The Player's Consciousness in a Virtual World

The distinction between the RPG version and the NPC version lies in the player's consciousness in the RPG version being analogous to being plugged in like Neo or using advanced technology. In video games, what is rendered for the player is what exists; other data exists on servers. This model allows for different players to see different things based on their level, similar to how religions suggest that consciousness renders the world for us, a concept explored in the simulation hypothesis.