Tag: Exploring Second Life 2019

Angelhaven – click any image for full size

Angelhaven is an artists’ concept of the natural wheel of change, beautifully expressing the seasons around us and within us. A haven for angels, winged and unwinged, and those searching for romance, peaceful prayer, and the things that comfort and remind us we are only human. Happy or sad, lonely or in good company, love and loss, life and death, there is a time and a season for all things.

– Angelhaven description

Angelhaven

So reads the description for the Full region of Angelhaven,designed and held by Vangel (VanderGalaeth). As the description suggests, this is a place for reflection, a natural setting that encompasses the beauty of nature and the realm of fantasy. It is also a place that exists on multiple levels, starting with the landing point  1,000 metres above ground level.

Here, visitors will find the rules for visiting the region – all of which are straightforward and understandable. Also available by touching the rules board, is a note card outlining all the major destinations within the region, each with its own land mark enclosed. However, these can also be reached via the teleport disk located at the end of the short hall leading off the main arrivals hall.

Angelhaven

Several of the locations can be found on the ground – including the Ballroom, the Café, the four seasons and the Swamp. Others are located on their own islands in the sky, such as the Lunar House, the Angel House, and the Solar House. Given the fantasy nature of the region, the windlight offers an ethereal look and theme: a pervasive orange glow surrounding the land and sky islands.

Those locations on the ground are linked one to another by paths making exploration possible without necessarily resorting to teleporting. Walking also reveals all the little spots to be found for sitting, cuddling and simply resting.

Angelhaven

The sky locations offer a nice feeling of further privacy and separation, while the similar nature of their appearance also helps give a sense of commonality between them, and thus a feeling of continuity as you travel one to the next, or between them and locations on the ground.

Finished with a fitting ambient sound scape, Angelhaven makes for a restful visit; a place where myth and fantasy mix gently with one anther to offer an environment open to being enjoyed and where tension can slip away. As noted, there are plenty of places to be found for couples to enjoy, as well as places to be appreciated in solitude.

Angelhaven

SLurl Details

• Angelhaven (rated: Moderate)

Forest of Astray – click any image for full size

The Forest of Astray is a Full region that offers a curio of a setting to explore, parts of which might be currently be under renovation.

Designed by 絵理子 (Eriko), this is a setting that, though a clever use of horizontal space and design, has the feeling of being far bigger than 256 metres on a side, and within which it is quite easy to become disoriented whilst exploring – just as you might in an actual forest.

Forest of Astray

Within the forest, the region is divided by streams and hills into a number of different settings, which are brought together by the paths and trails the meander under bough and leaf and over bridge and water, neatly sewing everything into a cohesive whole. Included within these settings are a farm, two houses, a beach and cabin, a fishing wharf with boats, gardens, old ruins of towers and houses, and walled Japanese house, glades where flowers grow and deer play, a reed-sided estuary fed by two streams, ponds and waterfalls, greenhouses-as-pavilions and more.

It is at the farm where visitors begin their journey, up in the north-east corner of the region. From here, a track hops over a bridge and winds outward and over a narrow channel of water to where a second bridge (which can also be reached by a grassy path running along the water’s edge)  leads the way into the forest proper.

Forest of Astray

Here the path winds between the trunks of giant oaks, the air alive with birdsong, the ground gradually becoming obscured by mist that becomes even thicker once another bridge has been crossed, and the sounds of piano might be heard. Follow the music and you’ll find an aged piano, its wood mildewed and mossy, sitting within the ruins of a building set on the far side of a path cutting across the one your on, presenting two routes of further exploration.

Take one, and you’ll be led by twist and turn lit by wolves carrying lanterns in their jaws, to the ruins of an old stone tower overlooking the junction of several streams. Take the other route from the piano and it will lift you up out of the mists before bringing you to a wall marking the boundary of a large property, the ground dropping sharply away on the other side into a fog bound bowl, reached via a pair of gates.

Forest of Astray

Here, under its own windlight and with rain falling steady, is a setting well suited to Halloween. Crows circle just above head height, strange figures loom out of the mists while the house stands as a shadow, old and decrepit, a strange (and decidedly sexual) tableau framed within its rotting walls, the upper floor given over to BDSM equipment.

