JP6055147B1 - GAME DEVICE AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Abstract

A game experience capable of suitably recognizing a connection between characters is provided. A game apparatus includes: a setting unit configured to set a plurality of constituent elements according to an aspect for each of a target character and a first character; and an aspect related to a plurality of constituent elements set by the setting means. A presentation means for presenting a character; and a control means for controlling the setting means, wherein the control means is configured to set at least one component of the target character from among the plurality of components of the first character. The component that controls the setting means and is set from among the plurality of components of the first character for the target character is a plurality of components according to the first stage and a plurality of components according to the second stage And different. [Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a game device and a program, and more particularly, to a game device that provides a game experience related to an electronic game that trains a character.

  There is a game apparatus that provides a game (nurturing game) having a breeding element for growing a character in response to a user operation input. Patent Document 1 discloses a training simulation apparatus (game) that allows a character to be trained in various forms by performing an operation input related to care of a meal, a toilet, etc., for a period corresponding to the lifetime of one character. Apparatus).

  The game device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to show that a single character sprinkled from an egg grows. For example, after the character reaches the end of its life, the user resets the device. The game experience is possible again from the egg state. On the other hand, in a game device that starts training a new character (new character) without considering the state of the character (old character) that the user has trained so far, what is the old character and the new character? Therefore, the user's interest can be reduced because the same upbringing game is repeated simply by resetting. Therefore, in order to facilitate the attachment of users to new characters, in recent years, a parent-child relationship has been defined between the old character and the new character, and there is also an effect that the new character is born by spawning after the marriage of the old character is there.

JP-A-10-274921

  On the other hand, in a breeding game such as that of Patent Document 1, as a character training mode, for example, a predetermined branch is adopted for a game result corresponding to a user operation input such as the degree of success of care. Therefore, even if a birth effect is made to inform the user of the parent-child relationship as described above, it is difficult for the user to recognize the connection between the new character and the old character with elements other than the effect, and the user's interest is There was a possibility that it could not be improved appropriately.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a game device and a program that provide a game experience that can appropriately recognize the connection between characters.

In order to achieve the above-described object, a game apparatus for providing a game in which the aspect of the target character of the present invention can change, wherein the target character is associated with a first character having a first relationship, Further, at least a first stage and a second stage in which the aspect changes are provided, and the game apparatus includes setting means for setting a plurality of constituent elements according to the aspect for each of the target character and the first character. A presentation means for presenting the target character in a form related to a plurality of components set by the setting means, a character generation means for newly generating a second character having the first relationship for the target character, and a setting a control means for controlling the means, and setting means, for each target character, at least of the plurality of components of the first character Or further set components as a non-component Re, control means, at least one component of the target character, then set from among a plurality of components of the first character, the non-component of the target character , it is set to a plurality of components of the second character controls so that setting means, the components are set from among the plurality of components of the first character per target character has a plurality of the first stage And the plurality of components according to the second stage are different.

  With such a configuration, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a game experience that can appropriately recognize the connection between characters.

The figure which showed the external appearance of the game device 100 which concerns on embodiment and modification of this invention. The block diagram which showed the function structure of the game device 100 which concerns on embodiment and modification of this invention. The figure for demonstrating the family tree comprised in the game device 100 which concerns on embodiment and modification of this invention. The flowchart which illustrated the character formation process performed in the game device 100 which concerns on embodiment and modification of this invention. The figure for demonstrating the control which concerns on the structure of the character image which concerns on the modification 3 of this invention. The figure which showed the structural example of the various information used in the game device 100 which concerns on embodiment and the modification of this invention.

[Embodiment]
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, one embodiment described below is a game that can provide a user with a play of a breeding game in which a character (target character) that is a breeding target (operation target) appears as an example of a game device. An example in which the present invention is applied to an apparatus will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to breeding but can be applied to any device that can provide a game in which the aspect of the target character can change. In the present embodiment, an example in which the target character according to the present invention is a training target of the training game will be described. However, the game genre is not limited to this in the implementation of the present invention, and appears in the game. Any character may be the target character.

<Game device configuration>
1A and 1B show the appearance of a game apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the game apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is provided with a spherical surface 120 formed in an elliptical sphere, a display unit 106 for displaying a game content screen, and an operation input unit 109 for receiving an operation input from a user. An exterior is formed having a flat surface 130. The game apparatus 100 is a toy body having a size that can be grasped by both hands of an infant, for example, and is battery-driven. The game device 100 also includes a communication unit 110 that performs data communication with other game devices using infrared rays.

<Functional configuration of game device>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the game apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The control unit 101 is, for example, a CPU, and controls the operation of each block included in the game apparatus 100. Specifically, the control unit 101 controls the operation of each block by, for example, reading the operation program of each block stored in the recording medium 102 and developing the operation program in the memory 103.

