How realistic to you like your SL to be?

I'm continuing to find SL an absolutely fascinating place. One thing that jumps out at me, however, is the issue of "realism". This was brought out recently with a discussion with a friend about how she really likes the experience to be "realistic". She does TP around, of course, but come to think of it I've only seen her fly when she was at my skybox and wanted to look around. Not to tell tales out of school, also, but I've also noticed that she is always in full underwear, stockings and so on. I find this to be an interesting phenomenon, as many of my dear friends here push the envelope in the opposite direction. Would anyone like to comment on their personal views?

Isn't this just another side of the fascination of SL?

You can do is as realistic as possible or as fantastic as you can imagine.

I for my person have one serious ava, who is a teacher in SL and behaves very realistic ... yes and even wears underwear. Plus, I have two alts that play the wild part, change their look and live fantastic adventures, the more unrealistic the better.

So, what you see can also be performed by one single person ...

It is really interesting stuff, I agree. This kind of freedom is so new to society. I'm pretty much myself attitude wise the good and bad bits, my land is how I like it and try to keep it life land.

The only difference is my av looks a little younger, (I actually tried to get my forehead wrinkles in and my lines down the side of my mouth) my av hair a little better and longer and my land is a tad less stuffed up with real life problems like prickle plagues and drought.

Then again I am a dog in an alt too. So maybe I'm not so realistic...

SL is a online game,not a new life.
I find alot of people that are trying to experience a different life then their RL tend to take some things a lil far,but hay that is the fun of all this.
I was making a pair of overalls last week and was using some digi images i had made of some of my RL clothing for texture.in the end it look real,to real!!
I ended up adding a front pocket i drew out with a air brush tool just to give it more of a work of art,not RL images pasted on the AV mesh.

For my self I like to enjoy SL for what it is to me,a cool place to be creative,Not a new life.

Also the wearing underwear and socks that no one can see wears off in time.

I think in time we all take out our SL bathrooms and kitchens we do not need for more prims to have things we can really use here.
If this was ment to be "real" we all have to take a scan of our RL self and upload it in game.

I always love the old "I made my AV look exactly like my RL me" I had no clue that all male SL players have 6 pack abs and all the females wear a size 6.........all my RL friends that look like do not even spend more then 5 mins online in their off time,most are trying to show off their great looks in RL and tend to spend more time working on their goals in life that is around them.

What level are you on? I don't like games, they're boring. (^_^)

@OP:

I don't like "realism" at all. What I do like is believability. I like to believe the scene I see. So, if that means rippling, glossy water and a well implemented shadow system, so be it. I like to see how far people go to make me say, "Oooooh, preeeeety!" (^_^)

At the same time, I don't wear a ruddy or heavily detailed skin and my store is a giant cookie jar that was constructed with nearly no textures. Both are totally unrealistic, but, are completely believable to the eye. And, for that, I'm satisfied. (^_^)y

Who says no one gets to see your underwear?

SL can mimic RL as much or as little as we each like, but it can never be fully "real", because it isn't. TPing, flying unassisted, changing appearance on a whim and all the other things are the fantasy elements that keep SL from being a carbon copy of RL, and thankfully so.

Hmmm.....SL isn't a 'game' any more then Facebook or Myspace are 'games'.

It's a social/creative venue for people to explore......games have a format, an objective....winners and losers....stuff like that.....little pieces you maneuver around a board.....bla bla bla.....but I digress...this isn't a dicussion about whether or not SL is a game...

Realism.....no I do not wear bras and underwear unless it's a critical part of the outfit (in SL I never wear bras and underwear)

Actually...interesting question.....I think what is so unique about the individual SL experience is that we DO choose whatever elements of realism we want to maintain. For me.....my avatar is human (no, she doesn't look like me, even tho I did do a 'me' avatar, I never use it....and yeah, by the way, I am a size 6, tho probably not quite as perfectly proportioned as my avatars )

I tend to like the realism in the builds and the scenery......one of my favorite places, for example, that mixes the fantasy element of SL, with realism, is Immersiva. This place has some incredible detail......tho surreal in landscape and design.....the elements that are used to put it all together, appear very 'realistic'. That's what I'm drawn to. I don't mind the fantasy aspect at all.....I love it......but the more realistic the individual elements are......the scales on a dragon......the flowers in a field.....the dumpsters in the alley.....the dilapidated shacks in the wastelands......the TV with the snowy screen and rabbit ear antenae......

