Second Life anyone?

[Bart Oliver]

Wondered if anyone else has encountered this?

"Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by a total of 7,612,761 people from around the globe."

I know that one of the courses at the college I work at is making some tentative steps into contributing to this ever expanding on-line environment, with over seven and a half million users worldwide I created a free account a couple of days ago to see what all the fuss is about.

Link: http://secondlife.com/whatis/" target="_blank">What it is..

[thinky]

i've been intrigued for the last year or so but deliberately haven't got involved (yet).

each time i hear about it in the media i remind myself that i don't have enough time already to do what i want to do (read comics, play football manager, earn money)

and i reckon the missus will think i'm trying to pick up virtual women when she invariably (and wholly accidentally) explores my laptop when i'm not looking

but one day, one day soon, i will give in. hopefully it won't be underwhelming...

thinky

[WoD]

Could you crate a mini-meg complete with judges and perps??

[Noisybast]

Let's find out, shall we? :D

[Bart Oliver]

++ Could you crate a mini-meg complete with judges and perps?? ++

(copyright issues aside) It seems possible to do anything you want pretty much.

As long as you understand how the game's building tools work and your connection speed is up to scratch, oh and you're prepared to buy a virtual plot of land.

++ hopefully it won't be underwhelming... ++

It's all relative really. Depends on how exciting you find being chatted up by horny South American teenagers or being shot at by a Darth Vader impersonator brandishing a bazooka that fires rotten watermelons.

I'm sure as in real life there are far more interesting locations to visit and interactions to be had but in the two or so hours I spent on it this afternoon at HELP Island (the place it seems everyone starts out at) and some virtual Japanese beach resort I don't have the time or inclination to explore any further just yet- like you say real life keeps us busy enough ;)

[Noisybast]

"Depends on how exciting you find being chatted up by horny South American teenagers or being shot at by a Darth Vader impersonator brandishing a bazooka that fires rotten watermelons"

So someone's already done MC1, then?

[Adrian Bamforth]

I've seen bits about this on TV and the like and I still honestly don't see what the point it. Put some puzzles in and you've got yourself a game, ignore the graphics and you've got yourself a chatroom or the internet, otherwise it's like doing things in real life without anything being remotely tactile for purposeful, the only advantage being that you can fly instead of walk.

[Bart Oliver]

++ So someone's already done MC1, then? ++

lol - something like that.

Although I didn't see any fascistic leather clad law enforcement waving daysticks and cracking heads when someone crowded out HELP Island's building tutorial sandbox with useless giant multicoloured polygons.

Ade that's a fair summation of what it appears to be at the mo. Given that the likes of Sony and IIRC Coca Cola have already shown an interest in Second Life, (for what, yet more product placement and raising brand awareness?) the adage "The more things change, the more they stay the same." unfortunately springs to mind.

++ Put some puzzles in and you've got yourself a game ++

I suppose the point of SL is it's up to the individual account holders to create them..

Instead of flying around in poorly rendered Batmobiles shouting "Wwaaaaassup chiiiiiiiiicks!!"

[Art]

It's what happens when you combine a VRML chatroom with stupendous amounts of media-hype. Avoid.

[Bart Oliver]

++ It's what happens when you combine a VRML chatroom with stupendous amounts of media-hype. ++

Agreed.

Though there must be some redeeming place(s) yet to be discovered even if there's no time to visit them :)

[TordelBack]

I'm reminded of my better half's reaction to playing The Sims:  "Why am I tidying up an imaginary living room when the one I'm sitting in is filthy?".  

I'm all for "communities without propinquity" (did a course in social geography once, sorry), but the more elaborate they get, the more they seem to cut into actual social lives.  I watch my brother yakking away on Beboe (Hurrah!  I don't know how to spell it! Old!) while over his shoulder he tells me how me he's so swamped with work that he never gets out, and that he's no time to babysit my son so that I might get out myself.  Umm.

Nope, haven't got enough time for my First Life as it is.  

[Mike Carroll]

Prompted by this thread, I downloaded Second Life last night just to see what it was all about.

It's rubbish. I've been on-line for about an hour in total and it's already crashed four times. It's also got a very infuriating bug in which it's possible to get stuck in one spot.

When it's not crashing, it's basically a day-glo world with graphics that were state-of-the-art ten years ago, populated with identical characters who walk about looking at things and are pretty clearly thinking "Is this it?"

I don't think I'll be making many more visits...

-- Mike
(AKA "SamC Slade" in Second Life)

[Dark Jimbo]

It's the game that can make you a millionare (in real life!), which certainly tempts me, but this would doubtless involve a colossal play-time of several years, and I don't get out enough as it is.

[Matt Timson]

Everything Thinky and Jimbo said.

[johnnystress]

Mike- have you seen the ugly and inaccurate Dublin "play area" or whatever you call it?

Link: http://www.dublinsl.com/" target="_blank">I could've sworn it was over there