What are the most important features of SL to you?

[JetReigns]

What are the most important features of SL to you? 

For example, is it important to you that SL has an interconnected land grid/world map? How do you feel about buying, selling, and renting land? What about the in-world creation tools? I'm curious to know!

[Doc Carling]

BOM, bakes on mesh, without any doubt.

[Orwar]

   I don't think SL would be a 'thing' if it weren't for the fact that it offers so many options of what you can do.

   If you're into fashion, there's plenty of clothing and styling to play with, and add photography and animating into it and you've got a full flung hobby.

   If you're into vehicles, there's both racing tracks (within one sim, for rally-esque style driving) and road networks (cross sim, across many of the continents, both railroad and roads for ground vehicles), seas and ponds (for sailing and rowing around in), and air space (for helicopters, aircraft, hovercraft, etc).

   If you're into music, there's plenty of clubs catering to various genres, and live performances by musicians and singers of a great variety of styles.

   If you're into art, there are plenty of galleries displaying both RL and SL art, as well as virtual museums that make exhibitions which you might not be able to visit in RL due to your geographical location (or any other reasons).

   If you're into socialising, there are plenty of venues catering to different types of people (and again, clubs, pubs, gardens, etc).

   If you're into adult stuff, there are plenty of places to explore that.

   If you're into mesh and tech, or just want to play around with the in-world build tools, there are plenty of sandboxes where people can do so together and help each other, as well as places dedicated to teaching people how to make stuff.

   That's my favourite feature of SL - if I grow bored of taking photos, I can snatch a friend or two and go play some Greedy, Hand and Foot, Othello, Cards Against Humanity, Skippo, Chess, darts, or bowling. Or I can take one of my cars or bikes for a drive around one of the continents, maybe play some GTFO and explore along the way. Or I can go sit in my row boat and slowly trail the shores of Bellisseria whilst philosophising with a friend or two. Or I can go to an RP sim, or a sex sim, or hop into one of my friends' hangouts and chat with people. 

   As many of us like to point out (or scream at people); SL isn't a 'game', it shouldn't be approached like a 'game'. Even the most intuitive sandbox 'games' got nothing on SL in terms of creating stuff in real-time with other people around you. You can play games within SL, heck there's even pretty decent pool tables out there that can be great fun, whether you're killing time by yourself, or if you're hanging out with people.

[MoiraKathleen]

The mainland with all its continents and connecting water regions are definitely an important feature in my mind.  For me, that is what really gives it a sense of being a "world" that can be traveled and explored, and also provides for a sense of a place with history.   

The in-world building tools are important to me.  I'm not a creator and not artistic, but the tools allow for even someone like me to be able to build simple objects for my own use, or to modify other things that I purchase so that they better suit my use of them.  I really appreciate those that have created (and staff) the various places around the grid that offer free classes (in varying levels of complexity) of using the existing building tools. 

I like the various options for one to have a 'space' here - whether it be owning an entire region, owning a parcel on mainland or renting/leasing a small parcel or a small house (furnished or unfurnished).  There really is something available that fits just about anyone's budget.

Also very important (perhaps most important), all those, past and present, who spend their time here, making SL what it is, and helping foster the visions, innovations and opportunities for each of us to create or inhabit the places here that match our own interests, or interests that we wish to explore about ourselves.     

[LittleMe Jewell]

1 hour ago, JetReigns said:

What are the most important features of SL to you? 

For example, is it important to you that SL has an interconnected land grid/world map? How do you feel about buying, selling, and renting land? What about the in-world creation tools? I'm curious to know!

Survey for a school paper?

[JetReigns]

18 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

Survey for a school paper?

Nope, just new to SL and still figuring it out. I like reading through the forums to get a better feel for what people do on SL/use it for.

So far, my personal ecperience has been little more than following my friend around as she shops, and getting kicked from places for my account age lol. I'll figure it out eventually.

[LittleMe Jewell]

1 hour ago, JetReigns said:

Nope, just new to SL and still figuring it out. I like reading through the forums to get a better feel for what people do on SL/use it for.

So far, my personal ecperience has been little more than following my friend around as she shops, and getting kicked from places for my account age lol. I'll figure it out eventually.

Welcome to SL.  Your OP sounded so much like many of the questions we get from college folks doing report research.

SL takes time, but it will all come together eventually. 

What folks use SL for is varied.  I like shopping & playing Barbie Dress Up. I also like going out dancing sometimes or just out listening to live music performers.  I enjoy dabbling with building and I'm thinking of opening a store, to not only sell my miniscule number of creations, but also some extra Gacha items that I have and some KittyCats that I've bred.  I don't explore as much as I use to - mostly because I don't have as much SL time right now - but I do still just go out wandering sometimes.

