Tag: Exploring Second Life 2012

You win or you die 1: Mountains of the Moon

Posted on by Inara Pey

Update December 1st, 2012: The Mountains of the Moon appears to have now closed

I am a huge fan of George R.R. Martin’s epic A Song of Ice and Fire, which is now perhaps more widely known as Game of Thrones due to the world-wide success of the HBO series, now commencing production of its third season. Over the last year or so, a number of role-play regions have been established within Second Life that are based on the world Martin has created in his novels, so I thought I’d start paying them a visit.

The Mountains of the Moon is one such region. Here you will find the city-port of Gulltown and the mountain-top fortress of House Arryn, The Eyrie. Whether you are into Game of Thrones related role-play or simply a fan of the books and series, it is a feast for the eyes.

Using the main landmark will bring you to the arrival point, 1500 above the region – and if you are making your first visit, I strongly recommend that you do start here; while visitors are always welcome, this is first and foremost a role-play sim, and it is best to familiarise yourself as to what is going on. On arrival, you’ll be given a short introductory notecard, and you can also take a copy of the map of Gulltown (texture), as well as collecting a suitable free outfit which will allow you to blend-in with things at ground level, if you haven’t anything suitably medieval-looking to wear in your inventory.

When you are ready, you can proceed through the doorways at the far end of the ruin in which you’re standing, where a large basket – which should be familiar to those who have read Martin’s descriptions of the Eyrie – is waiting to “lower” you to ground level. Also here is a further series of notecard givers which provide additional information – such as the setting for tales within the sim (several hundred years before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire, and prior to the unification of the seven kingdoms of Westeros under the  rule of Aegon Targaryen, with information drawn from the Westeros.org wiki), combat information, notes on central conflicts, and so on.

“After the cold, grey hostile waters of the Shivering Sea, it was with joy that we arrived at the port of Gulltown, where I looked upon the mighty walls of the fortress they call The Eyrie for the first time.”

Teleport to the ground via the waiting basket, and you find yourself on a ship, apparently newly arrived at the port of Gulltown, largest city in the Vale of Arryn, the stern walls of The Eyrie, fortress of House Arryn, dominating the landscape high atop the Giant’s Lance.

This is quite an amazing visualisation of both Gulltown and The Eyrie which has been put together by Alysanne Lejovy – or Alysanne Arryn, the Lady of House Arryn. The attention to detail is wonderful – right down to being able to ride a basket up the face of the Giant’s Lance to reach The Eyrie itself, the ride commencing, as in the books, from a point part-way up the mountain.

Sim extenders are used to create an authentic backdrop of the Mountains of the Moon…

The attention to detail is also much in evidence in the use of sim extenders which are used to convincingly create a stunning backdrop of the Mountains of the Moon, and to also create the Bay of Crabs leading out to the Narrow Sea beyond.

…and also of the waters of the Bay of Crabs and the Narrow Sea beyond

This is a place worth exploring carefully as there is a lot to see and take in, both on the ground and up inside the high walls of The Eyrie. If you are exploring, though, please (again) be aware of any role-play that may be going on; you’re not obliged to join in, but you may find yourself being treated as a participant; should this happen and you do not feel comfortable joining in, simply have a quick word with the person concerned via IM.

During my visit, I had a chat with Elduran Stormcrow – also known as Thane, a mountain clan leader (and one of the principals behind The Mountains of the Moon) – and he informed me that the sim has been open a month and the associated RP group now has over 150 members.

With direct teleport links to the house Tyrell at Highgarden and to the Game of Thrones Role-play Welcome Centre, Mountains of the Moon offers a fabulous means of exploring a part of George R.R. Martin’s mythical world and of joining in the adventures of the people who populate it.

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Wanderstill

Posted on by Inara Pey

Wanderstill; Inara Pey, June 2012, on FlickrWanderstill (Flickr)

Veiled in a dream, Romance dances through a wild meadow overlooking a sparkling sea. Inspired, a lone jeweller plies her craft,  immortalizing the magic of Love’s kiss in prims. Art, friendship, and passion beckon. Embrace the possibilities!

This is the description given to Wanderstill in the region of Ode, a place that I’ve read about in a number of places and from where Honour McMillan took a series of pictures that caught my eye (albeit in a post dealing with a particular SL problem). It is the creation of Elizabeth Tinsley and it is simply stunning.

