how does a person like me go for an avatar?

[JackWilebane]

not actually sure who to ask for one, considering i'm broker than broke and i'm most likely not going to be able to do it, myself.

any suggestions/tips?

Edited September 25, 2017 by Dakota Linden
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Community_Participation_Guidelines

[Alwin Alcott]

17 minutes ago, JackWilebane said:

not actually sure who to ask for one, considering i'm broker than broke and i'm most likely not going to be able to do it, myself.

any suggestions/tips?

 

add a CC to your account

add paypal to your account

add skrill to your account

get a job in sl

go do hunts

join groups for freebies. ( do not go to the horror of huge freebie places, they only have stuff that was already outdated the day SL opened.) there are good ones too!

do not beg here, nor inworld ( or do it and it's solved too, because you will be reported so often you'll most likely get banned in shortest time possible)

( you realize when you skip one or two coffee in rl, you can drive a mercedes or pontiac in sl for that money and even buy a smart outfit)

 

Edited September 24, 2017 by Alwin Alcott

[Skell Dagger]

Assuming (because of your name) that you're a guy:

How broke is broke? I'm not asking to see your financial statement, but can you afford $5? Or maybe $10? It's much more difficult to put together a great male avatar absolutely free than it is a female avatar, but it's not impossible. However, a small amount of L$ is going to make your avatar look a lot better, so if you can afford even $5 that will help immensely, because it'll be enough to get you a decent avatar skin, which is half the battle won.

If you honestly can't even afford to put $5 into SL, then go to the Linden Realms inworld (via the Portal Park) and chase crystals for a couple of hours each day. It doesn't pay out like it used to, but it'll still be enough to get you the cash to manage a decent avatar. (You won't be able to get a mesh head or body without saving that cash for a long time, but you don't need a mesh head and body when you're just starting out.)

Some tips:

• Group gifts are your friends. Join a store's group, wear its tag, and click group gifts in the store to receive them absolutely free. Some groups are free to join, others cost a little cash.
• A couple of free to join groups that have good freebies are: Gizza Creations VIP (clothing), and Gabriel (shoes and accessories). (Copy those links, paste them into open chat, click them, and then click the 'Join' button in the window that pops up. Then go to their stores and find the group gifts section.)
• If you can save up enough L$ to make L$225, join the 7 Deadly S{K}ins group. Inside the store you'll find a monthly group gift, plus loads of Midnight Mania boards (free to everyone) and Mini Mania boards (group-only) as well as a vendor with lots of cheap, group-only skin and shape combinations. Midnight Mania boards will give the prize to everyone who clicked if the target number of unique avatar clicks (usually fairly high) is met, whereas Mini Mania boards have a much lower click target, but only give the prize to one of the people who clicked.
• ETA: There's a new discount section upstairs at 7 Deadly S{K}ins, with system skins starting from just L$10.
• Head to The Free Dove store, and check out the male clothing section and the skins section. Right now, the clothing selection is limited, but there's one decent pack of free male skins by Dulce Secrets available.

Blogs and websites to check out:

• Fashion & Freebies for Men
• Carson Caiben for FabFree
• Seraphim Weekly Hunt Survival Guide (look at the gallery for the current week, and if there's anything you like the look of, click to visit the store and hunt for the hidden item)
• Aggregate feed for SL freebies (also contains a lot of female items, so you'll need to dig through this one)

In short: if you want a great-looking male avatar in SL, you'll have to do some work for it, no matter how you go about it. If you want to do it for free, then it'll take even more work, but it's not impossible.

Edited September 24, 2017 by Skell Dagger

[Marianne Little]

You invest your time and get 10 000 freebies that does not work and maybe end up with 1-2 outfits.

That's the brutal truth. I take it that you want a mesh body?

There is a blogger who has made a nice shopping post about how to buy and use the free TMP body. https://billybeaverhausen.com/2017/07/16/the-underwear-model/

The Marketplace has only three totally free skins from Red(sand). I would suggest that you follow the other advice and start to hunt crystals in Linden Realms. This will get you a skin without tattoo markings, as the Red(sand) skins have. Make sure you don't buy a demo skin, many of them cost 1L and it would not be good to lose one linden if you only have ten.

If you get the Winter Wonderland skin, it will fit tone 11 on the free TMP body well enough with the optional retrofit neckfaders. When you are on the Marketplace, buy a free AO, like the one from Tuty or Voir. Buy both and see what you like. They are much better than default stands and walks anyway. Also get free London Fog eyes from Mayfly.

