Game program, information processing device, information processing system, and game processing method

Abstract

To present a relation between an accessory and an object as a source of the generation of the same to a player in an easy to understand manner.SOLUTION: An information processing device displays a virtual game field in which a player character is disposed on a display device. The information processing device generates, on the basis of an accessory object and a material object, an integrated accessory object having an appearance in which the accessory object and the material object are integrated. When an integration instruction is performed in a state in which a scene where the player character equipped with the accessory object and the material object are disposed in the game field is displayed on the display device, the information processing device generates the integrated accessory object. In the above case, the information processing device performs display for extinguishing the material object and changing the accessory object equipped by the player character to the integrated accessory object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a game program, an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, and a game processing method for controlling a player character.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in games, character attack actions have been performed using weapons such as swords (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a game where a player character uses equipment such as weapons, new equipment may be generated by synthesizing the equipment with other materials. Conventionally, such equipment synthesis is performed, for example, by displaying a menu screen for selecting the equipment and materials to be synthesized in response to the player character speaking to a blacksmith character appearing in the game, and the player selects the equipment and materials on the menu screen. Thus, since equipment synthesis is performed on the menu screen, even if the player character is subsequently displayed wearing the synthesized equipment, there is a problem that the relationship between the synthesized equipment and the original object (i.e., the equipment and materials before synthesis) is difficult for the player to understand.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a game program, an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, and a game processing method that can clearly present the relationship between equipment and the original object that generated it to the player. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following configurations (1) to (29).

[0007] (1) An example of the present invention is a game program executed in an information processing device. The game program causes the computer of the information processing device to function as a display control means and a first object generation means. The display control means causes a virtual game field on which a player character operated by the player is placed to be displayed on a display device. The first object generation means generates an integrated equipment object having the appearance of an integrated equipment object and a material object, based on an equipment object that the player character can equip and a material object. When the player gives an integration instruction while the display device is showing a scene in which a player character equipped with an equipment object and a material object are placed on the game field, the first object generation means generates an integrated equipment object based on the equipment object equipped by the player character and the material object placed on the game field. In the above case, the display control means displays that the material object placed on the game field disappears and that the equipment object equipped by the player character on the game field is changed to an integrated equipment object.

[0008] According to the configuration described in (1) above, the material objects in the game field disappear, and a display is shown indicating that the equipment objects equipped by the player character have been changed. This makes it easy for the player to understand the relationship between the new equipment object (i.e., the integrated equipment object) and the object from which it was generated.

[0009] (2) The first object generation means may generate an integrated equipment object using equipment objects placed on the game field as material objects.

[0010] According to the configuration described in (2) above, equipment objects in the game field can be used in two ways: as equipment objects to be equipped to the player character as they are, and as material objects to generate integrated equipment objects, thereby improving the strategic aspects of the game.

[0011] (3) The first object generation means may generate an integrated equipment object for all combinations of multiple types of material objects that can be used to generate an integrated equipment object and multiple types of equipment objects that can be used to generate said integrated equipment object.

[0012] According to the configuration described in (3) above, the combination of equipment objects and material objects that can be used to generate integrated equipment objects can be made easier for the player to understand.

[0013] (4) The game program may further utilize the computer as an object appearance means. When predetermined conditions are met, the object appearance means makes the integrated equipment object disappear and makes the equipment object that was the basis of the integrated equipment object appear in the game without making the material object that was the basis of the integrated equipment object appear in the game.

[0014] According to the configuration described in (4) above, the possibility of inconvenience occurring in the game's progress due to material objects being moved to locations different from those where they were previously placed in the game field can be reduced.

[0015] (5) The game program may further utilize the computer as a means of disappearance. The means of disappearance, when the equipment durability value set for an integrated equipment object indicates that its durability has run out, will make the integrated equipment object disappear without making the original equipment object and material object appear in the game.

[0016] According to the configuration described in (5) above, players can be motivated to repeatedly generate integrated equipment objects in the game.

[0017] (6) The player character may be able to carry the objects they store within the game field. The first object generation means may generate an integrated equipment object using an unstorable object as a material object that cannot be stored by the player character. The game program may further use the computer as a storage setting means to set the integrated equipment object to a state in which it can be stored by the player character.

[0018] According to the configuration described in (6) above, non-storable objects can also be used as material objects, thereby increasing the variety of material objects and enabling the creation of diverse integrated equipment objects. Furthermore, even if non-storable objects are used as material objects, the player character can still store them if they are integrated equipment objects (i.e., they cannot be discarded on the spot because they cannot be stored, but can be saved). Therefore, players can actively create integrated equipment objects.

[0019] (7) An equipment object may include a projectile object and a projectile weapon object that launches the projectile object. The first object generation means may generate a unified projectile object representing a projectile formed by unifying the projectile object and the selected material object when a unification instruction is given while the player character is in a position to launch the projectile object with the projectile weapon object and one of the material objects stored by the player character is selected. The display control means may display that the projectile object among the equipment objects equipped by the player character on the game field has been changed to an unified projectile object. The unified projectile object may not be in a state where it can be stored by the player character.

[0020] Generally, projectile objects are launched upon use, and therefore cannot be used continuously like swords. Consequently, if multiple integrated projectile objects are needed in a single combat event, generating them each time from material objects and projectile objects placed on the game field could be inconvenient for the user. In this regard, the configuration described in (7) above allows the player character to directly use material objects stored within the player character for integration. This enables the player to easily perform operations to have the player character launch integrated projectile objects based on projectile objects. Furthermore, since integrated projectile objects are not stored by the player character, the user must generate integrated projectile objects each time. This reduces the possibility of data capacity being strained due to the user generating an excessive number and / or variety of integrated projectile objects from various material objects in advance, while also maintaining a sense of tension during combat events.

[0021] (8) The game program may further cause the computer to function as durability value setting means and second object generation means. The durability value setting means sets a material durability value for an integrated equipment object based on a material object for which a durability value is set. When the material durability value set for the integrated equipment object equipped by the player character indicates that the durability has run out, the second object generation means causes the integrated equipment object to disappear and generates an equipment object that was the source of the integrated equipment object.

[0022] According to the configuration of (8) above, the integrated equipment object can inherit the properties of the material object (that is, the property of having a durability value). Therefore, in the case of an integrated equipment item based on a material having a durability value, the player can reasonably anticipate that the integrated equipment item will be changed to the original equipment object according to the durability.

[0023] (9) The material object may be a switching function object that can take an effective state in which a predetermined function possessed by the material object is exhibited and an invalid state in which the predetermined function is not exhibited in the game field. The game program may further cause the computer to function as function control means. The function control means causes a predetermined function to be exhibited in the integrated equipment object in response to the player character performing a predetermined action using the integrated equipment object based on the switching function object.

[0024] According to the configuration of (9) above, the player can cause the integrated equipment object to exhibit a function at a desired timing by causing the player character to perform a predetermined action.

[0025] (10) The material object may be a propulsion object that has the function of generating thrust. The game program may further use the computer as a means of movement control. When the player character is equipped with an integrated equipment object based on a propulsion object, the movement control means moves the player character on the game field by generating thrust on at least one of the integrated equipment object and the player character.

[0026] According to the configuration described in (10) above, it is possible to add functions to the integrated equipment object that are different from the original functions of the equipment object.

[0027] (11) An integrated equipment object may have an appearance that includes at least a part of the appearance of the equipment object from which the integrated equipment object originated, and at least a part of the appearance of the material object from which the integrated equipment object originated.

[0028] According to the configuration described in (11) above, the equipment object and material object that form the basis of the integrated equipment object can be easily recognized by the player through the appearance of the integrated equipment object.

[0029] (12) An integrated equipment object may have an appearance in which part of the appearance of the original equipment object is replaced by part or all of the appearance of the original material object from which the integrated equipment object originated.

[0030] According to the configuration described in (12) above, the player can easily predict the appearance of the integrated equipment object from the appearance of the original equipment object and material object.

[0031] (13) An integrated equipment object may have an appearance in which part of the appearance of the equipment object from which the integrated equipment object originated is replaced by part or all of the appearance of the material object from which the integrated equipment object originated, which is scaled down.

[0032] According to the configuration of (13) above, similar to the configuration of (12) above, the player can easily predict the appearance of the integrated equipment object from the appearance of the original equipment object and material object. Furthermore, according to the configuration of (13) above, the possibility that the integrated equipment object will obscure the player character or other objects can be reduced.

[0033] (14) The first equipment object may include a projectile object and a projectile weapon object that launches the projectile object. The first object generation means may generate an integrated projectile object representing a projectile formed by integrating the projectile object included in the first equipment object with a predetermined material object. The integrated projectile object may have an appearance in which part of the appearance of the projectile object that is the basis of the integrated projectile object is replaced by part or all of the appearance of the predetermined material object that is the basis of the integrated projectile object. An integrated equipment object generated based on a second equipment object that does not include a projectile object and a predetermined material object may have an appearance in which part of the appearance of the second equipment object is replaced by part or all of the scaled-down appearance of the predetermined material object.

[0034] According to the configuration described in (14) above, the possibility that integrated equipment objects may obscure the view of other characters or objects can be reduced. Furthermore, when an integrated projectile object is placed on the game field, the possibility that a player may mistakenly believe that a material object of an unusual size has been placed by looking at the appearance of the original material object within the integrated projectile object can be reduced.

[0035] (15) If a display control means receives an integration instruction while the display device is showing a scene in which a player character equipped with an equipment object and a material object are placed on the game field, it may display that the equipment object equipped by the player character has been changed to an integrated equipment object after the material object approaches the player character.

[0036] According to the configuration described in (15) above, it is possible to clearly show the player which equipment objects and material objects were used as the basis for generating the integrated equipment object.

[0037] (16) The first object generation means may generate an integrated equipment object based on material objects placed on the game field that are within a predetermined distance from the player character's position or the position of an equipment object equipped by the player character.

[0038] According to the configuration described in (16) above, the material objects that can be used to create integrated equipment objects can be restricted, thereby reducing the possibility of the game's balance being broken by allowing any material object to be used to create integrated equipment objects without restriction.

[0039] (17) The first object generation means may generate an integrated equipment object based on a material object determined from among material objects placed within a certain range in the game field, based on the position of the player character or the equipment object equipped by the player character, and the orientation of the player character or the equipment object, and the equipment object.

[0040] According to the configuration described in (17) above, the player can generate integrated equipment objects based on material objects located in easily recognizable positions.

[0041] (18) The game program may further utilize the computer as an image addition means. The image addition means adds instruction images to material objects that meet predetermined criteria when a scene in which a player character equipped with equipment objects and one or more material objects are placed on the game field is displayed on a display device.

[0042] According to the configuration described in (18) above, when a game image showing the game field is displayed, the material objects that form the basis of the integrated equipment objects can be clearly presented to the player.

[0043] (19) A player character may be able to equip multiple equipment objects simultaneously. The first object generation means may generate an integrated equipment object based on one equipment object specified by the player from among the multiple equipment objects equipped by the player character, and a material object.

[0044] According to the configuration described in (19) above, when a player character is equipped with multiple equipment objects, a unified equipment object can be generated based on the equipment objects specified by the player.

[0045] (20) A player character may be able to equip multiple equipment objects simultaneously. The game program may further utilize the computer as a motion control means. The motion control means causes the player character to perform an action of holding one of the multiple equipment objects equipped by the player, as specified by the player. The first object generation means may generate an integrated equipment object based on the equipment object that the player character is holding and a material object.

[0046] According to the configuration described in (20) above, when a player character equips multiple equipment objects, it becomes easier for the player to perform the operation to generate a unified equipment object.

[0047] (twenty one) The game program may further utilize the computer as a control means for displaying instruction images. The control means for displaying instruction images displays on the display device an instruction image that associates the equipment object equipped by the player character with the material object when the display device shows a scene in which the player character equipped with the equipment object and the material object are placed on the game field. The first object generation means may generate an integrated equipment object based on the equipment object and material object associated by the instruction image when an integration instruction is given while the instruction image is displayed.

[0048] According to the configuration described in (21) above, the equipment object and material object that form the basis of the integrated equipment object can be clearly presented to the player.

[0049] (twenty two) The game program may further utilize the computer as a choice display control means. The choice display control means displays images of choices showing multiple equipment objects on a display device when material objects are placed within a predetermined distance from the player character's position and it is possible to generate an integrated equipment object. The first object generation means may generate an integrated equipment object based on one equipment object specified by the player from among the choices and the material objects.

[0050] According to the configuration described in (22) above, when a player character equips multiple equipment objects, it becomes easier for the player to perform the operation to generate a unified equipment object.

[0051] (twenty three) The game program may further utilize the computer as a control means for displaying instruction images. The control means for displaying instruction images displays on the display device an instruction image that associates the player character with the material object when the display device shows a scene in which the player character and the material object are placed on the game field. The first object generation means may generate an integrated equipment object based on the equipment object and material object associated by the instruction image when an integration instruction is given while the instruction image is displayed.

[0052] According to the configuration described in (23) above, the material objects that form the basis of the integrated equipment object can be clearly presented to the player.

[0053] (twenty four) The game program may further utilize the computer as an adhesive means. When a player gives an adhesive instruction while multiple material objects are placed on the game field, the adhesive means places the multiple material objects together to form an adhesive object on the game field.

[0054] According to the configuration described in (24) above, the material objects placed on the game field can also be used for bonding, thus expanding the uses of material objects in games. This broadens the range of strategies and gameplay using material objects, thereby improving the enjoyment of the game.

[0055] (twenty five) If an adhesive instruction is given while multiple objects, including an equipment object, are placed on the game field, the adhesive means may place the adhesive object, which is the equipment object bonded to another object, on the game field.

[0056] According to the configuration described in (25) above, equipment objects placed on the game field can also be used for the bonding process, thus expanding the uses of equipment objects in games. This broadens the range of strategies and gameplay using equipment objects, thereby improving the enjoyment of the game.

[0057] (26) The bonding means may place a new bonded object on the game field, which is formed by bonding a bonded object, which is made up of multiple material objects, with a material object placed on the game field. The first object generation means does not have to generate an integrated equipment object based on an integrated equipment object equipped by the player character and a material object placed on the game field.

[0058] According to the configuration described in (26) above, it is possible to suppress the problem of the number of combinations of equipment objects and material objects becoming too large, which is necessary for generating an integrated equipment object.

[0059] (27) Adhered objects may be able to be separated into the multiple objects from which they originated when the player issues a release command. Integrated equipment objects may not be able to be separated into the equipment object and material object from which they originated when instructed by the player.

[0060] According to the configuration described in (27) above, the degree of freedom in the bonding process can be improved, and the possibility of inconvenience in the game progression being caused by the material object that forms the basis of the integrated equipment object being moved to a location different from the location where it was previously placed in the game field can be reduced.

[0061] (28) The first object generation means may generate an integrated equipment object by fixing the equipment object and the material object in a predetermined positional relationship. The bonding means may generate an bonded object by fixing each material object in a positional relationship corresponding to the position and orientation of each material object at the time of bonding.

[0062] According to the configuration described in (28) above, by making the appearance of the integrated equipment object consistent for specific combinations of equipment objects and material objects, the appearance of the integrated equipment object can be made more predictable for the player. In addition, the variations of the bonded objects can be increased.

[0063] (29) The game program may further utilize the computer as a means of character placement. This means of character placement involves placing non-player characters, which are not controlled by the player, and which are equipped with integrated equipment objects, onto the game field.

[0064] According to the configuration described in (29) above, the player can learn about integrated equipment objects and their performance by observing the equipment of non-player characters. This provides the player with an incentive to create integrated equipment objects.

