So I’m actually enjoying Second Life…

…so much so that I’m actually making it into my column tomorrow.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to bore everyone with how I wander from sim to sim or how awesome my new RP group is.  It’s going to be more utilitarian than that.

Gamers seem to approach virtual worlds, like Metaplace and Second Life, with the wrong ideas in mind.  They seem to think they’re going to be getting into some crazy game, when really they’re entering into a virtual space for socialization and exploration.  Basically, if you’re not of the latter two types, virtual worlds just might be a living hell for you.  Combat and achievement players (although achievement players could still find goals to accomplish in virtual worlds if they looked for them) will probably really detest these spaces.

But me?  I like exploring and socializing.  Plus, when you find the right programmers or the right sim, you’ll actually find combat as well.  Is it fluid combat?  No, it’s not going to win awards or anything, but it’s not the worst combat I’ve seen in games.  Heck, I get to do flips in the air while I swing my scythe in Second Life.  That has to count for some awesomeness.

But, I shouldn’t let too much out of the bag.  Tomorrow’s column is going to be some tips on how to enjoy yourselves in Second Life, even if you found it to be a bit annoying on the first run though.  Reader beware, however, as I know more than a few of you will feel that Second Life just isn’t your cup of tea… then you’ll relegate yourself to complaining about how wrong I am about my tips.

If you don’t enjoy it, you don’t enjoy it.  My tips simply aren’t going to change that.  But if you didn’t give it much of a chance for the first time through… you’ll probably find something to take away from tomorrow’s column.

I need some help from mah peeps

Okies readers, question for you:  Would you like to see the concept of hit points totally revisited to include injuries, or would you like hit points to remain just hit points — the number that goes down to show exactly how injured you are.

I ask this because I’m currently working on designing HP for my own pen and paper roleplaying game, and have two different concepts lying on the table.  One is the HP & Injury idea, where HP exists, but the focus is instead on injuries that can plague the character for long amounts of time.  This system makes the game much more complex, including different penalities for different types of injuries.

On the other side, my vision statement preaches simplicity and ease of access.  System 1 does not provide that, but instead provides an innovative mechanic that is innovative for the sake of being innovative.  Not the best reason to include something.  So, System 2 is just HP.  No other fancy additions, just some straight HP.  Perhaps injury can still be counted in this sytem, but it’s nowhere near as complex as the first system.
Comment away guys… I’m really interested in hearing your personal opinions on this one.