Virtual character control method, device, and apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses a virtual role control method and device, equipment and storage medium, and relates to the technical field of computers and the Internet. The method comprises the following steps: controlling a first virtual role to move in a three-dimensional virtual environment, the first virtual role being one virtual role in a user formation, the user formation comprising N formation roles owned by the same user account, N being a positive integer; in response to the first virtual role triggering an interaction event of a first scene, switching the first virtual role to a second virtual role, the second virtual role being an event main role of the interaction event; displaying at least one formation role in the user formation in the first scene; and controlling the formation role to perform at least one action in the first scene. The method enriches the interaction mode of the formation role and improves the accompanying feeling of the formation role.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the fields of computer and internet technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for controlling virtual characters. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of computer technology, games have gradually become one of the most popular forms of entertainment. Nowadays, there are many different types of games, all of which are widely enjoyed.

[0003] In some games, players form user squads of multiple virtual characters, who cooperate to achieve common goals. Players can issue commands to the individual characters within the user squad during gameplay, causing them to coordinate and advance the game. In these technologies, the squad characters appear when participating in combat or exploring the map, and are hidden when not in combat or exploring.

[0004] The interaction methods of formation roles in related technologies are relatively simple. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for controlling virtual characters. The technical solution provided by this application is as follows: According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a method for controlling a virtual character is provided, the method comprising: Control the movement of the first virtual character in a three-dimensional virtual environment. The first virtual character is a virtual character in a user squad. The user squad includes N squad characters owned by the same user account, where N is a positive integer. In response to the first virtual character triggering an interaction event in the first scene, the first virtual character is switched to a second virtual character, where the second virtual character is the protagonist of the interaction event; In the first scenario, at least one formation role in the user formation is displayed; Control the formation characters to perform at least one action in the first scene.

[0006] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a control device for a virtual character is provided, the device comprising: The first control module is used to control the movement of the first virtual character in a three-dimensional virtual environment. The first virtual character is a virtual character in a user squad. The user squad includes N squad characters owned by the same user account, where N is a positive integer. A switching module is used to switch the first virtual character to a second virtual character in response to an interaction event triggered by the first virtual character in the first scene, wherein the second virtual character is the protagonist of the interaction event; The display module is used to display at least one formation character in the user formation in the first scenario; The second control module is used to control the formation characters to perform at least one action in the first scene.

[0007] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a terminal device is provided, the terminal device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, the computer program being loaded and executed by the processor to implement the above-described virtual character control method.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein a computer program is stored in the storage medium, the computer program being loaded and executed by a processor to implement the above-described method for controlling a virtual character.

[0009] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product including a computer program, the computer program being loaded and executed by a processor to implement the above-described virtual character control method.

[0010] The technical solutions provided in this application have at least the following beneficial effects: As players control their virtual characters to move through the 3D virtual environment, the player's squad characters (i.e., the squad characters within the user's squad) will refresh and appear in the scene based on the scene's interactive events triggered by the virtual character. These squad characters will also automatically perform a series of actions, allowing them to engage in diverse behaviors in various scenes beyond just combat or map exploration. This enriches the interaction methods of the squad characters and enhances their sense of companionship. When the player-controlled virtual character triggers a scene's interactive event, switching the player-controlled virtual character to become the protagonist of that event allows the player to directly participate in the interactive event from the protagonist's perspective, effectively improving the immersion of the scene and interactive events in the 3D virtual environment. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a computer system provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a virtual character control method provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a virtual character control method provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of virtual character switching provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of virtual character switching back according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a carriage scene provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a carriage scene provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of role interaction provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of role interaction provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating how to determine the display method of formation roles in a first scene, according to one embodiment of this application. Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a refresh position configuration interface provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 12 This is a flowchart of an interactive event-driven role switching / return provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 13 This is a flowchart of displaying various formation roles in a first scenario provided by one embodiment of this application; Figure 14 This is a block diagram of a virtual character control device provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 15 This is a structural block diagram of a terminal device provided in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0012] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] Please refer to Figure 1 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a computer system provided in one embodiment of this application. The computer system 100 may include: a server 110, a first terminal device 120, and a second terminal device 130.

[0014] Terminal devices include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, tablets, game consoles, wearable devices, multimedia playback devices, PCs (Personal Computers), AR (Augmented Reality) devices, VR (Virtual Reality) devices, intelligent voice interaction devices, and in-vehicle terminals. The terminal device can run a client of a target application (such as a game application). Optionally, the target application can be an application that needs to be downloaded and installed, or it can be a webpage or a mini-program; this application embodiment does not limit this. Optionally, the terminal device includes a first terminal device 120 and a second terminal device 130. The first terminal device 120 is used to run a client 121 of a first virtual character, and the second terminal device 130 is used to run a client 131 of a second virtual character. The first virtual character and the second virtual character can be different factions participating in the same competitive match, or they can be the same faction in the same competitive match.

[0015] Optionally, the first player 122 controls their respective virtual characters through the first terminal device 120 and the second player 132 controls their respective virtual characters through the second terminal device 130 to perform activities in the same three-dimensional virtual environment of the game. Optionally, there can be one first player 122 and one second player 132. Optionally, the computer system 100 may include only one first player 122. Optionally, there can be multiple first players 122 and multiple second players 132.

[0016] For example, the target application is an open-world game application. An open-world game application refers to an application in which players freely explore a virtual world and independently decide the time, order, and method of completing tasks.

[0017] For example, the target application is an RTS (Real-Time Strategy) game application. An RTS game application refers to a game application in which players strategize in a three-dimensional virtual environment during real-time game matches, commanding various squad characters in a formation to fight or explore.

[0018] For example, the target application is a PVE (Player Versus Environment) game application. PVE games are games in which players control virtual characters to interact or fight with virtual environments or NPCs (Non-Player Characters) in virtual environments.

[0019] In this application embodiment, the target application may also include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: RPG (Role-Playing Game) game application, tactical shooting game application, strategy role-playing game application, casual competitive game application, arcade shooting game application, MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game application, MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game application, action-adventure game application, social application, interactive entertainment application, etc., and may also be other types of applications. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0020] Server 110 includes at least one of a single server, multiple servers, a cloud computing platform, and a virtualization center. Server 110 is used to provide backend services for clients supporting a 3D virtual environment. Optionally, server 110 undertakes the main computing work, and the terminal undertakes the secondary computing work; or, server 110 undertakes the secondary computing work, and the terminal undertakes the main computing work; or, server 110 and the terminal use a distributed computing architecture for collaborative computing.

[0021] In an illustrative example, server 110 includes processor 112, user account database 113, battle service module 114, and player-facing input / output interface (I / O interface) 115. Processor 112 loads instructions stored in server 110 and processes data in user account database 113 and battle service module 114. User account database 113 stores user account data used by first terminal device 120 and second terminal device 130, such as user account avatars, nicknames, combat power indices, and the server region. Battle service module 114 provides multiple battle rooms for users to play against each other. User-facing I / O interface 115 establishes communication and exchanges data with at least one of first terminal device 120 and second terminal device 130 via wireless or wired network.

[0022] Server 110, first terminal device 120, and second terminal device 130 can communicate with each other via a network. This network can be a wired network or a wireless network.

[0023] The virtual character control method provided in this application allows the player's squad characters (i.e., squad characters in the user's squad) to refresh and display in the scene as the virtual character triggers scene interaction events. Furthermore, these squad characters will automatically perform actions related to scene interaction events, enabling the player's squad characters to perform diverse behaviors in various scenes in addition to participating in combat or running around the map, thereby enriching the interaction methods of squad characters.

[0024] Please refer to Figure 2 This diagram illustrates a method for controlling a virtual character according to an embodiment of this application. The following is in conjunction with... Figure 2 The control process of the virtual character in the embodiments of this application will be described.

[0025] At time A, a first virtual character 220 is displayed in the 3D virtual environment 210. The first virtual character 220 is a virtual character controlled by the local player. During the period from time A to time B, the local player controls the first virtual character 220 to move within the 3D virtual environment 210.

[0026] When the first virtual character 220 triggers an interaction event in the first scene 211 of the 3D virtual environment 210, the first virtual character 220 is forcibly switched to become the protagonist of the interaction event in the first scene 211, thus participating in the interaction event in the first scene 211 from the perspective of the protagonist. Furthermore, the formation characters 241 and 242 corresponding to the first virtual character 220 are displayed in the first scene 211. Then, both formation characters 241 and 242 are controlled to perform actions related to the interaction event in the first scene 211.

[0027] In the first scene 211, the player on this device can also control the second virtual character 220 to interact with the squad character 241 and / or squad character 242.

[0028] Please refer to Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a flowchart of a virtual character control method provided in one embodiment of this application. The execution entity for each step of the method can be a computer device; for example, the computer device could be... Figure 1 The first terminal device 120 in the computer system shown, or a client installed on the first terminal device 120. The method may include at least one of the following steps (310-340): Step 310: Control the first virtual character to move in the three-dimensional virtual environment. The first virtual character is a virtual character in the user squad. The user squad includes N squad characters owned by the same user account, where N is a positive integer.

[0029] A 3D virtual environment refers to a three-dimensional fictional world constructed to simulate the real world or a battle scene, allowing players to control virtual characters to move, explore, interact, and cooperate in the simulated fictional world.

[0030] A virtual character refers to an interactive element within a target application. Taking a game application as an example, a virtual character is a virtual character controlled by a player or server within the game application. For instance, a virtual character can be a main character or a non-main character. A main character is a virtual character controlled by the player on the same end of the game application. A non-main character is a virtual character controlled by another player or server. For example, a non-main character can include, but is not limited to, one of the following: party characters, NPCs, teammate characters, enemy characters, summoned creatures, pet characters, follower characters, etc., and may also include other virtual characters, which are not limited in this application embodiment. A virtual character can be in human form, or it can be an animal, cartoon, or other form, which are not limited in this application embodiment. A virtual character can be displayed in three-dimensional form or two-dimensional form, which are not limited in this application embodiment. Optionally, when the virtual environment is a three-dimensional virtual environment, the virtual character is a three-dimensional model, such as a three-dimensional model created based on animation skeletal technology. Each virtual character has its own shape and volume in the three-dimensional virtual environment and occupies a portion of the space in the three-dimensional virtual environment. The activities of a virtual character include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: adjusting body posture, crawling, walking, running, riding, flying, jumping, driving, picking up, shooting, attacking, and throwing. Illustratively, a virtual character is a virtual person, such as a realistic or anime character. In some implementations, the virtual character may also be implemented using a 2D or 2.5D model; this application does not limit this. The virtual character can be controlled by a server or by a player through a client; this application does not limit this either.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first virtual character can be a virtual character controlled by the local player. That is, the local player controls the first virtual character to move in the three-dimensional virtual environment.