[0065] Another example of the present invention is an information processing device or information processing system equipped with each of the means described in (1) to (29) above. Another example of the present invention is a game processing method that performs the processing described in (1) to (29) above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0066] According to the above game program, information processing device, information processing system, or game processing method, the relationship between equipment and the object from which it was generated can be clearly presented to the player. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0067] [Figure 1] This diagram shows an example of the main unit with the left and right controllers attached. [Figure 2] This diagram shows an example of the left and right controllers being removed from the main unit. [Figure 3] A six-view drawing showing an example of the main unit. [Figure 4] A six-view drawing showing an example of a left controller. [Figure 5] A six-view drawing showing an example of a right controller. [Figure 6] Block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the main unit. [Figure 7] Block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the main unit, left controller, and right controller. [Figure 8] This diagram shows an example of a game image illustrating the game field where the player characters are placed. [Figure 9] This diagram shows an example of a game image when the player character is able to use an integrated item. [Figure 10] This diagram shows an example of a game image including a player character equipped with a generated integrated equipment object. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates an example of the relationship between equipment objects, material objects, and integrated equipment objects generated based on these objects. [Figure 12] This diagram shows an example of the appearance of equipment objects and material objects, and the appearance of the integrated equipment object generated based on those objects. [Figure 13] This diagram shows an example of a game image illustrating a game field with rocket objects placed within it. [Figure 14] This diagram shows an example of a game image when a unified equipment object is generated based on a shield object and a rocket object. [Figure 15] This diagram shows an example of a game image where a shield rocket object is generating thrust. [Figure 16] This diagram shows an example of a game image where the player character is in a ready position with a bow and arrow object and has performed the action of nocking an arrow. [Figure 17] Figure 16 shows an example of a game image after an object display instruction has been issued in the state shown in Figure 16. [Figure 18] This diagram shows an example of a game image after a unified arrow object has been generated. [Figure 19] This diagram shows an example of a game image when material objects are placed on the game field. [Figure 20] This diagram shows an example of a game image when the player character moves the first object to be attached. [Figure 21] This diagram shows an example of a game image after two objects to be glued together have been joined. [Figure 22] This diagram shows an example of various types of data used in information processing in Game System 1. [Figure 23] A flowchart showing an example of a detailed flow of integrated control processing. [Figure 24]A flowchart showing an example of a detailed flow of the injection preparation process. [Figure 25] A flowchart showing an example of a detailed flow of the adhesion control process. [Figure 26] A flowchart illustrating an example of the detailed flow of the function switching process. [Figure 27] A flowchart showing an example of a detailed flow of the durability value control process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0068] [1. Game System Configuration] The following describes a game system according to an example of this embodiment. An example of the game system 1 in this embodiment includes a main unit (information processing device; functioning as the game device main unit in this embodiment) 2, a left controller 3, and a right controller 4. The left controller 3 and the right controller 4 are detachable from the main unit 2. In other words, the game system 1 can be used as an integrated device by attaching the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 to the main unit 2. Alternatively, the game system 1 can be used with the main unit 2 and the left controller 3 and right controller 4 as separate components (see Figure 2). The hardware configuration of the game system 1 in this embodiment will be described below, followed by a description of the control of the game system 1 in this embodiment.

[0069] Figure 1 shows an example of the main unit 2 with the left controller 3 and right controller 4 attached. As shown in Figure 1, the left controller 3 and right controller 4 are attached to the main unit 2 and integrated together. The main unit 2 is a device that performs various processes (e.g., game processing) in the game system 1. The main unit 2 is equipped with a display 12. The left controller 3 and right controller 4 are devices equipped with operation parts for user input.

[0070] Figure 2 shows an example of the left controller 3 and right controller 4 being removed from the main unit 2. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the left controller 3 and right controller 4 are detachable from the main unit 2. In the following, the left controller 3 and right controller 4 will be collectively referred to as "controllers".

[0071] Figure 3 is a six-view drawing showing an example of the main unit 2. As shown in Figure 3, the main unit 2 includes a roughly plate-shaped housing 11. In this embodiment, the main surface of the housing 11 (in other words, the front surface, i.e., the surface on which the display 12 is provided) is roughly rectangular in shape.

[0072] The shape and size of the housing 11 are arbitrary. For example, the housing 11 may be portable. The main unit 2 alone, or the integrated unit in which the left controller 3 and right controller 4 are attached to the main unit 2, may be a portable device. The main unit 2 or the integrated unit may be a handheld device. The main unit 2 or the integrated unit may also be a portable device.

[0073] As shown in Figure 3, the main unit 2 includes a display 12 provided on the main surface of the housing 11. The display 12 displays images generated by the main unit 2. In this embodiment, the display 12 is a liquid crystal display (LCD). However, the display 12 may be any type of display device.

[0074] Furthermore, the main unit 2 is equipped with a left terminal 17, which is a terminal for the main unit 2 to communicate with the left controller 3 via wired connection, and a right terminal 21, which is for the main unit 2 to communicate with the right controller 4 via wired connection.

[0075] As shown in Figure 3, the main unit 2 is equipped with a slot 23. The slot 23 is located on the upper side of the housing 11. The slot 23 has a shape that allows a predetermined type of storage medium to be inserted. The predetermined type of storage medium is, for example, a storage medium (e.g., a dedicated memory card) specifically for the game system 1 and similar information processing devices. The predetermined type of storage medium is used, for example, to store data used by the main unit 2 (e.g., application save data, etc.) and / or programs executed by the main unit 2 (e.g., application programs, etc.). The main unit 2 is also equipped with a power button 28.

[0076] Figure 4 is a six-view drawing showing an example of the left controller 3. As shown in Figure 4, the left controller 3 includes a housing 31. In this embodiment, the housing 31 has a vertically elongated shape, that is, it is long in the vertical direction (i.e., in the y-axis direction as shown in Figures 1 and 4). The left controller 3 can also be held in a vertically elongated orientation when detached from the main device 2. The housing 31 is shaped and sized to be held with one hand, especially the left hand, when held in a vertically elongated orientation. The left controller 3 can also be held in a horizontally elongated orientation. When the left controller 3 is held in a horizontally elongated orientation, it may be held with both hands.

[0077] The left controller 3 is equipped with an analog stick 32. As shown in Figure 4, the analog stick 32 is provided on the main surface of the housing 31. The analog stick 32 can be used as a directional input unit that can input direction. The user can input direction (and magnitude according to the angle of tilt) by tilting the analog stick 32. In addition, the left controller 3 may be equipped with a directional pad or a slide stick that allows slide input instead of the analog stick as the directional input unit. Furthermore, in this embodiment, input by pressing the analog stick 32 is also possible.

[0078] The left controller 3 is equipped with various operation buttons. The left controller 3 has four operation buttons 33-36 (specifically, a right direction button 33, a down direction button 34, an up direction button 35, and a left direction button 36) on the main surface of the housing 31. In addition, the left controller 3 is equipped with a record button 37 and a minus button 47. The left controller 3 has a first L button 38 and a ZL button 39 on the upper left side of the side of the housing 31. Furthermore, the left controller 3 has a second L button 43 and a second R button 44 on the side of the housing 31 that is attached when mounted to the main unit 2. These operation buttons are used to give instructions according to various programs (e.g., OS programs and application programs) executed on the main unit 2.

[0079] Furthermore, the left controller 3 is equipped with a terminal 42 for wired communication between the left controller 3 and the main unit 2.

[0080] Figure 5 is a six-view drawing showing an example of the right controller 4. As shown in Figure 5, the right controller 4 includes a housing 51. In this embodiment, the housing 51 has a vertically elongated shape, that is, a shape that is long in the vertical direction. When the right controller 4 is detached from the main unit 2, it can also be held in a vertically elongated orientation. The housing 51 is shaped and sized to be held with one hand, especially the right hand, when held in a vertically elongated orientation. The right controller 4 can also be held in a horizontally elongated orientation. When the right controller 4 is held in a horizontally elongated orientation, it may be held with both hands.

[0081] The right controller 4, like the left controller 3, is equipped with an analog stick 52 as a directional input unit. In this embodiment, the analog stick 52 has the same configuration as the analog stick 32 of the left controller 3. Alternatively, the right controller 4 may be equipped with a directional pad or a slide stick capable of slide input instead of the analog stick. The right controller 4, like the left controller 3, is equipped with four operation buttons 53-56 (specifically, A button 53, B button 54, X button 55, and Y button 56) on the main surface of the housing 51. Furthermore, the right controller 4 is equipped with a + (plus) button 57 and a home button 58. The right controller 4 is also equipped with a first R button 60 and a ZR button 61 on the upper right side of the housing 51. The right controller 4, like the left controller 3, is also equipped with a second L button 65 and a second R button 66.

[0082] Furthermore, the right controller 4 is equipped with a terminal 64 for wired communication between the right controller 4 and the main unit 2.

[0083] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the main unit 2. In addition to the configuration shown in Figure 3, the main unit 2 includes the components 81, 83-85, and 91 shown in Figure 6. Some of these components 81, 83-85, and 91 may be mounted on an electronic circuit board as electronic components and housed within the housing 11.

[0084] The main unit 2 includes a processor 81. The processor 81 is an information processing unit that performs various information processing operations in the main unit 2, and is, for example, a CPU (Central The processor 81 may consist only of a Processing Unit (CPU), or it may consist of a System-on-a-chip (SoC) that includes multiple functions such as CPU and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) functions. The processor 81 performs various information processing by executing information processing programs (for example, game programs) stored in a memory unit (specifically, an internal storage medium such as flash memory 84, or an external storage medium installed in slot 23).

[0085] The main unit 2 includes, as an example of an internal storage medium built into itself, a flash memory 84 and a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 85. The flash memory 84 and DRAM 85 are connected to the processor 81. The flash memory 84 is a memory mainly used to store various types of data (which may be programs) stored in the main unit 2. The DRAM 85 is a memory used to temporarily store various types of data used in information processing.

[0086] The main unit 2 is equipped with a slot interface (hereinafter abbreviated as "I / F") 91. The slot I / F 91 is connected to the processor 81. The slot I / F 91 is connected to slot 23 and reads and writes data to a predetermined type of storage medium (for example, a dedicated memory card) installed in slot 23, according to instructions from the processor 81.

[0087] The processor 81 performs the above-mentioned information processing by appropriately reading and writing data to and from the flash memory 84 and DRAM 85, as well as to each of the above-mentioned storage media.

[0088] The main unit 2 includes a controller communication unit 83. The controller communication unit 83 is connected to the processor 81. The controller communication unit 83 communicates wirelessly with the left controller 3 and / or the right controller 4. The communication method between the main unit 2 and the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 is arbitrary, but in this embodiment, the controller communication unit 83 communicates with the left controller 3 and with the right controller 4 in accordance with the Bluetooth® standard.

[0089] The processor 81 is connected to the left terminal 17, the right terminal 21, and the lower terminal 27 as described above. When the processor 81 communicates with the left controller 3 via a wired connection, it transmits data to the left controller 3 via the left terminal 17 and receives operation data from the left controller 3 via the left terminal 17. Similarly, when the processor 81 communicates with the right controller 4 via a wired connection, it transmits data to the right controller 4 via the right terminal 21 and receives operation data from the right controller 4 via the right terminal 21. Thus, in this embodiment, the main unit 2 can perform both wired and wireless communication with the left controller 3 and the right controller 4, respectively.

[0090] The display 12 is also connected to the processor 81. The processor 81 displays images generated (for example, by performing the above information processing) and / or images acquired from an external source on the display 12.

[0091] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the main unit 2, the left controller 3, and the right controller 4. Note that the details of the internal configuration of the main unit 2 are shown in Figure 6 and are therefore omitted in Figure 7.

[0092] The left controller 3 includes a communication control unit 101 that communicates with the main unit 2. As shown in Figure 7, the communication control unit 101 is connected to each component, including the terminal 42. In this embodiment, the communication control unit 101 can communicate with the main unit 2 both by wired communication via the terminal 42 and by wireless communication without using the terminal 42. The communication control unit 101 controls the method of communication that the left controller 3 performs with the main unit 2. That is, when the left controller 3 is attached to the main unit 2, the communication control unit 101 communicates with the main unit 2 via the terminal 42. When the left controller 3 is detached from the main unit 2, the communication control unit 101 performs wireless communication with the main unit 2 (specifically, the controller communication unit 83). Wireless communication between the controller communication unit 83 and the communication control unit 101 is performed according to, for example, the Bluetooth® standard.

[0093] The left controller 3 also includes a memory 102, such as flash memory. The communication control unit 101 is composed of, for example, a microcontroller (also called a microprocessor) and performs various processes by executing firmware stored in the memory 102.

[0094] The left controller 3 is equipped with buttons 103 (specifically, buttons 33-39, 43, 44, and 47). The left controller 3 is also equipped with an analog stick (referred to as "stick" in Figure 7) 32. Each button 103 and the analog stick 32 repeatedly output information about the operations performed on them to the communication control unit 101 at appropriate intervals.

[0095] The communication control unit 101 acquires information about the input (specifically, information about the operation or detection results from the sensor) from each input unit (specifically, each button 103 and the analog stick 32). The communication control unit 101 transmits operation data, including the acquired information (or information that has been processed in a predetermined manner), to the main unit 2. The operation data is transmitted repeatedly at a rate of once at predetermined intervals. The interval at which information about the input is transmitted to the main unit 2 may or may not be the same for each input unit.

[0096] When the above operation data is transmitted to the main unit 2, the main unit 2 can obtain the input made to the left controller 3. In other words, the main unit 2 can determine the operation of each button 103 and the analog stick 32 based on the operation data.

[0097] The left controller 3 includes a power supply unit 108. In this embodiment, the power supply unit 108 includes a battery and a power control circuit. Although not shown, the power control circuit is connected to the battery and to each part of the left controller 3 (specifically, each part that receives power from the battery).

[0098] As shown in Figure 7, the right controller 4 includes a communication control unit 111 that communicates with the main unit 2. The right controller 4 also includes a memory 112 connected to the communication control unit 111. The communication control unit 111 is connected to each component, including the terminal 64. The communication control unit 111 and the memory 112 have the same functions as the communication control unit 101 and memory 102 of the left controller 3. Therefore, the communication control unit 111 can communicate with the main unit 2 both by wired communication via the terminal 64 and by wireless communication without the terminal 64 (specifically, communication according to the Bluetooth® standard), and controls the method of communication that the right controller 4 performs with the main unit 2.

[0099] The right controller 4 is equipped with the same inputs as the left controller 3. Specifically, it is equipped with buttons 113 and an analog stick 52. These inputs have the same functions and operate in the same way as the inputs of the left controller 3.

[0100] The right controller 4 is equipped with a power supply unit 118. The power supply unit 118 has the same functions and operates in the same manner as the power supply unit 108 of the left controller 3.

[0101] [2. Overview of processing in the game system] The following describes the outline of the game processing performed in Game System 1. In this embodiment, Game System 1 performs game processing for a game in which the player (in other words, the user) controls a player character on a virtual game field. In this embodiment, Game System 1 generates a new equipment object (referred to as an "integrated equipment object") based on equipment objects that the player character can equip and material objects.

[0102] In this specification, "equipment object" refers to an object of equipment (e.g., a sword, shield, bow and arrow) that a player character can equip. The state of "a character equipping an equipment object" refers to a state in which the character can perform actions using the equipment object (e.g., swinging a sword, raising a shield, shooting an arrow from a bow). In this embodiment, when a player character is equipped with an equipment object, the player can perform actions using the equipped equipment object without having to specify a new equipment object to equip from among equipment objects of the same type as the currently equipped equipment object (in this embodiment, three types: sword, shield, and bow and arrow). Also in this embodiment, when a player character is equipped with an equipment object, the player character is wearing at least a part of the equipment object. That is, the player character is holding or carrying the equipped equipment object on their back (see Figures 8, 13, and 16, etc.).

[0103] Furthermore, in this specification, "material object" refers to the object that forms the basis of the integrated equipment object, along with the equipment object. The integrated equipment object is generated in exchange for the equipment object and the material object.

[0104] Furthermore, in this specification, an "integrated equipment object" is an equipment object that has the appearance of an equipment object and a material object being integrated. Also, "integrating one object with another object" means making one object and another object into a single object. An integrated equipment object only needs to appear as if the equipment object and the material object are integrated; it does not need to be an object in which the equipment object and the material object are actually integrated (specifically, the polygon model of the integrated equipment object is formed by integrating the polygon model of the equipment object and the polygon model of the material object).

[0105] Furthermore, "generating a unified equipment object based on equipment objects and material objects" means that the unified equipment object, determined by the equipment objects and material objects, will appear in the game in exchange for the equipment objects and material objects, and is not limited to generating a unified equipment object by integrating the polygon models of the equipment objects and the material objects.

[0106] It should be noted that the process of generating an integrated equipment object is not limited to the process of integrating the equipment object and the material object in the strict sense as described above. However, in this embodiment, since the process of generating an integrated equipment object generates an integrated equipment object having the appearance of integrating the equipment object and the material object, in this specification, the process of generating an integrated equipment object is referred to as the "integration process".

[0107] [2-1. Overview of the Integration Process] The overview of the integration process will be explained with reference to Figures 8 to 10. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of a game image that shows the game field on which the player character is placed. In this embodiment, the game image is displayed on the display 12 of the main unit 2, but it may also be displayed on other display devices connected to the main unit 2.

