Month: August 2019

A touch of HollyWeird in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
HollyWeird, Hotel California – August 2019

HollyWeird is the name Schmexysbuddy has given to his Homestead region of Hotel California.

This is a region that tends to change on a monthly basis, which keeps visits fresh and interesting. We first visited in April 2019 – see: Welcome to the Hotel California in Second Life – and while I try to avoid writing about a region again so close to having previously blogged on it, Schmexysbuddy’s August design is so out-of-the-ordinary, it deserves both a visit and a write-up.

HollyWeird, Hotel California – August 2019

There is no obvious theme to the region, which is one of the things that makes it intriguing. There is a reference to the name on which it draws on, with the appearance of the famous Hollywood hillside sign in the north-east corner of the region, complete with the relay tower rising behind it. But does that make it unique? Well no – until you consider the giant fox that’s leaping into the air beside it.

And that’s just the start. Travel the region and you’ll discover the remnants of a fun fair lying alongside a field of giant plastic flowers (where I’ve arbitrarily opted to set the SLurl in this article). This points the way into the region, passing two huge walls – and two even bigger clowns. Fortunately, the latter aren’t the, “just wait there while I sharpen my meat cleaver” type of clown – they are the genuine  funny article. And if you touch one, he’ll happily play the maracas he’s holding, while the other will bang his snare drum.

HollyWeird, Hotel California – August 2019

The landscape itself maintains something of a thematic design with some of the past Hotel California designs by Schmexysbuddy: a semi-flooded and broken, complete with the ruins of buildings and elevated roads and a smattering of trees. Mixed within this are platforms topped by with the most unusual and garish buildings. They rise from the (shallow) waters like bizarre oil or gas platforms except where the former would have derricks rising from their backs, these have trees and windmills.

All of this makes HollyWeird immediately attractive – but there is far more. The fun fair, the platforms and the Hollywood sign and its fox form what are really mini-scenes within the region; vignettes if you will. And there are more to be found across the region, many of them focused on elements of art by the likes of Bryn Oh (including the flowers mentioned above), Cica Ghost and CioTToLiNa Xue.

HollyWeird, Hotel California – August 2019

There’s even a touch of science fiction and sci-fi movies that both folds into the Hollywood motif as well as standing on its own. This can be found to the south-west of the region, and includes “greys”, a flying spaceship, landed “flying saucer houses” and is completed by a collection of Cica Ghost’s characters either greeting or saying farewell to the ship overhead.

Most of the buildings and ruins within the region are empty  – but make sure you visit the old theatre, as it sits partially flooded. This contains a beautiful and simple vignette of pieces by Bryn Oh.

HollyWeird, Hotel California – August 2019

It is this art content and the vignettes and motifs it brings with it that I find particularly attractive within the region – particularly the way in which the details can suddenly pop out where you least expect them. These, combined with the sheer unusualness of the region make it a genuinely unique setting that really draws visitors into it.

Our thanks to Shawn Shakespeare for the nudge about this update to Hotel California.

HollyWeird, Hotel California – August 2019

SLurl Details

Tilia has officially launched operations with Second Life*

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Linden Lab

Tilia Inc, the a wholly-owned subsidiary of Linden Lab formed in 2014 and focused on payments and the compliance work associated with operating virtual economies, including Second Life and Sansar, officially commenced operations in respect of Second Life on Thursday August 1st, 2019.

Linden Lab reminded users of this via an official blog post, Tilia Officially Begins Operations Today in Second Life.

In my summary of the Tilia Town Hall meeting of Friday, July 12th, I attempted to précis the impact of the changes and how they affect people with a simple set of notes. I’m reproducing that table below, updated with information from the Lab’s August 1st blog post, in what I hope is an easy-to-follow guide.

How Do the Tilia Changes Affect YOU?

+++ If you have a US dollar balance associated with your Second Life account +++

You are required to accept the Tilia Terms of Service on or before October 31st, 2019.

If you do not accept the Tilia Terms of Service by October 31st, 2019 you  will not be able to utilise your USD balance or request a process credit until such time as you do accept the Tilia TOS.