[0032] In some embodiments, the game interface for displaying the virtual environment may include a screen layer and a control layer, wherein the control layer is displayed above the screen layer. The screen layer is used to display the virtual environment, and the control layer is used to display interface controls.

[0033] In some embodiments, in response to a movement operation on the first virtual character, the first virtual character is controlled to move within a three-dimensional virtual environment. The movement operation on the first virtual character refers to an operation input by the local player to change the spatial position of the first virtual character within the three-dimensional virtual environment.

[0034] In some embodiments, the movement operation of the first virtual character is an operation on the first button, and the operation type is not limited in this application. Optionally, the operation type may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: click operation, double click operation, long press operation, and swipe operation.

[0035] In some embodiments, the first button can be a virtual button or a physical button. Optionally, if the first button is a virtual button, it is also considered a UI (User Interface) control. Optionally, if the first button is a physical button, it is also considered a physical button. The first button is used to control the movement of the first virtual character. Exemplarily, the first button can also be implemented as a first control, also called a first movement control.

[0036] Optionally, if the first button is a UI control, then the operation on the first button is an operation on the UI trigger area where the first button is located. In some embodiments, the first button is displayed on the game interface from beginning to end. For example, the first button is a UI control on the upper layer of the virtual environment screen, and its display position does not change. When the virtual environment screen is displayed, the first button is displayed synchronously. For example, the first button corresponds to a response area, and when the operation position falls on the response area, it is considered that the first button is triggered.

[0037] Optionally, if the first button is a physical button, then a first trigger command is received. Optionally, the first trigger command is received by the terminal device when the first button is triggered. Optionally, the first button is a physical button on the terminal device. Optionally, the first button is an external device of the terminal device, or a physical button on an external device. For example, the external device of the terminal device refers to a device that is directly or indirectly connected to the terminal device.

[0038] In some embodiments, in addition to responding to a trigger operation directly on a UI control on the terminal device screen, the first button may also be considered triggered in response to an operation on an external device connected to the terminal device. Exemplarily, the external device of the terminal device includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a mouse, a gamepad, a touchscreen, etc. Exemplarily, the first button is considered triggered in response to an operation on a mouse (such as a click, double-click, long-press, etc.). Exemplarily, the first button is considered triggered in response to an operation on a gamepad (such as a click, double-click, long-press, etc.). Exemplarily, the first button is considered triggered in response to an operation on a touchscreen (such as a click, double-click, long-press, etc.).

[0039] In some embodiments, the movement operation of the first virtual character can also be implemented in at least one of the following ways: gesture control, voice control, etc., and may also be implemented in other ways, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0040] Gesture control refers to the interaction with the game interface through specified gesture inputs to control the movement of a first virtual character. In some embodiments, the specified gestures are set by relevant technical personnel. For example, a running motion can be used to control the first virtual character to run in a three-dimensional virtual environment. In some embodiments, the terminal device captures the player's gestures through a camera to determine whether the player's gestures are the specified gestures for controlling the movement of the first virtual character. In some embodiments, the camera can be built into the terminal device or a camera connected to the terminal device via wired or wireless means.

[0041] Voice control refers to interacting with the game interface via voice commands to control the movement of a virtual character. Voice commands are the spoken content related to controlling the movement of the virtual character. For example, the player on this device can say "move towards the shop" to interact with the game interface and control the movement of the virtual character. In some embodiments, the terminal device captures the player's voice commands via a microphone to interact with the game interface. In some embodiments, the microphone can be built into the terminal device or a microphone connected to the terminal device via a wired or wireless means.

[0042] In some embodiments, the movement type (movement type) of the first virtual character may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: walking, running, sprinting, jumping, climbing, vaulting, gliding, flying, swimming, sneaking, dodging, teleporting, teleporting, riding, vehicle movement, etc., and may also include other movement types, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0043] A user team refers to a group of at least one virtual character organized sequentially by a player on the local server. In some embodiments, a player on the local server owns at least one user team. Optionally, the team characters included in each user team may be the same or different. A team character refers to a virtual character added to a user team. In some embodiments, the first virtual character may or may not belong to a user team.

[0044] In some embodiments, a user formation includes M formation roles with different functional categories, where M is a positive integer. The functional category is a classification of formation roles within the user formation based on their functional positioning or division of responsibilities. In some embodiments, the functional category may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: output type, defense type, healing type, support type, control type, summoning type, gathering type, production type, exploration type, task execution type, management type, transportation type, auxiliary navigation type, element attributes, etc., and may also include other functional categories, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0045] Players can organize different roles into user teams based on strategies or objectives, and then perform actions such as combat, exploration, or infrastructure building based on these user teams to advance the game.

[0046] For example, when players need to fight in a three-dimensional virtual environment, the player's user team can include one or more of the following roles: offensive, defensive, healing, support, control, and summoning. Through the cooperation and coordinated combat between team roles of different roles, the player can effectively suppress enemy roles and achieve combat objectives.

[0047] For example, when players need to collect resources and build bases in a three-dimensional virtual environment, the player's user team can include one or more functional categories of team roles such as collection, production and manufacturing, transportation, and management. Through the division of labor and cooperation of team roles of different functional categories, resource acquisition, processing and manufacturing and base construction can be achieved.

[0048] For example, when players need to explore a three-dimensional virtual environment, the player's user squad can include squad roles with one or more functional categories such as exploration, task execution, and auxiliary navigation. By leveraging the information acquisition and path coordination capabilities of squad roles with different functional categories, the player can efficiently explore unknown areas in the three-dimensional virtual environment.

[0049] In some embodiments, each squad role in a user squad is controlled by the local player. In some embodiments, the first virtual character can be any squad role in the user squad. Optionally, in response to a switching operation on the first virtual character, the first virtual character is switched to a third virtual character. The third virtual character can be a virtual character located after the first virtual character in the user squad, or it can be a squad role selected by the local player from the squad roles in the user squad.

[0050] In some embodiments, a user squad may or may not include a newly created virtual character, which is a virtual character selected or created when first entering the target application.

[0051] In some embodiments, the initial virtual character is the virtual character that the local player controls by default in the target application. It is understood that the initial virtual character can be an avatar of the local player in a three-dimensional virtual environment, and the local player observes and participates in activities in the three-dimensional virtual environment primarily from the perspective of the initial virtual character.

[0052] For example, in the case of an open-world game application, the initial virtual character serves as the protagonist of the game's world view; that is, this character is the core figure in the game's story, the player's avatar in the game world, and the default subject for interacting with other squad characters. In this case, the user squad may or may not include the initial virtual character, depending on whether the local player includes the initial virtual character in their squad. In an open-world game application, the local player can continuously switch between controlling various squad characters to explore the map or engage in combat.

[0053] For example, in the case of a target application being an RTS game application, the newly created virtual character can act as a commander in a game, responsible for operations such as resource allocation, base construction, tactical deployment, and command of combat units. In this case, the team includes the newly created virtual character.

[0054] For example, in the case of a target application being an MMO game application, the initial virtual character is created by the player on this platform and serves as the protagonist for exploring a virtual world (i.e., a three-dimensional virtual environment), where they move, fight, use skills, trade items, and cooperate in a party. In this case, the party includes the initial virtual character.

[0055] Alternatively, the first virtual character can also be an initial virtual character.

[0056] Step 320: In response to the interaction event triggered by the first virtual character in the first scene, switch the first virtual character to the second virtual character, the second virtual character being the protagonist of the interaction event.

[0057] The first virtual character triggering an interaction event in the first scene means that the first virtual character meets the triggering conditions for the interaction event in the first scene. An interaction event refers to a series of interactive behaviors that occur in a scene (such as the first scene). The protagonist of an interaction event refers to the virtual character that plays the main role in the interaction.

[0058] In some embodiments, switching the first virtual character to the second virtual character can be achieved in at least one of the following ways: switching the local player's control over the first virtual character to the protagonist character of the interactive event, switching the character image of the first virtual character to the character image of the protagonist of the interactive event, switching the following object of the scene camera to the protagonist of the interactive event, etc. It can also be achieved in other ways, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0059] After switching from the first virtual character to the second virtual character, the player on this device controls the second virtual character to move around in the first scene and perform actions related to the interaction time of the first scene.

[0060] The character image of a virtual character is used to represent the appearance, visual characteristics, or display status of the virtual character. Optionally, the character image of a virtual character may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: clothing, hairstyle, special effects, lighting effects, equipment appearance, posture, etc., and may also include other expressive content, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0061] In some embodiments, step 320 can also be implemented as follows: in response to the first virtual character triggering an interaction event in the first scene, if the first virtual character is not the protagonist of the interaction event, the control permissions of the local player over the first virtual character are switched to the second virtual character, where the first virtual character and the second virtual character are different virtual characters. That is, in this case, the first virtual character is not the protagonist of the interaction event in the first scene, and the first virtual character and the second virtual character are essentially two different virtual characters, and the virtual character controlled by the local player is switched from the first virtual character to the second virtual character.

[0062] In some embodiments, step 320 can also be implemented as follows: in response to the first virtual character triggering an interaction event in the first scene, the character image of the first virtual character is switched to that of a second virtual character, where the second virtual character is the first virtual character displayed as the character image of the protagonist of the interaction event. That is, in this case, regardless of whether the first virtual character is the protagonist of the interaction event in the first scene, the first virtual character and the second virtual character are essentially the same virtual character, only the character image of the first virtual character is switched to a character image adapted to the interaction event.

