First Technical Look at the Second Life Client

An anonymous reader writes "Second Life is a virtual world, maintained through a combination of client software and hosting servers. It has the unusual quality that nearly all of the content is user-provided. It is also unusual in that Linden Labs recently announced the release of its client software as open source. This is something that is rarely, if ever, done in commercial MMO apps. This article introduces the client (or "viewer" in Linden terminology) and explores the Second Life development environment."

Comments

Re:Payola

[Rob T Firefly]

I mean, seriously, why so much attention for a game where the first two things that happen when you login are some loser wanting you to go offline with them to engage in "sex chat" for cash and someone trying to sell you random crap?

You mean like the Internet?

SL isn't much of a game in that sense, but it's a neat Internet-based platform for many different types of content. It's basically a big chatroom in a user-generated 3D environment. Like any chat platform, if you're not looking for the lowest common denominator, you have to actively seek out something that pertains to your own interests.

Why wouldn't they open up the client?

[TubeSteak]

It is also unusual in that Linden Labs recently announced the release of its client software as open source. This is something that is rarely, if ever, done in commercial MMO apps.

All their money is made server side.
Why wouldn't they open up the client?

The only reason I can imagine involves the prevention of IP (skins, etc) theft.
But, that is an arms race that they've already lost.

Re:Payola

[daeg]

I think it's because the Slashdot crowd likes the idea more than the game itself. Not necessarily the advertising and sex chat (well, maybe...) aspects, but the idea that a user-generated world opens a new avenue of the expression of information.

I think the overall problem with Second Life is that the largely negative, undesired crowds got into it first, and that society in general isn't quite ready, nor are computers. As an example, I know that the furries exist, but on the regular Internet, I can avoid them easily just by never searching for them. In Second Life, though, you can't just avoid their island or whatever they have. They are, well, everywhere. Same with everyone else--flying penises included. Don't want to see X-rate content? Too bad. The community has far too big of an ego, too.

Well, that an Linden seems to only want to make a buck, and they'll sell whatever they can to do it. Maybe sometime in the future.

Re:Payola

[DaleGlass]

As an example, I know that the furries exist, but on the regular Internet, I can avoid them easily just by never searching for them. In Second Life, though, you can't just avoid their island or whatever they have. They are, well, everywhere.

You can't really avoid anybody on the Internet, look at my website ;-)

But, furry themed areas in SL aren't that many, and quite easy to avoid. It's not like they're going to bite you if you happen to pass by, anyway.

Don't want to see X-rate content? Too bad.

Nonsense. Look at the menu bar. Right near the region's name it says "(PG)" or "(Mature)". If you don't like the porn, then just stick to PG areas. X-rated content in a PG area is a bannable offense.

Flying penises are the SL equivalent of the well known .cx site. You can't entirely avoid that sort of thing anywhere, but it's not an all that frequent occurrence, and usually dealt with quickly.

Developers! Developers! Developers!

[argent]

What's with all the lame Second Life articles? There are a lot of other MMOs around that do not suck and they don't get an article every day or two on here.

This is Slashdot (news for nerds), not Gamasutra or an airline magazine. Slashdot's what Dilbert reads, and if you're not Dilbert then you're probably going to hit a lot of boring articles.

SL is interesting to Dilbert because it's deliberately hackable. WoW is interesting to the Pointy-haired Boss because he read that it's "the new golf" and he thinks one of the VPs plays.

If you want Dungeons and Dragons at 80 frames per second, then just ignore the SL articles and remain happy with your were-tauran split-class whatever. I'm going to see if I can make a Steve Ballmer avatar with a "Developers! Deveopers! Developers!" sound clip and jumping-around-on-stage dance animation.