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

Abstract

A virtual character control method and apparatus, a device, and a storage medium, relating to the technical field of virtual worlds. The method comprises: displaying at least two virtual game pieces in a virtual board or card game match, and virtual characters respectively corresponding to at least two players in the virtual board or card game match, wherein the virtual characters are virtual objects assisting the players in handling the virtual game pieces (210); receiving a specified operation performed by a first player on a first virtual game piece, the first player being one of the at least two players, and the first virtual game piece being at least one of the at least two virtual game pieces (220); and controlling a first virtual character to perform an interactive action corresponding to the specified operation on the first virtual game piece, the first virtual character being a virtual character corresponding to the first player (230). In the present application, virtual characters are supported to represent players and to operate virtual game pieces according to specified operations by the players during a game match, thereby increasing the likelihood of player interaction and improving the competitiveness of virtual board or card games.

Description

Methods, devices, equipment and storage media for controlling virtual characters

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411183165.7, filed on August 27, 2024, entitled "Control Method, Apparatus, Device and Storage Medium for Virtual Characters", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of virtual world technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, device and storage medium for controlling virtual characters. Background Technology

[0003] Virtual board and card games are a collective term for virtual board games and virtual card games. Virtual board and card games can run on users' mobile phones, computers and other terminal devices to simulate real board and card games.

[0004] In related technologies, virtual card games often feature a virtual hand in their interface to represent user actions. This virtual hand can simulate actions such as playing cards, arranging cards, and slamming cards in real-world scenarios. For example, when a user triggers a card-playing action on their device, the corresponding game interface can display an animation of the virtual hand playing the card.

[0005] However, the interaction methods of virtual hands in related technologies are relatively simple, and the interaction effect of virtual hands is poor, which is not conducive to improving the competitiveness of virtual card and board games. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for controlling virtual characters; the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application can be as follows:

[0007] According to one aspect of this application, a method for controlling a virtual character is provided, the method being executed by a computer device, the method comprising:

[0008] Display at least two virtual chess and card games in a virtual chess and card game, and virtual characters corresponding to the at least two players in the virtual chess and card game, wherein the virtual characters are virtual objects that assist the players in handling the virtual chess and card games;

[0009] Receive a specified operation from the first player on the first virtual chess and card game, wherein the first player is one of the at least two players and the first virtual chess and card game is at least one of the at least two virtual chess and card games;

[0010] Control the first virtual character to perform the interactive action corresponding to the specified operation on the first virtual chess and card game, where the first virtual character is the virtual character corresponding to the first player in the game.

[0011] According to another aspect of this application, a control device for a virtual character is provided, the device comprising:

[0012] The display module is used to display at least two virtual chess and card games in a virtual chess and card game, as well as virtual characters corresponding to the at least two players in the virtual chess and card game. The virtual characters are virtual objects that assist the players in handling the virtual chess and card games.

[0013] A receiving module is used to receive a specified operation by a first player on a first virtual chess and card game, wherein the first player is one of the at least two players and the first virtual chess and card game is at least one of the at least two virtual chess and card games.

[0014] The control module is used to control the first virtual character to perform the interactive action corresponding to the specified operation on the first virtual chess and card game, wherein the first virtual character is the virtual character corresponding to the first player in the game.

[0015] In some embodiments, the at least two players each have a hand of cards, and the specified operation includes the first operation of playing the first virtual card;

[0016] The control module is used to control the first virtual character to perform an interactive action of playing the first virtual card from the first player's hand.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first operation includes a card / board selection operation and a card / board play operation;

[0018] The control module is used to respond to the card selection operation and control the first virtual character to take the first virtual card from the hand of the first player.

[0019] The control module is used to respond to the card-playing operation and control the first virtual character to place the retrieved first virtual card into the playing area.

[0020] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a return control module, configured to control the first virtual character to return the first virtual card to the first player's hand and remain at the location of the first virtual card if no card is played within a first time period after the first virtual card is taken out.

[0021] In some embodiments, the specified operation includes combining at least two of the first virtual card games;

[0022] The control module is used to control the first virtual character to perform interactive actions such as sequentially grabbing at least two of the first virtual chess pieces and moving at least two of the first virtual chess pieces to a designated position.

[0023] In some embodiments, the at least two players each have a hand of cards, and the specified operation includes a card-drawing operation;

[0024] The control module is used to control the first virtual character to perform an interactive action of placing at least one unassigned virtual card into the first player's hand.

[0025] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes: an execution control module, configured to, in response to the start of the virtual card game, control the first virtual character to perform an interactive action to obtain an initial hand for the first player.

[0026] In some embodiments, the execution control module is configured to, in response to the start of the virtual card game, control the first virtual character to draw out each of the initial cards of the first player in a specified direction.

[0027] In some embodiments, the device further includes an interaction control module, configured to control the first virtual character to display an interactive expression corresponding to the interaction condition in response to the interaction condition being met.

[0028] In some embodiments, the interaction conditions include at least one of the following conditions:

[0029] During the second player's turn, if the second player does not play a card within the second time period, the second player is the other player among the at least two players besides the first player;

[0030] The first player made a mistake in playing a card;

[0031] The first player in the game achieves the designated objective in the virtual card game;

[0032] The first player plays the virtual card game in the specified combination;

[0033] The second player plays the virtual card game in the specified combination.

[0034] In some embodiments, the interactive control module is configured to control the first virtual character to display the interactive expression to the second virtual character if the second player does not play a card within the second time period during the second player's turn.

[0035] The second virtual character is a virtual character that assists the second player in handling the virtual card game.

[0036] According to another aspect of this application, a computer device is provided, the computer device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing at least one instruction, at least one program, code set or instruction set, the at least one instruction, the at least one program, the code set or instruction set being loaded and executed by the processor to implement the above-described virtual character control method.

[0037] According to another aspect of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein at least one instruction, at least one program, code set, or instruction set is stored in the storage medium, wherein the at least one instruction, the at least one program, the code set, or the instruction set is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the above-described method for controlling a virtual character.

[0038] According to another aspect of this application, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium, wherein a processor reads from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions to implement the above-described virtual character control method.

[0039] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided in this application include at least the following:

[0040] The virtual card game provided in this embodiment can display corresponding virtual characters and interactive actions performed by each player. The virtual characters can perform interactive actions on behalf of the players in the virtual card game based on user operations. For example, when players perform card game operations such as drawing or playing cards, the virtual characters can perform card game operations on their behalf. This makes the interaction methods of the virtual characters diverse and intuitive, resulting in better interactive effects and thus improving the competitiveness of the virtual card game.

[0041] In addition, this application supports virtual characters representing the players in the game, who operate the virtual card games according to the players' specified actions. This allows the user's actions in the virtual card games to be intuitively reflected through the interactive actions of the virtual characters. This is beneficial to improve the interaction between the players and the virtual card games in the virtual card game scenario, thereby increasing the probability of interaction between the players, as well as the playability and competitiveness of the virtual card games. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a computer system provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a virtual character control method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an editing interface provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a game interface provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the game interface during card playing provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the game interface during card playing provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the game interface when taking cards, provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the game interface when taking cards, provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the game interface during a tile-matching action provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the game interface during a tile-matching action provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the game interface during card dealing provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a game interface provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a game interface provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a game interface provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 15 is a flowchart of a virtual character control method provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 16 is a flowchart of a virtual character control method provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 17 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the virtual character control method provided in this application;

[0059] Figure 18 is a block diagram of a virtual character control device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 19 is a structural block diagram of a computer device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0061] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0063] The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0064] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.) involved in this application are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use and processing of related data must comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of the relevant countries and regions. For example, user-triggered operations such as clicks and long presses involved in this application are obtained with full authorization.

[0065] It should be understood that although this application may use terms such as first, second, etc., to describe various information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, a first parameter may also be referred to as a second parameter, and similarly, a second parameter may also be referred to as a first parameter. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to determination."

