recovery Settings" button 503 is tapped, a battle point auto recovery setting screen for configuring the automatic recovery settings for battle points is displayed.

[0053] 5(b) shows a battle point auto-recovery setting screen 510. The battle point auto-recovery setting screen 510 displays an image 511 of a character card set to be used by the player in battle, an attack power 512, a vitality 513, a consumed point count 514, and the player's current battle points 515. While this embodiment will be described as an example of a battle using one card for ease of explanation, a battle may also be performed using a deck consisting of multiple cards. In this case, the battle point auto-recovery setting screen 510 displays information about all cards that make up the deck, and also displays the total consumed point count of all cards as the number of points required to perform one battle.

[0054] The battle point auto-recovery setting screen 510 further displays an input field 516 for specifying whether to automatically recover battle points, an input field 517 for specifying the number of automatically usable recovery items if automatically recovered, and an input field 518 for specifying the value of automatically usable recovery points. The input field 517 for the number of automatically usable recovery items displays a selectable number for each type of recovery item, with the currently set automatically usable number as the initial value, up to the currently owned number. The input field 518 for the number of automatically usable recovery points displays a selectable number for each type of recovery item, with the currently set automatically usable value as the initial value, up to the currently owned value. The player can set the type and number of automatically usable recovery items using the input field 517. Note that the setting of the type of automatically usable recovery items in the input field 517 may be omitted, and a common automatically usable number may be set for all types of recovery items. Furthermore, the setting of the number of automatically usable recovery items in the input field 517 may be omitted, and all recovery items owned by the player may be automatically usable for the automatically usable recovery items of the type. Furthermore, when the display of input fields 517 and / or 518 is omitted and battle points are automatically recovered, all recovery items and / or all recovery points owned by the player may be automatically made available for use.

[0055] The battle point auto-recovery setting screen 510 further displays a "Settings" button 519, a "Back" button 520, an "Opponent Selection" button 521, etc. When the "Settings" button 519 is tapped, the items specified in the input fields 516 to 518 are set in the server 3, and the battle point auto-recovery setting screen is displayed again. When the "Back" button 520 is tapped, the home screen is displayed again. When the "Opponent Selection" button 521 is tapped, an opponent selection screen (not shown) for selecting an opponent is displayed. The opponent selection screen displays a list of opponents that the player can battle, and the player can select an opponent from the opponent selection screen. It is also possible to execute a battle from this opponent selection screen. In addition, the number of points required to execute one battle may be determined according to the opponent, rather than the card of the character set to be used in the battle.

[0056] Note that, for automatically usable recovery items, the recovery items themselves may be selectable, rather than the type and number of automatically usable recovery items. In this case, for example, an automatic recovery box may be used in which automatically usable recovery items are registered in advance.

[0057] FIG. 5(c) shows an automatic recovery box setting screen 530. The automatic recovery box setting screen 530 displays a list of recovery items owned by the player, check boxes 531 for selecting each recovery item, a "Select All" button 532 for selecting all recovery items, and a "Deselect All" button 533 for deselecting all recovery items. The automatic recovery box setting screen 530 also displays a registration button 534 for registering selected items in the automatic recovery box and a "Back" button 535. The player can select an automatically usable recovery item by checking the check box of the recovery item to be automatically usable and tapping the registration button 534. The server storage unit 32 stores, for each recovery item owned by the player, whether that recovery item is automatically usable, and the automatically usable status of each recovery item is updated according to the settings on the automatic recovery box setting screen 530. This allows the player to easily grasp all recovery items currently owned and appropriately determine which of the recovery items owned should be automatically usable.

[0058] 5(d) shows a home screen 540 that is displayed when the automatic recovery setting is enabled. On the home screen 540, a "Battle Point Automatic Recovery Setting" button 541 displays that automatic recovery is enabled and the number of recovery items that will be automatically used for each type of recovery item.

[0059] FIG. 6(a) shows a game selection screen 600. The game selection screen 600 displays a "Battle" button 601, a "Quest" button 602, a "Card" button 603, a "My Page" button 604, a "Shop" button 605, and the like. When the "Battle" button 601 is tapped, a battle is selected as the game to be executed, and a battle start screen for starting the battle is displayed. When the "Quest" button 602 is tapped, a quest is selected as the game to be executed, and a quest start screen (not shown) for starting the quest is displayed. When the "Card" button 603 is tapped, a card setting screen (not shown) for making settings related to cards owned by the player is displayed. When the "My Page" button 604 is tapped, a My Page screen (not shown) for making various settings is displayed. When the "Shop" button 605 is tapped, a shop screen (not shown) for acquiring items and the like using in-game currency is displayed.

