Real Life, Second Life, No Life...
 

I just discovered Second Life. I think I could get really addicted to this!

You may want to think hard about that one.

There's a line between "spending a lot of time getting good at a game" and "mortgaging your real life so you can live it in virtual reality." Everything I've heard about SL has been too much on the latter side.

While, I have very little interest in gaming, I've heard a lot about this and find the concept interesting. I wonder how common areas will develop. Will they all look like Irvine eventually? Do we gravitate towards a beige world naturally? It is fascinating to think about, but i don't want to play.

I know very few people who have tried it and not quickly moved on. But those who are into it are really into it.

I tried it once, quickly got tired of flying around naked. Ran into something that wanted real money from me, and didn't go back.

Spending an inordinate amount of time in an online community – discussing random and trivial things? Absurd! Nobody would do that. None of us here have that addiction…. ;)

Some areas are a little “Irvinesque”, but most of the architecture and art are incredible. It seems to be a very creative crowd.




Just a note: I wouldn’t call SL a game, for the same reasons I wouldn’t call LoT a game. There are no set goals, nor do you win at anything. It’s simply a virtual reality online community.

I believe there was an uproar recently when the moderators issued rules that avatars could not engage in illegal sex acts. So no more flying around naked, etc.

As soon as I figure out this life I'll check out second life.
:D

you took the words right out of my mouth.

so unless this 'game' involves taking over the world (by force) or perhaps slaying a few dragons/other notorious characters, Im gonna pass. the one life I have is more than enough to fill a day. dont really relish taking on a second one just cuz I F'd this one up. :rolleyes:

I'm already hopelessly addicted to "The Sims 2." To have a 3rd virtual life would probably require me to give up sleeping.

Me too. (But I am getting a little burned-out on it, so I'm ready for a new time waster. :D ) In fact, I heard about SL on Gay Sims Club. :rolleyes:

I never knew that was illegal

I did the same thing about a year ago. It was also kinda clunky then. I liked the idea, but don't like the subscription/pay as you go thing.

I flew around for a bit, but that was about it.

Flying around naked? Go ahead. Try it.

Please don't encourage him.

So how do these people stay in business?

It is easy to fly: just throw yourself at the ground and miss.

I fly around naked all the time - I've never been pulled over, much less ticketed.

Oh!! Did you see the new Sims 2 Seasons! I've been playing it a lot more since I bought that add on.

I just can't do this stuff, much as I'd like to. I'm already a Kingdom of Loathing and Uru Live participant, and this thing called 'real life' keeps intruding and monopolizing quality online time.

I must admit I've thought about WoW, but I know I just can't.

resistance is futile

First, I'm skeptical about the authenticity of these stories. More to the point, they involve a plane, not just regular old flying around naked.

as far as the 'mile high' thing, since they're booking shuttle vacations now, I wonder who'll get to claim the first zero-G mile high.

sounds freakin' awesome

Ok. I'm officially addicted.

We could do a virtual LoT Commune! Take up a collection and buy an island in SL. How cool would it be to chat with each other in our own virtual enclave?

15 days until NS 13....

Isn't that what we do here?

Sorta.... But we don't sit in a cool virtual room and talk face to face through avatars!

Well I know United apparently frowns on it.

Isnt that what virtual Magic Kingdom is for? :P

Heh- I thought the same thing, Fej.:D

I didn't think anyone here actually used VMK?

I tried. I quickly grew uninterested (and sick of the restrictive word dictionary).

Not really. I gave it a try when it first came out. While it does seem to have it's fans you can't really hold a decent conversation on it due to all the language filters they have in place to protect their own asses their impressionable young guests.

Would you kindly please stop posting what I'm going to post before I post it. It's making me look bad.

Thanks.

Don't sell yourself short. You can make yourself look bad all on your own, you don't need my help.

I'm lost.

SL doesn't have word filters!

See! Now that's better. I was definitely not going to post that.

Thanks for doing what I asked.

I hate that show.

Geographically, conversationally, or metaphysically?

What is the attraction of talking through avatars?

This is something I've never really figured out. I play WoW and when I'm in a raid with 30 people and we're doing something there is some pleasure in the antics that can be done with an avatar.

But for just sitting around chatting, what does it provide that the much simpler IRC chatroom doesn't?

Haha, Alex plays WoW.

