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.
Selecting Who To Join
Players have a limited amount of groups they can be in at any given time. For most players this number is 42, though Premium members may join up to 70 groups. It may sound like a lot, but boy do they fill up fast! So how do you choose what groups should take up those slots?
-
What Are Your Goals?
- Figure out what you want to get out of the group.
- Looking for free items? Join a freebie group that will notify you of any items that you may be interested in.
- Do you want to role play? You’ll likely want (or need) to join the sim’s group to play in that area.
- Want the latest updates from your favorite content creators? Make sure to join their group so you get the latest news as soon as it hits.
- Figure out what you want to get out of the group.
-
What’s It Worth To You?
- Some groups have a fee to join. Decide if the fee is worth it for you.
- Many store groups give gifts every month. Are you willing to pay a fee to access these products?
- Some role play sims have professional moderators. Are you willing to pay a fee to help keep the sim fun for everyone?
- There are many free groups too, so keep looking until you find what you want!
- Some groups have a fee to join. Decide if the fee is worth it for you.
-
What Do You Enjoy?
- It would be silly to join a group that isn’t something you’ll have fun with!
- Like socializing with others? Look for groups that don’t limit member conversation.
- Does showing off limited fashion sound like a good time? Consider groups that sell or give exclusive products to group members.
- Are you an avid shopper? Some groups offer discounts or store credit to people shopping with the group tag on.
- It would be silly to join a group that isn’t something you’ll have fun with!
Once you have an idea who to join you can take the next step to actually become a group member. You can do this by using the group tab of the search tool or by visiting the sim itself. Many sims have advertisements to join their groups near where you port in.
Second Life Group Goodies
As you probably noticed above, some Second Life groups have special perks for members. A lot of these directly benefit users who are working toward giving their avatar a new look. For example, the style seen in this post’s pictures were made almost entirely with group goodies!
-
Gifts
- Many groups give gifts to their members. This is especially popular in fashion, skin, and hair groups for stores coming out with new products regularly.
- Gifts are usually located in or in front of the main entrance, though sometimes they’re deeper into the sim. They can be found in multiple forms!
- Many are little boxes for members to take.
- Some are displayed as an image of the gift, similar to how other products in the store are displayed.
- Still others are in participation boards such as Midnight Mania. Generally there is a target number and if that many group members touch the board the gift is given out.
- Some boards only give one gift out once the number is reaches. Others send the gift to everyone.
- Note: Not all Midnight Mania boards are group only.
-
Discounts
- Group discounts are another popular perk. Some stores will offer their group members a percentage off of purchases.
-
Store Credit
- Some groups will give a percentage of your purchase back to you in store credit. If you shop at a specific place often this can help save you money!
-
Exclusives
- Some groups have exclusive content that is only available to group members. Some of these may be free in the form of gifts, but they may also be paid products.
-
Notifications
- Keeping up to date with the latest brand or sim news is important to many users. Generally a group will send out notifications informing users of new content, sale items, or new group goodies to check out.
-
Social Benefits
- Possibly one of my favorite parts of Second Life groups is the human interaction.
- Some groups allow advertising your own content whether it’s blogs, products, or services.
- Groups tend to have the owner and representatives of the brand/store/sim in the group. Getting to know the people behind your favorite Second Life products and destinations can be a lot of fun!
- Lots of groups help with any questions their members may have.
- Just chatting with like minded people can a positive experience.
- Possibly one of my favorite parts of Second Life groups is the human interaction.
Every player is going to find different benefits to different groups. It’s up to the individual to find what sort of groups work perfectly. If a group isn’t working out, you can always leave it and look for another!
♫ These Are A Few Of My Favorite Groups ♫
There are thousands of groups to choose from and everyone is going to have their own perfect selection. Here are some of my favorites:
- Fabulously Free in SL
- The official group of the FabFree blog. They keep members up to date on tons of free and low cost products in Second Life. There are some great quality finds here!
- Mesh Body Addicts
- A direct product of the late Mesh Body Addicts blog. This active group is great for questions or help with anything related to your avatar’s mesh body.
- The Blogger Hub
- A wonderful resource for bloggers. TBH helps bloggers not only promote their own content, but to connect with other Second Life bloggers.
Go forth, my friends, and fill up your group slots! Did I miss any of your favorites? Tell me who you like!