JP7602142B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program.

Conventionally, in computer games such as online games, a user has been known to select a quest from a variety of quests and progress through the game (hereinafter referred to as "play") by completing the selected quest. In some such games, various events occur during the game, and in some cases events that occur are associated with each character.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that at least one character selected by the user from among a plurality of characters owned by the user is set as a first character for generating an event, and an event related to the first character is generated during the game according to the first character.

Patent Publication 2014-233323

However, in Patent Document 1, although events are associated with each character, these events are not associated with the quests that make up the game. As a result, users often do not know which quest to specify and play in order to play an event associated with a character, which may reduce users' satisfaction with the game.

The present invention aims to provide an information processing device, information processing method, and program that can make it easier for users to specify the quest to play and improve users' game satisfaction.

An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention has a mission adding unit that, when a user acquires a first game medium, adds one or more first missions corresponding to the first game medium to a first quest identified from among a plurality of quests that the user can play, and a development unit that controls the first game medium so that it can be developed when the user accomplishes the first mission by playing the first quest.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to make it easier for users to specify the quest they want to play, thereby improving users' game satisfaction.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an information processing system including an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a mission display screen. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of functions of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of user information. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of game medium information. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of quest information. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of mission information. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an information processing flow according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an information processing flow according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an information processing flow according to still another embodiment of the present invention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An information processing device, an information processing method, and a program according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
The embodiment described below is merely an example given to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved from the embodiment described below without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Naturally, the present invention also includes equivalents thereof.

The screen examples described in this specification and the drawings are merely examples, and the screen configuration and design, the content of the displayed information, and the GUI (Graphical User Interface), etc., can be freely designed according to the system design specifications and user preferences, etc., and can be changed as appropriate.

<About the game according to this embodiment>
The communication system shown in FIG. 1 (hereinafter referred to as information processing system S) is a communication system including an information processing device (hereinafter referred to as server 10) according to one embodiment of the present invention, and provides a game to a user (hereinafter referred to as a user) who is a player of the game.

A game is content that a user plays by operating a user terminal 12 while viewing the screen on the user terminal 12 for gameplay, and in this embodiment, it is an online game (electronic game) provided using the information processing system S. Online games include browser games that use a web browser, social games provided on SNS (Social Networking Service), games that can be played by downloading dedicated application software such as mobile games, and regularly updated online games such as play-by-web (PBW). The genre (classification) of the game is not particularly limited.

In this embodiment, when a user performs operations for playing a game on the user terminal 12, the user terminal 12 receives data for progressing through the game that is distributed from the server computer of the game provider, i.e., the server 10. The user terminal 12 outputs video and audio corresponding to the received data, and the user progresses through the game while checking the output video and audio. The user terminal 12 also transmits data indicating the user's operations to the server 10, and the server 10 transmits data for progressing through the game corresponding to the user's operations. This data transmission and reception between the server 10 and the user terminal 12 is repeated until the user finishes playing the game.

In the game, the user plays game units called quests. A quest is played with the objective of clearing it (in other words, meeting the clearing conditions), and in this embodiment, multiple quests are set, with each quest having different content (e.g., attributes, difficulty level, enemy characters that appear, clearing conditions, clearing rewards, etc.). In addition, the quests are classified into multiple categories, such as quests that are held at all times, quests that are held on a schedule that is set in advance for each day of the week or time (quests for which a playable period is set), and quests for which special play conditions for playing are set (e.g., the user's level XX or higher, etc.), and each quest has one or more stages prepared according to the difficulty level. Therefore, when selecting a quest to play, the player selects an arbitrary quest from multiple playable quests, and if multiple stages are prepared for the selected quest, the player selects a stage according to the desired difficulty level. When the player clears a quest, the player can obtain game media, etc. associated with the cleared quest as a clearing reward. In this embodiment, one or more missions may be added (set) to a quest, and the details of the missions will be described later.

In a game, a user can obtain (acquire) game media and own (possess) it as an asset, and can use or consume the game media that he or she owns. Game media are game objects that a user can use to progress through the game, including playing the game, and include characters, items, cards, and avatars used in the game. Game media also include in-game currencies, such as coins, medals, tickets, gold, or stones, that have value as a consideration that can be exchanged for other game media such as items or characters in the game, or consumed to play quests or lotteries, etc. In-game currencies include paid in-game currencies that can be obtained by paying, and free in-game currencies that can be obtained without paying. Users can obtain game media by purchasing them at an in-game shop, playing or clearing quests, playing lotteries that provide random items, known as gacha, or other methods.

Characters include playing characters that can be operated by the user, and sub-characters (e.g., enemy characters or auxiliary characters) that move automatically according to the game settings without user operation. The appearance of the characters is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, living things such as people, animals, and plants, vehicles, machines such as robots, non-machine objects, fictional characters such as monsters, or other characters similar to these. In the following, playing characters will be simply referred to as characters unless otherwise specified.

Each character (including enemy characters) has its own personality, and each character has a name, attributes, appearance, and various parameters that indicate abilities (values related to level, stamina, attack power, special abilities, etc.). These parameters are indicators that affect the progress of the game, and include those expressed numerically, those expressed as ranks written in alphabets such as "A, B, C...", and those expressed by indicators such as gauges. In addition, some parameters change as the game progresses, while others are constant and do not change regardless of the progress of the game. For example, a character's parameters increase or decrease depending on the type of quest cleared with that character, the number of times it has been cleared, the time of day the quest was played, and the progress of missions associated with quest play. In the following, unless otherwise specified, parameters that change as the game progresses will simply be called parameters.

The user plays a quest using a specified character, and when playing a quest, the user specifies two or more characters from among the characters available for quest play on a deck composition screen (not shown), and composes a deck including the specified characters. Here, characters that can be included in a deck, i.e., characters that can be used for quest play, include characters owned by the player, characters that can be borrowed from other players, and characters that can be used for a limited time. Note that other players here include players who have mutually recognized each other (hereinafter referred to as friends). For example, player A can borrow a character owned by friend player B when compiling a deck. Note that it is also possible to play a quest with a single character without compiling a deck.