If such a scene is not to your taste, simply pass the gates by and continue along the path outside of the wall and turn left at the point where it ends in a stone circle. A short distance across the grass you’ll find  a track lit by a scattering of luminescent confetti running down a short slope. The confetti points the way to where another grassy path runs by a glade of tall grass lapping around the feet of a pavilion; a place where a dance can be enjoyed. Stay on the path, and it will take you past – or to – the tower ruins, where it becomes the riverside route leading back to the wooden bridge crossed earlier.

Forest of Astray

A cobbled path runs along another side of the glade with its pavilion,  directing people through gabled gates to yet anther bridge, and thus to the southern aspects of the region. This offers even more to explore along winding paths: glades where angels might lie sleeping; gardens with hot tubs and dancing; hidden pools of clear water; the white frames and columns of the previously mentioned greenhouse and its companion pavilion – and more.

Choose the right paths here, and the rest of the setting will open to you, be it the bridge reaching back to where the Japanese house and onsen lie snug between wooded rocks and the sea, or the board walk reaching around a headland to the beach. A further path can be found, passing over stepping-stones and through a narrow gorge to where stone steps lead up to the south-east corner of the region, in which sits the largest house on the island, raised above the fishing wharf.

Forest of Astray

It is here – and on the beach – where indications that parts of the region might be under some remodelling were visible during our visit; furniture was floating over the beach cabin, while things around the house were in slight disarray (I’m actually not entirely sure whether the large house is supposed to be open the public; a request to Eriko for clarification passed unanswered; so take care with invading privacy while exploring, just in case).

Even with these little glitches, Forest of Astray makes for an engaging visit, with plenty of opportunities for photography and romance for those wishing to enjoy a dance.  The adult undertones aren’t restricted to the house in the north-west corner, some of which might not be wise for a Moderate region – but these also aren’t particularly overt enough to question a visit. Overall, this is a unique location and well worth a visit, one that is well worth setting aside to explore simply because there is to much to find and see.

Forest of Astray

SLurl Details

• Forest of Astray (Aya, rated: Moderate)

Cocoon – click any image for full size

In August 2017, Caitlyn and I visited Cocoon, a futuristic, cyberpunk-ish role-play environment established in 2016 – see A cyberpunk Cocoon in Second Life for more. Since then, the entire setting has relocated and has undergone an extensive update. While I didn’t document the previous simulator type on which Cocoon was placed, the new one is a Full region, utilising the added full region land capacity bonus.

Alongside the move, the backstory for the environment has also been updated, moving the clock forward some two years from the August 2017 setting:

It is the year 2489. What’s left of Earth is a by-product of the things that went wrong there. The weapons unleashed in the Transcendence War transformed the surface into a blighted wasteland and forced the refugee remnants skywards, first to floating cities and arcologies in Earth’s upper atmosphere, then further out, to orbital colonies and settlements throughout the solar system. 

– Cocoon introduction

Cocoon

Cocoon is one of those orbital facilities, an artificial asteroid owned, operated and governed by the Cocoon Corporation. Its primary function is that of a commerce hub, and – if I might borrow from Babylon 5 (one of my favourite Sci-Fi shows) and re-phrase it a little:

It’s a port of call; a home away from home for business men and women, hustlers, entrepreneurs, freighter crews, smugglers, gangs, and wanderers, all alone in the night…

The station itself appears to have been greatly expanded on as well, although many of the locations present from the last iteration we visited remain – such as the walks visitors are delivered to from the main landing point / information area (be sure to collect and wear your OOC visitor tag if just visiting), the Pulse Bar, the Luxxon Hotel, and the extensive road network which Cocoon group members can be ride via bike. However, the overall sprawl of the asteroid city appears to have been extended.

Cocoon

This makes, as I noted when previously writing about the setting, Coccon feel much more of a place – walking the streets with their automated vehicles and interactive non-player character (NPCs) – just touch them to engage with them via a mix of local chat and dialogue menu options – it is easy to become disoriented.  Thus, just like any newcomer to a strange environment, you have to spend time gaining familiarity with the city and its various sectors.

It might be a case of mis-remembering, but the city also seem to have far more depth in a literal sense, levels being more stacked one atop the other. This again adds to the feeling this is an entirely artificial construct. In particular, the main terminal building seemed to be much larger and more multi-level; finding your way down to the shuttle teleporter to reach Earth can be a little bewildering, for example, and I don’t recall that from our last visit.

