Screen display control process program and game device

Abstract

The purpose of this invention is to make it easy and intuitive to master the operation in battle games. The program of this invention enables a computer executing a video game that is played by configuring game elements in a venue to execute a display control processor that controls the display of the game screen in the venue to a display device. In the display control processing, the first category of game elements and the second category of game elements, which have different functions in the video game and correspond to the player, are configured in the venue in different visual forms and displayed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a program and a game device, and more particularly to an electronic game based on a card game. Prior Technology

[0002] There is a type of electronic game based on Trading Card Game (TCG) that enables online battles between users (Patent Document 1). [Previous Technical Documents] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-037078 Summary of the Invention

[0004] [The problem the invention aims to solve] However, as in Patent Document 1, while the arrangement of 2D images of cards corresponding to each player on the field provides a gameplay experience similar to that of a real-world TCG where cards are used in a physical space, it may also reduce the fun of the video game.

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a program and game device that offer a highly engaging and entertaining gaming experience. [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the program of the present invention is that the computer executing the electronic game, which is played by configuring game elements in the venue, executes a display control processor that controls the display of the game screen of the venue on the display device. In the display control processing, the first category of game elements and the second category of game elements, which correspond to the player and have different functions in the electronic game, are configured in the venue in different visual forms and displayed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a highly entertaining gaming experience can be provided. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0008] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a game system according to embodiments and variations of the present invention. Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a player terminal 100, which is an example of an embodiment and variation of the present invention. Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a server 200, which is an example of an embodiment and variation of the present invention. Figure 4 is a game screen illustrating an embodiment and variation of the present invention of a battle game. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the battle zone 401 in a battle game, which is used to explain the embodiments and variations of the present invention. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the attack actions in a battle game, which is an example of an embodiment and variation of the present invention. Figures 7(a) to (c) are other figures illustrating the display of attack actions in a battle game, which are examples of embodiments and variations of the present invention. Figures 8(a) and (b) are illustrations of the combo operation in a battle game, representing embodiments and variations of the present invention. Figures 9(a) to (c) illustrate the implementation and variations of the present invention in a battle game, depicting the initiation of an attack action. Figures 10(a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating the changes in the display state of the field 400 in a battle game, which are used to illustrate the embodiments and variations of the present invention. Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating the battle game processing performed by the player terminal 100 in an embodiment and variation of the present invention. Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation phase processing performed by the player terminal 100 in an embodiment and variation of the present invention. Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating the defense action processing performed by the player terminal 100 in an embodiment and variation of the present invention. Implementation

[0009] [Implementation Mode] The embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the embodiments described below do not limit the scope of the patent application, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessary for the invention. Two or more features from the plurality of features described in the embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. Also, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or identical components, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] The following description illustrates an embodiment of the invention applied to a game system, exemplified by a server that provides communication connections to player terminals (communication terminals or game devices) used by each player, enabling matching of two players connected simultaneously to provide a battle game service (battle service). However, the invention can be applied to systems implemented with any machine configuration capable of playing electronic games with multiple players. Furthermore, in this specification, "player" refers to a user who uses the battle service provided by the server 200 in this game system to log in.

[0011] The Structure of a Game System Figure 1 shows the configuration of the game system of this embodiment. As shown, the game system is configured such that the server 200 and a plurality of player terminals 100 can communicate and connect via network 300. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server 200 provides the following battle service: matching two players from the connected player terminals 100 as players in a battle game, setting up communication dialogues for sending and receiving various information related to the battle game, and realizing the battle game participated in by the two players.

[0012] Each player can log in to the battle service by launching a designated client application on their player terminal 100. Within the client application, players can configure various settings or preparations for the battle game, set up their player profile, and manage game sessions (battles, games). Details are described below, but in this embodiment, the battle game (electronic game) available for gameplay is a trading card game (TCG) played while arranging cards and other game elements in a designated game area. Furthermore, the player terminal 100 can be any communication terminal with communication capabilities, such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a smartphone.

[0013] <Hardware Components of a Gamer Terminal> Next, the hardware configuration of the player terminal 100 will be explained using Figure 2. Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the player terminal 100.

[0014] The control unit 101 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs various controls, including the action control of the various hardware components of the player terminal 100. Specifically, the control unit 101 performs corresponding controls by reading the required program stored in the memory device 102, unfolding it in the memory 103, and executing it.

[0015] Memory device 102 is, for example, a non-volatile memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or other device capable of permanently storing information. In addition to storing the operating system or various application-related programs that enable the player terminal 100 to operate, memory device 102 stores information on parameters required for various controls, or various data used for display or communication functions related to the browser. Memory 103 is, for example, a volatile memory or other memory device used for temporarily storing data. Memory 103 serves not only as the expansion area for various programs, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during the operation of various hardware devices or various control processes.

[0016] The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 104 is a rendering device that performs various rendering processes related to the generation of the display screen on the player terminal 100. The GPU 104 also performs rendering processes for the game screen during gameplay in a multiplayer game. The GPU 104 includes GPU memory (not shown), which expands various graphics data read from the memory device 102, performs prescribed calculations, and generates various images, primarily the screen. The screen or images generated by the GPU 104 are displayed to the player, for example, on the display 110 provided with the player terminal 100. The display 110 is, for example, an LCD monitor or other device provided with the player terminal 100, or a device detachably connected to the player terminal 100 for displaying information. The display 110 displays the screen generated by the GPU 104.

[0017] The operation I / F (Interface) 105 is a user interface provided by the player terminal 100 for accepting operation inputs. When the operation I / F 105 detects that an operation input has been completed, it outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input to the control unit 101. In one embodiment, the operation I / F 105 may include operation components such as buttons provided on the casing of the player terminal 100, or various sensors. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display 110 of the player terminal 100 is configured to detect touch input, and the operation I / F 105 includes a touch input detection sensor provided on the display 110.

[0018] The Communication I / F106 is a communication interface for external devices on the player terminal 100. Information communication between the Communication I / F106 and external devices can be conducted via a Wide Area Network (WAN) such as the Internet, or via a Local Area Network (LAN). Although it is stated that information communication via the Communication I / F106 is wireless, this does not exclude the possibility of wired communication.

[0019] Speaker 120 is the sound output interface of player terminal 100. Speaker 120 outputs various sound information including sounds related to client applications.

[0020] <Server Hardware Components> Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server 200 in this embodiment. Furthermore, in the following description, the hardware configuration that implements the same functions as the player terminal 100 is prefixed with "server" to strictly distinguish it from the configuration of the player terminal 100.

[0021] The server control unit 201, such as a CPU, is a processor that controls the operation of the hardware of the server 200, manages players related to the battle service, performs matchmaking for players, and controls various functions including sending and receiving information or sharing information for the executed battle game. Specifically, the server control unit 201, for example, reads the required program stored in the server memory device 202, unfolds it in the server memory 203, and executes it to perform the corresponding control.

[0022] Server memory 202 is a device capable of permanently storing information, such as non-volatile memory or an HDD. In addition to being used by the operating system or related programs to enable the server 200 to operate, server memory 202 stores information on parameters required for various controls or provides various data necessary for matching functions. Furthermore, server memory 202 also has a database function for managing information on each player logged into the game system. Server memory 203 is a memory device used for temporarily storing data, such as volatile memory. Server memory 203 serves not only as the expansion area for various programs but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during various hardware actions or control processes.

[0023] The Server Communication I / F204 is a communication interface for external devices connected to the Server 200. Information communication between the Server Communication I / F204 and external devices can be conducted via a Wide Area Network (WAN) such as the Internet, or via a LAN. Information communication via the Server Communication I / F204 can also be conducted using either wired or wireless methods.

[0024] Overview of Battle Games The following is an overview of the battle games that provide a gameplay experience in the game system of this embodiment.

[0025] The battle games are played in designated arenas specified by the game developers. Each player constructs a "deck" containing a set of game elements and can use the constructed deck to play the battle game.

[0026] To build a deck, players need to acquire game elements, such as through a lottery system that can be accessed by paying a fee. That is, the game elements a player can include in their deck are limited to those they have already acquired. Furthermore, a player can build not just one deck, but multiple decks that differ in at least some of the registered game elements.

[0027] Information about the game elements a player has acquired or the deck a player has constructed is managed by associating it with the unique identification information (player ID) of that player and registering it in the server memory device 202. More specifically, the server memory device 202 also functions as a database (DB) for managing various information related to each player. Each record in the DB, which is the player information, associates the player ID, information about the game elements acquired by that player, and information about the deck a player has constructed.

[0028] For example, game elements acquired by a player are uniquely identified by their element IDs and quantities, which are included in the player's information to manage whether the player possesses certain game elements. Similarly, a player's constructed deck is managed as deck information (deck information) by including the deck's identification information (deck ID) and the element IDs of the game elements it contains in the player's information.

[0029] As described above, the battle game provided in this embodiment of the battle service is a TCG (Trading Card Game), and the game element that players can register in their decks and use is (virtual) cards (possibly available in video games). In this embodiment of the battle game, the cards that players can use are classified into two types: leader cards and member cards, each with different roles in the battle game. A deck must contain at least one leader card. In other words, a deck is constructed with one leader card and (at least one) multiple member cards. Each card has a value, for example, corresponding to the degree to which it is advantageous in the battle game. Players must register the card group contained in the deck in a way that the total value of the deck becomes a predetermined value.