A deck is a team/group consisting of n characters designated by the player before the start of quest play. The number of characters that make up a deck, n, is a natural number equal to or greater than 2 and is not particularly limited. A leader can also be set from among the characters included in the deck. For example, when a newly acquired character is made the leader, the members of the recommended deck can be automatically organized, that is, a combination of characters that are compatible with the character set as the leader based on the attributes of the characters can be automatically created and displayed on a deck organization screen (not shown). A deck can also be automatically organized based on the user's past deck organization history without the user designating a character, or a deck organized based on the past deck organization history can be displayed on a deck organization screen (not shown) as a candidate deck for the user to use in quest play (the user can select a deck from the candidates).

The user can also train a character in the game. Training refers to changing the character's abilities, etc., when the user accomplishes a mission added to a quest, or based on other instructions from the user. Training includes, for example, strengthening or evolving the character.

Strengthening is a type of training, and is an in-game effect that increases the parameters of a character or adds special abilities to the character. Strengthening can be performed when the user completes a mission, or by using an item or by combining with another character (hereinafter, material character). The parameters of the strengthened character increase according to the parameters of the item and material character used. In this case, the material characters that can be combined for strengthening may be limited to characters that are associated with the character to be strengthened (for example, characters with the same attributes). In addition, of the multiple characters used for strengthening, the use authority of the combined material characters is lost after the strengthening is performed. Note that the use authority is the authority to use a character in the game, and only characters with the use authority can be used to play quests (i.e., added to the deck) and can be used as material characters when strengthening.

Evolution is a type of training, and is an in-game effect that changes a character into a different type of special character, for example, a character with higher abilities. The transformed character, i.e., a character evolved from a character before the transformation (hereinafter, evolved character), is a character that is associated with the character before the transformation in advance, and its parameters change from the time before the transformation, and its appearance also changes from the appearance before the transformation. After the evolution is performed, the authority to use the character before the transformation is lost, and the evolved character is newly added as a character owned by the user. Note that, like strengthening, evolution may be performed when the user completes a mission, or by using an item or by combining with another character. Furthermore, when strengthening by combining an evolved character with another character, characters that can be used as material characters may be limited to characters with the same attributes as the evolved character or the evolved character before the transformation.

As a result of training (strengthening or evolution, etc.), the character's abilities, etc. will change, and specific examples are given below. Note that, while changes are basically those that are advantageous to the user, this does not exclude changes that are disadvantageous to the user or changes that have no effect on advantages or disadvantages.
(a) Various parameters such as the character's abilities are improved.
(b) The predefined upper limit (maximum value) of various parameters such as the character's abilities is improved.
(c) Special abilities (skills, etc.) are added to the character.
(d) The special abilities possessed by the character change.
(e) The character's name, appearance, attributes, etc. are changed.
(f) A character changes into a special character of a higher rank than that character.

A mission is added to a quest separately from the clearing conditions of the quest, and is a task given to the user who plays the quest. When a user plays a quest and completes a mission (clears the mission), the user can receive a bonus based on the completion of the mission in addition to the clearing reward. In this embodiment, the mission is associated with game media such as characters, and one or more missions correspond to each character. When a user plays a quest and completes a mission, the user can train the character corresponding to the completed mission depending on the completion status. Note that the mission is unrelated to the clearing conditions of the quest, and the user may be able to complete the quest without completing the mission. A mission may also be a new clearing condition of the quest that is added separately from the clearing conditions previously set for the quest.

The flow of the game in this embodiment will be explained below with specific examples of missions. Note that, as a premise, there are multiple quests, and the user selects any one of the multiple quests and plays the selected quest. Also, as a condition for playing a quest, the user must consume parameters (e.g., stamina value that recovers over time) that they possess, and the required value of the parameter to be consumed is set for each quest. Note that the required value of the parameter may be different or the same for each quest. Also, although a character will be explained below as an example of a game medium, the game medium may also be an item, etc.

(1) Acquiring a Character The user acquires a new character X (first game medium) as a reward for completing a quest, as a result of a lottery, or by purchasing it at a shop, etc.

(2) Adding a Mission to a Quest When a user obtains a character X, one or more (e.g., five) first missions corresponding to the character X are added to a first quest identified from among a plurality of quests that the user can play. When a first mission is added to a first quest, a mission display screen G, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, is displayed on the user terminal 12 of the user in a state associated with the first quest. Note that the plurality of quests that a user can play differs for each user depending on the game play status, such as the user's level, quests cleared (number of times cleared and types of quests cleared), characters owned (number owned and whether or not a specific character is owned), etc.

The mission display screen G has a character display area 41 that identifiably displays the character X corresponding to the first mission, and a mission display area 42 that identifiably displays the contents of the first mission. In this embodiment, when the user plays the first quest and achieves the first mission, points corresponding to the achieved first mission are given to the user, and when the points reach a predetermined number (for example, 10 points), the character X can be trained. In addition, a plurality of first missions with different levels of difficulty are added to the first quest, and the points given to the user differ for each first mission or depending on the difficulty of the first mission. Therefore, the mission display area 42 displays the points given for each first mission, such as, for example, 1 point is given for the first mission "clearing the collaboration quest difficulty level B three times". In addition, the first missions that have already been achieved are displayed identifiably by adding a clear mark or the like. Furthermore, the mission display screen G has a point gauge 43 that identifiably displays the achievement status of the first mission, and the point gauge 43 displays the points accumulated up to the present time. For example, in the situation shown in FIG. 2, the predetermined number of points that can be used to develop character X is 10 points, and the user has currently achieved two first missions and has been awarded four points.

