Method and System to Allow for Inheritance between Characters in a Virtual Environment

Abstract

A method and system are provided to allow inheritance between player characters. The method provides a player character with an ability to designate one or more character attributes acquired in a virtual environment to one or more other player characters. The inheritance method and system includes multiple options for gameplay, e.g. will creation, debt satisfaction, taxation, distribution.

1 . A method of providing gameplay in a virtual environment comprising: 
 providing a first player character with an ability to designate one or more character attributes acquired in the virtual environment to another player character upon death of the first player character by: 
 receiving a request to create a will from the first player character;  
 identifying at least one character attribute of the first player character;  
 receiving information from the first player character linking a second player character to a selected character attribute of the first player character, wherein the second player character becomes entitled to inherit the selected character attribute upon death of the first player character; and  
 saving the information to a database.  
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information includes an attribute condition that must be fulfilled before the second player can inherit the selected character attribute.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , whereby providing the first player character with the ability to distribute one or more character attributes further includes receiving information from the first player character linking a third player character to the selected character attribute, wherein the third player character is entitled to inherit the selected character attribute upon failure of the second player character to inherit.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second player character is required to be related to the first player character.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the second player character is related by a contractual relationship.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second player character is required to be from the same race as the first player character.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second player character is required to be from the same class as the first player character.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing an ability to distribute one or more character attributes acquired in the virtual environment to another player character upon death of the first player character by creating a default will.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein creating a default will includes using a succession algorithm to determine inheritors.  
     
     
         10 . A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for providing a game environment comprising: 
 an inheritance module for allowing a player character to transfer one or more character attributes to at least one inheritor after death of the player character; the inheritance module further comprising:    a will module for identifying one or more character attributes and determining at least one inheritor;    an accounting module for paying debts of the player character; and    an attribute distribution module for distributing one or more character attributes of the player character to at least one inheritor.    
     
     
         11 . The computer program of  claim 10 , wherein the accounting module further includes liquidating character attributes to pay debts of the player character.  
     
     
         12 . The computer program of  claim 11 , wherein the accounting module further includes determining an order of character attributes to liquidate to pay debts of the player character.  
     
     
         13 . The computer program of  claim 10 , wherein paying debts of the player character occurs before distributing one or more character attributes of the player character to at least one inheritor.  
     
     
         14 . The computer program of  claim 10 , wherein the accounting module further includes determining taxes.  
     
     
         15 . The computer program of  claim 10 , wherein the will module further includes linking one or more character attributes to at least one inheritor.  
     
     
         16 . The computer program of  claim 15 , wherein the will module further includes: 
 receiving at least one attribute condition specified for a selected character attribute linked with at least one inheritor; and    linking said at least one attribute condition to the selected character attribute linked with said at least one inheritor.    
     
     
         17 . The computer program of  claim 10 , wherein the will module further includes linking a plurality of inheritors to one character attribute.  
     
     
         18 . A method of providing gameplay in a virtual environment comprising: 
 allowing inheritance of character attributes between player characters;    upon death of a first player character, determining a second player character to be an inheritor entitled to receive at least one character attribute of the first player character;    determining taxes on said at least one character attribute based on tax rules and conditions; and    receiving taxes before releasing said at least one character attribute to the second player character.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein determining taxes includes determining a virtual equivalent cash value of said at least one character attribute.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein taxes are paid out of an account of the first player character.