Category: Exploring Second Life

Update August 5th, 2013: Wretched Hollow has reloacted to Rainbow Coast.

Rolling Restarts run every Tuesday and Wednesday (well, as a rule). For the uninitiated, and without delving into the deeper intricacies of what goes where and how, Tuesday sees updates to the Second Life Server (“Main”) channel, which accounts for about 70% of the regions on grid, and Wednesday sees the three “Release Candidate” channels (called BlueSteel, Magnum and LeTigre and which account for around 10% of the grid apiece) get their updates. For those wishing to know more on this, info on the various deployments can be found in my SL projects updates.

I mention rolling restarts, because they often mean that when logging-in to Second Life you don’t always get to go where you intended, be it home or anywhere else. At best you end up being diverted to a “location nearby” or to a “safe” hub (some of which seem, to paraphrase Douglas Adams, to have some strange new meaning of the word “safe” we’ve not been previously aware of), at worst you get a message pop-up during the log-in process stating the viewer has been “unable to connect to a simulator”.

Such was the case with me recently. I had planned an excursion to a specific region, but a rolling restart left me delving into the Destination Guide and opting for pot luck after I was left unable to connect to my desired destination.

So it was that I ended up at Wretched Hollow,  which describes itself thus:

A dark, whimsical sim inspired by the love of Gothic Romance and Neo-Victorian things. As one of Second Life’s best-kept secrets, Wretched Hollow is home to the Wretched Dollies store and has several places to explore, including a small town and a fishing inlet with dock.

The first part of the description was enough to have me teleporting over to check things out. What I found was very much a curious mix, possibly sliding more towards the Victorian than the Gothic, but certainly which touches of whimsy, be it with the 18th century ships anchored offshore, or the very much more recent oil drums providing a little warmth for those out on the streets of the township.

The region is roughly split into two parts: a more rural, open setting, with a couple of private residences (one of which appears to belong to region holder Star Fairymeadow) The other part of the region forms an urban setting which provides a home for Star’s Wretched Dollies brand, offering a range of products – clothing, doll accessories, furniture – with a Gothic  / Victorian leaning, as well as Star’s own textures and her range for Petites. For those into the club scene, the town also boasts an underground – literally – club featuring a broad mix of music (although Gothic Rock / Industrial / Darkwave, etc., seems to bt the primary theme).

I was drawn to the town because of its strong Victorian look and feel which, together with the default windlight setting and style of buildings, immediately put me in mind of the East End of London, and specifically the Whitechapel area and going out towards the old London docks of yesteryear. A newspaper billboard passed as I explored the streets heightened this feeling even more.

While Robert Downey Jr didn’t scuttle by me hurriedly swapping one disguise for another as he pursued clues to the mystery of the East End murders, I wouldn’t have been at all surprised had he done.

Like many store-front regions in SL, Wretched Hollow has been put together with a creative skill which is deserving of time spent exploring it, and which lends itself to a lot of playing around with windlight options. The town certainly offers an opportunity for the avid SL photographer to come up with some memorable images and possible vignettes (although just clearing matters of using the region for photography with Star ahead of time would obviously be for the best).

For my part, I enjoyed my little unexpected excursion to the streets of Old London; Wretched Hollow came as a very pleasant surprise in my meanderings and allowed my to focus on a subject and setting a little bit outside the norm for this blog.

Related Links

• SL Destinations in this blog

Update, March 15th: Mickey contacted me to let me know that after eight years and now retired, he has had to let Sheepville go, and he has downsized to a half Homestead. For further details, see: A Trip to Seagull Rock in Second Life. 

I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to spend time using various pre-release versions of the upcoming Firestorm release over the last few weeks. I’m not about to launch into a pre-emptive review of the viewer here – that wouldn’t be fair on Jessica or the team; however, what I will say is that it is pretty fabulous. While there is more to be done before it is officially released, considering the state of play around a month ago, the team have pulled off one or two minor miracles.

