SL Purposes & Dreams

October 18, 2019October 18, 2019 by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Let’s put our thoughts on the table for a second, when we join Second Life, we normally have some sort of purpose in which we’re trying to obtain in the virtual world. Each purpose and goal is individualized for each user. I may use Second Life for a completely different reason than another person would use the platform. Let’s be honest, the American Dream is hard to come by nowadays but in Second Life it’s possible. We as users can live a reality that is harder to obtain in our own lives in the real world. This post I’ll be talking about my experience from the very beginning and what I’ve been trying to obtain as a user in Second Life for about 9 years. As crazy as it may seem my purpose in Second Life at the very beginning though it may seem weird was to study and be with my teacher and classmates learning about various subjects using Second Life as a key component platform for showing us what the teacher wanted to teach. With that being said let’s jump right in!

Second Life in The School Setting & Teen Grid:

A photo taken right after I got back on after Teen Grid closed down.

Yes, I’m one of the individuals in which Second Life was used in my high school to teach us certain topics. My teachers used it as a tool in the classroom if it weren’t for them and Second Life being downloaded on the school laptops I would’ve never known or experienced what Second Life had to offer. I’m one of those young kids who started Second Life on the Teen Grid when it was still around. There was a point in time were kids 13-18 could sign up for a more kid-friendly version of Second Life where everyone was technically a minor. This was around my Freshman year of high school and having Second Life in the schools lasted until about the end of my Sophomore year. This is around the time when we got the news that the grids were merging otherwise known as Teen Grid no longer being alive and Linden Labs just making Second Life what it is known as which is Second Life. This is around the time when the sign-up age was for 17 and older, kids could no longer play Second Life but with good reason. Later on, down the line when I had my account unfrozen (that’s what they did they froze all of the teen grid accounts until they hit the proper age to come back into Second Life.) it made perfect sense with all of the sex sims and skill gaming regions. But with that, as I said above, I’ve been a member overall for 9 years.

1920’s Berlin Sim Role Playing With a Friend

Purpose of Second Life to me Until Age 19:

Second Life’s purpose for me has changed throughout the years. When I was younger my purpose for using Second Life was to not be alone to chat with people and always have someone there for me even though they were far away. I used Second Life to cope with my anxiety of being alone which is odd because I’m very independent and don’t mind being alone. However, being as outgoing as I am, I wanted that human connection almost all the time because to be fair I always felt alone in the real world. I used Second Life to meet new people and make new friends along the way who have been close friends to me for years and years some for decades. Most people go online to escape reality and honestly in a sense I’ve done the same. During this time, I was in college school was stressful, making friends was hard, depression and anxiety were hitting me like a hurricane. During this time, I didn’t have a strong head on my shoulders. I was looking for something that I couldn’t obtain in my reality true friendship and with some people, I’ve found it. To be fair, they probably know me better than most people in my reality but that tends to happen when you have internet friends. To be honest, I also used Second Life at the time to release my inner demon in a sense and try things I’d never do in the real world. I experimented with my sexuality and fetishes and what I liked and didn’t like. This led to a relationship that I wasn’t proud to be in and was somewhat abusive that led into my reality but just so everyone knows that relationship is long gone. I honestly, didn’t know what I wanted in my Second Life and during this time my main usage for Second Life was to be a fashionista, meeting and making friends, and experimenting with sexuality.

Showing off my Avatar fashionista status with this photo. I put together her outfit with a French flare in mind.

My Purpose in Second Life Now:

Everyone makes mistakes as we’re all human and it’s the normal human response in society. I’ve learned from these mistakes; I have a very strong and hard head on my shoulders and because of this my purpose of Second Life has changed from the past till now. I have a few different purposes for using the platform now and most of them are to help my creative juices flow. I’ve always been a passionate writer I’ve loved writing since I could pick up a pencil and write. I’ve been looking for content writing positions in the real world, but do you know how hard that is? I also have a passion for virtual worlds as they have been a part of my life for many years. That is when I decided to write a blog. I consistently had writer’s block, and this is because I lost my skill because I didn’t keep up with it. So, I started Charming Ellie I use my blog as a hobby I don’t want to make money off of it I use it to help get my content out into the world and to write about something I’m passionate about and care about. My blog helps me to write almost every day and keep up with new trends in the virtual world industry especially since a lot of virtual worlds are beginning to disappear with time. My purpose in Second Life is to explore, create, and help deliver content to Second Life users all around the globe on travel, advice, and just living you’re Second Life to the fullest.

