KR20200100562A - Method, apparatus and computer program for adjusting difficulty level of game - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a means for allowing a user to play a game at an appropriate difficulty level. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, provided is a game providing method that includes: a step of displaying a game interface in which a plurality of blocks are arranged in a block matching game; a step of removing blocks arranged to meet a predetermined condition based on the user interaction from the game interface and replacing other blocks including newly created blocks; and a step of adjusting a block generation rate according to at least one of a block type and block arrangement of the plurality of blocks based on user′s performance in the block matching game.

Description

A method, apparatus, and computer program for adjusting the difficulty level of a game {METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR ADJUSTING DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF GAME}

The present disclosure relates to a method for adjusting the difficulty of a game, a game providing apparatus, and a game program, and specifically, to adjusting the difficulty based on a user's performance in a match 3 game.

As device and network environments develop, game providers provide games to users through various devices, and users' demands for games are also diversifying.

Providing users with games of moderate difficulty is one of the important tasks of game providers. If the difficulty of the game is too low, the user may easily feel bored, and if the difficulty of the game is too high, the user may easily feel helpless. Since the performance is different for each user even in the same game, the difficulty level of the game also needs to be set differently according to the user.

Puzzle games are the preferred game genre of many users because of their simple game rules and short play times. In general, the higher the stage in a puzzle game, the higher the difficulty. Accordingly, a user who plays a good game can pass a stage at a relatively high speed and challenge a higher stage, and a user who cannot play a game can enjoy a game at an appropriate difficulty level by challenging a relatively lower stage.

In general, users get the most fun when they win the last minute. However, in a puzzle game, when a user encounters a limit and cannot pass the stage anymore, that is, when he challenges the same stage several times but loses it through close repetition, the degree of immersion in the game may decrease.

In a puzzle game, a user may be provided with a preference, for example, an item so that a user who is facing a limit can pass the stage. However, users who receive preferential treatment may feel a sense of defeat before they challenge the game, and users who do not pass the stage even after receiving the privilege may feel helpless.

The present disclosure discloses a means for allowing a user to play a game at an appropriate difficulty level.

The present disclosure discloses a means for adjusting the difficulty level of the game while preventing the user from recognizing that the difficulty level of the game has been adjusted.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, in a block matching game, displaying a game interface in which a plurality of blocks are arranged; Removing blocks arranged to satisfy a predetermined condition based on user interaction from the game interface and replacing them with other blocks including newly generated blocks; And adjusting a block generation rate according to at least one of a block type and block arrangement of the plurality of blocks based on a user's performance in the block matching game.

According to an embodiment, there may be provided a game providing method in which the block generation rate is adjusted to adjust the difficulty of the block matching game.

According to an embodiment, the adjusting may provide a game providing method including setting a block generation rate of the first block type to a highest value.

According to an embodiment, a method of providing a game in which the first block type is determined according to the block arrangement of the plurality of blocks in the game interface may be provided.

According to an embodiment, a game providing method in which the first block type is changed according to a change in the block arrangement of the plurality of blocks in the game interface may be provided.

According to an embodiment, the adjusting may provide a method for providing a game including increasing a block generation rate of the most frequently arranged block type in the game interface.

According to an embodiment, the adjusting may provide a method of providing a game including increasing a block generation rate of the block type that is least arranged in the game interface.

According to an embodiment, a game providing method in which the block generation rate of each of the block types is adjusted in proportion to or inversely proportional to a block arrangement ratio of each block type among the plurality of blocks may be provided.

According to an embodiment, the adjusting may provide a game providing method including setting block generation rates of all block types to have sequential values.

According to an embodiment, the adjusting may include: determining a block generation rate adjustment algorithm based on the performance identified by the user playing at least one stage in the block matching game; And adjusting the block generation rate according to the block type and the block arrangement based on the block generation rate adjustment algorithm.

According to an embodiment, the block generation rate adjustment algorithm may provide a game providing method that is determined when the user continuously challenges to the same stage in the block matching game.

According to an embodiment, a game providing method may be provided in which the performance of the user is based on the number of defeats of the user in the block matching game.

According to an embodiment, the block matching game is provided to the user at a predetermined difficulty level, and when the number of defeats of the user exceeds a predetermined number, a game providing method in which the block generation rate is adjusted may be provided. .

According to an embodiment, a method of providing a game further comprising lowering at least one of the difficulty level and the number of times based on whether a predetermined condition is satisfied may be provided.

According to an embodiment, whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied is at least one of whether the user's play date of the block matching game has passed a predetermined period from the first base date and whether or not within a predetermined period from the second base date. A game providing method including one may be provided.

According to an embodiment, there may be provided a game providing method in which at least one of the difficulty level and the number of times is restored in a next stage.

According to an embodiment, the adjusting may include: determining a block generation rate adjustment algorithm based on the difficulty level and the number of defeats by the user; And adjusting the block generation rate according to the block generation rate adjustment algorithm.

According to an embodiment, the adjusting may provide a method of providing a game performed while the user plays a stage in the block matching game.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable recording medium containing a program for executing the game providing method on a computer may be provided.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a device comprising: a memory for storing instructions; And at least one processor configured to execute the instructions, the processor executing the instructions to: display a game interface in which a plurality of blocks are arranged in a block matching game; Removing blocks arranged to meet a predetermined condition based on user interaction from the game interface, and replacing them with other blocks including newly created blocks; A game providing apparatus configured to adjust a block generation rate according to a block type and block arrangement of the plurality of blocks based on a user's performance in the block matching game.