[0108] In the game image shown in Figure 8, the player character 201 is equipped with the following items: a sword object 202, a shield object 203, and a bow and arrow object (specifically, a bow object 204 and an arrow object 205). Also in the game image shown in Figure 8, a fang object 206, a rock object 207, and a tree object 208 are placed on the game field. The fang object 206 represents the fangs of an enemy character (not shown), and is placed on the game field when, for example, the enemy character drops it after the player character 201 defeats the enemy character. Note that the fang object 206 and the rock object 207 are material objects, while the tree object 208 is not a material object.

[0109] In this embodiment, the player character 201 can equip multiple types of equipment objects simultaneously. In this embodiment, the equipment objects appearing in the game are classified into three categories: melee weapon objects, shield objects, and bow and arrow objects. The player character 201 can equip one equipment object from each of the three categories simultaneously. The sword object 202 is an example of a melee weapon object, and the player character 201 can also equip other melee weapon objects such as spear objects and axe objects in addition to sword objects. The player character 201 performs attack actions according to the type of melee weapon object. For example, when equipped with a sword object, the player character performs a sword-swinging action in response to an attack command, and when equipped with a spear object, the player character performs a spear-thrusting action in response to an attack command. Furthermore, multiple types of melee weapon objects (and for example, there are multiple types of sword objects within a single sword object), multiple types of shield objects, and multiple types of bow and arrow objects appear in the game, and the player character 201 can equip these objects acquired in the game. In other embodiments, the number of equipment objects that a player character can equip simultaneously may be limited to one.

[0110] In this embodiment, the creation of an integrated equipment object is performed when the player character 201 uses a predetermined integrated item. Specifically, during gameplay, the player first makes an item designation instruction to specify the integrated item, thereby making the integrated item usable by the player character 201. In this state, the player can create an integrated equipment object by giving an item use instruction (in other words, an integration instruction) to the player character to use the integrated item.

[0111] In this embodiment, items are separate from equipment objects and perform specific functions when used by the player character. In this embodiment, a player character can possess multiple types of items and can have one of them usable. Items may or may not be displayed as objects when the game image representing the game field is displayed (in the latter case, the function of the item can be said to be an ability possessed by the player character). Furthermore, the number of items owned may decrease with use, or the number of times an item can be used may decrease with use.

[0112] Figure 9 shows an example of a game image when a player character is able to use a unified item. For example, if the player gives an item selection instruction to specify an unified item in the state shown in Figure 8, the game system 1 makes the player character able to use the unified item and displays the game image shown in Figure 9. The specific operation method for giving an item selection instruction is arbitrary. For example, the game system 1 may accept an operation to switch the item to be made usable from among the multiple items owned by the player character 201 to the unified item as an item selection instruction.

[0113] As shown in Figure 9, when the player character 201 is able to use integrated items, material objects are displayed in a different manner from other objects that are not material objects. Specifically, material objects may be displayed in a different color from the other objects, or they may have effect images attached to them, or they may have effect images that are different from those attached to the other objects. In the example shown in Figure 9, the material objects, the fang object 206 and the rock object 207, are displayed in a different manner from the non-material object, the tree object 208 (in Figure 9, the difference in display manner is indicated by diagonal lines). This makes it possible to clearly present to the player the material objects among the objects on the game field when the game image showing the game field is displayed. In other embodiments, the material objects displayed in a different manner from other objects that are not material objects may be material objects placed on the game field that fall within the determination range described later.

[0114] Furthermore, when an integrated item is available, the game system 1 identifies the material object that will be subjected to the integration process (referred to as the "target material object") among the material objects. As shown in Figure 9, the effect image 211 is added to the target material object. In the example shown in Figure 9, the fang object 206 is the target material object, and the effect image 211 is added to the fang object 206.

[0115] In this embodiment, the target material object is the material object that is closest to the player character 201 among the material objects that exist within a determination range based on the position of the player character 201. However, in other embodiments, the target material object may be a material object that is determined based on the position and orientation of the player character 201, among the material objects that exist within a determination range based on the position of the player character 201. Specifically, the closer the material object is to the player character 201, and the smaller the angle between the line connecting the player character 201 and the material object and the direction of the player character 201's front, the more likely it is to be selected as a target material object. More specifically, the game system 1 calculates a first score such that the closer the distance from the player character 201 to the material object, the larger the first score, and further calculates a second score such that the closer the material object is to the direction of the player character 201's front, the larger the second score. The game system 1 then calculates a total score based on the first score and the second score. The overall score is calculated such that the larger the first score, and the larger the second score, the higher the overall score (for example, by adding or multiplying the two). In this embodiment, the material object with the highest overall score among the material objects within the above determination range becomes the target material object.

[0116] Furthermore, the above determination range is, for example, the range in front of the player character 201 (specifically, the angular range up to a predetermined angle on both the left and right sides with respect to the front direction), and the range within a predetermined distance from the position of the player character 201. The determination range may be any range determined based on the position of the player character 201, and in other embodiments, it may be the range within a predetermined distance from the position of the player character 201 (regardless of the orientation of the player character), or it may be the range of the game field displayed on the display 12. Note that if no material objects exist within the above determination range, the effect image 211 will not be displayed.

[0117] As described above, in this embodiment, when the display device shows a scene where a player character equipped with an equipment object and one or more material objects are placed on the game field (see Figure 9), the game system 1 adds an instruction image (e.g., effect image 211) to material objects that satisfy a predetermined criterion (e.g., being closest to the player character's position within the above determination range). Then, an integrated equipment object is generated based on the equipment object equipped by the player character and the material object indicated by the instruction image. This makes it possible to clearly present the material objects that are the target of the integration process to the player when the game image showing the game field is displayed. The instruction image may be any image that allows the player to distinguish the material object to which the instruction image is attached from other material objects. In other embodiments, the instruction image may be a cursor that points to the target material object (and the target equipment object described later), or an image that changes the color of the target material object. Also, for example, if an effect image is added to each material object on the game field, in addition to (or instead of) the effect image, a different effect image may be added to the target material object as an instruction image. In other embodiments, the instruction image does not need to be displayed.

[0118] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the game system 1 generates an integrated equipment object based on a material object placed on the game field that is within a predetermined distance from the player character's position or the position of an equipment object equipped by the player character. If it were possible to generate an integrated equipment object based on any material object on the game field, the player could easily generate any desired integrated equipment object or a powerful integrated equipment object, which could lead to a breakdown in gameplay (for example, the game becoming too easy). In contrast, this embodiment reduces the possibility of a breakdown in gameplay by imposing restrictions on the material objects that can be used to generate integrated equipment objects. The predetermined distance in this embodiment is the distance used to define the determination range, but is not limited to this. For example, the predetermined distance may be the same as the distance used to determine the object to be drawn when generating a game image. Also, the determination of whether or not there is a material object within the predetermined distance is not limited to calculating the distance itself, but may be performed by calculating an index that is substantially equivalent to the distance. In another embodiment, the game system 1 may be capable of generating integrated equipment objects based on material objects placed on the game field, regardless of their positional relationship to the position of the player character (or the position of the equipment object equipped by the player character).

[0119] Furthermore, the game system 1 may generate an integrated equipment object based on a material object determined based on the position and orientation of the player character, and an equipment object, from among material objects placed within a certain range (for example, the above-mentioned determination range) in the game field. This allows a material object located in a position easily recognizable by the player to be designated as the target material object. The player can also perform the integration process based on the desired material object by moving the player character. In this embodiment, the above range is the above-mentioned determination range and is set based on the position of the player character, but in other embodiments, the range may be set based on the position of the equipment object (more specifically, the target equipment object described later) equipped by the player character. Moreover, the above range is not limited to being based on the position of the player character or the equipment object. For example, the above range may be the entire game field (i.e., the game system 1 does not need to have information defining the above range). Furthermore, the target material object is determined based on the position and orientation of the player character, and in other embodiments, it may be determined based on the position and orientation of the equipment object equipped by the player character. In this case, the orientation of the equipment object may be the front direction set for each equipment object. In yet another embodiment, the target material object may be determined based on either the position and orientation of the player character or the other position and orientation of the equipment object.

[0120] As shown in Figure 9, the effect image 211 is a unified shape that surrounds the target material object, the fang object 206, and a part of the player character 201 (the right hand in the example shown in Figure 9), and is a shape that connects these objects. In this way, the game system 1 displays an image that associates the target material object with the player character as an instruction image for the target material object. This makes the target material object easier for the player to recognize. The instruction image may be any display form that allows the player to recognize the target material object. In other embodiments, the game system 1 may attach and display an effect image to the target material object as an instruction image that is different from the effect image attached to material objects other than the target material object. For example, the instruction image may be an image showing light of the same color attached separately to the target material object and the player character.

[0121] In this embodiment, the equipment objects equipped by the player character 201 that are subject to integration processing (referred to as "target equipment objects") are specified by the player. In this embodiment, the game system 1 displays an equipment specification image 210 as an image for the player to specify the target equipment objects (see Figure 9). The equipment specification image 210 is displayed when an integrated equipment object can be generated (i.e., when the target material object is placed within the above-mentioned determination range of the player character in a state where integrated items can be used). The equipment specification image 210 is an image that shows multiple equipment objects equipped by the player or Rakuta as options. In this embodiment, the game system 1 performs processing to integrate the equipment object specified by the player from the options shown in the equipment specification image 210 with the target material object. As described above, the game system 1 can present instructions for specifying the target equipment object to the player in an easy-to-understand manner using the equipment specification image 210. In other embodiments, the game system 1 may accept the above instructions without displaying the equipment specification image 210.

[0122] In this embodiment, the equipment designation image 210 shows the correspondence between each of several instructions for designating a target equipment object and each equipment object. Specifically, the equipment designation image 201 includes an image showing the correspondence between an instruction representing left direction and a sword object, an image showing the correspondence between an instruction representing right direction and a bow and arrow object, and an image showing the correspondence between an instruction representing down direction and a shield object (see Figure 9). When the equipment designation image 210 is displayed, the player gives one of the instructions from left direction, right direction, and down direction (for example, by pressing one of the left direction button 36, right direction button 33, or down direction button 34 on the left controller 3). When one of these instructions is given by the player, the game system 1 determines the equipment object corresponding to that instruction as the target equipment object.

[0123] In this embodiment, the game system 1 performs a process to integrate the target material object with the equipment object corresponding to the instruction to specify the target equipment object. In other words, in this embodiment, the instruction to specify the target equipment object also serves as an integration instruction for integrating the equipment object and the target material object. This makes it easier for the player to perform the integration process when the player character equips multiple equipment objects. However, in other embodiments, the game system 1 may accept the instruction to specify the target equipment object and the integration instruction separately. In other words, the game system 1 may perform integration after the instruction to specify the target equipment object has been given, in response to a predetermined instruction being given as an integration instruction.

[0124] The method for determining the target equipment object is arbitrary. For example, in another embodiment, the game system 1 may determine the equipment object that the player character 201 is holding as the target equipment object.

[0125] In this embodiment, the player character 201 can assume a ready stance for each equipped equipment object. Here, a ready stance is a state in which the player character 201 can perform an action using the equipment object. Specifically, in the ready stance for a melee weapon object, the player character 201 takes a stance holding the melee weapon object in their hand, and further performs an action of swinging the melee weapon object (to attack the enemy) in response to an action command from the player. In the ready stance for a shield object, the player character 201 takes a stance holding the shield object in their hand, and further performs an action of thrusting the shield object (to deflect enemy attacks) in response to an action command from the player. In the ready stance for a bow and arrow object, the player character 201 takes a stance holding the bow object with an arrow object nocked in their hand, and further performs an action of shooting the arrow object with the bow object in response to an action command from the player.

[0126] In this embodiment, of the equipment objects equipped by the player character 201, only one equipment object can be used by the player character 201 at a time. That is, the game system 1 receives instructions to use a close-range weapon object, a shield object, and a bow and arrow object, and causes the player character to assume a stance to use only the equipment object corresponding to the received instruction. In other words, in this embodiment, the state in which the player character 201 is equipped with an equipment object can also be said to be the state in which the player character 201 is able to use that equipment object. In this embodiment, the player character 201 carries on their back any equipment objects that are not used in a stance (see Figure 8). Also, if the player instructs the player character 201 to put away an equipment object when the player character 201 is about to assume a stance to use any equipment object, the player character 201 will not assume a stance, but will instead carry each equipment object on their back.

[0127] In this embodiment, the player can integrate the material object and the equipment object even when the player character 201 is holding the equipment object, just as they can when the player character 201 is not holding the equipment object. That is, the player character 201 can hold the equipment object even when the integrated item is usable, and at this time, the game system 1 displays the equipment designation image 210 and accepts the integration instruction. Then, in response to the integration instruction given by the player, the game system 1 executes the integration process based on the target material object and the target equipment object. In other embodiments, the game system 1 may not accept integration instructions when the player character 201 is holding the equipment object (i.e., the player cannot give an integration instruction).

[0128] In another embodiment, if the game system 1 receives a unification instruction while the player character 201 is in a ready stance, it may perform an unification process based on the equipment object that the player character 201 is holding and the target material object, in response to the unification instruction. This allows the instruction to have the player character 201 hold the equipment object and the operation to specify the target equipment object to be combined, thus simplifying the operation.

[0129] Furthermore, if the equipment object that the player character 201 is holding is designated as the target equipment object as described above, the effect image 211 may associate the target material object with the target equipment object. For example, the effect image 211 may be a shape that encloses the target material object and the target equipment object, or a shape that connects these objects.

[0130] As described above, the effect image may be an image that associates the equipment object equipped by the player character with the material object to which the effect image is attached. The game system 1 may then generate a unified equipment object based on the equipment object and material object associated by the effect image. This allows the equipment object and material object that form the basis of the unified equipment object to be presented to the player in an easy-to-understand manner.

[0131] As will be described later, the integrated equipment object based on the sword object 202 and the fang object 206 has the appearance of the fang object 206 being integrated into the tip of the sword object 202 (see Figure 10). Therefore, in other embodiments, the effect image that associates the target equipment object with the target material object may associate the portion of the target equipment object that corresponds to the portion of the integrated equipment object that has the appearance of the target material object with the target material object. This allows the player to predict the portion of the integrated equipment object that will have the appearance of the target material object, and thus allows the player to visualize the appearance of the target equipment object. The effect image may also be an image showing light of the same color separately attached to the portion of the target equipment object that corresponds to the portion of the integrated equipment object that has the appearance of the target material object, and to the target material object.

[0132] As described above, with the effect image 211 shown in Figure 9 displayed, the game system 1 generates an integrated equipment object in response to the player's integration instruction. Figure 10 shows an example of a game image including a player character equipped with the generated integrated equipment object. In Figure 10, as a result of the player giving an integration instruction specifying the sword object 202 in the state shown in Figure 9, the player character 201 is equipped with an object (referred to as the "fang sword object") 212 that has the appearance of the sword object 202 and the fang object 206 being integrated.

[0133] In this embodiment, when an integration instruction is given, the game system 1 first moves the target material object (fang object 206 in Figure 9) on the game field closer to the player character 201 (the player character 201 may be the target equipment object). In the example shown in Figure 9, the game system 1 displays the fang object 206 being pulled towards the player character 201 by the effect image 211. When the target material object approaches the player character 201, the game system 1 deletes the target material object and changes the target equipment object equipped by the player character 201 to an integrated equipment object (fang sword object 212 in Figure 10) (see Figure 10).

[0134] As described above, when a unification command is issued in a state where the player character equipped with an equipment object and the material object are placed on the game field, the game system 1 displays a notification that the equipment object equipped by the player character has been changed to an unified equipment object after the material object has approached the player character. For example, the notification of the change to an unified equipment object is made when the distance between the material object and the player character falls below a predetermined distance, or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the process of bringing the material object closer to the player character began. According to the above, when an unified equipment object is generated, it is possible to clearly show the player which material object was used to generate the unified equipment object. Note that the behavior of the target material object, target equipment object, and player character when an unified equipment object is generated is arbitrary. For example, in another embodiment, when an unified equipment object is generated, the target material object may be deleted without approaching the player character.

[0135] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the fang sword object 212 has an appearance in which the fang object 206 is integrated with the tip of the sword object 202 (or it can be said that the tip of the sword object 202 is replaced by the fang object 206). Thus, in this embodiment, the integrated equipment object (for example, the fang sword object 212) has an appearance that includes at least a part of the appearance of the equipment object from which the integrated equipment object originated (for example, the sword object 202) and at least a part of the appearance of the material object from which the integrated equipment object originated (for example, the fang object 206). This gives the player the impression that the integrated equipment object is an object in which the equipment object and the material object have been integrated. Therefore, the equipment object and material object that are the basis of the integrated equipment object can be easily recognized by the player through the appearance of the integrated equipment object. In addition, the player can gain a sense of satisfaction that the integrated equipment object was generated from the original equipment object and the original material object. Furthermore, the appearance of the integrated equipment object is arbitrary, and it may have an appearance that does not overlap with the appearance of the original material object and / or the appearance of the original equipment object.