The other reason I use Second Life now is to keep up with the friends I’ve made in the past who are still friends with me today. They come on occasionally, and I make sure I log on now and then just to spend time with those important people. My main purpose for being in second life now is to hone my skills in interior design and fashion. These are things that cost a lot of money in reality so I just find it best to create and do these things in a virtual world platform on Second Life where it’s a lot cheaper and there are so many ways to implement avatar and land/home creation. I use Second Life now more as a creative outlook a way to push my creativity and get the juices flowing consistently. To be fair, I still use Second Life in a way to escape reality but not as much as I’ve used to. I keep to myself, for the most part, I do everything alone if I can but now and then I’ll run into someone to chat with for a few hours or more.

My Dream:

Another Dream I didn’t mention is having a beautiful babe girl when I’m not ready for one in reality. But that’s something completely different.

One of the biggest dreams I’ve had and yes, I’m a dreamer is to work for Linden Labs. They don’t truly realize how much Second Life does indeed mean to me and the people inside of it. I’ve always wanted to make a difference quite a few times I almost opened shop in Second Life to give advice and help with different situations as I do have a life coach certification. There is a huge need for something like that but when I tried people didn’t use it. I don’t want to be famous or popular for writing blog posts or anything along those lines. But I’ve always wanted to do content writing or something and become join the Lindens and creators over at Linden Labs. I’ve always wanted to make a difference in the world and even though Linden Labs is a corporation they have done that for so many people. Maybe one day I’ll be able to but for now, it’s just hopes and dreams that will take me far in my adventures in this reality of life. We never know what the future has to offer and our dreams in life take us further than we expect them to.

With all of this being my experience, I want to hear from all my readers in the comment section. What purpose does Second Life have in your life? What do you use the platform for and why? How did you start? And how is Second Life important to you? I’d love to hear from all of you as this is something that interests me about all of the users I run into and honestly it’s how I always strike up a conversation because everyone is different and everyone comes into this virtual world for different reasons. I hope to see all of you in my next post.

Chao!

Blogging Success Have I Made it?

September 11, 2019 by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Honestly, my answer, if I were answering, would be no. However, I am still a new blog and honestly, it’s doing better than I ever expected it too. I get some views here and there and it just makes me happy to know that people are reading my content. The way beginners who are just starting a blog should look at things is blogging starts out as a hobby. Success comes to those who wait. If you’re blogging with money in mind it probably won’t be as successful as you’re expecting it to be. If you’re passionate about a topic and find something that you can ramble on about do it. Were all different and we all have different likes and dislikes. Every blog has a demographic the challenge is getting that specific demographic that your blog is aimed at to read your posts. I started blogging because I love to write I needed something to keep me busy but was fun while I’m on my job search since I’m fresh out of university. Writing has always been a passion for me and if I can get people to read my content it makes me happy just to know that my words are being written. Yes, it may only be by a select few people who are following me now. But they support me and everything that I’ve written so far, and I can’t thank them enough for it. There are blogs about virtually anything in the world my topic was chosen because it’s something I love to do virtual worlds are a huge part of my life. I’ve played them since I was a kid and continue to immerse myself in them now as an adult too.

Blogging success comes with the enjoyment of typing your content. If you don’t enjoy what your typing about or you don’t enjoy the act of blogging, you’re doing it wrong. Blogging is creativity to provide content to your reader that they will keep coming back to read more of what you have written. This also brings me to the next thing I wanted to explain content isn’t everything, but your writing style plays a huge part in the success of a blog. If people in their heads can read the excitement and passion you have for your topic they will be just as engaged in reading it as you were writing it. I’ve been blogging for years but just recently created this blog on virtual worlds and the virtual world industry with my posts widely talking about two specific virtual world platforms which are Second Life and IMVU. We all hit success at different points in our lives to be 100% honest I don’t promote my blog. I type up stuff for it add tags and whatever happens, just happens if I were to promote a little more it would probably be more successful but in all actuality, I just don’t care. I write because I have a passion for getting my words down on paper I write because my passions should be shared to those who want to read about my experiences and what virtual worlds are all about.