According to one embodiment, the user can play the game at an appropriate difficulty level.

According to an embodiment, the difficulty of the game may be adjusted while preventing the user from recognizing that the difficulty of the game has been adjusted.

1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D illustrate game interfaces in which blocks are removed and replaced with other blocks according to an embodiment.
2 is a flowchart of a method for providing a game according to an exemplary embodiment.
3A and 3B illustrate charts of block generation rates adjusted based on a block rate according to an embodiment.
4A and 4B illustrate charts of block generation rates having sequential values based on a block rate, according to an embodiment.
5 illustrates an exemplary table showing a relationship between a block generation rate adjustment algorithm, a block generation rate adjustment target, and a block generation rate adjustment rate, according to an embodiment.
6 is a diagram illustrating a game interface in which a stage pass has failed according to an embodiment.
7 illustrates an exemplary table showing the relationship between a difficulty level, a difficulty score, and a block generation rate adjustment algorithm according to an embodiment.
8 is a block diagram of an apparatus for providing a game according to an exemplary embodiment.
9 shows an online game providing system including a server and a terminal according to an embodiment.
10 is a block diagram of a server according to an embodiment.
11 is a block diagram of a terminal according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the contents described in the accompanying drawings. In addition, a method of configuring and using an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the contents described in the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers or reference numerals in each drawing indicate parts or components that perform substantially the same function.

Terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms. The terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may be referred to as a first component. The term and/or includes a combination of a plurality of related items or any one of a plurality of related items.

The terms used in the present disclosure are used to describe embodiments and are not intended to limit and/or limit the present disclosure. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present disclosure, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features. It is to be understood that the presence or addition of elements or numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof, does not preclude in advance.

In the present disclosure, when a part is connected to another part, this includes not only a case in which it is directly connected, but also a case in which it is electrically connected with another element interposed therebetween. In addition, when a part includes a certain component, it means that other components may be further included rather than excluding other components unless specifically stated to the contrary. In addition, terms such as "... unit" and "module" described in the specification mean units that process at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software. .

It should be understood that in the present disclosure, “terminal” may refer to a user, a gamer, and a player, or to a device used by them, depending on the context. It should be understood that in the present disclosure a user, gamer, or player may point to an avatar or character they manipulate or to a device used by them depending on the context.

In the present disclosure, "platform connected to terminals" refers to a community to which users of terminals belong, and may be, for example, a game or a virtual game space provided by a game, but is not limited thereto. A user's avatar or character may exist in a virtual game space. The platform may be a centralized platform that runs on a server and terminals are connected to the server, but is a decentralized platform that runs on a terminal to connect terminals to each other, or runs on a node to which terminals are connected to connect terminals. It can be a platform.

In the present disclosure, the "game" may be a puzzle game, for example, a match 3 game, but is not limited thereto. The game interface of the match 3 game may include a game board having a predetermined shape and size. In the match 3 game, the puzzle of the match 3 game can be solved by manipulating blocks arranged by a random algorithm or a predetermined algorithm on the game board. The puzzle of a match 3 game can be solved by arranging three or more blocks of the same or similar appearance, that is, matching blocks in a line. In a match 3 game, three or more matching blocks arranged in a row are removed from the game board, and a vacancy from which matching blocks are removed may be filled with other blocks. The match 3 game may consist of a plurality of stages, and each stage may be represented by a different game board, but is not limited thereto. In match 3 games, the winning requirements for completing a mission can vary. For example, in the match 3 game, the victory condition may be satisfied when a specific block on the game board is removed all or more than a predetermined number of times, but is not limited thereto, such as the total number of movements of the block or play time. Other conditions may be added. In order to adjust the difficulty of the game, the number of blocks to be removed during one stage may be adjusted, or the total number of movements of blocks, play time, etc. may be limited, but is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, the match 3 game may be implemented to remove matching blocks not only when three or more matching blocks are arranged in a line, but also when four matching blocks are arranged in a square shape.

In the present disclosure, "block" is an element manipulated by a user in a match 3 game, and the user can manipulate blocks to solve a puzzle provided by the match 3 game. For example, in the match 3 game, the user may arrange three matching blocks in a line by changing positions of blocks arranged on a game board by a random algorithm or a predetermined algorithm. The block may include a general block that is movable so as to exchange a position with an adjacent block, and an obstacle block that is not movable so that the position with the adjacent block cannot be exchanged, but is not limited thereto. For example, the block may include a locked block that can exchange positions with an adjacent block when a predetermined condition is satisfied. When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the locked block may be unlocked and moveable.

