Category: Reviews

Pandora Box of Dreams September 2015 (Flickr)

Note: this vision of Pandora Box of Dreams has closed.

Lokhe Angel Verlack (Jackson Verlack) has opened the latest in his Dreams series at Pandora Box of Dreams. I’ve been following the progression of his builds since I came across the second iteration back in April 2015 (although I admit missing the opportunity to blog the iteration immediately prior to this one after my visit).

For this, the fifth Dreams iteration, Lokhe has opted to again reflect the season, and is given us a distinctly autumnal environment in which to wander, sit, contemplate, and dream. And it is an absolute delight.

Pandora Box of Dreams September 2015 (Flickr)

Subtitled Dreams of Secrets, it offers visitors the familiar starting point, up in a skybox which gives a small flavour of what is to come as you sand in a small walled garden, the leaves of the birch tress a rich gold, and a footpath leading to a door in the wall. Touch this, and you’ll be transported the to ground.

Now the first thing to note here is do please have local sounds enabled; the sound scape is as rich as the landscape, and offers additional depth when exploring. Also, have a play with the windlights;  I used [NB] – Misty Day – 5pm for the images here, but the region really does lend itself to a wide range of options  and times of day.

Pandora Box of Dreams September 2015 (Flickr)

The grassy path continues from the door, and following it, you’ll wind through more laced with the colours of autumn, and come to a flight of stone steps leading downwards to a dirt track which you can follow – or you can branch off, climb more steps and just wander under the trees and through the long grass.

Whichever route you take, you’ll find much to please the eye: leafy groves, coastal views, the odd building or two, quiet streams and brooks crossed by little wooden bridges, and plenty of places to simply sit and ponder or spend time with a companion.

Pandora Box of Dreams September 2015 (Flickr)

This is another fabulous build in a series that has proven to be eye-catching and immersive with each iteration, and quite possibly the one I’ve enjoyed the most so far. Highly recommended.

Mysts of Eyr September 2015 (Flickr)

Cube Republic recently sent me a snapshot he’s taken at Mysts of Eyr with a suggestion I should perhaps hop over and take a look. As I always tend to enjoy recommendations, and given Cube and I share an eye for natural beauty, I added Mysts of Eyr to the top of my list of places to visit “next” – although a couple of things have kept me from getting there sooner.

The region was once the home of Mystara and is now under new management. However, the storyline within it offers those who enjoyed Mystara with something of a new volume of tales set within the same universe, while opening the doors to broader RP as well. The setting is now that of one of the many jungle islands of the Eyr archipelago, where survivors of Mystara’s vanishing are attempting to settle – albeit not always with the blessings or support of the locals and other parties with an interest in the island.

Mysts of Eyr September 2015 (Flickr)

The Mysts of Eyr web site notes of the new environment:

Our vision is to bring you an immersive, high quality roleplay environment in a unique new setting, within a familiar campaign – the Realm of Mystara universe. We believe that a roleplay sim built community first, crafted with heart and soul, and operating on fair principles provides the best platform for expression.  For former members of Mystara, it is our aim to provide you a home for your character and continuity of storyline. Mysts of Eyr was founded on that hope.

The core concept of Eyr is about stepping out of your comfort zone and embracing your wild side! You will find no quaint medieval villages or towering stone castles in Eyr: a vast jagged island with many hidden secrets not to be underestimated. In Mysts of Eyr, high fantasy meets dense, otherworldly jungle life — and unlike Mystara, a realm ruled by race kings and queens — Eyr is ruled by powerful faction leaders warring for territory.

Mysts of Eyr September 2015 (Flickr)

I cannot speak directly for the communities involved in Mysts of Eyr, mainly because I explored the region whilst most who are involved there were most likely either in bed or at work. But I can say this of the region itself – like Mystara before it, it is beautifully conceived and designed, and utterly captivating to the eye, the build brought together under the creative skills of Annie Ibanez.

The care and artistry invested in the design is evident from the moment you arrive in the aerial Welcome Area. Here you’ll find directions for getting started, either as a player or an observer (the latter being the recommended way to learn about Mysts of Eyr, even if you are keen to join the RP). There is also information on the admins, the mentors and the various groups and factions operating in the region, all with web links and information note cards. Thus the new arrival is presented with a thorough grounding in a very relaxed approach and eye-catching build.

Mysts of Eyr September 2015 (Flickr)

A teleport provides access to the role-play environs, and you can select one of several destinations. For my first visit, I opted for the tavern at Stormstead, the small village / town built by the survivors from Mystara. It proved to be a sound choice as the tavern’s owner, Alteripseity, was on hand to greet me. Not only is he a charming fellow (and someone well-versed in all manner of role-play!), he is also a mentor at Mysts of Eyr, and thus well-placed to help those newly arrived. His establishment is also a most charming hostelry, and I recommend casual visitors can do no better than seeking it as their starting-point for explorations; particularly as not all destinations in the teleport system are necessarily open to public use or on the ground.

There is no enforced dress code for visitors, but I would perhaps suggest a perusal of the Mysts of Eyr website and the various groups, factions and character types found there and an effort to find something that helps you blend a little more, even when wearing the Observer Tag, would likely be appreciated. My usual black pants, blouse and heels certainly looked out-of-place, although I compensated for this by using an animation to vanish underground and letting my flycam explore for me.