To be fair on Tumblr I have written some very successful blogs with a ton of views per day. To be fair though this is also more of a social media platform where I just got my random ideas out on the table. Now that I have a topic that interests me here on Wordpress it’s a whole new world staying on a topic can be hard because I tend to ramble a lot but it gives the blog purpose. The truth is I bring a wide range of people to my blog all from different demographics. I have tweens, teens, and adults who read my content. Ahead of time for you parents out there I apologize if your kids read some of the iffier content, I provide on this blog some posts have it but for good reasons, they’re apart of the virtual world community. But sometimes it’s hard to appeal to a wide range of audiences which is why whoever wants to read my content can. In a sense, I’d love to see my blog thrive more and I know with more content and with time it will. But for those who are losing faith in getting views and losing faith by providing content that you just feel isn’t working out it will. Things come to those who wait. I didn’t think anyone would read my content and I have a few supporters already who do and I’m super grateful for them don’t give up! Keep writing and keep enjoying the topic you’re writing about. If you love something, your readers will too. Seem uninterested and you’ll sink like the titanic. So, take the journey and see where you end up.

What Noobs Fear the Most

September 8, 2019 by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The other day I went to some of the starting areas which is why I haven’t posted in a few days. I wanted to compile enough information before getting into a new post as you can tell my investigative roles are used quite often on my blog. I try to do everything that I post about to give an accurate review or understanding of something. One important thing I wanted to discuss on this blog is what new players fear the most when starting in a virtual world setting or a video game in general. I’ve compiled it all into one word…acceptance. New players long to be accepted in the environment they’re in not cast away. We all start somewhere this includes reality when trying to enter a new job, going from one school to another, or moving to a whole new area and not knowing anyone. It’s the concept of fear that blocks our intelligence to continue forward knowing that things will get better. Noobs as they’re referred to on most platforms, they want to be accepted just like all of us try to be. In the end, we might seem as if we don’t care about the word acceptance but in all actuality at one point or another we do.

As a new player myself many times in various situations it was hard for me to be accepted it wasn’t anything to do with my personality, but it had more to do with the fact I didn’t fit into the concept of a “seasoned” player. Why? Normally it had to do with the look of my avatar noobs can be identified through their avatar appearance which sucks because it’s like being one gigantic sign that says, “I’m new here!” as much as I would’ve hoped individuals would be accepting of noobs they tend to cast them away to the side until you hit around you’re one month level of being in that specific world environment. For me things came with time, when I realized how hard it was to be accepted, I took matters into my own hands and I became the first one to start the conversations. I went from introvert to extrovert quicker than a snap of my fingers. Believe it or not, even “seasoned” players want friends, they want acceptance just as much as noobs do and this got me thinking… why am I so afraid to talk to the “seasoned” players when I will be one in the future? They’re just people, right? This mindset got me out of the noob category and into the “seasoned” of course this all takes time, talking, and communicating with other players. But even noobs can be accepted. When I got myself out of that noob funk, I was the one helping them out. At the time at the beginning when I started playing (using Second Life as a reference for this experience) I went to new player sims and when things were transferable (which nowadays with mesh things are not unless their freebies) I would send them over to the players I’d start talking to and get them started so their appearance didn’t come off as new so they could be accepted by others. There’s no reason for noobs to be cast to the side if you can help or even just be their first friend, they’re just like anyone else and with time they will get to a point where you are now. At the end of the day we’re all just looking for a friend, someone to talk to, and overall acceptance from the community we place ourselves in. Everyone is different.

For those unaware of how people can identify you as a noob here are a male and female example. These are the default Second Life avatars that are available when you first start. Trust me they’re a huge step up from their last ones which were still the year 2000 models. They looked a lot worse but they were popular for the time. They recently upgraded to these mesh ones, they’re super nice and I enjoy them but if I wear them people assume I’m going to troll them or I’m new and it’s like bug repellent. However, don’t let this scare you from staying in a virtual world or video game. This is just a starting point you will look better in time avatar wise it just takes time learning your environment and the people who surround you.

For those of you who are new and reading this post don’t quit because you feel you’re not being accepted. As I’ve already said we all start somewhere, and it takes time to create a following for yourself. Friends and chatting with others will come with time but what I suggest for the first month is get a feel for the environment that you’re in. Explore areas, learn controls, save up a little bit of money to redo your avatar. You know to get yourself settled. I promise you if you do the things you want and just have fun and don’t consistently think that you’re not liked or cast away everything else will come with. Your gaming and online experiences are supposed to be fun and, in some sense, relaxing for certain individuals don’t let it stress you out. If it stresses you out a lot, you’re doing something wrong and I’d suggest changing your mindset and viewing situations from another angle.

