Video game processing apparatus, a method and a computer readable medium that stores a program for processing a video game

• US 7,666,079 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Ishii, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall; Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US11/678,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20070202936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1- 5, 463 7- 8, 463/23, 463 42- 43, 463 30- 34, 463 36- 39, 463 49- 57, 345/566, 345/419, 345/156, 345 11- 34, 345/539, 345543-544, 273/148.R, 273/148.B, 273/309, 273/317.1, 273/340, 273/348, 273361-367, 348/115, 348/117, 348/211.14, 717168-178, 434/37, 434/240, 375/240.15, 375/240.25
• 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 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/646 for calculating the trajectory of an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

Specification of an attack for a player character is received by means of an attack specifying operation of the player. A direct attack reaction is determined in the case where it is determined that the attack hits an enemy character A. The direct attack reaction indicates a reaction of the direct attack target character that suffers the direct attack. The enemy character A is then caused to execute the determined direct attack reaction. In the case where it is determined that an indirect attack to be caused by contact between the enemy characters A, B hits an enemy character B when the enemy character A executes the direct attack reaction, an indirect attack reaction indicating a reaction of the enemy character B that suffers the indirect attack is determined. The enemy character B is then caused to execute the determined indirect attack reaction.

Claims

1. A video game processing apparatus that causes an image display apparatus to display a player character on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, the video game processing apparatus controlling progress of the video game by controlling an action of the player character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player, the video game processing apparatus comprising:

an attack specifying receiver that receives specification of an attack for the player character by an attack specifying operation of the player;

a direct attack hit determiner that determines whether the attack from the player character hits a direct attack target enemy character movable on a field in the video game, when the attack specifying receiver receives the attack specification;

a direct attack reaction determiner that determines a direct attack reaction in accordance with direct reaction determination information including attack content of the player character, a kind of ground level in a battle field where a battle is executed, and a weight preliminarily set as a weight of the direct attack target enemy character, when the direct attack hit determiner determines that the attack hits the direct attack target enemy character, the direct attack reaction indicating a reaction of the direct attack target enemy character that suffers the direct attack;

a direct attack reaction executor that causes the direct attack target enemy character to execute the direct attack reaction determined by the direct attack reaction determiner;

an indirect attack hit determiner that determines whether an indirect attack hits an indirect attack target enemy character other than the direct attack target enemy character when the direct attack target enemy character executes the direct attack reaction by the direct attack reaction executer, the indirect attack being caused by contact between the direct attack target enemy character and the indirect attack target enemy character movable on the field;

an indirect attack reaction determiner that determines an indirect attack reaction when the indirect attack hit determiner determines that the indirect attack hits the indirect attack target enemy character, the indirect attack reaction indicating a reaction of the indirect attack target enemy character that suffers the indirect attack; and

an indirect attack reaction executor that causes the indirect attack target enemy character to execute the indirect attack reaction determined by the indirect attack reaction determiner,

wherein the direct attack target enemy character is a non-player character.

2. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the direct attack reaction determiner determines the direct attack reaction by selecting one direct attack reaction from multiple kinds of direct attack reactions including a first reaction, a second reaction, a third reaction and a fourth reaction, the direct attack target enemy character being blown off in the first reaction, the direct attack target enemy character being flicked off in the second reaction, the direct attack target enemy character being slipped in the third reaction, and the direct attack target enemy character being jumped in the fourth reaction.

3. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the indirect attack reaction determiner determines the indirect attack reaction in accordance with the kind of direct attack reaction of the direct attack target enemy character that is brought into contact with the indirect attack target enemy character.

