JP3968586B2 - GAME DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image processing technique for generating an image obtained when a virtual space defined by three-dimensional coordinates and in which a character (such as a terrain or a person moving in a virtual space) is arranged is observed from a predetermined viewpoint. In particular, it relates to effective movement of this viewpoint.

  TV game machines are becoming popular due to recent advances in computer technology and lower prices. This type of TV game machine can play various games by exchanging ROM cartridges or CD-ROMs.

  Among these types of games, there is a game called a simulation game. The simulation game is composed of a plurality of stages. As the display image, a specific segment that can be moved by the player, other segments that move according to the management of the program, and segments that indicate other terrain are displayed (hereinafter, a person that can be operated by the player). The segment representing the etc. is called an “operation character”, and the segment moving according to the program management is called an “enemy character”). The player operates the operation character to clear various stages (complete one stage) while “fighting” the enemy character.

  Conventionally, this type of simulation game displays an explanatory image for introducing a plurality of stages when the game start is designated, but there are some inconveniences.

For example, conventionally, by the page turning of the screen (the so-called scrolling), it was only but those were often is showing all of the image of the stage, denoted the message as information to be presented with an image of the stage (Conventional example 1).

  In some simulation games that use a cursor for convenience of operation, the cursor is moved to an arbitrary position in a display image, and data describing the terrain segment displayed at that position is displayed. However, only the data at the position specified by the cursor is displayed, and there is no display of the relationship with the topography adjacent to the cursor (conventional example 2).

  Conventionally, there has been a simulation game that uses topographic map data, but this topographic map data is defined in two dimensions, and a shredding game using topographic map data defined in three dimensions is There wasn't. Therefore, there has been no game processing using terrain, such as an image simulating a matter that can naturally occur in normal three-dimensional terrain, for example, a character is damaged by “falling” from a cliff. Even if there was, the direction of damage and the degree of damage were determined in advance, and it was not realistic that the content of damage changed according to the topography (Conventional Example 3).

  In addition, although there is a conventional simulation game that changes a viewpoint for generating a display image, there is no one that can be changed to an arbitrary viewpoint (Conventional Example 4).

  As described above, the conventional simulation game has a configuration in which a display image is defined two-dimensionally, and can only display an image that lacks a real feeling compared to the three-dimensional world that is the real world.

  Therefore, it is better to develop the display image of each stage based on the topographic map data defined in three dimensions and move the position of the viewpoint vertically and horizontally so that the player can recognize the display image more three-dimensionally. Easy to understand the terrain better.

  If topographic map data is defined in three dimensions and the viewpoint is moved to an arbitrary position in the virtual space, several problems may occur.

  For example, when an enemy character is hidden behind a three-dimensionally displayed terrain segment, the enemy character cannot be displayed unless the viewpoint position is changed. At this time, inconvenience arises if the position of the viewpoint and the operation character are not matched. That is, the direction of movement of the operation character is defined for the operation buttons of the input device (pad). There is no problem as long as the direction of the line of sight in which the virtual space is viewed from the viewpoint matches the direction in which the operation character is facing. However, if the direction of the line of sight does not match the direction in which the operation character is facing, correct operation cannot be performed.

For example, it is assumed that the operation character is defined to “forward” when the “up” switch of the pad is pressed. There is no problem if the position of the viewpoint is such that the operating character is observed from behind. If the “up” switch is pressed, the operation character moves in the Z-axis direction of the viewpoint coordinate system. However, when the viewpoint position is changed to a position where the operation character is observed from the horizontal direction with the operation button defined, when the “up” switch is pressed, the operation character is moved in the Z-axis direction, that is, the horizontal position of the operation character. Will move in the direction. However, if it is “advance”, it is desired to move the operating character in the front direction.
None

  In short, when a 3D simulation game is performed using polygons defined in 3D, the same processing as a conventional 2D simulation game is performed. There was a risk of deteriorating the fun.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides an image processing apparatus that presents a suitable operating environment in consideration of the influence of topography defined in three dimensions on an operation target segment. Aimed at

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a virtual space having a terrain composed of three-dimensional terrain data based on a memory for storing a game program, an operation input from a player, and the game program. An arithmetic processing unit including an arithmetic processing unit that generates an image in which a character moves, wherein the arithmetic processing unit moves a character that moves the character along the terrain by moving a cursor that moves the character based on the operation input. And second means for determining whether or not the character is on the slope of the terrain and the character falls on the slope from the position information. And when the determination of the second means causes the character to fall in the virtual space. A third means for determining a direction of falling based on the movement of the character before the fall of the character and the state of the slope, a fourth means for calculating the point of the topography at the destination of the fall, A fifth means for calculating a height difference of the fall from the position information of the terrain that is the starting point of the fall and the position information of the destination point, and the character from the start point of the fall to the destination. And a sixth means for calculating a damage amount of the character against the drop based on the calculated height difference and the position information of the destination point of the drop, and a character of the character based on the damage amount. A seventh means for reducing a physical strength value and an eighth means for performing image processing on the character based on the changed attribute are provided .

