Mulch Preaches About Second Life

When your First Life Sucks, Get a Second Life

I have alluded to Second Life in my profile, but my new friend Clyde posted some questions about it in a comments post. I answered it, but I figured I needed to touch base on it in my blog.

I don't want my blog to exclusively feature Second Life subject matter, as there are many who do this already (including my Girlfriend), and my First Life is the one I have issue with, but i will include a primer for those of you interested but not sold on the concept.

As a disclaimer, if you use my links to Second Life in this blog to sign up, I will get an in game bonus for introducing you and you will be logged in to my property when you first play. In return, I agree to help you get oriented, and give you a load a freebies and tips to help you out. Sound fair?

Most questions about the world of Second Life can be answered on the main site prior to signing up. But there are some questions I am sure you have, so I will answer Clyde's questions as I did where he asked them and if you have any further questions, you may use the comments field to ask. Any future discussion of Second Life in this blog will assume the reader has read this entry.

Clyde Asked:

OK, so boredom finally pushed me today to see what the big fuss was all about over this 'Second Life' cyberworld... The website makes it sound like a pretty interesting game with no limits (except financially). And for US$10 for a basic account, I was actually half considering signing up just for the sake of "checking it out". But then I saw the 'Live Video' feed. Just a fixed camera position next to a water fountain with some ppl chatting. You wanna enlighten me perhaps on what ELSE goes on in Second Life?

What scares me a little I guess is the fact that 'online' money can equal real-world money. Sounds pretty hardcore for an alternate-reality. Do you actually have a job in that game???

The excitement of the live feed is determined by where the camera is placed.

The real money connection is actually a positive. It ties into your question about jobs.

There are no jobs given to you to train experience points, like in other games or mmorpgs. You do not have levels or advance in levels. You cannot win this "game." You do get an in game stipend depending on your membership levels, but your creativity and marketing will be what makes you real world cash.

The developers do not consider it a game at all (although there are games within the game). Detractors call it a glorified chat room. It can be a strictly social experience if that is what you want.

you can be a consumer or producer. producing requires real world skills, such as building and 3d modeling (the tools are pretty easy to learn), scripting, animating, texturing, or other similar computer type fields. You an also invest in land (or currency) to sell, but you had better understand the market and be good at sales to do so. You can also create your own supply and demand if you want and are creative enough to do so. You can even trade on a virtual Stock Exchange, but remember, since the in world currency has real market value, you do all of the above at your own risk.

2 notable people in game have made a lot of real world money. From what I hear, the #1 land baroness is on track to make 6 figures USD this year. A game creator created a game within Second Life, and sold it to outside developers for a reported 5 figure price tag. It is called Tringo.

The reasons I play are as follow in no particular order

1) 98% of the content is user created, so you have many different inspirations, not a tunnel vision company line. You can be a person, a dragon, an elf, a vampire, a bdsm master or slave, or a bunny rabbit. If its not there already, you can make it and sell it.
2) Anything you create it in game, you own the rights to it worldwide. It is YOUR intellectual property, not the game developers.
3) 18+ only, no bratty kids!
4) Creative people bask in an interactive environment as this. I have put together a few places I love being at, and like minded people often end up there with me. I have even hired a resident I met for a real world project currently under development. His talent in game convinced me he could handle the job when elance and local contractors failed me.
5) Huge proportion of women!
6) You can create things in game that you cannot in real life because of constraints such as time, money, gravity etc.
7) No censorship. There are very few rules, most deal with interfering with other peoples experience. Hate speech and copyright infringements is about where they draw the line.
8) Employees can be found in game with the last name Linden. They can help you with in game problems, give you advice or point you in the right direction, or even give you collectible bears named after them. They don't hide behind a customer support ticket.

Weaknesses

1) It can be a money pit, but I own a lot of land and still spend less then 1 real life date per month on it. If you don't have skills or something to sell, you won't be able to buy the toys you want (unless you purchase currency).
2) Buggy. It's a revolutionary concept in interactiveness started by the guy who created the Real Player technology (he left after 3 years as CEO of REAL to start SL). As such, it is a streaming dynamic game, not a static one. That can lead to problems from time to time that make it seem like a beta. That being said, it really is a small price to pay considering the outlet for pent up creativity.
3) Non - Creative people tend to get frustrated and leave as they don't feel like contributors.
4) Fairly steep learning curve. It can take awhile to acquaint yourself with all the options, possibilities, and tools. But the good news is most residents are very kind and friendly and helpful. I have met a few assholes, but the ratio is far lower than any other online game experience i ever had.
5) You need a pretty good computer to truly enjoy this game. High end graphics and audio put this out of reach for many people with old computers or on board graphics cards. Some settings can be lowered to help, but that dilutes from the experience IMHO.
6) You MUST have broadband, cable or DSL. Dial up will not work.

There is a free 7 day trial, so no risk (although they do require your credit card for age verification.) If you don't want to join cancel before the 7 days and you won't be charged a thing. But for $10 USD for life, it's not really a bad deal anyway you slice it, even if you are just a tourist there. I have 2 accounts I pay $10 a month for plus land use fees (I own a lot of land)

MY girlfriend and I own and run a Hippy Dance-hall, A Hippy Amusement Park with rides (the Acid Drop, the best roller coaster in Second Life), a drum circle, a cafe in "France" based on the cafe from Amelie, a mansion my darling decorated, and I am now working on a recreation of a 10 in 1 sideshow.

The demographics from what I understand are males 18-25 and females 35-45. Women love socializing and playing "Barbie," dressing themselves up and going out on the town. Guys love building, scripting, and yes, playing army man or space invader. I have a full arsenal of weapons and have a functioning Transformers Skywarp "costume." I keep things in perspective and only shoot people in fake worlds, unlike some people.

There is also a heavy element of sex in the game. There are PG and mature regions, so it won't be in your face if you don't like it. I could care less preferring the real thing, but I will admit to owning a few sexual gadgets because they are kinda fun, although hardly fulfilling. BDSMer's really have taken to this game. I don't understand it, but to each his own.

You can check out my girlfriends blog at http://sharedillusion.blogspot.com for her perspective. She is a writer and teacher in real life, and is trying to use the game as a teaching tool.

Give it a shot and give me a holler, I have tons of freebies, help advice, and can show you around a bit.

And if someone helps you out (like me), rate them in return. It is polite and most will happily rate you back (like me).

My in world name is Mulch Ennui. Look me up and tell me if I influenced you to join. Also, please use my name and links to tell them I referred you because I will get an in game bonus. I would appreciate it =)