How to create Virtual world?

[gdebojyoti.mail96]

Currently there are a few virtual world websites, like SecondLife, EntropiaUniverse, IMVU, ActiveWorlds, GoJiyo and Kaneva.

My question is - how are such websites created? Is there any tutorial?
An overview regarding this will also help.

And where can I host them for free? I will need to test my site's features.
And I will need less than 5 users for that. So I won't be using up much bandwidth, I suppose.

[Sharky]

Sites like SecondLife won't be able to run on any shared hosting plan, and I would be very surprised if you could run it on a free server, unless you set it up at home (but if you do that, please check with your ISP if you are allowed to set up servers on your home connection).

With very few users you might be able to run it from some VPS packages (check x10VPS's ToS / AUP first...), but they are quite demanding and require better scripting capabilities than a web hosting package.

This would be a place to start, if you want to use someone else's framework: http://www.multiversemmo.com/

[gdebojyoti.mail96]

@Sharky:

Thanks for your reply.

By the way, is it possible to host such a site in my own computer and access it from my friend's laptop via LAN wires (just as certain games, like NFS Most Wanted, are played over LAN)?
Since I only need to test the features, I don't actually need to put it online - testing via LAN should be enough (if possible).

[Sharky]

I don't see why not.

[ellescuba27]

Use 3dvia Scenes. You can make it completely from scratch using programs like Google Sketchup or 3dvia Shape there or use the online library. It's free.