UPDATE July 25th, 2019: This blogpost has been flagged for violations of Google AdSense Program policies, which has led to it being extensively censored. You can Google “Utherverse” to find this virtual world, as I am apparently not allowed to provide a link to it in this blogpost.
In covering as many of the products and platforms as I can for my comprehensive listing of social VR spaces and virtual words, I realized on Saturday that there was still one I had not yet visited, called either Red Light Center or Utherverse. (Yes, I know, it’s very confusing! I had thought they were two separate products, and I didn’t realize they were the same platform until someone told me in-world.)
The emphasis in Utherverse/RLC is pretty much squarely on relationships and sexual roleplay.
(Note that afterwards, I discovered there was a PG version of Utherverse/RLC called WebWorlds, which I did not investigate.)
Billing itself as “the first adult massive[ly] multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG)”, Utherverse/RLC feels like a low-rent version of Second Life, with rather dated-looking avatars giving me flashbacks to the Second Life of 2007.
Here are a few (safe for work) screenshots I took of my travels:
As you can see, there is no shortage of avatars online in some places like the Pulse nightclub in the topmost picture. (Or were most of them bots? When I came back the next day, the nightclub was empty, which leads me to believe they were all real users, not bots.) The first time I tried to enter the Pulse nightclub experience in the top photo above, my computer crashed. I was luckier the second time around.
One aspect of Utherverse/RLC which I found rather disconcerting was that the avatars would load in greyscale first, then in colour. (It reminded me a bit of the science fiction novel Snow Crash, where the poorer avatars could only afford to be seen in low-resolution in the metaverse, compared to the richer ones.)
And also, sometimes other avatars, and even your own avatar, would appear see-through, like a ghost. You can see that a little bit in the bottommost picture, where I wandered around a medieval market. You can barely see the cobblestones through my torso!
So, I can now check RLC/Utherverse off my list of virtual worlds to visit. Unless you are really into adult content, I would advise you to steer clear. And if you really were that much into adult content, why you would choose Utherverse/RLC’s unappealing, 2007-era avatars over the much more modern and aesthetic mesh avatars that Second Life offers, is a mystery to me.
But obviously, there’s enough people using Red Light Center/Utherverse to keep it going. They do seem to have regular, well-attended events, like this Sunday morning dance I attended:
Ryan,
There is really very little you can tell about Utherverse/RLC based on a one or two day visit, there is an incredible vibrant community here that you missed.
In order to review fairly you truly need to spend time in world on a regular basis.
You’re right, I probably was a little harsh in my criticism. I still have the client software on my computer so I may drop by for further visits in future. Thanks for your comment!
There is a strong vibrant community there, one that owns virtual property, businesses…many of us have me our RL spouses there….you just have to look deeper is all 🙂
Hmmm. Your avatar goes into ghost mode if you go afk too long or click outside the game Window. It saves Internet bandwidth because it disables music etc. to be honest, your critique isn’t fair. I been playing it for a year and log on almost everyday and there is lot more to in that just sex. I’ve made many real friends there. Not a huge amount of users but all users tend to cluster at just a few events so the world actually feels quite busy.
Mark I’ve been a member for 3 years, my husband for 12. We’ve put down genuine roots there, met and are even friendly RL with some amazing people. Enjoy it
Utherverse is one of those places that if you haven’t been a member for a number of years it can seem really sort of sub par considering all of the newer more advance VR games available. As far as graphics and so forth, a place like Second Life does have it beat. However, RLC/Utherverse vets love it and keep it going. There is a community of hardcore supporters of RLC who absolutely love it and do support it. Also many find it much easier to use than Second Life because of the simplicity. RLC/Utherverse is easy to navigate for people who just aren’t good with some of the more advanced games and I’d say RLC’s main base are people who are middle aged and older. In RLC people are often willing to help if you ask. The platform is indeed dated in today’s standards but there are many designers on the site who make really nice homes, stores, clothes, and avatars (skins). Places you can skate, swim, dance, and relax (at least virtually). You probably didn’t get a chance to experience ANY of that in your very short stint there. There is even an incredible building someone made dedicated to the victims of 9/11. They made a complete memorial and put walls up listing many of the victims names. It took hours to do such a thing. There are also families there who are simply people who met online and decided to create a family because perhaps in their real life they don’t have one. There a lot of dances, parties, and events go on at RLC which give people an outlet socially, emotionally, and yes…sexually. So, I think your review was incredibly unfair and biased with all due respect. But I understand how it could be in a sense due to the fact that RLC is dated and you are probably used to the more advanced places.
So true Salacious. I met my RL husband here and we are both property (over 100) and club owners in RLC. I’ve met many folks from the virtual world RL, we’ve established great friendships. There is a genuine community of caring decent people that are here even with what might be considered outdated avatars (mine is custom made so I love it) and such, but we really do love it and wouldn’t go anywhere else. We have had tons of fun in RLC and that’s what a virtual world is all about…fun!
Chris
Ryan,
I have been a member of RLC for a little over two years now, and even though the main focus is on sex… not all there are for sex. I have met some wonderful ppl over the last two years. And as for the transparent avi’s, thats just ppl ghosting while they are not being active in-world. Some avi skins are much better than you may have come across. There is an on going problem with the server crashing causing mass boots more and more often. And the loading of textures and avatars depends on each persons laptop or pc and operating system. I could give you more info on this game/world as someone who spends alot of time there
I love playing RLC, I’m building my own business and I made many friends who help me and also enemies. But I would like to give a very important suggestion here because I can not feel that I have lost my privacy of walking in the club in peace, without being attacked in the local club.
Should have a Protector in each club and if someone does drama in the place the owner of the club could be penalized with the person, if he does not solve the situation for attacks of this type, I’m not offended in real, will I now be in RLC? ??? Until when??I feel completely unprotected, should have more demanding rules for this type of person to think 2x before attacking someone on location or on the blog
No need for a Protector if you are in the right club 😉
Why is there not a mobile app for this game. I’ve been with this game for years. I would really like to be able to play on my tablet every now and then
i played utherverse and also second life for yrs reason why ppl stay on rlc simple second life at first is hard to even put a avatar together over 32k layers to get a avatar to look decent rlc is practical wen it omes to clothing and getting a avatar going now i played both games for 9 yrs and i see my self more in rlc reason is bc SECOND life charge for everything u never get a house or land unless u buy it which u will never own were rlc u get to own a home even wen u not a paying costumer the other thing is second life have alot kids were in utherverse most ppl are adult if not all utherverse is practical wen it comes to dressing and down the line much cheaper i would recommend second life to dose ppl that have the time to learn wat a alpha is and sandbox or how to put a avatar together from head feet eyes hair clothing and so on ,, u have to be very patient person were rlc is only clothing u have really worried about SL is more sexual than rlc ,,, rlc u seat u get to know the person sl u have ppl just walking to the adult sites and asking right away for sex… over all i prefer rlc for simplicity and maturity ..