+++ If you add a US Dollar balance to your Second Life account AFTER October 31st, 2019 +++

You will required to accept the Tilia Terms of Service in order to utilise that balance. 

+++ In Addition +++

If you wish to credit process all or any part of a US dollar balance (that is, transfer it out of Second Life to PayPal or Skrill or another supported method), and have not already provided personal information to Linden Lab you will be required to submit said information.

To check whether Tilia has the required information on file in order for you to be able to process credit, please refer to: Tilia: how to ensure your process credit information is on file.

+++ If you do not have a US dollar balance associated with your Second Life account +++

You do not have to consent to the Tilia Terms of Service
(unless you subsequently wish to make use of a US dollar balance).

Users should also read the Tilia Privacy Policy.

With reference to non-acceptance of the Tilia Terms of Service by those with US dollar balances associated with their Second Life account after October 31st 2019:

  • They will still be able to log-in to Second Life.
  • They will still be able to use any payment method they have on file to pay for services (e.g. purchase Linden Dollars, pay Premium membership or tier).
  • It is only their US dollar balance that they will be unable to utilise.

Related Information

Via Linden Lab

Tilia Related Articles, This Blog

* Note: I actually held off blogging on this on August 1st as there was some ambiguity in the original wording of the Lab’s blog post which might have been taken to mean that user not accepting the Tilia Terms of Service by October 31st, 2019 would lose all access to their US dollar balances in perpetuity. As a result of discussions with the Lab, the blog post was revised on August 2nd to clarify the point that users will be unable to utilise their US dollar balances at October 31st until they accept the Tilia Terms of Service.

Sansar Product Meetings week #31: Avatar 2.0 – preparing for the change

Posted on by Inara Pey
Channelling my inner Trekkie at the Roddenberry Nexus

The following notes were taken from my recording of the August 1st (week #31) Sansar Product Meeting, which focused on the upcoming deployment of Avatar 2.0 and how creators can start working with the Lab in readiness for the change-over. Also referenced in the meeting was the Quest Update release, made on Tuesday, July 30th. As with these meetings, a lot of general feedback was given to be “taken back to the Lab” for consideration, and as such, aren’t reflected in the notes below. The official video of the meeting is embedded at the end of this article for those wishing to watch the meeting in full.

Quest Update

For details on the July 30th Quest update, please refer to the official release notes.

Avatar 2.0

When Will Avatar 2.0 Be Released?

The current plan is for Avatar 2.0 to be released in late August / early September 2019.

Official Documentation

  • New avatars. New possibilities – published July 9th, updated August 1st: introduces the Avatar 2.0 update.
  • FAQ post – published July 7th, 2019. In particular, this FAQ highlighted the following information:
    • What wearable items will not be usable on Avatar 2.0? Any asset (avatars, rigged hair, rigged clothing) created using the avatar 1.0 avatar skeleton will no longer be usable in the new avatar 2.0 system. These items will be removed from inventories, and deprecated on the Store.
    • Why will these items no longer work? Changes to the base avatar’s skeletal structure had to be made in order to support Avatar 2.0 mean they will no longer work as expected.
    • Will it be possible for creators to update broken content? Yes, providing it has been listed on the Store – see below for more. 
    • Which avatar 1.0 assets should still work after the release of Avatar 2.0? All Marvelous Designer clothing, accessories and emotes created against the 1.0 avatar skeleton will have mechanism in place to help ensure they can still be used with Avatar 2.0, and will still be available via inventory and any listed items will still be accessible from the Store for purchase.
  • Get Started: Avatar 2.0 Creator Programme – published August 1st, 2019. Announcing the August creator programme to allow creators to prepare for the transition to Avatar 2.0. This includes links to:

Avatar 2.0 Creator Programme – What Is It?

