Player deception in a video game

Abstract

Methods and systems for deceiving other characters in a video game are disclosed. A video game may include a simulated environment in which player and computer controlled characters can monitor each other's positions using radar, e.g., an acoustic radar that detects noise (such as the firing of various weapons) associated with other characters. A character may fire a decoy bullet, which creates noise at the location of impact rather than the location of firing. A character may temporarily jam another character's radar so that the other character's radar does not display character locations. A first character may mimic an enemy character so that the first character appears as a friend to enemy characters on each enemy characters' radar. A special weapon may make all visible characters visually appear as enemies to a first character, thereby confusing the first character. Another special weapon may create a duplicate image of a character, thereby confusing others.

1 . One or more computer readable media storing executable instructions for performing a video game method of representing characters on a radar image displayed on video output device, said method comprising steps of: 
 providing a radar system to a first character on a first team in a simulated environment of the video game, wherein said radar system identifies on the radar image, using a first visual appearance, a location, relative to a location of the first character in the simulated environment, of any character on the first team in the simulated environment, and wherein said radar system identifies on the radar image, using a second visual appearance, a location, relative to the location of the first character in the simulated environment, of any character on a second team in the simulated environment, and;    subsequent to the providing step, receiving first input indicating a predetermined action has occurred within the simulated environment of the video game; and    identifying the location of any character of the second team on the radar image using the first visual appearance based on the occurrence of the predetermined action.    
   
   
       2 . The computer readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying step comprises identifying the location of any character of the second team on the radar image using the first visual appearance for a predetermined amount of time, and the method further comprises: 
 after the predetermined amount of time, identifying the location of any character of the second team on the radar image using the first visual appearance.    
   
   
       3 . The computer readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the first visual appearance comprises a first color, and the second visual appearance comprises a second color.  
   
   
       4 . The computer readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined action comprises the first character being hit with a predetermined weapon, 
 wherein the first visual appearance indicates a friend, and    wherein the second visual appearance indicates an enemy.    
   
   
       5 . The computer readable medium of  claim 4 , wherein the predetermined action comprises the first character being hit with the predetermined weapon, while the predetermined weapon is in an alternate mode of fire.  
   
   
       6 . The computer readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined action comprises a first character on the second team performing an action directed toward the first character on the second team.  
   
   
       7 . The computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein said weapon comprises a shotgun.  
   
   
       8 . One or more computer readable media storing executable instructions for performing a video game method of visually deceiving a video game player, said method comprising steps of: 
 visually depicting on a video output device corresponding to the video game player, a first team of characters having a first visual appearance;    visually depicting on the video output device, a second team of characters using a second visual appearance, said second visual appearance being different from said first visual appearance;    detecting a predetermined action within the simulated environment of the video game, said predetermined action being directed at a first character of the first team, said first character being controlled by the video game player; and    visually depicting on the video output device, any visible characters of the first team of characters using the second visual appearance, based on the occurrence of the predetermined action.    
   
   
       9 . The computer readable media of  claim 8 , wherein the first team of characters are visually depicted using the second visual appearance for a predetermined amount of time, the method further comprising: after the predetermined amount of time has expired, on the video output device corresponding to the video game player, visually depicting on the video output device any visible characters of the first team of characters using the first visual appearance.  
   
   
       10 . The computer readable media of  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined action comprises a second character on the second team shooting the first character on the first team with a predetermined weapon.  
   
   
       11 . The computer readable media of  claim 10 , wherein the predetermined weapon comprises a weapon configured in an alternate mode of fire.  
   
   
       12 . The computer readable media of  claim 9 , wherein the predetermined action comprises a second character of the second team shooting the first character of the first team with a predetermined weapon, and the method further comprises steps of: 
 during the predetermined amount of time, detecting that the first character kills another character of the first team; and    attributing the kill to the second character.    
   
   
       13 . One or more computer readable media storing executable instructions for performing a video game method depicting a hologram image of a video game character, said method comprising steps of: 
 visually depicting an actual image of a first character in a simulated environment of the video game;    detecting a first predetermined action within the simulated environment, said predetermined action corresponding to the actual image of the first character;    based on detecting the first predetermined action, visually depicting a hologram image of the first character in the simulated environment; and    moving the hologram image of the first character within the simulated environment based on movement input received from a player corresponding to the first character.    
   
   
       14 . The computer readable media of  claim 13 , wherein said movement input simultaneously controls both the actual image of the first character and the hologram image of the first character so that both images move in synchronization with each other in the simulated environment of the video game.  
   
   
       15 . The computer readable media of  claim 13 , wherein the predetermined action comprises the first character firing a weapon configured in an alternate mode of fire.  
   
   
       16 . The computer readable media of  claim 13 , the method further comprising steps of: 
 detecting that the hologram image of the first character has been hit by a projectile within the simulated environment of the video game;    based on the hologram image of the first character being hit, attributing no damage to the first character;    detecting that the actual image of the first character has been hit by a projectile within the simulated environment of the video game; and    based on the actual image of the first character being hit, attributing damage to the first character.    
   
   
       17 . The computer readable media of  claim 13 , the method further comprising steps of: 
 detecting that the hologram image of the first character has been hit by a projectile within the simulated environment of the video game;    based on the hologram image of the first character being hit, visually depicting a disruption of the hologram.    
   
   
       18 . The computer readable media of  claim 17 , wherein the visual depiction of the disruption comprises eliminating the hologram image of the first character.  
   
   
       19 . The computer readable media of  claim 17 , wherein the visual depiction of the disruption comprises depicting static within the hologram image of the first character.  
   
   
       20 . The computer readable media of  claim 13 , further comprising steps of: 
 prior to the predetermined action, maximizing movement of the actual image of the first character at a first speed in the simulated environment of the video game; and    while the hologram image of the first character is displayed, maximizing movement of the actual image of the first character at a second speed, slower than said first speed, in the simulated environment of the video game.