Video game system, method of controlling same and memory cartridge for video game

Claim 2

A video game apparatus for displaying a plurality of characters, inclusive of a player character, on a display screen of a display device and controlling actions of the characters in response to a signal from an input operation unit, comprising: program storage means for storing program statements of a plurality of mutually independent programs, which have been created with regard to respective ones of the plurality of characters and which describe commands relating to actions of the characters; a plurality of program counters for storing, with regard to respective ones of the plurality of programs, a position of a program statement to be executed with regard to each character; and program control means for performing control so as to read, and execute, one or a plurality of the program statements, designated by corresponding ones of said program counters of the programs of the characters, out of said program storage means in regular order and, upon execution of the program statement, incrementing the corresponding program counter.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising execution-speed deciding means for deciding program execution rate for each character, wherein said program control means changes the execution cycle time of the program of a character in accordance with the decision made by said execution-speed deciding means.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the program of each character contains a code representing program execution rate.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising execution-sequence deciding means for deciding the order of characters whose programs are to be executed, wherein said program control means changes the execution sequence of the programs of characters in accordance with the decision made by said execution-sequence deciding means.

Claim 6

The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said execution-sequence deciding means decides, with regard to each character for every execution cycle, whether the program is to be executed or not, and said program control means executes a program only with regard to a character for which execution has been decided.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for deciding, with regard to each character for every execution cycle of the program, whether the program is to be executed or not, and said program control means executes a program only with regard to a character for which execution has been decided.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the program of at least one character includes a communication request statement containing a request and a party to which the request is directed; and when the communication request statement has been read out, said program control means changes the value of a program counter that corresponds to a starting position of the corresponding program statement in the program of the character of the party designated by the communication request statement.

Claim 9

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the communication request statement contains data representing order of priority, and order of priority is determined in advance with regard to processing other than processing that is in response to the communication request statement, said apparatus being further provided for each program with: order-of-priority storage means for storing the order of priority of processing currently being executed; counter-value storage means for saving the value of a program counter in a form corresponding to the order of priority of the program associated with this value; and execution control means which, when there is a communication request, compares the order of priority of the communication request and the order of priority of the program currently being executed, saves a count having the lower order of priority as well as the order of priority in said counter-value storage means, sets a count having the higher order of priority in the program counter and sets this order of priority in said order-of-priority storage means.

Claim 14

The method according to claim 10, wherein a code representing program execution rate is incorporated in the program of each character, and the execution rate is decided in accordance with this code.

Claim 15

The method according to claim 10, wherein the order of characters whose programs are to be executed is decided, and the execution sequence of the programs of characters is changed in accordance with the order decided.

Claim 16

The method according to claim 10, wherein whether a program statement is to be executed or not is decided with regard to each character every execution cycle, and a program statement is executed only with regard to a character for which execution has been decided.

Claim 19

The method according to claim 14, wherein whether a program statement is to be executed or not is decided with regard to each character every execution cycle, and a program statement is executed only with regard to a character for which execution has been decided.

Claim 22

The method according to claim 16, wherein the order of characters whose programs are to be executed is decided, and the programs are executed in the order decided.

Claim 25

The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of incorporating data, which represents order of priority, in the communication request statement, and the following steps for each program: storing order of priority of processing currently being executed; and when there is a communication request, comparing the order of priority of the communication request and the order of priority of the program currently being executed, saving a count having the lower order of priority as well as the order of priority, setting a count having the higher order of priority in the program counter and storing this order of priority.

Claim 26

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of instructions, said plurality of sequences of instructions comprising a plurality of mutually independent computer readable-programs for displaying on a display device a plurality of characters inclusive of a player character and for controlling actions of the characters in response to a signal from an input operation unit, said plurality of sequences of instructions including sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of: providing a plurality of program counters for storing, with regard to respective ones of said plurality of programs, a position of a program statement to be executed with regard to each character; reading one or a plurality of consecutive program statements, designated by the corresponding program counter of the program of the character, in regular order; executing the program statement; and incrementing the corresponding program counter, upon execution of the program statement.

Claim 27

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of instructions, said plurality of sequences of instructions comprising a plurality of mutually independent computer readable-programs for displaying on a display device a plurality of characters inclusive of a player character and for controlling actions of the characters in response to a signal from an input operation unit, said plurality of sequences of instructions including sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of: providing a plurality of program counters for storing, with regard to respective ones of said plurality of programs, a position of a program statement to be executed with regard to each character; reading one or a plurality of consecutive program statements, designated by the corresponding program counter of the program of the character, in regular order; executing the program statement; and incrementing the corresponding program counter, upon execution of the program statement.

Claim 28

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of instructions, said plurality of sequences of instructions comprising a plurality of mutually independent computer readable-programs for displaying on a display device a plurality of characters inclusive of a player character and for controlling actions of the characters in response to a signal from an input operation unit, said plurality of sequences of instructions including sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of: providing a plurality of program counters for storing, with regard to respective ones of said plurality of programs, a position of a program statement to be executed with regard to each character; deciding execution rate of a program for each character; reading one or a plurality of consecutive program statements, designated by the corresponding program counter of the program of the character, at a cycle rate corresponding to an execution rate decided for each character; executing the program statement; and incrementing the corresponding program counter, upon execution of the program statement.

