Abstract:
Techniques suitable for controlling the action power of a player character are disclosed. The techniques can be implemented in a video game that represents battles between characters. A command can specify an action of a character. A plurality of color attributes are respectively assigned to actions of the character. A number of color attributes which are the same as that of the action identified by the command can then be obtained. The action power of the player character is increased in accordance with the obtained number of color attributes to make the player character execute the action identified by the command. The color attribute of action executed in the player character is stored in the historical information. Finally, the color attributes in the historical information can be displayed in respective colors on a screen.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to video games. More particularly the present invention relates to a control method for controlling the action power of a player character in a video game which implements a battle between characters on a display screen on a virtual basis. 
     2. Related Background Art 
     Role playing games (hereinafter referred to as RPGs) are a type or class of video games. In conventional RPGs, the power of the player character may be enhanced by providing the player character with various items. For example, attack power is often added to by providing the player character with a sword, whereas defense power is added to by providing a protector. If the player character is allowed to use magic or magical powers, the use of the magic may cause damage to the enemy. 
     The effect of the use of the items and magic is determined by the effect preliminarily defined for them and a level of a character using them. Since the level of each character increases through repetition of battles in the game, a character experiencing more battles may cause greater damage to the enemy in an attack. A player has to consider whether an attack should be made against the enemy with the items and magic as described above, which may keep the player from feeling bored. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In conventional RPGs, however, the effect in the use of the items etc. varies depending upon only the attribute (level) of the player character, and thus they were not always satisfactory in terms of interestingness, “e.g., player appeal.” In order to raise the interestingness more, it is desirable to allow the effect of the items etc. to vary depending upon additional factors in addition to the attribute of the player character as well. 
     The present invention has been accomplished noting such a conventional problem, and one embodiment of the present invention provides a control method for controlling the action power associated with a player character. The control method is generally capable of enhancing the interestingness by allowing the effect of an attack etc. to vary depending upon factors such as the action of an enemy character. Computer code associated with the present invention may be embodied, for example, on a storage medium for storing an action power control program, a game apparatus, and a computer data signal. 
     In order to solve the above problem by increasing the interestingness or the player appeal of RPGs, the present invention provides a new control method for controlling player characters. 
     One aspect of the present invention, a control method is provided for controlling the action power of a player character in a video game which implements a battle between characters on a display screen on a virtual basis. The control method includes: receiving a command that specifies an action of the character. A plurality of color attributes are respectively assigned to the actions of the character. The method also includes obtaining the number of color attributes which are the same as that of the action identified by a command from historical information in which color attributes of actions of the character which have been executed in past are stored. Additionally, the method includes increasing the action power of the player character in accordance with the obtained number of color attributes to make the player character execute the action identified by the command, storing the color attribute of the executed action in the player character in the historical information, and displaying the color attributes in the historical information, in respective colors on a screen. 
     Therefore, with manipulation input to make the player character execute an action using one of the elements, the action power of the player character is enhanced according to the number of the same color attributes in the historical information as the element used. In one embodiment, the historical information is information which changes the composition of held color attributes when not only the player character but also one of the characters involved in the battle executes an action using an element. In such an embodiment, if the action power of the player character is enhanced according to the number of varying color attributes by the action of not only the player character but also the characters involved in the battle, the power will vary not only depending upon the player character but also depending upon all the characters involved in the battle, which can enhance the interestingness or player appeal of an RPG. 
     Since the color attributes in the historical information are typically displayed in their respective colors on the screen, the player may visually recognize the implications of the colors and, hence, elaborate a strategy, which may provide added interest. However, since the color attributes in the history information vary depending upon all the characters involved in the battle as described above, the same color attributes as those in the strategy elaborated by the player are may not be included in the historical information. Thus, the player may proceed with or otherwise continue the game while appropriately modifying the strategy and groping for timing of use of an element. The interestingness is thus also enhanced by the forwarding or continuation of the game while groping for timing of use of an element. 
     In the above invention, in the execution of action of the player character, when the historical information includes a color attribute which contradicts, e.g., is opposite to, the color attribute of the element used, the power of action may be lowered according to an appropriate number thereof. 
