Camping Noobs in Second Life

by Alphaville Herald on 10/11/04 at 9:17 am

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In combat based MMOs, when players camp newbies they hang out at entry points and slaughter them — n00bs being such easy kills and all. Now in a social MMO like Second Life it’s the same basic idea only more subtle. Club officers pounce on n00bs, drag them to their clubs and entertain them to death (or at least keep them there until death). A few weeks ago we saw many complaints about the Club Elite practice of camping n00bs, but we recently sent a cub reporter to the entry point and found that the practice is quite widespread.

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15 Responses to “Camping Noobs in Second Life”

  1. Prokofy Neva

    Nov 10th, 2004

    Hehehe it gets worse. It’s not just camping, it’s kidnapping. I call it “telejacking”. You’re sitting on your friend’s lot trying like a pathetic noob to give him “dwell” before the “Dwellnor Dragon” eats it up on you and debits out your account with those mysterious debits that are airily described as “redistribution” to noobs, when suddenly a stranger’s blue teleport card/summons materializes on your screen saying “JOIN ME IN NOYO”. At first when I got those, I reacted instantly because they seemed important and urgent. “JOIN ME” — or else!

    You try to remember if you have ever met this person. You think, maybe you made a date with them and forgot? Or maybe something really important is happening in some club you joined but forget to keep track of? So you click on the invitation — not so different than a remote roomie invite! — and find yourself shanghaied into a club with a “spitting money ball” and “sexay AV contests” with desperate party-planners trying to rivet you to their lots at least beyond 5 minutes to get their “dwell” point chunk, or better yet, to keep you there 30 minutes so they can get the Linden grant. I guess I don’t mind — how else could I ever get into Baku with the server loaded and meet Mr. Fairplay lol — but I’m always bewildered how people ever find me such as to telejack me if I’m a noob and don’t hang out in the welcome area.

    Finally I got an answer to this question from one telejacker: when I buy a product, the maker keeps my name, she explained. Hmm…that means either she uses it to telejack me to her own events, or possibly — this gets interesting! — gives or sells property-owners or event-planners her list of buyers to get some names to use for active customers. Wow! Is there some kind of national game board I can write to, to be removed from gamer spam lists lol?

    And all these sophistico programming geek types in SL pride themselves on not having a silly game like TSO, where people babysit lots and wrangle their second sim alts to rack up visitor points! They are just as engrossed in a point system of the top 100 list as TSO, maybe more so.

    Wow, Uri, now that I accidently installed SVPK2 on a new comp, every time I come to your site Internet Wormer repels away numerous “intrusion attempts”. What’s up with that?

  2. Bentaly

    Nov 11th, 2004

    If you are a Terrorist on a hostage-rescue map then you may guard the hostages. You may also camp if you are in a defensive situation or you are low on health. If you are camping excessively and in the same spot on every round then you will be asked or forced to move. If you spawn camp with the bomb then you will be slapped, slayed, burried, rocketed, and eventually banned. We have no tolerance for Terrorists who like to spawn-camp with the bomb and snipe. If we see you hanging back with the bomb on a bomb-diffuse map then you will be immediately rocketed without a warning. This will allow another player to pick up the bomb and make an attemp to plant it.
    Please do not give Noobs a hard time. We remember how hard it was trying to learn this game and finding a great server to play on.

  3. toy

    Nov 11th, 2004

    Since the new Guide Notecard dispensers are working in the WA Im sure it will help and I do make sure a newbie is aware of them and takes one to read :)

    Welcome to the Ahern-Morris Welcome Area!

    If you’re new to Second Life, we hope this is your first step towards a richly rewarding experience, filled with creativity, self-expression and fun. If you’re a veteran of Second Life, we hope you enjoy the chance to meet newcomers and discuss and show everything you’ve seen, done, and created.

    The goals of the Welcome Area are simple: to provide a friendly, engaging atmosphere for newcomers and veterans to meet and share positive Second Life experiences in a sociable environment.

    Within the Welcome Area, we want veterans and newcomers alike to enjoy and contribute to the social activity taking place. As the first thing most new residents see upon leaving the Orientation Island, the Welcome Area helps shape many residents’ initial opinions of Second Life.

    Second Life’s Community Standards and Terms of Service apply within the Welcome Area, as they do throughout Second Life. (Community Standards can be read in world though the Help menu; both Community Standards and Terms of Service can be viewed at http://secondlife.com.)

    In addition to the guidelines established in the Community Standards, the following guidelines apply in the Welcome Area:

