2020 an SL noob’s first impressions...

[Fauve Aeon]

13 minutes ago, animats said:

It's nice to see a video about SL that isn't talking heads. Those are boring after the first minute.

(We really ought to have face and head feature tracking via webcam in SL. The bento heads can do facial expressions, but few people puppeteer them well, if at all. Look up "Facerig" to see what that looks like, done well. Not everyone would go for this, but YouTubers, machima, and quite possibly people having meetings would.)

That would be so cool for something like an ‘Explore With Me, See What I See’ kind of video series. It’s a little bit daunting to think about controlling the avatar controlling the camera In a way that looks good for an audience and still narrating a video coherently all at once in real time in a live stream, so having a head rig for the avatar would eliminate at least one part of that.

[Lucia Nightfire]

2 hours ago, animats said:

It's nice to see a video about SL that isn't talking heads. Those are boring after the first minute.

(We really ought to have face and head feature tracking via webcam in SL. The bento heads can do facial expressions, but few people puppeteer them well, if at all. Look up "Facerig" to see what that looks like, done well. Not everyone would go for this, but YouTubers, machima, and quite possibly people having meetings would.)

It would be neat to be able to do Vtubing with an SL avatar wearing SL assets. I'm surprised no one has made a viewer mod capable of that, though. For those that don't know what Vtubing is, I'm not talking about making a video inside SL, just using the SL avatar itself.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

1 minute ago, Lucia Nightfire said:

It would be neat to be able to do Vtubing with an SL avatar wearing SL assets. I'm surprised no one has made a viewer mod capable of that, though. For those that don't know what Vtubing is, I'm not talking about making a video inside SL, just using the SL avatar itself.

Are there platforms that do permit this?

[Lucia Nightfire]

1 hour ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Are there platforms that do permit this?

Actually, I might be overthinking it. One could potentially sit/stand their avatar in front of a full bright green screen prim and capture that screen area and have OBS overlay it over another video feed.

The viewer just needs hooks for reacting to mocap hardware.

Edited October 24, 2020 by Lucia Nightfire

[Arielle Popstar]

2 hours ago, Lucia Nightfire said:

Actually, I might be overthinking it. One could potentially sit/stand their avatar in front of a full bright green screen prim and capture that screen area and have OBS overlay it over another video feed.

The viewer just needs hooks for reacting to mocap hardware.

Google "Opensim+Kinect" for some who did some experimenting and coding along those lines with the Microsoft kinect. Link

[Proletarian Venus]

She has the knack to bring in the young people. She has a lot of initial sponsorships, I'd be interested to see a "low lindens challenge" from her to give the "No designer friends, no rich friend, no 19K lindens to start with total 100% newb" people an idea of what's out there. (Note: this isn't a bash at all, I'd genuinely be interested to see someone with not much to start with that isn't just going in to make ugly things and troll. It's rare on youtube.)

 

[Ceka Cianci]

Her one account that she starts out with is a year old.. She probably made it back then and did the whole entrance thing back then and then came back to it like a month or so ago..

When I first made mine, I left right away after , I wanna say an hour, but it was probably more like 20 minutes in.. hehehe

that whole orientation island entrance really gave me this feeling  from the movie, The Island..hehehe

My friends talked me back into coming back after about three days..

once i got to mainland and them showing me stuff and places, I went premium right away and bought a bunch of lindens and built my avatar got a place and even a job about a week later..

 

I think a good variety of streamers would do this world a lot of good.. I can totally relate to her experience, because I had a similar attitude that I was going to be on top of the world in this world..

Lindens were really inexpensive and I was throwing them around like money grew on trees hehehehe

Hey girl, get these shoes, they have to go with that dress I'm telling you!! what do you mean you don't have enough? You're with your girl! \o/ Gifted!!

omg I am so glad I got humbled, because I had such a huge head at first..That was so much not me in RL lol

Back then I think i just needed to get that out of my system or something.. hehehe

I get the shivers thinking back to my attitude back then..