  • Avatar 2.0 cannot be tested in the client until support for the new avatar skeleton is actually released.
  • The Avatar 2.0 Creator programme is designed to allow creators who create avatars, avatar wearable, accessories, etc to:
    • Develop their avatar-related content (avatars, rigged wearables (including hair), Marvelous Designer clothing, emotes, accessories) based on the Avatar 2.0 skeleton.
    • Send versions of their content to Linden Lab for testing and feedback (notes, images, even video).
    • Update their items based on that feedback, if required.
  • Note that depending on how many creators avail themselves of the Avatar 2.0 Creator Programme,  the Lab may only initially be reviewing around 2-4 items per creator. Additional items submitted will only be reviewed once all creators making submissions have been seen.
  • It is not a new requirement that all content must be reviewed by the Lab, it is purely to help creators who produce avatars and avatar-related items to prepare for the release of Avatar 2.0.
  • Creators are obviously free to test their items in their own 3D editor of choice, if preferred, and wait until the launch of Avatar 2.0 to make any necessary adjustments.
  • The programme will be discontinued once Avatar 2.0 has been released, when creators will be able to test their items directly in the client.

General Q&A

Quest System Feedback

See also the Quest Q&A from my week #30 summary.

  • It’s been reported that the text displayed at the end of a quest is too small to be comfortably read when see in VR. This is to be looked at.
  • There has been a request to add a “Quest Tester” role to allow someone else to be able to test a quest as it is being developed / updated and reset their progress (right now, the ability to reset quest objectives via the UI is only available to the quest creator, and only applies to them).
    • This is seen as a good idea, but a non-trivial enhancement that will be examined.
    • It might be possible to allow something through scripting so testers can re-set quests via an in-world object, and the scripting API does support this.
  • Will quests be made repeatable (right now, when a user completes a quest, that’s it, they cannot go back and try it again)? Yes, this is on the quest roadmap, however:
    • “Repeatable” quests are seen as a special class of quests that creators may wish to set up (e.g. a quest game then people can come back to and play over and over).
    • There are also quests that creators may not want users to be able to re-do (e.g. because of the nature of the reward(s) associated with them, once rewards have been deployed).
    • Therefore, the Lab will be approach the question of “repeatable” quests with both of these requirements in mind.
  • Can “open-ended” quests be supported (right now quests are designed to have a specific end point. It would be nice to have a capability for a creator to build an on-going quest narrative, adding new objectives, which users could return to and achieve)? Will be looked into.
  • Can users have a “quest journal” where they can look back over the quests they’ve completed? The current quest panel in the client UI is intended to provide similar functionality as it is built out.
  • Can clicking on a quest category trigger animations in an experience? The ability to trigger animations automatically (e.g. walk onto a dance floor and you automatically start dancing, pick up a sword and start wielding it, etc.) has been talked about at the Lab, but not time frame on when the might be delivered or extended into quests.
  • Can avatars be added to “classes” within quests (e.g. serfs, warriors, mages, etc)? Not at present. Would require some form of back-end data persistence, and use cases need to be defined. Where any such system to be introduced, it would likely be fairly generic in order for creators to define what they require to suit their own styles of quests.
  • Will the quest panels be customisable (e.g. to look like pages of a book if the quest is a storyline, for example)? There have been internal discussions on making the UI elements in general customisable, however, it is a complex objective, and so is not currently on the roadmap.

In Brief

  • The usual four:
    • High heels for avatars: not on the roadmap at present.
    • 3D mouse support: not on the roadmap, will more likely be a general project to support game pads, joysticks, etc., if done.
    • Wiki: the more user-submitted guides that are made to the forum public documentation area, the more weight is given to the case for the Lab creating and offering / managing a wiki.
    • Persistence: the Sansar devs would love documented requirements on where and how persistence might be needed / used, particularly as persistence is under consideration at the moment.
  • There has been an uptick in the number crashes users are experiencing since the July 30th update. These are being investigated.
  • Mavelous Designer: there are a range of options in MD that are not supported in Sansar. Will more support for MD capabilities be provided? Discussions with MD are constantly on-going, as is integration. If there are specific features Sansar creators would find useful, these should be raised via feature requests so they can be looked at.
  • Will users be able to rez their own items in an experience? Possibly. However, it is not on the roadmap, and all the possible implications have to be considered before anything is implemented.
  • Will there been single-axis (non-uniform) scaling of objects (e.g. increasing just the height of a door to fit a doorway)? Has been discussed internally, is somewhat more complex than might seem to be the case; not clear to those at the meeting whether or not it is one the roadmap.
  • Try-before-you-buy from the Store (being able to try a demo directly from the Store before any purchase) has been discussed in the past. Still on the roadmap, but no ETA at present.

