How has SL made you grow as a person?

Oops! A serious question - a bit of a shock, I know, but it must be done.
I'm thinking of becoming a premium member and own land, but as an intelligent person I realize I have choices and I don't have to succumb to temptation without thinking about it twice. So, how many of you here feel that owning land in SL (or being a full-monthly-paying member) has given you something special, something you can take with you for many years to come? Or maybe you can correct me and tell me I'm not asking the right question, which is welcomed. If that's the case, what question should I ask instead?

Either I'm not liked on the forums or this is an uncomfortable question

It's a beautiful question, but it's one I've answered many times before. Okay with you if I answer it again?

SL has made me a better person and enriched me in all my lives. I've made so many personal connections here, important self-discoveries and epiphanies and revelations, fallen in love (that unto itself is all of the aforementioned), and had a kick-ass load of fun.

But... I don't own land. I'm a Basic member. Sorry, can't help you there.

LOL maybe it is an uncomfortable question!

In my first year in SL I "grew" by about 15 pounds.

Actually I found that owning land was crucial to my beingness in SL, but that's because I'm a creator of ridiculously huge things. As such I suppose I grew a lot for a while, at one point even figuring out how to put whole sims to use. Growing as a person, though, didn't take any land at all.

You can live as a vagabond in SL, but it helps to have a point to "weigh anchor" and call home. If you are into building stuff, it gives a sense of permanence in a world that is constantly changing. It's also nice to have a place to put stuff togther without being bothered ten times an hour (hello sandbox.)

More Classic Games Park + Artifex peeps, post here!

OMG ANA WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I'm gonna PM you in a sec. *sigh*

Ooops I just realized I answered the question in the Topic. "How has SL made you grow as a person?" So weird.



P.S. I should disclaim that as much of a nomad-vagabond-explorer-type as I am, that I have lived in Residences, i.e. the Midnight City dumpster, and currently, at the SL Public Library.

It helps to have a place to call home like Huns said.

I put on 20 lbs - so I guess it made me grow too!

I entered the Grid as a Basic player on a very tight budget, and had not planned to upgrade for several more months.

But my landlady, Charlotte Gillespie, decided to take a hiatus from SL, and made me an offer on my 1024m rental plot in Blue which even a newbie like me could tell was once-in-a-reztime. I became Premium instantly

I don't know if the impact will be a lasting one, but as others have remarked, it really is nice to have a little plot where My Will Is Law. It's a nice area, and I have upscale neighbors, so I try not to leave trash around, but it actually felt pleasant to realize, in the middle of my first project, that I could just walk away...hit the Elbow Room, play Tringo, log out for the day, whatever...and that my stuff would be exactly where I left it when I got home.

I also got a vindictive little charge out of hitting the RETURN button the first time somebody took it upon themselves to do a fly-by build on MY land

It'll be awhile before I'm established enough to own any ground of my own in RL. But I can already glimpse how it feels.

Downside: I've used about 1/3 of my prim allowance, but I've already found myself pulling up the "Land for Sale" map just to see if there's anything I might want to add. SL land is very seductive, and on my entry-level RL income, I really can't afford more than 1024m tier.

Fortunately, Blue's sold out

-- jj

Im not sure how owning land in SL will enrich your first life, but it will make for a more colorful SL history. I have owned land in maybe a dozen different sims, spending between 1-10 months at each one and its been a lot of fun. It is interesting to go back and visit my old places and see how they have changed. Its cool remembering how things were and such.

I have spent time homeless and you can get by, but I really missed having a place to call my own. You can visit with others and find things to do, but being able to retreat to your own place is something special. You have control of what music you listen to, what you want to build, etc. Its "yours" and that makes a big difference for some.

As far as the costs involved, weigh how much time you spend in SL as a factor. Look at it as an entertainment expense. A simple dinner and a movie will run you close to $15 on a Friday night. A music concert can start at $30. Those are unique experiences for sure, but they are about three hour events. The money you pay for SL provides you access 24/7 for the whole month, pretty cheap entertainment if you do it a lot.

Give it a try. If you find that it doesnt really suit you, then you can always go back to a basic membership.

My boyfriend has since dumped me.

I've become even more of a recluse than ever.

I think about SL at work.

I love SL.