In the present disclosure, a "tile" is a space in which a block is located in a match 3 game, and may be implemented as a two-dimensional space, but is not limited thereto and may be implemented as a three-dimensional space. Unlike blocks, tiles can be implemented so that they are fixed to the game board and cannot be moved. When a tile is implemented in a 2D space in a match 3 game, blocks arranged on the tiles may move in a specific direction in the 2D space. For example, blocks may move in four directions in a two-dimensional space, that is, up, down, left and right, but are not limited thereto and may be implemented to move in various directions such as 3, 5, 6, etc. When a block is implemented to be movable in four directions in a two-dimensional space, the tile may be represented in a square shape, and the block may cross each boundary line of the tile and change positions with adjacent blocks. When a block is implemented to be movable in six directions in a two-dimensional space, the tile may be expressed in a regular hexagonal shape. In a match 3 game, when a tile is implemented in a three-dimensional space, blocks can cross each boundary of the tile and swap places with adjacent blocks. For example, when a block is implemented to be movable in six directions in a three-dimensional space, the tile may be expressed in the form of a cube.

Tiles may be filled by blocks or may be blanks without blocks. Algorithms for filling blanks, that is, blank tiles, may vary according to embodiments. According to an embodiment, when the matching blocks are removed, blocks above the matching blocks fall downward to fill the blank, but is not limited thereto, and the blank may be filled with blocks below, left, or right of the matching blocks. have. According to an embodiment, blanks may be filled with blocks generated by a random algorithm or a predetermined algorithm.

Match 3 games can be displayed with a combination of various graphical representations. Graphical representations in match 3 games may include graphic objects such as tiles and blocks, as well as graphic effects that occur for tiles and blocks. The graphic representation in the puzzle game not only satisfies the user's perspective, but also visualizes the sequence resulting from the user's manipulation according to the rules or algorithms of the puzzle game, thereby enhancing the user's understanding of the puzzle game. . For example, in a match 3 game, when a user replaces a block with an adjacent block and three or more matching blocks are arranged in a row and removed from the game board, a graphic representation of popping the matching blocks like balloons may be displayed. In this way, the user can not only recognize that the matching blocks have disappeared from the game board, but also intuitively recognize that the game rules of the match 3 game, that is, the matching blocks can be arranged in a row and removed from the game board. I can. Appropriate graphical representation can make the user intuitively understand the rules of the game.

To make the match 3 game more interesting, items can be provided to users. The item may be implemented as an element that can move like a block within the game board, that is, an item block, or may be implemented as an element that can be selected outside the game board, that is, a special item. When an item block is selected, a sequence according to the characteristics of the item block may proceed. For example, blocks located on the same axis (horizontal axis and/or vertical axis) may be removed, blocks within a predetermined circular range may be removed from the item block, or blocks corresponding to the item block may be removed. Item blocks may be combined with each other. For example, when an item block for removing blocks located on the same axis and an item block for removing blocks within a predetermined circular range swap positions with each other, blocks within a predetermined range may be removed from the axis. When a special item is selected and a location where the special item is to be used is designated, the block at the location is removed, blocks located on the same axis as the location are removed, blocks within a certain range from the location are removed, or Blocks corresponding to the block may be removed. Further, in the match 3 game, items for changing the number of blocks to be removed during one stage, the total number of movements of blocks, and play time may be provided to the user.

1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D illustrate game interfaces in which blocks are removed and replaced with other blocks according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1A, the game providing device 6000 may provide a game to a user by displaying a game interface 100. The game interface 100 may include a game board composed of a plurality of tiles and blocks respectively positioned on the tiles, for example, blocks 120A and 120B. The game board may have a predetermined shape and size, and referring to FIG. 1A, the game board has a 9×5 rectangular shape. A 9 X 5 game board may consist of 45 tiles, and 45 blocks may be arranged on 45 tiles. The game interface 100 may further include a progress window 130 indicating the progress of the game and an item window 140 indicating special items that can be used in the game.

According to an embodiment, the progress window 130 may indicate the number of times a block can be moved. Referring to Fig. 1A, the user can move the block 20 times, and the user must move the block 20 times to achieve a predetermined winning requirement. The winning conditions of the match 3 game may vary according to embodiments. According to an embodiment, the progress window 130 may further indicate a victory condition, and referring to FIG. 1A, the user further adds the appearance of 38 tiles in addition to 7 tiles whose appearance has changed among 45 tiles. You have to change it.

According to an embodiment, the item window 140 may represent items that can be used or purchased by a user.

According to an embodiment, the game providing device 6000 may detect user interaction. When the game providing device 6000 includes a touch screen display, a user interaction may be detected based on a user's touch input to the touch screen display. The game providing device 6000 may detect a user interaction with respect to the block 120A of the game interface 100, and the block 120A may be selected in response to the user interaction. Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, an indicator 150A indicating that block 120A has been selected may be displayed in the game interface 100.

According to an embodiment, the block 120A may move in four directions, that is, in one of up, down, left and right, and accordingly, the block 120A is an upper adjacent block, a lower adjacent block 120B, and a left adjacent block. , Or you can swap the right adjacent block and place. Referring to FIG. 1B further, the selected block 120A may swap positions with the lower adjacent block 120B, and thus, three matching blocks 122A including the selected block 120A may be arranged in a line. have. According to an embodiment, the matching blocks 122A may be blocks having the same or similar appearance, but are not limited thereto. When the selected block 120A moves up one space and changes its position with the adjacent block 120B, the number of possible movements of the block may be deducted by one. With further reference to FIG. 1C, a graphical representation 124A popping three matching blocks 122A can be displayed in the game interface 100, whereby the user knows that the matching blocks 122A are removed from the game board. I can recognize it. Empty tiles from which the matching blocks 122A have been removed may be filled with other tiles, and referring to FIG. 1D further, the empty tiles may be filled by blocks 126A above the matching blocks 122A. Blocks 126A filling the empty tile may include a selected block 120A and an adjacent block 120B swapped positions, as shown in FIG. 1D, and an adjacent block 120B among the blocks 126A The other three blocks may be blocks generated by a random algorithm or a predetermined algorithm.

