HeathcliffMontague

Welcome to SL. Lots of good advice given above, but I feel the best is go slow. Then demo and demo some more to see what you like. I'm happy with my my Aesthetic (took a lot of tweaking), but it's probably not a good starter body. Like others have said, Skell's blog is very informative. Don't be afraid to ask in the group of whatever body you choose to get - make sure to join, when unboxing you'll probably get an invite. Otherwise just TP (teleport) to the store and look for a group invite sign.

I might not (usually) be the most likely guy to take you out dancing, but most of my bikes have room for two. Just for a scenic ride, of course

This level of possitivity is approved

I take the whole "I'm never bored in SL" thing that folks say with a grain of salt. However, I'm almost never bored for long. Caledon Oxbridge was nice in my early days, Builders Brewery I still frequent. Even met some nice folks while building in the Premium sandboxes as well, even if there are few people there usually. But once I landed in the 2RAW driving SIM I became hooked on driving/racing - even though I was terrible at it at first, I can now been seen on leader boards at several places on the grid. And I've made many friends and interesting aquaintances in the process. Have had, and still have long conversations that lasted until the wee hours. From there I got hooked on boating, and found several of the marinas pretty social. I've tried to see how far one can sail/boat in SL without interruption quite a few times, and have even been met with a few "nice to see you again" from landowners doing that. Even been invited in. My "Friends" list is fairly short, but I have lots of folks I meet and talk to on a regular basis who are not on that list, and I still consider them good friends. It's like they always say regarding SL - find something you like. A cliché becomes a cliché because there's some truth to it

This. Folks seem to do that a lot. New and old(er).

I honestly don't remember how I found out about it myself. I only remember that I was pretty sceptical at first, but it gradually drew me in. Took a while for me to become a regular visitor. Met a fairly new user the other day, though. 2-3 months old. She asked me how to find some stuff and I helped her, and we chatted for a bit. She had wathced YouTube videos and wanted to join for the dress-up part. Even as a guy I could help with some basic stuff (alphas, AOs), but I also pointed her in (hopefully) the right directions regarding asking in her groups and stuff like that. She asked me what I liked to do here, and I mentioned driving and boating among other things. Rezzed some high-end bikes and cars, and she was blown away. "Oh, there's MORE to it than just dressing up?" I showed her the world map. She was obviously drawn to SL from YouTube videos. Girls posting about beautifying their avi.

Appreciate your work, but I think it might be more beneficial to somehow convey to new (potential) members how SL actually works now. I guess SL might attract more gamers now than even when I joined a few years ago, but how about explaining to the gamers that 60 FPS might require some tweaking, and that FPS isn't the be all, end all of this "game"?

You can always visit the Marketplace on any device for stuff you want to try later. I won't even visit SL on a laptop unless I really have to, much less on a mobile device. I'd probably use a limited SL environment at times too, if it were available, but don't see how that can happen without an alternate SL. Like an OpenSim-like local SIM. My i7 and GeForce are getting long in the tooth, but I fail to see how even my pretty recent LG phone could even begin to keep up. Different perspectives I guess

Actually made it a habit of browsing the forums before I log on - I blame you all.

And it's fixed. Pretty fast.

To be more practical for you: I you have too many scripts, start by removing any HUDs you don't need there and then and see if that does the trick. If not, go home (or to your log-on point) and see if you can remove any scripts from your clothing etc. Right click > Edit > Content. Do you really need a resize script for your boots after you've made them fit? Some creators have that option in the HUD too. Get something like this and check before you go out: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/KTC-Script-memory-meter/2973346 Lastly, save different outfits according to script levels. I'm obviously very low on a driving track and much higher on a nude beach. Because, well… attachments.

