Game Route Object and Shadow Visualization for Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing game technologies lack an intuitive method for players to easily identify and navigate to a designated position in a virtual space, particularly in games involving object movement and collision mechanics.
Innovation Solution
A game program that includes a cursor control step to move a cursor object, a designated position calculation step to render the position in the virtual space, a route object placement step to indicate the path from a starting point to the designated position, and an image generation step to visualize the route, optionally with shadows, aiding player navigation and collision prediction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If no route indication is provided in the virtual space, then the game interface remains simple, but players cannot easily identify or navigate to the designated position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a route object as an intermediary element that visually connects the starting point to the designated position. This route object (such as a path indicator or guidance line) serves as a mediator that guides players through the virtual space without requiring complex interface changes, thereby improving ease of navigation while maintaining reasonable system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs color changes and visual differentiation of route objects to make the path to the designated position clearly visible. By using distinct colors or visual properties for route indicators, the system enhances player orientation and ease of navigation without adding substantial complexity to the underlying system architecture
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If shadow objects are added to indicate route, then designated position becomes easier to identify, but processing and rendering complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates shadow objects as simplified copies or projections of route objects to indicate the designated position. These shadow representations provide additional visual confirmation of the target location without requiring full complex modeling, thereby improving detectability while controlling processing complexity through use of simplified visual copies
3Loss of information
If player character is arranged to face designated position, then direction and position become clearer, but control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by having the player character automatically orient toward the designated position. This visual feedback mechanism provides players with clear directional information about where to move, reducing information loss and improving spatial awareness. The automatic orientation feature adds minimal control complexity while significantly enhancing directional clarity
Data Source
AI summary
A non-limiting example game apparatus includes a display device, and a game screen is displayed on the display device. For example, a player character, an enemy character, a background object, etc. are displayed in the game screen. If a throw mode is set, a target cursor is moved on a predetermined plane in a virtual space based on an operation of a player, thereby to designate a target object with which a throwing object is made to be collided. When the target object is designated, a route object is displayed on a line segment that connects a throw starting point and a target point that is the designated position on the target object, and a shadow of the route object is displayed.