JP7515034B1 - PROGRAM, INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a program, an information processing system, and an information processing method that improve convenience for players watching a match.
[Solution] It is possible to select whether the spectator performance that allows the player to watch a match is executed in a full spectator pattern or a short spectator pattern. When the spectator performance is executed in the full spectator pattern, multiple performance parts that make up the spectator performance are executed in a predetermined order, and when a skip input is made while the spectator performance is being executed, a process is executed to skip from the currently executing performance part to the next performance part. When the spectator performance is executed in the short spectator pattern, some of the multiple performance parts that make up the spectator performance are omitted when the spectator performance is executed.
[Selected figure] Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a program, an information processing system, and an information processing method for a game in which multiple characters compete against each other.

Horse racing games in which a character based on a racehorse is trained and competes against other characters in races, and sports games in which a character based on a baseball player or soccer player is trained and competes in matches, are known in the past. In these games, there are information processing devices that have the function of allowing the player to watch the content of the matches (see Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 7015404

In games in which such matches are played, even if a function is provided that allows players to watch matches, the time required for watching can be a burden for the player, and players may avoid using the function. For example, a player with plenty of time can enjoy watching the match while carefully examining the content of the match without worrying about the viewing time, but for a player with limited time, watching scenes that they consider unnecessary can be a source of stress. Furthermore, even if the function for watching matches allows players to skip some scenes, the effort required to input information to skip scenes can be a source of stress for the player.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a program, information processing system, and information processing method that improves the convenience of players watching a match.

(1) The present invention relates to a program for a game in which a battle between multiple characters is played, the program making a computer function as a game calculation unit that performs calculations related to the battle based on information linked to each of the multiple characters, and a performance execution unit that executes a game performance in which the battle is watched based on the results of the calculation, the performance execution unit being able to select whether the game performance is executed according to a first pattern or a second pattern, when the game performance is executed according to the first pattern, the program executes multiple performance parts constituting the game performance in a predetermined order, and when a specific input is made during the execution of the game performance, executes a process to skip from the currently executed performance part to the next performance part, and when the game performance is executed according to the second pattern, the program executes the game performance by omitting some of the performance parts constituting the game performance.

(2) In the present invention, when the presentation execution unit executes the game presentation in the first pattern, it may be possible to interrupt a specific presentation part related to a character that satisfies a specific condition into a presentation part that is being executed, and when the game presentation is executed in the second pattern, it may omit the execution of the specific presentation part.

(3) In the present invention, when the presentation execution unit executes the game presentation in the first pattern, the presentation execution unit may be capable of accepting an input to select whether or not to execute the specific presentation part.

(4) In the present invention, the performance execution unit may display an icon indicating the establishment of the specific condition when the specific condition is established, regardless of whether the specific condition is the first pattern or the second pattern.

(5) In the present invention, the performance execution unit may display an icon indicating the fulfillment of the specific condition that identifies the character related to the fulfillment of the specific condition.

(6) The present invention relates to an information processing system for a game in which a battle between multiple characters takes place, the information processing system including a game calculation unit that performs calculations related to the battle based on information associated with each of the multiple characters, and a performance execution unit that executes a game performance that allows the player to watch the battle based on the results of the calculation, the performance execution unit being able to select whether the game performance is executed according to a first pattern or a second pattern, and when the game performance is executed according to the first pattern, the system executes multiple performance parts that make up the game performance in a predetermined order, and when a specific input is made during the execution of the game performance, executes a process to skip from the currently executed performance part to the next performance part, and when the game performance is executed according to the second pattern, the system executes the game performance by omitting some of the performance parts that make up the game performance.

(7) The present invention relates to an information processing method for a game in which a battle between multiple characters is played, the information processing method including a game calculation step of performing calculations related to the battle based on information associated with each of the multiple characters, and a presentation execution step of executing a game presentation for allowing a player to watch the battle based on the results of the calculation, the presentation execution step allowing the player to select whether the game presentation is to be executed according to a first pattern or a second pattern, and when the game presentation is executed according to the first pattern, a plurality of presentation parts constituting the game presentation are executed in a predetermined order, and when a specific input is made during the execution of the game presentation, a process is executed to skip from the currently executed presentation part to the next presentation part, and when the game presentation is executed according to the second pattern, some of the presentation parts constituting the game presentation are omitted when the game presentation is executed.

In the program, information processing system, and information processing method of the present invention, when the game presentation for watching the match is executed in the first pattern, if a specific input is made during the execution of the game presentation, it is possible to skip from the currently executed presentation part to the next presentation part, and when the game presentation is executed in the second pattern, some of the presentation parts constituting the game presentation are omitted to execute the game presentation. That is, in the first pattern, the time required to watch the match can be shortened by the player making a specific input, and in the second pattern, the match can be watched in a state in which the time required to complete the execution of the game presentation is shortened in advance without the need for a specific input. And in the program, information processing system, and information processing method of the present invention, by making it possible to select whether the game presentation is executed in the first pattern or the second pattern, it is possible to watch the match in an appropriate amount of time for the player, and to improve the convenience of the player in watching the match.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the information processing system. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a server in the information processing system. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an event parameter update setting table and an event skill setting table. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a player terminal in the information processing system. A diagram simply explaining the progress of the production part in the spectator production. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a competition race event. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a progress flow of the main stage in a competitive racing event. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an event top screen displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a race character confirmation dialogue displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a skill acquisition effect executed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a race preparation dialogue displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a race preparation dialogue displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a race preparation dialogue displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a race entry confirmation dialogue displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a base screen displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 shows a scene from a race video displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 shows a scene from a race video displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an effect display relating to the race entry reward executed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a set end screen displayed on the player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a rank promotion effect executed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a notation character selection dialogue displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a notation character confirmation dialogue displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a progress flow relating to preparation for holding an extra stage in a competitive racing event. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a ranking announcement dialogue displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the progress flow of an extra stage in a competitive racing event. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an event top screen displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a race entry registration screen displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a race registration confirmation dialogue displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an EX stage participation reward dialogue displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an event top screen displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a race list screen displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a race list screen displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a support reward receiving dialogue displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a race playback confirmation dialogue displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a scene of a spectator presentation just before the start of a race that is displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a camera setting dialogue displayed on the player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a presentation executed on a player terminal that displays a list of participating characters. FIG. 13 shows a scene from a race video displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a race result display screen displayed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a support target process effect executed on a player terminal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a spectator reward receiving dialogue displayed on a player terminal.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the embodiment described below does not unduly limit the content of the invention described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the embodiment are necessarily essential components of the present invention.

1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall hardware configuration of an information processing system 10 according to this embodiment. In the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment, a server 20 and player terminals 40 are connected via a network 30 such as the Internet, a mobile phone network, a LAN, or a WAN, and a so-called client-server type communication system is constructed.

The server 20 includes a CPU 21 (control unit), a ROM 22, a RAM 23, a communication unit 24, and a storage device 25.

The CPU 21 reads out the programs and data stored in the ROM 22 and executes various processes. The RAM 23 is used as a temporary storage area such as the main memory and work area of the CPU 21. The communication unit 24 is composed of a communication module and a communication interface, and performs communication processing with the player terminal 40 and other external devices via the network 30. The storage device 25 is an auxiliary storage device such as a flash memory, HDD, or SSD, and stores programs related to the game, identification information such as the ID of the player using the player terminal 40, and various other information required for the game for each player.

The player terminal 40 is a device for playing the game according to this embodiment, and may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer, a portable game machine, or a stationary game machine installed in a store or at home. The player terminal 40 includes a CPU/GPU 41 (control unit), a ROM 42, a RAM 43, a communication unit 44, an operation/input unit 45, a display unit 46, a storage device 47, and a speaker 48.

The CPU/GPU 41 reads out the programs and data stored in the ROM 42 into the RAM 43 and executes various processes. The ROM 42 stores the programs necessary to operate the player terminal 40. A flash memory (NVRAM) may be used instead of the ROM 42. The RAM 43 is used as a temporary storage area such as the main memory and work area of the CPU/GPU 41. The communication unit 44 is composed of a communication module and a communication interface, and performs communication processing with the server 20 and other external devices (including other player terminals 40) via the network 30. The operation/input unit 45 is a device that accepts various operations and inputs by the player, and corresponds to a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, a game controller, a microphone, etc. In addition, when the display unit 56 is a display panel equipped with a touch panel, the touch panel is included in the operation/input unit 45. The display unit 46 is a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays various information such as game images provided by the information processing system 10 of this embodiment. The storage device 47 is an auxiliary storage device such as a flash memory, HDD, or SSD, and mainly stores programs related to the game and various data related to the game. The speaker 48 is a device that outputs background music and various sounds of the game provided by the information processing system 10 of this embodiment.

The functions and processing of the player terminal 40 are realized by the CPU/GPU 41 reading a program stored in the ROM 22 or the storage device 47 and executing this program. The CPU/GPU 41 may also read a program stored in a recording medium that is removable from the player terminal 40 and execute this program. The program may be supplied to the player terminal 40 in the form of a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM on which the program is recorded, or a transmission medium such as the Internet for transmitting the program. In this embodiment, the player terminal 40 is described as being a smartphone equipped with a display panel equipped with a touch panel.

The information processing system 10 of this embodiment has a function of providing, through the player terminal 40, a game in which a character (an example of a game medium) based on a racehorse motif is raised and the raised character is entered in races to compete against other characters. The information processing system 10 of this embodiment has a raising function for raising characters and a competition function for pitting the raised character against other characters in races, and the following describes a case in which the raising function and the competition function are mainly realized by the player terminal 40. However, the functions described above may be mainly realized by the server 20, or may be shared between the server 20 and the player terminal 40.

In addition, the information processing system 10 of this embodiment can provide a competition race event that is held for a limited time as a competition function, and the competition race event has a main stage (an example of the first stage) and an extra stage (EX stage: an example of the second stage), and players with high performance in the main stage can advance to the extra stage.

Figure 2 is a functional block diagram showing the main functions of server 20.

The server 20 in the information processing system 10 has the function of managing players, characters, etc. using various identification information, the function of performing calculations necessary for the progress of the game in response to requests from the player terminal 40, and the function of transmitting the calculation results to the player terminal 40. These functions are realized by the server data storage unit 50 and the game calculation unit 60 working together.

The server data storage unit 50 includes a player management database 51, and is realized mainly by the storage device 25. In this embodiment, a character list, an item list, a development target list, and the like are stored in the player management database 51, linked to a player ID assigned to each player.

The character list includes, for example, an individual character ID given to each trained character, a character type ID indicating the type of character, the character's status (rarity, evaluation points, course suitability, distance suitability, running style suitability, running style, speed, stamina, power, tenacity, intelligence, possessed skills, acquired titles, factor information), lock status (locked, unlocked), and the character's training history (training conditions (such as information on the selection of inherited characters and information on the formation of support items), and the results of races run during training).

In this embodiment, a "trained character" refers to a character that has been trained using a training function, which is one of the game functions implemented by the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, and whose training has ended and whose status has been confirmed.

In addition, in this embodiment, there is a "character individual ID" and a "character type ID", but the difference between them is as follows:

First, the "character individual ID" is an ID that is assigned when character training is completed in the training function and the trained character is registered in the character list, and is used to identify each trained character linked to the player ID.

In addition, in this embodiment, the training function allows the player to select the character to be trained from multiple types of characters, and the "character type ID" is an ID assigned to identify the type of character to be trained.

The "locked state" indicates whether or not a trained character is prohibited from being transferred (deleted from the character list); if unlocked, it can be transferred, and if locked, it cannot be transferred. Examples of situations in which a character is locked include when the player selects an individual character from a list of trained characters, or when a trained character is registered to run in a race.

The training target list stores data in which either released or not released information is associated with a character type ID. In this embodiment, characters associated with released information in the training target list are characters that the player can select as a training target in the training function. Also in this embodiment, it is possible to release new characters by using release items or a character acquisition lottery, and the number of characters that can be selected as a training target varies depending on the player. Below, characters that can be selected as a training target in the training function may be referred to as released characters.

The item list includes data on the items, enhancement points, trainer points (TP), and in-game currency owned by the player. In this embodiment, for example, the items owned and the amount of items owned, the amount of enhancement points owned, the amount of trainer points (TP), the amount of in-game currency owned, etc. are stored as an item list in the player management database 51.

In this embodiment, items are used, for example, to support character development or to change the starting conditions of a race, and can be acquired based on the results of a race or by spending in-game currency.

In addition, strengthening points can be used, for example, to strengthen support items that aid in character development, and the stronger the support items are, the more advantageous the character's development environment will be.

Trainer Points (TP) are points used to train characters using the training function, and when you start training, you can start training a character by consuming the amount of Trainer Points (TP) required for one training session.

The factor information is information that is linked to a trained character when the character is trained using the training function. In this embodiment, when training a character using the training function, a factor inheritance event occurs as a game event for status reinforcement that affects the abilities of the character being trained, such as increasing the acquired skill level or increasing performance parameters, based on the factor information linked to the trained character selected as the inheritance character.

