JP7220188B2 - Game control method, program, server and communication device - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to an image control method and program for controlling objects within a screen.

In recent years, various game programs that are executed on mobile terminals such as smartphones have been distributed. When executing a game on a mobile terminal, user operations are input using a touch panel. A command (instruction) for an object to be operated on the screen (also called a player character) is input through a touch operation on the screen. Touch operations include, for example, a short tap operation (hereinafter referred to as a “tap operation”), a long tap operation (hereinafter referred to as a “long press operation”), a slide operation, and the like.

In action games, it is necessary to control actions such as movement of objects and alignment of sights within a limited space on the screen. Therefore, a long press operation on the screen is used as one of the important operations that can be distinguished from a simple tap operation. For example, in Patent Document 1, a long-pressing operation puts an operating character into a charged state (a state in which energy is stored), and releasing the long-pressing operation causes the operating character to perform a charged attack (an attack using the released energy). is described.

JP 2020-28653 A

The technique described in Patent Literature 1 moves an operating character when a tap operation is detected, and executes a preparatory motion for a charge attack when a long press operation is detected. For example, in the technique described in Patent Literature 1, when a long press operation is started, the operation object performs a preparatory action for a charge attack (a charge action for accumulating energy). After that, when the long press operation is released (touched off), the operation object executes a charge attack against the attack target. However, Patent Literature 1 does not describe a method for canceling the long press operation that has been started. That is, with the technique described in Patent Literature 1, there is a problem that once a long press operation is started, the next operation cannot be performed unless the operation object executes a charge attack.

An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to cancel execution of an action associated with a long press operation by a simple operation.

An image control method according to an embodiment of the present invention acquires an input by a long press operation performed inside an operation area in a screen, and from a first contact point where the long press operation is started, the first touch obtaining an input by a sliding operation up to a second contact point located in an arbitrary direction with respect to a point and separated by an arbitrary distance, obtaining an input by canceling the long-pressing operation at the second contact point; When the second contact point is located inside the operation area, the object to be operated is caused to perform a predetermined action assigned to a series of operations composed of starting and releasing the long press operation, and the second contact point is is located outside the operation area, the object is not caused to perform the predetermined action.

In the above image control method, the object may be caused to perform a preparatory action for the predetermined action by using the input by the long press operation as a trigger.

In the above image control method, the direction in which the predetermined action is executed may change or the object may move while the preparatory action is maintained, according to the input by the slide operation.

In the above image control method, even when the slide operation straddles the inside of the operation area and the outside of the operation area, even if the direction in which the predetermined operation is performed changes while the preparatory operation is maintained. Alternatively, the object may move.

In the above image control method, the operation area may be an area preset within the screen.

In the above image control method, the operation area may be an area set within the screen triggered by an input by the long press operation.

In the above image control method, the operation area may be a circular area or a partial area of a circular area.

In the above image control method, the effect of the predetermined action may change according to the distance between the first contact point and the second contact point.

In the image control method described above, the operation area may be set at a lower portion of the screen, and an area outside the operation area may be set above the operation area within the screen.

In the above image control method, it may be notified whether or not the input by the slide operation is inside the operation area.

A program in one embodiment of the present invention causes a server or a control unit of a communication device to execute the image control method.

A server or communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit that executes the above image control method.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to cancel execution of an action associated with a long press operation by a simple operation.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication system according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a server in the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the game screen in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state in which long press operation was performed in the game screen in 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a slide operation is being performed while a long press operation is maintained on the game screen in the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a long press operation has been released inside the operation area on the game screen in the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a long press operation is released outside the operation area on the game screen in the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a flow chart diagram for explaining processing relating to a sniper action in the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which a slide operation is being performed while a long press operation is maintained on the game screen according to the second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which a slide operation is being performed inside the operation area while a long press operation is maintained on the game screen according to the third embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state in which a slide operation is being performed outside the operation area while a long press operation is maintained on the game screen in the third embodiment of the present invention;

An image control method (method for controlling game progress) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the invention can be embodied in many different ways. That is, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the descriptions of the embodiments shown below. In the drawings referred to in this embodiment, the same reference numerals or reference numerals with alphabets after the same reference numerals are used for the same portions or portions having similar functions, and repeated description thereof will be omitted.

In the specification and claims, each term is defined as follows.

"Object" means an image representing an object that is subject to manipulation or processing on a computer. For example, a player character image, which is an object to be operated by the user in the game screen, is an "object to be operated".

