Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Perceptible output or display
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-29
2002-12-03
O'Neill, Michael (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Perceptible output or display
C463S043000, C463S008000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06488582
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to video games. More particularly the present invention relates to a control method for controlling the action power of a player character in a video game which implements a battle between characters on a display screen on a virtual basis.
2. Related Background Art
Role playing games (hereinafter referred to as RPGs) are a type or class of video games. In conventional RPGs, the power of the player character may be enhanced by providing the player character with various items. For example, attack power is often added to by providing the player character with a sword, whereas defense power is added to by providing a protector. If the player character is allowed to use magic or magical powers, the use of the magic may cause damage to the enemy.
The effect of the use of the items and magic is determined by the effect preliminarily defined for them and a level of a character using them. Since the level of each character increases through repetition of battles in the game, a character experiencing more battles may cause greater damage to the enemy in an attack. A player has to consider whether an attack should be made against the enemy with the items and magic as described above, which may keep the player from feeling bored.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In conventional RPGs, however, the effect in the use of the items etc. varies depending upon only the attribute (level) of the player character, and thus they were not always satisfactory in terms of interestingness, “e.g., player appeal.” In order to raise the interestingness more, it is desirable to allow the effect of the items etc. to vary depending upon additional factors in addition to the attribute of the player character as well.
The present invention has been accomplished noting such a conventional problem, and one embodiment of the present invention provides a control method for controlling the action power associated with a player character. The control method is generally capable of enhancing the interestingness by allowing the effect of an attack etc. to vary depending upon factors such as the action of an enemy character. Computer code associated with the present invention may be embodied, for example, on a storage medium for storing an action power control program, a game apparatus, and a computer data signal.
In order to solve the above problem by increasing the interestingness or the player appeal of RPGs, the present invention provides a new control method for controlling player characters.
One aspect of the present invention, a control method is provided for controlling the action power of a player character in a video game which implements a battle between characters on a display screen on a virtual basis. The control method includes: receiving a command that specifies an action of the character. A plurality of color attributes are respectively assigned to the actions of the character. The method also includes obtaining the number of color attributes which are the same as that of the action identified by a command from historical information in which color attributes of actions of the character which have been executed in past are stored. Additionally, the method includes increasing the action power of the player character in accordance with the obtained number of color attributes to make the player character execute the action identified by the command, storing the color attribute of the executed action in the player character in the historical information, and displaying the color attributes in the historical information, in respective colors on a screen.
Therefore, with manipulation input to make the player character execute an action using one of the elements, the action power of the player character is enhanced according to the number of the same color attributes in the historical information as the element used. In one embodiment, the historical information is information which changes the composition of held color attributes when not only the player character but also one of the characters involved in the battle executes an action using an element. In such an embodiment, if the action power of the player character is enhanced according to the number of varying color attributes by the action of not only the player character but also the characters involved in the battle, the power will vary not only depending upon the player character but also depending upon all the characters involved in the battle, which can enhance the interestingness or player appeal of an RPG.
Since the color attributes in the historical information are typically displayed in their respective colors on the screen, the player may visually recognize the implications of the colors and, hence, elaborate a strategy, which may provide added interest. However, since the color attributes in the history information vary depending upon all the characters involved in the battle as described above, the same color attributes as those in the strategy elaborated by the player are may not be included in the historical information. Thus, the player may proceed with or otherwise continue the game while appropriately modifying the strategy and groping for timing of use of an element. The interestingness is thus also enhanced by the forwarding or continuation of the game while groping for timing of use of an element.
In the above invention, in the execution of action of the player character, when the historical information includes a color attribute which contradicts, e.g., is opposite to, the color attribute of the element used, the power of action may be lowered according to an appropriate number thereof.
Lowering the power of the action may cause difficulty in finding the timing of the use of an element, which enhances the interestingness further.
In addition, in the above invention, the characters may be the player character and an enemy character.
Consequently, the action power of the player character varies in various ways, depending upon when and which element the two characters use in a battle, and this also varies the development of the battle in many ways. This development of the battle varying in many ways adds to amusingness or interestingness of the RPGs.
Further, in the above invention, in the storing of the color attributes, a predetermined number of color attributes may be stored in the historical information. As a consequence, the predetermined number of color attributes are held in the historical information to be displayed on the screen, whereby the player can quickly ascertain the power of the player character in use of an element by visually checking the predetermined number of color attributes.
Still further, a game apparatus of the present invention may be realized by the creation of a computer that reads in a program that is stored in a storage medium. Therefore, storage media allow the program to be distributed and sold readily in the form of software products independent of the apparatus. When this software is used in such hardware as general purpose computers, general purpose game apparatus, etc., the game technology of the present invention may be carried out readily by these hardware.
Additionally a game apparatus of the present invention which is dedicated to the present invention may implement program which contains computer code for implementing the embodiments of the present invention thereby achieving the effect as stated above.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6045446 (2000-04-01), Ohshima
patent: 6165073 (2000-12-01), Miyamoto et al.
patent: 6179713 (2001-01-01), James et al.
patent: 6210272 (2001-04-01), Brown
patent: 09140938 (1997-06-01), None
patent: 11076621 (1999-03-01), None
patent: 11114227 (1999-04-01), None
Beyer Weaver & Thomas LLP
O'Neill Michael
Square Co., Ltd.
LandOfFree
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