Strategy based electronic combat game
First Claim
1. An electronic strategy game comprising:
- a console adapted to be passed between players of the game,a Keyboard on the console having a plurality of keys each for representing a different command,a display on the console including a plurality of indicators representing a galaxy and arranged in a matrix, one of said indicators representing the players starship and at least one other of said indicators at least at some time representing a planet, and another indicator representing an enemy starship,less than all of said indicators being illuminated for each player,said display being a priviledged information display wherein the location of a player'"'"'s starship is hidden from the other players,said console having means for selectively initiating each turn,said display also including means for displaying a remaining energy readout,each said player having a different display arrangement corresponding to its own starship location,and control means having communication lines intercoupling with the display and keyboard and including means for receiving command signals from the keyboard for controlling the starship position by movements in any one of a number of different directions with each move expending at least one energy unit, and means for receiving command signals to fire the starships weapons along different courses, each hit on an enemy starship costing the enemy player at least one energy unit and each firing costing the player at least one energy unit,said control means also including means for controlling the display indicators to simultaneously represent said player'"'"'s starship and planet in a visually distinguishable manner, and means for controlling the display indicators to simultaneously represent the planet and enemy starship in a visually indistinguishable manner.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic strategy and battle game for one to four players including a visual display and audio sound effects. The game has three levels of complexity, namely basic, intermediate and advanced, and also has a self-teaching mode. In each level of play the object to win is to be the only player with remaining energy units. This is achieved by chasing and evading opponents through space and engaging in energy-depleting battles. In the basic level of play each player begins with ten units of energy and the entire game takes place in a combat mode. In the intermediate level of play each player starts with twenty energy units with play taking place on two different scales, one for combat and another for non-combat. In the advanced level of play each player begins with forty units of energy and additional features are added such as sensing scans in the non-combat mode. The advanced level of play also permits invisibility of a player'"'"'s starship. The display in the preferred embodiment includes a four-by-four matrix with two additional status indicators and a two digit numeric display. The primary control is provided by a microcomputer receiving commands via a keyboard.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An electronic strategy game comprising:
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a console adapted to be passed between players of the game, a Keyboard on the console having a plurality of keys each for representing a different command, a display on the console including a plurality of indicators representing a galaxy and arranged in a matrix, one of said indicators representing the players starship and at least one other of said indicators at least at some time representing a planet, and another indicator representing an enemy starship, less than all of said indicators being illuminated for each player, said display being a priviledged information display wherein the location of a player'"'"'s starship is hidden from the other players, said console having means for selectively initiating each turn, said display also including means for displaying a remaining energy readout, each said player having a different display arrangement corresponding to its own starship location, and control means having communication lines intercoupling with the display and keyboard and including means for receiving command signals from the keyboard for controlling the starship position by movements in any one of a number of different directions with each move expending at least one energy unit, and means for receiving command signals to fire the starships weapons along different courses, each hit on an enemy starship costing the enemy player at least one energy unit and each firing costing the player at least one energy unit, said control means also including means for controlling the display indicators to simultaneously represent said player'"'"'s starship and planet in a visually distinguishable manner, and means for controlling the display indicators to simultaneously represent the planet and enemy starship in a visually indistinguishable manner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An electronic strategy game and corresponding method of play comprising the steps of;
- providing a console adapted to be passed between players of the game, providing a keyboard on the console having a plurality of keys, each for representing a different command including move and fire commands, displaying at some place on the console with a plurality of indicators representing a galaxy and arranged in a matrix, the indicators being displayed representing the player'"'"'s starship, at least one enemy starship, and at least one other indicator representing a planet, or less than all of said indicators being illuminated for each player, said display being a privileged information display wherein information blanking occurs at the end of each turn so that the location of a player'"'"'s starship is hidden from the other players, displaying a remaining energy readout, with a corresponding readout being provided in turn for each of the players in the game, simultaneously illuminating said enemy starship and planet indicators indistinguishably, simultaneously illuminating said starship and planet indicators visually distinguishably, and controlling the display via the keyboard by receiving command signals from the keyboard for controlling the starship position by movements in any one of a number of different directions with each move expending at least one energy unit, firing the starship weapons along different courses with each hit of an enemy starship costing the enemy player at least one energy unit and each firing expending at least one energy unit of the present player.
Specification