     Lowering the power of the action may cause difficulty in finding the timing of the use of an element, which enhances the interestingness further. 
     In addition, in the above invention, the characters may be the player character and an enemy character. 
     Consequently, the action power of the player character varies in various ways, depending upon when and which element the two characters use in a battle, and this also varies the development of the battle in many ways. This development of the battle varying in many ways adds to amusingness or interestingness of the RPGs. 
     Further, in the above invention, in the storing of the color attributes, a predetermined number of color attributes may be stored in the historical information. As a consequence, the predetermined number of color attributes are held in the historical information to be displayed on the screen, whereby the player can quickly ascertain the power of the player character in use of an element by visually checking the predetermined number of color attributes. 
     Still further, a game apparatus of the present invention may be realized by the creation of a computer that reads in a program that is stored in a storage medium. Therefore, storage media allow the program to be distributed and sold readily in the form of software products independent of the apparatus. When this software is used in such hardware as general purpose computers, general purpose game apparatus, etc., the game technology of the present invention may be carried out readily by these hardware. 
     Additionally a game apparatus of the present invention which is dedicated to the present invention may implement program which contains computer code for implementing the embodiments of the present invention thereby achieving the effect as stated above. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a hardware block diagram to show the overall structure of the game apparatus to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. 
     FIG. 2 is a memory map to show the areas allocated in the RAM of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 3A-3C are conceptual diagrams to show the details of the used element history storage division in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram to show the details of the element information storage division in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a diagram to show the kinds of the color attributes of the elements used in the present embodiment. 
     FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram to show the details of the opposite attribute table in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a flowchart to show the processing procedures in the battle mode in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a flowchart to show the processing procedures in the element process in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 is a diagram to show a screen display example in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 is a flowchart to show the processing procedures in the process of enemy character in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 11 is a flowchart to show the processing procedures in the element effect operation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 12 is a diagram to show the relation between coefficient k and increase/decrease in the effect of the elements in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in accordance with the drawings. In the following description an application of the present invention to a game machine for home use will be described as an illustrative example one embodiment. 
     In the game described in the present embodiment, a plurality of elements are prepared in order to enhance the power of a player character. Using the elements, the character may make a special attack such as magic or the like against the enemy. 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram arranged to show the structure of the game apparatus according to the present embodiment. As illustrated, this game apparatus  1  includes, for example, a main body of game machine  2 , an input device  3 , a memory card  5 , a CD-ROM  4 , and an output device  6 . 
     The main body  2  may include, for example, of a control section  11 , a RAM (Random Access Memory)  12 , an interface section  13 , a sound processing section  14 , a graphic processing section  15 , a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) drive  16 , a detachable CD-ROM  4 , and a communication interface  17 , which are connected to each other via a bus  18 . 
     The control section  11  generally includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) storing basic programs including a boot program, an OS (Operating System), and so on, etc.. The control section  11  successively executes programs stored in the RAM  12  to perform processing for advancing the game. The control section  11  also controls action of each section  12  to  17  in the main body  2 . 
     The RAM  12  is typically used as a main memory of the main body  2  and stores programs and data necessary for progress of the game, transferred from the CD-ROM  4 . The RAM  12  is also often used as a work area during execution of the programs. Areas allocated in the RAM  12  and data stored in the respective areas will be detailed hereinafter. 
     Connected to the interface section  13  are the input device  3  and the memory card  5 . In one embodiment, both the input device  3  and the memory card  5  are detachable. This interface section  13  controls the exchange of data between the input device  3  / the memory car  5  and the control section  11  / the RAM  12 . The input device  3  is typically arranged to enable a player to manipulate a player character. For example, the input device  3  may be equipped with direction keys and various buttons. By manipulating these keys and buttons, the player may provide input necessary for progress of the game, including instructions for movement and instructions for action to the player character. The memory card  5  is a memory for saving data indicating the status of progress of the game. When the memory card  5  is detachable, a player may move the memory card  5  to a different game apparatus to continue a game. 
