Tag: SL

Experience: Obtaining a Camper in the New Linden Home Region of Bellisseria & Added Information on New Age Linden Homes

Experience: Obtaining a Camper in the New Linden Home Region of Bellisseria & Added Information on New Age Linden Homes

by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

After months of trying to acquire one of the new Linden Homes in the Bellisseria region, I finally was able to do so. I’ll be explaining my experience of how I obtained one and how those who are still trying to do so shouldn’t lose hope. If you haven’t read my post Bellisseria: Are Linden’s Expanding the Region then I should tell you it seems like they’re expanding the region to meet supply and demand of their premium consumers. If you’re even more intrigued, please feel free to look at the post! The hype is on for these new in-demand Linden homes.

*Note: this post is going to be a little longer than usual as I’m trying to fit a lot of information that relates to the same topic in one blog posting. I’ve added bolded titles so you can find exactly what you want to read. Feel free to skip around you don’t have to read the whole thing even though it would be appreciated. Any questions please feel free to comment or e-mail me at ember435@outlook.com*

Background Information on the Bellisseria Region:

Bellisseria was introduced by Linden Labs around the Spring of 2019 as a new region with what I’d like to call new age Linden homes these homes keep up with the graphical changes and consistent improvements of Second Life as a virtual world. This continent started with traditional homes and houseboats that use 1,024 sqm of your land tier which is how much tier premium members have when it comes to obtaining land in Second Life. This land tier recently went up earlier this year probably to make way for these premium Linden homes. This also means that they have a higher prim limit to decorating with. For those who are unaware, the original Linden homes were 512 sqm’s with 175 prims you can use to decorate with.

However, a few months ago Linden labs introduced a new Linden home theme in the Bellisseria region called the Campers or I just call it a Camper Region. This was introduced in a blog post from Linden Labs on September 24th and just like the other homes in this region they’re first come first serve. So those who of course knew about them before everyone else obtained them quicker than the consumers who find out after the initial hype of new content added to Second Life such as me. These new Linden homes stick to the original Linden home dimensions when it comes to the parcel of 512 sqm and 175 prims to use. But they’re newer and more interactive with a beautiful and vibrant community of premium members. Sometimes it’s better to have a smaller prim limit because this is how lag can be an issue in Second Life when there are too many objects on a server and scripts it makes your frame rates drop. 

In this region, you can travel by car or boat if there is anyone who likes doing either one of these it is 100% allowed and encouraged by Linden Labs.

They’re all hard to obtain but above I did type up a post on how I’ve come to the conclusion and have seen first-hand that Linden Labs is expanding the region with more of these options to even out the supply and demand of premium consumers versus these new-age Linden homes. I’m not going to lie even though I didn’t have one of these homes I still visited the region to look around and experience what the hype is for the Bellisseria region. I’ll say this there was a ton of hype and honestly, I’m not sure if the hype was 100% worth it just by looking around. However, they’re a lot nicer than the original Linden homes because they’re made of mesh and not prim with better textures and fit in with today’s graphic enhancements. The community is nice and each community as per usual has its theme which the community sticks too.

My Experience Obtaining a Camper in the new Camper Region in Bellisseria:

To begin, I’m a recent college graduate in real life so I have a little more free time on my hands than most of the casual players on Second Life. I went to an interview the other day came home and every day for a few months whenever I’m available I hop onto the Second Life browser webpage and navigate to the Linden home selection and see if there are any Linden homes available in the new Bellisseria region. Because honestly, I wanted one regardless of the hype. I tried to obtain one while taking a trip to a different state to visit my grandparents and other family members where there was a small availability on them but even with the time on my hands it was hard to obtain them because they’re first come first serve. Whoever presses the accept button first is going to snag it way before you even if you press it at the same time. I was unable to grab one during this time…so anyway, since then I’ve been consistently trying to find them as sparse as they are. Keep in mind the premium members can get one Linden home per premium account. I currently have a 1,024 sqm parcel in the Horizons sim which is 2x the prim allotment which gives me 702 prims to work with I currently rent that out to a friend. Then I own a 4,096 sqm mainland parcel for interior and exterior design which I love to do! So, I pay the extra $22 a month for that land. This means that my land tier for Second Life was taken unless I wanted to bump up to $35 a month to have more land tier. I would rather not but to be fair I wanted one of these new Linden homes so badly I wanted to understand the hype and see what they were like. When I logged on after my interview there was a houseboat available ONLY. I tried to snag it I did… but every time I tried and let me tell you I tried 8 times. I became blocked from trying again from the Second Life website because of the number of page refreshes on my end. Understandably, these new homes are in high demand and there are only so many of them available. I first upped my land tier in Second Life to $35 a month for 8,192 sqm that can be used to obtain the Linden home and more land elsewhere. After that, I went on incognito because I use Firefox as my browser and when I did this there was a houseboat STILL available and a traditional home. I tried the houseboat a lot and just wasn’t getting it, so the next best thing was trying for the traditional house. I couldn’t grab that either though. 

