Revolt of the Alt Avatar

I've had the most curious experience in SL recently, and was wondering if anyone else had been through this too.

I began my SL membership with my avatar, Regan, and was quite happy with that single persona. I spent endless hours tweaking her appearance until I was perfectly satisfied, bought her a large wardrobe and a selection of skins, and eventually a good sized plot of land for building projects. All well and good so far.

When I was ready to launch my first SL business building houses, I created an alt to help test the whole building permissions and sales process. I had no plans to develop the alt -- she was a tool, not a persona -- but it was a bit embarassing walking around with default skin and noob clothing, so I picked out a decent freebie skin and gifted her with a few clothes I didn't wear often.

Then the oddest thing happened. After a few weeks of bland, mundane existence, the alt began to develop a personality. And she wanted her own good quality skin, not to mention her own wardrobe geared to her style, not Regan's. In other words, she started to become a bit higher maintenance than I had ever anticipated. I reluctantly indulged her a bit. On why the heck not....

Only it didn't stop there, of course. My alt had a brain storm for her own business -- selling shapes -- and the next thing I knew she was putting up a store front and making signs and spending money hand over fist on this new venture while I was still juggling getting Regan's business off the ground.

But the killng blow was that Regan hasn't sold one damn house while the alt has sold 4 copies of her first shape within the first week of business and is rapidly adding new shapes and expanding to a second branch location.

Now Regan is the alt, pulled out only when I need to change land permissions or some such account detail still in her name. This switch feels a bit like a Twilight Zone episode in which the ventriliquist's dummy has taken over.

It's unsettling....

Usually alts come into being when the operator is more experienced in SL than when the 1st persona originated.

I would say ... just let them both grow and prosper. It's part of the attaction of SL that avs can be whatever you want them to be ... or should I say: whatever they want to be

Well Regan ... you brought it upon yourself .. they're both women .. bound to compete just like RL .. <puts tin helmet on and ducks back into hole>

.. now that's unsettling!!

Regan (or Regan 2) join the club - some days I just can't remember who I am !!!

I think, perhaps, it singles out (if you'll forgive the expression) the "real" SL freaks, when there alts grow alts and (to be honest) just take over.

My sympathies from number1, and 2 and 3 and ...............

Aaron (or is it .... no must be Aaron)

I used to date a guy in Jersey who can make those alts disappear. For a price.

We-ell, my alt is dating a guy in a tux who would put your guy away for just fluttering her eyelids!

Ah yes, but which avatar would get the heave ho?

If the alt ever becomes a premium member -- and can own land -- then I'll know that Regan's days are numbered. On the other hand, Regan's ace in the hole is that SHE owns the Svarga bat rezzer and it's no-transfer.

Gee, I seem to remember a movie about a girl named Regan who had personality conflicts. It was a rather messy situation, if I remember correctly.

It really starts to get funny if both alts are owning land and are pursuing a different style of building.

Memory rusty here .. wasn't that the girls name in Exorcist?

btw Brenda, did you mind my paraphrasing your user title?

hey! how about before that getting into an auction for the land?!? ROFL

I think it's time to exorcise some restraint.

Yes, on the Exorcist, and No I don't mind the title. After all, yours IS the original I paraphrased. (Homer Simpson, I think)

Hey ... I might have a split personality, but I'm not stupid!

Yeah, if you can't get a family rate from your own alt, who CAN you trust?

Regan, does the alt know you're posting this?

How much will you give me to not tell her that you're still around and stiring up trouble for her?

yeah .. but we were talking about Regan .. <ducks into hole again>

This is so funny; I just started doing that with both of my alts -- after not even logging them in for almost a year. In the past month they've both gotten fabulous skins and hair at Panache, received some of my old clothing that I no longer wear and a few items of jewelry. They both have to support themselves, so they are saving up their stipends for some decent shoes now

One is clearly my admitted alt, the other is...well, she could be anybody

The word 'schizophrenic' comes to mind

It sounds very familiar to me - I have my avatar, my 'me', and I feel very strong connections to her. But I created an alt to test things with. When I log in as the alt, I feel embarassed, don't want to meet or talk to anyone, it is very wierd. I felt like I was going to fork my personality somehow. So I only log on as the alt to test with and that's that.

Now though I'm contemplating making the alt at premium as well... I'm just over my tier and it'd be cheaper to pay a 2nd premium and transfer land to the alt, than to pay the extra tier on my main account. I still don't want the alt to get seen or noticed by anyone though. I don't want her/it to develop as anything other than a 'tool' for testing stuff.

-Atashi

mm, I'd wondered that ... but I prefer bipolar ..... my alt's coming round to scratch your eyes out though!

Hrmm.. Avatars taking on a mind of their own..

There was a Twilight Zone episode called "Living Doll". This of course was an evil doll. Some of the better lines the doll spoke:

"My name is Talky Tina, and I love you very much!"
"My name is Talky Tina, and you better be nice to me!"
"My name is Talky Tina, and I'm going to kill you!"

Watch yourself, Regan.

Good luck with that, is all I can say.

My alt wasn't even out of Orientation Island and she ended up with a friend. As I was strolling down toward the exit, I ended up in conversation with a newbie who was funny and interesting and had lots of questions, so the alt ended up spending a few hours of mentor time in what was supposed to be a quick, spur-of-the-moment creation process.

I should have known then that she was going to be trouble.

Oh, please, get over yourself, Regan.

You're a stiff -- all lah-de-da respectable and borrrrrinnnnnggggg. You haven't sold one lousy house yet, so you can just hang up any dreams of being the new SL Lloyd Wright. In another few weeks I'll be the one supporting YOUR lifestyle.

Leech.

If it weren't for the Svarga bat rezzer, you'd be toast already.

-- Beebo