A “touch operation” refers to an operation performed by a user by touching a touch panel or the like on a screen with a finger, a stylus pen, or the like (hereinafter referred to as a “pointer”). A “tap operation” refers to a touch operation that takes a short time from the start of contact with a pointer to the release thereof. A “long press operation” refers to a touch operation that lasts longer than a tap operation from the start of the contact of the pointer to the release thereof. A “slide operation” refers to an operation of moving a contact point while maintaining the contact state of the pointer. A slide operation is also called a swipe operation.

A "program" refers to an instruction or group of instructions that are executed by a processor in a computer having a processor and memory. "Computer" is a general term that refers to an entity that executes a program. For example, a "computer" refers to the server (or client) if the program is executed by the server (or client). Also, when a "program" is executed by distributed processing between a server and a client, the "computer" includes both the server and the client. In this case, "programs" include "programs executed on the server" and "programs executed on the client." Similarly, when the "program" is distributed among multiple servers, the "computer" includes multiple servers, and the "program" includes each program executed by each server.

<First embodiment>
[Configuration of communication system]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication system 1000 according to the first embodiment of the invention. Communication system 1000 has communication device 100 and server 200 . Communication device 100 and server 200 are connected to a network NW such as the Internet or a communication line. A communication system 1000 is a client-server system including a communication device 100 as a client and a server 200 .

The communication device 100 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smart phone. The communication device 100 can communicate with the server 200 or other communication devices by connecting to the network NW. Communication device 100 is capable of installing a game program. By executing the game program installed in the communication device 100, a game is provided in which an object such as a character on the screen can be operated according to the user's operation.

The game program is downloaded from server 200 to communication device 100 via network NW. However, the game program may be installed in communication device 100 in advance. Furthermore, the game program may be provided in a state recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium, optical recording medium, magneto-optical recording medium, semiconductor memory, or the like. In this case, the communication device 100 may be an information processing device having a device for reading recording media.

The execution of the game program is executed by the communication device 100, by the server 200, or by sharing roles between the communication device 100 and the server 200 (so-called distributed processing). can also be taken.

The server 200 is an information processing device that provides game programs and various services to the communication device 100 . Various services include, for example, services such as login processing and synchronization processing when executing an online game in the communication device 100 . In addition, various services may include, for example, SNS (Social Networking Service). The game program is recorded in a storage device included in server 200, a recording medium readable by server 200, or a database connectable to server 200 via network NW. Although the server 200 is illustrated as a single information processing device in FIG. 1, it may be composed of a plurality of information processing devices.

[Configuration of communication device]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the communication device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The communication device 100 of the present embodiment includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a display unit 13, an operation unit 14, a sensor unit 15, an imaging unit 16, a position detection unit 17, a communication unit 18, a sound input/output unit 19, and a notification Including part 20 . However, communication device 100 is not limited to including all of these elements.

The control unit 11 includes a processor (arithmetic processing unit) such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage device such as a RAM. The control unit 11 causes the processor to execute programs stored in the storage unit 12 , thereby realizing various functions in the communication device 100 . Signals output from each element of the communication device 100 are used by various functions implemented in the communication device 100 .

The storage unit 12 is a recording device (recording medium) such as a non-volatile memory, a hard disk drive, or the like, capable of permanently holding information and rewriting information. The storage unit 12 stores programs and information such as parameters required for executing the programs. For example, the game program described above is stored in the storage unit 12 .

The display unit 13 has a display area for displaying various screens (for example, game screens) under the control of the control unit 11 . The display unit 13 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

The operation unit 14 is an operation device that outputs a signal (for example, a signal indicating a command or information) according to a user's operation to the control unit 11 . The operation unit 14 is a touch sensor arranged on the surface of the display unit 13 . The operation unit 14 constitutes a touch panel by being combined with the display unit 13 . A command or information according to a user's operation is input to the communication device 100 by touching the operation unit 14 with a user's finger or a pointing object such as a stylus pen. However, the operation unit 14 may include switches arranged on the housing of the communication device 100 .

The sensor unit 15 is a device having a function of collecting information about the movement of the communication device 100, the environment around the communication device 100, and the like, and converting the information into a signal. The sensor unit 15 of this embodiment is, for example, an acceleration sensor. The control unit 11 acquires information about movement (eg, tilt, vibration, etc.) of the communication device 100 based on the output signal of the sensor unit 15 . However, the sensor unit 15 may include an illuminance sensor, a temperature sensor, a magnetic sensor, and other sensors.