Furthermore, the present invention is an image processing method and a recording medium comprising the gist of the invention relating to the game device.

  As the recording medium, for example, floppy (registered trademark) disk, magnetic tape, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, DVD, ROM cartridge, RAM memory cartridge with battery backup, flash memory cartridge, nonvolatile RAM cartridge, etc. Including. A recording medium is a medium in which information (mainly digital data, a program) is recorded by some physical means, and allows a processing device such as a computer or a dedicated processor to perform a predetermined function. It is.

  In addition, a communication medium such as a wired communication medium such as a telephone line and a wireless communication medium such as a microwave line is included. The Internet is also included in the communication medium here.

<Embodiment 1 of the Invention>
FIG. 1 is an external view of a video game machine using an image processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the invention. In this figure, the video game machine main body 1 has a substantially box shape, and a game processing board or the like is provided therein. Also, two connectors 2a are provided on the front surface of the video game machine main body 1, and pads (pads) 2b, which are game operation input devices, are connected to these connectors 2a via cables 2c. Yes. When two players play a game, two pads 2b are used.

  A cartridge I / F 1 a for connecting a ROM cartridge and a CD-ROM drive 1 b for reading a CD-ROM are provided on the upper part of the video game machine main body 1. Although not shown, a video output terminal and an audio output terminal are provided on the back of the video game machine main body 1. The video output terminal is connected to the video input terminal of the TV receiver 5 via the cable 4a, and the audio output terminal is connected to the audio input terminal of the TV receiver 5 via the cable 4b. In such a video game machine, the player can play the game while viewing the screen displayed on the TV receiver 5 by operating the pad 2b.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the TV game machine according to the first embodiment of the invention. The image processing apparatus includes a CPU block 10 for controlling the entire apparatus, a video block 11 for controlling display of a game screen, a sound block 12 for generating sound effects, a subsystem 13 for reading a CD-ROM, and the like. Has been.
The CPU block 10 includes an SCU (System Control Unit) 100, a main CPU 101, a RAM 102, a ROM 103, a cartridge I / F 1a, a sub CPU 104, a CPU bus 105, and the like.

  The CPU block 10 includes an SCU (System Control Unit) 100, a main CPU 101, a RAM 102, a ROM 103, a cartridge I / F 1a, a sub CPU 104, a CPU bus 105, and the like.

  The main CPU 101 is configured to be able to control the entire apparatus. The main CPU 101 has the same arithmetic function as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) (not shown) and has a configuration capable of executing application software at high speed.

  The RAM 102 is configured to be usable as a work area for the main CPU 101. An initial program for initial processing and the like are written in the ROM 103 so that the apparatus can be started up initially. The SCU 100 is configured to be able to input / output data between the main CPU 101, the VDP 120, 130, the DSP 140, the CPU 141, and the like by controlling the buses 105, 106, and 107.

  Further, the SCU 100 includes a DMA controller therein, and is configured to be able to transfer image data (polygon data or the like) of display elements constituting a segment in the game to the VRAM in the video block 11.

  The cartridge I / F 1a is configured to be able to transfer program data and image data from a recording medium supplied in the form of a ROM cartridge to the CPU block.

  The sub CPU 104 is called an SMPC (System Manager & Peripheral Cntroller), and is configured to collect operation data from the peripheral device 2b via the connector 2a of FIG. 1 in response to a request from the main CPU 101.

  Based on the operation signal received from the sub CPU 104, the main CPU 101 performs image control such as character rotation conversion and perspective conversion on the game screen. The connector 2a can be connected to any peripheral device such as a pad, a joystick, or a keyboard. The sub CPU 104 has a function of automatically recognizing the type of the peripheral device connected to the connector 2a (main body side terminal) and collecting operation signals and the like according to a communication method according to the type of the peripheral device.

  The video block 11 includes a first VDP (Video Display Processor) 120, a VRAM (DRAM) 121, frame buffers 122 and 123, a second VDP 130, a VRAM 131, and a frame memory 132.

  The first VDP 120 includes a system register and is connected to a VRAM (DRAM) 121 and frame buffers 122 and 123 so as to be able to generate segments (characters) made up of polygons of a TV game. The second VDP 130 incorporates a register and a color RAM, and is connected to the VRAM 131 and the frame memory 132. The background image is drawn, and the image composition of the segment image data and the background image data based on the priority (display priority), the clipping is performed. Various processes such as processing and display color designation are possible.

