Category: Reviews

~Neive~ – click any image for full size

Update, September 14th: Claudia has made some further changes to ~Neive~ since this article was published. The parade of shops and houses at the landing point (and seen in the image above) has been revised, and the bath house referred to in the text below has been replaced by the automotive garage which used to sit just outside of the shops and their street. To the south-west, one of the Tuscan-style farm houses has been replaced by a pavilion.

~Neive~ is a Homestead regions designed by Claudia (claudia74a Orsini) which Caitlyn and I first visited in late June 2017, when it still appeared to be under construction. We dropped back there at the start of September to see how things had developed, and found the region has grown into a quite pastoral – if slightly eclectic – setting.

A visit start towards the east side of the region, where a small parade of shops, houses and ruined buildings sit against a waterside road raised above a quay. A set of steps descend from the south side of square in front of the stores, offering the way – over a grass bank  – to a dirt track running between the waters surrounding the region and the large body of water occupying the middle of the region. A Tuscan style farmhouse sits above the track, which ends in an arch formed by two old tree trunks.

~Neive~ – click any image for full size

Beyond this, on the south side of the region, the land changes from temperate grasses and trees to a more tropical beach, complete with palm trees and a beach club built out over the waters. Further across the sand sits a terrace bar, also built out over the water.

The beach curves around to the west side of the island, and a set of stairs leading up to where a terrace sits under the shadow of a windmill atop the highest peak on the land, and overlooking the central pool. A finger of water run by the foot of the terrace hill, connecting inland water with those surrounding the region. A log bridge offer the way to the far bank, where a rocky plateau rises, topped by an old Tuscan villa. Horses graze in the field below the villa, where a deck provides another vantage point looking out over the water towards the south side of the region.

~Neive~ – click any image for full size

From here, the path circles back towards the landing point, passing an artist’s studio in a cabin surrounded by its own little garden. Another narrow neck on water is spanned by a wooden bridge, offering the way to where an ancient bath house sits, clearly still in use despite its age. With an old wooden garage sitting at the top of the slope from the bridge, the path leads the way back to the shops and the landing point.

With sheep, chickens and deer grazing across the land, foxes on the prowl and cats sunning themselves, together with decks and vantage points scattered throughout, Neive offers a relaxing visit. Cuddle spots can be found as well, on land and on the water, and the sound scape and surrounding hills complete the scene. There are one or two visual issues which can bump into view when exploring: walls and rocks which don’t quite meet the terrain below them, together with one or two items floating above ground or deck, but these don’t detract from the region being a pleasant visit and photogenic in nature.

~Neive~ – click any image for full size

SLurl Details

• Region no longer held by Claudia

Mother Road – click any image for full size

“Mother Road is a lovingly crafted Nevada-esque back country, inspired by the original Mother Road sim,” Paul Cutter (Xtreme Paule) says when introducing Mother Road – Mirage Motel 66. “Mine is 1/2 sim size but the work is an experimental showcase which could lead to being full sim size in the future. So far feedback has been positive.”

A half region in size it may be but this build, sitting 450 metres above sea level, offers a genuine feeling of being on a desert road – Route 66 or otherwise – and plenty of opportunities for photography. Visitors initially arrive at the west end of the parcel, the road stretching away to the eastern horizon. An advantage in building in the sky means there is no water on that horizon to break the illusion of a road stretching into the distance, nor does the use of a mountainous or hilly region surround  to disrupt the feeling of being on a broad flat desert plain.

Mother Road

The titular motel sits half-way along the road on the left relative to the landing point. It offers air-conditioned rooms, free wi-fi and cable TV. It faces a gas station and garage on the far side of the road, with an iconic Harvey Davidson-type  motorbike parked at the pumps. The keen-eyed visitors might notice there are bike rezzers at either end of the parcel, allowing them to experience a trip along Route 66 – but those taking a ride should keep in mind the signs also mark the region edges, even though the road appears to continue eastwards and westwards beyond them

Beyond the motel and garage, on either side of the road are cabins and smallholdings, some of which are available for rent, while rugged, sandy hills rise to the north and south. As is often the case, a railroad line runs parallel to the road, but some distance from it, telegraph poles marching alongside it from east to west.