I like the blend of realism and fantasy. I don't RP or use any other type of AV.....I am myself in SL, as far as my interaction with others.....but it's the over-all eye candy of exploring SL that I enjoy. Real or imagined. Sometimes I walk.....if I want to get a sense of the design and scope of a place....sometimes I fly, if I'm impatient.....depends what I'm looking at. Sometimes I even hop on my motorcycle or ride my horse. It doesn't feel all that real, but it's cool to watch.

Whatever makes my session effective. There's always going to be a comparison with previous experiences in one's life from which to refer or transcend.

For me, it'a an interesting mix.

Ceera (as well as all of my alts) is never intended to be a clone of "The real me". Almost all of my accounts are furries, or shapeshifters, and I span several gender options and age ranges. With all the possibilities in SL, it would be incredibly boring to me to only play a Human who looks like my real self, can't fly, and only teleports as a last resort...

But within my own definition of what each *avatar* is, I do try to play them somewhat "Realisticly".

Ceera virtually always does wear complete outfits, including underwear that no one would see except in an intimate encounter.

If I have an intimate encounter, there's sometimes a chance I might get pregnant. I track the monthly 'cycle' for each of my female avatars individually, and know when they are infertile and when there is an increased chance of pregnancy. And if I do 'get pregnant', I RP the pregnancy for several months. *laughs* But then I usually accellerate the growth of the kid until he or she is a teenager, 'cause I don't want to deal with years of diapers. Did that with my real life kid, and don't want to repeat it!

My home and the buildings I design tend to be as realistic an architectural structure as I can design, with walls, structural supports, and room layouts designed as if it was a real structure.

Ceera does fly, and teleport, but those are among what I accept as part of her abilities in this realm of existance.

SL is what you make it. That is one of the fun things about this environment.

If you want to be a 47 year old woman with wrinkles, you can... even if you're a 19 year old male. If you want to be a dragon, or a Kitsune, or a talking dog? Go for it! The choice is yours, and yours alone.

In the context of being an Elf and sometimes a Faun, i like my SL to be very realistic.

I guess it makes me boring to some degree.

I do recognize that a lot of people have a great deal of fun being all kinds of magical and techno and wonderfully cool looking things doing really neat looking effects...But i like to look at those people the same way i look at fire works on the 4th of July or performers on a stage and by that i mean they are very entertaining and it makes me happy to view.

I just like a high level of immersion.

I would use the buzzword "immersive" to describe how I see it. While my clothing layers are too precious to wear things that will not be seen, I usually will wear stockings with dresses if at all possible. I walk around in stores mostly, though I will cam around to see what all is near. I will walk up stairs rather than fly or tp if it is available. This is me enjoying the build and the SL world. I find it relaxing as well. If I cam/sit/fly and tp around it is more of a "just business" mode or me being in a hurry. I can get things done quickly like this so I can go back to being my usual relaxed, in control and sexy self sooner.

While I do not usually dress with bra and panties under clothes, I have been known to take an hour or more to get dressed.

You wouldn't even make it into third place in my household for dressing delay.

Pep (1 - Daughter, 11; 2 - Wife, Over 21; 3 - Son, 14)

I have this mental image of Pep glaring at three members of his family. Thanks for the image, Pep.

Sorry to spoil the illusion but I don't take much notice of my family nowadays.

Pep (They are the ones glaring at me. )

PS I have noticed that females have similar problems about selecting their outfits in sl as rl - I could do with a little less realism in that respect.

PPS I have found that tping to the party anyway, and telling them to take their time because I have found a really hawt brawd to talk to, tends to accelerate the process.

Oh Pep is here?
Okay, well, I have made my avi as real to me as possible which means I have mosquito bites for tits. I have slim hips which have my genetic shape from my mixed genes. I like my body but I am skinny. I have tattoos as in real, and I wear jeans. I dont go in for floaty dresses that fairies might wear. My skin colour is hard to match here since I am Jamaican-white(ish). I think I am quite attractive in real so I havent lied there.
BUT I like my sl world to be a bit off in left field. Less reality works for MY real avitar - so its like Jig in Wonderland. I dont go in big for suburban housing divisions or bans here. I like to carry a gun. I like idea of being married to a Satyr. I like being "me" here in a world that has no rules of flight or restrictions.
I dont wear underwear coz I am not into Victoria secret stuff. Sometimes I wear sheer shirt but more often its Tee or a tank top. My partner seems to like it but he sometimes complains I am a little too real!
Too many people have imported too many real restrictions - it takes away spontaneity and imagination.
My one luxury is hair - coz in real I dye and change my hair in a neverending cycle of styling.