  The VRAM 121 is configured to be able to store polygon data (a set of vertex coordinates) representing a TV game character transferred from the main CPU 101 and conversion matrix data for visual field conversion.

  The frame buffers 122 and 123 are configured to store image data generated by the first VDP 120 based on polygon data or the like (for example, generated in the format of 16 or 8 bits / pixel). .

  The VRAM 131 is configured to be able to store background image data supplied from the main CPU 101 via the SCU 100.

  The memory 132 is generated by the second VDP 130 by combining the background image data and the image data of the polygon subjected to texture mapping sent from the first VDP 120 with a display priority (priority). The final display image data can be stored.

  The encoder 160 is configured to generate a video signal by adding a synchronization signal or the like to the display image data and to output it to a TV receiver.

  The sound block 12 includes a DSP 140 that performs speech synthesis in accordance with the PCM method or the FM method, and a CPU 141 that controls the DSP 140 and the like. The DSP 140 is configured to be able to convert an audio signal into a two-channel signal by the D / A converter 170 and then output it to the two speakers 5a.

  The subsystem 13 includes a CD-ROM drive 1b, a CD I / F 180, an MPEG AUDIO 182 and an MPEG VIDEO 183. The subsystem 13 has a function of reading application software supplied in the form of a CD-ROM and playing a moving image. The CD-ROM drive 1b reads data from a CD-ROM. The CPU 181 is configured to be able to control the CD-ROM drive 1b and perform processing such as error correction of the read data. Data read from the CD-ROM is supplied to the main CPU 101 via the CD I / F 180, the bus 106, and the SCU 100, and used as application software. MPEG AUDIO 182 and MPEG VIDEO 183 are devices for restoring data compressed by the MPEG standard (Motion Picture Expert Group). By restoring the MPEG compressed data written in the CD-ROM using these MPEG AUDIO 182 and MPEG VIDEO 183, it is possible to reproduce a moving image.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the processing operation of the apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the AA plane of FIG. 4 as viewed from the direction of the arrow.

  FIG. 4 shows a plane when a virtual space is observed from above a horizontal plane of a terrain when a terrain segment based on topographic map data defined in three dimensions is formed in the virtual space at a certain stage in the game. FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 50 denotes a moving path of a viewpoint (hereinafter, described by replacing the viewpoint with a camera for easy understanding), 51 is an operation character operated by the player, 52 is an enemy character, and 53 is on the path. Obstacles (stone pillars), 54 and 55 are slopes (cliffs), and 56 and 57 are plateaus. As can be seen from this figure, the flow of the game process is that the character 51 eliminates the enemy character 52 that blocks the passage surrounded by the slopes 54 and 55 and reaches the right exit in the figure. If you take this exit, you can go to the next stage.

  In the game apparatus, at the beginning, in order to explain this stage, the camera is moved along the movement path 50 to display the entire landscape of the terrain on this stage. A predetermined message is displayed along with the display image at points P1 to P4. For example, at the point P1, the slope 55 is looked up from the bottom to visually inform the player of the grade of the slope, and “It is difficult to climb this slope” or “the slide is injured when it slides down”. A message is displayed. Further, at point P2, an explanation about the enemy character, at point P3, an explanation about the obstacle 53, and at point P4, looking down on the slope opposite to point P1, the player is visually notified of the degree of the slope. The points P1 to P4 are determined in advance. Further, an arbitrary position may be set by a player's operation.

  Next, the operation of the apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the first embodiment, the viewpoint moving method is devised at the beginning of the simulation game, that is, the main points on the terrain are explained using the camera work. Mainly, the CPU 101 performs processing.

  When explaining the terrain, the three-dimensional movement of the camera, not only on the horizontal plane but also in the height direction, allows the three-dimensional effect of the terrain to be obtained even in the field-converted image that is a two-dimensional coordinate. Can be recognized. Also, at that stage, the “thing” that the operation character actually encounters will be demonstrated. The method of moving the camera can be arbitrarily set by the designer by a program. Also, a specific point for displaying the message is set. When displaying the message, the camera movement is temporarily stopped. This is to make the player read the message. Whatever the player operates, the camera continues to move again. Then the stage game starts on the terrain just described.

  Step ST1 The topographic map data check mode is entered. The topographic map data check mode is a mode for observing the entire stage in order to grasp the status of each stage before play. When entering this mode, a predetermined camera path 50 is prepared, and the camera starts to move along this path. In this mode, no “battle” occurs between the operation character and the enemy character.