Mother Road

It’s a simple, yet elegant setting, with nuanced detailing and little scenes awaiting discovery. The sun-dried wood of a billboard stands alongside the motel, throwing a shadow for part of the day over an outdoor fire pit, surrounded by makeshift seating of old sofas, a mattress on top of creates, a beanbag and two car seats. A TV and VCR sit on a little bench, the former offering an old little taste of Britain as it displays the old BBC test card. More signs of Anglophilia can be found in the garage across the highway, where the Union Flag faces the Stars and Stripes and Ziggy Stardust floats on the side of a space invaders arcade game.

The garage sits on land which may be part of a farm or ranch, a 4×4 parked alongside an aluminium sided trailer close by, while over the fence someone has chosen to camp out near to some of the rental cabins. One of these is being careful investigated by a small group of young children – or is perhaps being used as their play camp in lieu of adult occupation. They, in turn, are being observed by a scrap metal robot, perhaps built to entertain them among the roadside rocks.

Mother Road

This is perhaps not the most affluent of locations; rusting hulks of cars are scattered around, together with the detritus of civilisation. It does, however offer an ideal setting for photographers, and rezzing rights for props can be obtained by paying L$100 to join the parcel’s group.

Whether or not this current iteration of Mother Road leads to Paul realising a new full region version remains to be seen. In the meantime, this build stands an easy-to-explore design, and going on the numbers present during my visit, a popular hang-out.

With thanks to Shakespeare and Max (once again!) for pointing me to this parcel.

Mother Road

SLurl Details

• Mother Road – Mirage Motel 66 (Mishiland, rated: Moderate)

Brand New Colony – click any image for full size

Update, January 1st 2018: Brand New Colony has relocated. The SLurls given here have been updated to reflect the new location, and a tour of the new build is available here.

Brand New Colony is an Adult-rated homestead region designed by Bunny Blessed (Svelte Blessed) and Mimara Blessed (Mimara) which is open to visitors to explore and enjoy – and it is a wonderfully picturesque setting in which to spend time.

Divided into three islands linked by bridges and surrounded by surf, the region sits in a broad channel of water sitting between two rugged mountain ranges rich with fir trees on their flanks. A visit begins on the plateau of the northernmost island, which extends a slender finger westwards, stone steps offering the way down from the gazebo in which visitors arrive. This sits above a large pool of water feed by an arc of waterfalls. Bridges span the water to the gazebo, which is also carried away by falls which drop down the side of the plateau to feed a large pool and a stream below.

Brand New Colony

Footpaths run either side of the stream, bridges connecting them one to the other, both offering ways to explore the island, and  to reach the summer-house sitting on wooden legs above the stream. Rich with flowers and the shade of trees, with benches and swings to be found along the paths overlooking the water feature, the island on its own offers a picturesque setting in which to spend time. However, there is more to be found in the region.

Just down from the arrival gazebo is a wooden bridge spanning the channel between this island and the larger of the two to the south.

Brand New Colony

A villa with whitewashed walls and a red-tiled roof sits on the plateau forming the central peak of this second island, steps near the bridge offering a way up to it. Sitting beneath the villa and visible from the arrival point is a sandy beach, complete with a tiled pool set back against the rocks of the plateau,  reached by a grassy path sloping down from the villa’s hilltop location.

Two further sets of stone stairs curl their way down the west face of the plateau, allowing explorers reach a stone bridge offering a way to the smallest of the three islands. This is home to the adult aspect of the region: an old (but functioning) lighthouse has been converted into an adult club – so, for those not fond of such things, proceed with care.

Brand New Colony

There are many points of beauty within this region. The three island have been designed with care, and their rocky nature is entirely natural in look and feel, as are the many water features. Trees and plants are used with equal care and finesse to present a setting which is not just picturesque, but also serene. This is a place to be explored and enjoyed at leisure, with plenty of places to sit and relax – or cuddle. It’s also a place which demands photography.

As noted, Brand New Colony is adult rated, and a part of it does have an adult theme; but this doesn’t in any way detract from the sheer allure of the region.  All-in-all, a delightful visit.

Brand New Colony

SLurl Details

• Brand New Colony (Sol, rated: Adult)