RPG – Patent Arcade

Aug

2020

U.S. Patent no. 9,656,170: Game apparatus

Issued May 23, 2017 to Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
Priority Date June 27, 2013

Summary:
U.S. Patent No. 9,656,170 (the ‘170 Patent) relates to progression in a video game where a player character fights a virtual battle with a powerful enemy character. The current invention attempts to solve issues in role-playing video games associated with these character progression battles. The ‘170 Patent attempts to increase the realism and engagement with the game by increasing the variation in results of these battles. Reproducing the same actions will not necessarily reach the same result every time. This increases the difficulty and tension of the battle as the player struggles to overcome the enemy. A player may interact with an in-game object during this battle and it could have an effect on the player’s chances of winning the battle. For example, in a battle with an enemy dragon a player could drag a nearby chain to interact with the monster that would allow for an improved chance at victory. This chance at victory can be expressed using a gauge that displays on the screen which changes throughout the battle depending on the character’s actions. The game apparatus and controlling computer system would work together to increase realism and engagement with games thereby improving the end product overall.

Abstract:
The present invention provides a game apparatus in which the variation width of a computation result in a battle between a player character and an enemy character is increased, and a difference in result can be brought about even with the same attack by a player’s operation, and furthermore, a player can play a game while he/she feels the sense of realism and tension where he/she manipulates the character that is difficult to manipulate as intended. A chain used by a main character to manipulate a dragon is displayed on a display screen. A player manipulates the dragon by loosening or tightening the chain by performing an operation on a touch panel. The control level of the dragon is represented by an uncontrollability parameter. A status such as the offensive power of the dragon changes according to the uncontrollability parameter.

Illustrative Claim:
1. A game apparatus for progressing a game in which a player character does a virtual battle with an enemy character, the player character being a subject for operation performed by a player, the game apparatus comprising: a display; an input for receiving an operating instruction performed by the player; a processor; and a memory including a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations including: determining a predetermined threshold, according to an item owned or carried by the player character or by a second player character being a companion of the player character; changing a parameter of the player character, according to the operating instruction received by the input from the player; specifying a status of the player character, based on a magnitude relation between the parameter changed by the changing and the predetermined threshold determined by the determining; and progressing the game according to the status of the player character specified by the specifying, wherein the player character controls a model character during the virtual battle with the enemy character, and the operating instruction manipulates the model character by the player character.

Sep

2019

U.S. Patent No. 9,308,458: Automatic movement of player character in network game

U.S. Patent No. 9,308,458: Automatic movement of player character in network game
Issued: April 12, 2016,
To: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix

Summary:

The present invention relates to an autopilot mode in a network game. An RPG (Role Playing Game) progresses as multiple players participate, so their characters cooperate to battle an opponent character or the players make their characters battle one another. An MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online RPG), which permits the participation of more players, is another type of network game. A problem in online multiplayer games is when a player stops playing the game either because they have been disconnected or physically stepped away. Players disconnecting can be especially frustrating in MMORPGs where players have to work together. In most cases when a player temporarily stops playing, that player’s character does not move. However, the other players can keep moving and progressing the game. Allowing the other players to continue playing puts the “paused” player at a disadvantage when they rejoin. One way to solve the problem is to make the other players wait, which they may not like because it pauses the action. The patent seeks to solve these problems by introducing an autopilot option. The autopilot progresses the player’s character according to the movement of the other party members and transmits progress information to each player participating in the game. This keeps players from being left behind, and other players do not have to wait when on their way to an exciting quest.

Abstract:

A player participating in a network game moves a player character of the player by manipulating a video game apparatus of the player. As the player performs an autopilot operation, the video game apparatus moves the player character as an autopilot PC. A server apparatus manages the game which progresses according to the movement of each character, and transmits progress information of the game to the video game apparatus of each player participating in the network game. The movement of the autopilot PC is decided based on an action log recording the action of the player character responding to the manipulation of the player.

Illustrative Claim:

1. A game system for progressing a game, the game system comprising a processor; and a memory including a set of executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations including: progressing the in accordance with game progress information, the game progress information being useable for generating a game screen, the game screen configured to be displayed on a display device and including a player character that is in a virtual space; receiving a manual movement instruction for moving the player character on the game screen, the manual movement instruction being determined in accordance with an input of a player on an input device; updating the game progress information to move the player character on the game screen in accordance with the manual movement instruction; monitoring a progress of the game for an autopilot condition; determining an automatic movement instruction for automatically moving the player character on the game screen when the autopilot condition is monitored, the automatic movement instruction being determined without the input of the player on the input device; updating the game progress information to automatically move the player character on the game screen in accordance with the automatic movement instruction when the autopilot condition is monitored; and receiving an autopilot cancel operation for canceling the player character from an autopilot operation state when the player character is in the autopilot operation state, the autopilot operation state being a state in which the autopilot condition is monitored, wherein the autopilot cancel operation is received in response to a predetermined operation being input on the input device by the player, the automatic movement instruction includes at least one movement instruction that is associated with a battle that includes the player character, and the automatic movement instruction is determined based on a history of the manual movement instruction that is received in accordance with the input of the player on the input device.

Research By: Rachel Johns

Edited By: Andrew F. Thomas

U.S. Patent no. 9,656,170: Game apparatus

U.S. Patent no. 9,656,170: Game apparatus

U.S. Patent No. 9,308,458: Automatic movement of player character in network game

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