Virtual item control method, device and equipment, computer readable storage medium and computer program product

Abstract

The invention provides a virtual item control method and device, electronic equipment, a computer readable storage medium and a computer program product. The method comprises the steps that a prop safe box owned by a target player character is displayed in a prop interface of a virtual scene, and the prop safe box is associated with a non-player character; in response to a use operation for the prop safe box, calling out a non-player character carrying the prop safe box in an interactive interface of the virtual scene; in response to the fact that the prop placement condition is met, the non-player character is controlled to place the to-be-transferred first virtual prop into the prop safe box; in response to the fact that the prop transfer condition is met, the non-player character is controlled to transfer the first virtual prop in the prop safe box to the target position. The interactive diversity can be improved, and meanwhile, the prop loss of the player character is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to human-computer interaction technology, and more particularly to a method, device, equipment, storage medium, and program product for controlling virtual props. Background Technology

[0002] Display technologies based on graphics processing hardware have expanded the channels for perceiving the environment and acquiring information. In particular, virtual scene display technologies can realize diverse interactions between virtual objects controlled by users or artificial intelligence according to actual application needs, and have various typical application scenarios. For example, in the virtual scene of games, it can simulate the real battle process between virtual characters.

[0003] When a target account (player) controls a player character to interact in a virtual scene, the relevant technology usually stores virtual items through the player character's inventory. However, in this way, when the player character is eliminated (e.g., dies) in the virtual scene, the virtual items will drop and be lost from the inventory due to the player character's death, which will undoubtedly result in item loss for the player character. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a method, device, electronic device, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product for controlling virtual items. By associating a virtual item safe with a non-player character, the virtual items of the player character can be safely transferred, which can improve the diversity of interaction while avoiding the loss of items for the player character.

[0005] The technical solution of this application embodiment is implemented as follows:

[0006] This application provides a method for controlling virtual props, including:

[0007] The item safe owned by the target player character is displayed in the item interface of the virtual scene, and the item safe is associated with a non-player character;

[0008] In response to the use of the item safe, the non-player character carrying the item safe is summoned in the interactive interface of the virtual scene;

[0009] In response to the fulfillment of the item placement conditions, the non-player character is controlled to place the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe.

[0010] In response to the fulfillment of the item transfer conditions, the non-player character is controlled to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location.

[0011] This application provides a control device for virtual props, including:

[0012] The prop display module is used to display the prop safe owned by the target player character in the prop interface of the virtual scene, wherein the prop safe is associated with a non-player character;

[0013] The prop usage module is used to summon the non-player character carrying the prop safe in the interactive interface of the virtual scene in response to the operation of using the prop safe.

[0014] An item placement module is used to control the non-player character to place the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe in response to the item placement condition being met.

[0015] The item transfer module is used to control the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location in response to the item transfer condition being met.

[0016] In the above scheme, after displaying the item safe owned by the target player character in the item interface of the virtual scene, the device further includes: an image configuration module, used to display an image entry for configuring the image of the non-player character; in response to an image configuration operation triggered based on the image entry, configuring the image of the non-player character as the first image indicated by the image configuration operation; the item usage module is also used to summon a non-player character carrying the item safe and having the first image in the interactive interface of the virtual scene.

[0017] In the above scheme, before configuring the image of the non-player character as the first image indicated by the image configuration operation, the device further includes: an operation receiving module, used to display an image selection interface in response to a trigger operation for the image entry, and display at least one candidate image in the image selection interface; and to receive the image configuration operation in response to an equipment operation for the first image among the at least one candidate image.

[0018] In the above scheme, before configuring the image of the non-player character as the first image indicated by the image configuration operation, the operation receiving module is further configured to, in response to the trigger operation for the image entry, display the image configuration interface and display at least one image tag in the image configuration interface; in response to the selection operation for the target image tag, display the first image generated based on the target image tag; and in response to the equipment operation for the first image, receive the image configuration operation.

[0019] In the above scheme, the image configuration module is further configured to configure the non-player character's image as at least two first images in response to the image configuration operation instruction, where the number of first images is at least two. Correspondingly, the item usage module is further configured to determine the display priority of each first image based on the display parameters of each first image. The display parameters include at least one of the following: the preset display order of the first images, the effective duration of the first images, and the compatibility of the interaction progress between the first images and the target player character in the virtual scene. In the interactive interface of the virtual scene, a non-player character carrying the item safe and having the highest display priority is summoned.

[0020] In the above scheme, the device further includes: a first image update module, which controls the image of the non-player character to be updated and switched between each of the first images based on the display priorities; or, displays an image update entry for the non-player character; in response to a trigger operation for the image update entry, displays at least two first images configured for the non-player character; and in response to a selection operation for a second image among the at least two first images, updates the image of the non-player character from the first image to the second image.

[0021] In the above scheme, after summoning a non-player character carrying the item safe and having the first image in the interactive interface of the virtual scene, the device further includes: a second image update module, which is also used to display failure progress indication information for the first image, the failure progress indication information being used to indicate the remaining time until the first image fails; in response to the remaining time being zero, the image of the non-player character is updated from the first image to the third image.

[0022] In the above scheme, after the non-player character carrying the item safe is summoned in the interactive interface of the virtual scene, the device further includes a movement control module, used to control the non-player character to move synchronously with the target player character in a second state in response to the target player character moving in the virtual scene in a first state; wherein, the first state indicates that the target player character is visible or invisible relative to the enemy player character, and the second state indicates that the non-player character is invisible relative to the enemy player character.

[0023] In the above scheme, before controlling the non-player character to place the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe, the device further includes: an item transfer configuration module, used to display an item transfer entry at the associated location of the non-player character in response to a trigger operation for the non-player character; to display an item transfer configuration interface in response to a trigger operation for the item transfer entry; and, based on the item transfer configuration interface, to configure the item to be transferred as the first virtual item in response to a locking operation for at least one virtual item equipped by the target player character.

[0024] In the above scheme, before the non-player character places the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe, the item placement module is further configured to determine that the item placement condition is met in response to the first virtual item falling; or, in response to the target player character's placement operation on the first virtual item, determine that the item placement condition is met; or, in response to the target player character being eliminated in the virtual scene, determine that the item placement condition is met.

[0025] In the above scheme, before determining that the item placement conditions are met, the item placement module is further configured to display at least one carrying slot for carrying virtual items in the item transfer configuration interface; receive the placement operation in response to the first virtual item equipped by the target player character being dragged to the target carrying slot; or receive the placement operation in response to the first virtual item equipped by the target player character being selected and receiving a trigger operation for the placement control; wherein the placement operation instructs the first virtual item to be placed in the target carrying slot.

[0026] In the above scheme, the item placement module is further configured to respond to the target player character dragging the first virtual item in the item backpack to the target carrying position, and the target carrying position already carrying the second virtual item, receive a swap operation, and take the swap operation as the placement operation; wherein, the swap operation indicates that the positions of the first virtual item and the second virtual item are swapped.

[0027] In the above scheme, the item transfer module is further configured to determine that the item transfer condition is met in response to the target player character being eliminated in the virtual scene; or, in response to the target player character's transfer operation on the first virtual item, determine that the item transfer condition is met; or, in response to the item safe's remaining effective duration being zero, determine that the item transfer condition is met.

[0028] In the above scheme, before the non-player character transfers the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location, the item transfer module is further configured to display a delay prompt when the remaining time before the item safe expires is zero, the delay prompt indicating that the effective remaining time of the item safe is extended; in response to the delay operation triggered based on the delay prompt, the remaining time of the item safe is extended to the target time; in response to the target player character being eliminated within the target time, it is determined that the item transfer condition has been met.

[0029] In the above scheme, before the condition for determining the item transfer is met, the item transfer module is further configured to, within the target duration, in response to the condition for placing the third virtual item to be transferred being met, control the non-player character to place the third virtual item into the item safe; and control the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item and the third virtual item in the item safe to the target location.

[0030] In the above scheme, before the item transfer condition is met, the item transfer module is further configured to, within the target duration, in response to the target player character's equipping operation on the first virtual item, control the non-player character to take the first virtual item out of the item safe and control the target player character to equip the first virtual item; in response to the item transfer condition being met, control the non-player character to place the first virtual item into the item safe and transfer the first virtual item to the target location.

[0031] In the above scheme, the item transfer module is also used to control the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location via email transfer; or, control the non-player character carrying the item safe to move to the target location and transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location.

[0032] In the above scheme, before the non-player character moves the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location, the item transfer module is further used to determine the target player character's preset safe location as the target location, or to determine the location of a friendly player character in the same faction as the target player character in the virtual scene as the target location.

[0033] In the above scheme, the item transfer module is also used to display the item transfer effect associated with the non-player character when the non-player character reaches the target level and the non-player character transfers the first virtual item to the target location.

[0034] This application provides an electronic device, including:

[0035] Memory is used to store executable instructions or computer programs.

[0036] The processor, when executing computer-executable instructions or computer programs stored in the memory, implements the virtual prop control method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0037] This application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions or computer programs, which, when executed by a processor, implement the virtual item control method provided in this application.

[0038] This application provides a computer program product, including a computer program or computer executable instructions. When the computer program or computer executable instructions are executed by a processor, they implement the virtual item control method provided in this application.

[0039] The embodiments of this application have the following beneficial effects:

[0040] By applying the embodiments of this application, by providing the target player character with an item safe associated with a non-player character, after the target player character activates or uses the item safe, the non-player character associated with the item safe can be summoned in the interactive interface of the virtual scene. When the item placement conditions are met, the non-player character is controlled to place the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe. When the item transfer conditions are met (such as the target player character being eliminated or dying in the interaction), the non-player character is controlled to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location. That is, when the target player character is eliminated or dying in the interaction, the first virtual item temporarily stored in the item safe by the target player character is transferred to the target location by the non-player character, avoiding the item being dropped or lost due to the elimination or death of the target player character, and improving the utilization rate of the item safe. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the control system 100 for virtual props provided in this application embodiment;

[0042] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device 500 provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0043] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the method for controlling virtual props provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the image configuration of a non-player character provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0045] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the image configuration of a non-player character provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0046] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the transferable props provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0047] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the delay notification provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the method for controlling virtual props provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the props and equipment provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0050] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The described embodiments should not be regarded as limitations on this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0051] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, data such as user information are involved. When the embodiments of this application are applied to specific products or technologies, user permission or consent is required, and the collection, use and processing of related data must comply with relevant laws, regulations and standards.

