Totally New - started today - need some help

Racing in SL and..........

I just signed up today after hearing about Second Life on CSINY, talking to some co-workers that played, and came home to sign up. I met a really sweet lady on help island that helped me get almost free hair and clothes. She told me that I needed a new skin??? An AO???? I went into info overload.
Besides that stuff, I am really in the program to do some virtual racing with my son and to maybe meet some interesting people. I went in and found a couple of places with race stuff. But every time I tried to sit in a car, it told me that I was not the owner. Do I have to own a car to race? Can I just use a provided car? Can anyone direct me to places that have good tracks, free cars, and nice people?
What else is there to do in SL? It seems limitless, but it is also overwhelming.

Thanks,
DK

Welcome Danika!!

SL certainly can seem overwhelming at first. Take your time to explore the interface, Search window, and SL itself. There are so many things you can do, it really just depends on what you are interested in. Try looking up some events in the Search listing (there is a drop down list there if you wish to narrow your search by topic) - find something that sounds interesting and check it out. It's a good way to see SL and to meet new people. There are lots of different groups you can join to - and endless list of topics. A good place to start is the NCI centre (look up NCI in Search in-world) it's a place specially to help out new residents - they have helpers there to answer questions you might have, classes on various aspects of SL and lots of freebies.

Have fun!!

Welcome Danika!
I am pretty new myself but if you want some help shopping for new clothes, skin, hair, an AO (which stops the standard walk, stand, etc. and makes you appear more human and sexy) - I am your girl! I LOVE to shop, esp in SL. It is so fun. Have you set up an account with SLX yet? www.slexchange.com That is a good place to look around when you are not logged in.
If you wanna go shopping (I can introduce you to some cool people too), IM me! Or I can send you some landmarks too!
Kate

Hi,

Welcome to Second Life!

A "skin" is exactly what it sounds like.. an image that's used as your avatar's skin. It can add extra shading, shape and detail to your avatar's appearance. There are some available for free, and some for pay (although skins tend to be expensive).

An AO is an Animation Overrider - an object that changes the basic animations of your avatar (for example, the way they walk).

Most cars can only be driven by their owners because they are designed for travelling all over SL - if anyone could drive them, they could leave them parked anywhere! You can own a car for free, and some racing areas may have cars specifically designed for racing around them.

Sheer fun: use the map to find Bora Bora and try out the water crafts & hang gliding. Kiteboarding, windsurfing, jetskis... totally fun!

Just remembered - try visiting the Freebie Warehouse: If I remember correctly you can pick up a load of free vehicles there - they might have some cars.

Oh, and you don't have to have an AO - you can function perfectly well in SL without it

They have that too? That is so neat! Does it require skill? That could be scary. Yet, I already figured out that I cannot die. LOL

Thank you everybody! I will have to start a "to do" list!

Just FYI.

You mentioned racing with your son... if he is under 18, he will be on the "teen grid". Adults are not allowed on the teen grid, and teens are not allowed on the main grid.

Yes. Wavelabs is the store there, you can purchase your own water vehicle/hang glider there or a system that will allow anyone to temporarily use a water vehicle/hang glider. As for skill: nope! just know how to use the arrow keys!

Hi Danika!

If you are interested in cars and racing, check out "XenoX Vehicle & Aviation Center." If you type that into the all search you will find several parcel listings, one of which is an area with free vehicles.

Any of the first listing will work though, because in addition to the free vehicle area they have an enormous race track (or two) that span multiple sims. There are areas for planes and helicopters too. The race tracks have free car rezzers which will give you a one time use car for the tracks.

Even if you don't race there, the build is a must see!

**edit
Went back and took some pics with my draw distance maxed out. Still doesn't do the size or complexity of the build justice.

Oh no, he is too young. It would just be over my shoulder. Plus, I plan being a grown up after the kids go to sleep. What is a grid?

That is incredible. I had no idea. Do people build that stuff?

Some objects, like racecars, are privately owned and only the owner can use them. Others are group owned and only members of the group can use them. Yet others require you to pay to use them just like at an amusement part. Of course some are free.

If you are at a racing venue there should be a sign you can click to get a notecard. The notecard will have the rules. Often things are spelled out on the sign.

Yup, and the cars that drive on it too.
Pretty amazing isn't it?

Yep!

Everything thing other than the ground is built by Residents.

That was my attraction to SL.

Another Freebie place that people forget to mention (and it's possibly the oldest around) is "Yadni's Junkyard".

@ Nimue: COOL! I gotta check that place out! Some of the other race tracks I've seen were too small and the lag was horrible. I remember finding a Roman Chariot Race somewhere on the Mainland.

...as long as you don't mind walking like a demented duck and sticking your hands through your pelvis.

That multi sim racetrack happens to be on the mainland too.


Oh, and another great freebie place is the Gnubie Store.

Could be worse - you could be stuck being naked like our other new poster.

its lovely to see the wonder and the dazzle in the eyes of a new person... !!

Yes, almost everything you see in Second life was built out of the imaginations of the residents... the only exceptions are the things built by LL and even they use the same tools and imaginations ... You too can make this world your world, and your imagination...

I know sometimes people get jaded, and feel that we are losing the ethos behind 'Your World, Your Imagination' but it really does still exist.

Welcome to your second life.

imogen

Hi Danika Welcome to SL and the forums.

I picked up a free car from Toyota - just search for Toyota and teleport to their island. They have a test track where you can drive your car. One of the best freebies I have picked up in SL.

There is also a little buggy in the library - look at the bottom of your Inventory and open the Library and look in the Objects folder - I think it is called a Kart/Cart. It can be really good fun to drive this little vehicle down the Linden roads and explore.

I'll drop you a New Residents Starter Kit when I get in world - lots of useful information in there. Have fun and enjoy your Second Life.

I'll just send you 2 LM to G-Axis and 777league. 2 rather good places, where you get a kart to drive in.

If you think you'd be interested in getting into som serious racing, look up Suku Ming who runs the SLASCAR tracks in-world. They have regular weekly race scheduled, and the results are covered in the Metaverse Messenger (www.metaversemessenger.com).

P2

You're doing good! I spent my first week trying to walk, getting stuck in walls, and had newbie shoes forever. A kindly lady told me about Shiny Things shoes and Tami McCoy hair about 2 weeks in.

You got something against Ducks?? Are you Duckist!??



(waddles off...)