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by LittleMe Jewell

[MoiraKathleen]

43 minutes ago, JetReigns said:

to get a better feel for what people do on SL/use it for.

I didn't understand what you were asking for, then.   

I enjoy exploring around and taking pictures.   Sometimes I do 'road trips' on the road system or waterways on the mainland continents, other times I go out to regions that I see in the featured or newly added section of the Destinations Guide.   There are a few grid-wide hunts associated with a specific theme/event sponsored by Historical Hunts that I enjoy doing through out the year.   I like decorating houses and yard around them - over time I've lived in a variety of locations and within that, a variety of houses and landscaping.  I think I might have purchased more houses than shoes purchased.  My Home and Garden section of my inventory (with houses, landscaping items and indoor and outdoor furnishings and decor) has more items than the clothing section of my inventory.   From time to time I'll go out dancing.  I also enjoy taking building or scripting classes - usually through Builder's Brewer or Happy Hippo Building School.  There's probably other things I do from time to time, but those are the major things.  

[Rolig Loon]

I split my time in world between scripting and hanging out with a group of friends who have all been in SL since at least 2007.  I like the intellectual challenge of scripting as well as the rush of creation, and I always look forward to chatting, dancing, and exploring with friends.  I'm not much of a recreational shopper or an interior decorator, and I have little interest in playing games (although I have tried out each of the Linden Lab games over the years), but I have always enjoyed landscaping and creating outdoors environments. Most of the non-rental area on the region I own is a large park/garden that I enjoy redesigning every once in a while.

[Horus Salubrius]

Music.    It is the number one thing I do in SL, go to clubs & listen to music.   I would like to find some gaming to do, but so far that has alluded me. 

[JetReigns]

Thanks for the replies. I figured new players come in and ask things like "what am I supposed to do?" all the time, so I wanted to ask about what the current players are into, in terms of what makes SL unique... if that makes sense? It has a lot of features you don't see too often, like the player run market.

[Tari Landar]

Things I do in sl, so, therefore, things important to me in sl:

build/create- I am far more old fashioned in my creation, I use prims and sculpts more than I use mesh. I can't make my own mesh externally, so the mesh I use is made by someone else, and bought full perm by me. I prefer prim and sculpt, in that order. Obviously, I use external programs for texture creation purposes. I would love sl to have an inworld mesh tool, I would use it if they had one, but that's never going to happen.

explore-I love finding new places, visiting old places and generally wandering around. You can do a search inworld and find just about anything to do,. I do a lot of things I can't do in rl, like scuba diving, parachuting, flying, surfing, golfing, drive around...etc. Through truth be told, I can't drive worth crap in sl either, lmao, it's loads of fun. I don't personally use the web search, but rather the legacy one in my firestorm viewer ( I prefer it, no real reason other than it's always worked well enough for my purposes). Others' experiences with either may vary from mine. 

chat with friends-This one happens less than it once did, but it still does. Usually we're off doing something, more often than not, something we ought not to, we goof off a lot (no avs are harmed in our VERY harmless fun, we aren't griefers of any sort, not my idea of fun, really, unless we're griefing ourselves, but that doesn't count  lol)

That's the bulk of what I do in sl these days, and has been for a long time actually. I don't much care for clubs, I can't stand gesturbating and most are full of it, which I find annoying and downright irritating most of the time (weird peeve of mine, really). I also don't like lag. But I do like music, so I have a lot of urls from clubs. I'll tp to them, take their stream and listen to it on either my own land or in an external player on my pc. They still get air time, I get the good music, and I don't have to deal with irritants or lag of any sort...it's a win-win.  (and yes I do sometimes tip them from afar as well, though rarely the club itself unless it's exceedingly impressive in some way). I'm not a shopper, although I do help people find things they're looking for quite a lot, I rather loathe shopping and find it boooooooring. But I also only change my clothes maybe once every year or two now, lol. 

[Ren Toxx]

Teleport, and mute.

[Rowan Amore]

People.  Even though, as I've mentioned in another thread, I keep my friend list tiny, I come to SL mostly to interact with people.  There's nothing I like more than chit chatting with people anywhere and everywhere about anything.

[Arduenn Schwartzman]

9 hours ago, JetReigns said:

What are the most important features of SL to you? 

Walking forward and rotating avatar clockwise and anti-clockwise.

I truly think they these are the most important, but also the most underappreciated and least exciting features in SL.

