Virtual character control method, apparatus, and electronic device

Abstract

The virtual character control method includes, in response to a follow-and-escape event triggered by a first virtual character at a target evacuation point, determining a target virtual character that follows the first virtual character and evacuates together based on a pre-specified team evacuation rule, the first virtual character and the target virtual character belonging to the same game camp (S102), and controlling the first virtual character and the target virtual character to evacuate together from the game (S104). In this method, the pre-specified team evacuation rule can determine the evacuation rule for the first virtual character and the evacuation rule for virtual characters in the same camp as the first virtual character, and further determine a target virtual character that can evacuate together with the first virtual character, and control the game in which the first virtual character and the target virtual character evacuate together, thereby increasing players' motivation to form teams in the game and ultimately enhancing the player's gaming experience.

Description

Cross-Citation of Related Applications

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202211675284.5, filed on December 26, 2022, entitled "Method, Apparatus, and Electronic Device for Controlling Virtual Characters," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Technical Field]

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of gaming technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus and electronic device for controlling a virtual character. [Background technology]

[0003] In some team games, after a virtual character enters a game, it usually completes a target task, then moves to a specified scene position and completes a specified game event, thereby leaving the game scene and winning the game. In related technology, the way in which a virtual character wins is independent of whether the virtual character's teammates successfully leave the game scene, and team players playing team games have no direct benefit relationship with the game results between teammates, which reduces players' motivation to form teams, causes players to lose the game experience of forming teams, and reduces the players' gaming experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a method, apparatus, and electronic device for controlling virtual characters that can control some virtual characters belonging to the same game camp by setting specified teammate evacuation rules in advance, so that the virtual characters can follow each other and evacuate together from the game, thereby increasing players' motivation to form teams within the game and further enhancing the players' gaming experience.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for controlling a virtual character, the method comprising: providing a graphical user interface by a first terminal device; content displayed on the graphical user interface including at least a portion of a game scene, the game scene including at least one evacuation point, the at least one evacuation point being used to provide a game evacuation service for a virtual character that satisfies an evacuation condition; the method including: in response to a follow-up evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, determining a target virtual character that can evacuate together with the first virtual character based on preset team evacuation rules; the first virtual character being controlled by the first terminal device, the first virtual character and the target virtual character belonging to the same game camp; and controlling the first virtual character to evacuate together with the target virtual character from the game.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for controlling a virtual character, the method including: providing a graphical user interface by a second terminal device; content displayed on the graphical user interface including at least a portion of a game scene; the game scene including at least one evacuation point; the at least one evacuation point being used to provide a game evacuation service for a virtual character that satisfies an evacuation condition; the method including determining whether a second virtual character satisfies a specified evacuation condition in response to a follow-up evacuation event triggered by a first virtual character at a target evacuation point. the first virtual character is controlled by a first terminal device, the second virtual character is controlled by the second terminal device, the first virtual character and the second virtual character belong to the same game camp, the following retreat condition is used to indicate whether the second virtual character is allowed to follow the first virtual character and retreat from the game, and in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified following retreat condition, controlling the second virtual character to retreat from the game together with the first virtual character.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a graphical user interface by a first terminal device, wherein content displayed on the graphical user interface includes at least a portion of a game match scene, the game match scene includes at least one evacuation point, and the at least one evacuation point is used to provide a game match evacuation service for a virtual character that satisfies an evacuation condition; the virtual character control device includes a first determination module and a first evacuation module, wherein the first determination module is configured to determine a target virtual character that can be evacuated together with the first virtual character based on preset team evacuation rules in response to a following evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, the first virtual character is controlled by the first terminal device, the first virtual character and the target virtual character belong to the same game camp, and the first evacuation module is configured to control the first virtual character to evacuate together with the target virtual character from the game match.

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a graphical user interface by a second terminal device, wherein content displayed on the graphical user interface includes at least a part of a game scene, the game scene includes at least one evacuation point, and the at least one evacuation point is used to provide an evacuation service for a virtual character in the game that satisfies an evacuation condition. The virtual character control device includes a second determination module and a second evacuation module, and the second determination module is configured to determine whether the second virtual character is in a state where the first virtual character is in a state where ... the first virtual character is controlled by a first terminal device, the second virtual character is controlled by a second terminal device, the first virtual character and the second virtual character belong to the same game camp, the following evacuation condition is used to indicate whether the second virtual character is allowed to follow the first virtual character and evacuate from the game, and the second evacuating module is configured to control the second virtual character to evacuate from the game together with the first virtual character in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified following evacuation condition.

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure also provides an electronic device including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions executable by the processor, and the processor executes the computer-executable instructions to perform the virtual character control method of either the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0010] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when called and executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement the method for controlling a virtual character of either the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a virtual character control method, apparatus, and electronic device can determine, in response to a follow-and-evacuation event triggered by a first virtual character at a target evacuation point, a target virtual character that follows the first virtual character and evacuates together based on a pre-specified team evacuation rule, where the first virtual character and the target virtual character belong to the same game camp, and control can be performed so that the first virtual character and the target virtual character evacuate together from the game. In this way, based on the pre-specified team evacuation rule, the evacuation rule for the first virtual character and the evacuation rule for virtual characters that belong to the same game camp as the first virtual character are determined, and the target virtual character that evacuates together with the first virtual character is determined, and the first virtual character can be controlled to evacuate together with the target virtual character from the game, thereby increasing players' motivation to form teams in the game and further improving the player's gaming experience. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a graphical interface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of another graphical interface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of another graphical interface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of another graphical interface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of another graphical interface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart of another method for controlling a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8]FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a control device for a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of another virtual character control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] In order to make the objectives, technical methods and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical methods of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, but not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor belong to the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0014] Currently, in some team games, after a virtual character enters a game, it usually completes a target task, moves to a designated scene location, and completes a designated game event, allowing the virtual character to leave the game scene and win the game. In related art, the way a virtual character wins is independent of whether the virtual character's teammates successfully leave the game scene, and players in a team playing a team game have no direct interest in the game results between teammates. This reduces players' motivation to form teams, causes players to lose the game experience of forming teams, and reduces the players' gaming experience. Based on this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a virtual character control method, apparatus, and electronic device that can be applied to devices such as mobile phones, computers, laptops, and tablets.

[0015] The method for controlling a virtual character in an embodiment of the present disclosure can be executed on a local terminal device or a server. If the method for controlling a virtual character is executed on a server, the method can be implemented and executed based on a cloud interaction system including a server and a client device.

[0016] In an alternative embodiment, various cloud applications, such as cloud games, can be executed under the cloud interaction system. Taking cloud games as an example, cloud games refer to a gaming method based on cloud computing. In a cloud game execution mode, the execution entity of the game program and the presentation entity of the game screen are separated. The virtual character control method is stored and executed on the cloud game server. The role of the client device is used to receive and transmit data and present the game screen. For example, the client device may be a display device with data transmission capabilities close to the user, such as a mobile terminal, television, computer, or handheld computer. However, it is the cloud game server in the cloud that performs information processing. When playing a game, the player operates the client device to send operation commands to the cloud game server. The cloud game server executes the game based on the operation commands, encodes and compresses data such as game screens, returns the data to the client device via a network, and finally decodes and outputs the game screens via the client device.

[0017] In an alternative embodiment, a local terminal device stores a game program and renders a game screen. The local terminal device is used to interact with a player via a graphical user interface. That is, a game program can be downloaded, installed, and executed via a conventional electronic device. The local terminal device can provide the graphical user interface to a player in various ways, such as by rendering the graphical user interface on a display screen of the terminal or by projection mapping. For example, the local terminal device can include a display and a processor, where the display presents a graphical user interface including a game screen, and the processor executes the game, generates the graphical user interface, and controls the display of the graphical user interface.

[0018] In an alternative embodiment, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for controlling a virtual character, providing a graphical user interface via a first terminal device, where the first terminal device may be the aforementioned local terminal device or a client device in the aforementioned cloud interaction system, where the content displayed on the graphical user interface includes at least a part of a game scene, where the game scene includes at least one evacuation point, and the at least one evacuation point is used to provide a game evacuation service for a virtual character that meets an evacuation condition. As shown in FIG. 1 , the method includes the following steps:

[0019] In step S102, in response to a follow-up evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, a target virtual character that can evacuate together with the first virtual character is determined based on a preset team evacuation rule, the first virtual character is controlled by a first terminal device, and the first virtual character and the target virtual character belong to the same game camp.