Then you need hair. Telepost to Exile and find a huge poster on the floor with a pretty girl and boy. Buy Exile gift! Tommy and Gina. Wear the Tommy hair and use one of the included HUDs to find the haircolor you like best. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Covet/46/207/21

How to find free clothes that fit the free TMP body? That is not easy. Be prepared to lots of disappointments. You have  free body that can't hide any parts with an HUD. But there is one set of swimming trunks that don't let your body show through. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Restful Pleasure/194/144/22

Join group, teleport to the male group gifts and pick up the Brandon swimming shorts. The group is free to join atm, not sure if it will last. The only things that fit TMP body is the swimming trunks and the sleeveless tshirt.

You can use all the other things if you drop the mesh body.

Teleport to Vale Koer mainstore and pick up free stompers. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/KOREA/121/144/2002

Teleport to R2A and pick up the free group gift. The shorts and top will fit. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shimane/94/182/22

You must walk a long way through the city ruins to find the store. Open minimap and walk East.

Then teleport to Gizza, join L'Homme magazine and buy the free L'Homme magazine tshirt. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/GizzA Creations/232/90/72

Then Realevil industries for the  necklace: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/RealEvil Industries/151/132/25

Cold Ash mainstore look great, but all that will fit your free TMP body is the bracelet. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cold Ash/118/52/25

You now have two outfits, one casual look with shorts and one with swimming trunks for the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BilliJo Aldrin]

I noticed the latest version of the free TMP female body doesn't have nipples or any hint of genitalia.

I suspect its because too many people were trying out the free one and going no further.

i got my alt the free female one over a year ago and i'm  perfectly happy with it, since I never get dressed on that account anyway

*grins*

[JackWilebane]

 

4 hours ago, Skell Dagger said:

Assuming (because of your name) that you're a guy:

How broke is broke? I'm not asking to see your financial statement, but can you afford $5? Or maybe $10? It's much more difficult to put together a great male avatar absolutely free than it is a female avatar, but it's not impossible. However, a small amount of L$ is going to make your avatar look a lot better, so if you can afford even $5 that will help immensely, because it'll be enough to get you a decent avatar skin, which is half the battle won.

If you honestly can't even afford to put $5 into SL, then go to the Linden Realms inworld (via the Portal Park) and chase crystals for a couple of hours each day. It doesn't pay out like it used to, but it'll still be enough to get you the cash to manage a decent avatar. (You won't be able to get a mesh head or body without saving that cash for a long time, but you don't need a mesh head and body when you're just starting out.)

Some tips:

• Group gifts are your friends. Join a store's group, wear its tag, and click group gifts in the store to receive them absolutely free. Some groups are free to join, others cost a little cash.
• A couple of free to join groups that have good freebies are: Gizza Creations VIP (clothing), and Gabriel (shoes and accessories). (Copy those links, paste them into open chat, click them, and then click the 'Join' button in the window that pops up. Then go to their stores and find the group gifts section.)
• If you can save up enough L$ to make L$225, join the 7 Deadly S{K}ins group. Inside the store you'll find a monthly group gift, plus loads of Midnight Mania boards (free to everyone) and Mini Mania boards (group-only) as well as a vendor with lots of cheap, group-only skin and shape combinations. Midnight Mania boards will give the prize to everyone who clicked if the target number of unique avatar clicks (usually fairly high) is met, whereas Mini Mania boards have a much lower click target, but only give the prize to one of the people who clicked.
• ETA: There's a new discount section upstairs at 7 Deadly S{K}ins, with system skins starting from just L$10.
• Head to The Free Dove store, and check out the male clothing section and the skins section. Right now, the clothing selection is limited, but there's one decent pack of free male skins by Dulce Secrets available.

Blogs and websites to check out:

• Fashion & Freebies for Men
• Carson Caiben for FabFree
• Seraphim Weekly Hunt Survival Guide (look at the gallery for the current week, and if there's anything you like the look of, click to visit the store and hunt for the hidden item)
• Aggregate feed for SL freebies (also contains a lot of female items, so you'll need to dig through this one)

In short: if you want a great-looking male avatar in SL, you'll have to do some work for it, no matter how you go about it. If you want to do it for free, then it'll take even more work, but it's not impossible.

thanks for the help. i'll probably go with this, but i appreciate it, anyways.

[Marianne Little]

6 hours ago, BilliJo Aldrin said:

I noticed the latest version of the free TMP female body doesn't have nipples or any hint of genitalia.