  Step ST2 The movement of the camera position starts. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the movement of the camera starts from the left side of the figure and reaches the obstacle 53 on the right side. And it reverses there and passes on the plateau 57 and returns to the original position. During this time, the camera's line of sight is facing forward and downward. Although the direction of the camera is determined in advance, it may be arbitrarily changed or may be selected by the player.

  As can be seen from FIGS. 6 and 7, the height of the camera changes while moving. For example, it rises just before the obstacle 53 and then descends rapidly to catch the obstacle 53 up. Also, when it starts to move in the opposite direction, it rises to contain the entire terrain on this stage, and when it looks down on the slope 55, it descends and approaches the slope. By making various movements in this way, the displayed screen is rich in change, and an extremely interesting and effective screen can be obtained.

In this way, by moving the camera freely in the virtual space, effects such as panning, zooming, and raising like a movie can be obtained.
Step ST3: It is determined whether a message is displayed during the movement of the camera. When not displaying (NO), it returns to step ST2 and continues camera movement. On the other hand, when displaying a message (YES), the process proceeds to step ST4 and a message is displayed.
As described with reference to FIG. 4, points P1 to P4 for displaying messages are determined in advance. Therefore, four messages are displayed in this example.

  Step ST4 A message is displayed. For example, when the camera gradually approaches the point P3, the camera suddenly rises, and a screen as shown in FIG. 8 is obtained. The overall size and shape of the obstacle 53 can be known from such a camera position. When the camera reaches the point P3, a message is displayed according to the determination in step ST3. At this time, the position of the camera is close to the obstacle 53. While displaying the obstacle 53 up, a message window 60 appears on the screen, and a sub window 61 for displaying the character's face is displayed therein. Various messages 62 are displayed in the message window 60. For example, “(Character name) seems to have something here”.

  The window may be transparent so that the background image is not hidden as much as possible. Further, a plurality of windows may be provided to create an effect such that conversations are made between a plurality of characters.

The camera does not move while this message is displayed. This is to make the player fully check the content of the message. When the player inputs a predetermined command, the stopped state is released and the movement is resumed along the path 50. Note that the message may be displayed for a predetermined time without waiting for the player's command.
It is determined whether or not step ST5 is completed. It is determined whether or not the end point of the route 50 has been reached, that is, whether or not the route 50 has been returned to the starting point. When finished (YES), this topographic map data check mode is finished.

As described above, according to the apparatus of the first embodiment of the present invention, in a simulation game that displays a three-dimensionally represented terrain segment, the display image is not simply scrolled, but the camera is moved three-dimensionally. Thus, since the entire terrain is shown to the player, it can be realized that the terrain is three-dimensionally configured.

  In the topographic map data check mode, the topography can be seen from a wide variety of camera positions. It is possible to display the screen from a camera position that is not normally used (for example, looking over the whole from a very high position, looking up from the ground surface, approaching the edge of the cliff), so display a display image with very high impact It can also be expected to attract the player's interest. Moreover, the strategy in a three-dimensional space can be considered by showing the action space of the operation character comprised in three dimensions.

  In the above description, the case where the camera is fixed in the direction (line of sight) has been described. Needless to say, the apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the camera moves along the path 50, the camera's line of sight may follow a specific target indicated by a triangle in the figure. In this case, if the target is a vehicle, it is possible to obtain a screen like a scene of a movie, in which the vehicle coming from the front looks back and forth. Needless to say, the movement of the camera is not limited to movement on a plane, but may be movement on a vertical plane.

<Embodiment 2 of the Invention>
A device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. FIG. 11 is a schematic flowchart of the operation of this apparatus. 12 to 15 are diagrams for explaining the operation of this apparatus.

  FIG. 12 shows a cursor 63 and icons 64 displayed around it. The cursor 63 is displayed when the basic screen is displayed or when the movement selection screen is displayed. As icons, there are display forms of arrows and crosses, each having a unique meaning. When the cross icon 64a is displayed, it means that the character cannot move in the direction in which the cross is present (up in the figure). When one arrow icon 64b is displayed, the character can move in the direction indicated by the arrow (downward in the figure) and the cost consumed at that time (parameters such as points that allow the game to continue) Means that there is one arrow. Similarly, when the two-arrow icon 64c and the three-arrow icon 64d are displayed, it means that each moving cost is double or triple that of the single arrow.

  FIG. 13 is an example of another display form of the cursor 63 and the icon 64. In this figure, the shadows 63s and 64s are displayed below the cursor 63 and the icon 64, respectively. This display is used when the character corresponding to this cursor has a flying ability. By adding a shadow in this way, it is felt as if the cursor is floating in the air, and the functional features given to the character can be emphasized and recognized. In addition, the display of the cursor can be changed according to the function of the character. Depending on whether the gender set for the operation character is “male” or “female”, the color of the cursor may be blue and red, respectively.

