The other day I started thinking about people in
Second Life and wondered….is that the real you behind that Avi? Of
course, you can say the same of me. It's easy for all of us to be nice,
sweet, polite for short periods but is that you in
real life?
I’m reminded of an incident that occurred when I
was playing Greedy with a group of friends. We were all voicing;
laughing and enjoying each other.
In the background my cat, Mia, was crying that
forlorn sound that means she’s starving to death. >>Rolls her eyes
because her cat is most definitely NOT starving, but likes to think so
because her owner is trained well enough to get up
and feed her<<
But this time, I didn’t and she kept crying. Like
hundreds of times before and without thinking about muting my mic, I had
finally had enough and shrieked “Meeeeeya”. Everyone went quiet. No one
had heard THAT voice from me. Of course I
got comments. After all, these are my close friends. But it was at that
moment that I wondered just how much of the real us do we hide?
Do I want people to know I can screech like a banshee? Of course not.
I have taken a lot of good natured ribbing over
this incident. One of my friends even made a gesture from the incident.
It’s not my voice in the gesture but I winced each time I heard his
voice shriek my cat’s name, remembering how I must have sounded to the people around me.
Lesson learned? Has it made me change the tone of
my voice when I’m irritated? Nope, but I do remember to mute the mic
much more often.
So, I want to tell you about how Bloodlines has changed my life.Okay, I am kidding, but I do want to talk to all you Second Lifers a bit about the game because there is a lot of misconceptions out there. But first I want to share with you a Video I was surprisingly included in. I was horrified at first, but shortly after I have enjoyed sharing it with friends throughout SL. Enjoy!
I am actually quite thankful for Chargglez, he made me realize how crappy my Mic was. People need to try harder to laugh at themselves I think. This is something else I am thankful to him for; he has made Second Life a little more fun for me.
Why do people hate the game of Bloodlines? I think it's many things that add fuel to that fire. Perhaps it's because there are idiots who run around SL just sending out requests because they care more about a stupid blood level than they do people. Maybe it's because most Groups or Clans in Bloodlines seem to be so tied up with themselves and how important they are they forget about how important people are. Maybe it's because Bloodlines is really one of those Pyramid Schemes that have them hand in hand from the people who are suckered into Amway, Excel Communications, or the newest Energy Drink made from the seeds found in the precious poop of the Galapagos Dragon. (Fus Roh Dah!... Bet you wished you watched the video all the way through now huh?)
You know what? I am pretty sure that if I went on these reasons alone I wouldn't play the game either. What I have found is I love the community that can be built around the game. I have played the game for longer than my Second Life Age reveals. I was a part of a community when I was in SL before. I had some really bad experiences that included a bad experience with some Clan members in Bloodlines. However, that is in the past and I have learned a lot from it. I think sometimes people just forget there are other people at the other side of the Internet from them. I really actually want to thank these people, because it has really given me a clear view of how to see SL and the games that are played within it's realm. It has helped me to gain knowledge and experience and use it to help others.
I have been a part of several Clans and it has made me realize that there is a lot that you can do to involve people in the process. I have also found that in many cases the process gets in the way of the people. So many times there is so much to do that we forget that there are people to get to know. This is why I created Kohld Day in Hell with my Partner, Alatrina.We are a family that uses the game of Bloodlines to build a community. We try really hard not to get caught up in the process. There is no real royalty group to speak of. We have no formal developed land to create a barrier for people. I spend time getting to know people and it's been a labor of love to help in any way I can with them. I get to be involved in their SL lives and often sometimes it bleeds a bit into RL. Being a Bleeder, I find that it suits me. I am blessed to have a family that I have the opportunity to get to know and I will do everything I can to help make this the best experience I can for them.
If you put a gun in the hand of a man does it make them a killer? If you put a fork in someone's fist does it make them obese? I don't think it does anymore than when you put Bloodlines in a person's character account makes that person some lowlife looking to scam you. I want to simply offer a little advice for anyone that is considering Bloodlines or any other SL game.
1. Ask questions and find out what it will cost you in advance.
2. Make sure whatever it is you are looking at has adequate support.
3. Don't just jump into anything. If they don't want to let you think about it then there is obviously something you should be concerned about.
As always, if you have any questions please feel free to ask me. Leave comments, and pass this along to people. We really would love ideas and feedback.
One of the best pieces of advice ever given to me on Second Life was to make a copy of my body as an "outfit". Unfortunately, I wish this advice had come BEFORE I messed up my avi and had to start from scratch.
