Live in a Virtual World

If you have ever wanted to live in a virtual world, your dreams can come true online – there are a lot of virtual communities to choose from. At this point, it’s important to distinguish between online worlds that offer gaming adventures with built-in storylines from those that are more free-form. In this article, we won’t be addressing the virtual worlds with storylines. Instead, we’ll take a look at a few places that allow visitors to either freely socialize while they role play, or build their own settings where other participants can visit as part of the entertainment.

Second Life

This is arguably the most popular and successful online virtual world of all time. It comes in both free and paid versions which allow different levels of access and participation. Users can create their own avatars – realistic or fantasy-based – and create a virtual life for them. Serious users can end up spending quite a bit of real-world money on wardrobes, accessories, houses, cars and private islands for their virtual lives.

IMVU

Some people may say this chat site does not really qualify as a true virtual world. But when you consider that the users are choosing to interact in real time via custom-designed avatars, when they could be chatting on Facebook or Twitter using their real names, there is a good case for including this site. The entertainment here is dress-up and role-playing. No matter what people look like in real life, they can create a buff, young and sexy virtual version to interact with others – who are also liberally editing their avatars – as they pretend to live in a virtual world.

Furcadia

This site is tailor-made for ‘furry fans’ that prefer anthropomorphic online role-playing. Users create their own furry avatars based on fantasy animals that can talk, walk and dance on 2 legs, just like humans. Users are free to chat about current news and events while they role-play as their animal Avatar. Or they can build their own fantasy homes complete with furniture, or create dream-like settings landscaped with waterfalls, or start their own in-world business. The ‘adults-only’ section is off-limits to those under age 18, allows users to role-play even more elaborate fantasies.

TirNua

For people who wish the real world were a greener place, virtual living in TirNua is probably the next best thing. Although this virtual world has been in pre-beta state for a few years, its core of committed programmers and designers are enthusiastic about making it a success. Tree huggers can get in at ground level (pun intended) and have a lot of influence in shaping this world. If nothing else, users will be able to meet other like-minded people from around the globe, who live in a virtual world, and who are interested in ecology and cleaning up the real world environment.

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