The imaging unit 16 is an imaging device (camera) that converts an image of an imaging target into a signal. The communication device 100 generates image files (including still image files and moving image files) based on the imaging signal output from the imaging section 16 . The imaging unit 16 also functions as a scanner that reads identification codes such as one-dimensional codes or two-dimensional codes.

Position detector 17 detects the position of communication device 100 based on the position information. The position detection unit 17 of the present embodiment detects the position of the communication device 100 using GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

The communication unit 18 is a wireless communication module that connects to the network NW under the control of the control unit 11 to transmit and receive information to and from other communication devices such as the server 200 connected to the network NW. The communication unit 18 may include a communication module that performs infrared communication, short-range wireless communication, and the like.

The sound input/output unit 19 inputs and outputs sound. For example, sound input is performed by a microphone of the sound input/output unit 19 . Sound output is performed by the speaker of the sound input/output unit 19 . The sound input/output unit 19 can be used not only for communication with other communication devices, but also for collecting external sounds or outputting sounds or sound effects accompanying the progress of the game.

The notification unit 20 notifies the user of the state of the communication device 100 by visual, auditory, or tactile methods. Specifically, the notification unit 20 notifies the user of the state of the communication device 100 using light, sound, or vibration. For example, the notification unit 20 can notify the user of the presence or absence of communication with an external device by blinking a lamp or vibrating the entire housing. Vibration of the entire housing is performed by the vibrator of the notification unit 20 . In addition, the notification unit 20 can also notify the user of the transition of the screen state and the like as the game progresses. For example, the notification unit 20 can use light, sound, or vibration to notify the user that the touch operation has satisfied a predetermined condition.

[Server configuration]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server 200 according to the first embodiment of the invention. The server 200 of this embodiment includes a control section 21 , a storage section 22 and a communication section 23 .

The control unit 21 includes an arithmetic processing circuit (control device) such as a CPU and a storage device such as a RAM. The control unit 21 causes the CPU to execute a program stored in the storage unit 22 to realize various functions in the server 200 . Signals output from each element of the server 200 are used by various functions implemented in the server 200 .

The storage unit 22 is a recording device (recording medium) such as a non-volatile memory, a hard disk drive, or the like, capable of permanently holding information and rewriting information. The storage unit 22 stores programs and information such as parameters required for executing the programs. For example, the game program described above is stored in the storage unit 22 . Further, the storage unit 22 stores various information received from another device (for example, the communication device 100) via the network NW.

The communication unit 23 is a wireless communication module that connects to the network NW under the control of the control unit 21 and transmits and receives information to and from other devices such as the communication device 100 and other servers connected to the network NW. . Examples of other servers include game servers, SNS servers, and mail servers.

[Game screen configuration]
The game screen GS described below is obtained by executing a game program read from the storage unit 22 by the control unit 21 (specifically, the processor included in the control unit 21) of the server 200 shown in FIG. It is displayed on the display unit 13 of the device 100 . However, the control unit 11 (specifically, the processor included in the control unit 11) of the communication device 100 shown in FIG. A screen GS may be displayed.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of the game screen GS in the first embodiment of the invention. The communication device 100 is a mobile terminal such as a smart phone. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the mobile terminal is held with one hand (specifically, the right hand) and the game is operated with one hand. A game screen GS is displayed on the display unit 13 of the communication device 100 . A touch sensor is arranged as the operation unit 14 in substantially the same area as the display unit 13 .

The game screen GS shown in FIG. 4 includes a background image BG, a player character image PC, and an enemy character image EC. The background image BG is an image representing a background such as the ground, buildings, sky, and the like. The player character image PC is an image representing an object operated by the user (object to be operated). The enemy character image EC is an image representing an object (non-operated object) operated by a computer or another user. However, the game screen GS is merely an example, and the enemy character image EC may be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4, an operation area OA is set in advance at the bottom of the game screen GS. In this embodiment, a substantially semicircular area (specifically, a partial area of a circular area having a radius R with respect to the center O) is arranged as the operation area OA. When the operation area OA has an arc-shaped outer edge, there is an advantage that the later-described slide operation can be easily performed in all directions. However, without being limited to this example, a circular, elliptical, or polygonal area may be arranged as the operation area OA. In the case of this embodiment, since the operation area OA is provided within a range where the thumb of the hand holding the portable terminal can reach, operation with the thumb of one hand is easy. This is because when the mobile terminal is operated with one hand, the touch operation is basically performed with the thumb of the hand holding the mobile terminal. Note that FIG. 4 shows an example in which the player character image PC is displayed overlapping the operation area OA, but the player character image PC is displayed without overlapping (or slightly overlapping) the operation area OA. display) is also possible. In this case, it is possible to prevent the player character image PC from being hidden by the finger during operation.

