Game program, information processing method, and information processing apparatus

Abstract

We will provide a game that improves the convenience of selecting the target to control. [Solution] The game program causes one or more processors included in the information processing device to accept the selection of either a first character from a first type of character or a second character from a second type of character as the player's target for operation in the game, and if the second character is the same as a third character from a second type of character that is not a player and appears in the game, to control the selection of the second character as the target for operation, and to control the progress of the game in which at least one of the selected first character and second character and the third character appear.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The disclosed technology relates to a game program, an information processing method, and an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a game that can receive an operation of setting a character from among characters selectable by a user (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] However, in conventional games, when selecting a character, if a non-player character appearing in the game overlaps with the player's operation target, it may become difficult for the player to visually recognize the operation target. In order for the player to easily visually recognize the operation target, when the player selects the operation target, the player must confirm whether the operation target overlaps with a non-player character appearing in the game, and an improvement in convenience has been demanded.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a game with improved convenience when selecting an operation target.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The game program according to the present invention causes one or more processors included in an information processing device to accept a selection of either a first character from a first type of character or a second character from a second type of character as the player's target for operation in the game, and if the second character is the same as a third non-player character from the second type of character that appears in the game, to control the selection of the second character as the target for operation, and to control the progress of the game in which at least one of the selected first character and second character and the third character appear. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a game that improves the convenience of selecting an object to operate on. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a game system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing an example of a processor as illustrated in one embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a data structure according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a display screen where a selection screen according to one embodiment is shown. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a display screen showing a game screen according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a display screen where a selection screen according to one embodiment is shown. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of data according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of the processing of a game program according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In each drawing, components denoted by the same reference numerals have the same or similar components.

[0010] [Embodiment] <System Configuration> Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a game system 1 according to one embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the game system 1 exemplary includes one or more game devices 10A, B, an information processing device 20, and a display device 30.

[0011] In the game system 1, one or more game devices 10A, B and the information processing device 20 mutually send and receive data via a network N. The one or more game devices 10A, B may be any number, and if they are not individually distinguished, they are also referred to as game devices 10. The information processing device 20 may be composed of multiple processing devices (which may include a database).

[0012] Game System 1 accepts the player's selection of the object to be controlled in the game. Game System 1 controls the game in which the selected object appears. This allows the player to control the object of their choice and play the game.

[0013] The game of this disclosure features at least one of a first character and a second character, and at least a third character. Here, the first character may be an avatar. An avatar is a character that the player can control as a representation of the player, and may resemble a human body. The avatar controlled by the player may be an avatar stored in the memory unit 230, or it may be an avatar created and / or customized by the player by selecting clothing, body type and / or gender, etc.

[0014] The second character may be the player character. A player character is a character that the player can control. Player characters belong to a second type of character group, which is different from the first type of character group that includes the avatar, which is the first character. Player characters are the same as avatars in that they can be controlled by the player. On the other hand, player characters differ from avatars in that, for example, each character has its own unique profile, they are pre-existing characters, and / or they are not characters created by the player.

[0015] The third character may be a non-player character (also called an "NPC"). NPCs differ from avatars and player characters in that they appear in the game but are not controlled by the player. For example, an NPC might be a character that participates in the game by supplying balls in a ball game or by swinging a jump rope in a game where players jump at the right time. Furthermore, NPCs may belong to the same second character group as player characters and, like player characters, may have their own unique profiles.

[0016] In the game of the present disclosure, if players are allowed to freely select an operation target, the player characters and NPCs of the operation target may overlap. In this case, it is difficult for the player to determine which character is the target to be operated. Also, for existing characters that are difficult to modify or are regarded as having lives and / or souls, it may not be allowed for multiple identical characters to appear in the same scene. Therefore, in order to prevent the player characters and NPCs from overlapping and multiple identical characters from appearing in the game when the player selects an operation target, the game system 1 makes it impossible to select the same predetermined character as the NPC as the operation target. Since the avatar and the NPC do not overlap, even if the characters that can be the operation target are restricted, the player can select the avatar as the operation target, and the operation target will not disappear. Hereinafter, the game device 10, the information processing device 20, and the display device 30 provided in the game system 1 will be described.

