Category: Exploring Sansar

Darkwood Forest, by C3rb3rus offers an atmospheric and interactive environment which offers a touch of elven-like fantasy and a little whimsy.

As the name might suggest, the setting is a forest, perhaps caught in the dimming light of twilight as the light angles down through the branches of huge trees surrounding a body of dark water. Beyond the ring of trees sits a rugged, denuded landscape, almost lunar in its appearance, which offers an otherworldly feeling to the setting.

A wooden board walk runs around the water, winding under the roots of the trees and along the shoreline. Ornate lanterns illuminate this path, with giant mushrooms, the undersides of their cups glowing softly, adding a little more colour to the scene. The lanterns tend to put one in mind of elven lamps, although the boats – one of which gently tracks its way in a never-ending loop around the water – are perhaps more sampan in style and have tyres as fenders, again revealing this is not necessarily a purely fantasy realm.

Similarly, while the huge trees might be mistaken for Mallorn right out of Tolkien, with their platforms and wooden walkways running around and between the great trunks, a closer look reveals the platforms aren’t typical elven structures. Electric-like lights are strung around some, all have corrugated tin roofs, and one is emblazoned with a sign: BAR. So if these are the property of elves, then they are a most unusual bunch.

Follow the board walk and you’ll sooner or later come to a wooden elevator gently rising and falling between the board walk and the platforms above. The ride, when you step into it, is extremely smooth, and once on the platforms, you can walk to where steps wind further up the trunk of a tree to one of the buildings.

“You can’t enter the building yet.” C3rb3rus told me. “Eventually they will be, but I have some other things to do first.” Instead, follow the suspended walkway in the other direction from the elevator and you can catch a ride aboard the airship which gently circles through the trees. A simple dirigible with a boat-like gondola slung beneath it, this also has a fantasy feel to it. Boarding it is simply a matter of stepping onto the deck as it comes to a brief halt alongside the platform.

The ride, like that of the elevator, is very smooth and offers an excellent view of the landscape below. There is a brief stop before the airship returns to the tree platform, but getting off there isn’t recommended. As you do look down from the airship, you might spot a track cutting its way through the landscape just beyond the ring of trees. Starting near the spawn point, the path leads – by way of a water crossing – to another little touch of fantasy.

Darkwood Forest is a beautifully defined setting, restful, a little haunting in style – but not in a bad way – and richly atmospheric. The airship, the boat (which can be boarded via SHIFT-click teleport) and elevator are all very smoothly done, and the vertical nature of the setting, with the tree platforms and buildings, make it something of a unique setting.

Experience URL

• Darkwood Forest

Attention all personnel: non-human presence located in cryogenic bay. Quarantine procedures have been activated. Please report to security personnel for instructions. Thank you for your co-operation.

This is the warning you’ll hear on entering the main part of Tyler Scarborough’s Stasis Interrupted: Chapter 1, which might be described as a science fiction horror story. The warning – the first of several which cascade down on you – is given within a vast chamber deep within what appears to be a massive colony transport vessel. The chamber as stacked with stasis pods, presumably each one designed to hold individual colonists in a state of suspended animation during the voyage. However, all is not well, as evidenced by the warning.

Walking a little deeper into this huge chamber will trigger the additional alerts, each more dire than the last, culminating in a call for all personnel to get to the escape vehicle launch bay and evacuate the ship. Clearly, a major incident has occurred, and the warnings are your cue to find the escape vehicles.

Three massive airlocks separate the cryogenic bay from the rest of the ship – but only one of these is operational, alarms grinding and warning lights flashing. Beyond it lies the first signs of trouble: blood slicks the floor leading the way to the crew stasis pods, all of which are empty. Several identically dressed bodies lies on the floor. Bald and with bare feet, they would appear to belong to former colonists – and all clearly died violently. Just what has happened? Dimly lit corridors beckon you onward…

Finding your way through the ship is not as straightforward as might first appear. Beyond the crew stasis pods is a network of corridors, all under emergency lighting. Visibility is reduced to what can be seen through the sweep of yellow light cast by strobing lights, some of which may reveal more of the crew as you progress, and which can lead to a slight sense of disorientation.

