It’s no secret that when it comes to the work of Claudia222 Jewell, I’m a confirmed supporter / fan. Her work, which spans the most creative use of sculpts and – more particularly – mesh, is some of the most breathtakingly captivating in Second Life, bringing to life the great and varied breadth and depth of her own imagination in wondrous pieces that are hauntingly beautiful and, sometimes, tingled with a little Bosch-like darkness.
Yesterday I was fortunate enough to attend a special preview of her latest sim-wide installation, Spirit, which is being hosted at Art Screamer starting today, Saturday 11th February, 2012. And I can say, all my bias aside, it is simply magnificent.
Claudia222 Jewell at Art Screamer
Words and images alone are not going to bring justice to the piece – it is one that has to be seen, pondered, savoured.
Claudia222 herself describes the installation as, “This exposition for me is the letting go of a long period of grief, to let the spirits pass, and to start anew in peace.“ The element of letting go, and the symbolism of farewell is strongly – if sometimes in the most subtle of ways – evident throughout the work, frequently in the most beautiful of images.
Memories, reflections, passings…
Exploring the sim, one does come across familiar motifs that instantly mark this as one of Claudia222’s work. There are also a couple of familiar works seen elsewhere in exhibits last year; however, this is no r-tread of previous work by any stretch. The vast majority of the work here is fresh and new and ranges in size from the very big to the exquisitely small – itself another hallmark of Claudia’s extraordinary talent and vision. And where one or two familiar pieces do appear, they are fully in keeping with the overall theme of the exhibit; indeed, seeing one, I couldn’t help but feel Spirit is very much an expansion of the vision first encompassed by that particular piece, bringing it to full and glorious maturity. As such, it’s inclusion is not intrusive in any way; rather the reverse – it is entirely fitting.
This is truly a stunning tour de force of mesh art, one that I urge you to visit. It combines technology and art in a brilliant mix that artists across the grid are finding gives a new lease of artistic expression, as Claudia222 notes herself, “Creating things with mesh brings a great new freedom that will enable many of us artists to learn more about 3D techniques inside Second Life”.
So, makes sure you find the time to visit Spirit; you will not be disappointed. Take your time as you explore the vignettes; there is so much more to see, above and below, than might initially appear to be the case. Music has been provided to accompany the piece, and it is very much worth having audio enabled for it, and I do recommend you use the region’s Windlight settings to gain the fullest impact from the piece – particularly if you can run with deferred rendering enabled.
Update August 4th: the region containing the cathedral is no longer available.
Working on Fallingwater put me in mind of some of the truly great builds in Second Life. One of the most famous is perhaps that of Cologne Cathedral / Kölner Dom. Taking up the majority of Koelner Dom (with the arrivals point on neighbouring Virtuelles Kolen), the cathedral is a powerful tour-de-force of what can be achieved in SL with patience, prims and high-quality texturing.
The build is the work of Seminal 3D, and has long been regarded as an example of what can be achieved architecturally within SL. The initial version of the cathedral opened in Second Life in 2007, and had the full support of the Cologne Cathedral Administration team from real life, and drew on the expertise of the Cathedral’s architect, Barbara Schock-Werner.
“Version 2.0” of the build has been underway since approximately late 2007, and I’m actually uncertain as to the overall status of things: there are still “under construction” signs to be found inside the build itself, together with notices outside relating to the renovations, but I’ve been unable to find any more recent news on the project than items dated mid-2011.
Nevertheless, the Cathedral is well worth a visit, particularly if you’re into photography in SL and / or are using a Viewer such as Niran’s or Exodus, which really bring the beauty of the build to the fore when using their enhanced graphics capabilities.
The magnificence of 13,000 well-ordered primsA beautiful use of textures captures many features of the original…which continues inside the build……and up to the ornate flying buttresses, seen here from one of the towers
There is sadly little in the way of internal details in the cathedral at present: the nave and transept columns are all present, as are most of the magnificent stained-glass windows, but of alter, seating, etc, there is nothing. It would be nice to see the inclusion of something like the Nave Organ, a 1998 addition to the original, perched high over the nave itself – but with the build apparently pushing the parcel limits, one can understand why such are not currently to be found.
The nave, looking east
Even so, for those that appreciate building and architecture in SL, as well as those who enjoy capturing the sights of SL in photos, Kölner Dom is worth your time for a visit.
