Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Perceptible output or display
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-02
2001-11-20
O'Neill, Michael (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Perceptible output or display
C345S418000, C345S440000, C345S441000, C345S442000, C345S443000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319129
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of generating a field map automatically in a video game, and in particular, a method of generating more natural geographical features by transforming a selected quadrilateral automatically.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, video game devices have spread to many families quickly. And there are various types of game, such as a role-playing game, a simulation game, a combat game, a puzzle game, and the like.
In a typical role-playing game, dungeon is often used. In the game, treasure or items which are necessary for the game may be hidden in the dungeon, or a strong monster may appear from the dungeon.
Herein, the dungeon generally means “labyrinth” in an actual game. Therefore, the dungeon may be expressed as land, a natural cave, an ice cave, or a lava cave. In such a game, a video game character (for example, main character) moves in the dungeon and therein, encounters various items and monsters, as a story of the game proceeds. Of course, the story varies according to selection of loads or response to encountering of the items or monsters. In this specification, image data representing whole geographical features which are used as the dungeon are referred to as a “field map”.
In general, it is necessary to prepare many patterns of shapes of the dungeon (for example, shapes of land) so that a user of the game does not lose interest in the game. To this end, when the game is started or at the other timing, a shape of the dungeon is automatically generated, for example, by using a random number.
However, in the prior game, a shape of the dungeon which is automatically generated becomes unnatural shape since the dungeon is generated by combining a plurality of quadrilaterals. For example, even if the dungeon expresses land or a cave, a boundary of the dungeon, that is, a boundary line between the land and the sea surrounding the dungeon is not generated in a natural and complex shape.
In other words, the boundary line is formed as a shape of steps, that is, a shape with coarse notches in the prior game. Due to the limitation of expression, natural and complex geographical features are not fully represented. Therefore, when a story of the game proceeds on a nature, it is not possible to communicate to a user of the game a feeling of open-air or refreshment, as a result, it is not possible to give the user a feeling of being at a live performance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method of representing dungeon in more natural shape. To this end, the method transforms a part of field map representing the dungeon to generate more natural shape of dungeon.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of generating a field map used in a video game. The method comprises steps of dividing the field map which consists of a plurality of blocks, into a first zone and a second zone by a boundary including sides and corners, determining a first point for each side of the boundary on the basis of a location of each side of the boundary, determining a second point for each corner of the boundary on the basis of a location of each corner of the boundary, and transforming the boundary by connecting the first points and the second points.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of generating a field map used in a video game. The method comprises steps of dividing the field map into a plurality of quadrilateral blocks, assigning each of the divided blocks to either a first zone or a second zone, selecting sides each of which forms a part of a boundary between the first zone and the second zone, from sides of the blocks, selecting a point which corresponds to a corner of one of the blocks and which is included in the boundary, determining a first point for each selected side on the basis of a location of each side of the boundary, determining a second point for each selected point on the basis of a location of each corner of the boundary, and transforming the boundary by connecting the first points and the second points.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of generating a field map used in a video game. The method comprises steps of dividing the field map into a plurality of quadrilateral cells, assigning each of the divided cells to either a first zone or a second zone, determining a first cell which belongs to the first zone and is next to a cell which belongs to the second zone, selecting a cell which belongs to the first zone and is next to the first cell, and further repeatedly selecting a cell which belongs to the first zone and is next to the selected cell, and transforming a boundary between the first zone and the second zone by changing cells having a predetermined location relationship to the selected cells to cells which belong to the second zone.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of generating a field map used in a video game. The method comprises steps of dividing the field map into a plurality of quadrilateral blocks including a plurality of quadrilateral cells, assigning each of the divided blocks to either a first zone or a second zone, selecting sides each of which forms a part of a boundary between the first zone and the second zone, from sides of the blocks, selecting a point which corresponds to a corner of one of the blocks and which is included in the boundary, determining a first point for each selected side on the basis of a location of each side of the boundary, determining a second point for each selected point on the basis of a location of each corner of the boundary, selecting two first points each of which corresponds to a side, the two corresponding sides are adjacent to each other, selecting one second point which corresponds to a corner formed by the two corresponding side, determining a third point by moving the selected second point on the basis of an aspect of the assigning of the divided blocks to the first zone or the second zone, transforming the boundary by connecting the two selected first points and a point which is optionally selected from the selected second point and the determined third point, selecting a first cell which belongs to the first zone and is next to a cell which belongs to the second zone, selecting a cell which belongs to the first zone and is next to the first cell, further selecting a cell which belongs to the first zone and is next to the selected cell, and repeating the selection of a cell, and transforming the transformed boundary by changing cells having a predetermined location relationship to the selected cells to cells which belong to the second zone.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a video game system which generates a field map. The system comprises block division means which divides the field map into a plurality of quadrilateral blocks, block assign means which assigns each of the divided blocks to either a first zone or a second zone, side select means which selects sides each of which forms a part of a boundary between the first zone and the second zone, from sides of the blocks, corner select means which selects a point which corresponds to a comer of one of the blocks and which is included in the boundary, first point determining means which determines a first point for each selected side on the basis of a location of each side of the boundary, second point determining means which determines a second point for each selected point on the basis of a location of each corner of the boundary, and first transforming means which transforms the boundary by connecting the first points and the second points.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided a video game system which generates a field map. The system comprises cell dividing means which divides the field map into a plurality of quadrilateral cells, cell assign means which assigns each of the divided cells to either a first zone or a sec
Fukuda Keisuke
Igarashi Koji
Igarashi Reika
Yamaguchi Hiroto
Jones Scott E.
Konami Corporation
O'Neill Michael
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
LandOfFree
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