A Look at Horror-Themed Sims

By Theonlyjohnny Resident

Second Life is full of sims of all types. There are clubs, stores, rp sims, and many more. There are even horror sims, for people looking for a good scare. This reporter is one of those people, looking for the best scare I can find.

However, there is a bit of a problem out there. Most "Horror" Sims, aren't truly horror sims. Out of 50 horror sims I have visited, very few of them can be called horror sims. Of those few sims, only a small number, are actually up to their potential. The others, of these few, have not met their potential yet. The rest are either sims that have horror in their description to get more visitors, or sims that need a lot of work before they can truly be called horror sims.

Two of the great horror sims are, Toxian City (of course), and Larisa Incident. Some would argue that Siden be in there as well, however, Siden is more of a survivalists sim, not a horror sim. Of Larisa Incident and Toxian City, we can really see how genre doesn't matter. We have Sci Fi/Horror (Larisa), and we have Rural/Horror (Toxian City). Both sims have not only met their potential, but have exceeded it as well.

A trip to Toxian city is filled with mystery, as one doesn't know what might come out of the doorways, if anything. It is also expertly designed, for rural horror, with a dark air around a falling apart city. This sim is one of the very few true horror sims.

On the other side of the hand, we have Larisa Incident, a horror RP sim based around science fiction. Just going into the cargo hold, makes one feel scared. Not only due to the dark air around them, but also due to the quietness. It gives even this reporter the shivers, thinking about what might jump out and attack.

Some sims advertise horror, and might be trying, but either aren't trying hard enough, or are trying too much. Take a look at *The House on Haunted Hill, a superb ghostly haunt*. This sim even says it's superb in the title, so one might assume it truly is. However, I am sorry to say, they are a bit mistaken.

While the sim does have potential, they tried too hard to make it scary, and ended up making a house with so many scares, it borders on comical. In fact, in one bed, they have enough scares to fill a small room. Not to mention, in that same bedroom, they have another piece of furniture that moves, as well as a demon (or ghost) in the wardrobe. If they remove quite a few of their scares, they would be able to say it is superb, but right now, it's not true.

All that is needed to make a perfect horror sim, is a vision, a computer, and the knowledge of what is too much, and what is not enough.

Theonlyjohnny Resident

Commentary: Scripting and its Corruption

By Theonlyjohnny Resident

    Scripting is the foundation of Second life fun. It's used for simple things, like a title above your head, and it's used for complex things, like a DJ board. However, scripting has opened up a new chapter in history. A chapter of corruption.

    Most people use scripts to better either their sim, products, or to help better others. Some people use scripts to infringe upon rights of others. These people have been corrupted by the power that the knowledge of scripts has bestowed upon them.

    There are many scripts that are used by corrupted people. Of these, a few scripts stand out from the rest. One of these scripts is the one that is in a lot of attack huds. The script is known as the banishment script, and is used for banning someone from a sim, or even a full region. This script is one that should never have been created, since you can use it, even though you do not have admin powers in the sim, or region.

    Another script, believe it or not, is a game script. It is one that many people have simply called an incomplete script. Sometimes, it is, but other times it's that way for a reason. The script has everything that a normal game script has, with the exception of one crucial part, the prize giver part. Unsuspecting people will pay to play the game, and when they win, it will not give them anything. This script hasn't been one that people care about a lot, because most people assume it's just taking a while, but the prize never shows up.

    Another script, surprisingly, is an anti-fly script. However instead of just banning you from the sim or region temporarily, it will permanently ban the person. Not only that, but some of them, that people buy from shops, have a network wide ban. This means, if you're banned from one place that uses that anti-fly script, you will be banned from every single one of them that use that same anti-fly script.

    Most of you probably have not seen these scripts, but believe me, I not only have seen them, I have been a victim of all three. Scripting is a great thing, but there is a line between scripting to help others, and scripting to make a joke for you. The way things are going, it won't be long before people won't even be able to go afk in their own homes, without being banned.

Theonlyjohnny Resident

Urban Zombie

Urban Zombie

    From the minute I first saw this place, I was amazed. I was amazed at how much work was put into the designing, and developing of this sim. Of course, there are several zombie sims in SL. However, this sim is different.

    This sim does not use a meter and does not use melee. However, what this sim does have, is the 5 unique areas, tons of zombies, and yes, guns. However, these guns are different from the guns that you can buy at any other gun store. These guns are scripted specifically for this sim.


    Of course most of the guns need to be bought from the gun shop on the sim. However, despite the size of the gun shop, it, like the rest of the sim, is different from other places. Most places have shooting areas for their gun shop. While Urban Zombie has a gun shop for its shooting areas.

    Like I mentioned before, there are 5 unique areas. These five areas are, in no set order, Urban, Military Base, Suburbia, Prision, and Gothica. All five areas are made for different things. If you are looking for lots of kills, and a challenge, then Gothica is what you're looking for. Prision offers a moderate amount of kills at any given moment, and high safety since you can shoot from the bridges between the guard towers. Military Base offers a rugged terrain, low safety, and a high number of kills at any given moment. Suburbia offers a moderate amount of kills at any given moment, lots of safe places to shoot from, and a moderate challenge. Urban is the landing point and the hangout, however it is surrounded by a zombie infested area that offers a moderate amount of kills at any given moment, a moderate amount of safety, and a moderate challenge.

    I cannot begin to name all the weapons allowed at the sim, since there are a lot of them. However, I can tell you what is not allowed on the sim. Redemptions, T3 Weapons, Iron Sights, Mini guns (with the exception of the Blue Works Studio UZ scripted BGF6 Hydra, purchased on sim), and explosives of any kind, are not allowed on sim. This is understandable since the use of these weapons would give the user an unfair advantage against all other players.