[0017] The game device 10 is an information processing device or a processing terminal operated by each player, and is an information processing device or a terminal that provides a game to each player by executing a game program provided by the information processing device 20. The game device 10 includes, for example, a home, portable, or arcade game device (which may be only a controller), a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a mobile phone, and a personal computer, etc. Also, the game device 10 may be one in which the main body and the controller are integrated, or may be separable.

[0018] The information processing device 20 is an information processing device including one or more processors, and may be, for example, a server on the cloud. The information processing device 20 distributes the execution results of the game obtained by executing the game program and / or the game program to each game device 10.

[0019] The display device 30 is a device that displays an image signal transmitted from other devices on a display screen, and it may be an independent display device or a display device connected to or mounted on the game device 10. The display device 30 may be connected to the game device 10 by wire or wirelessly. Also, the display device 30 may be connected to the main body of the game device 10 by wire or wirelessly and display a play screen according to the operation of one or more separated controllers. The wire connecting the display device 30 and the game device 10 may be an HDMI (registered trademark) cable or the like that transmits a video signal and / or an audio signal.

[0020] The network N is, for example, the Internet, an intranet, a LAN, or mobile communication, etc., and may be wired or wireless.

[0021] An example of the configuration of the game device 10 will be described below. The game device 10 may include a display device 30, a speaker, operation buttons, a power button, a controller, and / or a communication unit, etc.

[0022] The controller of the game device 10 may be connected to the display device 30 by wire or wirelessly, and may be detachably connected to the display device 30. The controller may have, for example, an analog stick and / or a plurality of buttons, and the player can use these to input operations related to the game. The controller may be equipped with an acceleration sensor and / or a gyro sensor, and the detected operation of the player may be used as an operation input. Also, the controller may use a mouse operation as an operation input.

[0023] The display device 30 of the game device 10 may be a liquid crystal display or a touch panel. When the display device 30 is a touch panel, the player may input operations with a finger instead of a stick and buttons.

[0024] The display device 30 and / or controller of the game device 10 may have means of communication compliant with Wi-Fi standards, infrared communication, and / or Bluetooth standards, and may send and receive data with the information processing device 20 via wireless connection.

[0025] The display device 30 and / or controller of the game device 10 may each include a processor, and communication processing and / or data processing may be performed by the processor.

[0026] The game device 10 may include an external memory slot and / or a USB port, and may be capable of connecting to additional devices and / or equipment.

[0027] <Configuration of the information processing device 20> Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of an information processing device 20 according to one embodiment of the disclosure. The information processing device 20 includes one or more processors 210, one or more communication interfaces 220, a storage unit (memory device) 230, and one or more communication buses 250 for interconnecting these components.

[0028] The information processing device 20 may further include a user interface 240. The user interface 240 may include an input device 241 for receiving input operations and an output device 242 for outputting information. Examples of input devices 241 include a controller, keyboard, touch panel, mouse, and microphone. Examples of output devices 242 include a display, touch panel, and speaker.

[0029] The processor 210 executes a program stored in the memory unit 230, thereby constituting a control unit 211 having the functions of the information processing device 20 of this disclosure. Examples of the processor 210 include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

[0030] The storage unit 230 stores the data necessary for the information processing device 20 to perform information processing. The storage unit 230 may be, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or SSD (Solid State Drive) provided by the information processing device 20. Alternatively, the storage unit 230 may be a non-temporary recording medium readable by a computer.

[0031] The control unit 211 may include an acquisition unit 212, a determination unit 213, a reception unit 214, a selection control unit 215, a first game control unit 216, a display control unit 217, and a second game control unit 218.

[0032] The acquisition unit 212 acquires each piece of data stored in the storage unit 230. For example, when the game the player is playing is determined, the acquisition unit 212 refers to the stage data related to that game and acquires the NPC data corresponding to that stage data. The acquisition unit 212 also acquires user data, which includes at least player character data.