Second Life isn’t a game – or at least, that seems to be the 2011/12 mantra. Well, it may not be – but it is a platform wherein games can comfortably exist, as I’m all too fond of pointing out.
And a new game is set to be added to the list of attractions in SL: Dranopia: The Quest.
Many will probably be familiar with the Dranopia range of breedable dragons, which come in a range of forms to reflect the elements and more, and which have a unique back story into which owners are encouraged to immerse themselves. The dragons are the brainchild of Timmi Allen, Leni Galli and Ciaran Maktoum and can be found at Sculptie Wonder.
Chatting with Leni (far right) and the “bare bones” (!) Timmi Allen (centre)
Dranopia: The Quest adds a new dimension to the Dranopia “legend”, presenting a sim-wide airborne quest which can be enjoyed by anyone, whether they own a Dranopia dragon or not. And I have to say, it’s actually a lot of fun. It’s located on Virtual Services, located immediately adjacent to the “Sculptie” sims.
Like the dragons themselves, the game has a back story: deep in a lonely gorge lie gems of different colours – the souls of ancestral dragons, lost after a catastrophe, and now threatened by marauding groms – spherical creatures with broad mouths and spine-covered ski. These roam through the deep landscape, devouring the gems, feeding off the energy of the souls within. It is down to you, riding upon the back of a dragon, to save the souls, by flying around the sim and gathering points for each gem you touch, while avoiding the groms and other obstacles.
Looking down into the Dranopia Quest sim
While the theme may sound familiar in the wake of Linden Realms, the game is actually very cleverly executed and requires not a little concentration.
To play, you need the game HUD – available from the “how to play” section of the arrivals area, located high-up towards the middle of the sim. You will also need a dragon. If you have a Dranopia dragon of your own, you can use that – there is a rezzing area available. Otherwise you can choose one of the dragons standing close to the start area, or if none are available “hatch” a fresh one from the rezzing egg…
Fly with your own dragon, use one of the available dragons, or “hatch” one to use
Each dragon has its own characteristics and all fly a little differently to one another. Those unfamiliar with flying a dragon are advised to take the Air dragon for its agility. Once you have chosen / rezzed your dragon, it is a case of grabbing hold and taking to the air – use the WASD or arrow keys for direction, and PAGE UP/PAGE DOWN (E/C) for climbing / descending. Just make sure that you pass through the “starting gate” (clearly marked START GAME) to commence the game.
Once through the gate, the sky is yours. You have four minutes per session to collect as many points as you can by locating gems and flying through them (the value of the gems varies according to their colour – so make sure you read the guidelines!); after that, any gems you fly through will not be counted in your session score. Points gained are recorded on the HUD and, if you have sound on, you will also hear a chime.
Heading for a gem
Your HUD will also keep track of the time remaining in your current session of the game; when you’re out of time, you can either end the game (land and dismount – your dragon will de-rez, or return to the start area and land), or you can fly back through the start gate and commence a new session. But don’t keep flying the same dragon too long – they do get tired.
In addition to the screen HUD, you have a hovertext HUD reporting on your dragon’s performance – speed, power, etc. Use this to watch your performance – you may find that slower speeds are more advisable that fast speeds – and don’t forget that dragons can fly backwards (negative numbers) and can hover!
Take care, however – the floating island, the trees and other flora are all solid – hit them, and you’re liable to affect your dragon’s airborne balance and lose some flying control as a result. Most importantly of all where obstacles are concerned, watch out for the gem-hunting groms themselves. Several of these weave their way around and through the sim, hunting gems and trying to stop you; touch one, and you’ll lose all the points you’ve accumulated in your current session, and will have to start again.
Avoiding a grom
Points and Prizes
Points obtained by players are recorded and saved on a scoreboard, and there will be periodic cut-off dates, after which the top three scorers will received prize vouchers of up to L$20,000 which can be redeemed at either the Dranopia or Timmi Allen shops. A further 7 runners-up will each receive a Dranopia starter kit valued at L$1850. The first cut-off date for prizes has been set for the 9th February. All winners and runners-up will be notified by Leni Galli.
Opinion
Dranopia may not have the expansive feel of something like Linden Realms (which benefits from 12 regions per “island”) – but keeping things confined to the one sim and adding the three-dimensional element of flight makes it fun to play – especially when racing against others to grab your points.
Flight with my dragon…
The flying pose is a little alarming – you’re essentially clinging-on to the little dragon’s eyebrows rather than occupying a saddle or anything, which makes me feel a little sorry for the little fellows – especially when faced with avatars of a larger size!