There are four types of factor information: blue factors, red factors, inherent factors, and white factors. Each factor information has three levels, and the higher the factor level, the more advantageous the effect on status reinforcement. Factor types are further classified into blue factors, red factors, inherent factors, and white factors. Blue factors are factor information named after performance parameters, and affect performance parameters. The higher the factor level, the higher the increase in performance parameters. Red factors are factor information named after course suitability, distance suitability, or running style suitability, and affect course suitability, distance suitability, or running style suitability. The higher the factor level, the easier it is to increase suitability in factor inheritance events. Inheritance factors are factor information named after inherent skills, and allow the inherited character to acquire inherent skills. The higher the factor level, the easier it is to increase the acquisition level of inherent skills. The acquisition level of a skill affects the amount of skill points consumed when acquiring a skill, and the higher the acquisition level, the fewer skill points consumed. White factors are factor information that do not belong to any of the blue factors, red factors, or inherent factors, and include skill factors, race factors, and scenario factors. Skill factors are factor information named after the name of a skill, which makes it easier to increase the acquisition level of normal skills (skills other than inherent skills), and exist for each type of skill. Race factors are factor information named after the name of a race, which makes it easier to increase at least one of the performance parameters and the acquisition level of normal skills, and the effect differs depending on the type of race. Scenario factors are factor information named after the training scenario, which is factor information related to the training scenario in which the character was trained. When a scenario factor is inherited in a factor inheritance event, multiple performance parameters can be greatly increased, and the increased performance parameters differ depending on the type of scenario factor. In addition, in the factor types described above, factor information is classified into six types: blue factors, red factors, inherent factors, skill factors, race factors, and scenario factors.

The server data storage unit 50 also includes a match management database 52, which stores data related to match race events. For example, data related to the match race event schedule, an event parameter update setting table, a rank point acquisition setting table, an event skill setting table, an event skill lottery table, a reward setting table, a matching ID for identifying a race, the player ID of a player participating in a match race event, the character ID of a trained character registered by a player to run in the match race event, the player's performance in the match race event (number of races, finishing order, etc.), the player's event parameter acquisition status, rank point acquisition status (the player's total acquired rank points and the total acquired rank points for each character type), the player's league rank, the number of participation tickets the player owns, etc. are stored.

Event parameters (an example of specific parameters) are parameters required to acquire event skills. When a race is run on the main stage of a race competition event, the event parameters corresponding to the race results are calculated by referring to the event parameter update setting table, and when one set (5 races) is completed, the update contents of one set of event parameters are notified to the player who requested to run in the race. Note that event parameters are updated on a race-by-race basis, and the acquired values of the event parameters may be displayed each time the race results of each race are displayed on the player terminal 40.

3A is a diagram showing an example of an event parameter update setting table. In the event parameter update setting table, the relationship between the acquisition conditions corresponding to the race results and the acquired values of the event parameters is set with an evaluation criterion (one example of a predetermined evaluation criterion) in which the lower the superiority of the match result, the higher the evaluation (the greater the amount of update of the event parameters). For example, the acquired value of the event parameters is set to be greater when the highest ranking in one race is third place than when the highest ranking in one race is second place. Also, for example, the acquired value of the event parameters is set to be greater when the highest ranking in one set of five races is second place or lower four times than when the highest ranking in one set of five races is second place or lower three times. In this embodiment, the total acquired value of the event parameters in one set of five races is the updated amount of the event parameters. The evaluation criterion for determining the acquired value of the event parameters can be set according to the type of game. For example, in a game in which the outcome of a match is determined by the score, such as a baseball game or a soccer game, the larger the score difference between the winner and the loser, the greater the acquired value of the event parameters that the loser can obtain. Also, for example, in games such as fighting games and other action games in which the remaining stamina of characters competing in a battle is related to victory or defeat, the event parameter update setting table can be set so that the greater the difference in remaining stamina between the winner and loser, the greater the event parameter acquisition value that the loser can obtain. Also, for example, in games in which the outcome of a battle is determined on the condition of a predetermined number of wins, the event parameter update setting table can be set so that the greater the difference in the number of wins between the winner and loser, the greater the event parameter acquisition value that the loser can obtain.

In addition, in the event parameter update setting table, the value of the event parameter corresponding to the race result is set so that additional event parameters can be obtained if the result of the match is a close defeat. In this embodiment, if the character that came in first is not the player's own character, but the player's own character comes in second by a nose, a head, or a neck behind the first-place character, it is determined that the match was a close defeat, and additional event parameter acquisition values can be obtained. The criteria for determining whether a match was a close defeat can be set according to the type of game. For example, in a game in which the outcome of the match is determined by the score, such as a baseball game or a soccer game, it can be determined that the match was a close defeat if the difference in the score between the winner and the loser is small (for example, a difference of one point). For example, in a game in which the remaining stamina of the characters competing in a match is related to the outcome of the match, such as a fighting game or other action game, it can be determined that the match was a close defeat if the difference in the remaining stamina between the winner and the loser is small (for example, less than 10% of the maximum stamina). Also, for example, in a game where the outcome of a match is determined based on a certain number of wins, if the difference in the number of wins between the winner and loser is small (for example, by one win), it can be determined that the loss was close.

The event parameter update setting table also has a setting that allows you to obtain an event parameter value by having participated in a race once, and you can obtain an event parameter value of "+1" or more in each of the five races in one set.

When an event parameter reaches a maximum value (e.g., 30: an example of a predetermined value), an event skill (an example of a special effect) is set to a player whose event parameter has reached the maximum value, which is selected randomly from multiple types of event skills. The player who has acquired the event skill can activate the effect of the event skill in one set of five races on the main stage. When an event skill is acquired, the event parameter is reset to an initial value (e.g., 0). Note that in this embodiment, a case is described in which an event skill is set in association with a player, but event skills may also be set in association with a team of three trained characters that will compete in a race, or event skills may be set in association with individual trained characters that will compete in a race.

Figure 3 (B) is a diagram showing the setting table of the event skills. In this embodiment, seven types of event skills are prepared, Event Skill 1 to Event Skill 7, and effects are set according to the type of skill. Some event skills are affected by race conditions (motivation, weather, course conditions, and frame number) that can be changed by the player at will by using items. To be more specific, for Event Skill 1, motivation affects skill activation, for Event Skill 2 and Event Skill 3, weather and course conditions affect skill activation, and for Event Skill 4 and Event Skill 5, frame number affects skill activation. For this reason, for Event Skill 1 to Event Skill 5, event skill corresponding items related to the establishment of the activation conditions (an example of a specific condition) are set. On the other hand, for Event Skill 6 and Event Skill 7, the activation conditions are not affected by the use of items, so no event skill corresponding items are set.

Rank points (an example of an evaluation value) are parameters for setting a player's league rank in the main stage, and each time a race is run in the main stage, rank points are awarded according to the race results. Rank points are referenced in the matching process in the main stage, and other players with a similar league rank to the player are matched as opponents. Rank points are also used to rank players after the end of the main stage period, and players whose rank points meet the conditions for participation in the extra stage can participate in races in the extra stage. In the rank point acquisition setting table, rank point values corresponding to the finishing order in the race are set using an evaluation criterion (an example of another evaluation criterion) in which the more excellent the battle results, the higher the evaluation (the more rank points are acquired).

League rank is information that serves as an indicator of potential opponents in the main stage, and league rank increases when rank points meet the promotion conditions. There are four league ranks: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum, and as your league rank increases, you can earn rank-up rewards.

The game calculation unit 60 performs calculations necessary for the game to proceed in response to a request from the player terminal 40, and performs processing such as transmitting the calculation results to the player terminal 40 and transmitting data necessary for the game to the player terminal 40 in response to a request from the player terminal 40, and is mainly realized by the CPU 21 and the communication unit 24. For example, when a training instruction request is received from the player terminal 40 in the training function, the game calculation unit 60 calculates whether the training is successful or unsuccessful, and transmits the calculation result to the player terminal 40. Also, for example, when a request for participation in a race is received in the training function, the game calculation unit 60 performs a race simulation using multiple characters including a character to be trained and a non-player character (NPC), and transmits the results of the race simulation to the player terminal 40. Also, for example, when a request for participation in a race is received in the battle function, the game calculation unit 60 performs a race simulation using multiple characters including a trained character organized by the player and a trained character organized by the opponent, and transmits the results of the race simulation to the player terminal 40.

The game calculation unit 60 includes a matching processing unit 61. The matching processing unit 61 performs processing to determine an opponent for a player who has completed character registration in a competitive race event. In the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, when the registration of three characters is completed in the main stage of a competitive race event, an input for a matching request (matching input) can be made. When a matching input is made in the player terminal 40 of a player participating in the main stage, a matching request is transmitted from the player terminal 40 to the server 20. In response to the matching request from the player terminal 40, the matching processing unit 61 creates a player list that extracts other players who are candidates for opponents, and randomly extracts other players from the player list who will be opponents for one set of five races (one player for each race). More specifically, the matching processing unit 62 creates a player list that extracts 100 players by sorting other players who have rank points within a predetermined range based on the rank points of the player who performed the opponent determination input in order of login. Five players extracted from the player list are assigned to one set of five races, and a matching ID common to the five players and a race ID identifying the race in which the five opponent players will compete are assigned. The five race IDs are linked to this matching ID to create a new match record in the match management database 52. This match record records the match history (opponents, participating characters, finishing order, time, etc.) for each of the five races in one set of the match race event.

The matching processing unit 61 also performs a gate lottery to assign race numbers to a total of 12 characters, including the six characters (three characters x two) registered to run by two players (the player who requested the match and his/her opponent) plus six non-player characters (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as NPCs, as necessary), for one set of five races on the main stage. In the gate lottery, each character is assigned a race number from "1" to "12" so that they do not overlap with other characters. In the simulation process, which will be described later, a race simulation is performed in which the twelve characters line up in order of their race numbers from the inside of the course used in the race and start the race.

The matching processing unit 61 also performs a condition lottery to determine the race conditions for one set of five races on the main stage. In this embodiment, the weather (randomly selected from four types: sunny, cloudy, rainy, and snowy) and course condition (randomly selected from four types: good, slightly heavy, heavy, and poor) are determined by the condition lottery. The race conditions determined by the condition lottery are commonly applied to one set of five races, and in the simulation processing described below, a race simulation is performed using the race conditions determined by the condition lottery.

In addition, in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, for the extra stage of a competitive race event, opponents are determined by the ranking based on the total rank points acquired by each player in the main stage. The matching processing unit 61 matches the top 96 players in the main stage, who will participate in the extra stage, with four players per race for a total of 24 races, the first through twelfth races in block A and the first through twelfth races in block B, according to their rank point rankings, and creates a match record corresponding to each race in the match management database 52.

The game calculation unit 60 includes a simulation processing unit 62. The simulation processing unit 62 performs a race simulation for a total of 12 characters, including six trained characters (3 characters x 2) registered by two players and six non-player characters (NPCs), for each of the five races in one set in the main stage of the race event. The simulation processing unit 62 also performs a race simulation for a total of 24 races, including the first to twelfth races in the A block and the first to twelfth races in the B block, in the extra stage of the race event, using 12 trained characters (3 characters x 4) registered by four players. In the race simulation, the simulation unit 62 performs calculations of race development, running speed, stamina consumption, skill activation lottery, skill activation condition determination, finishing order, time, etc., based on the status (speed, stamina, power, tenacity, intelligence, course suitability, distance suitability, leg type suitability, running style, and possessed skills) of each character. In particular, in this embodiment, if a player who has acquired an event skill in the main stage requests to enter a race and meets the conditions for activating the event skill, the simulation processing unit 62 executes a race simulation in which the event skill is applied to each of the three trained characters that the player has registered to run. The results of the race simulation executed in the main stage and extra stage of the competitive race event are recorded in a competition record created in the competition management database 52.

In the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, the server 20 transmits various processing result information, such as the results of matching performed by the matching processing unit 61 and the results of the race simulation performed by the simulation processing unit 62, to the player terminal 40. In the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, the player terminal 40 allows the player to watch the race on the display unit 46 based on the various processing result information received from the server 20.

The game calculation unit 60 includes a match result evaluation unit 63. When a race is played on the main stage of the race match event, the match result evaluation unit 63 refers to the rank point acquisition setting table stored in the match management database 52, calculates the amount of rank points acquired corresponding to the race result of the trained character of the player who requested to participate in the race, and transmits information on the calculated amount of rank points acquired to the player terminal 40 of the player who requested to participate in the race. In this embodiment, the rank points of each player are managed in the match management database 52 in association with the player ID, and the league rank of each player is determined by the rank points. The match result evaluation unit 63 also grants a race reward to the player for participating in the race on the main stage, and grants a rank-up reward to a player whose rank points meet the league rank promotion conditions. Furthermore, the battle result evaluation unit 63 ranks each player in the main stage according to rank points, and permits players whose ranks according to rank points satisfy the conditions for participation in the extra stage at the end of the main stage period to participate in battles in the extra stage. When deciding which players will participate in the extra stage, the criterion for judging each player's performance in the main stage may not be rank points, but may be the number of wins in races in the main stage, or the fastest time out of multiple races in the main stage. In other words, the evaluation value for judging a player's performance in the main stage may be not only the rank points mentioned above, but also the number of wins and the best time.

The battle result evaluation unit 63 also tallies up the rank points acquired for each type of character in the main stage for each player, and records the total amount of acquired rank points in the battle management database 52 by linking them to the player ID and the character type ID. In this embodiment, the total amount of acquired rank points for each type of character is used to determine the selectable conditions for the event-limited title given as a reward in the battle race event. In this embodiment, each player can set his/her own title. The title set for each player is displayed alongside the player's name on the display screen that confirms the player's information. The title set for the player is also displayed to other players who have registered as friends and other players who use the battle function to participate in the same race. The title indicates that the conditions for acquiring the title have been achieved in the game, and the player can use the title set by himself/herself to appeal to other players about his/her achievements in the game. The title is also an indicator of the achievements in the game, and does not basically affect the progress of the race or the game. However, in some game functions, possession of a title can be used as a criterion to extract players who possess a certain title.

