Okay, so I already have a healthy addiction to Everquest, which I have gotten under control (”under control” by most EQ players generally means “not every day” LOL). But alas, as I was doing my usual surfing I came across my latest fix.
So what is it, crack, smack, flapjacks?
None of these, although I do appreciate a good size stack of buttermilk pancakes now and then. No I came across Second Life, a 3D online community that is totally built and owned by its residents. It currently has almost 300,000 members, and there’s almost no limit you can do once you join up. Speaking of joining up, here’s another bonus: it’s free. Of course, it’s just a basic package, but you can upgrade your membership at any time, opening up entirely new options. Personally, it took me 2 days to figure out what I wanted my avatar looked like; there’s options to change every aspect of your face, body type, etc. so you can actually make an avatar that looks exactly like you, like this one:
Pretty freakin’ cool, eh? In this world, created by Linden Labs, you interact with others, listen to live music by residents, play games, and in areas labelled “Mature” you can go to casinos, strip clubs (yeah, they’re pixels, but so what?) complete with escorts (whatever they are, I’m still too newbishly broke on there to check those out).
We residents also have a hand in creating the world. On the paid memberships, you can purchase you own plot of land, or island, and shape it however you want. For everyone, we have the ability to create objects. I’m still getting the hang of this, and it’ll be quite awhile before I can make a stealth jet, but for now I can create really awful hats and giant doughnuts.
Another cool aspect about this vast world ( and it is freakishly huge) is that you don’t have to hoof it from place to place; you can ride motorcycles, cars, ships, planes, but my favorite? Flying like a freakin’ superfriend. I fly almost all the time, even when standing still. Hey, when you stand 7′ 5″ tall, have black feathered wings and ram horns, you have to maintain a certain air of badassitude.
So check it out; besides, leaving the house is overrated anyways.