[0136] In the example shown in Figure 10, the appearance of the integrated equipment object is such that a part of the appearance of the original equipment object, the sword object 202, is replaced with the entire appearance of the original material object, the fang object 206. However, the appearance of the integrated equipment object may also be such that a part of the appearance of the original equipment object is replaced with a part of the appearance of the original material object. For example, an integrated equipment object based on a first sword object as an equipment object and a second sword object as a material object may have an appearance in which the tip of the first sword object is replaced with the blade portion (i.e., the part excluding the handle) of the second sword object.

[0137] As described above, in this embodiment, the game system 1 receives an integration instruction to generate an integrated equipment object while a game image showing the game field is displayed. Then, while the game image is displayed, the game system 1, in response to the integration instruction, makes the material objects on the game field disappear and displays that the equipment objects equipped by the player character have been changed to integrated equipment objects. This makes it possible to clearly present to the player the relationship between the new equipment object (i.e., the integrated equipment object) and the object from which it was generated. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the integration process is performed while the game image showing the game field remains displayed, the player can perform the integration process without opening a menu screen, thereby reducing the effort required for operation.

[0138] Furthermore, in this embodiment, there is a rule that the appearance of an integrated equipment object inherits at least a part of the appearance of each original object. Therefore, players can predict the original objects from the integrated equipment object, or predict what kind of integrated equipment object will be generated from a combination of equipment objects and material objects. As a result, when players acquire equipment objects or see material objects on the game field during the game, they can enjoy predicting what kind of integrated equipment object will be generated using those objects, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of the game. In this embodiment, there are no powerful equipment objects or equipment objects with special functions at the start of the game, and players progress through the game by generating integrated equipment objects that are suitable for the game situation. Therefore, in this game, players are required to strategically advance the game by trying out combinations of equipment objects and material objects, and predicting the integrated equipment object that will be generated by those combinations. In this embodiment, in a game like the one described above (i.e., a game that requires a strategy regarding the combination of equipment objects and material objects), the enjoyment of predicting such combinations can be provided to the player, thereby further enhancing the game's appeal.

[0139] [2-2. Material Objects] Next, the details of the material objects will be described. In this embodiment, the integration process is performed based on material objects that are placed (or can be said to be lying on) the game field. Here, the material objects may be objects that are placed on the game field in advance at the start of the game, such as rock objects, or they may be objects that are dropped by enemy characters or placed in response to enemy characters being defeated, such as the fang objects mentioned above. Furthermore, the material objects may be objects obtained from objects that are not material objects (for example, firewood objects that are placed on the game field when a player character attacks the tree object mentioned above).

[0140] Among the objects placed on the game field, there may be some that do not become material objects. In this embodiment, for example, treasure chest objects (specifically, objects that, when opened, allow the player character to store the objects inside) and key objects used to open doors on the game field are not material objects. As will be explained in detail later, in this embodiment, it is not possible to return an integrated equipment object to its original equipment object and material object (it can also be said that it is not possible to separate them). Therefore, if integration processing were possible based on treasure chest objects or key objects, the player character would not be able to obtain the objects inside the treasure chest object or the key object, which could lead to inconveniences in the game's progression (for example, it may become impossible to advance the game's story).

[0141] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the objects that appear in the game include objects that can accommodate the player character (referred to as "storable objects") and objects that cannot accommodate the player character (referred to as "non-storable objects"). The above-mentioned material objects may be either storable objects or non-storable objects. In this way, by including non-storable objects as material objects, the game system 1 can increase the variety of material objects and generate a wide variety of integrated equipment objects.

[0142] In this embodiment, the state in which a player character stores an object means that the player character can carry the object without equipping or holding it. The player character stores an object by placing it in a storage container (for example, a pouch or item box) that can be worn. Such a storage container does not need to be displayed. Furthermore, such a storage container may not exist on the game field and may simply have the function of storing objects. Regarding stored objects, the game system 1 can display them in a list together with similar objects, for example, on a menu screen. At this time, the appearance of the stored objects is displayed. The appearance of the objects may be displayed using the 3D model used when placing them on the game field, or it may be displayed using a 2D image prepared separately for each object. In this case, the stored objects will not be displayed on the game field. Stored objects can basically be taken out by the player character at appropriate times and placed on the game field or used (including equipping or holding)

[0143] In this embodiment, equipment objects equipped by a player character are displayed as being attached to the player character when the player character is displayed on the game field (see Figure 8). In other embodiments, only the equipment objects held by the player character may be displayed as being attached to the player character.

[0144] In this embodiment, equipment objects can also be material objects. In this embodiment, equipment objects may be placed on the game field in the same way as other material objects. For example, if a player character throws or discards an equipped equipment object, the equipment object will be placed on the game field. Also, for example, if an enemy character equipped with an equipment object is defeated, the equipment object will be placed on the game field. It should be noted that not all types of equipment objects that can be used in the integration process as equipment objects need to be usable as material objects; some types of equipment objects that can be used in the integration process as equipment objects (for example, an arrow object that has fallen to the ground after being fired) may not be usable as material objects.

[0145] As described above, equipment objects placed on the game field can be used as material objects, and integration can be performed based on the equipment object as a material object and the equipment object equipped by the player character. Therefore, for example, a player can generate an integrated equipment object based on the sword object equipped by the player character and sword and shield objects lying on the game field. For example, an integrated equipment object based on two identical sword objects may be generated, which has the appearance of having the blade of one sword object attached to the tip of the other sword object. In this way, an integrated equipment object based on two identical equipment objects may have a different appearance from the original equipment objects, while including a part of the appearance of the original equipment objects. Also, for example, an integrated equipment object based on a sword object and a shield object may be generated, which has the appearance of having the shield object attached to the tip of the sword object. In this way, integrated equipment objects may be generated based on equipment objects of different categories.

[0146] Furthermore, player characters can pick up and equip equipment objects placed on the game field in response to player instructions. In other words, in this embodiment, equipment objects placed on the game field can be used as material objects for generating integrated equipment objects, or they can be used as equipment objects for the player character as they are.

[0147] Based on the above, in this embodiment, when a unification instruction is given while the player character and equipment objects are placed on the game field and the scene is displayed on the display device, the game system 1 generates an unified equipment object using the equipment objects on the game field as material objects. This allows for two different uses for equipment objects, thereby improving the strategic depth of the game.

[0148] If equipment objects on the game field were not treated as material objects, then equipment objects could not be used in the integration process in one situation (i.e., when placed on the game field), while they could be used in another situation (i.e., when equipped by a player character). In this case, it would be difficult for the player to determine whether the equipment object is eligible for integration, potentially leading to misunderstandings on the player's part. In contrast, according to this embodiment, equipment objects can be used in the integration process whether they are equipped by a player character or placed on the game field, thus reducing the possibility of such misunderstandings. In other embodiments, the game system 1 may configure equipment objects on the game field not to be treated as material objects.

[0149] It should be noted that not all equipment objects appearing in the game are objects that can be used in the integration process. In this embodiment, certain types of equipment objects among the multiple types of equipment objects appearing in the game are objects that cannot be used in the integration process. The above-mentioned "certain types of equipment objects" may refer to multiple different equipment objects, such as a sword object among the equipment objects included in the category of melee weapon objects mentioned above, or it may refer to a single type of equipment object, such as a specific sword object among multiple types of sword objects. Such equipment objects that cannot be used in the integration process are not subject to the integration process when they are placed on the game field, nor are they subject to the integration process when they are equipped by a player character.

[0150] Figure 11 shows an example of the relationship between equipment objects, material objects, and integrated equipment objects generated based on these objects. In the example shown in Figure 11, the equipment objects that can be used for integration processing among the objects appearing in the game are equipment objects A to Z, and the material objects that can be used for integration processing (including equipment objects used as material objects) are material objects 1 to n (where n is an integer). In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, an integrated equipment object (integrated equipment A1 to An, B1 to Bn, Z1 to Zn in Figure 11) is set for all combinations of each equipment object A to Z and each material object 1 to n that result from the integration processing. In other words, each equipment object A to Z that can be used for integration processing can be integrated with all material objects 1 to n that can be used for integration processing.

[0151] Based on the above, in this embodiment, the game system 1 generates an integrated equipment object for all combinations of multiple types of material objects that can be used to generate an integrated equipment object and multiple types of equipment objects that can be used for said generation. Here, if there existed a material object that, for example, "can be used for integration processing with equipment object A that can be used for integration processing, but cannot be used for integration processing with another equipment object B that can be used for integration processing," then it would be difficult for the player to understand the combinations of equipment objects and material objects that can be used for integration processing. In contrast, according to this embodiment, each equipment object that can be used for integration processing can be integrated with all material objects that can be used for integration processing. This makes it easier for the player to understand the combinations of equipment objects and material objects that can be used for integration processing. In other embodiments, the game system 1 may prevent the generation of an integrated equipment object for some combinations of multiple types of material objects that can be used to generate an integrated equipment object and multiple types of equipment objects that can be used for said generation.

[0152] [2-3. Integrated Equipment Objects] In this embodiment, the player character can store integrated equipment objects in the same way as equipment objects. In this embodiment, the game system 1 sets the player character to a state where it can be stored under predetermined conditions (for example, when instructed by the player). This allows the player character to remove the generated integrated equipment objects from their equipment and store them, making it possible to use multiple integrated equipment objects. Furthermore, since the player character can store multiple integrated equipment objects, the player does not have to discard integrated equipment objects on the spot because they cannot be stored, but can save them, thus allowing the player to actively perform the integration process. In other embodiments, the game system 1 may make integrated equipment objects generated based on unstorable material objects unstorable, or it may make all integrated equipment objects unstorable.

[0153] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is impossible for an integrated equipment object to be separated into its original equipment object and material object by the player's instructions. This is to prevent the player character from carrying the aforementioned non-storable objects. Specifically, in this embodiment, there are also non-storable objects that serve as material objects. If it were possible to separate an integrated equipment object into its original equipment object and material object, the player could convert a non-storable object into an integrated equipment object, move the player character who equips or stores the integrated equipment object, and then separate the integrated equipment object back into a non-storable object. This method would allow non-storable objects to be moved from a pre-placed location on the game field to another location. However, if non-storable objects could be moved to a location different from their pre-placed location, it could cause problems in the game's progression. For example, it could cause problems if non-storable objects on the game field could be used as objects with volume. For example, a potential problem could arise if a player character could overcome a wall that is normally too high to cross by using a box object moved from another location as a platform. Another example is the potential for problems arising from its use in the adhesive process described later. In contrast, this embodiment reduces the possibility of the above-mentioned problems occurring by preventing the separation of the integrated equipment object.

[0154] Furthermore, "integrated equipment object is inseparable" means that an integrated equipment object cannot be returned to both its original material object and equipment object, and that any form of obtaining only one of them from an integrated equipment object is not separation. In this embodiment, it may be possible to remove the original material object from an integrated equipment object and return it to its original equipment object. In other words, when the conditions for the disappearance of an integrated equipment object are met, the game system 1 may make the integrated equipment object disappear, and at the same time, make the equipment object that was the basis of the integrated equipment object appear in the game without making the original material object appear in the game. For example, on a screen displaying a list of storage objects, when an integrated equipment is selected, the game system 1 may, at the player's instruction, execute the "restore" command, thereby deleting the integrated equipment from the storage objects and adding the original equipment object to the storage objects, thereby substantially changing the integrated equipment into its original equipment object. Furthermore, the phrase "to make an object appear in the game" means that the object exists in the game's settings, regardless of whether a model of the object is placed on the game field. In other words, "to make an object appear in the game" includes both the state in which the object is placed on the game field and the state in which the object is stored by the player character.

[0155] In other embodiments, the integrated equipment object may be separated into an original equipment object and a material object. For example, the integrated equipment object may be separated into an original equipment object and a material object by conditions not instructed by the player. For example, the integrated equipment object may be separated under certain circumstances in the game (for example, when the game's story progresses and a certain game event occurs).

[0156] Figure 12 shows an example of the appearance of an equipment object and a material object, and the appearance of an integrated equipment object generated based on those objects. As described above, an integrated equipment object has an appearance that includes a part of the appearance of the equipment object from which the integrated equipment object is based (hereinafter referred to as the "equipment appearance portion") and a part of the appearance of the material object from which the integrated equipment object is based (hereinafter referred to as the "material appearance portion"). In this embodiment, the material appearance portion of the integrated equipment object may differ in size from that of the original material object.

[0157] Example (a) shown in Figure 12 is an example in which a fang-sword object 212, which is an integrated equipment object, is generated based on a sword object 202 and a fang object 206. Example (a) is an example in which the size of the material appearance portion is the same as the original material object. That is, as shown in Figure 12, the integrated equipment object (i.e., the fang-sword object 212) has an appearance in which a part of the appearance of the material object from which the integrated equipment object originated (i.e., the fang object 206) replaces a part of the appearance of the equipment object from which the integrated equipment object originated (i.e., the sword object 202). With this, the player can easily predict the appearance of the integrated equipment object from the appearance of the original equipment object and material object. In the example shown in Figure 12, the integrated equipment object has the entire appearance of the material object from which the integrated equipment object originated, but in other embodiments, it may have only a part of the appearance of the original material object. For example, the fang sword object 212 shown in Figure 12 may have an appearance in which the tip portion of the sword object 202 is replaced by the tip portion of the fang object 206.

[0158] Example (b) in Figure 12 shows an example in which a barrel sword object 215, which is an integrated equipment object, is generated based on a sword object 202 and a barrel object 214 representing a barrel. Example (b) is an example in which the size of the material appearance portion is reduced from the original material object. That is, as shown in Figure 12, the integrated equipment object (i.e., barrel sword object 215) has an appearance in which a part of the appearance of the equipment object from which the integrated equipment object originated (i.e., sword object 202) is replaced with a part or all of the reduced appearance of the material object from which the integrated equipment object originated (i.e., barrel object 214). With this, as with example (a) in Figure 12, the player can easily predict the appearance of the integrated equipment object. Furthermore, even when a large object such as barrel object 214 is used as a material object, it is possible to prevent the integrated equipment object from becoming too large. This reduces the possibility that the player character may be hidden by the integrated equipment object, making the player character difficult to see.

[0159] Example (c) in Figure 12 shows an example in which a barrel arrow object 216 is generated based on an arrow object 205 and a barrel object 214. In this embodiment, if the equipment object is a bow and arrow object and integration processing is performed, the integration processing is performed based on the arrow object rather than the bow object, resulting in the generation of an integrated arrow object. The barrel arrow object 216 is an example of an integrated arrow object. When the arrow object equipped by the player character is changed to an integrated arrow object, it can be said that the integrated equipment object equipped by the player character is composed of a bow object and an integrated arrow object.

[0160] Example (c) shown in Figure 12 is the same material object as in Example (b) (i.e., barrel object 214), but the size of the material's appearance is the same as the original material object. With respect to barrel object 214, in Example (b) above, the size of the material's appearance is reduced from the original material object, whereas in Example (c), the size of the material's appearance is made the same as the original material object.

[0161] Here, an integrated arrow object (i.e., a barrel arrow object 216), which is a type of arrow object, may be placed on the game field after being fired. In this case, because the equipment appearance portion representing the arrow object is relatively small, it may appear to the player that the original barrel object 214 has fallen. If, hypothetically, the material appearance portion of the barrel arrow object 216 that has the appearance of the barrel object 214 is smaller than the original barrel object 214, then in the above case, the player may see a smaller barrel object as having fallen, and may mistakenly believe that there is an unusual barrel object. Therefore, in this embodiment, for integrated equipment objects based on arrow objects, the material appearance portion is kept the same size as the original material object to reduce the possibility of player misunderstanding. Regarding the integrated arrow object, which is a type of arrow object, the player character assumes a stance with the integrated arrow object nocked to the bow object. When the player character assumes this stance, the game system 1 displays a game image on the display 12 showing the game field as seen from behind the player character 201 (see Figure 16). Therefore, in the displayed game image, the integrated arrow object will be positioned in front of the player character. As a result, even if the material's appearance portion is large, it is unlikely that the player character will become difficult to see.