Claim 29

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of instructions, said plurality of sequences of instructions comprising a plurality of mutually independent computer readable-programs for displaying on a display device a plurality of characters inclusive of a player character and for controlling actions of the characters in response to a signal from an input operation unit, said plurality of sequences of instructions including sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of: providing a plurality of program counters for storing, with regard to respective ones of said plurality of programs, a position of a program statement to be executed with regard to each character; deciding execution rate of a program for each character; reading one or a plurality of consecutive program statements, designated by the corresponding program counter of the program of the character, at a cycle rate corresponding to an execution rate decided for each character; executing the program statement; and incrementing the corresponding program counter, upon execution of the program statement.

Claim 30

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of instructions, said plurality of sequences of instructions comprising a plurality of mutually independent computer readable-programs for displaying on a display device a plurality of characters inclusive of a player character and for controlling actions of the characters in response to a signal from an input operation unit, said plurality of sequences of instructions including sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of: providing a plurality of program counters for storing, with regard to respective ones of said plurality of programs, a position of a program statement to be executed with regard to each character; deciding order of characters, whose programs are to be executed; reading one or a plurality of consecutive program statements, designated by the corresponding program counter of the program of the character, in accordance with the order decided; executing the program statement; and incrementing the corresponding program counter, upon execution of the program statement.

Claim 31

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of instructions, said plurality of sequences of instructions comprising a plurality of mutually independent computer readable-programs for displaying on a display device a plurality of characters inclusive of a player character and for controlling actions of the characters in response to a signal from an input operation unit, said plurality of sequences of instructions including sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of: providing a plurality of program counters for storing, with regard to respective ones of said plurality of programs, a position of a program statement to be executed with regard to each character; deciding order of characters, whose programs are to be executed; reading one or a plurality of consecutive program statements, designated by the corresponding program counter of the program of the character, in accordance with the order decided; executing the program statement; and incrementing the corresponding program counter, upon execution of the program statement.

Claim 32

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of instructions, said plurality of sequences of instructions comprising a plurality of mutually independent computer readable-programs for displaying on a display device a plurality of characters inclusive of a player character and for controlling actions of the characters in response to a signal from an input operation unit, said plurality of sequences of instructions including sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of: providing a plurality of program counters for storing, with regard to respective ones of said plurality of programs, a position of a program statement to be executed with regard to each character; deciding whether the program statement is to be executed or not with regard to each character every predetermined execution cycle; reading one or a plurality of consecutive program statements, designated by the corresponding program counter of the program of the character for which execution has been decided, in regular order; executing the program statement; and incrementing the corresponding program counter, upon execution of the program statement.

Claim 33

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of instructions, said plurality of sequences of instructions comprising a plurality of mutually independent computer readable-programs for displaying on a display device a plurality of characters inclusive of a player character and for controlling actions of the characters in response to a signal from an input operation unit, said plurality of sequences of instructions including sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of: providing a plurality of program counters for storing, with regard to respective ones of said plurality of programs, a position of a program statement to be executed with regard to each character; deciding whether the program statement is to be executed or not with regard to each character every predetermined execution cycle; reading one or a plurality of consecutive program statements, designated by the corresponding program counter of the program of the character for which execution has been decided, in regular order; executing the program statement; and incrementing the corresponding program counter, upon execution of the program statement.

Claim 34

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of instructions, said plurality of sequences of instructions comprising a plurality of mutually independent computer readable-programs for displaying on a display device a plurality of characters inclusive of a player character and for controlling actions of the characters in response to a signal from an input operation unit, said program of at least one character including a communication request statement comprising a request and a party to which the request is directed, said plurality of sequences of instructions including sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of: providing a plurality of program counters for storing, with regard to respective ones of said plurality of programs, a position of a program statement to be executed with regard to each character; reading one or a plurality of consecutive program statements, designated by the corresponding program counter of the program of the character, in regular order; executing the program statement; incrementing the corresponding program counter, upon execution of the program statement, and; changing the value of a program counter that corresponds to a starting position of the corresponding program statement in the program of the character of the party designated by the communication request statement, when the communication request statement has been read out.

Claim 35

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of instructions, said plurality of sequences of instructions comprising a plurality of mutually independent computer readable-programs for displaying on a display device a plurality of characters inclusive of a player character and for controlling actions of the characters in response to a signal from an input operation unit, said program of at least one character including a communication request statement comprising a request and a party to which the request is directed, said plurality of sequences of instructions including sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of: providing a plurality of program counters for storing, with regard to respective ones of said plurality of programs, a position of a program statement to be executed with regard to each character; reading one or a plurality of consecutive program statements, designated by the corresponding program counter of the program of the character, in regular order; executing the program statement; incrementing the corresponding program counter, upon execution of the program statement, and; changing the value of a program counter that corresponds to a starting position of the corresponding program statement in the program of the character of the party designated by the communication request statement, when the communication request statement has been read out.