[0066] First, let me explain and clarify several terms used in this application:

[0067] 1) Virtual board and card games: These refer to strategic and skill-based games played on a designated interface (such as a chessboard, map, or river of cards), including both board games and card games. Examples of virtual board and card games include board games such as Go, Chinese Chess, International Chess, Military Chess (also known as Army Chess), Gomoku, Checkers, and Ludo, as well as card games such as Mahjong and poker (also known as card games).

[0068] 2) Virtual Characters: These refer to human or object-like roles simulated by computer programs. In virtual card and board games, virtual characters can represent the players and interact with the virtual game pieces. These interactions include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: playing pieces, capturing pieces, checking pieces, dealing cards, drawing cards, playing cards, ponging cards, eating cards, and winning, etc. Virtual game pieces are objects used by users to implement the game in virtual card and board games, such as virtual pieces, virtual cards, virtual mahjong tiles, etc. "Players" refers to the users participating in virtual card and board game matches.

[0069] Please refer to Figure 1, which shows a schematic diagram of a computer system provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. The computer system may include: a terminal device 10 and a server 20.

[0070] Terminal device 10 can be an electronic device such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, multimedia playback device, PC (Personal Computer), intelligent robot, in-vehicle terminal, wearable device, AR (Augmented Reality) device, VR (Virtual Reality) device, MR (Mixed Reality) device, etc. A client for the target application can be installed on terminal device 10. This target application can be such as a game application, a social entertainment application, a simulation learning application, or a simulation application.

[0071] The target application can be an online application. For example, the client of the target application can be installed and run on different terminal devices 10 for use by different users. Taking a game application as an example, the game application can be installed and run on different terminal devices 10 in the form of a mobile game, a PC game, a webpage, or a mini-program. The target application can also be an offline application or a plug-and-play application; this embodiment of the application does not limit the specific type of application.

[0072] The game application can be any of the following: virtual card games, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), casual games, party games, sandbox games, tower defense games, action-adventure games, multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games, first-person shooter (FPS) games, multiplayer shooting survival games, third-person shooter (TPS) games, and simulation games (SLGs). This application embodiment does not limit the scope of the application.

[0073] Server 20 provides background services for the client of the target application (such as a game application) in terminal device 10. For example, server 20 can be a background server for the target application (such as a game application). Server 20 can be a single server, a server cluster consisting of multiple servers, or a cloud computing service center.

[0074] Terminal device 10 and server 20 can communicate with each other via network 30. This network 30 can be a wired network or a wireless network.

[0075] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to any application capable of providing virtual chess and card games.

[0076] For example, taking a virtual card game as an example, a user can start the virtual card game through the client of the virtual card game in the terminal device 10. The client displays a game interface 101 of the virtual card game provided by the virtual card game to the user. The game interface 101 displays multiple virtual cards in the virtual card game, as well as virtual characters corresponding to the multiple players in the virtual card game. Among them, the virtual character can assist the player in handling the virtual cards. For example, when receiving an operation (such as playing a card) from the player on the virtual card 102, the player's virtual character 103 can perform the interactive action of playing the virtual card 102.

[0077] Please refer to Figure 2, which illustrates a flowchart of a virtual character control method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. This method is executed by a computer device. Optionally, the computer device may be terminal device 10 in the computer system shown in Figure 1, or it may be server 20 in the computer system shown in Figure 1, or it may include both terminal device 10 and server 20 in the computer system shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, taking a terminal device (such as a client in a terminal device) as an example, the method may include at least one of steps 210, 220, and 230.

[0078] Step 210: Display at least two virtual chess pieces in the virtual chess game, and the virtual characters corresponding to at least two players in the virtual chess game. The virtual characters are virtual objects that assist the players in handling the virtual chess pieces.

[0079] The aforementioned virtual card and board game matches refer to game matches provided by the application for virtual card and board games. Participants in these matches can engage in battles or competitions using virtual cards and boards. For example, the client displays content related to the virtual card and board game matches through the match interface, such as virtual cards and boards and virtual characters. The match interface is the user interface through which users interact with the virtual card and board game.

[0080] In this embodiment, a virtual character is used to represent the players in a virtual card game. For example, this virtual character may be different from the players' virtual avatars (such as virtual hands or avatars); that is, the virtual character is a virtual object independent of the players' virtual avatars. This virtual character can assist the players in operating the virtual card game. Optionally, the virtual character is not directly controlled by the players, but it can respond accordingly to the players' actions.

[0081] The term "opponent" refers to the participants in a virtual card game, such as the user or artificial intelligence (AI) mentioned above.

[0082] For example, there can be multiple players in a virtual chess or card game, such as 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. Specifically, a Go game corresponds to 2 players and 2 virtual characters; another example is a Mahjong game, which corresponds to 4 players and 4 virtual characters. In the embodiments of this application, "at least two" can be understood as "multiple".

[0083] Optionally, the virtual characters corresponding to the playing parties can be randomly or defaulted selected by the computer device, or they can be specified by the user corresponding to the playing parties. This application embodiment does not limit this. For example, developers can pre-set multiple virtual characters on the computer device for the user corresponding to the playing parties to choose from. For instance, before displaying the game interface of the virtual card game in step 210, the computer device can display an editing interface for virtual characters; or, for instance, during the display of the game interface of the virtual card game in step 210, the computer device can display editing controls for virtual characters, and the user can trigger the display of the editing interface for virtual characters on the computer device by operating the editing controls. The aforementioned editing controls are used to trigger the display of the editing interface, and the editing interface is used to set virtual characters. For example, the editing interface can contain multiple virtual characters that the user can select to be displayed on the game interface. Optionally, the user can create a completely new virtual character in the editing interface; or, the user can also change the virtual appearance, virtual expressions, etc. of a specified virtual character in the editing interface.

[0084] Please refer to Figure 3, which illustrates a schematic diagram of an editing interface provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 3, the editing interface 301 displays multiple virtual characters 302 that the user can select to be displayed in the game interface. Each virtual character 302 has a corresponding modification control 303. The user can trigger the modification control 303 to change the virtual appearance, virtual expressions, etc. of the selected virtual character. In addition, the user can create a completely new virtual character in the creation area 304.

[0085] For example, the virtual character corresponding to each player can be at least one of a virtual person, a virtual animal, a virtual plant, or a virtual device. For instance, the virtual character corresponding to player 1 is a virtual person, the virtual character corresponding to player 2 is a virtual bird, and the virtual character corresponding to player 3 is a virtual shrub.

[0086] Optionally, the game interface displays one or more operation controls corresponding to multiple virtual chess pieces. For example, users can control actions such as playing or moving virtual chess piece 1 by specifying trigger operations on the operation controls corresponding to virtual chess piece 1. For instance, the virtual chess piece itself can be implemented as its corresponding operation control.

[0087] Please refer to Figure 4, which illustrates a schematic diagram of a game interface provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, taking a mahjong game as an example, the game interface 401 displays a river of tiles 402, four players (in Figure 4, each player may have their own virtual avatar 403), four virtual characters 404, and four hand sets 405. The river of tiles 402 displays multiple virtual mahjong tiles 406, and the hand sets 405 display the virtual mahjong tiles 407 corresponding to each of the four players. The river of tiles 402 is the area for storing played virtual mahjong tiles and unassigned virtual mahjong tiles. The hand sets 405 are the collection of virtual tiles (such as virtual mahjong tiles) held by the players.

[0088] Step 220: Receive the specified operation from the first player on the first virtual chessboard, where the first player is one of at least two players and the first virtual chessboard is at least one of at least two virtual chessboards.

[0089] The first player can be any one of at least two players. It can refer to the currently logged-in user account in the client, or it can refer to other user accounts participating in the virtual card game. This application uses the currently logged-in user account in the client as an example. The first virtual card game can refer to at least one virtual card game selected by the first player. The designated operation refers to the operation of the first participant. It can be a trigger operation pre-set by the developer in the computer device, providing the user with the interaction between the player and the virtual card game. For example, the designated operation can be used to trigger the processing of the virtual card game. Optionally, before displaying the game interface of the virtual card game, the computer device can display a detailed introduction and usage tutorial of the above-mentioned designated operation to the user in the scene interface of the virtual scene. The scene interface can be a user interface used to introduce the virtual card game, displaying a virtual scene used to introduce the virtual card game.