     The sound processing section  14  carries out a process for reproducing sound data such as BGM (Back Ground Music), sound effect, and the like according to the progress status of the game in response to a command from the control section  11 , and may output a voice signal to the output device  6 . 
     In the desired embodiment, the graphic processing section  15  performs three-dimensional graphical processing in response to a command from the control section  11  to generate image data according to the progress status of the game. For example, the graphic processing section  15  may adds a predetermined synchronous signal to the image data generated and further outputs the resultant video signal to the output device  6 . 
     The CD-ROM drive  16  drives the CD-ROM  4  set in the main body  2  in response to a command from the control section  11  and transfers the programs and data stored in the CD-ROM  4  via the bus  18  to the RAM  12 . 
     The communication interface  17  is typically connected via a communication line  19  to an external network  20  and performs processing for exchange of a program or data with the external network  20  in response to a command from the control section  11 . The program or data may be embodied as a data signal in a carrier wave for transmission across communication line  19 . 
     The CD-ROM  4 , in the described embodiment, stores the programs and data necessary for the progress of the game. The CD-ROM  4  is driven by the CD-ROM drive  16  and the programs and data stored therein are read out thereof. The programs and data read out of the CD-ROM  4  are transferred from the CD-ROM drive  16  via the bus  18  to the RAM  12 . 
     The output device  6  is generally provided with a display screen  61  that may include a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or the like for displaying an image corresponding to the video signal from the graphic processing section  15 , and loudspeakers (not illustrated) for outputting sound corresponding to the sound signal from the sound processing section  14 . A television receiver is often used as the output device  6 , although the configuration of output device  6  may vary widely. 
     Next, the areas allocated in the RAM  12  of FIG.  1  and the data stored in the respective areas will be described in detail. 
     FIG. 2 is a diagram to show the areas allocated in the RAM  12  in accordance with an embodiment to the present invention. As illustrated, the RAM  12  is laid out with a program storage area  121 , a related data storage area  122 , an image data storage area  123 , and a sound data storage area  124 . The programs and data stored in the areas  121 ,  121 ,  124  except for the related data storage area  122  are generally those read out of the CD-ROM  4  by the CD-ROM drive  16  of FIG. 1, and transferred to the RAM  12  in accordance with control of the control section  11  of FIG.  1 . On the other hand, the data in the related data storage area  122  is data computed during the progress of the game by the control section  11  and transferred to the RAM  12 . 
     The program storage area  121  typically stores programs necessary for execution of the game, including the programs presented in the flowcharts described hereinafter and the like. 
     The related data storage area  122  has, in one embodiment, a used element history storage division  122   a , an element information storage division  122   b , and an opposite attribute table  122   c  established therein. 
     The used element history storage division  122   a  generally includes at least three storage areas, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, in which color attributes of three previous elements used by the player character or by the enemy character are stored while successively being updated. The reason why there are often at least three storage areas is that the number of player characters that can be involved simultaneously in one battle is three in the present embodiment. It should be appreciated that both the number of players simultaneously involved in one battle and the number of storage areas may vary widely to include more than three players and storage areas or less than three players and storage areas. When the number of storage areas is at least equal to the number of player characters, it is easy to set a single attribute in the three storage areas. However, an attack of the enemy may often be made before a next attack chance of the player. Therefore, the difficulty is increased before execution of a strong attack in the matched state of the color attributes of the three characters, which enhances the interestingness of a game. 
     The element information storage division  122 b is typically arranged to store correspondence among element names available for the player character and enemy character, effects in use of the elements, and color attributes of the elements, as illustrated in FIG.  4 . Namely, for example in the case of “element A,” when the player character or the enemy character uses this, the effect of “lightning” appears and the color attribute of the element is “red.” In one embodiment, the kinds of the color attributes of the elements used in the present embodiment is six, e.g., red, blue, green, yellow, white, and black, as illustrated in FIG. 5, and one of these six kinds of element color attributes is set for each of the elements. It should be appreciated, however, that both the number of color attributes and the actual colors may vary. 