  It is also possible to make the cursor of a strong character thicker and the cursor of a weak character thinner.

  Moreover, although it is how to draw a shadow, it may be drawn based on light rays from a virtual spatial position, or may be expressed according to the shape of the terrain. Alternatively, a shadow may be drawn by simply double-displaying the cursor 63 and the icon 64.

  FIG. 14 shows an example of a screen when the cursor 63 is displayed. The cursor 63 moves on the grid 65 provided along the terrain. As can be seen from this figure, the icon displayed around the cursor 63 changes depending on whether the point where the cursor 63 is located is a flat surface, a slope 54, or a plateau 56.

  Next, the operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention is used for operating a character or the like in a simulation game, examining the state of the terrain shape or state at an arbitrary position, or displaying attribute information of an enemy character. This is related to the cursor, and at that time, the terrain data adjacent to the cursor is displayed. That is, not only the terrain specified by the cursor but also the information on the terrain adjacent to the terrain can be presented, so that the relation on the continuous terrain can be displayed in an easy-to-understand manner.

  Step ST10 Information on the grid 65 adjacent to the cursor 63 is obtained. The terrain information at the position of the cursor 63 and the terrain information around it are obtained, and based on these, it is determined whether or not the movement is possible. Find out how much cost you need when you can move. As shown in FIG. 14, the cursor 63 can be moved along the grid 65 to various positions. When the cursor 63 is on the plane, there is not much change between the cursor and the surrounding situation. On the other hand, when the cursor 63 is on the slope 54, the situation changes greatly in the direction of the inclination, and the situation does not change much in the direction orthogonal to the direction of the inclination. In this manner, surrounding terrain information that varies depending on the position of the cursor 63 is obtained.

Step ST11 The condition of the grid direction is obtained. The cost consumed for moving is determined by the inclination between the two moving points. The inclination is also expressed by the difference in height between the grid 63 adjacent to the cursor 63. The height of each grid is set in advance, and the index of the height is quantified based on a certain reference value.
The relationship between the degree of inclination and the index of its height is classified as follows.
Degree of inclination Height index (low) 0-2 (middle) 3-4 (high) 5-6 (flying) 7-9 (absolute) 10 or more The type of climbing force is the action power set for the character It is classified as follows. Numbers indicate behavioral power. “Flying”, “strong”, “normal”, and “weak” mean actions set for the operation character, and “strong”, “normal”, and “weak” indicate the strength of walking.

x means immovable. An arrow 64 is displayed based on the above numerical values. Step ST12 It is determined whether or not the processing is completed for all grids. When the cursor 63 has a square shape as in this embodiment, it is necessary to repeat the process four times.

  Step ST13 Based on the condition obtained in step ST11, the condition is displayed with an icon around the cursor. For example, in the above example, the icon of the cross 64a is displayed when x, the icon 64b of one arrow is displayed when 1, the icon 64c of two arrows is displayed when 2, and when 3 or more An arrow three icon 64d is displayed. Note that an icon having four or more arrows may be used.

  In the above description, the icon 64 to be displayed around the cursor 63 is determined based on the altitude difference (degree of inclination) from the surroundings. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It may be determined based on the state of the surrounding ground surface (whether it is wasteland, grassland, paved, etc.). Moreover, you may make it determine based on both this kind of state and an altitude difference.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the information such as the altitude difference of the terrain adjacent to the position designated by the cursor is specified, and the result is displayed around the cursor. Not only the terrain specified by the cursor but also the continuity with the adjacent terrain can be displayed in an easy-to-understand manner.

In addition, it can be easily determined whether or not movement from one terrain to another is possible. Furthermore, the connection of the three-dimensional topography can be easily confirmed. Furthermore, there is an effect that the configuration of the three-dimensional space around the cursor can be confirmed to some extent simultaneously.
It goes without saying that the cursor can be arbitrarily designated by the player, and can respond similarly when the terrain changes.

  Further, the shape of the cursor can be variously modified without depending on the illustrated form. In other words, any form may be used as long as the climbing force necessary for movement can be illustrated to the player. For example, anything that can display the necessary climbing force may be used.

  Further, in order to obtain information around the cursor 63, it may be displayed as shown in FIG. This figure shows a case where the physical strength value (HP) and magic power (MP) of the character 51 existing around the cursor 63 are displayed numerically (in this figure, the numerical value itself is not displayed). Information on characters in the eight frames around the cursor 63 can be displayed there. Further, the information of the character (for example, the crossed character 52) at a further distance is not displayed. Thus, the player can obtain some information about the surrounding characters by moving the cursor 63 to an arbitrary position.