Gameplay-wise, a lot of the sim is mesh, and so lag shouldn’t be a major issue – indeed, I was playing alongside members of the team and a couple of others and had deferred rendering active, shadows on and the snapshot floater open and still managed to fly with little exposure to lag. I did get a little too low at one point and clip a couple of trees – and did find I lost a degree of flight control, as I’d been warned.
Beware the groms!
The game HUD is not too obtrusive and uses the top left of your screen as the default attach point, although you can obviously move it elsewhere. There are some nice touches to the game as well – the different flight characteristics with each of the dragons and the fact that they can get tired of hauling you around the sky. The groms aren’t too hard to avoid – but snagging a gem may not always be as easy as it sounds, especially when trying to manoeuvre between rocks and plants…
Game HUD
Overall, this is a fun little quest to play – and a very clever means of promoting a product. Kudos to the team on both counts for coming up with the idea. With the new creativity tools arising from Linden Realms in the offing, I do wonder as to how the game might yet develop – one can well imagine the groms becoming somewhat more aggressive if one gets too close!
But even without the AI and other bells and whistles offered by LR, I enjoyed my time being able to preview Dranopia, it was fun to play, whether hunting for points or simply flying around the sim and having a little fun. Doubtless, I’ll be back to see how it develops, or simply to have more fun flitting around the sky on a dragon!
Update:Enchanted Unicorn and Enchanted Swansong have been separated and extensively redeveloped and no longer appear as described here.
Enchanted Swansong and Enchanted Unicorn are described as “a magical atmosphere in SL where the forests are filled with fairy tale creatures and romance is always in the air” and where you can, “Live your dreams here in the land of the faeres.” They are operated by the Enchanted Unicorn group, with the larger, full sim of Enchanted Unicorn rated Adult, and the Homestead sim of Enchanted Swansong, created by Andrek Lowell, rated Moderate. Both are enchanting places to visit, especially for those into photography and / or romance.
Enchanted Swansong (foreground left) with Enchanted Unicorn beyond
Both regions use Windlight presets set to sunset, and I’d recommend that you keep these settings when visiting.
Enchanted Swansong is a tall, verdant forest within which wind water ways that run between tall trees and past candle-lit gazebos, the air filled with the rich sounds of nature. There are also green pools of water masquerading as lush grass – so be careful as to where you tread!
Walking through the trees, one does expect to come across a Mallorn tree or to hear soft, sweet elven voices singing in the distance – Enchanted Swansong has that kind of Tolkien-esque feel about it in places, even with some of the more ominous sounds audible from deeper in the woods.
Glades, gazebos and harps
If you are able to explore with shadows enabled – and particularly with a Viewer like Niran’s or Exodus with the “extras” active, exploring Enchanted Swansong gains an added depth as sunlight filters through the trees, and you path is dappled by shadows.
As you explore, you may come across a teleporter pad. Then leads the way up to the sky forest and the Roman baths, hidden overhead. For those romantically inclined, both offer quiet retreats in which to spend time. I particularly like the Roman baths, tucked inside a skybox; they remind me of a swimming pool at a country house hotel I like to frequent in summer here in the UK…
The Roman baths
Across the water to the west of Enchanted Swansong is Enchanted Unicorn, which also has a dedicated start-point. While still wooded, this is a very different enchanted land to that of Swansong. The music of the pan pipe hovers in the air together with birds’ songs and the sounds, perhaps, of spring; the trees are more varied and a greater feeling of faerie pervades the air. This is an adult region, and those of a sensitive nature should remember that fae nudity is accepted here. There are also gazebos, pavilions and tree houses where couples and friends can enjoy romantic trysts or meet for friendly conversation.
Like Enchanted Swansong, there is a teleporter to carry you skywards (or if you use the start-point, both around the sky and to the ground), which you can use to reach a ballroom, a club, hanging gardens and other delights.
The hanging gardens and Unicorn start-point floating beyond
Not everywhere may be reachable via teleport, however, so it’s worthwhile keeping your eyes open as you explore – there is a lot to find within Enchanted Unicorn both in the air and on the ground. One way to see more is to find the old white balloon and take to the skies, steering your way around the region while sitting in the basket admiring the view. Just be careful when sending the balloon home when you’re done as it requests – or you might end up standing on thin air!