[0020] The graphical user interface displays a game screen of a game scene. Specifically, a screen of the game scene formed by a virtual camera corresponding to a first virtual character is collected. The game scene includes the first virtual character and a teammate virtual character who is on the same side as the first virtual character. The first virtual character may be a fugitive or a pursued character during the game. In an actual game, the first virtual character usually has multiple teammate virtual characters, such as two or three teammate virtual characters. A player can control the first virtual character's entry into the game scene by clicking a start game control in the game start interface. The graphical user interface displays a game screen of the game scene. This game screen may be a first-person perspective screen or a third-person perspective screen of the first virtual character. Typically, the game also includes at least one enemy virtual character who is on a different side from the first virtual character. The target virtual character is typically controlled by a second terminal device.

[0021] The target retreat point is typically a preset scene position, which may be a retreat position for a virtual character. After a virtual character in a game scene moves to the target retreat point, a target game action is performed to ensure that the first virtual character meets the retreat condition corresponding to the target retreat point, triggering a follow-up retreat time. Alternatively, the target game action may not be performed, and the game system automatically triggers a follow-up retreat event after detecting that the first virtual character has moved to the target retreat point. Here, the target game action may be clicking a control, controlling the first virtual character's jumping action, riding action, password lock recovery, etc. The follow-up retreat event typically refers to the first virtual character's retreat action and can be understood as an event in which the first virtual character leaves the game scene.

[0022] At the same time as triggering the follow-and-evacuation event, it is necessary to determine a target virtual character that will follow the first virtual character and evacuate together based on a pre-specified team evacuation rule, among which the team evacuation rule includes at least a pre-set evacuation rule for the first virtual character and a pre-set evacuation rule for a teammate virtual character that belongs to the same game camp as the first virtual character, and the evacuation rule includes whether the first virtual character wants to evacuate together with the teammate virtual character, and whether the first virtual character wants to evacuate together with the teammate virtual character by following the teammate virtual character. Therefore, based on the pre-specified team evacuation rules, it is possible to determine a preset evacuation rule for a first virtual character and a preset evacuation rule for a teammate virtual character belonging to the same team camp as the first virtual character. Based on the evacuation rules, it is possible to determine whether the first virtual character wants to evacuate with the teammate virtual character, and whether the teammate virtual character wants to follow the first virtual character to evacuate. If the first virtual character wants to evacuate with the teammate virtual character, and a target teammate virtual character among the teammate virtual characters wants to follow the first virtual character to evacuate together, it is possible to determine that the target teammate virtual character is a target virtual character that can follow the first virtual character to evacuate together.

[0023] The above-mentioned team evacuation rules are usually set before the start of a game. For example, when a first virtual character evacuates from a game, the teammate virtual character is permitted to follow, that is, the teammate virtual character is permitted to follow the first virtual character and evacuate the game together. Furthermore, when a teammate virtual character evacuates from a game, the teammate virtual character can actually follow the teammate virtual character and evacuate from the game, and this can be set in advance using a control selection method.

[0024] In step S104, the first virtual character is controlled to retreat together with the target virtual character from the game.

[0025] In addition, if an evacuation rule is set in advance for a first virtual character to evacuate together with a teammate virtual character, when a target virtual character that can evacuate together with the first virtual character is determined after the first virtual character triggers a follow-up evacuation event, the first virtual character is controlled to evacuate from the game together with the target virtual character. In other words, the target virtual character will perform the act of evacuating from the game in the same way as the first virtual character, regardless of whether or not the target evacuation point is present.

[0026] In a virtual character control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in response to a following evacuation event triggered by a first virtual character at a target evacuation point, a target virtual character that follows the first virtual character and evacuates together is determined based on a pre-specified team evacuation rule, the first virtual character and the target virtual character belong to the same game camp, and the first virtual character can be controlled to evacuate from the game together with the target virtual character. In this way, based on the pre-specified team evacuation rule, evacuation rules for the first virtual character and evacuation rules for virtual characters that belong to the same game camp as the first virtual character are determined, and a target virtual character that evacuates together with the first virtual character is determined, and the first virtual character can be controlled to evacuate from the game together with the target virtual character, thereby increasing players' motivation to form teams in the game and further improving the player's gaming experience.

[0027] In the above step S104, the control of the first virtual character and the target virtual character to retreat from the game together may be performed in an optional embodiment by: In response to the number of target virtual characters being zero, the method includes controlling the first virtual character to withdraw from the game within a first predetermined time period.

[0028] The first predetermined time can be set in advance according to the needs of the game, for example, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, etc. Alternatively, the first predetermined time can be positively correlated with the number of virtual items carried by the first virtual character. For example, if the first virtual character does not carry any virtual items, the first predetermined time is 30 seconds, and if the first virtual character carries a first number (e.g., one) of virtual items, the first predetermined time is 35 seconds. In an actual implementation, the first virtual character is controlled to be positioned at the target escape point, and after waiting the first predetermined time, the first virtual character is controlled to leave the game scene.

[0029] In other embodiments, In response to the number of target virtual characters being non-zero, the first virtual character and the target virtual character are controlled to withdraw from the game within a second predetermined time, where the second predetermined time is greater than the first predetermined time and has a positive correlation with the number of target virtual characters, and where the second predetermined time is further positively correlated with the number of virtual items acquired by the first virtual character and the target virtual character during the game.

[0030] The second predetermined time can be preset according to the needs of the game, and may be, for example, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, or the like. Alternatively, the second predetermined time may be positively correlated with the number of target virtual characters and the number of virtual items carried by the target virtual characters. For example, if the number of target virtual characters is 1, the second predetermined time is 35 seconds, and if the number of target virtual characters is 2, the second predetermined time is 40 seconds. Alternatively, if the number of target virtual characters is 1 and the number of virtual items acquired by the target virtual character in the game is 0, the second predetermined time is 35 seconds, and if the number of target virtual characters is 2 and the number of virtual items acquired by the target virtual character in the game is 1, the second predetermined time is 40 seconds. In actual implementation, the first virtual character is controlled to be positioned at the target evacuation point, and the target virtual character is controlled to be positioned at a specified position or its current position. After waiting for the second predetermined time, the first virtual character and the target virtual character are controlled to simultaneously leave the game scene.

[0031] In this method, taking balance into consideration, if a teammate cancels evacuation with the player or if the virtual items held by the player and teammate decrease, the player's evacuation time will decrease, improving the fun and playability of the game.

[0032] In a possible embodiment, the first virtual character may be controlled to retreat from the game together with the target virtual character, The method includes controlling to display first presentation information on a graphical user interface, the first presentation information including at least first target time information, the first target time information being used to indicate a waiting time length required for at least a first virtual character to retreat from the game together with the target virtual character, and controlling to cause the first virtual character to retreat from the game together with the target virtual character in response to achievement of the waiting time length.

[0033] When actually implemented, the graphical user interface is controlled to display first presentation information, a first target time, and a countdown of the first target time, wherein the first presentation information is used to present that the first virtual character is withdrawing from the game, and the first target time is the first predetermined time or the second predetermined time, and is used to present the waiting time required for the first virtual character to withdraw from the game, or the waiting time required for the first virtual character to withdraw from the game together with the target virtual character.

[0034] For example, as shown in FIG. 2, "Team Evacuating" corresponds to the first presentation information and is used to notify the player that the current first virtual character is withdrawing from the game. "Teammate A" in FIG. 2 corresponds to the first virtual character controlled by the player. "20 seconds" in FIG. 2 corresponds to the first target time, and the black stripes in FIG. 2 correspond to the countdown of the first target time. Note that the waiting time required for the first virtual character to withdraw from the game itself is usually 5 seconds, and this time must be increased by 5 seconds each time a target virtual character is added to withdraw from the game together with the first virtual character. The 20 seconds shown in FIG. 2 can be used to notify the player that the target virtual character (i.e., the teammate virtual character) is currently withdrawing from the game. Judging from the displayed 20 seconds, it can be inferred that the first virtual character is withdrawing from the game together with three target virtual characters, i.e., the first virtual character is withdrawing with three teammate virtual characters.

[0035] It is understood that the first target time is related to the number of target virtual characters and the number of virtual items carried by the first virtual characters. Alternatively, the first target time is related to the number of target virtual characters, or the first target time is related to the number of virtual items carried by the first virtual character. Specifically, each time a virtual character is added that follows the first virtual character and retreats from the game, the first target time and the first target time countdown increase by a predetermined time, such as 5 seconds or 10 seconds.

[0036] In this method, if there is a teammate who follows the player and evacuates together, the player's game interface displays the presentation information and the time required for evacuation, and presents the player with the current evacuation status.

[0037] Furthermore, controlling the first virtual character to retreat together with the target virtual character from the game includes canceling the retreat game of the target virtual character in response to cancellation of the retreat of the target virtual character from the game together with the first virtual character, and controlling the first target time and the countdown of the first target time to decrease the first specified time; Alternatively, in response to the first number of virtual items acquired by the first virtual character and the target virtual character in a game match decreasing, the first target time and the countdown of the first target time are controlled to decrease the second specified time.