[0033] The determination unit 213 makes a determination based on the data acquired by the acquisition unit 212. For example, the determination unit 213 uses player character data and NPC data to determine whether a player character that the player can select is the same as an NPC. In games with multiple NPCs, it is sufficient to determine whether the player character is the same as any of those NPCs.

[0034] Here, a player character identical to an NPC may include not only a player character that is completely identical to an NPC, but also a player character that is substantially identical to an NPC. A player character that is substantially identical to an NPC includes, for example, a player character that differs in color and / or size from the NPC. In this case, for example, the player character data and NPC data stored in the memory unit 230 may include data relating to combinations that are determined to be substantially identical, and the determination unit 213 may perform a determination based on the data including said data acquired by the acquisition unit 212.

[0035] The reception unit 214 accepts the selection of the object to be operated. The reception unit 214 may accept the selection of the object to be operated by the player via, for example, a controller, or it may accept the selection by the selection control unit 215 described later without the player's input.

[0036] The reception unit 214 accepts the selection of either the first character from the first type of characters or the second character from the second type of characters as the player's target for control in the game. The reception unit 214 also includes a selection control unit 215 that disables the selection of the second character as the target for control if the second character is the same as the third non-player character from the second type of characters that appears in the game. Note that the reception unit 214 and the selection control unit 215 may have different configurations.

[0037] For example, the selection control unit 215 controls a predetermined player character to be unselectable, as described above. The selection control unit 215 controls a player character to be unselectable if the determination unit 213 determines that the player character is identical to an NPC. Also, in a game featuring multiple NPCs, if the determination unit 213 determines that each player character is identical to one of the multiple NPCs, the selection control unit 215 controls the player character determined to be identical to one of the NPCs to be unselectable.

[0038] Here, controlling selection to be unavailable may mean restricting predetermined operations such as pointer movement and / or predetermined processes such as the determination of the target when the player selects an object to operate on, or the selection control unit 215 may select an object to operate on from among avatars or player characters other than the player character that is unavailable for selection.

[0039] The first game control unit 216 controls the execution of a game (also referred to as the "first game") in which at least one of the disclosed first character and second character and a third character appear. Based on information about the operation target received by the reception unit 214, the first game control unit 216 determines the operation target that appears in the game and controls the progress of the game, including the operation target and NPCs based on NPC data. The first game control unit 216 may, for example, control the progress of the game by having the reception unit 214 receive the player's game operations via a controller or the like, and by having the display control unit 217 control the display of a game screen on the display device 30 that reflects the player's operations.

[0040] The above processes make it possible to provide a game that improves the convenience of selecting an object to control. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a game where NPCs and playable objects are not the same, making it easier for the player to see the target. Additionally, by preventing the player from selecting objects that cannot be controlled, unnecessary selection processes can be avoided, improving the computer's processing efficiency.

[0041] In addition to, or instead of, the selection control unit 215 may control the player to select an object to be operated on from among the first and second characters set for the player. Specifically, the reception unit 214 may, for example, before it accepts the game the player will play (for example, before the game mode selection screen is displayed), accept the player's decision to set any one avatar and player character, and store the data relating to the avatar and player character in the storage unit 230, associating it with the player. When the game the player will play is determined, the selection control unit 215 can then perform the above-described process using the data including this data.

[0042] Furthermore, if an avatar and a player character are set for the player, controlling the selection of the player character may mean that the selection control unit 215 selects the avatar as the target of operation without accepting the player's selection of the target. Alternatively, the display control unit 217 may control the display of a selection screen that includes the avatar but does not include the player character, thereby allowing the player to select the avatar.

[0043] Through the above processing, it is possible to provide a game that allows players to control the avatar or player character associated with them, while also improving the convenience of selecting what to control. Furthermore, it is possible to limit what can be selected as a controllable object, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the computer.

[0044] In addition to, or instead of, the display control unit 217 may display a selection screen that allows the user to select an object to be operated on. For example, if the display control unit 217 includes at least an avatar and the determination unit 213 determines that there is a player character that is not identical to an NPC, the display control unit 217 may display a selection screen that further includes that player character.

