Joining Second Life is a two-step process. You’ll need, besides a laptop and a mouse
- a (free) Second Life account
- a (free) viewer (program/app) for Second Life
- a relatively powerful laptop or computer.
All Second Life viewers are free to download and use, so try and test freely.
Firestorm Viewer (for powerful gaming laptops)
Firestorm Viewer is The Choice of most people. It is by far the most popular viewer, but it underwent a major upgrade a couple of versions ago, and some of the kinks are still ironing out. (They update it very often, however, so waiting for the perfect version won’t be long.) This means your system must be pretty robust for the current FS versions to run smoothly. (Some lag is normal on SL, but FS can currently make it a bit of a test on one’s nerves.) The game is not fast, though. You have all the time in the world to wait for scenes to load, but if you can’t even walk, it’s going to be an issue.
- Join Second Life and choose a starter avatar.
- Go to Firestrom.org download page. You need to choose the installer for your operating system. (Look for a matching logo on your laptop if unsure.) Run the installer. (There may be some warning about an unknown publisher; click “more info” and “run anyway.” Every SL viewer produces one.)
- Read through the Firestorm instructions; they’re pretty good.
- Click on this link.
- Log into your viewer with the Second Life avatar credentials you created in Step 1. It should now direct you to my newbie info box. (If you rushed ahead of my instructions, you might have wound up on Second Life Orientation Island or Alchemy Island instead if so:)
- Click this link: Visit ZEN METAL Newbie Info. There, you can find the quick start guide to SL (I know you don’t want to go to Second Life University on your first day.)
Alchemy Viewer (for a bit more performance.)
The Alchemy Viewer is the Prince to the King of the viewers; this one is still in beta, but it’s a very good viewer if Firestorm gives you drama. The biggest problem is that not many people use it, so practically nobody can give you assistance off the top of their head.
- Join Second Life and choose a starter avatar.
- Grab an installation package from the Alchemy website and run it. (There maybe some warning about an unknown developer. Every SL viewer produces one. Just allow anyway.)
- Click on this link.
- Log into your viewer with the credentials of the Second Life avatar you just created in step 1. It should now direct you to my newbie info box. (If you rushed ahead of my instructions, you might have wound up on Second Life Orientation Island or Alchemy Island instead. If so:)
- Click this link: Visit ZEN METAL Newbie Info. There, you can find the quick start guide to SL (I know you don’t want to go to Second Life University on your first day to decide whether you want to stay, so my newbie info is very barebones and can also be read online while you pretend to work or something.)
The easiest way: Second Life Viewer.
The Second Life Viewer is the official viewer on Second Life, but it lacks a few custom features of the other viewers. It also has that… Stiff-necked feeling about it at times. You’ll likely want to switch viewers later, but if you wish to things super simple to begin with, just do this:
- Click on this link. (Click the “join free today” link in the bubble and follow the prompts.)
More viewers
The basic instructions remain the same; there are more viewers on the Third Party Viewer directory on Second Life Wiki.
Know your way around? Then, go here.
Once you know your way around Second Life here’s the ZEN METAL main sim landing point.
