The whole 'fixed choice of family name' thing sucks though =/
[snapback]38054[/snapback]
That's being changed soon apparently. To give you an idea, SL would be like your day off from work, everyday. You can do what you want, within reason or boundary. I've never seen a bad av... at all, and most of the sims (areas) i go to are well put together. I do agree that lacking a free trial with no strings attached is a bit off, but you can get your money re-acredited to your account if you decide that it's not for you. In short, SL isnt like an RPG, you do not have any sort of mission or objective other than to have fun. You just mingle with other SLers and stuff. From nightclubs to beach parties, it's not about killing mr. X, or finding the golden crotch guard, you just play for fun.
As for the physical boundries surrounding the SL world, I'd say the only thing it's missing would be a dodge charger car, but then i could make that myself, if i wasn't so lazy or Prim concious.