What's the point to all this?

Hello there...

I'm writing in regard to the development of Second Life. Having been a citizen of SL since January 2006, it now becomes apparent that the 'novelty' is wearing off. I find myself logging in occasionally but after 10 minutes I log off again. My SL 'fix' has gone from once a day, every day to once a week... if i can be bothered.

I've explored all the lands I want to explore, I've made a few SL friends, I've done a bit of building, and (surprisingly to me) i've put my naked 'Xcite' equiped avatar in the most hardcore orgies imaginable. But now what?

It seems to me that the amount of people who open accounts is not related to the amount of people who actually inhabit the virtual world on a regular basis. People get bored... and move on.

There are major factors missing from SL... survival and a sense of purpose. In Real Life the overriding factor that drives us all is a sense of survival and purpose, we progress in life to put food on the table, a roof over our heads, clothes on our back and idealy, fulfill our ambitions and dreams in the process.

The question is - Where's the quest?

I think that unless Linden Labs install some kind of goals for all our characters to aim for, quests, a 'holy grail' if you like, then it will never be more than an enhanced chat-room where the majority of people get their kicks through dirty cybersex encounters. You can see for yourself in the 'find' > 'popular places' menu... the majority of places listed are either cybersex locations, escort bars or clubs claiming to have the hottest pole dancing girls... Or... 'camping' areas where people sit on their arses for ages with the naive intention of earning a few L$'s, with no interaction with anybody. The only exception being 'Tringo', which, as far as i know, has been snapped up by a software developer and will become a stand-alone game anyway, therefore, nothing to do with Second Life.

Don't get me wrong... i've explored all sorts of other places in SL... i've been skydiving, sailing, skiing, i've flown on mighty winged dragons and i've seen the sun set over the distant horizon of glittering oceans. But whenever i've been on such 'activites' it's in an attempt to relieve the boredom, and then these activites become boring as there's never anybody else there... they're all camping or getting horny.

I wonder what the population of SL would be if Linden Labs closed the accounts of people who hadn't logged on for a month... probably a few thousand? Instead of the 174,000 it displays. And it will probably never be any more than a few thousand.

I find myself with a dichotomy... On one hand I see the future of the internet being in virtual worlds like SL, yet on the other hand I see SL being the failure of virtual worlds.

I will always be curious about this place we inhabit. I'm a first-generation computer boff, and games player, having grown up on a healthy diet of Spectrum and BBC micro games in the early 80's, and was considered a bit of a scripting/machine-coding genius in my youth before I found my career path and ultimate success as a director and editor of films and television... but i've NEVER stopped exploring games and interactive media.

So... Linden Labs... give us something to do... give us a dream... give us a virtual world with a purpose... DON'T be content with providing just another cybersex chatroom... because that's what SL is becoming... just another cybersex chatroom.

I will encourage anybody, even my own kids, to explore online worlds and games as i don't buy into the 'negatives' often portrayed in the media... i only see the 'positives'... i see the future, but SL will fade into insignificance unless Linden can provide the magic and adventure that we crave.

What is the meaning of Second Life?

Going to have to disagree with you Jimmy.....
Personally, I came to SL precisely BECAUSE I got bored with the whole "levlling" and "quest based" appeal of other games. Fun, yes.... dull definitely.
I suppose SL is whatever you make of it......and of course its going to pale on some people, it's to be expected, and I can fully understand what you mean about losing interest. Equaly, I DON'T think that creating a goal or making more of a "game" will change things.
For me...it actually comes down to one thing. Friends. I would be lost in SL without the friendships I have. Equally, I inhabit the Gor scene, so in a sense, I DO have a "purpose". However, that is simply something that I found that gives me long term enjoyment.
I'm not disagreeing with you in the sense of not being able to see the boredom concern... more in the sense that I don't think SL needs the "killer app" thing.

I've learned more from Second Life than I probably would have taken the initiative to learn otherwise such as Texturing and 3D modeling. Granted I have a long way to go but I can honestly thank Second Life for the motivation. True it may not best the best place for everyone, but along with learning a few skills, I've also have made a few friends and we didn't even have to have sex. I think SL is a great learning environment. Other motivations such as you describe would be nice, there are games in world that offer this, but I haven't checked them out, so I have no comment on those.

Hello Turgar...

I understand your point of view... When i say that I desire more of a 'game', i don't mean killing or levels etc... i mean, like i said, a sense of purpose.

Why not make it more of an adventure? for example, you could only access a certain Gorean land if you had a certain object, therefore creating a little quest. The 'certain object' attains a value and becomes the focus of desire for people who'd like to see where it leads.

