Network game system, game server system, client system, network game processing method, and recording medium

• US 7,927,217 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Kimura, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCULLOCH JR, WILLIAM H
• Application Number:
  US10/319,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20030114226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,046 Days
• Field of Search: 463 30- 32, 463/42, 709/203, 709/231, 340/3.21, 726/13
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers

Abstract

To prevent a network response to a game server from deteriorating, a flag information management unit of a game server is provided. The flag information management unit manages flags indicating information on player characters (PC) in response to requests from client systems (or communication terminals)s occurring during network game progress. A flag information transmission unit transmits only the information linked to the managed flags to the client systems (or communication terminals). Then, on the sides of the client systems (or communication terminals), a control unit controls a CD-ROM drive in accordance with the information, and the necessary information is reproduced from a CD-ROM.

Claims

1. A network game system, comprising:

a game server system that provides a network game environment; and

a plurality of client systems connected with the game server system via a network, wherein client information and character information are transferred in accordance with game progress between the game server system and the client systems,

the game server system comprising;

a client management system that manages the client systems by identifying the client systems individually based upon the client information added to requests sent from the client systems via the network, the client information indicating which of the client systems sent each of the requests;

a flag information management system that manages flags indicating a status of character information in response to the requests from the client systems occurring during the game progress, the flags being associated with the client information for each of the identified client systems, the flags comprising;

an active flag that indicates whether a full transmission or a differential transmission should occur;

an equipment changing instruction flag indicating changes in equipment information to each of the identified client systems;

a flag information transmitter that transmits only the character information associated with the flags, to the identified client systems, full information being transmitted when the active flag is not set and becomes set, differential information being transmitted when the active flag is set, the differential information being defined by which other ones of the flags are set;

a communication interface that receives the requests from the client systems; and

a storage that stores a flag table, comprising the flags associated with a plurality of characters in association with the client information for each of the identified client systems, and

the client system comprising;

a request generator that generates a variety of the requests according to the game progress; and

a controller that controls display action based on the character information associated with the flags.

2. The network game system of claim 1, the flags further comprising at least one of:

an erasure instruction flag indicating erasure instruction information to each of the identified client systems;

a movement instruction flag indicating position information of the client systems;

a status changing instruction flag indicating all changes in movement and equipment changes to each of the identified client systems;

a character display flag indicating a change in an image of one of the plurality of characters; and

re-size flags indicating an increase or decrease in a size of one of the plurality of characters.

3. A game server system for providing a network game environment, comprising:

a client management system that manages client systems by identifying the client systems individually based upon client information added to requests sent from the client systems via the network, the client information indicating which of the client systems sent each of the requests;

a flag information management system that manages flags indicating a status of character information in response to the requests from the client systems occurring during game progress, the flags being associated with the client information on each of the identified client systems, the flags comprising;

an active flag that indicates whether a full transmission or a differential transmission should occur;

an equipment changing instruction flag indicating changes in equipment information to each of the identified client systems;

a flag information transmitter that transmits only the character information associated with the flags, to the identified client systems, full information being transmitted when the active flag is not set and becomes set, differential information being transmitted when the active flag is set, the differential information being defined by which other ones of the flags are set;

a communication interface that receives the requests from the client systems; and

a storage that stores a flag table, comprising flags associated with a plurality of characters, in association with the client information for each of the identified client systems.

4. The game server system according to claim 3, wherein the flag information management system manages the character information on each of the client systems, by setting, in the flag table, the flags corresponding to each of the plurality of characters in response to the requests from the client systems, the flags being associated with the client information, and by transmitting the character information associated with the flags and clearing the flags corresponding to the transmitted character information.

5. The game server system according to claim 3, wherein the flag information management system executes:

a deletion transmission processing that identifies the flags indicating which of the plurality of characters are displayed based upon the flag table, judges whether there is a character that is not within a predetermined distance from a certain character, and, when it is judged that the character is not within the predetermined distance, transmits information associated with a deletion flag so as to clear the deletion flag; and

a new transmission processing that identifies a position of one character with respect to another character in an arbitrary field, obtained by dividing an area where the plurality of characters can move into a plurality of virtual cells, and, when it is judged that the one character is within a predetermined distance from the other character, transmits all of the character information on the one character to a client system of the other character and clears all of the flags of the one character other than the active flag.

6. The game server system according to claim 3, wherein the flag information management system manages the flags, when a first character responds to control of a first client system by a first player, by:

setting one of the flags relating to the first character and at least one piece of the client information when the first character changes states;

setting a display flag defining whether to display a second character on a screen of the first client system based upon a distance from the first character to the second character; and

clearing, when updating the character information, the display flag of the first character of the updated client information.

7. The game server system according to claim 3, wherein the flags are linked to status information of the plurality of characters in accordance with the game progress.

8. The game server system of claim 3, the flags further comprising at least one of:

an erasure instruction flag indicating erasure instruction information to each of the identified client systems;

a movement instruction flag indicating position information of the client systems;

a status changing instruction flag indicating all changes in movement and equipment changes to each of the identified client systems;

a character display flag indicating a change in an image of one of the plurality of characters; and

re-size flags indicating an increase or decrease in a size of one of the plurality of characters.

9. A client system that generates a variety of requests in accordance with network game progress provided by a game server system, comprising:

a request generator that generates the variety of requests in accordance with the network game progress; and

a controller that controls display action based upon information sent from a flag information management system, the information being associated with flags indicating a status of character information in response to the variety of requests from client systems occurring during the game progress, the flags comprising;

an active flag that indicates whether a full transmission or a differential transmission should occur;

an equipment changing instruction flag indicating changes in equipment information to each of the client systems;

full information being received when an active flag is not set and becomes set, differential information being received when the active flag is set, the differential information being defined by which other ones of the flags are set.

