Patent NL-1016820-C1 (NL)
Title: Networked multi player computer game, playable via e.g. Internet, involves user surfing Internet deliberately or at random to find opponents on given domains
Inventor: VELLINGA AERT
IPC: A63F13/12
Filed: 2000-12-07
Granted: 2002-06-11
Abstract: During use, the computer application offers the user (A-C) a choice of pre-determined attack options and a choice of pre-determined defense options from an arsenal, as well as offering the user the choice to surf domains within the network, alerting the user of any other players within the same network domain, preventing the user from knowing the attack and defense options chosen by the other players, and enabling the user to attack or defend against the other players. The computers (2-4) connected to the network (1) are provided with a computer application (14-19) that can cooperate with the server application (20) once a connection has been established between the computer and server (5) via the network. Each combination of attack and defense options gives a pre-determined neutral, positive or negative result.  In the first method, a server application loaded onto a server can cooperate with at least one computer application on one or more computers once a connection has been established between the computer and server via the network. The computer and server applications cooperate via the network, the server application being provided with a pre-determined arsenal of attack and defense options, and the computer application being used to select a pre-determined number of attack and defense options. The server application keeps track of which players are on which particular network domain, informs players on a given domain of any other players on that particular domain via the computer application, and ensures that the attack and defense options chosen remain hidden from the other players. At least one player on the domain is selected to challenge at least one other player on the same domain to a fight. In the second method, the computer application is loaded onto at least one computer and can cooperate with the server application on a server once a connection has been established between the computer and server via the network. The computer application is used to select the attack and defense options. In the third method, a server application loaded onto a server can cooperate with at least one computer application on one or more computers once a connection has been established between the computer and server via the network. The computer application is used to select the attack and defense options.  Independent claims are also included for  (1) methods for playing this game, (2) a first network used to play this game on, in which a computer application for playing this game can be sent over the network from a server and received by at least one computer, the network including at least one node point for connecting the server to the computer,  (3) a second network identical to the first network, except that the connection between the server and computer is made on the basis of information which is supplied to the network by the computer and relates to a connection of the server to the network,  (4) a node point in a network used to play and download the game, the node point being used to send game information from the server and/or the computer application in a form suitable for network transmission via the network, (5) a software product containing the computer application, (f) a software product containing the server application, (6) a computer connected to a network and provided with a URL and the server application, and (7) a computer connected to a network and provided with a URL associated with a website and provided with the server application (a)  (b) (c) (d)  (e)  (f)  (g) .