Referring to FIG. 1B, when a user interaction is detected on the adjacent block 120B below the selected block 120A, the positions of the two blocks 120A and 120B are changed in response to the user interaction with the adjacent block 120B. I can. According to an embodiment, the game providing apparatus 6000 may determine whether the two blocks 120A and 120B, which swap positions with each other, satisfy a predetermined condition. For example, the predetermined condition may include that at least one of the two blocks 120A and 120B is arranged in a line with at least two adjacent matching blocks. If the predetermined condition is not satisfied, that is, if none of the two blocks 120A and 120B swapped positions can form three matching blocks arranged in a row, the seat of the two blocks 120A and 120B Substitution can be undoed. Accordingly, a graphical representation in which the two blocks 120A and 120B return to their original positions may be displayed.

Referring to FIG. 1B, three matching blocks 122A including the block 120A may be arranged in a line due to the replacement of the two blocks 120A and 120B. According to an embodiment, the matching blocks 122A may be blocks having the same or similar appearance to each other, but are not limited thereto. When the block 120A moves down one space and changes its position with the adjacent block 120B, the number of possible movements of the block can be deducted by one. With further reference to FIG. 1C, a graphical representation 124A popping three matching blocks 122A can be displayed in the game interface 100, whereby the user knows that the matching blocks 122A are removed from the game board. I can recognize it. The blank tiles from which the matching blocks 122A are removed may be filled with other blocks, and the blank tiles may be filled by blocks that were above the matching blocks 122A. Blocks filling an empty tile may include a selected block 120A and an adjacent block 120B swapped positions, and three blocks other than the adjacent block 120B among blocks filling the empty tile are random algorithms or predetermined It may be blocks generated by an algorithm. 1B is shown that only one of the two blocks 120A and 120B satisfies the matching condition, but both blocks 120A and 120B may satisfy the matching condition, and Blocks 122A may be removed from game interface 100 and replaced with other blocks. According to an embodiment, due to the replacement of the two blocks 120A and 120B, the two blocks 120A and 120B only when at least 3 matching blocks are arranged in a line or at least 4 matching blocks are arranged in a square. ) Can be implemented to be replaced.

Referring to FIG. 1D, blocks 122A satisfying the matching condition are removed from the game interface 100, and the lowest tile among the tiles on which the blocks 122A are located are matching blocks 122A. It can be filled with the adjacent block (120B) that was above. Three blocks other than the adjacent block 120B among the blocks 126A filling the empty tile may be generated by a random algorithm or a predetermined algorithm. According to an embodiment, blocks may be generated according to a block generation rate of each block type. When a match 3 game is composed of 4 block types, each block type may have a basic block generation rate of 25%, and when a block is generated to fill an empty tile from which matching blocks are removed, each block type is 25 Can be generated with% probability.

According to an embodiment, the block generation rate of each block type may be adjusted according to a predetermined condition. A method of adjusting the block generation rate will be described later with reference to FIG. 2.

According to an embodiment, in a match 3 game, not only a block but also a tile on which the block is located may function as an element affecting the progress of the game. According to an embodiment, unlike a block, a tile cannot be moved by a user, but may be implemented to influence the progress of a game by a block. According to an embodiment, a tile that has affected the game progress may be expressed to have a different appearance to be distinguished from other general tiles. According to an embodiment, when the matching blocks are removed, the game providing device 6000 may change the appearance of the tiles in which the matching blocks were located, thereby recognizing to the user that the tiles are affecting the game progress. In the progress window 130, the remaining number of tiles whose appearance should be changed may be subtracted.

According to an embodiment, when the appearance of 38 tiles among 45 tiles is further changed and the victory condition is satisfied, the game providing device 6000 may display a message window indicating stage clear on the game interface 100. have.

2 is a flowchart of a method for providing a game according to an exemplary embodiment.

At 210, the game providing device may display a game interface. The game interface may include a game board composed of a plurality of tiles. The game interface can include tiles and blocks. A tile is an element constituting a game board, and blocks may be arranged thereon. A plurality of blocks may be respectively arranged on a plurality of tiles.

At 220, the game providing device may remove blocks arranged to satisfy a predetermined condition. According to an embodiment, the game providing device may change the arrangement of blocks by changing positions of blocks based on user interaction, and when at least three blocks satisfying a predetermined condition are identified, the block arrangement may be changed. have. According to an embodiment, when a user replaces a block with an adjacent block and at least three matching blocks are arranged in a line, a predetermined condition may be satisfied. According to an embodiment, when a user replaces a block with an adjacent block and at least four matching blocks are arranged in a quadrangular shape, for example, 2 X 2, a predetermined condition may be satisfied.

In 230, the game providing device may replace the removed blocks with other blocks. According to an embodiment, empty tiles from which blocks have been removed may be filled by other blocks. According to an embodiment, empty tiles may be filled by other blocks that were located above the removed blocks. If the empty tiles remain even after other blocks located above the removed blocks fill the empty tiles, the remaining empty tiles may be filled with newly created blocks.