[0090] For example, the specified operation mentioned above could be a click operation, a long press operation, a drag operation, etc., on the virtual chess piece. This specified operation can achieve interactive effects such as playing and moving the virtual chess piece. The specified operation can be selected and triggered by the user on the other side of the game according to their actual usage needs.

[0091] Step 230: Control the first virtual character to perform the interactive action corresponding to the specified operation on the first virtual chess and card game. The first virtual character is the virtual character corresponding to the first player in the game.

[0092] The aforementioned first virtual character is used to assist the first player in handling virtual chess and card games. For example, when a user from any player requests a specific operation on any virtual chess and card game, the computer device can control that player's virtual character to perform the corresponding interactive action. The interactive action can be an action to handle the virtual chess and card game, such as playing, moving, or dragging back. Optionally, the interactive actions corresponding to the first virtual character's specific operation on the first virtual chess and card game can also be synchronously displayed in the clients of other players, allowing other players to intuitively understand the first player's specified operation. In this embodiment, the interactive actions of the virtual character in the virtual chess and card game can be synchronously updated to the clients of each player, effectively improving the interactive effect compared to related technologies that only display the virtual hand in their own client.

[0093] For example, taking the game interface 401 shown in Figure 4 above as an example, the player can double-click the virtual mahjong tile "East"; when the player receives the double-click operation on the virtual mahjong tile "East", the computer device can control the player's virtual character 404 to play the virtual mahjong tile "East".

[0094] In one possible implementation, developers can pre-set the specified operation and its corresponding interactive action in the computer device. The specified operation can include at least one of the following: click, long press, swipe up, swipe down, drag. The interactive effect corresponding to the interactive action can include at least one of the following: play, play a card, move, draw a card, eat a card, win, pong a card, eat a piece, play a piece, checkers. Optionally, before the user corresponding to the opposing side enters the game, the computer device can display the specified operation and its corresponding interactive action to the user, so that the user understands that the interactive action of the first virtual character can be triggered through the specified operation.

[0095] Optionally, the computer device can also provide users with custom permissions, allowing users to select specific operations and interactive actions corresponding to various interactive effects. For example, a user can select the interactive action corresponding to clicking on a virtual chess piece as: the virtual character raises the virtual chess piece and throws it to a designated area (such as the river of cards), and select the corresponding interactive effect as: playing a card, playing a game, etc.; or, for example, a user can select the interactive action corresponding to dragging a virtual chess piece as: the virtual character raises the virtual chess piece and moves it to a designated location (such as the location of another virtual chess piece), and select the corresponding interactive effect as: eating a card, eating a piece, etc. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0096] In summary, the virtual card game provided in this embodiment can display corresponding virtual characters and interactive actions performed by each player. These virtual characters can represent the players in the virtual card game, performing interactive actions related to the virtual cards based on user input. For example, when a player performs card game actions such as drawing or playing cards, the virtual character can perform these actions on their behalf. This makes the interaction methods of the virtual characters diverse and intuitive, resulting in better interactive effects and ultimately enhancing the competitiveness of the virtual card game.

[0097] In addition, this application supports virtual characters representing the players in the game, who operate the virtual card games according to the players' specified actions. This allows the user's actions in the virtual card games to be intuitively reflected through the interactive actions of the virtual characters. This is beneficial to improve the interaction between the players and the virtual card games in the virtual card game scenario, thereby increasing the probability of interaction between the players, as well as the playability and competitiveness of the virtual card games.

[0098] In addition, when the virtual character is the virtual image of the player in the game, the utilization rate of the virtual image can be effectively improved, thereby preventing sunk costs and stimulating users' interest in virtual objects, which is conducive to improving the conversion rate of virtual card and board games.

[0099] Based on the scheme in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, in one possible implementation, at least two players each have a hand of cards, and the specified operation includes the first operation of playing the first virtual card; step 230 can be implemented as follows:

[0100] Step 230b: Control the first virtual character to perform the interactive action of playing the first virtual card from the first player's hand.

[0101] That is, the client responds to the first operation for playing the first virtual card, controlling the first virtual character to play the first virtual card from the first player's hand. The first operation can be any operation for playing the first virtual card, and this application embodiment does not limit it.

[0102] The aforementioned hand set refers to the collection of virtual cards held by the player. The hand set may include at least one of the following: virtual cards assigned to the player by the client, or virtual cards acquired by the player according to the game rules. The hand consists of the virtual cards held by the player.

[0103] The interactive action of the first virtual character playing the first virtual card from the first player's hand can be a default action pre-set by the developers or a designated action pre-set by the user corresponding to the first virtual character. For example, if the first virtual character is a virtual person, the interactive action of playing the first virtual card from the first player's hand could be that the virtual person throws the first virtual card from the first player's hand into a designated area; or, if the first virtual character is a virtual bird, the interactive action of playing the first virtual card from the first player's hand could be that the virtual bird picks up the first virtual card from the first player's hand and delivers it to a designated area. The designated area is the area used to store the played virtual cards, such as the card river mentioned above.

[0104] For example, taking the game interface 401 shown in Figure 4 above as an example, the game interface 401 displays four hand sets 405, and each hand set 405 displays a virtual mahjong tile 407 held by the opposing player. For instance, when a player discards a virtual mahjong tile "East", the computer device can control the virtual character 404 of that player to perform the following interactive operation: discard the virtual mahjong tile "East" from that player's hand set 405.

[0105] In this embodiment, the virtual character can demonstrate to the user the interactive action of playing virtual cards from the opponent's hand. When the user plays cards, this solution adds an interactive method between the virtual character and the virtual cards, which can enhance the fun of playing cards and thus increase user engagement.

[0106] Based on the solutions in the above embodiments of this application, in one possible implementation, the first operation includes a card / board selection operation and a card / board play operation; the above step 230b can be implemented as follows:

[0107] In response to the card selection operation, control the first virtual character to take the first virtual card from the hand of the first opponent;

[0108] In response to the card game play operation, control the first virtual character to place the first virtual card game card that has been taken out into the play area.

[0109] The "selecting a virtual card or tile" operation is used to choose the first virtual card or tile, while the "playing a virtual card or tile" operation is used to play the first virtual card or tile. Before playing one or more virtual cards or tiles from their hand, the user needs to select one or more virtual cards or tiles from their hand as the ones to be played. In other words, the first operation of playing a virtual card or tile can be divided into a card / tile selection operation and a card / tile play operation.

[0110] Optionally, upon receiving a user's selection of a first virtual card, the computer device can control the first virtual character to remove the first virtual card from their hand. For example, the computer device can control the first virtual character to move to the position of the first virtual card and raise it, making it clearly stand out from the other virtual cards in the hand, allowing the user to clearly see the selected first virtual card.

[0111] For example, within the valid play time, a user can trigger a card selection operation on multiple virtual cards. Accordingly, upon receiving the user's card selection operation on multiple virtual cards, the computer device can control the first virtual character to sequentially remove multiple virtual cards from its hand. The play time is the period during which the player can select virtual cards to play, such as when displayed as a countdown.

[0112] In one possible implementation, the computer device can display a selected area for storing virtual cards to be played, near the area used to display the hand. Accordingly, the computer device can control a first virtual character to retrieve a first virtual card from its hand and place it into the selected area.

[0113] Upon receiving a user's action to play a card in the first virtual card game, the computer device can control the first virtual character to place the retrieved virtual card into the designated playing area. For example, the computer device can control the first virtual character to throw the retrieved virtual card into the designated playing area; or, the computer device can control the first virtual character to quickly transport the retrieved virtual card to the designated playing area and then quickly return. The playing area is the area used to store played virtual cards, such as the aforementioned "card river."

[0114] For example, when a user triggers a play operation on multiple virtual cards, the computer device can control the first virtual character to place multiple virtual cards into the designated play area at once; or, the computer device can also control the first virtual character to place multiple virtual cards into the designated play area sequentially.

[0115] In one possible implementation, the selected card area can be used as a storage area for virtual cards in a virtual vehicle. Upon receiving a user's action to play a card in the first virtual card area, the computer device can control the first virtual character to use the virtual vehicle to place the retrieved virtual card in the designated playing area. The virtual vehicle can be a vehicle that simulates a real vehicle, such as a virtual car, virtual truck, virtual airplane, or virtual forklift.

