[How does your Senra look?]

Okay, she's coming along.  I was surfing MP earlier, put Senra into search, and found the same Alaskametro skins Stephanie had.  I picked up the shape and Tone 1 of the skin, plus the eyebrows and eyeshadow recommended in the style card.

Instead of Truth Trinket for hair, I went with Truth Cashmere and I added a Genus eyeliner from Izzie's I'd had lurking in my inventory from days of yore.  I also threw on some eyes I had from Avi-Glam.

She's just wearing the Senra crop top, and (not that you can see them) the baggy jeans and sneakers. 

I think my biggest issue is I need more contour around the jaw and chin.  The chin is too prominent for my personal tastes and the depth won't decrease adequately to even out the proportions on the face; there's also a rigging situation where hair that sits at a normal height on other heads ends up sitting farther into the skull on the Senra, which gives them a super low forehead (threehead? twohead?).  The lips additionally have a rather prominent contour which can be addressed with skin, but which will also show up to disadvantage in heavily shadowed lighting.

I'm not sure if those issues are going to be addressed, or if they even should.  They're areas of concern for me specifically (as in if I came into a virtual world with this as my default avatar they would hurt me to my soul like the OMG NO CHIN the default avatars in another virtual world possess), and as soon as I had the cash I would be flinging it at creators to improve my appearance.

All my caveats aside, however, dang this is a sight better than the former starters!  Even with what's available now (including the glorious skin and kind pricing by Alaskametro<3) a new person has a much better opportunity to make a reasonable avatar without dumping a load of cash into SL right at the start.  Yay!!!

[How does your avatar look today ?]

I have nothing really to say about this picture, except it was fun and no regrets LOL

[AO walk/run recommendations]

5 hours ago, Anicha Heartsong said:

I hadn't heard of InMotion before. Just TPd over to try them out, and can confirm they have some excellent walks. No frills or silliness, just sensible walks.

They do.  I also like that they have empty AOs for a truly modest cost which you can then use to mix and match the animations of your choice.  Granted, I use the Firestorm built-in AO, but if there were a viewer I liked which lacked that function, I'd be heading to InMotion.

[AO walk/run recommendations]

InMotion has some excellent stands, walks, and runs.  I ended up replacing my old run with one of theirs.

I'm another Firestorm AO user, fwiw.

[NUX Avatar]

I'm glad to hear there's more coming with Jamie and Blake than would appear from their initial presence.  They are 100% an improvement over system avatars (yay!!!), and in order to work for resident retention, they must absolutely be able to be edited in a fashion that incoming people will find aesthetically appealing.  I say this as someone who's visited numerous virtual worlds strictly to experience the new user onboarding process, with a heavy focus on avatar creation. 

I got super bored in 2020.  What can I say?

Over that journey, it was driven home that Second Life's avatar customization options are head and shoulders above the rest with regard to variety and accessibility.  However, that's not something easily achievable for new residents and if people can't make themselves look the way they would like to appear, the majority are going to leave. 

This is not mere speculation.  I came back several times over the course of a few years to one world with a handful of dedicated users, and two of the biggest reasons I haven't been back in ages would be a) the difficulty of creating anything (all creation must be done offworld, and you really need to develop a knowledge of Unity and LUA to do much at all, not to mention using a 3D modeling program), and b) it was horribly difficult to take the avatars any degree past "average," if not flatly impossible.  It's definitely impossible using the out-of-the-gate avatars from that platform.

This isn't just my take; other friends who have visited that world have also left before they could so much as explore what was available because they were so disheartened by the avatar customization options.  The long-time people there are delightful humans, but with no easy way to create and no way to make an avatar representative of themselves (or how they would like to present themselves), new users leave in droves.

I don't want to see that happen in SL with the Senra avatars.  They have excellent potential -- far more so than the world alluded to above, especially with the wealth of creators here -- but the base skins and shapes I've seen shown in this thread are giving me some cause for concern because it appears these avatars, too, will be difficult to take anywhere past "average" at best.  New residents may not have deep pockets nor want to spend money on a virtual world out of the gate, and giving them a viable, attractive option to start with until they decide to invest further into SL can only be a boon to retention.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk/ textwall.

