System and method for touchscreen video game combat
An interactive computerized game system including a visual display, one or more user input devices, and a processor executing software that interacts with the display and input device(s) is disclosed. The software displays images of avatars. At least one of the user input devices is a touchscreen. During gameplay, the gameplayer may touch the touchscreen to provide input. An animation is displayed in response to user input matching a predefined input.
1. A computer-implemented method for interacting with a virtual environment, the method comprising:
displaying, via a touchscreen display device, a plurality of avatars within the virtual environment, the plurality of avatars including a first avatar and a second avatar;
determining a series of different actions of the second avatar relative to the first avatar;
serially displaying, on a touchscreen portion of the touchscreen display device, a series of different graphical user interface (GUI) elements, each GUI element corresponding to a respective action of the series of actions, each GUI element triggerable by a respective predefined input pattern corresponding to a real world physical action, wherein at least one of the GUI elements comprises a slider GUI element;
detecting, for each of the displayed series of GUI elements, the respective predefined input pattern performed by the user and that triggers the respective GUI element; and
causing, for each detected respective predefined input pattern, the first avatar to emulate the respective real world physical action to respond to the action of the second avatar.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the series of GUI elements includes a first slider GUI element and a second slider GUI element, wherein the first and second slider GUI elements have distinct predefined input patterns, wherein any real world physical action triggering the first slider GUI element does not trigger the second slider GUI element, wherein any real world physical action triggering the second slider GUI element does not trigger the first slider GUI element.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the respective predefined input pattern comprises one or more line segments, and the respective real world physical action comprises moving a slider element along the one or more line segments.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein a first action of the series of actions of the second avatar is an attack on the first avatar.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the emulated respective real world physical action of the first avatar comprises at least one of a defensive maneuver and an attack maneuver performed on the second avatar in response to the first action.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein causing the at least one avatar to emulate the respective real world physical action performed by the user comprises dynamically animating, on a non-touchscreen portion of the touchscreen display device, the first avatar in real-time while the user inputs the respective predefined input pattern on the touchscreen portion of the touchscreen display device.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising causing the at least one avatar to continue emulating the respective real world physical action performed by the user after the user has inputted the respective predefined input pattern and until a predefined completion point is reached.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein displaying the series of GUI elements occurs in response to receiving a selection of the first avatar through the touchscreen portion of the touchscreen display device.
9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to perform the steps of:
displaying, via a touchscreen display device, a plurality of avatars within the virtual environment, the plurality of avatars including a first avatar and a second avatar;
determining a series of different actions of the second avatar relative to the first avatar;
serially displaying, on a touchscreen portion of the touchscreen display device, a series of different graphical user interface (GUI) elements, each GUI element corresponding to a respective action of the series of actions, each GUI element triggerable by a respective predefined input pattern corresponding to a real world physical action, wherein at least one of the GUI elements comprises a slider GUI element;
detecting, for each of the displayed series of GUI elements, the respective predefined input pattern performed by the user and that triggers the respective GUI element; and
causing, for each detected respective predefined input pattern, the first avatar to emulate the respective real world physical action to respond to the action of the second avatar.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the series of GUI elements includes a first slider GUI element and a second slider GUI element, wherein the first and second slider GUI elements have distinct predefined input patterns, wherein any real world physical action triggering the first slider GUI element does not trigger the second slider GUI element, wherein any real world physical action triggering the second slider GUI element does not trigger the first slider GUI element.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the respective predefined input pattern comprises one or more line segments, and the respective real world physical action comprises moving a slider element along the one or more line segments.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein a first action of the series of actions of the second avatar is an attack on the first avatar.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the emulated respective real world physical action of the first avatar comprises at least one of a defensive maneuver and an attack maneuver performed on the second avatar in response to the first action.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein causing the at least one avatar to emulate the respective real world physical action performed by the user comprises dynamically animating, on a non-touchscreen portion of the touchscreen display device, the first avatar in real-time while the user inputs the respective predefined input pattern on the touchscreen portion of the touchscreen display device.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising causing the at least one avatar to continue emulating the respective real world physical action performed by the user after the user has inputted the respective predefined input pattern and until a predefined completion point is reached.
16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein displaying the series of GUI elements occurs in response to receiving a selection of the first avatar through the touchscreen portion of the touchscreen display device.
17. A system for interacting with a virtual environment, comprising:
a one or more computer processors: and
a memory containing a program, which, when executed by the one or more computer processors, performs an operation for interacting with a virtual environment, the operation comprising:
displaying, via a touchscreen display device, a plurality of avatars within the virtual environment, the plurality of avatars including a first avatar and a second avatar;
determining a series of different actions of the second avatar relative to the first avatar;
serially displaying, on a touchscreen portion of the touchscreen display device, a series of different graphical user interface (GUI) elements, each GUI element corresponding to a respective action of the series of actions, each GUI element triggerable by a respective predefined input pattern corresponding to a real world physical action, wherein at least one of the GUI elements comprises a slider GUI element;
detecting, for each of the displayed series of GUI elements, the respective predefined input pattern performed by the user and that triggers the respective GUI element; and
causing, for each detected respective predefined input pattern, the first avatar to emulate the respective real world physical action to respond to the action of the second avatar.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the series of GUI elements includes a first slider GUI element and a second slider GUI element, wherein the first and second slider GUI elements have distinct predefined input patterns, wherein any real world physical action triggering the first slider GUI element does not trigger the second slider GUI element, wherein any real world physical action triggering the second slider GUI element does not trigger the first slider GUI element.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the respective predefined input pattern comprises one or more line segments, and the respective real world physical action comprises moving a slider element along the one or more line segments.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein a first action of the series of actions of the second avatar is an attack on the first avatar.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the emulated respective real world physical action of the first avatar comprises at least one of a defensive maneuver and an attack maneuver performed on the second avatar in response to the first action.
22. The system of claim 21 , wherein causing the at least one avatar to emulate the respective real world physical action performed by the user comprises dynamically animating, on a non-touchscreen portion of the touchscreen display device, the first avatar in real-time while the user inputs the respective predefined input pattern on the touchscreen portion of the touchscreen display device.
23. The system of claim 22 , wherein cause the at least one avatar to continue emulating the respective real world physical action performed by the user after the user has inputted the respective predefined input pattern and until a predefined completion point is reached.
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein displaying the series of GUI elements in response to receiving a selection of the first avatar through the touchscreen portion of the touchscreen display device.