Then when I refreshed the page one more time…I’m not particularly picky when it comes to the theme of a Linden home. There was the houseboat STILL and then there was the Camper which is the brand-new Linden home region in Bellisseria and that was available I tried twice and then closed my eyes said three times was a charm and somehow got it. I don’t know why but I screamed with happiness when I was able to grab it, I didn’t think I’d be able to! Yes, it is a smaller sqm with the same amount of prim as the originals, but it was still a newer Linden home in the newest region. Let me tell you it took me a whole 10 minutes to go through this anxiety… nonetheless, I obtained one. Upon obtaining it I didn’t realize the starting model that you’re left with is a tiny house! For those who are unaware, I adore the tiny house movement and am a big supporter I honestly, want one of my own in real life I just wouldn’t know where to put it. But, when the region said camper, I was expecting campers, RV’s, trailers. Not a tiny home! I was super ecstatic my dream of owning a tiny house is coming true. The whole area is landscaped beautifully with the nicely textured ground, trees, etc. It was super nice, and the community was gorgeous. The parcels are a whole lot more private than the other homes on Bellisseria and even the original Linden homes. Even though the parcels are smaller this is so they can landscape around it so your parcel is a lot more private. After realizing this I loved it even more and wasn’t even disappointed in size or prim limit anymore. Privacy is super important to me in real life and Second Life and this just matched me perfectly.

About the Campers in the Camper Region of Bellisseria:

To make this a shorter section I’m just going to list everything that the Campers in Bellisseria offer:

  • 8 Campers that you can rez (1 at a time) from the rezzer in the corner of your parcel so you can always have a different one.
  • 512 sqm parcel 175 prims However, I found out the parcels are smaller because the extra space is landscaped for extra privacy which for those who want nice scenery and privacy more than decorating this is the newest Linden home to go within the Bellisseria region.
  • Beautifully landscaped to be a gorgeous forest theme
  • A vibrant community with matching lots and no eyesores
  • No highly scripted items slowing down your frame rates
  • So far from my experience friendly neighbors
  • Only minutes away from the traditional and boathouse community where you can sail
  • Community events in Bellisseria event area
  • All houses and landscaping are mesh and match the theme of the community (thank goodness!)
  • Your own space to add your radio to play in your parcel, invite friends, add and block people, etc.

Linden Homes Covenant (What you can’t do):

  1. Keep to the theme of the community
  2. Cannot use the home of the parcel for commercial purposes or activity
  3. Cannot deed the land to a group or sell it to another resident.
  4. Cannot remove or replace Linden’s home completely or modify the external appearance of the home.
Hello Kitty 45th Anniversary Event an Astralia & Sanrio Collaboration

Hello Kitty 45th Anniversary Event an Astralia & Sanrio Collaboration

by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Finally, something to report to all my Hello Kitty and Sanrio fans out there! To be fair, this isn’t about the Sanrio Town or the Hello Kitty Online game. Second Life often has various events going around made by creators and brought in from people just like you and I. A new event that just recently started up is Astralia’s Hello Kitty 45th Anniversary event and Celebration. It’s posted throughout the Second Life Linden Labs blog and to be honest I’m a little late hopping on this event bandwagon. Reality has stolen me from my creativity, and I’ve been hustling like most of us nowadays in the workforce. I had no idea that Astralia was a licensed partner with Sanrio no wonder I loved their products. For those who don’t know a lot of my inventory is filled with items from Astralia, I feel I’ve put a lot of real-life money into Second Life just for their creations and now it finally makes sense. Being a huge Hello Kitty and Sanrio fan since I was a little kid, I had to take part in this glorious celebration, and I’ve decided to take all my readers with me on this fabulous adventure!

*Note: Ahead of time I apologize if there are more photos taken and placed in this post than some of my others. This is a huge interest of mine and I’m just super excited to share my adventures at the event with you. Also, if you’re a premium member now is the time to use your perk in being able to enter sims, events, and shopping centers before those who don’t have the premium membership. For those who didn’t know this is one of the best perks of premium so you’re not standing outside of a sim for hours waiting to get in. Use this to your advantage for future places and events you want to get into. *

To Begin… Words of Encouragement:

I encourage all of those who love to explore in Second Life to visit some of these events that pop up always of the year. You don’t even have to like exploring just to check out some new places and redirect from the usual of your virtual life. I’ve learned the hard way the past few days but trying new things helps you to grow emotionally, physically, and mentally no matter what age you are.

Upon Entering:

You’re welcomed by a welcome bot created for the event. Those who don’t know these welcome bots aren’t real people behind the avatar. They’re set to send you a greeting either privately through IM or local. At this point it will also ask you if you want to join the Astralia group which is $149l this is for their VIP group honestly, it depends on who you are but I only pay for groups if I’m consistently at the store all of the time and want to support the creator. So, for me, the group was worth it. It’s up to you whether it’s worth it to you.

To you’re right you will see a map of the entire two sims and to the left, you will see a board that talks about the racing area where you add on a HUD and how to use it. Right behind you when you first pop in is the racetrack and right in front of you is where you want to go for everything else. Being me and wanting to see everything and not just the race track I just kept going straight. There was a good amount of people to make it a joyful experience. Not too many to the point where I’m lagging out of control but just enough to the point where I could meet new people, chat and enjoy everything in the sim without feeling like I was alone. If you keep going straight upon entering there is the Astralia store and then a right and left path, it’s up to you which way you want to go upon entering the sim. There was so much to explore that it took me about two hours to fully enjoy, try, and explore everything in the event. 

Souvenir Photos:

When you first enter from the welcome area and your past the bot to your right there is a photo area where you can snap yourself a souvenir photo. I did this because let’s be honest, events come and go, and I wanted to remember this one. This event hits home for me mainly because I’ve been a huge Sanrio and Hello Kitty fan since I was a kid and I’m still a huge fan. I never did grow out of it and I embrace it! But this was a lot of fun to do I’m glad they had a small area for this.

Shopping:

If you keep going straight after you first enter it leads you to the Astralia items for the event. You can buy pretty much everything that’s on the sim created by the Astralia. There is so much I’ll be honest; I’ll probably end up buying everything there’s so much that I want from the store all these items are created and licensed by both Astralia and Sanrio. These are going to be exclusive after the event so if there is something you want; I’d buy it before the event ends. Keep in mind a lot of the things will be a little pricey because it is Sanrio related items and they’re all part of an event, but this is something you should expect. It’s like going to Disney and expecting a water bottle to be $1 which we all know is never happening in a million years. I’d suggest checking out the store though it’s worth looking at.

