What Do You Think?

Let me start by saying I am relatively new to Second Life. Two, if this post gets me kicked out of Second Life so be it! However, if I read what this forum is all about it is to share ideas. I have been reading a lot of the forums posted here. I have heard all kinds of things like charge RL charges or SL items, additional fees, additional charges, taxes, etc.... Statements like SL is not a game...SL is going more and more like e-commerce, etc. I would just like to know just how the "majority" of residents of Second Life feel about the program. Here are a few questions, which will probably not even get to the majority but just want to know.

1. Is Second Life a game to you?

2. Are you just in SL to make money?

3. Are you in SL to have fun and enjoyment (As away of getting away from the stresses and strains of rl for a while)?

4. Does the fact that you have to pay for almost anything you do in SL impact on how you feel about SL?

5. Why are you in second life in the first place?

When I signed up for 2nd Life I was looking for a way of getting away from the day to day problems and stresses I face inb real life. A way of making new friends. And yes learning how to create things. I did not realize you had to be wealthy just to enjoy the program.
Yes you can sign up for preimum membership, but what does it really get you. A small "piece of land" where you are limited to a minimum number of things you can do with it. The house has to be so simple to keep within the prim rate that is does not allow to put anything inside the house but the bare minimum of furniture. A place to allow your avatar to sit idle. I know a lot of people create wonderful things in here, and a lot of them are very very good, but what good are they if you can't use them in the "simple house" you are allowed to build. Sure if your rich and famous you can afford to buy a bigger lot, pay more taxes and maintenance fees. It just isn't what "I" thought the program was going to be.

I bet if you were to survey 95% of the residents of SL you would find, one most do not own property, most feel this is a game, and most are here to have fun, meeting great friends, and enjoy a time away from real life.

Your thoughts and I hope this doesn't cause me to get booted or banned from SL, because I plan staying, playing and enjoy my time in here, and making as many friends as I can.

At least from what I have seen in the past two months it makes it extremely hard for a basic account holder to really do anything more than have some fun. They really can't own a house, make, buy, or use a lot of things that are available in here unless they pay a lot of money. To me this is what it is called A Second Life, at virtual release from reality. Let's have fun people.

1. Is Second Life a game to you?
SL is not a game, but it is a place to play.

2. Are you just in SL to make money?
No.

3. Are you in SL to have fun and enjoyment (As away of getting away from the stresses and strains of rl for a while)?
Yes.

4. Does the fact that you have to pay for almost anything you do in SL impact on how you feel about SL?
I hardly ever spend money. Building, exploring, and socializing is free.

5. Why are you in second life in the first place?
See Number 3. And, I enjoy being here.

I think that it would be tough to be basic. I do spend money on occasion, but I budget my L$500 stipend to do it. I never really tried to make money and I have no real need or desire to do so now. I do think it is very cool that people do make money. I am pro-business, despite my desire to live like a retiree on a pension.

Premium is a good deal for 24/7 entertainment expense. Weigh the cost of premium and even add in a little extra tier against other entertainment. Dinner out, a movie, dvd rental, music concert, etc. SL is a great value.

No, SL is not just a game to me; it's a virtual universe. I'm in SL for many reasons, a lot of them are personal and private. Making money is a nice benefit. Almost everything that you can do in SL cost money? HUH?? Some of the best things in (Second) Life are totally free.
I had a basic account until just a few months ago. On a basic account, I had a high-paying job, rented a lovely home, found the bestest friend in both lives, fell in love, and started a business.
It's all in your perspective.

1. I use Sl to hang out with my friends who live far away and to do creative stuff. SL is not a game in the classic sense... no mobs to kill, no leveling grind, different skills.
2. Nope, I make much better $$ in my profession for much less work.
3. SL is often fun, but it is also full of people so not much different from RL. A performance bug is as frustrating as freeway traffic. An virtual ass is still an ass.

4. Your statement is not a fact.. it's an opinion. Just like in RL, what people enjoy varies a lot. Some people believe a big house, new car, all the latest techie toys are essential to happiness. Others find their pleasure in their family, friends, or in community service. It's a matter of who you are and what you value. And of course every idea in between.

