NationStates Jolt Archive

A lot of you have probably heard about this virtual world, Second Life (http://secondlife.com/), what with all the buzz it has been generating. Since I was interested, I decided to investigate for a few weeks. Here's what I found:

In theory, it is a very, very cool idea. The potential of engaging in a 3D "gamelike" atmsphere would make many aspects of life on the net, like socializing, relaxing and shopping much more fun and interesting.

However, in some ways, my expectations were not met. At first, just the idea of immersing myself temporarily in a digital society was fascinating. However, once the novelty of it wore off, I realized much of its potential wasn't being realized.

First of all, it quickly came to my attention that the massiveness of the landscape was a mixed blessing. It could allow for a fantastic variety of things to do and see. In fact, I found most of my time there involved sightseeing and, athough it is true that some of the andscape and houses there are suprisingly good examples of what someone skilled at building in second life could achieve, it leaves you pining for more interaction. Yet the community there is, a, spread quite thinly and b, most of the spots that do have a lot of people either entail spending money, are one of the seemingy infinite number of cookie-cutter sex cubs (yes, why anyone woud want to watch cumps of pixles having sex for hours on end eludes me too) or both. The lack of places to have fun for free is disappointing, but i think the fiercely capitaist system in place makes running estabishments that don't turn a profit unviable.

There is also a steep learning curve that I think many people would find not worth it. Athough there are some dedicated old-timers doing neat things, i tthink a huge chunk of the popuation is either inactive or very confused. There are some people wiling to help, but support is basicaly non existent and the administration stuggling to meet demand. They have experienced exposive population growth in the last year or two, but you get the sense they can't keep up.

I coud go on, but I'd rather sum it up now. It seems Second Life to me is ike a dream ony partialy realized. It does have interesting and fun parts. More often, however, I found myself just seeing something to do, with low success. The technology is really astounding to me, but if more groups attempt to manage a virtual word, I hope it can be impemented in a more planned and user-friendly manner.

So, there's my take. What are your opinions on these virtual words? Have you ever been in one. Where are they going/ where should they be going?

/Sorry for any typos, my keyboard is on the fritz

I've thought about Second Life, but I don't think I could get into it, it doesn't seem finished.

I would like a virtual world where I can build a house and just hang out. I don't want to go on quest, I don't want to have to do jobs. If I have to pay for the stuff with real money, fine. I basically want a virtual world where I can hang out with people and create my own virtual life etc. Maybe take part in the virtual world's politics.

Yeah. I tried it myself and got very bored after a short while. It's difficult to know where to start.

yeh, I got bored after a coupla hours, what with everything costing (real world) money. I had some fun walking around naked though before I went.

Is registration free?

And what on earth would you be purchasing?

I got bored when I realised... I have nothing to kill in that world! There are no levels! No quests, no missions! Woe is me!

I got bored when I realised... I have nothing to kill in that world! There are no levels! No quests, no missions! Woe is me!

Now if they let you kill other players, now that would be cool. Knowing me I would be running around with a chainsaw. :D

Yeah, I found it boring too.
I sure wouldn't want to pay R/L money, but for free all I could manage to do was walk or fly around, and have the odd convo...

I've thought about Second Life, but I don't think I could get into it, it doesn't seem finished.

I would like a virtual world where I can build a house and just hang out. I don't want to go on quest, I don't want to have to do jobs. If I have to pay for the stuff with real money, fine. I basically want a virtual world where I can hang out with people and create my own virtual life etc. Maybe take part in the virtual world's politics.

What the hell? Aren't computer games supposed to be about escaping reality? This "Second Life" thing sounds boring as hell.

Now if they let you kill other players, now that would be cool. Knowing me I would be running around with a chainsaw. :D

Chain saw? How boring. I prefer to conjure up an army of undead minions!

Im sorry, but you seem to have missed a few things. It might just be me, but oh well. When I originally got into second life, it was atleast a year ago, not quite sure when. I had a friend who played it, and got me into it. Im not really good at the building/scripting part of making actual things, so I wasnt too into it. I and my friend had plans to start a shop, and we could sell the things we made. You do not require money to do alot of things in Second Life. And, there IS fighting. After a while in second life, I got bored and quit. But then after a good ammount of time, I rejoined it. My friend was in an army force. So I joined the army, and I became a spy in the enemy forces. And I was also a spy for a rebel within the army itself. I played quite a role. I knew people in positions of power on both sides. It has alot more than you guys are saying. Maybe its just because I had a friend in it, or maybe because I really looked into it. I dunno. Im a big gamer, and it seemed fun to me. I could rejoin it easily and find friends. Sorry your not having a good time with it.