Would you like to fly/In my lil’ white balloon…
The Enchanted sims make for a wonderful visit, regardless as to whether you’re into the fae scene or not – both are beautifully developed, and AliceDeejay Aya and Andrek Lowell have done a fabulous job in putting them together. Both are very photogenic and offer some wonderful opportunities for those key on SL photography. For those who enjoy faerie or are looking for romantic spots witin SL, or who simply enjoy exploring the sights of Second Life, Enchanted Unicorn and Enchanted Swansong together make a very worthwhile destination.
ballroom (l) and club, hovering over Enchanted UnicornEnchanted Unicorn as seen from Enchanted SwansongThe far pavilions – and nearby swing!
All images captured using Exodus 12.01.03(b), no post-processing applied. All images using deferred rendering, gamma correction, active depth of field. Tone mapping active in all but images (1) and (3).
I don’t really go in for vehicles in SL; I don’t live on the mainland, and private islands and estates don’t always look too kindly upon vehicles bouncing across them; plus, at the end of the day, the most convenient way of getting around SL over long or short distances is to teleport.
However, *years* ago, a friend (*waves to Itico*) took me for a spin on a wonderful little ATV-like vehicle that had me instantly hooked – I had to have one myself (and funnily enough, everyone I’ve ever introduced it to has invariably gone out and bought one). Even today, there are times when I cannot help but pull it out of inventory and go off for some silly fun.
I’m talking about the KR “Fishers’ Menace” Neuspa by Karsten Rutledge (of Greedy, Greedy fame), and I’m not sure there is a vehicle that is quite equal to it in terms of fun and cuteness anywhere in SL (and yes, I’m biased!).
All black: my usual Neuspa colour scheme
The Neuspa is a truly an amazing piece of SL creativity that brings together form and function in a little vehicle that packs-in a huge amount of features and which really is a lot of fun. Resembling a sleek ATV, all curves and aerodynamics, it is a “go anywhere” vehicle – literally.
Black and yellow: colour coordination is *everything*!
The range of options that come with the Neuspa are phenomenal, with over 100 button-driven menu options that allow to you to define just about everything about the vehicle, including: colour scheme (select a colour for the entire vehicle, or selected parts, the colour of the air jets, etc.), performance (gearbox options, acceleration, braking, turning radius, traction control, wheelies, etc), driver & passenger options (and set your own profiles), enable / disable a range of effects (engine sounds, dust kicked-up by the wheels, wake effects when on water, etc) – to list everything here would take the rest of this article… You can even set it to Group (based on your active tag) and rez copies for friends to scoot around on with you – or you can give a close friend (or two) a ride on the back!
The performance options are especially useful: find yourself encountering lag that in impacting on things like steering and acceleration to compensate for issues (such as finding your’s accelerating and hitting things before you have time to turn).
…on land…
Lag notwithstanding, the Neuspa’s performance is pretty amazing – so much so that there is even a warning on the menu about using the “turbo” option:
WARNING: turbo in upper gears is EXTREMELY FAST and nearly impossible to control, not recommended for normal use.
So you have been warned! 🙂
That said, driving the Neuspa is simplicity itself – although mastering it takes time and you’ll likely need to fiddle with the various drive options to find the balance that best suits you. To start (assuming it is in Drive mode), simply jump on – if you have sound on, you’ll hear the engine start-up – movement is via the arrow / WASD keys, but be prepared to pull a wheelie or two. Braking or slowing the vehicle will have the brake lights working automatically, and steering includes a nice animation of turning the handlebars as well as the front wheels.
The performance options probably make this an ideal little vehicle for those into racing, as you can adjust a lot as mentioned above and generally fine-tune the Neuspa to suit the sim / track you’re on. When off-road, there is almost no terrain the Neuspa cannot handle, and getting airborne with it can be exhilarating.
Linden water isn’t an issue for the Neuspa; providing the vehicle is set to its “automatic” drive mode, simply drive into the water and watch the wheels rotate up to form floats that work with the streamlined hull, allowing you to skim across the water as fast as any jet ski – and with just as much manoeuvrability. When you reach the shore, the wheels fold back down and the Neuspa reverts to 4×4 mode.
…on water…
Nor is the Neuspa restricted to land and water – this is SL after all. Using the menu, you can toggle the vehicle’s mode to “air”. The will rotate the wheels once more and you’ll start hovering, use PAGE UP to increase your altitude and you can fly the Neuspa almost anywhere.