  The recording medium 102 is a recording device that can hold data permanently, such as a nonvolatile memory or an HDD. In addition to the operation program for each block of the game apparatus 100, the recording medium 102 records information such as parameters necessary for the operation of each block and various graphics data used in the training game of the present embodiment. . The memory 103 is a storage device used for temporary data storage such as a volatile memory. The memory 103 is used not only as a development area for the operation program of each block, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output in the operation of each block.

  The element DB 104 manages various types of information related to presentation elements (or constituent elements) to be described later, which are referred to in order to present various characters including the target character in the breeding game provided by the game device 100 of the present embodiment. Database.

  The display control unit 105 generates screen data to be displayed on the display unit 106 such as an LCD provided in the game apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, and controls the display content of the display unit 106. In the present embodiment, the display control unit 105 draws screen data using graphic data such as a character (operation character) to be operated and a background stored in the recording medium 102 and displays the screen data on the display unit 106. In the following description, it is assumed that the display control unit 105 draws screen data including not only a predetermined GUI such as an operation character and a menu screen but also a background image indicating a location such as a living space where the operation character is arranged. To do. However, in the embodiment of the present invention, the display control unit 105 does not have to draw all the background images of the screen data. For example, in some background images, the display area of the display unit 106 is configured in layers. A configuration in which a part of the background image is formed in advance in any of the layers may be employed. In addition, the display unit 106 has a backlight, and the display control unit 105 also performs on / off control of the illumination state of the backlight of the display unit 106 under the control of the control unit 101.

  The reproduction control unit 107 controls sound reproduction related to the breeding game executed in the game apparatus 100 of the present embodiment. The voice may include, for example, the voice of the target character, the sound effect related to the action, or the notification sound of occurrence of various events in the breeding game. The sound is output by the sound output unit 108 which may be a sound output device such as a speaker.

  The game apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a display unit 106 capable of displaying an image and an audio output unit 108 capable of reproducing an audio as a functional configuration related to the breeding game, particularly capable of presenting the state of the target character to the user. Although described as a thing, the aspect of presentation is not restricted to these. Information presentation related to the breeding game includes, for example, control (lighting and blinking) of a lighting device (not shown) such as an LED provided on the exterior of the game device 100, and rotation control (vibration transmission) of a motor with an eccentric member attached. ) Or the above-described aspects such as turning on / off the backlight of the display unit 106.

  The operation input unit 109 is a user interface that the game apparatus 100 has such as operation buttons. When the operation input unit 109 detects that an operation input has been made by the user, the operation input unit 109 transmits a control signal corresponding to the operation content to the control unit 101.

  The communication unit 110 is a communication interface for data communication that the game apparatus 100 has. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 110 is described as adopting the infrared communication method as described above, but the communication method used by the communication unit 110 is not limited to this. For example, a so-called near field communication (NFC) system that establishes communication and transmits / receives data when an apparatus or an article having the same communication interface comes close to a predetermined distance or less is adopted. It may be a thing.

Game overview
In the breeding game of this embodiment, a plurality of growth stages are defined in relation to the growth of the target character, and information (presentation elements) used to present the target character to the user is changed along with the transition of the growth stage. Make users aware of growth. The presentation element after the change is determined based on at least one of the operation input performed by the user in relation to the breeding and time. In the training game of the present embodiment, description will be made assuming that the presentation element is changed when a predetermined number of growth stages are shifted to different growth stages. When an in-game element such as an item is acquired, or when communication with another game device or external input occurs, the process may be performed without being limited to the transition of the growth stage.

  In the implementation of the present invention, “presentation” relating to the target character refers to providing the state and behavior of the target character in a manner that the user can recognize. The game apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described as including the display unit 106 and the audio output unit 108 as a functional configuration capable of presentation, but the presentation mode is not limited to this as described above.

The presentation elements related to the target character are, for example:-The shape and characteristics (pattern, length, etc.) of the parts that form the character's appearance
・ Part color ・ Information defining character behavior (action, behavior) such as behavior pattern, thought tendency, behavior frequency, special skill, preference (eg, depending on time and growth stage) ・ Reproduced voice (eg character (Sound playback pattern, pitch, etc.)
-It may include elements that are presented in various forms, such as a ending tendency and a display font related to the remark text, in addition to the character image and voice. In the present embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, description will be made on an aspect in which parts and color of parts necessary for constructing an image (character image) indicating the appearance of a character to be displayed in connection with the breeding game is a presentation element. Therefore, in the following description, a part and a color of a part which are necessary for constructing a character image among the presenting elements are referred to as “components”. A plurality of types of parts and parts colors are provided in advance and are managed in the element DB 104, and constituent elements are selected from information managed in the element DB 104 and set for each character.

