Does anyone here in Second Life still uses the classic avatar even after 4 years or more?

[Bebe Bunny]

System body/head bug me a lot because of the small details around the corners, sharp edges and the squishy lips/nose as well for fingers and feet. But at the same time I see often full mesh avatars that look off or not well put together because of  N reasons. In the end it's all about personal preference, if person is happy with system, good for them, if not, they'll certainly do what they can to change that. I know how hard mesh can be to beginners and it requires time and patience not everyone has to learn how to deal with the features most bodies/head have.

[LittleMe Jewell]

47 minutes ago, Sylvannas Zulaman said:

at the same time I see often full mesh avatars that look off or not well put together because of  N reasons

^^ This.  Using a mesh body and head does not automatically guarantee that someone will look good.

[Lara Aulder]

I think "looking good" it's very personal, not a beauty standard. 
The person who like herself it's not enough anymore? Why bother with the others gonna look like anyway. They're trying their best, having fun, but not always to please others. Its that weird "approve thing" I don't like. 

That doesn't change the fact the evolution already came. People grow, they change, they learn and gain more experience with shapes or whatever. Amen. It's the cycle of life. A free world. Make your choice and be happy, we are all beautifuls.  

Edited August 5, 2018 by Lara Aulder

[LittleMe Jewell]

 

4 hours ago, Lara Aulder said:

I think "looking good" it's very personal, not a beauty standard. 
The person who like herself it's not enough anymore? Why bother with the others gonna look like anyway. They're trying their best, having fun, but not always to please others. Its that weird "approve thing" I don't like. 

 

 

Yet, at the same time you previously said that those that stay with a system body and head either have a limited budget or are here for reasons other than appearance - the latter part of that implies that they don't care how they look, i.e. they look bad with system body and head, but don't care - all of which seems to be in conflict with your statement above.

 

6 hours ago, Lara Aulder said:

 I think the only ones who still use the system body and head are those with limited budge or has other reasons or purposes to be in the game beyond appearance. 

 

 

[Dasha Nightfire]

I have been in second life for ten years now... Iv brought 2 mesh bodies. Slink and maityra, my personal opinion for various reasons I don’t like either of them. The slink you still have to put each piece of clothing on seperatly... maityra.  I get on with using that a bit better but still times when I mess it up.... I don’t like the mesh heads...    so have the classic head..  my sl brother and some other friend do not want mesh... sl brother came back online about 2 weeks ago. He said he doesn’t like mesh... won’t have it. 

[Panteleeva]

12 hours ago, Dasha Nightfire said:

I have been in second life for ten years now... Iv brought 2 mesh bodies. Slink and maityra, my personal opinion for various reasons I don’t like either of them. The slink you still have to put each piece of clothing on seperatly... maityra.  I get on with using that a bit better but still times when I mess it up.... I don’t like the mesh heads...    so have the classic head..  my sl brother and some other friend do not want mesh... sl brother came back online about 2 weeks ago. He said he doesn’t like mesh... won’t have it. 

you needed try demo of bodies before buy

[Lara Aulder]

15 hours ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

Yet, at the same time you previously said that those that stay with a system body and head either have a limited budget or are here for reasons other than appearance - the latter part of that implies that they don't care how they look, i.e. they look bad with system body and head, but don't care - all of which seems to be in conflict with your statement above.

That doesn't make any sense to me. Just don't generalize, there's N reasons beyond too. As I said, others people choice don't affect my second life or opinions about a product, service or someone. It's not like they dont care about how they look, it's just not priority   I respect that too.

Edited August 6, 2018 by Lara Aulder

[Rena Claremont]

haha yes! ? i’ve been having an classic avi. for the longest time ever! ? Tho till just recently i also tried on maitreya mesh body,  (before i bought it) and i also started to like it as well…0_0 then i just decided to buy it, cuz it just looked that damn good…lol..? This one chic whom befriended me told me that everything looks good in mesh.  So once i bought this maitreya mesh body and put it over my classic avi.’s skin with the alpha, and checked my new avi. out…it def. looked really nice for sure..^.^ Added some clothes to go along with it, and found out it looked quite sexy lol Ofcours after i bought it, it took me some time to get fully adjusted to it, and also trying to figure out the HUD and all that good stuff..? I had bought alotta clothes also took some freebie outfits for my classsic avi., a while back, but when i looked at the other sizes that came along with it, i wasn’t sure wtf was up with the other sizes like Slink, Freya, Maitreya, ect…and those didn’t even seem to fit my classic avi. SMH ??‍♀️ Now with this new mesh avi, the clothes type/size see, to actually *fit* with it, which i’m glad that it did! ?

[Orion Pastorelli]

On 7/28/2018 at 10:12 PM, LittleMe Jewell said:

Sometimes I think the newer folks have it easier.  They didn't spend months/years making their classic head just perfect and then spend many more years looking at that face - thus wanting a mesh head that pretty much looks the same, just smoother.

 

I think I understand what you are trying to say.  To be honest, however, I can't imagine trying to deal with mesh bodies and heads without the knowledge and experience that my 10 years in SL has afforded me. When helping someone who is new to SL get set up with a mesh avatar, I often find myself giving them a history lesson in order to explain why things are done the way they are. Content creation in SL has very much been "make it up as we go along." This has resulted in a platform where things are often not done in an intuitive way. Understanding this history goes a long way to dealing with mesh bodies and heads.

