Category: Reviews

Up to U, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Ricco Saenz recently posted that while Roche as we know it may be gone, the region remains, but under new ownership. Ricco’s post offers considerable food for thought on aspects of the region’s new look, which prompted me to go take a look for myself.

Roche is now held by ๑๑Ŧﻨσ๑๑ (Fio Bravin), who has given it the name Up To U. The make-over appears to be a shared activity between Fio and ありえす (ArieS Magic), and it sees the region split into two islands connected by a lone wooden bridge, while further out on the water sit a couple smaller islands, one of which has a lighthouse located on it.

Up to U, July 2015 (Flickr)

The larger of the two islands is awash with sunflowers neatly planted as if being cultivated. A dirt track curves across part of the island, passing a working barn and between the neat rows of sunflowers to arrive at a small summer-house still under construction, itself surround by a ring of the tall, yellow flowers. The entire scene is suggestive of country living, but there’s more.

Alongside the track sits a small area set-up for a barbecue, offering plenty to refresh the weary traveller. Nearby is a vegetable patch in the process of becoming a playground for rabbits and foxes. Further afield, things become a little more whimsical: alongside the barn float a trio ethereal blue leaves, inviting visitors to repose upon them and forget the world. Not too much further away, and in part hidden by the long grass and a fallen log, sits one of the little scenes which had Ricco turning his thoughts very eloquently to the subject of  anthropomorphism.

Up to U, July 2015 (Flickr)

Across the water and the wooden bridge, the smaller of the two islands is the setting for a whitewashed house surrounded by white flowers and long grass. I’ve no idea if it is open to the public or a pied-a-terre for Fio and ArieS when visiting the region, so I didn’t intrude inside; although a quick peep through the windows suggested it is a place where cats rule!

Taking over a region which has been so well-known and so well-loved for so long is no easy task. No matter how things are made over, there is always a risk that those who visit and who remember the “old” look are going to be haunted by ghosts of the past.

Up to U, July 2015 (Flickr)

Perhaps Up to U, as a name, reflects this, and is intended to offer the visitor with a simple choice when exploring the region: to see it with new eyes or with old. If so, I’ll opt for the former; Up to U brings a fresh and very different look to Roche, one that has its own charm and attractiveness, offering plenty of opportunities of those who want to take photos or want to sit and ponder or chat – and even those who fancy a little whimsy to stir their thinking!

SLurl Details

• Up to U (Rated: Adult)

In June I wrote about the non-profit Literature Alive! project operated by Desideria Stockton and Royce Sommer, and their Canterbury Tales Virtual Pilgrimage. They now have a new literary adventure for people to enjoy.

Beowulf and King Arthur is hosted on the Lingnan Drama Island by Brant (MrK Kas). The title itself pretty much explains what the installation is about: an exploration of the legends and times of Beowulf and King Arthur. And if this sounds an odd combination when one considers Beowulf is an Old English epic set in Scandinavia while King Arthur really came to literary prominence as a romantic figure in the 11th and 12th centuries, keep in mind both are firmly rooted in Anglo-Saxon times, and thus the pairing is apt.

As with Canterbury, Beowulf and Arthur is an interactive investigation of both legends, this one set within a huge castle structure. Entering the courtyard of this will bring the visitor to a famous image: Excalibur stuck fast in a great stone. Paths leading either side of this serve as introductions to the two legends – left for Beowulf, right for Arthur. From here, one can explore on foot, passing through the Beowulf section and on to the Arthurian section, or a teleport board provides access directly to Arthur, and one can then progress to Beowulf from there.

Given this is interactive piece, there is a lot to click on throughout; with Beowulf, blood spatters on the floor of the castle hall and on the tables provide information on his legend, while visitors can also learn about Anglo-Saxon times in Britain, paganism and Christianity (which sit as uneasy partners in the Beowulf legend) by clicking on wall displays, flowers, and so on.

Moving through the hall leads the visitor increasingly toward Arthur and Arthurian legends, notably Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a reference to Myrddin (Merlin) prior to his fusion into Arthurian tales, and thence a climb up to Arthur’s hall, where sits the round table and an opportunity to learn about the code of chivalry.

