First Impressions.. Day One.

Well, after a few days doing the free trial I have signed up for another month. I am not entirely sure why, which I know will sound odd, but clearly something about SL has engaged me enough to hang around a little longer. It was a close run thing - but here I am. I thought I'd share my first impressions with you.

I came into SL with no real idea what it was, other than that it looked interesting. My first few days were mostly baffling. The movement method frustrated me a lot, I couldn't find anyone or really find anything to do other than flap about in the sky looking at stuff. This was partly self inflicted as I leapt right in without doing any tutorials - but still.. all very mystifying. And it is so quiet! Being used to the big online game worlds, it is a shock to find one with so few people on it. The largest number I have seen is 70 in total, so far. How many subscribers are there and is this project anywhere near viable? Will SL be here in a Year with so few subscribers?

There seems to be a fundamental problem if, like me, you are not in the US. The time difference means that there is often nobody around at all which makes it a lonely experience. After a couple of days I did finally find some people, and without exception they were friendly and open. Thanks to all those who have met me in-game particularly the maniac who took me for a ride on the jet-flier-thingy he was test driving, and Fleabag girl (can't recall exact name but she has wonderful cat makeup), who was a real star. The Americana folk have also been very sweet.

The money aspect to SL I find very hard. I understand how one must make things to sell, or build stuff for people - but this all very much relies on having the time to learn these skills and more time to then apply them. The building aspect is really hard. It is impossible to just 'dip into' SL and make any progress - I can see myself running out of game money quickly then just giving up. Those with the spare time will dominate the game, leaving me as a spectator. The best coders, the best builders - I can see they will do well, but the average will struggle to make money and find it harder to really make an impact on the world.

I can see why it is done this way, but it does rather encourage the enthusiastic lifers and discourage the hapless noobies like me. The tax concept forces players to 'work' at it, to be able to afford the stuff they have built - which I just don't like. I work hard enough in RL, I could do with my Second Life being a little more about relaxation and fantasy than earnings and taxation.

Anyhow, here I am. I will float around the place over the next month and see how I get on. If you see me, say hi. I'll be the one surrounded by bits of debris struggling to build something that isn't rubbish, with a badly aligned t-shirt on, a motorbike attached to my head (I can't work out how to sit on the damned thing) and no money. If there are any other brits on SL, especially other real-life female brits - come see me. But do bring your own chair.


English Rose Jai Nomad

Hi Jai,
Good to see you again

Well for the money problems, agreed that selling stuff is the way to go for the most profits and yes those with more time on their hands will beniefit the most.

However there are other ways to get cash. Firstly is the weekly stipend plus whatever bonuses the system will give based on the ratings that you have been given by others. Just living off the stipend, one is able to build a sizeable house and own a nice plot of land to go along with it.

As for the tax, it's best to limit oneself, like you said, the building system does take time to learn and until then, it would be best to practise on less complicated projects.

I actually think the money system to catered more towards the newbies and starts to get really hard for the big and established lifers later on...

Hope to see you around inworld

Falchion Smith

I believe the maniac was me, and "Fleabag" was actually "Fleabite" -- although those in the know, know she is a fleabag.

Welcome to SL :), even with some misgivings (taxes, learning curve) it's tons of fun. I highly suggest trying to attend some "basic ..." classes (like basic building, basic UI, basic texturing, etc). Very helpful, fun, and you can win cash prizes (and knowledge and abilities!).

Boso

Personally, I see this as an art game, and don't understand the current trend of newbies coming here and spending all their money in a single day.
For me the whole point of this is to have fun building stuff and socializing. It is a direct evolution of the ancient chat programs that had whiteboard features such as vIRC and NetMeeting where you could doodle around with your friends.
I'm not a particularly intelligent person, given that I'm going to enter my 7th year of college (out of 4 :\) and it only took me a day or two to learn how to build.
The whole economy is irrelevant and annoying to me. If you know me, you know that I frequently donate large amounts of cash to friends who seem to need it, that the amount of things I have ever bought can be counted on one hand, and that the amount of things I have ever sold, or will ever sell, is zero. All my stuff can be found at the bazaar, free to modify and redistribute. May you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it, and may my art enrich your SL experience as much as it enriched mine. I will consider myself a happy man if one day I see a person using my objects to decorate his or her house, and more happy still if its an improved version of my initial creation.
Having said that, I do accept donations. I believe that a voluntary reward system (a gift culture) is based on kindness and generosity, and therefore far superior to the alternatives.
This rant, however, should not be construed as an attack on shopkeepers. I love you all to bits - you know who you are - and I will defend to the death your right to establish shops and play the money game, and even direct potential customers to your place, as I have so often done.