  In the breeding game provided by the game device of this embodiment, male and female (gender) are determined as the character type. As a result, when the target character is at or after a specific growth stage, the user can establish a “marital relationship” with the opposite sex character to create a new generation that is the next generation between the target character and the opposite character. A character (child character) can be generated. At this time, a “parent-child relationship” is established between the target character (or opposite character) and the child character. That is, the target character is a parent character for the child character.

  A heterosexual character capable of constructing a marital relationship appears by communicating with the character that appears in the game according to the play content of the breeding game and the game device owned by another user via the communication unit 110, It may be at least one of the characters trained in another user's game device.

  When the child character is in a generated state, after the target character moves to a predetermined growth stage, after a predetermined game event related to the target character (life, retirement, etc.) occurs, or user operation In response to the input, the user can continuously play a game in which the child character is a new breeding target. In other words, the current target character is in a state where operation input related to the breeding is impossible (end of the breeding game related to the target character), and the child character is allowed to perform the operation input related to the breeding as a new target character (the child character is A generation change is realized, which is the start of a breeding game as a new target character. By making such a generational change possible, the user's interest in the breeding game can be maintained.

  Therefore, in the game apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the part information managed in relation to the parts by the element DB 104 is associated with, for example, a part ID 601 for identifying a part, as shown in FIG. Part information 602 indicating whether the part is set, settable stage information 603 indicating the growth stage in which the part can be set, setability information 604 indicating the gender of the character capable of setting the part, and the initial state of the part It is assumed that basic color information 605 indicating a preset color and graphics ID 606 for specifying graphics data relating to the part are managed.

  Further, for example, the character information stored in the memory 103 for composing the character image in the breeding game is associated with the character ID 611 for identifying the character, as shown in FIG. Component information 612 indicating parts used for composition and color information thereof, and candidates used when setting parts and colors used for character image composition (component candidates, including parts and colors resulting from succession of components described later) Component candidate information 613 indicating information to be referred to, parent-child character information 614 indicating a character ID of a character (parent, child) associated with a parent-child relationship, and a couple indicating a character ID of a heterosexual character associated with a marital relationship Character information 615 and the character has a parent-child relationship Number of generations that corresponds in lineage which none (or, in the simple number of breeding game is executed in the game apparatus 100) generation number information 616 indicating the is managed.

  The component information 612 manages, as one component, the part ID of the part to be used and the color information indicating the color used for the part in the configuration of the character image for each part part for each growth stage. It only has to be configured. Further, the component candidate information 613 is referred to as a component candidate when determining the parts used for the actual character image configuration based on the content of the game play or based on the component information set for the character corresponding to the parent character. It is assumed that the part ID of the part and the color information used for determining the color of the part are individually managed. Note that a heterosexual character associated with a marital relationship is not a breeding target of a breeding game executed in the game apparatus 100, and therefore, for example, the memory 103 stores character information predetermined for the heterosexual character, the heterosexual character. The character information configured during the game or the character information of the opposite sex information received from another game device may be stored in association with the character ID.

<Succession of components>
In the upbringing game of this embodiment, in order to make it possible for the user to recognize the connection between the characters corresponding to the parent and child, some of the components used in the configuration of the character image of the parent target character are Also used to construct character images. More specifically, the part or color used to form the appearance of the target character is controlled to be included at least in part as a constituent element of the child character.

  By doing so, the user can visually recognize that the element of the parent character for the child character has been taken over in the development of the child character. Instead of repeating the game, it is possible to play the game with more attachment and friendliness.

  As described above, the character image related to the target character is configured based on the component information 612 of the character information (part group used for forming the appearance of the target character and the color of each part). Basically, when the growth stage of the target character shifts, the control unit 101 determines the characteristics of the target character after the change (for example, long ears, Red) is determined, and a part number of component information corresponding to the determined condition and gender of the target character is read from the element DB 104 for each part part, and each of the part ID 601 and basic color information 605 is read out. Is included in the constituent element candidate information 613 of the character information related to the target character.

  In the present embodiment, description will be made assuming that component candidates are determined for each growth stage. For example, at the time of generation (birth) of the target character, the component candidates are determined and stored for the state of the growth stage that can be changed thereafter. It may be a configuration.

  Further, in this embodiment, description will be made on the assumption that the tendency of appearance of the feature is determined and the part information included in the component candidate information 613 is read out. ) Is defined, and a combination of themes that can be transitioned after growth from any theme is defined. Based on the definition, part information including part ID and color information is determined in the component candidate information 613. It may be a thing.

  The control unit 101 selects components (parts and their colors) to be used for forming the appearance of the target character related to the growth stage after migration from the component candidate information 613 stored in this way, and configures the components. Set in element information 612. Based on the set growth element information 612, the display control unit 105 configures a character image and displays the character image on the display unit 106.

