Patent ID: 8182341

Claim:
A character control device comprising: a character storage unit that stores character information of a plurality of characters arranged in a virtual space, the character information including a current position and regulated occupied areas for each of the plurality of characters; a formation storage unit that stores formation information regulating a formation to be formed by each of the plurality of characters, the formation information including a position in the formation assigned to each of the plurality of characters; a contact assessment unit for assessing a contact between the plurality of characters by comparing the current position and the regulated occupied areas of each of the plurality of characters; a character control unit that determines a sequential movement for each of the plurality of characters based on the contact assessment; and an image generation unit that sequentially generates images of each of the plurality of characters moving, wherein the character control unit further comprises an assembling control unit that, based on the formation information, nullifies an effect of the contact assessment between the plurality of characters while each of the plurality of characters are being assembled from a scattered position to the position in the formation, and the image generation unit sequentially generating images of each of the plurality of characters being assembled while the effect of the contact assessment is being nullified.