I love non-human avis and have many, but I've come to the realization....

[Gopi Passiflora]

...the most interesting avatars (as a group) happen to be humans themselves.

Why? It's a little hard to explain, but I guess it has to do with the diversity of human avis. Humans can be different shapes, sizes, colors, and all sorts of physical features. They can have different hairstyles, clothing, accessories, and others. This diversity of humans is kinda interesting to observe and study (hence all the university and graduate students coming to this board wanting to make studies on Second Life avatars.) You can for example, see how human appearance in Second Life compares to that of the real world. You can see how the treatment of different types of human avatars reflects that of the real world.

I guess to sum it up as badly as possible, human avatars are most interesting because of the science involved!

[Midnoot]

3 minutes ago, Gopi Passiflora said:

...the most interesting avatars (as a group) happen to be humans themselves.

Why? It's a little hard to explain, but I guess it has to do with the diversity of human avis. Humans can be different shapes, sizes, colors, and all sorts of physical features. They can have different hairstyles, clothing, accessories, and others. This diversity of humans is kinda interesting to observe and study (hence all the university and graduate students coming to this board wanting to make studies on Second Life avatars.) You can for example, see how human appearance in Second Life compares to that of the real world. You can see how the treatment of different types of human avatars reflects that of the real world.

I guess to sum it up as badly as possible, human avatars are most interesting because of the science involved!

I actually stopped buying non-human avatars due to this same realization. You simply have more options as a humanoid due to it being the overwhelming majority, so if you wanna be something interesting like an alien, an animal, etc, you better know how to mesh for it, accessorize for it, rig for it, etc... Otherwise, r.i.p.... It's a case of joining them because I couldn't beat them, for me.

[Gopi Passiflora]

5 minutes ago, Midnoot said:

I actually stopped buying non-human avatars due to this same realization. You simply have more options as a humanoid due to it being the overwhelming majority, so if you wanna be something interesting like an alien, an animal, etc, you better know how to mesh for it, accessorize for it, rig for it, etc... Otherwise, r.i.p.... It's a case of joining them because I couldn't beat them, for me.

Ah interesting. Yeah, I agree it's harder to customize non-human avis. I haven't and will not stop using them, though.

[Arielle Popstar]

I've been considering one of the Dinkies as an avatar for one of my alts simply because they are cute but also because I am tiring of buying clothes, bodies, heads and makeup for my humans. It gets tiring and then always being looked at as a potential slex toy makes it even more so.

[Ayashe Ninetails]

4 minutes ago, Gopi Passiflora said:

...the most interesting avatars (as a group) happen to be humans themselves.

Why? It's a little hard to explain, but I guess it has to do with the diversity of human avis. Humans can be different shapes, sizes, colors, and all sorts of physical features. They can have different hairstyles, clothing, accessories, and others. This diversity of humans is kinda interesting to observe and study (hence all the university and graduate students coming to this board wanting to make studies on Second Life avatars.) You can for example, see how human appearance in Second Life compares to that of the real world. You can see how the treatment of different types of human avatars reflects that of the real world.

I guess to sum it up as badly as possible, human avatars are most interesting because of the science involved!

Yes and no? I find them to be pretty boring in general, but that's not specific to SL. I've always favored non-human races in fantasy games and MMOs, as well. I have/had Blood Elves and Gnomes and Goblins and Draenei in WoW. Asuras and Sylvari in Guild Wars 2. Dark Elves, Wood Elves, High Elves, Ratonga, and more in EQ2. On and on and on and on.

In SL, I've got mermaids and demons and dragons and a frog and deer and a fox and undead and witches and cyborgs and and and... 