Games and Interactive Things to do:

Where do I begin? There’s so much here to experience and do. From checking out a party area to the racecourse, outdoor bouncy maze, kids’ playground, Ferris wheel, boats to ride throughout the sim, and a small sitting dock. I loved the party area it did seem a little overwhelming at first, but I don’t expect anything less when it comes to Sanrio and Hello Kitty related anything. There is a large birthday cake which I grabbed a photo of and at the beginning of the event they held parties and DJ’d in that area. There is a VIP lounger for Astralia VIP members who bought the $149l group tag. There’s also, a Ferris wheel that works that your avatar can ride on and see one of the sims from up above which is always a fun time. You do lag a little when riding the Ferris wheel just a heads up on that I think it’s because of how much scripting went into the Ferris wheel itself to make it move… the racecourse almost takes up a whole other sim which is amazing and everything is Sanrio related it was so much fun to take a trip through my childhood in a race car. What I must say I enjoyed the most were the small little tube boats that you could take through both sims. The event is made up of two sims if I didn’t specify before and you’re able to explore everything from the comfort of your boat! It was a lot of fun and super exciting. If you’re also someone who enjoys playing Second Life as a child avatar (I do it sometimes for family RP’s) there is a small child’s area called the “child playground” here there is a bounce house, trampoline, and other interactive items you’re little avatar can interact with. Another thing I wanted to bring up was the gigantic board game looking area where I ended up sitting and taking a couple of photos and just relaxing out while I looked around. It was so relaxing, cartoony, and just environmentally pleasing. I loved it more than I probably should have! This is a Sanrio/Hello Kitty Heaven if you’re a huge fan you won’t know what to say and will probably spend a whole lot of time here.

To conclude, I am super speechless there was so much to explore, it kept my ADHD brain satisfied for hours. Which a lot of things don’t keep me entertained for long periods. I realized a lot of players in the area were new and a lot of them created avatars and entered Second Life specifically for the event. This event is bringing in new members into the virtual world community and entertaining our veteran players who have been around since Second Life has been around. Between the games, mazes, and interactive things to do on the sim there is a little something for everyone. Don’t forget about that souvenir photo I don’t want you to regret not taking one while you were there! I hope some of you will go and visit this event whether you’re bored and need something to do or just love Hello Kitty and Sanrio this is the perfect celebratory event for you.

SL Exploration: Ville de Coeur (Small French Village)

SL Exploration: Ville de Coeur (Small French Village)

by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Today we’re taking a mini-adventure to a small European village called “Ville de Coeur” this is a primarily English-speaking sim that has French architecture and culture. If you’re looking for a place that is both nice for photography and gives you a small taste of France, then you have come to the right place. This little village can be found in the “Destinations” tab of your viewer under “International” which means this area gets a lot of traffic. This is a place I’d consider checking out as it also mainly meshes and keeps up to standards with Second Life’s graphics advancements otherwise known as going fully mesh. While exploring this little village you’ll find that the demographics of users that you’ll find here are normally 35 and older. However, now and then I’ve run into someone who is around their late 20s early 30s. If you find someone younger here, for the most part, their either exploring, looking for a place to do photography, or just have an old soul. To be fair, this sim appeals to anyone and everyone even though it attracts older and mature individuals so don’t let this frighten you away from the overall concept and amazing community this little town has to offer. There is so much to do, always someone to talk to, and from what I’ve experienced thus far no drama (I normally try to find places with little to no drama, because who wants their Second Life experience ruined by other peoples issues?).

Ville de Coeur as told by one of the users who own a gallery within walking distance from the entrance of the sim is 7 connected full sims. I’m mainly focusing on the main area as this was mostly what I explored but will be sure to explore the rest later and compile a detailed post on it. This area is very pleasing to the eye, relaxing, romantic, and overall a lighthearted atmosphere. There are always people here and from what I’ve experienced everyone is extremely friendly in the area. There isn’t one person that I’ve questioned as far as their motives, everyone just wants to talk, relax, and enjoy the scenery. There are a lot of dance balls, poses, and snuggle areas as well as a small café by the docks. There are residential areas where those who want to be on the sim can live and enjoy more of the community. I wouldn’t say this is much of a come and go destination… if you come here you come and stay and explore everything. The French theme is seen everywhere with mimes lining the streets, churches, the French flags above the market corridor and cobblestone streets. In a sense, if you’re into old architecture it reminds me of an older France then today’s rendition of the country.

Meeting new people:

As I’ve stated, this sim is filled with so many friendly people my first visit into this area a gentleman was sitting by the dock with some coffee and a bottle of wine in a small little café created area. He welcomed me in and then asked me if I wanted to join him for a little bit if I’m honest I had to leave not long after he invited me over to chat and hang out with him. I felt bad because he was so nice about it and talked to me about the community. He explained, that he owned a small gallery in the area which is where I asked if it was real life photos displayed in Second Life or more along the lines of Second Life photography and photo editing. His gallery is Second Life photography there is nothing wrong with that as I take photos of all my adventures and then of course post it onto this blog. I will be joining him on a small walking tour of some point in the small village and community.

