A Drone Haven in Second Life

Drone Haven is a full region under group holding – led by Cate Infinity – and designed and built by Myrdin Sommer, who invited me over to have a look around just ahead of the region’s official opening on January 25th, 2025.

The setting presents as what might be regarded as a post-apocalyptic environment: a city being reclaimed by nature, humankind’s time having passed – but life of various forms has not entirely deserted it, and the streets and building are not entirely deserted.

In this, perhaps the best way to describe the setting is to use Cate’s own words:

Drone Haven, a long-abandoned city, stands as a haunting reminder of humanity’s fleeting importance, where rusted skyscrapers and overgrown ruins bear witness to nature’s quiet reclamation. Amidst the decay, drones roam like spectral caretakers, performing their programmed rituals of planting flora, symbolizing the paradox of human ambition and nature’s enduring dominance. This poignant landscape reflects the fragile balance of resilience and collapse, a testament to the inevitability of energy’s finite cycle and the enduring power of nature.

– Drone Haven description

To say this is a region packed to gills would be an understatement; there really is a lot to see, indoors and out. This being the case, I would perhaps suggest using a moderate draw distance to help ease the amount of data being sent to the viewer from the CDN at any given time; also, given the general design of the region, a high draw distance really isn’t required.

An example of the content awaiting discovery can be seen within the motel. Overlooked by the local elevated railway, this is a place where every room is furnished and has a story to tell – including hints to suggest not all the humans have necessarily departed the city.

Exploration of the setting can be done in a number of ways: on foot or following the various roads or by hopping on one of the tour bot cars, or by using the street signs which function as teleport boards allowing you to hop directly to places like the motel, the church, the bot shop (Futura Bots), the events area, and so on.

Another aspect of the setting is the degree of integration between the audio stream (when events are not in session) and the setting; the music within the audio streams is highly atmospheric and fits the environment perfectly – and I understand from Cate that it  includes quirky “ads” inspired bey the setting’s billboards – although I admit I did not hear any during my visit.  Also awaiting discovery are the many places to sit and pose / interactive elements (such as the animation booths).

The drones mentioned in the region’s description are to be found throughout the city, with several models available for purchase at Futura Bots, for those so inclined. Going about their business along the streets and at various places of business, the drones are one of the two most numerous populations within the city – the other being the local cats.

As well as the motel showing possible signs of continued human habitation, other signs that humans are may not be entirely absent from the city. Just take the survivalist camp, for example, complete with a dormitory taking the form of a remnants of a submarine.

To mark the region’s opening, Drone Haven / The Refuge team will be playing host to a 12-hour music festival commencing at 11:00 SLT on Saturday, January 25th, with 1-hour DJ sets running every hour through until 23:00 SLT, and all are welcome.  The dress code for the event is given as  Apocalyptic / Robotic / Futuristic / Survivalist.

Richly set and with the promise of future music events after the opening, Drone Haven is a captivating, visually engaging and photogenic – and I thoroughly recommend a visit.

SLurl Details

• Drone Haven (TheRefuge, rated Moderate)