[0116] In one possible implementation, the user can also trigger a deselection operation and a cancel play operation. The deselection operation is used to deselect the first virtual card game, and the cancel play operation is used to cancel the play of the first virtual card game. For example, the card game selection operation can be a single click on the virtual card game, and the deselection operation can be two consecutive clicks on the virtual card game; the play operation can be a click on the play control, and the cancel play operation can be a click on the cancel play control; this application embodiment does not limit this. The play control is used to trigger the play of the virtual card game, and the cancel play control is used to trigger the cancellation of the play of the virtual card game.

[0117] In this embodiment, the first operation of playing virtual cards is divided into card selection and card playing. The user's card selection operation can trigger the virtual character to take the selected virtual card from the hand, so that the user can clearly see the selected virtual card. The user's card playing operation can trigger the virtual character to play the taken-out virtual card. This is conducive to enriching the interaction between the virtual character and the virtual card, thereby enhancing the fun and interactivity of the user when playing cards.

[0118] Please refer to Figure 5, which shows a schematic diagram of the game interface during card playing provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in part (a) of Figure 5, when player A, corresponding to the virtual character 510, is the player playing a card, and player A can perform a card playing operation, if player A triggers a card selection operation for virtual mahjong 501, the virtual character 502 of player A can hold up virtual mahjong 501; as shown in part (b) of Figure 5, when player A triggers a card playing operation for virtual mahjong 501 and selects to play virtual mahjong 501, the virtual character 502 can drop virtual mahjong 501 into the card pool 503; as shown in part (c) of Figure 5, the card pool 503 displays the virtual mahjong 501 played by player A.

[0119] Furthermore, when one player plays a card, the game interfaces of other players can also display the interactive actions of the player's virtual character playing virtual cards on the table. As shown in Figure 6, when player B, corresponding to virtual character 520, is the player playing a card, and player B can play a card, if player B triggers a card selection operation for virtual mahjong tile 504, player B's virtual character 505 can hold up virtual mahjong tile 504; when player B triggers a card play operation for virtual mahjong tile 504, virtual character 505 can drop virtual mahjong tile 504 into the discard pile 503. The game interface from player A's perspective can display the interactive actions of player B's virtual character 505 playing virtual mahjong tile 504 on the table. Optionally, the virtual character 502 of player A can face the virtual character 505. When the virtual character 505 holds up the virtual mahjong tile 504, the virtual character 502 can display corresponding interactive actions, interactive expressions, etc., to interact with the virtual character 505.

[0120] Based on the solutions in the above embodiments of this application, in one possible implementation, the method for controlling the virtual character further includes:

[0121] If no action is received within the first time interval after the first virtual card is retrieved, the first virtual character will return the first virtual card to the first player's hand and remain at the position where the first virtual card was located.

[0122] In other words, if the client does not receive any card play operation within the first time period after controlling the first virtual character to take the first virtual card from the first player's hand, the client will control the first virtual character to place the first virtual card into the first player's return hand and keep it in the position of the first virtual card.

[0123] The aforementioned first duration can be preset by the developers, such as the maximum duration used to determine whether to cancel the retrieval of the virtual card. Within this first duration after the first virtual character retrieves the first virtual card from the first player's hand, the user can trigger the card-playing action; otherwise, the computer device can control the first virtual character to return the first virtual card to their hand. If the user needs to play the first virtual card, they can trigger the card-playing selection action again.

[0124] For example, the aforementioned position where the first virtual chess and card game is located could be that the computer device controls the first virtual character to sit on top of the first virtual chess and card game; or it could be that the computer device controls the first virtual character to lie on top of the first virtual chess and card game. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0125] In one possible implementation, when the computer device controls the first virtual character to put the first virtual card back into the first player's hand, the computer device can control the first virtual character to display an angry or crying interactive expression, so that the first virtual character can express dissatisfaction with taking out the first virtual card and then putting it back, thereby enriching the diversity and fun of the interaction between the virtual character and the user's operation.

[0126] In this embodiment, if a user selects a virtual card or board game but does not play it for a long time, the virtual character can return the selected but unplayed virtual card or board game to the user's hand and keep it in the position of the first virtual card or board game. This solution adds interactive actions for the virtual character when a virtual card or board game is not successfully played, enriching the fun of the game display and thus improving the user's sense of interaction during the game and enhancing the interaction between the players and the virtual card or board game.

[0127] Based on the solutions in the above embodiments of this application, in one possible implementation, the specified operation includes combining at least two first virtual chess and card operations; step 230 can be implemented as follows:

[0128] Control the first virtual character to perform interactive actions such as sequentially grabbing at least two first virtual chess pieces and moving at least two first virtual chess pieces to a designated position.

[0129] In this embodiment, combining at least two first virtual cards can refer to the process of storing at least two first virtual cards together. The designated location can be set and adjusted according to actual usage needs, such as the lower right area of ​​the game interface. Optionally, if at least two first virtual cards belong to the hand of the first player, the user-combined at least two first virtual cards can also be combined with at least one virtual card in the discard pile to form a designated combination. This designated combination can be consecutive virtual cards or identical virtual cards, and the designated combination is a combination that satisfies the rules of the virtual card game.

[0130] For example, taking a mahjong game as an example, two first virtual tiles combined by a user can form a sequence with a virtual tile from the discard pile. Optionally, the operation of combining at least two first virtual tiles can be a "eat" operation, that is, converting a virtual tile played by the previous player into a virtual tile held by the user. The computer device can control the first virtual character to sequentially grab two virtual tiles from the first player's hand and another virtual tile played by the previous player, and place these three grabbed virtual tiles into designated positions. The player playing the tile is the player currently playing.

[0131] For example, the two first virtual cards in a user's hand are identical to one of the virtual cards in the discard pile. Optionally, the operation of combining at least two first virtual cards can be a "pong" operation, which converts any virtual card played by a player into a virtual card held by the user. The computer device can control the first virtual character to sequentially draw two virtual cards from the first player's hand and another virtual card played by another player, and place these three drawn virtual cards into designated positions.

[0132] This application embodiment illustrates the interactive actions of the virtual character when a user triggers a combination operation on multiple virtual chess and card games. This helps to enrich the interaction between the virtual character and the virtual chess and card games, thereby enhancing the fun and interactivity of the user's combination operation.

[0133] Please refer to Figures 7 and 8, which illustrate a schematic diagram of the game interface when taking a card according to another exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 7, when player A, corresponding to the virtual avatar 510, can "take" a card, the game interface automatically displays the "take" control 506 and the "skip" control. Player A can choose to trigger the "take" control 506 to "take" a card according to the game strategy, or choose the "skip" control to skip taking a card.

[0134] For example, when player A triggers the "eat" control 506, as shown in part (a) of Figure 8, the virtual character 502 can perform an "eat" action, displaying a combination of virtual mahjong tiles "four of characters" and "five of characters" in plate 507. The combination of virtual mahjong tiles "four of characters" and "five of characters" can "eat" player B's (the player corresponding to virtual character 520) virtual mahjong tile "six of characters". As shown in part (b) of Figure 8, the virtual character 502 can use rope 508 to gather player B's virtual mahjong tile "six of characters" into its arms and place it in plate 507. As shown in part (c) of Figure 8, the virtual character 502 can use rope 508 to transport the virtual mahjong tile in plate 507 to the lower right corner of the game interface and arrange it neatly. At the same time, the virtual character 502 can display happy expressions, dance actions, etc. Optionally, player B's virtual character 505 can display interactive actions, interactive expressions, etc., to express sadness.