I'm actually going to suspend my account for a while. I haven't been able to play in a long time, nor have I had the drive to, and I'll probably just quit in a couple of months.

Why's that funny?

I just returned to it after almost exactly a year without playing. But unlike some other people in the house I don't play obsessively and have had a couple other lengthy absences since it first rolled out.

Trekki?Is that you?












Sorry, it's the only WOW reference I know...

No, it's not funny - just surprising, that's all. I do tend to laugh when pleasantly surprised, and I was typing without thinking (as usual).

I tend to smile when I find out someone I didn't expect plays wow, probably because most people are surprised when I tell them I play WOW. Not that that made any sense.

Since everybody I play with is in their 30s or above and some variation on middle class professionals I think I got over my surprise a long time ago.

And I still wonder how it has happened that in my marriage I am the one married to the hard core gamer.

WoW, EQII, CoH etc are all things I'll start and stop on a whim. Start it, play for a week or less, not touch it for 2 billing cycles and stop again when I see the bill pop up and realize I havent touched them.

I used to do the long haul, hardcore thing once upon a time, but even then not nearly as devout as more than a few folks I know. I dont plan my life around/sacrifice real life for sessions like more than a few I know/know of.

currently, Im out of all of them (except one beta the NDA wont let me talk about). I chalk it up to relatively cheap entertainment that isnt TV. the 'isnt TV' part being the most important part for me. at least its relatively interactive.

I've only gotten into two online games- KoL and Uru, but I am sure if I checked out WoW, SL and the others I'd be hooked. I pretty much stick to Splinter Cell offline games, as I find most others boring.

I hear the new LoTR online game is some hot sh*t right now. I'd probably be more interested in playing a new game, but I don't have the time to be that interested in a new game. I'd make the time, sure - but that wouldn't be a good thing at all.

I am actually looking forward to the MMO Grand Theft Auto is supposed to be coming up with. I'll make time for that, if nothing else, for the pure pleasure of cruising in my car and flipping the radio stations.

I did the LoTR beta. eh, just another hack n slash. its pretty, no doubt, but its same as anything else of the genre you could name.

LOTR = Lounge of Tomorrow Real? ;)

I'm kind of psyched for the Firefly game. I've never played MMOGs before, but something about Whedon's world of Firefly interests me. Any word on this one yet?

:eek: Firefly MMOG huh?

hadnt heard about that one. have a link handy?

I'm hearing good things about LOTR (Lord of the Rings, NA), but someone in my former guild raised a good point. What will it do to emotional attachment to the storyline and mythology when open chat ends up sounding like Barrens chat in WoW?

Personally, I think one of the things that really helped with the success of WoW is that it is pretty much a self contained mythology. So everybody is ok with being an egalitarian player in world events. With attempts at LOTR or Pern or Firefly, it seems to me that not being one of the central characters will deflate the experience.

ugh. I always kill OOC chat as soon as I enter a game. nothing is a bigger buzz kill than a half dozen leets arguing about some feckless nonsense

Here's some pictures of a beautiful place in SL that I just found - The Lost Gardens of Apollo. (That's my avatar that you can see chilling in some of the shots.)

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but all you second-lifers watch out... I'm goin in !! :D (watch for Lashbear Snoodle coming to a er, place near you ! )

I took a short tour with JWBear. And then my computer crashed.
I think I need a better computer...
:D

I am Kiora Quandry.

Rhun DeCuir

I'm on right now.

I won't be home for another three hours... :(

...work won't let me play, for some reason.. :rolleyes:

Langley Finesmith.
But I had a hell of a time getting on tonight. Maybe after a reboot?

Only just saw this but um... imagine the mess in zero g!

So what "community" is everybody using? I went with Dreamland, I think.

Sheesh I did a search for this thread earlier today and got nuttin'. Thanks for the bump! I'm Bith Wierwight inworld online....mmmm now!

and you are all my new friends...:D Woooo! If anyone needs a TP (teleport) somewhere interesting let me or JWB know. Great pics JW!!

It caused a huge error and I had a hard shutdown. All over my fabric choices, heh.

Is a bizarre name a requirement?

I'm "Plain Jane" and I wear pretty shoes.

Required by the user agreement, no. Required by the fact that the limited number of available last names have all the common "normal" first names taken, yes. (There is a list of about 100 last names to choose from. You can make up whatever first name you want.)