I’ve come here at all hours of the night so I could type up a genuine and true portrayal of this sim it required me to pop in quite a few times to be able to do so. In the end, if you’re looking for a drama-free place to meet new people and make new friends this is probably the perfect place to be. There is so much to do from walking around with a walking tour either with someone or alone to hanging out on the beach and partying in the small gazebo with a bar, seating, and dancing, there is so much to do. Also, if you love randomly dancing consistently throughout a city like you would find in a Broadway show when in a small city or village than you will appreciate all the dance orb rezzers throughout the entire sim. This is a perfect place for romance as well as it’s a very enjoyable place to be with that special someone. There are a lot of couple’s activities and dancing is for more than one person as well as some of the specific walkers. What I love the most about the people here is they don’t have a hidden agenda. You might get someone saying you’re pretty or attractive, but they aren’t going to try and de-robe you in bed within the next hour of talking to someone. Everyone here has values and isn’t the type to cause drama from what I’ve experienced the 8 times I’ve visited this area. The people who are here are here to be a part of a community and have fun by surfing the waves, dancing, virtual drinking, etc. Sex is not the primary thing on most of the peoples’ minds here so it’s a nice escape from the rest of Second Life.

Scenery:

When exploring if you can’t tell this sim is made from a French theme then you might want to re-evaluate what you can and cannot see. The theme of this village Is to connect it with an older version of France. Which of course is one of the most romantic countries in the world. The area is lined by the French flag in banners throughout the main sim of this area to a small gathering area with a water fountain. Which by the way is a super nice touch with the cobblestone streets, if I’m honest the area reminded me of how Charles Dickens in his literature describes his surroundings in 1800s England. It’s very beautiful and I feel literature enthusiasts and historians will appreciate this area! There are shops everywhere but ahead of time, I’ll explain that a lot of the shops here are mainly older Second Life outfits that aren’t mesh. But to be fair I still have some outfits like those in my inventory some things just never get old even when everything moves forward. It’s nice to support small businesses though so don’t let that throw you off from looking around. There aren’t any roads throughout this sim it’s all paths and walking areas so don’t be ready to bring out your Lamborghini’s and other cars you bought on the Second Life marketplace.

Aside from the actual city feel itself there is a nicely made beach right across the way with steps leading down to it. Over by the café I mentioned when you first land inside of the small village there is a boat dock. If you love to sail this is an awesome place to do it, I rezzed my boat and explored the scenery especially the outskirts of the sim it’s surrounded by beautiful trees and mountains. A perfect place for photography! The beach is right next to the docks.

There is so much to do there are sitting areas, you can swim, surf, sail, drink, dance, you name it you can do it on the beach except be fully nude. This isn’t a nude beach if you want to be nude on a beach there are sims specifically for that sorry my beautiful nudists out there. Right next to it which I explained in the “meeting people” section of this post is the small little shack where you can drink, sit, and dance in an outside bar-like setting. Right next to it is a small swimming area it’s a pool with a beautiful gazebo where I took a photo of my avatar. It was such a pretty section I just had too! There aren’t couple swimming animations but it’s there if you want to take a dip in the pool instead of the beach.

Everything about this sim matches the theme perfectly. There’s also a residential area if you’re looking to live in this small community to find out more about this please visit the Ville de Coeur website at https://villedecoeur.online/ where you can find more information about the community, events, and residential areas.

To conclude, I enjoyed my time here in Ville de Coeur and plan to visit more in the future. The scenery is gorgeous, and you can do pretty much anything in a beautiful setting. There’s so much to do and it’s just overall a super appealing area with so many kind people in the area to chat with and enjoy your time with. With so much to do, I would come to explore the beauty of this sim and how well made it is. If you have any more questions or want to know more about the sim please visit their website at https://villedecoeur.online/ until next time…

Chao!

SL Purposes & Dreams

SL Purposes & Dreams

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!

SL Exploration: An Arabian Night (Majilis Al-Jinn, Sands of Time)

SL Exploration: An Arabian Night (Majilis Al-Jinn, Sands of Time)

by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

My inner bohemian came out today and I kid you not when I say I found the perfect dessert fantasy sim to explore. Based on Arabian night tales that anyone could find in literature and cinematic films. This area has anything from hidden tombs to a relaxing oasis. There is something for everyone, the traffic is very slow, and this is an area I’d like to promote up a little more because there are more than users are giving it credit for. Sims often go overlooked especially international areas from the destinations list. This place reminds me of Aladdin.

To be fair this Arabian oasis is both historical and romantic I’m a hopeless romantic and honestly, I’d bring someone here on a date. There is so much to do and explore and the architecture is simply gorgeous. From exploring a palace to exploring the outdoors with palm trees, crystals, vases, and more there is so much beauty to be seen. Inside when you first start on a little island surrounded by a colossal building you have two paths you can go on. One leads you to what I call the jewel and treasures room, the tombs, and the oasis. The other path leads you outside on a little path with gorgeous scenery and sitting areas. To be fair I started on the route to the tombs, there are statues everywhere that are textured so nicely that they look realistic. Crystals are lining almost every door frame which shows the fantasy aspect. The door frames remind me more of an Egyptian building kit I’ve seen but it works just as well with an Arabian theme as well.

Tomb:

The tomb is located up the stairs which feel like you’re in a tower. There is an open tomb where you’re welcomed by a statue that makes me question if there is a mummy that escaped inside of the sim. Luckily, I haven’t seen one yet, so I think we’re safe! To the right, there is a sitting area and a statue which people normally pray to. To be honest, my knowledge of Arabian culture starts and ends with Aladdin, some literature, and this sim. So, If I’m wrong about something this is a disclaimer, I don’t know a whole lot about the culture, but I started reading up on it recently to better understand some of the Arabian sims on Second Life. The architecture is Moroccan and almost culturally accurate from what I’ve seen when looking up photos on google. Yes! I google imaged everything to discover how accurate everything in this sim truly was even though it is explained as being a fantasy type of sim. Gems are lining the doors and there is writing covering the walls. The inside of this structure is very dark, but it has every right to be so if you take photos just be careful and aware that they may come out way darker than you expect it to be.

