Villamood

Second Life Viewpoint

James — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:44:39 +0000

I believe that many people do not truly relate to Second Life. They not only worry about Second Life would be the place gathered people who disembody, but also easily make people become escapism. In my opinion it’s inevitable, don’t you see it constantly happens in this realistic society? Why we just don’t think about it as well.. In point of 3D interaction, do any actual needs exist?
When I first contact with internet, I always argue that sooner or later web interaction will develop into a 3D virtual reality, a world which does not exist in fact. Even in 8 years ago I made an advance to company about my idea, trying to realize the hope of virtual reality as earlier as possible.
If we don’t count in web2.0, the web interaction between Amazon.com and users is one of the best. However, did you ever think about when you go around in a Amazon shop, you might meet someone you don’t know but you share learning experiences or talk about what book is great to each other? It does not easily happen in reality but it does in Second Life. Did you ever think about that while you are not sleepy at night, you have a virtual call to your friends or children who study abroad far away, and you date them to meet at the coffee plaza in front of Amazon and then maybe go for a concert?
Or think about it again if someday the portal site were not just a site anymore, it becomed an airport in virtual. Except the security control of entering-leaving country, if you wanna go to mainland China from Taiwan, you might not go without throughing some stations in third area. Oh! my god!
As long as you put on your head mounted display, your eyesight will change at once. To enter a space which never exists, and develop into merchant and customers, employers and employees, teachers and students with someone who you might never meet in relaity, and even develop into friends, loves or couples through virtual rencounter, The world become more flat..
In reality a group CEO is taking a flight from Taipei to San Francisco to discuss a new cooperation.
In several hours after take off, he has in advance heard the latest briefing came from San Francisco RL in vitual head office’s meeting room with the related department’s heads who were in Vietnam and Shanghai. And he not only has made a final run-through on white board but also confirmed all matters. After arriving at SF he would meet with the other side directly. Although it is the first time they meet each other, they don’t’ feel strange at all because they had plenty of cooperation experience in virtual before this. Although it’s the first time being in SF, he is familiar with the streets and traditions of SF very much through the tour guide in virtual early.
Honestly, we are not far away from such a science plot and it has already happened. We can achieve it if we have a simple installment like Wii and a simultaneous drawing board. What do we lack except the reality level? Of course we don’t know this virtual reality just Second Life or not, but apparently Second Life plays an indispensable role on th way.

Pics: Second Life in virtual & Washington Sweden Embassy in reality (from http://www.saabvideos.com)

http://blog.ttnet.net/secondlife/2008/06/16/second-life-viewpoint/

SL Introduction

Second Life Money Making

James — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:42:47 +0000

How do we make money in Second Life? Besides Camping, what other ways do we have? It’s a common question that many people would ask when they first get Second Life in touch. As for me, I’m afraid of being asked this kind of question, because so far I only keep spending money. This question is a kind too wide for me to answer. What I mean is in reality, there should be few people would ask about “how to make money” this kind of subject for no reason..
There is neither game story nor upgrade mission in Second Life. In the beginning, if you ask me about how to make money, probably I can’t help suggest you “Camping” which is a kind of time-waisting and boring way. For what? Because it’s a worthless way to make money, even by “away from keyboard”, you have to consider power bill, computer depreciation even carbon emission and so on.

So how on earth do we make money in Second Life? Let’s think about why we entered this game:

1. Do you wanna make money in Second Life? Everything is just for fun? Unless the way to make money is just your fun. If not, I think you can directly spend few money on what you like, and do not waste your time and resources on “Camping” such money-losing business, besides in Second Life, we enjoy many funny things without spending any money.

2. If you thought about making money as to subsidize your income, I don’t suggest that you regard this as a game. Indeed you can make money in Second Life, but why people you heard really can made money in Second Life? Definitely it’s not because making money is easy in Secomd Life, neither Second Life provides any good way to make money. The same as our real world, it’s the result of supply and demand, you have to create your own chances or methods. Get familiar with Second Life first, then think about what is suitable for you. If not, you may waste your precious time.