Edit: Oh, and also. Yes, there are stores that you can go to and buy sexual objects. But, what you find is what you look for. There is a search option to help you find things. You get an allowance of Linden dollars(in-game money) every week. If you wanted to, you could survive on that weekly allowance. You dont need to use RL money. and you can convert Linden-dollars INTO real life money if you make a profit on selling things. The game really goes so much deeper than you have described. My friend and I made a working stargate once, with several gates it could transport to. There are guns, and swords, and energy shields and jetpacks and so much items its impossible to describe.If you really want to know, I could redownload the game and show you the many things in my characters inventory. Im tempted to start playing again because of this thread.

What the hell? Aren't computer games supposed to be about escaping reality? This "Second Life" thing sounds boring as hell.
In all of the online games (including Second Life), the goal of the game is to get you to form relationships and social networks within the game. Once you do that, you won't ever want to abandon those relationships.

The difference with Second Life is that there are no barriers to entry like in the real world; you can be whomever you'd like and do what you want to do. And some people make a good living doing it.

Im sorry, but you seem to have missed a few things. It might just be me, but oh well. When I originally got into second life, it was atleast a year ago, not quite sure when. I had a friend who played it, and got me into it. Im not really good at the building/scripting part of making actual things, so I wasnt too into it. I and my friend had plans to start a shop, and we could sell the things we made. You do not require money to do alot of things in Second Life. And, there IS fighting. After a while in second life, I got bored and quit. But then after a good ammount of time, I rejoined it. My friend was in an army force. So I joined the army, and I became a spy in the enemy forces. And I was also a spy for a rebel within the army itself. I played quite a role. I knew people in positions of power on both sides. It has alot more than you guys are saying. Maybe its just because I had a friend in it, or maybe because I really looked into it. I dunno. Im a big gamer, and it seemed fun to me. I could rejoin it easily and find friends. Sorry your not having a good time with it.

Edit: Oh, and also. Yes, there are stores that you can go to and buy sexual objects. But, what you find is what you look for. There is a search option to help you find things. You get an allowance of Linden dollars(in-game money) every week. If you wanted to, you could survive on that weekly allowance. You dont need to use RL money. and you can convert Linden-dollars INTO real life money if you make a profit on selling things. The game really goes so much deeper than you have described. My friend and I made a working stargate once, with several gates it could transport to. There are guns, and swords, and energy shields and jetpacks and so much items its impossible to describe.If you really want to know, I could redownload the game and show you the many things in my characters inventory. Im tempted to start playing again because of this thread.

How much HD does Second Life take up?

-snip-

1. I think there was an allowance at some point, but it isn't around today as far as i can tell.

2. Actually, I did search for rps. There weren't many, and the largests one, the gorean rp regions, seemed to have very strict guidelines that i think would make them unappealing to many people.
\
3. I did mention the builing aspect. I did find it very intruiging.

How much HD does Second Life take up?

Cant remember.

Cant remember.

K, I may take a look at it. I'm looking at some video right now, sometimes it seems hokey, other times it seems pretty cool.

I do have a question though.

How hard is it to make a house, and to make stuff?

1. I think there was an allowance at some point, but it isn't around today as far as i can tell.

2. Actually, I did search for rps. There weren't many, and the largests one, the gorean rp regions, seemed to have very strict guidelines that i think would make them unappealing to many people.
\
3. I did mention the builing aspect. I did find it very intruiging.

In response to:

1. That sucks, if it isnt.

2. Thats why you find a group of people to make friends with who have the same interests. Not that I would really do any major RPing on Second Life.

3. Yes.

K, I may take a look at it. I'm looking at some video right now, sometimes it seems hokey, other times it seems pretty cool.

Yes, it rather depends on what you do. Depending on your talents, there is a variety of things you can do on Second Life. If your into combat and warfare and such, you should probably join one of the army factions. There are the two I was in, as well as a bunch of other minor ones. If your good at designing things on the computer, as in graphics, you could make clothing or something like that. Or, if your good at scripting, you could make a LARGE variety of things. Have an imagination.

Edit: In response to your edit, It all depends on if your good at it or not. It can be relatively easy if you know what your doing, but if you simply drop someone into the game and tell them to make a house, without any previous experience at making something even as simple as a box.. you get the idea. You make 3 boxes, and shrink them on one dimension, and enlarge them on another. You now have three walls. Its actually quite simple.

Yes, it rather depends on what you do. Depending on your talents, there is a variety of things you can do on Second Life. If your into combat and warfare and such, you should probably join one of the army factions. There are the two I was in, as well as a bunch of other minor ones. If your good at designing things on the computer, as in graphics, you could make clothing or something like that. Or, if your good at scripting, you could make a LARGE variety of things. Have an imagination.

Any chance of politics or taking part in running a governing body? Also how hard is to make a house and objects?

Any chance of politics or taking part in running a governing body? Also how hard is to make a house and objects?