Several Tellaq mesh avis, while good looking enough, have had some issues with finding clothing. I'm happy with my Aesthetic, but it's not for everyone. I've got the muscle mass very toned down. Some (me included) would argue that a new head or a face applier would be... if not necessary, a rather good idea. There are some very good face appliers out there for it at a reasonable price now, and the head is Bento. Clothing is often very template based, but a lot of good stuff available too. I have friends who are happy with their Adams and Slinks too, and seem to find clothes easily enough. The newest mesh male avis seem to be easiest to find clothes for right now, though. Edit: Quite a few folks have reported problems with neck matching for 3rd party heads, but there are many very helpful folks in the Niramyth group for such things.

Good advice above. I have few items in my inventory that can't be re-delivered. Some, but not that many. If all else fails, you might contact the sellers as well. If you bought it on the MP, you should have the details in your order history. Send the info in a notecard.

Should work, but in my experience SL and Intel HD Graphics don't always play well together. Intel HD is not the greatest. Still a bit weird, though, as I've been sailing with even weaker specs. With settings tweaked, of course. Folks hate to hear this (I did. It can be expensive - but doesn't have to be, there is an online market for used parts/PCs/Macs), but sometimes you just need to upgrade your computer. I did, and SL as been a lot more enjoyable and worry free since I took that plunge.

Thinking about getting some laps, as always, before I call it a day.

A "Beginners" forum doesn't sound like a bad idea to me on the surface. Most forums I've known have had them. Beginners feeling free to ask Qs without feeling stupid and more experienced folks answering as best they can. Of course, "what's the best squat form" or something like that would be very different from an SL newb question like "what is this thing, what do I do here?"... I get the OP,'s question but see how it might go haywire as well...

But still apparently kinda relevant, from what I'm reading here

You should post your computer specs (GPU, CPU, RAM etc). Are you on Wifi or plugged in? Can make a huge difference. BBX make nice boats, and the owner is a good guy. However, in my experience they aren't the best on SIM crossings, especially on weaker computers. Also, when driving/sailing/flying anything in SL I will take off (not just turn off) my AO and keep worn scripts to an absolute minimum. You might also experiment with draw distance a bit (and other settings). Start low and increase gradually.

Heh There are actually lots of cars and bikes in SL where if you hit the guard rail, things will come off. If your vehicle gets too broken down from your reckless driving it will eventually actually explode. Guys, find stuff that interest you. Whether that be chess, sailing, racing, literature, whatever. Probably the most often advice given in SL, but it's true. I've never propositioned a woman in my SL life, but have still gotten approached quite often. All times by someone who had been observing and interacting with me. All relationships I have, interesting friends with benenefits if you like, as well as all others, have been built over some time. I've also not sought instant gratification, but if that's your thing get your avi in order. Seems to be one way of getting some attention.

"Have you ever tried naked motorcycle riding?" "Yes. But the scripts in my d**k slowed me down too much."

Makes me wonder what you do in SL where that is too slow. I usually come to SL to get my adrenaline levels down, not up

Interesting observation

I have a lot of experience with my right hand When my right hand is exhausted OK, scratch that. I'll sometimes use WASD to move around. With my left hand. But arrow keys are my go-to. I guess I'm an old-old school PC gamer, starting with Doom type games and graduating more towards WASD as First Person Shooters got more advanced. I also drive a lot in SL, and am actually pretty good at it. Far from the top drivers, but good enough to get on leader boards regularly and winning a price or two. For a race or setting a new track PR it's always arrows. I can cruise OK with WASD, but that's it. But I also use good keyboards with the right support. Not gaming ones, but I've earned my income from typing for many years. Need proper support for that.

Late I know. But very low key and fitting

I guess I know just enough about RP-ing to know it's not for me, and to respect the folks who are into it enough to leave them to do their thing while I do mine. Nothing wrong with people building up impressively complicated story lines and expecting folks to get with the program, put on an armor and help slay the dragon. And expect you to contribute to the overall story. I know that's an extreme oversimplification, but it's the first thing that comes to mind when I hear "RP". And "oh yes, yes" etc. isn't RP to me, just lazyness.