Whatever, I can show you some directions and my opinions. Do you wanna make equivalent possible money in Second Life just like in real world? So far I think it depends on originality not on labor, if you simply wanna spend time and labor, it’s better for you to consider this as a game.
So why is originality? For example, you designed a very popular clothes, and you could rent a storefront or a stall to sell this clothes. If it sells good, you may find another place to keep selling, and keep designing clothes. Maybe finally it will become a well-known brand and even hold a virtual fashion show. Certainly, it never continues spending the time but you have constant income, maybe someday in real world someone would ask you for proxy..
The other things you often see are clothing apparel, fashion, cosmetics & beauty supplies, hair styling, life furniture, landscaping & gardening design, pet and aquarium, sound acoustics, building materials, vehicles, 3D textures, software tools and so on.. Are these suitable? Are there other ways you can try? I still wanna say, the only limit is your imagination.

http://blog.ttnet.net/secondlife/2008/06/16/second-life-money-making/

Camp in Villamood Club - Happy dancer

Cost And Risk

Second Life Cost And Risk

James — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:40:46 +0000

How much should you spend if you wanna build a beautiful villa in Second Life? The answer is “Free”. If you own lands, basicly it costs nothing on building and decorating as long as you are willing to spend your time on it(if you wanna uplord pics of texture, it costs 10L$ each time), of course you can use buying furniture or texture to save your time. The furniture in Second Life generally is sold about 100L$ to 2000L$(1US$ exchanges about 267L$) and it’s not expensive. Besides you can collect some freebies, but it needs luck and costs your time. In addition, you should consider its quality..
Actually the most important thing you should care is not beautiful decoration and furniture. There is a limit in Second Life, On the one hand broad band and computer operation abilities are restricted, on the other hand maybe Linden would like making money :P. Each 512 m2 land provides 117 prims(it’s the basic unit of object, a complicated shape object is made up of plenty prims) object capacity. In other words, if your object is too complicated that above 117 prims, you should buy more lands so that you can contain these objects. Let’s take Second House of Sweden for example, 9129 prims were used for the embassy itself without including surroundings. That means laying an embassy needs at least 39936 m2 lands(the amount of prims is not entirely related with size, on the contrary it’s related with shapes), it might cost at least 1.2 or 1.5 thousand USD to buy the land.
And then is land fees, each 32768 m2 land will be charged 125US$ per month by Linden. Over 32768m2 will be counted as 65536 m2 and charged 195 US$ by Linden :(.
Finally let’s talk about building cost, neglect design expense(the embassy directly took American Washington Sweden Embassy as blueprint). All staff are about thirty, if we just look at main structure, the staff may be eleven and it took more than two months. People said Second House of Sweden consumed 63 thousand dollars or so..

http://blog.ttnet.net/secondlife/2008/05/22/second-life-cost-and-risk/

Cost And Risk, SL Guide

Second Life Game Type

James — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:35:43 +0000

Earlier on blog someone asked me Second Life was classified to MORPG game type or not and what’s the difference between Second Life and common fighting games. Because I don’t know too much about all game types so I looked up Yahoo knowledge and also refer to many portal sites how they classify Second Life. It’s hard to avoid that many players associate Second Life with online games like “Lineage” or “World of Warcraft” when they first heard Second Life. Many people assumed that Second Life were the web version of “The Sims” as well. To aim at this part I made an introduction in detail at the post “Seconf Life Brief“, so we just only talk about game type here..

Actually I never regard Second Life as a kind of game. I always say it’s more suitable to see Second Life as a “3D interactive platform”.
But since Second Life definitely presents a game style, so let’s reserch Second Life and other game types and codewords.

“MORPG” According to the meaning of word itself , it should point Multi-user Online Role Playing Game. There is another kind of abbreviation is “MMORPG”, a more “Massive” is in front, I guess probably it points at Second Life this kind of large-scale Multi-user role playing game. But what is role playing? I used to think it means acting a role in a game story, the game like Second Life without setting the action, shouldn’t be the part of it? Then I check and find out the way that ID-hiding groups or interactive games are both called RPG. By this Second Life undoubtedly is a kind of RPG. As for the fighting game we ofter mention should be the part of SLG.