I'm talking about playing on the simple notion that humans, by nature, have a sense of curiousity... if you find a box, open it, and see that it contains a small... Mmm... a plastic ring, for example... the ring means nothing, it's just a plastic ring in a box.... however, if you find a box with a LOCK on it, you pick the box up and shake it, hear something rattle around inside... it might still just contain a plastic ring... but it's the adventure of finding the key that becomes exciting.

Imagine taking this simple notion and applying it to areas of SL that require, say, a key to open a gate, to access certain lands... i bet that you and your Gorean friends would get into that... it's creating a collaboration, it creates a sense of adventure that you and your friends could join in together... not in a 'major quest' kind of way, but just in the simple curiosity that binds us all.

Aren't there sims where there is goals and such, though?

Also, I don't believe that there being actual goals and such would really ward off the boredom of which the OP speaks. Speaking solely from personal experience, recalling that the singular of "data" isn't "anecdote", is that people can get bored with an activity even when there is a purpose, levels/goals, and so forth.

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As for the notion of things like "find this to do this" quests, frankly if any sector is locked away like that, even if it's on a subject I care for (which Gor isn't, but I realize they're not the only option, just a relevant example for some people), I probably won't bother. There are tons of goal-oriented massively multiplayer worlds out there, if I wanted that I'd be in them.
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I understand what you're saying Jimmy.....but in a sense, there ARE sims that provide those sorts of quests. Equally, one could simply try Myst or some such. The beauty of SL, is that it allows people to CREATE just that, IF you are inclined to do so. YOU could buy a little land...and set up such a premise, and those looking for it, could come and enjoy. My point, (perhaps badly put), is that in my opinion, SL doesn't NEED to have a "game" as it's core.

I agree. After you kill the end level boss all you can really do is go back and try and beat your time

I create my own sense of purpose. I don't need LL to fabricate one for me. The minute they do, it becomes artificial. A game.

Perhaps part of the adventure is creating your own. And perhaps the reason people easily tire of SL is because our real life culture has turned us largely into Passives instead of Actives.

SL is one giant rpg to me..some of us don't need to have our goals and such set forth by another. I set my own goals, and continue to do so when I acheive them.

That being said the 174k seems to be a recent number. I believe the owner of SLBoutique reported over 600 thousand name combos in his database.

Sorry Jimmy...I believe you are confusing Second Life with a game and that may be why you are having difficulties.

The "Quest" in SL is the exact same "Quest" as in Real Life. SL is a Reality Simulator...a Virtual World...not a game, and as such it's purpose is not to entertain by offering a narrow set of guidelines and rules for completing predefined game objectives for competition. Second Life is pretty easy to figure out once you understand its premise and "Quest" is exactly the same one you have been working on since you were born...

I can identify with that feeling greatly, I get it myself regularly. I normally end up rebuilding something or heading off to a game of Tringo, if none of my friends are online.

SL's greatest appeal is that it is like pretty much nothing else out there - sadly, however, in my opinion it's also its greatest downfall. Unless you have a building, scripting or other 'sellable' talent it's very easy to get frustrated.

There are a few places - Numbakulla and the Pot Healer Quest (or something like that) sounds like the kind of thing you'd enjoy.

For me, my "Second Life" is for my entertainment only, and if others can get enjoyment from what I build or do, then that's a bonus.

Something I do when I get bored is to zoom out on the map, click randomly somewhere and teleport there to see what it's like there. Last night, I was called to help someone in newbie land at Park - It was delightful to see everything all open and being developed from nothing. Other times, I find somewhere that has road, rez a vehicle, and just drive round. I spent 20 minutes last week going round Boardman in my School Bus; other times I've flown my Star Trek shuttle craft round, looking for dots on the map, then going down to ground level asking for directions to the Alpha Quadrant. Some think I'm stupid, some find it entertaining. Last night I was doing some building and I heard a noise that sounded like a helicopter. I went outside of what I was doing, and someone flew past in a huge black helicopter. I watched them flying off into the distance and went back to do what I was doing.

Sometimes it's the little things that entertain the most.

I'm just like you, I grew up in the days of Manic Miner on the Spectrum, and Chuckie Egg on the BBC. I'm not a scripter by any means, but I'm sure a version of Chuckie Egg or Crazy Kong in 3D wouldn't be overly impossible to script if someone felt so inclined. Mini games within SL - probably user created because LL don't seem to want to take on the task - would certainly bring a lot more entertainmnet for me, and by the sound of it it would for you too.

Lewis

My quest.. to learn Photoshop.. to become a great builder to chat with my friends..
every other game on my hard disk has a shelf life of about 100 hours (and thats Oblivion) the rest even less.. Im in SL nearly 10 months and I still log in enough to justify the space on my hard disk.. play WOW if you want quests

Thats funny. Because it is a game, to me at least. And I don't seem to be having any difficulties..SL is one huge open ended, open storyline RPG in which -you- make your own goals.

