Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation
Updates from the week through to Sunday, June 16th, 2024
This summary is generally published every Monday, and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:
It is based on my Current Viewer Releases Page, a list of all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware), and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy. This page includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog.
By its nature, this summary presented here will always be in arrears, please refer to the Current Viewer Release Page for more up-to-date information.
Note that for purposes of length, TPV test viewers, preview / beta viewers / nightly builds are generally not recorded in these summaries.
Official LL Viewers
Release viewer: version 7.1.8.9375512768, formerly the Graphics Featurettes RC viewer dated June 5 and promoted June 10th – NEW.
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Maghda – Demons of Reason
Monday, June 17th see the return of evocative photographer Maghda to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery operated and curated by Dido Haas with a monochrome collection entitled Demons of Reason.
Maghda’s avatar studies are never less than richly composed and layered, frequently presenting explorations of self and life, and this is clearly evident in Demons, offering a visual essay on the struggles we have all doubtless suffered: dealing with the demons of irrationality as we try to face the daily challenges of life.
The Demons of Reason lurk in the shadows of our thoughts, challenging the clarity of our understanding. These elusive forces twist logic and distort perceptions, leading us into the labyrinth of irrationality. They whisper doubts and fears, causing us to question even the most evident truths. In this eternal struggle, the Demons of Reason remind us of the fragile balance between knowledge and ignorance.
– Maghda
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Maghda – Demons of Reason
These are beautifully minimalist pieces, the majority set against a plain white background, with several using the motif of a bottle or bottles – a motif also seen within the sculptures by Adwehe which support the exhibition. It’s an interesting motif, potentially symbolising a number of elements within the overall theme, such as referencing the way we so often try to bottle up the doubts and irrational thoughts we have all they way through to how we might try to silence them though more liquid means.
As well as the use of the bottle, the images in the collection offers views on how we might respond to our inner demons – and how thy might equally and irrationally take us over, becoming more that tiny voices inside us but near-physical entities whom we cannot ignore, leaving us feeling their darkness or somehow separated from those around us, leaving us ghosted to them – or them to us. Meanwhile, the tinges of green suggest the jealousy / envy that so often accompanies such irrationalities.
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Maghda – Demons of Reason
Maghda has intentionally avoided giving her images individual titles, and this allows us to appreciate them more fully, allowing each one to speak directly and individually to our own thinking / mood / imagination. As such, Demons of Reason is an exhibition which should be seen rather than experienced second-hand.
Infinite Darkness, June 2024 – click any image for full size
I recently received an invitation from Gian (GiaArt Clip) – together with some very gracious words, thank you, Gian! – to visit Infinite Darkness, their latest region design. Having previously visited and written about Gian’s Buddha Garden (see here and here) and Monkey Island (see here), I hopped over at the earliest opportunity to explore.
Anyone who visited either of these two past designs is going to find Infinite Darkness very different – and yet, equally rich in the kind of detail that made both Buddha Garden and Monkey Island so notable as places to visit – and places with a story to tell. A clue to that story lies within the About Land description for the setting:
Good and evil, water and fire, light and dark, are the essence of Infinite Darkness. The majesty of the gothic style, the occult symbolism and the dark powers of the vampires will immerse you on a hellish journey.
– Infinite Darkness About Land description
Infinite Darkness, June 2024
So it is that visitors find themselves arriving within the ruins of a chapel on the proverbial Dark and Stormy Night – and if not already set, it is at this point for the viewer to be checked to Use Shared Environment. These ruins (the marvellous Chapel Ruins by Marcus Inkpen, whose structures Gian has used throughout the region, giving them all a subtle connection of style and look, thus allowing them to become a natural part of the whole) sit upon an island, and give the first hints of the Light and Dark theme. To one side of the the chapel is a tombstone draped with a weeping angel. Facing it across the chapel’s worn floor is a stone plinth topped by an empty-eyed skull staring at the angel, as if mocking it and the idea of life after death.
A long and narrow bridge crosses the water to link the landing point. It is lined with further motifs conveying the ideas of light and dark, good and evil. These start on the left with a reproduction of Le génie du mal just outside the chapel, with its depiction of Lucifer becoming Satan, his crown held limply in one hand as his other feels the horns growing from his head even as his angelic wings have become demonic, bat-like membranes. Meanwhile, at the far end of the bridge is what might be seen as depiction of the corruption of innocence in the form of a naked woman giving herself over to the predations of a demon.