[0045] In addition to or instead of any of the above-described processes, the display control unit 217 may display an object indicating that the target of operation can be selected from the first character and the second character. The object may be, for example, a triangular object indicating that the target of operation can be switched using the left and right buttons on the controller. When the display control unit 217 accepts selection of the target of operation from multiple players, it may display the object to players who can select the target of operation from both the avatar and the player character, and hide or not display the object to players who can only select the avatar.

[0046] Through the above process, players can more easily understand whether or not they can select their target from multiple characters, making it possible to provide a game that improves the convenience of selecting a target. In addition, it is possible to reduce unnecessary input by players who cannot select their target from multiple characters, thereby reducing the processing load on the computer.

[0047] The display control unit 217 may, in addition to or instead of any of the above-described processes, control the display of the game explanation screen. The explanation screen controlled by the display control unit 217 preferably includes an NPC and may include at least one of an avatar and a player character. The avatar and / or player character included in the explanation screen may be controlled to move in the game, either through player operation or independently of player operation. The display control unit 217 may also control the display of the game explanation screen by dividing the area on the same screen as the selection screen.

[0048] Through the above process, players can refer to the selection screen and explanation screen, allowing them to understand the content of the game they are about to play and providing a game that improves the convenience of selecting what to control.

[0049] In addition to or instead of any of the above-described processes, the display control unit 217 may display an explanation screen that includes the selected first character and the second character. The display control unit 217 may, for example, change the characters included in the explanation screen depending on the position of the pointer on the explanation screen that allows the user to select an operation target. The display control unit 217 may also, for example, control the display of a selection screen, and after the reception unit 214 has received the selection of an operation target, control the display of an explanation screen that includes the selected character on the same screen as the selection screen or on a different screen. An explanation screen that includes the selected character may include, for example, a screen in which the selected character acts to explain the game, and may also include a screen in which the character actually executes the game under computer control.

[0050] When multiple players are playing the game, the display control unit 217 may, each time the reception unit 214 receives a selection of an operation target from each of the multiple players, sequentially display an explanatory screen that includes the selected operation targets.

[0051] Through the above process, it becomes possible to display an explanatory screen that is consistent with the actual game, and to provide a game that improves the convenience of selecting the target to operate.

[0052] In addition to or instead of any of the above-described processes, the display control unit 217 may make the display area of ​​at least one of the selection screen and the explanation screen variable. For example, if the pointer that the player is moving using a controller or the like is over the explanation screen, the display control unit 217 may widen the display area of ​​the explanation screen beyond the default. When the display control unit 217 receives a predetermined operation, such as aligning the pointer with the explanation screen and pressing a button, it may widen the display area of ​​either screen, or display either screen across the entire screen of the display device 30. Furthermore, if there are multiple players, the display control unit 217 may perform the above-described processes according to the movement position of the pointer of the player when only one player remains whose target of operation has not been determined.

[0053] Through the above process, players can refer to the selection screen and explanation screen, and the game can be provided that enhances the visibility of either screen according to the player's intentions, while also improving the convenience of selecting the object to operate.

[0054] As mentioned above, the third character is a character with a unique profile, and it is conceivable that the characteristics of the stage, etc., may be determined based on this character. Therefore, in addition to or instead of the above-described processing, the first game control unit 216 may control a game based on an NPC. A game based on an NPC could be, for example, a flower-collecting game created using a flower-themed character that appears as an NPC in the game.

[0055] Through the above process, it is possible to provide games that improve the convenience of selecting controllable targets in games that feature NPCs. Furthermore, in cases where changing NPCs to avoid duplication between controllable targets and NPCs and improve player visibility would cause the NPCs to cease being the subject of the game and detract from the atmosphere of the stage, it is possible to provide games that improve the convenience of selecting controllable targets while maintaining the NPCs that are the subject of the game.

[0056] The reception unit 214 may, in addition to or instead of any of the above-described processes, accept selections from multiple players for a first character or a second character as the target of each player's actions. To accept selections from multiple players, the above-described processes can be applied to the user data related to each player. When accepting selections from multiple players for avatars or player characters set for each player, the selection control unit 215 may, for example, in a game with multiple NPCs, control the system so that multiple players cannot select a player character as the target of their actions if multiple player characters are identical to any of the NPCs.