This week I went to some of these starter sims and talked to some of the newer members trying to use the Second Life platform and the one thing they told me was they wanted people to like them. The thing is if people don’t talk to you how will they know if they like you or not? And that is something I wish many individuals would be more open-minded about is talking to newer players because sometimes these are the players that will become your closest friends because you were the first person to accept them into your circle. Now in some cases, this could go south quickly but, in those situations, there is a reason why there is a block and delete button. Also, I’m friends with a lot of these newer members now and sometimes noobs are just looking for a mentor to help them get started and show them some places. They’re all people just like you and me just because were hidden behind a computer screen doesn’t mean that we’re not human.

Overall, acceptance in the keyword when it comes to what noobs fear the most when starting in a new environment. As I’ve explained above these newer players just want someone to talk to or a mentor to help them on their journey just to learn what to do so they can live their own virtual lives. We all start somewhere, and I know I sound like a broken record but it’s so true we all start from the bottom in most situations and work our way off. Be that one person who makes a difference don’t just cast someone to the side if they’re new there was a point in time when you were in the same situation don’t create the same experience for them if you were cast away instead change their fate. Be their start to living their virtual world or experiencing their game to the fullest.

Alleviating Drama

August 29, 2019 by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Let’s be honest this is already a constant battle in reality but maybe this post will be able to help you not just in your virtual life but in your reality as well. I’m hoping the advice and thoughts I give here can be used wherever you are in reality, online, etc. To begin, I shouldn’t have to but I’m going to put a disclaimer on this post I’m not a psychologist and what I say shouldn’t replace a medical professional if you see one or need one. These are ways I’ve coped with drama in a virtual world setting and my thoughts and ideas that I have used that I’m sharing with you to possibly help you alleviate the drama you might be experiencing in your virtual life. With that being said let’s jump in!

No one wants to deal with the everyday drama we already get it enough think about it… if you’re like me you probably have friends who I’d like to call sometimey friends. Sometimes they’re your best friend on but other days they can be your worst nightmare and you can’t help but wonder if they’re using you for their gain even if you don’t know what that gain might be. This isn’t healthy to be around it’s a form of drama believe it or not you may not think it is but if it is impairing your way of thinking and your emotions then it is toxic. A true friend you won’t feel this around you will feel calm, happy like you can talk about anything, or do almost anything and everything together. It won’t feel like a chore however, people always have disagreements you might fight but in the end, you will pick up where you both left off if you can’t do that with someone then they aren’t a friend they’re either an acquaintance or just someone you know. The fact of life is you can’t friend everyone! I’ve learned this the hard way. Some people are emotionally detached from themselves and reality they see those living a life they want and get jealous. Jealousy is a toxic situation and a killer of friendships and relationships. If you suspect toxic jealousy! You shouldn’t have to deal with that. If you feel unhappy around someone then you probably shouldn’t be around them, to begin with. These are the hardest truths you will ever have to read and hear circling your brain but the quicker you learn them the happier you will find yourself. One thing I want to state is you need to put yourself first this is truly an important concept. I’m not sure reader if you’re into horoscopes but I am and honestly, I’m a Taurus it states that as a Taurus we try to fix people and with me, it couldn’t be truer. I friend broken people without knowing and then try to fix what can’t be fixed. It leaves me in shambles, and this is part of the drama as well. you can’t fix or change a person they can only do that themselves so please for the love of G-d and all that is holy do not friend someone and think you can change their outlook on life or fix them from being a toxic person into someone that’s not. Sometimes it’s just their personality and in that case, it is time for you to move on. You can be a good friend and listen but don’t involve yourself in other people’s problems in life. That is something they need to fix on their own and come to terms with their reality whether it be real life or virtually.

Let’s say you’re in an in-world system using Second Life A&D and Bloodlines as an example. You’re in a clan, horde, family, chorus, etc. Let’s say they all call for a group chat in Discord, Skype, or the world and when you go in the person who brought everyone together start talking bad about another group, or talking bad about someone they kicked out of the group, or even discussing how they dumped someone for whatever reason. This is drama! Don’t stay in that call you have no obligation to stay. If you stay in it, you’re putting yourself in the drama and now you’re just a part of it like the person sharing the drama and everyone else that’s in the call listening. You’re now the drama itself. Don’t do this just leave! Your only obligation is to your real live emotional and physical health don’t let in world crap impact how you feel in reality. This is the most important thing I could say to you! This is all explained from experience and things I’ve dealt with and I’m hoping this can help you with whatever situations you find yourself in. Drama in the virtual world is just as real as the drama you will find in everyday reality it’s dangerous, toxic, and hurtful. Don’t be a part of this there are so many things you could be doing than putting up with drama you could deal with in your reality. A virtual world shouldn’t impact you in a negative way you should be happy, relaxed, and entertained while in one. You should feel like it’s. a true escape from reality not leaving reality to go into the same thing or something worse. With that being said let me share a scenario with you that could be drama-related that you might have experienced at one point or another;

You log in for the night onto whatever virtual world you’re logging into and you find out that your boyfriend is cheating on you with a friend, family member, etc. in world. What do you do?