In Second Life some people go to specific fun area, they accouter themselves and divided into groups to fight. But it’s absolutely not online first-person shooter game. Just like occasionally we go to paintball field in real world. It’s only specific time and place so just to become SLG at times :).

But eventually I wanna remind everyone we should take Second Life as a 3D interactive platform, not merely a game.

Here are some references about the contrast of game type abbreviation:

ACT = Action Game
AVG = Advanture Game
FTG = Fighting Game
RCG = Race Game
RPG = Role Playing Game
SLG = Simulation Game
SPG = Sport Game
RTG = Rhythm Game
STG = Shooting Game
PZG = Puzzle Game
TBG = Table Game
ETC = ETC Game

http://blog.ttnet.net/secondlife/2008/06/16/second-life-game-type/

SL Introduction

Second Life Brief

James — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:32:02 +0000

So far the membership of Second Life is over fourteen million and it’s increasing fast.

January 2007, began from England and USA, eBay had announced that it is cracking down on the virtual goods sales such as currency, clothes and weapons from online games and virtual worlds except Second Life.. “Second Life”, a 3D interactive platform published in July, 2003, was developed by Linden Lab. The reason we call it 3D interactive platform is we really can not to consider Second Life simply as a game. To the people who gets used to playing online games, I think they would be at a loss as to what to do when they first face Second Life. In Second Life you don’t have to waste time upgrading, and there is no target and mission inworld too. It’s great for you to “game” your second life, but more and more people nourish a dream with entrepreneurial attitude to do efforts to Second Life. Some people even expand their Second Life’s fruition to their career in real life.

A resident named Kermitt Quirk earned a great deal of money by creating a simple game called “Tringo” in Second Life, even Tringo was moved to real world to keep on making money. A person of Chinese descent named Anshe Chung is the most famous estate developer in this virtual world. Anshe is not her real name, she teaches in Germany in real world. Because of the fast expanding of business, Anshe also grouped a team for estate design of Second Life in China in real world. She made 250 thousand dollars one year and that made her become the magazine cover of “Fortune” and “business”.

Besides, many well-known enterprises including Reuters and IBM, they all station in Second Life 3D interactive platform. On one side they provided employees for cross-area interaction and video environment, on the other side they expanded their virtual route. Even Dior, before their new-season products published, first displayed in the Second Life, followed up by a “real-life” show at the Orangerie Museum. And the group “Starwood”, who owned well-known hotels like Sheraton and so on, also moved a hotel from real world to Secomd Life. In fact this Aloft hotel willl be completed in 2008, Starwood wished to make use of this virtual hotel in advance to observe avatars how to use the facilities, at the same time collect the appreciation about Aloft.

“Second Life” just like real life, there is no any scenery and story known and planed in advance, Linden Lab just provide a 3D platform for residents. All the people, matters, places and stuff were created, built, developed by residents themselves. If you definitely wanna ask me what’s the limits in Second Life? I think that might be your imagination.

If you still hope that Second Life were a kind of online game you can play for fun, in that case what Second Life can provide for you is the same as real world. The recreation service and products created and developed by players themselves are various. You could accouter yourself and go to battle-area for a fight. If you tire of those fighting games, besides recreation ground, you can go dancing, encountering, parachuting, surfing,
skiing, boating, vehicle-speeding or just drive a helicopter and fighter into the sky. As long as you have money, even Transformers could be your own. There are also people buying lands, building airports, gardens, villas in Second Life in order to atone the unsatisfied creature comforts in real world. It is also rife with many adult places here just like our real world, um.. that might make you lose your mind so let’s not pay too much attention to this part.

As a matter of fact, so far some area’s people who concentrates on Second Life is as little as you see. I think the most important reason might be it’s English environment. Although Linden Lab has provided language-selection, but some are still used in English(like the names of object and item), however it’s easier. Communication in mother tongue is common between friends and relatives(actually every language is ok as long as you both understand). Besides as a result of not knowing the opposite too much, so general conversation is mainly English. It’s great that conversation by “chat” needs no listening and speaking ability and you can make use of your electronic dictionary spontaneously. Sometimes you don’t focus to each other but never mind, that’s what always happened on me..