However you see second life, be it a game or platform, you still need ambition and to be a proactive person rather than reactive.

Hello Turgar...

I think you're right... what you said wasn't badly put at all...

I think my problem is that I want SL to be something that it isn't, yet I keep getting drawn back to it. I have played a couple of MMORPG's and agree that SL commands a very different approach.

I'm going to contradict myself here... I thoroughly enjoy SL, and I really want it to strike a chord in me. As the future of the internet, the creation of a 'Metaverse', i see SL playing a vital role, in fact, it's probably at the forefront of internet development in terms of how we interact with each other in cyberspace...

Maybe i'm just a little impatient and can see where it's heading, but need something to fulfill my time in SL whilst it blossoms.

All the best

J

Since just replying to Turgar there's been a few more replies to the thread...

I find myself agreeing with all of you!!! weird huh?

I'll get my coat, buy some land, and open 'Jimmy's little Adventure'.

Cheers

J

I still fail to see how that in anyway detracts from my point? Many people view Real Life as one big game. My point is simply that like RL, SL has no purpose other than what we each decide to give it. It's unique for us all. Jimmy needs to find his own purpose to be in SL, not look to LL to provide him with one is my intent here.

Exactly Zoe thats what the second bit was, a kind of 'agree to disagree' or 'to each their own' point.

Whatever SL is to soemone, I feel it takes a proactive rather than reactive person, to enjoy it fully. I just hope you are enjoyign yours

The goal that I have set for myself is to become better and better at creating items in-world. For now that is keeping me satisfied. A year ago I had zero interest in content creation, and who knows what I'll be doing in another year but I suspect I'll still be here.

I understand that there is a huge appeal to having a 'quest' or 'goal' to strive for in a 'game'. I have never played TSO which many say is similar to SL. But I DID play 'The Sims' and it was tedious and frustrating to have to keep my 'sim' clean, fed, employed, popular etc....good grief, I have a hard enough time balancing all that crap in RL .

And the minute someone tells me I HAVE to do something in SL I can see myself rebelling. This is meant to be my leisure time activity and the day that I'm not having fun is the day I look for something else to do.

I enjoy it immensly, sir. Thank you. May you continue to enjoy yours as well. Always a pleasure.

Hello Zoe...

In real life, we need to eat food and sleep, in order to maintain our health. How about in SL, having some kind of nurturing process, in that, our Avatars have to occasionally eat some food...? or have a proper snooze?

If we had to maintain or Avatars in that sense, it would open a whole new market for work too!... people could open restaurants or hamburger stalls, where different amounts of nutritional value could be placed on different food products. You could go and have lunch with your buddies, not because you want to, but because you HAVE to eat... and in the process, have a little social gathering and chat over a nice meal... a sense of purpose... character maintenance.

Do you understand what i'm saying?

I've had an idea... ok, forget about the whole 'adventure' thing... why not have the 'quest' as something as simple as maintaining a healthy Avatar? We spend so much time making our Avatars look good... why not take that one step further and introduce Avatar health? You have to eat... if you eat too much you get fat... you go to the gym to lose weight... all these simple things would open nre doors for people who want to create new places for people to go to, rather than the endless stream of clothes shops etc...

Good huh?

I think you are answering your own question here, just being a hair of not seeing it.

Second Life is virtually nothing, and potentially anything - what it becomes for YOU is what you turn it into.

If you wish it were more like an Adventure - you can potentially create one, and probably there are a bunch of people who think exactly what you do that can join in and help - likeminded people attract.

Why not create this quest yourself - thats the thing. Not everyone wishes to do that - not everyone is here for that.

But the tools are there for YOU to make it that way for yourself and others who wish it. You get to shape your world and your experience. That's what its all about.

i love second life, i have been here since 2003, and i havent gotten bored yet. i've been exploring virtual worlds since 1997, and this is the ONE for me. the ones where you ran around killing things had no draw for me (i'm an aging flower child) TSO didn't catch me (i'm reclusive, that 'roomie' thing made me want to barf) vzones (WAY too many kids) others- just boring, childish....stupid.

i don't do any of the things most people do here though, i don't cyber, i don't tringo bingo play games (i am reclusive) i hardly even chat with people. i don't build stuff, i admit that i explore a bit.

what i do here, and i really think this is important for our world, is SHOP!

i was a reclusive child, sitting in my room with my barbies and paper dolls, i guess now i am doing the same thing here.

so i guess the answer is, second life is something different to everyone. if you search around enough, you are sure to find something here that will make you happy!