Senra is here! When I showed you the NUX Senra Avatars on me two weeks ago, I did not edit the shape or wore anything in my inventory (because I had none on the beta grid).
Second Life announced the Senra Beta Avatars are now available to everyone via the library and a starter avatar web page with options for new users. After playing around with the shape and trying on two old system skins that I didn’t delete from my inventory, I decided to just wear the included Senra Jamie skin. Don’t even try to retrofit old skins or clothing, it’ll leave you feeling deep sadness.
Don’t let the Beta in the name fool you; these avatars will not update at all (according to Patch Linden). Any feedback collected now will apply to future avatars. Once creators start creating for Jamie and Blake, they will stay just as they are forever. Maybe SL will give us a proper face HUD, but don’t expect better mesh on these bodies or face. This is it.
Why is this skin so flat? They included a tintable brows layer that’s mod, but the brows are black. How can you tint black brows? Note: all tintable brows are WHITE in Second Life. It just feels like the designer(s) who made Senra avatars don’t even know how skins work.
If you want to wear your current inventory, most hairs will work. Poses work. AO works. Everything else? Forget about it. I would rather be a flat Senra avatar than retrofit skins and still look like a stretch-out hot mess. I’ll wait a few months for properly fitted skins and clothing to be made cos I feel that it doesn’t benefit new users for current users to show off our dated inventory. Let’s not do that, for everybody’s sake. The creators want to sell products. And the new users want the best new mesh items, they don’t want 2015 fitmesh clothing.
Why I don’t like Senra Avatars:
- Skin is flat. Is this the best that Second Life has to offer in 2023?
- No lash options; these are the shortest lashes I have EVER seen. Clearly, they don’t know SL residents at all. What lashes can I add that will “blink” with this avatar? None yet. I added my own lashes here.
- NO face HUD? How can I control my eyes from moving all over the place?
- Face is hard to shape; I have many years of making shapes and I found it a depressing experience.
Why anyone might wear Senra Avatars:
- It’s better than system avatars (but not by much)
- You can let your personality shine, cos your avatar will be plain Jane
- It’s FREE
Have you tried the Senra avatars? Let me know what you think in the comments!
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You’re so right, Gogo! These new avatars are ugly! 🙁
The only plus about them is that they have separate Mesh Heads & Mesh Bodies so a new user can upgrade one at a time without having to do everything all at once.
But the look is so primitive. I don’t understand why it can’t be closer to the quality you get from LeLutka/Catwa/Genus, etc mesh heads, and Maitreya/Legacy/Reborn, etc bodies. I think most new residents who got a quality, free, starter avi would still upgrade for a more individual and personal presence if they stayed in SL. I don’t think it would hurt the SL fashion industry. But at least a new user could look decent. The Senra avatars are so primitive I think a new user would feel they either had to spend a lot of money to level up their avi right away, or just not come back to SL.
I’m not a fan of Senra, but I AM a fan of your blog, Gogo! I love what you’re doing here! Stay awesome!!! 🙂