[0052] In the following description, references are made to “some embodiments,” which describe a subset of all possible embodiments. However, it is understood that “some embodiments” may be the same subset or different subsets of all possible embodiments and may be combined with each other without conflict.

[0053] In the following description, the terms “first, second…” are used merely to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of objects. It is understood that “first, second…” may be interchanged in a specific order or sequence where permitted, so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein.

[0054] In this application embodiment, the terms "module" or "unit" refer to a computer program or part of a computer program that has a predetermined function and works with other related parts to achieve a predetermined goal, and can be implemented wholly or partially using software, hardware (such as processing circuitry or memory), or a combination thereof. Similarly, a processor (or multiple processors or memory) can be used to implement one or more modules or units. Furthermore, each module or unit can be part of an overall module or unit that includes the functionality of that module or unit.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments of this application only and is not intended to limit this application.

[0056] Before providing a further detailed description of the embodiments of this application, the nouns and terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be explained, and the nouns and terms involved in the embodiments of this application shall be interpreted as follows.

[0057] 1) Client: An application that runs on a terminal and provides various services, such as a video playback client or a game client.

[0058] 2) In response, used to indicate the conditions or states on which the operation performed depends. When the conditions or states on which it depends are met, one or more operations performed may be performed in real time or with a set delay. Unless otherwise specified, there is no restriction on the order in which the multiple operations are performed.

[0059] 3) A virtual scene is a virtual scene displayed (or provided) by an application when it runs on a terminal. This virtual scene can be a simulation of the real world, a semi-simulated / semi-fictional virtual environment, or a purely fictional virtual environment. A virtual scene can be any of a two-dimensional, 2.5-dimensional, or three-dimensional virtual scene; this application does not limit the dimension of the virtual scene. For example, the virtual scene may include sky, land, ocean, etc., and the land may include environmental elements such as deserts and cities. Users can control virtual objects to move within the virtual scene.

[0060] 4) Virtual characters: These are interactive images of people and objects within a virtual scene, or movable objects within the virtual scene. These movable objects can be virtual characters, virtual animals, anime characters, etc., such as people or animals displayed in a virtual scene. A virtual character can be a virtual avatar representing the user within the virtual scene. A virtual scene can include multiple virtual characters, each with its own shape and volume, occupying a portion of the space within the virtual scene.

[0061] In practical applications, virtual characters can be divided into player characters and non-player characters based on whether they are controlled by the user (or player). Player characters are game characters controlled by the user (or player), while non-player characters are game characters not controlled by the user (or player), such as animal-type non-player characters (NPCs, Non-Player Characters) (such as elves or pets) and mount-type non-player characters. Player characters and non-player characters can interact in the virtual scene.

[0062] It should be noted that if a player acquires ownership of a non-player character, the non-player character can also be regarded as a virtual character controlled by the player. For example, after acquiring ownership of a non-player character such as a virtual pet, virtual spirit pet, or virtual mount, the player can control the virtual pet, virtual spirit pet, or virtual mount to interact in the virtual scene (such as performing tasks).

[0063] 5) Virtual items are equipment, items, or skills used by player characters in virtual environments. Virtual items can be categorized into functional items, decorative items, and resource items. Functional items possess specific functions, such as speed boosts, increased attack power, restored health, or special abilities. These include virtual weapons that increase attack power (e.g., swords, bows, guns), virtual armor that reduces damage taken (e.g., armor, shields), virtual accessories that provide special buffs (e.g., rings, amulets), and virtual items that provide special functions (e.g., maps, compasses). Decorative items primarily alter the appearance of virtual objects, enhancing character personalization, but do not directly affect gameplay or performance. Resource items typically represent in-game resources, such as gold coins, potions, and materials, which players can use to purchase other items or craft new items or props.

[0064] 6) Item Safe is a special virtual item that is associated with a non-player character and can hold virtual items. After a player character uses the Item Safe in a virtual scene, the Item Safe will appear in the virtual scene in the style of the associated non-player character. That is, the non-player character displayed in the virtual scene is carrying the Item Safe. The non-player character associated with the Item Safe can not only interact with the player character, but also pick up the virtual items dropped by the player character. When the player character dies, the virtual items temporarily stored in the Item Safe can be transferred or transported back to the target location (such as the player character's camp, or other safe locations designated by the player character), thus preventing the player character from losing their items.

[0065] This application provides a method, apparatus, electronic device, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product for controlling virtual items, which can improve the diversity of interaction while avoiding the loss of items for player characters. The following describes exemplary applications of the electronic device provided in this application. The electronic device provided in this application can be implemented as various types of user terminals such as laptops, tablets, desktop computers, set-top boxes, mobile devices (e.g., mobile phones, portable music players, personal digital assistants, dedicated messaging devices, portable gaming devices), smartphones, smart speakers, smartwatches, smart TVs, in-vehicle terminals, augmented reality (AR) devices, and virtual reality (VR) devices, or it can be implemented as a server. The following will describe exemplary applications when the device is implemented as a terminal.

[0066] See Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the virtual prop control system 100 provided in the embodiments of this application. In order to support an exemplary application, the terminal (terminal 400-1 and terminal 400-2 are shown as examples) connects to the server 200 through the network 300. The network 300 can be a wide area network or a local area network, or a combination of the two.

[0067] In some embodiments, the terminal is equipped with clients such as video playback clients, instant messaging clients, game clients, and live streaming clients. Server 200 is the backend server corresponding to the client. It can be a standalone physical server, a server cluster or distributed system composed of multiple physical servers, or a cloud server providing basic cloud computing services such as cloud services, cloud databases, cloud computing, cloud functions, cloud storage, network services, cloud communication, middleware services, domain name services, security services, content delivery networks (CDNs), and big data and artificial intelligence platforms. The terminal and server can be directly or indirectly connected via wired or wireless communication, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0068] In practical applications, the terminal displays the item safe owned by the target player character in the item interface of the virtual scene; in response to the operation of using the item safe, it sends an item use request to the server 200; based on the item use request, the server 200 obtains the non-player character associated with the item safe and returns the non-player character associated with the item safe to the terminal; the terminal summons the non-player character carrying the item safe in the interactive interface of the virtual scene; in response to the item placement conditions being met, it controls the non-player character to place the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe; in response to the item transfer conditions being met, it controls the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location.

[0069] See Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device 500 provided in the embodiments of this application, with the electronic device 500 as an example. Figure 1 Taking the terminal in the middle as an example, Figure 2 The illustrated electronic device 500 includes at least one processor 510, a memory 550, at least one network interface 520, and a user interface 530. The various components in the electronic device 500 are coupled together via a bus system 540. It is understood that the bus system 540 is used to implement communication between these components. In addition to a data bus, the bus system 540 also includes a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus. However, for clarity, ... Figure 2 The general labeled all buses as Bus System 540.

[0070] The processor 510 can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities, such as a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0071] Memory 550 may include volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or both. The non-volatile memory may be read-only memory (ROM), and the volatile memory may be random access memory (RAM). The memory 550 described in this application embodiment is intended to include any suitable type of memory. Memory 550 may optionally include one or more storage devices physically located away from processor 510.

[0072] In some embodiments, memory 550 is capable of storing data to support various operations, examples of which include programs, modules, and data structures or subsets or supersets thereof, as illustrated below.

[0073] Operating system 551 includes system programs for handling various basic system services and performing hardware-related tasks, such as framework layer, core library layer, driver layer, etc., for implementing various basic business functions and handling hardware-based tasks; network communication module 552 is used to reach other electronic devices via one or more (wired or wireless) network interfaces 520, exemplary network interfaces 520 include: Bluetooth, WiFi, and Universal Serial Bus (USB), etc.

[0074] In some embodiments, the control device for virtual props provided in this application can be implemented in software. The control device for virtual props provided in this application can be provided in various software embodiments, including various forms such as applications, software, software modules, scripts or code. Figure 2 A control device 555 for virtual props stored in memory 550 is shown. It can be software in the form of programs and plug-ins, and includes a series of modules, including a prop display module 5551, a prop use module 5552, a prop placement module 5553, and a prop transfer module 5554. These modules are logically connected and can therefore be arbitrarily combined or further divided according to the functions they implement. The functions of each module will be described below.

[0075] In other embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application can be implemented in hardware. As an example, the apparatus provided in this application can be a processor in the form of a hardware decoding processor, which is programmed to execute the control method of the virtual props provided in this application. For example, the processor in the form of a hardware decoding processor can be one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other electronic components.

[0076] In some embodiments, the terminal or server can implement the virtual prop control method provided in this application embodiment by running various computer-executable instructions or computer programs. For example, computer-executable instructions can be microprogram-level commands, machine instructions, or software instructions. Computer programs can be native programs or software modules in an operating system; they can be native applications (APPs), i.e., programs that need to be installed in the operating system to run, such as instant messaging APPs and live streaming APPs; or they can be applets that can be embedded in any APP, i.e., programs that only need to be downloaded to a browser environment to run. In summary, the aforementioned computer-executable instructions can be any form of instruction, and the aforementioned computer programs can be any form of application, module, or plugin.

[0077] As mentioned above, the virtual prop control method provided in this application embodiment can be implemented by various types of electronic devices, such as... Figure 1 Either the terminal or the server 200 can be executed independently, or it can be... Figure 1 The terminal and server 200 in the process work together. Next, [the process will be carried out by...] Figure 1 The method for controlling virtual items provided in this application is illustrated by taking a terminal in the middle that executes the method separately as an example. See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the control method for virtual props provided in the embodiments of this application, which will be combined with... Figure 3 The steps shown are explained.