  On the other hand, in the training game of the present embodiment, the following control is performed in order to realize inheritance of the components. Specifically, when there is a parent character associated with the parent-child relationship with the target character, the control unit 101 is configured so that the parts or colors used to form the appearance of the parent character can appear in the target character. Is processed as follows. For example, the control unit 101 stores, in the constituent element candidate information 613 related to the target character, information on the constituent element (parent element) used for forming the appearance of the parent character (constituent element information 612 related to the parent character). In setting the constituent element information 612 of the target character for an arbitrary growth stage, succession is realized by setting to include at least some of the parent elements (which may be at least one of parts and colors). That is, when the parent character is associated with the target character, the control unit 101 performs control so that at least one parent element is included in the component element information 612 for each growth stage of the target character. By doing in this way, it is shown in the aspect which can be visually recognized by the user that the parent element was succeeded. Here, as described above, there are two male and female parent characters associated with the parent-child relationship with the target character, but inheritance of the parent element is related to at least one of the parent characters. It may contain elements.

  The succession of the parent element is, for example, for the growth stage of the target character for which the constituent element is selected, information on at least one of the part and the color of the part selected as the constituent element in the same growth stage of the parent character. It may be performed by including it in the component information 612 related to. Note that in the embodiment of the present invention, the component information related to the same growth stage is selected from the component information 612 of the parent character from the component candidate information 613 related to the target character, and the component information 612 related to the target character is selected. It is not restricted to the aspect included in. For example, the parent element set in the component information 612 related to one growth stage of the target character is not limited to the component related to the same growth stage of the parent character, but may be a component related to any growth stage. Further, for example, the character information stored in the memory 103 or the like in relation to the parent character without being stored in the component element candidate information 613 of the parent element (or the character information is configured without the component element candidate information 613). From this, the parent element may be selected and set in the component element information 612 related to the target character.

  In addition, in order to produce an aspect in which the appearance of the parent character becomes stronger in accordance with the growth of the target character, the number of parent elements included in the component element information 612 for each growth stage after the transition is The number of parent elements included in the component element information 612 may be controlled to be larger than the number of parent elements. At this time, the parent element set in the constituent element information 612 for the growth stage before the transition is set as a constituent element even if the growth stage transitions (for example, when the parent character's mouth part is selected, In the subsequent growth stage, the part of the mouth does not change). Or, conversely, in the ungrown stage, the face of the parent character is strong, but as the target character grows, the face is faded, and the component element information 612 is created for each growth stage so as to produce an aspect in which the element unique to the target character appears. The number of parent elements to be included may be controlled so as to decrease with growth.

  In the implementation of the present invention, the succession of the parent element is not limited to the above-described example, but may be a configuration in which different component elements or different combinations of component elements are included in the component element information 612 at different growth stages of the target character. That's fine.

  By the way, in the breeding game of this embodiment, the generation of the child character is not necessarily performed. That is, depending on the content of the breeding game, even if a heterosexual character does not appear in the game, or a heterosexual character appears in communication with another game device, the condition is not satisfied, or the user of one game device If an operation input relating to refusal to establish a marital relationship is made, the marital relationship may not be associated. In this case, it is not a continuous game play due to the connection between the parent and child after the target character moves to a predetermined growth stage or after the occurrence of a predetermined game event related to the target character (end of life, escape, etc.). However, the game apparatus 100 is configured so that the user can play a game for training a new target character without performing a hard reset. At this time, the setting of the component information 612 of the new target character is any configuration used for the character image of the character that was the training target of the training game performed before the training game related to the target character. It is determined without being based on elements. In other words, the succession of the above-described components is performed when a child character is generated, and when the breeding game related to a new target character is executed without generating the child character, Similar to the case where the breeding game is started in the initial state of the apparatus (at the time of shipment or at the time of resetting the main body), the determination of the component candidate is performed regardless of the past contents of the breeding game.

<Generation of family tree>
Furthermore, the game device of the present embodiment has a function of generating a family tree that can list a group of characters derived from a parent-child relationship so that the user can more easily recognize the connection between the characters that have been trained.

  The family tree is not only a parent character associated with the target character as having a parent-child relationship, but also a parent-child relationship such as a character associated with the parent character as having a parent-child relationship (corresponding to the grandparent of the target character) Character groups related to multiple generations that are related to each other by being derived are included. The relationship between the character groups that are related in the family tree is shown by a line connection as shown in FIG. 3A so that the parent-child relationship and the marital relationship can be recognized. In FIG. 3 (a), a solid line is shown between characters that have been associated with a parent-child relationship among the characters that have been raised, and between characters that have been associated with a marital relationship for the characters that have been raised. Shows a double line. In this embodiment, the family tree is not a training target in the game device so that the inherited components can be confirmed, but it is described as including a character associated with a marital relationship, but it is simply a training target. It may be composed only of the characters that become.

  Note that the genealogy tree may include more character images than if only the game play of the breeding game related to one target character is provided, so it is not generated when a display request is made, for example, It is preferable that a similar character portion other than the target character has a configuration in which a character image is formed in advance, a family tree is generated and stored in the memory 103, and the response to the display request is improved.

