Avatar control method and device, and device, storage medium and program product

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling an avatar, and a device, storage medium, and program product related to the technical fields of computers and the Internet. The method comprises the steps of: displaying, in a user interface, at least two skill controls that share the same set of skill points—the set of skill points includes at least two skill points, each skill control corresponds to a skill group, and each skill group includes at least one skill—(310); determining, among at least two skill points, a first skill point to be used in response to an operation on the first skill control among the at least two skill controls (320); and controlling a first avatar to unlock a skill corresponding to the first skill point in the skill group corresponding to the first skill control (330). In the present application, a skill group corresponding to a skill point is set for each skill control so that a skill is added without adding a skill control, and thus the variety of unlocked skills is improved without affecting the user plane.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202210928035.6, filed with the Chinese Intellectual Property Administration on August 3, 2022, under the title “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING VIRTUAL OBJECT, DEVICE, STORAGE MEDIUM, AND PROGRAM PRODUCT”, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Technology field

[0004] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of computer and internet technologies, in particular, to methods and apparatus, devices, storage media, and program products for controlling virtual objects. Background Technology

[0005] A combat game is a game in which multiple user accounts compete in the same scene. In some embodiments, the combat game may be a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game.

[0006] In a typical MOBA game, a user can control a virtual object to cast skills in a virtual environment, and each virtual object has its own set of skills. For example, if a virtual object has a first skill, a second skill, and a third skill, three skill controls corresponding to each of the three skills may be arranged on the user interface, and the user controls the virtual object to use the corresponding skill by triggering the skill controls.

[0007] In the related technology, if a virtual object is expected to be controlled to use combined skills, only three skills can be simply combined, resulting in a small number of skill casting combinations.

[0008] Embodiments of the present application provide a method and apparatus, device, storage medium, and program product for controlling a virtual object. Technical solutions are as follows:

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present application, a method for controlling a virtual object performed by a terminal device is provided, and the method comprises

[0010] A step of displaying at least two skill controls sharing the same skill point set in a user interface—where the skill point set includes at least two skill points, each skill control corresponds to one skill group, and each skill group includes at least one skill—;

[0011] A step of determining a first skill point in at least two skill points in response to an action for a first skill control in at least two skill controls; and

[0012] It includes the step of controlling a first virtual object to cast a skill corresponding to a first skill point in a skill group corresponding to the first skill control.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present application, a virtual object control device is provided, and this,

[0014] A control display module configured to display, in a user interface, at least two skill controls sharing the same skill point set—the skill point set includes at least two skill points, each skill control corresponds to one skill group, and each skill group includes at least one skill—;

[0015] A skill point determination module configured to determine a first skill point in at least two skill points in response to an action for a first skill control in at least two skill controls; and

[0016] It includes a control module configured to control a first virtual object to cast a skill corresponding to a first skill point in a skill group corresponding to a first skill control.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present application, a terminal device is provided, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a computer program therein, and the computer program is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the method described above.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program therein, and the computer program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the method described above.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present application, a computer program product is provided, which includes a computer program, and the computer program is stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a terminal device reads the computer program from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer program to enable the terminal device to perform the method described above.

[0020] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application may include the following beneficial effects: at least two skill controls are supported to share the same set of skill points, and when a user performs an action on a first skill control in at least two skill controls, a first skill point is determined from the first set of skill points, and a first virtual object is controlled to cast a skill corresponding to the first skill point in a skill group corresponding to the first skill control, so that the current skill corresponding to the currently triggered skill control is determined by the skill point. Thus, when there are at least two skill points and at least two skill controls, there are multiple possible combinations of skill casting based on different skill point selections and different skill control selections, so that the combinations of skill casting can be diversified, thereby improving the combination flexibility and diversity of skill casting. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a solution implementation environment according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a user interface according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a user interface according to another embodiment of the present application. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a user interface according to another embodiment of the present application. FIGS. 5 to 9 are schematic examples of user interfaces in the relevant technology. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a virtual object according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a virtual object according to another embodiment of the present application. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a virtual object according to another embodiment of the present application. FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a virtual object according to another embodiment of the present application. FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a method for controlling a virtual object according to an embodiment in the related technology. FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a method for controlling a virtual object according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a method for controlling a virtual object according to another embodiment of the present application. FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a skill switching logic according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 18 is a block diagram of a CD (cooldown time) switching logic according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 19 is a block diagram of a virtual object control device according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 20 is a block diagram of a virtual object control device according to another embodiment of the present application. FIG. 21 is a structural block diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present application. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0022] To make the objects, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application clearer, embodiments of the present application are further described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] First, the terms associated with the embodiments of the present application are briefly introduced.

[0024] Virtual Environment: This is a virtual environment that is displayed (or provided) when an application is executed on a terminal. The virtual environment may be a simulated world of the real world, a semi-simulated semi-fictional three-dimensional world, or an entirely fictional three-dimensional world. The virtual environment may be any one of a two-dimensional virtual environment, a 2.5-dimensional virtual environment, and a three-dimensional virtual environment. In some embodiments, the virtual environment is additionally used for combat between at least two virtual objects, for example, to provide a combat environment for at least two virtual objects. The virtual environment has virtual resources available to at least two virtual objects. In some embodiments, the virtual environment may include a symmetrical lower left corner area and an upper right corner area. Virtual objects on two opposing factions each occupy the areas, and the objective of each faction is to destroy a target building, fortress, base, or modification deep within the component's area to achieve victory.

[0025] Virtual Object: This is a movable or immovable object in a virtual environment. A movable object may be at least one of a virtual human, a virtual animal, or an animated human character. An immovable object may be at least one of a virtual building, a virtual plant, or a virtual terrain. In some embodiments, when the virtual environment is a three-dimensional virtual environment, the virtual object may be a three-dimensional virtual model. Each virtual object has a shape and volume in the three-dimensional virtual environment and occupies some space in the three-dimensional virtual environment. In some embodiments, the virtual object is a three-dimensional character constructed based on three-dimensional human skeleton technology. The virtual object wears different skins to implement different appearances. In some implementations, the virtual object may alternatively be implemented using a 2.5-dimensional model or a 2-dimensional model. This is not limited to these embodiments of the present application. For example, virtual objects may be divided into user-controlled virtual objects and non-user-controlled virtual objects (e.g., server-controlled virtual objects) based on different ways of controlling the virtual object. User-controlled virtual objects are objects that are movable in a virtual environment and controlled by a client. Server-controlled virtual objects are virtual objects controlled by automatic control algorithms or artificial intelligence programs on a client or server. Server-controlled virtual objects include movable objects and immovable objects in a virtual environment. For example, an immovable object may respond to or influence the activities of a movable object. For example, a movable object may destroy an immovable object, or when a movable object enters an immovable object, the movable object enters an invisible state. For example, the virtual objects in this application are virtual objects controlled by a client. For example, the virtual objects in this application may be virtual objects controlled by another client or server.

[0026] MOBA Game: This is an arena in which different virtual teams on at least two opposing factions occupy respective map areas in a virtual environment and compete against each other using specific victory conditions as objectives. Victory conditions include at least one of the following: capturing or destroying the opposing faction's fortress, killing virtual objects in the opposing faction, ensuring one's own survival in a specified scene and moment, capturing specific resources, or scoring more points than the opponent within a specified moment. A combat arena game may occur in rounds (i.e., an arena game). The same map or different maps may be used in different rounds of a combat arena game. Each virtual team includes one or more virtual objects, for example, one virtual object, two virtual objects, three virtual objects, or five virtual objects. In some embodiments, the MOBA game is a game in which several fortresses are provided in a virtual environment, and users on different factions control virtual objects to fight in the virtual environment to capture or destroy the opposing faction's fortresses. For example, in a MOBA game, users can be divided into two opposing factions. Virtual objects controlled by users are distributed within a virtual environment to compete against each other, and the victory condition is to destroy or capture all enemy fortresses. The duration of a round in a MOBA game is from the moment the game starts until the moment the victory condition is met.

[0027] User interface (UI) controls are controls for a user to perform human-computer interactions displayed in a user interface. For example, a user may control virtual objects through UI controls or implement functions on a client through UI controls. UI controls are any visual controls or elements visible in the application's user interface, such as photos, input boxes, text boxes, buttons, or labels. Some UI controls may respond to user actions, such as skill controls, to control a virtual object to cast a skill. A user may control a virtual object to cast a skill by triggering a skill control. The UI controls involved in this embodiment of the application include at least one of the following: skill controls, displacement controls, system function controls, or evolution controls (configured to trigger evolution from one skill to another).

[0028] CD (cooldown time): The time interval during which a skill can be used, that is, the time required to wait for a skill to be cast again after it has been cast, can also be referred to as the skill cooldown time.

[0029] Skill Point: A resource configured to manage the number of skill casts. For example, n skill points (e.g., 2, 3, etc.) may be used to indicate casting n skills (n skills may vary). In some embodiments, skill points are generated over time, and some skill points may be stored. In some embodiments, a skill enters its full cooldown only after a skill point is consumed. When a skill point is present, the skill's cooldown time changes.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a solution implementation environment according to an embodiment of the present application. The solution implementation environment may be implemented as a control system for virtual objects. The solution implementation environment may include a terminal device (10) and a server (20).