<Third Embodiment of the Invention>
A device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described. The apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention is used in a simulation game in which a terrain segment is three-dimensionally configured, and a character or the like falls during the game (moves in a direction opposite to the height direction of the terrain). The influence (damage) on the character or the like and the moving direction are changed by the difference in altitude.

In other words, the altitude difference between the starting point and the adjacent terrain is examined, the falling direction is determined, and the amount of damage is changed depending on the altitude difference between the falling and stopping point and the starting point.
The operation of this apparatus will be described with reference to the schematic flowchart of FIG.

  Step ST20 It is determined whether or not the character falls. For example, if there is a character that does not fly (cannot fly) on a very steep cliff (high slope), the character falls below the cliff. At this time, it continues to fall (slid down) to the topography where the slope becomes shallow.

Alternatively, when the terrain is defined as having a bad foot such as a slope, and the player moves to another position against the player's operation, it is determined that the player has dropped. At this time, the direction of the fall is determined based on the state of inclination, the movement of the character immediately before the fall, and the like.
When it falls (YES), it proceeds to step ST21. Takes damage according to the height of the fall.

  Step ST21 The fallen altitude difference and the landform state of the fall destination are obtained. A difference (H2−H1) between the height H2 of the point located before the character falls and the height H1 of the point after the character is dropped is obtained. Further, an index S indicating the state of the landform of the fall destination is obtained. This index S is determined in advance on the topographic map data. The index S varies depending on whether it is wasteland, grassland, concrete, or the like. In general, when the ground is hard or rough, the index S (damage amount) is large.

Step ST22 The amount of damage is obtained. The amount of damage is obtained by the following formula, for example.
(Damage amount) = (Drop altitude difference * 4)
This condition occurs when a flying character lands or is blown off by an enemy.
Or you may obtain | require by the following formula in consideration of the state of a fall destination.

  (Damage amount) = k (H2−H1) + S Here, k is a proportional coefficient, which may be a constant value, or may be changed for each stage, each character, or the like.

  Step ST23 The character attribute is changed. Based on the damage amount obtained in step ST22, the character attribute is changed. Although the physical strength HP of the character is reduced, when the amount of damage is very large, the character may die (make the game play impossible to continue). For example, when a character stands at a place where a sign indicating the danger of falling is displayed, the character falls and dies unless it is in flight. Not particularly affected if in flight.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, when a character or the like falls during a game, the damage or movement given to the object due to the altitude difference from the position before dropping to the position after dropping. Since the direction is changed, unexpected accidents that occur during game play are presented in various situations, and the fun of the game increases. Therefore, the operating character is damaged by elements other than being attacked by the enemy character. Further, since the damage can be increased or decreased by changing the topographic map data, the number of points at which the game designer can produce the fun of the game increases. In addition to the attack of the enemy character, the player must perform the operation taking into account damage caused by dropping, which increases the fun. In addition, the effect of falling from the top to the bottom makes it possible to simulate the existence of gravity and acceleration, thereby providing a realistic game.

<Embodiment 4 of the Invention>
A device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, when the camera position changes, the movement direction of the operation character and the assignment of the movement function assigned to the pad are matched.

FIG. 18 shows an example of a display image when the camera is placed above the entrance and the camera is directed obliquely downward toward the exit on the same game stage as FIG. FIG. 19 is an example of a display image when the camera is placed above the horizontal plateau 57 and the camera is directed to the opposite plateau 56 on the same stage. In these drawings, a message window 60 is also displayed at the same time as the display image. The player can select one of a plurality of messages (two types of “1” and “2” in the figure). In the figure, a triangle mark indicates message selection.

  The arrows displayed on the right side of these drawings are provided for convenience of explanation. Each arrow corresponds to a direction button of the pad 2b. The characters “up”, “down”, “right”, and “left” indicate the movement direction assigned to the direction button on the pad 2b. The parenthesized (front) (back) and (left) (right) indicate the direction in which the character moves on the screen (that is, in the virtual space of this stage) when the direction button is pressed. The arrows in FIG. 18 indicate that when the “up”, “down”, “right”, and “left” direction buttons are pressed, the characters are “front”, “rear”, and “right” as seen from the direction in which the character is facing in the virtual space. It means to go “left”. In this figure, since the character “advancing” advances upward on the screen, this correspondence is natural. In addition, the arrows in FIG. 19 indicate that when the “up”, “down”, “right”, and “left” direction buttons are pressed, the characters are “left”, “right”, and “right” as viewed from the direction in which the character is facing in the virtual space. It means to move forward and backward. That is, when the “right” button is pressed, the character moves forward and moves to the right on the screen, so this correspondence is also natural.