[0057] Through the above processing, it is possible to provide a game that improves the convenience of selecting controllable objects when playing with multiple people. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a game where NPCs and controllable objects are not the same, making it easier for each player to see their controllable object. Additionally, by preventing players from selecting objects that cannot be controlled, unnecessary selection processes can be prevented, thereby improving the computer's processing efficiency.

[0058] The second game control unit 218 controls the progress of a game other than the game controlled by the first game control unit 216 (also referred to as the "second game"), and the first game may be started when predetermined conditions are met in the other game. For example, the second game control unit 218 may control the progress of the main game, and the first game control unit 216 may control the progress of a sub-game. The sub-game may include, for example, a game that can be completed in a short amount of time during or interrupted from the progress of the main game (also referred to as a "mini-game"). The second game control unit 218 may control, for example, a turn-based game similar to a board game. The predetermined conditions may be, for example, landing on a specific square in the turn-based game similar to a board game which is the second game, in which case the acquisition unit 212, the determination unit 213, and the reception unit 214, etc., may start the above-mentioned processing.

[0059] Furthermore, the first game may be related to the second game. The second game control unit 218 may, for example, reflect the results of the first game in the status of the second game. Also, the stage of the first game may be determined randomly, or it may be selected by a predetermined player (for example, the player with the lowest rank in the second game at the time the conditions for starting the first game are met).

[0060] Through the above process, it is possible to provide a game that improves the convenience of selecting an object to control in a game such as the first game which is executed within the second game.

[0061] In addition to the above-described processing, the second game control unit 218 may set the first and second characters displayed in the second game to the player. The characters to be set may be set by the reception unit 214 accepting a selection from the player, or the second game control unit 218 may set them without accepting a selection from the player. In this case, the selection control unit 215 may control the target of operation in the game controlled by the first game control unit 216 to be selected from among the avatars and player characters displayed in the second game.

[0062] The selection control unit 215 may, for example, set the default target of operation on the selection screen displayed by the display control unit 217 (for example, the character selected when the confirm button is pressed without changing the target of operation). The default target of operation may be the character that was the target of operation in the previous first or second game. If the default target of operation is the second character and the second character is the same as the NPC, the selection control unit 215's control to make the second character unselectable may include changing the default character from the second character to the first character.

[0063] Through the above process, players can control the avatar and player character associated with them, and it is possible to provide a game that improves the convenience of selecting an object to control in the first game, which is executed within the second game. Furthermore, it is possible to limit the objects that can be selected as controllable objects, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the computer.

[0064] Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of the memory unit 230. The memory unit 230 may, as an example, include user data 231, first game data 232, second game data 233, and / or mode selection screen data 234.

[0065] User data 231 is data stored in association with a player. User data 231 includes, for example, player data 231a, avatar data 231b, and / or player character data 231c. Player data 231a includes data related to the player's nickname, etc. Avatar data 231b includes data related to the avatar that the player can control. Player character data 231c includes data related to the character that the player can control. If multiple players play the game, each player data 231a may be associated with and stored with their respective avatar data 231b and player character data 231c.

[0066] The first game data 232 includes information relating to the first game of this disclosure. The first game data 232 includes, for example, stage data 232a and / or NPC data 232b. Stage data 232a includes data relating to the type of stage in the game. NPC data 232b includes data relating to NPCs appearing in the game and is stored in association with the stage data 232a of the corresponding stage. The first game data 232 may also include conditions for the first game to occur, presentation, scoring criteria, and / or execution time, etc.

[0067] The second game data 233 is data for running the second game. The second game data 233 may include, for example, stage information for the turn-based game which is the second game, the order in which each player plays, the actions performed in each turn, the score status of the turn-based game, the estimated time required for each turn, and / or the elapsed time of each turn.