When a race is played on the main stage during the period when the main stage of the race competition event is held, the competition result evaluation unit 63 refers to the event parameter acquisition setting table stored in the competition management database 52 to determine the update amount of the event parameter corresponding to the race result, and updates the event parameters of the player who requested the race among the event parameters managed for each player stored in the competition management database 52 so that they approach the maximum value. If the race result is a predetermined result, the event parameters may be updated to move away from the maximum value. For example, if the result of one set of five races on the main stage is a win all five times (the trained character registered by the player comes in first), the event parameter acquisition setting table sets a subtraction value for the event parameter, and the competition result evaluation unit 63 can update the event parameters of the player who won all five races in one set so that they move away from the maximum value.

The game calculation unit 60 includes an event skill determination unit 64. The event skill determination unit 64 sets an event skill that will give an advantage in a battle to a player whose event parameter total has reached the maximum value. In this embodiment, the event parameter is updated when one set of five races has been completed on the main stage, and when the updated event parameter has reached the maximum value, the event skill determination unit 64 performs a lottery by referencing the event skill lottery table stored in the battle management database 52, and transmits information about the event skill determined by the lottery to the player terminal 40 of the participating player whose event parameter has reached the maximum value.

Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing the main functions of the player terminal 40.

As shown in FIG. 3, the player terminal 40 in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment realizes the training function and the battle function by the cooperation of the terminal data storage unit 70 and the game execution unit 80.

The terminal data storage unit 70 stores data used by the game execution unit 80 to perform various processes, and is primarily realized by the storage device 47.

The terminal data storage unit 70 includes a player data storage unit 71, which stores data related to a character list, a training target list, an item list, and a friend list corresponding to a player ID. In this embodiment, when an application is started or ended, or in other necessary situations, a synchronization process is performed between the player data storage unit 71 of the player terminal 40 and the player management database 51 of the server 20 regarding data linked to the player ID (such as a character list, a training target list, an item list, and a friend list), and various game processes are executed using the data stored in the player data storage unit 71. In this embodiment, when it becomes necessary to change the character list, the training target list, the item list, or the friend list in association with the execution of various game processes, the stored contents of the player data storage unit 71 are updated and the updated stored contents are backed up in the player management database 51 of the server 20, and the stored contents of both are synchronized. Data linked to the player ID, such as a character list, a training target list, an item list, and a friend list, may be downloaded from the player management database 51 to the player data storage unit 71 as needed, such as when the application is started.

The terminal data storage unit 70 includes a training progress data storage unit 72. The training progress data storage unit 72 stores data (training progress data) required for the progress of the training function of characters that can be selected as training targets in the training function (characters with character type IDs associated with released information in the training target list). In this embodiment, training goals and game events are prepared for each character in relation to the training function, and training progress data including at least the setting contents of the training goals and the setting contents of the game events is stored in the training progress data storage unit 72 in association with the character type ID.

The terminal data storage unit 70 also includes a race control data storage unit 73. The race control data storage unit 73 stores data for controlling the character's actions and skill activation when watching a race in which the character participates in the training function or battle function, as well as text data and audio data for the live race commentary.

The terminal data storage unit 70 also includes an event data storage unit 74. The event data storage unit 74 stores various data for controlling the battle race event. In this embodiment, the event data storage unit 74 stores data related to the battle race event schedule, management data for the number of participation tickets held, management data for event parameters linked to player IDs, data related to the activation conditions and effects of event skills, data for generating images related to display screens and dialogues, data for managing the reward acquisition status, and the like.

The game execution unit 80 performs processes such as starting a game when a game start condition is satisfied, executing a selected game mode from among multiple game modes, progressing the game, generating an event when an event occurrence condition is satisfied, calculating the game result, ending the game when a game end condition is satisfied, requesting calculations from the server 20, obtaining calculation results and necessary data from the server 20, and transmitting calculation results and data of the player terminal 40 to the server 20, and is realized mainly by the CPU/GPU 41 and the communication unit 44. In this embodiment, the game execution unit 80 includes a training function providing unit 81 and a battle function providing unit 82.

The development function providing unit 81 performs processing to provide a development function for developing a character. In this embodiment, it accepts input related to character development and displays the results of calculations performed in response to the input.

In this embodiment, when training a character using the training function, the player is required to select an action that consumes a turn each turn. Actions that consume a turn include training, entering a race, going out, and going to the nurse's office. The training function providing unit 81 accepts the selection of an action that consumes a turn via a training home screen displayed on the display unit 44, and requests the server 20 to calculate the result of the selected action. Upon receiving the request, the server 20 calculates the result of the selected action and transmits the calculation result to the player terminal 40, and the training function providing unit 81 causes the display unit 44 to display a display screen corresponding to the calculation result received from the server 20.

In addition, in this embodiment, a training goal is set according to the type of character to be trained, and a training goal may include a required action that must be selected in a specified turn. For example, a training goal may be to enter a specified race, or to achieve a specified finishing position in a specified race. In this case, in a turn in which a specified race associated with a training goal is set, entering the race is a required action, and actions that consume turns other than entering the race cannot be selected. In this way, the training function providing unit 81 exercises control to restrict the selection of actions other than the required actions in a turn in which the selection of a required action is accepted.

The training function providing unit 81 also obtains factor information to be linked to the character for which training has been completed from the server 20, notifies the player, and performs processing to register the character to which the factor information is linked, after receiving the player's approval, in the character list of the player management database 51 and the character list of the player data storage unit 71.

Specifically, the training function providing unit 81 performs a process of acquiring factor information to be linked to a character whose training has been completed from the server 20 and notifying the player. For example, the training function providing unit 81 transmits a factor acquisition request to the server 20 based on the completion of character training in the training function, and acquires from the server 20 the factor information to be linked to the character. The training function providing unit 81 then notifies the player of the factor information acquired from the server 20 via the display unit 44.

In addition, after the factor information is notified to the player, the training function providing unit 81 accepts an input requesting reacquisition of the factor information, and performs processing to enable modification of the factor information linked to the character whose training has been completed.

Specifically, after being notified of the factor information, the training function providing unit 81 accepts an input to confirm the factor information and an input to reacquire the factor information, and transmits a factor reacquisition request to the server 20 based on the acceptance of the input to reacquire the factor information, and acquires the factor information determined by re-lottery from the server 20. When the factor information is reacquired, the training function providing unit 81 displays the previously acquired factor information and the later acquired factor information for the character whose training has been completed in a comparative manner, allowing the player to select which factor information to link to the character. The training function providing unit 81 then accepts a selection of whether the previously acquired factor information or the later acquired factor information should be linked to the character, and confirms the factor information corresponding to the selection result as the factor information to be linked to the character.

In addition, based on the fact that the factor information to be linked to the player has been determined, the training function providing unit 81 registers the trained character in the character list of the player data storage unit 71 and transmits a character registration request to the server 20. Upon receiving the character registration request, the server 20 registers the trained character corresponding to the character registration request in the character list of the player management database 51.

The battle function providing unit 82 performs processing to provide a battle function that allows a player's trained character to compete in a race against other players' trained characters or non-player characters (NPCs). In this embodiment, the battle function includes a permanent battle function and an event battle function.

The permanent battle feature is a battle feature that can be used without time restrictions, and there are three types of races that players can use: team arena, daily races, and daily legend races.

The team arena is a permanent battle function in which a player selects three characters from their own collection of trained characters to form five teams for each of the five distance categories - short distance, mile, medium distance, long distance, and dirt - and competes against teams formed by other players in five types of races related to each distance category. The team whose character comes first in each distance category wins, and a player can defeat their opponent by winning three of the five races. In the team arena, arena points are awarded in each race according to the character's behavior and finishing order, and the player's ranking is determined by the total arena points in the five races, with rewards awarded according to the ranking.

Daily races are races in the mile or medium distance category with different rewards and difficulty levels, and are a permanent battle function in which the player selects one of their trained characters and races against non-player characters (NPCs). In daily races, the player can earn rewards based on the finishing position of the trained character they have entered.

Daily Legend Races are a permanent battle feature that allows players to earn character pieces as rewards depending on the results of the race. Character pieces are items that, by consuming a certain number of character pieces, can be used to unlock an unreleased character for training, or to increase the rarity of an already-released character. In Daily Legend Races, race conditions are set for each character, and players select the character for which they wish to earn character pieces, select one of their trained characters, and enter the selected trained character in a race. In Daily Legend Races, if a trained character that the player has entered comes in first in a race, the player can earn character pieces for the character that corresponds to the race they entered.

When a player decides to participate in a permanent battle function of the team stadium, daily race, or daily legend race, the battle function providing unit 82 sends a battle result request to the server 20. When the server 20 receives the battle result request from the player terminal 40, a race simulation is executed, and the battle function providing unit 82 obtains the results of the race simulation from the server 20. When the player terminal 40 receives the results of the race simulation from the server 20, the race performance execution unit 85, which will be described later, generates images related to the spectator performance of the race based on the results of the race simulation based on the various data stored in the race control data storage unit 73, and displays the generated images related to the spectator performance on the display unit 44, allowing the player to watch the race.

The event battle function is a battle function that is available for a limited time, and a battle race event is included. In the battle race event, a main stage and an extra stage are provided. The battle function providing unit 82 includes a first stage control unit 83 and a second stage control unit 84 as control units that carry out the game progress related to the battle race event.

The first stage control unit 83 controls the progress of the main stage, in which the performance of each player is evaluated based on rank points accumulated by repeating battles. Specifically, the first stage control unit 83 performs a process of accepting inputs for selecting three trained characters to be entered in a race in the main stage from among the trained characters owned by the player. The first stage control unit 83 also performs a process of accepting an opponent selection input requesting the selection of an opponent in a race in the main stage, and transmitting a matching request to the server 20 based on the opponent selection input being performed. When the first stage control unit 83 receives the results of the opponent matching in response to the matching request from the server 20, it also performs a process of accepting an entry selection input for deciding to enter the race, and transmitting a race request to the server 20 based on the entry selection input being performed. When the player terminal 40 receives the results of the race simulation of one set of five races in response to the race request from the server 20, the race performance execution unit 85 described later executes a watching performance that allows the player to watch the state of each race through the display unit 46. In addition, when the race viewing performance ends, the first stage control unit 83 controls the display unit 46 to display the race results and information associated with the race results (such as the amount of rank points earned, the league rank status, and rewards earned).

The first stage control unit 83 also performs processing to acquire an event skill when the event parameter reaches its maximum value. Specifically, when a matching request is made to the server 20 when the event parameter reaches its maximum value, the first stage control unit 83 transmits an event skill acquisition request to the server 20. In the server 20 that receives the event skill acquisition request, the event skill determination unit 64 performs a lottery to determine the event skill to be acquired, and information on the event skill to be acquired is notified to the player terminal 40. An activation condition is set for the event skill to effectively function, and the first stage control unit 83 performs control to allow the player to use an item to satisfy the activation condition of the event skill at his/her discretion when the event skill has been acquired, before requesting the server 20 to perform a race simulation on the main stage.

The second stage control unit 84 controls the progress of the extra stage, in which players with high records in the main stage are allowed to participate and players who are allowed to participate compete against each other. In the extra stage, players are divided into those who participate in the race and those who do not, depending on their records in the main stage. In the main stage, the matches are played in a format in which one set of five races is repeated, but in the extra stage, each player who is allowed to participate competes in only one race. When participation in a race is allowed, the second stage control unit 84 performs a process of accepting input for selecting three trained characters to be entered in a race in the extra stage from among the trained characters owned by the player during the race registration period of the extra stage. Races in the extra stage are determined by ranking based on rank points in the main stage, rather than random matching, and when the race registration period ends, the race registration details of the trained characters are finalized and the race simulation is performed by the server 20.

The second stage control unit 84 also controls the game to be spectated in the extra stage regardless of whether or not the player can participate in the race in the extra stage, and to be able to earn rewards based on the fact that the player has watched the race. Specifically, the server 20 distributes the results of the matching and the race simulation in the extra stage to the player terminals 40 of all the players. Based on the matching results and the results of the race simulation received from the server 20, the race performance execution unit 85 described later executes a watching performance in which the state of the race in the extra stage is watched on the display unit 46. When the watching performance for the race in the extra stage ends, the second stage control unit 84 controls the display unit 46 to display the race results and the rewards acquired by watching. In the extra stage of the battle race event, when an operation to transition from the home screen to the event top screen is performed after the start of the race period, the race performance execution unit 85 can execute the watching performance for the race in the extra stage, and the server 20 can prevent the results of the race simulation from being sent to the player terminals 40 in which the operation to transition to the event top screen has not been performed. In this embodiment, during the period in which the battle race event is held, an event icon corresponding to the battle race event is provided on the home screen, and when a tap input is made on the event icon, the second stage control unit 84 determines that an operation to transition to the event top screen has been made. In addition, when an extra stage is started in the battle race event, the display mode of the event icon may be changed so that the event icon stands out on the home screen by highlighting the event icon on the home screen.