Mysts of Eyr September 2015 (Flickr)

The range of environments to be found here really is extraordinary. the exist above ground, below ground, under water and in the air – and so discovering them all is something unlikely to be achieved via a casual visit: immersion is required – and rightfully so, even the nature of the role-play here.  Such is the nature of the design that when exploring the ground level, it can feel as if Mysts of Eyr extends far beyond the limits of a 256×256 metre region, particulalr as one finds the cave and cavern entrances and starts underground explorations.

All told, this is a stunning region, one which offers role-players considerable depth and opportunity, and which is supported by a well conceived and constructed web site. I’m not much of a role-player myself, but Mysts of Eyr is certainly enticing and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and have no hesitation in recommending it to those who are looking for a new role-play home.

My thinks to Cube again for the tip, and to  Alteripseity for his guidance.

SLurl and Web Details

• Mysts of Eyr SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• Mysts of Eyr web site

 

Update, September 27th: Nevermoor, one os the five Steehead City regions, has a new lease of life. Willow Leafstorm (zoelass) has taken over ownership of the region, which has been renamed and relocated to Ravenwood Forest. There have been some very minor changes made, but the aim is for the region to “live on in the spirit of Steehead”.

Steelhead City, the “American Victorian Steampunk Community in the Second Life Nestled in the Coastal Pacific Northwest” and set around the 1850s,  is to close at the end of September.

The news initially came via an announcement to the Steelhead community from founder TotalLunar Eclipse at the start of the month, followed by further information given in a town hall meeting held a few days later. There are multiple factors involved in the decision, the majority of which are personal in nature, relating to health, career and family situations.

I first wrote about Steelhead far back in 2012, and while I’ve had a number of visits since (although admittedly not since around mid-2014), I’ve never managed to get an updated blog post written. Unsurprisingly, a lot has changed since then, although much of the estate remains as I’ve always remembered and enjoyed it.

For example, over the years, the city and port have undergone a series of changes, although the more rural areas of Steelhead Boomtoown and St Helens have remained their natural look and feel with few obvious changes. Similarly, Steelhead Nevermoor has always retained its eclectic mix of rental properties, dark and mysterious churches and hints of fantasy I found instantly attractive during my first visit in early 2012; however, I admit I miss Steelhead Sanghai, the “sino-Steampunk” region, which went off-line a while back, one of two regions that decreased the estate’s size over the years from 7 at the time of my very first visit to the current five.

While the estate itself is due to go off-line, Steelhead as a community is determined to continue. The Steelhead group will not be closed, and it is hoped that the school and classes will continue. The Steelhead Salmons RFL team, founded by Fuzzball Ortega, have already indicated they’ll be continuing and have secured land on the d’Aillez Estates to which they are relocating.

In the meantime, the five regions of Steelhead City remain open to visitors (although the welcome centre is a tad denuded of information – don’t let that put you off), and I gather that when the time comes, things may be going out with a bang.

SLurl Details

• Steelhead City Welcome Centre (Rated: Moderate)

 

Sommergewitter September 2015 (Flickr)

For those who – like me – enjoy thunderstorms and seeing the sky lit by forks and shafts of lightning arcing down from the sky, Sommergewitter (“summer thunder”) designed by Nida (Nidatine) and Seraph Nirvana, is a must see.

On arrival, you’ll find yourself in what feels like a low-lying coastal region of gently undulating sand and grass capped rolling dunes. Scattered across the three islands into which the region has been split are a number of buildings – a large house and lighthouse close by the landing point on the largest island, and a houseboat and a large, modern pier-style house sitting on or alongside the other islands, which can be reached by wading, rowing boat or a solar-powered catamaran (handy if you are travelling in a group).

Sommergewitter September 2015 (Flickr)

All of this sits under a yellow/grey sky (which I’ve taken the liberty of darkening in some of these shots),  from which rain falls over much – but not all – of the land, and from which lightning periodically forks to strike the ground or, when seen from a distance, forms a flickering sheet of light through the mist of rain.

The result is a captivating scene, rich in atmosphere and look – a photographer’s delight.  Nor does it end there, wander the island, and you’ll come across strange curios and scenes, including pianos standing out on the dunes, a drum kit near the water’s edge, a lone table set for afternoon tea, and an easel and painting kit, apparently hastily abandoned when a downpour started directly overhead.

Sommergewitter September 2015 (Flickr)

Not all of the region is caught under a blanket of rain; travel west and north and you’ll find the beach pleasantly free of vertically arranged water, offering plenty of spots to sit and enjoy the sun while looking out over water of the more horizontal variety. Or if you prefer, you can head indoors and find sitting and snuggling spots where you can feel cosy.

For my part, I simply wandered through the rain, enjoying the storm while avoiding the lightning strikes (which oddly didn’t appear to bother the local sheep too much, despite a series of strikes occurring quite close to them!). This is a lovely setting, quite beautiful in its looks and deceptively simple in its approach; a place that allows something of nature’s own beauty to speak for itself through a coastal summer storm.

Sommergewitter September 2015 (Flickr)

SLurl Details

• Sommergewitter (Rated: Moderate)