In this embodiment, an input is performed on the operation area OA by a touch operation to operate the player character image PC. Specifically, the player character image PC is caused to perform different actions according to the combination of touch operations performed on the operation area OA. An example in which the player character image PC is made to execute a sniping motion as a predetermined motion will be described below.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which a long press operation has been performed on the game screen GS according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 5 shows a state in which an input is performed by a long press operation inside the operation area OA (in this embodiment, the side on which the player character image PC is located). Inside the operation area OA, a first contact point CP1 indicated by a circle surrounded by a dashed line corresponds to the starting point of the long press operation. In the present embodiment, since it is assumed that the user's finger performs a long press operation, the first contact point CP1 is illustrated as an area occupying a certain range.

In this embodiment, when an input by the user's long-pressing operation is obtained inside the operation area OA, the player character image PC is made to perform a preparatory motion for a sniping motion. Specifically, the player character image PC is displayed in a sniping posture with a gun in hand. In this embodiment, the state in which the player character image PC is in the sniping posture is called "sniper mode". That is, when the user performs a long press operation inside the operation area OA, the player character image PC transitions to the sniper mode.

An input by a long-press operation can be determined, for example, by determining whether or not a predetermined time has passed while the user's finger is kept in contact with the first contact point CP1 after the user's finger touches the first contact point CP1. In other words, when a predetermined time has passed since the finger touched the first contact point CP1, the player character image PC transitions to the sniper mode. Conversely, if the finger is removed from the screen before the predetermined time elapses, the player character image PC does not transition to the sniper mode.

In this embodiment, an example in which finger contact with the screen is treated as a touch operation is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, it is possible to determine that a touch operation has been performed when the distance between the screen and the finger becomes equal to or less than a predetermined distance. In this case, it may be determined that the finger has left the screen when the distance between the screen and the finger exceeds the aforementioned predetermined distance.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which a slide operation is performed while a long press operation is maintained on the game screen GS according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 6 shows the player character image PC aiming a gun at the enemy character image EC. In the present embodiment, it is possible to change the aim while maintaining the sniper posture by a slide operation (direction input operation) continuously performed from the long press operation.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which a sliding operation is performed toward a contact point CP at an arbitrary position after starting a long press operation at the first contact point CP1. In the present embodiment, the direction in which the player character image PC performs the sniper action moves by performing a slide operation in an arbitrary direction after performing a long press operation. At this time, even when the slide operation straddles the inside of the operation area OA and the outside of the operation area OA, the direction in which the sniper motion is executed can be changed while maintaining the sniper posture.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the slide operation is performed at the second contact point CP2 (the start point of the long press operation) located in an arbitrary direction and separated by an arbitrary distance from the first contact point CP1 (start point of the long press operation). release point). In other words, regarding the direction of the sniper action, there are no restrictions on the direction of the slide operation or the distance of the slide operation (length of sliding the finger), and it is possible to freely move the aim of the gun while maintaining the sniper posture. is.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the long press operation is released inside the operation area OA on the game screen GS according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, in FIG. 7, after the long press operation is started at the first contact point CP1, the slide operation causes the user's finger to move to the second contact point CP2 located inside the operation area 0A, It shows how the finger is separated from the game screen GS at the second contact point CP2. As shown in FIG. 7, when the first contact point CP1 and the second contact point CP2 are inside the operation area OA, the player character image PC performs a sniper motion toward the enemy character image EC.