At 240, the game providing device may adjust the block generation rate of each block type. According to an embodiment, the block generation rate may be adjusted according to a block type and block arrangement of a plurality of blocks based on a user's performance. For example, when a user's performance is excellent or improved in a game, the block generation rate may be adjusted to increase the difficulty of the game. For example, when a user's performance is poor or deteriorated in a game, the block generation rate may be adjusted to lower the difficulty of the game.

According to an embodiment, blocks may be generated according to a block generation rate of each block type. For example, when a match 3 game is composed of 4 block types, each block type may have a block generation rate of 25%, and when a block is generated to fill an empty tile from which matching blocks are removed, block type Each can be generated with a 25% chance.

According to an embodiment, a block generation rate of a specific block type may be adjusted in a game interface. For example, the block generation rate of the'□' block type may be increased or decreased, and the block generation rate of other block types may be adjusted accordingly. Block generation rates of different block types may be adjusted to have the same value. When the block generation rate of one block type is higher than that of other block types, since more block types are generated, it may be easier for the user to satisfy the matching condition.

According to an embodiment, the block generation rate may be adjusted according to an arrangement ratio of each block type among a plurality of blocks. According to an embodiment, an arrangement ratio of each block type may be determined according to an initial arrangement of a plurality of blocks, and the block generation rate may be adjusted. In FIGS. 1B, 1C, and 1D, the arrangement ratios of each block type among 45 blocks may be represented as Tables 1, 2, and 3.

TOTAL □ ○ △ ♤ 45 14 8 12 11

TOTAL □ ○ △ ♤ 42 14 8 12-3=9 11

TOTAL □ ○ △ ♤ 45 14+2=16 8+1=9 9 11

Referring to FIG. 1B and Table 1, in the game interface 100,'□' block types are most often arranged, and most are arranged in the order of'△','♤', and'○', which is a plurality of It may be an initial arrangement of blocks. Referring to FIGS. 1C and 2, when three blocks of a'△' type are arranged in a line based on a user interaction, three blocks of a'△' type may be removed.

Referring to FIG. 1D and Table 3, three new blocks may be generated to fill the removed blanks of three blocks of a'△' type, and at this time, three new blocks may be generated based on a block generation rate. have.

According to an embodiment, the block generation rate of the block type most frequently arranged in the game interface 100 may be increased. For example, as shown in Table 2, the block generation rate of the'□' block type that is already most frequently deployed in the initial arrangement state may be increased. Accordingly, as shown in Table 3, blocks of a'□' block type may be generated. When the user's game performance is poor, the user can easily satisfy the matching condition by increasing the block generation rate of the block type that has already been placed the most, and thus the difficulty of the user's game experience can be lowered.

According to an embodiment, the block generation rate of the block type that is the least arranged in the game interface 100 may be increased. For example, as shown in Table 2, the block generation rate of the'○' block type that is already the least arranged in the initial arrangement state may be increased. Accordingly, the probability of generating blocks of the'○' block type may increase. When the user's game performance is excellent, it becomes difficult to satisfy the matching condition from the user's point of view by increasing the block generation rate of the least-arranged block type, which may increase the user's game experience difficulty.

According to an embodiment, the block arrangement of a plurality of blocks in the game interface 100 may be changed, and a block generation rate of each block type may be adjusted according to the changed block arrangement. For example, when the block arrangement is changed as shown in FIG. 1D based on user interaction, the block generation rate of each block type may be adjusted according to the changed block arrangement. According to an embodiment, since the block generation rate may be adjusted in real time according to the progress of the game, a game with a more suitable difficulty level may be provided to the user.

3A and 3B are charts of a block generation rate adjusted based on a block ratio according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, in order to lower the difficulty of a game, a block generation rate of a specific block type may be implemented to have a higher value than that of other block types. For example, referring to FIG. 3A, a block generation rate of blocks of a'□' type may be 40%, and block generation rates of blocks of other types may all be 20%. Accordingly, when a new block is generated because the tile is empty in the game interface, a'□' type block may be generated with a high probability. As the number of blocks of a specific type increases, it becomes easier to satisfy the matching condition, and thus the difficulty of the game may be lowered. FIG. 3A illustrates that the block generation rate of the'□' type block is set to the highest value, but is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, all block types other than the block type having the highest block generation rate may have the same block generation rate. The sum of block generation rates of block types may be 100%. For example, in the case of a game composed of five block types, the basic block generation rate of each block type may be 20%. If the block generation rate of a specific block type is 30%, the block generation rates of the remaining block types may be 17.5%, but are not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment, in order to properly maintain the ratio of each block in a game, a block generation rate of a specific block type may be implemented to have a higher value than that of other block types. For example, referring to FIG. 3B, a block generation rate of a'○' type block having the smallest block ratio among blocks displayed on a game interface may be 40%, and a block generation rate of all other types of blocks may be 20%. . Accordingly, when a new block is generated in which the tile is empty in the game interface, a'○' type block may be generated with a high probability. Since the probability of generating the fewest blocks in the game interface is high, the ratio between blocks can be properly maintained.