I'm still of GC's mindset from earlier in the thread - my day is pretty packed between work, commute, cooking, swimming, writing, LoT, and sleep. So I am glad you're all enjoying it, but I can't join in. I hope you have a blast, though!

And LSPE's post is a good reminder of my other post. Now is probably a bad time to join in on SL. Gotta find a job first.
:)

Yeah, my mindset is the same as I have these days with The Sims. It's not that I don't think it'd be an entertaining activity for me. Quite the opposite, I'm a prime candidate to become addicted. But I finally came to the conclusion that I treated my Sims dude better than I treated myself and that I could use the time I was spending to reverse that, so it's just better for me to avoid it.

This is what I said in the Soooo thread:

I will not be playing SL. I refused to start playing WoW because of the time suck that is. Gave up my computer gaming after Diablo LoD. SL does have beautiful graphics though.

I'm glad you guys are having fun. Don't forget to escape into real life though.

So far, my visit to Second Life has taught me the following:

1) I wish I could fly around naked in the real world.
2) Over half the male population should be neutered.
3) It is damn fun to run around with a virtual sex organ attached to my nose just to disturb the people around me by pretending it's not there.

Yeah, I'm having a bit of fun. I don't see me spending too much time there though, but it does give me something to do while I have tapes capturing or DVDs burning.

I absolutely second that sentiment. And so far, the few people I've met there don't get out much, I think. ;)

Why am I thinking that numbers one and three might have something to do with number two?

:evil:

I certainly understand the desire to not add yet another internet diversion! I probably would not have, if Second Life hadn't been so different from the others...

The major appeal of SL for me is that it's a creative outlet. I make stuff there. It's not a game really -- there are no objectives or rewards or levels. You don't have to feed or shelter your avatar. People do RP in certain areas where sim owners have set that up, but for most I think its appeal is social. I have plenty of that already outside of SL, but I've made new friends anyway. Still it's the building tools that sold me.

As you all know, I'm an insufferable Star Wars geek. In SL, I've taken that passion to a new level: I've made some SW avatars -- wearable ships! Yes, you can be a TIE fighter or X-wing and zoom around shooting lasers at stuff.



That shot was taken in the space sim I'm building -- I made everything there: the planet rotates and the stars gently float about. This next pic is of the shop I'm building there to sell the avatars -- I made small models of them for the display sign...still working on the logo to put there.



Hubby asked me to make an avatar out of his "Beezer" character from his Captain Sternn series. This is the prototype (it puffs steam, and "follows" you about):


It's so much fun!

Two hard crashes in as many days. I may not be cut out for a second life. Or, at least, my computer mightn't be.

It crashes a lot on me too, even on my work system. It's not your computer.

I rarely crash -- I'm sorry to hear you guys are experiencing that. I've heard using a different viewer can help. Either an older one or the beta (RC) they've always got going. They can be found on the main site.

Morrigoon -- what's your username? I missed it if it was posted...

I use Onrez. It's faster and much more stable than the default viewer. (You do have to put up with an occasional ad for CSI:NY when you log in, but that's no big deal.)

Do I just need to download and run? or do I have to uninstall the original SL application ?

I'm sorry I don't know for sure, but I think you can just DL and use it, leaving your original install alone. I have two of the default viewers installed -- other than the fact that I've never bothered to configure them to run simultaneously (which is possible if you have the resources) they both work fine. I did the dual install when SL made the default viewer run WindLight, as I didn't trust it (I tested it when it was beta). Once I tweaked the settings though it ran fine.

I have several alts I use to test stuff out too...but I log them on my laptop next to my desktop. Sometimes I chat with myself because I'm really weird that way. Oops did I say that out loud?:eek:

You don't have to uninstall the original.

I have an alt as well (for pretty much the same reason). I've run both viewers off my desktop at the same time. It works, but everything is very s.....l.....o.....w.........

It's funny, but I created the first alt just for testing, then the avatar developed a life of her own! I'd let friends know the alt's name in case I was online as her and they needed to reach me. One friend tp'd me when I was "her" to a neat place he'd found that was running a kind of all-inclusive fantasy RP. Before I knew it, my alt had morphed from a Neko (I was having fun with that already) to a Drow (dark elf). That alt studies archery and magic inworld. Quite trippy.