[0060] FIG. 6(b) shows a battle start screen 610. The battle start screen 610 displays a "character selection" button 611 for selecting a character card to be used in the battle, an image 612 of the selected card, attack power 613, vitality 614, number of consumed points 615, and the player's current battle points 616. The battle start screen 610 also displays an "opponent selection" button 617 similar to the "opponent selection" button 521 in FIG. 5(b) and an "auto-recovery setting" button 618 similar to the "battle point auto-recovery setting" button 503 in FIG. 5(a). The battle start screen 610 also displays a "battle execution" button 619 and a "back" button 620. When the "character selection" button 621 is tapped, a character selection screen (not shown) is displayed. The character selection screen displays a list of character cards that can be used in the battle, and the player can select a character card to use in the battle from the character selection screen. When the "Battle" button 619 is tapped, a battle execution screen showing the results of the battle is displayed. When the "Back" button 620 is tapped, the game selection screen 600 is displayed again.

[0061] 6(c) and 6(d) show a battle execution screen 630 and a battle result screen 640, respectively. The battle execution screen 630 is a screen that is displayed immediately after the "Battle" button 619 is tapped, and the battle result screen 640 is a screen that is displayed when the battle ends. The battle execution screen 630 and the battle result screen 640 display the card 631 of the player playing the game and its life force 632, as well as the opponent's card 633 and its life force 634. In a battle, the amount of damage to be inflicted on the opponent's card is determined based on the attack power of the player's card, and the determined amount of damage is subtracted from the life force of the opponent's card. Meanwhile, the amount of damage to be inflicted on the player's card is determined based on the attack power of the opponent's card, and the determined amount of damage is subtracted from the life force of the player's card. If the life force of the opponent's card reaches 0 first, the player wins. If the life force of the player's card reaches 0 first, the player loses. The battle result screen 640 displays, by animation or the like, a battle effect image showing the change in vitality of the player's cards and the opponent's cards, and displays the result (win or loss) 641. In addition, the battle execution screen 630 and the battle result screen 640 display a "back" button 636. When the "back" button 636 is tapped, the battle start screen is displayed again.

[0062] 7(a) shows a battle start screen 700 that is displayed after a battle has been initiated. In the battle start screen 700, the value of the battle points 626 has been changed to a value (0) obtained by subtracting the value (10) of the number of consumed points 615 from the value (10) displayed on the battle start screen 610 in FIG. 6(b) before the battle has been initiated.

[0063] If the automatic recovery setting is enabled, when the "Battle" button 629 is tapped on the battle start screen 700 of FIG. 7(a), a recovery item is used to recover battle points from 0 to a predetermined value (e.g., 50), and the battle is resumed.

[0064] FIG. 7(b) shows a battle start screen 710 that is displayed after the battle in this case. In the battle start screen 710, the value of the battle points 626 has recovered from the value (0) displayed on the battle start screen 700 in FIG. 7(a) before the battle to a predetermined value (50), and has also been changed to a value (40) obtained by subtracting the value (10) of the number of consumed points 625. Furthermore, the battle start screen 710 displays a message 711 indicating that automatic recovery has occurred. Note that the display of the battle start screen 710 may be omitted, and a battle execution screen may be displayed after the battle start screen 700.

[0065] On the other hand, if the automatic recovery setting is disabled, tapping the "Battle" button 629 on the battle start screen 700 of FIG. 7(a) will not execute the battle, and a battle result screen will be displayed indicating that there are insufficient battle points.

[0066] FIG. 7(c) shows a battle result screen 720 indicating that the player has insufficient battle points. The battle result screen 720 displays a message 721 indicating that the player has insufficient battle points, a time 722 remaining until the battle points are restored, a "Get Recovery Item" button 723 for acquiring a recovery item using recovery points, a "Use Recovery Item" button 724 for using a recovery item owned by the player, an "Auto Recovery Settings" button 725, and a "Back" button 726. Tapping the "Get Recovery Item" button 723 displays a shop screen for acquiring a recovery item using recovery points. Tapping the "Use Recovery Item" button 724 displays a screen for using a recovery item owned by the player, allowing the player to specify the number, type, etc. of recovery items to be used. Tapping the "Auto Recovery Settings" button 725 displays a battle point auto recovery settings screen. Tapping the "Back" button 726 displays the battle start screen again. The battle result screen 720 allows the player to choose whether to wait until time 722 has passed, use a recovery item they own, acquire a recovery item using recovery points, or set up automatic recovery.

[0067] (2.2.2) Configuration of the server processing unit 33 To realize the above functions, the server processing unit 33 includes, as shown in FIG. 3(a), a control unit 331, a game starting unit 332, a game progression unit 333, a display data creation unit 334, an auto-recovery setting unit 335, an event execution unit 336, an auto-recovery unit 337, and a benefit granting unit 338. Each of these units is a functional module realized by a program executed by a processor included in the server processing unit 33. Alternatively, each of these units may be implemented in the server 3 as firmware.

[0068] The following describes the processing performed by the control unit 331. The control unit 331 controls the progress of the game and appropriately instructs the game starting unit 332, game progression unit 333, etc. to execute processing.

