Patent ID: 6870537

Claim:
An image processing device for controlling the display image such that a main character which moves pursuant to input operations, and a plurality of sub characters in which a movement direction thereof is determined based on a movement of said main character, are displayed in a virtual space, and the plurality of sub characters chase after said main character, said image processing device comprising: grouping means for automatically grouping said plurality of sub characters in a number of sub-character groups; control point generation means for providing within said virtual space a control point for each of said sub character groups, for moving the plurality of sub characters within each group in the same direction; confirming means for confirming a position of the main character; setting means for setting an optimum route for each sub character group to approach the main character based on the position of said main character and the control point, wherein each sub character group picks up two pass points in a direction of the position of said main character and said setting means moves the control point for each sub character group along a line connecting said two pass points; movement control means for automatically moving said sub character groups by tracing the control point based on the optimum route set with said setting means; and connection means for automatically connecting two or more of said sub character groups at a connection point when said two or more or said sub character groups are within a predetermined distance of each other, one of said groups being a leading group and another of said groups being a trailing group, said two or more of said sub character groups moving independent of each prior to automatic connection by said connection means; wherein a distance associated with the optimum route may exceed an actual distance to the position of said main character from the control point.