The second stage control unit 84 also performs a process to accept an input to select any one of the trained characters participating in the race as a target to cheer for during a predetermined period before the start of the race period during which the battles in the extra stage can be watched. When a race watching performance is executed during the race period, the race performance execution unit 85 controls the generation of a watching screen that displays the trained character selected as a target to cheer for in the watching performance in an identifiable manner. The second stage control unit 84 also makes it possible to earn a reward based on the selection of a target to cheer for, receives information on the reward to be awarded for the selection of a target to cheer for from the server 20 by transmitting the selection of the target to the server 20, and controls the display unit 46 to display the content of the earned reward.

The race performance execution unit 85 executes a spectating performance (an example of a game performance) that allows the player to watch the race based on the results of the race simulation. When executing a spectating performance on the main stage of a competitive race event, the race performance execution unit 85 allows the player to select whether the spectating performance is executed in a full spectating pattern (an example of a first pattern) or a short spectating pattern (an example of a second pattern). In this embodiment, on the main stage of a competitive race event, a selection between the full spectating pattern and the short spectating pattern is accepted in a situation where a base screen is displayed on the player terminal 40. When a tap input is made on a button corresponding to the full spectating pattern provided on the base screen, the race performance execution unit 85 executes a spectating performance in the full spectating pattern, and when a tap input is made on a button corresponding to the short spectating pattern provided on the base screen, the race performance execution unit 85 executes a spectating performance in the short spectating pattern.

Figure 5 is a diagram that provides a simple explanation of the progression of the production part in the main stage spectator production.

As shown in FIG. 5(A), when the viewing effects are executed in the full viewing pattern, each of the effect parts, "Paddock" P1, "Playback Confirmation" P2, "Entry List" P3, "Fanfare" P4, "Gate-in" P5, "Race Part 1" P6, "Race Part 2" P7, "Results Cut-in" P8, and "Race Results" P9, are executed in the following order: P1→P2→P3→P4→P5→P6→P7→P8→P9.

"Paddock" P1 is a presentation part where you can check the 3D models of the characters participating in the race, as well as the status (performance parameters and possessed skills) of each character. In "Paddock" P1, you can move to "Playback Confirmation" P2 by tapping the progress button on the display screen to request the start of the race.

"Playback confirmation" P2 is a presentation part that notifies the player that playback of the race video will begin and accepts a decision input regarding the start of playback. "Playback confirmation" P2 displays a playback confirmation dialog with a decision button that corresponds to the decision input regarding the start of playback described above, and when the decision button is tapped, execution of the "Start list" P3 presentation part begins.

"Entry List" P3 is a presentation part that scrolls through a list of characters participating in the race. In this presentation part, the participating characters are displayed in order of their race numbers, and in addition to the character icons and character names of the participating characters, the player names of the players who registered the participating characters for the race and the popularity of each participating character are displayed. A progress button is provided on the display screen of the presentation part of "Entry List" P3, and when the progress button is tapped, playback of a series of race footage from "Fanfare" P4 onwards begins.

"Fanfare" P4 is a production part that plays a fanfare as background music while displaying an animation on the display screen introducing the race outline, to liven up the start of the race. In this embodiment, a button for inputting a skip is provided on the display screen from the production parts after "Fanfare" P4, and when a skip is input, the display screen skips to the start position of the next production part and starts execution of the next production part. When a skip input is input during execution of the "Fanfare" P4 production part, the display screen skips to skip position SP1 and starts execution of the "Gate In" P5 production part. Even if a skip input is not input during execution of the "Fanfare" P4 production part, when execution of the "Fanfare" P4 production part is completed, execution of the "Gate In" P5 production part starts.

"Gate In" P5 is a production part that creates an animation of the participating characters entering the starting gate set up at the starting point. From this production part onwards until the end of the race, commentary data (commentary audio and commentary text) and commentary data (commentary audio and commentary text) according to the scene are played back. If a skip input is made while the "Gate In" P5 production part is being executed, a skip is made to skip position SP2 and the execution of the "Race First Part" P6 production part begins. Also, even if a skip input is not made while the "Gate In" P5 production part is being executed, the execution of the "Race First Part" P6 production part begins once the execution of the "Gate In" P5 production part is completed.

"Race 1 Part" P6 and "Race 2 Part" P7 are presentation parts that convey the content of the race from the start to the finish based on the results of the race simulation received from the server 20. In this embodiment, in the race simulation, the total length of the race from the start to the finish is divided into "early stage", "middle stage", and "final stage" as shown in Figure 5 (C), and the actions of the participating characters during the race are calculated. In addition, the division into "early stage", "middle stage", and "final stage" is related to the establishment of the conditions for activating some skills. In addition, for the sections of "early stage", "middle stage", and "late stage", corresponding race BGM and commentary/explanation data (commentary voice, commentary voice, commentary text, and commentary text) are prepared, and the race performance execution part 85 displays an animation of the race characters moving according to the result of the race simulation on the display unit 46 during the execution of "race first part" P6 and "race second part" P7, and executes processing related to the playback (sound output of the speaker 48, display output of the display unit 46) of the race BGM and commentary/explanation data (commentary voice, commentary voice, commentary text, and commentary text) of the section corresponding to the current situation according to the progress of the race. In the example shown in FIG. 5(C), the skip position SP3, which is the boundary position between "race first part" P6 and "race second part" P7, is provided near the "late stage" of the entire race length. Note that the skip position SP3 may be on the "middle stage" side or on the "late stage" side depending on the entire race length, and the skip position SP3 can be set to any position. If a skip input is made during the execution of "Race First Part" P6, the game skips to skip position SP3 and starts the execution of the presentation part of "Race Second Part" P7. Even if a skip input is not made during the execution of the presentation part of "Race First Part" P6, the game seamlessly starts the execution of the presentation part of "Race Second Part" P7 once the execution of the presentation part of "Race First Part" P6 is completed. Also, if a skip input is made during the execution of "Race Second Part" P7, the game skips to skip position SP4 and starts the execution of the presentation part of "Result Cut-in" P8. Even if a skip input is not made during the execution of the presentation part of "Race Second Part" P7, the game starts the execution of the presentation part of "Result Cut-in" P8 once the execution of the presentation part of "Race Second Part" P7 is completed.

"Result cut-in" P8 is a presentation part in which an animation is displayed to inform the player of the finishing order of each of the three participating characters that the player has registered to run. If a skip input is made while the presentation part of "Result cut-in" P8 is being executed, a skip is made to skip position SP5 and the execution of the presentation part of "Race result" P9 begins. Also, even if a skip input is not made while the presentation part of "Result cut-in" P8 is being executed, once the execution of the presentation part of "Result cut-in" P8 is completed, the execution of the presentation part of "Race result" P9 begins.

"Race Results" P9 is a presentation part that displays the finishing order of all characters that ran in the race. In this presentation part, a finishing order table in which the participating characters are arranged in order from first place is displayed on the display unit 46, and even if there are a large number of participating characters and it is not possible to display all of the participating characters on the display screen, the race results such as the finishing order and winning margin of all participating characters can be known by scrolling the display. Also, while the finishing order table only shows the time of the first place character, it is also possible to display the times of all participating characters. When "Race Results" P9 is completed, a presentation (an example of the next presentation) is executed that notifies the player of the first-place finishing order of the participating characters registered to run, as well as the amount of rank points acquired according to the finishing order of the three participating characters in this race.

In this way, when the race spectator performance is executed in a full race spectator pattern, the race spectator performance execution unit 85 executes the multiple performance parts that make up the race spectator performance in a predetermined order, and if a skip input is made while the race spectator performance is being executed, it executes a process to skip from the currently executing performance part to the next performance part.

As shown in FIG. 5(B), when a viewing effect is executed in a short viewing pattern, the execution of each of the performance parts from "Paddock" P1 to "Gate in" P5 in the full viewing pattern and each of the performance parts from "Result cut-in" to "Race result" P9 is omitted, and each of the performance parts "Race first part digest" P6a, "Race second part digest 1" P7a, and "Race second part digest 2" P7b is executed in the order of P6a → P7a → P7b. Note that in a short viewing pattern, it is sufficient to omit at least one or more performance parts from the full viewing pattern, and performance parts such as "Result cut-in" P8 and "Race result" P9 may be executed in the same way as in the full viewing pattern.

"Race Part 1 Digest" P6a is a presentation part that corresponds to a digest version of "Race Part 1" P6 in the full viewing pattern. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5(C), race footage is played back showing the starting dash of each participating character from the start of the race to camera switch point 1 (for example, from the start point to the point 100 m after the start point).

"Race Part 2 Digest 1" P7a and "Race Part 2 Digest 2" P7b are production parts that correspond to a digest version of "Race Part 2" P7 in the full viewing pattern. Specifically, "Race Part 2 Digest 1" P7a plays race footage of the participating characters running after the final stage begins from the start position of "Race Part 2" P7, which starts from skip position SP3, to camera switch point 2 (e.g., from 400m remaining to 300m remaining), and "Race Part 2 Digest 2" P7b plays race footage of each participating character making their final sprint from just before the finish line to the finish line (e.g., from 200m remaining to the finish line).

In the short viewing pattern, "Race Part 1 Digest" P6a, "Race Part 2 Digest 1" P7a, and "Race Part 2 Digest 2" P7b are played as a series of race footage, and when a skip input is made during playback, it skips to skip position SP6 regardless of the timing, and a presentation (an example of the next presentation) is executed that notifies the player of the order of arrival of the characters registered to run first, as well as the amount of rank points earned according to the order of arrival of the three characters in this race.

In this way, when the race performance execution unit 85 executes the race spectator performance in a short race spectator pattern, it executes the race spectator performance by omitting some of the multiple performance parts that make up the race spectator performance.

In addition, when the race performance execution unit 85 executes the spectator performance in a full spectator pattern, it can execute a "unique skill activation cut-in" CI (an example of a specific performance part) related to a race character who has satisfied the activation condition of the unique skill (an example of a specific condition) by interrupting the currently executed performance part, and when the spectator performance is executed in a short spectator pattern, it omits the execution of the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI. For example, as shown in FIG. 5(A), when the spectator performance is executed in a full spectator pattern, the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI, which is an animation performance indicating that the unique skill has been activated from the time of activation of the unique skill, is executed by interrupting the currently executed performance part "race first part" P6, based on the fact that the race character registered by the player has satisfied the activation condition of the unique skill, and when the execution of the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI is completed, the execution of the interrupted "race first part" P6 is resumed. In the example shown in FIG. 5(A), the "unique skill activation cut-in" is executed during the execution of the "race first part" P6, but if the race character registered by the player in either the "race first part" P6 or the "race second part" P7 meets the activation condition of the unique skill, the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI is executed. In this embodiment, the acceptance of the skip input is disabled during the execution of the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI, and a button for performing the skip input is not displayed on the display screen. However, the specification may be such that the skip input can be accepted even during the execution of the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI. On the other hand, when the spectating performance is executed in the short spectating pattern, the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI is not executed even if the race character registered by the player in either the "race first part digest" P6a, the "race second part digest 1" P7a, or the "race second part digest 2" P7b shown in FIG. 5(B) meets the activation condition of the unique skill. In this way, when the watching performance is performed in the short watching pattern, the time required to watch the race can be shortened by the amount of the interruption execution of the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI that does not occur, compared to the case where the watching performance is performed in the full watching pattern. In particular, in this embodiment, when all three characters registered by the player to run activate their unique skills, the interruption execution of the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI for the three characters occurs, so that the short watching pattern can significantly shorten the watching time by disabling the interruption execution of the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI. In this embodiment, the unique skill is a skill that is set in association with the type of character to be trained, and is a skill that exerts a unique effect for each type of character. When the unique skill is activated, an effect that is advantageous for the race development can be obtained, and there are three types of effects, broadly classified as buff effect, debuff effect, and recovery effect. Note that in one unique skill, two or more effects of the buff effect, debuff effect, and recovery effect may be obtained. Buff effects are effects that affect the character that activated the unique skill, such as increasing the speed or acceleration of the character that activated the unique skill. Debuff effects are effects that affect characters other than the character that activated the unique skill, such as decreasing the speed or stamina of characters other than the character that activated the unique skill. Recovery effects are effects that affect the character that activated the unique skill, such as restoring stamina to the character that activated the unique skill. And the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI mentioned above is a production that shows the player that an effect that gives an advantage in the race has been activated by inserting a unique animation for each character.

The specifications for setting unique skills for each character and interrupting the performance when a unique skill is activated can also be applied to games of other genres. For example, in a fighting game, a unique skill can be set as a special move skill that can deal large damage to the opponent's character or a skill that improves the player's own character's abilities, and when a unique skill is activated, a performance related to the character that activated the unique skill can be interrupted. Also, in a soccer game, a unique skill can be set as a player's shooting skill or a skill that improves the player's own character's abilities, and when a unique skill is activated, a performance related to the character that activated the unique skill can be interrupted.