Teleporting to the region via search delivers you to the Frippery store and a charming welcome:

*~Welcome to Wanderstill~*~: You have found your way to a tiny cottage in the middle of a wild meadow. This is the home of Frippery, a jewellery shop for imaginative minds. You are warmly welcome. Come in, make yourself comfortable, peruse the baubles, take a gift, and leave a message.

Wanderstill; Inara Pey, June 2012, on FlickrWanderstill (Flickr)

The store itself is genuinely charming, and creates a relaxed atmosphere that continues out into the meadows surrounding it. Where you roam is up to you – but there is plenty to explore and to discover – and be sure to look down as well as up! There are places to sit and relax, places where you can dance – and places where you can get a little exercise!

Wanderstill; Inara Pey, June 2012, on FlickrWanderstill (Flickr)

When exploring, I recommend you have the audio stream on – the music from sky FM matches the idyllic surroundings beautifully.

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Idyllic Matanzas

Posted on by Inara Pey

I’m going to start by saying that this isn’t a destination review per se; the subject of the article is a private residential estate – hence no landmark in this piece. Visiting and writing about such estates is not something I’m liable to make any kind of feature out of for this blog. While there are doubtless many beautiful sims and estates throughout Second Life, I do regard Matanzas as special both because it was highly recommended to me by people I respect within SL for their judgement and observation, and it is provided by someone I’ve come to know via Twitter over the last year and who is now becoming an in-world friend as well. So this post is a little indulgent – but then, this is my blog, so I’m entitled to indulge myself now and again :).

Matanzas

Matanzas started life as a residential sim some time back, with those lucky enough to rent there finding it a pleasant – and long-term – home. When the sim holder announced that he was leaving SL in January 2009 and that the sim would therefore be dissolved, there was understandable upset. So much so that Skate Foss, herself a  Matanzas resident since 2007, stepped into the breach and offered to take over the running of the sim.

Since then, she’s worked tirelessly with two of the nine other residents on the sim to create a stunning tropical environment open to all of her tenants to share in and enjoy – and which captures the hearts of those who visit.

Matanzas arrival point

The care that has gone into the sim is evident from the moment one is invited to visit: the arrival point is a wooden quay, with sail-boats moored nearby or pulled up under the shade of the palm trees. From here it is a short walk to the community dance floor and newly added cafe, where Skate and I later sat and chatted about all things SL. Both the dance floor and cafe – together with an open-air lounge beyond, are open to the residents of the sim to use and enjoy, and occasional events are held at them as well. The open spaces are appreciated by tenants and form a central part of the appeal of the place and why people come – and stay.

“There are ten lots here,” Skate tells me as we saunter past the dance floor, “But only six tenants – not that there are four empty lots; my tenants grab up any lot that is available, so the island is fully rented.” The lots themselves are all landscaped to fit with the theme of the sim, and the houses blend perfectly with the flora. Boundaries between parcels are indicated through the subtle use of “Private” notices set along the paths between them and wandering the sim, one has the strong impression that this is a close, friendly community sharing a common bond of trust and respect for one another.

The open-air lounge with waterfall beyond

The lounge itself overlooks a waterfall with flows down from the central heights of the island, where stands a rain forest, complete with parakeets, tropical rain and the odd dash of lightning. This offers various views of the island, walks to follow and places to sit.  Also close to the lounge are two more facets of Matanzas that make it special – the greenhouse and the chapel.

The greenhouse, located by a small lake, cunningly hides the parcel rent boxes (tucked away inside cupboards!) while also providing a venue for events – such as a wedding reception Skate tells me about, the wedding ceremony itself being held out at the waterfalls.

Matanzas chapel

The chapel is a short walk further on, and is the latest addition to the island. “One of my tenants lost his RL son,” Skate explains as we reach it. “I thought we should have a place on the island, to go, if we need to.” The chapel is tasteful in its design – whitewashed walls, sun-faded timber roof, with a simple but effective memorial inside.

Inside the chapel
Skate Foss

Wandering across the island, the degree of care that has been taken with it is clearly apparent – be it with the sun-bleached wooden steps leading up to vantage points or linking houses to beach, the wind chimes hanging from tree branches or the careful selection of birds and flora to give the entire sim a rich and vibrant feel. If I’m honest, our tour left me feeling not a little regretful that I’m not myself a tenant there; it’s exactly the kind of place I could happily “retire” to in SL!