[0063] The first scene is a subspace within a 3D virtual environment, used to host interactions between virtual characters and other virtual characters or environmental elements. In some embodiments, the 3D virtual environment includes at least one scene. Therefore, the first scene can be any scene within the 3D virtual environment. Each scene includes at least one interaction event.

[0064] In some embodiments, the first scene includes at least one interactive event, each with different triggering conditions. The triggering condition of an interactive event refers to the condition that triggers the event logic to initiate the interactive event. In some embodiments, the triggering conditions of an interactive event may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: the first virtual character moves to the target area; the first virtual character comes into contact with the target virtual character of the interactive event; the local player inputs a target operation command; the first virtual character meets a preset state condition; the task progress reaches the target stage; the scene state of the first scene changes; the target time is reached; the target virtual item is acquired or used; the target enemy unit is defeated; the target mechanism is activated; the first virtual characters meet a preset distance condition, etc. Other triggering conditions may also be included, but this embodiment does not limit them.

[0065] In some embodiments, the scene category may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: story scene, battle scene, mission scene, exploration scene, base construction scene, etc., and may also include other scene categories, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0066] A story scene refers to a scene used to present the narrative process of a story. In some embodiments, a story scene may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: daily story scene, main story scene, side story scene, etc., and may also include other story scenes, which are not limited in this application embodiment. A daily story scene refers to a scene used to present daily storylines. Daily storylines refer to story segments related to the daily life and personality of virtual characters (such as main characters, squad characters, etc.). A main story scene refers to a scene used to present the main storyline. The main storyline refers to the core story segments used to construct the worldview of the target application. A side story scene refers to a scene used to present side storylines. Side storylines refer to non-core story segments used to expand or enrich the worldview of the target application.

[0067] Interactive events in a story scene are events that drive the narrative. In some embodiments, interactive events in a story scene may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: dialogue events, plot unfolding events, plot branch selection events, etc., and may also include other interactive events, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0068] For example, please refer to Figure 4 As shown, it illustrates a schematic diagram of virtual character switching according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 Screen 410 is shown before the interactive event of the virtual Skyrail (i.e. the story scene) is triggered. In screen 410, the first virtual character 411 approaches the door 412 of the virtual Skyrail. The boarding control 413 is displayed on the upper layer of screen 410. When the player on this device operates the boarding control 413, the interactive event of the story scene is triggered: the daily story after entering the Skyrail. Figure 4 Screen 420 is shown after an interactive event triggering the virtual track (i.e., a story scene). Screen 420 displays a second virtual character 421 that switches from the first virtual character 411. The transition from screen 410 to screen 420 is as follows (not shown): As the first virtual character 411 enters the virtual track, the first virtual character 411 is switched to the second virtual character 421.

[0069] A battle scene refers to a scene used to carry out the combat interaction process between virtual characters. Interaction events in a battle scene refer to events related to combat. In some embodiments, interaction events in a battle scene may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: pre-battle preparation events, in-battle rest events, post-battle settlement events, etc., and may also include other interaction events, which are not limited in this application embodiment. A pre-battle preparation event refers to an interaction event in a three-dimensional virtual environment battle scene where virtual characters perform actions such as warming up, checking equipment, and encouraging each other. An in-battle rest event refers to an interaction event in a three-dimensional virtual environment battle scene where virtual characters perform actions such as resting, replenishing energy, and healing during breaks in combat. A post-battle settlement event refers to an interaction event in a three-dimensional virtual environment battle scene where the battle ends with a closing interaction (such as virtual characters cheering and high-fiving upon victory, or sighing upon defeat).

[0070] For example, the protagonist of the pre-battle preparation event in the battle scene can be the leader of the user squad participating in the battle (i.e., the virtual character who leads other virtual characters in the user squad to fight). After the first virtual character triggers the pre-battle preparation event in the battle scene, the first virtual character is switched to the protagonist of the pre-battle preparation event.

[0071] A task scenario refers to a scene in which a player accepts, executes, or completes a specific task. Interaction events within a task scenario refer to events related to the task content. In some embodiments, interaction events in a task scenario may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: task prompt events, progress feedback events, etc., and may also include other interaction events; this application embodiment does not limit the specifics. A task prompt event is an interaction event in a task scenario used to prompt the player on the local device with task-related information, guide the task execution process, or assist the player on the local device in completing the target task. A progress feedback event is an interaction event in a task scenario used to provide feedback to the player on the current task execution progress.

[0072] For example, the protagonist of the task prompt event in the task scene can be the virtual character most familiar with the task scene in the user squad participating in the task (i.e., the virtual character most familiar with the terrain, enemies, or resource distribution of the task scene). After the first virtual character triggers the task prompt event in the task scene, the first virtual character is switched to become the protagonist of the task prompt event.

[0073] An exploration scene refers to a scene where a player controls a virtual character to explore a three-dimensional virtual environment. Interactive events in an exploration scene refer to events related to the exploration area. In some embodiments, interactive events in an exploration scene may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: area discovery events, map unlocking events, teleportation point activation events, hidden area triggering events, mechanism interaction events, treasure chest opening events, resource discovery events, path guidance events, clue discovery events, etc., and may also include other interactive events, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0074] For example, the protagonist of the path guidance event in the exploration scene can be an exploratory virtual character (i.e., a virtual character with the ability to explore, identify dangers, and find resources). After the first virtual character triggers the path guidance event in the exploration scene, the first virtual character is switched to become the protagonist of the path guidance event.

[0075] A base construction scenario refers to a scenario used for base planning, building construction, facility upgrades, functional layout, and resource scheduling. Interaction events in a base construction scenario refer to interactive events that occur within the scenario and trigger operations such as base planning, building construction, facility management, resource scheduling, or functional updates. In some embodiments, interaction events in a base construction scenario may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: building construction events, resource acquisition events, construction task allocation events, etc., and may also include other interaction events; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0076] For example, the protagonist of the construction task allocation event in the base construction scenario can be the owner of the base (i.e., the virtual character that owns the base). After the first virtual character triggers the construction task allocation event in the base construction scenario, the first virtual character is switched to become the protagonist of the construction task allocation event.

[0077] Step 330: In the first scenario, display at least one formation role in the user formation.

[0078] After the first virtual character triggers the interaction event in the first scene, the virtual character controlled by the player on this side is switched from the first virtual character to the second virtual character. At the same time, some or all of the characters in the user's team are displayed in the first scene.

[0079] In some embodiments, at least one formation role displayed in the first scenario may be some or all of the formation roles in the user formation.

[0080] In some embodiments, for a first formation character in at least one formation character, the first formation character is displayed at a first refresh position in a first scene; wherein, the first refresh position is the refresh position corresponding to the first formation character, and in the case of multiple formation characters, different formation characters correspond to different refresh positions.

[0081] The refresh position of a formation character refers to the location where the formation character is generated, appears, or loaded in the first scene. The refresh position of a formation character depends on the triggered interaction event and the scene in which the interaction event is triggered. That is, for different interaction events within the same scene, the refresh position of a formation character in that scene may be different. When multiple formation characters exist, the first formation character can be any one of the multiple formation characters.

[0082] Even if the same virtual character triggers the same interactive event in the same scene, the refresh position of the same group of characters may not be the same.

[0083] After the first virtual character triggers an interaction event in the first scene, the corresponding refresh positions are determined for each squad member in the team, and some or all of the squad members in the team are displayed in the first scene. These squad members displayed in the first scene perform interactive actions related to the interaction event with the second virtual character in the first scene.

[0084] In some embodiments, the first scene includes at least one refresh location; for each of the at least one formation character, the formation character is displayed at the refresh location in the first scene that matches the formation character.

[0085] In some embodiments, each refresh location is associated with at least one action identifier, which indicates the action to be performed by the virtual character displayed at the refresh location; the first formation character has the ability to perform the action indicated by the action identifier bound to the first refresh location. That is, for each refresh location in the first scene, if the first formation character is able to perform the action indicated by one or more of the action identifiers bound to the refresh location, it means that the first formation character matches the refresh location.

[0086] For example, suppose the first scene is a story scene set in a kitchen. The story scene includes spawn location 1 and spawn location 2. Spawn location 1 is a cooking station, and spawn location 2 is a sink. The action identifier associated with spawn location 1 is "cooking," and the action identifier associated with spawn location 2 is "washing kitchen utensils" and "washing food." When the first group of characters can perform cooking-related actions, spawn location 1 can be determined as the first spawn location for the first group of characters.

[0087] It should be noted that the specific method for determining the spawn locations of each group of characters will be explained below. Please refer to the explanation below.

[0088] In the above method, when the virtual character controlled by the player triggers an interactive event in a certain scene, the refresh positions of each squad character corresponding to the virtual character are assigned in that scene, thereby displaying each squad character corresponding to the virtual character in that scene. Compared with related technologies where squad characters are only displayed in battle or map running, this solution expands the expression of squad characters and enhances the sense of companionship of squad characters.

[0089] Step 340: Control the formation characters to perform at least one action in the first scene.

[0090] The actions performed by the group of characters in the first scene are controlled by the server. Each character displayed in the first scene is controlled to perform a series of actions. It is understood that the timing of these actions performed by the group characters in the first scene can be the same or different.

[0091] In some embodiments, the formation characters are controlled to perform actions related to the interaction event. At least one formation character displayed in the first scene performs the actions related to the interaction event to present the complete event logic of the interaction event.

[0092] In some embodiments, after step 340, the method further includes step 350 (in Figure 3 (Not shown in the image).

[0093] Step 350: In response to the interaction event that ends the first scene, switch the second virtual character back to the first virtual character.

[0094] After the interaction event in the first scene ends, the second virtual character will automatically switch back to the first virtual character before the interaction event was triggered. Ending the interaction event in the first scene means that the second virtual character meets the termination conditions of the interaction event in the first scene.

[0095] In some embodiments, after the interaction events in the first scene end, at least one formation character displayed in the first scene is de-displayed.

[0096] In some embodiments, the interaction event that ends the first scene may include the following two situations: the player on the local end actively interrupts the interaction and the event logic of the interaction event ends.

