A MMORPG according to the invention contains one or more features designed to reduce game predictability, increase the variety of activities a player can pursue, and enhance player versus player experience. Such features include a hybrid MMORPG with both persistent and non-persistent areas, limited access areas, player controlled areas, multiple types of creature spawns, object spawns, player-controlled or programmed NPC's, one time world events, programmed 'botting' of player characters, creature effects on environment, simulated artificial intelligence for NPC's dialogs, non-experience based leveling, database driven randomly generated quests, non-experienced based leveling, user-programmable sound effects, database-driven randomly generated encounters, alignment in an MMORPG, temporary NPC companions, formations for purposes of temporary character collision detection, special effect sites, dueling, player apprentices, special purpose guilds, multiplayer emotes, multiple tier server realms, mini-battlegrounds, limited player access areas, PvP battlegrounds with access limited by player population, and terrain based stealth and hiding abilities. These can be used in combination to provide a more interesting MMORPG game experience.
Systems and methods for massively multi-player online role playing games