[0030] Similar to previous TCGs, the battle game involves players and their opponents arranging cards from their respective decks across different areas of the arena. In this embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 4, the game screen displays the arena 400, which primarily shows the gameplay, along with several other areas serving different functions. In the example shown, the arena 400 includes a battle zone 401 for cards that directly trigger battle actions. Additionally, there are energy zones 402 and life zones 403, arranged either outside or overlapping the arena 400, for cards that do not directly trigger battle actions. As shown, the battle zone 401 is shared by both players, while the energy zone 402 and life zone 403 are dedicated areas for each player.

[0031] Figure 4 illustrates a game screen that provides a prompt to a player, displayed on the monitor 110 of the player's terminal 100. Therefore, the playing field 400 in the game screen is configured such that the player is positioned near the front (bottom of the screen), and the opponent is positioned near the back (top of the screen). For ease of understanding, in the following description of the game, the player using the player terminal 100 displaying the game screen (assigned to the player near the front of the screen) is sometimes referred to as "player," and the opponent (assigned to the player near the back of the screen) is sometimes referred to as "opponent." When there is no need to distinguish between players and opponents, they are referred to as "each player" or simply "player." Furthermore, to distinguish the display elements of the participating player and the opponent, display elements of the former are marked with the symbol "a," and display elements of the latter are marked with the symbol "b." When there is no need to distinguish between the display elements of the participating player and the display elements of the opponent, no symbols are used.

[0032] In this implementation of the battle game, each card is associated with a character related to the game's content. For the character corresponding to the leader card (hereinafter referred to as the leader character), a set number of lives (a parameter indicating the number of times an attack can be launched against the leader character) is set at the start of the battle. To ensure fairness among players, each leader character has a fixed life of 8. Details are described below, but life is one of the parameters determining the end of the battle and is managed by each player through communication dialogues related to the battle game.

[0033] During the game, the life points of each player's captain are randomly drawn from the member cards in each player's deck and represented by cards (starting with 8 cards) placed face down in life zone 403 on the field. A player's life points decrease one by one when they successfully launch an attack targeting an opponent's captain. At this time, one member card is removed from life zone 403a and added to the player's hand. Furthermore, since it is not possible to determine which member card is placed in life zone 403, instead of displaying the same number of face-down cards individually, a combination of a designated number of representative card images and a display indicating the remaining number of cards may be used.

[0034] Each card's information is associated with its inherent card ID (element ID) and registered in the server memory device 202. More specifically, the server memory device 202 also functions as a database for managing various card-related information. Each record in this database contains a unique card ID and information related to the character associated with that card. Here, the information related to the character associated with the card includes the character's name, image data, and attribute information such as parameters used when using the character in a battle game.

[0035] Character attribute information may include parameters referenced when the character acts in a battle game, or inherent effects activated when an action is taken or when conditions are met. Furthermore, character attribute information may include, for example, information about the character's race related to cards with consumption requirements for placing the character in battle zone 401 on the field. Details are described below, but since each character is assigned a race, in order to place a character in battle zone 401 and make it actionable, it is necessary to create corresponding member cards of the same race and place them in energy zone 402 (different from battle zone 401) before placement to ensure the consumption element (energy) (hereinafter referred to as "energy accumulation"). Here, character race is not necessarily limited to biological classification; it can be any classification concept related to the game's settings, such as color classification assigned in the game or teams determined by the plot.

[0036] The game is turn-based, alternating between the player's turn and the opponent's turn. Each player's turn generally consists of an initialization phase, a power-up phase, an action phase, and a resolution phase. During the initialization phase, cards that were inactive during the previous turn are reactivated, and drawing cards from the deck (405) (drawing one card and adding it to the hand (404)) occurs automatically without player input. During the power-up phase, energy is accumulated by placing cards from the player's hand (404) in the energy zone. During the action phase, players decide on a corresponding character's action by consuming energy to place cards from the player's hand (404) in the battle zone (401), or to deactivate cards placed in or already placed in the battle zone (401). During the resolution phase, the action decided during the action phase is executed.

[0037] Here, the charging phase and the operation phase are phases that accept player input, while the initialization phase and the resolution phase are phases that do not accept player input. Furthermore, the operation phase and the resolution phase may occur multiple times during each player's turn, depending on the number of cards in the player's hand 404 or the cards placed in the battle zone 401, and the amount of energy accumulated.

[0038] The game ends when any player's captain's life reaches 0, or when any player's deck (hand cards 404, a stack of cards 405, and member cards in the battle zone 401) reaches 0 cards. That is, a player can defeat their opponent by reducing their opponent's captain's life to 0 (reducing the number of cards in the life zone 403b to 0), or by reducing their opponent's deck to 0 cards first. Conversely, a player loses to their opponent by reducing their own captain's life to 0 (reducing the number of cards in the life zone 403a to 0), or by reducing their deck to 0 cards before their opponent's.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, the game screen is constructed by overlaying various GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces) on a field 400. In the example shown, in addition to the aforementioned battle zone 401, energy zone 402, and life zone 403, each player's hand 404 and a stack of cards 405 are displayed. Furthermore, analogous to TCGs, there might be a discard area for cards removed from the battle zone 401; however, in this implementation of the game, to facilitate easy observation of the players' progress, discarded cards are controlled to not be displayed on the game screen.

[0040] At the start of the game, players draw a predetermined number of cards (e.g., 6) from their hand (404). Each player then draws one card at the start of their turn, ensuring that each player has at least one card (member card) in their hand at the start of their turn. Cards in hand 404 are initially unconfigured in either zone and are moved to either battle zone 401 or energy zone 402 by the players' actions.

[0041] In the game screen, the cards in the player's hand 404a are displayed face up, making it clear which card is which. Conversely, the cards in the opponent's hand 404b are displayed face down, making it impossible to determine which card will be drawn next. Furthermore, the decks 405a and 405b are configured so that it's unclear which card will be drawn next; only the number of cards remaining is known. Regarding the energy zone 402, when it is configured by the player during the energy accumulation phase of each action turn, cards are moved from hand 404 to be placed there.

[0042] As described above, Life Zone 403 contains 8 cards drawn at the start of the game, arranged face down. Similar to the deck 405, the cards arranged in Life Zone 403 are configured such that it is unclear which card was removed and moved to the hand 404 before an attack action, so only the number of cards remaining is known. As described above, in this embodiment of the game, since Life is defined as the number of times the leader character's durability can be maintained, as shown in Figure 4, Life Zones 403a and 403b are arranged near the leader characters corresponding to the player and the opponent, respectively, and displayed together with a numerical image indicating the number of cards remaining.

[0043] Furthermore, as illustrated, a battle zone 401 is set up in the arena 400 to arrange cards that can be used as targets in the battle game. To increase the fun of the battle game, the leader card is arranged in the battle zone 401 in the form of a character (creating a 3D model of the corresponding character) rather than in the form of a card. In the example of Figure 4, the leader character 411a corresponding to the leader card in the player's deck is arranged near the front of the battle zone 401, and the leader character 411b corresponding to the leader card in the opponent's deck is arranged towards the back of the battle zone 401. In the battle game, the appearance of the leader characters 411a and b changes constantly depending on the actions of the player and the opponent, such as applying a prescribed action or inflicting a hit reaction.

[0044] In contrast, member cards are arranged in the battle zone 401 in a card-like form rather than a character-like form. In the example of Figure 4, the member card 412a arranged by the player in the battle zone 401 is arranged to the right of the leader character 411a, and the member card 412b arranged by the opponent in the battle zone 401 is arranged to the left of the leader character 411b. Unlike the leader card, the member card 412 always remains in a card-like form and its appearance does not change.

[0045] Thus, in battle zone 401, captain cards and member cards are configured for each player's deck registration, but these cards are displayed in different appearances on the game screen. In the following description, these cards, along with their display appearance on the game screen, are sometimes referred to as captain characters and member cards, but in the processing related to the battle game, they are all managed as cards, so there are also cases where both are simply referred to as "cards".

[0046] (Configuration Area) Here, referring to Figure 5, the arrangement of each card in the battle zone 401 is described in detail. As shown in Figure 5, the battle zone 401 is square (parallelogram) in shape. In addition, in the example in the figure, the outer perimeter of the battle zone 401 is shown with a dotted line for illustration purposes, but this is only for illustration purposes. The battle zone 401 is not explicitly shown in the field 400 as shown in Figure 4.

[0047] The captain role 411a corresponding to the player's captain card and the captain role 411b corresponding to the opponent's captain card are respectively placed in captain zones 501a and 501b, which are located at opposite corners of the battle zone 401. Furthermore, a member zone 502 is provided in the battle zone 401, sandwiched between captain zones 501a and 501b. Member cards moved from the player's or opponent's hand 404 during the action phase are placed in member zone 502 to become active.

[0048] Member area 502 is divided into the player side (downward from center line 503 in the diagram) and the opponent side (upward from center line 503 in the diagram) by a vertical center line 503 indicated by a single point. Specifically, the player's member cards 412a, which move from hand 404a to member area 502, are arranged neatly in the lower part of this area in a horizontal direction. Similarly, the opponent's member cards 412b, which move from hand 404b to member area 502, are arranged neatly in the upper part of this area in a horizontal direction. While center line 503 is not displayed on the game screen, in member area 502, member cards 412a and 412b are arranged neatly in the horizontal direction at different vertical positions, separated by center line 503, allowing players to easily distinguish their own member cards 412a from their opponent's.

