I am usually very focused on my avatar appearance in most games. I find it is a fun way of expressing myself and I enjoy building up a collection of objects my character is able to equip as well. In the PlayStation 3 game Little Big Planet, for example, one could argue that the whole point of the game is collecting accessories and skins (or in this case fabrics) for your avatar. A challenge I have come across however in making my avatar in Second Life is that most items are not free and that most of the items I have come across for female avatars are over sexualized.
Since I haven’t quite found a look I am completely satisfied with yet, I have settled with a Snoopy avatar that I found to be quite well made with an interesting toon-shader effect.
While traveling around Second Life I never really felt like interacting with other avatars, however I enjoyed eavesdropping on conversations and watching other characters interact with each other. Most of my time in Second Life was spent either looking for stores that contained free items, or areas that had a lot of energy put into them. For example, I have found a nice replica of Notre Dame that was well textured and fairly well made. I enjoyed viewing the model in “sunset mode” as it created a very interesting mood and atmosphere for the area I was in.