Whether English operation or conversation with foreigners might not cause any problem. But in the beginning, I think you may confuse with how to get clear of Second Life from those different words on secondlife.com. To know what’s this? How to start? What’s the fun? Otherwise who would be so silly to crazy about it(in face I’ m one of them..)? That’s the most important reason why I seted up villamood.com(for Taiwanese..). Alone in Second Life, I barely chated with people and made some friends, but still something lack when I get along with these foreigners. If you need Chinese explanation about Second Life, you can go around my blog. I will continue increasing the contents, if you have any question you can use the discussion area or reply the post, I will answer you as soon as possible.

http://blog.ttnet.net/secondlife/2008/06/16/second-life-brief/

SL Introduction

Second Life Nissan X-Trail Ski Resort

James — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:28:22 +0000

Not long ago because of shopping, I visited Japanese Nissan X-trail Island in Second Life. Not only commodities here are high quality, but also buildings and facilities are planed and designed carefully. Especially the eminent ski resort in the center of island, it’s really incredible.

Buildings on the island are so attractive that you can’t help going inside. The white gleaming peak in the distance is exactly the ski resort.

High quality internal decoration

This pond makes me feel good. There happened to be an artificial lake in Villamood, so I bought old trees and small wooden boat home.

When you close to ski resort, you can experience it’s high elevation.

It must be exciting when you ski? You can have a try if you’re interested in skiing and shopping.

- End -

http://blog.ttnet.net/secondlife/2008/06/11/second-life-nissan-x-trail-ski-resort/

Sightseeing

Second Life Galveston Island, Texas, USA

James — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:17:40 +0000

Galveston is an island in Texas. On http://www.galveston.com this official website, you can get many imformation about Galveston such as historical, political, economic and education, future prospection, life and scenic spots, traffic and hotel lodgings, realtime images and weather conditions and so on. What special is that from (http://galveston.com/secondlife) this website I noted about they built a Galveston in Second Life,too. Since in real life we can’t immediately flight there for a trip, it’s a great idea to have a look at the virtual Galveston island.

When you arrive the island the first sight you will see is Galveston Historical Center.

Many old pictures and writing introductions are preserved in this center.

The structure introductions of Galveston breakwater.

You can choose any video podcasts whatever you want.

Then we arrive at Galveston Welcome Center.

There are also some related introduction videos inside.

After leaving Welcome Center you will easy to see three arresting building TX-Moody Garden

This building is about marine animals, if you take a look at inside from outside, you will see a tunnel formed with enormous aquarium, just enjoy the pleasure of being surrounded by fishes.

Then you walk into another building, there are two IMAX 3D rooms and some program lists, you can watch them by your time.

When you walk out of TX-Moody Garden, to see Hilton hotel on the sea.

You should relax yourself after you check in, you can have a walk on the breakwater where we just introduced, and discretionally enjoy the scenery of island. If you distantly overlook the island, there are still many distinctive buildings there and you should flip through it if you have time.

- End -

http://blog.ttnet.net/secondlife/2008/06/11/second-life-galveston-island-texas-usa/

Sightseeing

Second House of Sweden

James — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:14:36 +0000

Second House of Sweden was established by 400 thousand SEK(63 thousand USD) to introduce Swedish culture and attract players to visit Sweden. Although it’s not allowed to issue passports and visas, the embassy not only tells visitors how to get these papers in real life, but also be a portal of Sweden in Second Life. In the embassy you can look around many culture and arts relate to Sweden, meanwhile it also shows many website imformation relate to Sweden to visitors. Besides, it even let visitors teleport to other related Second Life stores or service places. Now let’s make a visit to Second House of Sweden..