[0069] When the control unit 331 receives a game start request from the mobile terminal 2 via the server communication unit 31, it transmits the player ID and password included in the received game start request to a player authentication unit (not shown) and instructs it to execute authentication processing.

[0070] If the authentication by the player authentication unit is successful, the control unit 331 passes the player ID to the game start unit 332 and instructs it to execute a game start process. In addition, the control unit 331 transmits the home screen display data received from the game start unit 332 to the mobile device 2 via the server communication unit 31.

[0071] Meanwhile, when the control unit 331 receives a game progression request from the mobile device 2 via the server communication unit 31, it passes the received game progression request to the game progression unit 333 and instructs it to execute game progression processing. In addition, the control unit 331 transmits various display data received from the game progression unit 333 to the mobile device 2 via the server communication unit 31.

[0072] The game start unit 332 creates home screen display data that displays buttons and the like for accepting various instructions (game start, auto-recovery settings, display data creation, etc.) The game start unit 332 then passes the created home screen display data to the control unit 331.

[0073] The following describes the processing performed by the game progression unit 333. The game progression unit 333 progresses the game in response to game progression requests, and creates various display data that displays information in accordance with the progress results. The game progression unit 333 then passes the created display data to the control unit 331.

[0074] The game progression unit 333 identifies the request from the mobile device 2 from the request type included in the game progression request received from the control unit 331.

[0075] If the identified request is a request to obtain home screen display data, the game progression unit 333 passes the player ID included in the game progression request to the game starting unit 332 and instructs the game starting unit 332 to create home screen display data. In this case, the game starting unit 332 identifies the player corresponding to the player ID received from the game progression unit 333. The game starting unit 332 also passes the created home screen display data to the game progression unit 333.

[0076] If the identified request is a request to obtain screen display data other than the home screen, the game progression unit 333 passes the player ID included in the game progression request to the display data creation unit 334 and instructs it to create the screen display data.

[0077] If the identified request is a request for setting automatic recovery of battle points, the game progression unit 333 passes the player ID included in the game progression request and each setting included in the automatic recovery setting request to the automatic recovery setting unit 335, and instructs the automatic recovery setting unit 335 to set the automatic recovery of battle points.

[0078] If the identified request is a request to hold a battle, the game progression unit 333 passes the player ID included in the game progression request to the event execution unit 336 and instructs the event execution unit 336 to hold a battle.

[0079] The game progression unit 333 passes the display data received from the game start unit 332, display data creation unit 334, automatic recovery setting unit 335, or event execution unit 336 to the control unit 331.

[0080] The following describes the processing performed by the display data creation unit 334. The display data creation unit 334 creates display data for displaying each screen and passes it to the game progression unit 333.

[0081] The display data creation unit 334 receives instructions from the game progression unit 333 to create display data for the game selection screen, battle point automatic recovery setting screen, opponent selection screen, battle start screen, quest start screen, card setting screen, my page screen, shop screen, character selection screen, etc. The display data creation unit 334 references the player management table stored in the server storage unit 32, identifies the player corresponding to the player ID received from the game progression unit 333, and creates display data for each screen corresponding to the identified player.

[0082] When creating display data for the battle point automatic recovery setting screen, the display data creation unit 334 references the player management table and extracts the card IDs of cards used in battle, battle points, item names of recovery items, the number owned and the number automatically usable, the owned and automatically usable recovery point values, etc. Furthermore, the display data creation unit 334 references the card management table stored in the server storage unit 32 and extracts the name, image data file name, number of consumed points, attack power, and vitality of the card corresponding to the card ID extracted from the player management table. Next, the display data creation unit 334 creates battle point automatic recovery setting screen display data for displaying the extracted information, a "Settings" button, a "Back" button, an "Opponent Selection" button, etc., in a predetermined layout, and passes the data to the game progression unit 333. Note that when creating display data for the battle start screen, the display data creation unit 334 similarly extracts information about cards used in battle from the card management table and creates display data for the battle start screen.

[0083] The following describes the processing performed by the automatic recovery setting unit 335. When the game progression unit 333 instructs the automatic recovery setting unit 335 to set the automatic recovery of battle points, the automatic recovery setting unit 335 accepts each setting from the player and sets the automatic recovery of battle points.

[0084] When an instruction to set automatic recovery of battle points is received, the automatic recovery setting unit 335 references the player management table stored in the server storage unit 32 and identifies the player corresponding to the player ID received from the game progression unit 333. The automatic recovery setting unit 335 sets the automatic recovery settings for battle points, the number of automatically usable recovery items, and the automatically usable value of recovery points in the player management table in accordance with the settings included in the automatic recovery setting request received from the game progression unit 333. In addition, the automatic recovery setting unit 335 creates battle point automatic recovery setting screen display data in the same way as the display data creation unit 334 so that the player can confirm the settings. This data is passed to the game progression unit 333.