In the present embodiment, the sniper action by the player character image PC is assigned to a series of operations consisting of starting and releasing the long press operation. Therefore, after the long-pressing operation is started, release of the long-pressing operation, that is, release of the user's finger from the game screen GS triggers a sniper action by the player character image PC. The “series of operations including start and release of the long-press operation” includes the case where the slide operation is performed between the start of the long-press operation and the release of the long-press operation. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the player character image PC transitions to the sniping mode when the long-pressing operation is started, determines the direction of the sniping motion according to the slide operation, and shoots when the long-pressing operation is released. perform an action.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the start of the long press operation is used as a trigger to cause the player character image PC to perform the preparatory motion for the sniping motion, and the cancellation of the long press operation is used as a trigger to perform the sniper motion. At this time, for example, when the enemy character image EC disappears after the start of the long press operation, the player character image PC may want to perform another action without executing the sniper action. In response to such a case, in the present embodiment, it is possible to cancel the sniper mode without executing the sniper action.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the long press operation is released outside the operation area OA on the game screen GS according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, in FIG. 8, after the long press operation is started at the first contact point CP1, the user's finger moves to the second contact point CP2 located outside the operation area OA by the slide operation, 2 It shows how the finger is separated from the screen at the contact point CP2. As shown in FIG. 8, when the second contact point CP2 is outside the operation area OA, the player character image PC cancels the sniper mode (changes the sniper posture) without executing a sniper motion toward the enemy character image EC. unlock). In the case of this embodiment, since the outer edge (boundary between the inner side and the outer side) of the operation area OA is arc-shaped, there is an advantage that the cancel operation can be performed on the extension line of the slide operation.

[Description of processing related to sniper motion]
FIG. 9 is a flow chart diagram for explaining processing relating to a sniper action in the first embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, an example in which the control unit 21 of the server 200 executes the processing of each step shown in FIG. 9 is shown. That is, each process shown in FIG. 9 is realized by the control unit 21 reading out and executing the game program stored in the storage unit 22 .

When the game program is executed, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the operation area OA of the game screen GS displayed on the display unit 13 of the communication device 100 has been long-pressed (step S101). Specifically, when the control unit 21 receives from the communication device 100 a signal indicating an input by a long-press operation (hereinafter referred to as a "long-press operation signal"), the first contact point CP1 included in the long-press operation signal is pressed. is inside the operation area OA, it is determined that an input by a long press operation performed inside the operation area OA has been acquired.

If the determination result in step S101 is YES, the control unit 21 transmits instruction data for causing the player character image PC to perform a preparatory motion for the sniper motion to the communication device 100 (step S102). The control unit 11 of the communication device 100 generates display data of the player character image PC based on the received instruction data. After that, the control unit 11 displays the player character image PC in the sniping posture on the display unit 13 based on the generated display data, as shown in FIG. 5, for example. If the determination result in step S101 is NO, the control section 21 returns to step S101 again.

Next, the control unit 21 determines whether or not a slide operation has been performed on the game screen GS (step S103). Specifically, when the control unit 21 receives a signal (hereinafter referred to as a “slide operation signal”) indicating an input by a slide operation (specifically, movement of the contact point CP) from the communication device 100, the slide operation is performed. It is determined that the input by is acquired.

If the determination result in step S103 is YES, the control unit 21 transmits instruction data for causing the player character image PC to perform the action of aiming the gun to the communication device 100 (step S104). Based on the received instruction data, the control unit 11 of the communication device 100 displays, on the display unit 13, the player character image PC performing the action of aiming the gun at the enemy character image EC, as shown in FIG. do. If the determination result in step S103 is NO, the control unit 21 proceeds to step S105 without going through step S104.

Next, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the long press operation has been released (step S105). Specifically, when the control unit 21 receives from the communication device 100 a signal indicating that the long-pressing operation has been released (hereinafter referred to as a “long-pressing release signal”), the control unit 21 acquires an input by releasing the long-pressing operation. It is determined that

When the determination result of step S105 is YES, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the long press operation has been released inside the operation area OA (step S106). When the determination result of step S105 is NO, the control unit 21 returns to step S103 again.

In step S106, if the coordinate information of the second contact point CP2 included in the long-press release signal is inside the operation area OA, the control unit 21 determines that the long-press operation has been released inside the operation area OA. do. On the other hand, if the coordinate information of the second contact point CP2 included in the long-press release signal is outside the operation area OA, the control unit 21 determines that the long-press operation has been released outside the operation area OA.

If the determination result in step S106 is YES, the control unit 21 transmits instruction data for causing the player character image PC to execute the sniper action to the communication device 100 (step S107). Based on the received instruction data, the control unit 11 of the communication device 100 displays the player character image PC aiming at the enemy character image EC on the display unit 13, as shown in FIG. 7, for example.

