Overview of Second Life

From Sl Wiki

Revision as of 13:49, 13 January 2007

Second Life is often classed as a MMORPG - Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. However, as we will see, this description falls very wide of the mark. It is more accurately a "3D Virtual World" that enables immersive social interaction between its participants.
As a quick summary, before considering what Second Life is in more detail, it may be useful to consider.what Second Life isn't:

• It isn't a shoot-em-up game - it's not like 'Word of Warcraft'- there are no levels or points to attain; no goals to achieve; no endpoint to reach.
• It isn't a "God mode" game - it's not like The Sims, where you set up all aspects of the environment and watch events unfold
• In fact, it's not a game at all.
  

Also - as we will see:

• It is not "Sadville", where pathetic souls with no real life go to find solace (or so the pathetic soul that is the author of this would like to believe).
  

Wikipedia describe it thus:

While SL is sometimes referred to as a game, it, in general, does not have points, scores, winners or losers, levels, an end-strategy, or most of the other characteristics of games. Users, who are often called "Residents" amongst themselves, can visit this virtual world almost as if it were a real place. They explore, meet new people, participate in individual and group activities, and buy items (virtual property) and services from one another. If they decide to visit often, they learn new skills and mature socially (in the sense of learning the culture of the virtual world).

• • Avatars
  • Objects
  • Usage and Interaction
  • Money