[0097] In some embodiments, the termination conditions of the interaction event may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: the second virtual character leaves the target area, the second virtual character stops contacting the target virtual character of the interaction event, the local player inputs the target operation command, the second virtual character meets the preset state conditions, the task progress reaches the target stage, the scene state of the first scene changes, the target time is reached, the target virtual item is acquired or used, the target enemy unit is defeated, the target mechanism is activated, the second virtual characters meet the preset distance conditions, etc., and may also include other triggering conditions, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0098] For example, please refer to Figure 5 It shows a schematic diagram of virtual character switching according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 Screen 510 shows the scene before the interactive event of ending the virtual skyrail (i.e., the story scene). In screen 510, the second virtual character 421 approaches the door 412 of the virtual skyrail. After the second virtual character 421 walks out of the door 412 of the virtual skyrail, the interactive event of ending the story scene ends: the daily story after entering the skyrail. Figure 5 Screen 520 is shown after the interactive event of ending the virtual track (i.e., the story scene). Screen 520 shows the first virtual character 411 switching back from the second virtual character 421. The transition from screen 510 to screen 520 is as follows (not shown): As the second virtual character 421 walks out of the virtual track, the second virtual character 421 is switched to the second virtual character 422.

[0099] The above method, by switching the second virtual character back to the first virtual character after the interaction event in the first scene ends, can restore the player's original character control state in a timely manner after the interaction event ends, thereby avoiding the control logic confusion or scene state abnormality caused by the player continuously staying in the main character of the interaction event.

[0100] In summary, the technical solution provided in this application allows players to control virtual characters to move within a 3D virtual environment. During this process, the player's squad characters (i.e., the squad characters within the user's squad) are refreshed and displayed in the scene based on the interactive events triggered by the virtual character. These squad characters also automatically perform a series of actions, enabling them to engage in diverse behaviors in various scenes beyond combat or map exploration. This enriches the interaction methods of the squad characters and enhances their sense of companionship. Furthermore, by switching the player-controlled virtual character to become the protagonist of the interactive event, players can directly participate in the interactive event from the perspective of the event's protagonist, effectively improving the immersion of the scene and interactive events in the 3D virtual environment.

[0101] The following describes the actions performed by the formation characters in the first scene.

[0102] In some embodiments, the first formation character is controlled to perform a first action, which is an action corresponding to a first refresh position, and different refresh positions correspond to different actions.

[0103] The first action that a character in the first squad must perform in the first scene is determined by matching the first refresh position. For each character in the squad displayed in the first scene, the action performed by the squad character in the first scene is determined by the refresh position, and is not a random fixed action or controlled by the player on this platform.

[0104] Different refresh locations in a scene represent different functional areas within that scene; that is, refresh locations are positions with specific uses or functional meanings. Once a formation character is generated and displayed at its corresponding refresh location, the behavior of that formation character cannot deviate from the scene semantics and event logic of the interaction events at that refresh location.

[0105] For example, please refer to Figure 6 It shows a schematic diagram of a carriage scene provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 6 In the train carriage scene 600 shown, there are six refresh positions: refresh position 610, refresh position 620, refresh position 630, refresh position 640, refresh position 660, and refresh position 660. All six refresh positions are train carriage seats, and the bound action identifier is "sit down." That is, the action corresponding to these refresh positions is "sitting in a train carriage seat." If the interaction event contains logic for sitting in a train carriage seat, a group character capable of performing the "sit in a train carriage seat" action can be displayed at one of these six refresh positions, and then that group character can be controlled to walk to a seat and sit down.

[0106] Since different refresh locations in a scene represent different functional areas, the actions performed by the virtual characters (i.e., formation characters) displayed at the refresh location must conform to the functional positioning of the functional area represented by that refresh location. This ensures that the actions performed by the virtual characters do not conflict with the refresh location or interactive events, and avoids the virtual characters performing confusing actions (i.e. actions that do not conform to common sense).

[0107] In some embodiments, the first action is related to at least one of a first refresh position and an interaction event. That is, in this case, for each squad character displayed in the first scene, the action performed by the squad character in the first scene is determined by both the interaction event and the refresh position, rather than randomly executing a fixed action or being controlled by the player on the local end. It can be understood that when a squad character is displayed at a corresponding refresh position, it will perform an action related to that refresh position under an interaction event.

[0108] In some embodiments, when the first scene is a plot scene, the action corresponding to the first refresh position may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: acting out the plot (such as acting out a cutscene), emotional feedback (such as bowing one's head when in a sad scene, or clenching one's fist when in an angry scene), static actions that conform to the plot (such as standing, listening, etc.), and may also include other actions, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0109] In some embodiments, when the first scenario is a battle scenario, the action corresponding to the first refresh location may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: pre-battle preparation (such as checking equipment, warm-up actions, encouragement actions, strategy discussions, etc.), resting during battle breaks (such as sitting down, drinking water, bandaging wounds, treatment, etc.), celebrating a victory in battle (such as cheering, high-fiving, etc.), and may also include other actions, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0110] In some embodiments, when the first scenario is a task scenario, the action corresponding to the first refresh location may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: task prompts (such as viewing a map, indicating the direction of the target, etc.), task-related behaviors (such as collecting, solving puzzles, collecting, etc.), task progress feedback (such as anxiously waiting, cheering for completion, etc.), etc., and may also include other actions, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0111] In some embodiments, when the first scene is an exploration scene, the action corresponding to the first refresh location may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: path guidance (such as observing the surroundings, marking the route, etc.), independent living activities (such as fishing, reading, picking wildflowers, etc.), environmental response (such as taking shelter from the rain, turning on the lights at night, etc.), and may also include other actions, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0112] In some embodiments, when the first scenario is a base construction scenario, the action corresponding to the first refresh position may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: construction task execution (such as producing materials, collecting materials, transporting materials, measuring, etc.), decoration and arrangement (such as placing furniture, planting flowers and plants, etc.), facility maintenance (such as repairing walls, clearing weeds, etc.), etc., and may also include other actions, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0113] The above method, for each formation character displayed in the scene, displays the formation character at its corresponding refresh position in the scene, and constrains the actions performed by the formation character to match the refresh position, so that the actions performed by the formation character are consistent with the scene, thereby improving the rationality and immersion of the formation character's scene performance.

[0114] In some embodiments, first dialogue information corresponding to the first formation character is displayed, and the dialogue content of the first dialogue information is related to at least one of the first refresh position and the interaction event.

[0115] The first dialogue information refers to the dialogue displayed by the first group of characters in the first scene. In some embodiments, the first dialogue information can be in the form of a conversation or a monologue. It should be noted that not all group characters displayed in the first scene will necessarily have corresponding dialogue information, depending on the design of the interactive events in the first scene.

[0116] Because different refresh locations in the first scene have different scene semantics, the same virtual character (such as a squad character or a second virtual character) may trigger different dialogue content at different refresh locations. Therefore, the dialogue content of the first dialogue information of the first squad character can also be related to the first refresh location.

[0117] For example, in the case where the first scene is set on an empty track, after the first formation character sits down in the first refresh position corresponding to the carriage seat, the first dialogue message of the first formation character is triggered: "So tired! I can finally sit down."

[0118] Since the actions of the formation characters displayed in the first scene affect the event logic of the interaction events in the first scene, the event logic of the interaction events in the first scene can be advanced or presented by displaying the dialogue content of the formation characters after the interaction events in the first scene are triggered. Therefore, the dialogue content of the first dialogue information of the first formation character may also be related to the interaction events.

[0119] For example, in the case of a task scenario, when the first virtual character triggers a progress feedback event, the first dialogue message of the first squad character, "Oh my god, we're going to be late.", is displayed above the first squad character who is prone to anxiety.

[0120] Of course, the dialogue content of the first line of dialogue for the first squad character can be related to both the first refresh position and the interaction event.

[0121] For example, in the case of an exploration scene, when the first virtual character triggers a mechanism interaction event, the first dialogue information of the first squad character, "This mechanism has moved!", is displayed above the first squad character at the first refresh position closest to the mechanism.

[0122] In some embodiments, the dialogue content of the first dialogue information may also be related to at least one of the following: the personality of the first formation character, the relationship between the first formation character and the second virtual character, etc., and may also be related to other factors, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0123] In some embodiments, when the first dialogue information is in the form of a dialogue, the dialogue object of the first dialogue information can be any of the following: a second virtual character, other squad characters, NPCs, etc., or other virtual characters. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0124] In some embodiments, the first dialogue information may include, in addition to dialogue content, at least one of the following: the character name of the first formation character, the character portrait of the first formation character, the facial expression information of the first formation character, the emotional state of the first formation character, etc., and may also include other information, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0125] In some embodiments, the first dialogue information corresponding to the first formation character is displayed in the form of a bubble. A bubble format refers to a dialogue bubble box displayed above the virtual character (such as a formation character or a second virtual character).

[0126] For example, please refer to Figure 7 It shows a schematic diagram of a carriage scene provided in another embodiment of this application. Figure 7 Screen 700 is shown in the first scene (Sky Track), where a first dialogue message 711 ("Wow... the clouds seem a little lower than usual today") is displayed above the formation character 710 in the first scene in the form of a bubble. The first dialogue message 711 is a monologue by the formation character 710, and there is no dialogue with other virtual characters.

[0127] In some embodiments, the presentation of the first dialogue information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: voice playback, subtitle playback, special effects, etc., and may also include other presentation forms, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0128] The above method, by displaying dialogue information related to interactive events and / or the refresh position of the formation characters, can ensure that the dialogue content of the formation characters is consistent with the event logic of the scene, refresh position, and triggered interactive events, thereby improving the matching degree between the character behavior of the formation characters and the semantics of the scene, which is conducive to improving the player's immersion and sense of companionship.

[0129] In some embodiments, for a first formation role among at least one formation role, a second virtual role is controlled to interact with the first formation role; the first formation role is controlled to perform interactive actions on the second virtual role.

[0130] The first squad character can be any squad character displayed in the first scene. In some embodiments, the second virtual character can be a virtual character controlled by the local player. That is, the local player controls the second virtual character to interact with the first squad character.

[0131] The player on this end controls a second virtual character to initiate an interaction with a first group of characters. After receiving the interaction request from the second virtual character, the first group of characters controls itself to perform an interactive action targeting the second virtual character. In some embodiments, the interactive action targeting the second virtual character is related to at least one of a first refresh location and an interaction event.