  The correspondence relationship indicated by the arrow in FIG. 19 is obtained only when the processing according to the flowchart in FIG. 17 is performed. If this processing is not performed, for example, in the case of FIG. 19, when the “up”, “down”, “right”, and “left” direction buttons are pressed, the characters are viewed from the direction in which the character is facing in the virtual space. Will move to “Right”, “Left”, “Down”, and “Up”, making the correspondence unnatural.

By the way, simply matching the direction button and the moving direction of the character causes a problem when selecting a message. This is because the message window 60 is displayed in the same manner in both FIG. 18 and FIG. 19, so that it becomes unnatural if the direction buttons are assigned differently. The flowchart in FIG. 17 takes this point into consideration.
Next, the operation of the apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  Step ST30 The type of operation is determined. This determination is made because the key assignment differs between message input and character operation. When it is character operation, it progresses to step ST31, and when it is message input, it progresses to step ST35.

  Step ST31 It is determined whether or not the coordinates match. That is, it is determined whether the direction of the character in the virtual space in which the character moves and the direction of the line of sight from the viewpoint coincide with each other or in different directions. When they do not match (NO), the process proceeds to step ST32, and when they match (YES), the process proceeds to step ST34.

Step ST32 An angle formed between the direction in which the character is facing when the directions do not coincide with the direction of the line of sight is obtained. For example, in the case of FIG. 18, it is determined that these directions match, and in the case of FIG. 19, it is determined that the direction of the line of sight is rotated 90 degrees to the left with respect to the direction in which the character is facing. Is done. That is, the direction of the line of sight is obtained by rotating the viewpoint coordinate system counterclockwise around the axis indicating the height (Z axis) in the virtual space, and the rotation angle is 90 degrees.
Step ST33 The key assignment is changed according to the rotation angle. For example, change as follows.

When the rotation angle takes an intermediate value between these, the correspondence is determined depending on which of the above-mentioned sections allocated in units of 90 degrees is closer.
Step ST34 On the other hand, when the Z-axis directions match, the key assignment is set as a reference setting. For example, the setting is made when the rotation angle is 0 degree.

  Step ST35 When the message is input, the key assignment is set as a reference setting. This is because the display of the message window 60 is the same display mode regardless of the rotation angle. For example, the setting is 0 degree.

The flowchart in FIG. 17 is an example. If the message window operation and the character operation are distinguished and the key assignment is performed for each, the key assignment may be changed by another processing procedure. For example, there is no need to perform step ST33, ST34 if there is no need to change the assignment of key that is already set. Further, the order of steps ST30 and ST31 may be reversed.

  As described above, according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, when the camera position changes, the direction button assignment is determined based on the angle between the direction in which the character is facing and the direction of the line of sight. When changed, it is possible to change the allocation to match the operation feeling of the player. Therefore, the operation can be continued without being affected by the change of the viewpoint position.

  In particular, in a simulation game defined in three dimensions, it is important to change the camera position because the character is easy to see or difficult to see depending on where the camera position is. At that time, according to the present invention, since the key assignment is set so that the operation becomes natural, the operation can be continued without a sense of incongruity. That is, the player can change the camera position to a position where the entire terrain can be easily grasped, and even if the camera position is changed, the operation is not hindered.

It should be noted, or "character Operation" or "message input" in the determination of the operation, but to distinguish, not limited to this. For example, it may be determined whether the operation relates to the movement of the character or whether the operation relates to the virtual space.

  If it is determined that the operation is not related to the movement of the character, for example, operations on topography, trees, rocks, and other display segments in the virtual space that are not directly related to the movement of the character, or the attributes of the segment including the character (Equipment, weapons, tools, colors, techniques, etc.)

The case where it is determined that the operation is not related to the virtual space is, for example, a display image that is not directly related to the coordinates of the virtual space (for example, an initial setting screen such as a game setting or a character setting, This is a case where a setting screen for changing parameters, a message window, etc. is displayed.
Industrial Applicability As described above, according to the present invention, a viewpoint can be arbitrarily moved in a virtual space defined in three dimensions, and a suitable operating environment can be presented.
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to display information around the position indicated by the cursor and present a suitable operating environment.

  Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to present a suitable operation environment in consideration of the influence of the topography defined in three dimensions on the operation target segment.

  In addition, according to the present invention, since the orientation of the operation target segment in the virtual space and the line-of-sight direction for visual field conversion are matched, a suitable operation environment can be presented.

  That is, it is easy to operate and a powerful display image can be presented, which makes the game much more interesting.