[0162] In other embodiments, the material appearance portion of the integrated arrow object may also be scaled (specifically reduced). Here, the material appearance portion of an integrated arrow object based on a certain material object may be scaled to be larger than the material appearance portion of an integrated equipment object based on that material object and equipment objects other than the arrow object (it can also be said that the material appearance portion of the integrated arrow object is closer in size to the material object than the material appearance portion of the integrated equipment object). This also reduces the possibility of misunderstanding by the player.

[0163] Furthermore, if the launched integrated arrow object fails to hit, for example, an enemy character and falls to the field, the game system 1 may separate the integrated arrow object into the original arrow object and material object near the point of impact and place them there. In addition, if the integrated arrow object has an effect specific to it that occurs when it is launched, during launch, or when it comes into contact with the field (for example, if the integrated arrow object is an explosive arrow), the integrated arrow object may disappear when it falls to the field.

[0164] As described above, in this embodiment, the first equipment object includes a projectile object (e.g., an arrow object 205) and a projectile weapon object (e.g., a bow object 204) that launches the projectile object. Here, the integrated projectile object generated based on the projectile object and a material object (e.g., a barrel object 214) has an appearance in which part of the appearance of the original projectile object is replaced by part or all of the appearance of the original material object (example (c) shown in Figure 12). In contrast, the integrated projectile object generated based on a second equipment object that does not include a projectile object (e.g., a sword object 202) and the material object (e.g., a barrel object 214) has an appearance in which part of the appearance of the second equipment object is replaced by part or all of the scaled-down appearance of the material object (example (b) shown in Figure 12). Thus, in this embodiment, the game system 1 changes the size of the material appearance portion of the integrated equipment object depending on the type of equipment object. This reduces the possibility that integrated equipment objects may obscure the player character, and also reduces the possibility of players being misled when integrated equipment objects are placed on the game field. In other embodiments, the game system 1 may keep the size of the material appearance portion of an integrated equipment object based on a single type of material object constant, regardless of the type of equipment object.

[0165] In this embodiment, enemy characters equipped with integrated equipment objects appear in the game. That is, the game system 1 places non-player characters (e.g., enemy characters) that are not controlled by the player and are equipped with integrated equipment objects on the game field. Therefore, a player who sees the non-player character can observe the equipment of the non-player character to discover new integrated equipment objects they were previously unaware of, or to learn about the performance of such integrated equipment objects. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the integrated equipment object includes part of the appearance of the original equipment object and material object, the player can predict the method of generating the integrated equipment object equipped by the non-player character (specifically, the equipment object and material object used for generation) from the appearance of the integrated equipment object. Through these means, the game system 1 can provide the player with an incentive to generate integrated equipment objects. In other embodiments, the integrated equipment object may be one that cannot be equipped by non-player characters and can only be equipped by player characters.

[0166] [2-4. Object Durability] In this embodiment, equipment objects are assigned an equipment durability value that indicates the durability of the equipment object. In this embodiment, the game system 1 subtracts the equipment durability value according to the use of the equipment object, and when the equipment durability value reaches 0, the equipment object is destroyed (i.e., disappears). For example, each time a player character performs an action using an equipment object (for example, swinging a sword object), the equipment durability value is subtracted by 1. Also, in this embodiment, for example, if an equipment object made of flammable material is brought close to a fire, the equipment object will burn, and in this case, the equipment durability value of the equipment object is subtracted by 1 every predetermined time (for example, 1 second). Note that for bow and arrow objects, the bow object has an equipment durability value, but the arrow object does not. In addition, there may be types of equipment objects that do not have an equipment durability value set among the equipment objects that appear in the game. Note that equipment objects that do not have an equipment durability value set may be objects that cannot be used in the integration process.

[0167] When an integrated equipment object is generated based on an equipment object for which equipment durability is set, the game system 1 also sets equipment durability for the integrated equipment object. The initial value of the equipment durability of the integrated equipment object (i.e., the value immediately after generation) can be set in any way. For example, the initial value may be set based on the equipment durability of the original equipment object (e.g., the value immediately before generation), or it may be a value predetermined in the game. When the equipment durability of the integrated equipment object becomes 0, the integrated equipment object disappears, just as with the equipment object. Note that when an integrated equipment object disappears, the original material object is not restored. This is to reduce the possibility of inconvenience in game progression caused by the movement of non-storable objects to a location different from their pre-placed location, as described in "[2-3. Integrated Equipment Objects]" above.

[0168] As described above, in this embodiment, when the equipment durability value set for an integrated equipment object indicates that it has run out of durability (for example, becomes 0), the game system 1 makes the integrated equipment object disappear without making the original equipment object and material object appear in the game. As a result, during the game, the player searches for equipment objects and material objects to generate an integrated equipment object, and when the generated integrated equipment object is destroyed, the player searches again to generate a new integrated equipment object, repeating this cycle. Therefore, in this embodiment, the player is motivated to repeatedly generate integrated equipment objects in the game. In other embodiments, the integrated equipment object may be separable as described above. In this case, the durability values ​​of the separated material object and equipment object may be set in any way, for example, they may be set to the initial value described above, or they may be set based on the equipment durability value of the integrated equipment object immediately before separation.

[0169] Furthermore, in this embodiment, some material objects are assigned a material durability value that indicates the durability of the material object. When an integrated equipment object is generated based on an equipment object for which a material durability value is set, the game system 1 also sets a material durability value for the integrated equipment object. In other words, an integrated equipment object may have two types of durability values ​​set: equipment durability value and material durability value. The initial value of the material durability value of an integrated equipment object (i.e., the value immediately after generation) may be set in any way. For example, the initial value may be set based on the material durability value of the original material object (e.g., the value immediately before generation), or it may be a value predetermined in the game. In other embodiments, a material durability value may also be set for an integrated equipment object based on a material object for which no material durability value is set.

[0170] Game System 1 deducts material durability in accordance with the use of integrated equipment objects, similar to equipment durability. The method for deducting equipment durability and the method for deducting material durability may be the same or different.

[0171] Here, if the durability of the integrated equipment object is not 0 but the durability of the materials becomes 0, the game system 1 will make the integrated equipment object disappear and revive the original equipment object. In this case, the original material object is not revived, so the integrated equipment object is not separated into the original equipment object and the material object. The initial value of the equipment durability of the revived equipment object (i.e., the value immediately after revival) may be set in any way. For example, the initial value may be set based on the equipment durability of the integrated equipment object (for example, the value immediately before revival), or it may be a value predetermined in the game.

[0172] Furthermore, for integrated equipment objects with a set material durability value, if the equipment durability value reaches 0, the integrated equipment object will disappear even if the material durability value is not 0, and the original material object will not be restored.

[0173] Based on the above, in this embodiment, the game system 1 sets material durability values ​​for integrated equipment objects based on material objects that have durability values ​​set. When the material durability value set for an integrated equipment object equipped by a player character indicates that the durability has run out, the game system 1 makes the integrated equipment object disappear and generates the original equipment object from which the integrated equipment object was created. This allows the integrated equipment object to inherit the properties of the material object (i.e., the property of having durability values). Furthermore, when the material durability value indicates that the durability has run out, the equipment object equipped by the player character appears, in terms of game presentation, to have the portion having the appearance of the material object removed from the integrated equipment object. Therefore, the equipment object equipped by the player character can be changed in a way that is easy for the player to understand. Note that when removing the portion having the appearance of the material object from an integrated equipment object as described above, the game system 1 may place an object on the game field that has the same appearance as the original material object but does not have the functions of the material object (i.e., cannot be used in the integration process or does not perform the set functions). This also gives the player the impression that the portion having the appearance of the material object has disappeared from the integrated equipment object, similar to this embodiment. In other embodiments, the game system 1 may simply make the integrated equipment object disappear (i.e., not generate the equipment object that the integrated equipment object was based on) if the material durability value set for the integrated equipment object indicates that the durability has run out. In other embodiments, the game system 1 may not set a material durability value even if the integrated equipment object is based on a material object that has a durability value set.

[0174] Furthermore, regarding the "equipment object that served as the basis for the integrated equipment object" mentioned above, the equipment durability value immediately after creation does not need to be the same as the equipment durability value of that equipment object immediately before the integration process for the integrated equipment object. The equipment durability value of the equipment object immediately after creation can be set in any way. For example, the equipment durability value may be the same as the equipment durability value of the integrated equipment object immediately before it disappeared. Also, the created equipment object may be equipped by the player character, or it may be placed on the game field (for example, placed at the feet of the player character).

[0175] [2-5. Performance of Integrated Equipment] In this embodiment, the integrated equipment object has different performance characteristics from the original equipment object from which it is derived. That is, the game system 1 sets the performance characteristics of the integrated equipment object to be different from those of the original equipment object. This allows the player to be encouraged to gain an advantage in the game by generating an appropriate integrated equipment object according to the game situation, thereby improving the strategic aspect of the game. Specific examples of the performance characteristics of the integrated equipment object will be described below.

[0176] Here, "the performance of the integrated equipment object differs from that of the equipment object" means that (a) the ability values ​​set for the integrated equipment object differ from the ability values ​​set for the equipment object, and (b) the integrated equipment object has functions that the equipment object does not have (or the functions that the equipment object had are changed). For example, in this embodiment, the integrated equipment object has ability values ​​that are improved from the ability values ​​set for the original equipment object (for example, the attack power of a sword object), or it has functions that the original equipment object does not have. The following are some examples of the functions mentioned above. • Integrated equipment objects based on shield and rocket objects have the function of providing propulsion to the player character (details will be described later). - A unified equipment object based on a sword object and a tail object has the function of attacking enemies with a tail whip (which can also be described as a function to expand the attack range). - The ability to emit flames, which is the function of an integrated equipment object based on a shield object and a flame block object that emits flames. Furthermore, the performance details set for an integrated equipment object are arbitrary, and various abilities and functions may be assigned.

[0177] In this embodiment, the performance of the integrated equipment object is the performance of the original equipment object with some added performance. Here, the game system 1 determines the performance to be added to the integrated equipment object from the original equipment object according to the original material object. For example, an integrated equipment object based on a sword object and a fang object has performance that improves the attack power of the sword object, and an integrated equipment object based on the sword object and a rock object has performance that adds the ability to destroy other objects that the sword object cannot destroy to the sword object.

[0178] Furthermore, the performance added to an integrated equipment object may be determined differently depending on the original equipment objects. For example, the performance of an integrated equipment object based on an ore object and a sword object may be an improved version of the sword object's attack power, while the performance of an integrated equipment object based on the ore object and a shield object may be an improved version of the shield object's equipment durability.

[0179] Furthermore, the performance added to an integrated equipment object may be the same regardless of the original equipment object, depending on the original material object. For example, with respect to a certain material object, the performance of the integrated equipment object based on that material object may be an improved version of the equipment durability of the original equipment object, regardless of the original equipment object.

[0180] Furthermore, when an integrated equipment object is generated based on an equipment object, the attack action performed by the player character 201 may be the same before and after the integration process. For example, when an integrated equipment object is generated based on a sword object as an equipment object and a spear object as a material object, the attack action related to the integrated equipment object may be a sword-swinging action, similar to that of the original sword object. In other embodiments, the attack action performed by the player character 201 may be different before and after the integration process. For example, when an integrated equipment object is generated based on a sword object as an equipment object and a spear object as a material object, the attack action related to the integrated equipment object may change from a sword-swinging action to a spear-thrusting action due to the increased length of the integrated equipment object.

[0181] Next, referring to Figures 13 to 15, an example of an integrated equipment object will be described: an integrated equipment object that has the function of providing thrust to the player character. Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of a game image that shows a game field in which a rocket object is placed. The rocket object 221 shown in Figure 13 is a material object. The rocket object 221 has the function of generating thrust, and specifically, it can be in an active state that generates thrust and an inactive state that does not generate thrust. In this specification, an object that can be in an active state that performs a function and an inactive state that does not perform a function is called a switching function object. The rocket object 221 becomes active for a certain period of time under certain conditions (for example, when attacked by a player character 201, etc.), and in the active state, it generates thrust and moves forward.

[0182] As shown in Figure 13, when a rocket object 221 is placed on the game field, the player character 201 can generate an integrated equipment object using the rocket object 221 as a material object (see "[2-1. Overview of Integration Process]" above). In the example shown in Figure 13, when the player character 201 is in a ready stance with respect to the shield object 203, the integrated equipment object is generated based on the shield object 203 and the rocket object 221 in response to the player issuing an integration instruction specifying the shield object 203.

[0183] Figure 14 shows an example of a game image when an integrated equipment object based on a shield object and a rocket object is generated. In Figure 14, the player character 201 is in a ready stance with respect to the integrated equipment object (referred to as the "shield rocket object") 222, which is based on the shield object 203 and the rocket object 221. Here, the shield rocket object 222, like the original rocket object 221, has the function of generating thrust and can be in an active state that generates thrust and an inactive state that does not generate thrust. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, when the player character 201 is in a ready stance, the shield rocket object 222 is in an inactive state and does not generate thrust. In the inactive state, the shield rocket object 222 exhibits defensive function as a shield object. However, since the hit detection area of ​​the shield rocket object 222 is larger than that of the original shield object 203, the shield rocket object 222 can block attacks from enemy characters in front of the shield object 203. Furthermore, the shield rocket object 222 may have additional properties other than the function of generating thrust compared to the original shield object 203. For example, the equipment durability may be increased when the shield rocket object 222 is generated based on the shield object 203.

[0184] Figure 15 shows an example of a game image when the shield rocket object is generating thrust. In this embodiment, the shield rocket object 222 becomes active when the player character 201 releases the stance on the shield rocket object 222 (i.e., performs the action of carrying it on their back). That is, the shield rocket object 222 generates thrust, and as a result of the thrust given to the player character 201 by the shield rocket object 222, the player character 201 moves upward (see Figure 15). Thus, in this embodiment, the player character 201 can fly using the shield rocket object 222. In this embodiment, the above function of the shield rocket object 222 becomes inactive when the player character 201 assumes a stance on the shield rocket object 222. Also, the shield rocket object 222 becomes inactive after maintaining an active state for a certain period of time. However, in other embodiments, an integrated equipment object that can be in an active state and an inactive state may remain in the active state for as long as certain conditions are met (for example, until a player character performs a certain action).

[0185] As described above, in this embodiment, the material object may be a switchable function object that can take on an active state on the game field in which a predetermined function of the material object is performed, and an inactive state in which the predetermined function is not performed. In this case, the game system 1 causes the integrated equipment object to perform a predetermined function in response to the player character performing a predetermined action using the integrated equipment object based on the switchable function object. This allows for a variety of performance for the integrated equipment object by reflecting the functions of the original material object in the integrated equipment object. Furthermore, the player can activate the integrated equipment object by having the player character 201 perform a predetermined action, so that the integrated equipment object can perform a function at a desired timing. Note that the predetermined function performed by the integrated equipment object may be an independent function that is performed independently of the basic function performed by the integrated equipment object through the predetermined action. For example, an integrated equipment object based on a sword object performs the basic function of "impacting other objects it comes into contact with" through the action of swinging the sword. In this case, the independent function described above is not a function that is performed on the premise that the basic function is performed (for example, a function that destroys other objects that are subjected to impact), but rather a function that is performed independently of the performance of the basic function (i.e., without the performance of the basic function) (for example, generating thrust, emitting flames, etc.). In other embodiments, the integrated equipment object based on the switching function object does not need to be able to take on an enabled state and an disabled state, and may always perform its function (i.e., always be in an enabled state and never be in a disabled state).

[0186] In the example shown in Figure 15, the "predetermined action" is an action that cancels the stance (specifically, an action to put away the shield object), but it is not limited to this and can be any action. Specifically, the predetermined action may be an action to take a stance (for example, an action to raise the shield object), or an action to use an equipment object while in a stance (for example, an action to swing the sword object). For example, if the material object is a flame block object that can take on an active state that emits flames and an inactive state that does not emit flames, the integrated equipment object based on the shield object and the flame block object may also take on an active state that emits flames and an inactive state that does not emit flames. In this case, flames may be emitted in response to the player character raising the shield object, and the emission of flames may stop in response to the player character putting away the shield object.

[0187] As described above, the "predetermined action" may be the same action that the player character can perform using the equipment object that forms the basis of the integrated equipment object. For example, in this embodiment, the player character can perform actions such as swinging the sword object, charging up power (for the sword object), raising the shield object, throwing the equipment object, and sheathing the equipment object. In this case, the predetermined action may be any of these actions using the integrated equipment object. This allows the player to switch between an enabled state and an disabled state by having the player character perform an action that is normally performed using the equipment object.