(Patch, I hope this doesn't come across as negative.  I want the entire NUX program to succeed because it could be incredibly helpful to new residents as well as promoting the longevity of Second Life, and I'm hopeful some of the feedback within this thread is taken under consideration or has already been addressed with steps that have not been publicized.)

[Catwa announces price drop - what do you think?]

4 hours ago, Modulated said:

I don't think catwa uses the standard SLUV for its head, correct me if I am wrong.  This is exactly why they went after another creator for trying to make their heads compatible with theirs I think. And this is why I do not see them ever offering an EvoX option.  Short of a ground up overhaul, I think the glory days are over for them.

HDPro uses the SLUV.  Catwa's Bento and pre-bento lines do not; those were still based on the SLUV like most pre-EvoX heads, but heavily modified, especially around the eyes.

[Catwa announces price drop - what do you think?]

I think it's great the prices have been reduced.  EvoX masters the playing field right now, and that's fine -- these things tend to be cyclical -- but decisions that put more options within reach of more SL residents can only be good.  Both the HDPro line and EvoX are gorgeous heads; I own several of each, and enjoy them for their own characteristics.

[How does your avatar look today ?]

BUNNEH!!!!  'tis the season lol

[How Does Your SL Look Today?]

[How Does Your SL Look Today?]

11 hours ago, SorachaNicEoghain said:

What is it? Are you building a sky home?

That's just my building pad.  The house with the brick patio on the building pad is my current WIP; I'm trying to work out a pergola for over that deck, but it may not be feasible.  There are totally large pergolas out there RL, but I think for SL I may have to construct my own for the proportions to be right.  Just blowing something up size-wise isn't going to work.  Believe me, I've tried lol

[SL ALFA GLITCH FIX]

50 minutes ago, steeljane42 said:

I (I'm sure plenty others did the same) did drop a note to their CSR account after new FS was released and got an answer that they'll pass it to creator. Latest few releases of theirs do have a transparent root prim now as well. I'm not sure if they are going to update all of their hair or at least the current 4.0 line with that or not, but it might be worth asking at least.

Yeah, they have a huge back catalogue of hair, but it would be nice if the current generation could be brought into compliance with the alpha fix configuration.

[SL ALFA GLITCH FIX]

3 hours ago, Ceka Cianci said:

I was checking out my Doux hair and they seem to be using a texture with transparency for their logo that sits inside the head.. I'm not sure about the much older hair which I haven't gotten to yet.. But so far all of those that I have tried and set to skull are working with the priority list now..

I have to edit all my monso hair, but just really glad that hair can be modified to make the rootprim on those transparent..

I'm just so happy right now that so many of my bangs and things aren't clashing anymore on my favorite hairs.. hehehe

Still have a bunch to look through today though and keep my fingers crossed.

The only issue I've found outside of KMH is Stealthic.  I have their Reckless hair (among many others) which I adore with an almost unholy passion... but their root prim has zero transparency, so it still glitches with my wardrobe.

[SL ALFA GLITCH FIX]

3 minutes ago, Sukubia Scarmon said:

I hope I understood that correctly - So where I put my stuff matters, but if the rootprim has no transparency, it's pretty much not going to work either way?
Most of the newer hairs, especially the alpha style hairs, are no mod, so... yeah. Same with heads - my eyelashes tend to take out literal chunks outta any hair I wear, there's few hairs where there's no conflict happening - I'm gonna do some testing and see what happens. I do have a few rare hairs that are alpha style AND mod, and god knows how many semi-transparent tops and dresses.
Either way - thanks for bringing this to my attention! The mdoe people know, the better, and maybe some hair and clothing creators will change either the modrights (LET ME DREAM) or put some transparency in their logoprims.

On the subject of the root prims, I know at least KMH is updating their hairs to have root prims with transparency, so they'll work within the new priority system.  I'm sure other creators are/ will be doing so as well.

[How Does Your SL Look Today?]

Still building.  Freaking pergola.  I may well end up making it myself out of prims, then shoving it through the prim-to-mesh converter to get the LI down to a reasonable level.

