I’ve been mulling what I’ve said about the Second Life “secret sauce” so far. I’m concerned that I’m focusing on ingredients that are necessary. As I review the things I’ve written, I am aware that other games have some of the ingredients I’ve listed. However, I’ve begun the process of identifying that one ingredient that may be as thin as air, yet without it there would be no reason to come back to Second Life again and again and again.
There are many other necessary ingredients yet to be stated, but here are the ingredients I’ve focused on so far:
Ingredient #1: The Second Life secret sauce gets better with age!
Ingredient #2: The Second Life secret sauce begins with a good base made with the Identity of each avatar.
Ingredient #3: Thousands of thriving communities blend in their unique spices to the giant SL ”secret sauce” pot.
Ingredient #4: The vast array of outstanding “builds” created by users, creating a world for exploration.
Ingredient #5: A unique, immersive and personal romantic and sexual experience.
Aside from the many other ingredients that must be mentioned like texture creators, builders, scripters, organizations, events coordinators and much more, the ingredient I’m beginning to see ties everything together. The ingredient could be thought of as the spoon or ladel or mixer used to stir all the ingredients together. If anyone has their own idea about what that ingredient might be, please post your comments.
Regardless of what that secret ingredient is, I’ll continue adding the basic ingredients till I get to the sponge. The sponge and kitchen sink, those go into the junk that contaminate the secret sauce.
Being Yordie Sands 
I have read it now, good reading! But I belong to both of them, I think. Im very much my RL identity in SL as i dont RP and some of my friends know me irl and we have met irl so im not that secretive. Not more than I usually am on the internet. But I dont try to replicate my RL in SL in looks or anything. I love the fantasy part of SL but I dont hestitate to mix rl and sl when it comes to friends. So I guess i´m in between? im not sure??? :O)
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I think those two points of view are more the extremes. As in everything esle, I think the majority of people have more moderate views. For me, I prefer to leave real life out and immerse myself in the fantasy, but practical realities keep my real life part of my SL. I’ve read that as the time that article was written, the Augmentation forces won the debate. Apparently it was a very tense time, but that’s just my impression.
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Thanks! Very interesting. *reading* xoxo
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I dont know what your secret ingredient is, but oh exiting! I look forward to the revelation =)
For me the most important ingredient is *fantasy*. I get to walk through that wardrobe as the children in the Narnia saga. And fall down that rabbit hole as Alice. I get to visit the dreamworld i dreamt about when I was a child.
But no one has written a plot as in a common game, so I dont know what´s going to happen. Its my own story. Thats my biggest ❤ for virtual worlds and Second Life.
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oh yes, I’m all about the fantasy too. and you can become part of many fantasies. and you are the star of your own story. all those things. however, there is a very large faction in second life that sees it as merely as an augmentation of their real lives. they see avatars as a barrier to seeing the real people. there was a battle fought over that in the past, augmentation verse immersion. i think second life should permit both POVs to exist. i’m really enjoying this exercise. it’s far more difficult than i imagined when i began.
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Still I think all those “reality” people live their fantasy life in SL too. I guess, for example, they all look more or less like supermodels while struggling to be “real” in a fantasy world. And live in a castle or huge manor while doing so too.
Im not sure I interpret augmentation right but i guess its a battle between ppl who wants reality vs ppl who wants fantasy? 🙂
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yeah… i know a DJ who was stunned when I suggested she was role playing. i’ll get you the link to the whole augmentation/ immersion thing (goes all the way back to 2006). http://slcreativity.org/wiki/index.php?title=Augmentation_vs_Immersion
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I can’t back away now. i’m getting closer and closer to the grand revelation. /me smiles a knowing smile. (not its not THAT)
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