Teleporters are also provided in the form of The Fifth Element style flying taxis. These are either parked on various platforms or parking bays, or can be summoned via yellow taxi call boards. Just select your desired sector and destination in that sector. Within various buildings are elevators. These may operate as actual elevators, as per the one at Pulse, or as teleporters.

Cocoon

One of the aspects of Cocoon I’ve always liked is this blending of influences. There’s the echo of The Fifth Element in the taxis, sense of Blade Runner within Sector 2’s residential strip and within the advertising boards and signs, and there are the Anime reflections throughout. There’s even a slight whiff of the Yorktown star base from Star Trek Beyond with the freighters moving directly below the building and walkways of Level 1.

Again, as I noted last time. this doesn’t make Cocoon in any way derivative, but rather a unique blending of styles and approaches that simply work. And while the city was not quite as active during our more recent visits as it was in August 2017, it still offers an attractive – a pull if you will.

Nor is this all. As Ellie (Mii1a), the prime mover behind Cocoon informed me on our first return visit, a new Lunar setting is being added to the region as a further destination alongside of Cocoon and the remnants of Earth below.

Cocoon

With full information on role-play and the setting available on the Cocoon website as well as at the landing point, Cocoon remains an intriguing place to visit.

SLurl Details

• Cocoon (Esperia, rated: Moderate)

Provincial Life – click any image for full size

Update: Provincial Life appears to have closed and the former host region split into private rentals. SLurls have therefore been removed from this article.

Provincial Life is the name given to a homestead region held and designed by Hania Amidst (amberfff) that, while noted in the description as a private home (with at least three residences on it), is still nevertheless offered as presenting “Lots of little photo ops [and] connected to high rock for extended exploration.”

As the name suggests, it is a rural setting, mostly set to open land over which horses graze in some numbers. Across it are also scattered a number of buildings and homes, including the private residences. Two of the latter lie on a smaller island in the south-east corner of the region, the water channel separating them from the rest of the setting helping to ensure their privacy remains intact. A further residence lies on the south-western headland and is marked by a fence and archway running across the front of the property, marking the limits of public exploration.

Provincial Life

Two more houses can be found on the region. The first is located alongside the landing point and might actually be a private home itself; I’m not entirely sure – so perhaps it is best to treat it with respect. A dirt track runs from its porch to pass an outdoor music area to one side and the last house – which does appear to be open to the public – on the other.

Sweeping past the latter, the track turns to run above a deep inlet that cuts its way into the land, before it divides to point one finger towards the private house on the south-western headland and offering a path to a gravelly beach along the way, while the second finger crooks west then north, pointing the way to a shaded pavilion and thence to a waterfront deck overlooking a small bay.

Provincial Life

This bay is bracketed by a small rocky island with a granite face looking inland that someone has been busily painting with graffiti. The island can be reached by means of a path and rope bridge reached by walking along the waterfront, and offers a high vantage point for looking back across the region.

Beyond the deck, a sandy path cuts across the grass to a rock arch offering access to where another small bay cuts into the land via a narrow neck of water.. aided by a small covered bridge, the path continues on the far side of the inlet, returning visitors by way of wooden steps to the house by the landing point.

Provincial Life

Throughout all of this, there is plenty so see and multiple places to sit for a while and enjoy the setting. Dogs play in the long grass, the aforementioned horses stands and graze in groups, sheep enjoy the heather on the south-west headland, and swings, benches and seats look out over the various points of interest – the bays, the winding tracks, the musical area, which is available for dances should visitors in in the mood; the music stream is particularly mellow and suited to a romantic dance or a little swing to the sound of a big band. Throughout all of this, birds twitter and sing under a later spring sky.

When wandering it is worth keeping an eye out for the smaller details – such as the rag doll audience awaiting a musician to appear on the truck bed stage, or the paper aeroplanes turning circles in the breeze over the meadow flowers, sharing the air above the blooms with butterflies.

Provincial Life

For those wishing to take photographs, rezzing is open – but do please remember to pick your things up behind you. If you have a wearable horse, Provincial Life is idea for taking a ride, and your horse will have plenty of neighbourly company (coughs; “sorry!”).

A charming, warm region which – as the About Land description states – is ready for photography as well as exploration. Our thanks, as always, to Shakespeare and Max for the referral!

Provincial Life