Infinite Darkness, June 2024
These motifs continue at the top of the stone stairway climbing up the steep side of the isle at the far end of the bridge, and the stone figure of an angel holding out a golden apple, a serpent wrapped around its torso. A clearer depiction of the Lucifer / Satan mythology and its link to the “fall of Man” I’ve yet to see; with the statue also underscoring the idea that both good (aka light) and evil (aka darkness) are spawned from the same roots.
It is before this figure that the adventure of discovery truly begins; one that I do not want to write above in great depth, as doing so would spoil anyone’s visit. Instead I’ll endeavour to offer some pointers for explorers.
Infinite Darkness, June 2024
The pool over which the statue of Lucifer/Satan sits is backed from a high waterfall, tumbling from beneath the shadowed for of a house occupying the island’s central peak. A stream exits the pools and curves around the north side of the peak to eventually tumble down into the cleft hewn between this island and an even taller one to the east. A path follows the course of the stream, providing access to both a tall bridge pointing north over the surrounding waters to another plateau of an island. Demons line the bridge, which is watched over by the decaying hulk of a stone gazebo, the demons giving a clue to what might be found on the far side of the bridge.
Neither bridge nor gazebo forms the path of the path however; instead, it crosses the stream as it takes the first step in its downward tumble by means of an old tree trunk, prior to continuing on by means of steps cut into the living rock that lead to the darkened maw of a tunnel as it beckons the adventurous inside.
A second path runs southwards from in front of Lucifer / Satan and around that side of the island’s peak, using a weathered board walk and mossy path to guide people to where a mix of ancient steps and wooden ladder provide access to the shadowy house above. In doing so, the path also provides access to yet another high bridge, tis one stretching its arm out to the south to touch another flat-topped island, this one home to the darkened bulk of a church, whilst the bridge and path are again watched over by a stone gazebo, thus one in far better condition than its northern cousin.
Straddling the flattened top of the rocky pinnacle, the house sits above two waterfalls to west and east, the latter also falling down into the cleft separating this island from the one rising even higher beyond it. A bridge spans this deep, narrow gap between these two isles, linking the front door of the house with a switchback path leading up to where the top of the taller island gives way to a the impressive bulk of a Gothic house built in the style of a castle. Shrouded in a veil of heavy rain as if trying to conceal itself from view and with thunder rumbling overhead, this house, with its towers and giant figure raised against its west face, appears to be a foreboding place.
Infinite Darkness, June 2024
Both of the houses offers a rich mix of ideas and motifs, with both leaning into the ideas of the occult and vampirism mentioned in the About Land description. With interiors by ViolaBlackwood, both should be explored fully, offering as they do their own details and sense of narrative for the imagination to explore – and I’ll say no more about them here so as not to spoil things, as noted above. However, they are not all that awaits; there are the aforementioned islands to the north and south to witness as well; and all I will say about these is that they are both very individual whilst together then further the theme of light/dark / good/evil.
Meanwhile, for others who do follow the tunnel below the smaller house and mentioned above, a further motif awaits in the form of a skeletal boatman standing in his vessel like Charon waiting to ferry the dead across the Styx. fortunately, the living do not have to take his boat across the misty waters: a rickety bridge spans them to provide access to another tunnel and caverns awaiting exploration.
Infinite Darkness, June 2024
Whether or not you are – like me – fascinated by the visual motifs and prompts neatly woven into the setting or simply love places that stir the imagination and represent time well-spent in exploration – or have a love of things occult / vampire -, Infinite Darkness offers a lot to see and appreciate, all of which is beautifully executed. For those who do share my fascination for symbols and motifs, I will in closing suggest you cam overhead and look down on the setting from above using your camera.
If you do, you might sport the region design, with it’s west-to-east orientation looks remarkably like the layout of a cathedral. To the west lay the entrance (the landing point), with its long bridge forming the nave, whilst the tall island with its Gothic house/castle sit as the chancel with its quire (or choir, if you prefer), ambulatory and apse. Meanwhile, the island to the north and south form the two transepts, their aisles and that of the nave coming together at the island with the smaller house to form the crossing.