The first quest to which the first mission is to be added may be selected by the user himself, or may be determined randomly by a lottery or the like, but in this embodiment, the first quest to which the first mission is to be added is determined from among quests that the user can play, based on user information such as the user's level or quest play history. Specifically, the first quest is determined (selected) according to the rules exemplified below.
(a) The difficulty level of the identified first quest is preset according to the user's level (a parameter that increases as the conditions for clearing the quest are achieved), and when the user's level is high, a first quest with a high level of difficulty is selected.
(b) Referring to the quest play history, a first quest is selected from among playable quests that the user has not yet played.
(c) Referring to the quest play history, a first quest is selected from among playable quests for which a predetermined time has elapsed since the user last completed the quest, for example, a quest other than the most recently played quest.

In addition, when the achievement status of the first mission satisfies a predetermined condition, the first mission is added to a second quest (a quest that the user can play) that has a different difficulty level from the first quest, and the first mission is removed from the first quest. In other words, the quest played to achieve the first mission is changed from the first quest to the second quest. At this time, a first mission that is the same as the first mission added to the first quest may be added to the second quest, or a first mission that is at least partially different from the first mission added to the first quest may be added to the second quest. Note that, like the first quest, when identifying the second quest, it may be identified based on user information such as the user's level or quest play history, or the user may be allowed to select the quest to which the first mission is to be added, or the quest to which the first mission is to be added may be identified randomly by a lottery or the like.

The predetermined conditions include, for example, the following cases.
(a) when the points reach a predetermined number (e.g., equivalent to a first value); (b) when all of the first missions added to the first quest are completed; (c) when the points do not reach a predetermined number (e.g., equivalent to a first value) even after a predetermined time (e.g., one hour or one day) has elapsed since the first mission was added; (d) when the points do not reach a predetermined number (e.g., equivalent to a first value) even after the number of times the first quest has been played using character X reaches a predetermined number or more. When (a) and (b) are the predetermined conditions, the second quest is identified from among quests with a higher difficulty than the first quest, since the difficulty is equal to or higher than that of reaching a predetermined number of points (10 points at which character X can be trained). On the other hand, when (c) and (d) are the predetermined conditions, the second quest is identified from among quests with a lower difficulty than the first quest, since the second quest is aimed at users who were unable to complete the first mission in the first quest.

Furthermore, if the user obtains a game medium other than character X, for example, character Z (third game medium) after the first mission has been added to the first quest, a second mission to be added to the first quest is selected from one or more second missions corresponding to character Z according to the first mission already added to the first quest. Specifically, a second mission having a different content or difficulty from the first mission is selected. Furthermore, the probability of adding one or more second missions corresponding to character Z to a first quest to which a first mission has already been added is made higher than the probability of adding the second mission to a quest other than the first quest.

(3) Quest Play The user organizes a deck including character X and plays the first quest to which the first mission has been added. Note that, at the start of the quest play, the user may decide which mission to aim to achieve, but it is not necessary to specify in advance the mission to be achieved.

(4) Mission Accomplishment When a user plays a first quest and accomplishes a first mission, the user acquires points according to the accomplished first mission. For example, when the first mission "clear collaboration quest difficulty level B three times" is accomplished, one point is acquired. Then, when the acquired points reach a predetermined number, that is, when the achievement status of the first mission meets the conditions for training character X, character X becomes capable of being trained. Note that multiple first missions may be accomplished in one quest play. Also, points are not awarded for a first mission that has already been accomplished, even if it is accomplished again.

(5) Character Development When character X becomes available for development, the user develops character X at any timing. At this time, character X may be developed automatically when a predetermined number of points are acquired by accomplishing a first mission. Note that, when a deck including character Y (second game medium) that does not correspond to the first mission is organized to play the first quest, and the first mission is accomplished, character Y is not available for development.

In addition, in the game of this embodiment, not only can a user play alone, but multiple users can also operate their own user terminals 12 to play a common quest simultaneously in what is known as multiplay (hereinafter referred to as cooperative play). Cooperative play is performed through the communication functions of each user's user terminal 12, and when a cooperative relationship is formed, the progress of play is synchronized between the users playing cooperatively. Cooperative play may be of either type, such as a cooperative play game in which multiple users cooperate, or a competitive game in which players compete against each other. Furthermore, there is no particular limit to the members who play cooperatively, but it is also possible to play cooperatively with friends.

<Configuration of information processing device and user terminal according to this embodiment>
Next, the configuration of an information processing device and a user terminal 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The information processing device according to this embodiment is configured by a computer for distributing game data, more precisely a server computer (hereinafter referred to as server 10). The server 10 is an example of a computer, and as shown in Fig. 1, is communicatively connected to a plurality of user terminals 12 via a network 14, and together with the user terminals 12, constitutes an information processing system S for games. The network 14 is a communication line network consisting of, for example, the Internet or a mobile communication network, and may include a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), an intranet, Ethernet (registered trademark), and the like.

In the information processing system S of this embodiment, the game progresses as a result of the server 10 and the user terminal 12 working together in the above configuration. Specifically, part of the game progress processing is performed on the server 10 side, and part of the graphic processing, etc. is executed on the user terminal 12. For example, the server 10 side executes a program including certain rules, logic, and algorithms. Meanwhile, the user terminal 12 side synchronizes with the server 10 and progresses the game according to the same rules, logic, and algorithms as the program executed on the server 10.

