What's the point to all this?

No, that wasn't what I was saying - let's go back here!

What I was saying is that on MMO games, activities such as killing monsters increases your social worth because you will level up and then be more attractive as a party member to go out and kill more monsters with.

"Avatar health" and "eating food and going potty" in SL wouldn't work like that. Why not? Because they only take away, not give. If you get the super wonderful glittery sword thingy by killing monsters in an MMO, you couldn't have gotten it any other way, so you've gained something. But if there's an "eat or starve" subgame in SL, that's only taking away, because without the subgame you could still have done everything else you can do in SL but wouldn't need to eat. Now if there was some kind of bonus it could give you for being well-fed, then that would be great, and I have actually tried to think of one of those before - but I haven't been able to come up with one that isn't already duplicated by an existing object in SL that doesn't have the "eating" requirement.



I got the impression that the original poster wanted to either a) gain from their quests, or b) have everyone put under a handicap (such as having to find food) so that social contact would arise from being "all in it together". Not to just accept a handicap themselves that possibly no-one else on the grid would accept.

Replace 'get the sword' with 'come up with compelling new content' and you may 'get' Second Life.

"Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents" That's the tag line that got me. When I read further I realized that this was the place I needed to be to explore my artistic and creative side. I always wanted to be a fashion designer but because of circumstances beyond my control, my life went a different direction. Don't get me wrong, I have a nice career in RL but I was not able to express my creative side in my RL work and I always felt something was missing, until I found SL. Now I cant wait to get home to design somethig new. I have been in SL for 1 1/2 years and it has been a totally positive experience. Not only do I get to design beautiful clothing but I get such wonderful feedback from my customers. It makes me feel so good to know that I am making people happy. Beyond the creativity I can express and the nice people I deal with, the icing on the cake is that I make enough money to pay for my gaming and then some. No complaints here, I love SL. If I feel like shooting stuff I go play WoW (which by the way is paid for monthy by my conversion of L$, LOL). I hope you find your niche in SL, its different for everyone. Im not sure its still there but Darklife is kinda cool Have Fun!

The ability to come up with compelling new content can't be given out as a reward by a subgame.

Hamlet Au put it best and I'll paraphrase:

What's the point of Lego toys?

ER/Spin

...different for each person. What's wonderful about Sl is that it offers a different experience to every person, just like RL.

I came to SL after UruLive died about two years ago. I am still spending between 30 and 70 hours a week here, and love it. I find it challenging and exciting, inspiring and educational.

I love to build, create, talk, got to events, help people, meet people, run events, explore.

I've been thinking back to my first few weeks in SL...back then I did wonder what the purpose was. In those days tables of people's worth and ratings were available by clicking on a button. I remember Prissielou Flora seemed to be at the top most weeks, and I wondered how much work it would be to get up to the top.

After a few weeks, I forgot the leadership board thing, because I was too busy exploring and building and enjoying myself. I have friends all over the world that I talk to in SL, and places all over SL that I like to spend time.

I have learned the skills to get by in SL, but much more than this I feel I have learned about myself and the world, about how money works and how commerce works, about how I handle money and people and which parts of myself I repress in RL.

I have explored the world of SL, my skills, myself, other people. There isn't anything better in my view. If I were pressed to assign a point to SL I would say that it is to pass on the help and knowledge that you've been given to those who follow on behind.

To be honest, if you're feeling that it is pointless, you either need to find someone to help, or you need to leave, one or the other.
Cali

This is the first step in the machine intelligence's plan to get us all jacked in so they run their power supplies from bioenergy.

No matter what others might say, I totally agree with your sentiments, Jimmy. It's like a mirror to what I experienced myself after a few weeks in SL, and to a large part, still do.
You manage to convey this feeling very well, so don't lose heart and give in to the fanboys. We are a whole bunch of people who feel the same way. Since the Lindens wants this to be a "development paltform" though, and obviously not a Virtual World Simulation, we probably need a new game called "Third Life".

Or perhaps we could start a political party, demanding life to Second Life?

PS: My first computer game was also played on a ZX Spectrum, way back in the 80's of my adolescence.

Second Life is what you make it.

42?

42 it is

Wheres my towel again?

Oh well...

It seems that my OP pushed a few buttons... sorry about that.

Yumi Murakami... I apologise for opening a thought provoking thread, because it seems that your intelligent observations have gotten you under attack... it's very hard to have a constructive debate with someone who only sees 'their way' as the 'right way' isn't it?