Eventually, the corridors will lead you to the ship’s cargo deck, stacked high with containers of equipment and supplies. Once again, finding your way across this area isn’t entirely straightforward. Just keep your eyes on the deck, and you may find the way. Once you do reach the far side of the cargo bay, things get a little easier, as emergency light sticks help direct you to the last of the escape vehicles.

It is aboard the escape vehicle that you’ll encounter the disembodied voice of another survivor, giving you instructions on what to do next. Unfortunately, whether by accident or design, the audio message was too distorted for me to clearly understand. Also, shortly after hearing it, I found myself back at the spawn point with a teleport script error message. My assumption is that the message marks the end of “chapter 1” of the adventure.

This abruptness of this apparent “ending” (assuming it’s not an error) did spoil things a little for me; Stasis Interrupted is otherwise an exceptionally well crafted experience. The transport vessel feels huge, as one might expect such a space craft – presumably on a one-way trip – to be. Certainly, if this is the first chapter of an unfolding story, then I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next; there is enough to keep one engaged here – and the use of spatial and ambient sounds is so far the best I’ve come across thus far in Sansar. It would also be interesting to see how things might be enhanced once the likes of NPCs in Sansar are properly catered for – being pursued by the unfortunate colonists could add a sense of urgency to the situation!

Stasis Interrupted is accessible via both VR and Desktop modes, and I had no problems in exploring  the environment while in Desktop mode. However, the initial spawn point for the experience does contain a warning for those using VR mode and who might be sensitive to flashing lights. Those comfortable with passing beyond the warning can use the teleport to continue (denoted by “ENTER” on the floor), and enter the experience proper.

If you are looking for somewhere that little bit different to explore for Halloween, or enjoy environments a little reminiscent of Alien, Stasis Interrupted is the place to be.

Experience URL

• Stasis Interrupted

As a new – and still developing / evolving platform – Sansar is currently perhaps more a place for experimentation for many, rather than a place to inhabit or use productively (which is not to say it cannot fulfil use cases, as I hope my article on the recent Voyages Live: Egypt tour shows). Because the platform can be seen in this way, I’m constantly looking out for experiences that push Sansar’s current capabilities just that little bit harder – and Linden Lab has been encouraging experience creators to do just this, initially through their Creator Challenge, which took place a few months back (see here for more), together with the Halloween-themed Sansar’s Scariest contest, which closed its doors to entrants in mid-October 2017.

Creator Jasmine has used both competitions as a means of experimenting with Sansar’s potential as a storytelling platform. For the Creator Challenge, she produced Through the Waterfall: Enter Another World, which actually took the prize for Best Narrative Experience. This is the not-entirely-happy story of what happens to two young girls in the aftermath of a tragic car accident.

The story starts atop a giant desk on which visitors are informed, Without dreams, we can never become more than that which we already are… , together with an invitation to jump down to the floor and find the first of a series of keys.  Each key, when walked upon, teleports the visitor to a chapter in the unfolding story. It’s a fairly linear piece,  requiring the visitor to “fill in” the blanks of the storyline, so to speak, but the crafting and use of media and music help move things forward through the six chapters. I’m not going to say more here so as not to spoil anyone’s visit.

Miner Difficulties is a further narrative-based experience, with the story developed by Jasmine, and scripting / choreography by Galen (the two of them working under the title of Through the Waterfall). The similarities between this story and that of Through the Waterfall: Enter Another World are fairly clear: both start in similar surroundings, both involve the visitor in an unfolding narrative (an introduction and three chapters for Miner Difficulties, rather than the intro and six chapters of Enter Another World). However, it is the differences in the way the story is managed with that sets Miner Difficulties apart from Jasmine’s earlier work and helps mark how Sansar’s capabilities are gradually unfolding and lending themselves to more sophisticated use.