The server 10 is an example of the "information processing device" of the present invention, and is a computer that executes various information processing related to the progress of the game, such as generating and transmitting data necessary for the progress of the game, and more specifically, in this embodiment, is an SNS server. The server 10 may be composed of one computer, or may be composed of multiple computers distributed in parallel. The server 10 may also be a server computer for ASP (Application Service Provider), SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). In this case, a series of information processing steps related to the progress of the game (excluding input and display of information) are executed by the server 10, so that the user terminal 12 only needs to input information to be handed over to the server 10 and display information distributed from the server 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the server 10 has a processor 21, a memory 22, a communication interface 23, and a storage 24 as hardware devices, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus 25. In addition, an operating system (OS) and a dedicated program for processing information about the game are installed as software in the server 10. These programs correspond to the "program" of the present invention. When the processor 21 operates according to the above program, the server 10 functions as the information processing device of the present invention and executes a series of processes related to the progress of the game. The program of the present invention may be obtained by reading it from a computer-readable recording medium, or may be obtained (downloaded) via a network 14 such as the Internet or an intranet.

The processor 21 may be configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), an MCU (Micro Controller Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc.

The memory 22 may be composed of semiconductor memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory).

The communication interface 23 may be, for example, a network interface card or a communication interface board. The standard of data communication by the communication interface 23 is not particularly limited, and examples include communication by a wireless LAN based on Wi-fi (registered trademark), communication by a 3G to 5G or later generation mobile communication system, or communication based on LTE (Long Term Evolution).

The storage 24 may be configured with a flash memory, a hard disc drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disc (FD), a magneto-optical disc (MO disc), a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a secure digital card (SD card), or a universal serial bus memory (USB memory). The storage 24 may be built into the server 10, or may be attached to the server body in an external format. The storage 24 may also be configured with an external computer (e.g., a database server) communicably connected to the server body. A distributed ledger technology such as a blockchain may be used as a technology for recording various data in order to avoid unauthorized data tampering.

The server 10 distributes information necessary for the progress of the game to each user, and also collects and stores information from each user. The information stored by the server 10 includes information about each user and information about the game. The server 10 also performs various other information processing related to the progress of the game.

The user terminal 12 is a client terminal that a user operates to play the game, and may be, for example, a personal computer, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a game console, a television receiver capable of inputting information, or a wearable terminal. Note that for convenience of illustration, four user terminals 12 are shown in FIG. 1, but of course, in reality, there will be as many user terminals 12 as there are users playing the game.

The user terminal 12 receives data for game progression from the server 10, and displays images (video) indicated by the data on the display of the user terminal 12 or on a display device such as a TV connected to the user terminal 12, and outputs audio from a speaker or the like. That is, in this embodiment, the user terminal 12 functions as a display unit and an audio output unit. For example, in addition to the mission display screen G (FIG. 2), the user terminal 12 displays a quest designation screen, a quest play screen, a character development screen, a deck composition screen, and the like (not shown).

The user terminal 12 also accepts operations performed by the user while playing the game, and transmits information corresponding to the content of the operation to the server 10. For example, the user performs a quest designation operation to designate a quest to play, a quest play operation to play the designated quest, a character development operation to develop a character, and a deck organization operation to organize a deck on the user terminal 12, and transmits information based on these operations to the server 10. In addition to the above operations, the user also performs appropriate operations required to play the game on the user terminal 12.

<Functions of the information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention>
The configuration of the server 10, which is an information processing device according to this embodiment, will be described again from the functional aspect. As shown in FIG. 3, the server 10 has a memory unit 30, an information acquisition unit 31, a display control unit 32, a quest providing unit 33, a mission adding unit 34, and a game control unit 36. Of these, the memory unit 30 is realized by the memory 22 or the storage 24, and the other functional units are realized by the cooperation of the hardware devices constituting the server 10 and the programs installed in the server 10. When the server 10 is composed of multiple computers, the above functions may be distributed so that each of the multiple computers performs a different function. Each functional unit will be described in detail below.

(Memory unit)
The storage unit 30 stores information necessary for playing the game, specifically, information about the user, information about the game medium, information about quests, information about missions, etc. It also stores various other information.

As shown in FIG. 4, information about users (user information) is stored for each user with various information linked to identification information (identification ID or game account name, etc.) that identifies each user. For example, items of user information include the user's level, information about game media such as characters, items, and coins owned, information about the organized deck, information about quests that the user can play, information about quest play history, information about mission achievement history, and information about other users with whom the user has a friend relationship. Information about game media includes information indicating the type and number of game media such as characters, items, and coins owned. Information about decks includes information indicating characters included in the organized deck. Information about quest play history includes information indicating the number of times each quest has been played and cleared. Information about mission achievement history includes information (result) indicating whether a mission has been achieved or not, and information (progress) indicating the status of mission achievement such as the amount of accumulated points.
In addition, the user information may include information other than the above, such as the user's personal information such as contact information, a billing history indicating the number of times and amount of charges the user has made to the game, and a game play history such as the login date and time, number of logins, total game play time, and number of times the game medium has been used.

As shown in Fig. 5, information related to game media (game media information) is stored for each game medium with various information linked to identification information (such as an identification ID) that identifies each game medium. For example, items of game media information include name, level indicating training status, appearance design, attributes, various parameters indicating abilities, etc., and information indicating associated missions (corresponding missions), etc. The various parameters indicating abilities, etc. include information indicating the current value of each parameter as well as initial and upper limits.
The game medium information may also include other information other than the above, such as the acquisition method, the acquisition period, the usable period, and the price (if the game medium can be purchased with in-game currency), etc. Note that the above game medium information is an example of a case where the game medium is a character, but the content of the information may be changed as appropriate when the game medium is an item or in-game currency, etc.

As shown in FIG. 6, information relating to quests (quest information) is stored for each quest with various pieces of information linked to identification information (such as an identification ID) that identifies each quest. For example, items in the quest information include the title, attributes, difficulty level, play conditions, enemy characters that appear, clear conditions, clear rewards, and, if missions have been added, information indicating the added missions. The play conditions include information indicating the playable period, the user level required to play, and the characters required to play. The clear rewards include information indicating the type and number of game media to be awarded as a reward for clearing a quest.

