Storage medium, game system, game apparatus and game control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11738264-B2
Application number	US-202217647528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2022
Priority date	Mar 22, 2021
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

A non-limiting example game system includes a main body apparatus, and this main body apparatus is provided attachably and detachably with a left controller and a right controller. In a first operation mode, a movement and an action of a player character are controlled according to an operation of a player. In a second operation mode, an offensive character is made to appear, and a movement and an action of the offensive character are controlled according to an operation of the player. Therefore, the movement of the player character is restricted in the second operation mode. A direction and a position of a virtual camera are controlled so as to follow the player character in the first operation mode and to respectively capture the player character and the offensive character in the second operation mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a game program executable by a computer provided with one or more processors, wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute:
in a first operation mode,
controlling a movement and an action of a player character object in a virtual space based on an operation input;
setting positions of a viewpoint and a look-at-point of a virtual camera based on a position of the player character object; and
making an offensive character object appear in the virtual space and changing an operation mode to a second operation mode based on a first changing instruction input, and

in the second operation mode,
restricting the movement of the player character object;
controlling a movement and an action of the offensive character object in the virtual space based on an operation input;
setting the position of the look-at-point of the virtual camera based on a position of the player character object and setting the position of the viewpoint of the virtual camera so that a line of sight of the virtual camera follows a position of the offensive character object; and
changing the operation mode to the first operation mode based on a second changing instruction input.

2. The storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute:
in the second operation mode,
making the offensive character object execute a designated action that is designated based on an operation input;
changing the operation mode to the first operation mode and deleting the offensive character object when the second changing instruction input is performed; and
deleting the offensive character object when completing the designated action after the operation mode is changed to the first operation mode if the designated action has not been completed by the offensive character object when the second changing instruction input is performed.

3. The storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute:
in the second operation mode,
when an action is further designated based on an operation input during when the offensive character object is performing a first action having been designated, holding such a designated action as a second action;
making the offensive character object perform the second action after completion of the first action; and
deleting the offensive character object when completing all the designated actions having been designated after the operation mode is changed to the first operation mode if at least one of the designated actions is not completed by the offensive character object when the second changing instruction input is performed.

4. The storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute:
in the first operation mode,
making the player character object perform a designated action that is designated based on an operation input; and
making the player character object perform the designated action until completing the designated action after the operation mode is changed to the second operation mode if the player character object has not completed the designated action when the first changing instruction input is performed.

5. The storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute: controlling an enemy character object in the virtual space; and
in the second operation mode, deleting the offensive character object when the player character object receives an attack of the enemy character object in the second operation mode and changing the operation mode to the first operation mode.

6. The storage medium according to claim 5 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute: in the second operation mode, setting the position of the viewpoint of the virtual camera so that the line of sight of the virtual camera follows a position of the enemy character object or a position between the offensive character object and the enemy character object.

7. The storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute: changing temporarily the line of sight of the virtual camera based on an operation input.

8. The storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the game program causes the one or more processors to execute:
performing the first operation changing instruction input when a predetermined key input is changed to an on state from an off state;
performing the second operation changing instruction input when the predetermined key input is changed to the off state from the on state; and
making the operation mode continue the second operation mode during a time that the on state of the predetermined key input is continued.

9. A game system provided with an operation device and a game apparatus including one or more processors, wherein the one of more processors execute:
in a first operation mode,
controlling a movement and an action of a player character object in a virtual space based on an operation input to the operation device;
setting positions of a viewpoint and a look-at-point of a virtual camera based on a position of the player character object; and
making an offensive character object appear in the virtual space and changing an operation mode to a second operation mode based on a first changing instruction input to the operation device, and

in the second operation mode,
restricting the movement of the player character object;
controlling a movement and an action of the offensive character object in the virtual space based on an operation input to the operation device;
setting the position of the look-at-point of the virtual camera based on a position of the player character object and setting the position of the viewpoint of the virtual camera so that a line of sight of the virtual camera follows a position of the offensive character object; and
changing the operation mode to the first operation mode based on a second changing instruction input to the operation device.

10. The game system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors to execute:
in the second operation mode,
making the offensive character object execute a designated action that is designated based on an operation input;
changing the operation mode to the first operation mode and deleting the offensive character object when the second changing instruction input is performed; and
deleting the offensive character object when completing the designated action after the operation mode is changed to the first operation mode if the designated action has not been completed by the offensive character object when the second changing instruction input is performed.

11. The game system according to claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors to execute:
in the second operation mode,
when an action is further designated based on an operation input during when the offensive character object is performing a first action having been designated, holding such a designated action as a second action;
making the offensive character object perform the second action after completion of the first action; and
deleting the offensive character object when completing all the designated actions being designated after the operation mode is changed to the first operation mode if at least one of the designated actions is not completed by the offensive character object when the second changing instruction input is performed.

12. The game system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors to execute

Assignees

• Nintendo Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kamiya Hideki
• Miyata Yusuke

Classifications

• A63F13/525 Primary

  Changing parameters of virtual cameras · CPC title

• A63F13/42

  by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle · CPC title

• A63F13/44

  involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot · CPC title

• A63F13/80

  Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode · CPC title

• A63F13/822 Primary

  Strategy games; Role-playing games (A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence) · CPC title