Hello Jai, from one English rose to another

I was the same when i first started (bedazzled and bewildered lol) but you will find your feet, I promise!

You didn't mention, but try and get to a basic building class to get used to the controls, then get along to a few of Candie Apple's events - she often has them early/midday PST, which is great for us A good way to get to meet people on at the same times too.

If you want to practice building, drop into Olive where you don't need to buy land, and all your mistakes are deleted over night

There are a lot of Europeans here (not so many Brits though, for some reason), check here for some names to look up ingame. I find early evening is a good time to build/script while it is fairly quiet, then I'm more social as my US friends get online later on.

I can't get online for another week (grrrrr @ NTL for killing my cable modem ), but I will look you up when I finally get back.

Hiya Jai;

Well written and I have to agree with ya on all points. I have been around since April and things only seem to be getting harder for me. One real hardship I have noticed is that ppl assume that everything on ones property, on ones body or in ones hand is automaticaly assumed that it is the creation of that avatar. When in many cases it is not. I am taking about who made the scripts the clothes and the objects. I consider myself a decent builder, I still have much to learn but all in all I am happy with my work.
This is the first week since april that I have sold anything. Maybe its because I finaly have something worth buying? could be.
I work, I have a full time job. I find it fustratiing to see others with less skill (personal opinion there) rise up the leader boards because they have more time to go around collecting rating points. It has gotton to the point where I have to now say "If you like my work please rate me" Its as if ppl think if they rate someone thier standing will go down. I dont hesitate to rate ppl when I see something I like. I get rated more on my normal avatar "appearance" than the 8 hours it took me to create an object. (this is not reguarding an avatar with attachments and extensive work, this is the basic pretty much out of the box avatar I am talking about here)
So what to do....just keep moving that breast slider to the right and for go any 8 hour projects. To me that way of thinking is messed up. I am glad ppl find my avatars worth voting for but for me at least I would rather know if you like the object that took me 8 hours and all of my personal free time after working an 8 hour shift.
Only after a few weeks of 16 hour days do I have the nerve to step up and say something here so please keep that in mind before lamb basting me

I dont want to HAVE to worry about the ratings all I want to do is build but; in order to continue to build I have to pay the taxes and I cannot pay the damn taxes without enough positive ratings and votes on my property. Working 40+ hours a week and weekends to boot I do not have the time to go around asking "will you rate me please...please vote... "

Its been a struggle to keep up this pace and I do not see it continuing as I do have interests outside of my job and SL. As much as I would love to stay at home and play SL for 20 out of 24 hours rl *sigh does not permit it lol.



Next....
One other major flaw I see in this game is all the "unfun" gossip, backstabbing, lieing, stealing and just plain old fashioned nasty behavior. I have not only witnessed but gone to great lenths to avoid. I have cut off contact with several ppl I have known in this game after hearing them say nice things to someone, only to say privatly some realy harsh insults. I have known ppl who openly admit that they use other ppl in this game just to get what they want. I have witnessed ppl taking credit for other ppl's work. Pathetic!

I am sorry but I dont play that way, I dont find it fun. I find it to be somewhat "sick" that others find that fun. Easiest solution for me is not to have anything to do with those types of ppl. One piece of advice tho.... Even tho ppl like me know that sometimes others are using us or misleading us we may not say a word...but the next time you need a "favor" or a "job" done we will remember. I am not stupid or nieve I just choose to log on and have fun.

"If you havent got something nice to say about someone doent say anything at all. With that in mind if someone does me wrong I wont lie to make them look good either.

It is a fine line but I am very direct with ppl when they ask me a straight forward question.

Recently someone asked me about my relationship with someone else I honestly said "I have nothing to say about (insert name here), but the person insisted that he was starting a relationship with that person and needed to know for his own good. Blah blah blah. As he pressed I found myself between a rock and a hard place. I made one statement that was not bashing but honest and to the point and told him me and this other person had no further ties period. Now I find that this person is going around asking everyone I know the details and how they feel about that astranged friend. Makes me wish I had just muted that person right off when his questions became bothersome. Next time I will. Here is my main point; what does it matter what I or anyone else thinks, you make up your own mind about ppl.