4A and 4B illustrate charts of block generation rates having sequential values based on a block rate, according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4A, the block generation rate of each block type may be adjusted to have sequential values in proportion to the block ratio. If the block generation rate of a specific block type is overwhelmingly higher than that of other block types, the difficulty of the game may be excessively degraded. According to an embodiment, when the block generation rate of each of the block types has a sequential value proportional to the block arrangement ratio, the difficulty of the game may be appropriately adjusted. For example, referring to FIG. 4A, among a plurality of blocks, the'□' block type is the most, and may gradually decrease in the order of'△','♤', and'○'. The game providing device may adjust the block generation rates so that the block generation rate of each block type has a value proportional to the block rate. Accordingly, the block generation rate gradually decreases in the order of'□','△','♤', and'○' block types.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the block generation rate of each block type may be adjusted to have sequential values in inverse proportion to the block rate. Accordingly, the block generation rate gradually increases in the order of'□','△','♤', and'○' block types, and the block ratio of each block type may be maintained at a similar value.

According to an embodiment, the block generation rate of each of the block types is adjusted for each stage, when the user fails to pass the stage, or when the user passes the stage, or when the user challenges the stage May be adjusted while playing, but is not limited thereto.

5 illustrates an exemplary table showing a relationship between a block generation rate adjustment algorithm, a block generation rate adjustment target, and a block generation rate adjustment rate, according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the block generation rate may be adjusted based on a block generation rate adjustment algorithm. The block generation rate adjustment algorithm may be used while the user plays at least one stage.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the block generation rate adjustment algorithms A to E, the block type for which the block generation rate is adjusted may be determined by a random algorithm, but is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, the block type for which the block generation rate is adjusted may be determined according to a predetermined criterion, for example, the block generation rate of the most block type and the least block type among a plurality of blocks may be adjusted. Accordingly, since more block types that have already been arranged can be generated, the degree of difficulty can be lowered.

According to an embodiment, the adjustment rate of the block generation rate may vary according to an algorithm. For example, since Algorithm A has an adjustment rate of 0%, a corresponding block type may be generated with a basic block generation rate. Since the adjustment rate of Algorithm B is 5%, the block generation rate of the corresponding block type may be a value added by 5% from the mood block generation rate. Algorithms A, B, C, D, and E, in order, the block generation rate adjustment rate increases, and the higher the block generation rate adjustment rate, the higher the block generation rate of the corresponding block type, and thus the degree of lowering the difficulty level may increase.

According to an embodiment, the block generation rate adjustment algorithm may be determined based on the user's performance identified by the user playing at least one stage. For example, if the user does not approach the victory condition in a specific stage, the game providing device may gradually change the block generation rate adjustment algorithm so that the user can continue to be interested in the game. The block generation rate of blocks may be adjusted according to the changed algorithm, and thus, the difficulty of the game may be lowered.

According to an embodiment, as the number of failures of passing the stage of the user increases, the block generation rate adjustment algorithm may be gradually changed in order to decrease the difficulty level.

6 is a diagram illustrating a game interface in which a stage pass has failed according to an embodiment. If the victory condition of the game is not satisfied within the given number of block movements, the challenge may fail, and accordingly, the game providing device 6000 displays a message window 660 indicating the challenge failure in the game interface 600. I can. If the user continues to fail in the same stage, the user may become familiar with the game background or pattern and lose immersion in the game. Nevertheless, if he continues to fail, the disappointment may increase.

According to an embodiment, when the user continues to challenge the same stage, the game providing apparatus 6000 may adjust the block generation rate of blocks so that the user can pass the stage within an appropriate number of times. According to an embodiment, the game providing apparatus 6000 may adjust a block generation rate of blocks according to a block generation rate adjustment algorithm.

7 illustrates an exemplary table showing the relationship between a difficulty level, a difficulty score, and a block generation rate adjustment algorithm according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the game providing device may provide a game of a predetermined difficulty level to a user. The difficulty level can gradually become easier in the order of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. When a user challenges a new stage, the difficulty level of the stage may be 1. When the difficulty level is 1, the block generation rate may be adjusted based on the block generation rate adjustment algorithm A. Referring to FIG. 5, since the block generation rate adjustment rate of the block generation rate adjustment algorithm A is 0%, blocks may be generated at the basic block generation rate.

According to an embodiment, a game may be provided at a difficulty level corresponding to a difficulty score. For example, the difficulty score starts from 90 and may be deducted by 1 each time the user fails to pass the stage. That is, when the user challenges a new stage, the user's difficulty score is 90, and the user can play the game at the difficulty level 1 corresponding to the difficulty score of 90. If the user fails 10 times, the difficulty score is 80 points deducted by 10 points, and the user can play the game at difficulty level 2 corresponding to the difficulty score of 80 points.

According to an embodiment, the difficulty of the game may be appropriately adjusted based on the number of defeats, so that the user may continue to immerse in the game.

According to an embodiment, the difficulty score deducted by the user's difficulty score and the number of defeats may vary based on whether a predetermined condition is satisfied. For example, the difficulty score, which is subtracted by the user's difficulty score and the number of defeats, is whether the current date of playing the user's game exceeds a predetermined period from a specific date (e.g., last play date, last access date, etc.). May vary depending on availability. For example, the difficulty score, which is deducted by the user's difficulty score and the number of defeats, is whether the current date on which the user plays the game is within a predetermined period from a specific date (eg, game purchase date, item purchase date, etc.). May vary depending on.