[0038] The first specified time is typically preset according to the actual needs of the game, such as 5 seconds or 10 seconds. The first number typically refers to a virtual item and is typically preset according to the actual needs of the game, such as 0.2 seconds or 0.5 seconds. When a first virtual character withdraws from a game with a target virtual character and the following target virtual character cancels the follow, the first target time and the countdown of the first target time displayed on the graphical user interface are updated and the first target time and the countdown of the first target time are decreased. When a first virtual character withdraws from a game with a target virtual character and the number of virtual items carried by the first virtual character decreases by one, the first target time and the countdown of the first target time displayed on the graphical user interface are also updated. For example, if there were three target virtual characters withdrawing from a game with the first virtual character, but now there are only two, the first target time is changed from 20 seconds to 15 seconds. Also, for example, if the first virtual character originally had five virtual items but now has four, the first target time will change from 1 second to 0.8 seconds.

[0039] Hereinafter, in response to a follow-and-evacuation event triggered by a first virtual character at a target evacuation point, determining a target virtual character to follow the first virtual character and evacuate together based on pre-specified team evacuation rules includes, in possible embodiments, the following:

[0040] (1) in response to a follow-avoid event triggered by a first virtual character at a target avoid point, determine a first avoid rule pre-specified by the first virtual character and a second avoid rule pre-specified by a second virtual character, wherein the second virtual character is a virtual character controlled by a second terminal device; The first evacuation rule designated in advance by the first virtual character is determined as follows: In response to the start of a game match, a preset team evacuation rule is displayed on a graphical user interface, where the team evacuation rule includes at least whether or not a player wants to evacuate together with a teammate and whether or not a player wants to evacuate together with a teammate, and in response to a selection operation for a target evacuation rule in the team evacuation rules, the target evacuation rule is determined as a first evacuation rule for the first virtual character.

[0041] Specifically, in response to a start of a game, a retraction control for a first virtual character is displayed on a graphical user interface; in response to a first trigger operation of the retraction control for the first virtual character, a first retraction rule for the first virtual character is determined; The above-mentioned evacuation control typically includes a first and a second evacuation control. When the player clicks the first evacuation control, the determined team evacuation rule for the first virtual character becomes the first evacuation rule, which means that the first virtual character wants to evacuate together with the target virtual character who is his teammate. When the player clicks the second evacuation control, the determined team evacuation rule for the first virtual character becomes the second evacuation rule, which means that the first virtual character wants to evacuate together by following the first virtual character who is his teammate.

[0042] Illustratively, as shown in FIG. 3, "Bring other teammates along when evacuating" is an evacuation control, and when the player clicks "Yes," the determined team evacuation rule for the first virtual character is the first evacuation rule, that is, the player wants to evacuate together with the target virtual character who is his teammate. When the player clicks "No," the determined evacuation rule for the first virtual character is that the player does not want to evacuate together with the target virtual character who is his teammate.

[0043] Similarly, the second evacuation rule is determined as follows: in response to receiving follow operation information for the follow control of the teammate virtual character, the second evacuation rule of the teammate virtual character is determined, wherein the teammate virtual character is controlled via a second terminal device, a graphical user interface provided by the second terminal device includes the follow control of the teammate virtual character, and the second evacuation rule of the teammate virtual character is used by the second terminal device to obtain follow operation information of the follow control of the teammate virtual character in response to a second trigger operation on the follow control of the teammate virtual character.

[0044] Similarly, the player's teammate may set his / her own evacuation rule on the controlled second terminal device, as shown in Figure 3. "Follow teammate to evacuate" is the follow control of the teammate virtual character, and the teammate can click "Yes", and the determined team evacuation rule of the teammate virtual character is the second evacuation rule that he / she wants to follow the first virtual character who is his / her teammate and evacuate together. If the teammate clicks "No", the determined team evacuation rule of the teammate virtual character is that he / she does not want to evacuate together with the first virtual character who is his / her teammate.

[0045] When the teammates make their selections, the second terminal device transmits the selected information to the first terminal device, and can further determine a team evacuation rule for each teammate virtual character. In this manner, by selecting the team evacuation rule for the virtual characters in advance, players can obtain benefits from teaming up in the game, and can increase players' motivation to team up.

[0046] (2) Based on the first evacuation rule and the second evacuation rule, a target virtual character among the second virtual characters that can evacuate together with the first virtual character is determined, the first evacuation rule including at least a desire to evacuate together with a teammate, and the second evacuation rule including at least a desire to follow the teammate and evacuate together.

[0047] In one possible embodiment, if a first virtual character pre-sets an evacuation rule that dictates that the first virtual character wants to evacuate together with a second virtual character who is a teammate, and the second virtual character pre-sets an evacuation rule that dictates that the second virtual character wants to follow the first virtual character who is a teammate and evacuate together, the second virtual character is directly determined as a target virtual character that can evacuate together with the first virtual character.

[0048] In another possible embodiment, based on the above, the position where the second virtual character is located can be determined, and specifically, based on the position of the target evacuation point and the position of the second virtual character, a target virtual character that can be evacuated together with the first virtual character can be determined from the second virtual character.

[0049] Specifically, a target virtual character that can retreat together with the first virtual character is determined from among the second virtual characters based on the first retreat rule, the second retreat rule, and the position of the target retreat point in the game playing scene.

[0050] Specifically, a thumbnail of a game map is displayed on a graphical user interface, a target scene area is determined, where the target scene area is a scene area having a center at the target escape point and a radius of a first numerical value, an area indicator of the target scene area is displayed on the thumbnail of the game map, and a target virtual character in a scene area other than the target escape point within the target scene area is determined.

[0051] In this embodiment, when a player controls a first virtual character to move to a target retreat point in a game scene, the game system automatically determines a target scene area with the target retreat point as the center and a first number as the radius, and determines a second virtual character located in the target scene area but not at the target retreat point as a target virtual character, where the first number is usually preset according to the actual needs of the game, such as 200 meters or 300 meters.

[0052] The graphical user interface also displays a thumbnail of the game map, typically in the upper right corner of the graphical interface. Typically, the thumbnail of the game map displays a location indicator of the player in the game scene. Once a target scene area is determined, the thumbnail of the game map displays an area indicator of the target scene area. For example, the thumbnail of the game map shown in FIG. 4 shows a game map whose escape point corresponds to the target escape point, and the range within which follow-up escape can be triggered corresponds to the target scene area. In this method, by setting the target scene area in the surrounding area of ​​the specified scene position, a second virtual character in the target scene area is identified as the target virtual character, further enhancing team play.

[0053] Furthermore, in response to the target virtual character moving to the target evacuation point, the controller cancels the joint evacuation of the target virtual character and the first virtual character from the game, and controls the target virtual character to evacue alone from the game.

[0054] When a target virtual character retreats from a game together with a first virtual character, a teammate can usually control the movement of the target virtual character, and when the teammate moves the target virtual character from a position in the target scene area to the target retreat point, the target virtual character cancels its retreat from the game by following the first virtual character and changes to a normal individual retreat from the game, and does not follow other virtual characters.

[0055] Furthermore, in response to the target virtual character moving to a scene position outside the target scene area, the target virtual character cancels following the first virtual character and retreating together from the game.

[0056] Similarly, when a teammate controls a target virtual character to move from a position in the target scene area to a scene area other than the target scene area, the target virtual character follows the first virtual character and cancels their withdrawal from the game.

[0057] Next, before controlling the first virtual character to retreat together with the target virtual character from the game, the method includes: This includes acquiring character position information of a first virtual character and a target virtual character in a game match scene, and broadcasting the character position information so that all virtual characters participating in the game match can know the positions of the first virtual character and the target virtual character in the game match scene via the character position information.

[0058] In one possible embodiment, a thumbnail of a game map is displayed on a graphical user interface provided by the third terminal device, and in response to the target virtual character and the target virtual character retreating together from the game match, i.e., upon receiving character position information, the third terminal device displays on the game map a character position indicator of the first virtual character in the game match scene and a character position indicator of the target virtual character in the game match.

[0059] Typically, the upper right corner of the graphical user interface displays position indicators for the first virtual character and the target virtual character. Illustratively, as shown in FIG. 6, these are triangular markers that "mark the position of the retreating player on the map," and are the position indicators for the first virtual character in the game playing scene.

[0060] Alternatively, the game map is not displayed, and after receiving the character position information, a character position indicator of the character position information is directly displayed on the graphical user interface to indicate the relative positions of the first virtual character and the target virtual character with respect to the third virtual character.