I've loked for political stuff too. There are one or two places with governing bodies, but I've heard having a viable government there is difficult.

simple objects aren't that hard, but anything worth selling takes some knowledge to make.

Any chance of politics or taking part in running a governing body? Also how hard is to make a house and objects?

Probably. I didnt really get into politics too much. I suppose technically there is a politics side in the army, especially the original force I was in. I had joined because my friend was in it, and I ended up being in a spec ops force. But thats just because my talent was there. If your good at other things, you could up as a politic-type person in the army.

And about the houses, I answered in a previous post(the one above yours)

I've loked for political stuff too. There are one or two places with governing bodies, but I've heard having a viable government there is difficult.

simple objects aren't that hard, but anything worth selling takes some knowledge to make.

Yes, making boxes is easy. Just a click. But to make a gun or something, you have to make several boxes and other shapes, resize and shape, apply correct texture, and all that. Then, if you want it to be actually firable, you need scripting. Sounds, other things. I had(still have) quite a few guns on there, as well as some missiles. And a C4 package.

Sorry about the double post, but oh well.
Anyways, I just wanted to let everyone whos talking to me know that im going to play TFC for a bit, and then ill be back later. If anyone has xfire and wants to talk, add destro5000. Otherwise, ill check back in here a while later.

Jeez, sounds like Second Life is more trouble than it's actually worth.

How much HD does Second Life take up?


The install file is 20 some megs. 22 i think. textures and whatnot are streamed on the fly. That accounts for the small size.

Learing to build/script takes some dedication, rather than knowledge. Neither is very difficult, but of course, some people are masters and some mediochre.

Possibly the best money to be made is player skins. some are priced at 5000 lindens(the game currency) and thats about 17 bucks. Since second life allows you to limit copying, a buyer cannot pass off copies of your skin texture. If you had a nice selection of 20 variations or so, consider that there will be over 2 million players after new years(its one big server), a measly 20 sales would be 1/10,000th of one percent, easily achievable, and you woudl pocket 300 odd dollars. of course, some people would by more than one variation(if you were good).

Its free to play. sign up, look around til you get bored, put away for a few weeks and come back and check it out again. It seems the second visit throws a switch in most people, allowing them to really see the point and beauty of it all.

99% of the whole world(textures, sounds, objects, scripts) are player created. So the earlier post about it being unfinished is true: It cannot be finished.

Even the ground is shaped according to the whim of the land owner.

Jeez, sounds like Second Life is more trouble than it's actually worth.

It isnt.

The install file is 20 some megs. 22 i think. textures and whatnot are streamed on the fly. That accounts for the small size.

Learing to build/script takes some dedication, rather than knowledge. Neither is very difficult, but of course, some people are masters and some mediochre.

Possibly the best money to be made is player skins. some are priced at 5000 lindens(the game currency) and thats about 17 bucks. Since second life allows you to limit copying, a buyer cannot pass off copies of your skin texture. If you had a nice selection of 20 variations or so, consider that there will be over 2 million players after new years(its one big server), a measly 20 sales would be 1/10,000th of one percent, easily achievable, and you woudl pocket 300 odd dollars. of course, some people would by more than one variation(if you were good).

Its free to play. sign up, look around til you get bored, put away for a few weeks and come back and check it out again. It seems the second visit throws a switch in most people, allowing them to really see the point and beauty of it all.

99% of the whole world(textures, sounds, objects, scripts) are player created. So the earlier post about it being unfinished is true: It cannot be finished.

Even the ground is shaped according to the whim of the land owner.

yeah. I never bothered to learn to really script or anything. Player skins and other things like that are definately make up the 'jist' of things. Yes, the second playing did change something for me.

Well I'm trying out Second Life, and it's ok, but the load time for the location when you teleport is annoying.

Well I'm trying out Second Life, and it's ok, but the load time for the location when you teleport is annoying.

It can be, for the big-active places. It was always fine for me. And ive made my decision. I am in fact going to re-download it and get on my old account, and make sure I have all my old stuff. For anyone who wants to contact me on there, my name on it is Him Ludd

Edit: Well, wouldn't you know it. Apparently there was a security event, and they had to invalidate all passwords. Normally this wouldnt be a problem for me, but my old email account, the one I used for my second life account.. was hacked. and the password was changed.. So I cant access it. Im doing what I can, I emailed them about it, asking if they can do anything. I dunno what I expect. I hope they can just change it manually or something.

Eh I quit playing Second Life, graphics wasn't very good, load time pretty bad, and not enough people.

Eh I quit playing Second Life, graphics wasn't very good, load time pretty bad, and not enough people.

Meh. The graphics are fine, for me. The load times are fine too. You think theres not enough people? Theres people everywhere.