According to an embodiment, the difficulty score deducted while the user challenges the same stage may be recovered when the user passes the corresponding stage. That is, the initial difficulty score is restored to 90 points, and the next stage can be played on the basic difficulty level.

8 is a block diagram of an apparatus for providing a game according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 8, a game providing device 6000 according to an embodiment may include a game interface display unit 6020, a block replacement unit 6040, and a block generation rate adjustment unit 6060.

The game interface display unit 6020 may display a game interface and a related graphic representation of the match 3 game, and the functions of the game interface display unit 6020 include descriptions of 210 of FIG. 2, and a game interface and related graphic representation. As described above by the descriptions related to displaying, redundant descriptions will be omitted.

The block replacement unit 6040 may remove matching blocks satisfying the matching condition and replace it with other blocks, and the function of the block replacement unit 6040 includes descriptions of 220 and 230 of FIG. As described above by the descriptions related to identifying and removing blocks satisfying and replacing empty tiles from which blocks have been removed with other blocks, for example, newly created blocks, redundant descriptions are omitted.

The block generation rate adjustment unit 6060 may adjust the block generation rate according to at least one of a block type and block arrangement of a plurality of blocks based on a user's performance, and the function of the block generation rate adjustment unit 6060 is described with reference to 240 in FIG. 2. Since it has been described above that the block generation rate can be adjusted by various methods, redundant descriptions will be omitted.

The game providing device 6000 may be a terminal, but is not limited thereto. For example, the game providing device 6000 may be a server or a system including a server and a terminal. Depending on the embodiment, the functions of the game providing apparatus 6000 may be performed in both the terminal and the server, or some functions may be performed in the terminal and other functions may be performed in the server. Each configuration of the game providing device 6000 described above may be implemented through interaction between a plurality of devices, for example, a server and a terminal, and may be implemented through interaction between the server and the terminal as needed even within each configuration. May be.

9 shows an online game providing system including a server and a terminal according to an embodiment.

An online game providing system according to an embodiment may include a server 4000 and a plurality of terminals 2000a, 2000b, 2000c, 2000d, 2000e, and 2000f as shown in FIG. 9. The server 4000 may provide an online game to a plurality of terminals 2000a, 2000b, 2000c, 2000d, 2000e, and 2000f by serving an online game through a network.

9 illustrates a desktop computer 2000a, a tablet 2000b, a mobile phone 2000c, a notebook 2000d, a smart phone 2000e, and a television 2000f as examples of terminals used by the user. Is not limited thereto, and may include various electronic devices such as PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), navigation, MP3 player, digital camera, refrigerator, washing machine, and vacuum cleaner.

According to some embodiments, the server 4000 may be operated by a game provider, and the server 4000 may include a single server, a group of servers, and a cloud server, but is not limited thereto. The server 4000 provides online games to users, and may include a database storing data of users. In addition, the server 4000 may further include a payment server for generating and processing a payment event.

According to some embodiments, a network refers to a connection established (or formed) using any communication method, and between terminals 2000a, 2000b, 2000c, 2000d, 2000e, and 2000f or between terminals 2000a, 2000b, 2000c , 2000d, 2000e, and 2000f) and the server 4000 may refer to a communication network connected through all communication means.

The communication means includes communication through a predetermined communication standard, a predetermined frequency band, a predetermined protocol or a predetermined channel, short-range communication, long-distance communication, wireless communication, and wired communication. For example, the communication means may include a communication means through Bluetooth, BLE, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, 3G, LTE, and ultrasonic waves, but is not limited thereto.

The short-range communication means may mean a communication means capable of communicating with each other only when devices performing communication are within a predetermined range, and may include, for example, Bluetooth and NFC, but are not limited thereto.

The long-distance communication means may mean a communication means in which devices performing communication can communicate with each other regardless of a distance. For example, the long-distance communication means uses a means for communicating even when two devices performing communication through a repeater such as an AP are over a predetermined distance, and a cellular network (3G, LTE) used for text transmission and phone calls. It may include a communication means, but is not limited thereto.

In the course of the server 4000 servicing an online game using a network, communication between the server 4000 and the terminals 2000a, 2000b, 2000c, 2000d, 2000e, and 2000f may be performed through an arbitrary communication means. have.

Online games include RPG (Role Playing Game), TRPG (Tabletop RPG), MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online RPG), MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), AOS (Aeon of Strife), RTS (Real Time Strategy), FPS (First- Person shooter), TCG (Trading Card Game), CCG (Collectible Card Game), shooter, match shooter, team match shooter, sports, fight, etc., but are not limited thereto. The online game may be played as a match between users or a match between a user and a computer (eg, artificial intelligence), but is not limited thereto and may be implemented in various forms.

10 is a block diagram of a server according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 10, the server 4000 may include a memory 4010, a processor 4020, and a communication interface 4030. However, not all of the components shown in FIG. 10 are essential components of the server 4000. The server 4000 may be implemented by more or fewer components than those shown in FIG. 10.

The memory 4010 may store a program for processing and control of the processor 4020 or an instruction constituting the program, and may store data input to the server 4000 or output from the server 4000. .

The memory 4010 may store instructions that enable the server 4000 to perform various operations according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the memory 4010 may store information necessary to service an online game. For example, the memory 4010 may store information on a user's account, character, and item, but is not limited thereto and may store various information.

