Displaying area for a weapon's attack range and areas for causing different damage amounts on an enemy

• US 6,210,273 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2000
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Square Co Ltd (Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Matsuno, Yasumi
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/537,105
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/8, 463/2, 463/5, 463/43, 463/44, 463/23, 463/29, 463/31
• US Class Current: 463/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

A game provides a character or target object with multiple attack points or defense points and controls damage inflicted on or damage received by an attack for each attack point or defense point. An enemy character is provided with multiple attack points in advance. Attack area data is provided for each weapon or magic in advance. An attack area of a weapon or magic is displayed on a display screen in accordance with the weapon or magic selected by the player at the time of a fight. Attack points positioned in the attack area are detected. An attack on the detected attack points is authorized. A player selects and attacks, as an object of attack, any point from among the attack points for which an attack is authorized. The damage caused by the attack is controlled for each attack point (defense point). Thus, the modes of the fight scene are diversified and the tactical nature or interest of the game are improved.

Claims

1. A computer readable program product for storing a game program that provides a plurality of attack points on a target object positioned in an attack area set in a virtual space and makes the computer:

display the attack area showing an effective range of attack when an attack on said target object is instructed in response to an operation,

detect attack points positioned in the displayed attack area, and

obtain a fight result based on the attack for at least one detected attack point.

2. The computer readable program product as set forth in claim 1, further making said computer highlight detected attack points after detecting attack points and before obtaining the fight result.

3. The computer readable program product as set forth in claim 2, further making said computer:

select an attack point to be attacked in accordance with an input operation, from the highlighted attack points after detecting attack points and before obtaining the fight result and,

in which obtaining the fight result further comprises obtaining the fight result based on the attack on the selected attack point from among the detected attack points.

4. The computer readable program product as set forth in claim 3, further making said computer:

when selecting the attack point, calculate an expected result of the attack on the detected attack point; and

display the calculated attack point.

5. A computer readable program product for storing a game program, providing a plurality of defense points for judging damage on a character on a display screen due to an attack from an opponent character in the progress of a game and making the computer:

judge a main defense point, directly receiving an attack from the opponent character among the plurality of defense points, and a magnitude of the damage,

specify secondary defense points positioned near the judged main defense point and reached by damage to the main defense point,

calculate the magnitude of the damage reaching the specified secondary defense points based on the magnitude of the damage to the main defense point, and

update the amount of damage of the character based on the calculated magnitude of the damage.

6. The computer readable program product as set forth in claim 5, which product stores a program storing in advance a correspondence between a main defense point and secondary defense points reached by damage to the main defense point for each of said plurality of defense points, and

further making the computer refer to said correspondence and specify secondary defense points based on said main defense point.

7. The computer readable program product as set forth in claim 5, which product stores a program storing in advance position data for each of the plurality of defense points and further making the computer:

calculate distances from said judged main defense point to other defense points based on position data of the defense points after judgement of the magnitude of the damage and before selection of the secondary defense points; and

select secondary defense points based on the calculated distances from the main defense point.

8. The computer readable program product as set forth in claim 7, in which calculation of the magnitude of damage reaching the secondary defense points further comprises calculating magnitudes of damage reaching said secondary defense points based on the calculated distances from the main defense point to the specified secondary defense points.

9. The computer readable program product as set forth in claim 5, in which the product further makes the computer highlight a defense point when the defense point accumulates more than a predetermined amount of damage.

10. A computer readable program product for storing a game program, which product stores a program providing a plurality of attack points on a target object positioned in an attack area set in a virtual space and making the computer:

form an attack screen for the target object in response to an input operation,

display the attack area showing an effective range of attack designated in response to the input operation on the formed attack screen,

highlight attack points positioned in the displayed attack area, and

obtain a fight result based on the attack for at least one highlighted attack point.

11. A method of control of a game comprising:

providing a plurality of attack points on a target object positioned in an attack area set in a virtual space,

displaying the attack area showing an effective range of attack when an attack on said target object is instructed in response to an operation of a player character,

detecting attack points positioned in the displayed attack area, and obtaining a fight result based on the attack for at least one detected attack point.

12. A method of control of a game comprising:

providing a plurality of defense points for judging damage on a character on a display screen due to an attack from an opponent character in the progress of a game,

judging a main defense point, directly receiving an attack from the opponent character among the plurality of defense points, and a magnitude of the damage,

specifying secondary defense points positioned near the judged main defense point and reached by damage to the main defense point,

calculating the magnitude of the damage reaching the specified secondary defense points based on the magnitude of the damage to the main defense point, and

updating the amount of damage of the character based on the calculated magnitude of the damage.

13. The method of control of a game as set forth in claim 12, further comprising:

storing in advance a correspondence between the main defense point and secondary defense points damaged by damage to the main defense point for each of said plurality of defense points, and

referring to said correspondence and specifying secondary defense points based on said main defense point when specifying the secondary defense points.

14. The method of control of a game as set forth in claim 12, further comprising:

storing in advance position data for each of the plurality of defense points,

calculating distances from said judged main defense point to secondary defense points based on position data of the defense points after judgement of the magnitude of the damage and before selection of the secondary defense points, and

selecting secondary defense points based on the calculated distances from the main defense point.

15. A method of control of a display comprising:

providing a plurality of attack points on a target object positioned in an attack area set in a virtual space,

forming an attack screen for the target object in response to an input operation,

displaying the attack area showing an effective range of attack designated in response to an input operation on the formed attack screen,

highlighting attack points positioned in the displayed attack area, and

obtaining a fight result based on the attack for at least one highlighted attack point.

16. A mechanism comprising a computer for controlling a program and a program product storing a program for making the computer control the game, wherein said program:

provides a plurality of attack points on a target object positioned in an attack area set in a virtual space and make the computer;

display the attack area showing an effective range of attack when an attack on said target object is instructed in response to an operation of a player,

detect attack points positioned in the displayed attack area, and

obtain a fight result based on the attack for at least one detected attack point.

17. A mechanism comprising a computer for controlling a program and a program product storing a program for making the computer control the game, wherein said program:

provides a plurality of defense points for judging damage on a character on a display screen due to an attack from an opponent character in the progress of a game and makes the computer;

judge a main defense point, directly receiving the attack from the opponent character among a plurality of defense points, and a magnitude of the damage,

specify secondary defense points positioned near the judged main defense point and reached by damage to the main defense point,

calculate the magnitude of the damage reaching the specified secondary defense points based on the magnitude of the damage to the main defense point, and

update the amount of damage of the character based on the calculated magnitude of the damage.

18. A mechanism comprising a computer for controlling a program and a program product storing a program for making the computer control the game, wherein said program provides a plurality of attack points on a target object positioned in an attack area set in a virtual space and makes the computer:

form an attack screen for the target object in response to an input operation,

display the attack area showing an effective range of attack designated in response to the input operation on the formed attack screen,

highlight attack points positioned in the displayed attack area, and

obtain a fight result based on the attack for at least one highlighted attack point.