Both elements of the installation include quizzes and puzzles and the opportunity to win prizes (keep an eye out for the quiz chests scattered around). As with Canterbury, this is an engaging exploration of literature, and one that appears to be part of a bigger project. Outside of the castle sit a series of Tudor style houses which look to be in the process of being set-up to offer insight into other works of literature; this is something I’m hoping to talk to Desi and Royce about in the near future.

In the meantime, if you fancy the opportunity to find out more about two classic mythologies and the times in which they are set, Beowulf and King Arthur offers an interesting and easy-to-follow means of doing so.

SLurl Details

• Beowulf and King Arthur (Rated: General)

 

The McFly Project, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

I’ve visited Oyster Bay, the demonstration region for Lick Sim Designs, several times; however, for various reasons I’ve never managed to actually blog about it. So when I saw Sera Bellic, Lick’s proprietor and chief designer, had once again re-worked the region, and this time with something of a science fiction leaning, I decided to put matters right and not only visit and take photos, but this time actually write about my time there.

Like all of Sera’s designs, The McFly Project is a marvellously photogenic, immersive environment which once again demonstrates her talent for region design. It’s also a place very much of two parts, although they are intertwined, perhaps in ways beyond that suggested by the region’s Destination Guide description: Step into the past and explore what once was, and find your way to the future.

The McFly Project, July 2015 (Flickr)

“That past” comes in the form of an old fun fair, a place gradually being reclaimed by nature. The big top tent is fading, the Ferris wheel and carousels are broken and overgrown,  signs are fading while weeds are taking over the ticket booth. Everywhere you look, it is clear that nature is slowly reclaiming everything.

Or almost everything; overhead, humming quietly are a number of automated drones. They appear to be keeping an eye on things, roaming back and forth slowly, sometimes circling, sometimes dipping towards the ground before rising again, their presence the first hint of the more sci-fi nature of this place.

The McFly Project, July 2015 (Flickr)

From the big top, a dirt path (with helpful arrows) will lead you through the dilapidated fairground to the distant cliffs.  Here sits the entrance to a cave leading underground, guarded by an R2 unit in as much a distressed condition as the fun fair.

The cave will take you underground and to caverns deep and – well, if not exactly dungeons old, then certainly to places that should be explored fully, and which build up more of the sci-fi side of the region’s design. Follow directions here carefully to make sure you get to see everything – especially when finding your way back out.

Assuming you follow the right path (it’s not hard 🙂 ), you’ll arrive at the future: a watery environment complete with fantastic structures, bordered by a greensward to one side, and overlooked by cliff side houses as more of the automated drones hover and flit overhead.

The McFly Project, July 2015 (Flickr)

One of the buildings here will likely be familiar to any sci-fi fan who has seen 2013’s Oblivion, although it occupies a position very different to that seen in the film. Small platforms dot the water while teleport pads offer one means of getting around, boat rezzers another.

While The McFly Project’s description suggests you are visiting times past and times future (hence the name: think Marty McFly), there is nevertheless a narrative running through the design, starting at the big top and finishing at this idyllic-looking waterside living.

For me, that narrative, complete with distant echoes of Oblivion throughout, suggested that far from being a vision of the future, the seemingly perfect high tech environment, protected by high cliffs and tumbling waterfalls, is actually “the present” for those living there. The fun fair, meanwhile, is a part of their past, shattered by some kind of catastrophe which may even now present a threat, perhaps physical or perhaps biological. Why else would there be drones patrolling and monitoring it, and why else would there be a weapons cache in the caverns, and decontamination units both there and on the platform where one emerges from that subterranean world?

The McFly Project, July 2015 (Flickr)

The McFly Project is offered with recommended windlight settings, and I do suggest adopting the one for the trip through the caverns to “the future”, as it is ideal for both settings.  Also make sure you have local sounds on, and do take the time to touch things as you explore; the region is awash with interactive elements literally from the moment you arrive (click the silver star on landing point platform), together with numerous places to sit and rest.

Sera tends to change the region’s design every 2 – 3 months; so as The McFly Project has only recently opened, it is liable to be around for a while yet. Even so, I wouldn’t put of playing a visit too long, just in case; if you love exploring region builds, this isn’t one to miss.

SLurl Details

• The McFly Project (Rated: Moderate)