I suspect its because too many people were trying out the free one and going no further.

i got my alt the free female one over a year ago and i'm  perfectly happy with it, since I never get dressed on that account anyway

*grins*

Yes and I think many enough designers make female lingerie and clubwear for it. It is a much bigger selection than guys have. Plus shoes!! Shoes does not need alphas anyway. 

If some want to and can save up for it, there is many rigged-for-TMP mesh versions of nipples, plus female genitalia to buy. Maybe a good "friend" will buy it for the ladies.

Edited September 24, 2017 by Marianne Little

[chardonay Babii]

Regarding what is value for money..

Buying Junk food, Beer and cigarettes or a cafe meal, gambling or other junk lasts a day and you get through $20 in a flash and its gone.

If spend $20 in SL and you have it for years and can use it every day and can have weeks shopping with it and end up with a nice avatar you are happy with or nice home/car/etc.

If you enjoy SL and weigh up the long term value for money an activity gives you SL actually works out VERY cheap entertainment for the amount of time spent doing it  if you only shop a bit and chat or build.

 

 

 

[chardonay Babii]

18 hours ago, Marianne Little said:

You invest your time and get 10 000 freebies that does not work and maybe end up with 1-2 outfits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exactly! 

[Claireschen Hesten]

On 24/09/2017 at 3:47 PM, BilliJo Aldrin said:

I noticed the latest version of the free TMP female body doesn't have nipples or any hint of genitalia.

I suspect its because too many people were trying out the free one and going no further.

i got my alt the free female one over a year ago and i'm  perfectly happy with it, since I never get dressed on that account anyway

*grins*

I picked up the free version of the female TMP today had a brief try out and the included skin tones do have proper nipples and genitals as an option or for a bit of modesty bra and knickers

[BilliJo Aldrin]

8 hours ago, Claireschen Hesten said:

I picked up the free version of the female TMP today had a brief try out and the included skin tones do have proper nipples and genitals as an option or for a bit of modesty bra and knickers

Its the problem with person that got it then, shes not the brightest when it comes to wearing stuff. 

Thank you for that information, i'll see if i can help her wear it completely and properly

[BilliJo Aldrin]

On 9/25/2017 at 2:53 AM, chardonay Babii said:

Regarding what is value for money..

Buying Junk food, Beer and cigarettes or a cafe meal, gambling or other junk lasts a day and you get through $20 in a flash and its gone.

If spend $20 in SL and you have it for years and can use it every day and can have weeks shopping with it and end up with a nice avatar you are happy with or nice home/car/etc.

If you enjoy SL and weigh up the long term value for money an activity gives you SL actually works out VERY cheap entertainment for the amount of time spent doing it  if you only shop a bit and chat or build.

 

 

 

Some people refuse to buy Lindens on principal. They simply won't spend any money on a "silly game" they can play for free.

Of course then they complain all the time too, because so much is not available for them.

[Bobbie Faulds]

Avoid the TMP and save for a male body that is Omega compatible so you don't have a problem finding skins. TMP doesn't have a lot of support since they haven't updated I over a year. Their Style Hud is hard to keep up with and, since it calls for the textures from a server outside of SL, if that server goes down or the store closes, the body is useless. If I recall, the free one doesn't allow demo skins and it doesn't have layers for applier clothing or tats.

Signature Gianni, Slink and Belleza male bodies are Omega, a universal applier system, compatible as well as well-supported by mesh designers in SL. Keep an eye out since 7 Deadly Skins has free weekend joins on a regular basis. You get a free skin each month as well a the Midnight Mania boards. For heads, Ganni has one but I'd wait but go ahead and get the 150L to join the AK group. They have a female head for free for group members now and will have a male one when the female offer is done.

The 3 bodies I listed are Bento skeleton rigged, which means the hands will move more naturally with animations. Remember that you don't have to have all animations for Bento. I do agree with looking at Tuty and Voir for an AO.Also check the eBento event, Uber, Collabor88, and the Mesh Body Addicts events for discounted things like skins, hair, animations, and clothes.

Good luck and remember that demos are your best friend. Demo and use demo skins until you find what you like. You don't have to get everything at one time.

[Marianne Little]

2 hours ago, Bobbie Faulds said:

Avoid the TMP and save for a male body that is Omega compatible so you don't have a problem finding skins. TMP doesn't have a lot of support since they haven't updated I over a year. Their Style Hud is hard to keep up with and, since it calls for the textures from a server outside of SL, if that server goes down or the store closes, the body is useless. If I recall, the free one doesn't allow demo skins and it doesn't have layers for applier clothing or tats.