They don't look the same. My two demons are especially different - one with very powdery skin and white hair - the other is bright red with black hair and a body that's half-mangled and pieced back together. My mermaids are wildly different - one is a ghostly apparition, another is a foodie with an ice cream cone tail and donuts in her hair, and yet another is draped in gold, and another looks more like a sea monster with razor sharp teeth and long claws. Same with my undead - got some fresh out the grave looks, some "been around the block" zombie looks, a skeletal lich. All have different hair, all have different skin, different heads/clothing/costumes/outfits/armor, all use different mods and nails and accessories. I could easily spend a month or more designing a single non-human avie given how many options I've got, compared to the time I spend dressing my humans (for photos - they rarely leave the house these days 😂). Taking my frog shopping is a whole day affair and she can pull off some wildly fun looks my humans simply can't.

Humans are cool, don't get me wrong. I just find shopping for non-humans to be a LOT more interesting, varied, and enjoyable.

[Gopi Passiflora]

2 minutes ago, Ayashe Ninetails said:

Yes and no? I find them to be pretty boring in general, but that's not specific to SL. I've always favored non-human races in fantasy games and MMOs, as well. I have/had Blood Elves and Gnomes and Goblins and Draenei in WoW. Asuras and Sylvari in Guild Wars 2. Dark Elves, Wood Elves, High Elves, Ratonga, and more in EQ2. On and on and on and on.

In SL, I've got mermaids and demons and dragons and a frog and deer and a fox and undead and witches and cyborgs and and and... 

They don't look the same. My two demons are especially different - one with very powdery skin and white hair - the other is bright red with black hair and a body that's half-mangled and pieced back together. My mermaids are wildly different - one is a ghostly apparition, another is a foodie with an ice cream cone tail and donuts in her hair, and yet another is draped in gold, and another looks more like a sea monster with razor sharp teeth and long claws. Same with my undead - got some fresh out the grave looks, some "been around the block" zombie looks, a skeletal lich. All have different hair, all have different skin, different heads/clothing/costumes/outfits/armor, all use different mods and nails and accessories. I could easily spend a month or more designing a single non-human avie given how many options I've got, compared to the time I spend dressing my humans (for photos - they rarely leave the house these days 😂). Taking my frog shopping is a whole day affair and she can pull off some wildly fun looks my humans simply can't.

Humans are cool, don't get me wrong. I just find shopping for non-humans to be a LOT more interesting, varied, and enjoyable.

Another interesting response. Yeah, I see what you mean that non-humans can also be diverse and customizable, but why I find human avis most interesting is more due to a "social science" perspective. But your post makes sense and I agree.

[Ayashe Ninetails]

2 minutes ago, Gopi Passiflora said:

Another interesting response. Yeah, I see what you mean that non-humans can also be diverse and customizable, but why I find human avis most interesting is more due to a "social science" perspective. But your post makes sense and I agree.

True, if you're comparing human avatars to real world humans, yep.

Though, who's to say mermaids aren't real, ehhhhh?!?!?! 😂

[Love Zhaoying]

36 minutes ago, Gopi Passiflora said:

...the most interesting avatars (as a group) happen to be humans themselves.

It's a trap!  Run before it's too late.

[Xeriko Melnik]

7 hours ago, Gopi Passiflora said:

Another interesting response. Yeah, I see what you mean that non-humans can also be diverse and customizable, but why I find human avis most interesting is more due to a "social science" perspective. But your post makes sense and I agree.

Can't you apply that same "principle" to study non-humanoid representations? Wouldn't it be equally interesting, from a "social science" perspective, to know/understand why humans prefer certain non-humanoid avies instead?

[Gopi Passiflora]

1 hour ago, Xeriko Melnik said:

Can't you apply that same "principle" to study non-humanoid representations? Wouldn't it be equally interesting, from a "social science" perspective, to know/understand why humans prefer certain non-humanoid avies instead?

 

I suppose you're right about that, too.

[Kalegthepsionicist]

with human avi u can makr many apperances , u can make human face look like animal

animal head avi cannotlook like human.

 

[WereBeast Alpha]

I love being a werewolf I sort of do a mix of human and wolf together as one of my werewolf forms. Its like from the Teen Wolf show that was on MTV. Still human but mixed with werewolf.