[0078] Step 101: The terminal displays the item safe owned by the target player character in the item interface of the virtual scene. The item safe is associated with a non-player character.

[0079] In practical applications, the terminal is equipped with a client that supports virtual scenes (for example, when the virtual scene is a game, the corresponding client can be a shooting game APP). When the user opens the client installed on the terminal and the terminal runs the client, the item interface of the target player character controlled by the target account (i.e. the account corresponding to the current terminal) can be displayed in the client, and various virtual items owned by the target player character can be displayed in the item interface. The target player character can equip the corresponding virtual items based on the interaction needs.

[0080] The Item Safe is one of the many virtual items possessed by the target player character. After the target player character uses the Item Safe, it appears in the virtual scene as an associated non-player character. In other words, the non-player character displayed in the virtual scene carries the Item Safe. During the target player character's interactions in the virtual scene, the associated non-player character can not only interact with the target player character but also pick up virtual items dropped or placed by the target player character (these are items or tools equipped by the target player character). The picked-up virtual items are then placed in the Item Safe. When the item transfer conditions are met (such as the target player character being eliminated during an interaction), the non-player character can transfer or transport the temporarily stored virtual items in the Item Safe to the target location (such as the target player character's camp, or another safe location designated by the target player character), thus preventing the target player character from losing their items.

[0081] Step 102: In response to the use of the item safe, summon the non-player character carrying the item safe in the interactive interface of the virtual scene.

[0082] In practical applications, the triggering method for player-related operations (such as operations to use the item safe, operations to control the target player character, or operations to control the non-player character) is related to the type of terminal. For example, when the terminal is a mobile terminal (such as a smartphone or tablet with touch screen), the corresponding operation can be triggered by triggering the corresponding control or icon in the virtual scene running on the mobile terminal. When the terminal is a desktop terminal (such as a desktop computer or laptop), the corresponding operation can be triggered by triggering the function keys in the input devices such as mouse, keyboard, joystick, and gamepad.

[0083] Taking the mobile terminal as an example and the player's related operations as the operation of using the item safe, when the item safe is displayed in the item interface of the virtual scene (the item safe is usually represented by the item safe's name or icon in the item interface), the item safe's item identifier (such as icon, name, etc.) can be used as the item use control. The item use control can also be displayed separately from the item safe. The player can trigger the operation of using the item safe by triggering the item use control. That is, after the player triggers the item use control with his finger, he enters the item safe usage process.

[0084] Taking the terminal as the desktop and the player's related operations as the operation of using the item safe as an example, after the terminal displays the item safe in the item interface of the virtual scene (in the item interface, the item safe is usually represented by the item name or icon, etc., to represent virtual transfer items), the player can trigger the operation of using the item safe by triggering the item use button pre-configured on the input device such as keyboard, mouse, joystick, gamepad, etc. That is, after the player's finger triggers the item use button on the input device, the usage process of the item safe is entered.

[0085] It should be noted that the player's actions on controls or buttons include, but are not limited to, single-click, double-click, long-press, and swipe actions. This application does not limit the triggering method of the player's actions on controls or buttons.

[0086] In some embodiments, after the terminal displays the item safe owned by the target player character in the item interface of the virtual scene, the image of the non-player character associated with the item safe can be configured in the following way: displaying an image entry for configuring the image of the non-player character; in response to the image configuration operation triggered based on the image entry, configuring the image of the non-player character as the first image indicated by the image configuration operation; correspondingly, the terminal can summon the non-player character carrying the item safe in the interactive interface of the virtual scene in the following way: summoning the non-player character carrying the item safe and having the first image in the interactive interface of the virtual scene.

[0087] In practical applications, players can configure the appearance of the non-player character associated with the Item Safe before or after using it. The non-player character's appearance (commonly known as a "skin") reflects the Item Safe's visual style. After selecting the Item Safe, players can configure the appearance of the associated non-player character through the Item Safe's associated appearance portal. When the player sets the non-player character's appearance as the primary appearance, subsequent activation and use of the Item Safe will summon the non-player character with the primary appearance (i.e., the Item Safe appears in the virtual scene as the non-player character with the primary appearance, who actually carries the Item Safe and has the ability to pick up virtual items). Alternatively, during subsequent use of the Item Safe, the non-player character's appearance can be updated from its original appearance (such as the default appearance) to the primary appearance. Thus, by configuring the appearance of the non-player character associated with the Item Safe, the visual style of the Item Safe in the virtual scene is enriched, enhancing the interactive fun within the virtual environment.

[0088] In some embodiments, before the terminal configures the image of a non-player character as the first image indicated by the image configuration operation, it may receive the image configuration operation in the following manner: in response to a trigger operation for the image entry, displaying an image selection interface and displaying at least one candidate image in the image selection interface; and in response to an equipment operation for the first image among the at least one candidate image, receiving the image configuration operation.

[0089] In practical applications, when a player triggers the avatar entry, the terminal responds to the trigger operation by displaying an avatar selection interface. The avatar selection interface displays one or more candidate avatars to choose from. When there are multiple candidate avatars, these multiple different candidate avatars can be avatars corresponding to non-player characters of the same or different types, such as avatars corresponding to virtual pets or virtual vehicles. These multiple different candidate avatars can also be avatars corresponding to non-player characters of the same type, such as avatar 1 corresponding to virtual pets and avatar 2 corresponding to virtual pets. Players can choose the appropriate candidate avatar as the non-player character associated with the item safe according to their actual needs.

[0090] See Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the image configuration of a non-player character provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 When a player triggers the image entry 401, which is used to configure the image of a non-player character associated with the item safe, the terminal responds to the trigger operation by displaying the image selection interface 402. The image selection interface 402 displays multiple candidate images to be selected, such as candidate image 1, candidate image 2, candidate image 3, and candidate image 4, and displays information such as the name, icon, and status label of each candidate image. The status label is used to indicate the status of the candidate image, including the purchase status (indicating whether the player has purchased the candidate image, including the purchased status and the unpurchased status) and the activation status (indicating whether the purchased candidate image has been used, including the activated status and the inactive status). When a player selects a first image (e.g., candidate image 1) from the information displayed on the image selection interface 402, the terminal responds to the selection operation by displaying a preview interface 403 of the selected first image. The preview interface 403 displays the first image, as well as information such as the effective duration and effect description of the first image. When the player triggers an equipment operation for the first image based on the preview interface, the equipment operation can be used as an image configuration operation to configure the first image as the image of a non-player character associated with the item safe.

[0091] In this way, users can select suitable candidate images as the images of non-player characters associated with the item safe according to their actual needs, which increases the player's initiative and freedom in configuring the appearance of the item safe.

[0092] In some embodiments, before the terminal configures the image of a non-player character as the first image indicated by the image configuration operation, it may receive the image configuration operation in the following ways: in response to a trigger operation for the image entry, displaying the image configuration interface and displaying at least one image tag in the image configuration interface; in response to a selection operation for the target image tag, displaying the first image generated based on the target image tag; and in response to an equipment operation for the first image, receiving the image configuration operation.

[0093] In practical applications, when a player triggers the character creation option, the terminal responds to the trigger operation and may not display ready-made candidate characters, but instead display one or more character creation tags to choose from. The character creation tags indicate the type or character of the non-player character to be generated, such as mount type (animal or vehicle), pet type (cat or dog, etc.), fur color, pet gender, pet clothing or decorations, etc. The player can select one or more target character creation tags from these. The terminal responds to the selection operation for the target character creation tags and generates a first character that matches the target character creation tags based on the player's selected target character creation tags. The generated first character can be used as the character corresponding to the non-player character associated with the item vault.

[0094] See Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the image configuration of a non-player character provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 When a player triggers the image entry 501, which is used to configure the image of a non-player character associated with the item safe, the terminal responds to the trigger operation and displays the image configuration interface 502. In the image configuration interface 502, one or more image tags can be selected, such as type tags (e.g., mount, dog, rabbit, cat, etc.), fur color tags (e.g., white, yellow, gray, black, etc.), and decoration tags (e.g., belt, flower, gourd, shoe covers, etc.). If the player selects the target image tags as: cat, white, flower, the terminal responds to the selection operation for the target image tags and displays the first image generated based on the target image tags in the preview interface 503, such as a white cat wearing a flower. When the player triggers the equipment operation for the first image based on the preview interface, the equipment operation can be used as the image configuration operation to configure the first image as the image of the non-player character associated with the item safe.

[0095] Through the above methods, users can customize the appearance of non-player characters associated with the item safe according to their actual needs, further enhancing the player's initiative and freedom in configuring the appearance of the item safe.

[0096] In some embodiments, the terminal can configure the image of a non-player character as the first image indicated by the image configuration operation instruction in the following manner: in response to the number of first images being at least two, the image of the non-player character is configured as at least two first images; correspondingly, the terminal can summon a non-player character carrying an item safe and having a first image in the interactive interface of the virtual scene in the following manner: determining the display priority of each first image based on the display parameters of each first image; wherein, the display parameters include at least one of the following: the preset display order of the first images, the effective duration of the first images, and the compatibility between the first images and the target player character's interaction progress in the virtual scene; summoning a non-player character carrying an item safe and having the highest display priority as the first image in the interactive interface of the virtual scene.

[0097] In practical applications, when configuring the appearance of non-player characters associated with an item safe, players can configure multiple primary appearances for one item safe. That is, one item safe can be associated with multiple non-player characters with different appearances, such as a vehicle-style non-player character 1, a panda-style non-player character 2, and a rabbit-style non-player character 3. Players can pre-configure different display priorities or display orders for different primary appearances (or non-player characters with primary appearances). Furthermore, the terminal can obtain the display parameters of each primary appearance and determine its display priority based on these parameters. When a player activates or uses the item safe, the terminal responds to the usage operation by summoning the non-player character associated with the item safe and having the highest display priority in the virtual scene's interactive interface. In other words, the item safe is displayed in the virtual scene with the appearance of the non-player character with the highest display priority. For example, continuing from the above example, assuming that among the three different non-player characters associated with the item safe, the non-player character 1 with the vehicle style (vehicle appearance) has the highest display priority, then the non-player character 1 with the vehicle style will be summoned first. In this way, the non-player character that moves synchronously with the target player character is the non-player character that best matches the target player character.