[0031] The terminal device (10) may be an electronic device such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, game console, e-book reader, multimedia player, wearable device, PC (personal computer), in-vehicle terminal, or intelligent robot. A client of a target application (such as a game application) may be installed on the terminal device (10). In some embodiments, the target application may be an application that needs to be downloaded and installed, or a tap-to-use application. This is not limited to these embodiments of the present application.

[0032] In this embodiment of the present application, the aforementioned target application may be any one of a simulation program, an escape shooting game, a VR (virtual reality) application, an AR (augmented reality) program, a 3D map program, a VR game, an AR game, a first-person shooting (FPS) game, a multi-layer shooting survival game, a third-person shooting (TPS) game, a MOBA game, a simulation game, a social application, or an interactive entertainment application. In this embodiment of the present application, an example in which the target application is a MOBA game is used for illustrative purposes. Additionally, virtual objects provided in different applications may have different forms and corresponding functions, and may be pre-configured based on actual requirements. This is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. In some embodiments, a client running the aforementioned target application may be installed on a terminal device (10).

[0033] The aforementioned virtual environment may be a scene displayed (or provided) when a client of a target application (such as a game application) is executed on a terminal device. An arena game is used as an example. A virtual environment refers to a scene created for a virtual object to perform activities (such as game competition), such as a virtual house, a virtual island, or a virtual map.

[0034] The aforementioned virtual object may be a virtual character, virtual vehicle, virtual item, etc., controlled by a user account in a target application. This is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. For example, the target application is a MOBA game application. The virtual object may be a game character controlled by a user account in a game application. The virtual object may be in human form, animal form, cartoon form, or other form. This is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. The virtual object may be displayed in a three-dimensional form or a two-dimensional form. This is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. In some embodiments, when the virtual environment is a 3D virtual environment, the virtual object is a 3D model created based on skeletal animation technology. Each virtual object has a shape and size in the three-dimensional virtual environment and occupies a portion of space in the three-dimensional virtual environment. The activities of the virtual object include at least one of the following: adjusting body posture, crawling, walking, running, riding, flying, jumping, driving, selecting, shooting, attacking, or throwing. For example, a virtual object is a virtual character such as a simulated character role or a cartoon character role.

[0035] The server (20) is configured to provide backend services to a client of a target application installed and running on a terminal device (10). For example, the server (20) may be a backend server for the aforementioned game application. The server (20) may be a single server, a server cluster including multiple servers, or a cloud computing service center. In some embodiments, the server (20) provides backend services for target applications on multiple terminal devices (10).

[0036] In some embodiments, the terminal device (10) includes a first terminal device (11) (not shown in the drawing) and a second terminal device (12) (not shown in the drawing). A first client of the target application is installed on the first terminal device. A second client of the target application is installed on the second terminal device. A first user account of the first user controls a first virtual object in the first client of the target application. A second user account of the second user controls a second virtual object in the second client of the target application. In some embodiments, the first virtual object and the second virtual object are located in the same virtual environment. In some embodiments, the first virtual object and the second virtual object may belong to the same faction, the same team, or the same organization, or have a friendship with each other, or have temporary communication permission. In some embodiments, the first virtual object and the second virtual object may belong to different factions, different teams, or different organizations, or have an adversarial relationship with each other. In some embodiments, the client installed on the first terminal device is the same as the one installed on the second terminal device, or the clients installed on the two terminals are under different operating system platforms. The first terminal device may generally refer to one of a plurality of terminal devices, and the second terminal device may generally refer to the other of a plurality of terminal devices. In these embodiments, the first terminal device and the second terminal device are used merely as examples for illustrative purposes.

[0037] The terminal device (10) and the server (20) can communicate with each other through a network.

[0038] With reference to the foregoing description of the virtual environment and the description of the implementation environment, a method for controlling a virtual object provided by the embodiments of the present application is described. The descriptions are made using an example in which the entity executing this method is a client running on the terminal device shown in FIG. 1. The aforementioned target application is installed and executed on the terminal device. The target application may support a virtual environment.

[0039] For example, an example is used in which the method for controlling a virtual object provided by the present application is applicable to a MOBA game.

[0040] First, the skill upgrade mechanism in MOBA games is explained. Virtual objects in MOBA games possess a character level. Virtual objects can upgrade their character level by acquiring experience points. Experience points can be acquired based on combat time, the virtual object killing other virtual objects, the virtual object killing monsters, and so on. When a virtual object's character level is upgraded by one level, a skill upgrade opportunity is acquired, and the virtual object can upgrade a skill. For example, an example where a virtual object has three skills is used for explanation. At the start of combat, the virtual object's character level is Level 1. In this case, the virtual object has a skill upgrade opportunity. The user can upgrade either the first skill or the second skill. After the first or second skill is upgraded, the virtual object acquires the skill. For example, at the start of combat, the user upgrades the skill only once to enable the virtual object to acquire the skill, allowing the virtual object to use the skill. In other words, a virtual object with Level 1 can use only one skill. If two upgrade opportunities are used by a virtual object having Level 2 for each of two skills, the virtual object can use two skills. If two upgrade opportunities are used for the same skill, the virtual object can still use only one skill. For example, a skill upgrade opportunity acquired by a virtual object at each level can only be used to upgrade one of the specified skills. For example, Levels 1 through 3 can upgrade either the first skill or the second skill, and Level 4 can upgrade either the first skill, the second skill, or the third skill. After the virtual object first upgrades a skill and acquires the skill, the virtual object may continue to upgrade the skill further.Upgrades can improve the values ​​of some attributes of a skill. For example, an upgrade can improve at least one of the action duration, action distance, action range, attack value, defense value, defense value, or the size of the skill's virtual object model. For example, the first skill may cause 100 points of physical damage to a virtual object struck before the upgrade and stun the virtual object for 3 seconds, and may cause 200 points of physical damage to a virtual object struck after the upgrade and stun the virtual object for 6 seconds. In other words, upgrades are based solely on the skill's original skill mechanism, and the values ​​of the skill mechanism are not changed, nor are new attributes granted to the skill.

[0041] In an embodiment, a virtual object's skill has a skill level, and the skill level can be increased by one level each time the skill level is upgraded. When a virtual object has four skills, the skill levels of the virtual object's first, second, and third skills are up to level 4, meaning the virtual object can be upgraded four times, and the skill level of the fourth skill is up to level 3, meaning the virtual object can be upgraded three times. When a virtual object has three skills, the skill levels of the virtual object's first and second skills are up to level 6, meaning the virtual object can be upgraded six times, and the skill level of the third skill is up to level 3, meaning the virtual object can be upgraded three times. When the skill level of each skill is 1 or higher, the virtual object acquires the skill; or when the skill level of the skill is less than 1, the virtual object cannot use the skill, and the skill control corresponding to the skill is displayed in a gray state. UI controls in the gray state cannot receive trigger actions from the user.

[0042] Based on a skill upgrade mechanism, this embodiment provides a skill evolution mechanism. The skill evolution mechanism can evolve a virtual object's skill into another skill. For example, the virtual object's skill before evolution is the first skill. After the evolution of the skill is performed, the skill changes from the first skill to the second skill. The first skill and the second skill may be two completely different skills. The second skill may also be a skill acquired by improving the first skill and adding a new skill mechanism. For example, the first skill may cause 100 points of physical damage to the virtual object struck before evolution and stun the virtual object for 3 seconds, and after evolution, may cause 200 points of physical damage to the virtual object struck after evolution and stun the virtual object for 6 seconds, and reduce the virtual object's defense value by 50% for 3 seconds.

[0043] Based on the skill evolution mechanism, embodiments of the present application provide a skill group mechanism for skills. The skill group mechanism is such that one skill control corresponds to a plurality of skills. In some embodiments, one skill control corresponds to at least two skills, and a virtual object may be controlled to cast different skills under different trigger conditions. For example, similar to in response to a touch or slide motion for a first skill control, when the virtual object satisfies a first condition, a first skill in the skill group corresponding to the first skill control is cast, and when the virtual object does not satisfy the first condition, a second skill in the skill group corresponding to the first skill control is cast. In some embodiments, the first condition is that the second skill corresponding to the first skill control of the first virtual object strikes the second virtual object. In this case, when the first skill control is triggered again, the first virtual object casts the first skill corresponding to the first skill control. In some other embodiments, a plurality of skills corresponding to the first skill control are pre-set. When the first skill control is triggered for the first time, the first skill corresponding to the first skill control is cast, when the first skill control is triggered for the second time, the second skill corresponding to the first skill control is cast, and when the first skill control is triggered for the third time, the third skill corresponding to the first skill control is cast. The composition type of the skill group corresponding to the skill control is not limited to this embodiment of the present application.