[0049] Furthermore, to make it easy for players to identify which member card 412b is positioned in member area 502 by their opponent, the posture of both member cards 412a and 412b is controlled by displaying them in their upright position. That is, similar to TCGs, even member card 412b is not displayed in a reversed posture from the opponent's perspective, but rather in a way that allows any card on the game screen to be viewed in its upright position. In other words, in a configuration where the top and bottom directions of each member card 412 are aligned with the top and bottom directions of the game screen, member cards 412a and 412b are both displayed in member area 502 with this baseline orientation (posture).

[0050] (Attribute information display) Details are described below, but in this implementation of the battle game, players can designate a captain character 411a or member card 412a configured in the arena 400 (battle zone 401) to attack the opponent's captain character 411b or member card 412b. The success of this attack is mainly determined by the "Power" parameter in the attribute information of each card.

[0051] Power can change sequentially based on factors such as the activation of a character's or card's inherent effects to reduce the power of the opponent's characters or cards when certain conditions are met, or due to the player's actions or the opponent's actions. Therefore, in this embodiment, the power of each card placed in the battle zone 401 is displayed on the game screen in a way that allows the player to easily grasp the power that changes according to the progress of the battle game.

[0052] As shown in Figure 4, this power display is performed in different forms for the leader character 411 and the member card 412. As mentioned above, since member cards 412a and 412b are always displayed in card form in the battle zone 401, their power values ​​are generally displayed in their card area, similar to cards used in TCGs. On the other hand, leader characters 411a and 412b are displayed in character form in the battle zone 401. To better represent the gameplay, their appearance is controlled by changing, so their power values ​​are displayed near each leader character in a position that does not overlap with that leader character.

[0053] <Attack Operation> Here, the attack action required to achieve the end condition of the battle game is described in detail. During the player's turn, the player selects their own member card 412a as the target of the attack action, and then selects the opponent's card (leader character 411b or member card 412b) as the object of the attack action, thereby completing the input of the operation phase related to the attack action.

[0054] The player's cards that can be selected as the target of an action are those already configured in combat zone 401. The player can choose from the leader card (leader role 411a) and member cards 412a. Member card 412a includes not only the member cards configured in combat zone 401 during the turn of the player who ends first, but also the member cards configured in combat zone 401 from the player's hand 404a during the current turn.

[0055] When a player inputs an action on their own card configured in the battle zone 401, one or more options for the action to be assigned to that card are displayed. Selecting an attack action-related option allows the player to choose that card as the target of the attack. That is, the player enters a state where they declare an attack on that card. At this time, the control unit 101 of the player terminal 100 regenerates action information specifying the attack action the player wishes to perform. This action information includes, for example, category information indicating the type of action the player wishes to perform, and object information grouping the target and the acted-against target. Therefore, the control unit 101 generates new action information with each piece of information set to its initial value, and updates the category information and the target information in the action information based on the input related to the selection of the attack action and the target.

[0056] The player can then select a leader card (leader character 411b) or member card 412b related to the opponent as the target of an attack. At this time, the control unit 101 updates the target information in the target information based on the operation input related to the selection of the target. Through the update of this action information, a state is formed in which the card as the target and the card as the target are associated to form a group for the attack action that the player wishes to perform. The action information is sent from the player's terminal 100 to the server 200 via the communication I / F 106 and is shared by the player terminals 100 of the opponent participating in the same communication dialogue.

[0057] When the inputs related to an attack are completed during the operation phase, the success or failure of the attack is determined in the subsequent resolution phase. The success or failure of an attack is primarily determined by comparing the power of the character corresponding to the target's card and the power of the character corresponding to the attacked target's card. In this implementation of the battle game, an attack succeeds if the former's power is equal to or greater than the latter's power, and fails if the former's power is less than or equal to the latter's power.

[0058] The effect of a successful attack varies depending on whether the target is a leader card (leader character 411b) or a member card 412b. When the target is a leader card, as a result of the attack, leader character 411b loses 1 life. That is, one card from the opponent's life zone 403b is removed. The removed card is moved to the opponent's hand 404b instead of being discarded. When the target is a member card 412b, as a result of the attack, member card 412b is removed from the battle zone 401 (and discarded). Conversely, if the attack fails, the attack is nullified, or the target does not undergo any status change before or after its execution.

[0059] When the resolution phase of an attack is completed, the card selected as the target is set to non-active, meaning it cannot take any further action in the current turn. Here, since the leader card is displayed in battle zone 401 as a character (leader character 411a), changing its appearance to non-active might unnaturally reduce the tension of the battle. Therefore, the non-active state of the leader card can be shown to the player simply by preventing the selection of leader character 411a as the target. On the other hand, member card 412a is not displayed as a character like the leader card, so explicitly setting it to non-active is not problematic. Therefore, the non-active state of member card 412a can be shown to the player through appearance changes such as graying out the member card, setting it to a flipped-over state with a 90-degree rotation, or displaying the non-active state as a key feature.

[0060] Furthermore, the member card 412b that can be selected as the target of the action is limited to member cards 412b that are not in an active state at that point in time, that is, member cards 412b that acted during the previous opponent's turn. Details are described below, but in this implementation of the game, when an attack action is designated during the player's turn's operation phase, the opponent receives the content of that attack action and can perform a defensive action. For this defensive action, unconfigured member cards in the opponent's hand 404b at that point in time, or member cards 412b that are in an active state at that point in time, can participate as support.

[0061] In other words, each player can choose to attack the opponent's cards with the member cards 412 configured in the battle zone 401, taking the risk of becoming the target of the opponent's attack, or to defend by not attacking the opponent's cards and adopting a complete strategy of being removed from the target of the opponent's attack. With this configuration, each player can formulate various strategies based on how to preserve the member cards 412 that can participate in defensive actions to counter the opponent's turn, or how to effectively reduce the number of member cards that may participate in defensive actions when attacking the opponent's leader character, thus increasing the fun of the battle game.

[0062] Therefore, when the player completes the operation input of selecting the active member card 412b as the target of action during the player's turn, the control unit 101 controls the operation by displaying a notification that the selected card is not available on the display 110.

[0063] (Display of linked elements) However, the number of cards configured in the battle zone 401 may increase as rounds pass. Therefore, for attack actions selected by each player, it is preferable to explicitly display the target and the object of the attack in the battle zone 401. That is, it is preferable to display the attack action so that it is easy to know whether the player on the turn has entered the attack action they desire, and which attack action the opponent has entered for players outside their turn.

[0064] In this embodiment of the battle game, when the information of the cards of the action target and the target of the attack is stored and grouped in the object information, as shown in Figure 6, the linking elements between these cards are displayed on the game screen. In the example shown, the state of selecting the player's member card 601 as the action target and selecting the opponent's captain character 602 as the target of the attack is displayed, forming a curved linking element 603 that connects these cards. As shown, because the linking element 603 causes the cards of the action target and the target of the attack to be displayed in the battle area 401 in a different state than other cards (captain character, member card), each player can more easily grasp the content of the attack action input during the operation phase. Furthermore, the linking element 603 forms an arrow shape from the member card 601 toward the captain character 602, clearly indicating the relationship between the action target and the target of the attack.

[0065] In this implementation of the battle game, the link element 603 is configured to be displayed not only for attack actions with defined content, but also for the card of the target after the card of the target action is determined.

[0066] Specifically, the target of the attack action can be determined and constructed in two phases: pre-selection and formal selection. First, as mentioned above, when the target of the attack action is selected, namely the player's card (captain character 411a or member card 412a), the card is given display effects such as glowing or color change to be displayed in a way that is different from other cards on the battle area 401. Then, when the card of the opponent as the target is selected, as shown in Figure 7(a), a link element 703 is displayed to connect the coordinates 702 of the game screen where the player's input is completed with the state of the target card 701. In this embodiment of the battle game, the player's input is handled by mouse operation. In this state, since the player connects the coordinates 702 of the completed mouse input with the target card using the link element 703, the player can know where to input the command.

[0067] Furthermore, if the input related to the selection of the target is entered into an area corresponding to each card of the opponent in the battle zone 401 (mouse hover), then that card becomes a state where it is ready to be selected as the target. At this time, the control unit 101 prepares to select the opponent's card that is hovering over the mouse as the target, and temporarily sets the target information of the target to that card. Herein, as shown in FIG7(b), the linking element 713 displays the state of the hovering card 712 and the target card 701 on the game screen based on the temporarily set target information. In other words, while the mouse is hovering over an area corresponding to one of the opponent's cards 712, the linking element 713 does not rely on the coordinates 702 of the completed input, but displays the state of the target card 701 and the card of the ready-selected target (the card hovering over the mouse) 712 in a fixed manner. Furthermore, as shown in the diagram, the card 712 to be selected is also displayed in the same way as the card 701 of the target, with an added display effect.

[0068] Furthermore, when the operation input related to selection confirmation is completed in the pre-selection state, the pre-selected card 712 becomes the officially selected target. At this time, the control unit 101 officially selects the opponent's card 712 temporarily selected at that moment as the target, updating the target information of the target. When the official selection is completed, the attack action is determined, and the target card 701 and the target card 712, as shown in Figure 7(c), change to a floating state on the field 400, displaying a different state from the other cards arranged in the battle area 401. At this time, the link element 723 adjusts its display position to follow the floating target card 701 and target card 712.