    1. No Selling
    New residents start with some spending money, but often don’t know what they can buy with it, or how to get more money, when weekly grant bonuses begin, etc. Please give new residents a chance to find their way around, and don’t use the Welcome Area to sell items.
    2. No Solicitation
    As in the real world, panhandling can make people uncomfortable. Residents (new and veteran alike) should not use the Welcome Area as a place to ask for money, loans, or donations.
    3. No Mass Messaging
    New residents are often don’t know what’s available in Second Life. While it’s one thing to point an individual newcomer to suggestions that match what he or she has expressed interest in, it’s quite another to try to teleport each incoming new resident to your business before they’ve even stepped off the Telehub pad. In general, suggestions made as part of conversation are welcome; however, unsolicited suggestions to join a group, or to go to a specific location, are not. Teleport offers made to residents in the Welcome Area should first be requested by the resident being teleported. If someone is offering you unsolicited offers, please report them by using the “Report Abuse” feature under the Help menu at the top of the screen.
    4. No Violence
    The display of weapons is allowed in the Welcome Area, as many are unique, creative creations that demonstrate that Second Life has areas where combat occurs between willing parties. However, the Welcome Area is a designated “safe’ area and combat is not allowed there. Please refrain from using your weapons or you may be asked to leave the area.
    5. No Risque Activity
    While there are many locations in Second Life for Mature-related behavior, the Welcome Area is not one of them. Residents should refrain from explicit or sexual language, avatar appearance, and animations. Nudity is not permitted, although it’s generally understood that newcomers accidentally lose their clothing once in awhile.
    6. No Exploitation
    Taking advantage of what new residents don’t know, especially for profit, is one of the worst offenses committed in the Welcome Area (or anywhere in Second Life). Residents should not attempt to mislead new residents or capitalize on what newcomers don’t know. A prime example would be persuading a new resident to purchase First Land and then sell the land to you, taking advantage of the newcomer not knowing (1) they can never buy First Land again and that (2) non-First Land may be sold at a much higher price.
    7. Sharing the Space
    The Welcome Area needs to be shared by all, and one resident taking up too much space poses problems for everyone else. Residents should avoid leaving large objects (including vehicles) parked in the Welcome Area. Please avoid avatar attachments that are so large they overlap with other avatars. . Any particle display should not exceed your avatar’s personal space (roughly outlined by the sparkles that appear when you chat). In general, it’s okay (even encouraged) to show off your big space ship, fearsome dragon avatar, or short-lived-but-impressive fireworks display. At the same time, try to avoid running over others in a delivery truck, swallowing avatars whole with the cabin attached to your head, or making the sky forever rain badgers.
    8. Respecting the Airwaves
    It’s sad but true: many Second Life residents may not share your love for your favorite song. While that hilarious sound clip from your favorite show might be the perfect icebreaker, not everyone can truly appreciate how it’s still funny the fourth time in a row. Worst of all, nothing ruins your day in Second Life like the ringing in your ears caused by wearing headphones with the volume turned up while someone plays a VERY loud scream. To reduce this auditory angst, sounds should generally be short, appropriate, and played once. Do not play music in the Welcome Area. Sounds should be within the 10-second limit; stringing short sounds together to make one sound bite is not allowed. Sounds should be appropriate for a PG area; that is, they shouldn’t sound like swearing, and they shouldn’t sound like any activity that you’re not supposed to do in public. Unless the sound is a short conversational sound (such as giggling), playing it once is usually appropriate. Playing every sound in your Inventory should be avoided.

    Linden Welcome Area Regulation
    Linden Lab Liaisons and other employees (residents with the last name “Linden”) may monitor the Welcome Area, and ask residents to move, alter their appearance, change or remove their objects or attachments, or other requests to promote the environment and server performance of the Welcome Area. Your cooperation is appreciated.

  4. Prokofy Neva

    Nov 11th, 2004

    Wow! Can I go to the bathroom now, Toy?

  5. Prokofy Neva

    Nov 11th, 2004

    *15 minutes later* Hey! How come you didn’t tell me you don’t have to go to the bathroom in this game! Hey! Why isn’t that in the welcome ROC???

  6. Cris

    Nov 12th, 2004

    “They are just as engrossed in a point system of the top 100 list as TSO, maybe more so.” – Prokofy Neva

    I’m not sure how long you’ve been in SL for so maybe you haven’t noticed that most people in SL hate the dwell system and think its ridiculous. And it looks as if that system will change very soon.

  7. urizenus

    Nov 13th, 2004

    how is the dwell system going to change?

  8. Prokofy Neva

    Nov 15th, 2004

    Re: I’m not sure how long you’ve been in SL for so maybe you haven’t noticed that most people in SL hate the dwell system

    Har har har har. The hate it so much that they are willing to claw and scratch to stay on the top 100 — read the forums to see how much people work and suffer! They hate it so much they telejack you to their lots in order to cajole you into staying at least 5 minutes for the dwell. They hate it so much that players actually tell you not to visit any other lots so that they can capture all your dwell. Oh, come on, the biggest game in SL is pretending that you hate dwell. Everybody hates dwell, and everybody sucks it up.

  9. toy

    Nov 15th, 2004

    I hate it, I dont get much dwell nor do I want it. Speak for yourself, not others.

  11. Cris

    Nov 16th, 2004

    Oh, come on, the biggest game in SL is pretending that you hate dwell. Everybody hates dwell, and everybody sucks it up. -Prokofy Neva

    I make and script vehicles. Maybe you suck dwell up, and if that’s the case, you should try doing something different in SL. Ever make something?

  12. toy

    Nov 16th, 2004

    perhaps hate was to strong a word…. I would say dwell is of no interest to me in SL. That better? :)

    Its something that wouldnt make me enjoy SL better. I own quite a but of land and never get much dwell. I like it that way. I like my quiet parkland. Its recognized in the SL parks and that means more to me than any amount of dwell :)

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