Hello all,

ive been reading around and this game seems to have a good community, now, i was wondering, how is it that people make hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars?

if i get into the game and pay just the monthly sub and such, am i able to make money myself? do i get some land to open a shop or something?

i understand that you can make, virtually, ANYTHING, is this true? does it cost real money or ingame money to make these things or are you able to make stuff as you want?

next, say if i were to want to make a bunch of money, i would make something that could appeal to a lot of people, right? now just a random thought, a lot of people like blowing up people, in a purely virtual and semi-comical way, could i possibly make (with the proper knowledge) something like a nuclear bomb that could blow up a lot of stuff? this could be appealing to people to buy...or is this something that would be against a terms of use sorta thing? if it is, what about small weapons like hand guns, swords, etc...giving people a lot of action in the game, maybe even open up something like an arena with a combat system where people could battle it out, would this all be possible and potentially good money makers?

lastly, what is the conversion of second life money to real life USD?

thanks for help

I never thought I would like this VW because I didn't back when I tried it in 06. I gave it another shot and I'm having a blast. Maybe It's cause I'm getting sick of the run of the mill MMO stuff, or maybe it's because I came from SWG and miss the sandbox stuff, or maybe I'm getting old.

 From what I've seen since I've given it a second try is that people have poured alot into it and made some really cool stuff. Not your basic novice scripted 3D crap either. Profesionally done items with real texturing, sound, effects ect. Alot of the better creators of objects within SL are graphic artists who make money off selling items within SL. Imagine that. Some where in this forum there's a story about a guy who made his living off making Tattoos for avatars. I happen to have met a builder recently who makes houses in SL and is a graphics artist IRL. She's got some of the best house designs I've seen so far. People can sell their skills whatever they might be in this VW and take the Lindens they make and sell them back for RL money. The conversion rate isn't super great. but it is possible to make real money doing something in a virtual world.

You got a mix of people in SL, role players, people just trying to make money, and adverage everyday socialites who just want to meet people, a few scammers and wierdos, but really I've found them few and far. It's easy to avoid the seeder sides of towns if you choose.

#1 Rule of Second Life:  Don't come with hopes of making "Big $$$".  Come for the fun.  The social experience.  Come with an open mind & a willingness to learn new skills. 

Just as a Real Job, a Second Life job can eat up alot of time. 

Last I checked, the conversion rate was:

$L275 = $1

whatever abilities you have to make 1,000's of cash in secondlife would end up making you at least twice that in real life(first life :D ).

Originally posted by paulscott

whatever abilities you have to make 1,000's of cash in secondlife would end up making you at least twice that in real life(first life :D ).

Yes.  BUT- if you already have REAL money to spend, as some do, you can easily set yourself up as a landlord.

Yet where else can you invest $0, and turn it into $$???

At one time, Basic Accounts (a.k.a. Free) got $L50 every Tuesday. 

I used that for uploads ($L10 per upload).  Spent a few weeks uploading textures, skins, and sounds.

Now I'm a Premium Account, own land which I could easily sell off for 4 x what I paid for it (which would net me a nice tidy sum), and I pull in anywhere from $300-$500 a month on stuff I did 2 years ago.  

SO- for sinking in $0, I managed to have a hobby that pays for itself plus extra. 

I use the REAL world paycheck for bills N stuff.  SL provides me the FUN money. 

Much better hobby than scrapbooking IMO.

I have been with Second Life since August 2006 and been through a lots experiencing myself as as a club's greeter/dancer, salesman, poker player, and stock market investor earning L$. 

It's really fun earning about L$600 (USD2) daily and was about to subscribe myself for land investment till Second Life start banning the gaming and banking transaction. At the end, I ended up losing my hard-earning L$ in the investment.

In conclusion, think of having fun in Second Life rather than trying to make big L$. I am sure they are still one of the best virtual life platform for everyone and it's still free.

You can blame the ban of Banks & Gambling on the United States Goverment. 

SL Banks were 'real financial institutions' just like the tooth fairy is 'real'.  Think of it as a twist on the Nigerian Prince emails.

Gambling Ban was a No-Brainer.  Online gambling was made illegal by a bunch of fussy old senators.  On top of that, there was again no regulation of gambling in SL.  The person(s) who made the gambling devices could also rig them to never pay out or just plain ol' drain you dry. 

Originally posted by Retard0

You can blame the ban of Banks & Gambling on the United States Goverment. 

SL Banks were 'real financial institutions' just like the tooth fairy is 'real'.  Think of it as a twist on the Nigerian Prince emails.