[0098] The display parameters can be: the preset display order of the first avatar, i.e., the display order of the first avatars pre-configured by the player; the effective duration of the first avatar, which typically has a certain effective duration, meaning that after the first avatar is activated, the item safe can only be displayed through the non-player character of the first avatar within that effective duration; once the effective duration is exceeded, the item safe will no longer be displayed through the non-player character of the first avatar; and the compatibility of the interaction progress between the first avatar and the target player character in the virtual scene. The compatibility can be determined by calculating the similarity between the image characteristics of the first avatar (such as type, color, accessories, etc.) and the interaction characteristics of the target player character (such as interaction achievements, interaction objects, interaction environment, etc.). Generally, the higher the compatibility, the higher the display priority of the corresponding first avatar. For example, assuming the first avatar has green and red colors, if the target player character is fighting against the opponent's character in green grass, in order to prevent the opponent's character from noticing the non-player character associated with the target player's item safe, the non-player character of the green first avatar will be prioritized as the non-player character associated with the item safe.

[0099] After obtaining the display parameters, a neural network model is invoked to predict the display priority, resulting in more accurate predictions for each first image. Before applying the neural network model, an initial model needs to be trained. This trained model is then put into practice to combine display parameters with artificial intelligence technology to predict the display priority of the first image. The neural network model is trained using image samples, their corresponding display parameters, and the labeled display priorities. For example, based on the image samples, their effective duration, and the labeled display priorities, the initial neural network model is invoked to perform prediction processing, obtaining the predicted display priorities. After determining the value of the loss function of the neural network model using the predicted and labeled display priorities, it can be determined whether the loss function value exceeds a preset threshold. When the loss function value exceeds the preset threshold, an error signal is determined based on the loss function. This error signal is then backpropagated within the neural network model, updating the model parameters of each layer during the propagation process.

[0100] This application does not limit the model structure of the neural network model. For example, the neural network model can be a convolutional neural network, a deep neural network, etc.; nor is it limited to the form of the loss function, such as the cross-entropy loss function, the L2 loss function, etc. Here, the backpropagation is explained. The training sample data is input into the input layer of the neural network model, passes through the hidden layer, and finally reaches the output layer and outputs the result. This is the forward propagation process of the neural network model. Since there is an error between the output result of the neural network model and the actual result, the error between the output result and the actual value is calculated, and this error is propagated backward from the output layer to the hidden layer until it reaches the input layer. During the backpropagation process, the values ​​of the model parameters are adjusted according to the error. That is, a loss function is constructed based on the error between the output result and the actual value, and the partial derivatives of the loss function with respect to the model parameters are calculated layer by layer to generate the gradient of the loss function with respect to the model parameters of each layer. Since the direction of the gradient indicates the direction of error amplification, the gradient of the model parameters is inverted and summed with the original parameters of each layer of the model. The summation result is used as the updated model parameters of each layer, thereby reducing the error caused by the model parameters. The above process is iterated until convergence.

[0101] In some embodiments, after the terminal summons a non-player character carrying an item safe and having the highest display priority as the first image, it can also control the non-player character's image to be updated and switched between the first images based on the display priorities; or, it can display an image update entry for the non-player character; in response to a trigger operation on the image update entry, it can display at least two first images configured for the non-player character; in response to a selection operation on a second image among the at least two first images, it can update the non-player character's image from the first image to the second image.

[0102] In practical applications, when an item safe is associated with multiple non-player characters with a primary image, in the process of controlling the non-player characters associated with the item safe to move synchronously with the target player character in the virtual scene, in some embodiments, the terminal can control the image of the non-player character to be updated and switched between the primary images according to the display priority of each primary image. For example, the primary image with the highest display priority at each moment can be selected, and the primary image with the highest display priority can be used as the appearance style of the non-player character associated with the item safe at the corresponding moment, so that the primary image of the non-player character displayed at each moment is the primary image with the highest display priority at the corresponding moment. For example, suppose the item safe is associated with a non-player character 1 with a green primary image and a non-player character 2 with a yellow primary image. If the target player character is fighting against the opponent player character in the green grass, in order to prevent the opponent player character from noticing the non-player character associated with the target player character's item safe, the green primary image of non-player character 1 is displayed as the non-player character associated with the item safe. When the target player character moves from the green grass to the yellow grass, the non-player character is updated from the green primary image of non-player character 1 to the yellow primary image of non-player character 2. In this way, as the interaction progresses, the terminal automatically controls the appearance of the non-player characters associated with the item safe to update and change. This not only increases the fun of the interaction, but also interferes with and confuses the opponent player character, which is beneficial to improving the target player character's interactive ability.

[0103] In other embodiments, the terminal can also provide players with an image update entry point, enabling the updating and changing of the non-player character's image. For example, when a player triggers the image update entry point, the terminal responds by displaying multiple first images associated with the item safe, such as first image 1, second image 2, and first image 3. When the player selects a first image (e.g., first image 3), the selected first image (i.e., first image 3) becomes the second image, and the non-player character's image is updated from the first image to first image 3. In this way, players can switch and update the image of the non-player character associated with the item safe according to their actual needs. This not only enhances the fun of the interaction but also increases the player's initiative and freedom in interaction.

[0104] In some embodiments, after the terminal summons a non-player character carrying an item safe and having a first image in the interactive interface of the virtual scene, it can also display failure progress indication information for the first image. The failure progress indication information is used to indicate the remaining time until the first image fails. In response to the remaining time being zero, the image of the non-player character is updated from the first image to the third image.

[0105] In practical applications, since the first image has a certain effective duration, the item safe can only be displayed through the non-player character of the first image within the effective duration after the first image is activated. After the effective duration of the first image is exceeded, the item safe will no longer be displayed through the non-player character of the first image. When the terminal summons the non-player character of the first image, it can be considered that the first image is activated. Failure progress indication information can be displayed at the associated position of the non-player character (such as the top of the head) to indicate the remaining time before the first image expires. Generally, the failure progress of the first image is negatively correlated with the remaining time before the first image expires, that is, the longer the remaining time, the smaller the failure progress. There are various forms of displaying failure progress indication information, such as including but not limited to failure progress bars, failure percentages, failure countdowns, and different display styles (such as different display colors, display fonts, etc.). This application embodiment does not limit the display form of progress indication information. When the remaining time before the first image expires is zero, the first image is considered to have expired. The item safe will no longer be displayed through non-player characters with the first image. At this time, the image of the non-player character associated with the item safe will be updated from the first image to the third image. The third image is the default image of the non-player character associated with the item safe. In addition, when there are multiple non-player characters with the first image associated with the item safe, the third image can also be any of the multiple first images associated with the item safe, except for the currently displayed first image.

[0106] In this way, players can easily understand the failure progress of their first character through the failure progress indicator information. Players can formulate character update strategies that are in line with the current interaction progress based on the failure progress of their first character. This not only improves the fun of the interaction, but also enhances the initiative and freedom of the players in the interaction.

[0107] In some embodiments, after the terminal summons a non-player character carrying an item safe in the interactive interface of a virtual scene, it can control the non-player character to move synchronously with the target player character in the following manner: in response to the target player character moving in the virtual scene in a first state, the non-player character is controlled to move synchronously with the target player character in a second state; wherein, the first state indicates that the target player character is visible or invisible relative to the enemy player character, and the second state indicates that the non-player character is invisible relative to the enemy player character.

[0108] In practical applications, after the terminal summons the non-player character associated with the item safe, since the item safe belongs to the target player character, the terminal can control the non-player character associated with the item safe to move synchronously with the target player character. The terminal can also control the target player character to interact with the non-player character in various ways, such as the target player character interacting with the non-player character through text or voice, the target player character instructing the non-player character to pick up or exchange virtual items, and the non-player character providing related services to the target player character (such as providing healing services, picking up virtual items, or transporting virtual items), etc.

[0109] When the target player character moves in the virtual scene in a first state, the non-player character associated with the item safe can be controlled to move in the virtual scene in a second state. The first and second states can be the same or different. For example, if the first state indicates that the target player character is visible to the enemy player character (i.e., the target player character and the enemy player character are in different factions and are in an adversarial relationship), when the first and second states are the same, the second state can indicate that the non-player character associated with the item safe is visible to the enemy player character. That is, the enemy player character can not only perceive the target player character, but also the non-player character associated with the target player character's item safe. When the first and second states are different, the second state can indicate that the non-player character associated with the item safe is invisible to the enemy player character. That is, the enemy player character can only perceive the target player character, but cannot perceive the non-player character associated with the target player character's item safe. In this way, by concealing the invisible non-player character to assist the target player character in fighting against the enemy player character, the target player character's interactive ability can be improved.

[0110] For example, if the first state indicates that the target player character is invisible relative to the enemy player character (i.e., the target player character and the enemy player character are in different factions and are in an adversarial relationship), such as when the target player character moves in the virtual scene in the first state such as "invisible" or "entering the bushes", the target player character will become invisible. Similarly, if a non-player character is also controlled to move in the virtual scene in the second state such as "invisible" or "entering the bushes", the non-player character will also become invisible. In this way, the enemy player character will not only be unaware of the target player character, but also unaware of the non-player character associated with the target player character's item safe, which can improve the target player character's interactive ability.

[0111] Step 103: In response to the item placement conditions being met, control the non-player character to place the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe.

[0112] In some embodiments, before the terminal controls a non-player character to place the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe, the item to be transferred can be configured in the following ways: in response to a trigger operation for the non-player character, an item transfer entry is displayed at the associated location of the non-player character; in response to a trigger operation for the item transfer entry, an item transfer configuration interface is displayed; based on the item transfer configuration interface, in response to a locking operation for the first virtual item among at least one virtual item equipped by the target player character, the item to be transferred is configured as the first virtual item.