Thus within its form, the region offers a further juxtaposition of “light” and “dark”: in form it resembles the “light” of Christian mythology, whilst the further into it one progresses, the more one is surrounded by the the “dark” of the occult and ideas of vampire and demons, with the latter form what might be seen as the most holy elements of a Christian cathedral, sitting as they do over the what might be seen as the location of a cathedral’s chancel, again giving focus to the idea that what we regard as “good” and “evil” are born of the same roots (our own imaginations).
Infinite Darkness, June 2024
All told, a superb setting and one deserving of time and thought when visiting.
Addendum
As pointed out to me by Gian, I did actually miss a detail within the build that is worth pointing out. Those who do delve into the tunnels and caverns should mouse-over the items they find within them carefully, as one has a hidden teleport. Those who find it will be transported to what I’ll call the layer of the vampire; a place which contains a sense of the ruins of Whitby and Bram Stoker (without actually being so), and carries with it a further element of the occult. With a vortex-like opening at one end, it also suggests it might be a further entrance to hell. I’ll say no more here, and leave it to visitors to discover.
It’s been a while since I’ve covered an exhibition at Lizbeth Morningstar’s Starborn Gallery, in part because Lizbeth has been busy with various projects, one of which has been the re-designed and expanded. To mark this, the gallery is officially re-opening on Saturday, June 15th, 2024 with a special event and a featured exhibition of new work by Lizbeth herself.
The gallery itself now covers three floors and, in a little touch I’ve not seen at a gallery before, includes a garden on the roof where visitors and patrons can not only relax, they have the opportunity to buy the plants and items found within the garden, as supplied by the Featured Store. A teleport board within the event space fronting the gallery and between it and the beachfront provides access to the roof gallery and to the various levels of the gallery – although the latter can all be reached from this the gallery itself.
Starborn Gallery June 2024: Lizbeth Morningstar – Be Tough
Lizbeth has a very distinctive style with her photography, often leaning towards a sense of white contrast suggestive of intentional over-exposure, together with a use of soft focus and colour-washing that I’ve not seen used by other SL photographers. While it is not Lizbeth’s only approach to photographs – as I’ll come to – it does give her photography a unique tone and look: images with a sense of watercolour paintings or which have been given a gentle colour wash. It’s an attractive approach to photography, and well suited to landscape images whilst also working with pieces that include avatars. Further, there is a purity within this approach which is very much reflective of Lizbeth’s use of her SL photography as a means of meditative self-therapy.
It’s also an approach very much in evidence on the ground floor of the gallery, which features a large display of Lizbeth’s work to the left as one enters, and the feature exhibition, entitled Be Tough to the right.
Starborn Gallery June 2024: Lizbeth Morningstar – Be Tough
The latter might be defined as a essay on the life of the modern professional woman; someone who is all too often required to be both feminine and tough and unforgiving at the same time, forced to compete with male colleagues on terms defined solely by those same male colleagues – but who can, at the same time, celebrate themselves for who they are and celebrate the moments of freedom and delight to be found within the sunny streets of the city or when out to meet friend at night. It’s also, as the introductory notes suggest, something of a celebration of Lizbeth’s relationship with her avatar: how the persona of her avatar is both a reflection of Lizbeth as she is, and a facet of her personality as she would at times like to be – something I think we can all recognise in our own relationships with our avatars.
The majority of the upper floors of the gallery feature a further exhibition of Lizbeth’s work, entitled Before Dawn. This showcases Lizbeth’s approach to night-time photography, in which there’s often that use of a softer focus but here combined with a more obvious use of layering and employment of deeper contract and colour enhancement. In this, Before Dawn perhaps demonstrates a boarder range of images, running from hauntingly mysterious forest scenes rich in a sense of enchantment, through city scenes filled with enigmatic light and streets filled with a soft neon glow suggestive of noir-like settings, to more personal pieces presenting moods and emotions.
Starborn Gallery June 2024: Lizbeth Morningstar – Before Dawn
Both Be Tough and Before Dawn are evocative in their ability to evoke and reflect mood. They also (and her I include the broader exhibition of Lizbeth’s art on the ground floor of the gallery alongside Be Tough) form a richly contrasting but complementary pairing, both in terms of the styles and themes enfolded in each, and in the manner in which the sections of the gallery have been outfitted by Lizbeth.
