Regeneration

Fantasy Avatar: The Demoness

September 11, 2020February 19, 2017 by Asia Ristow

Not all Second Life avatars have to be human. In fact, non human avatars are a common sight in Second Life. Today I’ll be showing you a beautiful demoness. The best part about making many fantasy humanoids is that they can build off the human base you may already be using!
Shoutout to hhhnnnnnggggggg for inspiring this post! The redditor commented on a post about Second Life Avatar Questions and mentioned he or she had purchased a set of bento demon wings. That in addition to a short conversation about fantasy avatars gave me the little push to start showing off some non human characters.

Get the Demoness Look

Since most players likely have the basics they enjoy using (such as a body, feet, hands, head) I haven’t included those in this section. I used mostly products that I already had, however a few new purchases were made. If you’d like to copy the style completely you can find full credits at the bottom of the post. Feel free to click any image for a larger version to check out the detail.

Wings and Tail- EVolved creatures

EVolved creatures creates bento fantasy enhancements for avatars. At the time of this posting the current selection is small, but each item is versatile, great quality, and beautiful. They currently offer the following products:

Shapes and Skins: Making You Unique

September 11, 2020February 12, 2017 by Asia Ristow

Note: While the images used are of products from 2017 when the post was originally written, the content has been reviewed to ensure it is relevant for 2020.

Shapes and Skins are a core part of your Second Life avatar. They determine your proportions and how your body looks to you and others. The skin compliments the shape and vice versa. Nowadays many skins come with shapes, but not all of them do! You can also buy shapes on their own. Keep reading to learn just how your shape and skin choices can make you look unique.

Shape Basics

Your shape controls the base shape of your avatar. When using a system avatar every single slider will alter a different part of your head, body, hands, or feet. With mesh avatars these can be altered as well, however some sliders may or may not have much of an impact on what you see. You can purchase shapes, create your own, or edit some that you’ve already obtained (as long as they have modify permissions).

I think of the shape as the foundation of my avatar. Every skin, every piece of clothing, and every accessory is used in conjunction with the shape. As shapes vary greatly it’s not uncommon for some clothing and accessories to require a little alteration to fit perfectly on a custom shape.

Mix & Match: Clothing and Accessories

July 22, 2020February 5, 2017 by Asia Ristow

Note: While the images in this blog post are from 2017, the content has been reviewed and updated for 2020.

Your Second Life avatar is essentially you. It’s how others see you in world and for many it’s how they see themselves. Today we’ll be talking about how to mix & match clothing and accessories to make your avatar unique. If your avatar needs an entire makeover from the ground up, consider reading my series Making A New You for a guided path from start to final product.

Mix & Match Basics

Generally when making a look you want to have an idea, no matter how small, of what you’d like. Do you want to build your outfit around a certain color? Perhaps you are going to a themed party and need to dress with a topic in mind. Do you have one piece you really love and want to make something special using it? All of these are great starting points.

Whenever I make a new look, I always use what I have first. You’d be surprised how different you can appear with just a change of hair or a different top! Every time I shop I consider how versatile the items are. If I end up purchasing something I try to select a product that can be used in many outfits or even a fatpack that offers various colors and styles. This makes future mix & matching so much easier!

The Basics Of Second Life Hunts

September 11, 2020January 30, 2017 by Asia Ristow

Note: While the images in this blog post are from 2017, the content has been reviewed and updated for 2020.

Hunting in Second Life may conjure up the image of virtual big game shooting experiences. While that probably exists on grid, it’s not what we’re talking about today; we’re focusing on shopping events! Second Life hunts are a fun way to collect items for both your avatar and your home. Here are the very basics of hunting events in Second Life.

What Exactly Is A Second Life Hunt?

Imagine if a scavenger hunt, hide and seek, and some Second Life goodies were all shaken up together. The result? A Second Life hunt! You’re given a place to start looking and then you scour the area for the product. Usually the product is boxed in a themed shape such as a little coin, apple, or animal. Once you find the product you activate it (usually by touching or paying) to receive the gift and a hint about the next item to find. Most hunts only run for a set amount of time, so make sure to check the dates before you start!

Hunts can be free or they may have a charge. They may hide all the items in one sim or in locations all over the grid. Each and every hunt is different and appeals to different people. One person may enjoy a smaller hunt with items that aren’t too hard to find while another may prefer spending hours looking for many tricky items.

The Free Dove

September 11, 2020January 27, 2017 by Asia Ristow

Note: While the images in this blog post are from 2017, the content has been reviewed and updated for 2020.

Since 2005 The Free Dove has been helping players make their Second Life avatars absolutely gorgeous. The store is filled with clothes, shoes, hair, accessories, and more so everyone can look stylish. The cost? Absolutely nothing. That’s right, nearly everything at The Free Dove is completely free of charge.

Shopping At The Free Dove

Located in beautiful Gallii, The Free Dove caters to new players and veterans alike. The store itself has easy to see guides on everything from basic etiquette to unpacking your purchases. While the place is extremely newbie friendly, veteran players don’t want to pass up the chance to visit. Even though there is no cost for the majority of items at the store, the products at The Free Dove are generally good quality. The owner, Palomma Casanova, handpicks all the designers to ensure everything meets her standards. The second floor hosts a few Gacha machines and low cost vendors, though the majority of the products are on the free first floor. Whether you’re just starting your inventory or you’re rounding out your collection, The Free Dove has something for you.