[0085] The following describes the processing performed by the event execution unit 336. When the game progression unit 333 instructs the event execution unit 336 to execute a battle, the event execution unit 336 executes the battle.

[0086] When a command to execute a battle is received, the event execution unit 336 references the player management table stored in the server storage unit 32 and identifies the player corresponding to the player ID received from the game progression unit 333 and the player's current battle points. Furthermore, the event execution unit 336 extracts the card ID of the card that the identified player will use in the battle, and extracts the attack power, vitality, number of consumed points, etc. corresponding to the extracted card ID from the card management table.

[0087] The event execution unit 336 executes a battle on the condition that the current battle points are equal to or greater than the number of consumed points of the cards used in the battle. The event execution unit 336 determines the amount of damage to be inflicted on the opponent's cards based on the attack power of the player's cards used in the battle, and subtracts the determined amount of damage from the life force of the opponent's cards. Meanwhile, the event execution unit 336 determines the amount of damage to be inflicted on the player's cards based on the attack power of the opponent's cards, and subtracts the determined amount of damage from the life force of the player's cards. Then, the event execution unit 336 determines that the player has won if the life force of the opponent's cards reaches 0 first, and determines that the player has lost if the life force of the player's cards reaches 0 first.

[0088] Furthermore, when a battle is executed, the event execution unit 336 consumes the number of consumed points from the battle points in the player management table by subtracting the number of consumed points from the battle points. The event execution unit 336 also creates battle execution screen display data and battle result screen display data for displaying battle effect images and results, and passes them to the game progression unit 333.

[0089] The following describes the processing performed by the automatic recovery unit 337. When the event execution unit 336 determines that the battle points are less than the number of consumed points, the automatic recovery unit 337 automatically recovers the battle points using a recovery item.

[0090] The automatic recovery unit 337 recovers battle points when the automatic recovery setting for battle points is enabled in the player management table, the number of owned recovery items of a type that can be automatically used is equal to or greater than the number required to recover missing battle points (e.g., 1), and the number of times that the recovery items have been used is equal to or less than the number that can be automatically used. The automatic recovery unit 337 recovers battle points by adding a value corresponding to the recovery amount or recovery rate determined for each recovery item to the battle points in the player management table. Note that the automatic recovery unit 337 may also recover battle points by updating the battle points in the player management table to an upper limit value determined for each player. The automatic recovery unit 337 decrements (subtracts 1) the number of owned recovery items in the player management table and increments (adds 1) the number of used recovery items. Furthermore, the automatic recovery unit 337 increments the number of automatic recoveries in the player management table. When multiple types of recovery items are set as automatically usable recovery items, the automatic recovery unit 337 uses the recovery items in accordance with a predetermined priority order (lowest recovery amount or highest recovery rate). This priority order may be specified by the player.

[0091] On the other hand, even if the battle points become less than the number of consumed points, if the automatic recovery setting for battle points is disabled in the player management table, the automatic recovery unit 337 will not automatically recover battle points. Also, if the number of recovery items used exceeds the number that can be automatically used, the recovery items will not be used and battle points will not be automatically recovered. In these cases, the automatic recovery unit 337 creates battle result screen display data to display that there are insufficient battle points and passes this data to the game progression unit 333.

[0092] Furthermore, the automatic recovery unit 337 does not use recovery points and does not automatically recover battle points if the number of recovery items owned is less than the required number, if the number of recovery points owned is less than the required value for acquiring recovery items, or if the number of recovery points used exceeds the automatically usable value. On the other hand, if the number of recovery points owned is equal to or greater than the required value and the number of recovery points used is equal to or less than the automatically usable value, the automatic recovery unit 337 exchanges recovery points for recovery items. The automatic recovery unit 337 increases the number of recovery items owned in the player management table and subtracts the required value from the recovery points to exchange the recovery points for recovery items. The automatic recovery unit 337 then recovers battle points using the recovery items. Note that the automatic recovery unit 337 may also directly recover battle points using the recovery points without exchanging them for recovery items.

[0093] In this way, the automatic recovery unit 337 uses only the automatically usable number and / or type of recovery items to automatically recover battle points. Also, the automatic recovery unit 337 uses only the automatically usable value of recovery points to automatically recover battle points. This allows the player to feel like they are controlling the progress of the battle within a certain range, even when the computer automatically recovers battle points.

[0094] The automatic recovery unit 337 may change the recovery rate or recovery amount of battle points depending on the number of times battle points are automatically recovered. In this case, the automatic recovery unit 337 increases the recovery rate or recovery amount of battle points as the number of times battle points are automatically recovered increases. The automatic recovery unit 337 may also change the number of points consumed when a battle is executed depending on the number of times battle points are automatically recovered. In this case, the automatic recovery unit 337 decreases the number of points consumed as the number of times battle points are automatically recovered increases. The automatic recovery unit 337 may also set the recovery rate or recovery amount when owned points are automatically recovered to be greater than when owned points are recovered according to a player's instructions. This makes the automatic recovery of owned points more attractive to players, and it is possible to increase the utilization rate of the automatic recovery function.