[0061] The third terminal device also controls a graphical user interface to display third presentation information and a viewpoint image of the first virtual character or the target virtual character. Here, the third presentation information is used to present that the opponent virtual character is currently retreating from the game to follow the teammate. The viewpoint image is obtained by capturing a game scene shot by a virtual camera corresponding to the first virtual character or a game scene shot by a virtual camera corresponding to the target virtual character.

[0062] For example, as shown in Figure 6, "there is a player retreating following" corresponds to the third presented information, and the "viewpoint image of the retreating player" here is the virtual character shown, that is, the first virtual character. In this method, the position of the character at the time of retreat is revealed to the local player, thereby improving the strategic nature of the game.

[0063] A method for controlling a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a graphical user interface by a second terminal device, and the content displayed on the graphical user interface includes at least a part of a game match scene, the game match scene includes at least one evacuation point, and the at least one evacuation point is used to provide a game match evacuation service for a virtual character that meets an evacuation condition, and as shown in FIG. 7 , the method includes the following steps:

[0064] In step S702, in response to a follow-up retreat event triggered by the first virtual character at the target retreat point, it is determined whether the second virtual character satisfies a specified follow-up retreat condition, where the first virtual character is controlled by a first terminal device, the second virtual character is controlled by a second terminal device, the first virtual character and the second virtual character belong to the same game camp, and the follow-up retreat condition is used to indicate whether the second virtual character is allowed to follow the first virtual character and retreat from the game.

[0065] In this embodiment, the second terminal device is the execution subject, and when a follow-and-escape event is triggered by a teammate virtual character (i.e., the first virtual character) at a target evacuation point, the second virtual character determines whether or not it wants to follow the first virtual character, who is its teammate, and evacuate from the game based on evacuation rules preset by the player.

[0066] Specifically, a follow-up evacuation event for the target evacuation point is triggered in response to a first virtual character moving to a target evacuation point in a game playing scene and the first virtual character satisfying an evacuation condition corresponding to the target evacuation point.

[0067] In step S704, in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified follow-and-escape condition, the second virtual character and the first virtual character are controlled to retreat together from the game.

[0068] Specifically, in response to a follow-and-escape event triggered by a first virtual character at a target evacuation point, a first evacuation rule pre-specified by the first virtual character and a second evacuation rule pre-specified by the second virtual character are determined, and based on the first evacuation rule and the second evacuation rule, it is determined whether the second virtual character satisfies the specified follow-and-escape condition, wherein the first evacuation rule at least includes whether the second virtual character wants to evacuate together with a teammate, and the second evacuation rule at least includes whether the second virtual character wants to follow and evacuate together with the teammate.

[0069] In the above embodiment, in response to a following-avoidance event triggered by a first virtual character at a target avoidance point, it is determined whether a second virtual character satisfies a specified following-avoidance condition, where the first virtual character is controlled by a first terminal device, the second virtual character is controlled by a second terminal device, the first virtual character and the second virtual character belong to the same game camp, the following-avoidance condition is used to indicate whether the second virtual character is allowed to follow the first virtual character and avoid the game, and in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified following-avoidance condition, the second virtual character is controlled to avoid the game together with the first virtual character. In this method, the evacuation rules for a first virtual character and for virtual characters on the same side as the first virtual character can be determined using pre-specified team evacuation rules, and a second virtual character that can be evacuated together with the first virtual character is determined, and a game match in which the first virtual character and the second virtual character are evacuated together is controlled, increasing players' motivation to form teams during the game and ultimately enhancing the players' gaming experience.

[0070] In a possible embodiment, determining whether a second virtual character satisfies a specified turnaround condition in response to a turnaround event triggered by the first virtual character at a target turnaround point includes: In response to a follow-and-escape event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, the method includes determining a first evacuation rule pre-specified by the first virtual character, a second evacuation rule pre-specified by the second virtual character, and the position of the target evacuation point in the game match scene; and determining whether the second virtual character satisfies the follow-and-escape condition specified based on the first evacuation rule, the second evacuation rule, and the position of the target evacuation point in the game match scene, wherein the first evacuation rule includes at least whether the second virtual character wants to evacuate together with a teammate, and the second evacuation rule includes at least whether the second virtual character wants to follow and evacuate together with the teammate.

[0071] The method further includes controlling the graphical user interface to display second presentation information, a second target time, a countdown of the second target time, and a follow cancel control, wherein the second presentation information is used to present that the second virtual character is following the first virtual character and withdrawing from the game, and the second target time is used to present a waiting time required for the second virtual character to follow the first virtual character and withdraw from the game.

[0072] In addition, in another embodiment, controlling the second virtual character to retreat together with the first virtual character from the game in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified follow-up retreat condition includes controlling to generate a target retreat area in the game scene in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified follow-up retreat condition, and controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to retreat together from the game in response to the second virtual character being present in the target retreat area.

[0073] For example, when a second virtual character follows a first virtual character and retreats from a game together, as shown in FIG. 5, "Teammate A will lead the retreat" corresponds to the second presentation information, of which 20 seconds corresponds to the second target time, and the gray and black bar frame here corresponds to the countdown of the second target time. "Cancel following" here corresponds to the cancel following control described above. In this embodiment, teammate A is the first virtual character, and teammate B is the second virtual character.

[0074] The target escape area may be a circular area with a specified radius and a center at the location where the second virtual character is located. Alternatively, the target escape area may be a circular area with a specified radius and a center at the specified location. When actually implemented, a tracking effect may be displayed in the target escape area, such as highlighting the target escape area, displaying the target escape area in a specified color, displaying a colored circle in the target escape area, or flashing the circle. An example of the "escape area" shown in Figure 5, i.e., the tracking effect described above, may be displayed. Displaying the tracking effect further indicates the player's tracking status, enhancing the game experience.

[0075] When actually implemented, the first virtual character and the second virtual character can retreat from the game simply by the player controlling the second virtual character and waiting for the second target time in the target retreat area.

[0076] In response to a trigger operation on the follow cancel control, the second virtual character cancels following the first virtual character and retreating together from the game.

[0077] In a possible embodiment, controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to evacuate together from the game in response to the second virtual character being present in the target evacuation area includes controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to evacuate together from the game in response to the second virtual character entering the target evacuation area within a specified time.

[0078] The specified time is the waiting time required for both the first virtual character and the second virtual character to retreat from the game, i.e., the second virtual character must wait in the target retreat area for the waiting time to complete the game action of retreating from the game together.

[0079] In another embodiment, controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to retreat together from the game in response to the second virtual character being present in the target retreat area includes controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to retreat together from the game in response to the second virtual character being present in the target retreat area and completing a specified game behavior within the target retreat area.

[0080] The above-specified game behaviors include neither attacking nor being attacked, etc. For example, after generating a target evacuation area, a player can control a second virtual character to be located in the target evacuation area, and then control the second virtual character to retreat from the game together with the first virtual character. However, when the second virtual character is located in the target evacuation area, the player usually needs to prevent the second virtual character from retreating from the target evacuation area, not attack other virtual characters, and not allow other virtual characters to attack the second virtual character. Only after completing the above game behaviors can the second virtual character and the first virtual character be controlled to retreat from the game together.

[0081] In other words, when the player controls the second virtual character to leave the target escape area, the second virtual character cancels the escape from the game with the first virtual character. Similarly, when the second virtual character is attacked or attacks another virtual character, the second virtual character cancels the escape from the game with the first virtual character. At this time, the second presentation information, the second target time, and the countdown of the second target time displayed on the graphical user interface are canceled, and the tracking control is also canceled.

[0082] Before controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to withdraw from the game, the method includes obtaining character position information of the first virtual character and the second virtual character in the game scene, and broadcasting the character position information so that all virtual characters participating in the game can know the positions of the first virtual character and the second virtual character in the game scene through the character position information.

[0083] Corresponding to the above-mentioned method embodiments, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a control device for a virtual character, and provides a graphical user interface through a first terminal device, wherein the content displayed on the graphical user interface includes at least a part of a game game scene, the game game scene includes at least one evacuation point, and the at least one evacuation point is used to provide a game game evacuation service for the virtual character that meets the evacuation condition, and as shown in FIG. 8 , the device includes: a first determination module 81 and a first evacuation module 82; the first determination module 81 is configured to determine a target virtual character that can evacuate together with the first virtual character based on a preset team evacuation rule in response to a following evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, the first virtual character being controlled by a first terminal device, and the first virtual character and the target virtual character belonging to the same game camp; The first evacuation module 82 is configured to control the first virtual character to evacuate together with the target virtual character from the game.