As shown in FIG. 7, information relating to a mission (mission information) is stored for each mission with various information linked to identification information (such as an identification ID) that identifies the mission. For example, mission information items include the title, mission details such as the conditions for completion, associated game media (corresponding game media), other associated missions, and, if a mission has been added to a quest, information indicating the quest to which it was added.

(Information Acquisition Unit)
The information acquisition unit 31 acquires information (data) based on operations performed by the user on the user terminal 12 while playing the game, by communicating with the user terminal 12. The information acquired by the information acquisition unit 31 includes designation operation information based on a quest designation operation, play operation information based on a quest play operation, development operation information based on a character development operation, and organization operation information based on a deck organization operation, etc. In addition to the above information, the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 31 includes information based on various selections, designations, instructions, requests, commands, permission or refusal, registration, and other input operations performed by the user at each scene during the game.

(Display control unit)
During the game, the display control unit 32 controls the user terminal 12 of the user to display information for progressing the game on the screen of the user terminal 12. Specifically, the display control unit 32 generates display data for displaying the results of information processing by the quest providing unit 33, the mission adding unit 34, the training unit 35, and the game control unit 36, which will be described later, and transmits the generated display data to the user terminal 12 via the network 14. For example, the display control unit 32 causes the user terminal 12 to display a mission display screen G ( FIG. 2 ) reflecting the results of information processing by the mission adding unit 34, a game play screen (not shown) reflecting the results of information processing by the game control unit 36, and the like.

(Quest Provider)
The quest providing unit 33 provides the user with a quest designated by the user from among a plurality of quests in a playable state. Specifically, the quest designated by the designated operation information acquired by the information acquiring unit 31 is used as a trigger to set the quest designated by the designated operation information to a state in which the quest can be played by the designated user.

(Mission Addition Section)
The mission adding unit 34 adds a mission to a quest by associating the quest information with the mission information. Also, the mission adding unit 34 removes a mission added to a quest by canceling the association between the quest information and the mission information. Specifically, when a user obtains a first game medium, the mission adding unit 34 adds a first mission to the first quest by associating one or more first missions corresponding to the first game medium with a first quest identified from among multiple quests playable by the user.

When adding a mission to a quest, the mission adding unit 34 identifies a first quest to which the first mission is to be added from among quests playable by the user, based on user information such as the user's level or quest play history. If the progress of the first mission satisfies a predetermined condition, the mission adding unit 34 adds the first mission to a second quest identified from among quests that are different from the first quest and have a higher level of difficulty than the first quest, and excludes the first mission from the first quest.

In addition, if the user obtains a game medium (third game medium) other than the first game medium after the first mission has been added to the first quest, the mission adding unit 34 performs one of the following processes.
(a) Selecting a second mission to be added to the first quest (e.g., a second mission associated with the first mission) from among one or more second missions associated with the third game medium, depending on the first missions that have already been added to the first quest.
(b) The probability of adding one or more second missions associated with the third game medium to the first quest is made higher than the probability of adding the second missions to quests other than the first quest. In other words, the probability of adding a second mission to a first quest to which a first mission has already been added is higher than the probability of adding a second mission to another quest.

(Development Department)
When the user plays the first quest and accomplishes the first mission, the training unit 35 controls the first game medium to a state in which it can be trained. Note that the training unit 35 sets the first game medium to a state in which it can be trained, and whether or not to actually train the first game medium by changing parameters indicating the capabilities, etc. of the first game medium is based on the following conditions.
(a) The training operation information acquired by the information acquisition unit 31 is used as a trigger to change parameters indicating the abilities, etc. of the first game medium.
(b) When the points awarded to the user upon accomplishing the first mission reach a predetermined number, a parameter indicating the capabilities, etc. of the first game medium is changed.
(c) When the user accomplishes the first mission using the first game medium, a parameter indicating the capabilities, etc. of the first game medium is changed.
(d) When a deck is organized that includes a first game medium and a second game medium that does not correspond to the first mission, a first quest is played, and the first mission is accomplished, parameters indicating the abilities, etc. of the first game medium are changed, but parameters indicating the abilities, etc. of the second game medium are not changed.

(Game control unit)
The game control unit 36 executes information processing necessary for the progress of the game, and specifically, progresses the game based on various information acquired by the information acquisition unit 31. For example, the game control unit 36 performs effects according to user operations, such as moving game media such as characters according to operations performed by the user while playing the game. In addition, the game control unit 36 grants game media to the user and changes parameter settings (more specifically, the current state or current value, etc.) of the game media according to the progress of the game, etc.

The above describes the configuration of the server 10 and the user terminal 12. Generally, the server 10 and the user terminal 12 have various functions other than those described above, but here we will only describe the characteristic functions that provide the desired effect in the information processing system S of the present invention, and will not illustrate or describe other known functions, etc.

<Information processing flow according to one embodiment of the present invention>
Next, the flow of information processing (hereinafter referred to as information processing flow) executed in the information processing system S configured as described above will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10. The information processing flow employs the information processing method of the present invention, and is realized by using the information processing system S functioning as a computer system. In other words, each step in the information processing flow corresponds to a component of the information processing method of the present invention. Note that the information processing flow described below is merely an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the order of steps may be changed within the scope of the present invention.

(Information processing flow)
First, a basic information processing flow relating to the progression of the game will be described. This information processing flow includes a mission addition process and a game content development process, and is started when the user obtains the first game content, and proceeds, for example, along the flow shown in FIG. 8.

As shown in FIG. 8 , first, the server 10, which is a computer, selects one or more first missions corresponding to the first game medium assigned to the user (S101), and identifies a first quest to which the selected first mission is to be added from among a plurality of quests playable by the user based on user information such as the user's level or quest play history (S102), and adds the first mission to the first quest by associating the selected first mission with the identified first quest (S103).
The processes from S101 to S103 correspond to a mission addition process.

