Game machine, program for realizing game machine, and method of displaying objects in game

Abstract

A game machine is provided that displays an attack direction in a 3D virtual game space when a player character is attacked, such that the human player can readily recognize the attack direction. In the game machine that activates the player character and an enemy character that attacks the player character in a 3D virtual game space, the direction of the attack received by the player character from the enemy character is acquired based on player position information indicating the position of the player character and enemy position information indicating the position of the enemy character in the game space. Damage marks which are objects that indicate the attack direction are generated at positions corresponding to the attack direction in a player region set around the player character, and at least a part of the game space, including the player character and the damage marks, is displayed.

1 . A computer readable storage medium comprising a program encoded and stored in a computer readable format to cause a computer to be used as a game machine that activates a player character operated by a human player and an enemy character that attacks the player character in a 3D virtual game space, the program causing the computer to operate as:
 a player position information acquisition unit that acquires player position information indicating a position of the player character in the virtual game space;   an enemy position information acquisition unit that acquires enemy position information indicating a position of the enemy character in the virtual game space;   an attack direction acquisition unit that acquires a direction of an attack received by the player character from the enemy character based on the player position information and the enemy position information;   a damage mark generation unit that generates, when the player character is attacked by the enemy character, a damage mark which is an object that indicates the attack direction, at a position corresponding to the attack direction in a predetermined player region set around the player character; and   a display controller that displays at least part of the 3D virtual game space including the player character and the damage mark.   
     
     
         2 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the player region is provided in a circular shape about a reference point of the player character, when viewed from above the 3D virtual game space. 
     
     
         3 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , further causing the computer to operate as a calculation unit that calculates attack direction height information including height information of the attack direction, based on both height information in the player position information and height information in the enemy position information, wherein the damage mark generation unit generates the damage mark based on the attack direction height information calculated by the calculation unit. 
     
     
         4 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the enemy position information acquisition unit acquires firing point information indicating an attack firing point in the virtual game space where the enemy character has fired the attack, as the enemy position information, and the player position information acquisition unit acquires impact point information indicating an attack impact point in the virtual game space where the player character has suffered the attack, as the player position information. 
     
     
         5 . The storage medium according to  claim 4 , wherein the attack direction height information is indicated by an angle of a straight line that passes the attack impact point and the attack firing point with respect to one of a horizontal plane and a vertical line extending in a direction of gravity. 
     
     
         6 . The storage medium according to  claim 3 , wherein the damage mark generation unit generates the damage mark with an inclination according to the attack direction height information. 
     
     
         7 . The storage medium according to  claim 3 , wherein the damage mark generation unit generates the damage mark at a height according to the attack direction height information. 
     
     
         8 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the damage mark generation unit generates a plurality of types of damage marks. 
     
     
         9 . The storage medium according to  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of types of damage marks include a first mark that indicates the attack direction, and a second mark that indicates the attack direction over a wider range than the first mark does. 
     
     
         10 . The storage medium according to  claim 9 , wherein the damage mark generation unit erases the first mark and the second mark after locating those marks in the virtual game space for a predetermined period of time, and the predetermined period for the first mark and that for the second mark are different. 
     
     
         11 . The storage medium according to  claim 9 , wherein the damage mark generation unit locates a predetermined number of the first marks and a predetermined number of the second marks, and the predetermined number of the first marks is greater than that of the second marks. 
     
     
         12 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the damage mark is of a conical shape, and a heightwise direction of the cone indicates the attack direction, and an apex of the cone is directed to the player character. 
     
     
         13 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the damage mark is an arcuate portion of a circle about the position of the player character, corresponding to the attack direction. 
     
     
         14 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the damage mark generation unit locates the damage mark only for a predetermined period of time after the player character is attacked. 
     
     
         15 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the damage mark generation unit locates a predetermined number of the damage marks, and erases an oldest damage mark when the number of damage marks exceeds the predetermined number upon generating a new damage mark. 
     
     
         16 . The storage medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the player region is provided in a spherical shape about a reference point of the player character. 
     
     
         17 . A method of displaying objects in a game in which a player character operated by a human player and an enemy character that attacks the player character are activated in a 3D virtual game space, the human player being informed of an attack direction when the player character is attacked by the enemy character, the method comprising:
 a player position information acquisition step for acquiring player position information indicating a position of the player character in the virtual game space;   an enemy position information acquisition step for acquiring enemy position information indicating a position of the enemy character in the virtual game space;   an attack direction acquisition step for acquiring a direction of an attack received by the player character from the enemy character based on the player position information and the enemy position information;   a damage mark generation step for generating a damage mark which is an object that indicates the attack direction, at a position corresponding to the attack direction in a predetermined player region set around the player character; and   a display step for displaying at least part of the 3D virtual game space including the player character and the damage mark.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the player region is provided in a circular shape about a reference point of the player character, when viewed from above the 3D virtual game space. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein in the attack direction acquisition step, attack direction height information including height information of the attack direction is calculated based on both height information in the player position information and height information in the enemy position information, and wherein in the damage mark generation step, the damage mark is generated based on the attack direction height information. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein in the enemy position information acquisition step, firing point information indicating an attack firing point in the virtual game space at which the enemy character has fired the attack is acquired as the enemy position information, and wherein in the player position information acquisition step, impact point information indicating an attack impact point in the virtual game space at which the player character has suffered the attack is acquired as the player position information. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the attack direction height information is indicated by an angle of a straight line that passes the attack impact point and the attack firing point with respect to one of a horizontal plane and a vertical line extending in a direction of gravity. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein in the damage mark generation step, the damage mark is generated with an inclination according to the attack direction height information. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein in the damage mark generation step, the damage mark is generated at a height according to the attack direction height information. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein in the damage mark generation step, a plurality of types of damage marks are generated. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of types of damage marks include a first mark that indicates the attack direction, and a second mark that indicates the attack direction over a wider range than the first mark does. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the first mark and the second mark are erased after being present in the virtual game space for a predetermined period of time, and the predetermined period for the first mark and that for the second mark are different. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein a predetermined number of the first marks and a predetermined number of the second marks are generated, and the predetermined number of the first marks is greater than that of the second marks. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the damage mark is of a conical shape, and a heightwise direction of the cone indicates the attack direction, and an apex of the cone is directed to the player character. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the damage mark is an arcuate portion of a circle about the position of the player character, corresponding to the attack direction. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the damage mark is present only for a predetermined period of time after the player character is attacked. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein a predetermined number of the damage marks are generated, and an oldest damage mark is erased when the number of damage marks exceeds the predetermined number upon generating a new damage mark. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the player region is provided in a spherical shape about a reference point of the player character. 
     
     
         33 . A game machine for playing a game in which a player character operated by a human player and an enemy character that attacks the player character are activated in a 3D virtual game space, the game machine comprising:
 a player position information acquisition unit that acquires player position information indicating a position of the player character in the virtual game space;   an enemy position information acquisition unit that acquires enemy position information indicating a position of the enemy character in the virtual game space;   an attack direction acquisition unit that acquires a direction of an attack received by the player character from the enemy character based on the player position information and the enemy position information;   a damage mark generation unit that generates, when the player character is attacked by the enemy character, a damage mark which is an object that indicates the attack direction, at a position corresponding to the attack direction in a predetermined player region set around the player character; and   a display controller that displays at least part of the 3D virtual game space including the player character and the damage mark.