[0113] In practical applications, to enable the target player character to have one or more functions during interaction, the target player character usually equips multiple virtual items. However, since the number of virtual items that the item safe can hold is limited, and when the maximum number of virtual items that the item safe can hold is less than the total number of virtual items equipped by the target player character, when the item transfer conditions are met, only some of the virtual items equipped by the target player character may be transferred to the target location. In order to improve the targeting of virtual item transfer and to avoid affecting the interactive functions of the target player character during interaction, the player can pre-configure the first virtual item as the item to be transferred. The first virtual item refers to one or more of the virtual items equipped by the target player character. In this way, when the item placement conditions are met, the terminal can control the non-player character associated with the item safe to place the first virtual item in the item safe.

[0114] For example, see Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the configuration of items to be transferred provided in this application embodiment. After the terminal summons the non-player character 601 associated with the item safe, the item transfer entrance (e.g., opening the safe) 602 is displayed at the associated position (e.g., waist position) of the non-player character 601. In response to the trigger operation (i.e., opening operation) of the item transfer entrance 602, the item transfer configuration interface 603 is displayed. The item transfer configuration interface 603 displays multiple carrier slots for carrying virtual items. The target player character can lock the first virtual item among the virtual items equipped by the item transfer configuration interface 603 to configure the first virtual item as the item to be transferred. For example, in addition to displaying carrier slots, the item transfer configuration interface 603 can also display the virtual items equipped by the target player character for the player to select. The player can select the first virtual item from the displayed virtual items equipped by the target player character to lock the first virtual item; or, the player can drag the first virtual item from the displayed virtual items equipped by the target player character to the carrier slot to lock the first virtual item.

[0115] Understandably, the locking operation for the first virtual item is a pre-placement operation, not an actual placement operation. This is because the target player character may use the first virtual item in subsequent interactions, and to avoid the loss of the first virtual item due to the sudden death of the target player character and the inability to specify its transfer in time, the player pre-configures which virtual items (i.e., the first virtual item) need to be transferred to the target location when the item transfer conditions are met. This pre-configuration does not actually place the first virtual item in the item safe, but only controls the non-player character associated with the item safe to place the first virtual item in the item safe for temporary storage when the item placement conditions are met (such as when the first virtual item actually drops). When the item transfer conditions are met, the non-player character is then controlled to transfer the first virtual item temporarily stored in the item safe to the target location.

[0116] Understandably, for virtual items that the target player character has not pre-configured as items to be transferred, the target player character can also be controlled to place such virtual items in the item safe at any time. In this way, when the item transfer conditions are met, the non-player character can be controlled to transfer all virtual items in the item safe (including the first virtual item picked up by the non-player character and virtual items that the target player character actively put in that have not been pre-configured as items to be transferred) to the target location.

[0117] In some embodiments, before the terminal controls a non-player character to place the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe, it can determine that the item placement condition is met in the following ways: in response to the first virtual item falling, it is determined that the item placement condition is met; or, in response to the target player character's placement operation on the first virtual item, it is determined that the item placement condition is met; or, in response to the target player character being eliminated in the virtual scene, it is determined that the item placement condition is met.

[0118] In practical applications, the terminal can be pre-configured with various item placement conditions to instruct non-player characters to place the first virtual item in the item safe. For example, if the target player character has pre-configured the first virtual item as an item to be transferred, the item placement condition is determined to be met when the first virtual item actually falls in the virtual scene. Alternatively, even if the first virtual item does not actually fall in the virtual scene, the item placement condition is also determined to be met when the target player character is eliminated in the virtual scene (e.g., the target player character's health is zero, resulting in elimination due to death). Furthermore, regardless of whether the target player character has pre-configured the first virtual item as an item to be transferred, the item placement condition is also determined to be met when the target player character performs a placement operation on the first virtual item during interaction. When the item placement condition is determined to be met, the terminal can control the non-player character associated with the item safe to place the first virtual item in the item safe.

[0119] By using the above method and various item placement conditions, the first virtual item obtained under the condition of meeting the item placement is placed in the item safe. When the item transfer condition is met, the non-player character can be controlled to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location, thus avoiding the loss or damage of the first virtual item.

[0120] In some embodiments, when the terminal determines that the item placement conditions are met in response to a placement operation of the target player character for the first virtual item, it may receive the placement operation for the first virtual item in the following ways: displaying at least one carrying slot for carrying the virtual item in the item transfer configuration interface; receiving the placement operation in response to the first virtual item equipped by the target player character being dragged to the target carrying slot; or receiving the placement operation in response to the first virtual item equipped by the target player character being selected and receiving a trigger operation for the placement control; wherein the placement operation instructs the first virtual item to be placed in the target carrying slot.

[0121] In practical applications, there are multiple ways to trigger the placement operation of the first virtual item. For example, after the carrying slot is displayed in the item transfer configuration interface, the first virtual item equipped by the target player character can be dragged directly to the target carrying slot (such as dragging the first virtual item in the target player character's item backpack to the target carrying slot) to trigger the placement operation of the first virtual item. Alternatively, after the player selects the first virtual item equipped by the target player character, the placement operation of the first virtual item can be triggered by triggering the placement control used to pre-place virtual items to the item safe.

[0122] In some embodiments, when the terminal responds to the placement operation of the target player character for the first virtual item and determines that the item placement conditions are met, it can receive the placement operation for the first virtual item in the following manner: in response to the first virtual item equipped by the target player character being dragged to the target carrying position and the target carrying position already carrying the second virtual item, the terminal receives the exchange operation and treats the exchange operation as the placement operation; wherein, the exchange operation indicates that the positions of the first virtual item and the second virtual item are swapped.

[0123] In practical applications, when the first virtual item in the target player's inventory is dragged to the target storage location, if the target storage location already contains the second virtual item, the drag operation on the first virtual item can be used as a swap operation. This swap operation is used to instruct the first and second virtual items to be swapped. That is, when the item placement conditions are met, the first virtual item is taken out of the target player's inventory and placed in the target storage location of the item safe. The second virtual item in the target storage location of the item safe is then placed in the target player's inventory.

[0124] It should be noted that when all slots in the item safe are filled with virtual items (i.e., the item safe is full), a full message will be displayed. This allows the target player character to adjust or replace the virtual items in the item safe and the virtual items that were previously placed or transferred, based on the full message, thus avoiding the loss of any virtual items that were previously transferred.

[0125] Step 104: In response to the item transfer condition being met, control the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location.

[0126] In some embodiments, before the terminal controls a non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location, the target location can be determined in the following ways: the target player character's preset safe location is determined as the target location, or the location of a friendly player character in the same faction as the target player character in the virtual scene is determined as the target location.

[0127] The target location can be a preset safe location for the target player character (such as the target player character's camp), or it can be the location of a friendly player character in the same faction within the virtual environment. This involves transferring the first virtual item to the friendly player character so they can temporarily store or equip it. For the latter, the terminal can also transfer the right to use the item safe to the friendly player character. Once the friendly player character has the right to use the item safe, they can temporarily store their dropped virtual items. If the friendly player character is eventually eliminated during the interaction, the terminal can still control the non-player character associated with the item safe to transfer the temporarily stored first virtual item of the target player character and the virtual items of the friendly player character to the target player character's camp. In this way, the item safe owned by the target player character can also be shared by friendly player characters, further expanding the scope of virtual item transfer and preventing items from being dropped or lost due to elimination or death of the target or friendly player character, thus increasing the utilization rate of the item safe.

[0128] In some embodiments, before controlling the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location, the item transfer condition can be determined to be met in the following ways: in response to the target player character being eliminated in the virtual scene, the item transfer condition is determined to be met; or, in response to the target player character's transfer operation on the first virtual item, the item transfer condition is determined to be met; or, in response to the remaining time before the item safe expires being zero, the item transfer condition is determined to be met.

[0129] In practical applications, the terminal can be pre-configured with various item transfer conditions to instruct a non-player character to transfer the first virtual item to the target location. For example, the item transfer condition is considered satisfied when the target player character is eliminated in the virtual scene (e.g., the target player character's health is zero, resulting in elimination due to death). Alternatively, the item transfer condition is considered satisfied when the target player character triggers a transfer operation after the non-player character associated with the item safe places the first virtual item in the item safe. Another example is that, since the item safe has a certain validity period, the item transfer condition is considered satisfied when the remaining time before the item safe expires is zero. Once the item placement conditions are determined to be satisfied, the terminal can control the non-player character associated with the item safe to transfer the first virtual item temporarily stored in the item safe to the target location.

[0130] In some embodiments, before the terminal controls a non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location, it can determine that the item transfer condition has been met in the following ways: in response to the remaining time before the item safe expires being zero, a delay prompt message is displayed, indicating that the effective remaining time of the item safe is extended; in response to the delay operation triggered based on the delay prompt message, the remaining time of the item safe is extended to the target time; in response to the target player character being eliminated within the target time, it is determined that the item transfer condition has been met.

[0131] In practical applications, see Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the extension prompt provided in the embodiment of this application. Since the item safe has a certain effective duration, when the remaining time before the item safe expires is zero, a delay prompt message (such as "Your item safe is about to expire, please extend the effective duration in time") 701 can be displayed to prompt the player to extend the effective remaining time of the item safe. When the player triggers the extension operation for the item safe based on the delay prompt message, the remaining time of the item safe (i.e., the time before it expires) can be extended to the target duration (which can be set according to actual needs, such as 5 minutes, 1 hour, etc.). If the target player character is eliminated within the target duration, it is considered that the item transfer condition has been met. When the target player character is eliminated, the non-player character associated with the item safe will transfer the first virtual item temporarily stored in the item safe to the target location.