Next, the server 10 acquires deck composition operation information based on the deck composition operation from the user, and, triggered by receiving a deck composition instruction, composes a deck including at least the first game medium (S104), and after the deck composition, starts the first quest in a state in which the user can play the first quest (S105). Note that the specific information processing and information processing flow of deck composition and quest play are publicly known, and therefore will not be described here.

Then, when the server 10 determines that the user has completed the first mission added to the first quest while playing the first quest or after clearing the first quest (S106: YES), the server 10 grants the user points as a reward for completing the mission (S107). Note that points are granted only when the user plays the first quest using the first game medium, that is, when the user has completed the first mission by using a deck including the first game medium. Next, when the server 10 determines that the points granted to the user have reached a predetermined value (S108: YES), the server 10 changes parameters indicating the capabilities, etc. of the first game medium to develop the first game medium (S109) and ends the process. Note that, when other game media, such as a second game medium that does not correspond to the first mission, are included in the deck, the parameters indicating the capabilities, etc. of the second game medium are not changed. On the other hand, when the server 10 determines that the first mission added to the first quest has not been completed (S106: NO) and when the server 10 determines that the points granted to the user have not reached a predetermined value (S108: NO), the server 10 ends the process as it is.
The processing from S106 to S109 corresponds to the game content development processing.

(Other information processing flows)
Furthermore, a second mission or other mission other than the first mission may be added to the first quest. The information processing flow when the second mission is added to the first quest will be described below. This information processing flow is information processing including a mission addition process and a game medium development process, as described above, but is processing that starts when a user already owns a first game medium and further obtains another game medium, such as a third game medium, that does not correspond to the first mission, and proceeds, for example, along the flow shown in FIG.

9, first, the server 10, which is a computer, selects a second mission associated with a first mission already added to the first quest from among one or more second missions corresponding to the third game medium provided to the user (S201), and adds the selected second mission to the first quest (S202). At this time, the second mission does not necessarily have to be added to the first quest, but the probability of adding the second mission to the first quest may be set higher than for other quests other than the first quest, and then the quest to which the second mission is to be added may be selected.
The process from S201 to S202 corresponds to a mission addition process.

Next, the server 10 acquires deck composition operation information based on the deck composition operation from the user, and, in response to the receipt of the deck composition instruction, creates a deck including at least the first game medium and the third game medium (S203). After the deck is created, the server 10 starts the first quest, making it playable for the user (S204).

Then, when the server 10 determines that the user has completed the first or second mission added to the first quest while playing the first quest or after clearing the first quest (S205: YES), the server 10 grants the user points as a reward for completing the mission (S206). Note that points are only granted when the first mission is completed using the first game medium or when the second mission is completed using the third game medium. Next, when the server 10 determines that the points granted to the user have reached a predetermined value (S207: YES), the server 10 changes parameters indicating the capabilities, etc. of the first or second game medium to develop the first or second game medium (S208), and ends the process. Note that, when other game media, such as the second game medium, that do not correspond to the first or second mission, are included in the deck, the parameters indicating the capabilities, etc. of the second game medium are not changed. Also, points may be divided into types, and points awarded for accomplishing a first mission may be used for developing the first game medium, and points awarded for accomplishing a second mission may be used for developing the third game medium. On the other hand, if the server 10 determines that the first mission or the second mission added to the first quest has not been accomplished (S205: NO), and if it determines that the points awarded to the user have not reached a predetermined value (S207: NO), the server 10 ends the process.
The processing from S205 to S208 corresponds to the game medium development processing.

(Further information processing flows)
The first mission may also be added to another quest, such as a second quest other than the first quest. Below, an information processing flow for changing the quest to which the first mission is added will be described. This information processing flow is information processing including a mission adding process and a game content developing process, as described above, but is processing that starts when the first mission has already been added to the first quest and the progress of the first mission satisfies a predetermined condition, and proceeds, for example, along the flow shown in FIG.

10, first, the server 10, which is a computer, identifies a second quest to which a first mission is to be added based on user information such as the user's level or quest play history from among multiple quests that the user can play (S301), and then associates the first mission with the identified second quest, thereby adding the first mission to the second quest (S302).The server 10 also removes the first mission from the first quest by canceling the association between the first mission and the first quest (S303).
The processes from S301 to S303 correspond to a mission addition process.

Next, the server 10 acquires deck composition operation information based on the deck composition operation from the user, and, in response to the receipt of the deck composition instruction, creates a deck including at least the first game medium (S304), and after the deck composition, starts the second quest so that the user can play the second quest (S305).

Then, when the server 10 determines that the user has completed the first mission added to the second quest while playing the second quest or after clearing the second quest (S306: YES), the server 10 grants the user points as a reward for completing the mission (S307). Note that points are only granted when the user plays the second quest using the first game medium, i.e., when the user has completed the first mission using a deck including the first game medium. Next, when the server 10 determines that the points granted to the user have reached a predetermined value (S308: YES), the server 10 changes parameters indicating the abilities of the first game medium to develop the first game medium (S309), and ends the process. On the other hand, when the server 10 determines that the user has not completed the first mission added to the second quest (S306: NO) and when the server 10 determines that the points granted to the user have not reached a predetermined value (S308: NO), the server 10 ends the process as it is.
The processing from S306 to S309 corresponds to the game medium development processing.
<Other embodiments>
Up to this point, specific examples have been given of the information processing device, information processing method, and program of the present invention, but the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and other embodiments may also be considered.

In the above embodiment, the server computer for distributing game data (i.e., server 10) functions as the information processing device of the present invention, but this is not limited thereto, and some of the functions of the server 10 may be provided in the user terminal 12. For example, some or all of the functions of the mission adding unit 34, training unit 35, or game control unit 36 may be provided in the user terminal 12.

In the above embodiment, user information, etc. is stored in a server computer (i.e., server 10) for distributing game data, but a separate database server (not shown) may be provided and the information may be stored all together in the database server, or may be stored on the user terminal 12.

