By Maera
I feel dirty, as though I must make a confession. I don�t feel that I�ve been a very good Thereian. I have seen the dark side and liked what I saw. I saw archery, WWII fighter planes, and own-able land and housing. I know I can have many lives, for I also reside in a land called Camelot.
In this new land there are no giggling 15 � year olds. In this land you can fly in a hot air balloon or plane. You can fight in arenas with guns and play different sports games and puzzles, which tempts even my boyfriend to play with me. You can even go gambling in many different casinos and explore many unique landscapes.
I have been tempted, and I will most likely try those tasty fruits. But, in my book Poly-gaming is okay.
After a chance to see the evils that lurk beyond, I am mostly disappointed. I suppose Second Life has it�s moments like the great abilities to change your appearance. You can modify everything from eye size to weight gain, and droopy face to balding pattern. You can make yourself an ogre, or a fairy. You can even give your skin a texture; my boyfriend donned a green topsoil body and Spanish tile face. You begin with an array of clothes (like little red riding hood and a fireman costumes), a little money, and complete bewilderment. With the ability of creativity you pay the price in blocky graphics and graying textures.
The world of Second Life was very welcoming to a Thereian, even including the last name choice of Thereian or Therian (they give you a list of last names to choose from, which changes periodically). They also included a special welcome note for Thereians at the birth place of your avatar.
Overall, the game is great because of the creativity and adaptation you can have with your characters appearance and items. There�s no auction, no developing program, you create what you want and you keep it. You can make copies and sell the item if you desire. The graphics �after they all finally load, even on my fast computer it takes a little while�are rather good. But, handling items and even sitting down seems more difficult than it needs to be. The communication is not comparable to There, having no voice which leaves There holding the torch in truly getting to know the other people. Basically, I don�t see myself playing this game regularly, the dark temptation left me unfulfilled.