One thing to be wary of, however, is when crossing a sim boundary. Whether on land or sea or in the air, the Neuspa can shift. A consequence of this is, hit a sim boundary too hard and you can find yourself sitting in the middle of next week at 0,0,0 very quickly and often entirely sans Neuspa. However, the vehicle’s accessories include a crash helmet, should you feel you need some protection against sim-bouncing :).
…in the air…
Whether on your own or with a friend or two, the Neuspa can be a lot of fun, especially on land and/or water. When you’ve finished scooting around, there are even a couple of “relaxed” poses to go with it. And if you do feel the need to be protected wherever you go, there is even an “urban warfare” version, complete with a range of missile options and a retractable launcher!
Specifications
Product name: “K.R. Engineering Neuspa 4×4 Standard (Karoastoff)” and “K.R. Engineering Neuspa 4×4 Urban Warfare (Karoastoff)”
Permissions: COPY
Price: Standard model: L$1250; urban warfare version (with missiles): L$1550.
A while ago I blogged on Ample Clarity’s remarkable Prim Possible range – and how he has managed to squeeze an incredible series of furniture items into single sculpted prims – notably lounge suites and bedroom furniture.
At the time of my original article, I mentioned Ample was working on a range of kitchens, again using his skills with bending sculpts to his will. The range actually launched in December, but I’ve been so caught-up bouncing around with other bits, it has taken me a while to settle down and give them a good look.
And I have to say that, once again, they are remarkable.
The units current come in left- and right-hand L-shaped galley units (a “straight” galley style is listed as “coming soon” in the store), and stand as another demonstration as to what can be crammed into a single prim in terms of looks and capabilities.
Each unit comprises a series of base and bridge cabinets, with a double refrigerator (or ‘fridge / freezer combo), a sink, a dishwasher and an oven and hob. Pretty standard stuff for a kitchen – and on first looks, little different to other low-prim options. That is until a) you remember these are just a single prim, and b) you touch them.
PrimPossible 1-prim kitchen
A New Kitchen Every Day
Clicking on a unit will bring up a menu which allows you to:
Change the colour of the cabinets
Change the appearance of the appliances
Select from a number of pre-set cabinet / appliance colour styles
Change the cabinet finish from matt to shiny
Set the tap to running water or turn it off
Menu-driven resizing
Access controls.
You can even have the kitchen dispense a range of food and beverages, which you can either hold, or put out on display…
So, if you don’t like the default finish to the kitchen, you can remodel with a click. In fact, you can, if you want, have a “new” kitchen every day of the week with a couple of clicks apiece! Pretty amazing from a single prim…!
All change
Some might argue that the units lack detail – there are no handles on the cabinets, for example; the hob is a texture, doors don’t open. Given the fact that the entire kitchen *is* only one prim, such “compromises” are inevitable – but they hardly detract from the value of the units, particularly when many multi-prim offerings “only” have textures for hobs, etc. What’s more, Ample hasn’t skimped on things, the texture he uses are crisp and detailed.
Crisp appliance textures
I’m actually someone who doesn’t tend to go for kitchens and the like in my homes in SL – but with these units, and Ample’s single-prim dining sets, the temptation is there to add something, if only for display purposes.
Running water – no extra prim!
New Furniture Set
Alongside the kitchen, Ample has also released a new lounge suite for those that wish to have more flexibility in placing their chairs and sofa. The set consists of a sofa and two armchairs, all with a more “traditional” look to them compared to the suites I reviewed in November 2011, and each item comes as a single prim – so 3 prims for the set. The complete set includes over 150 animation between the various seats, and 108 texture / colour combinations – the chairs and sofa are all individually menu-driven.
If I’m brutally honest, some of the textures within the set (to me) suffer some scaling issues – but there are enough options in the set to provide some nice finishes and looks.
Sofa & armchairs set (3 prims), with kitchen behind
Overall, this items – the kitchen especially – should appeal to the prim-conscious who like their homes to have a high level of detail; they expand the PrimPossible range perfectly, and again, the kitchen cleanly demonstrates what can be done with sculpties with time, patience and talent.
Specifications
Permissions (kitchen and sofa+ armchairs): NO COPY /NO MOD / NO XFER
Price: kitchen: L$950; sofa+ 2 armchairs: L$950
Obtained via PrimPossible in-world, or search “PrimPossible” or “Ample Clarity” on SL Marketplace.