Mon Joli Cadeau: art and romance in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Mon Joli Cadeau

I recently received an invitation to visit Mon Joli Cadeau (“my lovely gift”), a quarter-region operated by Avalon Bouvier and Yoh Boa that offers mix of art, dance venue and commercial units in a distinctly French architectural style.

An urban environment, split by an east-west running canal, the street names within Mon Joli Cadeau suggest Paris, but the intended location is not as important as the overall look of the setting. The landing point sits to one side of the canal within a formal garden area surrounded on two sides by town houses with boutique-style units on their ground floors, and on the seaward side a large glass pavilion ballroom.

Mon Joli Cadeau: MarcJersey

The boutiques offer a mix of commercial units and gallery spaces, and at the time of my visit, the gallery units featured the work of Carelyna, PatrickofIreland, MarcJersey and Erika Xaron. Meanwhile, across the canal and on the smaller part of the parcel offers further town house style gallery units.

At the time of my visit, these featured the work of Leonorah Beverly, Cybele Moon, Jolie Parfort, Kaleb Avedon (making his public début with a series of outstanding avatar studies) , Kayly Iali, CliveDillingham, Mirabelle Sweetwater and Isle Biedermann.

Mon Joli Cadeau: Kaleb Avedon

The layout of the location naturally encourages exploration, while within the boutique units and as well as presenting their art, the artists have been given the freedom to turn create more “personal” spaces if they so choose, adding their own interior wall panels and other features, making each a unique mini-gallery. Also be aware that many of the units have an upper floor where an exhibit may continue – so keep an eye out for the teleport disks tucked into some of them.

The range of art offered in this exhibition – which I understand run through until the end of August – is rich and engaging, including as it does avatar studies, Second life landscapes, physical world paintings, digital media, colour images, monochrome and SL photographs as paintings. This mixture adds a further attraction to Mon Joli Cadeau, and I’d urge Avalon and Yoh to try to continue it going forward.

Mon Joli Cadeau: Jolie Parfort

As well as promoting visual arts, the region will also feature music – both gala events to mark the opening of new exhibitions and live music events and DJ evenings within the glass pavilion ballroom. Live performances are currently scheduled for the following dates (all times SLT):

  •  Friday, August 16th from 12:00 noon: Savannah Rain
  • Thursday, September 12th from 19:00: Wolfie Starfire.
  • Saturday, September 14th, from 13:00: Kaleb Avedon.

In addition, Avalon is working on a weekly DJ schedule, which will initially focus on set running Thursdays through Sundays, likely spanning the hours of 16:00 through 22:00 SLT. The schedule has yet to be finalised, so look for details when visiting Mon Joli Cadeau, or make a note to join the local group and stay informed.

Mon Joli Cadeau: Leonorah Beverly

With its delightful design that includes several little corners waiting to be discovered as well as the galleries and ballroom, Mon Joli Cadeau offers a lot to artists wishing to exhibit their work (setting items for sale permitted but not required), and interested parties should contact Avalon in-world. For those who enjoy viewing art and photography in SL it is a venue that should definitely been added to lists of places to visit.

SLurl Details

2019 SL Christmas Expo registrations open with a special announcement

Posted on by Inara Pey
via SLchristmasexpo.com

The 2019 SL Christmas Expo in support of the American Cancer Society via Relay for Life of Second Life will take place from Thursday, December 5th through Sunday, December 15th, 2019 with the theme of Believe in the Magic of Christmas, and the doors have opened for merchant registrations and sponsorship.