     The opposite attribute table  122   c  stores correspondence, or relationships, between kinds of element color attributes defined as opposite attributes, as illustrated in FIG.  6 . By way of example, the element color attributes of the opposite attributes may be red and blue, green and yellow, and white and black in the present embodiment. 
     In the present embodiment according to the above structure, once the game is started, the control section  11  will reserve areas for storage of information in the RAM  12 , thereby reserving the. program area  121 , the related data area  122 , the image data storage area  123 , and the sound data storage area  124  etc. in the RAM  12 , as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. With reception of a game start request thereafter, the control section  11  may read the information necessary for the game to be started, from the CD-ROM  4  into the RAM  12 , and make an image displayed on the display screen  61 , based on the game program thus read in. The player generally advances the game while manipulating the keys and buttons of the input device  3  on the basis of the image on the display screen  61 . 
     Once a battle mode is established in the game, the control section  11  will often execute the processing presented in one embodiment in the flowchart of FIG.  7 . In the described embodiment, the battle mode first executes a battle preparation process to effect setting of various parameters of the enemy character and switching of screen (step S 101 ). Then the control section waits for selection of an action item of the player character (step S 102 ). When an action item is selected by player&#39;s manipulation on the input device  3 , the control section judges the action item selected (step S 103 ). Based on this judgment result, the control section executes an attack process in the case of the action item of attack (step S 104 ). An element process described hereinafter is executed with an action item of use of an element (Step S 105 ). The control section executes a defense process with entry of defense (Step S 106 ) or executes an escape process with entry of escape (step S 107 ). 
     After carrying out one of these processes of attack, element, defense, and escape, which are the processes on the side of the player character, the control section executes the processing for the enemy character described hereinafter (step S 108 ), then judges whether the battle is over (step S 109 ), and thereafter repeats the processes from step S 102  before the end of the battle. 
     The element process (step S 105 ) is carried out, in one embodiment, according to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 8, and it is first determined whether all the color attributes stored in the used element history storage division  122   a  as a battle map are substantially the same (step S 201 ). When all the color attributes of the battle map are substantially the same, for example, as in the case of all the color attributes of the past first to third used elements being “red” as illustrated in FIG. 3B, a summons of the same color attribute as this battle map is made effective (step S 202 ). The summons herein means a special element stronger than the elements displayed in next step S 203 . Specifically, when the element of summons is selected, another character called a summons beast temporarily takes part in the battle. Then a hard attack by the character called up may be made or otherwise waged against the enemy character. 
     In step S 203  subsequent to step S 201  or S 202 , the effective elements are displayed. Namely, this process in step S 203  further adds a display of effective element list  76  and field effect  80  to the display screen  61  in which the player character  75  and enemy character  79  are displayed, as illustrated in FIG.  9 . The effective element list  76  is generally includes element names  77  available for the player character  75  and color attributes  78  placed on the both sides of each element  77 . In the described embodiment, each color attribute  78  may be displayed in color of red (R), blue (B), green (G), yellow (Y), white (W), or the like. 
     The field effect  80  may be represented in substantially any suitable manner. By way of example, field effect  80  may be represented is a stack of a large ellipse  81 , a middle ellipse  82 , and a small ellipse  83  shifted to one end thereof, among which the large ellipse  81  is displayed in the color of the color attribute of the element used third before the current battle, stored in the used element history storage division  122   a , the middle ellipse  82  in the color of the color attribute of the element used second before the current battle, and the small ellipse  83  in the color of the color attribute of the element used first before the current battle. Therefore, when all the color attributes stored in the used element history storage division  122   a  are red as illustrated in FIG. 3B, all of the large ellipse  81 , middle ellipse  82 , and small ellipse  83  are displayed red. When the color attributes stored in the used element history storage division  122   a  show the element third before as being red, the element second before being blue, and the first, or immediately, before as being red as illustrated in FIG. 3C, the large ellipse  81  and small ellipse  83  are displayed red and the middle ellipse  82  is displayed blue. 
