Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld

September has arrived and with it, thoughts in the northern hemisphere are once more turning to the Autumn, a fact reflected in the gradual seasonal change being witnessed across many public regions within Second Life. Given autumnal themes are now on the ascendant in-world, I decided to hop along to a double-header of regions that sit firmly rooted in the tropics and a world of Sun, sand and sea.

One Summer and Saltwater are a part of interconnected Homestead regions that share a continuous theme throughout: that of a group of rocky islands, an archipelago possibly created more by natural water erosion rather than having anything volcanic in their origins (although some of the rock formations making up the islands could easily be seen as having volcanic origins).

The regions sit in an east-west orientation, a meandering channel of water almost dividing them one from the other. “Almost” because a broad sand bar cuts cross the water at their southern extremes, providing a natural bridge between the two, although it is one that might not always be there. Dotted by shallow pools watched over by pelican and heron alike, all doubtless looking out for any snacks caught within the waters, the causeway has the look of being tidal in nature, and prone to vanishing as the latter returns.

The work of Krys Vita, her SL partner Tre (TreMeldazis), the two regions have individual landing points (which can be found jointly at the end of this article, rather than embedded within it), thus allowing for individual visits. However, to fully appreciate them, I’d suggest making the time to visit them side-by-side. They are also regions where donations are welcome – but not for their upkeep: funds are accepted by RFL kiosks located on the back of the signs for each region, allowing them to support the American Cancer Society’s off-season fund-raising in Second life.

Of the two regions, One Summer is probably the easier to explore simply because its various islands (and saltwater swamp, the sandy floor of which also appears to have been exposed by the low tide) are connected by bridges and boardwalks. These provide the means to pass over the waters separating the island and reach the grassy trails winding around and over them and thus reach various points of interest. The latter range from small places to sit and relax through to the large beachfront spa located on the western side of the region.

Across the water / causeway, Saltwater offers a more diverse – if a little harder to get around – setting. Here the islands are fewer in number, and the larger two are somewhat sinuous in nature and without bridges connect them. The waters of Saltwater are also broader in nature – and given the extensive moorings and pier-built workshops, warehouses and café found to the region’s eastern extremes, deeper than those found within One Summer. Certainly, the piers are home to a number of vessels, including a deep keeled sailing boat and sports fishing cruiser, and more sail boats are anchored in a little bay nestled mid-way along the the sinuous island than forms one end of the causeway linking Saltwater to One Summer.

I didn’t spot any boat rezzers or similar in bouncing and camming around Saltwater (which is not to say they aren’t there; fallible me is fallible me), so getting to / from the southern island and the causeway connecting it to One Summer and the other islands in the Saltwater group appears to be a case of flapping your arms or camming to a convenient chair and sitting in it. However, the island with the region’s landing point is connected to the sand bar east of it by way of a low board walk, and a further board walk connects sand bar to the piers and moorings, thus making exploration on foot and between them possible.

The local environments for the two regions aren’t quite in sync – whilst similar, the Sun does go for a brief walk across several degrees of sky on crossing between them -, and I did find myself bouncing off of the odd plant here and there as well as being able to walk on the water at one point (all in One Summer). But while these elements made for interesting distractions, they didn’t in any way spoil my visit. As seen in the photos here, as well, both regions lend themselves to environment settings other than their own.

Finished with a matching sound scape and, as already noted, offering the opportunity to support ACS / RFL of SL, One Summer and Salt Water make for an idyllic tropical visit.

With thanks to Shawn Shakespeare for the nod to Saltwater.

SLurl Details

• One Summer (rated: Moderate)
• Saltwater (rated: Adult)

As regulars to these pages will know, one of the aspects of region design I tend to keep an ear out for and appreciate, is that of a well-crafted ambient sound scape. In fact, not only do I listen for local ambient sounds when visiting regions, I also use them in both my public and private builds; hence why I was intrigued when my Redoubtable Region Spy Shawn Shakespeare (SkinnyNilla) passed me an LM to Hear How Your Landscape Should Sound, and decided to hop and take a look (and listen) sooner rather than later.

Designed by ElizabethNantesJewell and region holder Electric Monday, the region – which I’m going to abbreviate to HHYLSS, even if that does sound like a riff on Douglas Adams’ The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy – is intended to offer a demonstration of how the considered use of sounds can enhance a setting, notably by using Electric Monday’s Bunyi brand of ambient sounds (her store can be found tucked into a corner of the region and is used as the landing point in this article).

Beyond the store, the land is split into a number of interlinked environments that form a natural, rolling landscape in which collections of related sounds can be found, each element of which can be purchased on encountering it via little tree-trunk pedestals that also provide a description of the sound being heard. These sounds for a small selection of those found in the store, and range from bird song to the sound of water bubbling through a brook to the buzzing of bees, the call of sheep and lambs, and more. As well as hosting these sounds, the setting itself offers plenty of opportunity for rural / pastoral photography, including as it does woodland, rolling fields, a Zen garden, and a climb up a stubby finger of rock to the cabin at its peak as attractions.

The landscaping itself comes from a number of creators I particularly appreciate as I use their work myself. These include Cube Republic, Alex Bader, Lilith Heart Sasaya Kayo (Happy Mood), and there reside here together with elements by the likes of Kendra Zaurak (Fanatik), Cari McKeenan (The Little Branch), Krystali Rabeni (Love) and more – all of which means the regions is also ripe with potential landscaping ideas. In some instances it would seem that these creators may have inspired Electric in her range of sound systems – her Zen Garden sounds, for example would mapper to offer a good fit with  Alex’s Studio Skye Zen Garden kit (a personal favourite of mine).

Of course, a lot of landscaping creators also provide sounds of their own to go with items they sell: Alex, for example provides the sound of flowing, tumbling water in his river building kits and his waterfall kits come with sound systems as well, but what Electric and other creators like her offer are broader sounds, individual and in collections, that can help add depth to a setting, be it an entire region or a modest parcel, and – in Electric’s case at least – offer sounds based on geographical locations – North America, Eurasia, the tropics, etc., helping to focus an ambient sound scape on any theme represented by a region / parcel build.

That said, I would emphasise this article should not be seen as an endorsement of the sound found within the region. Not because I have any issue with them, but simply because as I have a system I’m long familiar with and which offers the range and flexibility of use I require, I’ve no pressing need to add others sound emitters to my inventory, no matter how reasonably priced. So, if you are considering purchasing anything from the Bunyi range, I recommend you do your own homework first to ensure you’re happy with your choice.

Nevertheless, HHYLSS offers a good example of the considered use of local sounds and their placement within a region / parcel, and presents a place that has several opportunities of photography, thus making it an interesting both to visit and as a generator of ideas.

SLurl Details

• Hear How Your Landscape Should Sound (Bunyi, rated Moderate)