Coming Soon to Second Life: "Basic" SL Viewer with Point-and-Click Avatar Movement, Other Noob-Friendly Features!

The latest build of Linden Lab's Project Snowstorm Second Life viewer, built around the design principle, "Does it make Second Life faster, easier, and more fun?", comes with a feature I've long wanted to see: Point-and-click avatar movement! I gave it a whirl last night, behold:

No wonder freshly-minted Linden Lab CEO told me last month he liked the idea of point-and-click avatar movement -- it was already in the development pipeline. To try this new Snowstorm build yourself, click here, and download "Latest Development Viewers" (it's version 2.6.1.) It's definitely a promising start to improving new user retention, though I think it needs to be even more user-friendly, with big bright icons and other visual nudges and handholding. Given his background with The Sims franchise, I expect Rod Humble will implement those; in any case, will be interesting to see this version evolve as it becomes part of the official viewer for new users. Of course, established SL users will quickly get frustrated with the limitations of the Basic UI -- to get more standard UI controls with 2.6.1, you need to select "Advanced", then restart -- but then, those are not the users Basic is intended for.

Hat tip: Ann OToole.

Comments

[Kirstenlee Cinquettik]

Already did some integrating of this particular code drop .. it broke a lot of stuff :)

[Adeon Writer]

Actually, I'm not frustrated with the basic UI at all - I wish when using the normal UI that all the advanced features would hide when not in use and look like this.

Visually, Basic Mode is far more pleasing than the standard UI, and I assumed I'd be using this mode when I'm not doing building or scripting. (That is, I'd use this mode when I'm just standing around being social.)

Sadly, this was not to be. As it turns out, basic mode has no plans that I've heard to support voice chat. (I suppose speaking has been deemed to complex for new users - or LL just want to keep them away from Welcome Area voice trolls on their first day.)

If only it had Voice Chat.

I suppose it will still be useful to the fresh residents.

[Thynka Little]

No voice chat????? I deal mostly with new users on our sims and they love voice chat, and catch on to it quite quickly. I think LL should reconsider this. Thanks for sharing, maybe I will go to the viewer development user group and put in my 2 cents.

[Machine]

What's the big deal? Is this what you were making out to be such a big problem that is going to generate so much resistance. Please!

Those who want to use it will, and those who don't won't.

[Ananda]

so you got your wish?

I wonder though, where is the explanation for how to deal with all the current left-click functionality that click-to-move will break?

[Ann Otoole InSL]

LL is working hard to make the stuff happen needed for SL to grow. Hope people can accept that and give them and the OS Devs working with them some long due credit.

[Ignatius Onomatopoeia]

See, the fake world did not end.

Add a great default walk and I'd point and click my way right to heaven :)

Glad to see this come to pass.

[Adeon Writer]

But... it's... been here... since... 1.5... arargrgarg.

Well, I'm glad you have it now, too. :P

[Eric]

In my opinion, this is the single biggest breakthrough since SL's userbase was established. An interface that "real" people can understand and just USE--what a concept. If this doesn't turn things around for LL, I don't know what will.

[Ananda]

I assume Eric's being sarcastic. It's hard to tell sometimes around here, I mean, I'm pretty sure Hamlet wasn't sarcastic about this being the greatest innovation ever, but who knows?

[Rin Tae]

Hmmm .. how bad it must be for SL if click-to-move is seen as such a big improvement ... but then, as it has been pointed out, it has been tehre all along just no one used it what I am sure was also because it, like so many other useful things, have been hidden away in the viewer so that even experienced users could not find it.

And since having more choice is always good and also anything that actually allows users to find the individually prefered features, I guess we all might welcome the change.

But .. OMG! .. we like changes! Nuuuuuu! ;P

[Laetizia 'Tish' Coronet]

I really fail to see the greatness of it. Walking around with arrow keys *like in any flash game* was never a big problem.

[Foneco Zuzu]

Choice is good.
Anything is better then actual official viewer!
Still anything beats the pleasure one feels when She/he makes a newby quit Sl viewer and teach how to instal and use Phoenix instead.
The way they see the World and enjoy Sl after is worth the time spended!

[Simeon Beresford]

yeah it was there provided the area was not paved.
which made it useless far to often for people to pother to switch to it

[Lucius Nesterov]

I really like the new basic version. Stripped back to the minimum.

It's still in development so perhaps voice will be added in if it's seen as an essential feature, and the devs can figure out the simplest way to include it.

Is access to your inventory a basic requirement? There's plenty to debate about what should and shouldn't be included, but hopefully they'll follow Antoine de St. Exupery's definition of perfection.

[Dylan Rickenbacker]

Big bright icons? Doesn't the Viewer 2 interface feel cramped enough as it is? Who wants the actual window on the world to get even smaller?

[Ossian]

I'm glad you finally got your wish, Hamlet, but this has been in the Phoenix viewer for a long time.

You have to admit that the resistance to this has been strictly on the Lindens' side... since it's something that users had already provided for themselves.

[Adeon Writer]

I don't think basic mode need you inventory. It would be nice however from advanced to create avatars and their icons for use in basic mode. Perhaps full avatars could even be purchased in that way.

[Hitomi Tiponi]

@Ossian
Point and click has been in Viewer 2 as an option for some time as well (as I always mention). I was pleased to see that the 'How To' on movement in 'Basic' mode tells them how to use proper movement and makes no mention of point and click.

There are some great features in this new 'Basic' mode - but without even a basic inventory new residents will only have to visit a couple of sims before they get a message suggesting they upgrade to 'Advanced' to see what they have just been given.

[Ricco Saenz]

I'm not against point and click, especially if it's an option (or only if it's an option, probably), and I frankly don't understand why all this "point and click" defense, since it has already been there for a while, but on the basic viewer... I'll quote Tateru, who explains very well where the problem is: "Open up 'nearby chat' and an IM window. To regain focus from either, you need to click somewhere in the view - and that moves your avatar. That means a lot of frustrating marching up and down from your avatar."

[rikomatic]

I like it so far. Add voice chat and I'd quickly recommend it for educational usage and distance events.

[Danielle]

As a first draft of a "new user" viewer, it's good, and it will translate better to "cloud rendered \ web embedded" use (think like clicking a YouTube video currently).

I think it's a bit *too* stripped down. Being able to read notecards, use landmarks, view instructional videos, and edit appearance are pretty basic functions. So I would either add those to the Basic mode, or have them enabled in Advanced Mode, but with "more advanced" stuff off at first, but easy to turn on. In other words, not hit a new user with too much at once.

The jump from "stripped down to nothing" to "full normal viewer" is a bit too much I think.