Second Life Woes

KristyC

I've 'played' Second Life for months.  The experience has been mindboggling, practically anything you can think of to do or be, is there for you.

Your avatar is infinitely customizable, you can be plain-jane or glamorous enough to make super-models turn green with envy.  You can be a dragon if you like, the choices are all yours.

You can earn money in SL if you learn to design items, say clothing, hair etc., or build structures.  Or like some (not myself of course), hehe, become an dancer, stripper, escort at one of the many clubs.

You can sky drive, go into space, scuba, race, fight, the list is nearly endless.

BUT,

It takes a pretty up-to-date PC to get into SL.  Be sure you read the system requirements, those are the minimum requirements.

Lag is often horrendous, spend a few minutes trying just to walk one step forward and you can imagine the frustration.

Nearly every time they update SL (usually on Wednesdays) it becomes that much harder to log back into the game successfully.  The company is interested alot more in new gee-whiz stuff than fixing the problems that crop up.  SL support is mostly useless.  If you can't get in or something goes wrong their attitude seems to be "Too bad for you".  So they lose alot of subscribers that way.

The only reason I put up with all the headaches in Second Life is that once you do get in, its so darn exquisitely beautiful. 

Thlay

This game has captured my interest. I am looking for a new MMORPG and have started a thread here: http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/101738

Could you perhaps provide me with some information on this game? What can you do? Is there combat?

Knightblast

It's not so much a "game" as a virtual world.  You can play games in that world, like paintball, swordfights, shooting games and the like, but they are games within the virtual world, not the "point" of SL.  SL is like having a virtual life, except you have no responsibilities, can do whatever you like, and go wherever you want.  It's fun once you get into it.  At the beginning most people are boggled by it, because it isn't a "game", and they're trying to figure out how to "play" it.  What you "do" in SL is explore around, look at the neat things people have created, and find fun tyhings to do, whether it's playing games with other people, going to a nightclub, getting hooked up, building a house, running a store (or shopping in one), etc.  It's like a virtual world, but not a game per se.