Whereas Enter Another World relied upon the discovery of keys and narrative deductions on the part of the visitor to link the six chapters of the story, Miner Difficulties uses two “living” guides to steer visitors through the story and piece together events. These are a little bird and a little girl.

Again, I don’t want to spoil a visit, so I’m not going to say much on what to expect. Suffice it to say that the bird acts as a guide through the woods, leading visitors to the little the girl (and then continues onwards with you as you travel with her). The girl also acts as a guide  – but as well as leading you onwards, she also talks to you as she does so, giving a natural structure to the narrative. Both bird and girl are beautifully choreographed and give a great sense of depth to the experience.

To those used to the complexities and capabilities of Second Life, these experiences may seem a little simplistic. However, they do demonstrate the potential for Sansar to become a platform for storytelling – and with the growing capabilities for both VR and Desktop mode interactions, it will be interesting to see how narrative-based experiences develop.

In terms of Halloween / ghostly experiences, I found Miner Difficulties one of the more involved in Sansar, and deserving of its status as a featured experience.

Experience URLs

• Through the Waterfall: Enter Another World
• Miner Difficulties

Step back into Regency England and pay a visit to Mr. Darcy’s splendid manor house and grounds. Here you can picnic as you watch the croquet match (even play), waltz to a sweet melody on the vast marble terrace or just take a long walk to gather your thoughts.

So reads the invitation from Solas (SolasNaGealai in Second Life) for people to visit Picnic At Mr. Darcy’s, one of her Sansar experiences. For those seeking a relaxing, period walk and time with a friend, it could be just the ticket – albeit with a little bit of a twist in places.

As the invite states, visitors are offered the chance to visit the grounds of Fitzwilliam Darcy’s magnificent Pemberley manor house as imagined by Solas, and spend time exploring them. A visit starts on the grand lawn, with Tchaikovsky‘s waltz from Sleeping Beauty playing in the air. Behind the lawn, the façade of the house rises as a stately edifice, while immediately alongside the spawn point is the promised croquet game. Alas, play would appear to be restricted to those in VR mode (although those in Desktop mode could perhaps play a variant of the game based on tossing the balls around!).

A single oak tree grows from the lawn, shading a picnic blanket with hamper and gramophone beneath its branches. A pergola sits close by offering further edible delights – clearly, Mr. Darcy likes to entertain and keep his guests well fed! A formal garden borders the raised lawn and separates it from the manor house. Reached via stone steps which curl down from the cardinal compass points of the lawn, the gardens offer paved paths ready for visitors to stroll.

The grand house itself rises from a marble topped terrace which sits above the gardens, affording a grand view out over the gardens and lawn, the remains of an earlier building – perhaps left as a folly –   sitting between house and lawn. More pergolas sit on the terrace, and it is easy to imagine an afternoon dance being held here one fine summer’s day, with ladies and their gentlemen gliding over the tiles of the terrace, or sitting in the netted shade of the pergolas.

Unfortunately, the house is but a façade, and not a place to be itself explored. I would also suggest the sitting itself is to the rear of the house, rather than the frontage; there is no broad drive one might expect, leading up to a grand entrance designed to reinforce the status of the owner. This does not detract from the setting, however; rather the reverse, as it suggests visitors are indeed guests of Mr. Darcy, having already been formally greeted and show through the house to the gardens.

What I particularly like about this design are the little eclectic incongruities. Mr. Darcy is a Regency man, in his prime in the early 1800s – yet the choice of music comes from the opposite end of the 19th century, well outside of the Regency period (1890). Similarly, the gramophone sitting beneath the oak tree on the picnic blanket belongs more to the early 20th century, while the modern game of croquet on the lawn and the gas lamps both lean more towards the period immediately after the Regency.