The Outdoor Part of The Oasis:

On the roof of the structure, you’ll find a gorgeous palace area with peacocks and an outside corridor with a little birdbath that had crystals at the bottom, paired with beautiful scenery. This is where I’d suggest bringing someone if you’re looking for something elegant and romantic to woo that special someone. The floors are brick and tiled to show wealth and purity the peacocks moved around the corridor. The outside reminds me of an aristocratic house’s garden. It was extravagant and beautiful I suggest checking it out if you’re looking for something new to explore in Second Life.

In The Palace:

In the palace there are more than enough sitting areas, however, keep in mind a lot of the couches, chairs, and floor seating is one-person seating with not that many poses if any aside from one when you sit on the object. But the inside of the palace is simply gorgeous and it’s huge!  There’s so much to see and take pictures of. I had to be careful with how many photos I took because I was getting picture happy inside of the palace. I’m sure there are other surprises, but I didn’t go too in-depth with the inside of the palace.

Nonetheless, I’m sure there are places little Easter eggs and hidey holes I haven’t yet explored throughout the entire island. As there are so many places in this one area to explore and so much to see. But, from what I have seen this is a beautiful Arabian adventure for any explorer who is interested in a fantasy Arabian night adventure. From an underground exploration into a tower with a tomb to a rooftop fantasy Arabian garden with a gorgeous palace there is a little something for everyone to enjoy here and if you’re a photographer and love photographing your adventures or need a place as a realistic background for a client this is the perfect place for it!

SL Exploration: Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO

SL Exploration: Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO

by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Exploration lies deep within our human DNA, no matter what we love to explore even if we aren’t aware that we’re doing it. I’ll be honest today was a somewhat boring day for me in my reality and I thought I’d jump into Second Life and do a little bit of exploring. During my travels, I came across a Russian sim by the name “Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO”. I felt like exploring something that at some point could also be seen in real life, so I used the destinations button on the left-hand side of my firestorm viewer and went to the “international” tab to begin. Heads up there are a lot of Brazil areas to visit recently. Since this wasn’t a Brazilian area, I chose it not that I have anything against Brazil there are just so many areas made to replicate it and when you’ve been to one you’ve been to them all. I can’t wait to jump right in and tell you all about my experience in the Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO!

The scenery in this sim is very well put together and is a beautiful little town to take some photos in if you’re a Second Life photographer. The scenic surroundings are so relaxing and welcoming that it relaxes you and makes you enjoy the area. It has an older country feel to it that I surrounded by trees, forests, grass and flowers (here and there). It reminds me of an area before capitalism takes over and builds skyscrapers, shops, cities, etc. in its place. Keep in mind this is just one sim there aren’t any connecting sims to visit but honestly, you only need the one sim it’s so beautifully put together and there is a lot to see and explore. When you first enter the sim there is a bike rezzer to your left where you can rezz a bike from a store called {What’s Next} that you’re able to use on the sim to cruise around while you enjoy the scenery. It’s a fast and easier way to get around the sim because guess what? This sim disabled flying so you’re either walking, running or biking. It stays true to realism and to be fair you must give the creator credit for that. If you’re making a realistic place, why shouldn’t everything about it be real? One issue I’ve had is because there is a lot to load even with good connection speed and a gaming laptop with high specs it took about 5-10 minutes for the entire area to load. So, if you visit please be patient while everything loads in. Go grab a glass of water start some music get comfortable by that point it should be ready to go.

The small-town community feels is just something I can’t get over I live in an extremely populated area in my real life and I’ve always like small old town areas because it’s the complete opposite of what I experience and it’s nice and relaxing to me. There are slopes, hills, and trees galore but what I loved the most were the little sitting areas that are scattered around the entire sim where you can sit and just enjoy your time. These areas have cuddle options so if you want to take someone on a date here it’s perfect! My new favorite little gem about this place is a small little walkway leading you out to a small little beach area with a dock overlooking the water and hills afar. If you turn the environment settings to sunset, it’s worth every moment you spend there. If only I had a cup of tea and a book it would be the perfect afternoon the sun glistens off the water, it’s almost something from a dream scene that you’d see in a movie. If you don’t visit for anything else, I highly suggest visiting just to see this viewpoint from the dock.

One thing I wanted to mention is sometimes people get annoyed when visiting sims because there is furniture or scenery that looks to much like prim instead of mesh. I’ll be honest even I get a little bit annoyed about this. Luckily this scenic area is all meshed all the furniture, houses, objects, trees, surroundings, grass, and plants are all mesh and look realistic and true to their textures. Thank goodness! This is somewhat a pet peeve of mine now, not that I have anything against prim but with today’s expectations of Second Life and advancements in technology and graphics, I can’t fully appreciate prim anymore because of the realism mesh objects bring. Also, I find mesh important when creating a realistic area because realism is key if you’re trying to recreate a real place. Another quick thing I’ve noticed, and I didn’t take a photo of it because I didn’t feel the need to is right when you rezz in there is a camping site. With this, there is also a concert stage that looks like it doesn’t blend it with the rest of the theme and scenery. I’m not quite sure if I like it or the setup it almost feels as if it’s out of place with everything else. However, this is something that can be overlooked considering the rest of the sim. An important note is there’s a sandbox on this sim with a 30-minute auto-return so if you need to rezz or unpack an item then this little town has it all with its area to do it!