  On the other hand, in the case of a portable small toy body such as the game apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the memory capacity is limited, so that the area that can be allocated to the generated genealogy storage is also limited. Therefore, in the game device 100 of the present embodiment, an upper limit is set for the number of generations that can be included in the family tree according to the capacity of the storage area. For example, when the number of generations that can be included in the family tree is 21 generations including the target character, when generating the family tree in connection with the execution of the breeding game related to the new target character in the 22nd generation, The first character cannot be included in the family tree. At this time, the control unit 101 generates a code indicating information on the character related to the first generation, such as a 16-digit number string shown in FIG. 3B, and displays the display control unit 105 on the display unit 106. You may control. For example, the code may be configured to have information that can be reproduced by a dedicated application when the code is input to an external device having a larger storage capacity than the game device 100.

  Character information (reproduction information) necessary for generating a code and a family tree is information that can identify the component selected for the character (for example, component information of each of two characters in a couple relationship) 612, which may be composed only of parent-child character information 614 and generation number information 616 related to the character to be nurtured), because the amount of data is smaller than forming a character image for a plurality of characters. Compared to the genealogy, the area of the memory 103 is not occupied. Therefore, more information for reproduction than the number of generations included in the family tree may be held in an area different from that for storing the family tree, and the code is not included in the family tree at the time of generation of the family tree. Not only in a mode displayed for each character, but when an operation input related to a code display request related to an arbitrary generation of characters is made, based on reproduction information related to the requested generation of characters, code generation and The display may be performed. The code may be generated in any form such as a two-dimensional code and an infrared signal, as long as the code can be input to the external device.

  In addition, as described above, when a breeding game related to a new target character that does not have a parent-child relationship is executed instead of a continuous game in which the child character is a new breeding target, the user is concerned with the past training game. The corresponding reproduction information may be held so as to secure an opportunity to view the family tree. On the other hand, since a configuration in which a plurality of types of family trees are provided can complicate data management and browsing operations, information having a parent-child relationship is not shown as shown in FIG. You may make it comprise the family tree containing an image. That is, for the character after the derivation of the affinity is interrupted, the parent / child character information 614 does not include the character ID indicating the specific character, but has the generation number information 616 continuously numbered from the past game. By using the information for reproduction, a family tree as shown in FIG. 3C can be constructed. In this case, for example, the family tree may be configured so as to clearly indicate that the derivation of the affinity related to the past breeding game has been interrupted, such as displaying a generational character in which no child character has been generated with a crying face. In addition, when a breeding game is newly executed after a hard reset is performed, a family tree relating to the past breeding game is not generated, and a family tree showing only related characters related to the target character is generated. You may comprise so that it may be comprised.

  The family tree may be displayed in response to an operation input related to a display request, or may be displayed in another state. For example, in a state where the user can make an error in the operation related to the game, such as when the illumination of the display unit 106 is controlled to be turned off, the user controls that the operation input related to the game is impossible and the operation input is possible. A family tree may be displayed so as not to be mistakenly recognized. At this time, when an operation input is made, the illumination of the display unit 106 may be controlled to be turned on to switch to the display of the character image, and control may be performed to cancel the state where the operation is impossible. By this control, it becomes possible to present a family tree while preventing an erroneous operation by the user.

《Character formation processing》
A specific process of the character formation process executed by the game apparatus 100 of the present embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The processing corresponding to the flowchart can be realized by the control unit 101 reading, for example, a corresponding processing program stored in the recording medium 102, developing it in the memory 103, and executing it. In addition, this character formation process demonstrates as what starts when the transition of a growth stage is determined, for example in the breeding game currently performed in connection with a target character. However, this character formation process may be started when generation of a child character is determined, for example.

  In step S401, the control unit 101 determines a tendency for features to appear in the growth stage after the transition based on the content of the play performed in the growth stage before the transition. The tendency for the characteristics to appear is determined based on, for example, the number of game events that have achieved the set conditions in the growth stage before the transition, and the theme that can be derived from the themes defined for the components in the growth stage before the transition. May be.

  In S402, the control unit 101 reads out the part information of the corresponding component from the element DB 104 based on the determined tendency and the gender of the target character, and sets each part ID 601 and basic color information 605 of the part information individually. The information is stored in the constituent element candidate information 613 related to the target character as constituent element information. In this embodiment, the control unit 101 includes, for each part part, two types of components (part ID) as parts and two types of components (color information) as colors in the component candidates.

  In step S403, the control unit 101 determines whether there is a parent character for the target character. Specifically, the control unit 101 refers to the parent-child character information 614 of the character information related to the target character, and determines this step based on whether or not the character ID related to the parent character is included. If the control unit 101 determines that there is a parent character, it moves the process to S404, and if it determines that there is no parent character, it moves the process to S406.