     Therefore, the player may identify the color attributes of the past three elements stored in the used element history storage division  122   a  by visually checking the field effect  80  and further may also identify the color attribute of an element desired to select, by visually checking the color attributes  78  in the effective element list  76 . Although only the color attributes of the past three elements are displayed in the field effect  80  so that the player can grasp them at a glance and may quickly ascertain the effective power of the player character in use of one element, it should be appreciated that the color attributes of any number of past elements may be displayed in the field effect. 
     The field effect  80  is typically kept continuously displayed on the display screen  61 . As shown in FIG. 9, field effect  90  is displayed in the left upper area of the display screen  61  before the end of the battle. 
     Referring back to FIG. 8, after presentation of the above display, the control section waits for selection of an element (step S 204 ). When the player selects an element by manipulating the input device  3 , the control section determines whether it is a summons (step S 205 ). When it is a summons, the control section proceeds to step S 207  without execution of the process in step S 206 . If it is not a summons but is, instead, a normal element, the control section executes an element effect operation described hereinafter (step S 206 ). The reason why the process of step S 206  is skipped with selection of the element of summons is that a sufficiently strong effect is often set as a basic effect of the element. 
     Then the operation defined for the element is carried out (step S 207 ) and thereafter the color attribute of the element used this time may be stored in the used element history storage division  122   a  of the battle map (step S 208 ). More specifically, in the described embodiment, the color attribute in the second previous area may be overwritten on the third previous area of the used element history storage division  122   a , the color attribute in the first previous area may be overwritten on the second previous area, and thereafter the color attribute of the element used this time by the player character  76  may be overwritten on the first previous area. In accordance therewith, the display contents in the field effect may also be updated on the display screen (step S 209 ). 
     On the other hand, the aforementioned processing for the enemy character (step S 108 ) is carried out in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention with the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 10, and a first step is to think, e.g., attempt anticipate, the substance of action of the enemy character (step S 301 ). Then the control section determines whether an element is to be used, based on the result of this thinking (step S 302 ), and if no element is used then the control section makes the enemy character conduct the action determined based on the aforementioned thinking (step S 303 ). 
     If an element is used, the control section executes an operation to compute the effect of the element as detailed hereinafter, thereafter carries out the operation defined for the element (step S 305 ), similar to aforementioned step S 207  and step S 208 . The control section then reserves the color attribute of the element used this time, in the used element history storage division  122   a  of the battle map (step S 306 ). In accordance therewith, the display contents of the field effect are typically updated on the display screen (step S 307 ). 
     Therefore, the point to note herein is that the color attributes of the past, e.g., three used elements stored in the used element history storage division  122   a  of the battle map may not be changed only by the process of step S 208  in the use of the player character, but are also changed by this process of step S 306  in the use of the enemy character. 
     The element effect operation, which is carried out in step S 206  of the element process (FIG. 8) and in step S 304  of the enemy character processing (FIG.  10 ), may be carried out according to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 11 in one embodiment. Namely, the control section may acquire the color attributes of the past, e.g., three, used elements stored in the used element history storage division  122   a  of the battle map (step S 401 ). For example, supposing the used element history storage division  122   a  stores the element third before as being red, the element second before as being blue, and the element first before as being red as illustrated in FIG. 3C, the control section acquires “red,” “blue,” and “red.” 
     Next, the control section acquires a number of same attributes as that of the element used this time (a number of color attributes of the same color) (step S 402 ). For example, in the display screen  61  illustrated in FIG. 9, supposing the player selects “laser” having the color attribute of red (R) to use it for the player character  75 , the control section acquires the number of “red” from the used element history storage division  122   a ; in the case of the present example, since there are two “red” indications, the control section acquires the number “ 2 .” 
     Further, the control section acquires a number of attributes opposite to that of the element used this time (step S 403 ), This acquisition of the number of opposite attributes may be carried out by reference to the opposite attribute table  122   c . In the case of the present example, “blue” is an opposite attribute to the color attribute “red” of the element used this time and the number thereof is thus “1”; therefore, the control section acquires the number “1.” Then the control section computes a coefficient k according to the equation of “the number of same attributes - the number of opposite attributes =k” (step S 404 ). Further, the control section carries out an operation of computing “the basic effect of the element ×(1 +k ×0.125)=effective power” using this coefficient k (step S 405 ) It should be understood that expressions used to calculate coefficient k and effective power may vary as required by a particular system. 