My other alt was inspired by a friend who was enjoying the sociology of gender role play. He is an actual male (I know him in RL) but uses a female avatar exclusively. Not for any cybering, just for exploring that side of himself. So I've got a male alt now. It has been a really interesting experience -- when I'm "him" my language changes. And playing with his appearance was really a challenge. I wouldn't say he's even at the look I'd like yet. I have to fight the urge to make him look feminine!

I've also used my alts to create a land-owning group. I've saved a few Lindens (the local currency) that way!

Mostly though I log in as my main, who is usually dressed as a fantasy version of the real me: thin again, ginger-haired, hazel-eyed Liz. With whatever neat clothes I've recently found. :D

Hey - the thought just occurred to me:

Since I'm really getting into building unique textures and stuff, I could upload them into SL to build unique costumes and then sell them for Linden, which I can convert back to real money, right?

I mean, could I seriously make a few bits of side cash selling virtual crap?

Why yes, you can do that! I have a friend whose Second Life funds his first. :-)

So, some pics of my alts:

My 1st alt, the Neko (frisky kitty):


My Neko becomes a Drow, a fairly grumpy creature:



My boy-side:

Any of you Lifers seen this yet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxVDVggLqsA

Love the nick for us!! Hubby will enjoy calling me "lifer"...

Hadn't seen that one yet...not the best machinima, but I like how it captures some of what is singular about the SL experience.

Thx!

On a side note, in coming across that video today I was introduced to the term "machinima" for the first time. Today also happened to be the first day I was introduced to the word "portmanteau".

Been there, saw that. ;)

Yes you can! I sell furniture in SL (But it doesn't make me much money... Not even enough to cover advertising).

I have an account but I can't remember my name - I could never figure out how to get off the training island and got bored steam-rolloing rats and standing in lava

My store - Metropolis Decor:


My avatar Rhun and his creations:


A closer shot of Rhun sitting in his den:


My alt (standing in the front entrance court of Rhun's house.):

I'll have to come visit on weekends...

Is it pronounced "Run", "Rune", "Ruin" or "Rhyn" ? and is the last name pronounced "De Queer" ? ;)

Rune dee-cure (A curious mix of Welsh and French... go figure!)

That's okay, I apparently grabbed the wrong youtube link. this is the one I meant to post.

Wow.

I can't see it. Can someone email the file to me ? I'm really getting ****ted off by this whole "can't view, download or access videos on Youtube."

I went to SL Pride today. Here are some pictures:

An overview of the site (from 250 meters):



The Welcome Center:



Cool fountains in the Welcome Center:



The entrance to the Memorial Garden (for victims of violence against LGBT folk)



The Memorial Hall:



Candles for the victims:




Sorrow:

(SL Pride Continued)

The Live Music Venue:



The Dance Pavillion:



Pink Flamingos:



Here's my avatar sitting on a fountain in the shopping area:



The AIDS Memorial:





The Amusement Zone:

Boo hoo ! I'm stuck looking like a newbie dork, and I can't go back to the training Island I accidentally came from, and I don't know how to do anything !!

....but I did get a neat free gift from Rhun's shop (which is why I left the training Island, not knowing I couldn't get back). Love his taste !

Go to Help Island.

Has anyone tried the new kid on the block?

OpenSimulator

I plan to...I understand one can make an island locally (using opensim OpenLife), build on it, and upload the builds using Second Inventory. This will be great for when I'm stuck behind a con table, bored out of my mind (yes it happens!) wishing I could work on my various SL projects.
:D
And great photo series JWB!

Why did you fly center-fills (speakers) in such a small venue? It is overkill and detracts from the stereo imaging. (And since there are no rear-fills, I am assuming that you aren't running 5.1 surround in this venue).

Don't look at me! Somebody else built it. I just took the pictures!

I'm building a new house on a new piece of property.





The view from the living room at sunset. :cool:

I got a nice tour of the property! So spectacular... :D

I'm still a hopeless SL addict...constantly building, trying new script tweaks, messing around. It's a fun place to play, and it's really relaxing for me. Sometimes I TP (teleport) to my chalet in the mountains and just watch the snow fall while I sit by the fire in my RAVEN avatar. Heh-heh. Then I'm totally ready to get up and do the dishes or something. :D

Lately I've been working on a horrible redneck nightmare residential thing. It's sort of a blood-stained trailer trash shack. I've scripted a nasty toxic spill into the local Linden River, because I'm a very bad bad girl. If I could work Star Wars into it it would be heaven for me LOL.