  In S404, the control unit 101 acquires at least one of the parent element information used in the configuration of the character image of the parent character for the growth stage after the transition, and sets each of the part ID and the color information as individual component elements. Is added to the component candidate information 613 related to the target character. More specifically, the control unit 101 associates the character ID of the parent character included in the parent-child character information 614 of the target character, and from the component information 612 related to the parent character stored in the memory 103, the post-migration growth stage The information on the component set in accordance with (2) is acquired, and the part ID and color information of the information are added to the component candidate information 613 related to the target character. Note that the addition of information related to the parent element may be such that the information of the candidate component (part ID or color information) is increased to three or more types by addition for each part part that has been added. Any of the constituent elements of the seed may be replaced with the information of the added parent element. The parent element may take the latter configuration so that the parent element can be easily used for the configuration of the character image related to the growth stage after the transition. Further, the information on the added component element may be attached with information indicating that it is a parent element (an inherited element).

  In S405, the control unit 101 includes, in the component candidate information 613, information on components (parts and their colors) used for the configuration of the character image related to the growth stage after the transfer for each part part of the target character. Set based on element (part or color) information. Specifically, the control unit 101 selects one part ID and one color information from the component information included in the component candidate information 613 according to the growth stage after migration for one part part. These are associated and included in the component information 612. Which component is selected from candidates for one part part may be determined according to, for example, a lottery process. Note that, in the configuration of the component element information 612 in this step, the control unit 101 determines the component (parent element) related to the parent character among the component element information included in the component element candidate information 613 for at least one of the parts. ) Information is included. The number of parent elements included in the component element information 612 may be determined according to the growth stage, and the number of parent element information added in S404 and the number of parent element information selected in this step are: It may be controlled according to the growth stage after the transition.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S403 that the parent character does not exist, the control unit 101 determines in S406 the components (parts and their colors) used for the construction of the character image related to the growth stage after the transition for each part part of the target character. Is set based on the information of the component (part or color) included in the component candidate information 613. The setting may be performed in the same manner as the processing of S405. However, when there is no parent character, the component element candidate information 613 does not include the parent element information, and therefore includes the parent element information. No control is performed. In addition, when there is no parent character, color information defined as basic color information in the part information related to the part ID is always included in association with the part ID selected to be included in the component information 612. It may be controlled.

  In step S <b> 407, under the control of the control unit 101, the display control unit 105 converts the parts of each part part into associated color information based on the component information set in the component information 612 according to the growth stage after the shift. A character image of the target character is formed by drawing with colors based on the combination. The character image configured in relation to the growth stage after the transition is not limited to one composition, and for example, a plurality of patterns of images that realize transitions related to various actions of the target character may be configured.

  In step S <b> 408, the control unit 101 determines a background image related to the living space of the target character and causes the display control unit 105 to generate the background image. In the breeding game of this embodiment, display control is performed so that a character having a specific component (part or color) uses a background image of a living space according to the theme of the component. For example, a suitable location such as forest, sky, sea, city, mountain, etc. is defined for the specific component, and the control unit 101 determines the location for each component (part and color) set for all parts. The scores assigned according to the selection are added together, and the background image is changed according to the location where the total value of the scores is the highest. When it is determined that there is no location change from the growth stage before the transition, it is not necessary for the display control unit 105 to generate a background image again.

  In step S409, the control unit 101 stores the character image of the target character and the background image in the memory 103 as images to be used in the growth stage after the transition, and completes the character forming process.

  In this way, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a breeding game in which the user can preferably recognize the connection between characters by the inheritance effect of the constituent elements between the characters having a parent-child relationship. .

  In the present embodiment, a new child character having a parent-child relationship (first relationship according to the present invention) with these characters is selected from two characters in which a marital relationship (second relationship according to the present invention) is established. Although described as being generated, implementation of the present invention is not limited to this.

  For example, the first relationship may not be a parent-child relationship, but may be associated with other characters in the game or newly generated characters such as an apprenticeship relationship or a friendship relationship. In this case, the character having the second relationship is not necessarily required in associating the character having the first relationship with the newly generated character.

  Also, for example, in a game in which a new character is generated by combining / combining a plurality of characters, the first relationship is not a parent-child relationship, but the relationship between the character that is the basis of the combination and the character generated by the combination May be associated with each other. In this case, the character having the second relationship is not limited to two male and female characters as in the present embodiment, and may be three or more characters.

[Modification 1]
In the first embodiment described above, in the setting of the component used for the configuration of the character image, after adding each part ID and color information as a component to the component candidate for each part part, the part ID and the color from the candidate are added. It was described as selecting information. However, when the first relationship is associated between the target character and the plurality of characters so that mixed colors can be expressed, the following control may be performed.