[0084] The present disclosure provides a virtual character control device that, in response to a follow-and-evacuation event triggered by a first virtual character at a target evacuation point, determines a target virtual character that follows the first virtual character and evacuates together based on a pre-specified team evacuation rule, the first virtual character and the target virtual character belong to the same game camp, and can control the first virtual character to evacuate from the game together with the target virtual character. In this way, based on the pre-specified team evacuation rule, the device determines an evacuation rule for the first virtual character and an evacuation rule for virtual characters that belong to the same game camp as the first virtual character, and further determines a target virtual character that evacuates together with the first virtual character, and can control the first virtual character to evacuate from the game together with the target virtual character, thereby increasing players' motivation to form teams in the game and further improving the player's gaming experience.

[0085] Optionally, in response to the number of target virtual characters being zero, the first virtual character is controlled to withdraw from the game within a first predetermined time period.

[0086] Optionally, in response to the number of target virtual characters not being zero, the method includes controlling the first virtual character and the target virtual character to withdraw from the game within a second predetermined time period, the second predetermined time period being greater than the first predetermined time period, and the second predetermined time period having a positive correlation with the number of target virtual characters.

[0087] Optionally, the second predetermined time period is further positively correlated with the number of virtual items acquired by the first virtual character and the target virtual character in the game match.

[0088] Optionally, control is performed to display first presentation information on the graphical user interface, the first presentation information including at least first target time information, the first target time information being used to indicate a waiting time length required for at least the first virtual character to withdraw from the game together with the target virtual character, and control is performed to cause the first virtual character to withdraw from the game together with the target virtual character in response to the waiting time length being achieved.

[0089] Optionally, in response to a follow-and-escape event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, a first evacuation rule pre-specified by the first virtual character and a second evacuation rule pre-specified by the second virtual character are determined, the second virtual character being a virtual character controlled by a second terminal device, and based on the first evacuation rule and the second evacuation rule, a target virtual character among the second virtual characters that can evacuate together with the first virtual character is determined, the first evacuation rule at least including a desire to evacuate together with a teammate, and the second evacuation rule at least including a desire to follow and evacuate together with the teammate.

[0090] Optionally, the control device of the virtual character further includes a rule determination module, which is configured to display pre-set team evacuation rules on the graphical user interface in response to the start of a game match, the team evacuation rules including at least whether the player wants to evacuate with a teammate and whether the player wants to evacuate together with the teammate, and whether the player wants to follow the teammate and evacuate together, and to determine the target evacuation rule as a first evacuation rule for the first virtual character in response to a selection operation for a target evacuation rule in the team evacuation rules.

[0091] Optionally, the rule determination module is further configured to determine a target virtual character among the second virtual characters that can be evacuated together with the first virtual character based on the first evacuation rule, the second evacuation rule, and the position of the target evacuation point in the game play scene.

[0092] Optionally, the control device for the virtual character further includes a first trigger module, which is configured to trigger a follow-escape event to the target evacuation point in response to the first virtual character moving to the target evacuation point in the game playing scene and the first virtual character satisfying an evacuation condition corresponding to the target evacuation point.

[0093] Optionally, the virtual character control device further includes a first transmission module, which is configured to obtain character position information of the first virtual character and the target virtual character in the game match scene, and broadcast the character position information so that all virtual characters participating in the game match can know the positions of the first virtual character and the target virtual character in the game match scene through the character position information.

[0094] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a control device for a virtual character, and provides a graphical user interface through a second terminal device, wherein the content displayed on the graphical user interface includes at least a part of a game scene, the game scene includes at least one evacuation point, and the at least one evacuation point is used to provide a game evacuation service for a virtual character that meets an evacuation condition, and as shown in FIG. 9 , the device includes: a second determination module 91 and a second evacuation module 92; the second determination module 91 is configured to determine whether the second virtual character satisfies a specified following-avoidance condition in response to a following-avoidance event triggered by the first virtual character at the target avoidance point, the first virtual character being controlled by a first terminal device, the second virtual character being controlled by a second terminal device, the first virtual character and the second virtual character belonging to the same game camp, and the following-avoidance condition being used to indicate whether the second virtual character is allowed to follow the first virtual character and evacuate from the game; The second evacuation module 92 is configured to control the second virtual character to evacuate together with the first virtual character from the game in response to the second virtual character satisfying a specified follow-up evacuation condition.

[0095] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a control device for a virtual character, which determines whether a second virtual character satisfies a specified following-escape condition in response to a following-escape event triggered by a first virtual character at a target evacuation point, the first virtual character being controlled by a first terminal device, the second virtual character being controlled by a second terminal device, the first virtual character and the second virtual character belonging to the same game camp, the following-escape condition being used to indicate whether the second virtual character is allowed to follow the first virtual character and retreat from the game, and in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified following-escape condition, controls the second virtual character to retreat from the game together with the first virtual character. In this way, based on the pre-specified team evacuation rules, the evacuation rules for the first virtual character and the evacuation rules for the virtual characters belonging to the same game camp as the first virtual character are determined, and further, a target virtual character that will evacuate together with the first virtual character is determined, and control can be performed so that the first virtual character and the target virtual character evacuate together from the game, thereby increasing the players' motivation to form teams during the game and further improving the players' gaming experience. Optionally, the control device for the virtual character further includes a second trigger module, which is configured to trigger a follow-escape event to the target evacuation point in response to the first virtual character moving to the target evacuation point in the game playing scene and the first virtual character satisfying an evacuation condition corresponding to the target evacuation point.

[0096] Optionally, the second determination module is further configured to, in response to a follow-escape event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, determine a first evacuation rule pre-specified by the first virtual character and a second evacuation rule pre-specified by the second virtual character, and determine whether the second virtual character satisfies a specified follow-evacuation condition based on the first evacuation rule and the second evacuation rule, wherein the first evacuation rule includes at least whether the second virtual character wants to evacuate together with a teammate, and the second evacuation rule includes at least whether the second virtual character wants to follow the teammate and evacuate together.

[0097] Optionally, the second determination module is further configured to, in response to a follow-evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, determine a first evacuation rule pre-specified for the first virtual character, a second evacuation rule pre-specified for the second virtual character, and a position of the target evacuation point in the game match scene, and determine whether the second virtual character satisfies a specified follow-evacuation condition based on the first evacuation rule, the second evacuation rule, and the position of the target evacuation point in the game match scene, wherein the first evacuation rule includes at least whether the second virtual character wants to evacuate together with a teammate, and the second evacuation rule includes at least whether the second virtual character wants to follow and evacuate together with the teammate.

[0098] Optionally, the second evacuation module is further configured to control, in response to the second virtual character satisfying a specified follow-evacuation condition, to generate a target evacuation area in the game play scene, and to control, in response to the second virtual character being present in the target evacuation area, to cause the second virtual character and the first virtual character to evacuate together from the game play.

[0099] Optionally, the second evacuation module is further configured to control the second virtual character and the first virtual character to evacuate together from the game match in response to the second virtual character entering the target evacuation area within a specified time.

[0100] Optionally, the second evacuation module is further configured to control the second virtual character and the first virtual character to evacuate together from the game match in response to the second virtual character being in the target evacuation area and completing a specified game behavior within the target evacuation area.

[0101] Optionally, the virtual character control device further includes a second transmission module, which is configured to obtain character position information of the first virtual character and the second virtual character in the game match scene, and broadcast the character position information so that all virtual characters participating in the game match know the positions of the first virtual character and the second virtual character in the game match scene through the character position information.

[0102] The virtual character control device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure has the same technical features as the virtual character control method provided by the above embodiments, and can therefore solve the same technical problems and achieve the same technical effects.

[0103] The present embodiment also provides an electronic device, which may be a server or a terminal device, including a memory storing machine-executable instructions executable by the processor, and a processor executing the processor control method capable of executing the instructions to realize the virtual character described above.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 10, the electronic device includes a processor 100 that executes machine-executable instructions for implementing the above-described method for controlling a virtual character, and a memory 101 that stores the machine-executable instructions.

[0105] Furthermore, the electronic device shown in FIG. 10 further includes a processor 100, a communication interface 103, and a memory 101 connected via a bus 102.

[0106] Here, the memory 101 may include a high-speed random access memory (RAM) and may also include a non-volatile memory such as at least one disk memory. A communication connection between this system element and at least one other element is realized by at least one communication interface 103 (which may be wired or wireless), and may use the Internet, a wide area network, a local network, a metropolitan network, etc. The bus 102 may be an ISA bus, a PCI bus, an EISA bus, etc. The bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one double arrow is shown in FIG. 10, but this does not necessarily represent only one bus or one type of bus.