[0068] Mode selection screen data 234 is data relating to a screen where the player selects a mode to play from among multiple modes. Mode selection screen data 234 may, for example, be data for displaying the first game and / or the second game as mode options.

[0069] <Example of selection control> Figures 4-6 illustrate examples of screens controlled by the display control unit 217. In the examples shown in Figures 4-6, players P1-P4 are playing the game, and each player has corresponding avatars A1-A4 and characters C1-C4.

[0070] Figure 4 shows an example of a screen including a selection screen displayed by the display control unit 217. Area R1 is the game explanation screen. The explanation screen may include NPCs, as shown in area R2. In the example shown in Figure 4, the display control unit 217 displays an explanation screen that includes character C2, who appears in the game as an NPC. The display control unit 217 may also display NPCs that appear in the game in an area separate from the explanation screen, as shown in area R3. This makes it easier for the player to understand which characters are not selectable.

[0071] In the example shown in Figure 4, since character C2 appears in the game as an NPC, the selection control unit 215 controls the player P2 so that character C2 cannot be selected as an object to be manipulated, and the display control unit 217 displays a selection screen in area R4 that includes a message indicating that player P2 cannot select character C2 as a player character. For example, the display control unit 217 displays a selection screen that includes a component indicating that character C2 is unavailable as a message indicating that player P2 cannot select character C2. In the example shown in Figure 4, instead of character C2, a selection screen including a board D1 indicating that character C2 is appearing in the game as an NPC is displayed, but the method of indicating that character is unavailable is not limited to this, and it is sufficient to indicate to the player that character is controlled to be unavailable. For example, the display control unit 217 may indicate that character C2 is unavailable by displaying avatar A2 on the selection screen and hiding character C2.

[0072] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 4, in the selection screen of region R4, the part that displays avatars A1, A3, A4 and player characters C1, C3, C4 corresponding to players P1, P3, and P4, who can select avatars and player characters, displays a triangular object T1 indicating that it is possible to switch between avatars and player characters. Player P2 cannot select character C2 and cannot switch from avatar A2, so the object T1 is not displayed in the part that displays the character corresponding to player P2. Note that the target of player P2's operation may be determined by accepting the operation of player P2 pressing the confirm button, or, in the example shown in Figure 4, since only avatar A2 is selectable, the game system 1 may determine the target of operation to be avatar A2 without accepting any operation related to confirmation by player P2.

[0073] In the selection screen shown in Figure 4, when the reception unit 214 receives an operation from the player to determine the target of operation (for example, pressing the confirm button), the display control unit 217 controls the display of an indicator R5 (for example, "OK!") indicating that the player has selected the target of operation. This allows players who have not yet determined the target of operation to decide on their target while checking the targets of other players. For example, once all players participating in the game have performed the operation to determine the target of operation, the first game control unit 216 starts the game and transitions to the game screen shown in Figure 5.

[0074] Figure 5 shows an example of a game screen. In the selection screen shown in Figure 4, player P2 could not select character C2, so player P2 controls avatar A2. This prevents player P2 from confusing the controlled character with an NPC.

[0075] Figure 6 shows another example of a selection screen displayed by the display control unit 217. In the example shown in Figure 6, the NPCs that appear in the game are characters C5 and C6 in the explanation screen, and since there are no players who can select these characters, no player character is disabled on the selection screen in area R6, and all players can select an object to control from avatars and player characters.

[0076] <Example of data> Using Figure 7, an example is shown in which the selection control unit 215 controls the second character to be unselectable using data stored in the memory unit 230. Figure 7 shows an example of data stored in the memory unit 230. In the example shown in Figure 7, four players, P1 to P4, play the game.

[0077] As an example of user data 231, user data is stored in the storage unit 230 in which player character C1 is associated with player P1, player character C2 with player P2, player character C3 with player P3, and player character C4 with player P4. Also, as an example of first game data 232, game data is stored in the storage unit 230 in which C1 is associated as an NPC with stage X, and C2 and C3 are associated as NPCs with stage Y. In the example shown in Figure 7, the fact that the identification information for player character data and the identification information for NPC data are the same indicates that the data pertains to the same character. Furthermore, player data is not essential information for the selection control unit 215 to control selection as unavailable.

