Virtual Camera and Map Image Rotation for Game Viewpoint Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current games that feature character movement in virtual spaces lack the flexibility in viewpoint options, limiting player freedom while maintaining operability.
Innovation Solution
A game program that allows players to control a virtual camera in a three-dimensional space, generating a map image that represents the field and includes the player's operation target object, sections, and movable range, enabling viewpoint changes and smooth gameplay without switching between camera and map views.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the virtual space is viewed from fixed viewpoints only, then the operability is maintained, but the degree of freedom in viewpoint is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the viewpoint control into two independent segments: virtual camera control for three-dimensional viewing freedom and map image control for strategic overview. The virtual camera can be freely positioned and oriented, while the map image provides a separate two-dimensional strategic view. This segmentation allows players to switch between immersive 3D exploration and strategic 2D planning without compromising either viewpoint freedom or operational clarity.
Solution Approach 2:
The map image serves as an intermediary between the player and the virtual space, providing strategic information without replacing the immersive 3D experience. When players need strategic oversight, they can reference the map image while maintaining awareness of the 3D environment through the virtual camera. This intermediary element bridges the gap between fixed viewpoint limitations and the need for strategic flexibility.
2Loss of information
If the player switches between camera view and map view, then complete information is obtained, but gameplay smoothness is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the virtual camera view and map image into a unified interface where both views coexist and complement each other. The virtual camera provides real-time three-dimensional visual feedback while the map image simultaneously displays strategic information such as player positions, enemy locations, and terrain features. This merging eliminates the need for view switching, allowing players to access complete information continuously without interrupting gameplay flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual-view system ensures continuous information availability by maintaining both the virtual camera and map image active simultaneously. Players can continuously monitor strategic elements on the map while experiencing immersive 3D gameplay, eliminating gaps in information flow. The useful actions of exploration, strategy formulation, and execution occur without interruption, as both views provide complementary information streams that enhance rather than interrupt gameplay continuity.
3Ease of operation
If only the virtual camera is used for navigation, then immersion is maintained, but strategic overview is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different quality characteristics to different viewing modes: the virtual camera provides high-immersion local detailed viewing for immediate gameplay actions, while the map image provides comprehensive strategic overview for planning and decision-making. Each view optimizes for its specific purpose, allowing players to maintain immersive experience during combat or exploration while accessing complete strategic information through the map when needed, without compromising either function.
Data Source
AI summary
In an example of an information processing system, a field in a virtual space is divided into a plurality of sections, and a player character moves in units of the sections on the field. On a game screen, an image of the virtual space based on a virtual camera and a map image representing a range of at least a part of the field are displayed. When a direction of the virtual camera changes, an image representing the field rotates such that an up direction of the map image corresponds to a direction along the field in a direction of the virtual camera. In the map image, the image representing the field, an image representing the player character, images representing the sections, and an image indicating a movable range of the player character are displayed.