[0069] Furthermore, the examples in Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the state where only specific cards are used as the target or the object of action, but of course, other cards can be selected as the target or the object of action. In this case, the connecting element is naturally formed in terms of length or shape depending on the position of the card as the target and the position of the card as the object of action.

[0070] Furthermore, to enhance the fun of the battle game, additional effects can be activated when an attack meets certain conditions. These conditions can be, for example, activation conditions determined by the skills of a character that corresponds to the target's member card, or the skills of the leader character.

[0071] Additional effects can essentially develop the target card into a state that is advantageous to the course of the battle. For example, an additional effect could include reducing the opponent's leader character's life by 2 or more when an attack on that character is successful. It is preferable that such additional effects are activated when their activation conditions are met, so that all players know their purpose. Therefore, in this case, when displaying the linking elements related to the attack action, the deduction linking the target card and the target card is shown along with the linking elements. This deduction can be, for example, through an additional effect such as Lightning that moves the target card to the target card according to the linking elements, indicating how the cards become advantageous / disadvantageous, thus determining the direction of the card transformation. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the deduction related to the additional effect is shown and explained together with the linking elements, but the implementation of this invention is not limited to this; the deduction can also be shown instead of the linking elements.

[0072] (batter) However, as mentioned above, in a system where the success of an attack is determined by the strength of the character corresponding to the target card and the character corresponding to the attacked card, players can predict the outcome of an attack without waiting for the resolution phase. That is, if the outcome of an attack is determined solely by the strength of the target and the attacked card, it is advantageous for a player to place a card with a higher strength than either of the opponent's cards in battle zone 401, and it is difficult to overturn that player's advantage. For example, if only cards with higher strength than the opponent's leader character can be selected as targets, and eight attacks can be launched against that leader character, a guaranteed victory can be achieved. In other words, in a system where the outcome of an attack is determined solely by the strength of the two targeted cards, there are fewer uncertainties during the game, potentially reducing its enjoyment.

[0073] Therefore, in this implementation of the battle game, a "combo" function is set up for the attack action specified during the operation phase. This "combo" function allows players during their turn to add auxiliary attack actions or defensive actions against the target's card, or players outside their turn to add auxiliary attack actions or defensive actions against the target's card. The combo function allows other cards to act as support and combine with the card that is already configured in the battle zone 401 (leader character 411 or member card 412) when it acts. Through this combination, the power value of the card that is acting can be increased. Hereinafter, the act of adding other cards as support will be referred to as "combo".

[0074] More specifically, during a player's turn, the player can, during their action phase, use a member card 412a, which is in an active state and is also located in battle zone 401, or a member card contained in their hand 404a, to perform a combo attack on one card in battle zone 401 that has declared an attack (the target being either the leader character 411a or member card 412a). On the other hand, during the opponent's resolution phase, the player can use a member card 412b, which is also located in battle zone 401 and is not in an active state (is in an active state) during the most recent opponent's turn, or a member card contained in their hand 404b, to perform a combo attack on one card in battle zone 401 (the leader character 411b or member card 412b) that the player has designated as the target.

[0075] The number of member cards (hereinafter, sometimes called combo cards) that can be used to combo an attack or defense card (hereinafter, sometimes called action card) can be determined arbitrarily by each player, but are not limited to the number of member cards 412 in active state configured in battle zone 401 and the number of member cards present in hand 404. Since the game is lost when the deck reaches 0 cards first, each player needs to strategically choose whether to combo for each attack action.

[0076] Combos on action cards are performed by moving the combo card to a designated area on the game screen (hereinafter referred to as the combo operation). Unlike the life zone or energy zone, which must always play the same role in the battle game and constantly indicate the card's configuration, the combo zone is an area that is only displayed during the attack action (from the announcement of the attack action until its resolution). Furthermore, since action cards are determined by the player's attack actions, when the combo zone is set in a fixed position, especially when the action card is far from the combo zone, the player may not be able to intuitively perform combo operations. That is, the player may not be able to intuitively grasp how to perform combo operations on action cards.

[0077] Therefore, in this embodiment of the battle game, as shown in Figure 8(a), during the period when a combo card 801 is selected for a combo operation (during the period when the selection operation input of the combo card 801 (e.g., dragging the combo card 801) continues), a combo zone 803 is displayed at the position of the action card 802. In the example shown in the figure, the game screen is displayed when the player of the action turn wants to combo the combo card 801 in hand 404a against the action card 802 selected as the action target. Since multiple cards can be arranged on the battle zone 401, by displaying the combo zone 803 at the position of the action card 802, the player can grasp the position of the combo card 801 on the screen that should be moved. Furthermore, in order to enable the combo card 801 to combo against the action card 802, the purpose of moving to the combo zone 803 should be indicated by displaying a curved connection element 804 connecting the combo card 801 and the action card 802.

[0078] Link element 804 forms an arrow from combo card 801 toward action card 802, indicating the position to which combo card 801 can be moved for a combo. Here, the link element 804 related to the combo operation differs from the link element related to the input of the attack action in that the former forms an arrow from the coordinates of the completion instruction input (coordinates in combo card 801) toward the combo area 803 (action card 802), while the latter forms an arrow from the card of the action target toward the coordinates of the completion instruction input (or the card of the action target that has completed the instruction input in the area).

[0079] Link element 804, like the link element related to the input of attack action content, is displayed by changing shape to follow the position of combo card 801. During at least the period when the movement operation of combo card 801 is completed, action card 802 and combo area 803 are displayed without moving in combat area 401, so link element 804 is displayed with one end fixed.

[0080] By moving the combo card 801 to the combo area 803, the selection state is deactivated (drag and drop operation is performed), and the combo operation is completed, resulting in the state where the combo card 801 is comboing the action card 802. When the combo operation is completed, the display of the combo area 803 and the link element 804 ends. As shown in Figure 8(b), the combo card 801 in the combo state is arranged around the action card 802 in a configuration pattern related to the non-active state (horizontal in the example of the figure).

[0081] Furthermore, at this time, the control unit 101 generates / updates combo information displaying the combo content related to the action card 802. The combo information, for example, for a combo card that has been comboed with an action card, includes a unique card ID for that action card, a unique card ID for that combo card, and change information displaying the changes in the action card's attribute information resulting from the combo card being comboed. That is, the action card and the combo card are grouped together using the combo information.

[0082] In this implementation of the battle game, the power value of an action card increases through combos, and the power increase value (e.g., +5000) generated by the combo is stored and displayed in the change information. The power increase value generated by the combo can be specified in the card information related to the combo card, and also displayed on the appearance of the member cards displayed on the game screen. Furthermore, upon completion of the combo operation, the power value displayed on the action card changes to reflect the change generated by the combo. In the example shown in Figure 8(a) before the combo, the power of action card 802, which was "15000", increases to "20000" in Figure 8(b) after the combo operation is completed. This combo information is sent to the server 200 and also to the player terminal 100 used by the opponent.

[0083] Therefore, it is crucial for players to have access to various attribute information about the cards that may participate in offensive (or defensive) actions during the battle. Thus, in this implementation of the battle game, a detailed card window is configured to display various attribute information, such as the corresponding character's power value and the power increase from combos, at any time during the game for cards placed in the battle zone 401 or in the hand. This detailed card window can also be displayed on the game screen by right-clicking or other inputs while the mouse is hovering over the card whose attribute information is desired.

[0084] Furthermore, when a combo is confirmed, the game screen can be configured to display an action enhanced by the combo when performing an action related to an action card. Also, as mentioned above, in this implementation of the battle game, since multiple combo cards can be used to combo with one action card, the more combo cards involved in the combo, the greater the increase in power generated by the combo. That is, the more combo cards involved in the combo, the higher the power value, and the higher the success rate of the action. Therefore, the game screen can also be configured to display an action corresponding to the number of combo cards involved in the combo when performing an action related to an action card.

[0085] (Awakening) In this implementation of the battle game, in addition to the combo function, a card awakening function is also included to facilitate a more competitive gameplay experience. This function adds an element of interest that determines the success or failure of an attack. Card awakening is a feature that requires certain conditions to be met during the battle, and the leader card can only be used once.

[0086] The conditions for using the Awakening function can be set, for example, by halving the leader character's HP. That is, if the leader character is given 8 HP at the start of the battle, the player can use the leader character's Awakening function during the turn when the HP is 4 or less.

[0087] When the leader character's awakening function is used, the leader character transforms into an awakened character with a different appearance, including changes to their power attribute information. Here, the awakened character with a different appearance can be the same character as the leader character, a character undergoing a status change, or a character different from the leader character. The attribute information of the awakened character with a different appearance is set in a way that makes it easier for the disadvantaged player to gain an advantage in battle, essentially giving them a greater advantage in the game compared to the leader character. The change in appearance can be shown in the game screen by replacing the leader character's 3D model with the awakened character's 3D model, or by adding specified display effects to the leader character's 3D model.

[0088] The card details window corresponding to the captain card can confirm which awakened character the captain character is. The card details window can also be configured to display the appearance and attribute information of the captain character that corresponds to the front of the captain card in the initial state. After completing the specified operation input, the appearance of the back of the captain card will switch to display the attribute information of the awakened character that corresponds to the back.