But again, rather than detracting from the scene, these touches add an interesting depth. Dances, for example, were very much part of the period, and whilst from a later time, it is nevertheless easy to picture gowned ladies and tailcoated gentlemen gliding over marble of the terrace to the Sleeping Beauty waltz and quietly conversing. Similarly, the presence of gas lamps in the grounds suggest that Mr. Darcy is forward thinking, adopting the technology just as it starts to make a public appearance on the street of England, while the croquet set perhaps indicates he has an interest in the game just ahead of it being more formalised through recognised rules. Even the gramophone gives a certain “feel” to the scene – a reminder that we are perhaps travellers from another time, looking in on Darcy’s world.

I hope that as Sansar’s capabilities develop, Solas will enhance this scene; it would be a joy to return at some point in period garb and genuinely participate in a dance at Pemberley (out on the terrace or perhaps even indoors in a suitable hall!), or enjoy a game of croquet whether in VR mode or Desktop mode, or simply wander the gardens and see more flora and accompanying fauna appear.

Experience URL

• Picnic At Mr. Darcy’s

Halloween is approaching, and in both Second Life and Sansar, suitably themed regions and experiences are appearing; the chance of a US $10,000 prize in the Sansar’s Scariest.

I’ve no idea if House of Woe by Nick the Brain Guy is an entry in the Sansar contest, but as it attracted my attention in the Atlas, I decided to hop in and take a look. It’s a nicely interactive experience – one which can actually take up a fair amount of time, and can be enjoyed in a group. However, it does have one or two issues.

Welcome. I see you made it out of this dreadful storm.  I am the butler, and I greet you in the name of Baron Nicolas Winterborne, lord of this house and grounds. He’s quite the master of obscure knowledge you know; his wife is too, but I would advise steering clear of her.  Now, now! No need for hysterics! I bid you enter – and staayyy…

Thus resonates a sepulchral voice as you arrive in the entrance hall of a great manor house, the doors to the dimly lit hall creaking open before you as lightning flashes and thunder peels against the hiss of rain and howl of wind. Before you enter the main hall, I strongly advise you collect one of the candlesticks to one side of the entrance way  (left-click to select and pick up in Desktop mode); you will need the light! More are scattered around the house should you be forced to drop one to collect something else.

I don’t want to give too much away from those who wish to solve the mystery and “escape” the house. Suffice it to say, there are three items scattered through the house (which extends over several floors) which must be found and carried to the entrance. What they are I’m not saying – you’ll have to discover this for yourself. Just explore the main hall carefully, and listen for the disembodied voices of Lady and Lord Winterborne who will respectively tell you what to do and offer clues as to where to find things.

This is an involved experience, requiring time to complete. It’s also one ideal for tackling in a small group – say 2-4 people – which makes carrying things a lot easier, as well as adding to the fun of exploration and discovery. However, it is an experience not without one or two problems.

The ambient lighting, for example, is far too dark (i.e. a blank screen) in places when in Desktop mode – thus making candle carrying essential. Ryan Schultz, whom I bumped into while exploring, reported these same locations offered sufficient illumination to be navigable sans a candle when in VR mode. However, a bigger frustration lies in carrying things (at least in Desktop mode). In fairness, this isn’t a fault in the experience per se, being an overall Sansar issue, but it does unfortunately intrude into enjoying House of Woe.

Simply put, a collision with something (again, I’m talking in Desktop mode, as I don’t use VR headsets, so cannot speak to those) – a door for example – when carrying an object, can “snatch” the object away from you, requiring you to pick it up again. Depending on where the object ends up (it could be embedded in / behind a wall, for example), this can get maddeningly frustrating when it happens a number of times, causing gritted teeth and muttering (and demonstrates why Sansar isn’t as yet ready for the more casual user).

Which is a shame, because House of Woe can be an involved visit as you wander around, up, down and through the mansion – and there are a lot of hauntingly nice touches to look out for, as well as trying to find the special objects.

Experience URL

• House of Woe