Video game program and system, including control method and computer-readable medium therefor, for determining and displaying character relations

Abstract

A network video game for allowing a player to easily grasp a relation between the player's own character and another character. A computer 1 a capable of being connected with a server 116 via a network 100 decides whether or not a player's own character 201 manipulated by the computer, and another character 210 manipulated by another computer 1 b and connected with the server 116 via the network 100 are in a predetermined relation. If it is decided that the player's own character and another character are in the predetermined relation, another character is displayed in a display mode according to the predetermined relation. The player may thus easily understand the relation between the player's own character and another character by confirming the display on another character.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computer-readable recording medium recorded with a program of a video game for allowing a group of players to cause each of a respective plurality of characters to act in a common virtual space, 
 wherein the program of said video game causes a computer capable of being connected with a server via a network, when read, to execute:    deciding whether or not a player's own character manipulated by the computer, and another character manipulated by another computer connected with said server via the network, are in a predetermined relation; and    displaying said another character in a display mode according to said predetermined relation when it is decided that said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation.    
     
     
         2 . The recording medium according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the program of said video game further causes said computer to execute: 
 interchanging, in response to a designation from the player, a first game mode capable of attacking the character of another player and a second game mode incapable of attacking the character of another player; and  
 receiving such a notification from the server that said another character has been interchanged to said first game mode, and  
 wherein the decision on whether or not said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation includes deciding, when said notification is received, that said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation.  
   
     
     
         3 . The recording medium according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the program of said video game further causes said computer to execute storing identification data of said another character when said own character is attacked by said another character, and    wherein the decision on whether or not said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation includes deciding includes deciding, when identification data of said another character are stored, that said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation.    
     
     
         4 . The recording medium according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the program of said video game further causes said computer to execute storing identification data of another character in response to a designation from the player, and    wherein the decision on whether or not said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation includes deciding when identification data of said another character are stored, that said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation.    
     
     
         5 . The recording medium according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the program of said video game prepares a plurality of predetermined relations between said own character and said another character,    wherein the decision on whether or not said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation includes deciding whether or not said own character and said another character are in each of a plurality of relations, and    wherein the display of said another character in the display mode according to said predetermined relation includes: 
 deciding, when the relation between said own character and said another character belongs to at least two of said plurality of relations simultaneously, the one of highest priority of said at least two relations on the basis of predetermined priorities; and  
 displaying said another character in a display mode according to the decided relation.  
   
     
     
         6 . The recording medium according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the display of said another character in the display mode according to said predetermined relation includes displaying the name of said another character in a color according to said predetermined relation.    
     
     
         7 . The recording medium according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the display of said another character in the display mode according to said predetermined relation includes displaying an icon according to said predetermined relation in the vicinity of said another character.    
     
     
         8 . The recording medium according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the display of said another character in the display mode according to said predetermined relation includes displaying a cursor to be displayed around said another character when the player designates said another character, in a color according to said predetermined relation.    
     
     
         9 . The recording medium according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the display of said another character in the display mode according to said predetermined relation includes: 
 displaying the image of said another character; and  
 displaying a marker indicating said another character, in a display region of a portion of a screen and in a color according to said predetermined relation.  
   
     
     
         10 . A video game program for allowing a plurality of players to cause each of a respective plurality of characters to act in a common virtual space, 
 wherein said video game program causes a computer capable of being connected with a server via a network, when read, to execute: 
 deciding whether or not a player's own character manipulated by said computer, and another character manipulated by another computer connected with said server via the network, are in a predetermined relation; and  
 displaying said another character in a display mode according to said predetermined relation when it is decided that said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation.  
   
     
     
         11 . The video game program according to  claim 10 , 
 wherein said video game program further causes said computer to execute: 
 interchanging, in response to a designation from the player, a first game mode capable of attacking the character of another player and a second game mode incapable of attacking the character of another player; and  
 receiving such a notification from said server that said another character has been interchanged to said first game mode, and  
 wherein the decision on whether or not said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation includes deciding, when said notification is received, that said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation.  
   