[0095] In addition, other players related to a player may be stored in the player management table, and the automatic recovery unit 337 may link the battle points of players related to the player. When automatically recovering the battle points of a specific player, the automatic recovery unit 337 may also automatically recover the battle points of other players related to the player. For example, when automatically recovering the battle points of a specific player, the automatic recovery unit 337 may also automatically recover the battle points of other players belonging to the same group as the player. In this case, the automatic recovery of the battle points of other players may be performed only if the automatic recovery of the battle points of a specific player has been performed a predetermined number of times or more, or if the player has been selected by a random number generation process or the like. Furthermore, the recovery rate or amount of the battle points of other players may be smaller than the recovery rate or amount of the battle points of the specific player. Note that other players related to a player are not limited to other players belonging to the same group as the player, but may also include other players who are friends with the player, or other players who have rescued the player in a past battle against an enemy character or in a quest. This can also increase motivation to build cooperative relationships within the game.

[0096] Furthermore, the automatic recovery unit 337 may set the number of automatic recoveries (or its upper limit) according to the difficulty level of the battle (the level of the opponent). In this case, the automatic recovery unit 337 sets the number of automatic recoveries (or its upper limit) higher the higher the difficulty level of the battle. This makes it possible to set the number of automatic recoveries to about the same number of times that the owned points will become 0 before defeating the opponent, and it becomes possible to set the number of automatic recoveries within a range that allows the event to proceed smoothly.

[0097] Furthermore, if attributes such as level or rarity are defined for cards used in battles, the automatic recovery unit 337 may set the number of automatic recovery times (or its upper limit) of battle points according to the attributes of the cards used in battles. In this case, the automatic recovery unit 337 sets a higher number of automatic recovery times (or its upper limit) as the level or rarity of the cards used in battles increases. This allows a player to increase the number of automatic recovery times as their level increases, thereby increasing the player's motivation to improve their level. Furthermore, the automatic recovery unit 337 may set the number of automatic recovery times (or its upper limit) according to the player's number of logins, number of battles, number of players in friend relationships, etc. In this case, the automatic recovery unit 337 sets a higher number of automatic recovery times (or its upper limit) as the player's number of logins, number of battles, number of players in friend relationships, etc. increases. This makes it possible to increase the player's motivation to play the game, participate in battles, and build cooperative relationships within the game.

[0098] The following describes the processing performed by the reward awarding unit 338. The reward awarding unit 338 awards a reward to a player according to the number of times owned points are automatically restored.

[0099] When the automatic recovery unit 337 automatically recovers owned points, the bonus granting unit 338 determines whether the number of automatic recoveries in the player management table is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, and if so, grants a bonus to the player. The bonus granting unit 338 grants the player, for example, a card of a specific character or a recovery item as a bonus. The bonus granting unit 338 grants the player a higher bonus the more times the automatic recovery is performed, such as a card or recovery item with a higher level or rarity. This makes the automatic recovery of owned points attractive to players, and can increase the utilization rate of the automatic recovery function.

[0100] (3) Operation of Game System 1 8 shows an example of an operation sequence of the game system 1. The operation sequence described below is executed mainly by the device processing unit 25 and the server processing unit 33 in cooperation with the respective elements of the mobile terminal 2 and the server 3, based on programs stored in advance in the terminal storage unit 22 and the server storage unit 32.

[0101] The player instructs the start of the game using the operation unit 23 of the mobile terminal 2. The browsing execution unit 251 accepts a player ID and a password from the player using the operation unit 23, and transmits a game start request including the accepted player ID and password to the server 3 via the terminal communication unit 21 (step S101).

[0102] When the control unit 331 of the server 3 receives a game start request from the mobile terminal 2 via the server communication unit 31, it transmits the player ID and password included in the received game start request to the player authentication unit and instructs it to perform authentication processing (step S102).

[0103] If the authentication by the player authentication unit is successful, the control unit 331 passes the player ID to the game start unit 332 and instructs it to execute game start processing. When the game start unit 332 is instructed to execute game start processing by the control unit 331, it creates home screen display data and passes the created home screen display data to the control unit 331 (step S103).

[0104] Next, the control unit 331 transmits the home screen display data received from the game starting unit 332 to the mobile terminal 2 via the server communication unit 31 (step S104).

[0105] When the browsing execution unit 251 receives the home screen display data from the server 3 via the device communication unit 21, it creates drawing data based on the received home screen display data. The browsing execution unit 251 outputs the created drawing data to the display unit 24, and displays the home screen (step S105).

[0106] Next, in response to an instruction from the player using the operation unit 23, the browsing execution unit 251 transmits a game progress request including a request type corresponding to the instruction and the player ID of the player to the server 3 via the terminal communication unit 21 (step S106).

