Your approach to SL.

[Rowan Amore]

I'll be the first to admit I keep an extremely small circle of friends who view SL in much the way I do.  I'm me.  The person you would meet inworld is the same person you would meet on the street. (minus the 4 inch heels and perfect hair). My question is....do you feel your persona in SL is you or do you think of your avatar as a completely different entity.  I've only done a small.amount of RP but the personality of my character was basically me.  I'm interested to know how one can totally separate the two.  For example, people who play as something other than a basic human.  Is it possible to immerse yourself to the extent that your entire personality is different?

[Solar Legion]

Outside of rather rare instances no one can wholly separate their character from their actual self (and yes I have met one or two that can, hence the way this was phrased).

Using a Non-human avatar is not as much of an issue as you might think as all that is really required to play a role/character is a bit of research into some particulars of what you're looking to play (less if all you need is a rough idea or to cobble together a variant) and a grasp of the personality traits the character is supposed to have.

Some of us have methods that make it easier to play someone with major differences in personality (music helps me).

It is not too different form Stage Acting honestly.

[karynmaria]

I don't have a huge circle of friends either, I have like two on my friends list.    I am pretty well the same in world and here, I don't do RP.    I am mostly here just to play grown up barbie and decorate and landscape my properties on my own and by myself.  That is what I like to do in SL.

[Rowan Amore]

5 minutes ago, Solar Legion said:

Outside of rather rare instances no one can wholly separate their character from their actual self (and yes I have met one or two that can, hence the way this was phrased).

Using a Non-human avatar is not as much of an issue as you might think as all that is really required to play a role/character is a bit of research into some particulars of what you're looking to play (less if all you need is a rough idea or to cobble together a variant) and a grasp of the personality traits the character is supposed to have.

Some of us have methods that make it easier to play someone with major differences in personality (music helps me).

It is not too different form Stage Acting honestly.

I guess I never really thought a out it as acting.  Good point.  The only acting I've ever done was a teddy bear in 4th grade so I have a small frame of reference.  The fact that I'm not comfortable being the center of attention has probably kept me away from most RP since it's usually done in local chat.  I've just always enjoyed the more.personal aspect of one on one chat.

[Rowan Amore]

4 minutes ago, karynmaria said:

I don't have a huge circle of friends either, I have like two on my friends list.    I am pretty well the same in world and here, I don't do RP.    I am mostly here just to play grown up barbie and decorate and landscape my properties on my own and by myself.  That is what I like to do in SL.

Two is plenty in my book.  I love the dressing up and am always looking for new and interesting things to put in my home. As my RL home is busy with people, I like being by myself in SL too.

[Madelaine McMasters]

I'm pretty much "me" wherever I go. I can play roles as I did with my parents in my childhood puppet theater or as an adult in our local community theater for years, but I'm my own playwright here so I stick close to home. I dropped into a dystopian role-play community many years ago, but even then I was my usual absurd self, serving people flaming slices of pizza and barking "What the hell is wrong with you?" when they complained.

I've got my hands full just being me. There's no time to be someone else.

[Silent Mistwalker]

26 minutes ago, RowanMinx said:

I'll be the first to admit I keep an extremely small circle of friends who view SL in much the way I do.  I'm me.  The person you would meet inworld is the same person you would meet on the street. (minus the 4 inch heels and perfect hair). My question is....do you feel your persona in SL is you or do you think of your avatar as a completely different entity.  I've only done a small.amount of RP but the personality of my character was basically me.  I'm interested to know how one can totally separate the two.  For example, people who play as something other than a basic human.  Is it possible to immerse yourself to the extent that your entire personality is different?

When I did roleplay all of my characters were some facet of me but there is no way one can completely "divorce" themselves from themselves. Taking on personas isn't the same thing as separating self from self. 

I am always me, not matter what role I play. One thing I don't do though is RP outside of the appropriate places for it. Sure I'll emote something once in a while but its always something short like /me runs or *grins impishly* on the forum. That, to me, is not RP but simply expressing the moment or letting someone know not to take it seriously.