I would ONLY recommend TMP for those who say they want a free avatar. Using it with freebies, no money lost. I know I am biased, but most people who come here "I am broke and want freebies", I assume will be naked in adult sims most of the time, so they don't need clothes. They will most likely quit SL soon.

The other people, the one who stay around, can wear the free avatar while they save up to an avatar that is better. At least they can have one outfit, and no flipper feet on the beach.

Edited September 26, 2017 by Marianne Little

[Klytyna]

12 hours ago, Claireschen Hesten said:

I picked up the free version of the female TMP today had a brief try out and the included skin tones do have proper nipples and genitals as an option or for a bit of modesty bra and knickers

If I recall correctly, from seeing it used by friends, each of the skin tones in the style hud, comes in 3 flavours, anatomically correct, pg barbie doll, and badly painted undies...
 

[Mei Avril]

This probably won't help, but with the price of an RL restaurant meal (let's assume 20$) you can get a decent mesh body, mesh hair and a couple of sets of clothes. 20$ spread on a month (30 days) is 66 cents a day, which is about 5 minutes of RL work a day at a low salary (5 minutes at 10$/hour is 83 cents, which is not even the minimum salary where I live). Considering the time you will invest in actually looking for decent freebies, it might be worth investing into SL instead with your CC or Paypal, which will net you a much better avi from the amount of work you will have put into it. 20 dollars is -at most- 2 hours of RL work, which is... not a lot

Having a decent avi will get you much farther in SL (It will ease meeting up people, people are generally not attracted to freebie avi, and frankly, except if you're a content creator, there's not much point to SL besides meeting people)

I personally (I might be considered a little shallow) tend to ignore people who don't have a decent avi, since it's SO easy to make one, and people that don't have a decent avi have generally shown me they don't care for SL, which means they also probably do not care about me

[LittleMe Jewell]

7 hours ago, Marianne Little said:

I would ONLY recommend TMP for those who say they want a free avatar. Using it with freebies, no money lost. I know I am biased, but most people who come here "I am broke and want freebies", I assume will be naked in adult sims most of the time, so they don't need clothes. They will most likely quit SL soon.

LOL - so true.  

 

4 hours ago, Mei Avril said:

people that don't have a decent avi have generally shown me they don't care for SL, which means they also probably do not care about me 

Wow, interesting correlation

Edited September 26, 2017 by LittleMe Jewell

[Chic Aeon]

Note to the OP that there is a much nicer free mesh body (free group needed) from EXMACHINA (Egosime). I suspect it is at the main store somewhere but you can also pick it up at COSMOPOLITAN with a group tag on (the EXMACHINA tag).  Much nicer than TMP IMHO. However, like TMP there are no alpha slots so finding clothes will be DEFINITELY hard. Great if you just want to be more or less naked.

I am also wondering in that example of the TMP mesh body with clothing if the avatar can actually MOVE with those clothes on and not have issues. 

On the PLUS side, it might be that the free avatar has some well fitting clothes made by the same brand -- or might in the future. If they fit really well then there alpha slots aren't really needed.  So checking that out would be a good plan ^^.

 

[Claireschen Hesten]

10 hours ago, Klytyna said:

If I recall correctly, from seeing it used by friends, each of the skin tones in the style hud, comes in 3 flavours, anatomically correct, pg barbie doll, and badly painted undies...
 

That is correct the fourth flavour it comes in is there isn't a skin tone that doesn't stick out like a sore thumb against the skin 'system' skin you are wearing. my main alt uses a much paler almost white skin than me (same skin brand) and even the palest almost white skin tone had the same effect but it doesn't bother me so much as the 'system' skin on the head/face looks heavily powdered and made up

@Chic Aeon The female TMP comes with a dress and there isn't any movement issues as long as your boobs are set to a minimum of size 25 it will fit perfectly though much like mesh on a classic av there will be the odd pose particularly leg poses where there's a bit of clippage on the hem

Edited September 26, 2017 by Claireschen Hesten

[Klytyna]

9 hours ago, Mei Avril said:

This probably won't help, but with the price of an RL restaurant meal

You're right, it doesn't help at all, but somebody always sways it...

Perhaps, instead of assuming EVERYONE has a credit card and lives in America, etc. you could take people at face value, when they say they are broke, maybe they actually mean it.

I've also heard claptrap like "if you can afford $500 for a pc to play SL you can afford blah blah" but that assumes people BOUGHT% a new pc just for SL, rather than using an old machine they already had.