[0107] When the "Settings" button 519 on the battle point automatic recovery setting screen 510 in FIG. 5(b) is tapped, the request type becomes a battle point automatic recovery setting request. This automatic recovery setting request includes the settings specified in each of the input fields 516 to 518. When the "Battle" button 619 on the battle start screen 610 in FIG. 6(b) is tapped, the request type becomes a battle execution request. When any of the other buttons shown on each of the screens in FIGS. 5(a) to (d), 6(a) to (d), and 7(a) to (c) is tapped, the request type becomes a request to acquire display data for the corresponding screen.

[0108] When the control unit 331 receives a game progression request from the mobile device 2 via the server communication unit 31, it passes the received game progression request to the game progression unit 333 and instructs it to execute game progression processing. When the game progression unit 333 is instructed to execute game progression processing by the control unit 331, it executes the game progression processing (step S107). In the game progression processing, each unit of the server processing unit 33 creates display data corresponding to the received game progression request, and the game progression unit 333 passes the created display data to the control unit 331. Details of the game progression processing will be described later.

[0109] Next, the control unit 331 transmits each display data received from the game progression unit 333 to the mobile device 2 via the server communication unit 31 (Step S108).

[0110] When the browsing execution unit 251 receives each piece of display data etc. from the server 3 via the terminal communication unit 21, it creates drawing data based on the received display data. In addition, the browsing execution unit 251 outputs the created drawing data to the display unit 24 and displays a corresponding screen (step S109). Thereafter, the processes of steps S106 to S109 are repeated.

[0111] 9 is a diagram showing an example of the operational flow of the game progression processing by the game progression unit 333. The game progression processing shown in FIG. 9 is executed in step S107 in FIG.

[0112] First, the game progression unit 333 identifies the request from the mobile device 2 from the request type included in the game progression request received from the control unit 331 (Step S201).

[0113] If the identified request is a battle point automatic recovery setting request (step S202—Yes), the game progression unit 333 instructs the automatic recovery setting unit 335 to set the automatic recovery of battle points, and the automatic recovery setting unit 335 executes the automatic recovery setting process (step S203). In the automatic recovery setting process, the automatic recovery setting unit 335 creates battle point automatic recovery setting screen display data and passes it to the game progression unit 333. Details of the automatic recovery setting process will be described later.

[0114] Next, the game progression unit 333 passes the battle point automatic recovery settings screen display data to the control unit 331 (step S209), and ends the series of steps.

[0115] On the other hand, if the request identified in step S201 is a request to execute a battle (step S202-No, step S204-Yes), the game progression unit 333 instructs the event execution unit 336 to execute a battle, and the event execution unit 336 executes battle execution processing (step S205). In the battle execution processing, the event execution unit 336 creates battle execution screen display data and battle result screen display data, and passes them to the game progression unit 333. Details of the battle execution processing will be described later.

[0116] Next, the game progression unit 333 passes the battle execution screen display data and battle result screen display data received from the event execution unit 336 to the control unit 331 (step S209), and ends the series of steps.

[0117] On the other hand, if the request identified in step S201 is a request to obtain home screen display data (step S204—No, step S206—Yes), the game progression unit 333 instructs the game starting unit 332 to create home screen display data. The game starting unit 332 creates the home screen display data and passes it to the game progression unit 333 (step S207).

[0118] Next, the game progression unit 333 passes the home screen display data received from the game starting unit 332 to the control unit 331 (step S209), and ends the series of steps.

[0119] On the other hand, if the request identified in step S201 is none of the above, that is, if it is a request to acquire display data for each screen other than the home screen display data (step S206-No), the game progression unit 333 instructs the display data creation unit 334 to create display data for each screen. The display data creation unit 334 creates display data for the instructed screen and passes it to the game progression unit 333 (step S208).

[0120] Next, the game progression unit 333 passes the received screen display data to the control unit 331 (step S209), and ends the series of steps.

[0121] 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation flow of the automatic recovery setting process by the automatic recovery setting unit 335. The automatic recovery setting process shown in FIG. 10 is executed in step S203 of FIG.

[0122] First, the automatic recovery setting unit 335 sets the automatic recovery setting in the player management table according to the setting of whether or not to perform automatic recovery, which is included in the automatic recovery setting request (step S301).

[0123] Next, the automatic recovery setting unit 335 sets the automatically usable number of each automatically usable type of recovery item in the player management table according to the settings of the automatically usable type and number of recovery items included in the automatic recovery setting request (step S302).

[0124] Next, the automatic recovery setting unit 335 sets the automatically usable value of the recovery point in the player management table according to the setting of the automatically usable value of the recovery point included in the automatic recovery setting request (step S303).

[0125] Next, the automatic recovery setting unit 335 creates battle point automatic recovery setting screen display data and passes it to the game progression unit 333 (step S304), ending the series of steps.