  The component related to the color of the part is configured to have a plurality of color elements as color information in order to determine the color that finally appears. For example, the color information has two types of color elements such as “red / blue” when the finally appearing color is purple, “white / white” when the color information is white, Based on these color elements (mixed colors), the color corresponding to the color information is determined. Therefore, when the first relationship is a parent-child relationship, the parent character corresponding to the father uses purple color information and the parent character corresponding to the mother uses white color information as the component, the candidate element is assumed as a successor of the parent element. The included color information includes, for example, “red / blue” and “white / white”, which are the parent color information itself, as well as “red / white” and “blue / white”, which are mixed colors of color elements. Also good. At this time, “red / white” color information corresponds to pink, and “blue / white” color information corresponds to light blue.

[Modification 2]
Further, the color of the target character may be changeable during the play of the breeding game related to the target character so that the user can easily attach to the target character or to guide the color appearing in the child character systematically. For the change, for example, the color information of the game element acquired during the game satisfies a predetermined condition such as obtaining and using an item for changing the color, or ingesting food of a desired color continuously for a predetermined number of times. It may be realized by determining that the color information of the component is changed and controlling the color information of the component.

[Modification 3]
When a game is developed with a so-called media mix and there is a character defined for a story corresponding to the game, or when an event or a collaboration campaign is carried out in the game, it is already recognized by the user Such appearance of a predetermined fixed character can improve the interest of the user.

  In the upbringing game of the above-described embodiment, such an effect mode is achieved by, for example, growing the target character into a fixed character at a predetermined growth stage when a predetermined condition is satisfied or the result of the lottery process is a win. This can be realized by controlling so as to.

  In the production mode, the constituent elements of all the parts determined for the fixed character are included in the constituent element candidate information 613, and when the constituent elements are included in the constituent element candidate information 613, the constituent elements constituting the character image are set. It may be realized by controlling so as to preferentially select. Alternatively, it is realized by controlling the constituent element candidate information 613 only to a plurality of constituent elements determined for the fixed character so that there is no other option related to the setting of the constituent elements constituting the character image. It may be.

  On the other hand, a fixed character that is already recognized by the user has a predetermined gender, which may be different from the gender of the target character. That is, in such a case, if a plurality of constituent elements of the fixed character are used in the configuration of the character image of the target character, a failure in the game may occur. Therefore, a fixed character such as an eye or a hairstyle as shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b), for example, as shown in FIGS. Some of the parts may be controlled to be changed to parts provided corresponding to the sex.

[Modification 4]
By the way, in order to recognize the connection between characters, for example, it is not limited to the fact that some components are made identical between the parent and the child. That is, as in the above-described embodiment, any element of a similar character that is configured by being derived with a parent-child relationship appears in a second-generation inherited form in the constituent elements of the progeny character. May be.

  For example, although it is a component used for the parent character of the target character, it may be configured to be selected as a component of the child character while not being selected as a component of the target character. Specifically, in the information addition to the constituent element candidate information 613 related to the target character, information that a part of the parent element used for the configuration of the character image of the parent character does not use for the configuration of the character image of the target character. You may make it include as a related non-component. At this time, in the setting of the component of each part part related to the character image of the target character, the control unit 101 treats the non-component as being not included in the component candidate information 613 but selected. On the other hand, in setting the constituent elements of the child character, the constituent element candidate information 613 of the target character that is the parent is also referred to, and when this includes a non-constituent element, the non-constituent element is designated as the child character. The component element information 612 may be used so as to be surely used for the configuration of the character image of the child character.

  In this way, it is possible to realize the succession of components across generations, and in the play of the breeding game related to the target character, to make the user nostalgic of the past breeding game and increase the interest in the game Can do.

  In the above-described example, in the third generation having a parent-child relationship of the parent character, the target character, and the child character, at least a part of the constituent elements of the parent character does not appear in the character image of the target character, Although described as appearing in an image, the practice of the invention is not limited to this. That is, a non-component inherited from a certain character does not have to be configured to appear in a character image of an affinity character that is free of one generation, but appears in a character image of an affinity character that is empty of two or more generations. It may be configured. In this case, for example, information for counting down the number of generations inherited until a non-component element appears in the character image is set, and at the time of adding information related to the component candidate candidate information 613 of the child character, the character of the parent character of the child character is set. When there is a non-component that is not counted 0 in the component candidate information 613, the non-component is added to the component candidate information 613 of the child character. The non-components may be controlled to be added to the component information 612 of the child character.

[Other Embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The game device according to the present invention can also be realized by a program that causes one or more computers to function as the game device. The program can be provided / distributed by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium or through a telecommunication line.