It's apparent that constructive opinions are out there... in equal measure are the very un-constructive; actually more like destructive, opinions:

Siggy Romulus wrote - "either way if I come back next week to another of your 'Eeyore style' posts I think we can pretty much say the problem is with you and not Second Life."

Caliandris Pendragon wrote - "To be honest, if you're feeling that it is pointless, you either need to find someone to help, or you need to leave, one or the other."

I hope you guys learn that open debate doesn't have to lead to vitriol.

A-N-Y W-A-Y... thank you for your contributions to this thread... Yumi, Monique, Turgar... next time i'm in SL i'll have to look you up and perhaps you can show me around.

All the best.

J

Oh well...

It seems that my OP pushed a few buttons... sorry about that.

Yumi Murakami... I apologise for opening a thought provoking thread, because it seems that your intelligent observations have gotten you under attack... it's very hard to have a constructive debate with someone who only sees 'their way' as the 'right way' isn't it?

It's apparent that constructive opinions are out there... in equal measure are the very un-constructive; actually more like destructive, opinions:

Siggy Romulus wrote - "either way if I come back next week to another of your 'Eeyore style' posts I think we can pretty much say the problem is with you and not Second Life."

Caliandris Pendragon wrote - "To be honest, if you're feeling that it is pointless, you either need to find someone to help, or you need to leave, one or the other."

I hope you guys learn that open debate doesn't have to lead to vitriol.

A-N-Y W-A-Y... thank you for your contributions to this thread... Yumi, Lewis, Monique... next time i'm in SL i'll have to look you up and perhaps you can show me around.

All the best.

J

You need a game, period. You're not going to get what you want from Second Life -- there's no one here interested in force-feeding you a reality. Check out WoW if that's what you're after -- it's very good for that sort of thing.

Enabran Templar - "You need a game, period. You're not going to get what you want from Second Life -- there's no one here interested in force-feeding you a reality. Check out WoW if that's what you're after -- it's very good for that sort of thing."


Thanks but... No I don't; yes I will; obviously there isn't; and, I know... I played it.

Residents alienating other residents is good for business, don't ya think LL?

Unfortunatly in a facist state it probably doesn't matter that some residents have taken it upon themselves to be the new world order.

Then again. When they do get rid of all of those with different ideas, what will remain will be a very narrow minded bunch of ppl all working on the same boring ideas.

Just don't be suprized by the negative impact of treating residents like they don't belong in SL. Honestly I think LL should be saying something here. How many residents will it take before LL wakes up and smells the limited allowable mindset. Unfortunatly probably will be too late before they get a clue.

My opinion, if you don't like it, tough shit.

I'd like to retroactively apply your advice to all of your kvetching of the last two years.

Thanks for finding the words that have been eluding me all this time!

edit: Hey, by the way, what happened to being sensitive to people who don't like naughty words? Are we back to the old Cat? (Just wondering.)

Sometimes 'timed release' really isn't the best method of delivering.

The ability to play video games well enough to get the sexy sword can't be given out as a reward by a subgame either.

If you want a twitch game, play a twitch game.

No - but creating that subgame is compelling new content.

This is because I, unlike yourself - have read Eeyores rather extensive history of posts. This is not 'vitriol' which would imply venom or anger - this is an observation.

Yumi's entire history here on the forums revolves around it being too hard to do anything or that everything has been done before and this is all the problem of the system. The system needs to be changed to suit them.

What they fail to understand is the fundemantals of Second Life is that it is for US to create the world - if something is 'lacking' or you would like to see something made.. for instance the a place where avatars are required to eat, drink, beat monsters etc. then it is up to you to create such a place or thing, and it will be judged on it's merits by your fellow residents by way of it being used, visited, whatever.

You know, some time ago I started spelling the word "fascist" as "facist" whenever I wanted to use it in a parodic manner (similarly "racist" as "rascist" but I had to give it up because real life overwhelmed me.

But, by coming round in a circle, we've kind of hit the problem.

I've actually thought about creating a subgame like this before, but it is very difficult because it hard to come up with a reward that can be given to players. It'd have to be something of general use, otherwise only people who wanted the specific reward would play, and it'd have to be something continous that could be taken away, otherwise there's no reason to play after having it. You can make a reward that only applies within the subgame, but then it doesn't attract people to play. And most "bonus features" that I can think of that would interest people, already exist in other items that don't have subgames.

To add a user-created grind to SL would require being able to give the grinders something that would matter to them - and that means mattering in the SL world as a whole.. and that's hard to come up with.

I think prestige amongst their peers will be enough, it is for most online games.