[0107] The processor 100 may be an integrated circuit chip having signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above-described method may be performed by an integrated logic circuit of hardware in the processor 100 or by instructions in software format. The processor 100 may be a general-purpose processor, including a central processor (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component. The methods, steps, and logical block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented or executed. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be directly implemented as a hardware decoding processor execution completion, or can be implemented as a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor execution completion. The software modules can exist in a storage medium mature in the art, such as random memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, register, etc. This storage medium is located in memory 101, and processor 100 reads information in memory 101 and combines with the hardware to complete the steps of the virtual character control method of the above embodiment, thereby achieving a virtual character control method using a first terminal device as the execution subject, specifically, The method includes determining a target virtual character that can evacuate together with the first virtual character based on a preset team evacuation rule in response to a follow-up evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, the first virtual character being controlled by a first terminal device, the first virtual character and the target virtual character belonging to the same game camp, and controlling the first virtual character to evacuate together with the target virtual character from the game. In this way, the evacuation rule for the first virtual character and the evacuation rule for virtual characters that belong to the same game camp as the first virtual character are determined based on the preset team evacuation rule, and the target virtual character that can evacuate together with the first virtual character is determined and the first virtual character can be controlled to evacuate together with the target virtual character from the game, thereby increasing players' motivation to form teams in the game and further improving the player's gaming experience.

[0108] Optionally, controlling the first virtual character to withdraw from the game together with the target virtual character includes controlling the first virtual character to withdraw from the game within a first predetermined time in response to the number of target virtual characters being zero.

[0109] Optionally, controlling the first virtual character to withdraw from the game together with the target virtual character includes controlling the first virtual character and the target virtual character to withdraw from the game within a second predetermined time in response to the number of target virtual characters not being zero, the second predetermined time being greater than the first predetermined time, and the second predetermined time being positively correlated with the number of target virtual characters.

[0110] Optionally, the second predetermined time period is further positively correlated with the number of virtual items acquired by the first virtual character and the target virtual character in the game match.

[0111] Optionally, controlling the first virtual character to withdraw from the game together with the target virtual character includes controlling to display first presentation information on a graphical user interface, the first presentation information including at least first target time information, the first target time information being used to indicate a waiting time length required for at least the first virtual character to withdraw from the game together with the target virtual character, and controlling to cause the first virtual character to withdraw from the game together with the target virtual character in response to achievement of the waiting time length.

[0112] Optionally, determining a target virtual character to follow the first virtual character and retreat together based on a pre-specified team evacuation rule in response to a follow-evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point includes determining a first evacuation rule pre-specified by the first virtual character and a second evacuation rule pre-specified by the second virtual character in response to the follow-evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, the second virtual character being a virtual character controlled by a second terminal device, and determining a target virtual character among the second virtual characters that can retreat together with the first virtual character based on the first evacuation rule and the second evacuation rule, the first evacuation rule including at least a desire to bring a teammate to retreat together, and the second evacuation rule including at least a desire to follow the teammate and retreat together.

[0113] Optionally, the method for controlling a virtual character further includes, in response to the start of a game match, displaying a preset team evacuation rule on the graphical user interface, the team evacuation rule including at least whether the player wants to evacuate with a teammate and whether the player wants to evacuate together with the teammate, and whether the player wants to follow the teammate and evacuate together; and, in response to a selection operation for a target evacuation rule in the team evacuation rules, determining the target evacuation rule as a first evacuation rule for the first virtual character.

[0114] Optionally, determining a target virtual character among the second virtual characters that can be evacuated together with the first virtual character based on the first evacuation rule and the second evacuation rule includes determining a target virtual character among the second virtual characters that can be evacuated together with the first virtual character based on the first evacuation rule, the second evacuation rule, and the position of a target evacuation point in the game playing scene.

[0115] Optionally, the method for controlling a virtual character further includes triggering a follow-up escape event to the target escape point in response to the first virtual character moving to the target escape point in the game playing scene and the first virtual character satisfying an escape condition corresponding to the target escape point.

[0116] Optionally, before controlling the first virtual character to retreat together with the target virtual character from the game match, the method further includes obtaining character position information of the first virtual character and the target virtual character in the game match scene, and broadcasting the character position information so that all virtual characters participating in the game match can know the positions of the first virtual character and the target virtual character in the game match scene through the character position information.

[0117] Specifically, the method for controlling a virtual character using the second terminal device as the execution subject includes: The method includes determining whether a second virtual character satisfies a specified follow-and-escape condition in response to a follow-and-escape event triggered by the first virtual character at a target evacuation point, the first virtual character being controlled by a first terminal device, the second virtual character being controlled by a second terminal device, the first virtual character and the second virtual character belonging to the same game camp, and the follow-and-escape condition being used to indicate whether the second virtual character is allowed to follow the first virtual character and evacuate from the game game, and controlling the second virtual character to evacuate from the game game together with the first virtual character in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified follow-and-escape condition. In this way, based on the pre-specified team evacuation rules, the evacuation rules for the first virtual character and the evacuation rules for the virtual characters belonging to the same game camp as the first virtual character are determined, and further, a target virtual character that will evacuate together with the first virtual character is determined, and the first virtual character can be controlled to evacuate together with the target virtual character from the game, thereby increasing the players' motivation to form teams during the game and further improving the players' gaming experience.

[0118] Optionally, the method for controlling a virtual character further includes triggering a follow-up escape event to the target escape point in response to the first virtual character moving to the target escape point in the game playing scene and the first virtual character satisfying an escape condition corresponding to the target escape point.

[0119] Optionally, determining whether the second virtual character satisfies a specified follow-evacuation condition in response to a follow-evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point includes determining a first evacuation rule pre-specified by the first virtual character and a second evacuation rule pre-specified by the second virtual character in response to the follow-evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, and determining whether the first evacuation rule, the second evacuation rule, and the second virtual character satisfy the specified follow-evacuation condition, wherein the first evacuation rule includes at least whether the second virtual character wants to evacuate with a teammate, and the second evacuation rule includes at least whether the second virtual character wants to follow a teammate and evacuate together.

[0120] Optionally, determining whether the second virtual character satisfies a specified following evacuation condition in response to a following evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point includes determining a pre-specified first evacuation rule for the first virtual character, a pre-specified second evacuation rule for the second virtual character, and a position of the target evacuation point in the game play scene in response to the following evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, and determining whether the second virtual character satisfies the specified following evacuation condition based on the first evacuation rule, the second evacuation rule, and the position of the target evacuation point in the game play scene, wherein the first evacuation rule includes at least whether the second virtual character wants to evacuate with a teammate, and the second evacuation rule includes at least whether the second virtual character wants to follow and evacuate with the teammate.

[0121] Optionally, controlling the second virtual character to retreat together with the first virtual character from the game in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified follow-up retreat condition includes controlling to generate a target retreat area in the game scene in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified follow-up retreat condition, and controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to retreat together from the game in response to the second virtual character being in the target retreat area.

[0122] Optionally, controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to evacuate together from the game in response to the second virtual character being in the target evacuation area includes controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to evacuate together from the game in response to the second virtual character entering the target evacuation area within a specified time.

[0123] Optionally, controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to retreat together from the game in response to the second virtual character being present in the target retreat area includes controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to retreat together from the game in response to the second virtual character being present in the target retreat area and completing a specified game behavior within the target retreat area.

[0124] Optionally, before controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to retreat together from the game match, the method further includes obtaining character position information of the first virtual character and the second virtual character in the game match scene, and broadcasting the character position information so that all virtual characters participating in the game match know the positions of the first virtual character and the second virtual character in the game match scene through the character position information.

[0125] The present embodiment also provides a machine-readable storage medium storing machine-executable instructions that, when invoked and executed by a processor, facilitate a control method for causing the processor to realize the virtual character described above.

[0126] A method for controlling a virtual character using a first terminal device as an execution subject, specifically, The method includes determining a target virtual character that can evacuate together with the first virtual character based on a preset team evacuation rule in response to a follow-up evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, the first virtual character being controlled by a first terminal device, the first virtual character and the target virtual character belonging to the same game camp, and controlling the first virtual character to evacuate together with the target virtual character from the game. In this way, the evacuation rule for the first virtual character and the evacuation rule for virtual characters that belong to the same game camp as the first virtual character are determined based on the preset team evacuation rule, and the target virtual character that can evacuate together with the first virtual character is determined and the first virtual character can be controlled to evacuate together with the target virtual character from the game, thereby increasing players' motivation to form teams in the game and further improving the player's gaming experience.

[0127] Optionally, controlling the first virtual character to withdraw from the game together with the target virtual character includes controlling the first virtual character to withdraw from the game within a first predetermined time in response to the number of target virtual characters being zero.