[0044] In some embodiments, multiple skills in a skill group have the same attribute, for example, all are defensive skills, and the skill group includes multiple different defensive skills. In some embodiments, multiple skills in a skill group have different attributes, for example, a skill having a defensive attribute and a skill having an offensive attribute in the skill group, for example, two skills having offensive attributes and one skill having a defensive attribute in the skill group. That is, when a first skill control is triggered, the client may control the virtual object to cast a skill having an offensive attribute in the skill group corresponding to the first skill control, or the client may control the virtual object to cast a skill having a defensive attribute in the skill group corresponding to the first skill control. Of course, the trigger conditions for different skills in the skill group are different.

[0045] Based on a skill group mechanism, embodiments of the present application provide a combination mechanism for skills. In these embodiments of the present application, a resource, skill points, is provided for managing the number of skill castings of a virtual object. In some embodiments, several skill points may be stored. Referring to FIG. 2, a skill point set (105) is displayed on a user interface (100) and displays a virtual object (101), a first skill control (102), a second skill control (103), a third skill control (104), and three skill points owned by the virtual object (101). Skill points in the skill point set (105) may be consumed. When the virtual object (101) casts a skill corresponding to the first skill control (102), one skill point is consumed. In some embodiments, when the virtual object (101) casts a skill corresponding to the second skill control (103), skill points are also consumed. In some embodiments, when a virtual object (101) casts a skill corresponding to a third skill control (104), skill points are not consumed (i.e., skill points are shared by the first skill control (102) and the second skill control (103), and are not shared by the third skill control (104). After three skill points in the skill point set (105) are consumed, the user cannot perform a trigger action for the first skill control (102) and the second skill control (103), that is, the first skill control (102) and the second skill control (103) are in an unselectable state, and the virtual object (101) cannot cast a skill corresponding to the first skill control (102) and a skill corresponding to the second skill control (103). However, the virtual object (101) can cast a skill corresponding to the third skill control (104) in response to a trigger action for the third skill control (104) by the user.

[0046] In these embodiments of the present application, skill points in the skill point set (105) may be further restored after being consumed. In some embodiments, one skill control corresponds to one skill group. It is assumed that there are three skills, namely A1, A2, and A3, in the skill group corresponding to the first skill control (102), and three skills, namely B1, B2, and B3, in the skill group corresponding to the second skill control (103), and that the third skill control (104) corresponds to skill C. For a virtual object (101) having three skill points, different skills may be cast in response to a user's trigger action. In some embodiments, when there are three skill points, if the user performs a trigger action for the first skill control (102) or the second skill control (103), the virtual object (101) casts skill A1 or skill B1. When only the second skill point and the third skill point remain after the first skill point is consumed, if the user continues to perform a trigger action for the first skill control (102) or the second skill control (103), the virtual object (101) casts the A2 skill or the B2 skill. When only the third skill point remains after the second skill point is consumed, if the user continues to perform a trigger action for the first skill control (102) or the second skill control (103), the virtual object (101) casts the A3 skill or the B3 skill. Accordingly, for a virtual object (101) having three skill points, the casting skill group corresponding to the first skill control (102) and the second skill control (103) may be at least one of A1A2A3, B1A2A3, A1B2A3, A1A2B3, B1B2A3, B1A2B3, A1B2B3, or B1B2B3.

[0047] In this embodiment of the present application, the number of skill points in the skill point set (105) is not limited, the combination of forms that consume skill points to cast a skill is not limited, and the number of skill controls corresponding to the skill that consumes skill points is not limited. For example, all skills in a skill group corresponding to three skill controls consume skill points when cast, or one or two of the skill controls consume skill points when cast. Referring to FIG. 3, in response to a trigger action for a first skill control (102) by a user, the client controls a virtual object (101) to cast a skill corresponding to the first skill control (102). In this case, the number of skill points in the skill point set (105) becomes two, and after the virtual object (101) casts the skill, the first skill control (102) enters a cooldown state. Referring to FIG. 4, when all skill points in the skill point set (105) are consumed, both the first skill control (102) and the second skill control (103) enter a cooldown state (which may also be referred to as an unselectable state).

[0048] In the related technology, a method of combining some skills is also provided. In some embodiments, in the schematic diagram of the user interface (500) shown in FIG. 5, when the first skill corresponding to the second skill control (502) strikes the second virtual object (not shown in the drawing), the first virtual object (501) refreshes the cooldown time of the second skill control (502). When the second skill control (502) is triggered again, the virtual object (501) is controlled to cast the second skill corresponding to the second skill control (502), wherein the first skill and the second skill corresponding to the second skill control (502) are different skills. The virtual object (501) may be controlled to cast the second skill only when certain conditions are met. The second skill of the virtual object (501) is different from the first skill of the virtual object (501). In some embodiments, the attack value caused by the second skill is increased by 25%.

[0049] In some other embodiments, in the schematic diagram of the user interface (600) shown in FIG. 6, the fourth skill icon (602) is in an unusable state. In some embodiments, when the virtual object (601) casts the first skill corresponding to the first skill icon (603), the fourth skill corresponding to the fourth skill icon (602) may copy the first skill. In this case, the skill corresponding to the fourth skill icon (602) is the first skill corresponding to the first skill icon. Based on the different skills cast by the virtual object (601), the fourth skill icon (602) may copy different skills.

[0050] In some other embodiments, the cooldown time of a skill is refreshed under certain conditions, and, for example, when other interaction conditions present in the game are reached, a specific skill is refreshed to implement casting the skill multiple times. These conditions may include the skill hitting a target, incapacitating a target, casting multiple skills, hitting a target having a specific mark, etc. In the schematic diagram of the user interface (700) shown in FIG. 7, the first virtual object (701) casts a third skill, and the third skill hits the second virtual object (702). In this case, an identifier (703) for indicating that the second virtual object (702) is marked is displayed on the overhead of the second virtual object (702). Additionally, based on the second virtual object (702) being marked, the skill cooldown time of the third skill of the first virtual object (701) is adjusted to 0. That is, the first virtual object (701) can immediately cast the third skill in response to a trigger action for the third skill control (704) by the user.

[0051] In some other embodiments, as illustrated in the schematic diagram of the user interface (800) in FIG. 8, the third skill control (801) is zoomed in and multiple third skills are stored simultaneously. That is, in response to a trigger action on the third skill control (801) by the user, the virtual object can cast the third skill multiple times in succession. In some other embodiments, the skill is stored in the form of a skill bean. Specifically, the skill bean is set as a resource for the number of skill castings. When the skill bean is not consumed, the virtual object can cast the skill multiple times, and the skill does not enter the CD or does not enter the complete CD. In the schematic diagram of the user interface (900) in FIG. 9, the number 3 is displayed on the second skill control (901) to indicate that three second skills are stored. In other words, in response to consecutive trigger actions for the second skill control (901) by the user, the client can control the virtual object to cast the second skill multiple times in succession.

[0052] In the relevant technology, the combination of skills is relatively simple. One is that when conditions are met, another skill corresponding to the skill control (essentially two stages corresponding to a single skill) appears. However, if a skill is not cast within a critical time, it is no longer possible to continue casting another skill during that time. Alternatively, skills are stored in the form of skill beans. However, skills are stored for the same skill. In other words, a virtual object can be controlled to cast the same skill consecutively multiple times, but cannot cast different skills (essentially different stages corresponding to a single skill). Therefore, the combination of skills in the relevant technology is relatively simple.

[0053] Differently, embodiments of the present application provide the concept of skill points. In some embodiments, there are three skill controls on the user interface. Skill points may be consumed to control a virtual object to cast a skill in response to an action on a first skill control or a second skill control. In some other embodiments, the skill control consuming skill points corresponds to a skill group, and a plurality of skills are included in the skill group. In some embodiments, the total number of skill points is three, and there are three different skills in the skill group, and the skills in the skill group correspond to skill points. Thus, for different skill points, the user performs different actions on the skill controls so that the virtual object can cast different skill groups.

[0054] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a virtual object according to an embodiment of the present application. The entity executing each operation of this method may be a terminal device (10) in the implementation environment shown in FIG. 1. For example, the entity executing each operation may be a client of the aforementioned target application. In the following method embodiments, for ease of explanation, the description is provided using only "client" as the entity executing each operation. This method may include at least one operation in the following operations (1001 to 1003):

[0055] Operation 1001: Display at least two skill controls that share the same skill point set in a user interface. The skill point set contains at least two skill points, each skill control corresponds to one skill group, and each skill group contains at least one skill.

[0056] The user interface refers to the user interface of the aforementioned client and may be configured for displaying content that provides human-computer interaction services, etc. For example, the user interface may be the user interface of the aforementioned arena game and may be configured to display a picture of a virtual environment corresponding to the arena game. In some embodiments, the user interface may include a display layer and a control layer. The control layer is located on the upper layer of the display layer. The display layer is configured to display content, and the control layer is configured to place UI controls.

