Tag: Exploring Second life 2015

Umbral Photography, July 2015 (Flickr)

December 2014 saw me make an initial visit to Umbral Photography and Umbral, designed and curated by vlady and Coqueta Veeper on their homestead region of Hydra Isles. In that piece, I noted that the region can go through seasonal changes, and at the time of writing back then, the northern hemisphere was in deepest winter, and the region was similarly in the grip of deep snow, and the waters had a decidedly chilly look to them.

Now, half a year later, the snows have thawed, the skies are blue, and the flowers are all in bloom.  Summer has come to the region, and with it have come a few changes to the landscape.

Umbral Photography, July 2015 (Flickr)

Umbral Photography still occupies the southern half of the region, a place devoted to photography (indoors and out), with open rezzing for visitors (please make sure you clean up behind you!).

A stone henge has been added to the landscape since my last visit, standing on a small island a short walk from the landing point. A copse facing cross the main footpath is also, I think, a more recent addition. However, Cory Edo’s delightful summer-house still sits over the water, the little tea party area is still available, and the house offering indoor photo opportunities still stands in the south-west corner, while the tall grass still lines the horizon, marking more distant islets to be explored.

Umbral Photography, July 2015 (Flickr)

The divide between Umbral Photography and Umbral runs through the henge, but the north side of the island is as open to the public as the south, and as photogenic. There have been some changes here as well; perhaps most noticeably the arrival of a Ferris wheel on the north-east headland, and which has perhaps seen better days.

The principal difference between the north and south parcels of the region, as I noted in my original review, is that the former is home to a club given over to erotica and D/s activities. Visitors are welcome, as long as they follow the guidelines supplied upon arrival, and activities are confined to within the building. However, if this is not to your taste, you might want to focus on exploring the rest of the region.

Umbral Photography, July 2015 (Flickr)

We’re in the middle of a heat wave here in the UK right now, with temperatures exceeding those of the Mediterranean in some places. Given this, walking through the waters of Hydra Isles had me thinking that the day VR truly arrives will be the day when, while it may be scorching outside, the simple act of stepping into a suitable virtual environment and wading through ankle-deep clear waters can immediately have one cooling down nicely!

I guess that until that does happen, I can take comfort in the fact that this is England, and as such summer will likely be over by Sunday. In the meantime, I’ll keep paddling my feet in the waters of in-world locations like this in the hope of feel just that little bit cooler!

SLurl Details

• Umbral Photography (Rated: Adult)

Roche, June 2015

I caught word from Ziki Questi that a timeless favourite would be vanishing from Second Life.

Few who travel this digital world can fail to have visited the island of Roche at least once in their travels. I first visited in 2012, and while I’ve never written in-depth about it since, I’ve been back many, many times over the intervening years.

Roche, June 2015

The creation of ddsm2 Mathy, with the assistance of friends, the region has remained largely unchanged since my original visit three years ago – a fact that has always added to its charm; in a place where so much can change so rapidly, Roche has always stood as a constant in a fluid world; a place where once can go and instantly feel at home, be it wandering the paths, climbing the hills or sitting in one of the wooden cafés.

I hopped over to the region on Sunday, June 28th and a final opportunity to see Roche (as I write this, the build has now gone, although the region remains for the present) with the intent to grab a last few photos and also record some film footage (I’m still kicking myself around the office for not getting Goatswood recorded prior to its closure).

Roche, June 2015

While there I bumped into Ziki, who was still grabbing snaps herself whilst there with Kinn. Also on hand was Kara Trapdoor and a number of other bloggers – all keen to capture final memories.  The presence of all of these people, together with everyone else visiting the region as I was filming and who have visited since the news broke that Roche will be closing, stands witness to how much it will be missed.

Thank you, ddsm2 Mathy, for your creative vision with Roche, and allowing us to share in it for so long.

 

L’Arc-en-Ciel, June 2015 (Flickr)

Asa Vordun has announced that her beautiful and atmospheric region, L’arc en Ciel (“rainbow”) is to close at the end of June 2015.

For anyone who has visited the region through its various iterations, this is indeed sad news; it has been a consistent output of creative vision since it’s original inception in July 2014. For many, it has become a regular destination, with people keen to see and enjoy each redesign Asa has undertaken; all of which have brought forth new delights – some light, some dark, for people to immerse themselves in.

L’Arc-en-Ciel, June 2015 (Flickr)

The reason for the closure is given alongside the announcement. In short: dealing with the muppets of this virtual world and their inability to abide by even the simplest of requests, behaviour-wise, finally took it toll on Asa’s patience.

It’s always sad when something like this happens; doubly so with a place as notable as L’arc. However, Asa’s decision isn’t hard to understand and support; I just hope she’ll find a way to continue give release to her creative flair, even on a smaller, more controlled scale.

L’Arc-en-Ciel, June 2015 (Flickr)

I say this because I’ve been a fan of her creativity for almost two years now, having first encountered it in November 2013, when I first visited her wonderful Caprice and Easy A builds, which offered two truly delightful designs, with whimsy in one and a rich Christmas spirit in the other.

I returned to them again in April 2014, after Asa had completed a springtime redesign, one which still leaves me wondering if it acted as the springboard for her seeking to work on something larger, and thus leading her to create L’arc en Ciel. The latter was utterly breathtaking when it first appeared in July 2014 – as I noted at the time – and as noted here, remained so ever since.