In this embodiment, when performing the spectating performance in the full spectating pattern, the playback confirmation dialogue displayed in the performance part of "Playback Confirmation" P2 has a radio button that allows the player to select whether the display screen orientation in the performance part from "Start List" P3 to "Race Second Part" P7 is to be vertical or horizontal. The player can use the radio button provided in the playback confirmation dialogue to input an input to selectively select a vertical screen or horizontal screen. The orientation of the display screen in the performance part from "Start List" P3 to "Race Second Part" P7 is determined by the radio button selected at the time when the decision button is tapped in the playback confirmation dialogue. Specifically, when the decision input is made in a state where the radio button corresponding to the vertical screen is enabled, the performance part from "Start List" P3 onwards is started on the vertical screen, and when the decision input is made in a state where the radio button corresponding to the horizontal screen is enabled, the performance part from "Start List" P3 onwards is started on the horizontal screen. In this embodiment, when a vertical screen is selected, the interrupt execution of the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI is enabled, and when a horizontal screen is selected, the interrupt execution of the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI is disabled. That is, in this embodiment, the input for selecting the display screen orientation through the playback confirmation dialog is an input for selecting whether or not to interrupt the execution of the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI. Note that whether the spectator performance is executed in a vertical or horizontal screen may be separately selected from a settings menu within the application, and when the selection of a vertical or horizontal screen can be made through the settings menu, it may be possible to set the playback confirmation dialog to be hidden.

In this way, when the race performance execution unit 85 executes the spectator performance in a full spectator pattern, it is possible to accept an input to select whether or not to execute a performance ("unique skill activation cut-in" CI) that notifies the race character of the activation of a unique skill possessed according to the character type. The race performance execution unit 85 sets the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI to be interruptible based on the selection of a vertical screen in the playback confirmation dialog displayed in the performance part of "playback confirmation" P2, and sets the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI to not be interruptible based on the selection of a horizontal screen in the playback confirmation dialog. In this embodiment, when experiencing the spectator performance in a full spectator pattern, in order to omit the interrupt execution of the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI, it is necessary to input to enable the radio button for the horizontal screen in the playback confirmation dialog (input to set the display screen orientation to a horizontal screen), but when experiencing the spectator performance in a short spectator pattern, it is possible to omit the interrupt execution of the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI by saving the trouble of inputting to select the display screen orientation.

The race performance execution unit 85 also displays a skill icon corresponding to the activation of a skill when the skill activation condition is met, regardless of whether the spectating performance is executed in the full spectating pattern or the short spectating pattern. The race performance execution unit 85 displays a character icon identifying the participating character who activated the skill in the skill icon indicating the satisfaction of the skill activation condition. In this manner, in this embodiment, in the case of the short spectating pattern, unlike the full spectating pattern, the interrupt execution of the "unique skill activation cut-in" CI is omitted, but the race performance execution unit 85 displays a skill icon corresponding to the activation of a unique skill in either spectating pattern when the unique skill activation condition is met, and displays an identifying character icon identifying the participating character who activated the unique skill in the skill icon indicating the satisfaction of the unique skill activation condition.

In this way, in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, when the watching performance is executed in the full watching pattern, if a skip input is made during the execution of the watching performance, it is possible to skip from the currently executed performance part to the next performance part, and when the watching performance is executed in the short watching pattern, some of the performance parts that make up the watching performance are omitted to execute the watching performance. In other words, in the full watching pattern, the time required to watch the race can be shortened by the player performing a skip input, and in the short watching pattern, the race can be watched in a state where the time required to complete the execution of the watching performance is shortened in advance without the need for a skip input. And in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, by making it possible to select whether the watching performance is executed in the full watching pattern or the short watching pattern, the player can watch the race in an appropriate amount of time, and the convenience of the player in watching the race can be improved.

In this embodiment, the data acquired from the server 20 is the same when the spectator performance is performed in the full spectator pattern and when it is performed in the short spectator pattern, but when the short spectator pattern is selected, the race performance execution unit 85 reads only the necessary data into the work area of the RAM 43, thereby shortening the loading time required before starting the execution of the spectator performance. For example, in the full spectator pattern, the race performance execution unit 85 changes the BGM corresponding to the performance part in the spectator performance, but in the short spectator pattern, the race performance execution unit 85 maintains the BGM on the base screen where the spectator pattern is selected and executes the spectator performance without changing the BGM. In this way, when the full spectator pattern is selected, the race performance execution unit 85 reads the BGM corresponding to each performance part into the work area of the RAM 43 and executes the spectator performance while changing the BGM according to the progress of the performance part, but when the short spectator pattern is selected, the spectator performance is executed using the BGM already loaded into the work area of the RAM 43, thereby shortening the loading time and allowing the spectator performance to be started promptly in the short spectator pattern. When using background music played on the base screen in a short viewing pattern, the volume of the background music may be controlled to be lowered while the viewing performance is being performed to prevent it from interfering with viewing of the race.

In addition, in this embodiment, when executing the spectator performance, the information required to execute the spectator performance is acquired and common resources are loaded when the screen transitions to the base screen.

First, when transitioning to the base screen for the first time, the player terminal 40 obtains information for one set of five races from the server 20, including race event information (race venue, time, weather, course conditions, etc.), race entry list (detailed information on the participating characters (performance parameters, strategy, possessed skills, distance suitability, etc.), the participating characters' race numbers, the popularity and condition of the participating characters, and race scenario information (history of the participating characters' positional information from the start point to the finish point, skill activation information).

Then, when transitioning to the base screen, the race performance execution unit 85 loads the viewing performance resources (such as data on race conditions common to the five races) that are used in common between the full viewing pattern and the short viewing pattern into the work area of the RAM 43.

Next, when the short viewing pattern is selected on the base screen, the race production execution unit 85 loads data necessary for displaying images during the race, such as 3D models of the participating characters, race effects such as dust, live data, commentary data, etc., into the work area of RAM 43, and generates frame images of the race video based on the data loaded into the work area of RAM 43.

On the other hand, when a full viewing pattern is selected on the base screen, the race performance execution unit 85 loads into the work area of RAM 43 the resources required for the short viewing pattern, as well as the result display data required to execute the performance parts "Result Cut-in" P8 and "Race Result" P9, the fanfare background music required to execute the performance part "Fanfare" P4, the in-race footage and background music output during each performance part, camera control data for changing the focus of attention, and so on, and generates frame images for each performance part based on the data loaded into the work area of RAM 43, and outputs background music according to the progress of the performance part.

2. Control Method of the Present Embodiment The control method of the present embodiment will be described below by taking as an example a case in which the game program of the present embodiment is applied to a game application of a player terminal 40 provided as a smartphone.

The game program of this embodiment is configured to be able to provide multiple types of game functions, and in the battle function, which is one of the main game functions, multiple characters can compete in a race. In this battle function, the characters are not operated during the race, and the results of a race simulation performed based on the status of each participating character can be viewed through the player terminal 40. In the information processing system 10 to which the game program of this embodiment is applied, opponents are matched up in the server 20 in response to a request from the player terminal 40, and a battle race event is provided for a limited time as an event battle function, in which trained characters registered to compete in a race from each player terminal 40 compete in a race.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing an outline of how a competitive race event is carried out. As shown in Figure 6, the competitive race event has a main stage and an extra stage (EX stage).

In the main stage, matches are played in a repeated set of five races, with rank points earned based on the results of each race, and the player's league rank is determined by the total rank points earned. When matching with opponents in the main stage, the rank points of the player requesting the match are referenced. Specifically, a player list is created that extracts players who have rank points within a specified range of the player's own rank points, and players who belong to the same league rank as the player themselves or to a league rank close to the player's own league rank are selected as opponents.

In preparation for a main stage match, players must organize and register a team of three characters from among the characters they own and have trained. A main stage match is a race between the player requesting the match and the opponent, each with three trained characters, plus six NPCs, for a total of 12 characters.

The league rank is determined by the total rank points acquired in the main stage, and there are four categories: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. If the total rank points acquired in the main stage meet the league rank promotion conditions, the league rank is promoted to the next stage and a rank-up reward is awarded. The rank-up reward may change depending on the league rank to which the player is promoted, or the reward may be fixed regardless of the league rank to which the player is promoted. When a match is played in the main stage, a race reward is also awarded as a reward for participating in each race. The race reward may change depending on the race result, or the reward may be fixed regardless of the race result, or the reward content of the race reward may change depending on the league rank to which the player belongs. In this embodiment, in-game currency, exchange items (items required for exchange with rare items), items that affect the progress of the game or the progress of the race, etc. are awarded as the rank-up reward and the race reward.

In the main stage, the league rank may have a major category rank and a minor category rank. The major category ranks may be bronze, silver, gold, and platinum, and multiple minor category ranks (bronze 1, bronze 2, ..., silver 1, silver 2, ..., etc.) may be set for the major category ranks. Note that minor category ranks may not be set for some major category ranks. For example, platinum may not have a minor category rank as it is the highest category. When major category ranks and minor category ranks are set, a rank-up reward may be awarded when the promotion conditions for the minor category rank and the promotion conditions for the major category rank are met, or a rank-up reward may be awarded when either one of the promotion conditions is met.

In the main stage, the player can earn rank points (pt) according to the race results and the order of finish of each of the three trained characters that the player has registered to run. In this embodiment, 100 pt can be earned for first place, 30 pt for second place, and 20 pt for third place. For fourth place and below, 0 pt is earned, and no rank points can be earned for fourth place and below. If the three trained characters that the player has registered to run monopolize first to third place in a race, 150 pt can be earned. In other words, a maximum of 150 pt can be earned per race. In this embodiment, the rank points that can be earned according to the order of finish are fixed regardless of the league rank to which the player belongs, but the rank points that can be earned according to the league rank may differ. For example, it can be set so that the higher the league rank, the more rank points that can be earned according to the order of finish. In the main stage, rank points are accumulated by repeatedly competing in races, but if the finishing position is poor, for example if the trained character registered by the player finishes 9th or lower, rank points may be deducted from that finishing position. In cases where rank points may be deducted under certain conditions, rank points may be deducted if the player's league rank is a specific rank (e.g., platinum) and the finishing position of the trained character registered by the player meets the deduction conditions.

To participate in matches on the main stage, one participation ticket may be required per set. If the league rank is bronze, there is no participation restriction due to the consumption of participation tickets, and players belonging to bronze can participate in matches unlimitedly until they meet the conditions for promotion to silver. In silver to platinum, one participation ticket must be consumed for each set of match participation. Ten participation tickets are given to each player at regular times (for example, 12:00 every day), and the upper limit of participation tickets that can be held is 20. However, players cannot hold more than the 20 participation tickets that are given at regular times, but if participation tickets are obtained as a reward or if there is a compensation distribution of participation tickets due to maintenance, the participation tickets obtained as a reward or distributed as compensation can exceed the upper limit of 20.

On the main stage, five races (five races) are held per set (one battle participation). Opponents for the five races are matched so that there are no overlaps. Rank points acquired according to race results are updated and the updated rank points are reflected on the display screen after all the race results for one set of five races have been displayed on the player terminal 40. Rank points may be updated and the updated rank points are reflected on the display screen each time the race results for one race are displayed on the player terminal 40.

On the main stage, the server 20 ranks each player based on their rank points, and the top 300 players can be viewed from the player terminal 40. Players with the same rank points are sorted based on the recorded time they earned their rank points, and the ranking is determined so that the player with the earliest recorded earning time is ranked higher. If the recorded time they earned their rank points is also the same, the ranking can be determined by sorting using additional criteria such as player ID.

When the main stage period (for example, four days) ends, the game moves to the extra stage (EX stage). When moving to the extra stage, the players who can participate in the extra stage battles and those who cannot are determined by the rank points at the end of the main stage period.

In the Extra Stage, only players ranked high in the total amount of rank points earned in the Main Stage can participate in races. In this embodiment, the top 96 players are permitted to participate in races, and players other than the top 96 cannot participate in races. Races in the Extra Stage are held in a format where four players, not including NPCs, compete against each other. Since four players participate in each race, a total of 24 races are held in the Extra Stage, including 12 races in Block A (1st to 12th races) and 12 races in Block B (1st to 12th races). Only players permitted to participate can register to participate in races in the Extra Stage. The race conditions (weather, course conditions) in the Extra Stage are determined by lottery at the time of matching, but are not disclosed during the race registration period and are disclosed after the race registration period has passed and each player's trained characters have completed their race registration.

Players who participate in races in the extra stage can earn a participation reward. In this embodiment, as a participation reward, they can earn an event-limited nickname that is linked to a trained character registered to run in the race. After watching the race they themselves run in, players who participate in the race are guided to watch the main race of each block (race 11). If they themselves run in the main race, they are guided to watch the main race of the other block after watching their own race.

Even players who do not participate in races in the extra stage can watch the races in the extra stage, and can select any participating character to cheer for when watching. All players can select a character to cheer for, regardless of whether they are participating in races in the extra stage or not.

In the extra stage, if an operation to transition to the event top screen is performed on the player terminal 40 during the race period, the screen will transition to a screen for watching the race. Players who have selected a support target can receive a support reward for their support target selection after watching the race.

The extra stage will include a registration period, a support period, and a race period.

The race registration period is a period that only applies to players who are permitted to participate in the race, during which players permitted to participate in the race can register the three trained characters they will have in the race. Note that information on the last registered character in the main stage for a player permitted to participate in the extra stage is recorded in the match management database 52 on the server 20 side, so if no changes are made to the character during the race registration period, the trained character recorded in the match management database 52 will be registered at the end of the race registration period.

During the cheering acceptance period, all players can view all characters competing in races 1 to 12 in Blocks A and B, and can select any one character per race as the character to cheer for. Each player can earn a cheering reward once in each of Blocks A and B. Note that in the extra stage, a cheering reward may only be earned for the first selection of a cheering target.

