Game program and game apparatus in which non-player characters have act tendencies

Abstract

When a player character performs an act tendency (boom) triggering act, the act number counters are updated for each non-player character associated with the boom triggering act. The value of each act number counter is periodically added to an act tendency value for each non-player character. After an act tendency value reaches an upper limit, the corresponding non-player character performs an act in response to the act tendency triggering act performed by the player character. The act of each non-player character is changed in accordance with the acts performed by the player character in the game world, which provides the player with a fresh feeling that the act performed by the player character set a trend in the game world.

1 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a game program for displaying, on a display device, a game world including a player character acting in accordance with operation information which is output from an input device by an input operation of a player and a plurality of non-player characters acting in a self-active manner, the game program causing the computer to function as:
 player character control means for controlling an act of the player character in accordance with the operation information which is output from the input device;   act number counter update means for, when the player character performs each of a plurality of acts which are respectively associated with a plurality of act tendencies influencing an act of each non-player character performed in a self-active manner, updating a counter for the act tendency corresponding to the act of the player character among act number counters respectively provided for the act tendencies of each non-player character;   act tendency value update means for updating an act tendency value, obtained by numerizing each act tendency of each non-player character, based on the value of the corresponding act number counter, the updating being performed at a predetermined timing without depending on the act of the player character;   non-player character motion control means for controlling a motion of each non-player character based on the act tendency corresponding to the act tendency value; and   display means for displaying the game world including the player character and the plurality of non-player characters on the display device.   
   
   
       2 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the act number counter update means updates each act number counter of each non-player character with a different value in accordance with whether or not the non-player character exists in the game world. 
   
   
       3 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the act number counter update means updates each act number counter of each non-player character with a different value in accordance with the position of the non-player character in the game world. 
   
   
       4 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the act number counter update means updates each act number counter of each non-player character with a different value in accordance with whether or not the non-player character is displayed on a screen of the display device. 
   
   
       5 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the act number counter update means updates each act number counter of each non-player character with a different value in accordance with the positional relationship between the player character and the non-player character. 
   
   
       6 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein when the value of any act number counter has reached a predetermined upper limit, the act number counter update means does not update the act number counter. 
   
   
       7 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein until a certain duration of time passes after each act tendency value of each non-player character is changed by the act tendency value update means, the act number counter update means does not update the corresponding act number counter of the non-player character. 
   
   
       8 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the act number counter update means updates each act number counter each time the player character performs one of the plurality of acts respectively associated with the plurality of act tendencies; and   the act tendency value update means updates each act tendency value at a predetermined timing, which is not each time the player character performs one of the plurality of acts respectively associated with the plurality of act tendencies.   
   
   
       9 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 8 , wherein the act tendency value update means updates each act tendency value when the player starts or resumes the game. 
   
   
       10 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 8 , wherein the act tendency value update means updates each act tendency value at a certain time daily. 
   
   
       11 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 8 , wherein the act tendency value update means updates each act tendency value when a scene change has occurred in a game image displayed on the display device. 
   
   
       12 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the act tendency value update means updates each act tendency value using a value obtained by multiplying a value of the corresponding act number counter by a correction coefficient predetermined for each act tendency. 
   
   
       13 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the act tendency value update means updates each act tendency value using a value obtained by multiplying a value of the corresponding act number counter by a correction coefficient predetermined for each non-player character. 
   
   
       14 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein when there is an act tendency value which has reached a predetermined upper limit after the act tendency value update means updates each act tendency value of each non-player character, the act tendency of the non-player character is changed into the act tendency corresponding to the act tendency value which has reached the upper limit and resets the act tendency value which has reached the upper limit. 
   
   
       15 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 14 , wherein when the act tendency value which has reached the upper limit is reset, the remaining act tendency values are updated to be reduced. 
   
   
       16 . A game apparatus for displaying, on a display device, a game world including a player character acting in accordance with operation information which is output from an input device by an input operation of a player and a plurality of non-player characters acting in a self-active manner, the game apparatus comprising:
 player character control means for controlling an act of the player character in accordance with the operation information which is output from the input device;   act number counter update means for, when the player character performs each of a plurality of acts which are respectively associated with a plurality of act tendencies influencing an act of each non-player character performed in a self-active manner, for updating a counter for the act tendency corresponding to the act of the player character among act number counters respectively provided for the act tendencies of each non-player character;   act tendency value update means for updating an act tendency value, obtained by numerizing each act tendency of each non-player character, based on the value of the corresponding act number counter, the updating being performed at a predetermined timing without depending on the act of the player character;   non-player character motion control means for controlling a motion of each non-player character based on the act tendency corresponding to the act tendency value; and   display means for displaying the game world including the player character and the plurality of non-player characters on the display device.   
   
   
       17 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 16 , wherein the act number counter update means updates each act number counter of each non-player character with a different value in accordance with whether or not the non-player character exists in the game world. 
   
