Hello fellow SLers, I just recently took the setp into the matri... err my second life, and I've been having a concern. Now I'm your traditional "MMORPG" player, and I realise that second life is less a "game" and more of a "world". Now the downer I'm having is I can't seem to find any locations that host activites other than talking while in a pose, or talking while camping or well... talking.

Now I know the world is a social world, but is there any place where one can find an activity... I guess I'm probably not looking in the right spots, but my point is I want the time I spend in second life to have meaning (aside from just chating with friends, which I enjoy doing very much... I just want more haha).

Well thanks for your imput, if I do get settled into SL I may very well buy land so I can have a house and a true "footing" in the world.

Creation is the key here. It's the biggest activity next to the social thing.

Here are just some of the things you can make in or out of the game, for the game:

Animals, Trees, Vegetation, Textures, Housing, Offices, Skyscrapers, Shops, Clothes, Hair, Avatar shapes, Avatar skins, tattoos, body piercings, avatar animations, custom avatars (like dragons and stuff), vehicles, sound effects, furniture, sculpted 3d models (sculpted maps), avatar accessories, weapons, armour, programming/scripting, gadgets and a whole bunch of other stuff that you could possibly dream up.

For texture work you need a graphics application for: Building textures, clothes, skins, tattoos etc. http://www.gimp.org

For building you need the in game building tool and a sandbox to experiment in (Search for sandbox in game).

For 3d sculpted maps you need a 3d application that has the ability to save models as sculpted maps, and the in world building tool - this is very involved. http://www.blender.org - http://www.wings3d.com

For animations you need a program you can animate with, like Poser, and the second life avatar models. http://www.avimator.com

For any of this work, you need skill and the patience to learn.

Some Great Tutorials: http://www.mermaiddiaries.com/2006/11/build.html

Other SL activities include: roleplaying, roleplay battle systems, combat arenas, vehicle racing, exploring, night club event hosting, night club dancing, escorting, playing live music, land development and rentals, advertising and promotion - and most of all... making money.

Creation is where most of the fun and prosperity is. If you get really, really skilled at doing something in the game, then you can make money with it, but it's very difficult to do so.

For renting and land selling/management, you need real life investment capital, great business sense, an in-depth knowledge of the SL land market and demand, a lot of patience, a thick skin and unbreakable comittment.

Good luck :)

Oh yeah, I almost forgot:

http://www.bplaces.com

There's a few really nice places to go on that site. And on weekends they give you a few linden dollars per vote too.

I recommend for sightseeing: Dublin, Mexico Chichen Itza, Botanical Straylight, Alpine Executive Center (great skiing!), Abbots Aerodrome, Luskwood, Lost Gardens of Apollo, and Dahab, Egypt :)

Wow I tried SL a long time back but couldnt get into it. I plan on studying Computer Science at Uni later this year and therefore will be getting some programming knowledge to hopefully give SL another shot and start inventing stuff.

But great job on your reply. Extremely informative & useful :)

Aside from Content Creation, have you tried searching for Amusement Parks?  Thats a start.

There's also a Myst like sim called Numbakula, which I thoroughly enjoy- yet have to solve.

There's also countless RP sims & Groups.  Think of it as Text RP but with Visuals.

if you are more into it as a game i would sugest the RP sims

look up in search- places - triskele. thats a fantasy RP world... they have regular joust tournaments. archery tournaments, swords tournaments, mage tournaments, on top of the normal events

if you do go there look for Wisold Sage he is the owner of the island. he will be able to direct you to where you can get suited up and in style "although i warn you you might need to spend a bit of money" i sell swords in their sim, and they go for roughtly 1US$ per sword... so i dont expect you to spend more than 10$ and you will be set for the next few months... also you can find many free things, not of great quality, but nonetheless usable.

Originally posted by Retard0

Aside from Content Creation, have you tried searching for Amusement Parks?  Thats a start.

 

There's also a Myst like sim called Numbakula, which I thoroughly enjoy- yet have to solve.

There's also countless RP sims & Groups.  Think of it as Text RP but with Visuals.

 

YES!  When I start to get bored with SL, Numbakula is the first place i go!   And then amusement parks!

Look for "Spook House" ride!  Very much like the old spook house rides of carnivals! 

The way I see it- if you're 'bored' in Second Life... you need to be spoon fed things to do.

There is always something new to find, to do, to see, to explore.

I've never been to, or ever will, the caves in Lascaux, France.  But someone built them in SL.  I went, I explored,  met people, and had fun doing it!!

I've never been to NASA, or any other space launch, but in SL I was able to explore that.

Never been skydiving, but in SL, I was able to.

Even encountered sky-diving buddhists!! LOL!!!

For all those that say "After 1 hour, Second Life suxxors!!"  I say- you have no imagination.  No ability to think "outside the box" nor the ability to do anything other than what a designer & some giant corporation tells you.

Finding RP places with scripted combat systems are fun.. though I'd avoid Gor.. at least on SL. It's basically guys killing eachother and raping slaves.

........all day long.

Star Wars RP is fun. :)