[0126] 11 is a diagram showing an example of the operational flow of the battle execution process by the event execution unit 336, the automatic recovery unit 337, and the benefit granting unit 338. The battle execution process shown in FIG. 11 is executed in step S205 of FIG.

[0127] First, the event execution unit 336 determines whether the current battle points of the player of the mobile terminal 2 are equal to or greater than the number of points consumed for the cards used in the battle (step S401).

[0128] If the battle points are equal to or greater than the consumed points (step S401—Yes), the event execution unit 336 proceeds to step S412. On the other hand, if the battle points are less than the consumed points (step S401—No), the automatic recovery unit 337 determines whether the automatic recovery setting for battle points is enabled (step S402).

[0129] If the automatic recovery setting for battle points is disabled (step S402-No), the automatic recovery unit 337 does not automatically recover battle points, but instead creates battle result screen display data to display that there is a shortage of battle points and passes this data to the game progression unit 333 (step S403), thereby ending the series of steps.

[0130] On the other hand, if the automatic recovery setting for battle points is enabled (step S402-Yes), the automatic recovery unit 337 determines whether the number of recovery items of the type that can be automatically used is equal to or greater than the number required to recover the missing battle points (step S404).

[0131] If the number of recovery items of the type that can be automatically used is equal to or greater than the required number (step S404-Yes), the automatic recovery unit 337 determines whether the number of times the recovery items have been used exceeds the number that can be automatically used (step S405).

[0132] If the number of times the recovery item has been used is less than or equal to the number that can be automatically used (step S405—No), the automatic recovery unit 337 proceeds to step S409. On the other hand, if the number of times the recovery item has been used exceeds the number that can be automatically used (step S405—Yes), the automatic recovery unit 337 does not automatically recover battle points, but instead creates battle result screen display data to display that there are insufficient battle points, passes this data to the game progression unit 333 (step S403), and ends this series of steps.

[0133] On the other hand, if the number of recovery items of a type that can be automatically used is less than the required number (step S404-No), the automatic recovery unit 337 determines whether the owned value of recovery points is equal to or greater than the required value for acquiring the required recovery items (step S406).

[0134] If the owned recovery point value is less than the required value (step S406-No), the automatic recovery unit 337 does not automatically recover the battle points, but instead creates battle result screen display data to display that there are insufficient battle points and passes it to the game progression unit 333 (step S403), thereby ending the series of steps.

[0135] On the other hand, if the owned value of the recovery point is equal to or greater than the required value (step S406-Yes), the automatic recovery unit 337 determines whether the used value of the recovery point exceeds the automatically usable value (step S407).

[0136] If the used number of recovery points exceeds the automatically usable value (step S407-Yes), the automatic recovery unit 337 does not automatically recover battle points, but instead creates battle result screen display data to display that there are insufficient battle points and passes this data to the game progression unit 333 (step S403).

[0137] On the other hand, if the used value of recovery points is equal to or less than the automatically usable value (step S407-No), the automatic recovery unit 337 exchanges the recovery points for recovery items (step S408), and proceeds to step S409.

[0138] In step S409, the automatic recovery unit 337 recovers the battle points (step S409).

[0139] Next, the bonus granting unit 338 determines whether the number of automatic recovery times is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times (step S410).

[0140] If the number of automatic recoveries is less than the predetermined number (step S410-No), the reward granting unit 338 does not perform any particular process and proceeds to step S412. On the other hand, if the number of automatic recoveries is equal to or greater than the predetermined number (step S410-Yes), the reward granting unit 338 grants a reward to the player (step S411) and proceeds to step S412.

[0141] In step S412, the event execution unit 336 executes a battle (step S412).

[0142] Next, the event execution unit 336 consumes the number of consumption points from the battle points (step S413).

[0143] Next, the event execution unit 336 creates battle execution screen display data and battle result screen display data for displaying battle effect images and results, and passes these to the game progression unit 333 (step S414), ending the series of steps.

[0144] As explained above, when the battle points fall below a predetermined value, the server 3 automatically recovers the battle points using recovery points or recovery items owned by the player. This prevents interruptions to the game progress and makes it possible to maintain the player's motivation to continue playing the game.

[0145] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which the game events provided by the server 3 are battles, but the events may also be quests that progress according to a game scenario. A quest is generally also called an exploration, a mission, or the like, and is provided by a plurality of stages that are cleared by fighting, acquiring items, or the like. By completing quests, the player can develop their character and obtain benefits such as specific items.