[0089] (solve) During the resolution phase, for attack actions instructed by players during their turn, action resolution processing is performed, including combo attacks by that player on the target's cards and combo attacks by players outside their turn on the target's cards. In this embodiment of the game system, action resolution processing is performed by the server control unit 201, and the result information is shared by the player terminals 100 used by each player participating in the battle game via communication dialogue. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this; action resolution processing can also be performed by the control unit 101 of the player terminal 100 used by players during their turn or by the control unit 101 of the player terminal 100 used by players outside their turn.

[0090] As described above, the success of an attack directed by the player during their turn depends on the difference between the power value (after a combo) of the target card and the power value (after a combo) of the attacked card. More specifically, the server control unit 201 determines the attack to be successful when the power value of the target card is greater than or equal to the power value of the attacked card. Conversely, the server control unit 201 determines the attack to be unsuccessful when the power value of the target card is less than or equal to the power value of the attacked card.

[0091] When an attack is successful, the game screen displays information related to the attack. When an attack begins, as shown in Figure 9(a), the connecting elements are first set to not display, and the poses of the attacking card 901 and the attacked card 902 are changed so that their upper parts face each other. This pose change clearly indicates which card the attacking card 901 is attacking, or which card the attacked card 902 is being attacked by.

[0092] When the pose changes of the target card 901 and the target card 902 are completed, the attack action begins. This action can be composed of, for example, a series of actions as follows: as shown in Figure 9(b), the target card 901 floats up from the battle zone 401, and as shown in Figure 9(c), moves to the position of the target card 902 and collides with it, then returns to its original position, etc.

[0093] After this process is displayed, the handling of the targeted card varies depending on the card's type. When the targeted card is a leader card, the server control unit 201 reduces the life of the leader character associated with the player during their non-action turn by 1. As life decreases, one card is moved from the player's non-action turn's life zone to that player's hand on the game screen. It should also be easily understood that when life decreases to 0, the game screen displays an end-of-battle message. Furthermore, when the targeted card is a member card, the server control unit 201 removes that card from the battle zone 401. At this time, the game screen displays a message indicating that the targeted card has broken and been removed from the field 400.

[0094] Furthermore, after the attack action is displayed, the control of the target card becomes non-active and uncontrollable. In addition, for cards that become targets of the target card or are comboed by the target card, the control is removed from the field 400 after the display of the action, and is not displayed again during the battle game; that is, they do not participate in the battle game.

[0095] Site Display Next, for the battle game implemented in this way, the display control of the arena 400 in the game screen will be explained.

[0096] As described above, the display of each captain's role is constructed using 3D models. Therefore, the display of the arena 400 is generated as follows: in a defined 3D space, a 3D model of the arena, a 3D model of the captain's role, and 3D models of member cards as needed are arranged as the territory for the captain's role or member cards, and a viewpoint (camera) that arranges these in the same space is depicted. Hereinafter, these 3D models will be referred to as arena model, character model, and card model, respectively. That is, in 3D space, on the arena model, two character models and one or more card models as needed are arranged, and the movement of the character models and card models is controlled according to the progress of the battle game. As shown in Figure 4, etc., the camera is set with various camera parameters to capture the movement of the character models and card models on the arena model by generating an image of the main battle area 401 of the arena 400 from the player's perspective.

[0097] However, in TCGs, card maneuvers during each action turn, such as planning planned attacks or attacks that can be launched by the opponent in subsequent action turns, sometimes require strategic execution. Specifically, for example, players might consider the power or skill of member cards in Battle Zone 401 that are relevant to the opponent's setup, delaying the deployment of hand member cards to Battle Zone 401, or, in order to restrain the opponent's attacks, deploying multiple member cards in Battle Zone 401 within a single action turn—these are just some of the strategies devised by each player, allowing for various development methods. Therefore, in TCGs, each action turn ends with the completion of the player's declaration, and the length of a single action turn can vary depending on the player's discretion.

[0098] On the other hand, there are also constraints such as cards in the inactive battle zone 401 becoming unplayable until the next action turn, and the inability to place hand cards in the battle zone 401 when energy is insufficient, thus limiting the player's card actions within a single action turn. By generating or repeating these constraints, players may be unable to perform any card actions during their action turn, until they can only declare the end of the turn. However, especially for beginners and those unfamiliar with the game, there may be times when players don't recognize these constraints, potentially leading to extended playtime in the game.

[0099] Therefore, in this embodiment of the battle game, during the phase requiring player input, the game screen is controlled to generate different display states of the arena 400 based on the progress of the battle game by guiding the player to the required operation. The change in the display state of the arena 400 is achieved by changing the position and posture of the camera, which depicts various 3D models in 3D space. During the phase requiring player input, the arena 400 is displayed on the game screen using the two main display states shown in Figures 10(a) and (b).

[0100] Figure 10(a) shows the game screen 1000 during a phase requiring player input, where the arena 400 contains actionable cards. This display is achieved by using first camera parameters to ensure the player easily focuses on their own relevant cards (leader character 411a and member card 412a) on the arena 400. The display area of ​​the arena 400 in the game screen exceeds a predetermined area limit (or the image occupancy of the arena 400 in the game screen exceeds a specified value). The game screen 1000 is displayed, for example, during the player's turn when actionable cards (active leader character 411a or member card 412a) are present on the arena 400.

[0101] Conversely, the game screen 1010 in Figure 10(b) is displayed during a phase requiring player input, when there are no actionable cards in the arena 400. This display state is achieved by using second camera parameters, where the camera is positioned further away from the arena 400 than the first camera parameters, to distract the player from their own cards on the arena 400. As shown, the game screen 1010 is constructed such that the display area of ​​the arena 400 is smaller than an area threshold (or, the occupancy of the arena 400 in the game screen is less than a predetermined value). Therefore, according to the second camera parameters, the display area of ​​the arena 400 is smaller than when depicted using the first camera parameters. The game screen 1010 is displayed, for example, during the player's turn when there are no actionable cards in the arena 400. Furthermore, the game screen 1010 is also displayed during the player's turn's charging phase. Based on this state of the game screen 1010, the player can be informed that they cannot operate on the cards placed on the field 400 (card operation is not possible).

[0102] Furthermore, in game screen 1010, the player is more likely to focus on the card in hand 404a than on the cards related to themselves on the field 400, so the appearance of hand 404a is emphasized more than in game screen 1000. In the example of Figure 10(b), the emphasis on hand 404a is achieved by making the display area of ​​hand 404a larger than that of game screen 1000.

[0103] Furthermore, in the examples of game screens 1000 and 1010 shown in Figures 10(a) and (b), for example, by displaying non-operable cards in the field 400 in a non-active state (in the example, with the text image of "REST" indicating the non-active state), it is shown that input to those cards is not possible. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in order to let the player know which cards can be operated, the state of the operable cards in the field 400 or the hand 404a can also be emphasized in game screens 1000 and 1010. This emphasis can, for example, use effects such as making the outer periphery of the operable cards glow.

[0104] Furthermore, the above explanation primarily focused on how the game screen 1000 and game screen 1010 switch depending on whether there are any actionable cards in the field 400 during the player's turn. On the other hand, the phase requiring player input is not limited to that player's turn. That is, during the opponent's turn, in the resolution phase when an attack action by the opponent is designated, player input related to defensive actions can also be performed. In this case, for cards of at least the player selected as the target of the action, it can become a state where, in the most recent player's turn, it can be forcibly manipulated regardless of whether it is in a non-active state (it can be a state where a combo target can be designated). Therefore, in the resolution phase of the opponent's turn, the field 400 is treated as having actionable cards in the field 400, and the field 400 is depicted using the first camera parameters. In other words, in the resolution phase of the opponent's turn, the field 400 must be displayed in the display state of game screen 1000.

[0105] On the other hand, during the phase where no player input is required, the field 400 is displayed on the game screen in the manner shown in Figure 10(c). The game screen 1020 displayed during this phase does not accept player input, therefore it does not need to display the field 400 with an area exceeding the limit, as in game screen 1000, or emphasize the opponent's cards 404a, as in game screen 1010. In other words, game screens 1000 and 1010 are designed to facilitate input of player-related cards or cards included in the hand 404a, but during the phase where no player input is required, the field 400 does not need to be displayed in a manner suitable for input. Therefore, the display state of the field 400 on game screen 1020 is depicted using third-camera parameters aimed at better showcasing the battle unfolding on the field 400.

[0106] The third camera parameters are set in a way that includes all 3D models (field model, character model, and card model) in 3D space within the field of view. As described above, in this implementation of the battle game, since the battle unfolds during the resolution phase by displaying the actions of the card that initiates the action or the card that is attacked, the third camera parameters are adaptively changed to present the characters to the player in a more immersive way. That is, since the spatial position or appearance of the character or card model may change depending on the progress of the battle game, the third camera parameters can also be adjusted each time by taking into account their configuration and including them within the field of view. For example, in the case where the leader character becomes gigantic due to awakening, the third camera parameters can be adjusted to different values ​​before and after awakening, so that the entire character model is included within the field of view.