During the race period, when an operation to transition to the event top screen is performed, a performance to play the main race of block A (race 11) is started. When the viewing of the main race of block A is finished, a performance to play the main race of block B (race 11) is started, and when the viewing of the main race of block B is finished, transition to the event top screen is possible. After viewing each main race, specifically after the race results of each main race are displayed, a viewing reward is awarded. For players who have participated in a race, after viewing their own race, they can view main races that they have not yet viewed, and after viewing their own race, in addition to the viewing reward, they can also obtain the event-limited nickname mentioned above as a participation reward. Note that the participation reward does not need to be awarded at the same time as the viewing reward, and the participation reward may be awarded when an operation to transition to the event top screen is performed after the support reception period of the extra stage.

Figure 7 shows the progress flow of the main stage of a competitive racing event.

First, to start the main stage, registration of three trained characters to be entered in a race is accepted (step S101). Registration of the three trained characters to be entered in a race is performed via the event top screen.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the event top screen. A skill gauge 101 is displayed on the event top screen. The skill gauge 101 indicates the acquisition status of the event parameter, and in this embodiment, when the acquisition condition of the event parameter reaching its maximum value is met, a special effect related to the acquisition of the event skill occurs, and the player can acquire a buff effect based on the activation of the event skill for the three trained characters registered to run. The buff effect from the activation of the event skill is valid within the five races of one set in which the event skill was acquired, and is reflected in all five races in one set.

The event top screen also has an organize button 102, and when the organize button 102 is tapped, a list of characters that the player owns and has already been trained is displayed, allowing the player to select a character that they wish to enter in a race.

Then, when the registration of the three trained characters to be entered in the race is completed, the opponent determination button 103 is enabled on the event top screen, and the acceptance of matching to determine the opponents is started (step S102). When the enabled opponent determination button 103 is tapped while the event top screen is displayed, a race character confirmation dialog is displayed as shown in FIG. 9 (A) and FIG. 9 (B). FIG. 9 (A) is a display example of the race character confirmation dialog when the event parameter is less than the maximum value, and FIG. 9 (B) is a display example of the race character confirmation dialog when the event parameter is the maximum value. In this embodiment, when the event parameter is the maximum value (e.g., 30) according to the acquisition status of the event parameter, the race character confirmation dialog notifies the player that an event skill will be acquired. When the OK button 105 is tapped on the race character confirmation dialog, it is determined that a matching input has been made, and a matching request is sent from the player terminal 40 to the server 20. The server 20, which has received the matching request from the player terminal 40, performs a matching process to determine an opponent and create a new battle record (step S103). In the matching process, a matching ID is assigned to the player who made the matching request, a player list of potential opponent players is created, opponent players for each of the five races in one set are extracted from the player list, race IDs are assigned to identify the races in which the five opponents will run, and a match record for one set of five races is created. In the matching process, a gate lottery is also performed to determine the race numbers of the 12 characters running, and a condition lottery is performed to determine the race conditions (weather and course conditions), and the results of the gate lottery and the condition lottery are recorded in the match record.

Matching with opponents on the main stage can be done in different formats depending on the league rank. For example, a different format can be used depending on whether the league rank of the player making the matching request is Bronze to Gold or Platinum.

First, if a player's league rank is Bronze to Gold, there will be normal matching and lower-ranked matching for the opponents in the five races, with three races being normal matching and the remaining two races being lower-ranked matching.

In normal matching, the evaluation point of the highest-scored character among the three trained characters registered by the player is used as the standard, and a player list can be created by players who have trained characters with evaluation points within a predetermined range including that evaluation point, and opponents can be searched for randomly. The evaluation point of a trained character is a numerical representation of the degree of excellence of the trained character's status, and in this embodiment, it is calculated based on the performance parameters (speed, stamina, power, tenacity, and intelligence) of the trained character and the skills possessed by the trained character. In lower-rank matching, the evaluation point of the lowest-scored character among the three trained characters registered by the player is used as the standard, and a player list can be created by players who have trained characters with evaluation points within a predetermined range below that evaluation point, and opponents can be searched for randomly. The range of evaluation points to be searched can be set according to the league rank, and may be common regardless of the league rank, or may differ depending on the league rank.

Next, if the player's league rank is platinum, the matching targets will be players with a platinum league rank, and a player list can be created based only on league rank, without reference to the evaluation points of the trained characters in the player's lineup. However, if an opponent cannot be found in matching when the player's league rank is platinum, the target league rank can be lowered to gold to search for an opponent.

When the matching of opponents for one set of five races is completed, the server 20 transmits the matching results, including the gate lottery results and the condition lottery results, to the player terminal 40. The opponents for the five races and the trained characters organized by the opponents are displayed on the display unit 46 of the player terminal 40, and then a race preparation dialogue is displayed and input regarding the use of items is accepted (step S104). If the event parameter is at the maximum value at the time of the matching request, the player terminal 40 receives the event skill acquisition result together with the matching result from the server 20. Before displaying the details of the matching result, as shown in FIG. 10, a skill acquisition presentation is executed to notify the user of the event skill acquisition result. In the skill acquisition presentation, an icon 107 of the event skill, a text explaining the effect of the event skill, an icon 109 of the item corresponding to the activation of the event skill (event skill-compatible item), and the like are displayed.

Figures 11 to 13 are diagrams showing examples of the display of the race preparation dialog. Figure 11 is an example of the display of the race preparation dialog when an event skill has not been acquired, and Figures 12 and 13 are examples of the display of the race preparation dialog when an event skill has been acquired. In the race preparation dialog, the player can select the use of an item that increases the motivation of the race character when entering a race, or an item that changes the race conditions such as the weather and the course state. In this embodiment, two items can be used per set, and the player can decide whether to use an item or not. Each item is limited to five times of use per day, and the usage limit is reset to five times at a fixed time (for example, 12:00). However, an item that is an event skill-compatible item used to satisfy the activation condition of an event skill can be used even if the usage limit has been reached, and the number of times of use is not consumed even if the usage limit has not been reached. In addition, in the race preparation dialog, if the use of an item does not function effectively, the icon corresponding to the item is grayed out and is controlled so that it cannot be used. For example, when the weather is a sunny race condition, an item that changes the weather to sunny is not effective and is displayed in gray. Also, when an item that changes the weather to sunny race condition is selected, an item that changes the weather to rainy race condition is not effective and is displayed in gray with an icon indicating that simultaneous use is not possible. Also, when an event skill is acquired, information on the acquired event skill is displayed in the race preparation dialogue, and the icon of the event skill corresponding item is displayed as an event skill corresponding item in the remaining number of uses display field. Also, in this embodiment, an automatic time selection function is provided in the race preparation dialogue, and the automatic item selection function can be switched on/off by the automatic selection function switching button 111. In the display example shown in FIG. 12, the automatic item selection function is on, so an event skill corresponding item is automatically selected. In the display example shown in FIG. 13, the automatic item selection function is off, so the selected item display fields 112 and 113 are blank, and the use of any item can be selected.

When the entry button 114 is tapped while the entry preparation dialog is displayed, a confirmation dialog is displayed as shown in FIG. 14, and the entry is finalized. The entry button 114 of the entry preparation dialog shown in FIG. 11 to FIG. 13 also displays information indicating the number of participation tickets consumed. If the player's league rank is bronze, information indicating that no participation tickets will be consumed is displayed. If the player's league rank is silver to platinum, information indicating that one participation ticket will be consumed is displayed. The entry confirmation dialog also notifies the player of whether or not an event skill will be activated. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, if an event skill is acquired but an event skill corresponding item is not used and therefore the event skill is not activated, the entry confirmation dialog displays a message informing the player that the event skill will not be activated and that the event skill will disappear after the end of the current set of five races. The entry confirmation dialog also has an OK button 118 and a cancel button 119. If the cancel button 119 is tapped, the entry confirmation dialog is closed and the entry preparation dialog is displayed. On the other hand, when the OK button 118 is tapped, a race request including information indicating the item usage and whether or not an event skill has been activated is sent from the player terminal 40 to the server 20, and the server 20 that receives the race request performs a race simulation (step S105) for one set of five races.

In the race simulation, the race development, finishing order, time, etc. are calculated based on the course information associated with the race, the race conditions, and the status (speed, stamina, power, tenacity, intelligence, possessed skills) of the 12 participating characters (including 6 NPCs), and the race results are recorded in the match record. The race development here includes the movement history of each character from the start point of the course to the finish point, and the event occurrence history of each character (activation of skills, occurrence of accidents), etc. The server 20 also calculates the amount of rank points gained and the update amount of event parameters based on the race results, and updates the information on the player's performance in the match management database 52.

When the race simulation for one set of five races is completed on the server 20 side, a match completion response including information on the simulation results, the calculated amount of rank points acquired, and the update amount of event parameters is sent to the player terminal 40 that made the race request. In the player terminal 40 that received the match completion response, as shown in FIG. 15, the display screen transitions to the base screen and accepts inputs related to watching the race and checking the race results (step S106). On the base screen, race icons 121 corresponding to one set of five races are displayed, and a race to be watched can be selected by tapping any of the race icons 121. A selection mark 122 is added to the selected race icon. Also, on the base screen, a skill gauge 123 is displayed, and the current acquisition status of the event parameters can be visually confirmed. In this embodiment, as a form of race watching, a full watching pattern in which all the race images are played, and a short watching pattern in which a digest version of the race images is played are provided. The base screen is provided with a full viewing button 125 and a short viewing button 126. When the full viewing button 125 is tapped, a viewing effect of the full viewing pattern is executed, and when the short viewing button 126 is tapped, a viewing effect of the short viewing pattern is executed. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a scene of a race video in a viewing effect when the full viewing pattern is selected, and FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a scene of a race video in a viewing effect when the short viewing pattern is selected. In the race video, an identification mark 130 is given to the trained character of the player, so that the trained character that the player has entered can be identified. In addition, in the race video, when a skill is activated, the activated skill is displayed with a skill icon 131. In the skill icon 131, a character icon 132 is also displayed next to the skill name, so that it is possible to determine which character is activating the skill. When an event skill is activated, the event skill is applied to all three trained characters that have been entered in the race, so three skill icons 131 for the event skill are displayed along with the character icon 132 of the character that is participating in the race. Note that when an event skill is activated, only one skill icon 131 may be displayed, and three character icons 132 may be displayed side-by-side within that skill icon 131.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the watching performance is performed in the full watching pattern, a playback confirmation dialog is displayed to select whether to watch the race video in landscape or portrait mode. When the race video is viewed in landscape mode, the animation performance notifying the user of the activation of the unique skill is not interrupted, and when the race video is viewed in portrait mode, the playback of the race video is interrupted and the animation performance notifying the user of the activation of the unique skill is interrupted. In addition, in the short watching pattern, the animation performance notifying the user of the activation of the unique skill is not interrupted. However, whether the watching performance is performed in the full watching pattern or the short watching pattern, when a unique skill is activated, a skill icon 131 is displayed on the display screen of the race video, and a character icon 132 corresponding to the participating character who activated the unique skill is displayed in the skill icon 131, just as when other skills are activated.

As shown in Figures 16 and 17, in the race video, live commentary and commentary text are displayed in the text display area 133 according to the progress of the race. If audio output is enabled on the player terminal 40, live commentary audio corresponding to the live commentary text and commentary audio corresponding to the commentary text are output from the speaker 48.

In addition, there is a difference in the input interface displayed in the race video between when the spectator performance is performed in the full spectator pattern and when the spectator performance is performed in the short spectator pattern. In the race video of the full spectator pattern, as shown in FIG. 16, a camera switching button 134, a fast-forward button 135, a skip button 136, and a pause button 137 are displayed. The camera switching button 136 is an input interface for changing the gaze target of the virtual camera for generating the race video, and when a tap input is made to the camera switching button 136, the race video is switched to the one with the gaze target of the virtual camera changed. The fast-forward button 135 is an input interface for changing the playback speed of the race video, and by tapping the fast-forward button 135, the playback speed of the race video can be changed to cycle in the order of normal speed, double speed, and quadruple speed. The skip button 136 is an input interface for accepting a skip input to skip the currently ongoing performance part, and when a tap input is made to the skip button 136, it is possible to skip from the current performance part to the next performance part. The pause button 137 is an input interface for pausing playback of the race video, and when the pause button 137 is tapped, playback of the race video is paused and a dialog box for accepting input regarding playback settings is displayed. In contrast, in race video in a short viewing pattern, as shown in FIG. 17, the camera switch button 134 and the pause button 137 are hidden, and only the fast-forward button 135 and the skip button 136 are displayed. In this way, in race video in a short viewing pattern, some buttons can be hidden and the displayed buttons can be spaced apart, making it easier to instantly distinguish the buttons.

When viewing of the selected race is finished, the race results are displayed and the rank points acquired in the currently viewed race are notified, and the screen returns to the base screen. When viewing of one set of five races is finished (Y in step S108), the set end process is performed (step S109). In the set end process, various rewards are awarded and rank points and event parameters are displayed and reflected. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, after a presentation display regarding the race rewards acquired in this one set is performed, as shown in FIG. 19, the screen transitions to the set end screen, where the acquisition status of rank points and event parameters is notified.

If the league rank is promoted based on the rank points earned in this set, in addition to the display of the performance related to the race reward, a rank promotion performance will be displayed as shown in FIG. 20, and the award of the rank-up reward will be notified in the rank promotion performance.