[0057] Skill Control: This is a UI control displayed on a user interface for controlling a virtual object to cast a skill in response to an action by a user, for example, to cast a skill. The number of skill controls is limited to at least two in this application. In this way, the combination methods between skills can be increased, and the fun of the arena is increased. The style, layout, size, etc. of the skill controls can be set and adjusted according to actual usage requirements.

[0058] Skill Group: This refers to a set of skills, for example, a set obtained by combining multiple different skills. The same skill control is shared by various skills within a skill group. For example, under different conditions, in response to an action on the same skill control by a user, the client controls a virtual object to cast different skills. In some embodiments of this application, the current skill point is used to indicate the skill that the skill control currently corresponds to. For example, for the selection of different skill points, the skills corresponding to the skill controls are different. In other examples, for different numbers of skill points, the skills corresponding to the skill controls are different. This is not limited to this embodiment of the application.

[0059] Skill Point Set: This is a set containing skill points, and the number of skill points in the skill point set changes. For example, whenever a user consumes one skill point, the number of skill points in the skill point set decreases. In some embodiments, when all skill points are consumed, there are no skill points in the skill point set. In some embodiments, skill points in the skill point set can be restored over time. The display position and display style of the skill points can also be set and adjusted according to actual usage requirements.

[0060] In some embodiments, there is at least one skill control in at least two skill controls, and the skill group corresponding to the at least one skill control includes at least two skills. In some other embodiments, each skill group includes at least two skills. This is not limited to this application.

[0061] In some embodiments, the first skill group in the skill groups corresponding to at least two skill controls includes at least two skills, and the different skills included in the first skill group correspond to different skill points.

[0062] The first skill group may refer to any skill group in at least two skill groups. In some embodiments, the number of skills in the first skill group may correspond to the number of skill points. If the skill point set contains three skill points, the first skill group may contain three skills. The number of skills in the first skill group may be less than the number of skill points. If the skill point set contains three skill points, the first skill group may contain two skills.

[0063] For example, Skill a1 and Skill a2 are in a first skill group, and Skill a1 and Skill a2 correspond to different Skill Points. For example, there are a total of two Skill Points in the skill group, namely Skill Point 1 and Skill Point 2. In some embodiments, Skill Point 1 corresponds to Skill a1, and Skill Point 2 corresponds to Skill a2. Skill Point 1 may be configured to enable a Skill Control corresponding to the first skill group to be configured to cast Skill a1. Skill Point 2 may be configured to enable a Skill Control corresponding to the first skill group to be configured to cast Skill a2. Skill Point 2 does not correspond to Skill a1, and Skill Point 1 does not correspond to Skill a2.

[0064] In some embodiments, the skill currently corresponding to the skill control may also be related to the current number of skill points in the skill point set. For example, when the current number of skill points in the skill point set is 2, the skill control corresponds to skill a1; and when the current number of skill points in the skill point set is 1, the skill control corresponds to skill a2.

[0065] In some embodiments, the skills in a skill group are different. In some embodiments, the skills in a skill group are of the same attribute. For example, the skills in a skill group are of the defensive attribute, or the skills in a skill group are of the offensive attribute. In some embodiments, the skills in a skill group are of different attributes. For example, a skill group may include skills with the offensive attribute and skills with the defensive attribute.

[0066] For example, there are differences in attack values ​​between skills of the same attribute within a skill group. For example, the attack value caused by skill a1 is 100, and the attack value caused by skill a2 is 200. In some embodiments, there are differences in defense values ​​between skills of the same attribute within a skill group. For example, the defense value of skill a1 against a virtual object is 100, and the defense value of skill a2 against a virtual object is 200. In some other embodiments, different skills within a skill group may correspond to different forms of a virtual object. For example, skill a1 may cause a virtual object to become a first form, and skill a2 may cause a virtual object to become a second form. The first form and the second form are two different forms. The specific form may be at least one of a human form, an animal form, a walking form, a flying form, etc. This is not limited to this application.

[0067] In the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, a plurality of skills are arranged in a skill group, so that one skill control corresponds to one skill group, and one skill can be selected from the skill group as a skill corresponding to the current skill control. When one skill control corresponds to one skill group and the skill group includes at least two skills, the user can selectively control a virtual object to cast a skill in the skill group according to the actual situation. Thus, more users can meet the requirements, and there are more ways to control virtual objects and more ways to combine skill casting.

[0068] Action 1002: Determine the first skill point in at least two skill points in response to an action for the first skill control in at least two skill controls.

[0069] The first skill control may be any skill control among at least two skill controls. In some embodiments, the first skill control may be selected by a user using a touch device or a finger to target the first skill control on the display screen of the terminal device where the client is located, or may be selected by a user by performing an action on the first skill control through an external device (such as a handle, joystick, mouse, or keyboard). This is not limited to these embodiments of the present application.

[0070] In some embodiments, the aforementioned operation may be at least one of a tap operation, a slide operation, or a touch operation. This is not limited to this application. For example, in response to a tap operation for a first skill control by a user, the client determines a first skill point at least two skill points.

[0071] The method of determining the first skill point is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. For example, one skill point may be randomly selected as the first skill point from at least two skill points. Alternatively, the current first skill point, the next first skill point, etc. may be determined in a front-to-back order. Alternatively, the current first skill point, the next first skill point, etc. may be determined in a back-to-front order. In some embodiments, the first skill point may alternatively be set by the user. For example, the first skill point under each operation is determined sequentially based on the order set by the user.

[0072] In some embodiments, the client determines a first skill point among at least two skill points based on the skill point usage order. The skill point usage order is configured to define the usage order of at least two skill points. The skill point usage order may be set and adjusted by the user, or it may be a fixed order pre-set by the application.

[0073] In some embodiments, if the order of skill point usage is from front to back / left to right, the skill points in the skill point set are selected sequentially from front to back / left to right. For example, referring to FIG. 2, the skill point set (105) contains three skill points, and the order of skill point usage is from left to right. After the first skill point is used in the order from left to right, the leftmost skill point in the skill point set (105) disappears, and the skill point set (105) is updated as shown in FIG. 3 (only two skill points remain). The order in which skill points are used is not limited in this application. Also, the shape of the skill points is not limited in this application. In the schematic diagram of the user interface (100) shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, the skill points appear in the shape of a moon on the health bar of the virtual object (101). In some embodiments, skill points may alternatively be displayed in other forms such as suns, monsters, stars, numbers, or grids.

[0074] In some embodiments, skill points may or may not be fully displayed on the user interface. For example, the user interface displays only skill point controls and does not display a specific number of skill points. The user needs to tap the skill point control where the skill points are located before all skill points can be fully expanded. In some other embodiments, skill points may also not be displayed on the user interface at all. For example, the number of skill points is not displayed on the user interface at all, but there may be a voice broadcast, for example, "a user xxx obtains 3 skill points." When the user uses a skill point, there may also be a broadcast stating, "a user xxx uses the skill point 1, and 2 skill points remain." Furthermore, the display location of skill points on the user interface is not limited in this application. In some embodiments, skill points are displayed in a virtual environment (i.e., a display layer) where a virtual object is located. In some embodiments, skill points appear on a spatial layer of the user interface and can be touched or tapped by the user.

[0075] In this embodiment of the present application, the next skill point to be used is determined based on the order of skill point usage, so the user can clearly determine the skill point to be used, and the skill to be controlled to be cast by a virtual object is again determined based on the skill point to be used, which is convenient for the user to understand the arena status in real time and is very user-friendly for novice users.

[0076] Action 1003: Control the first virtual object to cast the skill corresponding to the first skill point in the skill group corresponding to the first skill control.

[0077] The first virtual object may be a virtual object controlled by the current user account logged into the client on the terminal device. With respect to the current terminal device, the first virtual object may also be referred to as the main virtual object in the current user interface corresponding to the current terminal device. The virtual object has been described in detail above, and details are not described again in this specification.

[0078] There is a correspondence between skills and skill points in each skill group. For example, skills in a skill group correspond one-to-one with skill points in a skill point set in order. The correspondence between skills in a skill group and skill points can also be set by the user. The correspondence between skills in a skill group and skill points can also be random. This is not limited to this embodiment of the present application.

[0079] For example, there are three skills in a skill group corresponding to the first skill control, and there are also three skill points in a skill point set. In response to an action for the first skill control, when the first skill point in the skill point set is used, the client controls the first virtual object to cast the first skill in the skill group corresponding to the first skill control. In response to an action for the first skill control, when the second skill point in the skill point set is used, the client controls the first virtual object to cast the second skill in the skill group corresponding to the first skill control. In response to an action for the first skill control, when the third skill point in the skill point set is used, the client controls the first virtual object to cast the third skill in the skill group corresponding to the first skill control.

[0080] In some embodiments, the user interface displays unused skill points in at least two skill points. Specifically, the user interface displays unused skill points so that the user can know how many or which skill points are unused or which skill points are used, thereby improving the user experience. For example, referring to FIG. 2, three skill points included in the skill point set (105) are unused skill points. In another example, two skill points included in the skill point set (105) in FIG. 3 are unused skill points.