If that makes sense. Jeez I hope I can sleep decently tonight. lol

Edited September 1, 2020 by Silent Mistwalker
sure not such maybe I should turn autocorrect on

[Arielle Popstar]

I change according to the theme I am dressed as. Just comes naturally really though I may study up a little to get the finer points of a particular theme. submissive, bimbo, domme, neko, as well as some others I won't mention here.

[Rowan Amore]

6 minutes ago, Madelaine McMasters said:

I'm pretty much "me" wherever I go. I can play roles as I did with my parents in my childhood puppet theater or as an adult in our local community theater for years, but I'm my own playwright here so I stick close to home. I dropped into a dystopian role-play community many years ago, but even then I was my usual absurd self, serving people flaming slices of pizza and barking "What the hell is wrong with you?" when they complained.

I've got my hands full just being me. There's no time to be someone else.

A friend years ago wanted me to check out Gor which at the time, I had no idea of what it was about.  I did a little research and decided that there was no way on earth I would be able to kneel and obey any 20 something man who considered himself a master.  I'd be the slave saying, "you want mead?  Get up off your lazy a** and get it yourself"

[Dafadilia Wayfarer]

I keep my social circle small because I have debilitating social anxiety that impacts me even here in Second Life. I'm not a person who can have acquaintances. It isn't how my brain works. My small circle consisting of my husband and three sisters I'm extremely close to. I'm moving to be with my husband in the next year and a half in real life. My sisters are longtime bestfriends. It isn't roleplay for us at all. We just have a beautiful family dynamic naturally in both worlds. My husband and I became parents in Second Life because I cannot have children in real life and it was always a dream of mine to be a mother. This isn't roleplay for me either. They are just my beautiful daughters. I've been so blessed with my small circle. ❤️

I'm the same person in both worlds even to the point I made my avatar look like the rl me besides my elf ears and fairy wings at times in SL. Shy, soft spoken unless I really have something to say and petite. What you see is what you get. Hubby and I both used to roleplay years ago, but there was always a very distinguishing separation of my roleplay character and myself. I was on a roleplay sim and in character. Now I just enjoy being in my quiet life of family, dancing, sailing, amateur photography, blogging, shopping, spiritual community and the odd time when I still sing inworld.

Oh! I'm also the same person on the forum here too! I would feel strange trying to put on some persona. It would feel unnatural. I'm...boring I guess is the best way to describe me.

[Rowan Amore]

1 minute ago, Dafadilia said:

I keep my social circle small because I have debilitating social anxiety that impacts me even here in Second Life. I'm not a person who can have acquaintances. It isn't how my brain works. My small circle consisting of my husband and three sisters I'm extremely close to. I'm moving to be with my husband in the next year and a half in real life. My sisters are longtime bestfriends. It isn't roleplay for us at all. We just have a beautiful family dynamic naturally in both worlds. My husband and I became parents in Second Life because I cannot have children in real life and it was always a dream of mine to be a mother. This isn't roleplay for me either. They are just my beautiful daughters. I've been so blessed with my small circle. ❤️

I'm the same person in both worlds even to the point I made my avatar look like the rl me besides my elf ears and fairy wings at times in SL. Shy, soft spoken unless I really have something to say and petite. What you see is what you get. Hubby and I both used to roleplay years ago, but there was always a very distinguishing separation of my roleplay character and myself. I was on a roleplay sim and in character. Now I just enjoy being in my quiet life of family, dancing, sailing, amateur photography, blogging, shopping, spiritual community and the odd time when I still sing inworld.

Oh! I'm also the same person on the forum here too! I would feel strange trying to put on some persona. It would feel unnatural. I'm...boring I guess is the best way to describe me.

I'm happy SL has brought such wonderful people into your life. RL as well which makes you truly blessed.  

I'm sure I could probably RP in most places but I'd have to keep my character fairly close to who I am.  Not appearance wise because I love elf ears too and I admit to having some wings.  But the core character would have to be me.

