Is the game worth playing if you can't pump real $ into it?

[Roxas Yuhara]

As far as actually paying for a game, I just can't. I'm 18 yes, but I live with my father in China. I don't have a CC or a job and my father isn't going to pay for a silly online game, that's for sure. I'm an expat and I'm not going to be getting money here. I'll get a job when I return to the states maybe, but not here, and I don't think I'll be able to focus cash on a game at that time.

 

Is Main Grid second life really enjoyable without having any development skills or real cash to pump into the game? If not, then I guess there's no reason for me to play it really...which will be disappointing.

 

Any suggestions for a guy like me to start out? My character is basically in the middle of nowhere and is part of no groups. Most places are inaccesible to me, and the public areas have nothing of interest to me, since nothing is free.

[funkilicous]

First you might not want to call it a game people will surely attack you most people find this more then a game and take it very serious. I like it as purely entertainment it is possible to play without a large amount of real money there are a lot of freebies and some ways to earn a few free linden here and there to buy what you need. Clubs offer contest that you can join if you enjoy music and dancing. It is also possible to get a job inworld depending on your ability. You can learn scripting,building,you can become a DJ dancer. There's so much you can do.. Log in and have a awesome time.

 

 

And here comes the "play" and "game" remarks

[Roxas Yuhara]

Haha, that's like Roleplay forums where they can't seem to understand that it's just a game.

 

I call that "Immersing yourself in a fantasy world because your real life sucks too much for you to face reality". Fortunately, I'm not one of the people that do that. 

 

￢_￢

 

Not that I don't believe that a real relationship or something can't start online - just that I am very down-to-earth and will not fall into the idea of thinking the player on the screen actually has anything to do with the real me.

 

I'd love to get a job if that's at all possible. I have an old Cloud char from FFVII.

 

Are old items worth anything? I have tons of items from the old world (2.5+ years ago, on the Teen Grid) that seem to have vanished from the current world.

[Aurelia Lionheart]

I haven't pumped money in SL for almost a year now.
Yes I do have SL Jobs which mostly helps me pay the parcel I rent.
Shopping I rarely do
It's a sport for me to get everything free, so I follow blogs like FabFree, have a large list of Midnight Mania Board locations, know where the good lucky letter chairs/boards are and  join groups that frequently give away stuff through subscribo's and the group.

I will be honest... it's way easier to get free stuff for women than for men.
But there are a lot of blogs/websites that will tell you where to get the good free stuff 

You also could find yourself a job in SL

[Roxas Yuhara]

Women get more because guys think that they'll get their next girlfriend online just because they gave a girl a small gift. In most cases they don't, and even if they do the chick ends up being ugly as hell irl. Not a good choice of actions.

Girl : "I'm really shy - so that's why my character is 90% naked".

Guy : "You don't need to be shy! You're beautiful! Now be my girlfriend because I complimented you on your character!"

Girl : "OMG I would, but I can't. Also I don't have Facebook or Skype or a phone and live in a log cabin in the woods guarded by wolves so you can never see me."

Guy : "SEEMS LEGIT."

 

I'll go for anything pretty much. I need to join some groups and jobs, that's it.

[Pussycat Catnap]

---

Roxas Yuhara wrote:

Haha, that's like Roleplay forums where they can't seem to understand that it's just a game.

---

Perhaps and I also call it a game, but not -JUST- a game. That's the wrong way to look at it. I just feel the definition of game is wider than those 'D&D folks' have tried to narrow it down to.

---

Roxas Yuhara wrote:

I call that "Immersing yourself in a fantasy world because your real life sucks too much for you to face reality". Fortunately, I'm not one of the people that do that. 

---

This on the other hand is -not- a good approach to take. That will lead you down the path to alienating a lot of people.

Start with hunts, freebie chairs, and so on. Enter dance theme contests - and you'll have a bit of Linden cash for a few items.

 

Take some classes at NCI, Caledon, and Builder's Brewery; and you -will- be able to make a few things for yourself.

 

The 'game' is very social and there's plenty to do and people to meet that don't require cash.

 

[Pussycat Catnap]

---

Roxas Yuhara wrote:

Women get more because guys think that they'll get their next girlfriend online just because they gave a girl a small gift. In most cases they don't, and even if they do the chick ends up being ugly as hell irl. Not a good choice of actions.

