Friday, September 30, 2016

Pokemonsters


By Gemma Cleanslate

Two of my fishing friends were having a conversation one day during a contest that caught my attention. They were discussing a new inworld game that is called Pokemonsters. (sound familiar?) I intruded and my friend Emily began to explain the game, and then after the contest took me to the headquarters. I was able to pick up a free hud, information and directions on the game, and get to see the explanation posted on billboards. She then showed me the Pokestops, where, by clicking you get aids to the game,….. apples, candy and pokebawls to help with the capture of the monsters. I was almost overwhelmed by that time so decided to read and take my time absorbing and understanding the hud and the extensive directions. I next visited some of the locations of Pokemonster stops just to check them out and collect some the aids,(apples, pokeballs, candies )to aid in capture. I then felt ready to try and go after those little monsters. 
What a riot. It is not easy to get those little guys. First you have to get them to look at you by giving them an apple ( clicking them). Then you go into mouse look and start bombarding them with pokebawls, quickly!! I feel like I was hitting them square between the eyes but kept missing. or, worse yet, they run away! Then I had to find them or another one and start all over again. I began to have success! I have spent about two weeks running around the grid chasing after all kinds of little monsters. They are cute! The creators of this game, Addict Algoma and .۰Ʀεs ۰. (Rems57 Resident) have spent a long time working it out to the the stage it is now but are continuing to perfect what is done and look to the future with new ideas.
There is so much more to find out about too. Each monster has combat points. They are capable of fighting in an arena. The lesser point ones you can capture and then transfer and gain more candies.  I heard the arena is one of the things that they are working on.  There are a few pokestop places that have a lot of little critters running around that are not pokemonsters which can trip you up trying to capture them. The monsters make a cute little sound in their own language that will help identify them. They also wiggle, bob and weave which helps to locate them, but then makes it hard to catch them. I have finally become pretty good at doing that though .
The hud you wear has a book on it where it tells you what monsters you have so far. I have saved some of the best combat points in a pokemonster saver that you can also pick up for free at the headquarters and rezz at home. I have also evolved a couple by depositing them in the machine at the HQ . This changes their appearance and also their combat points and cost you candy to do.  Many people sell their high point pokemonsters by putting them in a box that is also available there. There is still a lot more to learn about this complex game but I wanted to let you know all about it so you can go try it yourself. I need to get an egg and I know I can incubate the egg and will see what I get. 
As you catch more monsters you will rise to a higher level that you can see on your hud. The pokemonsters are really cute and interesting creations.  I have met quite a few addicts so far in my travels around the grid, some playing the “similar “game in real life. Go try it! You can start here at the headquarters and the owners are helpful and there is a group to join that is also helpful with problems. You will also enjoy seeing different locations on the grid where the Pokestops are located. I did. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/North%20Island/35/193/1002

 Gemma Cleanslate

Friday, September 23, 2016

Kayly Iali’s Art At The Paris Metro Art Gallery


By Gemma Cleanslate

I made it to the opening party in Paris for the September opening in the gallery. The  delightful Tiny Maniac’s Band was hard at work playing their music and Keeba Tammas, a well known Second Life vocalist, was singing her songs . The party was well  under way when I arrived in the lovely courtyard. Everyone was in great form dancing along. I stopped there for a while to enjoy the music then stepped away into the gallery where Kayly Iali’s art is on display for the next month.

Kayly was at the door when I entered. She says of her work, "I am an alla prima painter. I paint still life, mostly fruits but my first love is portraits. I also had painted abstracts. I do calligraphy and bring my calligraphic skills into my abstracts.I started my art career back in 2009 after graduating from California State University at Sacramento in studio arts. Going back to school was a great way to keep one toe in art as my kids were growing up. Since then I have been jurored into a couple of major regional art competitions and sold paintings through Etsy.com . I came into SL in 2009 and started exhibiting in 2010. I had showings at Pirats, Space 4 Arts, and others.”   

Alla prima is a new term to me so I looked it up and it is wet-on-wet, or alla prima is a painting technique, used mostly in oil painting, in which layers of wet paint are applied to previously administered layers of wet paint. I am glad I did because it helped me see her paintings in a different light as I went through the gallery. Her love of painting fruit is evident as she explores the fruit from different viewpoints in her art. It is so interesting to see an artist who brings their art from real life into Second LIfe. I enjoy visits to galleries where I see this. I have seen Kayly’s art in other galleries passed through. I hope you will stop over to visit during the next month while the exhibit is up. 

Kayly mentioned she may start painting pumpkins soon.  Walking in the Paris region is always so interesting. Enjoy !  