[0128] Optionally, controlling the first virtual character to withdraw from the game together with the target virtual character includes controlling the first virtual character and the target virtual character to withdraw from the game within a second predetermined time in response to the number of target virtual characters not being zero, the second predetermined time being greater than the first predetermined time, and the second predetermined time being positively correlated with the number of target virtual characters.

[0129] Optionally, the second predetermined time period is further positively correlated with the number of virtual items acquired by the first virtual character and the target virtual character in the game match.

[0130] Optionally, controlling the first virtual character to withdraw from the game together with the target virtual character includes controlling to display first presentation information on a graphical user interface, the first presentation information including at least first target time information, the first target time information being used to indicate a waiting time length required for at least the first virtual character to withdraw from the game together with the target virtual character, and controlling to cause the first virtual character to withdraw from the game together with the target virtual character in response to achievement of the waiting time length.

[0131] Optionally, determining a target virtual character to follow the first virtual character and retreat together based on a pre-specified team retreat rule in response to a follow-evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target retreat point includes determining a first retreat rule pre-specified by the first virtual character and a second retreat rule pre-specified by the second virtual character in response to the follow-evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target retreat point, the second virtual character being a virtual character controlled by a second terminal device, and determining a target virtual character among the second virtual characters that can retreat together with the first virtual character based on the first retreat rule and the second retreat rule, the first retreat rule including at least a desire to bring a teammate to retreat together, and the second retreat rule including at least a desire to follow the teammate and retreat together.

[0132] Optionally, the method for controlling a virtual character further includes, in response to the start of a game match, displaying a preset team evacuation rule on the graphical user interface, the team evacuation rule including at least whether the player wants to evacuate with a teammate and whether the player wants to evacuate together with the teammate, and whether the player wants to follow the teammate and evacuate together; and, in response to a selection operation for a target evacuation rule in the team evacuation rules, determining the target evacuation rule as a first evacuation rule for the first virtual character.

[0133] Optionally, determining a target virtual character among the second virtual characters that can be evacuated together with the first virtual character based on the first evacuation rule and the second evacuation rule includes determining a target virtual character among the second virtual characters that can be evacuated together with the first virtual character based on the first evacuation rule, the second evacuation rule, and the position of a target evacuation point in the game playing scene.

[0134] Optionally, the method for controlling a virtual character further includes triggering a follow-up escape event to the target escape point in response to the first virtual character moving to the target escape point in the game playing scene and the first virtual character satisfying an escape condition corresponding to the target escape point.

[0135] Optionally, before controlling the first virtual character to retreat together with the target virtual character from the game match, the method further includes obtaining character position information of the first virtual character and the target virtual character in the game match scene, and broadcasting the character position information so that all virtual characters participating in the game match can know the positions of the first virtual character and the target virtual character in the game match scene through the character position information.

[0136] Specifically, the method for controlling a virtual character using the second terminal device as the execution subject includes: The method includes determining whether a second virtual character satisfies a specified follow-and-escape condition in response to a follow-and-escape event triggered by the first virtual character at a target evacuation point, the first virtual character being controlled by a first terminal device, the second virtual character being controlled by a second terminal device, the first virtual character and the second virtual character belonging to the same game camp, and the follow-and-escape condition being used to indicate whether the second virtual character is allowed to follow the first virtual character and evacuate from the game game, and controlling the second virtual character to evacuate from the game game together with the first virtual character in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified follow-and-escape condition. In this way, based on the pre-specified team evacuation rules, the evacuation rules for the first virtual character and the evacuation rules for the virtual characters belonging to the same game camp as the first virtual character are determined, and further, a target virtual character that will evacuate together with the first virtual character is determined, and control can be performed so that the first virtual character and the target virtual character evacuate together from the game, thereby increasing the players' motivation to form teams during the game and further improving the players' gaming experience. Optionally, the method for controlling a virtual character further includes triggering a follow-up escape event to the target escape point in response to the first virtual character moving to the target escape point in the game playing scene and the first virtual character satisfying an escape condition corresponding to the target escape point.

[0137] Optionally, determining whether the second virtual character satisfies a specified follow-evacuation condition in response to a follow-evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point includes determining a first evacuation rule pre-specified by the first virtual character and a second evacuation rule pre-specified by the second virtual character in response to the follow-evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, and determining whether the second virtual character satisfies the specified follow-evacuation condition based on the first evacuation rule and the second evacuation rule, wherein the first evacuation rule includes at least whether the second virtual character wants to evacuate with a teammate, and the second evacuation rule includes at least whether the second virtual character wants to follow a teammate and evacuate together.

[0138] Optionally, determining whether the second virtual character satisfies a specified following evacuation condition in response to a following evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point includes determining a pre-specified first evacuation rule for the first virtual character, a pre-specified second evacuation rule for the second virtual character, and a position of the target evacuation point in the game play scene in response to the following evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at the target evacuation point, and determining whether the second virtual character satisfies the specified following evacuation condition based on the first evacuation rule, the second evacuation rule, and the position of the target evacuation point in the game play scene, wherein the first evacuation rule includes at least whether the second virtual character wants to evacuate with a teammate, and the second evacuation rule includes at least whether the second virtual character wants to follow and evacuate with the teammate.

[0139] Optionally, controlling the second virtual character to retreat together with the first virtual character from the game in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified follow-up retreat condition includes controlling to generate a target retreat area in the game scene in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified follow-up retreat condition, and controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to retreat together from the game in response to the second virtual character being in the target retreat area.

[0140] Optionally, controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to evacuate together from the game in response to the second virtual character being in the target evacuation area includes controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to evacuate together from the game in response to the second virtual character entering the target evacuation area within a specified time.

[0141] Optionally, controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to retreat together from the game in response to the second virtual character being present in the target retreat area includes controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to retreat together from the game in response to the second virtual character being present in the target retreat area and completing a specified game behavior within the target retreat area.

[0142] Optionally, before controlling the second virtual character and the first virtual character to retreat together from the game match, the method further includes obtaining character position information of the first virtual character and the second virtual character in the game match scene, and broadcasting the character position information so that all virtual characters participating in the game match know the positions of the first virtual character and the second virtual character in the game match scene through the character position information.

[0143] The computer program products of the virtual character control method, apparatus, electronic device, and system provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure include a computer-readable storage medium storing program code including instructions for executing the method described in the previous method embodiments, and specific reference can be made to the method embodiments, which are omitted here.

[0144] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the specific operation processes of the above-described systems and devices can refer to the corresponding processes in the above-described method embodiments for ease of explanation and conciseness, and will not be further described here.

[0145] Furthermore, in describing the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly specified or limited, the terms "attached," "connected," and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, and may refer to, for example, a fixed connection, a detachable connection, an integral connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection via an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two elements. Those skilled in the art can specifically understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure.

[0146] When the functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical scenarios of the present disclosure can be embodied essentially or in the form of a software product stored in a storage medium containing some instructions for performing all or part of the steps of the methods described in each embodiment of the present disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program code, such as a U disk, a removable hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0147] In describing this disclosure, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "center," "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inside," and "outside" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings and are intended solely to facilitate and simplify the description of this disclosure, and do not indicate or imply that the indicated devices or elements must be configured or operated in a particular orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limitations of this disclosure. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not understood to indicate or imply relative importance.

[0148] Finally, it should be noted that the above examples are only specific embodiments of the present disclosure and are used to explain the technical solutions of the present disclosure, but are not limited thereto, and the scope of protection of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the above examples, those skilled in the art should understand that, within the technical scope of the present disclosure, they can modify or easily change the technical solutions described in the above examples, or replace some of the technical features with equivalents. These modifications, changes, or substitutions should be included within the scope of protection of the present disclosure as long as the essence of each technical solution does not deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure should be consistent with the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a virtual character, comprising: providing a graphical user interface by a first terminal device; content displayed on the graphical user interface including at least a part of a game scene; the game scene including at least one evacuation point; and the at least one evacuation point being used to provide a game evacuation service for a virtual character that satisfies an evacuation condition, the method comprising: determining a target virtual character that can evacuate together with a first virtual character based on a preset team evacuation rule in response to a follow-up evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at a target evacuation point, wherein the first virtual character is controlled by the first terminal device, and the first virtual character and the target virtual character belong to the same game camp; and controlling the first virtual character to retreat together with the target virtual character from the game. A method for controlling a virtual character.

2. Controlling the first virtual character to retreat together with the target virtual character from the game includes: and in response to the number of the target virtual character being zero, controlling the first virtual character to withdraw from the game within a first predetermined time. The method for controlling a virtual character according to claim 1 .