[0132] In some embodiments, the interactive actions for the second virtual character may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: dialogue, attack, assistance, following, releasing skills, item transfer, healing, etc., and may also include other interactive actions, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0133] In some embodiments, the second virtual character is controlled to move in a three-dimensional virtual environment; in response to an operation that triggers the second virtual character to interact with the first formation character, the first formation character is controlled to perform an interactive action on the second virtual character.

[0134] In some embodiments, the operation that triggers the interaction between the second virtual character and the first formation character may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: within a first preset range of the first formation character (e.g., the second virtual character is close to the first formation character), selection by the local player, task-driven, event-driven, etc., and may also include other operations, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0135] When the second virtual character moves to the first preset range of the first formation character, if the first formation character is an interactive formation character, then the second virtual character is triggered to interact with the first formation character, and the second virtual character performs corresponding interactive actions in response. The first preset range of the first formation character is the area within which interaction with the first formation character is triggered.

[0136] For example, please refer to Figure 8 It illustrates a schematic diagram of role interaction provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 8 A screen 800 shows the interaction between the second virtual character 810 and the first squad character 820. Before seeing screen 800, the player on this end controls the second virtual character 810 to approach the first squad character 820, and then the interaction options 831 and 832 of the first squad character are automatically displayed. By interacting with interaction option 831 of the first squad character, the player can control the second virtual character 810 to converse with the first squad character 820. By interacting with interaction option 832 of the first squad character, the player can control the second virtual character 810 to sit in the carriage seat next to the first squad character 820.

[0137] Local player selection refers to the formation character that the local player directly selects for interaction. In some embodiments, in response to a selection operation on a first formation character among at least one formation character, the first formation character is controlled to perform an interaction action on a second virtual character. Optionally, selection options for at least one formation character are displayed; in response to an operation on a selection option for the first formation character among at least one formation character, the first formation character is controlled to perform an interaction action on a second virtual character.

[0138] Task-driven refers to the automatic control of the interaction between the second virtual character and the first formation character when the second virtual character performs a certain task in the first scene.

[0139] Event-driven refers to the automatic control of the interaction between the second virtual character and the first formation character when the second virtual character triggers an event in the first scene.

[0140] The above method, by controlling the second virtual character to interact with the first squad character and controlling the first squad character to perform interactive actions on the second virtual character, allows players to interact with the squad characters in the scene, enriching the interaction methods between squad characters and enhancing the realism and immersion of the three-dimensional virtual environment.

[0141] In some embodiments, a second dialogue information corresponding to the first formation role is displayed. The dialogue content of the second dialogue information includes at least one dialogue option, the content of which is related to the interaction event.

[0142] The second dialogue information is a branching dialogue based on the interaction event. In other words, the second dialogue information provides the player with new dialogue information with dialogue options, guiding the player to participate in decision-making and determining the logical direction of the interaction event.

[0143] Since the actions of the formation characters displayed in the first scene affect the event logic of the interaction events in the first scene, the event logic of the interaction events in the first scene can be advanced or presented by displaying the dialogue content of the formation characters after the interaction events in the first scene are triggered. Therefore, the content of the dialogue options in the second dialogue information of the first formation characters may also be related to the interaction events.

[0144] In some embodiments, the content of the dialogue options may also be related to the first refresh position. That is, the content of the dialogue options in the second dialogue information is related to at least one of the first refresh position and the interaction event.

[0145] Because different refresh locations in the first scene have different scene semantics, the same virtual character (such as the squad character and the second virtual character) may trigger different dialogue content at different refresh locations. Therefore, the content of the dialogue options in the second dialogue information of the first squad character can also be related to the first refresh location.

[0146] Of course, the dialogue content of the second dialogue information of the first squad character can be related to both the first refresh position and the interaction event.

[0147] In some embodiments, the dialogue content of the second dialogue information may also be related to at least one of the following: the personality of the first formation character, the relationship between the first formation character and the second virtual character, etc., and may also be related to other factors, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0148] For example, please refer to Figure 9 It illustrates a schematic diagram of role interaction provided in another embodiment of this application. Figure 9 Screen 900 shows the interaction between the second virtual character 910 and the first squad character 920. Before screen 900 is displayed, the local player controls the second virtual character 910 to approach the first squad character 920, and then the second dialogue information 921 and the dialogue options 922 of the first squad character are automatically displayed.

[0149] The above method, by displaying the second dialogue information corresponding to the first squad character and making the dialogue content of the second dialogue information include at least one dialogue option related to the interactive event, can realize a dialogue form with interactive selection capabilities. This allows players to participate in the decision-making process of interactive events by operating on the dialogue options of the second dialogue information, thereby enhancing the depth of interaction in the scene.

[0150] The following describes the process of determining how the formation characters are displayed in the first scene.

[0151] Please refer to Figure 10 The document illustrates a flowchart of an embodiment of this application, showing how to determine the display method of formation roles in a first scene. The process includes at least one of the following steps (1010-1030): Step 1010: Obtain the scene configuration information of the first scene. The scene configuration information is used to indicate the role attributes of the virtual characters related to the interactive events displayed in the first scene.

[0152] The first scene refers to the scene in which the first virtual character triggers an interactive event. The first scene can be any scene in a three-dimensional virtual environment.

[0153] It should be noted that the concepts of scene, 3D virtual environment, and the relationship between the two have been explained above; please refer to the corresponding sections above.

[0154] The scene configuration information of the first scene is used to describe the character attributes of the virtual character that should be displayed in the first scene under different interactive events. The character attributes of the virtual character are used to indicate the characteristics possessed by the virtual character. In some embodiments, the character attributes of the virtual character may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: ability attributes, job category, combat attributes, element attributes, social attributes, task attributes, personality tags, appearance attributes, etc., and may also include other character attributes, which are not limited in this embodiment. Among them, ability attributes refer to the actions that the virtual character can perform.

[0155] In some embodiments, the scene configuration information of the first scene is pre-configured by relevant technical personnel and stored on the server. Therefore, the scene configuration information of the first scene can be obtained from the server.

[0156] Step 1020: Obtain the formation role information of the first virtual character. The formation role information is used to indicate the role attributes of each formation role in the user's formation.

[0157] The first virtual character refers to the virtual character controlled by the player on this client before the interactive event of the first scene is triggered.

[0158] It should be noted that the first virtual character, the squad character, the user squad, and the relationship between the three have been explained above. Please refer to the corresponding section above.

[0159] The squad role information of the first virtual character refers to the squad role information of the user squad corresponding to the first virtual character. The squad role information of the first virtual character is used to indicate the role attributes of each squad role in the user squad corresponding to the first virtual character.

[0160] In some embodiments, the formation role information of the first virtual character is pre-configured by relevant technical personnel and stored on the server. Therefore, the formation role information of the first virtual character can be obtained from the server.

[0161] Step 1030: For the first formation role in at least one formation role, determine the display method of the first formation role in the first scene based on the scene configuration information and formation role information.

[0162] The first formation character can be any one of at least one formation character. The display method of the first formation character in the first scene describes how the first formation character is displayed in the first scene.

[0163] Based on scene configuration information and formation character information, and taking into account the character attributes of the virtual characters displayed in the first scene as well as the character attributes of the first formation characters, a suitable display method for the first formation characters in the first scene is matched.

[0164] In some embodiments, the display method of the first formation character in the first scene may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: display position, display action, display dialogue, display animation, whether to display dialogue, the content of the displayed dialogue, whether to be interactive, executable interactive action, etc., and may also include other display methods, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0165] In some embodiments, the scene configuration information includes location configuration information for at least one refresh location in the first scene. The location configuration information of the refresh location is used to indicate the role attributes of the virtual character related to the interactive event displayed at the refresh location. The formation character information includes the role configuration information of at least one formation character. The role configuration information of the formation character is used to indicate the role attributes of the formation character. Based on the role configuration information of the first formation character and the location configuration information of at least one refresh location, a first refresh location is determined from the at least one refresh location. The first refresh location is the refresh location corresponding to the first formation character. Based on the first refresh location and the role configuration information of the first formation character, the display method of the first formation character in the first scene is determined.

[0166] It should be noted that the refresh location has been explained above; please refer to the corresponding section above.

[0167] The first refresh position refers to the display position of the first squad character in the first scene.

[0168] The refresh location configuration information describes the character attributes of the virtual character that should be displayed at the refresh location under different interactive events. The group character configuration information indicates the character attributes possessed by the group characters.

[0169] In this embodiment, the process of determining the first refresh position of the first formation character is as follows: traverse at least one refresh position in the first scene. When the character attribute indicated by the position configuration information of the traversed refresh position matches the character attribute indicated by the character configuration information of the first formation character (e.g., character attributes correspond one-to-one), it indicates that the first formation character can be displayed at that refresh position. However, the first formation character may successfully match multiple refresh positions. In this case, one refresh position can be selected from the multiple refresh positions that successfully match the first formation character as the first refresh position of the first formation character.

[0170] Similarly, each group role in a user group can determine its corresponding refresh position by determining the first refresh position for the first group role.

[0171] The above method, by pre-configuring the character attributes corresponding to at least one refresh position in the scene's scene configuration information, and pre-configuring the character configuration information of each squad role in the user squad in the squad role information of the first virtual character, and by comparing the position configuration information of the refresh position with the character configuration information of the squad role, determines the refresh position that matches the squad role from at least one refresh position, can achieve adaptive matching between the squad role and the scene functional area, so that different squad roles can be displayed in the scene in an area that is more in line with their role positioning, thereby improving the rationality of scene display and the orderliness of role distribution.

[0172] In some embodiments, the role configuration information of the first formation role includes at least one action information, the action information being used to indicate an action pre-configured for the first formation role, the action information including action identifier information, and the location configuration information of the refresh location including at least one action identifier information associated with the refresh location; for each action information of the first formation role, a refresh location that satisfies a first condition is determined as a candidate refresh location of the first formation role, the first condition including: the location configuration information of the refresh location includes the action identifier information of the action information; and a first refresh location is determined from at least one candidate refresh location.