[0081] According to the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, unused skill points in the skill points are displayed, and a prompt to notify the user of the unused skill points can be effectively given to the user. Thus, the user can determine which skill needs to be cast more accurately, which facilitates the user's action.

[0082] In some embodiments, the client displays an icon of a skill corresponding to the next skill point to be used in the display area of ​​the skill control. For example, after the first skill point is used, if the next skill point to be used is the second skill point, the skill corresponding to the first skill control and the skill corresponding to the second skill control are changed. If the skill corresponds to the second skill point, the first skill control and the second skill control update the display of icons of the changed skills. In some embodiments, an icon of a skill corresponding to the next skill point to be used is displayed so that the user knows what the next triggered skill is. In some embodiments, the next skill point to be used refers to the skill point to be used next, which is determined based on default logic (a predetermined order). In some other embodiments, if the user can select a "skill point to be used", the next skill point to be used may be a "skill point to be used" selected by the user. It is not limited in this application whether a "skill point to be used" is selected by the user.

[0083] According to the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, an icon of a skill corresponding to the next skill point to be used is displayed, so that the user can be effectively notified of the skill corresponding to the next skill point. This facilitates the user's selection from a plurality of skill controls, thereby facilitating arena operations and facilitating the user's determination of the skill to be controlled to be cast by a virtual object based on the actual situation, and thereby improves the user experience.

[0084] In some embodiments, when a skill is cast using skill points, the cooldown of the skill is less than the skill's rated cooldown.

[0085] The rated cooldown is equivalent to the skill's original cooldown, that is, the cooldown of the skill without the participation of skill points. In some embodiments, the rated cooldown of the skill group corresponding to the first skill control is 10 seconds. When the user casts the skill using skill points, the skill's cooldown time may be reduced to 2 seconds. When the user uses the last skill point, for example, when the last skill point corresponds to the third skill of the skill group that the user is casting the first skill control, after the skill is consumed, the skill's cooldown becomes the rated cooldown.

[0086] According to the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, when skill points are used to cast a skill, the cooldown of the skill is less than the skill's rated cooldown. The skill's cooldown (cooldown time) can be shortened by using skill points. In other words, it is convenient for the user to cast multiple skills in succession within a short period through skill control. In this case, the connection between skills is better, the user experience is better, and the intensity of competition can be more evident to veteran users, thereby improving the continuity of action.

[0087] According to the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, at least two skill controls are supported to share the same set of skill points, and when a user performs an action on a first skill control in at least two skill controls, a first skill point is determined from the first set of skill points, and a first virtual object is controlled to cast a skill corresponding to the first skill point in a skill group corresponding to the first skill control, so that the current skill corresponding to the currently triggered skill control is determined by the skill point. Accordingly, when there are at least two skill points and at least two skill controls, there are multiple possible combinations of skill casting based on different skill point selections and different skill control selections, so that the combinations of skill casting can be diversified, thereby improving the combination flexibility and diversity of skill casting.

[0088] In addition, by using the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the combination diversity of skill casting can be improved without adding redundant entities (such as skill controls) by only needing to adjust the number of skills in a skill group or the number of skill points in a skill point set, thereby improving the scalability of the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Furthermore, by using the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the user interface can also be optimized, for example, by using skill points to reduce the number of skill controls, thereby helping to improve the usability of the user interface.

[0089] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a virtual object according to another embodiment of the present application. The entity executing each operation of this method may be a terminal device (10) in the implementation environment shown in FIG. 1. For example, the entity executing each operation may be a client of a target application. In the following method embodiments, for ease of explanation, the description is provided using only "client" as the entity executing each operation. This method may include at least one operation in the following operations (1101 to 1103):

[0090] Operation 1101: Display at least two skill controls that share the same skill point set in a user interface. The skill point set contains at least two skill points, each skill control corresponds to one skill group, and each skill group contains at least one skill.

[0091] Operations 1101 and 1103 are identical to those described in the embodiments described above. For details not described in the embodiments of this application, reference may be made to the embodiments described above. Details are not described again in this specification.

[0092] Action 1102: In response to an action for a first skill control in at least two skill controls, a skill point selected from at least two skill points through a skill point selection action is determined as the first skill point. A skill point selection action is an action performed by a user to select a skill point.

[0093] The type of skill point selection action is not limited to this embodiment of the present application, and the skill point selection action may be at least one of a slide, a tap, or a double-tap.

[0094] In some embodiments, the action for skill point selection and the action for first skill control are each a one-step slide action. A one-step slide action refers to a single continuous slide action, that is, a slide action in which an initial position and an end position are distinct, and the initial position is assigned as the end position in one step.

[0095] In some embodiments, a skill control corresponding to the start position of a one-step slide motion is a first skill control, and a skill point corresponding to the end position of a one-step slide motion is a first skill point. For example, skill control 1 and skill control 2, and skill point 1 and skill point 2 are displayed on a user interface. In response to a one-step slide motion from skill control 1 to skill point 1, the client determines skill control 1 as the first skill control and determines skill point 1 as the first skill point.

[0096] Alternatively, the skill point corresponding to the start position of the 1-step slide motion is the first skill point, and the skill control corresponding to the end position of the 1-step slide motion is the first skill control. For example, skill control 1 and skill control 2, and skill point 1 and skill point 2 are displayed on the user interface. In response to a 1-step slide motion from skill point 1 to skill control 1, the client determines skill control 1 as the first skill control and determines skill point 1 as the first skill point.

[0097] According to one mode, a skill point can be slid from a first skill control to a skill point, and according to another mode, a skill point can be slid from a skill point to a skill control. Both modes can be configured to select a skill point corresponding to a current action. After the skill point is determined, the current skill in the skill group corresponding to the skill control can be determined based on the skill point used.

[0098] In some embodiments, a skill control may be tapped to select a skill, and a skill point may be tapped to select a skill point to achieve the purpose of selecting a skill point. However, in this manner, the efficiency of the operation is low, and the efficiency of skill casting is affected. Even when a high-level player attempts to tap simultaneously with two fingers, there are high requirements for the operation. Alternatively, in the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, only a one-step slide operation is required to complete the selection of skills and skill points, which is highly efficient and has low operation difficulty.

[0099] Action 1103: Control the first virtual object to cast the skill corresponding to the first skill point in the skill group corresponding to the first skill control.

[0100] In some embodiments, after the first skill point is determined, the skill currently corresponding to the first skill control is also determined accordingly. In this case, the trigger action for the first skill control is equivalent to the trigger action of the skill currently corresponding to the first skill control.

[0101] According to the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, skill points are arranged on a control layer, and a user can perform actions on the skill points. After the user selects a skill point, the user performs an action on skill control so that the trigger of the skill corresponding to the skill point in the skill group can be implemented. Different skill points correspond to different skills in the skill group. Thus, when the user can select a corresponding skill point, the skill in the skill group can be selectively cast. The user can choose to use different skill points based on constantly changing circumstances. For novice users, selecting a skill point one step further may be relatively difficult, but conversely, for veteran users, the skill points are pre-selected, which can better reflect the user's reaction speed and arena strength. Additionally, the skill point selection action can clarify which skills need to be controlled to be cast by a virtual object, and it is convenient for the user to select different skills based on the game situation. According to the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, there is no fixed order of skill point usage, and the use of skill points depends on the user's skill point selection behavior, which enriches the ways of controlling virtual objects and improves the fun and challenge of the arena game.

[0102] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a virtual object according to another embodiment of the present application. The entity executing each operation of this method may be a terminal device (10) in the implementation environment shown in FIG. 1. For example, the entity executing each operation may be a client of a target application. In the following method embodiments, for ease of explanation, the description is provided using only "client" as the entity executing each operation. This method may include at least one operation in the following operations (1201 to 1203):

[0103] Operation 1201: Display at least two skill controls that share the same skill point set in a user interface. The skill point set contains at least two skill points, each skill control corresponds to one skill group, and each skill group contains at least one skill.

[0104] Operations 1201 and 1203 are identical to those described in the embodiments described above. For details not described in the embodiments of this application, reference may be made to the embodiments described above. Details are not described again in this specification.

[0105] Action 1202: In response to an action for a first skill control in at least two skill controls, determine a first skill point in at least two skill points based on real-time game data.

[0106] Real-time game data may refer to the real-time game data of the aforementioned arena game, for example, real-time game data of the arena game in a MOBA game. Real-time game data can reflect the current progress status of the arena game in real time.

[0107] In some embodiments, the real-time game data includes at least one of the following: skills cast by the first virtual object during the last N times, attribute information of the first virtual object, attribute information of the second virtual object that the first virtual object is fighting against, or attribute information of the third virtual object that the first virtual object is assisting, and N is a positive integer. More precisely, due to the variability of the arena game situation, determining the first skill point from at least two skill points based on the real-time game data can improve the rationality of determining the first skill point.