I did start a Star Wars SteamPunk group on there which seems to be coming alive...wonder if I can get a bit of horror into it too? Hmmm. Anyway, I'll work on uploading some pics soon. Come back SL-tasters! You know you want to...

My trash-swanky look:



...and my personal toxic dumping area heh-heh:

ok, so like....where are there never any "other people" in any of the screen shots I see? I would think in a world so popular and heavily developed, there'd be crowds on every street corner...especially since youre not off whacking undead (or some such) in a distant (valley? lake? castle?)

While SL has several million users, the most I've ever seen online at once is 70,000. SL is a big place. You rarely see crowds.

I found this art gallery on SL where you can reenact the painting La Mort de Marat by David. :cool:

Oooo - It might be worth it to join just to stage a virtual version of Marat-Sade

I've been exploring some of the art installations in SL too, and am happy to report the discovery of one Bryn Oh, who has an incredible build on "immersiva." She also makes machinima*...and this one, 4Jetpacks4, is totally mindblowing. She does the builds and and makes the films. When you consider that the entire world of SL starts off with a simple malleable plywood cube... :eek: I am simply in awe! I'm also grateful I've been introduced to the music of Fever Ray. I'm so inspired by this creator.

*flicks made inside games**...they can be a bit primitive due to tool limitations, but can also be quite well-conceived.

**Second Life is not a real "game," of course...it's a virtual, user-created world. It's anything you want it to be, if you can make it. Pretty much everything you ever see in there is made by one of us, a resident, not by a gaming company. It's a fantastic creative outlet. :snap:

Why are they selling watches at Coke Corner?

It's also coming from the wrong side of the hub.

Background details aside though it's very fun!

It's supposed to be MK.

There is an art exhibit that I went to this evening. 22 artists and builders on SL were asked to each create a 3D installation representing one of the cards of Major Arcana. Some where literal interpretations, some were more allegorical, several were interactive. Here are pictures of some of my favorites (in no particular order). You can see some of the others in the background in some of the pictures, as well.

The World


The Tower


The Sun
(This one was really hard to capture.)


Strength


The Magician
(Yes, that's me)


Judgment


The Hanged Man
(It's hard to tell from the still image, but all the stuff over the well is spinning like a whirlwind.)


And finally, Death (With me, again)

I've been designing a new house for Second Life. I built a scale model, but I'm not sure yet when (or if) I'm going to tear down the current house and build this one. Here are some pictures:

... And some of the interior:

The entryway from the front door


The reverse angle


From the living room towards the entry


From the living room out the back patio. I used a white backdrop for most of the pictures, but not this one. I liked how the view looked. (But this view will be from the front of the completed house!)


Up the stairs to the bedroom


Looking back down


The office and studio space from the outside (best shot I could get)

Very impresive. Especially to me since I've now tried Second Life three times and haven't yet made it out of the newbie area.

Very nice. Out of curiosity, since I know nothing about it, how long does it take to make them?

The model took me a good part of yesterday and today (I had yesterday off). To build the full sized house will take about the same amount of time; plus the time it will take to empty and tear down the old house and do some terraforming.

Arranging the furnishings in the new house to my liking will, however, takes weeks and weeks.

Wow - really beautiful!

I've been building the house I made the above model of. I decided to reverse the plan to take advantage of the site's natural slope better.

Here's the old house, emptied of furniture and ready for demolition.


Here's the property after demolition. I left the front steps up from the road, a planter that was at the back of the house, and some of the back patio. They will be integrated into the new house.


Here it is with most of the "stonework" completed. See how I integrated the planter from the old house?


Here it is with the walls and most of the windows in place. You can see part of the reversed model in the lower left of the second picture. I added a greenhouse roof section to the back wall of the den. It wasn't part of the original plan.

I found a possible new character for JW to add to his Second Life world:
Face of Stirling Castle Knight Reconstructed!

Character? Did you mean this for the Sims2 thread?


(The pictures above reminded me that I've done a lot of work on my house since I posted those...)

I have no idea.
The thread where we voted on bf's for your character.
:)

You mean this thread? Sims2.

Yes!
:)

Oh: let's keep talking about that thread in this thread. Then all the cool kids can hang out here and mock the kids in the other thread without them knowing.