IP Library Granted Patent US 11,291,918
Granted Patent B2
US 11,291,918 · App. 16/833,042 · Granted Apr 5, 2022

Collaborative diplomacy mechanics

Inventors: Amer Ajami (Manhattan Beach, CA); Hans C. Yang (Manhattan Beach, CA); Michael John Goodwin (Bellflower, CA); Gregory Anthony Black (Anaheim, CA)
Assignee: Zynga Inc.
A63F13/795A63F13/58A63F13/798H04L67/38A63F2300/407A63F2300/556A63F2300/609A63F2300/65
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,291,918
App. No.
16/833,042
Granted
Apr 5, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A collaborative diplomacy mechanics system for an online game is described. A player selects an ally to be engaged in a combat mode of an online social game against an enemy. The profile of the selected ally is retrieved. An ally power up weapon is generated based on the profile of the selected ally. The ally power up weapon is applied against a combat unit of an enemy of a player in the combat mode. The ally power up weapon can also be applied on a combat unit of the player in the combat mode.

Claims (49)

1. A system comprising:

one or more computer processor devices; and

memory having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processor devices, configure the system to perform operations comprising:

accessing player data for an ally of a player of a computer-implemented multiplayer online game, the ally being a human player associated with the player in a user network, the player data of the ally indicating a set of specialty effects associated with the ally and being deployable in competitive gameplay;

without active participation of the ally, making a particular one of the set of specialty effects available to the player for deployment by the player during competitive gameplay;

without active participation of the ally, deploying the particular specialty effect during a competitive engagement played by the player; and

responsive to deployment of the particular specialty effect by the player, allocating to an account of the ally an in-game reward.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein an attribute of the in-game reward is variable dependent on an outcome of the competitive engagement.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the in-game reward is variable in quantifiable in-game value dependent on an outcome of the competitive engagement, the instructions further configuring the system to perform operations comprising:

determining the outcome of the competitive engagement; and

determining the in-game value of the reward for allocation to the ally, the determining of the in-game value comprising:

in response to determining that the outcome of the competitive engagement is favorable to the player, assigning a first reward value to the in-game reward; and

in response to determining that the outcome of the competitive engagement is unfavorable to the player, assigning to the in-game reward a second reward value different from the first reward value.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first reward value is greater than the second value.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the in-game reward comprises units of in-game currency.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the in-game reward comprises a power-up weapon which enables deployment of a unique respective specialty effect.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further configure the system to perform operations comprising:

presenting the player with a plurality of candidate allies, each candidate ally having a respective custom set of specialty effects;

receiving input from the player indicating selection of one of the plurality of candidate allies as ally for the competitive engagement; and

enabling selection of the particular specialty effect for the competitive engagement from the respective custom set of specialty effects of the selected candidate ally.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein selection of the particular specialty effect is performed by the player.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further configure the system to automatically select the particular specialty effect for the competitive engagement from a plurality of different specialty effects in the set of specialty effects of the ally.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the particular specialty effect of the ally comprises a special power-up weapon that has an enhanced combat capability relative to regular combat abilities.

11. A method comprising:

accessing player data for an ally of a player of a computer-implemented multiplayer online game, the ally being a human player associated with the player in a user network, the player data of the ally indicating a set of specialty effects associated with the ally and being deployable in competitive gameplay;

without active participation of the ally, making a particular one of the set of specialty effects available to the player for deployment by the player during competitive gameplay;

without active participation of the ally, deploying the particular specialty effect during a competitive engagement played by the player; and

in an automated operation performed by one or more computer processor devices configured therefor, responsive to deployment of the particular specialty effect by the player, allocating to an account of the ally an in-game reward.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein an attribute of the in-game reward is variable dependent on an outcome of the competitive engagement.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the in-game reward is variable in quantifiable in-game value dependent on an outcome of the competitive engagement, the method further comprising:

determining the outcome of the competitive engagement; and

determining the in-game value of the reward for allocation to the ally, the determining of the in-game value comprising:

in response to determining that the outcome of the competitive engagement is favorable to the player, assigning a first reward value to the in-game reward; and

in response to determining that the outcome of the competitive engagement is unfavorable to the player, assigning to the in-game reward a second reward value different from the first reward value.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first reward value is greater than the second value.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the in-game reward comprises units of in-game currency.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the in-game reward comprises a power-up weapon which enables deployment of a unique respective specialty effect.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

presenting the player with a plurality of candidate allies, each candidate ally having a respective custom set of specialty effects;

receiving input from the player indicating selection of one of the plurality of candidate allies as ally for the competitive engagement; and

enabling selection of the particular specialty effect for the competitive engagement from the respective custom set of specialty effects of the selected candidate ally.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein selection of the particular specialty effect is performed by the player.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

in an automated operation performed using one or more computer processor devices configured therefor, selecting the particular specialty effect for the competitive engagement from a plurality of different specialty effects in the set of specialty effects of the ally.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium carrying machine readable instructions to cause a machine, when executing the instructions, to perform operations comprising:

accessing player data for an ally of a player of a computer-implemented multiplayer online game, the ally being a human player associated with the player in a user network, the player data of the ally indicating a set of specialty effects associated with the ally and being deployable in competitive gameplay;

without active participation of the ally, making a particular one of the set of specialty effects available to the player for deployment by the player during competitive gameplay;

without active participation of the ally, deploying the particular specialty effect during a competitive engagement played by the player; and

responsive to deployment of the particular specialty effect by the player, allocating to an account of the ally an in-game reward.

Assignments (3)
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded May 23, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: ZYNGA INC.
Reel/Frame 060163/0437 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Dec 14, 2020
From: ZYNGA INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 054719/0490 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 15, 2020
From: AJAMI, AMER; YANG, HANS C; GOODWIN, MICHAEL JOHN; BLACK, GREGORY ANTHONY
To: ZYNGA INC.
Reel/Frame 052405/0170 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 15916614 · Mar 9, 2018
Continuation 14337681 · Jul 22, 2014
Continuation 13244825 · Sep 26, 2011
Provisional Application 61491046 · May 27, 2011
Related Publication 20200222814A1 · Jul 16, 2020