[0108] For example, the client may determine the first skill point from at least two skill points based on the skills cast by the first virtual object during the last N times. For example, the client determines the skill point preference of the first virtual object in the game based on the number of different skill points corresponding to the skills cast by the first virtual object during the last N times. If the first virtual object prefers to use a skill in the skill group corresponding to the first skill point, the skill point preferred to be used is preferentially determined as the first skill point from at least two skill points.

[0109] For example, the client can determine a first skill point at least two skill points based on attribute information of the first virtual object. In some embodiments, the attributes of the skills corresponding to different skill points are different. For example, the skill corresponding to skill point 1 is a defensive skill, and the skill corresponding to skill point 2 is an offensive skill. If the attribute information of the first virtual object is blood volume information of the first virtual object, when the blood volume value of the first virtual object is low, the client can determine skill point 1 at at least two skill points as the first skill point. In this case, the defensive skill corresponding to skill point 1 can improve the defense value of the first virtual object. In another example, the blood volume information of the first virtual object is very healthy, but the first virtual object is located in a dangerous position. For example, there are multiple second virtual objects around the first virtual object (the second virtual objects in this specification are virtual objects in a different faction from the first virtual object), and the client determines skill point 2 at at least two skill points as the first skill point. In this case, the attack skill corresponding to Skill Point 2 can improve the attack value of the first virtual object. In another example, the attribute information of the first virtual object may alternatively be an attribute gain owned by the first virtual object. For example, the first virtual object itself has an attribute gain of attack. In this case, defensive power needs to be improved, and the client determines Skill Point 1 from at least two skill points as the first skill point. In this case, the defense skill corresponding to Skill Point 1 can improve the defense value of the first virtual object. In another example, the first virtual object itself has an attribute gain of defense. In this case, offensive power needs to be improved, and the client determines Skill Point 2 from at least two skill points as the first skill point.In this case, the attack skill corresponding to 2 skill points can improve the attack value of the first virtual object, so that complementarity between the skill and the attribute gain can be achieved.

[0110] For example, the client can determine the first skill point in at least two skill points based on attribute information of the second virtual object that the first virtual object is fighting against. For example, the client determines the first skill point in at least two skill points based on the blood volume value, attack value, defense value, etc. of the second virtual object.

[0111] For example, the client can determine the first skill point in at least two skill points based on attribute information of a third virtual object that is assisted by the first virtual object. For example, the third virtual object is a virtual object in the same faction as the first virtual object. The client can determine the first skill point in at least two skill points based on the blood volume value, attack value, defense value, etc. of the third virtual object.

[0112] Action 1203: Control the first virtual object to cast the skill corresponding to the first skill point in the skill group corresponding to the first skill control.

[0113] According to the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the first skill point is determined based on real-time game data, so that the user's requirements can be better met and the selection action for the skill point can be avoided, which is very user-friendly for beginner users and thereby improves the user's arena experience.

[0114] FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a virtual object according to another embodiment of the present application. The entity executing each operation of this method may be a terminal device (10) in the implementation environment illustrated in FIG. 1. For example, the entity executing each operation may be a client of a target application. In the following method embodiments, for ease of explanation, the description is provided using only "client" as the entity executing each operation. This method may include at least one operation in the following operations (1301 to 1304):

[0115] Operation 1301: Display at least two skill controls that share the same skill point set in a user interface. The skill point set contains at least two skill points, each skill control corresponds to one skill group, and each skill group contains at least one skill.

[0116] Action 1302: Determine the first skill point in at least two skill points in response to an action for the first skill control in at least two skill controls.

[0117] Action 1303: Control the first virtual object to cast the skill corresponding to the first skill point in the skill group corresponding to the first skill control.

[0118] Operations 1301 through 1303 are identical to those described in the embodiments described above. For details not described in the embodiments of this application, reference may be made to the embodiments described above. Details are not described again in this specification.

[0119] Action 1304: When the number of unused skill points in a skill point set is less than the rated maximum, if the skill point restoration condition is met, increase the number of unused skill points in the skill point set.

[0120] The rated maximum number refers to the maximum number of skill points that can be included in a skill point set, and can be set and adjusted based on actual usage requirements. The skill point restoration condition is configured to indicate whether skill points can be restored.

[0121] In some embodiments, unused skill points in a skill point set may be restored to a rated maximum number. For example, the rated maximum number is 3. If the number of unused skill points in a skill point set is less than 3, the client determines whether a restoration condition is satisfied, and when the restoration condition is satisfied, the skill points are restored to a rated maximum number.

[0122] The method of increasing the number of unused skill points in a skill point set is not limited to this embodiment of the present application, and the number of unused skill points in a skill point set may be increased at once to a rated maximum number, or increased one by one to a rated maximum number of skill points.

[0123] In some embodiments, the skill point restoration condition comprises at least one of the following: reaching a first duration after the skill point was last used; reaching a second duration after the skill point was last restored; the first virtual object causing damage to an enemy virtual object satisfying the first condition; the faction to which the first virtual object belongs causing damage to an enemy virtual object satisfying the second condition; the first virtual object acquiring a first gain effect; or the faction to which the first virtual object belongs acquiring a second gain effect.

[0124] In some embodiments, the number of skill points in the skill point set is restored to the rated maximum number at the start of the arena game.

[0125] In some embodiments, the skill point restoration condition is a first duration because the skill points are last used. For example, the first duration is 10 seconds. 10 seconds after the skill points are last used, the user does not use the skill points again. In this case, the number of skill points is restored to the rated maximum number.

[0126] In some embodiments, the skill point restoration condition is a second duration because the skill points are restored last. For example, the second duration is 60 seconds. After the skill points are restored from the last time, the number of skill points is automatically restored to the rated maximum number for 60 seconds.

[0127] In some embodiments, the skill point restoration condition is that the first virtual object causes damage to an enemy virtual object that satisfies the first condition. In some embodiments, the first condition is that the damage caused to the enemy virtual object by the first virtual object is greater than the first damage threshold, or that the number of enemy virtual objects neutralized by the first virtual object is greater than the first number threshold. When the first condition is satisfied, the number of skill points is restored to the rated maximum number. For example, the first number threshold is 5. If the number of enemy virtual objects neutralized by the first virtual object is greater than 5, the number of skill points is restored to the rated maximum number.

[0128] In some embodiments, the skill point restoration condition is that the faction to which the first virtual object belongs causes damage to an enemy virtual object that satisfies the second condition. In some embodiments, the second condition is that the damage caused by the faction to which the first virtual object belongs to the enemy virtual object is greater than the second damage threshold, or that the number of enemy virtual objects neutralized by the faction to which the first virtual object belongs is greater than the second number threshold. If the second condition is satisfied, the number of skill points is restored to the rated maximum number. For example, the second number threshold is 5. If the number of enemy virtual objects neutralized by the faction to which the first virtual object belongs is greater than 5, the number of skill points is restored to the rated maximum number.

[0129] In some embodiments, the skill point restoration condition is that the first virtual object acquires the first gain effect. In some embodiments, the first gain effect is at least one of an attack effect or a defense effect. This is not limited to these embodiments of the present application. For example, if the first gain effect is an attack effect, when the first virtual object acquires the attack effect, the number of skill points is restored to the rated maximum number.

[0130] In some embodiments, the skill point restoration condition is that the faction to which the first virtual object belongs acquires a second gain effect. In some embodiments, the second gain effect is at least one of an attack effect or a defense effect. This is not limited to these embodiments of the present application. For example, if the second gain effect is a defense effect, when the first virtual object acquires the defense effect, the number of skill points is restored to the rated maximum number.

[0131] According to the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, when the number of unused skill points in a skill point set is less than the rated maximum number, the number of unused skill points in the skill point set is increased if the skill point restoration condition is met. Furthermore, the skill point restoration condition varies. Based on different requirements, the user can set different skill point restoration modes. Additionally, rapid skill point restoration is also beneficial for speeding up game progression and reducing the processing overhead of the device.

[0132] FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a method for controlling a virtual object according to an embodiment of the related technology. This method may include at least one operation in the following operations (S1 to S6):

[0133] Action S1: Request to cast a skill.

[0134] The server requests the client of the terminal device to cast a skill. After receiving the skill casting request, the client performs operations S2 through S3 to cast the skill logic of the selected specified skill slot.

[0135] Action S2: Select the specified skill slot.

[0136] In this embodiment of the present application, the skill slot can also be considered as a skill control.

[0137] Action S3: Execute skill logic.

[0138] After the logic is executed, the client checks whether the skill needs to be switched to a different skill. If a switch is required, the client can perform the switch on the specific skill object in the skill slot to ensure different skill logic during the next casting.

[0139] Action S4: Whether to switch skills.

[0140] If yes, perform operation S5, or otherwise, perform operation S6.

[0141] Action S5: Switches a skill to a target skill. The target skill may be the next skill of the current skill in the specified skill slot.

[0142] Operation S6: Terminate.

[0143] The skill casting logic in related technologies has the problem that the target skill needs to be clear and the order of skill casting needs to be fixed. However, the order of skill casting is not limited in the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. If skill points exist, skills can be combined randomly. The order of skill casting is not limited, which enriches the ways in which virtual objects cast skills.