But her, she wears it much better than I did x11.. hehehe

[Velk Kerang]

14 hours ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

 

So, you're saying that whoever made up "mainsplaining" is a hero?

 

 

Nah I just thought it was a funny meme that complimented the other is all. I am sure somebody thinks that though. Not me, but obviously somebody. lol

14 hours ago, Amina Sopwith said:

No, Velk, the problem is that, as usual, you blundered in asserting yourself as the wise and all-knowlegeable judge of everything - who's clever, what misogyny is (thank you for that, sir), what words are for - and missed every target.

You noticed that she's clever, but you didn't realise that that's the point of what she's doing. She's a pink hearts girly girl who's playing GTA in lingerie, slinging putdowns at misogynists and letting them completely show themselves up while she gives not one cluck. She's confounding expectations that are rooted in misogynistic ideas about pink hearts girly girls.

It's a send up of a sexist cliche, Velk, and while it may not be everyone's cup of tea, it's not something that requires 20 years in MI5 or whatever you did to pick up on. And by not realising the self-awareness, you fell into that cliche.

Tbh, that wasn't a big deal, but going on to tell women that they're wrong about misogyny and you're right, even as you fell into a sexist cliche, was showing your bottom a bit. And if we're going to talk about reading the room... if you have to tell us how funny and cutting you were being, then chances are you didn't manage it.

I was just about to rebuttal this, but then it occurred to me as I am enjoying my morning cup of coffee that you have got some serious issues my friend. You are over thinking and over analyzing things way entirely to much. You attempted to twist it in to something it is not and you failed. You blundered it up as you put it. I stand by what I said. Had the Youtuber been a guy I'd have made the same exact comments. You seem to be missing that point. I am sorry you refuse to see that. I am sorry that your lives suck that bad that you and your little friends have absolutely nothing better to do with yourselves other then to try and make problems where problems do not exist. I feel sorry for you ladies. Again it was never about sex or gender. It never was. It never will be. No matter how hard you try to make it in to that. Stay safe and have a nice day all.

[Amina Sopwith]

4 hours ago, Velk Kerang said:

Had the Youtuber been a guy I'd have made the same exact comments. 

I'm absolutely sure that if you saw a smart young man being subversive, you'd fail to grasp the point just as spectacularly. 

[Velk Kerang]

5 minutes ago, Amina Sopwith said:

I'm absolutely sure that if you saw a smart young man being subversive, you'd fail to grasp the point just as spectacularly. 

[Fauve Aeon]

Here is a longer video ‘for new people’ - this time with time stamps so we can just watch and comment on the thing(s) we are interested in. I’m still watching so I’ll comment later. 

I hope we can return to the thread topic, please? 

 

[SodaGnome]

The video nailed the part that second life in 2020 for a lot of people is trying to look the best as possible and shopping for new outfits and make up etc..

Edited October 25, 2020 by SodaGnome
spelling

[Janet Voxel]

1 hour ago, Fauve Aeon said:

Here is a longer video ‘for new people’ - this time with time stamps so we can just watch and comment on the thing(s) we are interested in. I’m still watching so I’ll comment later. 

I hope we can return to the thread topic, please? 

 

I like Meela. I don’t agree with all of her recommendations, but I like the way she walks the line between entertainment and education.

A lot of people use her tutorials, which is why I think vlogging is the future of tutorials.

[Fauve Aeon]

7 minutes ago, Janet Voxel said:

I like Meela. I don’t agree with all of her recommendations, but I like the way she walks the line between entertainment and education.

Same! Our styles, interests and aesthetics are wildly different but I always learn something and I really enjoy most of her videos I’ve watched so far. They are a bit long for me, that’s my only complaint so I speed-watch. But the time-stamped videos are really easy to watch. 

