I haven’t logged into a traditional game (MMO or singleplayer) in weeks. I’m feeling like a pretty sad excuse for a gamer, but I’ve been having a really good time in various virtual worlds as of late.
I finally *get* Second Life. I understand why it’s addictive, and why people spend so much time there. I have never been bored in Second Life, there is always something to do. They might not be for all gamers, and admittedly the newbie experience is pretty terrible, but I really think MMO enthusiasts should give it a try if they haven’t already. The first time I tried I ended up frustrated and thinking “what the heck is the point?” but now that I’ve gotten a feel for the experience I’ve done the following:
- Took a ride on a creepy Alice in Wonderland ride that really was spectacular.
- Paddled myself in a gondola on a beautiful tour of Austria.
- Visited a virtual replica of the University of Minnesota college.
- Attended several live concerts from some pretty amazing artists.
- Explored real estate options and looked at fancy oceanfront loft rentals.
- Toured a Holocaust tribute world that was historical, moving, and quite beautifully done.
- Went deep sea fishing out on a yacht.
- Rented a horse and went for a turkey hunt.
- Shopped and shopped and shopped for clothes and hair.
- Enjoyed so many beautiful botantical gardens with awe-inspiring landscapes.
Notice that I didn’t say that I participated in any adult-only events or saw any flying penises. It’s really unfortunate what a negative stigma SL has to the gaming community because you really only see what you WANT to see. I’ve never accidentally stumbled into something for adult eyes. Areas are marked as PG or Mature, and there are filters that hide any XXX results from view. There is SO MUCH to see that is suitable for all audiences that I couldn’t see it all in a year if I wanted to.
Virtual worlds feel refreshing to me. It’s wonderful to not know what to expect around every corner, and it’s amazing to see how creative communities can be. Contrary to popular belief, there are many congruencies with traditional gaming. There are some breathtaking roleplaying areas with themes like steampunk, horror, dark fantasy, vampire, you name it. There are mini games, carnivals, and game-type activities. But mostly, it’s everything that is beautiful about MMO exploration and socialization with added benefits such as educational classes, a commerce system rich with a variety of careers that can earn you money (in and out of world), far more diverse and detailed avatar creation and persona. For those who aren’t completely motivated by objectives and goals – Second Life is a wonderful experience. And – it blows my mind that everything is user-generated. Wow.
Some familiar systems and experiences in Second Life (that might make your stay easier are)
- Unique names (First and last)
- Group systems – Groups form around places, interests, etc.
- Voice and text chat
- Directory of places to visit, instant teleporting anywhere.
- Roleplaying galore for any sort of theme.
- The most rich avatar system ever. You can literally be ANYTHING you want.
- Inventory
- Crafting (which is really building…you think EQ2’s housing system is good? Hah)
- More immersive than any MMO you’ve ever played, with dynamic animations, weather, night/day cycles, animated interactions with other avatars, an enormous single-server world, robust economy, etc
If you give Second Life a try - friend me (tell me who you are when you do). My name is Cuppycake Cyberstar, and I’m usually just flying around sightseeing and screenshotting things.