[0144] FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a method for controlling a virtual object according to an embodiment of the present application. The entity executing each operation of this method may be a terminal device (10) in the implementation environment shown in FIG. 1. For example, the entity executing each operation may be a client of a target application. In the following method embodiments, for ease of explanation, the description is provided using only "client" as the entity executing each operation. This method may include at least one operation in the following operations (P1 to P6):

[0145] Action P1: Request to cast a skill.

[0146] Action P2: Select the specified skill slot.

[0147] Action P3: Execute skill logic.

[0148] Action P4: Sends a skill switch event.

[0149] Action P5: Received an event.

[0150] Action P6: Execute skill switching logic.

[0151] The skill switching logic provided in the embodiments of the present application is a function that switches different logics based on specific situations. Specifically, after a skill point is used (or the skill logic of a skill is executed), the client can directly switch skills corresponding to skill controls. Accordingly, the skill switching logic needs to be scripted and configured. The specific skill switching logic simply checks whether a skill needs to be switched from the previous state to detect whether a condition is met, and the skills of each specified skill slot in the user interface are switched simultaneously.

[0152] FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a method for controlling a virtual object according to another embodiment of the present application. The entity executing each operation of this method may be a terminal device (10) in the implementation environment illustrated in FIG. 1. For example, the entity executing each operation may be a client of a target application. In the following method embodiments, for ease of explanation, the description is provided using only "client" as the entity executing each operation. This method may include at least one operation in the following operations (Q1 to Q3):

[0153] Action Q1: Determine the event.

[0154] In some embodiments, the specific skill point currently in use in the skill point set is determined through operation Q1.

[0155] Action Q2: Execute skill switching logic.

[0156] The skill switching logic is performed based on the determined skill points; that is, the skill corresponding to the skill control is switched to the skill corresponding to the current skill points.

[0157] Operation Q3: Output the conversion result.

[0158] According to the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, skill switching logic can be configured, and different virtual objects can adjust the specific details of the skill switching logic in different situations.

[0159] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of skill switching logic according to an embodiment of the present application. The entity executing each operation of this method may be a terminal device (10) in the implementation environment illustrated in FIG. 1. For example, the entity executing each operation may be a client of a target application. In the following method embodiments, for ease of explanation, the description is provided using only "client" as the entity executing each operation. This method may include at least one operation in the following operations (W1 to V5):

[0160] Action W1: Select the 1st skill slot.

[0161] It is determined whether to consume 1 skill point. If yes, perform action W2, or otherwise, consume 2 skill points.

[0162] In this embodiment of the present application, using skill points may also be considered as consuming skill points.

[0163] Action W2: Switches the 1st skill corresponding to the 1st skill slot.

[0164] It is determined whether to spend 2 skill points. If yes, perform action W3, or otherwise, whether to spend 3 skill points.

[0165] Action W3: Switches the 2nd skill corresponding to the 1st skill slot.

[0166] It is determined whether to spend 3 skill points. If yes, perform action W4, or otherwise, perform action W5.

[0167] Action W4: Switches the 3rd skill corresponding to the 1st skill slot.

[0168] Action W5: Cannot cast the skill corresponding to the 1st skill slot.

[0169] Action V1: Select the 2nd skill slot.

[0170] It is determined whether to consume 1 skill point. If yes, perform action V2, or otherwise, whether to consume 2 skill points.

[0171] Action V2: Switches the 1st skill corresponding to the 2nd skill slot.

[0172] It is determined whether to consume 2 skill points. If yes, perform action V3, or otherwise, whether to consume 3 skill points.

[0173] Action V3: Switches the 2nd skill corresponding to the 2nd skill slot.

[0174] It is determined whether to consume 3 skill points. If yes, perform action V4, or otherwise, perform action V5.

[0175] Action V4: Switches the 3rd skill corresponding to the 2nd skill slot.

[0176] Action V5: Cannot cast the skill corresponding to the 2nd skill slot.

[0177] According to the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, different skill points are numbered to design different skills corresponding to different skills, and a new skill conversion logic is provided so that a skill that needs to be converted can be determined based on the skill points used. In other words, when the current skill point is consumed, the skill corresponding to the skill slot needs to be updated to the skill corresponding to the next skill point.

[0178] FIG. 18 is a block diagram of CD skill switching logic according to an embodiment of the present application. The entity executing each operation of this method may be a terminal device (10) in the implementation environment illustrated in FIG. 1. For example, the entity executing each operation may be a client of a target application. In the following method embodiments, for ease of explanation, the description is provided using only "client" as the entity executing each operation. This method may include at least one operation in the following operations (U1 to U3):

[0179] Action U1: Request to cast a skill.

[0180] After the skill is cast, it is determined whether there are still skill points. If yes, perform action U2; otherwise, perform action U3.

[0181] After each skill is cast, it is detected whether there are skill points in the skill point set. If there are skill points, the cast skill does not enter the skill's full CD (Rated CD).

[0182] Action U2: Resets the skill CDs of the 1st and 2nd skill slots.

[0183] In some embodiments, the skill CDs corresponding to all slots are adjusted to 0 or less than the rated CD.

[0184] Operation U3: Restores the rated CDs of the skills corresponding to the 1st and 2nd skill slots.

[0185] The following is an example of an apparatus of the present application that can be used to carry out the example of the method of the present application. For details not disclosed in the example of the apparatus of the present application, reference is made to the example of the method of the present application.

[0186] FIG. 19 is a block diagram of a virtual object control device according to an embodiment of the present application. Such a device has a function to implement the method example described above, and such function may be implemented by hardware or by hardware running corresponding software. Such a device may be a terminal device described above or may be placed on a terminal device. As shown in FIG. 19, the device (1800) may include a display module (1810), a skill point determination module (1820), and a control module (1830).

[0187] The display module (1810) is configured to display at least two skill controls that share the same skill point set in the user interface, the skill point set includes at least two skill points, each skill control corresponds to one skill group, and each skill group includes at least one skill.

[0188] The skill point determination module (1820) is configured to determine a first skill point in at least two skill points in response to an operation for a first skill control in at least two skill controls.

[0189] The control module (1830) is configured to control the first virtual object to cast a skill corresponding to the first skill point in the skill group corresponding to the first skill control.

[0190] In some embodiments, the first skill group in the skill groups corresponding to at least two skill controls includes at least two skills, and the different skills included in the first skill group correspond to different skill points.

[0191] In some embodiments, the display module (1810) is additionally configured to display unused skill points in at least two skill points.

[0192] In some embodiments, the display module (1810) is further configured to display an icon of a skill corresponding to the next skill point to be used in the display area of ​​the skill control.

[0193] In some embodiments, the skill point determination module (1820) is configured to determine a first skill point in at least two skill points based on the skill point usage order, and the skill point usage order is configured to define the usage order of at least two skill points.

[0194] In some embodiments, the skill point determination module (1820) is configured to determine a skill point selected from at least two skill points through a skill point selection operation as a first skill point, and the skill point selection operation is an operation performed by a user to select a skill point.

[0195] In some embodiments, the operation for skill point selection and the operation for the first skill control are each a 1-stage slide operation, the skill control corresponding to the start position of the 1-stage slide operation is the first skill control, and the skill point corresponding to the end position of the 1-stage slide operation is the first skill point; or the skill point corresponding to the start position of the 1-stage slide operation is the first skill point, and the skill control corresponding to the end position of the 1-stage slide operation is the first skill control.

[0196] In some embodiments, the skill point determination module (1820) is configured to determine a first skill point in at least two skill points based on real-time game data, and the real-time game data includes at least one of the following: skills cast by the first virtual object during the last N times, attribute information of the first virtual object, attribute information of the second virtual object that the first virtual object is fighting against, or attribute information of the third virtual object that the first virtual object is assisting, and N is a positive integer.

[0197] In some embodiments, when a skill is cast using skill points, the cooldown of the skill is less than the skill's rated cooldown.

[0198] In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 20, this device further includes a skill point increase module (1840).

[0199] The skill point increase module (1840) is configured to increase the number of unused skill points in the skill point set when the number of unused skill points in the skill point set is less than the rated maximum number, and the skill point restoration condition includes at least one of the following: reaching a first duration after the skill point was last used, reaching a second duration after the skill point was last restored, the first virtual object causing damage to an enemy virtual object satisfying the first condition, the faction to which the first virtual object belongs causing damage to an enemy virtual object satisfying the second condition, the first virtual object obtaining a first gain effect, or the faction to which the first virtual object belongs obtaining a second gain effect.

[0200] According to the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, at least two skill controls are supported to share the same set of skill points, and when a user performs an action on a first skill control in at least two skill controls, a first skill point is determined from the first set of skill points, and a first virtual object is controlled to cast a skill corresponding to the first skill point in a skill group corresponding to the first skill control, so that the current skill corresponding to the currently triggered skill control is determined by the skill point. Accordingly, when there are at least two skill points and at least two skill controls, there are multiple possible combinations of skill casting based on different skill point selections and different skill control selections, so that the combinations of skill casting can be diversified, thereby improving the combination flexibility and diversity of skill casting.