[0135] Please refer to FIGS. 9 and 10, which show schematic diagrams of the game interface when ponging in another exemplary embodiment of the present application. As shown in part (a) of FIG. 9, when the player A corresponding to the virtual image 510 can "pong" a tile, the "Pong" control and "Skip" control are automatically displayed in the game interface, and the virtual character 502 can automatically jump up and announce "Pong"; as shown in part (b) of FIG. 9, the virtual character 502 can perform an interactive action of ponging and announcing, push away the character "Pong", and display the ponged tiles, that is, the two virtual mahjong tiles "One Wan". As shown in part (a) of FIG. 10, the virtual character 502 can take the virtual mahjong tile "One Wan" of player B into its arms, put it in the plate 507, and transport the ponged tile combination in the plate 507 to the lower right corner of the game interface through the rope 508; as shown in part (b) of FIG. 10, the virtual character 502 neatly arranges the ponged tile combination in the lower right corner of the game interface, and at the same time, the virtual character 502 can display a happy expression, dance movements, etc.

[0136] Based on the solutions in the above various embodiments of the present application, in a possible implementation, at least two players each correspond to a hand tile set, and the specified operation includes a tile-drawing operation; the above step 230 can be implemented as:

[0137] Controlling the first virtual character to perform an interactive action of putting at least one unassigned virtual chess piece into the hand tile set of the first player.

[0138] Among them, when the first virtual character performs an interactive action of putting at least one unassigned virtual chess piece into the hand tile set of the first player, it may be that the first virtual character transports at least one unassigned virtual chess piece from the unassigned area to the hand tile set of the first player; or, it may also be that the first virtual character throws at least one unassigned virtual chess piece in the unassigned area to the hand tile set of the first player. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this. The unassigned area is an area for storing unassigned virtual chess pieces.

[0139] Optionally, the computer device can control the first virtual character to use a virtual item to perform an interactive action of putting at least one unassigned virtual chess piece into the hand tile set of the first player. For example, the first virtual character can use a virtual vehicle to transport at least one unassigned virtual chess piece to the hand tile set of the first player; for another example, the first virtual character can use a virtual fishing tool to fish at least one unassigned virtual chess piece to the hand tile set of the first player.

[0140] Optionally, when the first virtual character performs an interactive action of putting at least one unassigned virtual chess piece into the hand tile set of the first player, the computer device can control the first virtual character to display interactive expressions, interactive sound effects, etc. for expressing emotions such as happiness.

[0141] This application illustrates the interactive actions of a virtual character when a user draws cards. By having a virtual character perform the card-drawing operation on behalf of the user, the fun and interactivity of the user's card-drawing experience can be increased.

[0142] Based on the solutions in the above embodiments of this application, in one possible implementation, the method for controlling the virtual character further includes:

[0143] Step 240: In response to the start of a virtual card game, control the first virtual character to perform the interactive action of obtaining the initial hand cards for the first player.

[0144] The initial hand consists of virtual cards assigned to the players by the client at the start of the virtual card game. Optionally, the computer device may begin a virtual card game upon receiving multiple "enter game" requests triggered by users corresponding to different players within a specified time period. The "enter game" request is used to trigger entry into a virtual card game. This embodiment of the application does not limit the number of initial cards assigned to each player.

[0145] The aforementioned interactive action of controlling the first virtual character to obtain the initial hand cards for the first player can be, for example, the computer device controlling the first virtual character to distribute the initial hand cards to the display area of ​​the initial hand cards; or, the computer device controlling the first virtual character to unveil the virtual curtain covering the initial hand cards in the display area of ​​the initial hand cards, etc. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0146] In this embodiment of the application, when a virtual card game begins, the virtual character can display the corresponding initial hand to the user through interactive actions, which helps to increase the fun and interactivity of dealing cards in the virtual card game.

[0147] Based on the solutions in the above embodiments of this application, in one possible implementation, step 240 can be implemented as follows: in response to the start of a virtual card game, controlling the first virtual character to pull out each of the initial hand cards of the first player in a specified direction.

[0148] For example, the specified direction could be from left to right or from right to left; or, for instance, it could be from both sides towards the middle or from the middle towards both sides. Optionally, the client controls the first virtual character to draw its initial hand while simultaneously assigning initial hands to the participants. The first virtual hand could be one or more of the various initial hands, which could form the initial hand cards for each player.

[0149] This application embodiment illustrates the specific interactive actions of the first virtual character when showing the user the corresponding initial hand of cards, which helps to increase the fun and interactivity of dealing cards in virtual card games.

[0150] Please refer to Figure 11, which shows a schematic diagram of the game interface during card dealing provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. During the card dealing phase of a virtual card game, virtual characters corresponding to each player appear on the table, as shown in part (a) of Figure 11. The game interface displays the virtual image 510 and corresponding virtual character 502 for player A, the virtual image 520 and corresponding virtual character 505 for player B, the virtual image 530 and corresponding virtual character 509 for player C, and the virtual image 540 and corresponding virtual character 510 for player D. Each virtual character can pull out the initial hand of the corresponding player in a specified direction, as shown in part (b) of Figure 11. Player A's virtual character 502 pulls out the initial hand from right to left to replace the card dealing in the relevant technology. Player B's virtual character 505, Player C's virtual character 509, and Player D's virtual character 510 pull out their initial hands in the same way (not shown in the figure). After the cards are dealt, the virtual characters stop at the finish line and make a gesture to show their hand, as shown in part (c) of Figure 11. The virtual character 502 of player A stops at the finish line on the left and makes a gesture to show their hand. The virtual characters 505 of player B, 509 of player C, and 510 of player D interact in the same way (not shown in the figure).

[0151] Based on the solutions in the above embodiments of this application, in one possible implementation, the method for controlling the virtual character further includes:

[0152] Step 250: In response to the interaction condition being met, control the first virtual character to display the interactive expression corresponding to the interaction condition.

[0153] The interactive emoticons mentioned above may include at least one of the following emoticons: happy, joyful, angry, furious, sad, upset, and crying.

[0154] For example, while the computer device controls the first virtual character to display interactive expressions corresponding to the interactive conditions, the computer device can also control the first virtual character to perform interactive actions and sound effects corresponding to the interactive expressions. For instance, when the interactive expression is happy or joyful, the interactive action could be a dance move such as spinning or jumping, and the interactive sound effect could be laughing out loud.

[0155] Optionally, the mixed interactive emoticons corresponding to the interaction conditions can be preset by the designer or customized by the user. For example, the computer device provides users with the authority to set the type and display range of interactive emoticons. Accordingly, users can choose the interactive emoticons of virtual characters under different emotions according to their preferences. Furthermore, users can also set the interactive emoticons corresponding to all or some of the interaction conditions to be visible only to themselves. For instance, when the first virtual character of the first player in the first match displays a happy interactive emoticon corresponding to the interaction condition, this emoticon can be displayed on the first player's display interface, while the happy interactive emoticon corresponding to the interaction condition displayed by the first virtual character will not be displayed on the display interfaces of other players.

[0156] In this embodiment of the application, the virtual character can make emotional interactive expressions based on the situation or events of the game to represent the user's mood during the game, thereby increasing the user's immersion and fun during the game.

[0157] In this embodiment, the interaction condition is a condition used to trigger the display of interactive emoticons. Based on the solutions in the above embodiments of this application, in one possible implementation, the interaction condition includes at least one of the following conditions:

[0158] If, during the second player's turn, the second player does not play a card within the second time period, the second player is the other player among at least two players besides the first player.

[0159] The first player made a mistake;

[0160] The first pair of players achieves the designated objective in the virtual chess game;

[0161] The first player to play a specified combination of virtual cards;

[0162] The second player plays a designated combination of virtual cards.

[0163] In the context of the second player's turn, the statement "the second player does not play a card within the second time period" refers to the second player's slow playing speed. In this case, the interactive expressions displayed by the first virtual character can be anger, impatience, etc. The second time period can be set and adjusted according to actual usage needs. As shown in Figure 12, taking a mahjong game as an example, when the player corresponding to virtual character 520, virtual character 530, or virtual character 540 is slow to play a card, the virtual character 502 of the player corresponding to virtual character 510 can display an impatient expression and actions on the table. Optionally, the virtual character 502 can also make an impatient sound; or, a specified element (such as anger value) can be displayed next to the virtual character 502's position to indicate the virtual character 502's current mood.

[0164] Optionally, if the first player makes a mistake, the interactive emoticon displayed by the first virtual character can be sadness, grief, crying, etc. As shown in Figure 13, taking a mahjong game as an example, when player A, corresponding to virtual character 510, makes a mistake, player A's virtual character 502 can display a crying expression and action on the table. Optionally, virtual character 502 can also emit crying sounds. The client or server automatically determines whether the first player made a mistake.