[0188] Furthermore, the predetermined functions of a material object and the predetermined functions of an integrated equipment object based on that material object do not need to be exactly the same; they only need to be similar enough for the player to recognize that the functions of both are related. For example, regarding the rocket object 221 and the shield rocket object 222 mentioned above, if their functions are the same in the broad sense of "generating thrust," then even if the magnitude of the thrust or the length of time they are effective differs, their functions can be said to be the same.

[0189] As described above, in this embodiment, the material object may be a thrust object (for example, a rocket object 221) that has the function of generating thrust. In this case, when the player character equips an integrated equipment object based on the thrust object, the game system 1 moves the player character in the game field by generating thrust in the integrated equipment object. Note that movement in the game field is not limited to movement on the ground, but includes any movement within the game field (i.e., a three-dimensional game space). According to this, an integrated equipment object, such as a weapon or armor, can be given a function different from the original function of the equipment object, namely the function of providing thrust to the player character. This makes it possible to diversify the functions of the integrated equipment object. Note that the information processing for moving the player character with the thrust object may be a process in which the player character moves as a result of generating thrust in the integrated equipment object, as described above, or it may be a process that directly generates thrust for the player character.

[0190] The thrust object described above is not limited to the rocket object 221; it may be any other object. For example, the thrust object may be a balloon object that has the function of floating in the air. In this case, the integrated equipment object based on the shield object and the balloon object may exert thrust that causes the player character 201 to float in the air (i.e., to float upwards) when it is in an active state. Furthermore, the thrust object does not need to be able to take an active state or an inactive state; it may always be functional (i.e., always active and never in an inactive state).

[0191] [2-6. Integration process based on material objects stored by the player character] As described above, the game system 1 generates a unified equipment object based on material objects placed on the game field and equipment objects equipped by the player character. In this embodiment, for a bow and arrow object (more specifically, an arrow object), which is a type of equipment object, a unified equipment object may be generated based on material objects stored by the player character and equipment objects equipped by the player character. The unification process based on material objects stored by the player character will be described below.

[0192] Figure 16 shows an example of a game image when the player character is in a ready position with a bow and arrow object and has performed the action of nocking the arrow object (referred to as the "ready to fire" state). In this embodiment, in the ready to fire state, the game system 1 displays a game image on the display 12 that shows the game space as viewed from behind the player character 201 (see Figure 16). The game image also includes a targeting marker 225. The targeting marker 225 indicates the firing direction of the arrow object 205 when the arrow object 205 is fired in response to a firing command from the player. In addition to the firing command, the player can also give a command to change the firing direction in the ready to fire state.

[0193] In this embodiment, in the launch preparation state, the player can issue an object display instruction to display the object stored in the player character 201. Figure 17 shows an example of a game image after an object display instruction has been issued in the state shown in Figure 16. The game system 1 receives the object display instruction in the launch preparation state and displays the game image shown in Figure 17 in response to the object display instruction being issued.

[0194] The game image shown in Figure 17 includes storage material object images 231-234, which represent material objects among the objects stored by the player character 201. Each storage material object image 231-234 includes an image representing the material object and the number of that material object stored by the player character 201.

[0195] Game system 1, based on the player's instructions, selects one of the storage material object images 231 to 234. In this embodiment, the selected storage material object image is displayed in a different manner than the storage material object images that are not selected. In the example shown in Figure 17, the selected storage material object image 232 is displayed with a thicker border than the storage material object images 231, 233, and 234 that are not selected.

[0196] When the storage material object images 231-234 are displayed, the player can issue a unification command. That is, the game system 1 accepts the unification command in the above state and executes the unification process in response to the unification command. Specifically, the game system 1 generates an unified arrow object based on the material object indicated by the selected storage material object image and the arrow object equipped by the player character 201 (i.e., the arrow nocked by the player character 201). Note that the operation for issuing an unification command in the above state may be different from the operation for issuing an unification command when the equipment specification image 210 is displayed.

[0197] Figure 18 shows an example of a game image after a unified arrow object has been generated. As shown in Figure 18, the game system 1 changes the display so that the player character 201 is equipped with the generated unified arrow object 236 instead of the arrow object 205 that the player character 201 was equipped with before the unification process. The unified arrow object 236 has an appearance in which a part of the appearance of the arrow object 205 (specifically, the tip) is replaced with the appearance of the corner object that was selected at the time the unification command was given. In the launch preparation state shown in Figure 18, the player can give a launch command to launch the unified arrow object 236, which is a type of arrow object, to the player character 201.

[0198] As described above, in this embodiment, when the player character assumes a stance to fire a projectile object (e.g., an arrow object) with a projectile weapon object (e.g., a bow object), and one of the material objects stored by the player character is selected (see Figure 17), the game system 1 generates a unified projectile object (e.g., an unified arrow object) representing a projectile that is an integrated projectile formed by combining the projectile object and the selected material object. The game system 1 also displays that the projectile object among the equipment objects equipped by the player character on the game field has been changed to an unified projectile object. Here, when firing using an unified projectile object based on a projectile object, it is also possible to discard the material object stored by the player character and place it on the game field, and then generate an unified projectile object based on the material object on the game field and the projectile object equipped by the player character. However, projectile objects such as arrow objects require integration processing each time they are launched. Therefore, with the above method, the player must discard the material object each time they launch an object, which increases the amount of effort required. In contrast, in this embodiment, by making it possible to directly use the material objects stored by the player character for integration processing, the player can easily perform the operation of having the player character launch integrated projectile objects.

[0199] In this embodiment, only the arrow object among the equipment objects can directly use the material object stored by the player character in the integration process. In other embodiments, other equipment objects (for example, sword objects and shield objects) may also be directly able to use the material object stored by the player character in the integration process.

[0200] Furthermore, if the player character releases their stance while in the firing preparation state with the integrated arrow object nocked, the game system 1 does not revert the integrated arrow object to its original state, but instead remembers that the integrated arrow object was generated. Then, the next time the player character takes a firing stance with the bow and arrow object, the game system 1 returns the player character 201 to the firing preparation state with the stored integrated arrow object nocked again. This simplifies operation because the player does not need to issue the integration command again when the player character releases and then takes a firing stance again.

[0201] Furthermore, if the state in which the integrated arrow object was created is remembered, the game system 1 may, under certain conditions, revert the integrated arrow object back to its original arrow object. For example, if the above state is remembered, the integrated arrow object may be reverted to its original arrow object in response to a change in the game field where the player character 201 is located (for example, if the player character 201 moves from the overworld game field to the dungeon game field). In this case, the original material object of the integrated arrow object may disappear. Alternatively, if the original material object of the integrated arrow object was originally placed on the game field, the game system 1 may place the material object back on the original game field, or if it was originally stored, it may return the material object to its stored state.

[0202] In other embodiments, if the player character releases their aiming stance while the player character is in the firing preparation state with the integrated arrow object nocked, the game system 1 may return the integrated arrow object to its original arrow object and place the original material object for the integrated arrow object on the game field. In other embodiments, in the above case, the original material object for the integrated arrow object may be stored again instead of being placed on the game field.

[0203] In other embodiments, the game system 1 may allow the player to replace a material object integrated with an integrated arrow object with another material object. Specifically, when a player character is in a firing preparation state with an integrated arrow object nocked, the player character may select a material object from the material objects stored in their inventory, thereby changing the nocked integrated arrow object into an integrated arrow object based on the selected material object. The material object that formed the basis of the original integrated arrow object may be placed on the game field (for example, at the player character's feet), stored, or deleted. Furthermore, if the material object that formed the basis of the original integrated arrow object was originally placed on the game field, it may be placed on the game field; if it was stored, it may be returned to its stored state.

[0204] In other embodiments, the game system 1 may be configured such that integrated projectile objects based on material objects that are storable objects can be stored by the player character, while integrated projectile objects based on material objects that are not storable objects cannot be stored by the player character.

[0205] [2-7. Object bonding process] In this embodiment, the player character can bond objects on the game field together by using an adhesive item separate from the aforementioned integration item. The bonding process for bonding objects together will be described below.

[0206] In this specification, "adhering objects together" means fixing one object to another while maintaining the shape of each object. It can also be said that "adhesion" is a form of "integration" as described above. However, in this embodiment, the adhesion process is performed on two objects that are placed on the game field and are not equipped by a player character, whereas the integration process is performed on an object equipped by a player character and an object that is placed on the game field and is not equipped by a player character. The differences between the adhesion process and the integration process in this embodiment will be described later.

[0207] Figure 19 shows an example of a game image when material objects are placed on the game field. In the game field shown in Figure 19, a player character 201 is placed, along with two rock objects 243 and 244. In this embodiment, the material objects are assumed to be objects that can be bonded by an adhesive process, and the following explanation will use the case where the two rock objects 243 and 244 are bonded as an example. However, in other embodiments, not all material objects need to be bondable objects, and objects that are not material objects may also be bondable objects.

[0208] During gameplay, the player can enable the player character 201 to use an adhesive item by issuing an item selection instruction. Furthermore, in the above state, the player can specify the first object to be adhesively attached by issuing a target selection instruction. The target selection instruction is performed, for example, by the player making a predetermined input when an object is selected by the targeting marker displayed when the adhesive item is usable. The game image shown in Figure 19 shows the state in which the rock object 243 is designated as the first object to be adhesively attached (referred to as the "first adhesive target object"). As shown in Figure 19, the game image displays an effect image 242 that associates the adhesive item 241 worn by the player character 201 with the rock object 243, which is the first adhesive target object. This makes it easy for the player to see which object on the game field is the first adhesive target object. Note that even when the player character 201 can use an adhesive item, the game system 1 may display the material object in a different display manner than other objects that are not material objects, similar to the state in which the integrated item is usable.

[0209] Figure 20 shows an example of a game image when the player character moves the first object to be attached. As shown in Figure 20, in this embodiment, when the first object to be attached is specified, the player character 201 can move the first object to be attached. Specifically, the game system 1 controls the position of the first object to be attached so that it is positioned in front of the player character 201. Therefore, the position of the first object to be attached changes as the player character 201 changes its position and / or orientation. The game system 1 also controls the distance from the player character 201 to the first object to be attached in response to the player's instruction to change the distance. Therefore, the position of the first object to be attached also changes in response to the distance change instruction.

[0210] As shown in Figure 20, when the first object to be glued is located within a predetermined distance from other material objects, the game system 1 designates that material object as the second object to be glued (referred to as the "second object to be glued"). At this time, an effect image 245 is displayed that associates the two objects to be glued (in Figure 20, the two rock objects 243 and 244). Note that if the first object to be glued is not located within a predetermined distance from other material objects, the effect image 245 is not displayed (see Figure 19). Therefore, the effect image 245 clearly indicates to the player whether or not a second object to be glued has been designated, and if so, which material object it is.

[0211] When the second object to be glued is specified as described above, and the player issues a glueing instruction, the game system 1 executes a gluing process to glue the two objects to be glued together. Figure 21 shows an example of a game image after the two objects to be glued together. In the example shown in Figure 21, the two rock objects 243 and 244, which were the objects to be glued together, are glued together. At this time, in order to clearly show the player that the two rock objects 243 and 244 are glued together, an effect image 245 is displayed between the two rock objects 243 and 244. Thus, the two material objects on the game field are glued together.

[0212] As described above, in this embodiment, when a player gives an adhesive instruction while multiple material objects are placed on the game field, the game system 1 places the adhesive object, which is the multiple material objects bonded together, onto the game field. This allows the material objects placed on the game field to be used not only for the integration process described above, but also for the adhesive process, thus expanding the uses of material objects in the game. Therefore, it is possible to broaden the range of strategies and gameplay using material objects for the player and improve the enjoyment of the game. In other embodiments, the game system 1 may not perform the adhesive process.

[0213] In this embodiment, since equipment objects are also a type of material object, if equipment objects are placed on the game field, those equipment objects can also be bonded to other material objects by the bonding process. That is, when a bonding instruction is given while multiple objects, including equipment objects, are placed on the game field, the game system 1 places a bonded object, which is the equipment object bonded to other objects, on the game field. As a result, equipment objects can be used for both integration and bonding processes, expanding the uses of equipment objects in the game, thereby broadening the range of strategies and gameplay using equipment objects and improving the enjoyment of the game. It should be noted that not all types of equipment objects need to be usable as material objects for bonding processes; some types of equipment objects (for example, arrow objects that have fallen to the ground after being shot) may not be usable as material objects for bonding processes. Also, equipment objects may not be usable as material objects for bonding processes.

[0214] Note that the above bonding process (and the bonded object) differs from the integration process (and the integrated equipment object) in the following respects, for example.

[0215] Regarding the bonding process, it is possible to bond an bonded object, which is made by bonding two material objects together, to another material object (or another bonded object). That is, when a bonding instruction is given when a bonded object, which has multiple material objects bonded together, and a material object are placed on the game field, the game system 1 places a new bonded object, which is made by bonding the bonded object and the material object, onto the game field. Thus, a bonded object may be an object to which three or more material objects are bonded together. In other embodiments, the game system 1 may prevent a bonded object, which has two material objects bonded together, from being bonded to another material object (or another bonded object).

[0216] On the other hand, with regard to the integration process, the game system 1 does not perform integration based on the bonded object. That is, the game system 1 does not generate integrated equipment objects based on the integrated equipment object equipped by the player character and the material object placed on the game field. This is to suppress the number of combinations of equipment objects and material objects in the integration process and to reduce the amount of data in the game program. In this embodiment, the game system 1 generates integrated equipment objects based on data that defines the appearance and performance of the integrated equipment object based on the equipment object and material object. That is, in order to determine the appearance and performance of the integrated equipment object generated by the integration process, the game system 1 prepares data in the game program in advance that defines the appearance and performance of each integrated equipment object corresponding to the combination of equipment object and material object. In other embodiments, the above data may define at least one of the appearance and performance of the integrated equipment object.

[0217] If integration processing based on integrated equipment objects and material objects were enabled, it would become possible to combine equipment objects with multiple material objects. In this case, the number of combinations of equipment objects and material objects would become too large, potentially leading to an excessive amount of data for defining the performance of the integrated equipment object. Therefore, in this embodiment, integration processing between equipment objects and adhesive objects (i.e., multiple material objects) is not performed to prevent the amount of data for defining the performance of the integrated equipment object from becoming excessively large.

[0218] As mentioned above, it is impossible for an integrated equipment object to be separated into the original equipment object and material object by the player's instructions. On the other hand, in this embodiment, an adhesive object can be separated into the multiple objects from which it originated when the player issues a release instruction. That is, when a release instruction is issued while an adhesive object is specified, the game system 1 separates the adhesive object into the multiple material objects from which it originated and places them on the game field. With this, if the result of the adhesive process is not what the player intended, the player can redo the adhesive process, thereby improving the degree of freedom of the adhesive process. Also, if the player wants to perform an integration process based on the material objects from which the adhesive object originated, they can perform the integration process by separating the adhesive object into its original material objects.

[0219] Furthermore, in this embodiment, integrated equipment objects can be stored by the player character, whereas adhesive objects cannot be stored by the player character. Also, adhesive objects, which are based on equipment objects and material objects, cannot be equipped by the player character. Here, as mentioned above, adhesive objects can be separated from their original objects. Therefore, if the player character could carry adhesive objects by storing or equipping them, as described in "[2-3. Integrated Equipment Objects]" above, it is possible that the game's progress would be inconvenienced because non-storable objects would be moved to locations other than their pre-placed locations. For this reason, in this embodiment, adhesive objects cannot be stored or equipped by the player character.

[0220] Furthermore, in this embodiment, with regard to the bonding process, the game system 1 generates bonded objects by fixing each material object in a positional relationship corresponding to the position and orientation of each material object. In other words, in the bonding process, the positional relationship in which two objects are bonded differs depending on the position and orientation of each object at the time of bonding, and even for two specific objects, the appearance of the bonded object based on them is not unique. This makes it possible to increase the variations of bonded objects in this embodiment. In other embodiments, the game system 1 may bond two objects in a positional relationship defined in the game program during the bonding process.

[0221] On the other hand, in this embodiment, with respect to the integration process, the game system 1 generates an integrated equipment object by fixing the equipment object and the material object in a predetermined positional relationship. In other words, the integration process differs from the bonding process in that the appearance of an integrated equipment object based on two specific objects is uniquely determined (for example, the appearance of the fang-sword object 212 based on the sword object 202 and the fang object 206 shown in Figure 12 is unique). As described above, since the appearance of the integrated equipment object for a specific combination of equipment object and material object is constant, the appearance of the integrated equipment object can be made predictable for the player. Note that in other embodiments, the appearance of the integrated equipment object due to the integration process does not necessarily have to be uniquely determined.