[Janet Voxel]

47 minutes ago, Orion Pastorelli said:

I think I understand what you are trying to say.  To be honest, however, I can't imagine trying to deal with mesh bodies and heads without the knowledge and experience that my 10 years in SL has afforded me. When helping someone who is new to SL get set up with a mesh avatar, I often find myself giving them a history lesson in order to explain why things are done the way they are. Content creation in SL has very much been "make it up as we go along." This has resulted in a platform where things are often not done in an intuitive way. Understanding this history goes a long way to dealing with mesh bodies and heads.

I more or less agree with this. Then again, it depends on the person and what they’re trying to do. Someone wearing mesh, it’s pretty easy still. Just add the item in question, make sure it’s for the right body and bam. You’re good.

Appliers/omega seems to give people the hardest time. Imagine helping someone for an hour only to realize what they’re trying to apply isn’t omega! That’s kind of rough, usually that’s where the problems happen.

I suspect that’s one of the reasons LL is going to BOM. 

[SuezanneC Baskerville]

I signed up 15 years or so ago and have not worn, or this is, become  a mesh avatar. 

 

Or whatever the newfangled avatars are called.

[Halo Minoptra]

Every so often I create a new account to see (1) what the new-user experience is like now, (2) how well I can look with only free stuff. Lately the second part takes less of my attention; I've changed my feeling about spending money in SL. I think that's probably due to mesh bodies.

I own Belleza Venus, eBody classic and curvy, the eBody classic free version, JudyBody, Maitreya, Eve Slim, Altamura, Slink Hourglass, and Tonic Fine. I have an account for each body, and I've used each one pretty well, gone through the trouble and pleasure of finding clothes or fitting clothes for each, so I have opinions. I think they are all great and fun and worth the money.

HOWEVER, lately I've noticed how well a person can look without a mesh body.

I was on a sim where people weren't wearing much, and one woman's avatar was so striking that I had to ask her which mesh body she was using, and she said, "None. I don't have a mesh body."

Hair and skins are so much better than they used to be that it isn't hard to look REALLY good without a mesh body. And shapes are better as well. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that the average SL skin in years past was not too good in the face, and it was an inadequacy that no shape could make up for.  Now that skins and in particular faces are better, the effect of a good shape has increased.

Also, if you're using a classic avatar, you don't have a neck seam.

Sure, your butt and breasts are not as smooth as a mesh body would make them, and yes you don't have as wide a selections of shoes, but you can look pretty damn hot without the mesh body world.  Just avoid to really dated stuff like flexi-prim skirts, clunky box-like shoes with bling, and the crappy old hair that came before flexi hair.

It is getting harder to find skins for the classic avatar, though, and that's a shame. As much as I love mesh bodies, I still find mesh heads to be an unnecessary complication. I'm sure it's great if you're a model or take a lot of photos, but just to live in SL? Not so much.

And as to the question of which mesh body is best? I don't think it's a valid question. It's like asking which language is best, or which food is best. The choice depends on so many factors.

And btw, if you want a mesh body but don't have money, eBody and Altamura have free or almost-free bodies. 

[Syo Emerald]

5 hours ago, SuezanneC Baskerville said:

Or whatever the newfangled avatars are called.

Mesh isn't exactly "new". Why do so many anti-mesh people sound so bitter?

23 minutes ago, Halo Minoptra said:

And shapes are better as well.

System avatars haven't changed from a technical viewpoint. A shape made today isn't different from a shape made in 2009. Same sliders, same result when you play with them. And skins for system avatars aren't really developed anymore. If a new skin gets made today, its made with mesh bodies in mind and sometimes you don't even get a texture for the system avatar. All skins are basically a few years old at this point. Doesn't mean they are bad, but there isn't really a noticeable progression happening anymore.

[Zeta Vandyke]

7 hours ago, SuezanneC Baskerville said:

I signed up 15 years or so ago and have not worn, or this is, become  a mesh avatar. 

 

Or whatever the newfangled avatars are called.

They are still called avatars, just like 15 years ago

I don't mind at all if someone likes mesh or not. I mean, there's people who enjoy playing classic Nintendo games just as much as others like the latest super graphical games. Each their own. I prefer up to date graphics and was incredibly happy when Mesh came in, even if it destroyed my shape business. A body you can still make quite pretty (to my personal standards) with a sysem avi combined with mesh feet and hands. A system head though I find harder because of how lips generally are shaped/painted on, and the lines at the sides of your nose.

Still, before mesh I loved my avi just as much as I love my current mesh avi.

[Blush Bravin]

7 hours ago, SuezanneC Baskerville said:

I signed up 15 years or so ago and have not worn, or this is, become  a mesh avatar. 

 

Or whatever the newfangled avatars are called.

Almost logged on my alt, Debi Baskerville, just to say howdy. Both Debi and Blush are totally meshed out in bodies and heads. I absolutely love dressing and looking at all my mesh goodness especially since I've been here so long. Just shows how far we've come.

[LittleMe Jewell]

7 hours ago, Halo Minoptra said:

skins are so much better than they used to be

I think part of this is because in the olden days the textures were limited to 512x512. Now they can use 1024x1024 and that does make quite a difference.

 

7 hours ago, Halo Minoptra said:

It is getting harder to find skins for the classic avatar, though, and that's a shame.

When I came back to SL and got a mesh body in mid-2017, this was very much true.  I was very limited in what skins were available for me to use with my classic head and for the few creators that still sold them, it was often their older skin lines (so possibly still using those 512x512 textures).  However, I have noticed that more skin ads are now showing 'System layer included for Bakes On Mesh'.

[Aerdrie Fabre]

2006 AV - Just got back into SL a few days ago after a few years off and I'm totally rockin my classic non-mesh av and still think I'm adorable in it, even with an old school Zaaya *Pipal* flexiprim dress heh.  I like the floof.  And am thankful that the skin that I got back in 2008 still looks great!