On the other hand, if the determination result in step S106 is NO, that is, if the long-pressing operation is canceled outside the operation area OA, the control unit 21 performs a command for canceling the sniping posture of the player character image PC. The instruction data is transmitted to the communication device 100 (step S108). The control unit 11 of the communication device 100 cancels the sniper posture of the player character image PC based on the received instruction data, as shown in FIG. 8, for example. That is, when the long-pressing operation is canceled outside the operation area OA, the sniping action by the player character image PC is not executed, and the sniper mode is cancelled.

As described above, in the present embodiment, even if the long-pressing operation is once started inside the operation area OA, the long-pressing operation is canceled outside the operation area OA, thereby performing the sniper action. It is possible to cancel sniper mode without Therefore, when it becomes necessary to perform another action after the player character image PC transitions to the sniping mode, the other action can be performed without performing a useless sniper action.

(Modification 1)
In the present embodiment, "an example operation consisting of starting and releasing a long press" may include "charge attack motion" in addition to "sniper motion". For example, the player character image PC performs a charging action (an action to store energy) by starting a long-pressing operation, determines the direction of the charging attack by a sliding operation, and executes the charging attacking action by canceling the long-pressing operation. You may In this case, when the long-pressing operation is canceled outside the operation area OA, the player character image PC is released from the charge action without performing the charge attack action, and returns to the normal state.

(Modification 2)
In the present embodiment, it is visually perceptible that a long press operation is being performed around the contact point TP (including the first contact point CP1 and the second contact point CP2) where the user's finger touches the game screen GS. An identification image may be displayed. The identification image may be, for example, an image representing a plurality of rings spreading like ripples. Also, for example, an effect image may be displayed around the player character image PC to give a visual effect of concentrating energy. Thereby, the user can intuitively recognize that the input by the long press operation is continuing.

(Modification 3)
In this embodiment, the direction in which the sniper action is executed (that is, the direction in which the bullet fired from the gun flies) is determined according to the direction in which the slide operation is performed. However, in addition to this, it is also possible to change the effect of the sniper action according to the distance at which the slide operation is performed. For example, the effect of the sniper action (for example, the amount of damage given to the enemy character when hit by a bullet, or the flying distance of the bullet) may be increased as the distance of the slide operation increases. Also, as in Modification 1, when a charge attack is performed by a long press operation, the longer the distance of the slide operation, the greater the power of the charge attack.

(Modification 4)
In this embodiment, an example in which the operation area OA is set in advance in the lower part of the game screen GS is shown, but it is not limited to this example. For example, the operation area OA may be set with the first contact point CP1 as a reference, triggered by acquisition of an input by a long press operation. For example, when an input by a long press operation is acquired, the operation area OA may be a circular area centered on the first contact point CP1, a partial area of the circular area, an elliptical area, or a polygonal area. may be set. Furthermore, the size of the operation area OA is not limited to being constant, and may change over time. For example, the operation area OA may have a diameter that changes according to the duration of the long press operation. Specifically, the diameter of the operation area OA may increase as the duration of the long-pressing operation increases, or conversely, the diameter may decrease as the duration of the long-pressing operation increases.

In the case of this embodiment, the operation area OA is a point-symmetrical area centered on the first contact point CP1, or a line passing through the first contact point CP1 and parallel to the longitudinal direction or the lateral direction of the game screen GS. It is preferable that the region is axisymmetric with respect to the minute. When the operation area OA has symmetry, the outer edge of the operation area OA is positioned at the same distance regardless of whether the slide operation is performed in any direction, front, rear, left, or right, thereby improving operability.

(Modification 5)
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the long-pressing operation has been released in step S105, and then determines whether the long-pressing operation has been released inside the operation area OA in step S106. An example of determination is shown. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this example, and the control unit 21 can always monitor whether or not the contact point CP is inside the operation area OA.

For example, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the contact point CP is inside the operation area OA between steps S104 and S105 shown in FIG. The determination result at this time is stored in the storage unit 22 as a flag. After that, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the long press operation has been canceled in step S105. When the determination result of step S105 is YES, the control unit 21 reads the flag of the storage unit 22 described above. At this time, if the contact point CP is inside the operation area OA, the process proceeds to step S107, and if it is outside, the process proceeds to step S108.