Overall, if you’re looking for a place with a little bit of small-town charm and a sim that gives you beautiful scenery and shows the beauty of the countryside in Russia than this is the area to explore and I highly suggest it. It has so much to offer and so much to explore I was easily able to spend about an hour here. Below is the SURL that you can copy and paste into your viewer at the top or you can just click it and it will bring it up in your browser to teleport too. This place is something special!

Click here to go to Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO

Hit the Restart Button and Be a Noob for a day

Hit the Restart Button and Be a Noob for a day

by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

To bring heartfelt honest opinions and content to everyone I tend to never post what I won’t go out and do for myself. This time around the goal was to find out if Second Life is a virtual world that is user-friendly and accessible and easy to understand for all users who decide to choose this platform to start their virtual world journey. I decided to hit the reset button and create a whole new account and start over to bring all of you a detailed post on my experiences being a noob in Second Life today.

Disclaimer, this post is filled with ideas and opinions that are mine from my experiences if you have constructive criticism please feel free to comment or message me but there shouldn’t be any hate. This is what I went through as an individual in this virtual world experience and I’m bringing back what I’ve experienced with me to show and help you as the reader who is interested in joining a virtual world or just wanted to know more about them. Another thing to add is this post will be a lot longer than a lot of the others as I must fit in a large amount of content into a smallish type post (I tried this won’t be a small post). If there is a section, you want to know more about than another I went ahead and titled each area for all of you if there is a section you might not want to read.

Let’s get started!

Signing up:

As for most virtual worlds, you start with the whole signing up. Whether or not it is a viewer or platform-based or a browser-based virtual world the sign up is always in your internet browser. One thing I found super cool is when signing up for a Second Life account now it gives you an option to be male, female, or gender variant/non-binary (how they labeled other). Because my first avatar is named Ellie, I went with the username EllieThePracticalWitch cute huh? Anyway, it also gives you the option right then and there if you want to be basic or premium which is nice. I honestly didn’t know premium was available until a friend told me about it which is when I began paying for it about two years ago. I’ll be posting a post about that in the future. It only gives you the option to download the Second Life default viewer with no third-party software. Even though I use a third-party open sim viewer I downloaded the default viewer just to see differences and specifics since I’ll also be doing a post on firestorm versus the default Second Life viewer so stay tuned for that. Then you realize technology is a little creepier than you expect because it came up knowing that I was brand new without me putting my information in such as my username and password. How fun! But it does tell you what you’re about to experience with pictures of what each place looks like.

To the right, it says: “Your first step is learning island. Find the exit portal!”

To the left, it says: “Then explore the social island and meet other new residents!”

Well, let’s see what happens since we’re “new” currently.

It seems like when you pop in as I stood at the landing point for a little bit people get randomly put into a default avatar. You can’t choose which default avatar you want to be to start anymore. In the past you could they also had furry options which were nice if you’re into the furry community. But now most of their avatars are either human, angels & demons, vampires, or just fantasy-themed I’m assuming from the medieval era. At the beginning you also receive this message:

Freebie store at the end of the corner before it sends you on your way into the world of Second Life after the tutorial.

════[ YOUR APPEARANCE ]═════════════════

Don’t worry about how you look right now.  Enjoy this tutorial, and at the end of it, you will be led to the Freebie Megastore where you can customize your appearance.

═════════════════════════════════

Meli Imako Freebie items for male avatars in Second Life these are mesh items and super nice quality.

This is a game-changer because in the past I had no one I had to make my own money or online currency and buy things myself to not look super noobish or find my freebie store. So, I give major props to Linden Labs for moving forward giving newer players everything they need so far to get started. They also give you signs to teach you how to interact with the environment around you which is super helpful if you have no idea what you’re doing. Another huge step up in the game is for male avatars their giving away nicely made mesh clothes with full permissions created by a popular full permissions creator in Second Life whose name is Meli Imako. That just blew my mind because I normally buy a lot of her stuff and then re texture it. I’m super blown away currently. To be fair it’s only 4 items in a small shop that says “freebie” down the street, but something is way better than nothing. For those wondering you can grab a landmark to the actual freebie store that you can go to after the tutorial process.

Free to play games that you will find on gambling sims otherwise known as skill gaming sims.

Something cool they also had was some of the gambling games out to show newer players that they’re available, however, you have to be in a state that allows online gambling but you can play these free play machines if you wish to. Sorry Floridians I know for a fact that we can’t go into skill gaming regions these are gambling sims. Online gambling is now illegal in the state of Florida as well as a few other states as well.

I know I put this a little lower than when I explained this portion but this is to give you an idea of how they lead you through the tutorial. They have boards up that teach you how to do everything in Second Life which is nice. I feel you can learn at your own pace this way which is super nice some of it is confusing like this board but in other words its how to change your view point such as third person, first person, front view, etc. You don’t have to do this ever but it’s there if you want to.

Their welcome hubs are now London themed and it’s called London City. I can only imagine the main reason for this is because Linden Labs is in the United Kingdom which makes perfect sense. But the beginning tutorial is very user-friendly it teaches you exactly how to do everything in an environment you’re comfortable in with other players who are new so you don’t feel anxiety stricken that you’re around “seasoned” players who might not give you the time of day. It’s a more positive environment and everyone is on the same new level.

When you first start with the sign-up process it seems rather straight forward and simplistic. The viewer itself is somewhat complicated but you learn how to use it with time. You can stay in the beginner areas if you want or need you can also revisit back to it by taking the landmark which will be a gigantic red pin and then click it to gain the landmark. Then if you need more practice or don’t feel comfortable going out to other places yet while you’re still learning you know you’ll be accepted in London City.  