---

Maybe on teen grid, but not on main grid (I have NO IDEA what teen grid was like).

On main grid, there are more women, and women shop more, so people make more items for women. Simple as that.

 

[Tari Landar]

Just from your replies, I'm not thoroughly convinced you've actually wandered the main grid much at all. You should try it, it might surprise you.

You don't have to pay for the majority of things, regardless of your gender. It's simply a matter of actually looking for it. The teen grid, rather the old teen grid, is not the same thing as the main grid. You should probably drop the assumption that things seem to have vanished off the grid simply because they existed in the teen grid and MUST have existed here. That's not the case. Even though the grids have merged, that doesn't necessarily mean their environments did. They simply closed the teen grid and opened the front door on the main grid to it's residents.

How people "play" sl, varies greatly. For some their av is simply a characterized version of themselves. For some, their av really is a totally seperate entity. You can'tr really knock one or the other and doing so probably isn't going to garner much positive response from those you're looking to for info. That's the long way of saying you'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Try not being so judgmental of others and how they enjoy their sl and you very well may find you fit in far more places than you think. Your assumptions about men, and women, are not exactly fair either. Sure sometimes things go that way, but it's not always the case. There are just as many relationships all across sl that are absolutely wonderful and don't involve anyone being, well basically taken advantage of, as you describe. Though there are also ones out there that the one being taken advantage of actually enjoys it. Who are we to knock that? Whatever tickles your pickle, I say. If they have no qualms with it, you shouldn't either. (I try not to meddle and highly recommend others do the same)

Try visiting the destination guide, or opening the map, randomly finding a place and teleporting there. Try searching both inworld and marketplace for the things you're looking for. My guess is you really haven't tried all that hard if you believe you HAVE to put money into sl. I'm going on 4 years here in sl on this av(had previous ones for years before, just dumped them for this one in 2008) and I haven't yet put a dime of rl money into sl. Some will knock me for not contributing to the economy, but that's ok. We all have our opinions on what contributing actually is You don't HAVE to put money into sl to enjoy it. You DO have to be willing to actually put effort in to find the fun you're seeking though. It's out there and ripe for the picking.

You didn't say what sort of things you're looking for though. Perhaps if you tried that, people would be able to point you in the proper direction(s) to find what you seek. Developmental skills are, well, easy as heck, to come by. It's just a matter of figuring out what you want, and how to achieve it. It's really not as difficult as some people make it out to be. It's more reliant on being willing to work for it than it is on posessing the skills beforehand. Anyone can learn how to contribute to sl in some way, developmentally speaking. But not everyone is willing to try, nor do I think they should if they have no interest.

I'm not really sure where the heck you've been when you say the public areas, nothing is free. Because it's actually quite the opposite, and a huge amount of public area is accessible to all, not just those age verified. If you can't access anywhere outside of general you probably need to update your account to indicate your age. I never participated in the teen grid, but I'm quite certain there was a process in place when one left that grid for the main grid and it's likely there still is one when someone turns 18. I can't really expand on that though, as I have no clue where it would be found. If it's not on your dashboard somewhere, you can always try contacting LL about that. There's no reason for you to be limited at 18 to only general areas unless that's what you desire.(and not everything outside of general is "adult" in nature, despite the mature/adult ratings, there's far more that isn't than is).

[Peggy Paperdoll]

To answer your question about whether or not the "game" is worth it if you can't "pump" real dollars in it........that's entirely up to you.  Some people will tell you it's completely worth it and some people will tell it's not worth a single cent.  Only you can decide what's worth anything or any effort.

If you're asking if you can "play" SL without putting in real money into, then answer has been answered.........yes, you can.  There are people in SL who make it a point not to pay anything and they enjoy the challenge to accomplish just that feat (many are quite successful and have a very fulfilling experience).......those people have been in SL as far back as when LL opened the enrollment to free accounts back in 2006.