[Rowan Amore]

19 minutes ago, Arielle Popstar said:

I change according to the theme I am dressed as. Just comes naturally really though I may study up a little to get the finer points of a particular theme. submissive, bimbo, domme, neko, as well as some others I won't mention here.

I've been meaning to give that whole domme thing a try.  There always seems to be a person about who messages me with, "hello Miss".  My friends tell me I give off that vibe.  

[Dafadilia Wayfarer]

5 minutes ago, RowanMinx said:

I'm happy SL has brought such wonderful people into your life. RL as well which makes you truly blessed.  

I'm sure I could probably RP in most places but I'd have to keep my character fairly close to who I am.  Not appearance wise because I love elf ears too and I admit to having some wings.  But the core character would have to be me.

That is the beautiful thing about Second Life though isn't it? The diversity where we can all express ourselves in ways we would never be able to in the real world. It is a safe place to explore, learn and grow.

[Silent Mistwalker]

5 minutes ago, RowanMinx said:

A friend years ago wanted me to check out Gor which at the time, I had no idea of what it was about.  I did a little research and decided that there was no way on earth I would be able to kneel and obey any 20 something man who considered himself a master.  I'd be the slave saying, "you want mead?  Get up off your lazy a** and get it yourself"

Every now and then I'll log into an alt and go hang out at The Hub just to, well, I'm not sure what to call it. But most people get that I'm just being goofy and are amused by it.

For example. I met a "master" there several years ago. He was a decent person actually. Anyway, all together there were four of us "slaves" tagging along with him when he went to a meeting. We had to wait outside which was fine. So we're sitting on the grass (I was sitting, they were kneeling) and being the little imp I can be I kept coming up with bizarre things to do like eating the grass. It was hilarious and he knew I was no slave before he ever let me tag along. I could tell he was laughing his ass off even though he was giving me the what for for being such an oddball. We had a blast. Well. I did anyway.

Before that there were a couple of ladies who were doing the same kind of thing but actually were a part of Gor. We pulled some pretty good things off. Like fake papers and masters that weren't really our masters so we could travel more freely to well whatever you can call what we were doing. Most thought it all hilarious and we got away with it. 

Good times.

[MoiraKathleen]

Except for when I was actively involved in a RP community, I am pretty much the same as I am in RL and here. Even when I was involved with RP, I was myself except during actual RP sessions, and my RP character always had a lot of "'me" in it.  I've never been able to completely create a new persona that is not close to my original self, and that is also why I don't RP anymore - I don't have the kind of creative 'spark' to create a new persona or set of behaviors.

I'm a fairly solitary person in RL (outside of close family) and fairly solitary in SL as well.  Small talk and casual banter don't come easily to me, and I sometimes envy those who talk about how they can be different and not shy in-world, even though they are in RL.  What I create for myself in-world are just idealized places, as if I was a single person and had resources to live where ever and how ever I wanted.  

[Rowan Amore]

10 minutes ago, Silent Mistwalker said:

Every now and then I'll log into an alt and go hang out at The Hub just to, well, I'm not sure what to call it. But most people get that I'm just being goofy and are amused by it.

For example. I met a "master" there several years ago. He was a decent person actually. Anyway, all together there were four of us "slaves" tagging along with him when he went to a meeting. We had to wait outside which was fine. So we're sitting on the grass (I was sitting, they were kneeling) and being the little imp I can be I kept coming up with bizarre things to do like eating the grass. It was hilarious and he knew I was no slave before he ever let me tag along. I could tell he was laughing his ass off even though he was giving me the what for for being such an oddball. We had a blast. Well. I did anyway.

Before that there were a couple of ladies who were doing the same kind of thing but actually were a part of Gor. We pulled some pretty good things off. Like fake papers and masters that weren't really our masters so we could travel more freely to well whatever you can call what we were doing. Most thought it all hilarious and we got away with it. 

Good times.

I've hung out there a time or two myself and I call it watching the circus.  The only men who weren't afraid to message me were the ones "come here, beast". Not wanting to get tossed out, I pretending to be afk and ignored them.  I do love just observing people mostly in all sorts of places.  