[Lucia Nightfire]

The most important features to me are always the ones yet to come...

[FairreLilette]

Marketplace but I love my little inworld tiny stores I rent inworld in a mall too.  I rent my little booths because it gives me a chance to experience living in the world and at the cost of mere dollars not hundred dollars for a sim to have a store.  I am not a fan of Caspervend, however, and prefer to use the items or rezzed boxes as vendors.  The reason I don't like Caspervend is my stuff is mostly furniture and it needs to be rezzed.  Another reason I don't like Caspervend is I'd have to do a lot of pictures and if I had to do all those pictures, I'd just as soon put the items on Marketplace then.  I don't have time to do all those pictures and that's why I like to have my little stores in a mall, it saves me from having to do pictures and all I have to do is rez the finished items.  So, I'd guess I'd say private sims is great along with those who have land or a home via being a Premium member.  I'd hate to see SL go all Premium only.   

[Karl Herber]

I still build and create stuff for myself (in prims only). Way back, years ago, I had a little business making prim furniture, especially kitchens. That all went by the wayside when mesh came in, because I tried and totally failed to grasp any understanding of how operate Blender (or anything similar) but I still make tons of stuff for myself. Someone mentioned being able to modify things too and I agree with that. If I buy a house, and I want to split a large room into two smaller ones, with a door between them, I can do that.  Or put a house on a  platform over a slope and add steps for access.

Land ownership is important to me too. I love to have a place of my own, and I like the freedom to do what I want with it, so more often than not, my account is premium and tend to periodically swap between Linden homes and regular mainland. 

[Extrude Ragu]

The ability to create worlds and have your friends with you in your world as you do it.

I'd never create a game because I wouldn't be able to share my world with others or let others live in it as I'm making it. Years and years of my life would be spent on my own.

I create on SecondLife because I'm with my friends, and my friends can also create and put into my world. I can't overstate how much that 'made' SecondLife for me.

[FairreLilette]

39 minutes ago, Karly Kiyori said:

Someone mentioned being able to modify things too and I agree with that. 

I believe all my items are fully modify with the exception of some scripts and a few cups.   This can cause some confusion.  Often items are actually modify but due to scripts they contain which are no modify, the object reads no modify in one's inventory.  Often these types of items where the object actually is modify but contain no modify scripts become modify upon rezzing the item.  Many furniture items are that way and once the furniture item is rezzed it will read copy and modify upon the ground.  Also, many hairs may say no modify in your inventory but that's because of the script not the hair, so I always recommend to people to check all the hairs you buy to see if they are modify.  I notice this fools many people because often hair comes in pastels but the hair is modify and all you have to do is tint plus the lighter colors from many hair sellers often come with a tinter...yet many residents still buy the pastel pack.  It's better to check the hair and make sure it doesn't come with a tinter before buying the pastels packs.  So, I often buy just the white/black and blonde packs because many hairs do come with a tinter or they can be tinted via the SL color picker palette that is built into every object in SL.  If you don't know how to find the built in color picker palette built into every object in SL, ask a friend or building school.  

The OP mentioned the inworld building tools.  There have been some problems with alpha blending/alpha masking.  Some items need to be able to be put on alpha masking now which is causing some problems so I am sure to make sure all my items are fully modify.  A few where you can receive a drinking cup might be excluded from full modify but even with a cup you can still move and rotate the cup or any object even if it is no modify you just cannot stretch it.    

Edited January 14, 2021 by FairreLilette

[animats]

The big world. Most games feel cramped. After a while, you've seen everything. SL is big enough that takes a few years.

[Lucia Nightfire]

1 hour ago, FairreLilette said:

I believe all my items are fully modify with the exception of some scripts and a few cups.   This can cause some confusion.  Often items are actually modify but due to scripts they contain which are no modify, the object reads no modify in one's inventory.  Often these types of items where the object actually is modify but contain no modify scripts become modify upon rezzing the item.  Many furniture items are that way and once the furniture item is rezzed it will read copy and modify upon the ground.  Also, many hairs may say no modify in your inventory but that's because of the script not the hair, so I always recommend to people to check all the hairs you buy to see if they are modify.  I notice this fools many people because often hair comes in pastels but the hair is modify and all you have to do is tint plus the lighter colors from many hair sellers often come with a tinter...yet many residents still buy the pastel pack.  It's better to check the hair and make sure it doesn't come with a tinter before buying the pastels packs.  So, I often buy just the white/black and blonde packs because many hairs do come with a tinter or they can be tinted via the SL color picker palette that is built into every object in SL.  If you don't know how to find the built in color picker palette built into every object in SL, ask a friend or building school.  