This old old refrain... "For just the price of something you might not actually buy, you can get..." gets old real fast. If you don't want to help people find freebies & cheapies, or figure ways to make a few pennies in world, then don't.

.

 

[Chic Aeon]

51 minutes ago, Claireschen Hesten said:

@Chic Aeon The female TMP comes with a dress and there isn't any movement issues as long as your boobs are set to a minimum of size 25 it will fit perfectly though much like mesh on a classic av there will be the odd pose particularly leg poses where there's a bit of clippage on the hem

Yes I had that long ago but that dress was the ONLY garment that readily fit for the gals body back then.  Standard mesh didn't work and neither did fitmesh. It was nice that they included the dress for sure but not too many folks wanted to wander around in the very same  dress -- LOL.   It was certainly possible that there were a few outfits made using the TMP body weight that also fit -- if bought at the shop.  The ones made by other designers would not work for those with the free lady body.  At least none that I tried. 

 

https://chicatphilsplace.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-mesh-project-full-body-mesh.html

Hence it was mesh made expressly for that body much like some designers have the kits for Lara and others and they don't need (or can't have in many cases *wink*) any alpha slots. When made perfectly by someone who takes the time to copy over all the weights from the main body, that works.  That however is the exception -- not the rule.  

What I meant was that it was very unlikely that clothes made for other mesh bodies (or fitmesh in general OR standard sizing) will work without alpha slots on the body. I have tried at least fifty, maybe many more and nothing actually FIT -- especially when moving -- which is understandable.

IF the clothes made for Davide will actually ALSO fit the free mesh Davide, then they could possibly be used without alpha slots.  ONLY though if actually made from the body weights using a creator kit from that body. That is the key.  

[Mei Avril]

3 hours ago, Klytyna said:

You're right, it doesn't help at all, but somebody always sways it...

Perhaps, instead of assuming EVERYONE has a credit card and lives in America, etc. you could take people at face value, when they say they are broke, maybe they actually mean it.

.

I don't even live in America, I don't have a credit card, and I work not much hours a week at minimum salary. If someone can afford internet, he can probably afford 20$ to look fantastic ^^ As far as I know, I am allowed to express my opinion too.
That person can obviously take it or leave it too. And probably doesn't need you to step in to do that.

Just putting things into perspective for him/her.

And perhaps that if someone always sways that argument, like you're saying, maybe it's because it has a sliver of truth to it.

Your post borders on offensive, frankly.

Edited September 27, 2017 by Mei Avril

[Chic Aeon]

Here is a scenario --- a person is perhaps in high school, perhaps not in the US and/or perhaps with Internet is not all that available let alone everyone having a computer. 

Said person with little money (no RL job and no RL "allowance" if they still do that these days LOL ) could make an account using a friend's computer -- a person that is more affluent.  In THAT case, the person might be completely broke as in NADA.  Giving up coffeeshop coffee is not an option because there IS no coffesshop coffee.

They could still enjoy second life. 

Harder as a guy for sure. But realistically you can also look better as a guy in the legacy avatar mode as guys are usually wearing MORE CLOTHES and free things are still very available on the Marketplace and in some hunts. True, even hunts now are frequently body specific mesh items, but there are still standard sizing things around and of course boots and hair and all that is needed. 

But expecting to get a mesh body and maybe head for free is not realistic. Designers work hard and deserve some compensation.  Better to spend your time on the Realms earning some lindens and taking it slow. 

[Mei Avril]

18 minutes ago, Chic Aeon said:

Here is a scenario --- a person is perhaps in high school, perhaps not in the US and/or perhaps with Internet is not all that available let alone everyone having a computer. 

Said person with little money (no RL job and no RL "allowance" if they still do that these days LOL ) could make an account using a friend's computer -- a person that is more affluent.  In THAT case, the person might be completely broke as in NADA.  Giving up coffeeshop coffee is not an option because there IS no coffesshop coffee.

They could still enjoy second life. 

Of course, I cannot deny that I've stated a generalized opinion which will apply to most people. If his situation doesn't allow it, he can simply disregard my comment. ^^

[Chic Aeon]

10 minutes ago, Mei Avril said:

Of course, I cannot deny that I've stated a generalized opinion which will apply to most people. If his situation doesn't allow it, he can simply disregard my comment. ^^

Wasn't trying to pick on you, just note that it is easy to make assumptions that are not valid. We all fall into that trap I think.