By going around and seeing what ppl think of the person you like is just a bunch of "drama" that I dont have time for. *rolls eyes.

If you have something mean to say about someone I consider a friend in game. I will not repeat it to that friend as that is very childish. All it will do is harm my friend and I am better than that to my friends in this game. If you go around being nice to everyone while personaly IMing what a jerk or a chump that person is, or you out and out tell me your going to use or abuse ppl, expect to be perminatly muted by me.

I JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN AND BUILD Anyone who gets in the way of that is not who i would consider a friend of mine.


All of the above statements were not aimed at anyone I consider a friend.

With all this said yes I think adjustments in how ppl are rated and how they are paid needs to be adjusted. I think some some attitude adjustments are also in order too.

With that said its my frieday and I plan on playing lots on my weekend hopefully get in an event while I am at it.

see you
Cat

Well, Eggy, I have some of your furniture and I enjoy it a lot out in my woods, but I keep having to pawn it to buy more clothes from Fey and Thai, LOL!

Ack, Cat, no offense, but I think you need a vacation or something.

Feel free to sell my stuff really - I dont care!
May your wallet fatten mightily with the income my creations bring you. And BTW, I'm working on some really nice items that you might want to check out
I'll put it up at the bazaar when its done.

The rating for building, anyway, is getting a little skewed. I spend a lot of time with new residents and feel my behaviour rating is pretty well deserved, but for building, well I think I have a higher rating than Bob Bunderfield, which is pretty absurd - as I'm an indecisive builder at best - so I've been telling the new residents to rate people if they feel they've earned it, but wait until they see a finished building or object before rating that particular skill.

Maybe instead of pawn I should have said DeREZ, lol. If I were selling your stuff, Eggy, I wouldn't be in such financial woes all the time!

Eggy your statement makes my point loud and clear.
Is your statement is ment to prevoke a negative responce. What in my statement makes you believe I need a vacation? It was an observation.

16 hour days? lol yeah but if you had my job you would need to escape daily too

I refuse to start second guessing every statment I make based on what ppl will think of it.

Cat

Bravo David Well Said!

*bow

Cat

Thats very big of you David, to admit, and Eggy, to accept.

BUT
Most makers don't feel this way. I do make and give away some items but most of the things I make I need to sell to cover taxes. I make very little on clothes because of the idea its ok to give and sell things one buys. I make very little clothing now and have no plans to resume until the protections come. I have made a few special order items but really, its ridiculious. The economy can't work as it should with people basicly stealing others works.

There is an attitude that people on the leaderboards have money and therefore its ok to give and sell their items. The leaderboards are a false indicator of wealth. Many people on the leaderboards are cash poor and barely getting by.

What sickens me more than people rate mining is people getting ahead on the backs of others. People who sell otherwise free items and steal other peoples creations and sell them as their own. These people gain false ratings off others works and cash from other players time & creativity.

I have no bad words or thoughts for those like Eggy who have no problems with people selling things they made. I think thats really great. But know not all people feel the same. New folks and even some older ones cant afford to keep going if they can't make a Lindenbuck. So, please don't give or sell others works unless you ask them and they say its ok PLEASE.

Misnomer I agree! Very well said your correct those on the leader boards are not all cash rich and not are all deserving either. I agree with all your sediments

Cat

I am so glad you ended your piece with that statement. I have a few items I sell that I did not make. However, these items were given to me, to do as I please, by players who are no longer with us.

As one who makes and sells items herself, I would NEVER think of "borrowing" someone elses designs and reselling them as my own.

So, if you purchase something from me and see I was not the creator, now you know why.

If other creators, such as Misnomer and Catherine, who's work I so admire and am so jealous of, do not think this is a good idea, I will GLADLY pull those items off the shelf.


-TK

Ok,
I feel I must add a few thoughts here.

First thing that comes to mind is to Jai, we all were once noobs. All poor and lonely. There were probably as few people in the world then as you see now. I am sure the numbers will increase. SL ,as in RL takes time to develop an income and relationships. I clearly remember the feeling of being lost. I just flew around for days too. I also remember meeting my first few folks. Many of these have become great friends over time.