     
     
         12 . A video game program according to  claim 10 , 
 wherein the video game program further causes said computer to execute storing identification data of said another character when said own character is attacked by said another character, and    wherein the decision on whether or not said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation includes deciding includes deciding, when identification data of said another character are stored, that said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation.    
     
     
         13 . The video game program according to  claim 10 , 
 wherein said video game program further causes said computer to execute storing identification data of another character in response to a designation from the player, and    wherein the decision on whether or not said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation includes deciding when identification data of said another character are stored, that said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation.    
     
     
         14 . A video game program according to  claim 10 , 
 wherein said video game program prepares a plurality of predetermined relations between said own character and said another character,    wherein the decision on whether or not said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation includes deciding whether or not said own character and said another character are in each of a plurality of relations, and    wherein the display of said another character in the display mode according to said predetermined relation includes: 
 deciding, when the relation between said own character and said another character belongs to at least two of said plurality of relations simultaneously, the one of highest priority of said at least two relations on the basis of predetermined priorities; and  
 displaying said another character in a display mode according to the decided relation.  
   
     
     
         15 . The video game program according to  claim 10 , 
 wherein the display of said another character in the display mode according to said predetermined relation includes displaying the name of said another character in a color according to said predetermined relation.    
     
     
         16 . The video game program according to  claim 10 , 
 wherein the display of said another character in the display mode according to said predetermined relation includes displaying an icon according to said predetermined relation in the vicinity of said another character.    
     
     
         17 . The video game program according to  claim 10 , 
 wherein the display of said another character in the display mode according to said predetermined relation includes displaying a cursor to be displayed around said another character when the player designates said another character, in a color according to said predetermined relation.    
     
     
         18 . The video game program according to  claim 10 , 
 wherein the display of said another character in the display mode according to said predetermined relation includes: 
 displaying the image of said another character; and  
 displaying a marker indicating said another character, in a display region of a portion of a screen and in a color according to said predetermined relation.  
   
     
     
         19 . A video game system comprising: 
 a computer-readable recording medium recorded with a program of a video game for allowing a plurality of players to cause each of a respective plurality of characters to act in a common virtual space;    first and second computers manipulated by first and second players, respectively, for reading and executing said program from said recording medium; and    a server connected with said first and second computers via a network,    wherein the program of said video game causes said first computer to execute: 
 deciding, when read by said first computer, whether or not a first character manipulated by using said first computer and a second character manipulated by using said second computer are in a predetermined relation; and  
 displaying said second character in a display mode according to said predetermined relation when it is decided that said first character and said second character are in said predetermined relation.  
   
     
     
         20 . A control method for a video game system including: first and second computers; first and second display units connected with said first and second computers, respectively; and a server connected with said first and second computers via a network, for displaying such a video game on said first and second display units as allows a plurality of players to cause their respective characters to act in a common virtual space, 
 wherein said control method causes said first computer to execute: 
 deciding whether or not a first character manipulated by using said first computer and a second character manipulated by using said second computer are in a predetermined relation; and  
 displaying said second character in a display mode according to said predetermined relation when it is decided that said first character and said second character are in said predetermined relation.  
   
     
     
         21 . A video game device comprising: 
 a computer-readable recording medium recorded with a program of a video game for allowing a plurality of players to cause their respective characters to act in a common virtual space;    a computer capable of being connected with a server via a network for reading and executing said program from said recording medium; and    a display unit connected with said computer,    wherein said computer executes by reading said program from said recording medium: 
 deciding whether or not a player's own character manipulated by said computer, and another character manipulated by another computer connected with said server via the network, are in a predetermined relation; and  
 displaying said another character on said display unit in a display mode according to said predetermined relation when it is decided that said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation.  
   
     
     
         22 . A control method for a video game device including: a computer capable of being connected with a server via a network; and a display unit connected with said computer, for displaying such a video game on said display unit as allows a plurality of players to cause their respective characters to act in a common virtual space, 
 wherein said computer is caused to execute: 
 deciding whether or not a player's own character manipulated by said computer and another character manipulated by another computer connected with said server via the network, are in a predetermined relation; and  
 displaying said another character on said display unit in a display mode according to said predetermined relation when it is decided that said own character and said another character are in said predetermined relation.