My Short Mobile Viewer Experience

[Imaze Rhiano]

I was bicycling around town and during my break (with some good drinks) I suddenly did get "great" idea to test Second Life Mobile viewer. My phone is "rather" old Huawei P20 Pro. I do have previous experience from Lumiya with same phone.

Installation was uneventful (thought it took few minutes to find link google play from Second Life website). Login did work without problems (after I did find my login information from my password manager).

First thing that I did see in my phones screen was total greyness. I guessed that it was loading textures so - I did wait minute. Nothing changed.

Maybe I was looking for some grey wall? I did try to zoom out and rotate camera with usual random finger magic movements. Better! I was able to zoom out and see room where my avatar was - thought my avatar did look like some ghost...

Zooming bit closer did start showing my avatar - thought bit weird. It looked like that my avatar was wearing default SL body with textures and without any shape modifications. Totally flat breasts and seemed to miss most - if not all attachments. Basically, I was naked.

Maybe moving out from my tiny apartment room gives me more space to view and zoom avatar? When I was login there was short introduction to movement joystick that allows you to move avatar - so... let’s try it! It took several minutes to walk out from room only door and outside - but finally I made it. (I guess staring other people assess and drinking beer didn't speed up things.)

Once outside I was able to freely zoom in and out my avatar. It really looked like that my avatar was only visible short distance - in far - it seemed to ghost out. Also, my avatar really wasn't wearing many attachments and shape was really odd. Worst part was that my mesh bra was gone with my mesh body. So, I was practically topless default SL body.

I did look viewer settings, but I couldn't find option that allows me max out graphics even if my phone melts. I guess either my phone is ancient stone age tool or this is how avatars look in Mobile Viewer. So how about chatting it doesn't need too many resources?

After moment I did find friend list - and from there online friend list. And from friend I did find "messaging" option. After completing this finger gymnastic I was able to chat with my friend. I don't know if it was my phone's keyboard UI or viewer, but I couldn't see what I was writing to chat because my "keyboard" was blocking view. Also, when chatting I did lost connection to SL server couple times (or at least it seemed to be so - because chat stopped sending messages).

Generally, my experience with Mobile Viewer was pretty much what I expected it to be. I was bit sad that graphics were so bad - but this was likely because of my ancient phone. Also chatting with friends should be much easier and faster. It seems like that LL have decided that graphical experience comes before chatting. Maybe they are expecting that people are using voice instead? I would rather to see option where I could enter chat easier - and maybe render selected avatars in my screen in high quality setting.

Edited July 29 by Imaze Rhiano

[Glaznah Gassner]

Hello Imaze. Have you tried our SpeedLight mobile SL viewer before? 

You wrote a great SL mobile viewer experience feedback, I wonder if SpeedLight would suit your needs. And appreciate your experience too!

[Imaze Rhiano]

5 minutes ago, Glaznah Gassner said:

Hello Imaze. Have you tried our SpeedLight mobile SL viewer before? 

You wrote a great SL mobile viewer experience feedback, I wonder if SpeedLight would suit your needs. And appreciate your experience too!

Hello!

No - I haven't tried it. My mobile SL use is rather random and really haven't looked different options. Thank you for link - I will try to remember it when I get another time to use mobile viewers

Edited July 29 by Imaze Rhiano

[Glaznah Gassner]

SpeedLight mostly concentrate on messaging and seamless usage experience: you can login on mobile, send IMs, turn off the phone. Then open SpeedLight on desktop and continue IM'g.

I really appreciate your feedback when you manage to try SpeedLight