L’Arc-en-Ciel, July 2014 (Flickr)

L’arc is due to close on June 28th, so there is still time to visit – and I really recommend that if you have does so recently or before, that you do so before it vanishes.  In its current iteration, it offers a hauntingly beautiful blend of rural and run-down urban settings caught in a forever dusk as shooting stars streak the sky overhead. A place where the westering  Sun casts shadow long enough to encourage lamps and lanterns to be lit, even as the converted chapel out on the headland beckons one on a pilgrimage along road and over bridge.

At the chapel, one can find a place of sanctuary and peace which, while perhaps not quite in keeping with the religious intent with which it may have originally been built, is still nonetheless soothing to the soul and encourages one to terry for a time.

L’Arc-en-Ciel, July 2014 (Flickr)

Be sure not to miss it.

SLurl Details

• L’arc en Ciel (Rated: Moderate)

One of the books I genuinely fell in love with whilst studying literature at school was Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, the story of a group of pilgrims en route to Canterbury Cathedral and the tomb of Saint Thomas Becket, and the tales they tell one another in order to pass the time on their journey.

Now, courtesy of Desideria Stockton and Royce Sommer, Second Life residents can go on a pilgrimage of their own and enjoy an introduction to the Canterbury Tales and the life and times of Geoffrey Chaucer through their Canterbury Tales Virtual Pilgrimage.

A part of the non-profit Literature Alive! project run by Desideria and Royce, Canterbury Tales Virtual Pilgrimage is a modest, but engrossing activity using point-and-click to inform people about Chaucer, the society of his day, religious views, science, justice, the social classes and so on. Most of this can be obtained within the walls of the Tabard Inn, where in the book, the teller of the best tale will be rewarded with a free meal. It is also at the Inn that one can learn something of Thomas Becket, the 12th Century Archbishop of Canterbury, the reason for the pilgrims’ journey.

It is in the tavern that the Prologue to The Canterbury Tales can be read (in Middle English, if you like!), which acts as a good lead-in to the rest of the activity. Scattered around the grounds of the Inn are 12 wooden crosses, each one with its own treasure chest nearby. Touch the cross, and you’ll receive a synopsis of one of the Tales. Then, touch the chest if you like, and correctly answer the question it asks about the tale you’ve just read, and you can gain a little prize.

While it may sound simple, Canterbury Tales Virtual Pilgrimage is a great introduction to Chaucer’s book, the synopsis of each tale perfectly capturing its essence and, where appropriate, its humour – many of Chaucer’s pilgrims were a bawdy lot!  I confess to experiencing a flashback to classroom sniggering in reading the outline of The Millers Tale, the humour is so well captured. Also, the mix of tales presented through the virtual pilgrimage captures some of  Chaucer’s ironic finger poking at the social strata of his day.

This is the first of two new projects under the Literature Alive! banner, and I admit to enjoying my meandering through the tall grass of a summer’s field and reading the synopses. Their second is set to be The House of Usher at the SL12B Community Celebration, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for it!

SLurl Details

• Canterbury Tales Virtual Pilgrimage (Rated: Moderate)

Artist and avatar creator Alpha Auer has re-opened her region, Alpha.Tribe, after a period of redesign. “This new build revolves around the theme of ‘fool’s gold’,” she says of the new design, which extends on, under and over the region.  In respect of this, the majority of the builds and objects in the region have been given a black and gold finish, with even the sandy seabed carrying the motif, graduated as it is into alternating lines of light and shadow.

The result is an environment which brings together a rich mix of influences and structures which, although very disparate in design and form, are nevertheless unified through the contrasting richness of the gold and ebony of the region’s look.

“I have tried to build a sim that is conceptually a bit like my old sim Syncretia,” Alpha continues. “a continuous ecology that tells a story of sorts, rather than a place in which discrete things are presented independently of one another, which is what I had tried to do with the previous build.”

Among the things on offer for explorers to discover lie an oriental pavilion offering an exotic environment in which to relax, or visit a shipyard where a golden ship is under construction. Elsewhere there are gardens, ruins, and high tech designs. Meanwhile, seahorses in rich black and gold, escort Nemo’s Nautilus under water and overhead a huge and ornate airship rises slowly into the sky.

Not all of the region is new; the Blueprint City and Pastoral sphere have been preserved, Alpha informs visitors. Careful exploration is encouraged on foot and / or by flying, and there are things to see within the builds as well as around them, and to help visitors reach key points, a teleport system has been provided. Do make sure you use the region windlight settings when visiting; they add considerable depth to the various locales.

Alpha also notes that the region pays homage to creator Arcadia Asylum, also known as Aley. “Many of the prims that you will see on the sim are Aley’s creations which I have modified, and re-textured,” alpha says. “Aley’s ingenuity as a builder has allowed me to create a sim that (although it is only a homestead with limited prims) will hopefully appear as densely built as a full sim and hopefully tell a secret tale that needs lots of prim-detail in order to be properly heard.”

To mark the reopening and redesign, Alpha has released two new avatar designs which are in keeping with the theme of “fool’s gold”. These together with the rest of her designs can be found in the region’s gift store, which can be reached via the teleport system.

Alpha.Tribe is well worth a visit, offering a unique and very intriguing environment and design. Recommended.

SLurl Details

• Alpha.Tribe (Rated: Moderate)