Gambling Ban was a No-Brainer.  Online gambling was made illegal by a bunch of fussy old senators.  On top of that, there was again no regulation of gambling in SL.  The person(s) who made the gambling devices could also rig them to never pay out or just plain ol' drain you dry. 

 

 

 

Gambling is still allowed by those fussy old senetors.   It just has to be horse racing it was an explicit exception in the bill.

though it is against secondlifes terms of service.

Originally posted by Retard0

 

(CUT)

I use the REAL world paycheck for bills N stuff.  SL provides me the FUN money. 

Much better hobby than scrapbooking IMO.

 

 

 

 

 

you just hit the nail!

Aside from Cybersex what other services are offered in Second Life? I watched a CSI New York episode involving Second Life and it piqued my curiosity

Originally posted by Martinicus

Aside from Cybersex what other services are offered in Second Life? I watched a CSI New York episode involving Second Life and it piqued my curiosity

science exposees

art galleries

RP sims

building contest

some companies advertise their producs so you can try them before you buy them in RL (Apple, Telus, Lego)

Movie and TV shows will make the virtual sim of their universe that you can play and interact

busineses use SL as business platform where they can present their ideas to their clients

clubs where you meet new people and dance to music

social interaction with random people

and those are the ones that come to my mind, there are plenty more and you can even create some, you have no limits on what you can do.

Originally posted by RogueSeven

Hello all,

 

ive been reading around and this game seems to have a good community, now, i was wondering, how is it that people make hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars?

 

if i get into the game and pay just the monthly sub and such, am i able to make money myself? do i get some land to open a shop or something?

no you do not. you pay the premium account and you can have up to 512m^2 of land (but you have to find it and buy it (more $$) if you want more then your premium goes up depending on how much land you want to own.

 

i understand that you can make, virtually, ANYTHING, is this true? does it cost real money or ingame money to make these things or are you able to make stuff as you want?

right click>create> poof a cube appears that you can move cut modify as you wish, you create another cube and modify it and then a sphere and then another geometrical piece and voiala you link em and yo uhave (insert thing here)

www.xstreetsl.com this is a site where you can see many things for sale that have been created. so to answer you do not need real life or in world money to create your stuff.

 

next, say if i were to want to make a bunch of money, i would make something that could appeal to a lot of people, right? now just a random thought, a lot of people like blowing up people, in a purely virtual and semi-comical way, could i possibly make (with the proper knowledge) something like a nuclear bomb that could blow up a lot of stuff? this could be appealing to people to buy...or is this something that would be against a terms of use sorta thing? if it is, what about small weapons like hand guns, swords, etc...giving people a lot of action in the game, maybe even open up something like an arena with a combat system where people could battle it out, would this all be possible and potentially good money makers?

all you named exists already and its free to aquire so.. no why would i buy your little handgun when i can get one for free. you would really need to stand out in your creations

tower of 1000 swords, Samurai island are 2 of the ones i know that make swords and sell them due to their custom scripting and high detail

 

lastly, what is the conversion of second life money to real life USD?

 it fluctuates with the market but if im not mistaken it varies between 275 and 250L$ for 1 $USD

thanks for help

i just noticed that no one really answered your questions so here you go

Originally posted by Squal'Zell

right click>create> poof a cube appears that you can move cut modify as you wish, you create another cube and modify it and then a sphere and then another geometrical piece and voiala you link em and yo uhave (insert thing here)

So how would someone create something more detailed? eg. a wearable coat, or a usable bagpack with x_item_capacity? Or something mechanical like a clockwork display?

Thanks.

Originally posted by ssnautilus

Originally posted by Squal'Zell

right click>create> poof a cube appears that you can move cut modify as you wish, you create another cube and modify it and then a sphere and then another geometrical piece and voiala you link em and yo uhave (insert thing here)

So how would someone create something more detailed? eg. a wearable coat, or a usable bagpack with x_item_capacity? Or something mechanical like a clockwork display?

Thanks.

for clothes, your avatar has designated layers onto with you can apply a texture

here is an example http://secondlife.com/community/templates.php

for a usable backpack, the modeling is quite easy as long as you can work with basic figures (like LEGOs) and those basic figures can be modified, twisted, molded, scrunched, ripped tapered etc... and you combine them together

ALL prims work like a backpack in any other MMO wher eyou can store other prims or groups of prims in them. you can program a script that will only allow x ammount of objects to be inserted, open inventory on double click and only accessible by owner. or accessible by anyone in certain conditions, in general you can do anything you want as long as you know how to script. there are also sculpties prims. ( i would recomend you do your own research on that one as this method is quite complex and requires some 3d animation (outside of SL) knowledge.