[0173] The pre-configured actions for the first formation's characters refer to the actions that the first formation's characters can perform. Each action information for a first formation's character is action data that supports the first formation's character in performing the corresponding pre-configured action. Action information, also known as action groups, consists of different action information corresponding to different actions. In other words, in this case, the character configuration information for the first formation's characters describes which actions the first formation's characters are capable of performing.

[0174] The action identification information in the action information is used for the action corresponding to the action information. In some embodiments, the action identification information can be implemented in at least one of the following ways: action name, action ID (Identifier), action tag, action type, action keyword, etc., and can also be implemented in other ways, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0175] The candidate refresh position for the first squad character refers to the refresh position that matches the first squad character, and the first squad character can be displayed at that refresh position.

[0176] For each refresh location, the location configuration information for that refresh location pre-configures action identifier information for at least one action bound to that refresh location. The action identifier information in the location configuration information of the refresh location is used to indicate the actions that the virtual character displayed at the refresh location can perform.

[0177] In this embodiment, the process of determining the first refresh position of the first formation character is as follows: At least one refresh position in the first scene is traversed. When at least one action identifier in the position configuration information of the traversed refresh position matches at least one action identifier in the character configuration information of the first formation character, it indicates that the first formation character can be displayed at that refresh position, and the refresh position is determined as a candidate refresh position for the first formation character. If multiple candidate refresh positions exist, one candidate refresh position is selected from the multiple candidate refresh positions as the first refresh position for the first formation character.

[0178] In some embodiments, when the number of candidate refresh positions for the first formation character is 1, the candidate refresh position for the first formation character is determined as the first refresh position for the first formation character; or, when the number of candidate refresh positions for the first formation character is greater than 1, one candidate refresh position is randomly selected from the multiple candidate refresh positions for the first formation character as the first refresh position for the first formation character.

[0179] The above method, by configuring action information in the role configuration information of the formation character and configuring action identifier information associated with the refresh location in the location configuration information of the refresh location, can establish a relationship between the action capabilities of the formation character and the refresh location in the scene. This enables the matching relationship between the actions that the formation character can perform and the actions supported by the refresh location, filters corresponding candidate refresh locations for the formation character, and determines the refresh location corresponding to the formation character from the candidate refresh locations. This allows the formation character to be assigned to a more suitable refresh location, thereby improving the matching degree between the actions of the formation character and the refresh location in the scene and avoiding the problem of inconsistency between the actions performed by the formation character in the scene and the semantics of the scene.

[0180] In some embodiments, the location configuration information of the refresh location further includes a character refresh weight, which is used to indicate the probability of displaying a virtual character at the refresh location; and a first refresh location is determined from at least one candidate refresh location based on the character refresh weight of at least one candidate refresh location.

[0181] The role refresh weight in the location configuration information of a refresh location is used to indicate the probability of that refresh location being selected when multiple refresh locations are competing for the position. In some embodiments, the role refresh weight in the location configuration information of a refresh location is preset by those skilled in the art, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0182] It is understandable that the higher the character refresh weight of a refresh location, the greater the likelihood that the refresh location will be selected; conversely, the lower the character refresh weight of a refresh location, the less likely that the refresh location will be selected.

[0183] In some embodiments, a first refresh position is randomly determined from at least one refresh position based on the role refresh weight of at least one candidate refresh position.

[0184] The above method, after obtaining at least one candidate refresh position, determines the first refresh position from at least one candidate refresh position by using the character refresh weight corresponding to each candidate refresh position. The character refresh weight is used to influence the probability of each candidate refresh position being selected, thereby ensuring the rationality of the display position of the formation characters in the scene, improving the dynamic change capability of the display position of the formation characters in the scene, and enriching the scene performance of the formation characters.

[0185] In some embodiments, the location configuration information of the refresh location further includes an associated role type, which is used to indicate the role type of the virtual character displayed at the refresh location; the first condition further includes at least one of the following: the associated role type of the refresh location matches the role type of the first formation character, or the number of virtual characters displayed at the refresh location is less than a preset threshold corresponding to the refresh location.

[0186] The associated character type of a refresh location can also be understood as the character type of virtual character allowed to be displayed at that refresh location. In some embodiments, the associated character type of a refresh location may include at least one of the following: player-controlled virtual character, squad character, NPC, etc., and may also include other character types, which are not limited in this application embodiment. For example, if the associated character type of a refresh location includes squad characters, it means that the refresh location only allows squad characters to be displayed. As another example, if the associated character type of a refresh location includes player-controlled virtual character and NPC, it means that the virtual character displayed at the refresh location can be a player-controlled virtual character or an NPC. As yet another example, if the associated character type of a refresh location includes NPC, it means that the refresh location only allows NPCs to be displayed.

[0187] The preset threshold corresponding to the refresh position is used to indicate the maximum number of virtual characters allowed to be displayed at the refresh position. For example, assuming the preset threshold corresponding to the refresh position is 1, if one virtual character is already displayed at that refresh position, it means that other virtual characters cannot be displayed at that refresh position. It should be noted that the preset threshold corresponding to the refresh position can also be set to other values, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0188] For example, please refer to Figure 11 This diagram illustrates a configuration interface for the refresh position provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 11 The refresh position configuration interface 1100 shows that the refresh position 1 is being configured with position configuration information 1110. The structure of the refresh position 1's position configuration information 1110 is as follows: SteaType: Associated role type: NPCorPlayer: Allows the display of NPCs and player-controlled virtual characters.

[0189] NPC: Only NPCs are allowed to be displayed.

[0190] Hero: Only allows the display of squad roles.

[0191] AppearWeight: Character refresh weight.

[0192] Desc: A descriptive note.

[0193] ActType: At least one action identifier associated with the refresh location.

[0194] The above method, by introducing associated character types into the location configuration information of the refresh location and matching the character types of virtual characters allowed to be displayed at the refresh location with the character types of the first squad characters, allows different types of squad characters to be assigned to refresh locations that better match their roles. This improves the matching rationality between the distribution of squad characters and refresh locations, enhancing the consistency and logic of scene display. By setting a preset threshold to constrain the number of virtual characters displayed at the refresh location, the problem of overlapping virtual character or virtual item models in the display area of ​​the refresh location can be avoided, thereby improving the balance and rationality of the layout of squad characters displayed in the scene.

[0195] In some embodiments, the display method of the first formation characters in the first scene is determined based on the first refresh position and the action information corresponding to the first refresh position; wherein, the action information includes at least one of the following: action type, action resource information, position offset information, and dialogue information.

[0196] The action type indicates the type of action to which the action information belongs. Optionally, the action type can be the same as the action identifier information. Optionally, the action type can be combined with the action identifier information to match the first refresh position of the first squad character.

[0197] Action resource information is used to indicate the action resources that implement the action corresponding to the action information. In some embodiments, the action resource information may be the path information of the action resource. That is, the action resource information is used to indicate the location corresponding to the action information. Optionally, the action resource may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: animation files, motion control, special effects resources, action scripts, etc., and may also include other action resources, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0198] Position offset information is used to indicate the offset parameters of the formation characters relative to the refresh position. In some embodiments, the position offset information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: coordinate offset, rotation offset, etc., and may also include other offset parameters, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0199] The dialogue information is used to generate the first dialogue information and / or the second dialogue information to be displayed when the formation characters are displayed in the scene. In some embodiments, the dialogue information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: dialogue text, dialogue voice, subtitles, etc., and may also include other content, which is not limited in this application embodiment.

[0200] In some embodiments, the action corresponding to the action information corresponding to the first refresh position is determined as the first action of the first formation character; the position of the first formation character displayed in the first scene is determined based on the first refresh position and position offset information; the first dialogue information and / or the second dialogue information of the first formation character are determined based on the dialogue information; the display mode of the first formation character is determined based on at least one of the first action of the first formation character, the position of the first formation character displayed in the first scene, and the first dialogue information and / or the second dialogue information of the first formation character.

[0201] For example, please refer to Table 1 below, which shows the various fields in an action message, the field types of the fields, and the field descriptions.

[0202]

[0203] Table 1. Fields in the Action Information The above method, by combining the refresh position of the formation character and the action information corresponding to that refresh position, determines the display method of the formation character in the scene, thereby achieving more refined control over the display method of the formation character in the scene, which helps to improve the display effect and rationality of the formation character in the scene.

[0204] The following describes the complete process of the first virtual character from triggering the first scene's interactive event to ending the first scene's interactive event.

[0205] Please refer to Figure 12The document illustrates a flowchart of an interactive event-driven role switching / return process provided in an embodiment of this application. The process of the first virtual character triggering an interactive event in the first scene and the first scene ending the interactive event includes at least one of the following steps.

[0206] S1, The first virtual character triggers the interaction event in the first scene.

[0207] S2, Read the first virtual character.

[0208] S3. Is the first virtual character the protagonist of the interactive event? If yes, execute S4; otherwise, execute S5.

[0209] S4. Do not switch to the first virtual character.

[0210] S5. Forcefully switch the first virtual character to the main character of the interactive event.

[0211] S6. Has the interaction event in the first scene ended? If yes, execute S7; otherwise, execute S6.

[0212] S7. Switch the main character of the interactive event to the first virtual character.

[0213] S8. Cancel the display of the formation characters in the first scene.

[0214] Please refer to Figure 13 The document illustrates a flowchart of displaying various formation roles in a first scenario according to an embodiment of the present application. The process of displaying various formation roles in the first scenario includes at least one of the following steps.

[0215] S1, The first virtual character triggers the interaction event in the first scene.

[0216] S2, Read the first virtual character.

[0217] S3. Is the first virtual character the protagonist of the interactive event? If yes, execute S4; otherwise, execute S5.

[0218] S4. Do not switch to the first virtual character.

[0219] S5. Forcefully switch the first virtual character to the main character of the interactive event.

[0220] S6. Are all the characters in the formation displayed in the first scene? If yes, end the process; otherwise, proceed to S7.

[0221] S7. Determine how the characters in the formation will be displayed in the first scene according to their formation order.

[0222] S8. Is the formation character the main character of the interactive event? If yes, execute S16; otherwise, execute S9.

[0223] S9. Are there any formation roles whose display method has been determined? If yes, proceed to S10; otherwise, proceed to S11.

[0224] S10, Filtering shows the refresh locations of characters in the formation.

[0225] S11. Obtain at least one refresh position in the first scene.