The memory 4010 is a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory, etc.), and RAM. (RAM, Random Access Memory) SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (ROM, Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), magnetic memory, magnetic disk And at least one type of storage medium among optical disks. Programs stored in the memory 4010 may be divided into a plurality of modules according to their functions.

The processor 4020 typically controls the overall operation of the server 4000. For example, the processor 4020 may control components included in the server 4000 by executing a program stored in the memory 4010. The processor 4020 may be composed of a plurality of processors, for example, one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more graphic processing units (GPUs), or a combination thereof. have.

The processor 4020 may be configured to execute an instruction stored in the memory 4010 to cause the server 4000 to perform various operations according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

The communication interface 4030 may be an electronic circuit designed to conform to a predetermined standard so that the server 4000 can communicate with other devices.

Communication interface 4030 is a Bluetooth communication interface, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication interface, Near Field Communication, Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity: WIFI) communication interface, Zigbee communication interface, infrared (infrared Data) Association: IrDA) communication interface, WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication interface, UWB (ultra wideband) communication interface, Ant+ communication interface, 3G communication interface, LTE communication interface, and may be a 5G communication interface, but is not limited thereto.

Transmission of information according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed through the communication interface 4030. Operators of the online game may communicate with the server 4000 using a device separate from the server 4000. Operators may use a dedicated program to communicate with the server 4000, but is not limited thereto. For example, operators may communicate with server 4000 through a web browser, and server 4000 may require authentication from operators attempting to access server 4000.

11 is a block diagram of a terminal according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, the terminal 2000 may include a memory 2010, a processor 2020, a communication interface 2030, a display 2040, and an input interface 2050. However, not all of the components shown in FIG. 11 are essential components of the terminal 2000. The terminal 2000 may be implemented by more or fewer components than those shown in FIG. 11.

For a description of the memory 2010, the processor 2020, and the communication interface 2030 of the terminal 2000, refer to the memory 4010, the processor 4020, and the communication interface 4030 of the server 4000 described above. can do.

The memory 2010 may store instructions that enable the terminal 2000 to execute various operations according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the memory 2010 may store a game and data related thereto.

The processor 2020 may be configured to execute an instruction stored in the memory 2010 and cause the terminal 2000 to perform various operations according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the processor 2020 may execute a game stored in the memory 2010 or may load data related to the game.

Transmission of information according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed through the communication interface 2030.

The display 2040 is a component that visualizes information processed by the processor 2020. Information displayed by the processor 2020 may be visualized through the display 2040. The display 2040 is a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display (3D). display) and an electrophoretic display. When the display and the touch pad are layered to form a touch screen, the display may also function as an input interface 2050.

The input interface 2050 is a component designed to allow the terminal 2000 and a user using the terminal 2000 to interact with each other. The input interface 2050 includes a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (contact capacitive method, pressure resistive film method, infrared sensing method, surface ultrasonic conduction method, integral tension measurement method, Piezo effect method, etc.), a jog wheel, and a jog switch, but is not limited thereto.

The apparatus described above may be implemented as a hardware component, a software component, and/or a combination of a hardware component and a software component. For example, the devices and components described in the embodiments are, for example, a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA). , A programmable logic unit (PLU), a microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing and responding to instructions, such as one or more general purpose computers or special purpose computers. The processing device may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications executed on the operating system. In addition, the processing device may access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to the execution of software. For convenience of understanding, although it is sometimes described that one processing device is used, one of ordinary skill in the art, the processing device is a plurality of processing elements and/or a plurality of types of processing elements. It can be seen that it may include. For example, the processing device may include a plurality of processors or one processor and one controller. Also, other processing configurations are possible, such as a parallel processor.

The software may include a computer program, code, instruction, or a combination of one or more of these, configuring the processing unit to operate as desired or processed independently or collectively. You can command the device. Software and/or data may be interpreted by a processing device or, in order to provide instructions or data to a processing device, any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, computer storage medium or device. , Or may be permanently or temporarily embodyed in a transmitted signal wave. The software may be distributed over networked computer systems and stored or executed in a distributed manner. Software and data may be stored on one or more computer-readable recording media.

The method according to the embodiment may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer means and recorded in a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be specially designed and configured for the embodiment, or may be known and usable to those skilled in computer software. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and magnetic media such as floptical disks. -A hardware device specially configured to store and execute program instructions such as magneto-optical media, and ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of the program instructions include not only machine language codes such as those produced by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware device described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operation of the embodiment, and vice versa.

As described above, although the embodiments have been described by the limited embodiments and drawings, various modifications and variations are possible from the above description by those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the described techniques are performed in a different order from the described method, and/or components such as a system, structure, device, circuit, etc. described are combined or combined in a form different from the described method, or other components Alternatively, even if substituted or substituted by an equivalent, an appropriate result can be achieved.

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and claims and equivalents fall within the scope of the claims to be described later.

Claims (1)

Displaying a game interface in which a plurality of blocks are arranged in a block matching game;
Removing blocks arranged to satisfy a predetermined condition based on user interaction from the game interface and replacing them with other blocks including newly generated blocks; And
And adjusting a block generation rate according to at least one of a block type and a block arrangement of the plurality of blocks based on a user's performance in the block matching game.

Images