[0132] Understandably, extending the remaining time before the item safe expires could be a paid extension. Players would need to pay a certain amount of virtual resources (such as game currency or points) to extend the remaining time. The amount of virtual resources required is positively correlated with the target extension time; the longer the target extension, the more virtual resources are required. For example, extending the remaining time before the item safe expires by 5 minutes would cost 10 game currency, and extending it by 10 minutes would cost 20 game currency. This would prevent players from indefinitely extending the effective time of the item safe, thus helping to maintain the ecological balance of the virtual environment.

[0133] In some embodiments, before the terminal determines that the item transfer conditions are met, within a target duration, in response to the item placement conditions of the third virtual item to be transferred being met, the terminal controls the non-player character to place the third virtual item into the item safe; correspondingly, after determining that the item transfer conditions are met, the terminal can control the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location in the following manner: control the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item and the third virtual item in the item safe to the target location.

[0134] In practical applications, when the remaining time before the item safe expires is extended to the target time, if the placement conditions for the third virtual item to be transferred are met within the target time, the non-player character associated with the item safe can still be controlled to place the third virtual item in the item safe. Furthermore, when the item transfer conditions are met, the non-player character associated with the item safe can be controlled to transfer both the first and third virtual items temporarily stored in the item safe to the target location. It is understood that the placement conditions for the third virtual item are pre-configured in the same way as the placement conditions for the first virtual item, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0135] By extending the effective duration of the item safe, the time span for players to store virtual items they don't want to lose is expanded. This improves the overall performance of the item safe in temporarily storing and transferring virtual items, thereby increasing player usage of the item safe and ultimately improving player retention in the virtual environment.

[0136] In some embodiments, before the terminal determines that the item transfer condition is met, within a target duration, in response to the target player character's equipping operation on the first virtual item, the terminal controls the non-player character to take the first virtual item out of the item safe and controls the target player character to equip the first virtual item; correspondingly, the non-player character can be controlled to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location in the following manner: in response to the item transfer condition being met, the non-player character is controlled to place the first virtual item in the item safe and transfer the first virtual item to the target location.

[0137] In practical applications, before the item safe expires, or before the item transfer conditions are met, or after the remaining time before the item safe expires is extended to the target time, within the target time, although the first virtual item has been temporarily stored in the item safe, the player can still take out the first virtual item from the item safe and equip it to the target player character. Since the first virtual item is a pre-transfer item, when the item transfer conditions are met (especially when the target player character is eliminated), regardless of whether the target player character is using the first virtual item, the non-player character associated with the item safe can be controlled to transfer the first virtual item to the target location to avoid the loss of the first virtual item.

[0138] In some embodiments, the terminal can control a non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location in the following ways: by transferring via mail, controlling the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location; or, controlling the non-player character carrying the item safe to move to the target location and transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location.

[0139] In practical applications, when controlling a non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location, the virtual item temporarily stored in the item safe can be transferred to the target location via mail. It is also possible to control the non-player character carrying the item safe to move (either by teleporting, i.e., moving to the target location in an instant, or by moving at a certain speed) to the target location, and control the non-player character to take out the first virtual item temporarily stored in the item safe and place it at the target location. This avoids the item being dropped or lost due to the target player character being eliminated or dying, and can improve the utilization rate of the item safe.

[0140] In some embodiments, in response to a non-player character reaching a target level, an item transfer effect associated with the non-player character may also be displayed while controlling the non-player character to transfer a first virtual item to the target location.

[0141] In practical applications, when the terminal controls the non-player character associated with the item safe to transfer the first virtual item to the target location, it can also display corresponding transfer effects based on the non-player character's level. For example, when the non-player character's level reaches the target level (or level threshold), an item transfer effect is displayed to show the non-player character transferring the first virtual item to the target location. When the target player character dies, an exit animation of the non-player character is played to instruct the non-player character to transport the first virtual item in the item safe back to the target player character's camp. In this way, the display content of the game screen is enriched, meeting the increasingly diverse information acquisition needs.

[0142] By applying the embodiments of this application, by providing the target player character with an item safe associated with a non-player character, after the target player character activates or uses the item safe, the non-player character associated with the item safe can be summoned in the interactive interface of the virtual scene. The non-player character can be controlled to move and interact synchronously with the target player character in the virtual scene. In this way, the item safe is given a vivid non-player character image, which improves the diversity of interaction based on the item safe. In addition, when the item placement conditions are met, the non-player character is controlled to place the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe. When the item transfer conditions are met (such as the target player character being eliminated or dying in the interaction), the non-player character is controlled to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location. That is, when the target player character is eliminated or dying in the interaction, the non-player character transfers the first virtual item temporarily stored in the item safe by the target player character to the target location, avoiding the item being dropped or lost due to the elimination or death of the target player character, and improving the utilization rate of the item safe.

[0143] The following will describe an exemplary application of the embodiments of this application in a real-world scenario. Taking a virtual scene as a game and a non-player character associated with an item safe as a virtual pet as an example, the control method for virtual items provided in the embodiments of this application will continue to be explained. See also Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling virtual props provided in an embodiment of this application. The method includes:

[0144] Step 201: The terminal displays the item safe owned by the target player character in the game's item interface.

[0145] See Figure 9 , Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the props and equipment provided in the embodiments of this application. The props and equipment interface displays various virtual props equipped by the target player character, such as virtual armor, virtual combat boots, virtual knives, etc. When the target player character has an item safe in the item backpack, the player can also drag the item safe to a designated position on the props and equipment interface to equip the item safe. When the player cancels the item safe from the designated position, the item safe can be canceled and other item safes can be selected for equipping.

[0146] The Item Safe is one of many virtual items possessed by the target player character. After the target player character uses the Item Safe, it appears in the game scene in the form of their associated virtual pet, meaning the virtual pet in the game scene carries the Item Safe. During the target player character's interactions in the game, the virtual pet associated with the Item Safe can not only interact with the target player character, but also allow non-player characters to pick up virtual items dropped or placed by the target player character (these are items or tools equipped by the target player character). The picked-up virtual items are then placed in the Item Safe. When the conditions for item transfer are met (such as the target player character being eliminated during an interaction), the virtual pet can transfer or transport the temporarily stored virtual items in the Item Safe to the target location (such as the target player character's camp or another safe location designated by the target player character), thus preventing the target player character from losing their items.

[0147] Step 202: In response to the image configuration operation for the item safe, configure the image of the virtual pet associated with the item safe as the first image.

[0148] Here, players can configure the appearance of the virtual pet associated with the item safe through the appearance portal before or during its use. The appearance of the virtual pet associated with the item safe (commonly known as "skin") reflects the external appearance of the item safe.

[0149] like Figure 4 As shown, when a player triggers the image entry 401, which is used to configure the image of the virtual pet associated with the item safe 400, the terminal responds to the trigger operation by displaying the image selection interface 402. The image selection interface 402 displays multiple candidate images to choose from, such as candidate image 1, candidate image 2, and candidate image 3, and displays information such as the name, icon, and status label of each candidate image. The status label indicates the status of the candidate image, including purchase status (indicating whether the player has purchased the candidate image, including purchased and unpurchased states) and activation status (indicating whether the purchased candidate image is being used, including activated and inactive states). When the player selects a first image (such as candidate image 3) from the information displayed on the image selection interface 402, the terminal responds to the selection operation by displaying a preview interface 403 of the selected first image. The preview interface 403 displays the first image, its effective duration, effect description, and other information. When the player triggers an equipment operation for the first image based on the preview interface, the selected first image can be configured as the image of the virtual pet associated with the item safe 400.

[0150] Through the above methods, users can choose a suitable image as the image of the non-player character associated with the item safe according to their actual needs, which increases the player's initiative and freedom in configuring the appearance of the item safe.

[0151] Step 203: In response to the use of the item safe, summon a virtual spirit pet carrying the item safe and having a first-person appearance in the game's interactive interface.

[0152] Here, when a player sets the virtual pet associated with the item safe as its primary appearance, the virtual pet with the primary appearance can be summoned when the item safe is activated and used later. That is, the item safe is displayed in the game scene in the style of the virtual pet with the primary appearance. The virtual pet actually carries the item safe and has the function of picking up virtual items.

[0153] Furthermore, during subsequent use of the Item Safe, since the first image has a certain effective duration, when the remaining time before the first image expires is zero, it is considered that the first image has expired. The Item Safe will no longer be able to display the virtual pet with the first image. At this time, the image of the virtual pet associated with the Item Safe will be updated from the first image to the third image. The third image can be the default image of the virtual pet associated with the Item Safe. In addition, when the Item Safe has multiple images of virtual pets pre-configured, the third image can also be any of the multiple images pre-configured by the Item Safe other than the currently displayed first image.

[0154] By updating and switching the appearance of the virtual pet associated with the item safe, the appearance of the item safe in the game is enriched, which can enhance the fun of game interaction.

[0155] Step 204: In response to the target player character moving in the game scene, control the virtual pet to move synchronously with the target player character.

[0156] In practical applications, after the terminal summons the virtual pet associated with the item safe, since the item safe belongs to the target player character, the terminal can control the virtual pet associated with the item safe to move synchronously with the target player character. The target player character's movement state and the virtual pet's movement state can be consistent. For example, when the target player character moves in the game in a "stealth" or "entering the bushes" state, the target player character will exhibit a stealth effect. Similarly, the terminal can synchronously control the virtual pet to also move in a "stealth" or "entering the bushes" state, thus exhibiting a stealth effect as well. This way, the enemy player character will not only be unaware of the target player character, but also unaware of the virtual pet associated with the target player character's item safe, thereby enhancing the target player character's interactive capabilities.

[0157] In addition, it is possible to control the target player character to interact with the virtual pet in various ways, such as the target player character can interact with the virtual pet through text or voice, the target player character can instruct the virtual pet to pick up or exchange virtual items, the virtual pet can provide related services to the target player character (such as providing healing services, picking up virtual items, or transporting virtual items), and so on.

[0158] Step 205: In response to the transfer configuration operation for the item safe, configure the first virtual item as the item to be transferred.