In addition, when the league rank is promoted to the highest level of platinum, an event-limited title accompanied by a notation of the character name is given as a reward for the promotion to the highest level. When this event-limited title is given, as shown in FIG. 21, a notation character selection dialog is displayed, and the character to be notated can be selected. In the notation character selection dialog, characters that satisfy the selectable conditions and characters that do not satisfy the selectable conditions are displayed separately. In this embodiment, the total amount of rank points acquired is managed in association with the character type ID for each player in the battle management database 52 of the server 20, and for a player whose league rank has reached platinum, a character whose total amount of rank points acquired associated with the character type ID has reached a predetermined amount is determined to satisfy the selectable conditions. The selectable conditions can be determined arbitrarily. For example, a character that is a released character in the development target list may satisfy the selectable conditions, and an unreleased character may not satisfy the selectable conditions. Also, for example, a raced flag may be set in the match management database 52 in association with the character type ID of a trained character that has been registered to run in the main stage, and characters for which the raced flag is set may satisfy the selectable conditions, while characters for which the raced flag is not set may not satisfy the selectable conditions.

In the notation character selection dialog, the character icon 141 of the selected character among the characters that satisfy the selectable conditions is given a selection mark 142, and when a tap input is made on the decision button 143 while the character icon 141 of the character that satisfies the selectable conditions is selected, a notation character confirmation dialog is displayed as shown in FIG. 22. In the notation character confirmation dialog, the event-limited title 145 is displayed with the character name of the character corresponding to the character icon 141 selected in the notation character selection dialog. The notation character confirmation dialog is provided with an OK button 146 and a cancel button 147, and when a tap input is made on the OK button 146, the notation of the character name of the event-limited title 145 is confirmed and stored in the player data storage unit 71. Information regarding the notation of the character name of the event-limited title 145 is also transmitted to the server 20 based on the tap input on the OK button 146, and the information of the event-limited title 145 is also stored in the player management database 51 in the server 20. Additionally, if the user taps the cancel button 147 while the notation character confirmation dialog is displayed, the user will return to the notation character selection dialog and can redo the character selection.

If the aforementioned rank-up reward or event-limited title has been awarded, the display will return to the set end screen shown in FIG. 19 once the effects related to these rewards have been displayed. The set end screen is provided with an opponent selection button 138, which makes it possible to accept a match to determine an opponent without returning to the event top screen. If the player's league rank has reached the highest level of platinum, the set end screen will notify the player that their league rank has reached the upper limit. If a tap is made on the progress button 139 provided on the set end screen, the set end process will end and the display screen will return to the event top screen.

In this way, in the main stage, it is possible to repeatedly play five races in one set, and when the main stage period (e.g., four days) ends, preparations for the extra stage (EX stage) are carried out on the server 20. Figure 23 shows the progress flow for preparations for the extra stage.

First, when the main stage period ends (Y in step S201), the ranking of each player is determined (ranking calculation) based on the total amount of rank points earned by each player (step S202), and the players who will participate in the extra stage are determined. In this embodiment, the players ranked 1st to 96th (the top 96 players) based on the total amount of rank points earned in the main stage are determined as players who can participate in the extra stage race (step S203).

After preparations for the extra stage are completed on the server 20 side, when an operation is performed on the player terminal 40 to transition to the event top screen, a ranking announcement dialog is displayed as shown in FIG. 24. A ranking button 151 is provided on the ranking announcement dialog, and when the ranking button 151 is tapped, a ranking acquisition request is sent to the server 20. When the server 20 receives the ranking acquisition request, it responds to the player terminal 40 with ranking data of the top 300 players based on the rank points recorded in the battle management database 52. The player can check the top 300 players acquired from the server 20 through the display screen of the player terminal 40. When the close button 152 provided on the ranking announcement dialog is tapped, the ranking announcement dialog is closed and the display screen transitions to the event top screen.

Next, we will explain the progression flow of the extra stage. Figure 25 shows the progression flow of the extra stage of a competitive racing event.

First, in the Extra Stage (EX Stage), there is a race registration period (e.g., 12 hours), a support reception period (e.g., 12 hours), and a race period (e.g., 24 hours), and as mentioned above, players are divided into those who will participate in the race and those who will not.

During the race registration period, if the player is not participating in the extra stage (N in step S301), when the event top screen is displayed, the date and time when the support reception period starts is notified as shown in FIG. 26, and the player cannot proceed beyond the event top screen. On the other hand, if the player is participating in the extra stage (Y in step S301), the event top screen (not shown) with the organize button is displayed as in the case shown in FIG. 8, and by tapping the organize button (a button having the same function as organize button 102), the player can move to the race registration screen and register three trained characters that will run in the extra stage races (step S302).

Figure 27 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the race registration screen. On the race registration screen, the three trained characters that the player last entered in the main stage are displayed in an initially selected state. If the player wants to change the trained character to be entered in the extra stage, the player can tap the character icon 160 corresponding to the trained character to display a list of trained characters owned by the player, and select another trained character to replace the trained character to be entered. When the player taps the formation confirmation button 161 on the race registration screen, a race registration confirmation dialog is displayed as shown in Figure 28, and a race registration request including the character individual IDs of the three trained characters is sent to the server 20 by tapping the OK button 165 provided in the race registration confirmation dialog. The server 20 that receives the race registration request registers the three character individual IDs included in the race registration request in the competition record for the extra stage to complete the race registration. The race registration confirmation dialogue also notifies the player that the event-limited nickname "SUPER HERO" can be acquired as a participation reward for players who participate in the extra stage race. In this embodiment, a nickname can be set for a trained character, and a player who participates in the extra stage race in a battle race event can set the event-limited nickname "SUPER HERO" for the trained character who participated in that race. In this embodiment, a nickname can be set for each trained character owned by the player. The nickname set for the trained character can be displayed alongside the character name on a display screen for confirming information on the trained character. The nickname set for the trained character can also be displayed to other players who have registered as friends and other players who use the battle function to participate in the same race. The nickname indicates that the conditions for acquiring the nickname have been met in the game, and the player can appeal to other players about his/her achievements in the game by using the nickname set for the trained character he/she owns. The nickname is also an indicator of the achievements in the game, and does not basically affect the race or the progress of the game. However, in some game functions, possession of a nickname can be used as a criterion for extracting trained characters with a specified nickname from among the trained characters owned by the player. Also, if the cancel button 166 provided in the race registration confirmation dialogue is tapped, the race registration confirmation dialogue is closed and the race registration screen is returned to, allowing the player to redo the formation of the three trained characters to be registered for the race.

When the race registration period ends, the top 96 players in the main stage are assigned to the 24 races in the extra stage, and a matching process is carried out involving a gate lottery to determine the race numbers of the participating characters and a condition lottery to determine the race conditions (weather and course conditions) (step S303).

The 96 players participating in the extra stage are divided into 48 players in block A and 48 players in block B, and are assigned to 12 races in block A and 12 races in block B. Specifically, 1st to 4th place are in block A, 5th to 8th place are in block B, and 9th to 12th place are in block A, with 4 players alternately assigned to each block. In the extra stage, main races are set for each of blocks A and B, and the 11th race out of the 12 races is set as the main race. Players ranked 1st to 4th compete in the main race in block A, and players ranked 5th to 8th compete in the main race in block B. For each block, the races are assigned in the following order: 11th race → 10th race → 9th race → 12th race → 8th race → 7th race → ... 2nd race → 1st race.

When the matching process is complete, a race simulation is performed for the 24 races in the extra stage (step S304), and when a player participating in the race performs an operation to transition to the event top screen on the player terminal 40, an EX stage participation reward dialog is displayed notifying the player that the event-limited nickname "SUPER HERO" has been acquired, as shown in FIG. 29. When a tap input is performed on the close button 170 provided on the EX stage participation reward dialog, the EX stage participation reward dialog is closed and transition is made to the event top screen.

When the race registration period ends in the extra stage and the race simulation by the server 20 is completed, the cheering acceptance period begins and the selection of the support target begins to be accepted via the event top screen (step S305).

Figure 30 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the event top screen during the cheering acceptance period. On the event top screen during the cheering acceptance period, a race list button 180 is provided with a display indicating that the selection of the support target is being accepted, and when the race list button 180 is tapped, a race list acquisition request is sent to the server 20, and the server 20 that receives the race list acquisition request references the match records of the extra stage created in the match management database 52 and transmits race list information including the matching results to the player terminal 40. On the player terminal 40 that has acquired the race list information from the server 20, a race list screen is displayed on which the characters competing in the 24 races of the extra stage can be viewed.

31 and 32 are diagrams showing examples of the display of the race list screen. In the race list screen, 12 characters can be viewed for each of the 1st to 12th races of the A block and the 1st to 12th races of the B block in the extra stage, one race at a time. In the race list screen, the display of the A block and the B block can be switched by tapping the A block tab 191 and the B block tab 192. The race to be displayed can be changed using the forward button 193 and the back button 194. It is also possible to change the display target to the 1st race using the first button 195, or to change the display target to the 12th race using the last button 196. If the display target is a race for which the selection of the support target has not been completed, the support target display area 197 displays that the selection of the support target has not been completed. In the display example shown in FIG. 31, the 11th race of the A block is displayed, and the characters to be displayed for the 11th race are displayed in the support target display area 198. In the race character display area 198, various information such as the race history of each race character in the main stage is displayed, and a cheer button 199 corresponding to each race character is provided. When a tap input is made on the cheer button 199 corresponding to one of the 12 race characters for the currently displayed race, the indication of the cheer button 199 on which the tap input was made changes to "selected" as shown in FIG. 32, and the character icon 200 of the race character selected as the cheer target is displayed in the cheer target display area. When a tap input is made on the cheer button 199 to select a cheer target, a cheer target setting request including the selection information of the cheer target is sent to the server 20, and the server 20 that receives the cheer target setting request records the selection information of the cheer target in the match management database 52, linking it to the player ID.

The selection of a support target can also be cancelled; by tapping the support button 199 marked "selected" again, the selection reverts to an unselected state and is released from being a support target. When the support button 199 is tapped to cancel the selection of a support target, a support target cancellation request including cancellation information for the support target is sent to the server 20, and the server 20 that receives the support target cancellation request executes a process to cancel the selection information for the support target linked to the player ID recorded in the match management database 52.

In this embodiment, during the cheering acceptance period, all players can select one participating character per race as the character to cheer for, regardless of whether they are participating in the extra stage races or not. The selection of the character to cheer for may not be on a character-by-character basis, but on a player-by-player or team-by-team basis (one team consists of three trained characters registered by one player to run). Furthermore, when a character to cheer for is selected on the race list screen, the cheering buttons 199 corresponding to characters other than the one to cheer for may be disabled and grayed out.

When the cheering reception period ends in the extra stage, a cheering reward is awarded to a player who has selected a cheering target for at least one race. For example, after the cheering reception period ends, when a player who has selected a cheering target performs an operation to transition to the event top screen on the player terminal 40, the server 20 checks the selection status of the cheering target linked to the player ID recorded in the match management database 52, and if a cheering target has been selected, controls to award a reward to that player. On the player terminal 40 of the player to whom a cheering reward has been awarded, a cheering reward receipt dialog is displayed as a cheering reward acquisition effect, as shown in FIG. 33, before transitioning to the event top screen. When a tap is input on the close button 205 provided on the cheering reward receipt dialog, the reward receipt dialog is closed and the event top screen is displayed.

In the extra stage, the race period begins after the cheering acceptance period ends. During the race period, the user can watch the 12 races in each of Blocks A and B in the extra stage (step S306), and can earn rewards for watching the races (step S307). In this embodiment, when the user transitions to the event top screen for the first time after the race period begins, control is performed to guide the user to watch the main race of the extra stage or a race in which the user is participating.

Specifically, when an operation for transitioning to the event top screen is performed on the player terminal 40, a race replay confirmation dialog is displayed as shown in FIG. 34. The race to be watched is displayed in the race replay confirmation dialog. For a player participating in an extra stage race, the race in which the player is participating is displayed as the race to be watched. For a player not participating in an extra stage race, the main race of block A (race 11) is displayed as the race to be watched. When a tap input is made on the OK button 207 provided in the race replay confirmation dialog, a race information acquisition request including information specifying the race to be watched is transmitted to the server 20. The server 20 that has received the race information acquisition request transmits the race simulation results of the race to be watched to the player terminal 40 that made the request. The player terminal 40 executes a watching performance in which a race video is created and played based on the race simulation results received from the server 20.

Figure 35 is a diagram showing the performance part of the spectator performance in the state immediately before the race (corresponding to "Paddock" P1 in Figure 5). In the state immediately before the race, the 3D model 210 and status information 211 of the participating characters can be viewed one by one, and a cheering mark 213 is added to the character name display 212 of the participating character selected as the cheering target. When the participating character selected as the cheering target is displayed, a gaze target icon 214 with the notation "camera setting" is displayed. In this embodiment, when watching a race for which a cheering target is selected, a race video is created by virtual camera control with the virtual camera focusing on the participating character to be cheered on. When watching a race for which a cheering target is not selected, the gaze target of the virtual camera is the character set as the most popular character of the race. In addition, in a race in which the player's own trained character participates, the player's own trained character is set as the gaze target of the virtual camera. The setting of the gaze target of the virtual camera in the race video can be changed at will by the player. Specifically, by tapping on the gaze target icon 214, a camera setting dialogue is called up as shown in FIG. 36, and the gaze target of the virtual camera can be changed by selecting any participating character and tapping on the decision button 220.