It's that moment when you realize you did something you cant undo and you get sick to your stomach. All your hard work...down the drain!
This has saved me on more than one occasion since and I have offered this advice to many of my friends. Some took the advice right away while others had to go through the agony of rebuilding their avi's before they did the same.
Remove all you clothing but leave on anything that you consider to be part of your "basic body", including your HUD's and AO's.
For myself, this includes my hair (which I rarely change), my bare feet, my fangs and of course, my wedding ring.
Now, right click on you avi's body
Select "appearance"
Select "edit outfit"
The "save" button at the bottom has a drop down menu
Select "save as"
A box will come up that prompts you to "save what I'm wearing as a new outfit"
Enter in "Basic Body" and the current date
Select "ok"
Now you've saved your body as an "outfit". What do you do when the inevitable happens and you need to get back to your "basic body"?
Look in your inventory for your "outfits" folder. Find the outfit called "Basic Body" and simply "replace current outfit" and watch your mistake undo itself.
Remember...if you change any part of your "Basic Body", you will need to repeat the steps above. I've set up a folder labeled "Basic Body" and have several saved as I made changes. Others toss the previous basic body and keep only the most recent.
This process will not only save you from your own mistakes, it also allows you to experiment with different body shapes and skins and get back to the avi that we all know and love.
In my time in Second Life I have discovered something that has been quite beneficial to me. Whether hunting as I play Bloodlines or just getting to know people two very standard categories of personalities seem to exist. In this article I will describe them a bit. Before I do though please enjoy this YouTube that just seemed to fit here.
In my experience, there are two kinds of people in Second Life - Bleeders and Players. Bleeders tend to skew the line between Second Life (SL) and Real Life (RL). Conversely, Players are there to completely separate themselves from the two realms.
Bleeders
I have to say that I relate most to this category, and I have found that it helps and hinders me
in several ways. See, a Bleeder is willing to cross the line between SL and RL, and often
you will find I make reference to this concept as "crossover". People in this category take on a more relational approach to the game. In fact sometimes they get offended when you consider it a game. The Bleeder sees Second Life as more of an extension to their life as a whole, and not as a separate entity.
A Bleeder will put themselves in the game completely feeling much of what happens good or bad. You will find that the feelings of the Bleeder will be singed when there is a relational rupture or controversy.
To try and win a Bleeder over you will want to get to know them for the person behind the keyboard, and make a friend. Again it's an extension of their life for them so they are connected to their character.
Players
The person that falls into this category is in SL for the escape and has no real desire to attach emotionally to the game. For the Player this is a game, and it is, in essence, something to be conquered. Often if you look at the profile of a player they will say on many occasions, "I keep SL and RL separate."
Chess set-lions vs dogs-004 (Photo credit: thefranksterk)
Often the way this person plays the game is set according to the objective he or she sets for themselves. For some the amassing of relationships is a thing where others play certain games within the game to accomplish their general goal. Often they may move from one thing to another because there are a variety of things they could accomplish or master.
If you encounter this person and you want to involve them in your cause you simply have to show them an objective they could overcome. Don't try throwing emotional ties to the Player because that will just turn them away.
Understanding the two personalities in SL can be very beneficial to you. First, you will find that it helps you to understand your own reason for being in Second Life. How does the way others play in the game affect you? Neither of the types of people are wrong to behave the way they do, but if you understand the balance it will help you tremendously.
Secondly, this understanding of the two types of people will make you a more effective user within the realm of Second Life. If it's a game objective you are trying to accomplish, then you will see this helping you as you are convincing others to join your cause. Also, if you find certain people rub you the wrong way you will find this opens up answers as to why as you grow to understand this personality concept.
I will refer to this concept often because I think in many ways it is essential to understanding why people do what they do in SL.
I welcome comments and feedback regarding this concept because it is an ongoing theory and an inexact science. Please feel free to contact me or leave comments. More importantly, I want to thank you for taking a look here, because I know you have lots of things to do with your time.
Welcome to the Kohld Family Blog! Why would anyone want to chronicle anything that they do on Second Life? The reason is because there are many things we have learned that we feel like we can share to assist others in their Second Life journey.
We are an active Family in Bloodlines as well as having friends that we help out with many general things that SL has to offer.
This Blog will give you insight into many things that are in SL, and occasionally maybe even some editorial on goings on within the realm that may benefit your journey. If you have any question please feel free to contact us via comment or email and we will help where we can.
My wife, Alatrina and I are looking forward to making this journey with you and we hope to meet all of those who have the opportunity to read this Blog.