[0146] In this case, the server storage unit 32 stores, similarly to the battle information, the following information for quests: the card ID of the card used; information about quest points (points owned for completing the quest); automatic recovery settings; information about recovery items; and the number of automatic recoveries. Note that information about recovery points is managed commonly for battles and quests. The home screen displays a "Quest Point Automatic Recovery Settings" button, similar to the "Battle Point Automatic Recovery Settings" button. Tapping the "Quest Point Automatic Recovery Settings" button displays a quest point automatic recovery settings screen, similar to the battle point automatic recovery settings screen, for configuring the quest point automatic recovery settings. When a quest execution instruction is received from the quest start screen, the event execution unit 336 executes the quest on the condition that the quest points are equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and consumes a predetermined value from the quest points. If the quest points fall below a predetermined value, the automatic recovery unit 337 automatically recovers quest points using recovery points or quest point recovery items. Note that the predetermined value to be consumed is the number of points consumed for the character card used in the quest, as in the case of a battle. Note that if no character cards are used in the quest, the predetermined value to be consumed may be set according to the difficulty level of the quest. Alternatively, the predetermined amount of consumption may be a fixed value.

[0147] Furthermore, if a game event includes both battles and quests, the automatic recovery unit 337 may link battle points and quest points, so that when one of the battle points or quest points is automatically recovered, the other point may also be automatically recovered. In this case, for example, the other point may be automatically recovered only if the automatic recovery of one of the points has been performed a predetermined number of times or more, or only if a random number generation process or the like is selected. Furthermore, the recovery rate or amount of the points that are recovered in the linked recovery may be smaller than the recovery rate or amount of the points that were recovered first. This makes the automatic recovery of points attractive to players, and it is possible to increase the utilization rate of the automatic recovery function.

[0148] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the automatic recovery setting can be made from both the home screen and the battle start screen, but one of them may be omitted.

[0149] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the server 3 executes the game, but the server 3 may be omitted and the mobile device 2 may control the game. In this case, the device storage unit 22 stores information about the player of the mobile device 2 in the player management table, a card management table, etc., and the device processing unit 25 has, in addition to the units shown in FIG. 2 , units having functions similar to those of the units of the server processing unit 33 of the server 3. The device processing unit 25 transmits and receives each piece of information within the device processing unit 25, instead of transmitting and receiving each piece of information via the device communication unit 21 and the server communication unit 31.

[0150] It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make various changes, substitutions, and alterations thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0151] 2. Mobile devices 3 Server 32 Server storage unit 335 Automatic recovery setting section 336 Event Execution Department 337 Automatic Recovery Unit 338 Benefits Granting Department

Claims

1. A method for controlling a computer that executes an event in response to an instruction from a player, comprising: The computer displaying a screen for receiving a setting from the player as to whether or not the player's points, which decrease as the event progresses, are to be automatically increased before the event starts; If the points fall below a predetermined value, If the automatic increase of the points is set, the points are automatically increased to equal to or greater than the predetermined value by using a game medium for increasing the points owned by the player; if the automatic increase of the points is not set, notifying the player that the points are decreasing without automatically increasing the points; A control method comprising:

2. The computer Even if the points are set to be automatically increased when the points fall below the predetermined value, if the number of game media is less than the required number, the points are not automatically increased; The control method of claim 1 , comprising:

3. The computer Even if the system is set to automatically increase the points when the points fall below the predetermined value, if the number of game media is less than the required number, other points different from the points are consumed to increase the number of game media, if the number of said game media is equal to or greater than the required number, automatically increasing said points using said game media associated with said player; The control method of claim 1 , comprising:

4. The computer storing the number of times the points have been automatically increased; providing a benefit to the player according to the stored number of times; The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising:

5. The computer storing the number of times the points have been automatically increased; Changing the rate or amount of increase when the points are automatically increased according to the stored number of times; The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising:

6. The computer storing the number of times the points have been automatically increased; changing the value of the points that decrease with the execution of the event according to the stored number of times; The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising:

7. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an increase rate or an increase amount when the points are increased automatically is set to be larger than an increase rate or an increase amount when the points are increased according to an instruction from the player.

8. storing the points of other players related to the player; 8. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the points of other players related to the player are also increased in accordance with an increase in the points of the player.

9. The control method according to claim 8, wherein the other player related to the player is another player who belongs to the same group as the player, another player who is a friend of the player, or another player who has rescued the player in a past battle or quest.

10. A computer that executes an event in response to an instruction from a player, displaying a screen for receiving a setting from the player as to whether or not the player's points, which decrease as the event progresses, are to be automatically increased before the event starts; If the points fall below a predetermined value, If the automatic increase of the points is set, the points are automatically increased to equal to or greater than the predetermined value by using a game medium for increasing the points owned by the player; a processing unit that, if it is not set that the points are to be automatically increased, does not automatically increase the points and notifies the player that the points are being decreased; A computer comprising:

11. A computer control program that executes an event in response to an instruction from a player, The computer, displaying a screen for receiving a setting from the player as to whether or not the player's points, which decrease as the event progresses, are to be automatically increased before the event starts; If the points fall below a predetermined value, If the automatic increase of the points is set, the points are automatically increased to equal to or greater than the predetermined value by using a game medium for increasing the points owned by the player; if the automatic increase of the points is not set, notifying the player that the points are decreasing without automatically increasing the points; A control program for executing the above.

Images