1. Second House of Sweden is located in two group islands “Swedish institute” and “Swedish Orientation”.

2. The airscape of Swedish islands, the first sight you see is sauna facilities. The embassy is in the most distance, total area is “65,536 + 58,352 + 6,992 m2″, available prims “15,000 x 2″, Swedish institute is mainly divided into two parts. First part is main building, it used 9129 prims / 58352 m2, the outdoor concert hall which is in front left of the embassy used 1441 prims, occupied 6992 m2. As to Swedish Orientation, total area is 65536 m2, contains sauna facilities and guide signs totally used 5556 prims.

3. Enter sauna room, you will see signs that tell Swedish sauna culture in brief.

4. Here provides free bath towels and swimsuits for visitors.

5. Before you officially look round this place, how about a sauna equipments for relax?

6. New members who sign up from Second House of Sweden’s website will be leaded here. The embassy thoughtfully provides guides for new avatars to tell them how to keep going.

7. The starting point indicates four steps. Step 1 Welcome speech, Step 2, 3 Use the arrow keys to follow the path, Step 4 Enter the embassy when you reach terminal.

8. Look toward the first stage.

9. Stage 1 Use “alt” key for better view angle.

10. Stage 2 How to chat with people and send messages.

11. Stage 3 You will get a Swedish flag shirt and taught how to wear.

12. Goal ! How to customize your look.

13. Walk or click the sign that you will be directly teleport to front of the embassy.

14. The teleportation of Swedish embassy.

15. Great lordly gate

16. Second House of Sweden is inspired by the real-life House of Sweden in Washington.

17. The reception seperately indicates the embassy(SL)’s service time and the real-life’s

18. Click the sign and see what’s coming soon from the screen.

19. They hope you provide valued opinions.

20. Hire new staff

21. Second House of Sweden construct team.

22. How to participate in groups to get news and events.

23. Click the sign and you will enter an airtight space like globe, it indicates the location of every Swedish embassy and consulate in the real world.

24. Inside the sphere

25. Click the indication then you can run through all related websites

26. They introduce other Second Life places relate to Sweden in Second Life, Click it and you will be teleported there.

27. Vacancies available.

28. Three changing rooms here, They might provide some Swedish traditional costumes.

29. This bookshelf is just like website banner that introduces website information relates to Sweden.

30. Swedish famous IKEA, you can get some free virtual furniture here.

31. Sweden paint in the vestibule, click it and you will see related introductions and websites.

32. Photo exhibition room, the embassy bought 60 copyright of Sweden life photography works, click to Flickr and it’s free to use.

33. Raoul Wallenberg (1912-?), As a Swedish diplomat, in the later period of World War II, passed making false diplomatic passports, and successfully saved thousands Jews who will be jailed to Nazi concentration camps in Budapest. 1945 he was arrested to jail by Soviets, from that moment on he disappeared..? Click and you can enter his office.

34. Raoul Wallenberg, photographed in his office, 1944.

35. The entrance of his office, it looks dark inside.

36. It seems that you walk into a time tunnel.

37. The date on calendar stays on Jan 16, 1945, the day Raoul Wallenberg been arrested.

38. The spot out of window is 3D image, too.

39. The other corners in the embassy.

40. This picture announces there will be a restaurant opened here.

41. Click the sign and you will be sent to the roof of coffee shop.

42. Food here all free. You can take away the food you like and also can get the recipe of food for real world.

43. The roof is also used to introduce website information relates to Sweden.

44. To see the embassy from another angle.

45. Outside view

46. The embassy’s outdoor concert.

47. After you seat yourself, you can switch your view to full screen.

48. You also can switch left/middle/right three stage viewpoints. No matter where you sit, that would be a top table for you, it’s very different from real world.

The end … I hope that I could see a concert when I came here next time.

http://blog.ttnet.net/secondlife/2008/06/11/second-house-of-sweden/

Sightseeing

Second Life Registration (New)

James — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:07:17 +0000

In the process of registration there are always some points that you might ignore and confuse. So I printed entire flow and pages, see seven steps below:

1. The following is the first page you will see, it provides many groups in Second Life. If you are interested in a group, click [Join Now] and you will enter that group’s website. If you complete the registration flow on that website, you will start at the place that your group planed and designed for you as your life beginning while you enter this game. Because every group has it’s own flow page, in order to avoid troubles, let’s click [Skip This Step] to enter Second Life’s registration flow. Anyway, you can join a group any time as you like.