<Second embodiment>
In this embodiment, an example will be described in which an action associated with a slide operation is executed in a manner different from that of the first embodiment. In the drawings used to describe this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements as in the first embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

In the first embodiment, after the player character image PC transitions to the sniper mode, the slide operation is performed to aim the gun (preparation for the sniper action). In contrast, in the present embodiment, the player character image PC is moved by the slide operation after the player character image PC transitions to the sniper mode. Specifically, the position of the player character image PC is moved according to the direction and distance of the slide operation.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a slide operation is performed while a long press operation is maintained on the game screen GS according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 shows an example in which the slide operation is performed from the first contact point CP1 to the contact point CP. In this embodiment, this slide operation causes the player character image PC to move toward the enemy character image EC while maintaining the sniping posture. The state shown in FIG. 5 is the state before the slide operation, and the state shown in FIG. 10 is the state after the slide operation. Here, an example is shown in which the player character image PC moves toward the enemy character image EC, but the player character image PC can also move in the horizontal direction.

In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the player character image PC moves toward the enemy character image EC and aims at the enemy character image EC by the slide operation, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the gun may be automatically aimed at the enemy character image EC when the player character image PC assumes a sniping posture in response to a long press operation. In this case, the slide operation causes the player character image PC to move freely while keeping the aim of the gun (or the orientation of the body) always directed toward the enemy character image EC. For example, when the player character image PC is moved in the left-right direction, the player character image PC moves on an arc centered on the enemy character image EC while the aim of the gun is aimed at the enemy character image EC.

<Third Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, it is explained that the player character image PC cancels the sniper mode without executing the sniper motion when the second contact point CP2 for releasing the long press operation is outside the operation area OA. bottom. When operating a touch panel, the touch point (touch position) cannot be determined by touch. Therefore, it may be difficult to judge whether the contact point CP during the slide operation is inside or outside the operation area OA only by visual observation.

In this embodiment, when the player character image PC is in the sniper mode (that is, when a long press operation is performed), whether or not the contact point CP of the user's finger is inside the operation area OA is determined. An example of notifying will be described. In the drawings used to describe this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements as in the first embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which a slide operation is being performed inside the operation area OA while a long press operation is maintained on the game screen GS according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, when the player character image PC shifts to the preparatory motion in response to the long-pressing operation, the game screen GS changes to the bird's-eye view screen shown in FIG. ) to the scope screen (a screen that expresses the situation as if you were looking through the scope of a gun). On the scope screen, when a slide operation is performed while the long-press operation is maintained, the content of the scope screen (specifically, the position in the virtual space of the aiming area SR described later) changes.

In the example shown in FIG. 11, since the contact point CP is inside the operation area OA, the player character image PC performs a sniper motion when the finger is released from the game screen GS at this timing. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 11, the characters "Aim" are displayed inside the sighting area SR (the area where the gun is aimed) to indicate that it is possible to shift to the sniper action. Since the user's line of sight is easily directed to the aiming area SR, the number of times the user's line of sight moves can be reduced by displaying the characters "Aim" inside the aiming area SR. When the sniper action is executed, the game screen GS is returned to the bird's-eye view screen again.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which a slide operation is being performed outside the operation area OA while a long press operation is maintained on the game screen GS according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the example shown in FIG. 12, since the contact point CP is outside the operation area OA, if the finger is removed from the game screen GS at this timing, the player character image PC cancels the sniper mode without executing the sniper motion. . Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 12, the characters "Aim" are not displayed inside the aiming area SR, indicating that the transition to the sniper action is impossible. When the sniper mode is canceled, the game screen GS is returned to the bird's-eye view screen. In the state shown in FIG. 12, when the contact point CP returns to the inside of the operation area OA by the slide operation, the characters "Aim" are displayed again inside the aiming area SR.

As described above, in FIGS. 11 and 12, the character "Aim" functions as an identification display that notifies whether or not the input by the slide operation is inside the operation area OA. In this embodiment, when the player character image PC is in the sniper mode and the contact point CP is inside the operation area OA, the identification display is continued. Therefore, by visually recognizing the identification display, the user can determine whether the contact point CP during the slide operation is inside or outside the operation area OA.

11 and 12, inside the aiming area SR, it is indicated whether or not the input by the slide operation is inside the operation area OA (that is, whether the contact point CP is inside or outside the operation area OA). Although an example of performing identification display for notification has been shown, the identification display is not limited to this example, and identification display may be performed at an arbitrary position on the game screen GS. In particular, it is preferable to perform identification display at a position in the game screen GS where the user's line of sight is likely to turn (for example, near the enemy character image EC), because the number of times the user's line of sight moves can be reduced. In addition, the identification display is not limited to the mode of displaying characters, and can be performed in various modes that are easy for the user to recognize, such as blinking the enemy character image EC or changing the display color of the aiming area SR. . Further, notification of whether the contact point CP is inside or outside the operation area OA is not limited to the example of switching display/non-display of the characters "Aim", and is not limited to the example of switching the display/non-display of the characters "Aim In" or "Aim Out". Different representations may be used.