[0226] S12. Based on the scene configuration information and formation role information of the first scene, determine at least one candidate refresh position for the formation role.

[0227] S13. Determine the corresponding refresh position of the formation character from at least one candidate refresh position of the formation character.

[0228] S14. Based on the refresh position of the formation character and the corresponding action information, determine the display method of the formation character in the first scene.

[0229] S15. Based on the display method of the formation character in the first scene, display the formation character in the first scene.

[0230] S16. Determine the next grouping role to be displayed in the first scene. Continue executing S8.

[0231] The following section describes how to dynamically adjust the behavior of squad members in a scene.

[0232] In some embodiments, the historical interaction information of a first formation character is obtained, which is used to indicate the historical interaction between the first formation character and a second virtual character; the position information of other formation characters besides the first formation character and the position information of the second virtual character are obtained, whereby the position information of other formation characters is used to indicate the position of other formation characters in a first scene, and the position information of the second virtual character is used to indicate the position of the second virtual character in the first scene; the scene information of the first scene is obtained, which is used to describe the scene state of the first scene; and the scene behavior of the first formation character is obtained based on at least one of the historical interaction information of the first formation character, the position information of other formation characters, the position information of the second virtual character, and the scene information of the first scene, whereby the scene behavior is used to indicate at least one action performed by the first formation character in the first scene.

[0233] The scene behavior of the first squad character is the sequence of actions that the first squad character will subsequently perform in the first scene.

[0234] The historical interaction information of the first formation character includes records of past interactions between the first formation character and the second virtual character. In some embodiments, the historical interaction information of the first formation character can indicate the historical interactions between the first formation character and the second virtual character in the current interaction event that triggers the first scene. That is, each interaction between the first formation character and the second virtual character may affect the subsequent behavior of the first formation character in the first scene of this interaction event.

[0235] In some embodiments, the historical interaction information of the first formation character includes at least one interaction record, which indicates a historical interaction between the first formation character and the second virtual character. In some embodiments, the interaction record may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: interaction type, interaction content, interaction result, etc., and may also include other information, which is not limited in this application embodiment.

[0236] The number of other characters in a formation besides the first formation character can be one or more. In other words, the subsequent behavior of the first formation character in the first scene of this interactive event may be adjusted with reference to the positions of other formation characters and / or the second virtual character in the first scene.

[0237] The scene information of the first scene is data describing the overall state of the first scene. In some embodiments, the scene information of the first scene may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: scene type, current time, weather conditions, scene atmosphere, etc., and may also include other information, which is not limited in this application embodiment.

[0238] In some embodiments, the scene behavior of the first formation character is obtained by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) model based on at least one of the following: historical interaction information of the first formation character, position information of other formation characters, position information of the second virtual character, and scene information of the first scene. Optionally, the AI ​​model can be implemented by at least one of the following: large model (such as large language model, multimodal large model, etc.), behavior tree model, finite state machine, reinforcement learning model, temporal model, etc., and can also be implemented by other models, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0239] The above method, through comprehensive analysis based on the historical interaction information of the first formation character, the position information of other formation characters, the position information of the second virtual character, and the scene information of the first scene, generates the scene behavior of the first formation character. This allows the first formation character's behavioral decisions in the first scene to simultaneously consider historical interaction relationships, user formation spatial distribution, interaction target location, and current scene state, enabling the first formation character to respond to complex interaction scenarios, thereby improving the intelligence level and realism of the first formation character.

[0240] In some embodiments, the movement path information of the first formation character is adjusted based on at least one of the historical interaction information of the first formation character, the position information of other formation characters, the position information of the second virtual character, and the scene information of the first scene, to obtain the adjusted movement path information of the first formation character. The movement path information of the first formation character is used to indicate the movement path of the first formation character in the first scene.

[0241] In other words, by integrating historical interaction data, the spatial layout of the scene, the positions of each virtual character, and the environmental characteristics of the scene, the preset movement paths of the formation characters are dynamically optimized and adjusted, so that the movement of the formation characters no longer follows a fixed route, but is an intelligent movement with social awareness and environmental adaptability.

[0242] In some embodiments, the AI ​​model adjusts the movement path information of the first formation character based on at least one of the historical interaction information of the first formation character, the position information of other formation characters, the position information of the second virtual character, and the scene information of the first scene, to obtain the adjusted movement path information of the first formation character. Optionally, the AI ​​model can be implemented by at least one of the following: a large model (such as a large language model, a multimodal large model, etc.), a behavior tree model, a finite state machine, a reinforcement learning model, a temporal model, etc., and can also be implemented by other models, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0243] The above method dynamically plans the movement path of the formation characters based on multi-source contextual information (i.e., at least one of the historical interaction information of the first formation characters, the position information of other formation characters, the position information of the second virtual character, and the scene information of the first scene). This enables the formation characters to dynamically adjust their movement paths based on environment and context awareness, thereby improving the rationality of their movement routes and scene adaptability.

[0244] The following are embodiments of the apparatus described in this application, which can be used to execute the embodiments of the method described in this application. For details not disclosed in the apparatus embodiments of this application, please refer to the embodiments of the method described in this application.

[0245] Please refer to Figure 14 This diagram illustrates a block diagram of a virtual character control device according to an embodiment of this application. The device has the functions described above, which can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The device can be the first terminal device 120 described above, or it can be located within the first terminal device 120. The device can be the server 110 described above, or it can be located within the server 110. For example... Figure 14As shown, the device 1400 may include a first control module 1410, a switching module 1420, a display module 1430, and a second control module 1440.

[0246] The first control module 1410 is used to control the movement of the first virtual character in a three-dimensional virtual environment. The first virtual character is a virtual character in a user squad. The user squad includes N squad characters owned by the same user account, where N is a positive integer.

[0247] The switching module 1420 is used to switch the first virtual character to a second virtual character in response to an interaction event triggered by the first virtual character in the first scene, wherein the second virtual character is the protagonist of the interaction event.

[0248] Display module 1430 is used to display at least one formation character in the user formation in the first scenario.

[0249] The second control module 1440 is used to control the formation characters to perform at least one action in the first scene.

[0250] In some embodiments, the display module 1430 is further configured to display the first formation character in the first scene at a first refresh position for the first formation character among the at least one formation character; wherein the first refresh position is the refresh position corresponding to the first formation character, and in the case of multiple formation characters, different formation characters correspond to different refresh positions.

[0251] In some embodiments, the display module 1430 is further configured to control the first formation character to perform a first action, the first action being an action corresponding to the first refresh position, and different refresh positions corresponding to different actions.

[0252] In some embodiments, the display module 1430 is further configured to display first dialogue information corresponding to the first formation character, wherein the dialogue content of the first dialogue information is related to at least one of the first refresh position and the interaction event.

[0253] In some embodiments, the device 1400 further includes a second display module (in Figure 14 (Not shown in the image), used to control the second virtual character to interact with the first formation character in the at least one formation character; and to control the first formation character to perform interactive actions on the second virtual character.

[0254] In some embodiments, the second display module is further configured to display second dialogue information corresponding to the first formation character, wherein the dialogue content of the second dialogue information includes at least one dialogue option, and the content of the dialogue option is related to the interaction event.

[0255] In some embodiments, the device 1400 further includes a switchback module (in Figure 14 (not shown in the image), used in response to an interaction event that ends the first scene, to switch the second virtual character back to the first virtual character.

[0256] In some embodiments, the device 1400 further includes a mode determination module, configured to obtain scene configuration information of the first scene, the scene configuration information being used to indicate the role attributes of virtual characters related to the interactive event displayed in the first scene; obtain squad role information of the first virtual character, the squad role information being used to indicate the role attributes of each squad role in the user squad; and for a first squad role among the at least one squad role, determine the display mode of the first squad role in the first scene based on the scene configuration information and the squad role information.

[0257] In some embodiments, the scene configuration information includes location configuration information of at least one refresh location in the first scene, the location configuration information of the refresh location being used to indicate the role attributes of the virtual character related to the interactive event displayed at the refresh location, and the formation character information includes the role configuration information of the at least one formation character, the role configuration information of the formation character being used to indicate the role attributes of the formation character; the method determining module is further configured to determine a first refresh location from the at least one refresh location based on the role configuration information of the first formation character and the location configuration information of the at least one refresh location, the first refresh location being the refresh location corresponding to the first formation character; and determine the display method of the first formation character in the first scene based on the first refresh location and the role configuration information of the first formation character.

[0258] In some embodiments, the role configuration information of the first formation character includes at least one action information, the action information being used to indicate an action pre-configured for the first formation character, the action information including action identifier information, and the location configuration information of the refresh location including at least one action identifier information associated with the refresh location; the method determining module is further configured to, for each action information of the first formation character, determine a refresh location that satisfies a first condition as a candidate refresh location for the first formation character, the first condition including: the location configuration information of the refresh location includes the action identifier information of the action information; and determine the first refresh location from at least one of the candidate refresh locations.

[0259] In some embodiments, the location configuration information of the refresh location further includes a character refresh weight, which is used to indicate the probability of displaying a virtual character at the refresh location; the method determining module is further used to determine the first refresh location from at least one of the candidate refresh locations based on the character refresh weight of at least one of the candidate refresh locations.

[0260] In some embodiments, the location configuration information of the refresh location further includes an associated role type, which is used to indicate the role type of the virtual character displayed at the refresh location; the first condition further includes at least one of the following: the associated role type of the refresh location matches the role type of the first formation character, and the number of virtual characters displayed at the refresh location is less than a preset threshold corresponding to the refresh location.

[0261] In some embodiments, the method determining module is further configured to determine the display mode of the first formation character in the first scene based on the first refresh position and the action information corresponding to the first refresh position; wherein the action information includes at least one of the following: action type, action resource information, position offset information, and dialogue information.

[0262] In some embodiments, the device 1400 further includes a behavior chain generation module (in Figure 14(Not shown in the image) is used to obtain historical interaction information of the first formation character, which is used to indicate the historical interaction between the first formation character and the second virtual character; obtain position information of other formation characters besides the first formation character and position information of the second virtual character, where the position information of the other formation characters is used to indicate the position of the other formation characters in the first scene, and the position information of the second virtual character is used to indicate the position of the second virtual character in the first scene; obtain scene information of the first scene, which is used to describe the scene state of the first scene; and obtain scene behavior of the first formation character based on at least one of the historical interaction information of the first formation character, the position information of the other formation characters, the position information of the second virtual character, and the scene information of the first scene, where the scene behavior is used to indicate at least one action performed by the first formation character in the first scene.