The official opening of the gallery will take place between 098:00 and 10:00 SLT on Saturday, June 15th, 2024 . I’m pleased to see Lizbeth make a return to operating Starborn Gallery and continuing her love of SL photography, and I look forward to seeing more exhibitions at the gallery.
Starborn Gallery June 2024: Lizbeth Morningstar – Before Dawn
The following notes were taken from the Thursday, June 13th, 2024 Combat User Group meeting. They form a summary of the core items discussed and responded to by Lindens, and are not intended to be a full transcript.
Meeting Overview
The Combat User Group exists as a forum to discuss improvements to the Linden Lab Combat System or LLCS to better support combat in Second Life.
The core idea is to provide additional events and capabilities which sit on top of LLCS to provide combat creators with better tools with which to create better combat systems for their specific scenarios.
It is not intended to be a complete combat system in and of itself.
The meetings are the result of a proposal document on improving the native damage system in SL, written by Rider Linden, and which is the focus for both the meeting and any work arising from them.
These meetings are conducted (as a rule):
By Rider Linden, with the support of Kyle Linden.
On alternating Thursdays (rotating with the Content Creation User Group) at 13:00 SLT. Meeting dates are recorded in the Second Life Public Calendar and at this location.
In local chat.
Discussion topics, requests, etc., can be found on the SL Feedback Portal Combat Board.
The current iteration of Combat 2.0 support on the server-side is due to be included in the Summer Fun simulator update, which is looking to be deployed some time after SL21B.
Those wishing to test the system can do so on Aditi on regions Gallipoli and Thermopylae.
Issues / feedback should be reported via the Support Portal Combat Board.
As noted in my previous update, this will very much be a release to find out exactly what works and what doesn’t for the Combat community/ies in Second Life and will be iterated upon going forward.
Rider is looking at avatar rotation / aiming and improving llRotateAvatar, but as the former are controller viewer-side and the later in simulator-side, is making this is proving to be an issue.
Rider has also been looking at improving hit boxes / hit box adjustments. However, this work is liable to be in follow-on updates to the initial release.
Comments and Requests
There was further request for Linden Lab to adopt the first-person shooter improvements found in the Black Dragon viewer. However:
As noted in my previous summary, this can only be done if Black Dragon’s develop provides the code to Linden Lab as a code contribution / code pull request, indication LL can consider / adopt the code.
The developer has indicated he can do this, but he might require time to do so for various reasons, including the fact it will probably need a lot more fine tuning and bug fixes.
The the above led to a discussion of using some form of IK update or scripted attachment added to hand-held weapons which could act as an animation targets for moving avatar hands to grips, magazines, etc. Some sample weapons have been put out on the combat regions on Aditi, and some sample scripts will be added to the SL wiki Combat Page to allow people to play with this idea.
As noted in my last summary, there has been a request made to add a “fast” parameter to llRezObjectWithParams to allow objects to rez at a reduced delay to allow things like higher rates of fire for some weapons without the need for additional rez nodes.
There is a potential griefing vector with this idea, so it was suggested that the parameter could be managed at region owner / estate level (e.g. so only enabled where specifically required).
At this meeting, Rider noted that implementing it would be a non-trivial task, because script delays are built into the function definition in the virtual machine, and so would require considerable update.
He also noted that even with an estate level control to counter issues of griefing on region that do not need it, such a parameter could result in the simulator’s rez queue being swamped by requests. However, it was suggested that this would be avoided because rezzers with too high a request rate would hit the grey goo fence.
There was a general discussion on llSensor and searching damageable types, with Rider noting the DAMAGE parameter searches for objects that either process on_damage, final_damage or have a health value, and when used, should combine both ACTIVE and PASSIVE, as it filters results.
In terms of damage, Rider noted that negative damage should be unthrottled and not trigger the region damage cap or contribute to the individual call throttle.
It was suggested that as a well as damage controls, there should be healing controls as well (e.g. a healing toggle and healing throttle) so as to prevent people making themselves “immortal”. However, it was noted:
It would be easier just to reduce all damage to 0, not matter what hits the avatar.
Either way, people abusing the system like this would show up clearly in the combat log, with combat region owners to potentially write a monitoring relay that will teleport anyone cheating in such a manner to be teleported home with a warning.