[rasterscan]

I suspect that young ladies youtube views explain the recent rise in regular SL logons of some 10,000 or more sl'ers

[CaerolleClaudel]

On 10/24/2020 at 12:58 PM, RowanMinx said:

While I agree with the idea of bringing younger user into SL by whatever means necessary, LL is barely managing to keep group chat working, the constant tp failures (another thread about that), marketplace issues (several threads about that), lag lag lag (so many threads), that I don't see how any video explaining anything is actually going to keep any younger person in here who is used to the type of world they get in a video game.  In order for it to be like they're used to, it would cease to be a user created world.  Does anyone want that?  Then there is the aspect of money.  There really is not way to earn points to upgrade your avatar.  I don't game but I know there's the level up stuff and whatnot.  Nothing like that in SL.  So will they be willing to spend money on a game that would basically be to them a glorified chat room?  Of course, being the younger generation, they'll probably be chatting on discord anyway so not sure they'd even be interacting with anyone.

 

I actually logged into SL today to check out a place mentioned in the Forum (Riverside, quite pretty), and in effing 2020, had to wait for textures to load, particularly the rental board once I found the rental location ('cause that was related to the question in the Forum post). And I thought to myself, OMFFG, I sooooo do NOT EFFING MISS SL.

[CaerolleClaudel]

On 10/24/2020 at 1:17 PM, Velk Kerang said:

Well honestly this generation of gamers are lazy anyway.

Wow, if nothing else you certainly have a consistent world view.

[CaerolleClaudel]

7 hours ago, Fauve Aeon said:

Here is a longer video ‘for new people’ - this time with time stamps so we can just watch and comment on the thing(s) we are interested in. I’m still watching so I’ll comment later. 

I hope we can return to the thread topic, please? 

Fauve, I am very much enjoying the OT of this thread, thanks for starting it!

[Velk Kerang]

11 hours ago, CaerolleClaudel said:

Wow, if nothing else you certainly have a consistent world view.

[KanryDrago]

22 hours ago, Velk Kerang said:

Thankfully

[Velk Kerang]

4 minutes ago, KanryDrago said:

Thankfully

Yes I know. I'm a hand full, but let's try and respect the OP's wishes and keep the thread on topic please. Thank you. Stay safe and have a nice day. lol

Edited October 27, 2020 by Velk Kerang
Corrections.

[cunomar]

Not sure why i'm adding this given how i feel about SL now but i suppose i do regret something that could have been so good is such a failure - perhaps because it alienates new players .

I never played online anything before signing up to SL and i never watched the vid at the start of this thread because it never occurred to me to search youtube for pointers when i started here . I skimmed through the previous comments without taking much interest because like as not they will mostly focus on dressing pixel dolls .

About 10 times in my first 2 weeks i logged out thinking what is the point of this , I was particularly bored and housebound at the time so lets say 20 hours of .... well nothing . I knew i could fly , change clothes (when i worked out where to get them) , TP to erm nowhere in particular - yay i found the search option ........... which took me to silent or empty sims .

I was all set to uninstall and forget SL existed when someone actually spoke to me 😲

Experience makes looks important , i suppose if your arriving from some other platform you already know this but i didnt and why waste time and money to look like the rest of the silent robots and stand around doing nothing ?

 

In my case the first person to speak to me also invested some time in showing me what's possible and only because of that i discovered SL .

Once i learned to interact i described myself as a crash test dummy which led me to lots of kinky places as was my want and the "game" became fun . Then i got to know people and it became more than a game - the very thing that ultimately killed SL for me but blah .

How's about instead of dumping newbies at a learning sim and leaving them to their own devices instead reward them by landing them on completion into a huge LL managed sandbox hosting planes , boats , hot air balloons whatever , hell a dance ball with a big sign saying "ask someone to dance with you" , a haphazard mix n match makes no sense controlled chaos of a sim that encourages only communication while at the same time showing new users what is possible .

I would never have known what SL has to offer were it not for 15 minutes of shared experience with a total stranger .