In this scenario there are a few things you could do you could confront the situation calmly and if he truly is cheating break up with him. Or just break up with him quickly remove him on everything and block him and anyone else that could be a part of the situation even if they were, your best friend it’s not worth your emotions.

You log in for the night and everyone turns on you because someone set you up or made you look like the bad guy what do you do?

In this scenario as hard as it is and will be you remove everyone and start fresh… You remove all the toxicity and move forward it wasn’t anything you did wrong. You have to understand with drama you can’t blame yourself unless you’re the one who started it so you remove everyone and block them that’s the magic of the internet you can actually do that so take advantage and if you’re like me and that’s hard to do then do it log off and go do something else. If you need to cry, then cry were only human! We have emotions as much as they suck, they make us human… This is probably some of the best advice I can give for now, but it is important to follow it otherwise you will constantly blame yourself. You will think everything is your fault, you will feel vulnerable, you will feel lost, you will let your emotions get the best of you and you will become and be the drama or part of it. Don’t do that! Do yourself a favor and help yourself emotionally and physically.

At the end of the day even though everyone online is a human being behind a computer screen it isn’t your reality do not let it get the best of you and don’t let it pull you into a rut or a ton of emotions it’s not worth it. I do hope this helped and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to send me a message on my e-mail and introduce yourself. I’m always happy to chat and listen even if you’re a stranger it’s part of my personality to help others.

Till the next post Chao!

e-mail: ember435@outlook.com

Introduction to What The Virtual World in Game Systems A&D And Bloodlines Are And How to Choose One to Get Started

August 29, 2019August 29, 2019 by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The first question that I’d like to address is what are A&D (Angels and Demons) and Bloodlines?

A&D and Bloodlines are considered to be HUD based systems on Second Life which helps you to enhance RP (roleplay) experiences. As you might know, there are some games categorized as MMORPG’s (Massively multiplayer online roleplaying games) which are open-world games that you explore with quests that you can play with other players from around the world. A&D and Bloodlines are focused on providing that same idea and environment in a virtual world atmosphere. However, in a way, this has become a virtual world lifestyle for some players. For some virtual world users this is why they come into Second Life every day to play these systems and in A&D’s terms skill to raise HUD skills. Or these users come on to play these systems to immerse themselves in a roleplay that sometimes people may seem is all too real. It is fun to do and is somewhat of a time-waster, I’ll be honest I’ve played both and they get your mind off of things and both are super interactive you have all of Second Life to explore and play with these system HUDs in. A&D is an Angels versus Demons system where you can choose what side you want to play on (being an Angel or a Demon) you can play with others or solo. However, a lot of players are part of what is called hordes and chorus’s (hordes for demons chorus’s for angels) experienced players tend to search for newer players to bring into their little families. Each horde or chorus operates differently and has specific things they focus on in the system. Some focus on family and are extremely active. Some other active hordes and choruses focus on the roleplay aspect where you have to dress as the character you want to be and act like the character you create of yourself. Then there are also ones that skill and don’t fight which is the one I’ve learned to appreciate and enjoy the most. Then there are inactive hordes and chorus’s which if you’re worried about drama with large groups of people is going to be the best for your play style this goes for Bloodlines as well. These hordes, chorus’s, and families aren’t always around at the same time and you may only meet like 5 people from the entire group this is more for if you want to play these systems solo. They will be there to help you if needed but otherwise, you’re on your own you can pretty much do what you want to do and experience through the HUD and A&D and Bloodlines systems. I prefer this way more than the active hordes, clans, families, and choruses. There is less room to be brought into bull shit that you don’t want to be a part of (pardon my French). A&D is a lot more interactive than some other systems on Second Life for the fact that you can skill such as herbalism, mining, and crafting just like you would in an MMORPG such as Final Fantasy 14 Online (FFXIV) or World of Warcraft (WOW).