Hi Jackie;
It is an interesting thing to discuss; I have found that, my experience has evolved and continues to evolve, over time. When I first came to SL over 2 years ago, it never even occurred to me to be anything other than a cute human female. So I learned how to 'get cuter', learned about skins, shapes, hair, stuff to complement a 'cute human female'. I obtained land eventually, and put very traditional houses on them, with very traditional furniture in the houses. It was all very realistic.

I started changing houses a lot, but still very traditional. One day, just exploring, I realized the only thing that was exciting me, by this time, were 'fantastical' things. Fairy sims, elven homes, big, fantastical SL floral and fauna; so I wiped out all the traditional, and filled my land with fantasy. Something I never would have considered in the beginning.

I also believe that SL has raised my tolerance level, to a huge extent, actually, and now I look at 'mostly' everything and everybody' with an acceptance that they are travelling 'their' SL journey as they wish and do not require my input. That's a good thing.

I haven't taken Treasure to another level yet, another species, real or fantasy, but it will probably come in time. Part of that is because of RL/SL mix of work I do with Virtual Ability, the fact that I am on the RL board of directors, and that we are a RL non profit. Been thinking of an alt, and if I do go there, I doubt it will be 'just another pretty girl' but something fun and fantastic. It's a continuing evolution that I'm still having much fun with, and I still value and love SL.

I would like my Second Life to be as unrealistic as possible. Am I the only one?

Furthermore, I demand that First Life become more interesting. I want to fly (with my arms), stay underwater for hours without equipment and without drowning, and I want to build giant penises and turn them into clubs without having to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for pink concrete and government bribes.

Personally I take no issue with SL being referred to as a "game", because to some folks, that is exactly what it is - just a game. Sure, it may not be like a traditional game with levels or winners or points but for some it is a just a form of amusement or past time.

Some folks do play SL simply as a game while others choose to use it in other ways. Perhaps you have a virtual business that generates real life income because you're unemployed. Maybe you have a disablity and want the feeling of "freedom" that real life might not grant you. Perhaps you're a pre-op transgendered person and want to experience being of the opposite gender. Maybe you're involved in long distance education and teaching. All of these things are valid in my opinion. It's "Your world. Your Imagination." after all, so I think it's all up to you in terms of how you want to define your own Second Life. Much of the drama I see in SL, particularly when it comes to relationships, is when folks assume their definition of SL is shared with others in the same way.

With regards to Jackie's original question, I think again it's really up to you in terms of how you want to use Second Life. I've always wanted to live in treehouse in real life and get to do so in SL. However, aspects of myself are also similar to my real self as well. Funny thing is, I often don't wear underwear in RL but always do so in SL

To me, SL, much like RL, is what you choose to make of it.

You're not the only one. Imagine! (bows to John Lennon)

/signed!! I'm tempted to bring all my alts to sign it too!
.

You can walk in this thing?

There's underwear?

Good to know. Thanks, Nika-- and John!!

If Second Life ever becomes too much like First Life, I will be forced to get a Third Life.

Yes, in case you are looking for them, they are under my bed.

I'm pretty much a realist, most of the time. I do wear lingerie under my clothing a lot, and I like my av to look as realistic as the technology allows.

On the other hand...I live on an island floating in the sky, that has a perpetual waterfall on it. I fly, I teleport.

I have a house on my island, and realistic furniture.

On the other hand, my house doesn't have a bathroom or a kitchen.

I have a very realistic pistol and sword, and often wear them.

On the other hand, I almost never carry a purse in SL, and tease my friend who does about her "useless accessory".

For me, SL *is* a "second life", not a game. But it isn't a duplication of real life, either.

It's better.

This.

I have a line in my profile that says something to the effect of, "Realism is overrated." That about sums it up for me.

I have a yard full of alien plants. My latest craze is collecting hairstyles that in RL either would be impossible or would require teams of stylists to follow me around fixing them every time I moved my head. I fly, teleport, cam around stores (and around corners) and navigate by poseball. Given a choice between a sofa that could be in a RL decorating magazine and a sphere with a sit pose, I'm likely to take the latter.

I really admire those who've taken the time and have the skills to make ultra-realistic, ultra-detailed avatars or spaces, but I'm equally in awe of how just a few objects and textures can evoke a thing or a place and the mind will fill in the details. (For instance, I needed a camera to go with a costume I threw together, but didn't have a lot of time or money to shop for one. So I slapped six prims together and made the world's cheesiest camera. No one would take it for a real camera, but in context it was clear and it really helped make the costume. Well, to me at least...)