Edited September 1, 2020 by RowanMinx

[Rowan Amore]

2 minutes ago, Moira Timmerman said:

Except for when I was actively involved in a RP community, I am pretty much the same as I am in RL and here. Even when I was involved with RP, I was myself except during actual RP sessions, and my RP character always had a lot of "'me" in it.  I've never been able to completely create a new persona that is not close to my original self, and that is also why I don't RP anymore - I don't have the kind of creative 'spark' to create a new persona or set of behaviors.

I'm a fairly solitary person in RL (outside of close family) and fairly solitary in SL as well.  Small talk and casual banter don't come easily to me, and I sometimes envy those who talk about how they can be different and not shy in-world, even though they are in RL.  What I create for myself in-world are just idealized places, as if I was a single person and had resources to live where ever and how ever I wanted.  

I don't think I have that creative spark either.  Where some people find it easy to step into a role, I find it to be too much like work.  I often wish I could but it's just not how I am.  It stops being fun for me if anything in SL feels like work.

[Silent Mistwalker]

2 minutes ago, RowanMinx said:

I've hung out there a time or two myself and I call it watching the circus.  The only men who weren't afraid to message me were the ones "come here, beast". Not wanting to get tossed out, I pretending to be ark and ignored them.  I do love just observing people mostly in all sorts of places.  

Oh those are the ones that I have the most fun with. They may not have fun but I sure do. 

*hears the man bark "Come here beast!" and turns to look behind her to see who he is talking to, then shrugs and assumes the man is speaking to the jackass behind her*

That kind of thing. 😇

[MoiraKathleen]

2 minutes ago, RowanMinx said:

I don't think I have that creative spark either.  Where some people find it easy to step into a role, I find it to be too much like work.  I often wish I could but it's just not how I am.  It stops being fun for me if anything in SL feels like work.

I agree about the part where it starts to feel like work.  

I am grateful for the community I was a part of, because it was one of the first major experiences I had after joining SL, and I learned so much from the people in the community.  However, it did start to wear me out after awhile, trying to get myself into the role and trying to keep up with all the other really creative storytellers.  I remember after leaving there how free and light-hearted I felt, which even affected how I felt in RL at that time.

[Rowan Amore]

Ok, that's priceless and I will admit to doing something like that on occasion.  Usually when I'm in a mood and you have to admit, they do make it sooo easy.

[Talligurl]

I am more outgoing in SL, but then if I looked in RL like I look in SL I might be outgoing there too.

[Rowan Amore]

1 minute ago, Talligurl said:

I am more outgoing in SL, but then if I looked in RL like I look in SL I might be outgoing there too.

A lot of.people tend to feel that way.  For some reason, I'm the opposite.  I can strike up a conversation with anyone, anytime in rl.  SL, I tend to sit back and watch.

[Silent Mistwalker]

10 minutes ago, RowanMinx said:

Ok, that's priceless and I will admit to doing something like that on occasion.  Usually when I'm in a mood and you have to admit, they do make it sooo easy.

Yes, they do. Sometimes. It catches them completely off guard. lol Some have gotten mad but most take it in the humorous spirit it's meant.

It's been a long time, maybe I should log in an alt again. 🤭

[Rowan Amore]

1 minute ago, Silent Mistwalker said:

Yes, they do. Sometimes. It catches them completely off guard. lol Some have gotten mad but most take it in the humorous spirit it's meant.

It's been a long time, maybe I should log in an alt again. 🤭

/me hands you some almost new silks and hopes you're from southern Gor.

[Pixie Kobichenko]

For several years SL Pixie was an extension of RL me, experiencing things I never could.  
For many years now, & anymore I might log on if I look at a sale blog & thibk I need something otherwise I’m just not going inworld.  But if I do it’s strictly as Pixie is a virtual Barbie doll & the wigs & jewelry & clothes & shoes n stuff that I can’t wear in RL.

But I’m always me.