[0165] Optionally, the specified goal could be for the first player to achieve a winning hand or self-draw in a mahjong game, or for the first player to achieve a five-in-a-row in a Gomoku game, or for the first player to be the first to play all their tiles in a card game. This embodiment of the application does not limit this. In this case, the interactive expressions displayed by the first virtual character could be happy, joyful, etc. As shown in Figure 14, taking a mahjong game as an example, when a player self-draws or wins, the virtual character 1401 can hold the mahjong tile 1402 and display an expression and action of showing great affection. Optionally, the virtual character 1401 can also emit sounds to express this affection.

[0166] Optionally, the specified combination can be set according to actual usage needs. For example, the virtual card games in the specified combination meet certain sorting rules. For instance, the virtual card games in the specified combination can be straights, bombs, consecutive pairs, etc. in card games, or pongs, chows, etc. in mahjong games. This application embodiment does not limit this. In this case, the interactive expressions displayed by the first virtual character can be happy, joyful, etc. As shown in part (c) of Figure 8 and part (b) of Figure 10, the virtual character 502 can display happy interactive expressions, dance movements, etc.

[0167] This application embodiment illustrates multiple possibilities for the above-mentioned interaction conditions. Under different interaction conditions, the virtual character can display different interactive expressions to the user. This allows the solution to enrich the virtual character's expressions and display corresponding emotions in accordance with the rhythm of the game, thereby improving the user experience.

[0168] Based on the solutions in the above embodiments of this application, in one possible implementation, step 250 can be implemented as follows: if the second player does not play a card within the second time period during the second player's turn, then control the first virtual character to display interactive expressions to the second virtual character.

[0169] The second virtual character is a virtual character that assists the second player in handling virtual card games.

[0170] In this embodiment of the application, the interactive emoticons displayed by the first virtual character to the second virtual character can refer to the interactive emoticons displayed by the first virtual character to the user of the second playing partner. For example, the interactive emoticons can be expressions of anger, impatience, etc., to express the first virtual character's dissatisfaction with the second playing partner's slow card playing.

[0171] For example, if the second player does not play a card within the second time period during their turn, the computer device displays multiple interactive emoticons that the first virtual character can display to the second virtual character on the game interface. The user can select one or more interactive emoticons. The computer device can control the first virtual character to display the user-selected interactive emoticons to the second virtual character. When the user selects multiple interactive emoticons, the computer device can control the first virtual character to display those multiple interactive emoticons to the second virtual character sequentially.

[0172] This application embodiment shows that when other users play their cards slowly, the first virtual character can display interactive expressions to the second virtual character to interact with other users. This allows the solution to enrich the expressions of the virtual characters, soothe the user's emotions while reminding other users to play their cards quickly, thereby effectively improving the user experience.

[0173] Based on the solutions shown in the above embodiments, in one possible implementation, as shown in FIG15, before step 220, the virtual character control method further includes steps 212, 214 and 216, and step 230 can be implemented as step 230a.

[0174] Step 212: Based on the current turn, the virtual cards in the first player's hand, and at least one of the virtual cards recently played by other players, determine the candidate virtual card, which is the virtual card with the highest probability of receiving the specified action from the first player.

[0175] Step 214: Determine a position around the candidate virtual chess piece as the reserve position for the first virtual character.

[0176] Step 216: Control the first virtual object to move to the prepared position.

[0177] Step 230a: Control the first virtual character to perform the interactive action corresponding to the specified operation on the first virtual chess and card game, starting from the above-mentioned preparatory position.

[0178] The aforementioned candidate virtual cards can be the virtual cards in the first player's hand that are most advantageous to their victory, or virtual cards waiting to be dealt in the discard pile. These candidate virtual cards are recommended to the participants.

[0179] Exemplarily, the computer device may determine the above-mentioned candidate virtual chess and card games by one or more of statistical methods, historical data analysis, and machine learning algorithms based on the obtained game data. The above-mentioned game data may include at least one of the following: the current card-playing turn, the virtual chess and card games included in the hand card deck of the first game party, the virtual chess and card games recently played by other game parties, and the currently known virtual chess and card games.

[0180] Exemplarily, taking the mahjong game as an example, the method for determining the candidate virtual chess and card games may include at least one of the following:

[0181] 1) If the current card-playing turn is the turn of the first game party, and the first game party has not drawn a card yet, and the hand card deck of the first game party does not meet the conditions for pong or chow of the virtual chess and card game played by the上家 (preceding player), the computer device may determine the next virtual chess and card game to be allocated in the discard pool as the candidate virtual chess and card game.

[0182] 2) If the current card-playing turn is the turn of the first game party, and the first game party has not drawn a card yet, and the hand card deck of the first game party meets the conditions for pong or chow of the virtual chess and card game played by the上家 (preceding player), the computer device may determine the virtual chess and card games in the hand card deck of the first game party that meet the conditions for pong or chow as the candidate virtual chess and card games.

[0183] For example, the current card-playing turn is the third round, the card-playing party is the first game party, and the virtual mahjong included in the hand card deck of the first game party is: for the character tiles of ten thousand: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; for the circle tiles: 2, 2, 2; for the bamboo tiles: 1, 5, 5; for the honor tiles: East Wind. The virtual mahjong recently played by other game parties is the 5th bamboo tile. In this case, the computer device may determine the 5th bamboo tile that meets the pong condition as the candidate virtual chess and card game according to the rules preset for the mahjong game.

[0184] 3) If the current card-playing turn is the turn of the first game party and the first game party has drawn a card, the computer device may predict and analyze the probability or winning rate of each virtual chess and card game in the hand card deck of the first game party being played through preset rules or a machine learning model, and determine the virtual chess and card game with the highest probability or winning rate of being played as the candidate virtual chess and card game.

[0185] 4) If the current card-playing turn is not the turn of the first game party, and the hand card deck of the first game party meets the conditions for chow of the virtual chess and card game recently played by other game parties, the computer device will determine the virtual chess and card games in the hand card deck of the first game party that meet the chow conditions as the candidate virtual chess and card games.

[0186] For example, if the current player is not the first player in the game, and the first player's hand contains the following virtual mahjong tiles: Wan (characters): 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; Tong (bamboo): 2, 2, 4; Tiao (bamboo): 1, 4, 5; Honor: East Wind; and the most recently played virtual mahjong tile by another player is 3 Tong, then the computer can, according to the pre-set rules of the mahjong game, identify either 2 Tong or 4 Tong as candidate virtual tiles that meet the conditions for drawing a tile.

[0187] 5) If the current turn is not the turn of the first player, and the first player's hand does not meet the condition of taking the virtual card recently played by another player, the computer device will determine the virtual card in the first player's hand in a specified position (e.g., the leftmost position) as the candidate virtual card.

[0188] Optionally, after determining the candidate virtual chess and card games, the computer device may also display a prompt element in the location area of ​​the candidate virtual chess and card games, which can prompt the user to the virtual chess and card games that can be triggered when the next specified operation is performed.

[0189] The initial position of the first virtual character can be the nearest empty space around the candidate virtual chess piece, allowing the first virtual character to pre-move to the position closest to the candidate virtual chess piece. When the virtual chess piece triggered by the user is one of the candidate virtual chess pieces, this saves the execution time for the virtual character to perform interactive actions.

[0190] For example, in step 230a above, the computer and device can play an animation of the first virtual character moving from a preparatory position to the first virtual chessboard, and an animation of the first virtual character performing an interactive action corresponding to a specified operation.

[0191] By controlling the virtual character to move to the preparatory position in advance, the virtual character can quickly move to the candidate virtual chess piece when the user triggers it, and saves the execution time of the virtual character to perform interactive actions. This helps to improve the efficiency of interactive actions and the interactive effect.

[0192] Please refer to Figure 16, which shows a flowchart of a virtual character control method provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 16, a virtual character control method includes the following steps:

[0193] Step 1601: Display the game interface of the virtual card game. The game interface contains at least two virtual cards and at least two virtual characters corresponding to the players. The virtual characters are virtual objects that assist the players in handling the virtual cards.

