Online game with mechanic for combining visual display parameters

Abstract

An animal-breeding mechanic enables the generation of an offspring virtual animal in an online game system by combining features of a male virtual animal and a female virtual animal. Relevant features may include a base color and optional pattern markings with a corresponding pattern color. Additional game aspects may include options for enhancing the likelihood of generating a successful offspring, decreasing the time for generating the offspring, and nurturing the offspring to maturity. Parameter representations for color features enable substituting color values for a specific virtual animal into source artwork to generate a variety of distinctive displays.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 receiving selections for a first virtual object and for a second virtual object in a computer-implemented online game supported by a game networking system, the selections being received through a game interface of a user machine corresponding to a player in the online game, the game interface being enabled by communications with the game networking system, and each of the selected first and second virtual objects being visually characterized by a corresponding parameter set that includes one or more display parameters;   in an automated operation performed by one or more computer processor devices configured therefor, generating based on the respective parameter sets of the first and second virtual objects, a third virtual-object parameter set that visually characterizes a third virtual object, the generating of the third virtual-object parameter set including:
 selecting a feature from one of the parameter sets of the first and second virtual objects; 
 evaluating a threshold test by comparing the selected feature to a record of feature values; and 
 including a modification of the selected feature in the third virtual-object parameter set in response to the threshold test; and 
   providing values from the third virtual-object parameter set to the user machine corresponding to the player in the online game.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the generating of the third virtual-object parameter set further comprises:
 maintaining the record of feature values for the player, the record of feature values including a sequence of feature values included in virtual-object parameter sets that were provided to the user machine corresponding to the player.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the player is a first player among a plurality of players in the online game and the generating of the third virtual-object parameter set further comprises:
 maintaining the record of feature values for the players in the online game, the record of feature values including a sequence of feature values included in virtual-object parameter sets that were provided to a user machine corresponding to one of the players in the online game.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the generating of the third virtual-object parameter set further comprises:
 determining the modification of the selected feature by changing the selected feature to the another feature value if the selected feature appears a threshold number of times in a specified portion of the record of feature values.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the evaluating of the threshold test includes determining if the user machine corresponding to the player has been provided with a threshold number of virtual-object parameter sets having the selected feature within a selected portion of the online game. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the selected feature is modified to avoid a specified outcome based on the record of feature values in response to the threshold test. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the selected feature is modified to avoid a repetition with respect to the record of feature values in response to the threshold test. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more display parameters include at least one color parameter. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein each of the parameter sets of the first, second, and third virtual objects includes at least one color parameter to specify a base color and at least one pattern color parameter to specify a presence or absence of markings with an associated pattern color. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the generating of the third virtual object parameter set further comprises:
 generating a random number; and   using the random number to select a value for the selected feature from one of the parameter sets of the first and second virtual objects.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the generating of the third virtual-object parameter set further comprises:
 generating a first random number to select color parameters for the third virtual-object parameter set from one of the parameter sets of the first and second virtual objects; and   generating a second random number to determine a random variation about the selected color parameters for the third virtual-object parameter set.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first virtual object corresponds to a male animal of a virtual animal type, the second virtual object corresponds to a female animal of the virtual animal type, the third virtual object corresponds to an offspring animal of the virtual animal type, and a value of the selected feature determines whether the offspring animal is male or female. 
     
     
         33 . An apparatus comprising at least one hardware processor configured to perform operations for hardware-implemented modules including:
 a selection module configured to receive selections for a first virtual object and for a second virtual object in a computer-implemented online game supported by a game networking system, the selections being received through a game interface of a user machine corresponding to a player in the online game, the game interface being enabled by communications with the game networking system, and each of the selected first and second virtual objects being visually characterized by a corresponding parameter set that includes one or more display parameters;   an object-generation module configured to generate in an automated operation based on the respective parameter sets of the first and second virtual objects, a third virtual-object parameter set that visually characterizes a third virtual object, the generating of the third virtual-object parameter set including:
 selecting a feature from one of the parameter sets of the first and second virtual objects; 
 evaluating a threshold test by comparing the selected feature to a record of feature values; and 
 including a modification of the selected feature in the third virtual-object parameter set in response to the threshold test; and 
   an object-providing module configured to provide values from the third virtual-object parameter set to the user machine corresponding to the player in the online game.   
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the generating of the third virtual-object parameter set further comprises:
 maintaining the record of feature values for the player, the record of feature values including a sequence of feature values included in virtual-object parameter sets that were provided to the user machine corresponding to the player.   
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the player is a first player among a plurality of players in the online game and the generating of the third virtual-object parameter set further comprises:
 maintaining the record of feature values for the players in the online game, the record of feature values including a sequence of feature values included in virtual-object parameter sets that were provided to a user machine corresponding to one of the players in the online game.   
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the generating of the third virtual-object parameter set further comprises:
 determining the modification of the selected feature by changing the selected feature to the another feature value if the selected feature appears a threshold number of times in a specified portion of the record of feature values.   
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the evaluating of the threshold test includes determining if the user machine corresponding to the player has been provided with a threshold number of virtual-object parameter sets having the selected feature within a selected portion of the online game. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the selected feature is modified to avoid a specified outcome based on the record of feature values in response to the threshold test. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the selected feature is modified to avoid a repetition with respect to the record of feature values in response to the threshold test. 
     
     
         40 . A computer-readable hardware storage device that stores instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising:
 receiving selections for a first virtual object and for a second virtual object in a computer-implemented online game supported by a game networking system, the selections being received through a game interface of a user machine corresponding to a player in the online game, the game interface being enabled by communications with the game networking system, and each of the selected first and second virtual objects being visually characterized by a corresponding parameter set that includes one or more display parameters;   in an automated operation, generating based on the respective parameter sets of the first and second virtual objects, a third virtual-object parameter set that visually characterizes a third virtual object, the generating of the third virtual-object parameter set including:
 selecting a feature from one of the parameter sets of the first and second virtual objects; 
 evaluating a threshold test by comparing the selected feature to a record of feature values; and 
 including a modification of the selected feature in the third virtual-object parameter set in response to the threshold test; and 
   providing values from the third virtual-object parameter set to the user machine corresponding to the player in the online game.