I know that classes are being formed more for your hours and when they are available, you should go, even if it is just to meet people.

Another way to become more engaged in SL is to have events. Maybe not many might show up, but you might be surprised. You don’t have to own land, you don’t have to script anything, or even build anything. And you get paid for it! You will begin to create a social circle and an income.

Not that being social is the only aspect of SL, but it helps the entire experience. Leads to learning of scripting, sharing building ideas, and often just alot of fun.

And on a completely different note, selling of things...
The protections that are in place are pretty good. As for clothes, I feel well, what can I do, if I sell one tee-shirt, I sold one, which is still a thrill. haha, yep. If they get passed out, oh well, I know there are no protections so I know to expect that. So then I get to make more. One can never have enough clothes. As for my other stuff, if you find you can mod, sell, copy it, well I set it that way so go ahead. If I made a mistake and did not, that is the price I pay. This is MHO.

whoo... kinda long post. Too much caffeine.


fen-

*Bows To Tracy ty very much for the lovely compliment if I ever do leave I will leave all my stock in your very caring and capable hands to do with as you please

Cat

Being a newbie myself I have felt a touch lost at times as well. However, I've been trying to get to almost each and every event that I can even if I have no clue as to what is going on (attended a cake building contest my first day and created a dilapitated boat cake that I quickly erased). I feel I've met a lot of interesting people that way and so far everyone has been great and very helpful!

When there isn't an event going on I fly around and watch the map for other people while checking out the wonderful scenery. Nobody has seemed to feel intruded upon when I just drop in and say "hi" and see what's going on. It's another way I've met a lot of great people and they also have helped me to learn about a lot of different aspects in SL. I even got a very good lesson in building from someone I just dropped in on.

All-in-all, I've been very impressed so far.

Thanks Rock, and everyone else for your replies. Most interesting.

I too have spent quite some time flying around and descending on people, and without exception everyone has been helpful and friendly. I have now managed to find a few fellow Brits which is good.

I have made my first item to sell, which I am very excited about. It is just a t-shirt but if anyone is in Lusk, near the water they will find my little patch of empty land (just a tree and a hopeless bench) - and can maybe buy it? I think selling my first item will be quite a significant thing.

..and a big thanks to Basingstoke for flying me around in his Bar last night and showing me the sights.

Bit late, but what the hey. Welcome to SL, Jai!

It took me a few weeks to get acclimated to SL... I'll add to what everyone else said and mention that if you're feeling lucky, you can put out the t-shirt or whatever you make for sale in AV Central, which is over in Aqua. Just go looking for the BIG building with the SL logo on it. There's no surcharge for putting items out there, and you can always wander around and check out what other people are selling

dude. you found Bas? I'm envious -- I've been keeping an eye out for the flying coffee bar. My av hasn't had a coffee fix *yet* ingame...

So how does that work? Does my item still belong to me there, and does it not revert to public after a while? I don't fully understand how this works yet.. but if that is an open area for selling that might be a good thing for me to use. I tried building a market stall, but it collapsed and fell into the sea, and besides few people fly past me so no-one will ever see it there in Lusk.



Yes.. or perhaps he found me. Not sure. He's a bit of a smoothy to be honest, whooshing about in his flying lounge. I am such a tart - I love all that stuff. He didn't give me a ride home though, which is a little shoddy. *smiles*

Yes, it will still belong to you. Items will only revert to public if they are on public land, and Av Central is Linden land. If you put objects on other peoples land they will stay belonging to you, but the land owner can delete them if they wish.

There is another older Avatar Central in Natoma (I think?), so you could drop your stuff at both.

Also, if you are after a market stall, check out the market in Boardman and see if there are any free spaces. (There is another in Brown but that one is *way* out of circulation).

TK-

Its not up to me or anyone else whats on your shelves. If you got the "ok" (or didnt) its between you and the creator.

I guess I was a little cranky when I posted. I just wanted to state the flip side to the other post. Some newer (and older) people just dont understand that even though its "just a game" that we are a community and "common courtesy" and ethics (should) still apply.

Sorry to have hijacked the thread... back to the original intent.

Welcome newcomers!!!

Welcome, Jai!

Another Brit here - although expat. in NYC, and also pretty new. Hope to catch you in SL soon.

Antaeus