You WILL need to join The Free Dove’s group to get any of the items.

Are Second Life Gacha Games Worth Your Time?

July 28, 2023January 23, 2017 by Asia Ristow

Important Note: Gacha machines are no longer allowed in Second Life. You can still buy and sell things on the Marketplace that were aquired via Gacha, however it is now against the Second Life TOS for creators to sell an item that is completely random. By the new policy buyers must know what they are purchasing at the time of purchase. There are new purchasing systems (such as MiePon) that have come out as an allowed alternative.

I’m keeping this post up as a reference for when Gacha was allowed, however the content in it is outdated and this specific post won’t be updated further.

Based on the Japanese game of the same name, Second Life Gacha machines are a huge hit in world. Gachas offer the chance at multiple items for very cheap, usually less than what each item is worth. The inexpensive shot at high quality products has spawned various Gacha themed events, some of which keeping sims competitively full for days or more. Note: Almost everything my avatar has on in this post is from Gacha events!

How Second Life Gacha Works

The easiest way to sum up Gacha is by imagining those little quarter machines found in supermarkets and other real life stores. An image at the top shows the products contained within. You put in a small amount of money and out pops one of those items. You never know what you’ll get!

In game Gachas are very similar. Gachas will have an image on or near the machine showing you what’s inside. Most will tell you which items are rare, some will even show the percentage chance it has to drop. A script in the machine is used to give you a random item when you pay based on these percentages (whether they are displayed or not.) The odds of winning a specific item depends on what you’re going for and the rarity of the product. Remember, if you have a 1 in 3 (33%) chance to get a specific item, that doesn’t mean you’ll get it in 3 tries. It simply means that each try gives you 1 in 3 chance to get it. And that’s for Gachas with even odds. Some will have rare items that have a smaller chance to drop than the rest. Gachas with Common, Uncommon, and Rare chances are not at all unusual. Make sure to weigh those odds before splurging!

Why It’s Worth Joining Second Life Groups

September 11, 2020January 20, 2017 by Asia Ristow

Note: While the images in this blog post are from 2017, the content has been reviewed and updated for 2020.

While it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think avatar creation, groups are one of my favorite resources in game. Whether it’s the gifts or the wealth of information contained within, groups are a valuable tool for making your avatar look just the way you want. So what do you get out of joining Second Life groups?

What Exactly Are Groups Anyway?

Second Life groups have many purposes. Some sims require you to be in the group to take full advantage of everything their sim has to offer. Some groups exist just so you can keep up on the latest news pertaining to the people within. Some are just about being social. Still others are just so you can have the group tag (display name shown when group is active) above your head. Since Regeneration is all about character creation and customization, we’re going to mainly focus on groups that benefit your avatar directly.

Vista Bento Hands For Ladies – Final Version!

September 11, 2020January 18, 2017 by Asia Ristow

Update: Slink’s Dynamic Hands have been released! Check out the release post for a comparison between Slink’s bento hands and Vista’s bento hands.

Vista Animations has been letting us play with their beta bento hands for a few months now. Today they’ve released their final update for the beta version. This update addresses various customer concerns as well as a bundle of quality of life improvements. Keep reading for the official video and to see what’s new with your Vista bento hands. Not sure what I’m talking about? Check out my posts on Project Bento and bento hands.

VISTA BENTO PROHANDS V1 FINAL (FEMALE) posted by Vistanimations

My Little Mountain Visit

September 11, 2020January 17, 2017 by Asia Ristow

Every now and again I’ll be sharing avatars I’ve made for inspiration. I’m not opposed to featuring your avatars either, so if that’s something you’re interested in please let me know! Today I’m sharing with you my little mountain visit in beautiful Netherwood.

Today’s inspiration came to me after visiting the Epiphany event. I got some really nice items from the Gacha machines there and knew I had to share them with you. Credits and more photos below!

Using The Second Life Marketplace

September 11, 2020January 14, 2017 by Asia Ristow

While some of these photos quite old, they are still relevant! The photos are from 2017, but the content has been checked for accuracy and relevancy for 2020.

The Marketplace has millions of items to choose from. Shopping there can seem overwhelming at first, but it doesn’t have to be. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about mastering shopping Second Life’s Marketplace.

Why The Marketplace?

There are various ways to shop in Second Life. In world has malls and stores (which I’ve discussed in another post), but on the web we have the Marketplace. I generally prefer Marketplace shopping as you can find very specific items and read reviews with ease. Whenever I want to shop for something specific, the Marketplace is my go to. When you have a vague idea of what you’re looking for it can still be beneficial by showing you multiple items from various sellers all at once. This can be awesome when looking for a certain color shirt or even an entirely new outfit!

Shopping Second Life’s Marketplace: The Basics

Shopping the Marketplace is similar to other types of online shopping. If you’ve used sites like Amazon you already have an idea of what to do. Shopping Second Life’s Marketplace is a little different though, so here is a guide on how to use it the most efficiently for your needs.