[0263] In some embodiments, the device 1400 further includes a path adjustment module (in Figure 14 (Not shown in the image) is used to adjust the movement path information of the first formation character based on at least one of the historical interaction information of the first formation character, the position information of the other formation characters, the position information of the second virtual character, and the scene information of the first scene, to obtain the adjusted movement path information of the first formation character. The movement path information of the first formation character is used to indicate the movement path of the first formation character in the first scene.

[0264] In summary, the technical solution provided in this application allows players to control virtual characters to move within a 3D virtual environment. During this process, the player's squad characters (i.e., the squad characters within the user's squad) are refreshed and displayed in the scene based on the interactive events triggered by the virtual character. These squad characters also automatically perform a series of actions, enabling them to engage in diverse behaviors in various scenes beyond combat or map exploration. This enriches the interaction methods of the squad characters and enhances their sense of companionship. Furthermore, by switching the player-controlled virtual character to become the protagonist of the interactive event, players can directly participate in the interactive event from the perspective of the event's protagonist, effectively improving the immersion of the scene and interactive events in the 3D virtual environment.

[0265] It should be noted that the apparatus provided in the above embodiments is only illustrated by the division of the above functional modules when implementing its functions. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. In addition, the apparatus and method embodiments provided in the above embodiments belong to the same concept, and the specific implementation process can be found in the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0266] Please refer to Figure 15 This diagram illustrates a structural block diagram of a terminal device 1500 provided in one embodiment of this application. The terminal device 1500 may be... Figure 1 The first terminal device 120 in the computer system shown can also be Figure 1 The server 110 in the computer system shown is used to implement the virtual character control method provided in the above embodiments. Specifically: Typically, terminal device 1500 includes a processor 1510 and a memory 1520.

[0267] Processor 1510 may include one or more processing cores, such as a quad-core processor, an octa-core processor, etc. Processor 1510 may be implemented using at least one hardware form selected from Digital Signal Processing (DSP), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and Programmable Logic Array (PLA). Processor 1510 may also include a main processor and a coprocessor. The main processor, also known as the Central Processing Unit (CPU), is used to process data in the wake-up state; the coprocessor is a low-power processor used to process data in the standby state. In some embodiments, processor 1510 may integrate a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), which is responsible for rendering and drawing the content to be displayed on the screen. In some embodiments, processor 1510 may also include an AI processor for handling computational operations related to machine learning.

[0268] The memory 1520 may include one or more computer-readable storage media, which may be non-transitory. The memory 1520 may also include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices or flash memory devices. In some embodiments, the non-transitory computer-readable storage media in the memory 1520 is used to store a computer program configured to be executed by one or more processors to implement the aforementioned virtual character control method.

[0269] In some embodiments, the terminal device 1500 may also optionally include a peripheral device interface 1530 and at least one peripheral device. The processor 1510, memory 1520, and peripheral device interface 1530 can be connected via a bus or signal line. Each peripheral device can be connected to the peripheral device interface 1530 via a bus, signal line, or circuit board. Specifically, the peripheral device includes at least one of a radio frequency circuit 1540, a display screen 1550, an audio circuit 1560, and a power supply 1570.

[0270] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 15 The structure shown does not constitute a limitation on the terminal device 1500, and may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or use different component arrangements.

[0271] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, wherein a computer program is stored in the storage medium, and the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the aforementioned control method for the virtual character. Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium may include: read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), solid-state drives (SSDs), or optical discs, etc. The random access memory may include resistive random access memory (ReRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

[0272] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is also provided, the computer program product including a computer program stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer program from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer program, causing the computer device to perform the aforementioned virtual character control method.

[0273] It should be noted that the data collection and processing in this application should strictly comply with the requirements of relevant national laws and regulations, obtain the informed consent or separate consent of the personal information subject, and carry out subsequent data use and processing within the scope of laws and regulations and the authorization of the personal information subject.

[0274] It should be understood that "multiple" as used herein refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. Furthermore, the step numbers described herein are merely illustrative of one possible execution order. In some other embodiments, the steps may not be executed in numerical order, such as two steps with different numbers being executed simultaneously, or two steps with different numbers being executed in the reverse order of the illustration. This application does not limit this.

[0275] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a virtual character, characterized in that, The method includes: Control the movement of the first virtual character in a three-dimensional virtual environment. The first virtual character is a virtual character in a user squad. The user squad includes N squad characters owned by the same user account, where N is a positive integer. In response to the first virtual character triggering an interaction event in the first scene, the first virtual character is switched to a second virtual character, where the second virtual character is the protagonist of the interaction event; In the first scenario, at least one formation role in the user formation is displayed; Control the formation characters to perform at least one action in the first scene.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the first scenario, displaying at least one squad character corresponding to the first virtual character includes: For the first formation character among the at least one formation character, the first formation character is displayed at the first refresh position in the first scene; The first refresh position is the refresh position corresponding to the first formation character. In the case of multiple formation characters, different formation characters correspond to different refresh positions.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control of the formation characters to perform at least one action in the first scene includes: Control the first formation character to perform the first action, which is the action corresponding to the first refresh position. Different refresh positions correspond to different actions.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Displays the first dialogue information corresponding to the first formation character, and the dialogue content of the first dialogue information is related to at least one of the first refresh position and the interaction event.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: For the first formation role in the at least one formation role, control the second virtual character to interact with the first formation role; Control the first formation character to perform interactive actions against the second virtual character.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second dialogue information corresponding to the first formation character is displayed. The dialogue content of the second dialogue information includes at least one dialogue option, and the content of the dialogue option is related to the interaction event.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to the end of the interaction event in the first scene, the second virtual character is switched back to the first virtual character.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain scene configuration information for the first scene, wherein the scene configuration information is used to indicate the role attributes of the virtual character displayed in the first scene related to the interactive event; Obtain the squad role information of the first virtual character, wherein the squad role information is used to indicate the role attributes of each squad role in the user squad; For the first formation role among the at least one formation role, the display method of the first formation role in the first scene is determined based on the scene configuration information and the formation role information.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The scene configuration information includes location configuration information for at least one refresh location in the first scene. The location configuration information for the refresh location is used to indicate the character attributes of the virtual character related to the interactive event displayed at the refresh location. The formation character information includes the character configuration information for the at least one formation character. The character configuration information for the formation character is used to indicate the character attributes of the formation character. The step of determining the display method of the first formation character in the first scene based on the scene configuration information and the formation character information includes: Based on the role configuration information of the first formation character and the position configuration information of the at least one refresh position, a first refresh position is determined from the at least one refresh position, wherein the first refresh position is the refresh position corresponding to the first formation character; Based on the first refresh position and the role configuration information of the first formation character, the display method of the first formation character in the first scene is determined.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The role configuration information of the first formation character includes at least one action information, the action information being used to indicate the action pre-configured for the first formation character, the action information including action identifier information, and the location configuration information of the refresh location including at least one action identifier information associated with the refresh location; The step of determining the first refresh position from the at least one refresh position based on the role configuration information of the first formation role and the position configuration information of the at least one refresh position includes: For each action information of the first formation character, the refresh position that meets the first condition is determined as the candidate refresh position of the first formation character. The first condition includes: the position configuration information of the refresh position includes the action identifier information of the action information. The first refresh position is determined from at least one of the candidate refresh positions.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The location configuration information of the refresh location also includes a character refresh weight, which is used to indicate the probability of displaying a virtual character at the refresh location; Determining the first refresh position from at least one of the candidate refresh positions includes: The first refresh position is determined from at least one of the candidate refresh positions based on the role refresh weight of at least one of the candidate refresh positions.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The location configuration information of the refresh location also includes the associated role type, which is used to indicate the role type of the virtual character displayed at the refresh location; The first condition also includes at least one of the following: the associated character type of the refresh location matches the character type of the first formation character, or the number of virtual characters displayed at the refresh location is less than a preset threshold corresponding to the refresh location.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that, The step of determining the display method of the first formation character in the first scene based on the first refresh position and the character configuration information of the first formation character includes: Based on the first refresh position and the corresponding action information, determine the display method of the first formation character in the first scene; The action information includes at least one of the following: action type, action resource information, position offset information, and dialogue information.

14. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain the historical interaction information of the first formation character, which is used to indicate the historical interaction between the first formation character and the second virtual character. Obtain the position information of other formation characters besides the first formation character and the position information of the second virtual character. The position information of the other formation characters is used to indicate the position of the other formation characters in the first scene, and the position information of the second virtual character is used to indicate the position of the second virtual character in the first scene. Obtain scene information for the first scene, wherein the scene information is used to describe the scene state of the first scene; Based on at least one of the historical interaction information of the first formation character, the position information of the other formation characters, the position information of the second virtual character, and the scene information of the first scene, the scene behavior of the first formation character is obtained, and the scene behavior is used to indicate at least one action performed by the first formation character in the first scene.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on at least one of the historical interaction information of the first formation character, the position information of the other formation characters, the position information of the second virtual character, and the scene information of the first scene, the movement path information of the first formation character is adjusted to obtain the adjusted movement path information of the first formation character. The movement path information of the first formation character is used to indicate the movement path of the first formation character in the first scene.

16. A control device for a virtual character, characterized in that, The device includes: The first control module is used to control the movement of the first virtual character in a three-dimensional virtual environment. The first virtual character is a virtual character in a user squad. The user squad includes N squad characters owned by the same user account, where N is a positive integer. A switching module is used to switch the first virtual character to a second virtual character in response to an interaction event triggered by the first virtual character in the first scene, wherein the second virtual character is the protagonist of the interaction event; The display module is used to display at least one formation character in the user formation in the first scenario; The second control module is used to control the formation characters to perform at least one action in the first scene.

17. A terminal device, characterized in that, The terminal device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, which is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 15.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program that is executed by a processor to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 15.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program that is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 15.

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