Game progression control method, computer-readable recording medium, and game apparatus

• US 6,656,051 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2000
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Fukugawa, Daisuke, Ishii, Koichi, Matsui, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BINH AN DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/536,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20020137557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 463/43, 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 463/40, 463/41, 463/42, 463/44, 463/46, 463/47, 463/1, 463/2, 463/4, 463/7, 463/8, 463/9, 463/15, 463/23, 463/31, 273/108.1, 273/236, 273/237, 273/276, 273/440.1, 273/441, 273/460, 273/461
• US Class Current: 463/43
• 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 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/207 for accessing game resources from local storage, e.g. streaming content from DVD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/307 for displaying an additional window with a view from the top of the game field, e.g. radar screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

A game apparatus displays a world map, determines an arbitrary location within the displayed world map according to externally input operating information, obtains a terrain data set beforehand for the position determined within the world map and correlates a field map with the position determined within the world map. The game apparatus also obtains character data correlated with the field map that has been correlated with the position determined within the world map, and corrects the obtained character data based on the obtained terrain data. Thus, the field map and the enemy characters appearing in the field map are changed according to how the player plays the game.

Claims

1. A game control progression method for a video game having a world map and a plurality of field maps that are correlated with positions within the world map, comprising:

placing items on the world map in which a player character can be moved, in response to operation input;

storing positional information indicating the position where each item was positioned within said world map each time one of the items is positioned; and

determining lands, each having a field map in which the player character can move and fight, based upon the positional information and the placed items.

2. The game progression control method according to claim 1, wherein said determining of lands further comprises determining values indicating fighting capabilities of enemy characters in the field map of the land, during a fight event between the player character and the enemy characters.

3. The game progression control method according to claim 1, wherein said determining of lands further comprises determining based upon data of other lands adjacent to said item.

4. The game progression control method according to claim 1, wherein

said storing of positional information further comprises storing positional information of where each item has been placed on the world map along with an order of placement thereof each time one of the items is placed.

5. The game control progression method according to claim 1, further comprising replacing images of the items placed on the world map with images indicating the lands.

6. The game control progression method according to claim 1, further comprising:

moving the player character within the world map in response to operation input; and

displaying, when the player character moves to one of the lands on the world map, an image of the field map of the land where the player character has moved.

8. The computer program according to claim 5, wherein said determining of lands further comprises determining values indicating fighting capabilities of enemy characters in the field map of the land, during a fight event between the player character and the enemy characters.

7. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable storage medium for controlling game progression of a video game having a world map and a plurality of field maps that are correlated with positions within the world map, said program comprising:

placing items on the world map in which a player character can be moved, in response to operation input;

storing positional information describing the position where each item was positioned within said world map each time one of the items is positioned;

determining lands, each having a field map in which the player character can move and fight, based upon the positional information and the placed items.

9. The computer program according to claim 7, wherein said determining of lands further comprises determining based upon data of other lands adjacent to said item.

10. The computer program according to claim 7, wherein said storing of positional information further comprises storing positional information describing the position where each item has been placed on the world map along with an order of placement thereof each time one of the items is placed.

11. The game progression control program according to claim 7, further comprising replacing images of the items placed on the world map with images indicating the lands.

12. The game progression control program according to claim further comprising:

moving the player character within the world map in response to operation input; and

displaying, when the player character moves to one of the lands on the world map, an image of the field map of the land where the player character has moved.

13. A game apparatus, comprising:

a computer for controlling game progression; and

a storage medium recording programs for controlling game progression of a video game with said computer, the video game having a world map and a plurality of field maps that are correlated with positions within the world map, wherein said programs cause a computer to perform the following;

placing items on the world map in which a player character can be moved, in response to operation input;

storing positional information of the position where each item was positioned within said world map each time one of the items is positioned; and

determining lands, each having a field map in which the player character can move and fight, based upon the positional information and the placed items.

14. The game apparatus according to claim 13, in which the program further causes the computer to replace images of the items placed on the world map with images indicating the lands.

15. The game apparatus according to claim 13, in which the program further causes the computer to:

move the player character within the world map in response to operation input; and

display, when the player character moves to one of the lands on the world map, an image of the field map of the land where the player character has moved.