Unlike RL, in SL you don't have to pay for food, clothing, and shelter. Everything in SL is a WANT, nothing is a NEED. You don't even have to pay for an account. You can have a HUGE inventory at no charge too (*looks guilty*). Building tools - free, scripting tools - free, library of textures & objects - free, you can even download a free graphics program (GIMP) and do textures that way. You can build in the sandboxes - free, and socialize almost anywhere.. still for free.

But let's say that you want stuff but don't have time, desire, or skill to create stuff. SL is still one hell of an entertainment value. And the $L is also really cheap if you wanted to buy. And content creators for the most part sell their goods for pennies. Also, there are creative ways to leverage land... make friends, combine land.. join groups.. etc.

And consider this... everything, every bit of server space, equipment, processing power, buiding, payroll... everything SL provides costs Linden Labs money. A free account is only free in the sense that the cost of providing it is spread out over the land owners.

Now on the flip side.. land is nice. I know of no game where you can stake out your exclusive chunk of virtual real estate and run amok.

Heh. I'm going to be late for work, so finishing this up. SL is what you make it. If you value stuff that costs money enough to spend money, then go for it. It can be very frustrating just starting out, and maybe SL isn't for you, but I've been here almost two years now and that's a year longer than any mmorpg has ever held my interest.

good luck

Aye George... I would hope this post doesn't get ya kicked outta here, since you worded it with caution. Schtuff flares up on the SL Forums—pay no heed to the unfriendly things, for they are tempestuous and most certainly not fun. I also word this with caution, noting I'm a lateral thinker but hope my principles can be used by others to build on and make better, and for happier Second Lives for other Resis.



Yes and no at the same time. It's kinda like gangsta rappas say, "Stay tru 2 tha game, tha game of life". Only this is Second Life. I sometimes say GAMETAVERSE, I sometimes say incomprehensible words in my own alien mothertongue, I even say "platform" or "online world". I use many words, all referring to the same thing. Sort of like how religious icons go by many names, i.e. Randall Flagg.




No. I have a little L$; money is not my primary objective.




Yes, but my answer to this isn't all-inclusive. I also enjoy many things here that are considered "weightier" and incorporate stresses and strains, but are ultimately for fun.




That's not a fact to me because I do buy a fair amount of things, but there's a lot of great free schtuff to be had. Plus, I thank my generous friends.




Long story short, because I want to be. SL is to me what "RL" or offline existence is to most people. My blog has the rest of the details in case you're curious.




I'm on a Basic account.

I see Resis ask the right popular questions, like "How do I make money?" but give up all too soon. Not to mention I encourage koans. The process of arriving at a conclusion, of travelling the thoughtline.

I'd say "be patient" but really, sometimes you don't even have to be patient—things move very fast here. Just keep jogging, looking for opportunities, be well-versed in the history of what has come before and be gracious to others. Hook up with oldbies, help new Resis find their way in the world, be a bridge. Make the community of Second Life a better place to live in.

You sound like you're already on the right track, George, about making a lot of friends. I highly recommend it.

this is crap..... I spent like 220 on a bit of hair week ago.. before that I cant remember... now if I want a jumper I make it.. costs me 10 lindens.. you want to be a lazy ass resident who buys everything they have then dont complain.. the tools are free for everyone and easy to learn.

I think I have been misquoted.

Sadly this BBS software doesn't appear to do nested quotes by default. Dunno if it can... if at all.

LOL! sry loki hit the wrong quote button alright.. but my comment stands

Richie, You missed my point, I had done, both, created some things I wanted and I have bought a lot of things. My point is if a person stays as a basic account holder they are extremely limited in what they can do. If they do buy the preimum "basic" land lot, they are again extremely limited in what they can put in the house. Most things, like furniture, pose balls, etc take up a lot of prims and even if you do buy them or make them they are unusable because of the prim allowance. I am not rich so I can't afford a large piece of land at $85.00 to $195.00 a month. My DSL is $50.00 a month as it is. Maybe your rich but I am not.

I think you are right

1. Is Second Life a game to you?


Yes and No, its on my PC, like most of my other games, but my feelings and reasons for being here are oh so very real. Tis a platform



2. Are you just in SL to make money?


Newp, I make as much as I need to keep my skin/clothes/hair habit going and buy what I want pretty much when I want it, but that is not the reason i am here.


