7Seas Fishing: From Active Play to Auto-Casting AFK
I’ve always loved 7Seas Fishing in Second Life.
It’s not just another simple fishing script, it’s a real system that actually feels like a game inside SL. You catch different kinds of fish with different rarities, values, and sometimes special traits. Some are common, some are rare, and every now and then you get that little thrill when something unusual bites your line.
What I really like about 7Seas is how flexible it is.
If you own a 7Seas Fishing Area, you aren’t stuck with a boring default setup. You can create your own custom fish, collectibles, or even completely unrelated items to be caught. I’ve seen places where you can fish up treasure chests, event prizes, roleplay items, and funny novelty objects that have nothing to do with fish at all. That creativity is one of the best things about 7Seas.
Because of that, I’ve always considered 7Seas one of the better activity systems in Second Life. It gives landowners a reason to build themed areas, decorate their sims, and actually care about the environment instead of just dropping down a bunch of camping chairs.
For a long time, I didn’t really have anything bad to say about it.
Then auto-casting became a built-in feature.
And that’s the one thing I really don’t like.
Before official auto-casting existed, people still tried to automate their fishing. Many used gestures but those gestures weren’t perfect. Eventually they would stop or something would break and require manual intervention. The fisher still had to come back and restart everything.
It was lazy fishing but it still required some human presence.
Once auto-casting became official, everything changed.
At that point, 7Seas Fishing started to feel less like fishing and more like pure camping. People could sit in one spot indefinitely, casting over and over without ever touching their keyboard again. Their avatar could stay there for hours, sometimes even days, with no real participation from the person behind it.
I understand why landowners like this. Systems like 7Seas were partly designed to generate land traffic. More avatars on your parcel means higher traffic numbers, which can make your place look popular and attract real visitors. That has always been part of Second Life’s economy.
But before auto-casting, there was at least some level of engagement.
Even with gesture casting, people were still somewhat present. They had to check in, restart things, or press F2 every 24 seconds. You could still chat with them occasionally. You could still say hello. There was still a sense that actual people were there.
Now, most fishers are simply AFK.
You’ll see rows of avatars standing silently on docks, all auto-casting in perfect rhythm like machines. The sim might look full, but it often feels empty because the people behind those avatars aren’t really there.
At that point, it starts to feel less like a game and more like a bot farm.
That’s what bothers me.
I don’t hate AFK activities in Second Life. Camping has existed for years, and people have been sitting around for Linden Dollars since the early days of SL. That’s nothing new.
What bothers me is that 7Seas used to feel different.
It used to feel like an actual interactive activity, not just another passive income grind. You had to pay attention at least a little. You had to be there in some way. You were participating, even if the gameplay itself was repetitive.
Auto-casting removed that entirely.
I wish auto-casting had never been added, but that’s just me. If the wider 7Seas Fishing community wanted it, then who am I to argue with them?
I guess I just miss the old days, when I actually focused on timing each cast and pressing F2 at the right moment. It was tedious, repetitive, and honestly pretty boring at times but there was still something to it. Nailing the timing of your next cast felt like a small skill you developed over time.
It wasn’t exciting in a flashy way, but it was still participation.
You were still there.
I still love 7Seas Fishing though.
The system itself is fantastic. The creativity it allows, the custom fish, the unique fishing areas, and the mini-economies people build around it are amazing. Even with auto-casting, it remains one of the best activity systems in Second Life.
I just wish fishing still felt a little more like fishing and a little less like parking your avatar and walking away.