In the above embodiment, as an example of a game, a game in which a user organizes a deck including characters and controls the characters included in the deck to fight enemy characters has been described. However, the type of game is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a word game, a fighting game, a sports game, a shooting game, a racing game, a puzzle game, a card game, a board game, a role-playing game, or a simulation game. Furthermore, the game may be an individual match or a team match. Furthermore, the game may be one in which humans compete against each other as users, or one in which a human competes against a computer (e.g., an AI or a robot).

In the above embodiment, the user can enjoy all functions free of charge in principle, but some functions can be restricted and can be used by paying a specified usage fee. In addition, various other conditions may be set for paying users who have paid the specified usage fee to give them an advantage in playing the game. For example, paying users may be able to obtain game media that is difficult to obtain depending on the amount of their payment. Note that this usage fee may be a pay-as-you-go system, or may be a subscription-like system in which a one-time payment has an effect on the user for a certain period of time (e.g., one month or one year).

<Summary>
The main features of the information processing device, information processing method, and program according to the above-described embodiment are as follows.

[1] The information processing device of this embodiment has a mission adding unit that, when a user obtains a first game medium, adds one or more first missions corresponding to the first game medium to a first quest identified from a plurality of quests playable by the user, and a development unit that controls the first game medium so that it can be developed when the user accomplishes the first mission by playing the first quest.
According to the information processing device described above, a first mission corresponding to a first game medium acquired by a user is added to a first quest specified from among a plurality of quests playable by the user, and the first game medium is controlled so as to be trained when the user plays the first quest and accomplishes the first mission. This makes it easier for the user to specify a quest to be played in order to train the first character, thereby improving the user's game satisfaction.

[2] In the above information processing device, the training unit trains the first game medium when the points awarded to the user upon accomplishing the first mission reach a predetermined number.
This allows a user to develop the corresponding first game medium by accumulating a predetermined number of points that are awarded when the user plays the first quest and completes the first mission, which also motivates the user to play the first quest in order to accumulate points, further improving the user's satisfaction with the game.

[3] In the above information processing device, the training section trains the first game medium when the first mission is accomplished using the first game medium.
This allows the user to develop the first game medium when playing the first quest by completing the corresponding first mission using the first game medium, which also motivates the user to play the first quest using the first game medium and further improves the user's game satisfaction.

[4] In the above-mentioned information processing device, a quest is a game that can be played by organizing a deck including two or more game media, and the training unit plays the first quest by organizing a deck including a first game medium and a second game medium that does not correspond to the first mission, and when the first mission is accomplished, trains the first game medium and does not train the second game medium.
As a result, when the first quest is played and the first mission is accomplished, the second game medium that does not correspond to the first mission will not be developed even if it is a game medium included in the deck, which also motivates the user to play the first quest using the first game medium, thereby further improving the user's game satisfaction while maintaining game balance.

[5] In the above-mentioned information processing device, when a user obtains a third game medium, the mission adding unit selects a second mission to add to the first quest from among a plurality of second missions in accordance with the first mission that has been added to the first quest.
This allows the user to complete multiple missions, including a first mission corresponding to the first game medium and a second mission corresponding to the third game medium, by playing the first quest, which motivates the user to play the first quest in order to complete not only the first mission but also the second mission, further improving the user's satisfaction with the game.

[6] In the above information processing device, the mission adding unit adds a second mission, which is different from the first mission, among a plurality of second missions to the first quest.
This allows the user to complete multiple missions, including a first mission corresponding to the first game medium and a second mission corresponding to a third game medium different from the first mission, by playing the first quest, which motivates the user to play the first quest in order to complete multiple different missions, further improving the user's level of satisfaction with the game.

[7] In the above-mentioned information processing device, when a user obtains a third game medium after a first mission has been added to the first quest, the mission adding unit increases the probability of adding a second mission corresponding to the third game medium to the first quest compared to other quests.
This increases the probability that a second mission will be added to a first quest to which a first mission has been added, and increases the likelihood that a user will be able to complete multiple missions, the first mission corresponding to the first game medium and the second mission corresponding to the third game medium, by playing the first quest. This also motivates the user to play the first quest in order to complete not only the first mission but also the second mission, further improving the user's level of satisfaction with the game.

[8] In the above information processing device, the mission adding unit identifies a first quest to which a first mission is to be added based on the user information, from among quests playable by the user.
This allows the first quest to which the first mission is to be added to be identified based on user information such as play history, making it easier for the user to specify the quest to be played to develop the first character, and also making it possible to play various quests that the user has not played before, which provides motivation to play the first quest and further improves the user's satisfaction with the game.

[9] In the above-mentioned information processing device, when the progress of the first mission satisfies a predetermined condition, the mission addition unit adds the first mission to a second quest of a different difficulty level than the first quest, and removes the first mission from the first quest.
As a result, if a user plays a first quest and the conditions for achieving the first mission satisfy a predetermined condition, the user can also play a second quest other than the first quest to achieve the first mission. This makes it easier to specify the quest to be played in order to develop the first character, and also makes it possible to play a variety of more interesting quests of differing difficulty levels, which motivates the user to play many quests and further improves the user's satisfaction with the game.

[10] In the above-mentioned information processing device, when the points awarded to the user upon completing a first mission reach a first value, the mission adding unit identifies a second quest from among quests having a higher level of difficulty than the first quest.
As a result, when the points awarded to the user upon playing a first quest and completing a first mission reach a first value, the user will be able to play a second quest that is more difficult than the first quest in order to complete the first mission. This makes it easier to specify the quest to be played in order to develop the first character, and also makes it possible to play even more interesting quests, which motivates the user to play more quests and further improves the user's game satisfaction.

