In a world as large as There, transportation is very helpful, even though you can teleport to any major (or bookmarked) location. Currently there are hoverboards, dune buggies, and hoverpacks to get around with, but this is only beta, and many more vehicles, possibly even user-designed contraptions, are planned. The first time you get on a hoverboard and go cruising over some of the vast landscapes you can't help but be impressed with the world's engine. Naturally, vehicles must be purchased for Therebucks like almost everything of significance in There.
I'm Bored
Okay, you've explored some ground in your buggy, done a triple salchow double back-flip helicopter death-spin off a mountain peak on your hoverboard, which you survived without a scratch despite breaking a 5000 vertical foot drop with your skull, because you can't get hurt in There, and you're not feeling chatty - now what?
Now you go to a "Fun Zone." A Fun Zone is basically, you guessed it, a game zone. These zones can be equipped with facilities for racing, trick boarding, paintball matches, and other game activities, which can then take place in a reasonably organized environment without constant interruption from all the people who aren't participating. The racing elements are so well done that some people will join There just to race. Undoubtedly they have more planned for Fun Zones, and users stand to contribute here also by building courses and even combining various game elements.
The game zones have a lot of potential, but one thing holding them back right now is the complete absence of any way to customize the controls. You can't even set up the tried and true WASD movement keys that are a way of life for many of us. At the moment you have Action Mode, which gives you mouse look and few other basic functions, and non-Action Mode, which keeps the game menu up and simplifies chatting and changing your appearance. It's an interesting concept, but without control customization (which is taken for granted in most games these days), it's woefully inadequate. Just imagine an FPS-like paintball fight with no strafe! It's such a common complaint that the developers may well already be working on a solution.
There are also plenty of events outside Fun Zones ranging from fashion and dog shows to treasure hunts, typically staged by users. This is all fuelled in part by allowing users to design and sell their own customized There items. With a viewer provided by There, you can use standard paint and 3D modelling programs to make unique items. As you would expect, items are subject to a review process before being allowed into the world, and as always, there are Therebucks involved.
Page 3: If I Had a Million Therebucks
