I just downloaded and experienced Second Life for the first time. I have read about it before and discussed the uses of it, but have never actually “played” in the virtual world. The setup was like a normal game, you pick a name and an avatar–both which you can change later, not the username, but the avatar name.
My avatar is a lion and I called him sir lion. He enjoys playing in the fields and just socializing with other people and creatures. He is originally from the jungles of Madagascar and now is just cruising along and exploring the new adventures ahead of him.
My first impressions of the environment is that it is not really graphically pleasing. The images are a bit choppy as well as the navigation. It is easy to figure out how to move your character, but it lags a bit so you always turn or move too much. This definitely gave me a headache so I advise others to be prepared for this if you are new or get motion sickness easily.
I am not too sure how this game works yet besides being able to socialize with the other creatures. It seems that there is some kind of task you can solve to earn something. I am not sure yet since I have only played the introduction before getting a headache. The one thing I am confused about is how you can be a vehicle as an avatar. It is a little strange to me, but I guess that is how the game is overall.
I had the same experience as you. This game is really unappealing to the eye and can get quite annoying. They really need to improve their graphics and ease of navigation.