One of the reasons I’ve been hungry to take Firestorm for a bit of a drive is because the snapshot tiling bug fix didn’t make it into the last release, so I’ve been limited to taking snaps at no greater than my screen’s resolution (1440×900) when using the viewer. The upcoming release does have the fix (albeit with the usual caveats in that the fix itself is not perfect), and I’m now in happy bunny land when it comes to taking snaps as I explore the wilds and not-so-wilds of Second Life.

I opted to try out higher-resolution snapping with a visit to Micky Woodget’s Sheepville , an open / residential homestead which is yet another treasure of Second Life.

Here, nestled amidst tall mountains and surrounded by water, is a tranquil village where the locals are quietly content with hanging out the washing, fishing from the end of a pier or sweeping the pavement. Birds, rabbits, duck, swans and deer can befound in the open spaces and on the waters of the lake and pond, and visitors are offered the opportunity to rent a log cabin for their home. All watched over by a little stone chapel high on a hill.

When visiting the region, one is free to roam along paths, climb hills, cross bridges, visit the chapel, enjoy a little fishing or simply sit be a campfire and watch the world go by. For the adventurous there are boats to row, balloon rides, gliding (in a vintage 1930s glider!) and hang gliding. For the photographer, there are scenes to be found at every turn or path and track, and Sheepville naturally leans itself to a wide variety of windlight settings.

Windlight is another reason I like using Firestorm. The choice of pre-sets from people across the grid is comprehensive – moreso with this upcoming release, which includes several of Vincent Nacon’s sky presets which give the windlight fiddlers even more to play with. I believe the release, once it is formally made, will include Vincent’s sky maps as well, for even greater depth, but I confess this is not something I’ve investigated.

Of course, the other thing which makes Firestorm attractive for photography is the inclusion of William Weaver’s fabulous Phototools floater. Having just about all the necessary settings available within the viewer which are suitable for machinima and photography is an absolute boon, particularly if, like me, you don’t go in for much in the way of post-processing. Phototools is obviously available right now in Firestorm, so if you’ve not tried the floater, you can.

If you do, Sheepville is an excellent place to try-out the floater. Just follow the paths and see what you discover and have a play with the settings. For those of a more romantic leaning, there is a little stone dance floor near the village, and a wooden gazebo out over the water on one side of the region which also offers dances; there are also numerous places to simply sit and hold hands and talk…

And if a visit does tire you out, drop into the village pub and refresh yourself with a drink or perhaps a plate of fish and chips – the landlord tells me the fish are all caught fresh and potatoes locally grown. If you’d prefer to eat outdoors, the bakery offers a range of breads and other goodies to help keep hunger at bay.

I’ve had remarkably few problems running the most recent pre-release version of Firestorm; while I haven’t explored all the options and updates by a long shot, I’ve enjoyed poking and prodding it and joining-in with a little bit of the testing.

Of course, my experience doesn’t mean the viewer is ready for release – and shouldn’t in any way be taken as suggesting it is. I’m not a member of the core Firestorm team, and they’re the people who know best. But considering a month ago I couldn’t actually start any of the pre-release versions without them crashing on me but I’ve recently been using the pre-release versions as my default viewer, it’s fair to say I’m looking forward to a formal release once it does come along.

And as to Sheepville – well, if you do opt to pay a visit, don’t be surprised if you find me admiring the view from the stone bridge, or sitting in a corner of the pub nibbling on a chip or three!

Related Links

• Sheepville SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• SL Destinations in this blog

Kaya Angel is a long-term resident of Second Life, having been involved in the platform for over seven years. He is also the creator of Angel Manor and The Rose Theatre, one of the largest and most creative builds in Second Life: a grand English estate now spanning three regions. The build features a huge, Regency-style palace which encompasses The Rose Theatre (a long-time labour of love), an opera house, art gallery and more, and which is in turn surrounded by attractive formal gardens.

This truly is SL building on a grand scale – a place which has to be more than just visited – it has to be experienced. Whether you are a casual visitor, or attending a production at the fabulous Rose Theatre, opulent opera house or art gallery, Angel Manor deserves time to be explored inside and out – and by “time”, I don’t mean fifteen or twenty minutes; this is a palace one can wander within and around four hours and never stop finding something new which catches the eye.

