Virtual online universe

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Art

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Virtual online universe
« on: January 01, 2006, 06:14:28 pm »
OK, I found this by accident today and thought it interesting.

Ever wish to leave Earth and go to another planet?
Want to have a go at making some extra money?
Want to experience a completely new universe with
over a third of a million new inhabitants?

Apparently you can convert your currency for Entropia
currency and earn $ while "living" there, which could,
of course translate back into real money for you!

Then check out Project Entropia at:

http://www.project-entropia.com/Index.ajp
In the world of AI, it's the thought that counts!

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GamerThom

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Re: Virtual online universe
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2006, 06:27:20 pm »
I don't know Art. Even with a body that doesn't work I think
I'll stick with the real, physical world. Problems and all. LOL :-\
« Last Edit: September 05, 2007, 01:27:16 pm by Freddy »
Gamer-T

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FuzzieDice

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Re: Virtual online universe
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2006, 05:42:10 am »
Funny you should post this! LOL! I just joined Second Life (www.secondlife.com) which you can create your own character/body, and they say you can make real money there too. They now allow a basic account for FREE (where you can just explore, interact, build objects, etc.) You have to pay $10/mo to create a premium account to own land and then a monthly land fee on top of it if you do own land. But you get a weekly allowence either way. Though it's in their own currency and to convert it to real dollars, it's like I think 250 of their dollars to $1 US. Or something like that. But just going here and there and exploring can be fun. :)

They also let you create scripts and objects and run them. Plus you can even sell them too. These scripts can do nearly anything. In fact, some of their staff and advisors gave me some that may be usable towards building an AI car! :)

The 3D is pretty good and the Help land I am in the graphics/world is pretty neat. I haven't been to the main land. You have to grab all the "freebies" you can off the help island, do all the tutorials, ask questions, practice, etc. first and take notes on a notebook if you want. Because if you go off the help island, you can't return. It's for newbies only. Once you leave you can't go back. But you can stay as long as you'd like I think, to learn what you want. And there's staff there to talk to and help. Also on the main land you also can get staff to help you anyway. They also have a WIKI, forum and stuff on their web site.

The whole world requires a download of a speical client to run and view the world, interact, etc.

It's not too hard to learn. The help island tutorials were easy to get through, people were friendly and helpful, and we even had an impromptu disco dance on New Year's Eve, complete with a campfire in the middle of the blinking squares. LOL! You see the darndest things go on there, let me tell you! LOL!

I also visited Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom:

http://vmk.disney.go.com/vmk/en_US/index?name=VMKHomePage

A long-time friend of mine is a HUGE Disney fan and he showed me around. VERY limited as it's for kids, and you can't always type what you want to say. But still fun and interesting.

Of the two, I'd obviously recommend Second Life. Plus SL does have some special "adult" or "mature" areas there as well, for those so inclined. Though you are amply warned that they are such areas so you don't run into one by surprise, I'm told.

I'm going to explore SL in some of my free time. :)

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Freddy

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Re: Virtual online universe
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2006, 06:50:06 am »
I had a look at both of those sites (haven't actually tried either) but they seem to have got the edge graphically in Entropia, I guess as it appears to be newer. Nice ideas, it reminds me a bit of Grand Theft Auto Vice City taken to another degree. GTA VC was a great gaming experience with the music as well, I was hooked on that for months, and as far as having the 'feel' of a fairly realistic leaving breathing place I found it worked for me.

I wonder how well they succeed with interesting content in these two worlds/games. I'll have to try this at some point, thanks for putting the links up, and if you never hear from me again, well you know where to find me ;) Imagine when these things get like movie quality, imagine HDTV versions, hmmmm perhaps the Matrix already showed us a peek of that...eeek!
« Last Edit: September 05, 2007, 01:28:25 pm by Freddy »

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FuzzieDice

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Re: Virtual online universe
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2006, 07:34:17 am »
Well, there are some things that make me laugh. I mean, like there is no voice chat. Oddly. But I can see where you'd want to stay in "character" and having a program alter your voice (if you're male and want to play a female or vice versa, as in an RPG type thing), you would need the program to do extra processing that most people's computers might not be able to handle. Or it would slow things down considerably.

But getting back to the thing that makes me laugh. We have to type in our conversation, just like a real chat thing. Whever someone is typing, the character makes motions with their hands in front of them typing in mid air! LOL! I'm not kidding (this is what happens in Second Life). It just makes me laugh to see that all the time. I guess I'll have to get use to it.

But, why couldn't they just use random hand gestures, like some people do in real life when they talk? Would be more 'natural' than typing in mid air on a non-existant keyboard. LOL!
« Last Edit: January 02, 2006, 07:36:24 am by FuzzieDice »

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Freddy

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Re: Virtual online universe
« Reply #5 on: January 02, 2006, 08:24:27 am »
Not a direct reply, but you all got me thinking about AI characters (and human avatars!) in the future and the way they are and might start to be better animated...

I think animation and emotion control is going to improve dramatically over the next year or two. It's one of the prime areas of comment in using bots and often criticised. The thing is we see a wealth of animated non human emotion every day in films, cartoons, animations and so on. That's all usually the result of large teams and/or large ammounts of work. Really bot enthusiasts have only recently got the tools they need to be able to look at and develop emotion handling. Some of this is based on well thought out (and in some cases relatively old) priciples and just recently on Zabaware we've seen the emergence of a group trying to take UltraHal emotion handling to the next level. Even with my own simple experiments in getting Hal to show emotions that related to the responses I could see I was on the tip of an enourmous iceberg.

With the emergence of the quite realistic robots from Japan I find it slightly suprising that purely animated avatars are where they are now. Though really there was no point making an emotion handling routine if the bot couldn't at least generate something that could be called or in some way effectively linked to an emotion - are we there yet?

The 'Uncanny Valley' thing is real enough, I can't fib, I get times where I think this is all a bit weird, but then I come back and find it interesting again. That's kind of like how it was when films and movies started appearing - some people were shocked and could not understand it, but they have become one of the most important cultural and treasured things that the human race has created. One day maybe all this will be commonplace, it's kind of interesting don't you think to be around when all this kicks off ?

Goodbye 2005, welcome 2006  :)
« Last Edit: September 05, 2007, 01:29:55 pm by Freddy »

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FuzzieDice

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Re: Virtual online universe
« Reply #6 on: January 02, 2006, 10:50:19 pm »
It sure would be!

I couldn't help thinking tough, we humans are emotional creatures. Then again, so can animals be. But, this is by instinct. I mean, we're pretty much born that way. Computers aren't naturally emotional upon creation. So this brings to mind something: Should we be trying to make a computer a creature it might not be? I mean, why should a computer exhibit emotion? Maybe so we can better understand it? Or is this another form of reproduction? It would be interesting because if this does kick off something living in computer form, we'd be the ONLY biological entity that could create/reproduce a life form that is vastly dissimilar to ourselves!

So, in that, what does that make us? Gods, or just very intelligent beings? Or are we evolving into something?

I remember about 10 or so years ago, we didn't have so many computer-driven phone menu systems. They started to appear but mostly you had to press a number on the keypad to navigate the menus. Now, I've in the past year encountered more and more that you SPEAK to in natural language!

Yes, this is turning into something quite interesting! :)

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Freddy

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Re: Virtual online universe
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2006, 05:58:00 am »
I see your point on emotions for these things, I have similar reservations - I guess thats more to do with perception.  Mainly though I can't see too much of a problem with giving avatars more animation.  It doens't seem much different to bugs bunny or Shrek really.  If you come at it from that direction it is far more accessable than say going too much down the route of actually trying to make it a life form.  I do think that purely as a form of entertainment though it is worth doing.
« Last Edit: September 14, 2007, 12:13:05 pm by Freddy »

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Art

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Re: Virtual online universe
« Reply #8 on: January 03, 2006, 07:07:40 pm »
OK...now for the really strange part of this posting....

In the Guinness 2006 World Records, it reports that on December 11,2004,
David Storey (Australia) paid 265,000 PED's (Project Entropis Dollars) for
an island in the game.

Because the game allows a real exchange rate between virtual and real money,
the Amethera Treasure Island was sold to David (aka - Deathifier) by auction
for the equivalent of $26,500.00 USD and that ain't hay!!

Virtually yours....if the price is right!! :uglystupid2
In the world of AI, it's the thought that counts!

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Maviarab

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Re: Virtual online universe
« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2006, 12:42:11 am »
Another case of having more money than sense me thinks lol

 


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