[0159] In practical applications, to enable a target player character to have one or more functions during interaction, the target player character usually equips multiple virtual items. However, since the number of virtual items that the item safe can hold is limited, and if the maximum number of virtual items that the item safe can hold is less than the total number of virtual items equipped by the target player character, when the item transfer conditions are met (such as the target player character dying), only some of the virtual items equipped by the target player character may be transferred to the target location. In order to improve the targeting of virtual item transfer and to avoid affecting the interactive functions of the target player character during interaction, before the player uses the item safe, or during the use of the item safe, the first virtual item among all the virtual items equipped by the target player character can be pre-configured as the item to be transferred. Here, the first virtual item refers to one or more of the virtual items equipped by the target player character.

[0160] Understandably, the pre-configuration operation for the first virtual item is only a pre-placement operation, not an actual placement operation. This is because the target player character may use the first virtual item in subsequent interactions, and to avoid the loss of the first virtual item due to the sudden death of the target player character and the inability to specify the transfer of the first virtual item in time, the player pre-configures which virtual items (i.e., the first virtual item) need to be transferred to the target location when the target player character dies. This pre-configuration does not actually place the first virtual item in the item safe. Instead, when the item transfer conditions are met (such as the first virtual item actually dropping), the virtual pet associated with the item safe will be controlled to place the first virtual item in the item safe for temporary storage. When the item transfer conditions are met (such as the death of the target player character), the virtual pet will be controlled to transfer the first virtual item temporarily stored in the item safe to the target location.

[0161] Step 206: In response to the fulfillment of the item placement conditions, control the virtual pet to place the first virtual item into the item safe.

[0162] In practical applications, the terminal can be pre-configured with various conditions to instruct the virtual pet to place the first virtual item in the item safe. For example, if the target player character has pre-configured the first virtual item as an item to be transferred, the placement condition can be considered satisfied when the first virtual item actually falls in the virtual scene. Alternatively, even if the first virtual item does not actually fall in the virtual scene, the placement condition can be considered satisfied if the target player character is eliminated in the virtual scene (e.g., dies). Furthermore, regardless of whether the target player character has pre-configured the first virtual item as an item to be transferred, the placement condition can be considered satisfied when the target player character performs a placement operation on the first virtual item during interaction. Once the placement condition is determined to be satisfied, the terminal can control the virtual pet associated with the item safe to place the first virtual item in the item safe.

[0163] Step 207: In response to the fulfillment of the item transfer conditions, control the virtual pet to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location.

[0164] In practical applications, the terminal can be pre-configured with various item transfer conditions to instruct the virtual pet to transfer the first virtual item to the target location. For example, the item transfer condition is considered met when the target player character is eliminated in the virtual scene (e.g., the target player character dies); or when a transfer operation for the first virtual item is received from the target player character; or when the remaining time before the item safe expires is zero. Once the item transfer condition is confirmed to be met, the terminal can control the virtual pet to transfer the first virtual item from the item safe to the target location (such as the target player character's camp or a safe location specified by the target player character), preventing the first virtual item from being lost or damaged.

[0165] It should be noted that when the remaining time before the item safe expires is zero, you do not need to immediately control the virtual pet to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location. Instead, you can extend the effective time of the item safe until the end of the game. If the target player character is eliminated at the end of the game, you can control the virtual pet to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location.

[0166] Furthermore, during the process of controlling the virtual pet to transfer the first virtual item to the target location, the terminal can also display corresponding transfer effects based on the level of the virtual pet. For example, when the level of the virtual pet reaches the level threshold, the item transfer effect of the virtual pet transferring the first virtual item to the target location is displayed. When the target player character dies, the exit animation of the virtual pet is played to instruct the virtual pet to transport the first virtual item in the item safe back to the target player character's camp. In this way, the display content of the game screen is enriched, meeting the increasingly diverse information acquisition needs.

[0167] By providing the target player character with an item safe associated with a virtual pet, the virtual pet associated with the item safe can be summoned in the game's interface after the target player character activates or uses the item safe. The virtual pet can then be controlled to move and interact synchronously with the target player character in the game. This gives the item safe a vivid virtual pet image and increases the diversity of interactions based on the item safe. In addition, when the item placement conditions are met, the virtual pet is controlled to place the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe. When the item transfer conditions are met (such as the target player character being eliminated or dying during the interaction), the virtual pet is controlled to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location. That is, when the target player character is eliminated or dies during the interaction, the virtual pet transfers the first virtual item temporarily stored in the item safe to the target location, avoiding the item being dropped or lost due to the target player character's elimination or death, thus increasing the utilization rate of the item safe.

[0168] The exemplary application and implementation of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application have been used to describe the control method of virtual props provided in the embodiments of this application. The following describes the control scheme of virtual props implemented by the cooperation of various modules in the control device 555 of the virtual props provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0169] The prop display module 5551 is used to display the prop safe owned by the target player character in the prop interface of the virtual scene, wherein the prop safe is associated with a non-player character; the prop use module 5552 is used to summon the non-player character carrying the prop safe in the interactive interface of the virtual scene in response to the use operation of the prop safe; the prop placement module 5553 is used to control the non-player character to place the first virtual prop to be transferred into the prop safe in response to the prop placement condition being met; the prop transfer module 5554 is used to control the non-player character to transfer the first virtual prop in the prop safe to the target location in response to the prop transfer condition being met.

[0170] In some embodiments, after displaying the item safe owned by the target player character in the item interface of the virtual scene, the device further includes: an image configuration module, configured to display an image entry for configuring the image of the non-player character; in response to an image configuration operation triggered based on the image entry, configuring the image of the non-player character as the first image indicated by the image configuration operation; the item usage module is further configured to summon a non-player character carrying the item safe and having the first image in the interactive interface of the virtual scene.

[0171] In some embodiments, before configuring the image of the non-player character as the first image indicated by the image configuration operation, the device further includes: an operation receiving module, configured to display an image selection interface and display at least one candidate image in the image selection interface in response to a trigger operation for the image entry; and to receive the image configuration operation in response to an equipment operation for the first image among the at least one candidate image.

[0172] In some embodiments, before configuring the image of the non-player character as the first image indicated by the image configuration operation, the operation receiving module is further configured to, in response to a trigger operation for the image entry, display an image configuration interface and display at least one image tag in the image configuration interface; in response to a selection operation for a target image tag, display a first image generated based on the target image tag; and in response to an equipment operation for the first image, receive the image configuration operation.

[0173] In some embodiments, the image configuration module is further configured to configure the non-player character's image as at least two first images in response to the image configuration operation instruction having at least two first images; correspondingly, the item usage module is further configured to determine the display priority of each first image based on the display parameters of each first image; wherein the display parameters include at least one of the following: the preset display order of the first images, the effective duration of the first images, and the compatibility of the interaction progress between the first images and the target player character in the virtual scene; in the interactive interface of the virtual scene, a non-player character carrying the item safe and having the highest display priority is summoned.

[0174] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes: a first image update module, configured to control the image of the non-player character to be updated and switched between each of the first images based on each of the display priorities; or, to display an image update entry for the non-player character; in response to a trigger operation on the image update entry, to display at least two first images configured for the non-player character; and in response to a selection operation on a second image among the at least two first images, to update the image of the non-player character from the first image to the second image.

[0175] In some embodiments, after summoning a non-player character carrying the item safe and having the first image in the interactive interface of the virtual scene, the device further includes: a second image update module, which is also used to display failure progress indication information for the first image, the failure progress indication information being used to indicate the remaining time until the first image fails; in response to the remaining time being zero, updating the image of the non-player character from the first image to the third image.

[0176] In some embodiments, after the non-player character carrying the item safe is summoned in the interactive interface of the virtual scene, the device further includes a movement control module for controlling the non-player character to move synchronously with the target player character in a second state in response to the target player character moving in the virtual scene in a first state; wherein the first state indicates that the target player character is visible or invisible relative to the enemy player character, and the second state indicates that the non-player character is invisible relative to the enemy player character.

[0177] In some embodiments, before controlling the non-player character to place the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe, the device further includes: an item transfer configuration module, configured to display an item transfer entry at an associated location of the non-player character in response to a trigger operation for the non-player character; display an item transfer configuration interface in response to a trigger operation for the item transfer entry; and configure the item to be transferred as the first virtual item based on the item transfer configuration interface in response to a locking operation for at least one virtual item equipped by the target player character.

[0178] In some embodiments, before the non-player character places the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe, the item placement module is further configured to determine that the item placement condition is met in response to the first virtual item falling; or, in response to the target player character's placement operation on the first virtual item, determine that the item placement condition is met; or, in response to the target player character being eliminated in the virtual scene, determine that the item placement condition is met.

[0179] In some embodiments, before determining that the item placement condition is met, the item placement module is further configured to display at least one carrying slot for carrying virtual items in the item transfer configuration interface; receive the placement operation in response to the first virtual item equipped by the target player character being dragged to the target carrying slot; or receive the placement operation in response to the first virtual item equipped by the target player character being selected and receiving a trigger operation for the placement control; wherein the placement operation instructs the first virtual item to be placed in the target carrying slot.

[0180] In some embodiments, the item placement module is further configured to respond to the target player character dragging the first virtual item from the item backpack to the target carrying position, and the target carrying position already carrying the second virtual item, receive a swap operation, and use the swap operation as the placement operation; wherein the swap operation indicates that the positions of the first virtual item and the second virtual item are swapped.

[0181] In some embodiments, the item transfer module is further configured to determine that the item transfer condition is met in response to the target player character being eliminated in the virtual scene; or, in response to the target player character's transfer operation for the first virtual item, determine that the item transfer condition is met; or, in response to the item safe's remaining effective duration being zero, determine that the item transfer condition is met.

[0182] In some embodiments, before controlling the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location, the item transfer module is further configured to: display a delay prompt message in response to the remaining time before the item safe expires being zero, the delay prompt message indicating that the effective remaining time of the item safe be extended; extend the remaining time of the item safe to a target time in response to a delay operation triggered based on the delay prompt message; and determine that the item transfer condition has been met in response to the target player character being eliminated within the target time.