3. Are you in SL to have fun and enjoyment (As away of getting away from the stresses and strains of rl for a while)?


Hmmm not really, I think i've had more drama in my SL of late than RL, but then all depends on if you let it get to you I guess, i'm a pretty soft person, takes alot to push me to muting, deleting cards or just plain wishing you off the grid, and if it gets to that stage, I know its time to take a step back and breathe, let it wash over your head, and just be thankful you got the best group of friends in (and out) of teh world and carry on having fun with those that are worth it.

4. Does the fact that you have to pay for almost anything you do in SL impact on how you feel about SL?


Well thats not *exactly* true, you don't HAVE to, you can create pretty much anything you wish, but, if you are like me, you are a bit slow in that department, sure I mess around with PS making portraits, clothes, wings, eyes etc, but I can't build for fudge, oh except that one time, but my duck ended up with four legs >.>. So no, that doesn't impact on my feeligns for SL


5. Why are you in second life in the first place?

Friends, Family, Love, Social Aspects, Fun and just general tom foolery

oh Im far from rich.. I own no land.. not even my first land.. in a constant state of 200Lindns in my account hanging out talking crap is free.. sandbox basically has no prim limits (ban thoses assholes who keep rezzing squillions of Physics objects on the Island sandbox just as a side note >.< and gimpshop is free for all I dont see home ownershiup as all to important..

Thanks Richie, I had not heard of gimpshop, can you tell me where to find it. Sounds interesting. I am fairly good with computers, I have several software programs and have on order Maya, Poser 6.0, have 3D Studio Max....and hope to start creating things for SL. So I may try my hand at selling. I would like to have a nice small house but with the cost of the preimum account, my DSL bill, and other personal expenses in RL I just can't affor to own anything other than the maybe the 512 m2 lot and you really can't put that much in it. That is what bothers me. If they want more basic account members to upgrade they should give them something they can really use.

Think of it as a free sample in a grocery store. Just because you accepted and ate a free piece of toothpick-skewered cheese from the sample lady the grocery store and the cheese manufacturer are under no obligation to give you a free wheel of cheese. Or free pizzas from the freezer case. Or free bags of candy from the candy aisle. The purpose of the free sample was so you might try the cheese, and after having sampled it, you might decide to buy a wheel of the cheese. If you sampled the cheese, enjoyed it, but can't afford to buy a wheel of the cheese, then the grocery store or cheese manufacturer is under no obligation to bring down the price of cheese as both are in the business of selling cheese. Dropping your jaw, pointing at the price sticker on the wheel of cheese, and screaming, "ZOMG! Look at the high price of cheese" will also not bring down the price of cheese or cause anyone else in the grocery store or at the cheese manufacturer to lament your inability to afford the wheel of cheese.

Your Basic account was FREE... I'm not sure how much additional value you expect in return for signing up for a FREE account.

And this is why truth isn't based on democracy.

I did all that as a basic account holder when I first got on SL, George, for about three months, just to prove what all COULD be done on a basic account . (Except I didn't buy a lot of things - I bought virtually nothing.)

I looked you up last night in the game, but you weren't there. So - you look me up some night!

coco

It is impossible to acheive what you state here on the forums. The great majority of people who play Second Life either very rarely visit or in fact never visit the forums. There are many reasons, but mostly all one needs to do to understand why is to just read the posts left here and it becomes clear... it's just like any other forum area where flames, trolls, snide remarks, hate, all show up regularly and enough stay away form the forums to make any info tabulated meaningless except to that % which are on the forums enough to catch this post.

I never visit the forums except fro server updates/downtimes.

{edit}: I play the game to be with friends I know who play Second Life. My only goal is to be able to make enough things that sell regularly to keep me in my shopping habit without the need to visit LindenX too often (laughs).

*huggles*
Sav

Do you really believe rich people are sitting around playing second life?

1. Is Second Life a game to you?

Yes.

2. Are you just in SL to make money?

No.

3. Are you in SL to have fun and enjoyment (As away of getting away from the stresses and strains of rl for a while)?

Not exactly, since SL has MUCHO stresses and strains of its own. It takes rather a lot of patience to build houses, I think. And heaven knows the forums are as much a cause of psychological distress as some people can make them.

Those caveats notwithstanding, yes - it is fun and enjoyable for me to be in SL.