Skate and I finished our walk back at the cafe area, where we were joined by a parakeet while we talked about Matanzas’ development – Skate is constantly seeking ways to tweak and enhance the island as both the cafe itself and the chapel show – and Second Life in general. As we do, and as I take the opportunity to snap some more shots of the island, I’m struck by the one word that sums up Matanzas perfectly.

Idyllic.

ETA: Skate has sent me details on Lalo Telling’s write-up on a TweetUp party that was held on Matanzas two years ago. Read about it here.

Return to Alpha and Omega

Posted on by Inara Pey

Update: Both Alpha and Omega Points have closed.

In October last year, I wrote about Alpha and Omega Points in SL. Operated by Masoon Ringo and Sweetlemon Jewell, these two sims are home to incredible builds that straddle the sci-fi / fantasy divide and offer visitors much to see and do, as I reported at the time.

I dropped in on the sims at the end of April to find they were under reconstruction. What I saw then intrigued me, so I decided to wait a couple of weeks and pop back over and see what has happened.

The “ground level” build has changed extensively, although there are still strong echoes with the previous build: the same lowering skies, the lightning, and so on, while elements of the build itself carry echoes of the last: similar hanging walkways, elegant stairways, ornate sculptures and hidden surprises. But there is also much that has changed, and elements that give this build something of a “darker” feel – at least on the outside.

The “Village To Heaven” appears to remain unchanged  – and is still as magnificent as on my last visit, and the Fall Pods are still available for those wishing to take a ride back down to the lower builds.

 

Cerridwen’s Cauldron: brewing-up a region of delights

Posted on by Inara Pey

I will confess that, until Fantasy Faire, I was unaware of Elicio’s Ember’s work in Second Life – much to my shame. However, his builds at Nu Orne and Siren’s Secret completely enthralled me, for reasons I’ve touch upon elsewhere. Following the Faire, I decided to make Elicio’s own sim the focus of a Virtual Destinations visit, eager to see what lay there.

It was more than worth the visit.

Cerridwen’s Cauldron is both the location of Elicio’s main store, and a beautiful sim to explore and see a range of his creations in a very natural location. The store itself is located up in the sky, so as not to intrude on the sim itself – although though be told, the store is as much a work of art as the sim itself: a marvellous floating palace-like structure, complete with nearby ivory tower.

Elicio’s store: floating palace

Walkways around the build encourage you to explore, and vendor boards are all tastefully displayed to blend with the overall build. You can spend an hour here alone, just exploring and admiring the glorious attention to detail.

The Dragon centrepiece in the main store “lobby”

I really do encourage you to wander here; you never know what you’ll find that will look perfect in your home or garden, or might fit the theme of your parcel / sim. Not only that, but there are real treasures here simply to enjoy.

Beautiful hanging garden

The teleport itself – located at the main arrival point – will help in getting you around. This will take you up to the art exhibit (among other destinations), featuring Elicio’s own artwork, and which has walkways leading to the very upper levels of the main structure. There are many reasons why I’m enamoured of Elicio’s builds. One is the care with which they have been constructed to look glorious almost any time of day – or night. The texturing / lighting is just a joy.

By night

Another reason for my infatuation is that – again as I’ve mentioned during my explorations of Nu Orne and Siren’s Secret – is that I find strong, but very subtle resonances within Elicio’s builds. At Nu Orne, for example, I was put in mind of my visits to Sri Lanka – although, truth be told, there was little direct resemblance between the two. Down on the ground, Cerridwen’s Cauldron is the same.

The sim

Again, there is no obvious reason for this; if anything, the styling of the sim should put me more in mind of, say Thailand or Malaysia; and it did take me a while to work out why the resonance is so strong (outside of my abiding love for Sri Lanka); It wasn’t until I started the climb from the beach to the Earth Temple that I realised why, and I’m sure anyone who has climb Sigiriya will pick-up on the similarities as they climb the stairs up the rock-face here.

Memories of Sigiriya

As with the sky store, there is a lot to explore and discover here, and teleports abound to help you get around, although I personally found it a lot more interesting to explore on foot – you’ll be surprised as to what you might find. Nor are you limited to just feet and teleports when exploring – there is another mode of transport (which is another reason I love Elicio’s builds).

The sim does appear to have some Windlight presets of its own, but I admit that I found it preferable to use my own client-side presets; this may actually have encouraged my feelings that the sim reminds me of Sri Lanka, as I do opt for setting that give a tropical-like feel to places. I don’t recommend the one over the other, but I do recommend that you pay the sim a visit – and don’t miss out on the sky store.