[0222] Furthermore, in this embodiment, for integrated equipment objects, the performance is set according to the combination of the original equipment object and the material object, separately from the performance of each original object (see "[2-5. Performance of Integrated Equipment]" above). In contrast, for bonded objects, the performance is not set separately from the performance of each original object, which is where the bonding process differs from the integration process.

[0223] [3. Specific examples of processing in game systems] Next, with reference to Figures 22 to 27, a specific example of information processing in the game system 1 will be described. Figure 22 is a diagram showing an example of various data used in information processing in the game system 1. The various data shown in Figure 22 are stored in a storage medium accessible by the main unit 2 (for example, flash memory 84, DRAM 85, and / or a memory card installed in slot 23).

[0224] As shown in Figure 22, the game system 1 stores the game program. The game program is a game program for executing the game in this embodiment (specifically, the game processing shown in Figures 23 to 27). The game system 1 also stores placement object data, character data, stored object data, equipped object data, and item data in use.

[0225] Placement object data is data that indicates objects (e.g., material objects) placed on the game field. Placement object data indicates, for example, the position and type of the object. It also includes data indicating whether a material object is attached to other objects.

[0226] Character data provides information about the player character's state. For example, character data indicates the player character's position and posture (e.g., whether they are in a fighting stance).

[0227] The storage object data indicates the objects (including equipment objects and material objects) that the player character has stored. For example, the storage object data indicates the type of object and the number of items stored. In addition, the storage object data includes durability data indicating the durability value (specifically, equipment durability value or material durability value) for objects that have a durability value set.

[0228] The equipped object data indicates the equipment objects currently equipped by the player character. Furthermore, the equipped object data includes data indicating which of the equipped equipment objects the player character is currently using in a fighting stance.

[0229] The "Items in Use" data shows items (including integrated and glued items) that are currently usable by the player character.

[0230] Figures 23 to 27 are flowcharts illustrating an example of the flow of each process executed by Game System 1. Each process shown in Figures 23 to 27 is initiated during the execution of the game program described above, depending on when the game state reaches a state described later.

[0231] In this embodiment, the processor 81 of the main unit 2 executes the game program stored in the game system 1, thereby executing the processing of each step shown in Figures 23 to 27. However, in other embodiments, some of the processing of each step may be executed by a processor other than the processor 81 (for example, a dedicated circuit). Also, if the game system 1 can communicate with other information processing devices (for example, a server), some of the processing of each step shown in Figures 23 to 27 may be executed by the other information processing device. Furthermore, the processing of each step shown in Figures 23 to 27 is merely an example, and the processing order of each step may be changed, or other processing may be performed in addition to (or instead of) the processing of each step, as long as similar results can be obtained.

[0232] Furthermore, the processor 81 executes the processing of each step shown in Figures 23 to 27 using memory (for example, DRAM 85). That is, the processor 81 stores the information (in other words, data) obtained by each processing step in memory, and when it is necessary to use that information in subsequent processing steps, it reads the information from memory and uses it.

[0233] Figure 23 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a detailed flow of the integration control process. The integration control process is executed when a player character uses an integration item. The integration control process begins in the game when a player character becomes able to use an integration item.

[0234] In step S1 shown in Figure 23, the processor 81 controls the actions of characters placed on the game field (e.g., player characters and enemy characters). Specifically, the processor 81 controls the actions of the player character based on operation data obtained from each of the controllers 3 and 4. The actions of the player character include movement on the game field, taking or releasing the above-mentioned stance, and actions using equipment objects. For example, when the player character is in a stance for a melee weapon object, the processor 81 causes the player character to take a stance holding the melee weapon object in their hand. Furthermore, in response to an action instruction from the player in this state, the processor 81 causes the player character to perform the action of swinging the melee weapon object (to attack the enemy). Note that even if the player character is not holding a melee weapon object, if the processor 81 receives a player instruction to swing the melee weapon object, it may cause the player character to perform the action of swinging the melee weapon object and then take a stance for holding the melee weapon object. Furthermore, when the player character is in a stance to hold the shield object, the processor 81 causes the player character to assume a posture where they are holding the shield object in their hand. In this state, the player character can block attacks from enemy characters. In addition, in response to an action command from the player in this state, the processor 81 causes the player character to perform an action of thrusting the shield object forward (thus deflecting the enemy attack). Furthermore, when the player character is in a stance to hold the bow and arrow object, the processor 81 causes the player character to assume a posture where they are holding the bow object equipped with an arrow object in their hand. In addition, in response to an instruction from the player to prepare to fire in this state, the processor 81 controls the player character to enter the firing preparation state described above. At this time, the firing preparation process described later is executed.Furthermore, in response to an action command from the player while the projectile is ready to be launched, the processor 81 causes the player character to perform the action of launching an arrow object from the bow object.

[0235] Furthermore, the processor 81 updates the character data stored in memory to reflect the state after the player character's actions have been controlled. Also, in response to the item selection instruction mentioned above, the processor 81 changes the items available to the player character to the items specified by the item selection instruction. At this time, the processor 81 updates the used item data stored in memory to reflect the changed items. In addition, if the player character stores or loses objects as a result of the player character's actions, the processor 81 updates the stored object data stored in memory to include the new objects or delete the lost objects.

[0236] Furthermore, in step S1, the processor 81 places other characters (for example, enemy characters) besides the player character and controls the movement of these other characters according to rules predetermined in the game program. In addition to the process of controlling the movement of the characters, the game system 1 may also execute a process to control the movement of a virtual camera for generating game images. The process of step S2 is executed after step S1.

[0237] In step S2, the processor 81 changes the display settings so that material objects on the game field are highlighted. As a result, in the next game image display process (step S9), the game image is displayed in a display mode in which material objects are highlighted (see Figure 9). The process in step S3 is executed after step S2.

[0238] In step S3, the processor 81 determines, based on the equipped object data stored in memory, whether the equipment objects equipped by the player character are equipment objects that can be used for integration processing. If the equipment objects equipped by the player character include equipment objects that are not integrated equipment objects, the result of the determination in step S3 is affirmative. On the other hand, if all the equipment objects equipped by the player character are integrated equipment objects, the result of the determination in step S3 is negative. If the result of the determination in step S3 is affirmative, the processing in step S4 is executed. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S3 is negative, the processing in step S9 is executed.

[0239] In other embodiments, the processor 81 may execute the process in step S2 if the determination result in step S3 is positive. In other words, the highlighting of material objects in step S2 may be performed only if the equipment objects equipped by the player character include equipment objects that can be used for the integration process.

[0240] In step S4, the processor 81 identifies the target material object from among the material objects on the game field. The target material object is identified based on the character data stored in memory (specifically, data indicating the position of the player character) according to the method described in "[2-1. Overview of Integration Process]" above. Depending on the position of the player character, the target material object may not exist, in which case the processor 81 does not identify the target material object in step S4. The process in step S5 is executed after step S4.

[0241] In step S5, the processor 81 determines whether or not there is a target material object on the game field based on the processing result of step S4. If the result of the determination in step S5 is positive, the processing in step S6 is executed. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S5 is negative, the processing in step S9 is executed.

[0242] In step S6, the processor 81 changes the display settings so that an effect image (see Figure 9) that associates the player character with the target material object is displayed. As a result, in the next game image display process (step S9), the game image is displayed in a display mode that shows the effect image. If the process in step S6 is not executed in the series of processing loops from steps S1 to S10, then in the next process in step S9, the normal game image (i.e., a game image without the effect image) is displayed. The process in step S7 is executed after step S6.

[0243] In step S7, the processor 81 determines whether the above-mentioned integration instruction has been issued based on the operation data obtained from each of the controllers 3 and 4. If the determination result in step S7 is positive, the process in step S8 is executed. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S7 is negative, the process in step S9 is executed.

[0244] In step S8, the processor 81 performs integration processing. That is, the processor 81 generates an integrated equipment object based on the target equipment object specified by the integration instruction from among the equipment objects equipped by the player character and the target material object on the game field. Then, the processor 81 changes the target equipment object equipped by the player character to the integrated equipment object (see Figure 10). At this time, the processor 81 updates the contents of the equipped object data stored in memory to indicate the modified integrated equipment object.

[0245] In this embodiment, during the integration process, each object is controlled to perform the following actions: bring the target material object closer to the target equipment object, then make the target material object disappear, and change the target equipment object equipped by the player character 201 into the integrated equipment object. Therefore, in the integration process of step S8, the processor 81 repeatedly executes the process of controlling the above actions by each object and the process of generating and displaying the game image at predetermined intervals (for example, 1 frame time). This displays the process of performing the above actions through the integration process. After step S8, the processor 81 terminates the integration control process shown in Figure 23.

[0246] In step S9, the processor 81 generates a game image showing the game field on which the characters and objects are placed and displays it on the display 12. At this time, the processor 81 generates the game image so as to reflect the (a) state of the characters (e.g., the positions of the player character and enemy characters), (b) the arrangement of objects on the game field, and (c) the display settings, which have been determined by the processes in steps S1 to S7. In this embodiment, the process in step S9 is repeatedly executed at a rate of once every predetermined time (e.g., 1 frame time). The process in step S10 is executed after step S9.

[0247] In step S10, the processor 81 determines whether or not to terminate the integration control process. For example, the processor 81 determines to terminate the integration control process if the state in which the player character can use the integration item is released during the integration control process. On the other hand, if the above state is maintained, the processor 81 determines not to terminate the integration control process. If the result of the determination in step S10 is negative, the process in step S1 is executed again. Thereafter, the series of processes from steps S1 to S10 are repeatedly executed until the process in step S8 is executed or it is determined that the integration control process should be terminated. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S10 is positive, the processor 81 terminates the integration control process shown in Figure 23.

[0248] Although not shown in the diagram, during the execution of processes that control the player character's movements, including during the integration process described above, the processor 81 determines whether the player character has released their stance on the arrow object (which may be an integrated equipment object or an equipment object that is not an integrated equipment object). This determination can be made based on character data stored in memory. If the player character releases their stance on the arrow object, the processor 81 stores data in memory indicating the arrow object at the time the player character released their stance. Subsequently, when the player character takes a stance on the arrow object again, the processor 81 controls the player character's movements so that they take a stance on the arrow object indicated by the stored data. As a result, the player character will take a stance on the same arrow object they had taken a stance on previously. In other words, if the arrow object at the time the player character released their stance was an integrated equipment object, then when the player character takes a stance on the arrow object again, that arrow object will be that integrated equipment object.

[0249] Figure 24 is a subflowchart showing an example of a detailed flow of the launch preparation process. The launch preparation process is executed when the player character enters a launch preparation state and integration is performed. The launch preparation process is initiated in response to the player giving an instruction to put the player character into a launch preparation state during the game. In this embodiment, the launch preparation process is initiated regardless of whether the player character is in a state where integration items can be used. As will be explained below, the player character becomes capable of integration once they enter a launch preparation state.

[0250] In step S11 shown in Figure 24, the processor 81 controls the movement of characters placed on the game field (for example, player characters and enemy characters). The processing in step S11 is the same as the processing in step S1 above. In step S11, since the player character is in a state of readiness to fire, the processor 81 controls the movement of the player character while keeping the arrow object nocked. In response to an action command from the player, the processor 81 causes the player character to perform the action of firing the arrow object from the bow object. The processing in step S12 is executed after step S11.

[0251] In step S12, the processor 81 determines whether the object display instruction described above has been issued based on the operation data obtained from each of the controllers 3 and 4. If the determination result in step S12 is positive, the process in step S13 is executed. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S12 is negative, the process in step S13 is skipped and the process in step S14 is executed.

[0252] In step S13, the processor 81 changes the display settings to display the storage material object image described above. As a result, the game image is displayed in a manner that includes the storage material object image (see Figure 17). The setting to display the storage material object image is maintained until the display settings are changed in step S19, which will be described later, or until the player character releases the launch preparation state. The processing in step S14 is executed after step S13.

[0253] In step S14, the processor 81 determines, based on the operation data obtained from each controller 3 and 4, whether or not a selection change instruction has been made to change the selected storage material object image among the displayed storage material object images. If the result of the determination in step S14 is affirmative, the process in step S15 is executed. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S14 is negative, the process in step S15 is skipped and the process in step S16 is executed.

[0254] In step S15, the processor 81 selects the storage material object image specified by the selection change instruction. At this time, the processor 81 changes the display settings so that the selected storage material object image is displayed differently from the storage material object images that are not selected. The process in step S16 is executed after step S15.

[0255] In step S16, the processor 81 determines whether the above-mentioned integration instruction has been issued based on the operation data obtained from each of the controllers 3 and 4. If the determination result in step S16 is positive, the process in step S17 is executed. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S16 is negative, the process in step S18 is executed.

[0256] In step S17, the processor 81 performs integration processing. Unlike step S8, in step S17, the processor 81 generates an integrated arrow object based on the arrow object equipped by the player character and the material object indicated by the selected storage material object image. The processor 81 then changes the arrow object equipped by the player character to the integrated arrow object (see Figure 18). At this time, the processor 81 updates the contents of the equipped object data stored in memory to indicate the modified integrated arrow object. The processing in step S19 is executed after step S17.

[0257] In step S18, the processor 81 determines, based on the operation data obtained from each controller 3 and 4, whether or not a display termination instruction has been issued to terminate the display of the stored material object image. If the determination result in step S18 is affirmative, the process in step S19 is executed. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S18 is negative, the process in step S20 is executed.

[0258] In step S19, the processor 81 terminates the display settings for displaying the storage material object images. As a result, the game image is displayed in a way that does not include the storage material object images. After step S19, the processing in step S20 is executed.

[0259] In step S20, the processor 81 generates a game image showing the game field where the characters and objects are arranged and displays it on the display 12. The process of step S20 is the same as the process of step S9 described above. Specifically, the processor 81 generates a game image so as to reflect (a) the state of the character, (b) the arrangement of the objects on the game field, and (c) the display settings, which are determined by the processes of steps S11 to S19 above. In this embodiment, the process of step S20 is repeatedly executed at a rate of once per predetermined time (for example, one frame time). The process of step S21 is executed after step S20.

[0260] In step S21, the processor 81 determines whether to end the injection preparation process. For example, the processor 81 determines to end the injection preparation process when an instruction to release the injection preparation state or an injection instruction is given by the player. On the other hand, when the above instruction is not given, the processor 81 determines not to end the injection preparation process. If the determination result of step S21 is negative, the process of step S11 is executed again. Thereafter, the series of processes of steps S11 to S21 are repeatedly executed until it is determined that the injection preparation process is ended. On the other hand, if the determination result of step S21 is positive, the processor 81 ends the injection preparation process. In this case, the player character returns to the state of holding the bow and arrow object.

[0261] FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing an example of the detailed flow of the adhesion control process. The adhesion control process is a process executed when the player character uses an adhesion item. The adhesion control process is started in response to the player character becoming able to use the adhesion item during the game.

[0262] In step S31 shown in FIG. 25, the processor 81 controls the operations of characters (e.g., player characters and enemy characters) arranged on the game field. The process of step S31 is the same as the process of step S1 above. Next, the process of step S32 is executed after step S31.

[0263] In step S32, the processor 81 changes the display settings so that the material objects on the game field are highlighted. The process of step S32 may be the same as the process of S2 above. However, the processor 81 may make the display modes (e.g., colors) for highlighting the material objects different between the process of step S2 and the process of step S32. Next, the process of step S33 is executed after step S32.

[0264] In step S33, the processor 81 determines whether or not the above-mentioned target designation instruction has been given based on the operation data acquired from each of the controllers 3 and 4. If the determination result of step S33 is affirmative, the process of step S34 is executed. On the other hand, if the determination result of step S33 is negative, the process of step S34 is skipped and the process of step S35 is executed.

[0265] In step S34, the processor 81 identifies the first adhesion target object based on the above-mentioned target designation instruction. That is, the processor 81 sets the material object designated by the target designation instruction as the first adhesion target object. Further, the processor 81 changes the display settings so that an effect image associating the adhesion item worn by the player character with the first adhesion target object is displayed (see FIG. 19). Next, the process of step S35 is executed after step S34.

[0266] In step S35, the processor 81 moves the first object to be attached. Specifically, as described in "[2-7. Object Attachment Process]" above, the processor 81 moves the first object to be attached according to the position and / or orientation of the player character and according to the player's instruction to change the distance. At this time, the processor 81 updates the contents of the placement object data stored in memory to reflect the contents after the move. The process in step S36 is executed after step S35.