[even after 16 years in SL I need avatar help]

13 minutes ago, Ayashe Ninetails said:

I agree with you on this. I stuck with my Catwa Queen HDPro for my female human "me" look. And my orc. Go figure. It makes a gorgeous orc. 😄

 

I literally LOL'd at this -- and good to know! 

I think my issue with the female Lelutka heads -- and this dates back to their Origins line -- is I can just never shape them in a way that works for me.  The style of Lelutka is very "supermodel/smoulder" as far as the general expression on the face, whereas I tend to go more cheerful or something?  Probably the annoying American in me, where I feel I must smile every danged second   But again, those are my caveats; others' mileage varies significantly.  I'm just glad we have so many different heads on the Grid, because that way it's possible for everyone to find the look uniquely suited to them

Also, agreed on the men's EvoX heads.  I have way less difficulty shaping them for some reason.

[even after 16 years in SL I need avatar help]

In terms of choice range and creator support, Lelutka EvoX is the way to go (as everyone has said).

I have tried and tried and tried to find an EvoX that works for me, and thus far have failed.  Sometimes a head line just doesn't work for different people's individual looks, or their perceptions of same.  If EvoX isn't working for you (and definitely try all the demos, with a variety of demo skins -- there are a ton of gorgeous heads there!  I even own several *koff*) check out some of the other creators listed in this thread, along with demo skins for those.  Personally, I wear Catwa HDPro Queen with DeeTaleZ skins.  It's just "me".

[How Does Your SL Look Today?]

Just now, Charolotte Caxton said:

Could you in theory rezz an entire region from one box?

Absolutely.  It may depend from product to product, but the one I use specifies it works for entire regions.

[How Does Your SL Look Today?]

14 minutes ago, Charolotte Caxton said:

Thank you, I recently read about rezzing systems, and although I have used them for years, I have never packed one of my own.

It's time-consuming, but not difficult, once you've got the process set in your head.  That said, if I were dealing with unlimited LI, I'd not bother lol -- but I'm not made of lindens

[How Does Your SL Look Today?]

4 minutes ago, Charolotte Caxton said:

I actually thought of doing a spring and a winter on two different levels so I don't have to change them out 🤣

This is where rezzer systems are my friend lol -- I use them at ground level for the season changeover there (I live on an estate that does all four), and in additional areas to save LI from having some builds out all the time.

[How Does Your SL Look Today?]

9 minutes ago, Charolotte Caxton said:

Omg, I have a replica of my ground level plus more in my 'skybox' that I spend more time in than my actual 'house'. Ha.

LOL -- yeah, I have actually fully furnished homes at about 3700 meters stuffed into a rezzer system so I can pop them out and decompress after building without having to hit the ground.  There's a springy build, a winter build... and I may do one for fall at some point.  Don't know -- it'll depend on what catches my fancy

[How Does Your SL Look Today?]

This is pretty much every day inworld for me at this point.  I have a perfectly lovely home at ground level, and instead I spend my time at 3000 meters building... more houses.

[How does your avatar look today ?]

I have been wearing this hairstyle for several weeks straight.  This may be a new record lol

[How Does Your SL Look Today?]

15 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

Wow Ajay, that looks so realistic.  Love it!

Thank you!  I'm having lots of fun with it

[How Does Your SL Look Today?]

8 hours ago, Istelathis said:

Since Jan 15th, I have defeated over 29,000 different mobs... phew, I have no first life.  

Today has looked pretty much the same as it has for the past two weeks, fighting my way through a variety of mobs, slowly approaching my next level.  I have accumulated a few toys along the way, including the green radar which works pretty well. Right now I am fighting goblins 👺 They keep on respawning back though 🤣😵 I think the dungeon is rigged I tells ya! 🙃

GCS!!!  That's some quality entertainment right there   I'm right behind you at Level 61, although I mostly battle the undead.

[How Does Your SL Look Today?]

My current building obsession, which is where I'm spending most of my time lately.  I haven't yet come up for air.  That danged roof is too high in LI, so I'm throwing it through a prim-to-mesh converter to drag it down... and considering firing up Blender.  Again.  I last ragequit it about 9 months ago, so it may be time.