Here are some of my highlights.

 

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The photogenic fantasy of Crimarizon

Posted on by Inara Pey

Update, December 2013: Crimarizon and Crimarizon 2 are both temporarily closed.

I’ve been getting suggestions for places to add to my SL Virtual Destinations for a while now – and appreciate receiving them. One that has come up on three occasions recently (thank you, Ella, JB and Ayesha!) is that of Crimarizon; so I decided to take a look.

The region is the work of Megan Prumier, and is described as a “Photogenic fantasy spot [which] features an eclectic castle housing the Pixel Panic Gallery” – and it lives up to its reputation in every sense. Featuring facilities for live entertainment, the Pixel Panic gallery curated by Dixmix Source, Crimarizon offers the SL explorer with much to see.

Arrival

I used search to teleport to Crimarizon, and did find the coordinates slightly off – I arrived on the wrong side of the land area, ankle-deep in water. In case this is an error with the build, rather than a SL glitch, you might want to use this SLurl. The arrival area itself is a stone walkway over the water, situated in a lush landscape, lit by ornate lanterns; before you stands a magnificent tower / archway.

Where you go on arrival is up to you – there are no set paths here, just the opportunity to wander and marvel. Walk away from the tower and follow the walled path to the water’s edge and you will spy ruins through the trees, sunlight dappling them. The walk to them may result in wet feet – but is well worth it.

Ruins

Follow the path under the arches of the tower and you’ll come to the magnificent structure of the Crimarizon castle (although “castle” seems too dull a name for it), shimmering amidst the trees and water. This has a strong oriental feel to it, although it appears to be a fusion of influences.

Castle entrance

The castle offers much to be explored, halls an galleries and gardens, all with their own unique touches. Here lies the Medusa Masquerade hall, a venue for costumed events, and the Pixel Panic gallery which, at the time of my visit, featured the works of CapCat Ragu and Meilo Minotaur.

Medusa’s Masquerade

Wander the upper levels of the castle and you will come to stone walkway supported by great trees, lit by lanterns, leading you on to other wonders and places such as a market high in the trees, views out over waterfalls which have their own secrets to explore. Walk on through the market and the evolving landscape of Crimarizon 2, the sister sim currently under construction, beckons – but you’ll have to wait to explore it.

Market in the trees

There are also hints of dark goings-on somewhere: a pile of bleached skulls near the market, what might be altars tucked away in corners; a gibbet complete with noose standing in a dark hall… Mysteries that may have an answer or lend themselves to a machinima tale…

As someone with an abiding love of Sri Lanka, I couldn’t help but be reminded of that beautiful island as I explored. Not so much because of the great statues of elephants (which are African, rather than Asian, in origin), but because of the feel of some parts of the build. The stone walkways and the Marketplace, complete with boulders and outlooks from under stone eaves, remind me of places like the Boulder Gardens, while the gilded halls within the castle put me in mind of gilded stupas and gold-coated Buddhas rising from lush forests. Even the ruins, for some reason, put me in mind of Anuradhapura, even though there is little actual resemblance.

But then, that is the skill in creating an immersive environment; to create something that is at once new and unknown but which at the same time triggers memories and feelings of familiarity which draw one deeper into it, increasing the desire to explore – and to come again.

Other elements of Crimarizon are entirely other-worldly, woven in fantasy and a joy to see – although you may have to spend a little time seeking them out.. and all is not in plain sight nor necessarily on the obvious paths.

I spent well over an hour today wandering through the region, capturing snaps and enjoying the evocative feel to the place; I’m thoroughly intrigued to see what emerges from the development of Crimarizon 2. What is there already is enticing, and hints at yet more in the way of an alluring fusion of styles and ideas that will enhance the region’s appeal enormously among photographers.

All-in-all a marvellous place to visit and explore, and another on my list of personal favourites.

Visit Notes

I made my visit to Crimarizon using Firestorm (rather than Exodus) with deferred rendering (lighting & shadows and ambient occlusion) enabled. For the most part I operated with a draw distance of some 200m, pushed up to 520 for the longer, across-sim, shots, with sun set to region time.

While running with deferred rendering is not a necessity to enjoy the region, it does enhance a visit if you can enable lighting and shadows. If you can’t you might like to try setting your sun to sunset or sunrise, or try a windlight preset to gain another unique feel for the region.

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