[11] In the above-mentioned information processing device, if the points awarded to the user upon accomplishing the first mission do not reach the first value even after playing the first quest a predetermined number of times or more, the mission adding unit identifies a second quest from among quests with a lower level of difficulty than the first quest.
As a result, if the points awarded to the user upon completing the first mission do not reach the first value even after playing the first quest, the user will be able to play a second quest that is less difficult than the first quest in order to complete the first mission. This makes it easier to specify the quest to be played in order to develop the first character, and also makes it possible to play interesting quests that are appropriate to the user's level and skill, which provides motivation to play many quests and further improves the user's game satisfaction.

[12] In the information processing method of this embodiment, when a user acquires a first game medium, the computer adds one or more first missions corresponding to the first game medium to a first quest identified from a plurality of quests playable by the user, and when the user accomplishes the first mission by playing the first quest, the computer controls the first game medium so as to enable development.
According to the above information processing method, it becomes easier for the user to specify the quest to be played in order to train the first character, thereby improving the user's level of satisfaction with the game.

[13] The program of this embodiment causes a computer, when a user acquires a first game medium, to add one or more first missions corresponding to the first game medium to a first quest identified from a plurality of quests playable by the user, and, when the user accomplishes the first mission by playing the first quest, controls the first game medium so as to enable development.
According to the above program, it becomes easier for the user to specify the quest to be played in order to train the first character, thereby improving the user's level of satisfaction with the game.

Reference Signs List 10 Server 12 User terminal 14 Network 21 Processor 22 Memory 23 Communication interface 24 Storage 25 Bus 30 Memory unit 31 Information acquisition unit 32 Display control unit 33 Quest providing unit 34 Mission adding unit 35 Development unit 36 Game control unit 41 Character display area 42 Mission display area 43 Point gauge G Mission display screen S Information processing system

Claims (11)

a mission adding unit that, when a user acquires a first game medium, adds one or more first missions corresponding to the first game medium to a first quest identified from a plurality of quests that can be played by the user;
a breeding unit that controls the first game medium so as to breed the first game medium when a user accomplishes the first mission by playing the first quest;
The mission adding unit is
When an achievement status of the first mission satisfies a predetermined condition, the first mission is added to a second quest having a different difficulty level from the first quest, and the first mission is removed from the first quest;
identifying the second quest from among quests having a higher level of difficulty than the first quest when points awarded to the user upon accomplishing the first mission reach a first value;
identifying the second quest from among quests having a lower difficulty level than the first quest when the points awarded to the user upon accomplishing the first mission do not reach a first value even after playing the first quest a predetermined number of times or more;
Information processing device. the training unit trains the first game medium when a number of points awarded to the user upon accomplishment of the first mission reaches a predetermined number;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . the training unit trains the first game medium when the first mission is accomplished using the first game medium;
3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2. Quest is a game that can be played by organizing a deck containing two or more game media,
the training unit organizes the deck including the first game medium and a second game medium not corresponding to the first mission, plays the first quest, and, when the first mission is accomplished, trains the first game medium and does not train the second game medium;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . the mission adding unit, when the user obtains a third game medium, selects a second mission to be added to the first quest from among a plurality of second missions in accordance with the first mission that has been added to the first quest;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . the mission adding unit adds a second mission, which is different from the first mission, among a plurality of second missions to the first quest;
The information processing device according to claim 5 . when a user obtains a third game medium after the first mission has been added to the first quest, the mission adding unit increases a probability of adding a second mission corresponding to the third game medium to the first quest compared to other quests.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . the mission adding unit identifies the first quest to which the first mission is to be added based on user information from among quests playable by the user;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . when a user acquires a first game medium, the computer adds one or more first missions corresponding to the first game medium to a first quest identified from a plurality of quests playable by the user;
a computer controls the first game medium so as to enable development when the user accomplishes the first mission by playing the first quest ;
the computer, when an achievement status of the first mission satisfies a predetermined condition, adds the first mission to a second quest having a different difficulty level from the first quest, and removes the first mission from the first quest;
the computer, when points to be awarded to a user upon accomplishing the first mission reach a first value, identifies the second quest from among quests having a higher difficulty level than the first quest;
a computer, when the points to be awarded to the user upon accomplishing the first mission do not reach a first value even after playing the first quest a predetermined number of times, identifies the second quest from among quests having a lower difficulty level than the first quest;
Information processing methods. On the computer,
When a user acquires a first game medium, adding one or more first missions corresponding to the first game medium to a first quest identified from a plurality of quests playable by the user;
When a user accomplishes the first mission by playing the first quest, controlling the first game medium to enable development ;
When the achievement status of the first mission satisfies a predetermined condition, the first mission is added to a second quest having a different difficulty level from the first quest, and the first mission is removed from the first quest;
When points granted to the user upon accomplishing the first mission reach a first value, the second quest is identified from among quests having a higher difficulty level than the first quest;
when the points given to the user when the first mission is accomplished do not reach a first value even if the user plays the first quest a predetermined number of times or more, the second quest is identified from among quests having a lower difficulty level than the first quest;
program. An information processing system including a user terminal operated by a user and a server computer capable of communicating with the user terminal via a network,
a mission adding unit that, when a user acquires a first game medium, adds one or more first missions corresponding to the first game medium to a first quest identified from a plurality of quests that can be played by the user;
a breeding unit that controls the first game medium so as to breed the first game medium when a user accomplishes the first mission by playing the first quest;
The mission adding unit is
When an achievement status of the first mission satisfies a predetermined condition, the first mission is added to a second quest having a different difficulty level from the first quest, and the first mission is removed from the first quest;
identifying the second quest from among quests having a higher level of difficulty than the first quest when points awarded to the user upon accomplishing the first mission reach a first value;
identifying the second quest from among quests having a lower difficulty level than the first quest when the points awarded to the user upon accomplishing the first mission do not reach a first value even after playing the first quest a predetermined number of times or more;
Information processing system.