Tentative Steps into a Second Life...

read about second life somewhere one day, slashdot I think, and as soon as I got a hold on how the building and scripting system works, I became obsessed. As soon as my computer is upgraded, a paid membership to second life is at the top of my list of things to buy.

However, here I get a nice new computer dropped into my lap for a week and I decide to check out the free trial. I'm not ready to pay yet, since the neccesary components may take me a month or two to purchase before I can even run Second life on my own, but for this short span of time a trial membership sounds like a great idea.

So I go through the online forms, download the software, boot it up, and start building and exploring. And then I run up against the limitations set before me. Some of them may be neccesary now that no CC# is required. But some of these things need to be fixed, for goodness sake.

Simulator Boundaries:
Yes, I understand, I can only go to certain places in the trial version. So I start exploring the themed communities that I can get too. Both in Darkwood and Nexus Prime, portions of the area are cut off from me because of what I assume is a simulator boundary. I understand this may be a code thing, but I just wanted to get this one off my shoulders.

Building:
This is what I really wanted to try out in my Trial. To be specific, scripting with LSL. I get in, I learn some building things, create a cool looking platform, and run against a brick wall when I try to make it move around. Maybe this is just me missing out on something completely, but it seems like I can do no scripting. I can understand this, for the most part, but this kills off most of my reason for wanting to use the trial.

I know there are already a number of threads about this subject, but I wanted to add some wood to the fire myself. The limitations of the trial are really getting to me, enough so that I don't know if I'll even bother to use the other 5 days of it. If this is a game about creation a trial, a period where you try it out, should allow you to create.

I don't want to just complain, though. Here are some suggestions that I humbly offer up:

Contained Sandbox:
An area where building, scripting, etc. is as unlimited as it is in the rest of Second Life for trial users. Nothing can leave except Avatars. Objects scripted inside of it cannot be rezzed outside if the player is in trial.

Graded Trial:
I know other people have suggested this. but Second Life really needs the old kind of trial back. If that takes requiring a credit card, so be it. You can give out both types of trial accounts, one for those with CC#s and one for those without.

Anyway. Enough of my ramblings. Forgive me, it's 2am here and I'm very tired. I might be in the second life here and there up till next thursday. I'll keep reading the forums and checking the web site. I'll show up in a month or so with my new computer and a paid account. Goodnight everyone, forgive me for keeping you.

Welcome, Aver! Good to have you with us.

What you encountered at Darkwood is that the original Darkwood is in the sim called Dore and the rest of Darkwood (the expansion) is in another adjacent sim called Darkwood, but only Dore is available while a user is in the trial period, so you're cut off in the middle of the town proper.

The trial is, indeed, limiting and I hope it will be adjusted. But, do sign up and stay on. You won't be disappointed.

I hope to see you in-game.

-Merriman

Aver, please stay with it. I know no one will be able to convince you but yourself and it is your money to spend as you see fit. However all I can do is to share my experience with Sl. I have never played any kind of online game before and I don't remember how I found out about it. In a word it is a blast. There is something for everyone. Modelers, scripters, clothiers, chatters, social butterflys, partiers, builders . Even platform diving high upon a treehouse to water below with three gals who I just met (which by the way was the final event that made me suscribe) In fact I do not have enough time trying to do all that I want to.
But what makes SL so special is - its People. They provide this rich weave of skills, intellect and humor that is so addicting and inspirational.
And Aver, I can tell by your carefully crafted posting and that you did it at 2 Am - that you are perfect for Sl.
So I hope you join...and the world will be a better place.

I just wanted to point out one thing to Aver, and explain the reasoning:

Even with the old trial system, trial accounts weren't allowed to script w/ LSL. And your plan for a contained sandbox where trial users can build and script sounds good on paper, but would never work out.

The reason is that LSL is just powerful enough for a scripter to accidentally or maliciously bring a sim to its knees. It is theoretically possible to overload a sim so bad with a single LSL script that the Lindens might not even be able to remove the offending items without having to shut down the sim and use out-of-world tools to delete them.

Now, most of us, and most of the trial users wouldn't intentionally do such a thing, although it is possible to do it accidentally. (Just ask Christopher Omega! )

But there are also a few "griefers" in SL. People that have been suspended or banned for one reason or another, etc. It is not desirable to create a situation where these people can deliberately crash a sim at will (trial sim or otherwise) without even having to pay for the priviledge.

So, while I understand your frustration (I activated my account early because I wanted to script), I'm afraid that it's just not really feasible for trial users to be given scripting access.