    Of course you can kill zombies safely without the threat of dying. In which case, you don’t wear the radar. The purpose of the radar is to make it so you can die, but it also allows your overhead kills number to function. You can wear the overhead kills without the radar, however then you won't be able to raise your kill number.

    I interviewed three people, this is what they told me, when I asked them questions:

Interview with Doc

1. How did you hear of Urban Zombie?
>A friend brought me here.

2. What is your favorite weapon?
>Depends on what I'm doing, how I chose to attack the zombies. But right now I use the VSG45 Vortex. A good all purpose weapon.

3. How long have you been at Urban Zombie?
>A little over a year.

4. What is your favorite thing about Urban Zombie?
>The comaraderie, we are more like family, stand around and talk as much as we shoot.

Interview with MistyHarbour
1. How did you hear of Urban Zombie?
>A friend brought me here.

2. What is your favorite weapon?
>Right now, the pdw90 blitz.

3. How long have you been at Urban Zombie?
>A year I think.

4. What is your favorite thing about Urban Zombie?
>All kinds of things .. I get (to) run, jump and shoot,
I set my own goals .. try pushing my limits .. improving
my skills.

Interview with Tex
1. How did you hear of Urban Zombie?
> Got invited by someone I met at a music event.

2. What is your favorite weapon?
>Right now the VSG 45, but I swap around a lot.

3. How long have you been at Urban Zombie?
>About a year.

4. What is your favorite thing about Urban Zombie?
>The community atmosphere.


    These are the true words of the people that I interviewed. These are just three people who love Urban Zombie, and think of it as a second home.

Haumea (93, 123, 242)

Theonlyjohnny Resident

Star Hunting

By Theonlyjohnny Resident


    A creation of the Rise Gaming Association, Star Hunting is a scavenger hunt, consisting of various colors of both gems and shields.

    Each color gem, as well as each color shield, awards different amounts of unpaid earnings. Unpaid earnings can then be traded for linden, at the ATM, equaling the amount of unpaid earnings that the Rise Player, someone who plays Star Hunt, has at that very moment.

    However, it is a scavenger hunt, so most of the shields and gems are hidden, the ones that are hidden very well are the ones that give a greater amount of unpaid earnings. There are, however, shields that are out in the open, since the creator of Star Hunting, as well as the owners of the sims that participate in Star hunting, are some of the most respectful, down to earth, and thoughtful people that you will ever have the chance of meeting.

    When asked why Star Hunting was created, the creator responded with the following statement, "We've seen many games like this. I decided to make one because I have seen games of similar degree that is taking money from players. Those games aren't for the fun factor. Those games are just for the owner's favor. Rise Star Gaming is one of the first that would feature fun factor as a major factor. If there wasn't a game that has a fun factor rather than a money factor, it does not deserve to really be a real game. A game decides to only be fun if they are owned and managed by a friendly group of staff or owners."


    When asked why the name Star hunting, the creator responded by saying, "We didn't name it anything else. We wanted players to feel like Stars. By "stars" they are referred as Superstars, and players that reach certain feats in Rise's community receive actual stars on the floor, similar to a walk of fame at the new Rise Headquarters building. If they felt very honorable and treated well, it makes them feel like a true star when they play along with me instead of something else that usually gets ignored."

    Of course the owner isn't the only one that I talked to. When asked how she found out about Star Hunting, Emerald25 responded by saying, "I was here as staff in the beginning because I knew Warden from another game." Her favorite part of Star hunting is, and I quote, "The diversity, the colors, the happy community and that everyone can reach the same achievement levels i their own time:)"

    I am a Star hunter, myself, and I can vouch for the integrity, the diversity, the excitement, and the happiness, that Star Hunting brings to its players. There are no lies when it comes to Star Hunting. There are no catches either. It's simple and easy to follow, and because of the major outcome of the game, it's a wonderful game to participate in. I would recommend this game to anyone who loves to travel to different sims, as this game is played in many sims, all of these sims have the same idea for Star Hunting.

    Every sim, involved in Star hunting, plans to bring happiness to all those that visit, no matter who they may be. Everyone is welcome to every sim involved, even Roma Zona, the headquarter of the Rise Gaming Association. A visit to Roma Zona, is one that is worth it, and really makes a grand beginning to all people just starting out, in Star hunting.

TheonlyJohnny

Club Toxxic Haven

By Theonlyjohnny Resident

    While not one of the largest clubs, or the smallest, or the newest, or the oldest clubs, there is still a feeling that overwhelms me whenever I visit this club. When I first joined SL, Toxxic Haven was a bustling club, filled nearly all hours of the day. However, now it's lucky to see any visitors, even at the times of day that SL recieves its largest amount of visitors.

    This club used to be another home to me. The visitors and staff were like a family to me. It brings a tear to my eye seeing this club so empty. I can vouch for how great this club was. There were no troubles here. There were no fights here, well that happened since I joined SL. This club was truly a haven.

    The design of the club gives you not only a sense of welcome, but a sense of…well it was basically a club that said "Come on in, have fun. I'm right here." It's not too flashy. It's not too bright, nor too dark. It's just an amazing show of cooperation between all aspects of a club.


    The staff of this club were always welcoming, and very friendly. No one was ejected for something wrong. No one was ever banned on their first offense. Everything was right in the world, especially since griefers never showed their faces there.

    I miss this club, and the staff. I will not give any grades on this club, since I am not grading this club. I am simply telling y'all how great a place it was. Please help this club out, don't let it slowly die away. It deserves to last a lot longer.

Theonlyjohnny Resident