From the moment you arrive, you know you’re in for something special; the main entrance to the palace presents a magnificent frontage overlooking the clear waters of a lake, broad steps leading up to the huge front doors, and paths leading off to either side along the formal gardens, inviting you to explore. Even the teleport / information boards are tastefully positioned so as not to ruin the feeling that one is in a period setting, being set well back so as not to intrude too much into a view of the house.

Follow the paths around the house and you’ll find trellised walkways, follies, places to sit, sculpted water features where swans glide peacefully  – and more. Everywhere the attention to detail is clear, and the opportunities for the avid photographer obvious. I particularly like the way the entire build has been planned so that as much use can be made of Linden water as possible, rather than a reliance on prim water for fountains, etc. This adds a lot of depth to the build, especially when it comes to photography and using reflections.

Inside, and the attention to detail becomes even more abundant; the palace is rich in content – and I don’t just mean furnishings, statues, and so on; the attention to texturing floors, walls and ceilings adds tremendously to the feeling of authenticity and that one really is in a stately home – albeit one on a truly huge scale. The public function rooms offer outstanding venues for events and weddings – the estate’s chapel is one of many “must see” parts of the build – and I’m going to be keeping an eye on any upcoming events slated for the opera house; at the risk of wearing the word out, it truly is magnificent, with a stunning ceiling dome.

While exploring, make sure you follow any stairways which lead down as a well as up – there are a few surprises to be found in the vaults under the main house as well.

Continue reading “To the Manor born” →

World of Beauty is the home region for Tableau Vivant, supplying skins, clothing, animations, mesh items and more, with goods spread across two stores, one at ground level, and the other some 2000m in the air.

The region is also the home of something of a “secret” and somewhat dark build by the Tableau Vivant team which though small, is nevertheless spectacular – particularly when viewed using deferred rendering.

Is this a world struck by a natural catastrophe, or the aftermath of a man-made apocalypse? That’s for you to decide. For me, and for reasons I can’t adequately explain, looking around the build kept bringing excerpts from T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets to mind, starting with the opening of Burnt Norton.

Time present and time past
Are both perhaps present in time future,
And time future contained in time past.
If all time is eternally present
All time is unredeemable.

It’s perhaps unfair on both Eliot and the build to take both somewhat out-of-context in this way, but I was unable to shake myself from much of Four Quartets in camming around the ruined streets and shattered buildings. Although given the generall tone of the piece, perhaps a part of the third stanza from Burnt Norton has something of an understandable resonance.

O dark dark dark. They all go into the dark,
The vacant interstellar spaces, the vacant into the vacant,
The captains, merchant bankers, eminent men of letters,
The generous patrons of art, the statesmen and the rulers,
Distinguished civil servants, chairmen of many committees,
Industrial lords and petty contractors, all go into the dark,

Nor should it be taken to mean that the build is in any way depressing. Yes it is dark; the feeling of emptiness is palpable and the desolation obvious. But then, as Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin reminded us as he stood on the surface of the Moon, there can be a certain magnificence within a scene of desolation.

Go see for yourselves!

Related Links

• Tableau Vivant main store SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• Tableau Vivant’s sky build SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• SL Destinations in this blog

“Naughty Mole, Sylvian Mole, Opti Mole, Earthy Mole – these name might not ring out as mightily (or ’cause some need to offer up “innocent” explanations!) as does the name Magellan Linden, but they all pioneered many of the frontiers of Second Life, building roads, raising up towns, sculpting parks and rivers, fearlessly throwing bridges across deep gorges, taking the wilds of the Mainland and opening it for all who would follow.

“Until Pyri Peaks; those strange hills standing above the shoreline of North Forepaw,  which the moles believed would be an idea spot to site a fun fair, high up on a plateau overlooking the sea, For a time it seemed as though all was going well; building work was progressing well, steam engines were shipped in to power the rides, the sideshows were taking shape. Then came the reports of caverns being found under the site of the fair, and then – nothing.