On the "game" verses some other term for exactly what SL is.  In the strictest sense of the definition of the word, SL does not fit the mold........it simply cannot be defined as a game.  What is it?  The generally accepted term has been it's a "platform".  If you think of what the Internet is you can get a better sense of what SL is.  The Internet is certainly not a game yet many people use it as a game.  The Internet is not a business, but there certainly are many businesses who use the Internet.  The Internet is not role playing platform but there is a huge portion of the Internet devoted to role playing.  The Internet is not a social network but there are millions who use the Internet for just that purpose.  SL is not at all unlike the Internet in that way........it's exactly what you use it for.  So when someone calls SL a "game" some people will bulk at the use of the word.  I only bulk at the word when someone makes the comparision of SL to an online game as far as performance is concerned...........in that respect there is very little to compare SL to a game.  The design of SL has little in common with a game.......the 3D environment is about the only aspect that both a game and SL have in common (practically nothing else is the same).  So if you want to think of SL as a game go ahead........I won't disagree with you because, in many ways I think of SL as a game.  But if you compare SL to an onlne game as far how how SL works then I'll argue with you.  The way you put the statement"

Haha, th Roleplay forums where they can't seem to understand that it's just a game.at's like

I have no disagreement with you.  It's a game in the sense that you stated.  But for someone else your statement is incorrect (but only for them and those who use SL for something other than a game).

[Ceka Cianci]

---

Roxas Yuhara wrote:

Haha, that's like Roleplay forums where they can't seem to understand that it's just a game.

 

I call that "Immersing yourself in a fantasy world because your real life sucks too much for you to face reality". Fortunately, I'm not one of the people that do that. 

 

￢_￢

 

Not that I don't believe that a real relationship or something can't start online - just that I am very down-to-earth and will not fall into the idea of thinking the player on the screen actually has anything to do with the real me.

 

I'd love to get a job if that's at all possible. I have an old Cloud char from FFVII.

 

Are old items worth anything? I have tons of items from the old world (2.5+ years ago, on the Teen Grid) that seem to have vanished from the current world.

---

there are a lot of places that are all about roleplay..everything you see in second life was created by the users of second life and not the owners of second life..

well all but some of the linden stuff anyways..like realms and some others..

it's a place where you can get a lot of RL things done and  rp things done..there are free classes all over the grid on many types of things that are related to RL and SL.. this application is perfect for a lot of the handicap that use sl to do a lot of the things they can't in RL..

there are a lot of real world  things in second life..a lot of organizations that meet up in it..

but as well there is a lot of fantasy and imerssion in world.. a lot of everything really that gives a person as much choice as they want as far as how involved they wish to become..

it's a great place for artists to become known...

here are a couple that have had help from sl in their art..

 

it's a place that people are proud of so you will find some getting offended when some call it a game..

others feel it's a game..others feel it is an experience or an escape..for me it's a place i come to relax from the stressing  that RL can bring on me..

really it's a lot of things to a lot of people and can take years to really get to know...

it's far from a final fantasy or world of war craft.. if i were to compare it to those in any way..i would say this is where the builders of games are more than the players of them..

because we will soon have the tools to be able to make some really cool games  in sims as well..

pathfinding i think is gonna be a very cool addition..

you don't really need money because you have all the tools at the start to go any direction you want..

if you have a creative side..sl can help you expand it here..

thats the cool thing about it..and people will see it if you put it out there for them..

there are a lot of people here..some with active rl lives and some that wish they could have more active rl lives but because of health problems can't or because of other things..it's a pretty cool place nce you get to know it..

let me put it this way..it's just a lot of things..if it's in rl..it's a good chance it's in sl in some form..

the good and the bad..so you have to also watch out for the bad guys  as well..if things sound to good to be true..thye usually are..like easy money..watch out for  those kinds of things like you would in rl..

 

 here is some funny videos of the dangers and perils of second life hehehe

this one is just really freakin cool lol user created in second life..

more coolness hehehe

all user created as well..

 hope you stick around and get a chance to really have a good look at the cool stuf you can see and do..*winks* =)

 

[Amethyst Jetaime]

SL is what YOU make it and you don't need to have money necessarily to be entertained here.  However, don't expect everything to be handed to you either.  If you want specific quality things and /or land,you will need to work for them by getting a job or creating things to sell.  A lot of creators are generous and have free things available.  Personally I don't have a problem with anyone taking advantage of free things.  I do have a problem with people that feel they are entitled to them or entitled to the same privledges and things that residents who work here or put RL money into SL have and go around asking for free things without being offered or begging for L's.