During the previous meeting it was asked if the former combat-enabled regions on the old Teen Grid – Lexington, Concord and No Man’s Land – could be brought back.
During that meeting, Madori Linden was able to bring back Lexington and Concord, but scripts on both were turned off – as of this meeting, scripts on both regions should be enabled.
It is proving difficult to recover No Mans Land, due to the lack of a good archived simstate.
A further request has been made to relocate Concord and Lexington to the Combat Sandbox red team and blue team regions, and make both combat sandboxes.
Nathhimmel: Lavender Fields of Madame Loutre, June 2024 – click any image for full size
From the east and south the land rises in a gentle slope, climbing gently to the west and north to meet with the upward sweep of land for the north side of the region so that all three slopes slopes form the low hump of a hill before falling back towards the western edge of the region. Across this landscape and broken by precious few trees, is spread a blanket of lavender, running from the water’s edge on all sides and drawn into regimented lines and blocks by avenues of grass in places topped by short lines of paving stones.
This is a tranquil place, the eastern shoreline interrupted by two bays pushing into it, the smaller of which looks like a giant thumb has been pressed into the ground to leave an indentation for the surrounding waters to claim as theirs. Such is the lie of the setting, were the wind to come from the east and passing over these bays, it is not hard to imagine it driving waves to where the shore breaks their progress so they transfer their momentum to the lavender, causing it to ripple inland and up the slope to wash around the house atop that single low hill.
Nathhimmel: Lavender Fields of Madame Loutre, June 2024
Boxy and long, the house presents a tiled roof to the sky which extends out over a north-facing veranda, affording it some protection against the likes of sunshine and rain. It is counterbalanced by the rising second floor of the house rising from the southern end of the house to provide sufficient space for a cosy bedroom. Aside from broken ruins a short walk down slope, the house is the only human-made structure on the island – and the only place still occupied.
With its low-walled garden lushly overgrown with flowers allowed to grow wild on one side and the other planted with cobbles, the house exudes the tranquillity that seems to flow outwards over the surrounding lavender and to the very edges of the region. Alone and at peace, this is the home of Madame Loutre, the last inhabitant of this restful setting, and the spread of aromatic plants growing around it are known as the Lavender Fields of Madame Loutre.
Nathhimmel: Lavender Fields of Madame Loutre, June 2024
But who is she? I hear you ask, and where might this place be found? Well (and to ignore the surrounding waters, I’ll let Konrad (Kaiju Kohime) and Saskia Rieko explain, for they are the people who have made our journeys to this place possible:
In the secluded one-house village, nestled deep within the enchanting region of Provence, resides the mysterious Madame Loutre, an ethereal otter spirit … Madame Loutre is both a guardian and a secret keeper of the village, known for her wisdom and the enchanting, calming presence she bestows upon visitors. The villagers from nearby towns speak in hushed tones about her magical abilities and the tranquillity her lavender brings. This idyllic haven remains untouched by time, a place of quiet wonder and mystical charm.
– From the Nathhimmel website
Nathhimmel: Lavender Fields of Madame Loutre, June 2024
Saskia and Konrad are, of course, the designers of Nathhimmel region settings in Second Life and which have appeared in these pages several times since the couple started offering their work as places for Second Life users to visit and photograph; and the Lavender Fields of Madame Loutre is the latest iteration of their work, having opened at the start of June 2024.
This is a design which – quite genuinely – does not require description or explanation; it speaks beautifully and clearly for itself. The house offers a focal point around which endless stories might be woven about the mysterious MMe. Loutre – who she might by, why the locals think she has magical powers, what has given her a love of lavender – and more. The landscape offers subtle opportunities for photography, whilst dotted around three sides of the region places to sit / rest are awaiting those who seek them. Should props be required for photography, then joining the local group (no charge) will provide rezzing rights – but do please remember to pick your thing up afterwards!
Nathhimmel: Lavender Fields of Madame Loutre, June 2024
The landing point, located in the south-east corner of the region includes a link for obtaining additional information on the region (although the supplied notecard does give details on a previous Natthimmel design), and a teleport link to the region’s gallery – although this was without art at the time of my visit, so possibly awaiting a new exhibition. Neither of these latter points detract from the setting, which offers a relaxing and gentle visit for all who choose to drop in.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld