First Impressions.. Day One.

Jai, SL really is'nt so much a game IMO, I would describe it as a social gathering place in the world of 1's and 0's -- I log on to see friends and make new ones and explore. Everyday I am amazed by something a SL resident created, SL seems to be ever evolving and changing and I love it for that, not to mention so really great people, and I am greatful to be apart of that. Hope to see you around, since I NEVER sleep!

Jai,

I am going through exactly the SAME EXACT THING. I joined the 'paying' program on Monday.

I found the controls are still very awkward. I imagine they will get easier on me as time wears on, but it's just weird when you try to get someplace or just walk straight and you can't use the right mouse button or another button. You have to use the keyboard -always-. A 'toggling' interface, like they way it's handled in Star Wars Galaxies or other games would be very welcome.

As for the times. I am actually in the US, but I can't get to sit on my home computer until somewhere around 11:30-12:00 central time. By that time activivites are over.

In particular I am very interested in learning how to build objects; I can probably figure out the scripting language just by reading the manual I downloaded, but first I need to learn how to create some objects - well, I WANT to learn it. I did try hand at building a few objects ang getting beyond the basic primtives (albeit with colors and textures) proved to be an exircise in futility; I could just not figure it out. I read that there is no way to import an object (or a mesh) from other 3D programs, so that leaves me stuck to learn and manipulate the objects in-world. So far this has proven to be *maddening*. I wish there was an online tutorial with some simple screenshots to show me how it's done. Every time I try to get to the building classes, I miss them due to the times they're on. If only there was an online tutorial, a PDF file, a webpage, some screenshots, SOMETHING FOR GOD'S SAKE!

I have used 3D design packages in the past, and I've programmed my fair share in nearly every languge known to man, so I'm not totally clueless in 1st life when it comes to this. Yet the "3D modeler" on 2ndLife just eludes me and my tiny brain.

The money aspect is also a bit discouraging to me. I still have most of my starting credits. I've seen scores of objects I'd like to try, but quickly realized $L3000 was not going to go very far, so I penny-pinched and only tried three objects - one a total dud (a speeder bike) a pretty neat hoverboard and some neat laser-eyes (which I spent 30 minutes aligning to my head). ... The discouraging bit was that I quickly realized that I was not going to be making enough L$ to try out other objects anytime soon; unless I learned how to design great items and people like them enough. So here comes an almost-catch-22: I can't spend L$ because I can't make L$, and I can't make because I simply don't know how. Where's the fun in that?

The first week just passed and I received my weekly stippend for the first time. I got L$700 (700 and something, can't remember). I have no objects floating around, own no land, pay no taxes. It seems my initial guesstimate was right-on: I was not going to be able to afford anything anytime soon, unless I build and sell. ... Well, I wouldn't be in 2ndLife if I didn't want to try building, but given that building is still a black art to me, this isn't shaping up well. I too picture myself giving up in frustration a month down the road, after wearing my speederbike on my head, able to build only beachballs, and completely broke living off the 'stippend' that is starting to sound more and more like 'social security' support than anything else.

Now... Anyone have a good 2ndLife 3d-building class in snapshots or PDF or webpages or something like that??

In both Perry and Dore by the teaching areas there are billboards with screenshots and explanations of the building tools. Not really a tutorial per se, but might be helpful.

Also remember that you can host events to earn $500. It's a great way to meet people and to help build your bankroll a bit, and you don't need to know how to build or script anything

Thanks Antaeus, see you in-game.

Red Marker..


Totally agree. Discovering the first-person view helped, but it still feels unnatural that 3rd person is the default. The sensitivities used make it hard work too, landing on a platform high up can be a frustrating process of over-flying and falling and shooting past again. Good comedy value, but not ideal.



I built my first serious item last night (with a little help from a chum). Without question, for me at least, the reason the building process is hard is entirely down to the camera controls. Huge amounts of time spent munging various keys down and battling to get the camera into a very specific position so that I can align two blocks, only to knock the left-arrow key and be whirled away again.. perhaps this is down to practice but it *feels* awkward. I knew what I wanted to achieve, a simple joining/aligning of a few shapes - but much time was wasted fighting with the camera to be able to realise that vision.

I did get a great sense of achievement when I finished it though. Making 3D design easy is an uphill task for any software house, Linden are no exception. Just look at all the FPS level designers and how complex they are for example.

I am learning that SL is all about interaction. Make friends, get them to teach you stuff and learn to laugh when your latest creation falls apart and slides into the sea.

Come find me in-game Red.. we can play 'build the worst gazebo' together.

Hit Ctrl-4 to create a prim without moving the camera. The buttons in the Edit menu across the top correspond to 1-5 (Something-or-other, Move, Edit, Create, Edit Land).

Another kbd shortcut that you will learn to love is Ctrl-Z. If you screw up, chances are that Ctrl-Z will Undo the screwup. It can undo multiple actions from different menus, I believe, so use with caution. (I don't think there's a Redo action to undo the Undo that you just did)

For linking: Highlight, then hit Ctrl-L. Ctrl-Shift-L for unlinking.

(it's 2 am here, so pardon me if I've repeated something that you already knew)

I'm generally on Way Too Long, which means I go offline around 12 or 1AM PST most days. Look me up inworld if you need help building, y'all, and I'll try to figure something out.

Thanks! I'm going to check it out!

I did try out the first-person view, and it does help, but the interface changes to the point where you can't see what's going on around you. You don't have a chat history or a map, so it's very inconvenient for anything but a quick "Where am i going?" check.

After some frustration and a bit of thinking last week I did figure out *why* the interface controls are the way they are. It's really simple, the interface mimics that of a productivity application, where sift-control-alt clicking are function toggles only while they're depressed and the right mouse button is used for a pop-up menu. If you look at the interface for 3D games, you'll quickly realize they have very different conventions. So while your brain says 'it's a 3D game of sorts' 2ndLife actually take sinput like a desktop productivity app, hence the awkwardness.


When you work on 3D objects with design packages you generally have multiple views open at once so you can easily see where you're placing stuff, you'll have top-left-front and a perspective view to guide you; in 2nd life you only get the perspective view. I remember also thinking that I had something just where I wanted it, only to realize it was an illusion due to the object size/distance


Getting us a format converter from 3D Studio or something else might be an answer. I'd take it even if every face was considered a 'primitive' in 2nd life.


LOL... With my skill you'll get your objects bumped out to the sea by mine.