Patent ID: 9744463
Date: 2017-08-29
CPC Classifications: A63F

Claim:
1. A method, which is computer-implemented, comprising: sending, from one or more servers to a client, data for displaying a crew assembly dialog that includes a graphical user interface (GUI), the crew assembly dialog allowing a user of the client to select crew members from a crew inventory for an online game, the crew assembly dialog further allowing the user to pay for unlocking a virtual terrascape in a campaign map with real world or virtual currency, wherein the crew inventory includes a set of crew member profiles derived from a randomly generated social graph; receiving, at the one or more servers from the client, a selection of at least one crew member from the crew inventory for the online game through the crew assembly dialog; sending, from the one or more servers in response to the selection, a game action help request message directed to the at least one crew member, the game action help request enabling the at least one crew member to provide response; determining that crew selection is sufficient based on response to the game action help request and that a payment is made via the crew assembly dialog; sending, from the one or more servers to the client, data for accessing the virtual terrascape in the campaign map on a display associated with the client in response to said determining that crew selection is sufficient based on response to the game action help request message and the payment received from the user through the crew assembly dialog; and syndicating an indication that the user has unlocked the virtual terrascape to a feed for a social network, wherein the online game is a multiplayer game in a distributed game architecture with distributed network controllers.