10. The client system of claim 9, the flags further comprising at least one of:

an erasure instruction flag indicating erasure instruction information to each of the client systems;

a movement instruction flag indicating position information of the client systems;

a status changing instruction flag indicating all changes in movement and equipment changes to each of the client systems;

a character display flag indicating a change in an image of one of the plurality of characters; and

re-size flags indicating an increase or decrease in a size of one of the plurality of characters.

11. A network game processing method for transferring client information and character information in accordance with game progress between a game server system that provides a network game environment and client systems connected with the game server system via a network, the method comprising, by using the game server system:

managing the client systems by identifying the client systems individually based upon the client information added to requests sent from the client systems, the client information indicating which of the client systems sent each of the requests;

managing flags indicating a status of character information in response to the requests from the client systems occurring during the game progress, the flags being associated with the client information for each of the identified client systems, the flags comprising;

an active flag that indicates whether a full transmission or a differential transmission should occur;

an equipment changing instruction flag indicating changes in equipment information to each of the identified client systems;

transmitting only the character information associated with the flags, to the identified client systems, full information being transmitted when the active flag is not set and becomes set, differential information being transmitted when the active flag is set, the differential information being defined by which other ones of the flags are set;

receiving the requests from the client systems via a communication interface; and

storing a flag table, comprising the flags associated with a plurality of characters, in association with the client information for each of the identified client systems; and

the method further comprising, by using one of the client systems;

generating a variety of the requests according to the game progress; and

controlling display action based upon the character information associated with the flags.

12. The network game processing method according to claim 11, further comprising:

managing the character information on each of the client systems;

setting, in the flag table, the flags corresponding to each of the plurality of characters in response to the requests from the client systems, the flags being associated with the client information;

transmitting the character information associated with the flag flags; and

clearing the flags corresponding to the transmitted character information.

13. The network game processing method according to claim 11, wherein the managing the flags further comprises:

executing deletion transmission processing that identifies the flags indicating which of the plurality of characters are displayed based upon the flag table, judges whether there is a character that is not within a predetermined distance from a certain character, and, when it is judged that the character is not within the predetermined distance, transmits information associated with a deletion flag and clears the deletion flag;

executing new transmission processing that identifies a position of one character with respect to another character in an arbitrary field obtained by dividing an area where the plurality of characters can move into a plurality of virtual cells, and, when it is judged that the one character is within a predetermined distance from the another character, transmits all of the character information on the one character to a client system of the another character and clears all of the flags of the one character other than the active flag.

14. The network game processing method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the managing the flags further comprises, when a first character responds to control of a first client system by a first player:

setting one of the flags relating to the first character and at least one piece of the client information when the first character changes states;

setting a display flag defining whether to display a second character on a screen of the first client system based upon a distance from the first character to the second character; and

clearing, when updating the character information, the display flag of the first character of the updated client information.

15. The network game processing method according to claim 11, wherein the flags are linked to status information of the plurality of characters in accordance with the game progress.

16. The network game process method of claim 11, the flags further comprising at least one of:

an erasure instruction flag indicating erasure instruction information to each of the identified client systems;

a movement instruction flag indicating position information of the client systems;

a status changing instruction flag indicating all changes in movement and equipment changes to each of the identified client systems;

a character display flag indicating a change in an image of one of the plurality of characters; and

re-size flags indicating an increase or decrease in a size of one of the plurality of characters.

17. A non-transitory recording medium on which is recorded a program causing a computer to execute:

managing, by a client management system, client systems by identifying the client systems individually based upon client information added to requests sent from the client systems via a network, the client information indicating which of the client systems sent each of the requests;

managing, by a flag information management system, flags indicating a status of character information in response to the requests from the client systems occurring during game progress, the flags being associated with the client information for each of the identified client systems, the flags comprising;

an active flag that indicates whether a full transmission or a differential transmission should occur; and

an equipment changing instruction flag indicating changes in equipment information to each of the identified client systems;

transmitting, by a flag information transmitter, only the character information associated with the flags, to the identified client systems;

receiving, by a communication interface, the requests from the client systems, full information being transmitted when the active flag is not set and becomes set, differential information being transmitted when the active flag is set, the differential information being defined by which other ones of the flags are set; and

storing, by a storage, a flag table, comprising the flags associated with a plurality of characters in association with the client information for each of the identified client systems.

18. The non-transitory recording medium of claim 17, the flags further comprising at least one of:

an erasure instruction flag indicating erasure instruction information to each of the identified client systems;

a movement instruction flag indicating position information of the client systems;

a status changing instruction flag indicating all changes in movement and equipment changes to each of the identified client systems;

a character display flag indicating a change in an image of one of the plurality of characters; and

re-size flags indicating an increase or decrease in a size of one of the plurality of characters.

19. A non-transitory recording medium on which is recorded a program causing a computer to execute:

generating, by a request generator, a variety of requests according to game progress; and

controlling, by a controller, display action based on character information associated with flags indicating a status of character information in response to the variety of requests from client systems occurring during the game progress, the flags comprising;

an active flag that indicates whether a full transmission or a differential transmission should occur;

an equipment changing instruction flag indicating changes in equipment information to each of the client systems;

full information being received when the active flag is not set and becomes set, differential information being received when the active flag is set, the differential information being defined by which other ones of the flags are set.

20. The non-transitory recording medium of claim 19, the flags further comprising at least one of:

an erasure instruction flag indicating erasure instruction information to each of the client systems;

a movement instruction flag indicating position information of the client systems;

a status changing instruction flag indicating all changes in movement and equipment changes to each of the client systems;

a character display flag indicating a change in an image of one of the plurality of characters; and

re-size flags indicating an increase or decrease in a size of one of the plurality of characters.