[0267] In step S36, the processor 81 determines whether or not there is a second object to be bonded. Specifically, the processor 81 determines whether or not a material object exists at a position within a predetermined distance from the first object to be bonded. If the determination result in step S36 is affirmative, the process in step S37 is executed. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S36 is negative, the process in step S40, which will be described later, is executed.

[0268] In step S37, the processor 81 identifies the second object to be bonded. Specifically, the processor 81 sets the material object that is closest to the first object to be bonded, among the material objects located within a predetermined distance from the first object to be bonded, as the second object to be bonded. The processor 81 also changes the display settings so that an effect image that associates the first object to be bonded and the second object to be bonded is displayed (see Figure 20). The process in step S38 is executed after step S37.

[0269] In step S38, the processor 81 determines whether the above-mentioned bonding instruction has been given based on the operation data obtained from each of the controllers 3 and 4. If the determination result in step S38 is affirmative, the process in step S39 is executed. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S38 is negative, the process in step S40 is executed.

[0270] In step S39, the processor 81 performs an adhesion process. That is, the processor 81 performs an adhesion process to bond the first object to be bonded and the second object to be bonded (see "[2-7. Object Adhesion Process]" above). At this time, the processor 81 updates the contents of the placement object data stored in memory to reflect the contents after the adhesion process. The process in step S40 is executed after step S39.

[0271] In step S40, the processor 81 generates a game image showing the game field where the characters and objects are placed and displays it on the display 12. The processing in step S40 is the same as the processing in step S9 described above. Specifically, the processor 81 generates a game image that reflects (a) the state of the characters, (b) the placement of objects on the game field, and (c) the display settings, which are determined by the processing in steps S31 to S39. In this embodiment, the processing in step S40 is repeatedly executed at a rate of once every predetermined time (for example, 1 frame time). The processing in step S41 is executed after step S40.

[0272] In step S41, the processor 81 determines whether or not to terminate the adhesion control process. For example, the processor 81 determines to terminate the adhesion control process if, during the adhesion control process, the player character is released from a state where they can use an adhesive item, or if the adhesion process in step S39 is executed. On the other hand, if the above state is maintained and the adhesion process is not executed, the processor 81 determines not to terminate the adhesion control process. If the determination result in step S41 is negative, the process in step S31 is executed again. Thereafter, the series of processes from steps S31 to S41 are repeatedly executed until it is determined that the adhesion control process should be terminated. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S41 is positive, the processor 81 terminates the adhesion control process.

[0273] Figure 26 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a detailed flow of the function switching process. The function switching process is executed when the player character is equipped with an integrated equipment object based on the switching function object described above. The function switching process is initiated during gameplay when the player character equips an integrated equipment object based on the switching function object. Note that the function switching process may be executed in parallel with the processes shown in Figures 23 to 25.

[0274] In step S51 shown in Figure 26, the processor 81 determines whether the player character has performed an action to activate the integrated equipment object based on the function switching object. This determination is made, for example, based on the character data updated in steps S1, S11, or S31. If the determination result in step S51 is positive, the process in step S52 is executed. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S51 is negative, the process in step S52 is skipped and the process in step S53 is executed.

[0275] In step S52, the processor 81 sets the integrated equipment object equipped by the player character to an enabled state. This enables the functionality of the integrated equipment object. While the integrated equipment object is enabled, the actions of each character are controlled in steps S1, S11, or S31, taking into account the functionality of the integrated equipment object. The processing in step S53 is executed after step S52.

[0276] In step S53, the processor 81 determines whether or not to terminate the active state of the integrated equipment object equipped by the player character. Specifically, if the integrated equipment object is of a type that maintains an active state for a predetermined period from the start, the processor 81 determines whether or not that predetermined period has elapsed. Also, if the integrated equipment object is of a type that terminates its active state in response to the player character performing a predetermined action, the processor 81 determines whether or not that predetermined action has been performed. If the result of the determination in step S53 is affirmative, the processing in step S54 is executed. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S53 is negative, the processing in step S54 is skipped and the processing in step S55 is executed.

[0277] In step S54, the processor 81 disables the integrated equipment object equipped by the player character. This ends the state in which the integrated equipment object's function is performed. The processing in step S55 is executed after step S54.

[0278] In step S55, the processor 81 determines whether or not to terminate the function switching process. For example, the processor 81 determines to terminate the function switching process if the player character unequips an integrated equipment object based on a switching function object during the function switching process. Conversely, if the player character is equipped with an integrated equipment object based on a switching function object, the processor 81 determines not to terminate the function switching process. If the result of the determination in step S55 is negative, the process in step S51 is executed again. Thereafter, the series of processes in steps S51 to S55 are repeatedly executed until it is determined that the function switching process should be terminated. The series of processes in steps S51 to S55 are repeatedly executed at a rate of once per predetermined time (for example, 1 frame time). On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S55 is positive, the processor 81 terminates the function switching process.

[0279] Figure 27 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the detailed flow of the durability control process. The durability control process calculates the durability values ​​(specifically, equipment durability and material durability) set for equipment objects equipped by the player character, and causes the equipment objects to disappear according to their durability. The durability control process is initiated in the game when the player character takes a stance with an equipment object. Note that the durability control process may be executed in parallel with the processes shown in Figures 23 to 26.

[0280] In step S61 shown in Figure 27, the processor 81 determines whether the subtraction condition for subtracting durability has been met. The subtraction condition is, for example, that the player character has performed an action using the equipment object, or that the subtraction timing, which occurs at predetermined intervals, has arrived if there is an equipment object that is burning (see "[2-4. Object Durability]" above). If the result of the determination in step S61 is positive, the processing in step S62 is executed. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S61 is negative, the processing in step S67, which will be described later, is executed.

[0281] In step S62, the processor 81 subtracts the durability value of the equipment object equipped by the player character. Specifically, the processor 81 subtracts 1 from the equipment durability value set for the equipment object, and if the equipment object has a material durability value set for it, it subtracts 1 from that material durability value. At this time, the processor 81 updates the durability value data contained in the owned object data stored in memory to show the value after the subtraction. The processing in step S63 is executed after step S62.

[0282] In step S63, the processor 81 determines whether the material durability value set for the equipment object equipped by the player character has become 0. This determination is made based on the durability value data indicating the material durability value, which is included in the stored object data stored in the memory. If the material durability value is not set for the equipment object equipped by the player character (for example, when the equipped equipment object is not an integrated equipment object), the processor 81 shall determine that the material durability value has not become 0. If the determination result in step S63 is affirmative, the process of step S64 is executed. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S63 is negative, the process of step S64 is skipped and the process of step S65 is executed.

[0283] In step S64, the processor 81 changes the equipment object equipped by the player character from the integrated equipment object with a material durability value of 0 to the equipment object that is the original of the integrated equipment object. Therefore, the above integrated equipment object disappears, and the original equipment object is revived. At this time, the processor 81 updates the equipped object data stored in the memory so as to be the content indicating the changed equipment object. The process of step S65 is executed after step S64.

[0284] In step S65, the processor 81 determines whether the equipment durability value set for the equipment object equipped by the player character has become 0. This determination is made based on the durability value data indicating the equipment durability value, which is included in the stored object data stored in the memory. If the equipment durability value is not set for the equipment object equipped by the player character, the processor 81 shall determine that the equipment durability value has not become 0. If the determination result in step S65 is affirmative, the process of step S66 is executed. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S66 is negative, the process of step S67 is skipped and the process of step S69 is executed.

[0285] In step S66, the processor 81 removes the equipment object that the player character is wearing. At this time, the player character will release their stance, so the processor 81 updates the character data stored in memory to indicate that the stance has been released. The processor 81 also updates the stored object data stored in memory to delete the equipment object. The processing in step S67 is executed after step S66.

[0286] In step S67, the processor 81 determines whether or not to terminate the durability control process. For example, the processor 81 determines to terminate the durability control process if the player character releases the stance during the durability control process. If the player character maintains the stance, the processor 81 determines not to terminate the durability control process. If the result of the determination in step S67 is negative, the process in step S61 is executed again. Thereafter, the series of processes from steps S61 to S67 are repeatedly executed until it is determined that the durability control process should be terminated. The series of processes from steps S61 to S67 are repeatedly executed at a rate of once every predetermined time (for example, 1 frame time). On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S67 is positive, the processor 81 terminates the durability control process.

[0287] [4. Effects and Modifications of This Embodiment] As described above, in the above embodiment, the game program causes the computer (e.g., processor 81) of the information processing device (e.g., main unit 2) to function as follows. Display control means (steps S9, S22) that causes a virtual game field on which player characters controlled by the player are placed to be displayed on a display device. Object generation means (steps S8, S19) that generates an integrated equipment object having the appearance of an integrated equipment object based on an equipment object that can be equipped by a player character and a material object. Furthermore, when a player issues a unification command while the display device is showing a player character equipped with an equipment object and a material object placed on the game field, the object generation means generates an unified equipment object based on the equipment object equipped by the player character and the material object placed on the game field. In the above case, the display control means displays that the material object placed on the game field disappears and that the equipment object equipped by the player character on the game field is changed to an unified equipment object (Figure 10).

[0288] According to the above configuration, in response to the player's integration command, the material objects on the game field disappear, and a display changes to the equipment objects equipped by the player character. This makes it easy for the player to understand the relationship between the new equipment object (i.e., the integrated equipment object) and the object from which it was generated.

[0289] The above-mentioned "display in which material objects placed on the game field disappear and equipment objects equipped by the player character on the game field are changed to integrated equipment objects" may be achieved by either of the following processes: (a) a process of deleting material objects from the game field and making integrated equipment objects, which are composed of polygon models different from the polygon models of the material objects, appear on the game field (the process in the above embodiment); (b) a process of making integrated equipment objects (specifically, integrated equipment objects whose polygon model is composed of at least a part of the polygon model of the material objects and at least a part of the polygon model of the equipment objects) appear on the game field. The process described in (b) above can also represent the disappearance of a material object and the generation of an integrated equipment object based on the material object and the equipment object, similar to the embodiment described above. As described above, "the material object disappears" does not exclude the possibility that the material object may be used as part of another object (specifically, the integrated equipment object) after its disappearance.

[0290] Furthermore, if the process described in (b) above is executed, the game system 1 can implement the functions added to the integrated equipment object (for example, the function that generates thrust or the function that emits flames as described above) by using the functions that are set in the original material object as they are.

[0291] In the above embodiment, it is assumed that an integrated equipment object is generated when a player character uses an integrated item in the game. However, it is not necessary for a player character to use an integrated item as a prerequisite for the generation of an integrated equipment object. In other embodiments, the game system 1 may accept the above-mentioned integration instruction from the player regardless of whether the player character possesses a specific item or not.

[0292] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the integration instruction is not an instruction on a menu screen displayed on the display device. That is, in the above embodiment, there is no input operation such as selecting an equipment object and a material object on a menu screen, and then inputting an instruction to generate an integrated equipment object. Instead, the integration instruction is given by making a predetermined input (for example, pressing a predetermined button on controller 3 or 4) while a game image showing the game field is displayed. Therefore, in the above embodiment, the player can give the integration instruction while performing operations on the player character on the game field, thus reducing the effort required to generate an integrated equipment object.

[0293] In the above embodiment, the instruction to specify the target equipment object to be integrated is an instruction to have the player character assume a stance with the said equipment object (see "[2-1. Overview of Integration Process]" above). Also, in the above embodiment, the target material object is determined based on the player character's position (see "[2-1. Overview of Integration Process]" above), so the instruction to specify the target material object to be integrated can be said to be an instruction to move the player character on the game field. Thus, in the above embodiment, the instructions to specify the target equipment object and target material object are given as instructions to move the player character, rather than as instructions to the menu screen. As a result, the player can give instructions to specify the target equipment object and target material object in addition to the integration instructions while performing operations on the player character on the game field. This further reduces the effort required to generate integrated equipment objects.

[0294] In other embodiments, the game system may not have to include some of the configurations in the above embodiments, nor may it perform some of the processes performed in the above embodiments. For example, in order to achieve some specific effects in the above embodiments, the game system may have to include the configurations necessary to achieve those effects and perform the processes necessary to achieve those effects, but it may not have to include other configurations or perform other processes. For example, in other embodiments, the integrated equipment object may have an appearance that differs from both the appearance of the original material object and the appearance of the original equipment object, or its entire appearance may differ from both. Alternatively, it may have an appearance that is substantially the same as either the appearance of the original material object or the appearance of the original equipment object. [Industrial applicability]

[0295] The above embodiment can be used, for example, in a game system or game program, with the aim of clearly presenting to the player the relationship between equipment and the object from which it was created. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0296] 1. Game System 2. Main unit 3 Left controller 4 Right controller 81 processors 201 Player Characters 202 Sword Object 203 Shield Object 204 Bow Object 205 Arrow Object 206 Kiba Object 207 Rock Objects 211 Effect Images 212 Integrated Equipment Objects

Claims

1. A game program that causes a computer to perform game processing, The aforementioned game processing is, Equipping a player object controlled by the user with multiple equipment objects, The player object, which has the appearance of being equipped with the aforementioned plurality of equipment objects, is moved on the game field in response to user operation. In the aforementioned game field, a material object for integration is selected from a plurality of material objects placed on the game field based on its distance from the player object. From the aforementioned multiple equipment objects, the user selects an equipment object for integration through a selection operation, To generate an integrated equipment object having an appearance in which the material object and the equipment object are integrated from the integrated material object and the integrated equipment object, This includes equipping a player object with an integrated equipment object. Game program.

2. The integrated equipment object can be generated when the player object is in a state where it can be integrated, The aforementioned game processing is, This includes bringing the player object to a first state in which the integrated equipment object can be generated in response to user operation, The player object is movable during the first state, The aforementioned integration material object is selected in the game field when the player object is in the first state, from among a plurality of material objects placed in the game field, based on the distance from the player object which changes in accordance with the movement of the player object. The game program according to claim 1.

3. The game processing is, When the player object is in the first state, a first effect image that is distinguishable from non-material objects is added to the plurality of material objects. Adding a second effect image different from the first effect image to the aforementioned integration material object, The game program according to claim 2, including the following:

4. The second effect image is an image that associates the player object with the integration material object. The game program according to claim 3.

5. The generation of the integrated equipment object is performed in response to the user's selection operation to select an integrated equipment object from the plurality of equipment objects. The game program according to claim 1.

6. The game processing includes displaying an equipment designation image showing multiple pieces of equipment equipped by the player object when the integration material object is selected, and not displaying the equipment designation image when the integration material object is not selected. The game program according to claim 5.

7. In response to the user's selection operation to select an integrated equipment object from the plurality of equipment objects, the generation of the integrated equipment object is performed and the first state of the player object is released. The game program according to claim 2.

8. The game processing includes displaying an equipment designation image showing a plurality of equipment equipped by the player object when the player object is in the first state and the integration material object is selected, and not displaying the equipment designation image when the integration material object is not selected. The game program according to claim 7.

9. The integration material object is selected from a plurality of material objects placed on the game field based on the distance from the player object and the orientation of the player object. The game program according to claim 1.

10. The material object includes the equipment object that the player object can equip and the object that the player object cannot equip, The game program according to claim 1.

11. The user's selection operation is an operation of one of a plurality of input units, each associated with a single equipment object, and the equipment object corresponding to the operated input unit is selected as the integrated equipment object. A game program according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. An information processing system equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, The player object controlled by the user is equipped with multiple equipment objects. The player object, which has the appearance of being equipped with the aforementioned plurality of equipment objects, is moved on the game field in response to user operation. In the aforementioned game field, a material object for integration is selected from a plurality of material objects placed in the game field based on its distance from the player object. From the aforementioned plurality of equipment objects, the user selects an equipment object for integration through the user's selection operation. From the aforementioned integration material object and the aforementioned integration equipment object, an integrated equipment object having an appearance in which the material object and the equipment object are integrated is generated. Equip the player object with an integrated equipment object. Information processing system.

13. To equip a player object operated by a user with multiple equipment objects, The player object, which has the appearance of being equipped with the aforementioned plurality of equipment objects, is moved on the game field in response to user operation. In the aforementioned game field, a material object for integration is selected from a plurality of material objects placed on the game field based on its distance from the player object. From the aforementioned multiple equipment objects, the user selects an equipment object for integration through a selection operation, To generate an integrated equipment object having an appearance in which the material object and the equipment object are integrated from the integrated material object and the integrated equipment object, This includes equipping a player object with an integrated equipment object. Game processing method.

Images