[0107] Therefore, during the player's turn, the camera depicting the field 400 changes to the third camera parameter during the initialization phase, the second camera parameter during the charge phase, the first camera parameter during the action phase (if there are active cards in the field 400) or the second camera parameter (if there are no active cards in the field 400), and the third camera parameter during the resolution phase. Furthermore, during the opponent's turn, the camera depicting the field 400 changes to the third camera parameter during the initialization phase, the third camera parameter during the charge phase, the third camera parameter during the action phase, and the first camera parameter during the resolution phase. Alternatively, it can be configured such that during the opponent's turn's resolution phase, if there are no selectable member cards in hand 404a for performing combo operations (the player's hand is 0, making it a phase where input is essentially unavailable), the third camera parameter is also selected.

[0108] Furthermore, comparing the three display modes related to the field 400 reveals the following relationship: The display area of ​​the field 400 in the game screen is maximized when using the first camera parameters (game screen 1000). That is, since the first camera parameters do not change the viewing angle according to the state of various 3D models like the third camera parameters, the display area of ​​the field 400 can be kept at its maximum, thus providing the easiest display mode for inputting the cards placed on the field 400. Also, during phases requiring player input, a portion of the field 400 is displayed (game screen 1000, game screen 1010); conversely, during phases not requiring player input, the entire field 400 is displayed (game screen 1020).

[0109] Alternatively, in the example shown in Figure 10, the appearance of the arena 400 remains unchanged. However, to increase the fun of the battle game, the appearance of the arena 400 can also be configured to change according to the progress of the battle game. Changes in the appearance of the arena 400 may include, for example, adding damage or collapse of the territory based on the reduction of life or the occurrence of attacks accompanied by combos, the awakening of the leader character.

[0110] "Versus Game Handling" In the player terminal 100 of this embodiment with this configuration, the battle game processing performed to provide a battle game experience is explained using the flowchart in FIG11. The processing corresponding to this flowchart can be implemented by the control unit 101, for example, reading the corresponding processing program stored in the memory device 102, unfolding it in the memory 103, and executing it. Furthermore, this battle game processing is explained starting, for example, when the matchmaking for a battle opponent on the server 200 is completed. Also, in this battle game processing, some display control processing related to the battle game, such as the application or rendering of actions on the character model, is sometimes omitted from explanation because it is the same as the previous game-related display control, but this does not mean that such processing is not performed when implementing this invention. Furthermore, for ease of understanding of the invention, descriptions are sometimes omitted. However, in the manner of synchronizing the game between the player terminal 100 used by the player and the player terminal 100 used by the opponent, the information required for display or control in each player terminal 100 is basically processed in the server 200 and provided to each player terminal 100 each time.

[0111] In S1101, the control unit 101 performs start-up processing related to the start of the battle game. This start-up processing includes displaying the introductions of each player or the captain card, shuffling the deck, selecting the initial hand, and determining the first or second turn in turn-based gameplay. This processing can also be performed based on information obtained from the server 200.

[0112] In S1102, the control unit 101 determines whether the current turn is the player's turn. If the control unit 101 determines that it is the player's turn, it transfers the processing to S1103; if it determines that it is the opponent's turn, it transfers the processing to S1110.

[0113] In S1103, the control unit 101 performs initialization processing related to the player's turn. This initialization processing includes setting the member cards 412a configured in the field 400 and the member cards configured in the life zone 403a associated with the player to active status, and drawing one member card from a deck 405a and adding it to the player's hand 404a. Furthermore, the control unit 101 sets the parameters for the third camera used to depict the field 400.

[0114] In S1104, the control unit 101 performs the processing of the charging phase related to the player's action turn. The charging phase processing involves placing one member card selected from the hand 404a into the energy zone 402a. Also, the control unit 101 sets the parameters of the second camera used for depicting the field 400.

[0115] In S1105, the control unit 101 performs operation phase processing related to the player's action turn's operation phase.

[0116] <Operational Phase Processing> Here, the details of the operational phase processing performed in this step are explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 12.

[0117] In step S1201, the control unit 101 determines whether there are any actionable cards (cards in an active state) among the cards configured in the field 400 related to the player. If the control unit 101 determines that there are actionable cards in the field 400, it transfers the processing to step S1202 and sets the parameters of the first camera used for depicting the field 400. If the control unit 101 determines that there are no actionable cards in the field 400, it transfers the processing to step S1203 and sets the parameters of the second camera used for depicting the field 400.

[0118] In S1204, the control unit 101 determines whether the operation input related to the selection of the target card (action card) for the executed attack action has been completed. If the control unit 101 determines that the operation input related to the selection of the action card has been completed, the processing is transferred to S1205; if it determines that the operation input has not been completed, the processing is transferred to S1216.

[0119] In S1205, the control unit 101 generates initial state action information and updates the action object information based on the operation input received in S1204.

[0120] In S1206, the control unit 101 determines whether the operation input related to the selection of the combo card for the action card combo is completed. If the control unit 101 determines that the operation input related to the selection of the combo card is completed, the processing is transferred to S1207; if it determines that it is not completed, the processing is transferred to S1210.

[0121] In S1207, the control unit 101 controls the operation of the GPU 104 by displaying the combo area on the action card and then displaying the link elements of the selected combo card and the action card.

[0122] In S1208, the control unit 101 determines whether the combo operation is completed. The combo operation is completed, for example, by dragging and dropping a combo card into the combo area. If the control unit 101 determines that the combo operation is completed, it transfers the processing to S1209; if it determines that the operation is not yet completed, it repeats this step. Furthermore, if the selection of a combo card is deselected or a configuration operation outside the combo area is completed, the control unit 101 does not determine that the combo operation is completed, and after controlling the combo area and linked elements not to be displayed, it transfers the processing to S1210.

[0123] In S1209, the control unit 101 generates combo information based on the completed combo operation.

[0124] In S1210, the control unit 101 determines whether the operation input regarding the selection of cards for the target of action is complete. As described above, in this embodiment of the battle game, the player can arbitrarily choose whether to chain combo cards with action cards, and also, how many combo cards to chain. Therefore, in this step, the control unit 101 determines whether to end the processing of the combo operation based on the operation input from the player regarding the selection of cards for the target of action. If the control unit 101 determines that the operation input regarding the selection of cards for the target of action is complete, it transfers the processing to S1211; if it determines that it is incomplete, it returns the processing to S1206.

[0125] In S1211, the control unit 101 determines whether the operation input related to the pre-selection of the card of the target being acted upon is completed. If the control unit 101 determines that the operation input related to the pre-selection of the card of the target being acted upon is completed, the processing is transferred to S1212; if it determines that it is not completed, the processing of this step is repeated.

[0126] In S1212, the control unit 101 updates the information of the target of action in the action information as a ready-to-select state. Furthermore, the control unit 101 controls the operation of the GPU 104 by displaying the link element that links the action card to the card of the ready-to-select target of action.

[0127] In S1213, the control unit 101 determines whether the operation input related to the formal selection of the card of the target has been completed. If the control unit 101 determines that the operation input related to the formal selection of the card of the target has been completed, the processing is transferred to S1214; if it determines that the operation input has not been completed, the processing is returned to S1211.

[0128] In S1214, the control unit 101 updates the information of the target of action in the action information, and sets it to a formal selection state. Furthermore, the control unit 101 controls the operation of the GPU 104 by making the action card and the card of the formally selected target of action float and display.

[0129] In S1215, the control unit 101 sends attack-related information to the server 200 via communication I / F 106, completing the processing of this operation phase. The attack-related information includes not only action information, but also combo information when a combo operation is completed.

[0130] On the other hand, if it is determined in S1204 that the operation input related to the selection of the action card is incomplete, the control unit 101 determines in S1216 whether the operation input related to the configuration of the member card of hand 404a is complete. If the control unit 101 determines that the operation input related to the configuration of the member card is complete, the processing is transferred to S1217; if it determines that it is incomplete, the processing is transferred to S1218.

[0131] In S1217, the control unit 101 performs the process of configuring the member card specified in hand card 404a into the corresponding area based on the operation input received in S1216.

[0132] In S1218, the control unit 101 determines whether the operation input related to the end declaration of the player's turn is completed. If the control unit 101 determines that the operation input related to the end declaration of the turn is completed, it completes the processing of this operation phase and transfers the game processing to S1109. If it determines that the operation input is not completed, it transfers the processing to S1201.

[0133] Thus, when the operation phase is completed, the control unit 101 transfers the battle game processing to S1106.

[0134] In S1106, the control unit 101 performs processing for the resolution phase of the player's turn. During the resolution phase, the server control unit 201 performs action resolution-related processing based on the action information sent during the operation phase processing and the operation input information from the opponent. When the server control unit 201 obtains the result of resolving the attack action, it sends the result information related to that result to the player's and opponent's player terminals 100 connected to the corresponding communication dialogue. Therefore, the resolution phase processing includes receiving result information and generating and displaying the corresponding game screen based on the received result information.

[0135] In S1107, the control unit 101 determines whether the processing result of the resolution phase in S1106 meets the end conditions of the battle game. That is, the control unit 101 determines whether the winner of the battle game is determined. If the control unit 101 determines that the end conditions of the battle game are met, it displays the battle result and completes the processing of this battle game; if the control unit determines that the end conditions are not met, it transfers the processing to S1108.

[0136] In S1108, the control unit 101 determines whether the operation input related to the end declaration of the player's turn is complete. If the control unit 101 determines that the operation input related to the end declaration of the turn is complete, the processing is transferred to S1109; if it determines that it is not complete, the processing is returned to S1105.

[0137] In S1109, the control unit 101 ends the current action turn, transfers to the next player's action turn, and returns the processing to S1102.