You should also understand that while there are a lot of SL residents whose avatars are just characters in a RP or some personal fantasy a huge part of the population feels that there avatars are virtual representations of their RL self.  You may call that  "Immersing yourself in a fantasy world because your real life sucks too much for you to face reality". But that just shows your own immaturity.  While it is true there are a few like that most of them are adults and have a very firm grip on reality.  Most adults who choose to be in SL think of it as a social or creative media and despite the fact that they may also be entertain do not think of if as a game.

So check your immature attitudes at the door, treat people with respect and the way you want to be treated, and always remember that there are RL people behind the pixels and you will do fine and have a great experience.

.

 

[Qwalyphi Korpov]

The resident who provided the previous content, if any, has replaced it with this generic statement.

[Chronometria]

It is possible to enjoy second life at no cost, but its hard. When building, you will need to spend money to achieve satisfying projects, for example.

 

Thats all going to be nothing compared to land costs though, if you decide you want to set down a permanent presence.

[Storm Clarence]

---

Qwalyphi Korpov wrote:

Everyone plays their own game.   So no one can say what the answer to that question is for you.

Personally Qwalyphi doesn't spend much on himself.  He does enjoy certain places in world.  He makes sure he's pumping some support to those places.  Works for him.  You figure out if something works for you.

---

This^^.  All of this^^.

 

[FairuzaB]

I think SL is better with lindens to spend.  For myself I found, I enjoyed  being in SL more when I could go shopping and fix up my avi.  But some people have been here for years and have never spent a dime.  Technically if you aren't into shopping and you don't need a place to live, you don't really need money.  It does help if you want to tip someone as well.  

 

 

[Perrie Juran]

---

Storm Clarence wrote:

---

Qwalyphi Korpov wrote:

Everyone plays their own game.   So no one can say what the answer to that question is for you.

Personally Qwalyphi doesn't spend much on himself.  He does enjoy certain places in world.  He makes sure he's pumping some support to those places.  Works for him.  You figure out if something works for you.

---

This^^.  All of this^^.

 

---

Absolutely.  My biggest expenditure in SL is tipping DJ's, Hostesses & Venues.  And I spend it gladly.

 

But I am curios Qwayphi, do they sell chipmunk food in SL or are your raiding the food dishes people set out for their breedables?

 

[Eileen Fellstein]

Welcome to SL

Get ready to have all your preconceived notions challenged!

 

and no, you don't need any money. I know cheapska...erm...thrifty indiviuduals that have been around for years and years and still spend little or no real money here. In fact for many, the money they do spend here was earned here to begin with and they may even be taking a little out to RL.

 

BTW, lol you do realize the situation you decribed of your RL situation sounds just as far fetched as the little scene you did a parody of (which I did enjoy btw, especially the wolf bit)

Just enjoy. And probably the places you can't get to is because you have not verified as an adult yet on the site. The instructions will be different depending on geography but login to the main site where you created your avi and look along the left hand side for adult verification. Just takes a couple minutes.

[lucagrabacr]

Hello, I don't think you need to 'pump' real money into SL to have fun with it (except you really, and I mean REALLY care about how you looks, like me:P) there are TONS of free stuff in SL, free clothes, skins, hairs, etc.. And a lot of things to do!

 

And getting lindens in SL is fairly easy if you know how (though it's much more convenient to just buy them, of course) just today, I earned 1000+ L$ by giving out free share-able stuff to people, because some people are kind enough to pay for them! ^^

[rockerX0X0X]

You can find allot of awesome stuff for free you just half to take the time to actually look and you can earn lidens in sl as a greater ,dj,host, dancer etc.

[Liralyn Lyle]

LOL about the "game" flack, but as a gamer, you know that attitude exists in all games, generally by people who consider the game serious business.  It's a bit worse in SL, and I'm guessing it's because that for some people, it literally is serious business.  There are people who make a living in virtual real estate or selling their creations, who are just as much fun to run into as gold farmers are in MMOs.  Then there are those who aren't from the gaming community and have never heard of a sandbox game. 

With respect to your question, SL wasn't that much fun until I started spending money on it.  As an old school gamer, buying gold with real money just wasn't legit.  It took me awhile to realize that in SL, it's no different than paying for a monthly subscription, although at the time I started playing SL, you'd lose money if you paid for a subscription, unless you wanted to own Mainland land, i.e., you'd get more lindens for $10/month if you just bought them instead of subscribing.  And if you did want land, it was cheaper to rent land from Estate owners than to buy and pay tier for Mainland.  And get better customer service and controls on being griefed by your neighbors besides.

