Video game system, character action control method, and readable storage medium storing character action control program

• US 6,878,065 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2001
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masahiro, Hisai, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Sager, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ashburn, Steven
• Application Number:
  US09/956,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20020034979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1- 9, 463 30- 33, 463 36- 38, 463/43, 345/473, 345/474, 345/475, 345/706
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/422 automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

A main character G is displayed in the center of a screen, an option character C is displayed at the lower right side of the main character G, and an enemy character N is displayed at an upper right part of the screen. FIG. 7A shows a state where the enemy character N is locked by operation of a game player and a lock mark L is displayed, and FIG. 7B shows a state where the option character C is attacking the enemy character N in response to another operation of the game player. A game can be made more interesting and ingenious by letting the game player involve in the actions of the option character which is a follower character of the main character.

Claims

1. A character action control method comprising the steps of:

displaying a game image including a main character and an option character which is a follower character following the main character from an initial appearance of the main character in a game space,

storing contents of actions to be taken by the option character against objects appearing in the game in correspondence with the objects excluding the option character,

selecting any one of the objects, excluding the option character, in the game space as a target object in response to operation of a first operable member by a game player,

displaying a visually recognizable mark at the target object to indicate selection as the target object, and

causing the option character to execute one of the contents of actions corresponding to the target object against the target object in response to operation of a second operable member by the game player.

2. A character action control method according to claim 1, wherein the step of selecting one of the objects, excluding the option character, is limited to selecting on the objects displayed in the game image as the target object in response to operation of the first operable member by the game player.

3. A character action control method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting one of the objects in the game space, excluding the option character and the target object previously selected in response to operation of the first operable member, as a next target object in response to operation of a third operable member by the game player, and displaying a visually recognizable mark at the next target object.

4. A character action control method according to claim 3, wherein the next target object is selected in an increasing order of distances to the main character in the game space.

5. A character action control method according to claim 1, wherein ones of the objects permittable to be selected as the target object are limited to ones of the objects whose distances to the main character are a specified value or shorter in the game space.

6. A character action control method according to claim 1, wherein the contents of action, includes a plurality of contents of actions stored for at least one of the objects and when said at least one of the objects is selected as the target object in response to operation of the first operable member by the game player, the option character is caused to execute one of the plurality of contents of actions against the selected target object in response to operation of the second operable member by the game player.

7. A readable storage medium storing an executable character action control program used in a video game, the program comprising the steps of:

displaying a game image including a main character and an option character which is a follower character following the main character from an initial appearance of the main character in a game space,

storing contents of actions to be taken by the option character against objects appearing in the game in correspondence with the objects excluding the option character,

selecting any one of the objects, excluding the option character, in the game space as a target object in response to operation of a first operable member by a game player,

displaying a visually recognizable mark at the target object to indicate selection as the target object, and

causing the option character to execute one of the contents of actions corresponding to the target object against the target object in response to operation of a second operable member by the game player.

8. A readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the step of selecting one of the objects, excluding the option character, is limited to selecting on the objects displayed in the game image as the target object in response to operation of the first operable member by the game player.

9. A readable storage medium according to claim 7, one of the objects in the game space, excluding the option character and the target object previously selected in response to operation of the first operable member, as a next target object in response to operation of a third operable member by the game player, and displaying a visually recognizable mark at the next target object.

10. A readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the next target object is selected in an increasing order of distances to the main Character in the game space.

11. A readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein ones of the objects permittable to be selected as the target object are limited to ones of the objects whose distances to the main character are a specified value or shorter in the game space.

12. A readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the contents of actions includes a plurality of contents of actions stored for at least one of the objects and, when said at least one of the objects is selected as the target object in response to operation of the first operable member by the game player, the option character is caused to execute one of the plurality of contents of actions against the selected target object in response to operation of the second operable member by the game player.

13. A video game system, comprising:

image display means for displaying game images including a main character and an option character which is a follower character of the main character from an initial appearance of the main character in a game space,

action content storage means for storing contents of actions to be taken by the option character against objects appearing in the game in correspondence with the objects excluding the option character,

first operable member operable by a game player,

target selecting means for selecting one of the objects, excluding the option character, in the game space as a target object in response to operation of a first operable member by the game player,

mark displaying mean, for displaying a visually recognizable mark at the target object to indicate selection as the target object,

second operable member operable by the game player, and

action executing means for causing the option character to execute one of the contents of actions corresponding to the target object against the target object in response to operation of a second operable member by the game player.

14. The video game system according to claim 13, wherein the target selecting means selects one of the objects, excluding the option character, is limited to selecting on the objects displayed in the game image as the target object in response to operation of the first operable member by the game player.

15. The video game system according to claim 13, wherein the target selecting means selects one of the objects in the game space, excluding the option character and the target object previously selected in response to operation of the first operable member, as a next target object in response to operation of a third operable member by the game player, and displaying a visually recognizable mark at the next target object.

16. The video game system according to claim 15, wherein said target selecting means selects the next target object in an increasing order of distances to the main character in the game space.

17. The video game system according to claim 13, wherein said target selecting means operates such that ones of the objects permitted to be selected as the target object are limited to ones of the objects whose distances to the main character are a specified value or shorter in the game space.

18. The video game system according to claim 13, wherein the contents of actions stored by the action content storage means includes a plurality of contents of actions for at least one object of the objects and said action executing means causes the option character, in response to operation of the second operable member by the game player, to take one of the plurality of action contents against the at least one object when selected as the target object by operation of the first operable member by the game player.

19. A character action control method comprising the steps of:

displaying a game image including a main character and an option character which is a follower character following the main character from an initial appearance of the main character in a game space in such a manner that the main character represents a gains player and said option character follows a path of travel of the main character so as to remain within a predefined area of the main character except when the option character is ordered to perform an action by the game player;

storing contents of actions to be taken by the option character against objects appearing in the game space in correspondence with the objects excluding the option character,

selecting any one of the objects, excluding the option character, in the game space as a target object in response to operation of a first operable member by the game player;

displaying a visually recognizable mark at the target object to indicate selection as the target object; and

causing the option character to execute one of the contents of actions corresponding to the target object against the target object in response to operation of a second operable member by the game player.

20. A character action control method comprising the steps of:

displaying a game image including a main character and an option character which is a follower character following the main character from an initial appearance of the main character in a game space in such a manner that the main character is a human figure and represents a game player and said option character is an animal figure that follows a path of travel of the main character so as to remain within a predefined area of the main character except when the option character is ordered to perform an action by the game player;

storing contents of actions to be taken by the option character against objects appearing in the game space in correspondence with the objects excluding the option character,

selecting any one of the objects, excluding the option character, in the game space as a target object in response to operation of a first operable member by the game player;

displaying a visually recognizable mark at the target object to indicate selection as the target object; and

causing the option character to execute one of the contents of actions corresponding to the target object against the target object in response to operation of a second operable member by the game player.