[0138] On the other hand, when it is determined in S1102 that the current action turn is the opponent's action turn, the control unit 101 performs initialization processing related to the opponent's action turn in S1110. Furthermore, the control unit 101 sets the parameters of the third camera used for depicting the field 400.

[0139] In S1111, the control unit 101 handles the charging phase related to the opponent's action round.

[0140] In S1112, the control unit 101 performs the operation phase processing related to the opponent's action turn. Here, the operation phase processing includes displaying the game screen corresponding to the opponent's operation input based on the information input during the operation phase processing performed on the opponent's player terminal 100 and transmitted to the player's player terminal 100 via the server 200.

[0141] In S1113, during the operation phase of the opponent's turn, the control unit 101 determines whether to instruct the execution of an attack. If the control unit 101 determines that it is instructing the execution of an attack, it transfers the processing to S1114; if it determines that it is not instructing, it transfers the processing to S1117.

[0142] In S1114, the control unit 101 performs defensive action processing, which involves accepting operational inputs related to defensive actions during the resolution phase of the opponent's action round.

[0143] <Defense Action Handling> Here, the details of the defensive action performed in this step are explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 13.

[0144] In S1301, the control unit 101 sets the parameters of the first camera used for depicting the site 400.

[0145] In S1302, the control unit 101 determines whether the operation input related to the selection of combo cards for the target card combo in the execution of the attack action has been completed. If the control unit 101 determines that the operation input related to the selection of combo cards has been completed, the processing is transferred to S1303; if it determines that the operation input has not been completed, the processing is transferred to S1306.

[0146] In S1303, the control unit 101 displays a combo zone at the position of the card being acted on, and then displays the connection element that links the card to the selected combo card, thereby controlling the operation of the GPU 104.

[0147] In S1304, the control unit 101 determines whether the combo operation is complete. If the control unit 101 determines that the combo operation is complete, it transfers the processing to S1305; if it determines that the operation is not yet complete, it repeats this step. Furthermore, if the selection of the combo card is deactivated or the configuration operation outside the combo area is completed, the control unit 101 does not determine that the combo operation is complete. After controlling the combo area and linked elements not to be displayed, it transfers the processing to S1306.

[0148] In S1305, the control unit 101 generates combo information based on the completed combo operation.

[0149] In S1306, the control unit 101 determines whether the operation input related to the end of the defensive action has been completed. If the control unit 101 determines that the operation input related to the end of the defensive action has been completed, the processing is transferred to S1307; if the control unit determines that the operation input has not been completed, the processing is returned to S1302.

[0150] In S1307, the control unit 101 sends defense action-related information to the server 200 via communication I / F 106 to complete the defense action processing. When a combo operation is performed, the defense action-related information includes combo information; when no combo operation is performed, it includes information indicating that the combo operation is incomplete.

[0151] Thus, when the defensive action is completed, the control unit 101 transfers the game processing to S1115.

[0152] In S1115, the control unit 101 performs the resolution phase of the opponent's action turn. During the resolution phase, the server control unit 201 performs action resolution-related processing based on the action information sent through the operation phase processing performed on the player terminal 100 used by the opponent, and the defensive action-related information sent through the defensive action processing. When the server control unit 201 obtains the result of resolving the attack action, it sends the result-related result information to the player and the player terminal 100 used by the opponent connected to the corresponding communication dialogue. Based on the result information received from the server 200, the control unit 101 generates and displays the corresponding game screen.

[0153] In S1116, the control unit 101 determines whether the processing result of the resolution stage in S1115 meets the end conditions of the battle game. If the control unit 101 determines that the end conditions of the battle game are met, it displays the battle result and completes the processing of this battle game. If the control unit determines that the end conditions are not met, it transfers the processing to S1117.

[0154] In S1117, the control unit 101 determines whether the opponent's turn has ended. If the control unit 101 determines that the turn has ended, the process is transferred to S1109; if it determines that the turn has not ended, the process is returned to S1113.

[0155] As explained above, the communication terminal according to this embodiment can provide easy and intuitive control of the operation in the battle game, and supports better game performance, resulting in a more enjoyable gaming experience.

[0156] [Example 1 of the variation] In the above-described embodiment, the state in which a member card is removed from the field 400 when an attack on the target of the attack is successful has been described. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may also be configured to set a durability parameter (attribute information) for the member card, and when the attack on the member card is successful, the durability value decreases by a certain amount or an amount corresponding to the power difference. In this state, the removal of the member card from the field 400 can be conditional upon the durability value being, for example, below 0. Therefore, in the game screen, durability information is also displayed for each member card configured in the field 400, and after displaying the movement of the card associated with the attack, the display control of changing the durability value can be performed.

[0157] [Variation Example 2] The above embodiments have described a two-stage process for specifying an attack action, involving selecting the target and the object to be attacked. However, the implementation of this invention is not limited to this. For example, the input for specifying an attack action can be performed similarly to a combo attack, by dragging and dropping the target's card onto the object to be attacked's card. Furthermore, the input for specifying an attack action can also be configured to accommodate two types of input methods: one that involves movement of the target's card, and another that does not involve movement.

[0158] [Variation Example 3] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG8(b), it has been explained that the combo card 801 in the combo state is only configured near the action card 802 in a non-active state. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, after being configured near the action card 802, the display of the combo card 801 may be terminated, and the action card 802 may be used to replace it with an additional emphasis effect. Such emphasis effect may include display effects such as light particles or rubble scattering, burning, or simply changes in brightness or hue.

[0159] [Variation Example 4] In the above embodiments, it has been explained that for a combo card designated for a combo attack, it is positioned horizontally in a non-active state near the action card, where no operation input is accepted. However, the implementation of this invention is not limited to this. The combo card designated for a combo attack can also be configured such that, for example, before executing the corresponding attack action, i.e., before designating the target card and completing the operation phase, the combo designation can be cancelled. The cancellation of the combo designation can be processed, for example, by dragging the combo card and the action card to a distance of more than a certain amount. In this case, the card whose combo designation has been cancelled changes to a vertical state (reference posture) and returns to the position it was in before the combo designation.

[0160] [Variation Example 5] The above-described embodiments demonstrate that combo cards can be used to chain attack action cards without consuming energy, but the implementation of this invention is not limited to this. For example, it can also be configured in a more strategic manner, where combo operations are also conditional on consuming energy corresponding to the combo card.

[0161] [Variation Example 6] In the above embodiments, it has been explained that the linking elements related to attack actions and the linking elements related to combo operations are formed in a curved shape, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, at least any of them can also be formed in a straight line.

[0162] [Summary of Implementation Modes] The above-described implementation reveals at least the following programs and game devices.

[0163] (1) A program that enables a computer executing an electronic game, which is based on game elements arranged in a field, to perform display control processing, including the display of the game screen of the field on a display device. In the above-mentioned display control process, the first category of game elements and the second category of game elements, which correspond to the player and have different functions in the course of the above-mentioned electronic game, are arranged in the above-mentioned venue in visually different forms and displayed.

[0164] (2) As in (1), the program establishes a correspondence between the characters and various game elements. During the execution of the aforementioned video game, in the aforementioned display control process, Characters corresponding to the game elements of category 2 located in the aforementioned venue are displayed without any change in appearance; on the other hand, The appearance of the character corresponding to the game elements of the first category configured in the above-mentioned venue changes according to the actions of the character in the above-mentioned video game.

[0165] (3) As in (2), in the above display control processing, according to the progress of the above video game, the appearance of the game element of the first category changes from the first appearance to the second appearance and is displayed. The game elements of the first category mentioned above are those in which the second appearance is more conducive to the performance of the video game than the first appearance.

[0166] (4) As in (2) or (3), in the above display control processing, the game elements of the first category are displayed in the form of characters, and the game elements of the second category are displayed in the form of cards.

[0167] (5) Any of the programs in (1) to (4), wherein the above-mentioned electronic game is a battle game between the above-mentioned player and the opponent. In the aforementioned display control process, game elements corresponding to the aforementioned players and opponents are arranged and displayed in a square-shaped area within the aforementioned arena. The game elements of the first category corresponding to the aforementioned players and the game elements of the first category corresponding to the aforementioned opponents are respectively arranged in the first area distributed at different ends of the aforementioned square-shaped area. The game elements of the second category mentioned above, which correspond to the aforementioned players and opponents, are arranged in a second area of ​​the aforementioned square-shaped area, which is different from the first area mentioned above.

[0168] (6) As in (5), the second region is distributed in the quadrilateral region in a pattern between the two first regions.

[0169] (7) As in (5) or (6), where the two first regions mentioned above are located at opposite corners of the square-shaped regions mentioned above.

[0170] (8) The program of any one of (5) to (7), wherein the two of the above first regions are located at the furthest positions in the above square-shaped regions.

[0171] (9) The program of any one of (5) to (8) wherein the above display control processing can determine which of the above-mentioned second category of game elements in the above-mentioned second area corresponds to the above-mentioned player and the above-mentioned opponent and display it.

[0172] (10) The program of any one of (5) to (9), wherein in the above display control processing, the game elements of the second category are neatly arranged and displayed in the second area.

[0173] (11) As in (10), the game elements of the second category mentioned above are arranged in the second area according to the reference direction. The game elements configured in the aforementioned locations can specify the actions related to the aforementioned video games. When an action is specified for a game element of the second category mentioned above, the game element of the second category is changed to be displayed in a direction corresponding to the action specified from the reference direction during the display control process.