Avatar Editing:

This is going to be a little tough you can edit pretty much everything with an avatar every piece of the face, every aspect of the body, and everything else such as clothes to make-up, etc. The avatar creation process is extensive and there is so much you can do. The avatar body appearance creator is slider based with different measurements it changes the appearance of your overall body and face of your avatar. However, as far as freebies nowadays most cost about 1l each sad fact but I found it extremely hard to customize my avatar without adding a little bit of money onto the virtual world to get some virtual world currency to get started. But luckily the 1l freebies are relatively worth the buy they’re not the unwanted stuff that you’d probably find years ago. So I’d put the minimum amount that Second Life allows you to spend to get some currency to spend on creating your avatar here is what you might need to spice it up if you don’t want to grab a mesh body, etc yet.

A nice hair = 150-300 lindens

Clothes = 1 linden on up

Skin = can be expensive I’ll say 200 on up

Shoes = 1 linden on up

A nice AO = 250-3,000 lindens

This is an example of linden pricing on clothing for relatively nice items that don’t make you look too bad. Otherwise you won’t be able to find mesh products you would have to go with early 2000s prim products which users somewhat frown upon nowadays in Second Life.

You can find many things in many different price ranges but for a relatively nice avatar while not being up to date with a new body and mesh head I’d expect spending $5-$10 USD to get started. If you want things in the future, by all means, get a job on Second Life or just add more on but otherwise, you will be stuck with the default avatar and honestly, you don’t want that after the one-month point. I’ll be honest I tried to put a relatively nice avatar together with 0 lindens and it’s impossible. It was the biggest challenge, I had to settle with prim/Flexi hair which is hair made from the early 2000s when Second Life first released. Creating an avatar is not beginner-friendly it took me a good hour starting over to just finish the shape I wanted. I’m telling you I didn’t know how tough Second Life could be for a beginner just starting with the platform. For me, it would be easier because I’m an experienced user but I feel if someone in their 70s just needed something to do and pass the time while being social they would have trouble with creating an avatar unless they wanted to keep the default and just explore. It almost makes me super happy that I create How-To posts related around both IMVU and Second Life I feel without them people would be super lost on what to do. This avatar creation system could be a lot more beginner-friendly for the time being though I’ll be creating more posts now that I know how difficult this could be for a newer player. I’m sorry that Second Life can be a little complicated I never thought anything of it because I’m used to the platform and how to do everything but now, I know how difficult it can be. It’s almost awful. Keep an eye out for more posts in my How To’s.

Exploring:

To be fair you can start exploring right away! However, you might be frowned upon for doing so but screw it you’re here to experience new things and have fun. Don’t let anyone stop you from doing so whether you’re new or not. When I went to certain clubs in my default avatar, I was pushed to the side from a lot of players but in the sea of seasoned players, you find that one person who is nice to everyone. I found this individual and were friends now she took me out exploring even though I have the experience, but she doesn’t know that. I thank her for being the one person in the whole game that I’ve talked to that wanted to help and be friends with me in this vast world. I wrote a post on Noobs and what they fear the most. The answer was acceptance and it is the truth I can see how newer players could get discouraged. Honestly, it hurt that players either ignored what you said, talked behind your back in IM’s, or talked right in front of your face because you didn’t look as good as some of the other avatars in the area, you’re in. It put a lot of things into perspective for me but with this one individual, she showed me around some of her favorite places. She brought me to virtual theme parks, stores, online museums, you name it we were there. Exploring is as easy as going to the destinations guide in your browser or hitting the icon that looks like something, you’d find on Google Maps and picking where you want to explore in the popular destinations. To the right, you can see what this icon looks like and to the left, you can see the browser version and how everything is separated into categories. Exploring and learning the controls is the easiest part of Second Life anything to do with creation is more advanced. People might say no but there is a lot to putting a good avatar together at the start as I explained above. For newer players, I’m posting a small How-To below on how to explore using the destination guide with photos hopefully this helps some of you who are reading.

How to use the Destinations Guide & How to Pull it up:

  • In your Second Life viewer, you will see icons at the bottom of your screen one says destinations click that to pull up a popular or editors pick version of the destination guide.
  • Or you can open up your browser go to www.secondlife.com and at the top tabs, you’ll find world map click that.
  • Once you have clicked the world map in your browser on the side you will find the destination guide which is the same thing you’ll find in your viewer to the right of the destination guide in your browser you will find the map and where that spot is located that you’re looking for. Almost like Google World or Google Maps.
  • If you want the full destination guide at the top there are more clickable words one says destinations click that and it will bring you to the destinations page. The destinations page is labeled by category of what you’re looking for as seen in the photo below.
Click Destinations
What the destinations guide page looks like in the browser
Destinations guide labeled by category off to the side that you can pick what you’re looking for easily.
The page has a recently added places so new places that you can visit in Second Life.
They also have an editors pick of some of the places that Second Life individuals and editors enjoyed the most during whatever month it is. For example, these are Septembers editor’s picks.
  • Once you click a place in the destination guide it will give you two buttons you can view it on that map, I told you about in your browser or teleport straight to it. It will open up in your viewer for easy teleporting and you’re good to go just hit teleport in your Second Life browser when it pops up.
When you click a destination in the web browser this comes up. It has a description of the place and two buttons. One says teleport the other says view on the map. Viewing it on the map will bring you back to the page with the destination guide and the world view map. Teleport will open up a window which you can see in the next photo.
When you hit teleport this will pop up or something similar to this if you’re not using Firefox. You will click Second Life and then open link if you want you can click the remember my choice. Then you don’t have to continue doing it every single time.
You will then get this in your viewer and you’ll use this to either view it on the map or teleport to the location in your viewer.
How it looks like when you press view on map in a browser setting you will get something similar on your map in the viewer as well. I wanted to show this so you knew what would come up if you did it.