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Paris%20Couture/129/26/22

Gemma Cleanslate 

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Gaming Island

By Bixyl Shuftan

Recently on the official Second Life Blog, Linden Lab announced the creation of an area to inform residents about "skill games," Gaming Island. They called it a "region dedicated to educating Residents about skill games in Second Life." Deciding to see what exactly the place was like, I went over to check it out.
 
To begin with, it used to be that games which were outright gambling were available to play and common in Second Life. There were virtual casinos in Second Life in which people could play blackjack, poker, roulette, slot machines, and more. But in 2007, Linden Lab banned gambling on the grid, saying there were laws against it on the Internet. And the games and casinos vanished. Some time afterward, new games such as "Zyngo" appeared. The makers claimed that some degree of strategy was involved, and play did not rely entirely on chance. Despite their similarity to gambling machines, Linden Lab allowed the games, although could and did demand changes in a game's internal programing. Some residens saw little difference between these games and other forms of online gambling.

In July 2014, Linden Lab updated their policy on "skill games," saying they could only be in designated areas of which the owners had applied to the Lab to house them and pay fees. The makers of such games also had to be approved by Linden Lab and pay them fees as well. Critics charged Linden Lab was trying to squeeze a few extra bucks from the residents out of greed out of an industry of which the legality was based on technicalities in the law. But a number in the business paid the fees and a number of residents continue to spend Lindens on the games.


As it turned out, there is more than one "Gaming Island" on the map, Gaming Island and Gaming Island 2, presumably in case Linden Lab anticipated anticipated a large number of residents checking out the place. A third, Gaming Island Build, was blocked when I tried heading over. Heading to one, the area is made up of a welcome area for landing on, a "Play" area for the games, a "Learn" area to find out the basics of the Lab's policies on the games, and a portal area to one of several gaming areas.

There were several different kinds of games there, all in "free to play" mode. There were instructions nearby explaining how the games are played. I found the games rather simple enough. While they offered a prize for getting to a certain score, I never did reach it in any of the games.

The "Learn" area was were the policy of Skill Games was explained in brief. The definition of a Skill Game is describes. Another sign mentions the eleven US states where residents living cannot take part, which ironically includes Nevada despite it's gambling mecca of Las Vegas.

The last place was a portal area which would teleport residents to one of several areas with skill games. For some reason, PI Games, which did have machines in the "Learn" area, did not have a portal leading to their place. In the past, PI Games temporarily closed and halted operations of it's machines due to Linden Lab but has since come back online and their gaming hall is up and running.

Despite the controversy, it seems unless there are some changes in the law, Skill Games will continue to be a part of Second Life. And it's up to residents to decide whether or not to play. Just keep in mind in the long run, the House always wins.

Bixyl Shuftan

Friday, September 9, 2016

Dancing at the LEA 1


By Gemma Cleanslate


 LEA 1 is open for fun! It has been open since August 1 and will be there through the end of October. There are free dance lessons offered for all in four delightful venues in the region. The idea and the region are there through the group 2Ldance. The builds in the region are delightful just to visit. I took a tour of the gardens which are filled with lovely foliage and walkways. The Gardens Park is a wonderful place to dance. I visited the building which holds one of the classrooms where lessons are held, Jardines  de Baile , after the Mexican coast area was built by Stella Rhode Recco. Lesly Rotaru built Swing City, reminiscent of the 40’s dance halls, and Barbie Alchemi built Gardens Park that I just loved.
When I went to a live dance class I found the instructor, Carlyle Chaparral , giving the lesson and explaining about the various dance terms.”FRAME is what holds a dancing couple together. The LEAD “pulls” with the right hand, and the FOLLOW “pushes back” with her left. This tension helps the LEAD control the movement.” Carlyle gave instructions. Barbie Alchemi was his assistant for the session and all took turns dancing dances with partners and changing often. It was great fun! 

“We use the word “nightclub” to describe several kinds of slower, smoother Swing dances, such as West Coast Swing, Carolina Shag, and Blues.” was the announcement as we changed dances . The education is ongoing through the session which is fun and interesting. “As the LEAD guides the dance, the FOLLOW can focus on Flourish, those twists, sways, spins and hand motions that embellish the basic dance.  West Coast Swing usually moves in a “slot” shape, forward and back, but we have not been able to find a good animation in Second Life to illustrate this.” If you know anyone can do this type of animation Carlyle would be happy if you contact him.
On the wall there is a list of themes for dances and what would be good to wear and provides dressing rooms in which to change into the appropriate costume or gown.  In all I would say a visit to the Lea1 in the next month would be a great thing to do. Wander the areas but try to get to a dance session.  You can check this calendar for live dance lessons times and places. Ihttp://2ldance.weebly.com/live-instructor-calendar.html I highly recommend you visit the sim to check out the lovely builds. This will take you to the Welcome center where you can catch a tp to other venues. 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA1/221/77/24

Gemma Cleanslate