3. Controlling the first virtual character to retreat together with the target virtual character from the game includes: and in response to the number of the target virtual character being not zero, controlling the first virtual character and the target virtual character to withdraw from the game within a second predetermined time period; The second predetermined time is greater than the first predetermined time, and the second predetermined time has a positive correlation with the number of the target virtual characters.

3. The method for controlling a virtual character according to claim 2.

4. The second predetermined time period is further positively correlated with the number of virtual items acquired by the first virtual character and the target virtual character in the game.

4. The method for controlling a virtual character according to claim 3.

5. Controlling the first virtual character to retreat together with the target virtual character from the game includes: controlling the graphical user interface to display first presentation information, the first presentation information including at least first target time information, the first target time information being used to indicate a waiting time length required for at least the first virtual character and the target virtual character to retreat from the game together; and controlling the first virtual character to retreat from the game together with the target virtual character in response to the achievement of the waiting time length.

4. The method for controlling a virtual character according to claim 3.

6. determining a target virtual character that can evacuate together with the first virtual character based on a preset team evacuation rule in response to a following evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at a target evacuation point; determining a first evacuation rule pre-specified by a first virtual character and a second evacuation rule pre-specified by a second virtual character in response to a follow-up evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at a target evacuation point, wherein the second virtual character is a virtual character controlled by a second terminal device; determining, based on the first evacuation rule and the second evacuation rule, a target virtual character that can be evacuated together with the first virtual character, from among the second virtual characters; The first evacuation rule includes at least a desire to evacuate with a teammate, and the second evacuation rule includes at least a desire to evacuate together with a teammate by following the teammate. The method for controlling a virtual character according to claim 1 .

7. The method further comprises: displaying a preset team evacuation rule on the graphical user interface in response to the start of the game, the team evacuation rule including at least whether the player wants to evacuate with a teammate and whether the player wants to evacuate together with the teammate; and and determining the target evacuation rule as a first evacuation rule for the first virtual character in response to a selection operation for the target evacuation rule in the team evacuation rules.

7. The method for controlling a virtual character according to claim 6.

8. determining a target virtual character that can be evacuated together with the first virtual character among the second virtual characters based on the first evacuation rule and the second evacuation rule, determining a target virtual character that can retreat together with the first virtual character from among the second virtual characters based on the first retreat rule, the second retreat rule, and the position of the target retreat point in the game playing scene.

7. The method for controlling a virtual character according to claim 6.

9. The method further comprises: triggering a follow-up escape event for the target escape point in response to the first virtual character moving to the target escape point in the game playing scene and the first virtual character satisfying an escape condition corresponding to the target escape point.

9. The method for controlling a virtual character according to claim 1.

10. Before controlling the first virtual character to retreat together with the target virtual character from the game, the method further comprises: Character position information of the first virtual character and the target virtual character in the game match scene is acquired, and the character position information is broadcast so that all virtual characters participating in the game match can know the positions of the first virtual character and the target virtual character in the game match scene via the character position information. The method for controlling a virtual character according to claim 1 .

11. A method for controlling a virtual character, comprising: providing a graphical user interface by a second terminal device; content displayed on the graphical user interface including at least a part of a game scene; the game scene including at least one evacuation point; and the at least one evacuation point being used to provide a game evacuation service for a virtual character that satisfies an evacuation condition, the method comprising: determining whether a second virtual character satisfies a specified following-avoidance condition in response to a following-avoidance event triggered by a first virtual character at a target avoidance point, wherein the first virtual character is controlled by a first terminal device, the second virtual character is controlled by the second terminal device, the first virtual character and the second virtual character belong to the same game camp, and the following-avoidance condition is used to indicate whether the second virtual character is allowed to follow the first virtual character and evacuate from the game; and in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified follow-and-escape condition, controlling the second virtual character to evacuate together with the first virtual character from the game. A method for controlling a virtual character.

12. The method further comprises: triggering a follow-up escape event for the target escape point in response to the first virtual character moving to the target escape point in the game playing scene and the first virtual character satisfying an escape condition corresponding to the target escape point.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the virtual character is a virtual character.

13. Determining whether a second virtual character satisfies a specified turn-away condition in response to a turn-away event triggered by the first virtual character at the target turn-away point includes: determining a first evacuation rule pre-specified by the first virtual character and a second evacuation rule pre-specified by the second virtual character in response to a follow-evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at a target evacuation point; determining whether the second virtual character satisfies a specified follow-and-escape condition based on the first evacuation rule and the second evacuation rule; The first evacuation rule includes at least whether or not the player wants to evacuate with a teammate, and the second evacuation rule includes at least whether or not the player wants to evacuate together with the teammate by following the teammate.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the virtual character is a virtual character.

14. Determining whether a second virtual character satisfies a specified turn-away condition in response to a turn-away event triggered by the first virtual character at the target turn-away point includes: In response to a follow-up evacuation event triggered by a first virtual character at a target evacuation point, determining a first evacuation rule pre-specified by the first virtual character, a second evacuation rule pre-specified by the second virtual character, and a position of the target evacuation point in the game playing scene; determining whether the second virtual character satisfies a specified follow-and-escape condition based on the first evacuation rule, the second evacuation rule, and the position of the target evacuation point in the game playing scene; The first evacuation rule includes at least whether or not the player wants to evacuate with a teammate, and the second evacuation rule includes at least whether or not the player wants to evacuate together with the teammate by following the teammate.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the virtual character is a virtual character.

15. In response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified follow-and-escape condition, controlling the second virtual character to evacuate together with the first virtual character from the game, In response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified follow-and-escape condition, control is performed to generate a target evacuation area in the game playing scene; and in response to the second virtual character being present in the target escape area, controlling the second virtual character to escape together with the first virtual character from the game.

15. The method for controlling a virtual character according to claim 13 or 14.

16. In response to the second virtual character being present in the target evacuation area, controlling the second virtual character to evacuate together with the first virtual character from the game, and controlling the second virtual character to retreat from the game together with the first virtual character in response to the second virtual character entering the target retreat area within a specified time.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the virtual character is a virtual character.

17. In response to the second virtual character being present in the target evacuation area, controlling the second virtual character to evacuate together with the first virtual character from the game, and controlling the second virtual character to retreat from the game together with the first virtual character in response to the second virtual character being present in the target retreat area and completing a designated game behavior within the target retreat area.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the virtual character is a virtual character.

18. Before controlling the second virtual character to retreat from the game together with the first virtual character, the method further comprises: and acquiring character position information of the first virtual character and the second virtual character in the game scene, and broadcasting the character position information so that all virtual characters participating in the game can know the positions of the first virtual character and the second virtual character in the game scene via the character position information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the virtual character is a virtual character.

19. A control device for a virtual character, comprising: a first terminal device providing a graphical user interface; content displayed on the graphical user interface including at least a part of a game scene; the game scene including at least one evacuation point; the at least one evacuation point being used to provide an evacuation service for a game for a virtual character that satisfies an evacuation condition; the virtual character control device includes a first determination module and a first saving module; the first determination module is configured to determine a target virtual character that can evacuate together with the first virtual character based on a preset team evacuation rule in response to a following evacuation event triggered by the first virtual character at a target evacuation point, the first virtual character being controlled by the first terminal device, and the first virtual character and the target virtual character belonging to the same game camp; The first evacuation module is configured to control the first virtual character to evacuate together with the target virtual character from the game. A control device for a virtual character, comprising:

20. a control device for a virtual character, the control device providing a graphical user interface by a second terminal device, the content displayed on the graphical user interface including at least a part of a game play scene, the game play scene including at least one evacuation point, the at least one evacuation point being used to provide an evacuation service of a game play for a virtual character that satisfies an evacuation condition; the virtual character control device includes a second determination module and a second saving module; the second determination module is configured to determine whether a second virtual character satisfies a specified following-escape condition in response to a following-escape event triggered by a first virtual character at a target evacuation point, the first virtual character being controlled by a first terminal device, the second virtual character being controlled by the second terminal device, the first virtual character and the second virtual character belonging to the same game camp, and the following-escape condition being used to indicate whether the second virtual character is allowed to follow the first virtual character and evacuate from the game; The second evacuation module is configured to control the second virtual character to evacuate from the game together with the first virtual character in response to the second virtual character satisfying the specified follow-up evacuation condition. A control device for a virtual character, comprising:

21. An electronic device including a processor and a memory, the memory stores computer-executable instructions executable by the processor; The processor executes the computer-executable instructions to realize the method for controlling a virtual character according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or any one of claims 11 to 18. An electronic device characterized by:

22. storing computer-executable instructions that, when invoked and executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement the method for controlling a virtual character according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or any one of claims 11 to 18; A computer-readable storage medium comprising:

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