2. At first you have to decide your account name, what different is the accounts in Second Life are made up of names, you must fill in your First Name. Be sure not to use multiple character in your name, cause you might not enter this game. Besides Second Life provides Last Name for you to choose. While it’s chosen you can click [Check this name for availability] to check if your account had been used or not in case of wasting your time.

If your account had been used you will get this page, keep your Last Name and try other First Name, or directly click [x] to turn it off to choose again.

Congratulations! Your account is available. click [Choose this Second Life Name] to keep going.

If you see this page, it means you are too young to play(must be 13 years of age or older).. Registration Notes

If there are so many blanks need to be filled, that’s because you are below 18, you must fill in adaut’s credit card information, and have to play with family’s company as your guardian.

The word on the Birthday field turns red, it means you missed this option or it’s wrong.

Don’t worry, this window page appears to remind your name’s opening is a small letter. If you wanna change, click [Cancel], if it doesn’t matter, just click [Enter] to keep going.

3. The third step is to select your avatar. Although Second Life had told you that you can change your type casually, in order to have a similar appearance before you get everything clear, I suggest choosing a type first in case of regret.

4. Then is your profile, the three options in [SL News and Updates] don’t have to be checked, you can also neglect the option [Promotion Code], as regards the option [Who Referred You], you might fill in “James Yiyuan”(if you upgrade to Premium, I’ll got L$500 ^^), all other fields are needed. The red frame is [reCAPTCHA] code, you must key in the code showed on the field. If it’s not clear, you can click the refresh icon near by to ask a new code, or click speaker icon just listen to the code(better not use this, if it doesn’t work, SL quite insist that you must install it). In the end there is an option [Terms of Service] down the page, don’t forget to check after reading.

If you see this page, it means your [reCAPTCHA] code was wrong(you must be far off, the checking is not so ad litteram).

It’s too bad if you see this, don’t think as a complete page, it means your registration was failed, you have to try again, because Linden considers that you are a trouble maker.

5. It was right to see this, asking you to become premium member or not, there are three terms on payment, click [Skip This Step] to jump it if you don’t want it currently.

6. Congratulations! You’ve finished all fields, but the registration is not complete yet. Remember to receive email at first because Second Life will confirm your email.

7. The mail subjected [Welcome to Second Life] here is the content, click first link back to Second Life website to complete the registration.

Do you see this? Congratulations! You can downlord Second Life now.

http://blog.ttnet.net/secondlife/2008/05/28/second-life-registration-new/

Registration, SL Guide

Second Life Registration Notes

James — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:05:49 +0000

If you would like playing free at first, you can register free member in Second Life. In the process of registration, Second Life will ask you if you wanna upgrate to premium or not, but don’t worry, if you need days to consider it, just jump to next step directly. Second Life will remind you to receive your email, and after you back to Second Life by the link of confirmation email, the registration will be complete.

There are several points you should mention(basicly terms depend on Second Life):

1. Registration must be 13 years of age or older to access, below 18 not only have to register guardian and credit card information but also allowed in teenage area.

2. The same basic information and credit card can also apply an additional account, but each account will be charged US$9.95 since your additional account was built.

3. Premium members can choose three terms on payment(US$9.95 monthly, US$22.5 quarterly, US$72 annual), you can get L$1000 after you pay, you also can receive L$300 every week during member period.

4. Only Premium can own lands, you can’t create objects till you have lands. Free members can just go around, although free members can create objects, but can do nothing if they don’t get landlord’s permission.

http://blog.ttnet.net/secondlife/2008/05/28/second-life-registration-notes/

Account Type:

First
Basic

Additional
Basic

Premium

Cost:

FREE!

$9.95

Monthly: $9.95/mo

Quarterly:
$22.50 - in full
($7.50/mo)

Annual:
$72.00 - in full
($6.00/mo)

Customizable Avatar:

Signup Bonus:

L$250

L$1000

Weekly stipend:

L$300/wk

Building Opportunities:

Land Ownership:

- End -

Registration, SL Guide