   
       18 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 16 , wherein the act number counter update means updates each act number counter of each non-player character with a different value in accordance with the position of the non-player character in the game world. 
   
   
       19 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 16 , wherein the act number counter update means updates each act number counter of each non-player character with a different value in accordance with whether or not the non-player character is displayed on a screen of the display device. 
   
   
       20 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 16 , wherein the act number counter update means updates each act number counter of each non-player character with a different value in accordance with the positional relationship between the player character and the non-player character. 
   
   
       21 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 16 , wherein when the value of any act number counter has reached a predetermined upper limit, the act number counter update means does not update the act number counter. 
   
   
       22 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 16 , wherein until a certain duration of time passes after each act tendency value of each non-player character is changed by the act tendency value update means, the act number counter update means does not update the corresponding act number counter of the non-player character. 
   
   
       23 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 the act number counter update means updates each act number counter each time the player character performs one of the plurality of acts respectively associated with the plurality of act tendencies; and   the act tendency value update means updates each act tendency value at a predetermined timing, which is not each time the player character performs one of the plurality of acts respectively associated with the plurality of act tendencies.   
   
   
       24 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 23 , wherein the act tendency value update means updates each act tendency value when the player starts or resumes the game. 
   
   
       25 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 23 , wherein the act tendency value update means updates each act tendency value at a certain time daily. 
   
   
       26 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 23 , wherein the act tendency value update means updates each act tendency value when a scene change has occurred in a game image displayed on the display device. 
   
   
       27 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 16 , wherein the act tendency value update means updates each act tendency value using a value obtained by multiplying a value of the corresponding act number counter by a correction coefficient predetermined for each act tendency. 
   
   
       28 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 16 , wherein the act tendency value update means updates each act tendency value using a value obtained by multiplying a value of the corresponding act number counter by a correction coefficient predetermined for each non-player character. 
   
   
       29 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 16 , wherein when there is an act tendency value which has reached a predetermined upper limit after the act tendency value update means updates each act tendency value of each non-player character, the act tendency of the non-player character is changed into the act tendency corresponding to the act tendency value which has reached the upper limit and resets the act tendency value which has reached the upper limit. 
   
   
       30 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 29 , wherein when the act tendency value which has reached the upper limit is reset, the remaining act tendency values are updated to be reduced. 
   
   
       31 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a game program for displaying on a display device a virtual game world including (i) a virtual player character acting according to operation information received from an input device operated by a player and (ii) a plurality of virtual non-player characters controlled by the game program and each virtual non-player character having an act tendency counter corresponding to an act tendency of the non-player character, the game program having a program steps executed by the computer and the program steps include:
 controlling an act of the virtual player character according to the operation information received from the input device;   updating an act number counter for each of the non-player characters having an act tendency associated with the controlled act of the virtual player;   periodically updating an act tendency value for each non-player character based on the act number counter for the non-player character;
 moving each of the non-player characters based on the act tendency value of the non-player character, and 
 displaying the virtual game world including the player character and the movement of the plurality of non-player characters on the display device. 
   
   
   
       32 . The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of  claim 31  wherein the updating of the counter includes incrementing or decrementing the counter. 
   
   
       33 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 31 , wherein each of the act number counters are updated by a value dependent on whether their non-player character exists in the game world at the occurrence of the controlled act of the virtual player. 
   
   
       34 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 31 , wherein each of the act number counters are updated by a value dependent on a position of the non-player character corresponding to the counter in the virtual game world at the occurrence of the controlled act of the virtual player. 
   
   
       35 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 31 , wherein the act number counter are each updated by a value dependent on whether the non-player character corresponding to the counter is displayed at the occurrence of the controlled act of the virtual player. 
   
   
       36 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 31 , wherein the act number counters are each updated by values dependent on proximity between the non-player character corresponding to the counter and the player character performing the act for which the counter is updated. 
   
   
       37 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 31 , wherein one of the act number counters is not updated after the value of the one act number counter reaches a predetermined upper limit. 
   
   
       38 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 31 , wherein a predetermined period elapses after the tendency value is updated for one of the non-player character before the same tendency value is again updated. 
   
   
       39 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 31 , wherein:
 the act number counters are each updated in response to the occurrence of the controlled act that is associated with an act tendency corresponding to the act number counter, and   the act tendency values are updated periodically at predetermined timing intervals, which intervals are not dependent on when time the player character performs the controlled act.   
   
   
       40 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 31 , wherein the act tendency value is updated when the player starts or resumes playing a game performed by the game program. 
   
   
       41 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 31 , wherein the act tendency value is updated daily. 
   
   
       42 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 31 , wherein the act tendency value is updated at least when a scene change occurs in a game image displayed on the display device. 
   
   
       43 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to  claim 31 , wherein the act tendency value is updated by multiplying a value of the corresponding act number counter by a correction coefficient predetermined for each act tendency.