[0201] In addition, by using the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the combination diversity of skill casting can be improved without adding redundant entities (such as skill controls) by only needing to adjust the number of skills in a skill group or the number of skill points in a skill point set, thereby improving the scalability of the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Furthermore, by using the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the user interface can also be optimized, for example, by using skill points to reduce the number of skill controls, thereby helping to improve the usability of the user interface.

[0202] When the device provided in the aforementioned embodiments implements the functions of such device, the division of the aforementioned function modules is merely an example for illustrative purposes. In actual application, the aforementioned function assignment is completed by different function modules as needed; that is, the internal structure of the device is divided into different function modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. Furthermore, the device and method embodiments provided in the aforementioned embodiments belong to the same concept. For specific implementation processes, reference may be made to the method embodiments, and details are not described again in this specification.

[0203] FIG. 21 is a structural block diagram of a terminal device (2100) according to an embodiment of the present application. The terminal device (2100) may be a terminal device (10) in an implementation environment illustrated in FIG. 1 and is configured to perform a method for controlling a virtual object provided in the aforementioned embodiments. Specifically,

[0204] Generally, the terminal device (2100) includes a processor (2101) and a memory (2102).

[0205] The processor (2101) may include one or more processing cores, such as a 4-core processor or an 8-core processor. The processor (2101) may be implemented using at least one hardware form among a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and a programmable logic array (PLA). The processor (2101) may also include a main processor and a coprocessor. The main processor is a processor configured to process data in an active state and is also referred to as a central processing unit (CPU). The coprocessor is a low-power consumption processor configured to process data in a standby state. In some embodiments, the processor (2101) may be integrated with a graphics processing unit (GPU). The GPU is configured to be responsible for rendering and drawing content that needs to be displayed on a display. In some embodiments, the processor (2101) may alternatively include an artificial intelligence (AI) processor. The AI ​​processor is configured to process computing operations related to machine learning.

[0206] The memory (2102) may include one or more computer-readable storage media. The computer-readable storage media may be non-transient storage media. The memory (2102) may alternatively include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, for example, one or more disk storage devices or flash storage devices. In some embodiments, the non-transient computer-readable storage media in the memory (2102) is configured to store a computer program therein, and the computer program is configured to be executed by one or more processors to implement the aforementioned method for controlling a virtual object.

[0207] In some embodiments, the terminal device (2100) may optionally additionally include a peripheral device interface (2103) and at least one peripheral device. The processor (2101), memory (2102), and peripheral device interface (2103) may be connected via a bus or signal cable. Each peripheral device may be connected to the peripheral device interface (2103) via a bus, signal cable, or circuit board. Specifically, the peripheral device includes at least one of a radio frequency circuit (2104), a display screen (2105), an audio circuit (2107), or a power supply (2108).

[0208] A person skilled in the art can understand that the structure illustrated in FIG. 21 does not constitute a limitation on the terminal device (2100), and that the terminal device may include more or fewer components than those illustrated in the drawing, or that some components may be combined, or that different arrangements of components may be used.

[0209] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program is further provided, and the computer program is executed by a processor to implement the aforementioned method for controlling a virtual object.

[0210] In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium may include ROM (read-only memory), RAM (random access memory), SSD (solid state drives), optical discs, etc. RAM may include ReRAM (resistance random access memory) and DRAM (dynamic random access memory).

[0211] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is further provided, the computer program product includes a computer program, and the computer program is stored on a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a terminal device reads the computer program from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer program to enable the terminal device to perform the aforementioned method for controlling a virtual object.

[0212] According to embodiments of the present application, a prompt interface or a pop-up window may be displayed, or voice prompt information may be output before and during the collection of user-related data. The prompt interface, pop-up window, or voice prompt information is used to prompt the user that user-related data is currently being collected, and thus the application begins to perform the relevant actions to acquire user-related data only after obtaining the user's confirmation action regarding the prompt interface or pop-up window, and otherwise (i.e., when the user's confirmation action regarding the prompt interface or pop-up window is not obtained), terminates the relevant actions to acquire user-related data, i.e., skips acquiring user-related data. In other words, all user data collected by the present application is processed strictly in accordance with the requirements of relevant national laws and regulations. Notified consent or separate consent regarding the subject of personal information is collected together with the user's consent and authorization, and subsequent data use and processing activities are carried out within the scope of the laws, regulations, and authorization of the subject of personal information, and the collection, use, and processing of user-related data need to comply with the relevant laws, regulations, and standards of the relevant countries and territories. For example, the operations, user interfaces, virtual environments, virtual objects, etc. associated with the present application are all obtained with full authorization.

[0213] As used herein, "a plurality of" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes an association between associated objects and indicates that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent the following three cases: only A exists, both A and B exist, and only B exists. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between associated objects. Additionally, the action numbers described herein merely illustrate a possible sequence of actions. In some other embodiments, actions may not be performed based on a sequence of numbers. For example, two actions with different numbers may be performed simultaneously, or two actions with different numbers may be performed based on a sequence opposite to the one shown in the drawings. This is not limited to these embodiments of the application.

[0214] The foregoing description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present application, but is not intended to limit the application. Any modification, equivalent substitution, or improvement made within the spirit and principles of the present application will fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

Claim 1 A method for controlling a virtual object, performed by a terminal device, comprising: displaying at least two skill controls sharing the same set of skill points in a user interface, wherein the set of skill points includes at least two skill points configured to manage the number of skill castings, each skill control corresponds to one skill group, each skill group includes at least two skills, and different skills in the at least two skills correspond to different skill points in the at least two skill points; determining a first skill point among at least one unused skill point in the at least two skill points in response to an operation for a skill control in the at least two skill controls; and controlling a first virtual object to cast a skill corresponding to the first skill point in the skill group corresponding to the skill control. Claim 2 A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying unused skill points in at least two skill points. Claim 3 A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying an icon of a skill corresponding to the next skill point to be used in the display area of ​​the skill control. Claim 4 A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining a first skill point among the at least two skill points comprises the step of determining the first skill point among the at least one unused skill point based on a skill point usage order—the skill point usage order is configured to define the usage order of the at least two skill points. Claim 5 A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining a first skill point among at least two skill points comprises the step of determining a skill point selected from at least one unused skill point through a skill point selection operation as the first skill point—the skill point selection operation being an operation performed by a user to select a skill point. Claim 6 In claim 5, the operation for the skill point selection operation and the operation for the skill control are each a 1-step slide operation, the skill control corresponding to the starting position of the 1-step slide operation is the skill control, and the skill point corresponding to the ending position of the 1-step slide operation is the first skill point; or the skill point corresponding to the starting position of the 1-step slide operation is the first skill point, and the skill control corresponding to the ending position of the 1-step slide operation is the skill control. Claim 7 A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the first skill point among the at least two skill points comprises the step of determining the first skill point among the at least one unused skill point based on real-time game data, wherein the real-time game data includes at least one of the following: skills cast by the first virtual object during the last N times, attribute information of the first virtual object, attribute information of the second virtual object that the first virtual object is fighting against, or attribute information of the third virtual object that the first virtual object is assisting, and N is a positive integer. Claim 8 A method according to claim 1, wherein when the skill is cast using the first skill point, the cooldown of the skill is less than the rated cooldown of the skill. Claim 9 A method comprising, in addition to the first, a step of increasing the number of at least one unused skill point when the number of at least one unused skill point is less than the rated maximum number, and when a skill point restoration condition is satisfied, wherein the skill point restoration condition comprises at least one of the following: reaching a first duration after the skill point was last used; reaching a second duration after the skill point was last restored; the first virtual object causing damage to an enemy virtual object satisfying the first condition; the faction to which the first virtual object belongs causing damage to an enemy virtual object satisfying the second condition; the first virtual object obtaining a first gain effect; or the faction to which the first virtual object belongs obtaining a second gain effect. Claim 10 A device for controlling a virtual object, comprising: a control display module configured to display at least two skill controls sharing the same skill point set in a user interface, wherein the skill point set includes at least two skill points configured to manage the number of skill castings, each skill control corresponds to one skill group, each skill group includes at least two skills, and different skills in the at least two skills correspond to different skill points in the at least two skill points; a skill point determination module configured to determine a first skill point among at least one unused skill point in the at least two skill points in response to an operation on a skill control in the at least two skill controls; and a control module configured to control a first virtual object to cast a skill corresponding to the first skill point in the skill group corresponding to the skill control. Claim 11 A terminal device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and the computer program is loaded and executed by the processor to implement a method according to any one of claims 1 to 9. Claim 12 A computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium has a computer program stored therein, and the computer program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement a method according to any one of claims 1 to 9. Claim 13 A computer program stored on a computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions, wherein the computer instructions are stored on the computer-readable storage medium, and wherein, in order to implement a method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, a processor reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions. Claim 14 delete

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