Further, the means for informing whether or not the input by the slide operation is inside the operation area OA is not limited to the mode of displaying the identification on the game screen GS. For example, when the player character image PC is in sniper mode, if the contact point CP is inside the operation area OA, the function of the notification unit 20 of the communication device 100 (specifically, the vibrator function) is used to may vibrate. In addition, using the function (specifically, the speaker function) of the sound input/output unit 19 of the communication device 100, the presence inside the operation area OA (or outside the operation area OA) is notified by sound. You may

As described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to notify whether or not the input by the slide operation is inside the operation area OA by visual means, auditory means, or tactile means. This allows the user to easily determine whether the contact point CP during the slide operation is inside or outside the operation area OA.

<Fourth Embodiment>
In the first to third embodiments, the example in which the server 200 performs the processing of the action executed by the object to be operated in the game processing has been described. However, the control unit 11 of the communication device 100 may execute the process of executing the action of the object without being limited to this example. In this case, the control unit 11 of the communication device 100 acquires the operation input by the user and executes the operation performed by the object to be operated, and the server 200 performs synchronization processing with other users. Just do it.

As another example, it is also possible to execute execution processing of an action executed by an object as distributed processing between communication device 100 and server 200 .

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, based on each embodiment (including modifications), those skilled in the art appropriately add, delete, or change the design of the components are within the scope of the present invention as long as they have the gist of the present invention. included. Furthermore, the embodiments described above can be appropriately combined as long as there is no contradiction, and technical matters common to each embodiment are included in each embodiment without explicit description.

Even if there are other effects that are different from the effects brought about by the aspects of each embodiment described above, those that are obvious from the description of this specification or those that can be easily predicted by those skilled in the art are of course It is understood that it is provided by the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Communication apparatus, 11... Control part, 12... Storage part, 13... Display part, 14... Operation part, 15... Sensor part, 16... Imaging part, 17... Position detection part, 18... Communication part, 19... Sound input Output unit 20 Notification unit 200 Server 21 Control unit 22 Storage unit 23 Communication unit 30 Identification image 40 Operation table 41, 42 Items 41a to 41c Entry 1000 Communication system, NW: network, GS: game screen, BG: background image, PC: player character image, EC: enemy character image, OA: operation area, CP: contact point

Claims (12)

A game control method for causing a player character image to perform different actions according to a combination of touch operations performed on an operation area within a screen, comprising:
obtain an input from a long press operation initiated at any position inside the operation area;
causing the player character image to perform a preparatory motion for a predetermined motion when the input by the long-pressing operation is acquired ;
Acquiring an input by a slide operation from the first contact point, which is the starting point of the long press operation, to a second contact point located in an arbitrary direction with respect to the first contact point and separated by an arbitrary distance,
Acquiring an input by releasing the long press operation at the second contact point,
When the second contact point is located inside the operation area including the first contact point, the predetermined action assigned to a series of operations composed of starting and releasing the long press operation is performed on the player character image. and canceling the preparatory motion and not causing the player character image to perform the predetermined motion when the second contact point is positioned outside the operation area. 2. The game control method according to claim 1, wherein the direction in which the predetermined action is executed changes or the player character image moves while the preparatory action is maintained in accordance with the input by the slide operation. Even when the slide operation straddles the inside of the operation area and the outside of the operation area, the direction in which the predetermined action is executed changes while the preparatory action is maintained, or the player character image changes. 3. A game control method according to claim 2, wherein the game is moved. 4. The game control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said operation area is an area set in advance within said screen. 5. The game control method according to claim 1, wherein said operation area is a circular area or a partial area of a circular area. 6. The game control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the effect of said predetermined action changes according to the distance between said first contact point and said second contact point. The operation area is set at the bottom of the screen,
7. The game control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an area outside said operation area is set above said operation area in said screen. 8. The game control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein it is notified whether or not the input by said slide operation is inside said operation area. A program for causing a control unit of a server to execute the game control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8. A program for causing a control unit of a communication device to execute the game control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8. A server comprising a control unit that executes the game control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8. A communication device comprising a control unit that executes the game control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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