[0194] The game interface can be the game interface from the perspective of the first player in the game, where "first player" refers to the current user of the client, and the virtual character of the first player in the game is denoted as "first virtual character". In this embodiment, the executing entity is the client.

[0195] Step 1602: In response to the start of a virtual card game, control the first virtual character to pull out each of the initial hand cards of the first player in the specified direction, with at least two players each having a hand deck containing their initial hand cards.

[0196] For example, the client controls the first virtual character to pull out each of the initial hand cards of the first player from right to left.

[0197] Step 1603: Receive the designated operation from the first player on the first virtual card game. The first player is one of at least two players, and the first virtual card game is at least one of at least two virtual card games. The designated operation includes at least one of the following: a first operation to play the first virtual card game, an operation to combine at least two first virtual card games, or a card-drawing operation. The first operation may include a card game selection operation and a card game play operation.

[0198] Step 1604: In response to the card selection operation, control the first virtual character to take the first virtual card from the first opponent's hand.

[0199] Step 1605: In response to the card game play operation, control the first virtual character to place the first virtual card game that has been taken out into the play area.

[0200] If the specified operation is the first operation, the client executes steps 1604 and 1605.

[0201] Step 1606: Control the first virtual character to perform interactive actions such as sequentially grabbing at least two first virtual chess pieces and moving at least two first virtual chess pieces to designated positions.

[0202] If the specified operation is a combination of at least two first virtual card game operations, the client executes step 1606.

[0203] Step 1607: Control the first virtual character to perform the interactive action of putting at least one unassigned virtual card into the first player's hand.

[0204] If the specified operation is a card-drawing operation, the client executes step 1607.

[0205] Step 1608: In response to the interaction condition being met, control the first virtual character to display an interactive expression corresponding to the interaction condition. The interaction condition includes at least one of the following: during the second player's turn, the second player does not play a card within the second duration; the first player plays an incorrect card; the first player achieves the specified objective in the virtual card game; the first player plays a specified combination of virtual cards; the second player plays a specified combination of virtual cards; the second player is another player among multiple players besides the first player.

[0206] The execution methods of steps 1601 to 1608 are the same as those of the above embodiments of this application, and will not be repeated here.

[0207] For example, based on any one or more embodiments, this application proposes an innovative interactive scheme for cartoon characters in mahjong games. This scheme adds cartoon characters to mahjong games, allowing these characters to interact with players at the table. The cartoon characters can generate various interactive behaviors through game actions and events. This solves the problems of not being able to display player characters in real time and lacking interactivity in related technologies, thereby significantly improving the fun and expressiveness of the game and greatly enriching the gaming experience.

[0208] Please refer to Figure 17, which shows a flowchart of an implementation method for controlling a virtual character according to an exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 17, the implementation process of the virtual character control method includes the following steps.

[0209] S1, Dealing Phase:

[0210] Once a mahjong game begins, the front-end (e.g., the client) uses the table data returned from the back-end (e.g., the server) to first play an animation of a cartoon character (i.e., the aforementioned virtual character) revealing their hand, and finally displays all the tiles in the hand. The table data can be used to indicate the initial hand assigned to each player.

[0211] The specific animation is shown in Figure 11 above, where the virtual character can pull out all the cards in their hand from right to left.

[0212] S2, Player plays a card:

[0213] When a player selects a card, the front-end can add an animation of a cartoon character lifting the card to the corresponding card based on the player's specified operation; when the player confirms playing the card, the front-end can send the data to the back-end, and after the data is successfully returned (in which case network problems may cause failure), the front-end will display the animation of the cartoon character throwing the card in the game interface.

[0214] S3, did other players eat / pong / kong?

[0215] If another player takes a card from a discarded hand and performs a "chow," "pong," or "kong," the backend needs to send data back to the frontend. The frontend then instructs the eligible player to perform the action. Once the eligible player confirms the "chow," "pong," or "kong" action, the frontend sends data to the backend. After the data is successfully returned, the frontend plays the animation corresponding to the cartoon character's "chow," "pong," or "kong."

[0216] Conversely, if a player does not take any action or has no opportunity to eat / pong / kong, the turn will immediately pass to the next player, who will then play a card.

[0217] S4, do other players have won?

[0218] When a player plays a card that allows another player to complete a winning hand, the backend sends the data to the frontend. The frontend then instructs the player who meets the criteria to take action. Once the player confirms their winning action, the frontend sends the data back to the backend. The player who played the card and the player who won then play corresponding cartoon character animations, such as cartoon characters celebrating their winning hand.

[0219] Specifically, the animation could be played by first showing the corresponding cartoon character's frustrated action when the player who played the card is about to win, followed by the cartoon character animation of the player who won the card. After the animation ends, the mahjong game ends and the client enters the game settlement process.

[0220] S5, Did the player who played the card draw it themselves?

[0221] During the player's turn, the front end receives data from the back end informing the player that their current hand is sufficient for a self-draw. If the player confirms the self-draw, the front end sends data to the back end. After the front end receives a successful response, it plays an animation of a cartoon character holding cards.

[0222] Conversely, if a player does not take any action or the conditions for a self-draw are not met, the turn will immediately pass to the next player, who will then play a card.

[0223] For certain emotional expressions of cartoon characters, such as the animation of a cartoon character waiting anxiously (i.e., the interactive emoticons mentioned above), the front-end can set a trigger point, such as triggering the animation playback at the 20th second of the 30-second card-playing time. When the animation is triggered, the front-end can directly play the animation of the cartoon character waiting anxiously. Another example is the animation of a cartoon character clapping in praise; the front-end can set a trigger condition so that when a player performs a consecutive "eat / pong / kong," the animation of the cartoon character clapping in praise is played.

[0224] In summary, this application can be widely applied to various virtual card and board games, not just mahjong. This application can enrich game content and enhance commercialization, as well as effectively increase the fun and interactivity for players in the game.

[0225] Please refer to Figure 18, which shows a block diagram of a virtual character control device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 18, the device includes:

[0226] Display module 1801 is used to display at least two virtual chess and card games in a virtual chess and card game, and virtual characters corresponding to the at least two players in the virtual chess and card game, wherein the virtual characters are virtual objects that assist the players in handling the virtual chess and card games.

[0227] The receiving module 1802 is used to receive a specified operation by a first player on a first virtual chess and card game, wherein the first player is one of the at least two players and the first virtual chess and card game is at least one of the at least two virtual chess and card games.

[0228] The control module 1803 is used to control the first virtual character to perform the interactive action corresponding to the specified operation on the first virtual chess and card game, wherein the first virtual character is the virtual character corresponding to the first player in the game.

[0229] In some embodiments, the at least two players each have a hand of cards, and the specified operation includes the first operation of playing the first virtual card;

[0230] The control module 1803 is used to control the first virtual character to perform an interactive action of playing the first virtual card from the first player's hand.

[0231] In some embodiments, the first operation includes a card / board selection operation and a card / board play operation;

[0232] The control module 1803 is used to respond to the card selection operation and control the first virtual character to take the first virtual card from the hand of the first player.

[0233] Control module 1803 is used to respond to the card-playing operation and control the first virtual character to place the retrieved first virtual card into the playing area.

[0234] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a return control module, configured to control the first virtual character to return the first virtual card to the first player's hand and remain at the location of the first virtual card if no card is played within a first time period after the first virtual card is taken out.

[0235] In some embodiments, the specified operation includes combining at least two of the first virtual card games;

[0236] The control module 1803 is used to control the first virtual character to perform interactive actions such as sequentially grabbing at least two of the first virtual chess pieces and moving at least two of the first virtual chess pieces to a designated position.

[0237] In some embodiments, the at least two players each have a hand of cards, and the specified operation includes a card-drawing operation;

[0238] The control module 1803 is used to control the first virtual character to perform an interactive action of placing at least one unassigned virtual card into the first player's hand.

[0239] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes: an execution control module, configured to control the first virtual character to perform an interactive action to obtain an initial hand for the first player in response to the start of the virtual card game.