     As a consequence, this operation may determines the effective power as follows; as illustrated in FIG. 12, with k =0, the element has the basic power without change of the effective power, with k =−1 to −3 the effective power increases at intervals of approximately −12.5% from the basic power up to the maximum of approximately +37.5%, and with k =−1 to −3 the effective power decreases at intervals of approximately −12.5% from the basic power down to the minimum approximately −37.5%. 
     It should be noted here that the increase or decrease of attack power at intervals of approximately 12.5% according to the values of the coefficient k is just an example. The increase or decrease amounts of the power may thus be larger or smaller than approximately 12.5%. 
     In S 207  of FIG. 8 described previously, the player character conducts the action defined for the element, with the effective power computed in this step S 405  of FIG.  11 . When the player selects an element to use it for the player character, the effective power thereof may be greatly different depending upon the relationship between the color attribute of the selected element and the color attributes of the past used elements. Consequently, there arises the difficulty in selection of the kind of the element used and in the determination of the timing to use the element, which enhances the interestingness of a game. The action power of the player character varies in many ways and the development of the battle also varies in many ways, depending upon when and which element the both of the player character and enemy character use in the battle, which presents amusingness because of the development of the battle varying in various ways. 
     In addition, as described previously, the color attributes of the past, e.g., three, used elements stored in the used element history storage division  122   a  are not changed only by the process of step S 208  in the use by the player character, but are also changed by the process of step S 306  in the use by the enemy character. Therefore, the effective power of the element varies not only depending upon the player character, but also depending upon the action of the enemy character, which makes the effective power of the element uncertain and which may thus enhance the interestingness of the game. Since the change may also be induced by the element used by the enemy character, the player needs to determine an element to be used while gazing at the status of the field effect  80  under unpredictable change, which may also add to continuous interestingness throughout the progress of the game. 
     Although the present embodiment was described as an example of the present invention realized using the game machine for home use as a platform, the present invention may also be implemented using the general purpose computer, such as a personal computer or the like, or an arcade game machine as a platform. It should be appreciated that many other platforms may also be used to implement the present invention. 
     In one embodiment, the programs and data for realizing the present invention were stored in the CD-ROM and this CD-ROM was used as a storage medium. However, the storage medium is not limited to the CD-ROM, but may also be any other magnetic or optical storage medium or semiconductor memory which may be read by the computer, e.g. DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). Further, the programs and data for implementing the present invention may also be provided in the form wherein they are preinstalled in the game machine or in the storage device of computer. 
     The programs and data for realizing the present invention may also be provided in the form of use wherein they are downloaded via the communication interface  17  illustrated in FIG. 1, from another device on the network  20  connected through the communication line  19 . The programs and data may also be provided in the form of use wherein they are recorded in a memory of another device on the communication line  19  and they are successively taken via the communication line  19  into the RAM  12  as occasion arises. 
     The programs and data for realizing the present invention may also be provided in the form of a computer data signal in which they are superimposed on a carrier wave, from another device on the network  20 . In this case, transmission of the computer data signal may be requested from the communication interface  17  via the communication line  19  to another device on the network  20  and the computer data signal transmitted may received and stored in the RAM  12 . The present invention can also be realized in the game apparatus  1  by using the programs and data stored the RAM  12  in this way. 
     As described above, the present invention may be embodied as follows. When a character involved in a battle is made to carry out an action using one of the elements, the color attribute assigned to the element may be held as history information. Further when the player character is made next to carry out an action using one of the elements, the power may be enhanced according to the number of same color attributes in the history information as the element selected. Therefore, the action power of the player character using the element varies not only depending upon the player character, but also depending upon all the characters involved in the battle, which may enhance the interestingness of the battle. 
     In addition, the color attributes in the history information are displayed on the screen, whereby the player can visually check them and elaborate a strategy concerning the timing of use of an element, which may present a fun method to elaborate a strategy.