4. A computer-implemented method of processing a video game by causing an image display apparatus to display a player character on an image display screen of the image display apparatus, the method controlling progress of the video game by controlling an action of the player character to be displayed on the image display screen in accordance with operations by a player, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, using a computer, specification of an attack for the player character by an attack specifying operation of the player;

determining, using the computer, whether the attack from the player character hits a direct attack target enemy character movable on a field in the video game, when the attack specification is received;

determining, using the computer, a direct attack reaction in accordance with direct reaction determination information including attack content of the player character, a kind of ground level in a battle field where a battle is executed, and a weight preliminarily set as a weight of the direct attack target enemy character, when it is determined that the attack hits the direct attack target enemy character, the direct attack reaction indicating a reaction of the direct attack target enemy character that suffers the direct attack;

causing, using the computer, the direct attack target enemy character to execute the determined direct attack reaction;

determining, using the computer, whether an indirect attack hits an indirect attack target enemy character other than the direct attack target enemy character when the direct attack target enemy character executes the direct attack reaction, the indirect attack being caused by contact between the direct attack target enemy character and the indirect attack target enemy character movable on the field;

determining, using the computer, an indirect attack reaction when it is determined that the indirect attack hits the indirect attack target enemy character, the indirect attack reaction indicating a reaction of the indirect attack target enemy character that suffers the indirect attack; and

causing, using the computer, the indirect attack target enemy character to execute the determined indirect attack reaction,

wherein the direct attack target enemy character is a non-player character.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein in the direct attack reaction determining, the direct attack reaction is determined by selecting one direct attack reaction from multiple kinds of direct attack reactions including a first reaction, a second reaction, a third reaction and a fourth reaction, the direct attack target enemy character being blown off in the first reaction, the direct attack target enemy character being flicked off in the second reaction, the direct attack target enemy character being slipped in the third reaction, and the direct attack target enemy character being jumped in the fourth reaction.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein in the indirect attack reaction determining, the indirect attack reaction is determined in accordance with the kind of direct attack reaction of the direct attack target enemy character that is brought into contact with the indirect attack target enemy character.

7. A computer readable medium that stores a program for processing a video game, progress of the video game being controlled by causing an image display apparatus to display a player character of the video game on an image screen of the image display apparatus, and controlling an action of the player character displayed on the image screen in accordance with operations by a player, the program on the computer readable medium causing a computer to execute:

receiving specification of an attack for the player character by an attack specifying operation of the player;

determining whether the attack from the player character hits a direct attack target enemy character movable on a field in the video game, when the attack specification is received;

determining a direct attack reaction in accordance with direct reaction determination information including attack content of the player character, a kind of ground level in a battle field where a battle is executed, and a weight preliminarily set as a weight of the direct attack target enemy character, when it is determined that the attack hits the direct attack target enemy character, the direct attack reaction indicating a reaction of the direct attack target enemy character that suffers the direct attack;

causing the direct attack target enemy character to execute the determined direct attack reaction;

determining whether an indirect attack hits an indirect attack target enemy character other than the direct attack target enemy character when the direct attack target enemy character executes the direct attack reaction, the indirect attack being caused by contact between the direct attack target enemy character and the indirect attack target enemy character movable on the field;

determining an indirect attack reaction when it is determined that the indirect attack hits the indirect attack target enemy character, the indirect attack reaction indicating a reaction of the indirect attack target enemy character that suffers the indirect attack; and

causing the indirect attack target enemy character to execute the determined indirect attack reaction,

wherein the direct attack target enemy character is a non-player character.

8. The computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein in the direct attack reaction determining, the direct attack reaction is determined by selecting one direct attack reaction from multiple kinds of direct attack reactions including a first reaction, a second reaction, a third reaction and a fourth reaction, the direct attack target enemy character being blown off in the first reaction, the direct attack target enemy character being flicked off in the second reaction, the direct attack target enemy character being slipped in the third reaction, and the direct attack target enemy character being jumped in the fourth reaction.

9. The computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein in the indirect attack reaction determining, the indirect attack reaction is determined in accordance with the kind of direct attack reaction of the direct attack target enemy character that is brought into contact with the indirect attack target enemy character.