  100: Game device 101: Control unit 102: Recording medium 103: Memory 104: Element DB 105: Display control unit 106: Display unit 107: Playback control unit 108: Audio output unit 109: Operation Input unit, 110: communication unit

Claims (21)

A game device that provides a game in which the aspect of a target character can change,
The target character is associated with a first character having a first relationship, and is further provided with at least a first stage and a second stage in which the aspect changes,
The game device includes:
Setting means for setting each of a plurality of constituent elements according to an aspect for each of the target character and the first character;
Presenting means for presenting the target character in an aspect related to the plurality of components set by the setting means;
Character generation means for newly generating a second character having the first relationship for the target character;
Control means for controlling the setting means,
The setting means further sets at least one of the plurality of components of the first character as a non-component for the target character,
The control means sets at least one component of the target character from among a plurality of components of the first character, and sets the non-component of the target character as a plurality of components of the second character. controls so that the setting means is set to the components,
Among the plurality of constituent elements of the first character for the target character, the constituent elements are a plurality of constituent elements according to the first stage and a plurality of constituent elements according to the second stage. Different game devices.   In the transition from the first stage to the second stage, the appearance of the target character presented by the presentation means is a second aspect different from the first aspect from the first aspect before the transition. The game device according to claim 1, which changes to: The target character is an operation target character,
The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first character is an operation non-target character.   The control means determines the number of constituent elements set from among the plurality of constituent elements of the first character according to the second stage, and sets the plurality of constituent elements of the first character according to the first stage. The game device according to claim 1, wherein the game device is set to be larger than the number of components set from among the elements. Characters that can be made to appear in the game include fixed characters in which a plurality of components related to a predetermined stage are set in advance,
The control means controls the setting means to cause a plurality of constituent elements preset for the fixed character to be set to a plurality of constituent elements of the target character when the target character is the fixed character. Item 5. The game device according to any one of Items 1 to 4. The fixed character has a predetermined type,
In the case where the target character is the fixed character, the control means, if the type of the target character and the type of the fixed character are different, at least one of a plurality of components set in advance for the fixed character The game apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the setting unit is controlled to change a component to a component corresponding to the type of the target character and set the plurality of components of the target character. The component includes color information for determining the color of at least a part of the character's appearance,
The said presentation means presents the form of the said target character using the color determined based on the said color information contained in the some component of the said target character. Game device.   The game device according to claim 7, wherein the presenting unit changes and presents at least a part of colors of the appearance of the target character based on color information included in a game element acquired in the game.   9. The presenting means according to claim 8, wherein when the game element having the color information relating to the same color is continuously acquired a predetermined number of times, the presenting means changes and presents at least a part of the color of the character appearance. Game device. A list image generating means for generating a list image of characters having a relationship derived from the first relationship for the target character;
It said presenting means, the game device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 further presents the list image generated by the image list generation means. Said presenting means, said presenting the target character in a state capable of accepting an operation input relating to a game, according to claim 1 0 presenting the list image in the operation input of the non-reception state according to the game Game device. Determining means for determining whether or not the play content of the game satisfies a predetermined condition for the target character;
A character generating means for newly generating a second character having the first relationship for the target character when the determining means determines that the play content satisfies the predetermined condition;
Execution means for executing the game,
The execution means, the case where the second character is the character generating means is generated, the game according to claim 1 0 or 1 1 for executing the game to the character of the second and the new target character apparatus. The list image generation means indicates that the derivation having the first relationship is interrupted when the game is executed by the execution means with a character different from the second character as the new target character. the game device according to claim 1 2 to generate the list image by adding information. The list image generation means generates the list image presenting characters including the target character, the number of which is derived with the first relationship being equal to or less than a predetermined number of derivations,
The game device has a relationship derived from the first relationship that is no longer presented in the list image when the number derived from the first relationship exceeds the predetermined number of derivations. A first code generation means for generating a code indicating information of the character to be
Said presenting means, the game device according to any one of claims 1 0 to 1 3 to present a code generated by said first code generating means. A second code generating means for generating a code indicating information on the character that is derived from the first relationship;
It said presenting means, the game device according to any one of claims 1 0 to 1 4 to present a code generated by said second code generating means. Code presented by the presenting means, it is input at the external device, according to claim 1 4 or 1 5 including information for configuring the image list of characters derived have the first relationship The game device described in 1. There are a plurality of the first characters,
The control means controls the setting means to cause at least one constituent element of the target character to be set from among a plurality of constituent elements of at least one of the plurality of first characters. Item 17. The game device according to any one of Items 1 to 16 . The game device according to claim 17 , wherein the plurality of first characters include a character associated with the first character and a second relationship different from the first relationship. A communication means for acquiring information of the target character in the other game device from the other game device;
Wherein the plurality of first character, the game apparatus according to claim 1 7 or 1 8 comprising at least one of the target character in appeared in character, and the other game devices in the game. Presenting by the presenting means includes presenting a background image together with the appearance of the target character,
It said presenting means, the game device according to any one of claims 1 to 19 for presenting a background image, at least according to one of the plurality of components that are set by the setting unit per the target character. Program for causing a computer to function as each unit of the game device according to any one of claims 1 to 2 0.

Images