[0240] In some embodiments, an execution control module is configured to, in response to the start of the virtual card game, control the first virtual character to draw out each of the initial cards from the first player's hand in a specified direction.

[0241] In some embodiments, the device further includes an interaction control module, configured to control the first virtual character to display an interactive expression corresponding to the interaction condition in response to the interaction condition being met.

[0242] In some embodiments, the interaction conditions include at least one of the following conditions:

[0243] During the second player's turn, if the second player does not play a card within the second time period, the second player is the other player among the at least two players besides the first player;

[0244] The first player made a mistake in playing a card;

[0245] The first player in the game achieves the designated objective in the virtual card game.

[0246] The first player plays the virtual card game in the specified combination;

[0247] The second player plays the virtual card game in the specified combination.

[0248] In some embodiments, the interactive control module is configured to control the first virtual character to display the interactive expression to the second virtual character if the second player does not play a card within the second time period during the second player's turn.

[0249] The second virtual character is a virtual character that assists the second player in handling the virtual card game.

[0250] In summary, the virtual card game provided in this embodiment can display corresponding virtual characters and interactive actions performed by each player. These virtual characters can represent the players in the virtual card game, performing interactive actions related to the virtual cards based on user input. For example, when a player performs card game actions such as drawing or playing cards, the virtual character can perform these actions on their behalf. This makes the interaction methods of the virtual characters diverse and intuitive, resulting in better interactive effects and ultimately enhancing the competitiveness of the virtual card game.

[0251] In addition, this application supports virtual characters representing the players in the game, who operate the virtual card games according to the players' specified actions. This allows the user's actions in the virtual card games to be intuitively reflected through the interactive actions of the virtual characters. This is beneficial to improve the interaction between the players and the virtual card games in the virtual card game scenario, thereby increasing the probability of interaction between the players, as well as the playability and competitiveness of the virtual card games.

[0252] It should be noted that the device provided in the above embodiments is only illustrated by the division of the above functional modules when implementing its functions. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules according to actual needs, that is, the content structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0253] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiments, the specific manner in which each module performs its operation has been described in detail in the embodiments of the relevant method; the technical effects achieved by each module performing its operation are the same as the technical effects in the embodiments of the relevant method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0254] Please refer to Figure 19, which shows a structural block diagram of a computer device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 19, the computer device 1900 may be a portable mobile terminal, such as a smartphone, tablet computer, MP3 (Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer III) player, or MP4 (Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer IV) player. The computer device 1900 may also be referred to as a user device, portable terminal, or other names.

[0255] Typically, computer device 1900 includes a processor 1901 and a memory 1902.

[0256] The processor 1901 may include one or more processing cores, such as a 4-core processor, an 8-core processor, etc.

[0257] The memory 1902 may include one or more computer-readable storage media, which may be tangible and non-transitory. The memory 1902 may also include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices or flash memory devices. In some embodiments, the non-transitory computer-readable storage media in the memory 1902 is used to store at least one instruction, which is executed by the processor 1901 to implement the virtual character control method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0258] In some embodiments, the computer device 1900 may also optionally include: a peripheral device interface 1903 and at least one peripheral device. Specifically, the peripheral device includes at least one of: a radio frequency circuit 1904, a touch display screen 1905, a camera 1906, an audio circuit 1907, and a power supply 1908.

[0259] In some embodiments, the computer device 1900 further includes one or more sensors 1909. The one or more sensors 1909 include, but are not limited to, an accelerometer 1910, a gyroscope 1911, a pressure sensor 1912, an optical sensor 1913, and a proximity sensor 1914.

[0260] Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure shown above does not constitute a limitation on the computer device 1900, and may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or employ different component arrangements.

[0261] In an exemplary embodiment, a chip is also provided, the chip including programmable logic circuits or program instructions, which, when the chip is run on a computer device, are used to implement the control method for the virtual character described above.

[0262] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is also provided, comprising computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions to implement the aforementioned method for controlling a virtual character.

[0263] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which stores a computer program that is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the above-described method for controlling the virtual character.

[0264] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above embodiments can be implemented by hardware or by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk.

[0265] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the functions described in the embodiments of this application in one or more of the above examples can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Storage media can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0266] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a virtual character, the method being executed by a computer device, the method comprising: Display at least two virtual chess and card games in a virtual chess and card game, and virtual characters corresponding to the at least two players in the virtual chess and card game, wherein the virtual characters are virtual objects that assist the players in handling the virtual chess and card games; Receive a specified operation from the first player on the first virtual chess and card game, wherein the first player is one of the at least two players and the first virtual chess and card game is at least one of the at least two virtual chess and card games; Control the first virtual character to perform the interactive action corresponding to the specified operation on the first virtual chess and card game, where the first virtual character is the virtual character corresponding to the first player in the game.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The at least two players each have a hand of cards, and the specified operation includes the first operation of playing the first virtual card; The control of the first virtual character to perform the interactive action corresponding to the specified operation on the first virtual chess and card game includes: Control the first virtual character to perform the interactive action of playing the first virtual card from the first player's hand.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The first operation includes selecting a card or board game and playing the card or board game. The step of controlling the first virtual character to perform the interactive action of playing the first virtual card from the first player's hand includes: In response to the card game selection operation, the first virtual character is controlled to take the first virtual card game from the hand of the first player; In response to the card game play operation, the first virtual character is controlled to place the retrieved first virtual card game into the play area.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The method further includes: If no action is received within the first time period after the first virtual card is retrieved, the first virtual character is controlled to return the first virtual card to the first player's hand and remain at the position where the first virtual card was located.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The specified operation includes combining at least two of the first virtual chess and card games; The control of the first virtual character to perform the interactive action corresponding to the specified operation on the first virtual chess and card game includes: The first virtual character is controlled to perform interactive actions such as sequentially grabbing at least two of the first virtual chess pieces and moving at least two of the first virtual chess pieces to a designated position.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The at least two players each have a hand of cards, and the specified operation includes the operation of drawing cards; The control of the first virtual character to perform the interactive action corresponding to the specified operation on the first virtual chess and card game includes: Control the first virtual character to perform an interactive action of placing at least one of the unassigned virtual cards into the first player's hand.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The method further includes: In response to the start of the virtual card game, the first virtual character is controlled to perform an interactive action to obtain the initial hand cards for the first player.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The response to the start of the virtual card game, controlling the first virtual character to perform an interactive action to obtain the initial hand for the first player, includes: In response to the start of the virtual card game, the first virtual character is controlled to draw out each of the initial cards of the first player in a specified direction.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The method further includes: In response to the interaction condition being met, the first virtual character is controlled to display an interactive expression corresponding to the interaction condition.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The interaction conditions include at least one of the following conditions: During the second player's turn, if the second player does not play a card within the second time period, the second player is the other player among the at least two players besides the first player; The first player made a mistake in playing a card; The first player in the game achieves the designated objective in the virtual card game. The first player plays the virtual card game in the specified combination; The second player plays the virtual card game in the specified combination.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The step of controlling the first virtual character to display an interactive expression corresponding to the interaction condition in response to the interaction condition being met includes: If the second player does not play a card within the second time period during the second player's turn, then the first virtual character is controlled to display the interactive expression to the second virtual character. The second virtual character is a virtual character that assists the second player in handling the virtual card game.

12. A control device for a virtual character, the device comprising: The display module is used to display at least two virtual chess and card games in a virtual chess and card game, as well as virtual characters corresponding to the at least two players in the virtual chess and card game. The virtual characters are virtual objects that assist the players in handling the virtual chess and card games. A receiving module is used to receive a specified operation by a first player on a first virtual chess and card game, wherein the first player is one of the at least two players and the first virtual chess and card game is at least one of the at least two virtual chess and card games. The control module is used to control the first virtual character to perform the interactive action corresponding to the specified operation on the first virtual chess and card game, wherein the first virtual character is the virtual character corresponding to the first player in the game.

13. A computer device, the computer device comprising: A processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores at least one program; The processor is configured to execute the at least one program in the memory to implement the virtual character control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions, which are loaded and executed by a processor to implement the method for controlling a virtual character as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

15. A computer program product comprising computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium, wherein a processor reads from and executes the computer instructions to implement the virtual character control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

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