[0078] When Stage X is determined to be the game stage, the acquisition unit 212 acquires player character data corresponding to each player and data relating to NPC character C1, which is NPC data corresponding to Stage X. Based on the data acquired by the acquisition unit 212, the determination unit 213 determines that character C1 corresponding to player P1 is the same as NPC character C1, and that characters C2, C3, and C4 corresponding to players P2, P3, and P4 are not the same as NPC character C1. The selection control unit 215 controls character C1 to be unselectable as a player character, but does not control characters C2, C3, and C4 to be unselectable (makes them selectable). As a result, player characters that overlap with NPCs are not targeted for operation.

[0079] Similarly, once Stage Y is determined to be the game stage, the acquisition unit 212 acquires player character data corresponding to each player and data relating to NPC characters C2 and C3, which are NPC data corresponding to Stage Y. Based on this data, the determination unit 213 determines whether each player character is the same as NPC character C2 or NPC character C3. The determination unit 213 determines that player character C2 corresponding to player P2 is the same as NPC character C2, and player character C3 corresponding to player P3 is the same as NPC character C3. The selection control unit 215 then controls characters C2 and C3 to be unselectable as player characters, but does not control player characters C1 and C4 to be unselectable. As a result, even if multiple NPCs appear, player characters that overlap with NPCs will not be targeted for operation.

[0080] <Operation Description> Next, we will explain each operation of the game system 1. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing related to the information processing device 20 according to one embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 8, each process is executed by the information processing device 20.

[0081] In step S102, the acquisition unit 212 acquires avatar data, player character data, and / or NPC data from the storage unit 230. The acquisition unit 212 may acquire each data after the game stage has been determined, or the avatar data and player character data may be acquired when the avatar and player character have been set for the player.

[0082] In step S104, the determination unit 213 makes a determination based on the player character data and NPC data. If it determines that there is an NPC identical to the character (step S104 - YES), the process proceeds to step S106. If it determines that there is no NPC identical to the character (step S104 - NO), step S106 does not need to be executed, and the process proceeds to step S108.

[0083] In step S106, the selection control unit 215 controls the player character data that has been determined to have the same NPC to be unselectable, based on the determination made by the determination unit 213.

[0084] In step S108, the display control unit 217 displays a selection screen to the player that allows them to select a character. Step S108 is not necessarily required; if, for example, only the avatar can be controlled by the player by controlling the selection to be unavailable in S106, the information processing device 20 may perform the selection and start the game. Alternatively, the display of the selection screen may be performed in S108 before controlling the selection to be unavailable in S106. For example, after displaying a selection screen that includes characters identical to NPCs, an animation may be displayed in which the characters included in the selection screen move off-screen, thereby controlling the selection to be unavailable.

[0085] In step S110, the reception unit 214 accepts the selection of the operation target. At this point, data related to the accepted operation target may be stored in the storage unit 230.

[0086] In step S112, the first game control unit 216 starts the game. During the game, the player can play the game by displaying the actions of the player, which are received via a controller or the like, on the display device 30.

[0087] If a player plays the disclosed game multiple times, in step S102 of the Nth time, the system may acquire the data regarding the selected target that was stored in S110 of the Mth time, and use this data to set the default character (N > M). The display control unit 217 may, for example, set the target from the previous game as the default character. This allows the player to determine the default character as the target without having to change it by operating a controller or the like, making it easier for the player to select the same character when playing the game consecutively.

[0088] The above process makes it possible to provide a game that improves the convenience of selecting an object to operate on. In the flowchart shown in Figure 8 above, the order of each step may be changed, any step may be processed in parallel, or any step may be omitted, as long as it does not deviate from the gist of the disclosed technology.

[0089] [Differentiation] While the game system 1 described in the embodiment has been explained with specific examples, various modifications are possible, as described below. For example, it can be applied to situations where the presence of an NPC similar to the player character makes it difficult for the player to see the target of their actions. In this case, the information processing device 20 can calculate the degree of similarity between the NPC and the player character based on their colors and / or shapes, and if the degree of similarity exceeds a predetermined value, it can determine that they are similar and control the player character to be unselectable.