Believe in the Magic of Christmas will focus on childhood cancers and their treatment, with the press release noting:

For kids Christmas is a Magical Season! And so, this year the Expo has a new mission. Together with the American Cancer Society and our partners at Linden Lab, the expo will be supporting Childhood Cancer initiatives of The Society. All proceeds of the Expo will be directed to support research and palliative efforts to help children with cancer.

This year, the organisers plan to have:

  • more than 100 merchants,
  • Breedables and one-of-a-kind auctions,
  • nearly non-stop musical performances,
  • Gachas and hunts.
  • Christmas trees, ice skating, and a snowman building contest
  • Santa and Mrs. Claus and the elves
  • The Holidays of Hope Ball.

The event will also encompass the popular Lights of Hope house decorating contest, featuring homes built and decorated by some of Second Life’s best home builders.

RFL of SL 2018 Christmas Expo

Special Linden Homes Unveiling

This year’s event will also include the support and involvement of Linden Lab, with the press release further noting:

This year Linden Lab, the Society’s partner in the fight against cancer, is joining the 9th Annual SL Christmas Expo. Not only will Linden Lab be decorating Linden homes as part of the Lights of Hope contest but the Expo will be the venue of the BIG REVEAL!  The long-anticipated ALL NEW Version 4 LINDEN HOMES will be UNVEILED at the Lights Of Hope!  Expo visitors will be treated with the newest premier member homes as well as some very VERY Special Linden surprises and incentives!

Merchant and Sponsor Registrations

Those interested in being merchant sponsors or sponsors of this year’s event should refer to the following official Christmas Expo pages:

For updates and further information on this year’s Second Life Christmas Expo, please refer to slchristmasexpo.com.

Sansar: live from the Official Star Trek 2019 Convention

Posted on by Inara Pey
Sansar brings you Star Trek Las Vegas

I make no secret of the fact that I’m a Star Trek fan. I started on a diet of re-runs of The Original Series (which remains my overall favourite, simply because I started watching it at an impressionable age, my early teens), and quickly got hooked on The Next Generation. Within Second Life, I’ve reflected this interest by writing about various Trek-related events or activities (see A Starship Enterprise in Second Life big enough for an avatar crew and Having a little fun with starships for example).

However, when it comes to Star Trek, Sansar is perhaps the place to be. I’ve written in the past about the reproduction of the bridge of the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701. It’s not entirely accurate, but it is nevertheless impressive. There’s also the Roddenberry Nexus.

Sansar: Roddenberry Nexus; Inara Pey, August 2018, on FlickrSansar: Roddenberry Nexus

These experiences reflect a partnership with Roddenberry Entertainment, which has also seen the broadcasting of the Roddenberry Entertainment’s mission Logs podcasts into Sansar, trivia competitions, and Q&A events with acknowledged Trek experts.

This involvement with Trek continues this weekend with Sansar providing access to Star Trek cast members and guest stars who are attending the Official Star Trek Convention taking place in Las Vegas.

Suzi Plakston – one of the STLV convention guests who can be seen via Sansar

These events comprise:

  • “Live From” on Thursday, August 1st, Friday, August 2nd, Saturday, August 3rd and Sunday, August 4th from 09:00 PDT, with guests:
    • Suzie Plakson (K’Ehleyr / Lt. Selar, M.D. in Star Trek: The Next Generation; Female Q, Star Trek: Voyager, Tarah, Star Trek: Enterprise).
    • John Billingsley (Dr. Phlox, Star Trek: Enterprise).
    • Jeffrey Combs (Brunt/Weyoun/Tiron, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine;  Penk, Star Trek: Voyager; Shran;  Krem, Star Trek: Enterprise).
    • Casey Biggs (Damar, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine).
    • Tim Russ (Devor, Star Trek: The Next Generation; T’Kar, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Commander Tuvok, Star Trek: Voyager; USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B Bridge Officer (/”Tuvok”) Star Trek: Generations).
  • “Meet-and Greets” 30-minute sessions with:
The Roddenberry Theatre, by C3rb3rus, location for the Star Trek Las Vegas events

So, if you are a Trek fan (and have a PC!), make a note of the dates and times, and join the fun – I might even see you at some of the sessions 🙂 .