Overall, Second Life is a lot of fun but for newer users, it can be somewhat frustrating to a fault, but it is possible to overcome this. Now that I know the truth and how hard it can be for newer individuals I’m going to be releasing more and more How-To’s as you have seen in this post, I added a few How-To do certain things like finding the destination guide to explore, etc. If I had to compare IMVU is a lot more user-friendly to start with virtual worlds but on the other hand, there is more to do and experience in the world of Second Life you’ll never be bored and there is always something new you can learn. My experience was interesting, but it had its moments where I was trying to create an avatar with 0 lindens (Second Life’s currency) which as I stated is almost impossible to do. Or shape creation which could be more for the advanced users. The only non-beginner thing I could experience during this test was avatar creation everything else seemed rather simple and straight forward when you get used to the Second Life default viewer. This was my experience some may find it harder than others and that is okay we all learn at our own pace. If you’re struggling, I encourage you to ask questions even if you might get ignored and always remember there are blogs like mine aimed towards newer members getting started in virtual worlds and of course YouTube videos. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them I’m always willing to help if I can.

Until next post!

What Noobs Fear the Most

What Noobs Fear the Most

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.

SL Look Book: Boho Beach

SL Look Book: Boho Beach

by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Today I’m bringing you a fresh look based off of Cali girls in the 90s. I wanted to go with a boho chic look this time around as it gives a very teen/beach vibe. I wanted to add a sort of ethnic vibe to her hence the hair I decided to pair with the outfit. For my first Second Life Look Book outfit I wanted to create something simple that you could wear. I also wanted to put items, clothing, skin, and hair you could find easily to re-create the look if you wish. Also for those who don’t know all of my Look Book photo’s are only slightly edited. This is on purpose this is because I want others to know how their avatar will look in world without any perfections added onto it. This way you know what you’re getting into if you copy this look.

Some of these I put the demo version for it’s because for example, for the hair there are different hair colors. Or for the make-up you definitely want to try the demo first to see if you like before purchasing for 150l.

How to Obtain a Pet in Second Life? & What are Breedables?

How to Obtain a Pet in Second Life? & What are Breedables?

by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The first question you might be asking yourself just by examining the title is, what are breedables? The definition of breedables in the world of Second Life is a pet that is taken care of just like you would take care of a pet in reality. However, this pet can be bred to make exclusive versions of the pets you have that you can either sell for online currency or keep and show off. Breedables are popular because it gives the full experience of owning a pet such as buying food, collars, water, etc. to take care of the pet and keep it’s stats or happiness, health, and sleep levels up just like you would take care of yourself or a real-life pet. However, some people only use breedables for breeding them and making popular breeds or unique traits and coats for their pets. Some sell for over USD 100 in the virtual world platform of Second Life. Amazing! Isn’t it? This is just one form of pet that you can own in Second Life. However, if you’re like me and have too much responsibility with a real-life pet and don’t want to put too much real-life money into Second Life to get virtual currency to spend on taking care of a pet, then you might be interested in virtual pets that aren’t breedables and guess what? They do exist, and they’re just a one-time price.

JIAN is a famous pet maker in Second Life they specialize in creating mesh and Animesh pets that you don’t have to take care of, but you can interact with them. By interact you won’t be able to feed them or whatnot, but you can hold them, pet them, give them toys, watch them wander around, take pictures with them and Instagram it all over the internet or whatever millennials do nowadays, etc. This is my chosen option for having pets or any animal in Second Life as these are carefree, so if I’m offline, they won’t get sick, pass away, or die. Which let’s be honest I think most of us would prefer something like the JIAN pets, especially if you have a busy lifestyle or use Second Life to escape real-life responsibilities.

An example of breedable pets that are popular and constantly found throughout Second Life are:

  • Amaretto and ABC horses
  • KittyCats
  • Zooby Babies (yes breedables can be baby avatars as well crazy huh?)

These are just a few, but these from what I’ve seen are the most popular breedables that can be found and that are enjoyable to most individuals. I, for one, will be honest with all of you I have had and acquired all three and have been roped into them for years. However, now I only have KittyCats which keep getting sick because I’m not around a whole lot (at least they’re not dead) and Zooby babies (recently they went from prim to mesh so to take care of them is a lot cheaper than in the past and worth it). I will type up a whole post about Zooby babies and my experience with them in the near future. If you’re interested in that, please keep an eye on future posts. But from experience breedables can get pricey, especially if you don’t control yourself with how many you have. If you have one or two, it isn’t so bad but any more then that and to keep them happy and healthy takes a toll. To be fair though a lot of Second Life users see breeables as almost a game. If this is something you’re interested in, then go for it! It can be fun but realize money does go into them and to keep your breedable habits under control if you try it.

As far as JIAN pets I own quite a few of their pets and animals but my all time favorites that I own are:

  • Guinea Pig’s
  • Cats
  • Wolves
  • Ferrets

These are so great, especially if you like watching animations they scamper around, do little tricks, make noises, everything a breedable can do. They are fantastic and a great addition if you own a parcel or piece of land to call home on Second Life. They have their perks, and in the long run, they’re a lot cheaper than taking care of a breedable.

Overall, there are two ways to have pets in Second Life above I have provided two examples one primary example of breedables and one example of just having a pet or companion to have with you throughout your virtual journey. These are just some ideas if you’re looking to get started with a pet on Second Life. I will be creating posts both on JIAN animals and my breedable experiences. I’m going to have a post on Zooby babies and hope you will keep an eye out for all of them. If you have questions about breedables or finding a pet for you’re avatar and self to enjoy in Second Life, please leave a comment below, and I will answer as soon as I possibly can.