Digital genius be damned - people are the most complex and interesting thing you might ever find in SL .

 

I will sit back now and watch the avalanche of disparaging remarks from the arrogance of the experienced , I to have 100+ landmarks but my whole SL evolved from 15 minutes when i was all set to delete and forget it ever existed .

 

Edited October 28, 2020 by cunomar

[Katherine Heartsong]

I'll chime as as an older, but very tech savvy "newbie" to SL.

First off, I've tried SL a few times before, for either a few days, or gone all in premium then let it lapse. Part of the curve is the horrible in-game look. You forget that a lot of the promo material and screen shots shown are either wildly post-processed, or are done by folks running this on the latest processor and PC rig. The visual experience for the average user, with the lag and horrendous rendering and frame rate issues until they get themselves sorted in terms of all of their advanced graphics options leaves a lot to be desired.

Secondly, I have been professionally designing for nearly three decades, and have been a senior and lead UX designer in large firms and studios around the globe, and want to remind the long-timers that the current viewer UI, and trying to intuitively figure anything out like how to load up and style a custom avatar is one of the hottest messes I have ever encountered. But you all know this. The UI looks like it was designed 20 years ago (which is pretty much the truth). Then throw in unfamiliar terms like BOM, appliers, AOs, poseballs, and rezzing into the mix and the typical newbie is so lost that I would love to know from Linden what the drop off rate for new sign ups. The funnel from signing up to being halfway competent using the viewer and getting things done in the world must be an interesting one indeed.

The OP seemed to be genuinely enjoying her time and wanting more, so I'm all for her presentation, despite the pink girly girl influencer kinda-strikes-me-as-vapid appearance for the sake of her audience (I have no doubt she's a lovely young, smart woman, just to make sure you know I'm talking presentation and not about her as a substantial and great person!!). We need more enthusiastic promos and intros like this, in fact.

But we also need some better guides for getting into this game, and for Bastet's sake, some work on how you create custom avatars within the UI/UX itself. And why it's important to customize your inventory. And why you can delete the object thingies you buy/receive once you open them and get the actually stuff.

And who created that system btw? Some objects unpack everything into a folder, but the folder isn't next to wherever the original object is (meaning many folks think it didn't work, and do it again, and again ...). Some need you to click on an image that appears in your UI. Then "detach" that image. And again, where's the stuff? Some need to be rezzed by tossing them on the ground, but you can't in many places ... where do you do that? Ask a new player about this. Ugh. And why can't I offer a hug to someone without custom AOs? The learning curve for the user interface is enormous and so darn frustrating.

I am still struggling creating a decent looking avatar and figuring out things like what to do in the world after weeks/months of casual tinkering and I do UX for a living!

***** And for the love of all things, will someone, anyone, tell me the best walk together, holding hands, hugs and kisses animations/hud/method for a couple!!!!!! My partner and I are struggling mightily with that one. (The ones you need to rezz and controller on the ground? Don't work most places since you don't have rezz permissions!!!!! I just wanna walk with my man!!!!) *****

So loved the OP, loved Meela Vanderbuilt's video, and love all of you too (except that one guy in the club that one night, right). I want to have fun, but my goodness the roadblocks between me and that goal are bumpy too often. Now if I didn't drop to 6-8 FPS in some areas I'd be good.

Edited October 28, 2020 by TickleKitten

[Rat Luv]

She's been thrown into prison! 

 

Edited October 31, 2020 by Rat Luv

[Pussycat Catnap]

On 10/24/2020 at 11:59 AM, Theresa Tennyson said:

 

So, you're saying that whoever made up "mainsplaining" is a hero?

 

 

Wait...

 

MAINsplaining?

Not mansplaining?

 

Is mainsplaining when folks from mainland talk all over estate and rental box people like they need to explain the world to those noobs?

 

Edited October 31, 2020 by Pussycat Catnap