The OP mentioned the inworld building tools.  There have been some problems with alpha blending/alpha masking.  Some items need to be able to be put on alpha masking now which is causing some problems so I am sure to make sure all my items are fully modify.  A few where you can receive a drinking cup might be excluded from full modify but even with a cup you can still move and rotate the cup or any object even if it is no modify you just cannot stretch it.    

Still, the trend is that, with each passing year, more things are becoming no-mod.

This especially goes for human mesh heads, human mesh bodies, human mesh clothes and mesh hair.

And it isn't no-mod scripts or containers to blame. It's creators' conscious decisions.

[FairreLilette]

18 minutes ago, Lucia Nightfire said:

Still, the trend is that, with each passing year, more things are becoming no-mod.

This especially goes for human mesh heads, human mesh bodies, human mesh clothes and mesh hair.

And it isn't no-mod scripts or containers to blame. It's creators' conscious decisions.

Yes, but most of those are partial mod and some clothing makers are allowing delete scripts now too.  However, even delete scripts is a problem if you don't make a copy and paste it into your folder first.  Deleting scripts on the one and only copy is a problem for CSR's.  On some mesh bodies (I forgot which now) you can delete scripts also but many don't realize they need to delete scripts on a copy they make only.  

I would like to see a tinter put into clothing as many hairs have because I often pass on clothes because the colors are too loud.  I like soft, muted colors.  

So, clothing...I would love it with a tinter...just make each color the lightest as possible and then allow to tint to one's preferred shade.  But, many creator's say that would look bad tinted, plus other creator's say people will just buy the white and try to tint it and they will lose money.  I don't block access to the tinting built into every object in SL.  Many do though. 

I have a bazillion hairs from all over which are modify and I can tint them and even put my own resizer in them. 

Also, with some hairs that are copy and mod - sometimes the creator puts either an x/y/z/ resizer and sometimes just an overall increase or decrease resizer.  I notice this on Tram and Limerence quite often - two different types of resizers.  So, I rez any hairs to the ground that have an increase or decrease only script in them and put my x/y/z resizer in them.  

What I'm saying is some things in SL are modify but people don't know how to utilize it as well as thinking it is no modify at all due to the no modify scripts they contain making the object read no modify in their inventory.  But, my post was just general information and not directed to anyone in particular...just fyi stuff about what might be thought to be no modify but it actually is modify.  Clothes, well.  Most colors are just not my cup of tea...so I would like a tinter but most if not all say no.   

Edited January 14, 2021 by FairreLilette

[JetReigns]

1 hour ago, FairreLilette said:

Often items are actually modify but due to scripts they contain which are no modify, the object reads no modify in one's inventory.  Often these types of items where the object actually is modify but contain no modify scripts become modify upon rezzing the item.

That's a bit obnoxious, it seems like the ability to modify is a big part of deciding whether or not to buy something, so it seems vital for that to display correctly...

Is this the case with the marketplace and vendors too? Will certain modifiable items appear as "no modify" before you purchase them?

[FairreLilette]

12 minutes ago, JetReigns said:

That's a bit obnoxious, it seems like the ability to modify is a big part of deciding whether or not to buy something, so it seems vital for that to display correctly...

Is this the case with the marketplace and vendors too? Will certain modifiable items appear as "no modify" before you purchase them?

On Marketplace yes IF the item is not boxed and you look under the contents tab.   Dela is a hair I started with in SL but I have a bazillion now from all over.  However, Dela does not box her hair and see how it reads under CONTENTS below and it says COPY?  Well, guess what, that hair is copy and modify.  See how it reads in her DETAILS:  Hair are Modify (you can tint) and copy.

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/DeLa-Mesh-Hair-Thea-Blondes/9188894

• =DeLa*= Mesh Hair "Thea" Blondes   Copy
• =DeLa*= Fitted Mesh Hair "Thea" Blondes   Copy
• =DeLa*= All color chart   Copy, Modify
• =DeLa*= Mesh Hair "Thea" Blondes (Materials)   Copy
• =DeLa*= hair-thea   Copy, Modify, Transfer
• =DeLa*= MainStore Dress, Denim, , DeLa (113, 111, 23)   Copy, Modify, Transfer
• =DeLa*= "Thea" Hud (Blondes)   Copy
• =DeLa*= Fitted Mesh Hair "Thea" Blondes (Materials)   Copy
• =DeLa*= Mesh Hair Head hide alpha layer 2   Copy, Modify
• =DeLa*= Mesh Hair Head hide alpha layer   Copy, Modify