I've learned that I am a profoundly terribly businessperson. =)

Yet, the pleasure of breaking the "rules" on avmaking (I go for multilegged / enormous / miniature / nonconventional avs) is so good that I keep at it. Sometimes OTHER people like my work too, and that is a huge boost. I don't want to put this in terms of any kind of economic payoff; for cottage "industries" like avmaking, it is a niche market in the extreme. I'm just trying to say that I've discovered some skill and real pleasure in 3d modeling, a little scripting, and some animating too.

But I don't guess I've changed profoundly as a result. Not until they come out with a version of SL compatible with true 3d goggles. =)

I think I'm a nicer person because of SL.





Sometimes I let my babies out of their boxes, I never used to do that.

Land ownership definitely adds a new dimension to your SL experience, but it can be addictive--my plot is 8-9 times its original size, and I still eye my neighbors' land with an aviricious glare. I used to think people were nuts to spend $30+ per month on SL, but here I am

And if I had the income (RL or SL), maybe I would buy an island

As for SL's influence on me personally...the last couple weekends I've gone out drinking and then done some urban exploring--the first time I found my way into an empty church, and last time I discovered a sprawling, 4-story, gutted industrial ruin, including a derelict water tower which gave me an excellent view of the city. I think the impulse behind this behaviour is linked to my explorations in SL, though other factors from RL and lucid dreams weigh in as well (not to mention the hooch).

Nimue, I just recently went though this so I’ll toss my experience out. I upgraded to a premium membership in January and bought first land shortly after. I did my cost/benefit analysis this way:

Year pre-paid premium membership @ $72 ($6 a month)
512m of land, tier free
$500L weekly ($26,000L a year) exchange rate of $4.26US means that LL pays premium members the equivalent of $110US a year. Net profit to premium member of $38US.

So, the premium membership is a great deal by itself. Now, the only problem with this scenario is holding one’s self to the 512m of land, which proves to be very difficult. It takes a lot of dedication to be content with 117 prims, if you are at all creative. And even if you do end up with a larger parcel of land, you can always sell and tier down.


I sometimes beat myself up about spending $40 a month to maintain a pixilated garden in a online world. Then I remind myself that I also pay $55 a month for my satellite TV and another $50 a month for my DSL. I do not NEED any of these things. SL is entertainment and you have to place it in that category and decide how much you are willing to pay for the entertainment value SL provides.

Now that the left brain stuff is out of the way….. I don’t know if I can really express every gift that building a garden in SL has brought me. I take a little breath of anticipation every time I log in and see what I have built, because I love it so much. I’ve met some of the finest people in SL as I’ve brought them into my project and made them a part of it. Trying to get my building skills up to par with what I was envisioning left me with headaches and unable to sleep for many too many nights, but there are no regrets when I walk the grounds or sit by one of the fountains. I find that I feel the same way about my land in SL as I feel about my RL house and garden; that it is my way of leaving my own small piece of beauty in the world.

So, my advice is to go for it. Build something you love. Something that makes you glow with pride every time you log in.


(disclaimer: person waxing poetic after not being able to get in-world for 6 days now, due to computer being in the shop. 150 satellite channels and none of them as interesting as SL…..)

I have the same view as Loci. SL $ expenditures come out of my entertainment budget. I watch fewer DVD's, for sure, and consider SL to be a more participatory activity. One thing I've observed as a result of playing SL is how many of the things that i enjoy are as virtual as my SL land. That is, there is nothing left after the experience other than that which inhabits my head. Consider the following: music, movies, books, phone conversations; what concrete thing do you have when the experience ends? The value is there, contributing to our growth relative to our own ability to incorporate it.

On owning land; that probably varies with the individual. In addititon to giving you a place to feel grounded, for many I think it's about being able to control the experience to some degree. I think it was the point at which I stopped being an observer and began to question what I want my contribution to be.

grow as a person by buying land? I think that is what your asking?

Instant gradification would be my answer. It's a very kewl and rewarding experience to see your imagination come to life. It's even better to get direct feedback on it.

As far as growing as a person. Well I was 4' 11" when I started SL back in beta and I'm still 4' 11" today

Cat

Same here, and I use my place as a getaway to be with friends. I also like building on my land for my land.