1 is an external view of a game apparatus to which an image processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is applied. It is a functional block diagram of the game device to which the image processing device of Embodiment 1 of the present invention is applied. It is a flowchart of operation | movement of the image processing apparatus of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a top view of the stage for operation | movement description of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the stage for operation | movement description of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the movement path | route of the camera for operation | movement description of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the movement path | route of the camera for operation | movement description of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is an example of the display screen for operation | movement description of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is an example of the other display screen for operation | movement description of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the movement path | route of the camera for the operation | movement description of Embodiment 1 of this invention, and its direction. It is a flowchart of operation | movement of the image processing apparatus of Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a top view of the cursor and icon displayed by the image processing apparatus of Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a top view of the other cursor and icon displayed by the image processing apparatus of Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a perspective view of the cursor, icon, and grid in a stage for operation | movement explanation of Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a top view of the cursor in the stage for explaining other operation | movement of Embodiment 2 of this invention, an icon, and a grid. It is a flowchart of operation | movement of the image processing apparatus of Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a flowchart of operation | movement of the image processing apparatus of Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is an example of the display screen for operation | movement description of Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is an example of the other display screen for operation | movement description of Embodiment 1 of this invention.

Claims (4)

A memory for storing game programs;
An arithmetic processing unit that generates an image of a character moving in a virtual space having a terrain composed of three-dimensional terrain data based on an operation input from a player and the game program;
In a game device comprising:
The arithmetic processing unit is:
First means for moving a character for moving the character based on the operation input to move the character along the terrain, and obtaining position information of the character in the virtual space;
A second means for determining from the position information whether the character is on the slope of the terrain and the character falls on the slope;
If the determination of the second means is to cause the character to fall in the virtual space, a third means for determining a direction of falling based on the movement of the character before the character falls and the state of the slope. When,
A fourth means for calculating a point of the topography of the fall destination in the fall;
A fifth means for calculating a height difference of the fall from the position information of the terrain that is the starting point of the fall and the position information of the point of the fall;
The character is moved from the starting point of the fall to the destination of the fall, and the damage amount of the character against the fall is calculated based on the calculated height difference and the position information of the point of the drop. Means,
A seventh means for reducing the physical strength value of the character based on the amount of damage;
An eighth means for performing image processing on the character based on the reduced physical strength value;
A game apparatus comprising: The arithmetic processing unit further includes:
Ninth means for providing a grid along the terrain of the virtual space;
A tenth means for moving the cursor along the grid based on the operation input;
The comprising the game apparatus according to claim 1. A game comprising: a memory that stores a game program; and an arithmetic processing unit that generates an image in which a character moves in a virtual space composed of three-dimensional terrain data based on an operation input from a player and the game program In the image processing method executed by the arithmetic processing unit of the apparatus,
The arithmetic processing unit is:
  Based on the operation input from the player and the game program,
A first process of moving a cursor for moving the character based on the operation input, moving the character along the terrain, and acquiring position information of the character in the virtual space;
A second process for determining from the position information whether the character is on the slope of the terrain and the character falls on the slope;
If the determination of the second means is to cause the character to drop in the virtual space, a third process for determining a direction of falling based on the movement of the character before the character falls and the state of the slope When,
A fourth process for calculating a point of the topography at the destination of the fall;
A fifth process for calculating the height difference of the fall from the position information of the terrain that is the starting point of the fall and the position information of the point of the fall;
The character is moved from the starting point of the fall to the destination of the fall, and the damage amount of the character against the fall is calculated based on the calculated height difference and the position information of the point of the drop. Processing,
A seventh process for reducing the physical strength value of the character based on the amount of damage;
  An eighth process for performing image processing on the character based on the reduced physical strength value;
The image processing method. A recording medium storing a program that allows a computer of a game device to generate an image in which a character moves in a virtual space composed of three-dimensional terrain data.
A first process of moving a cursor for moving the character based on the operation input, moving the character along the terrain, and acquiring position information of the character in the virtual space;
A second process for determining from the position information whether the character is on the slope of the terrain and the character falls on the slope;
If the determination of the second means is to cause the character to drop in the virtual space, a third process for determining a direction of falling based on the movement of the character before the character falls and the state of the slope When,
A fourth process for calculating a point of the topography at the destination of the fall;
A fifth process for calculating the height difference of the fall from the position information of the terrain that is the starting point of the fall and the position information of the point of the fall;
Moving the character from the starting point of the fall to the destination, and calculating a damage amount of the character against the fall based on the calculated height difference and the position information of the point of the drop Processing,
A seventh process for reducing the physical strength value of the character based on the amount of damage;
An eighth process for performing image processing on the character based on the reduced physical strength value;
The computer-readable recording medium that causes the computer to execute.

Images