[0183] In some embodiments, before determining that the item transfer condition is met, the item transfer module is further configured to, within the target duration, in response to the item placement condition of the third virtual item to be transferred being met, control the non-player character to place the third virtual item into the item safe; and control the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item and the third virtual item in the item safe to the target location.

[0184] In some embodiments, before determining that the item transfer condition is met, the item transfer module is further configured to, within the target duration, in response to the target player character's equipping operation on the first virtual item, control the non-player character to take the first virtual item out of the item safe and control the target player character to equip the first virtual item; in response to the item transfer condition being met, control the non-player character to place the first virtual item into the item safe and transfer the first virtual item to the target location.

[0185] In some embodiments, the item transfer module is further configured to control the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location via mail transfer; or, control the non-player character carrying the item safe to move to the target location and transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location.

[0186] In some embodiments, before controlling the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location, the item transfer module is further configured to determine the target player character's preset safe location as the target location, or to determine the location of a friendly player character in the same faction as the target player character in the virtual scene as the target location.

[0187] In some embodiments, the item transfer module is further configured to, in response to the non-player character reaching a target level, display an item transfer effect associated with the non-player character while controlling the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item to the target location.

[0188] This application provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program or computer-executable instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The processor of an electronic device reads the computer-executable instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer-executable instructions, causing the electronic device to perform the virtual prop control method described above in this application.

[0189] This application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions or a computer program. When the computer-executable instructions or the computer program are executed by a processor, the processor will execute the virtual item control method provided in this application. For example, ... Figure 3 The method for controlling virtual props is shown.

[0190] In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium may be a memory such as FRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, magnetic surface memory, optical disk, or CD-ROM; or it may be a variety of devices including one or any combination of the above-mentioned memories.

[0191] In some embodiments, computer-executable instructions may take the form of programs, software, software modules, scripts, or code, written in any form of programming language (including compiled or interpreted languages, or declarative or procedural languages), and may be deployed in any form, including as stand-alone programs or as modules, components, subroutines, or other units suitable for use in a computing environment.

[0192] As an example, computer-executable instructions may, but do not necessarily, correspond to files in a file system. They may be stored as part of a file that holds other programs or data, for example, in one or more scripts in a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) document, in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple co-located files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, subroutines, or code sections).

[0193] As an example, computer-executable instructions can be deployed to execute on a single electronic device, or on multiple electronic devices located in one location, or on multiple electronic devices distributed across multiple locations and interconnected via a communication network.

[0194] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and scope of this application are included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling virtual props, characterized in that, The method includes: The item safe owned by the target player character is displayed in the item interface of the virtual scene, and the item safe is associated with a non-player character; In response to the use of the item safe, the non-player character carrying the item safe is summoned in the interactive interface of the virtual scene; In response to the fulfillment of the item placement conditions, the non-player character is controlled to place the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe. In response to the fulfillment of the item transfer conditions, the non-player character is controlled to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After displaying the item safe owned by the target player character in the item interface of the virtual scene, the method further includes: Displays the image entry point for configuring the appearance of the non-player character; In response to the image configuration operation triggered based on the image entry, the image of the non-player character is configured as the first image indicated by the image configuration operation; The process of summoning the non-player character carrying the item safe in the interactive interface of the virtual scene includes: In the interactive interface of the virtual scene, a non-player character carrying the item safe and possessing the first image is summoned.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Before configuring the non-player character's appearance as the first appearance indicated by the appearance configuration operation, the method further includes: In response to a trigger operation on the image entry point, an image selection interface is displayed, and at least one candidate image is displayed in the image selection interface; In response to the equipment operation for the first image among the at least one candidate images, the image configuration operation is received.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Before configuring the non-player character's appearance as the first appearance indicated by the appearance configuration operation, the method further includes: In response to a trigger operation on the image entry point, an image configuration interface is displayed, and at least one image label is displayed in the image configuration interface; In response to a selection operation for a target image tag, a first image generated based on the target image tag is displayed; In response to the equipment operation for the first image, the image configuration operation is received.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of configuring the non-player character's appearance as the first appearance indicated by the appearance configuration operation includes: In response to the image configuration operation instruction, if the number of first images is at least two, the image of the non-player character is configured as at least two of the first images; The summoning of a non-player character carrying the item safe and possessing the first image in the interactive interface of the virtual scene includes: The display priority of each first image is determined based on the display parameters of each first image; wherein, the display parameters include at least one of the following: the preset display order of the first image, the effective duration of the first image, and the compatibility of the interaction progress between the first image and the target player character in the virtual scene; In the interactive interface of the virtual scene, a non-player character carrying the item safe and having the highest display priority is summoned.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, After summoning the non-player character carrying the item safe and having the highest display priority, the method further includes: Based on the aforementioned display priorities, the appearance of the non-player character is controlled to update and switch between the various first appearances; or... Displays the entry point for updating the appearance of the non-player character; In response to a trigger operation on the image update entry, at least two first images configured for the non-player character are displayed; In response to a selection operation for the second image among the at least two first images, the image of the non-player character is updated from the first image to the second image.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that, After summoning a non-player character carrying the item safe and possessing the first image in the interactive interface of the virtual scene, the method further includes: Display failure progress indication information for the first image, the failure progress indication information being used to indicate the remaining time until the first image fails; In response to the remaining time being zero, the appearance of the non-player character is updated from the first appearance to the third appearance.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After summoning the non-player character carrying the item safe in the interactive interface of the virtual scene, the method further includes: In response to the target player character moving in the virtual scene in a first state, the non-player character is controlled to move synchronously with the target player character in a second state. The first state indicates that the target player character is visible or invisible relative to the enemy player character, and the second state indicates that the non-player character is invisible relative to the enemy player character.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the non-player character places the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe, the method further includes: In response to a triggered operation targeting the non-player character, an item transfer entry is displayed at the associated location of the non-player character; In response to a trigger operation targeting the item transfer entry, the item transfer configuration interface is displayed; Based on the item transfer configuration interface, in response to the locking operation of the first virtual item among at least one virtual item equipped by the target player character, the item to be transferred is configured as the first virtual item.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, Before the non-player character places the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe, the method further includes: In response to the first virtual item dropping, it is determined that the item placement condition has been met; or... In response to the target player character's placement operation on the first virtual item, it is determined that the item placement condition has been met; or, In response to the elimination of the target player character in the virtual scene, it is determined that the item placement condition has been met.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, Before determining that the placement conditions for the prop are met, the method further includes: The item transfer configuration interface displays at least one storage slot for holding virtual items; In response to the first virtual item equipped by the target player character being dragged to the target carrying position, the placement operation is received; Alternatively, in response to the first virtual item equipped by the target player character being selected and receiving a trigger operation for the placement control, the placement operation is received; The placement operation refers to placing the first virtual prop into the target carrying position.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The response to the first virtual item equipped by the target player character being dragged to the target carrying position, receiving the placement operation, includes: In response to the first virtual item equipped by the target player character being dragged to the target carrying position, and the target carrying position already carrying the second virtual item, a swap operation is received, and the swap operation is used as the placement operation; The exchange operation refers to swapping the positions of the first virtual item and the second virtual item.

13. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before controlling the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location, the method further includes: In response to the target player character being eliminated in the virtual scene, it is determined that the item transfer condition has been met; or... In response to the target player character's transfer operation on the first virtual item, it is determined that the item transfer condition has been met; or, In response to the remaining time before the item safe expires being zero, it is determined that the item transfer condition has been met.

14. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before controlling the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location, the method further includes: In response to the remaining time before the item safe expires being zero, a delay prompt message is displayed, indicating that the remaining effective time of the item safe be extended; In response to the delay operation triggered based on the delay prompt information, the remaining duration of the item safe is extended to the target duration; In response to the target player character being eliminated within the target time period, it is determined that the item transfer condition has been met.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Before determining that the item transfer condition is met, the method further includes: Within the target duration, in response to the fulfillment of the item placement conditions for the third virtual item to be transferred, the non-player character is controlled to place the third virtual item into the item safe. The step of controlling the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location includes: Control the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item and the third virtual item in the item safe to the target location.

16. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Before determining that the item transfer condition is met, the method further includes: During the target duration, in response to the target player character's equipping operation on the first virtual item, the non-player character is controlled to take the first virtual item out of the item safe, and the target player character is controlled to equip the first virtual item. The step of controlling the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location in response to the fulfillment of the item transfer condition includes: In response to the fulfillment of the item transfer conditions, the non-player character is controlled to place the first virtual item into the item safe and transfer the first virtual item to the target location.

17. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of controlling the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location includes: The non-player character can be controlled to transfer the first virtual item from the item safe to the target location via email; or... Control the non-player character carrying the item safe to move to the target location, and transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location.

18. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before controlling the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location, the method further includes: The preset safe location of the target player character is determined as the target location, or... The location of a friendly player character who is in the same faction as the target player character in the virtual scene is determined as the target location.

19. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to the non-player character reaching the target level, during the process of controlling the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item to the target location, the item transfer effect associated with the non-player character is displayed.

20. A control device for virtual props, characterized in that, The device includes: The item display module is used to display the item safe owned by the target player character in the item interface of the virtual scene, wherein the item safe is associated with a non-player character; The prop usage module is used to summon the non-player character carrying the prop safe in the interactive interface of the virtual scene in response to the operation of using the prop safe. An item placement module is used to control the non-player character to place the first virtual item to be transferred into the item safe in response to the item placement condition being met. The item transfer module is used to control the non-player character to transfer the first virtual item in the item safe to the target location in response to the item transfer condition being met.

21. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: Memory is used to store executable instructions or computer programs. A processor, when executing computer-executable instructions or computer programs stored in the memory, implements the control method for virtual props as described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The device stores computer-executable instructions or computer programs, which, when executed by a processor, implement the virtual prop control method according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

23. A computer program product, comprising a computer program or computer-executable instructions, characterized in that, When the computer program or computer-executable instructions are executed by the processor, the virtual prop control method according to any one of claims 1 to 19 is implemented.

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