As many have said, there are a lot of freebies.  Not only is there free content in SL, there's also free content available on the web, such as  http://www.lindakellie.com/ or http://opensim-creations.com/ .  However, playing "paper dolls" palls after awhile, and I'm not much for socializing.  Too much drama.  I do enjoy building on land though, which gets expensive.  So I spend more time on my own sim or on OSGrid using Opensim, both of which are free. 

However, if making avatar-related stuff interests you more, then you're better off on SL.  Having access to sandboxes (areas where you are allowed to build things for free, although your builds will be returned to you after a certain period of time) will suffice for making avatar-related items.  If you have an interest in making anything though, I recommend you visit the Ivory Tower on SL to learn how.  There's a sandbox next door where you can practice, too.

Ironically though, I recently read that the original creator of the Ivory Tower is now on an Opensim grid.

 

 

[Treat Portal]

 

 It is for me, probably not for you.

[Tegg Bode]

Simple used your imagination, make something new & unique, sell it then pump money out of the game.

[Czari Zenovka]

---

Roxas Yuhara wrote:

 

Not that I don't believe that a real relationship or something can't start online - just that I am very down-to-earth and

will not fall into the idea of thinking the player on the screen actually has anything to do with the real me.

 

---

(Emphasis mine)  You are exactly the type of person I don't wish to meet in SL as "all life" - virtual or non - is "real" to me.  I have the same personality, values, emotions, reactions, etc. in SL  (or any online venue) as I do in RL.  I have also been involved in rp on various venues but while I may roleplay, I'm not playing a role.  There is a subtle, but important difference.  I may be killing mythical creatures in an MMORPG, but as I relate to other players in the game, it's still the same personality, etc.

Everyone approaches SL the way they choose.  One way is not right or wrong.  A recipe for relationship disaster occurs, however when someone for whom SL is another part of "life" meets up with someone like, well you.

At any rate, given that  you're 18 and I'm old enough to be your mother, I doubt we'll be meeting anytime soon. *Grins*

That being said - there really is no "need" to put RL currency into SL.  There are so many hunts with amazing gifts, shops selling everything under the sun that offer free gifts, no real need to own land or rent, plenty of sandboxes to rez anything, etc. that one can live a very nice SL pretty much for free. If you find you would like a little place to call your own, or other items that must be purchased, as another poster said there are so many jobs to earn some lindens available as well as contests galore.  The Search feature is your friend.

 

[Czari Zenovka]

---

Roxas Yuhara wrote:

Women get more because guys think that they'll get their next girlfriend online just because they gave a girl a small gift. In most cases they don't, and even if they do the chick ends up being ugly as hell irl. Not a good choice of actions.

---

Ok, now you're contradicting yourself.  If your statement of not being anything in SL like your RL self is true....errrrr why does it matter what the female looks like in RL, eh? 

[Teagan Morningstar]

---

Roxas Yuhara wrote:

Women get more because guys think that they'll get their next girlfriend online just because they gave a girl a small gift. In most cases they don't, and even if they do the chick ends up being ugly as hell irl. Not a good choice of actions.

Girl : "I'm really shy - so that's why my character is 90% naked".

Guy : "You don't need to be shy! You're beautiful! Now be my girlfriend because I complimented you on your character!"

Girl : "OMG I would, but I can't. Also I don't have Facebook or Skype or a phone and live in a log cabin in the woods guarded by wolves so you can never see me."

Guy : "SEEMS LEGIT."

 

I'll go for anything pretty much. I need to join some groups and jobs, that's it.

---

Hey! I really do live in something of a cabin, in the woods (20 acres of it, in fact), and I don't, in fact, have a working telephone because I can't seem to get reception with my cell). Also, my internet is 3mbps (and, really, 0.82 during peak hours) so things like Ventrilo, Skype and voice chat in general is a joke. My point is... it happens.

As for the initial question, I found a "style" that I liked, and made it a point to join groups and do Midnight Mania boards... and I used to do those themed contests in some sims that rely on people voting for your outfit while you listen to music and dance before I pumped any real money into SL. Lucky Chairs are nice, too, sometimes.