Patent ID: 8135018

Claim:
A method of defining message flow paths in a distributed virtual world formed by a plurality of peer servers each hosting a virtual space within the distributed virtual world, comprising: generating, at a peer server, a message flow path setup message identifying a plurality of produced message types produced by at least one virtual object within a virtual space hosted by the peer server and a scope of the plurality of produced message types, wherein for each produced message type from the plurality of produced message types, the scope comprises an aggregate scope for the produced message type corresponding to an aggregate aura for the at least one virtual object that produces the produced message type plus a margin; providing the message flow path setup message to at least one neighboring peer server from the plurality of peer servers, the at least one neighboring peer server hosting a virtual space neighboring the virtual space of the peer server in the distributed virtual world; receiving a response to the message flow path setup message from the at least one neighboring peer server identifying at least one of the plurality of produced message types that is of interest to the at least one neighboring peer server; and updating a routing table of the peer server such that messages of the at least one of the plurality of produced message types are routed to the at least one neighboring peer server.