The Next Logical Step for ATS

An Online "Physical" presence in the massively multiplayer game called Second Life.

What is Second Life?

Here is what they say on their homepage.

secondlife.com...
Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by a total of 1,320,727 people from around the globe.

* From the moment you enter the World you'll discover a vast digital continent, teeming with people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Once you've explored a bit, perhaps you'll find a perfect parcel of land to build your house or business.

* You'll also be surrounded by the Creations of your fellow residents. Because residents retain the rights to their digital creations, they can buy, sell and trade with other residents.

* The Marketplace currently supports millions of US dollars in monthly transactions. This commerce is handled with the in-world currency, the Linden dollar, which can be converted to US dollars at several thriving online currency exchanges.

This game has already been used for conferences and presentations, using things like Skype. We can do this as well, by having guest speakers, ATS conventions, a place in the metaverse for ATS members to meet up "in person", so to speak. It will also give us a foothold in a relatively new aspect of Web 2.0(I know it's been around for a while, but it is still new to most people).

What do you all think?

Now that's an interesting way to make money...sell off digital "land" for a monthly fee. I don't know, it's a cool idea I guess...but I'd rather spend my time (and money) on my first life, and not in some online "second life". Sounds kind of like world of warcraft for adults, only twice as time consuming and expensive...just my opinion, but I think that time is at least better wasted in the "real" world, than some online world. We've got a fine community on the board to begin with, and I doubt many people would really take the time to download, install, possibly pay, for some little "world" which would not really serve any better purpose for discussing the topics of ATS. Plus the added difficulties with helping people figure out how to work the thing, hardware/software compatibility issues, etc. A good old web browser is as much as I would care to use for my online experience, and wastes enough time to begin with,imo. In short, I just think it would over-complicate a rather simple function of this community, which is to share ideas.




[edit on 9-11-2006 by Shoktek]

It's free to use, and allows unprecedented control over the environment.

The "basic" membership is free, but they don't really tell much about what is or what isn't acceptable with a basic membership. Then they have payed membership plans, "land" owning and usage fees, etc. Sounds kind of ridiculous to me, they are looking for money, and the prices look pretty high for the amount of traffic/memory/processing users would require. Anyway, I just don't see the point in using such a system, when the one we have works fine...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Personally, I don't think it's the next step, really the whole cyberverse
idea (that is with houses, and land and imitating real life) is'nt that
palitable to me.

I tried playing second life, but even with high-speed internet, I got
tired of wating for over an hour to try and get my character to do
more than stand in a line naked waiting.

I think a better idea, would be more like a virtual island, with virtual
meeting halls, conference houses and such, and have one island for
each of the 'TS sites, a ATS island, a BTS islan and a PTS island.

I messed with Second Life for awhile. I got tired of it quite fast AND when Duran Duran did a virtual concert...I was out.

I think it would be a great idea. All it would take is a server or two, and expenses of a development team to create the 'Game'.

I think the possibilities of what the virtual Above Top Secret realm could contain. It could start as a basic 3d chat room. Who knows, could BE the next step in message boards.

My chr is going to be so totally uberly sweet.


pvp?

Of course PvP!! No death penalty though.

I'm gonna make a guild. Maybe we can have capes?

Yeah,also there is another program called "THERE" that is very similar to this. I played the "THERE" thing for a while. Pretty interesting,but....it got a little expensive,so I had to put it down.

I'm holding out for the day I just slip on my cyber-goggles, a pair of connected gloves and i'm there. I have a sneaky suspicion those days are coming on fast.

Just my thoughts on it.

Uhm... take away time from playing WORLD OF WARCRAFT????????

Errrr.... ahhhh.... let me get back to you after I get my Priest to level 30.

So we would go from ATS (without chat working, still) to a virtual realm with all of that extra work?

Should I start the domain now where I will farm gold, and sell it to ATSers? Or just in case you want to start with a lvl 60 Elite Priest...

Reactivates WoW

I'm still hooked...

Perhaps one of us could just start of a small virtual newsstand in the game, kind of like a new york style thing. Would there be a way to like have the news from ATSNN feed into that virtual realm and be displayed as papers for on display at the stand? Would definetly add some spice to the people who invest much time in that life with minimal effort on the part of the particular ATS member or community as a whole? Are news stands possible in that game?

I've got an even better idea. Let's create our own virtual world where you can meet people from all over the globe to exchange ideas and information, discuss current and historical events, debate over religion and the paranormal, and investigate conspiracies to hopefully find the truth behind what we are told in the news.

We can play as different classes of characters, like the artistic Writer, whose pen is mightier than the Sword +5. The Fighter, who engages in bloody debates against other warriors in the arena for the entertainment of the knowledge-thirsty masses. Scholars, wisened old figures skilled in the mystical arts of research. TinWiki editors, the librarians of the enchanted world. FSMEs, the keepers of secret knowledge. Moderators, the city guards. And above all will be the mysterious and god-like beings who created the world, rarely seen, both feared and loved...the Administrators.

There will be mini-quests to embark on, such as the quest for the best Halloween avatar, or Great Quests like the Final Answer To Everything.

It will be the most addictive online escape ever! But best of all, it will be inseparable from the real world which it revolves around!

And it shall be called...







Wait a minute......we already have that!! DOH!!









[edit on 2006-11-9 by wecomeinpeace]

lol, wecomeinpeace!

Someone give this man a beer! Thou speakest wisely.

Originally posted by nextguyinline
Of course PvP!! No death penalty though.

I'm gonna make a guild. Maybe we can have capes?

This post made me laugh

Next thing we know we are going to have Linden (sp?) and ATS points for sale on Ebay. Damn farmers.

[edit on 10-11-2006 by d1k]

I messed around with it a bit and wasn't impressed at all. I like gaming and have a high end PC, but Second Life's graphics are a joke IMO. I didnt see what the point was? to simulate real life? I don't know it just wasn't that fun, and the graphics are a joke. Everytime I hear about how much money people spend on digital ground etc.. I just have to laugh

Originally posted by warpboost
Everytime I hear about how much money people spend on digital ground etc.. I just have to laugh

Hey man, don't laugh. I currently live in China and here they buy and sell virtual items in MMORPGs for the equivalent of thousands of USD. There have also been numerous incidents of not just suicides over things that happen in the virtual world, but people actually being killed over items. We're talking murdering someone because of swords, armor, and cystal balls made of nothing but 1's and 0's.

It's a mad, mad virtual world...

It might be interesting to have some thing like the newstand the Dyepes mentions. A place where people in that virutal world who happen to be strolling by can find out about ATS and its Content at least.