Secondary-game-mode sessions based on primary-game-mode arrangements of user-controlled elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10639555-B2
Application number	US-201816030764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2018
Priority date	Jul 15, 2013
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

Approaches for secondary-game-mode sessions based on primary-game-mode arrangements of user-controlled elements are provided. Actions by user-controlled elements of a first user or other game-space elements in a primary game mode of a game space may be managed. A session request for a session in a secondary game mode of the game space may be received from the first user. A first session for the first user may be executed in the secondary game mode such that: (i) the first session involves artificial-intelligence-controlled elements as opponents against the user-controlled elements; (ii) an arrangement of the user-controlled elements at a beginning of the first session is the same as an arrangement of the user-controlled elements in the primary game mode at a time of the session request; and (iii) impacts on the user-controlled elements during the first session in the secondary game mode are not reflected in the primary game mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for facilitating secondary-game-mode sessions based on primary-game-mode arrangements of user-controlled elements, the system comprising:
one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
execute an instance of a game space, and to facilitate transmission of state information regarding the game space to client computing platforms that causes presentation of views of the game space to users on the client computing platforms, wherein the game space is configured to facilitate interaction of the users with the game space and/or each other by performing operations in the game space in response to commands received from the users, and to determine the state information for transmission to reflect performance of such operations;
manage a plurality of user-controlled elements existing within the game space that are associated with the users, wherein the users include a first user, and wherein the plurality of user-controlled elements include one or more first user-controlled elements existing within the game space that are associated with the first user;
manage a plurality of actions performed by the one or more first user-controlled elements in a primary game mode of the game space, wherein impacts of the actions by the one or more first user-controlled elements within the game space associated with the first user are persistent within the primary game mode such that impacts of the actions of the one or more first user-controlled elements are persistently reflected in the instance of the game space across multiple encounters between the one or more first user-controlled elements of the plurality of user-controlled elements; and
receive a session request from the first user for a session in a secondary game mode of the game space, and to execute a first session for the first user in the secondary game mode such that: (i) an arrangement of the one or more first user-controlled elements within the game space associated with the first user at a beginning of the first session is the same as an arrangement of the one or more first user-controlled elements in the primary game mode at a time of the session request; and (ii) impacts on the one or more first user-controlled elements during the first session in the secondary game mode are not reflected for the one or more first user-controlled elements in the primary game mode.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of user-controlled elements includes structures, character units, or items controlled by, positioned by, or associated with the users.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the game space includes a plurality of areas, wherein the plurality of areas include a first area associated with the first user, wherein the one or more first user-controlled elements include one or more of first structures, first character units, or first items controlled by, positioned by, or associated with the first user, and wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions such that the first structures, the first character units, or the first items come into existence with respect to the game space in the first area.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions such that one or more of the first structures, the first character units, or the first items defend the first area in the primary game mode and during the first session in the secondary game mode.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the session request includes information identifying one or more secondary-game-mode parameters for a session in the secondary game mode, and wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to select one or more opponent elements for the one or more first user-controlled elements for the first session based on a determination that the one or more secondary-game-mode parameters correspond to one or more first secondary-game-mode parameters.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are is configured by machine-readable instructions such that managing the plurality of actions includes managing a plurality of opponent actions by one or more opponent elements against the one or more first user-controlled elements within the game space associated with the first user, wherein the plurality of opponent actions during the first session include one or more of: (i) attacking the one or more first user-controlled elements in accordance with one or more first formations; or (ii) defending against the one or more first user-controlled elements in accordance with one or more second formations.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to:
receive a second session request from the first user for a session in the secondary game mode that is to occur after the first session, wherein the second session request includes information identifying one or more other secondary-game-mode parameters for a session in the secondary game mode;
execute a second session such that (i) an arrangement of the one or more first user-controlled elements at a beginning of the second session is an arrangement of the one or more first user-controlled elements at a time of the second session request; and (ii) one or more other impacts on the one or more first user-controlled elements during the second session in the secondary game mode are not reflected for the one or more first user-controlled elements in the primary game mode.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein second actions performed by the one or more opponent elements during the second session include one or more of: (i) attacking the one or more first user-controlled elements in accordance with one or more third formations of the one or more opponent elements; or (ii) defending against the one or more first user-controlled elements in accordance with one or more fourth formations of the one or more opponent elements, and wherein the one or more third formations are different than the one or more first formations or the one or more fourth formations are different than the one or more second formations.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the impacts of the actions include a modification to one or more hit point statuses of the one or more first user-controlled elements that relates to one or more actions of the one or more first user-controlled elements, and wherein the modification is reflected for the one or more first user-controlled elements in the secondary game mode while not reflected for the one or more first user-controlled elements in the primary game mode.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the modification includes an increase to at least one of the one or more hit point statuses of at least one of the one or more first user-controlled elements, or a decrease to at least another one of the one or more hit point statuses of at least another one of the one or more first user-controlled elements.

11. A computer-implemented method of facilitating secondary-game-mode sessions based on primary-game-mode arrangements of user-controlled elements, the method being implemented on a computer system that includes one or more physical processors, the method comprising:
executing an instance of a game space;
facilitating transmission of state information regarding the game space to client computing platforms that causes presentation of views of the game space to users on the client computing platforms, wherein the game space is configured to facilitate interaction of the users with the game space and/or each other by performing operations in the game space in response to commands received from the users, a

Assignees

• Electronic Arts Inc
• Electronics Arts Inc

Inventors

• Kim John
• Tsao Bryan
• Akpan Inyang
• Chanthasiriphan Kevin
• Wei Albert
• Mcneill David

Classifications

• A63F13/95

  Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges · CPC title

• A63F2300/407

  Data transfer via internet · CPC title

• A63F13/87

  Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat · CPC title

• A63F13/56

  Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding · CPC title

• A63F2300/208

  for storing personal settings or data of the player · CPC title