4. Does the fact that you have to pay for almost anything you do in SL impact on how you feel about SL?

It doesn't cost me anything to build (except buy textures or upload them). Entertainment doesn't cost anything to attend, either. Nor does exploring (though I do little of that due to my less-than-stellar computer).

I don't like the buying land to get enough prims to exist, though. However, I have "bought" land in first Meins and now Azure Islands. So I had my own house - on sufficient property - even as a basic member. Now I literally buy land as a premium member, for my shop. (I still live in Azure Islands, though.)

5. Why are you in second life in the first place?

Cause a friend kept coming to TSO and nagging the crap out of me to get cable and get on SL.

coco

1. Is Second Life a game to you?
yes

2. Are you just in SL to make money?
no

3. Are you in SL to have fun and enjoyment (As away of getting away from the stresses and strains of rl for a while)?
yes

4. Does the fact that you have to pay for almost anything you do in SL impact on how you feel about SL?
not really. Although I have a basic account I make about L$3000 per week from money that people just give away (money balls, free slots, money chairs).

5. Why are you in second life in the first place?
basically it all boils down to "playing Barbies" for adults (clothes, hair, make-up, shoes going to the prom with Ken, dream car and dream house, etc)

I guarantee this is why a lot of people are here but they won't admit it.

I know for a fact there are rich people who sit around playing second life.

No doubt, but is anyone who is not a basic player a "rich person"? One can find an example of just about anything; let's talk about the the common condition, not the exception to the rule.

From: George Flan

1. Is Second Life a game to you?
Yes and No.

From: George Flan

2. Are you just in SL to make money?
At first I wasn't but i got bored really quickly as I played after a while of doing nothing but shopping. Living 12 hrs ahead of most everyone else, it was hard to socialize and attend events since everybody else was asleep (I'm also very shy ). I stopped playing for three months and picked it up when my cousin convinced me to make clothes for this gaming group she had. I was and still is a frustrated designer and have decided to give it a try...and lo and behold! Income!

From: George Flan

3. Are you in SL to have fun and enjoyment (As away of getting away from the stresses and strains of rl for a while)?

I have so much fun designing my stuff and seeing profit no matter how small, makes me smile and forget my troubles. Working in a gaming company it got to the point that playing our games was more like work than anything else. And in SL, I'm instead 'working' with something I enjoy and love doing. Besides I have an attention span of a 3 yr old and leveling non-stop bores me to tears.

From: George Flan

4. Does the fact that you have to pay for almost anything you do in SL impact on how you feel about SL?

It did at first and then i got to thinking that if I want something, I'd better start working for it, coz them Lindens cost USD that my third world currency can't afford (my premium account was a gift but now I'm happy to know I have enough to pay for another year! yay~!)

From: George Flan

5. Why are you in second life in the first place?

To do what I've always wanted to do, dreams and aspierations I wasn't able to do in RL. (like being a designer)

1. Is Second Life a game to you?

No. Its a virtual world, a communication mechanism & a learning tool.

2. Are you just in SL to make money?

No

3. Are you in SL to have fun and enjoyment (As away of getting away from the stresses and strains of rl for a while)?

Yes - I get a lot of fun & enjoyment out of SL.

4. Does the fact that you have to pay for almost anything you do in SL impact on how you feel about SL?

I buy very little for myself, and try to make anything I need myself or with the help of friends. On rare occasion I'll buy something I think is really cool.

5. Why are you in second life in the first place?

Because every single day I meet someone or discover something new.

1. Is Second Life a game to you?

No

2. Are you just in SL to make money?

Nope. I'm here because I like to create things and I love it as a venue for my artistic talents. That I make money from it is a great fringe benefit, but not the point. I started creating things here before it was possible to make real money from it.

3. Are you in SL to have fun and enjoyment (As away of getting away from the stresses and strains of rl for a while)?

Not really. My life isn't particularly stressful.

4. Does the fact that you have to pay for almost anything you do in SL impact on how you feel about SL?

Nope. SL has the cheapest cost of entry of any MMO there is... free! L$ are cheap if you want to buy them, and most goods are sold for less than the cost of a soda or candy bar. Complaining that SL costs money is bizarre to me considering how much of it you get without spending a dime.

5. Why are you in second life in the first place?

See 2