[0090] While we have explained how to control selection, it is also possible to make it easier to identify the target of the operation by changing clothing items, etc. In this case, the determination unit will determine whether the player character and the NPC are the same, similar to the process described above, and if it determines that they are the same, it will change at least one of the clothing items, etc., to control the display.

[0091] Alternatively, instead of controlling the selection, if there is a player character identical to an NPC, the NPC appearing in the game can be changed to prevent character duplication and make it easier for the player to understand who they are controlling.

[0092] In the embodiments described, the components that perform each process in the disclosed technology are provided in the information processing device 20, but they may also be provided in the game device 10 by installing a program or by reading it from a recording medium.

[0093] The embodiments and modifications described above are illustrative examples for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention to these embodiments and modifications alone. The present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from its essence. Furthermore, the processing on the information processing device side and the game device side may be integrated as appropriate, or processing may be transferred to the other device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1...Game system, 10...Game device, 20...Information processing device, 30...Display device, 210...Processor, 211...Control unit, 212...Acquisition unit, 213...Determination unit, 214...Reception unit, 215...Selection control unit, 216...First game control unit, 217...Display control unit, 218...Second game control unit, 220...Communication interface, 230...Storage unit, 240...User interface

Claims

1. One or more processors included in the information processing device Accepting a selection as the target of the first player's control in a game, which includes accepting a selection of either a first character from a first type of character group or a second character from a second type of character group different from the first type of character group, and if the second character is the same as a third non-player character appearing in the game from the second type of character group, controlling the selection of the second character as the target of control, To control the progress of the game in which at least one of the first character and the second character selected by the first player, and the third character appear, A game program that executes [something].

2. The game program according to claim 1, wherein accepting the selection includes accepting the selection of the target to be operated on from among the first character and the second character set by the player.

3. One or more processors included in the information processing device The game program according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a selection screen that enables the acceptance of the aforementioned selection, wherein if the target of the operation can be selected from the first character and the second character, the program causes the program to display and control the selection screen that includes an object indicating that the target can be selected.

4. One or more processors included in the information processing device The game program according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising controlling the display of a game explanation screen, which includes at least one of the first character and the second character.

5. The game program according to claim 4, wherein the display control includes including the selected character from the first character and the second character in the explanation screen.

6. The aforementioned display control means To display and control a selection screen that allows the aforementioned selection to be accepted, To make the display area of ​​at least one of the selection screen and the explanation screen variable, The game program according to claim 4, including the following:

7. The game program according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the game includes a game based on the third character.

8. The game program according to claim 1 or 2, wherein accepting the aforementioned selection includes accepting from multiple players the selection of a first character or a second character as the target of each player's operation.

9. Controlling the progress of the aforementioned game includes controlling the progress of other games, The game program according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the aforementioned game is started when a predetermined condition is met in the other game.

10. Further, the first character and the second character displayed in the aforementioned other game are set as the player. The game program according to claim 9, wherein accepting the aforementioned selection includes accepting the selection of the target to be operated from among the first character and the second character set for the player.

11. One or more processors included in the information processing device, Accepting a selection as the target of the first player's control in a game, which includes accepting a selection of either a first character from a first type of character group or a second character from a second type of character group different from the first type of character group, and if the second character is the same as a third non-player character appearing in the game from the second type of character group, controlling the selection of the second character as the target of control, To control the progress of the game in which at least one of the first character and the second character selected by the first player, and the third character appear, An information processing method that performs [this action].

12. An information processing device including one or more processors, The one or more processors described above Accepting a selection as the target of the first player's control in a game, which includes accepting a selection of either a first character from a first type of character group or a second character from a second type of character group different from the first type of character group, and if the second character is the same as a third non-player character appearing in the game from the second type of character group, controlling the selection of the second character as the target of control, To control the progress of the game in which at least one of the first character and the second character selected by the first player, and the third character appear, An information processing device that performs this task.

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