“I’ve no idea if The Powers That Be attempted any form of investigation or rescue (were one needed), but the way in which attention was suddenly diverted away from those strange hills and the remaining moles directed towards new projects did seem a little odd, although I’d hesitate to use the words “cover-up” (the Rodviks, after all, do have ears!). So, in the interests of journalistic endeavour, I set out to visit the now largely deserted fun fair and see if I could unravel some of the mystery…

“It is, one has to say, a strange place. North Forepaw is innocent enough…but the climb to the fun fair; that’s something else entirely, lined with strange, silent trees, which stand like sentinels, their trunks carved into strange faces, which seemed to watch me every step of the climb. Looking up at them, I had to wonder why, in passing them all those years ago, the moles still thought this an ideal place to site a fun fair.

“Nor did things get any better as I approached the entrance to the fun fair itself, seemingly guarded as it is by one more of these strange trees, a hand-like branch stretched out, ‘palm’ upraised, a single glowing “eye” in the middle. A last warning, perhaps, to turn back?

Continue reading “Pyri Peaks: the mystery of the lost Moles” →

The Great Debate over the impact of the Marketplace on the in-world economy is not new; nor is it likely to run its course any time soon. Even with its bugs, quirks, issues and annoyances, the Marketplace is a convenient means of shopping for many of us; so much so that it is easy to dispense with in-world visits to stores at all, unless looking for something very specific which requires a visual once-over prior to purchase.

However, while the Marketplace may well be of great convenience, it does mean that often when using it, we can miss out on an important aspect of in-world shopping – which is that many stores are part of some really creative and eye-catching builds.

I was reminded of this while visiting Pure Dreams recently. The home of Amelie Knelstrom’s Vespertine Home and Deco is a beautiful sim currently lying under a blanket of snow, the water around it frozen, and the high mountains tinted blue in the fresh, crisp air.

The store itself features a coffee shop, where patrons can sit and chat if they so wish, and is surrounded by a beautiful winter scene worthy of a visit in its own right. This is a place where visitors are positively encouraged to take their time not only shopping, but in exploring and enjoying themselves.

Regular readers may have spotted that many of the destinations I’ve covered in this blog are actually connected to commercial ventures – Tatty Soup,  The Looking Glass, Cerridwen’s Cauldron, Black Spot, Sleepless Nights – to name but a handful. There’s no coincidence in this – it’s because these regions are, to me, some of the most outstanding and photogenic places in Second Life, and are often a tour-de-force of what the imagination can create when given the tools available to us through the viewer. By turning to the Marketplace first, they are also places we can all too easily miss in the rush to find whatever knickknacks we’re seeking; and that’s a shame.

Of course, it could be argued that not all stores offer such enticing – even romantic, at times – opportunities to explore, and finding them is pretty much a case of trial-and-error.  But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Within the Marketplace there is an option for a merchant to provide a SLurl to their in-world store – where it is provided, why not give it a go before making a purchase? It may not always lead you to a winter wonderland or a spring garden or a similar place of beauty and imagination – but if you don’t try, you’ll never know. And it’s not as if you’ll have to waste time getting there; the teleport is a wonderful thing…

While the Destination Guide may not be perfect, it does at least offer something of an alternative to blind chance in finding a store in an eye-catching location. And never forget the value of perusing blogs – I’m far from alone in featuring the beautiful builds often associated with stores in-world, as a visit to the likes of Honour McMillan and Ziki Questi will demonstrate.

The effort taken to find places like Pure Dreams or the Cheeky Tiramisu Cafe and others is not only in finding wonderful places to explore, it is also in finding places you can share with friends, and can return to agin and again – Cheeky Tiramisu’s cafe has a warm and friendly run of patrons happy to sit and chat, while places like Tatty Soup encourage quiet contemplation.

And even casual visits can help a business or merchant – even if you don’t drop in and buy something, there are always opportunities to show appreciation, both through telling others about your visit and the build, and in dropping a few lindens into any handy tip jar or donations box.

The Marketplace is great for the quick grab-and-go when you’re looking for something very specific or have limited time; it’s fast and convenient for most of us; but in an age when instant gratification tends to over-rule other considerations, it’s sometimes good to remember that window shopping can also be rewarding, can be shared – and may even lead to some wonderful discoveries.

Related Links

• Pure Dreams SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• SL Destinations in this blog