Even though I pretty much explained it through my A&D description there is also Bloodlines. Bloodlines have families or clans that you are a part of. For the most part, this system is multiplayer whether you want to play with others or not. So, you would be forced to join a clan or family. But if you want more of the solo experience than you would pick more of an inactive clan instead of an active one. Bloodlines revolve around Vampires, Lycans, and recently through the past few years, you can now just be part of the system as a human which is nice if you don’t want to roleplay as a fantasy creature. The idea of this system is to go out through the world of Second Life and hunt or battle other players to gain achievements and reach new “levels”. It’s a very similar idea to A&D so if you read the description above it’s straightforward as to what Bloodlines is as well just with Vampires and Lycans. Each system is based on personal preference. The systems are for everyone and they can be quite fun to play.

Active versus inactive hordes, clans, chorus’s, and families:

I want to bring to the forefront the main differences between active and inactive groups in the system. I’m going to refer to them as groups so I’m not typing each one out individually throughout the rest of the post. When a group is active there are going to be for the most part a lot of people in that group or you’re going to become the outsider of such a close-knit family until newer players continue to flood into the active group, you’re in. Sometimes this creates drama which I’ll explain in a later post regarding my experience with A&D if you want some real piping hot tea spilled. But for the most part these groups you will be with a lot of the time these groups become more of a lifestyle in the virtual world atmosphere where you spend most of your time with your group and even sometimes live on the land, they’re on. However, if you’re more private like I am and want a more solo unrushed experience playing on these systems I would suggest an inactive group. These groups are sometimes online but they don’t base their life or virtual world lifestyle around the system. They normally do it when they’re bored or just want something to do while being a part of the system. This is the type of group I prefer because you also are less likely to run into any type of drama or issue with anyone and still get the same experience as playing with an active group. This is something to consider if you want to join one of these systems just be mindful of who you play with and what you want out of the game as a whole. These are things to think about before joining. Also, another thing you should consider is if you can dedicate time to keep yourself fed in either system that means logging on, I’d say once a day or once every other day. There is a sense of dedication to these systems but like I said it gives you something to do if you’re looking for that sort of experience in your virtual life.

You said there is drama? But I don’t want to deal with drama! I get that enough in my reality:

Don’t we all! But with anything that brings together a large group of individuals together with different personality types and interests, there will be some sort of conflict at some point. This is why I suggest inactive groups if you do join one of these systems. This is because even though there are different people with personality types and interests there not always around at the same time or just keep to themselves which brings less drama into, your atmosphere. Through the years while being a part of these systems I’ve seen people come and go while taking part of the active group experience. I’ve also seen full-on active groups die and become non-existent altogether because of drama. The system itself is a game however the impact that human individuals make on one another is not. Just be mindful of people and if you do join an active group just lay low, be mindful of others, and be careful. You can be in an active group and avoid drama there are always ways around things for example, when you see it starting just distance yourself. Stop going around as often etc. and communicate with those you trust in the group to see if it is okay to come back when the drama dies down. They will wonder where you went but then you can just say real life has been taking its toll. For the most part, if you stay out of the drama it won’t find you, however, if the drama includes you…good luck and Lord have mercy on your soul young padawan.

Achievements:

Both systems have an achievement system in the HUDs this has got to be my favorite thing with both A&D and Bloodlines. It’s the only thing that made me want to continuously play because if you’re getting rewarded for something, you’re doing it’s like validation. It’s like you’re doing something right an instant gratification. Which to be honest, I’m the type that needs instant gratification to feel like what I’m doing is right or okay, etc. I love the achievement system on both the websites are clean, easy to follow, and it just makes me want to beat everyone in the high score and achievements table because then you are well known. Other than that, you don’t get much out of it. Skilling and items: Well, this is a fun one to explain so the best way to describe this is on a smartphone you have an app store whether it be the Apple App Store or the Android Google Play store. Let’s say there is a game you want, and you find there are in-app purchases. That’s kind of how these systems run their game on Second Life. You can buy blood, tanks, caskets, etc. for Bloodlines to help your chances in the game with the virtual world currency Linden which you buy with real money or earn doing a Second Life job. With A&D there are add on’s, skilling items, etc. that you can buy to put on your land to craft in the comfort of your land, etc. So welcome to the land of in-game purchases though both claim that they’re all free. But to be fair they are free, but they have to make their money from, somewhere right?

In the end, it just comes to personal preference on pretty much everything discussed above do you want an active or inactive group? Do you want angels versus demons or vampires versus Lycans? The sky is the limit and just like everything else you can do in a virtual world you can be who you want and do what you want. These are just roleplay experiences to either get you into roleplay or put you on a set quest path like in a video game. Ready to add some spice to your virtual life? This may just be what you’re looking for.

Charming Ellie

Living Your Virtual Life to The Fullest

Category: Advice