When a tap is made on the race start button 215 in the performance part just before the start of the race, as shown in FIG. 37, a performance is performed in which a list of the participating characters is displayed (corresponding to "Race Entry List" P3 in FIG. 5), and then playback of the race video begins. On the performance screen that displays the list of participating characters, information about the participating characters is displayed in a simplified manner, and a cheering mark 222 is added to the participating characters that are selected as the target to cheer on. When a tap is made on the race start button 224 on the performance screen that displays the list of participating characters, playback of the race video begins. Note that in the extra stage as well, it may be possible to select between a full viewing pattern and a short viewing pattern to execute the viewing performance.

Figure 38 is a diagram showing a scene from a race video. In the race video, the state of the race is expressed so that the participating character set as the gaze target is mainly shown, and a cheering mark 232 is added to the top of the 3D model 230 of the participating character selected as the cheering target, so that the participating character selected by the user can be recognized. When the playback of the race video ends, as shown in Figure 39, the screen transitions to a race result display screen, where the user can check the order of arrival and time of each participating character. In the race result display screen, a cheering mark 242 is displayed on the character icon 241 of the participating character selected as the cheering target. If the participating character selected as the cheering target wins first place, a cheering target victory performance is executed at the time of transition to the race result display screen, as shown in Figure 40, to notify the user that the character selected as the cheering target has finished first. When a tap input is made on the progress button 250 on the screen in which the cheering target victory performance is being executed, the cheering target victory performance is ended and the race result display screen is displayed. When the progress button 240 on the race result display screen is tapped, if there is a main race that has not been watched, a race information acquisition request for the main race is sent to the server 20, and the same process for watching the race as described above is executed thereafter. When watching the main races in Block A and Block B is completed, a watching reward is awarded as a reward for watching the race in the extra stage. Specifically, when the progress button 240 on the race result display screen for the main race in Block B is tapped, a watching reward receipt dialog is displayed as shown in FIG. 41. The watching reward is awarded at the first race watched after the start of the extra stage race period, and the watching reward receipt dialog is displayed only when the watching reward is acquired. When the close button 260 on the watching reward receipt dialog is tapped, the watching reward receipt dialog is closed and the screen transitions to the event top screen, and the series of processes during the race period in the extra stage is completed.

In the information processing system 10 of this embodiment described above, players with high main stage records can participate in races in the extra stage, so that players who advance to the extra stage can receive appropriate recognition for their abilities. On the other hand, in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, races in the extra stage can be watched regardless of whether or not they can participate in the extra stage, and a spectating reward can be earned by watching such races, so that players who are unable to advance to the extra stage can be motivated to watch races in the extra stage in order to earn a spectating reward. In this way, the information processing system 10 of this embodiment can stimulate the desire to participate among a wide range of players.

In particular, in the competitive race event provided to the player by the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, the player who participates in the main stage can obtain a rank-up reward, a race reward, and an event-limited title (highest rank promotion reward). The rank-up reward and the race reward are items or in-game currencies that affect the progress of the game. In the competitive race event provided to the player by the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, the player who participates in the extra stage can obtain a participation reward (event-limited nickname), and this participation reward affects the display of character information, but the acquisition of the participation reward does not create an advantage/disadvantage between players in the progress of the game. If the participation in the extra stage is configured to have a large impact on the subsequent game, there is a risk that players who feel that they cannot achieve a high ranking in the main stage will be reluctant to participate in the competitive race event. However, in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, by making the participation rewards for the extra stage only honorary items, even players who are unable to participate in the extra stage races in the competitive racing event can obtain items that give them an advantage in the game, preventing beginner players from losing their motivation to participate in competitive racing events and ensuring a sufficient number of players participating in the competitive racing events. Also, by creating an event structure that can ensure a sufficient number of participating players, the number of players who are likely to watch the extra stage races increases, making it easier for advanced players who receive participation rewards to have opportunities to increase their own honor.

In addition, in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, when watching a race in the extra stage, an input is accepted to select any of the characters participating in the race as a character to cheer for, and a race image is displayed with a cheering mark above the participating character, so that the player can enjoy watching the race while feeling more attached to the participating character selected as a character to cheer for.

The number of times each character in the extra stage has been selected as a target to cheer for (the number of selected characters) may be tallied to calculate a ranking in terms of the number of selected characters to cheer for, and the ranking and the number of selected characters to cheer for may be displayed on the player terminal 40 of the player watching the extra stage race (including both players participating in the extra stage race and players not participating in the extra stage race). Rewards such as items or in-game currency may also be given to players who have registered characters ranked high in the number of selected characters to cheer for. If a character selected by a player as a target to cheer for achieves a specified result in the race (for example, first place or within the top three), a reward such as an item or in-game currency may be given to the player who selected that character as a target to cheer for.

In addition, the information processing system 10 of this embodiment allows players to earn cheering rewards based on selecting a race character to cheer for, providing players with a positive motivation to select a character to cheer for.

In addition, in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, the update amount of the event parameter is determined based on an evaluation standard in which the lower the superiority of the race result, the higher the evaluation, and when the event parameter reaches its maximum value, an event skill that confers a buff effect that is advantageous in the race can be acquired, making it possible to suitably adjust the battle balance, so that a wide range of players from beginners to advanced players can enjoy racing battles. In particular, in this embodiment, by repeatedly racing on the main stage, event parameters are gradually accumulated and event skills can be acquired, making it less likely that the importance of character development will decrease compared to a specification in which an advantageous effect is uniformly granted in the next race when a race is lost, and therefore it is possible to prevent a decrease in the player's motivation to develop characters.

In addition, in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, additional event parameters can be obtained even if the race result is a narrow defeat, thereby reducing the sense of loss felt by the player who loses the race.

In addition, in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, activation conditions are set to make the event skills function effectively, and the player can use event skill-compatible items related to achieving the event skill activation conditions at their own discretion, which increases the strategic nature of the race and makes the battle more enjoyable.

In addition, in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, rank points are calculated based on an evaluation standard in which the more excellent the race result, the higher the evaluation, and a rank-up reward is awarded when the conditions for promotion to the league rank are met according to the total amount of rank points acquired, so that the player can be motivated to repeatedly use the event battle function that provides competitive race events.

In addition, the event battle function provided in the information processing system 10 of this embodiment may be specified to perform multiple race simulations according to the number of consecutive losses of a player, since the race results in the main stage do not affect the record of the opponent player. For example, a lottery can be held to determine whether or not multiple race simulations will be performed in the race following a lost race according to the number of consecutive losses. For example, a lottery is held in which the winning rate is 10% when the number of consecutive losses is 1, 20% when the number of consecutive losses is 2, 33% when the number of consecutive losses is 3, and 100% when the number of consecutive losses is 4 or more, and multiple race simulations can be performed if the lottery is won. The number of race simulations when it is decided to perform multiple race simulations can be, for example, 3 times. The number of race simulations when it is decided to perform multiple race simulations according to the league rank may be set, or the specification may be such that multiple race simulations are not performed for a specific league rank (for example, bronze). In this way, since performing multiple race simulations in ranks with many affiliated players may place an excessive load on the server 20, the calculation load on the server 20 can be reduced by setting specifications so that multiple race simulations are not performed in specific league ranks.

In addition, when multiple race simulations are performed for one race, the race simulation ends when the trained character registered to run by the player who requested the race wins first place, and if the trained character registered to run by the player who requested the race is unable to win first place after all race simulations have been performed, the last race simulation can be used as the race result. The race simulation with the best finishing order may also be used as the race result. Even if a first place result is not achieved after multiple race simulations are performed, the losing streak can be counted as a loss for one race. For example, if the losing streak is two and the player wins multiple race simulations and ends up losing, the losing streak will increase by one to three.

In addition, the race information of the extra stage in the competitive race event (information on the participating characters, information on the players participating in the race, race results, number of selected targets and number of selected targets ranking, etc.) may be posted on a website or SNS (social networking service), and a function may be provided to guide the player terminal 40 to the website or SNS that posts the race information of the extra stage via an application related to the information processing system 10.

As for the server 20, the matching function and the simulation function may be realized by one server 20, or each function may be distributed across multiple servers 20 and realized by separate servers 20. Also, only some of the matching function and the simulation function may be realized by a server 20 separate from the other functions. Also, multiple servers 20 with a matching function may be prepared.

In this embodiment, a racing game in which multiple players participate and compete against each other has been described as an example of a game in which players compete for finishing order, but the information processing system 10 may be configured to provide a competition function for other games. For example, the invention can be applied to any genre in which multiple players participate and compete against each other, such as fighting games, sports games (baseball games, soccer games, etc.), action games, battle royale games, role-playing games, etc. Furthermore, the form of the competition may be one-on-one, many-on-many, or one-on-many.

When the control method of this embodiment is applied to a team-based game such as a soccer game or a baseball game, by setting a specific team as the target of support, cheering marks may be displayed for all player characters belonging to the target team, or cheering marks may be displayed only for specific player characters such as a captain or leader that are preset for each team. In addition, regarding the display of cheering marks on the display screen for watching the game, display control may be performed to switch the player characters for which cheering marks are displayed, such as displaying cheering marks for the player character holding the ball in a soccer game, or displaying cheering marks only for the player character at bat or on the mound in a baseball game.

In addition, in the case of a game in which characters that have been trained by multiple players compete against each other, display control may be performed to display a cheering mark on the display screen during the match, for example, above the character selected as the target of support.

In addition, on the display screen while watching a match, a cheering mark is displayed for the character being cheered for, but if it is possible to view replay footage or highlight footage of the match (exciting scenes in the match, such as goal scenes in a soccer game or home run scenes in a baseball game, or skill activation scenes during the match) separately from the display screen while watching the match, cheering marks may not be displayed on the replay footage or highlight footage to avoid interfering with the viewing of the replay footage or highlight footage.

In addition, in the competitive race event provided by the information processing system 10 of this embodiment, the rank points are updated according to the finishing order of the race on the main stage, but in sports games where the outcome of a match is determined by the score, such as soccer games or baseball games, the rank points may be updated according to the score in the match, and in fighting games, the rank points may be updated according to the amount of damage inflicted on the opponent.

10 Information processing system,
20 server, 21 CPU, 22 ROM, 23 RAM,
24 communication unit, 25 storage device,
40 player terminal, 41 CPU/GPU, 42 ROM, 43 RAM,
44 Communication unit, 45 Operation/input unit, 46 Display unit, 47 Storage device, 48 Speaker,
50 Server data storage unit, 51 Player management database,
52 match management database,
60 game calculation unit, 61 matching processing unit, 62 simulation processing unit,
63 battle result evaluation unit, 64 event skill determination unit,
70 terminal data storage unit, 71 player data storage unit, 72 training progress data storage unit,
73 race control data storage unit, 74 event data storage unit,
80 game execution unit, 81 training function providing unit, 82 battle function providing unit,
83 First stage control unit, 84 Second stage control unit, 85 Race production execution unit,

Claims (5)

A program for a game in which multiple characters compete against each other,
a game calculation unit that performs calculations related to the battle based on information associated with each of the plurality of characters;
causing a computer to function as a presentation execution unit that executes a game presentation for allowing a user to watch the match based on a result of the calculation;
The performance execution unit,
The game presentation is selectable according to a first pattern or a second pattern;
When the game presentation is executed in the first pattern, a plurality of presentation parts constituting the game presentation are executed in a predetermined order, and when a specific input is performed during the execution of a presentation part before a predetermined intermediate stage in the match , a process is executed to skip from the predetermined intermediate stage to a presentation part in which the match progresses ;
When the game presentation is executed in the second pattern, the program executes the game presentation so as to omit some of the presentation parts constituting the game presentation, while including a presentation part showing the specified intermediate progress . In claim 1,
The performance execution unit,
When the game presentation is executed in the first pattern, a specific presentation part related to a character that satisfies a specific condition is interrupted into a presentation part being executed, and control is performed so that the specific input is not accepted during the execution of the specific presentation part;
A program for omitting execution of the specific presentation part when the game presentation is executed in the second pattern. In claim 2,
The performance execution unit,
A program capable of accepting an input for selecting whether or not to execute the specific presentation part when the game presentation is executed in the first pattern. An information processing system for a game in which a plurality of characters compete against each other,
a game calculation unit that performs calculations related to the battle based on information associated with each of the plurality of characters;
a presentation execution unit that executes a game presentation for allowing the player to watch the match based on a result of the calculation,
The performance execution unit,
The game presentation is selectable according to a first pattern or a second pattern;
When the game presentation is executed in the first pattern, a plurality of presentation parts constituting the game presentation are executed in a predetermined order, and when a specific input is performed during the execution of a presentation part before a predetermined intermediate stage in the match , a process is executed to skip from the predetermined intermediate stage to a presentation part in which the match progresses ;
When the game presentation is executed in the second pattern, the information processing system executes the game presentation so as to omit some of the presentation parts that constitute the game presentation, while including a presentation part that shows the specified intermediate progress . An information processing method for a game in which a plurality of characters compete against each other, comprising the steps of:
a game calculation step of performing a calculation related to the battle based on information associated with each of the plurality of characters;
and a performance execution step of executing a game performance for allowing the player to watch the match based on a result of the calculation,
In the performance execution step,
The game presentation is selectable according to a first pattern or a second pattern;
When the game presentation is executed in the first pattern, a plurality of presentation parts constituting the game presentation are executed in a predetermined order, and when a specific input is performed during the execution of a presentation part before a predetermined intermediate stage in the match , a process is executed to skip from the predetermined intermediate stage to a presentation part in which the match progresses ;
An information processing method for executing the game presentation in the second pattern, in which the game presentation is executed so as to omit some of the presentation parts constituting the game presentation, while including a presentation part showing the specified intermediate progress .