[0174] (12) The program, as in any of (5) to (11), establishes a correspondence between attribute information and various game elements. In the above display control process, For game elements in category 1 above, the aforementioned attribute information of the game element is displayed in a location near the game element that does not overlap with it. On the other hand, For game elements in category 2 above, the aforementioned attribute information of the game element is displayed at the position overlapping with the game element.

[0175] (13) The program as in (12), wherein the above attribute information changes according to the progress of the above video game.

[0176] (14) As in (13), the above attribute information includes numerical values. When the value of the attribute information of the game element of the second category configured in the second area is lower than the specified value, the game element of the second category will be excluded from the second area in the display control process.

[0177] (15) Any of the programs in (5) to (14), wherein in the above display control processing, each of the game elements configured in the above venue is displayed differently depending on whether the above electronic game is operable.

[0178] (16) As in (15), the game elements corresponding to the players configured in the aforementioned venue are completed based on the operation input of the game elements, and the actions related to the aforementioned video game can be specified. When the operation input for the game element corresponding to the player configured in the above-mentioned venue is completed, the above-mentioned display control process displays the selection of the action that can be assigned to the game element.

[0179] (17) As in (16), wherein the options for the specified actions include the option to specify and establish a corresponding game element with the opponent in the aforementioned arena, as the object of the action. In the above display control process, the following deduction is displayed: the game element of the specified action moves to the position of the object of the action, i.e., the game element, according to the initiation of the action, and then returns to the position configured before the movement.

[0180] (18) Any of the programs in (1) to (17) wherein, on the condition that the operation input of the game element configured in the above-mentioned venue is completed, detailed information of the game element is displayed in the above-mentioned display control process.

[0181] (19) A program as described in any of (1) to (18), wherein the game screen includes a preparation area that is not located in the aforementioned venue and displays one or more of the aforementioned game elements of category 2. When the configuration operation input for the game element of the second category configured in the preparation area is completed, the game element is moved from the preparation area to the venue and displayed during the display control process.

[0182] (20) A program as described in any of (1) to (19), wherein the aforementioned site displays the appearance of the site. In the above display control process, the appearance of the above-mentioned venue changes according to the progress of the above-mentioned video game.

[0183] (21) A gaming device that performs an electronic game by means of game elements arranged in a space, and comprises: The display control mechanism controls the display of the game screen in the aforementioned venue onto the display device. The aforementioned display control mechanism will arrange and display the first category of game elements and the second category of game elements, which have different functions in the course of the aforementioned electronic game, in the aforementioned venue in visually different forms.

[0184] [Other Implementation Forms] The invention is not limited to the above-mentioned implementation forms; various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the invention's intent.

[0185] 100: Player Terminal 101: Control Department 102: Memory device 103: Memory 104: GPU 105: Operation I / F 106: Communication I / F 110: Monitor 120: Speaker 200: Server 201: Server Control Department 202: Server memory device 203: Server Memory 204: Server Communication I / F 300: Network 400: Venue 401: Combat Zone 402a: Energy Zone 403a: Life Zone 403b: Life Zone 404a: Hand 404b: Hand 405a: A stack of cards 405b: A stack of cards 411a: Captain Role 411b: Captain Role 412a: Member Card 412b: Member Card 501a: Captain's Area 501b: Captain's Area 502: Member Area 503: Centerline 601: Member Card 602: Captain Role 603: Linking Elements 701: Cards 702: Coordinates 703: Linking Elements 712: Cards 713: Linking Elements 723: Linking Elements 801: Combo Card 802: Action Card 803: Combo Zone 804: Link Element 901: Target Card 902: Card of the target of the action 1000: Game Screenshots 1010: Game Screenshots 1020: Game Screenshots S1101~S1117: Steps S1201~S1218: Steps S1301~S1307: Steps

Claims

1. A screen display control processing program that enables a computer executing a video game based on game elements arranged in a field to execute a display control processor that controls the display of the game screen, including the field, on a display device. In the display control processing, game elements of category 1 and category 2, which correspond to the player and have different roles in the video game, are arranged in the field in visually different forms and displayed. Furthermore, the screen display control processing establishes a correspondence between a character and each of the game elements. During the execution of the video game, the character corresponding to the category 2 game elements arranged in the field is displayed without changing its appearance, while the character corresponding to the category 1 game elements arranged in the field changes its appearance according to the character's actions in the video game.

2. The screen display control processing program as requested in item 1, wherein in the above display control processing, according to the progress of the above video game, the appearance of the above-mentioned first category of game elements changes from the first appearance to the second appearance and is displayed, and the situation in which the above-mentioned first category of game elements is in the second appearance is more conducive to the progress of the above video game than the situation in the first appearance.

3. The screen display control process as requested in item 1 or 2, wherein in the above display control process, the game elements of the first category are displayed in the form of characters, and the game elements of the second category are displayed in the form of cards.

4. As in the screen display control processing of Request 1, wherein the aforementioned electronic game is a battle game between the aforementioned player and the opponent, in the aforementioned display control processing, game elements corresponding to the aforementioned player and the aforementioned opponent are arranged and displayed in a square-shaped area in the aforementioned arena, the aforementioned first category of game elements corresponding to the aforementioned player and the aforementioned first category of game elements corresponding to the aforementioned opponent are respectively arranged in a first area distributed at different ends of the aforementioned square-shaped area, and the aforementioned second category of game elements corresponding to the aforementioned player and the aforementioned opponent are arranged in a second area of ​​the aforementioned square-shaped area that is different from the aforementioned first area.

5. The screen display control process of request item 4, wherein the second region is distributed in the square-shaped region in a pattern sandwiched between the two first regions.

6. As in the screen display control process of request item 4, the two aforementioned first areas are located at opposite corners of the aforementioned square-shaped area.

7. As in the screen display control process of request item 4, the two aforementioned first areas are located at the furthest positions in the aforementioned square-shaped areas.

8. The screen display control process as requested in item 4, wherein the screen display control process can determine which of the above-mentioned second category of game elements in the above-mentioned second area corresponds to the above-mentioned player and the above-mentioned opponent and display them.

9. The screen display control process as requested in item 4, wherein in the above display control process, the game elements of the second category are neatly arranged and displayed in the second area.

10. As in the screen display control process of request item 9, wherein the game elements of the second category are arranged in the second area with a reference direction, and the game elements arranged in the area can specify the action related to the video game, when the action is specified for the game elements of the second category, in the display control process, the game elements of the second category are changed to be displayed in a direction corresponding to the action specified from the reference direction.

11. As in the screen display control processing of request item 4, in which attribute information is mapped to each game element, in the above display control processing, for the game element of the first category, the above attribute information of the game element is displayed in the vicinity of the game element, i.e., in a position that does not overlap with the game element; on the other hand, for the game element of the second category, the above attribute information of the game element is displayed in a position that overlaps with the game element.

12. The screen display control process as described in request item 11, wherein the aforementioned attribute information changes according to the progress of the aforementioned video game.

13. In the screen display control processing of request item 12, where the above attribute information includes numerical values, if the numerical value of the above attribute information of the game element of the second category configured in the second area is lower than a specified value, the game element of the second category shall be excluded from the second area in the above display control processing.

14. The screen display control process of request item 4, wherein in the above display control process, each of the game elements configured in the above venue is displayed differently depending on whether the above electronic game is operable.

15. In the screen display control process of request item 14, the game element corresponding to the player configured in the above-mentioned venue is completed according to the operation input of the game element, and the action related to the above-mentioned video game can be specified. When the operation input of the game element corresponding to the player configured in the above-mentioned venue is completed, the above-mentioned display control process displays the selection of the action that can be specified for the game element.

16. As in the screen display control process of request item 15, wherein the selection of the specified action includes the option to specify any of the game elements corresponding to the opponent configured in the above-mentioned venue, as the object of the action, the above-mentioned display control process displays the following interpretation: the game element of the specified action moves to the position of the object of the action, i.e. the game element, according to the initiation of the action, and then returns to the position configured before the movement.

17. The screen display control process of request item 1, wherein detailed information of the game element is displayed in the above-mentioned display control process on the condition that the operation input of the game element configured in the above-mentioned venue is completed.

18. In the screen display control process of request item 1, wherein the game screen includes a preparation area that is not configured in the venue and displays one or more of the above-mentioned second category game elements, when the configuration operation input for the above-mentioned second category game elements configured in the preparation area is completed, in the above-mentioned display control process, the game element is moved from the above-mentioned preparation area to the above-mentioned venue and displayed.

19. The screen display control process of request item 1, wherein the aforementioned venue has a display area appearance, and in the aforementioned display control process, the appearance of the aforementioned venue changes according to the progress of the aforementioned video game.

20. A gaming device that executes a video game by arranging game elements in a playing field, and comprising: a display control mechanism that controls the display of a game screen including the playing field on a display device; the display control mechanism arranging and displaying game elements of the first category and the second category, which have different functions in the video game and are associated with the player, in the playing field in visually different forms; and the gaming device establishing a correspondence between a character and each of the game elements, wherein during the execution of the video game, the display control mechanism displays a character that is associated with the second category of game elements arranged in the playing field without changing its appearance, while displaying a character that is associated with the first category of game elements arranged in the playing field with its appearance changing according to the character's actions in the video game.

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