The End of the “Second Libiations” Art Exhibit

The LEA6 sim, run by the Linden Endowment of the Arts, has been showing a new look every month. In November, it has Tyrehl Byk’s “Not a Knot” and “Catharsis” particle show. December brought a new exhibition by another artist: “Second Libiations” by Haveit Neox.

“Second Libations” had a story behind it. The exhibition depicts a future after all life on Earth ends following a disaster that evaporates all the water. The surviving intelligence lives only in virtual reality and computers: the ‘bots. And with out human maintenance, they too will eventually fade as their home goes dark. Not sure what to do, they flood their world with virtual water “in the hope of rehydrating their users.”

When the exhibit was up, visitors entered “through the doorway of a pyramid,” where they could read the story, followed by meeting up with some of the bots. Free outfits in the style of what the bots were wearing were available. Going further, they would find themselves walking down a huge statue, eventually ending up at the bottom of the sea, directions leading to a staircase that took one to land, and the “Temple of the Bots.” There, the bot scripters worked to try to preserve their virtual world without the help of their now dead users. The three rooms one could go to were an art gallery, a maze leading to a study area, and a “web tower” made up of spiders and a web symbolizing the Internet.



December 31 was the last day of the exhibit, but instead of simply taking it down Haveit decided to end things with a bang.


There will be a dramatic end to Second Libations on New Year's eve, Dec 31. As the year 2012 issues in, will it really be the end of the world? Come see for yourself. The show begins at 2 pm, SLT. (SL time is Pacific Standard Time). You may want to be there, and bring your camera.


A few dozen gathered to witness the end of the LEW exhibit. Some were in the exhibit’s costumes. And the end had become part of the story. Narrated by Lilia Artis, “The bots, still unable to resuscitate their human users come to the last resort: the human standards of ritual and sacrifice. Combining the rites of the Vikings, Hindus, and many other cultures as well, the bots begin their sacrifice, sailing into a prayer by way of the burning ship, the offering of their entire culture and being.” And the temple began to go ablaze.

Lilia continued, “The temple’s library explodes with all the stories in its scrolls, releasing their printed letters and punctuation into a confused mass. The air blackens with the dust of ideas. No pixel seems stable. The supports of the temple begin to slide along the x axis, then the y, wrestling themselves free of structure, the walls succumb, relinquishing their will to stand. 2012 has arrived! “ And the Temple began to crumble.

The audience reacted in different ways. Some cheered at the sight, cracking jokes, “Oh, em, gee, Libations is becoming ‘Frybations!!’ “I love the smell of burning pixels.” “Are you playing the ‘Ride of the Valkyries?’ ” “We bot them all the time we could!” “Burning it down for the insurance?” “Take that, library police!” Some gave polite applause, “The Libraryinth shall forever be emblazoned in our minds' eyes!” “Nothing is ever ‘destroyed’ ... merely transformed.” Others just watched, thoughtful of the plot and what this symbolized: the end of the last bastion of intelligence on Earth.

Lilia continued to narrate as the temple fell, “The World Wide Web, spun by scripter spiders in the tower collapses in the fury of the sacrifice.” Then the huge statue fell, “The Colossus, comes to his knees as the temple of the bots lies in ruin.” Some continued to joke, while others applauded the artist, Honour McMillan saying, “Hav, you're a seriously demented talent, thank the gods for that.”

Finally, the build was in rubble, Lilia narrating, “As foretold, the year 2012 would bring an end... but, an end of one thing, is the beginning of another... From the rubble on the LEA6 sim, will soon rise the fruits of the bots’ sacrifice... One of the essences of human nature... a universal language understood not only by humans, animals, and all living things... but even by mathematics itself....”

Lilia announced that the next exhibit at LEA6 would have the theme “Music,” by the artist Artistide Despres. The exhibit’s rubble would remain until Midnight SL time, “Thank you for having joined me for this spectacle. And Happy New Year!” The audience, jokesters and all, then applauded Haveit for his exhibit and the show he put at the end, “Thank you, Haveit, for a most splendid exhibit and adventure here!” “I will miss this place, but what a great way to end it - Bravo!“ “was totally awesome, thanks! So much creativity!” “A fitting end to a spectacular installation.” Haveit expressed his thanks to the crowd, “Thank you everyone! ... I'm so grateful that you came! And thank you Lilia for helping put the text into local for me!”

More information on “Second Libations,” can be found at the UWA blog, as well as Haveit’s own blog.

Bixyl Shuftan

Be the Ninja! The Nexus Core System RP Sim

Ninja Combat System is a complex MMORPG (Massive Multi Online Role Play Game) created especially for SL. It is located at NxCS (12, 120, 3159). The role-play is wildly popular, with over 4000 members. When I visited there recently, it was my first introduction to the world of Ninjas and role-playing games. I was fascinated by this detailed, creative world. Peaceful, beautiful music plays in the background, but danger lurks everywhere.

BioBlaze Payne and Silicon Plunket own NCS, and Numberofthebeast Angelus is the main Builder. Currently the role play area of Ninja Combat is set in Yōso no tochi, Land of the Elements. The site is expanding rapidly. Currently you can find a Village set within a volcano, waterfalls, meadows, and more. Outside of the role play area is a Mall, library, classrooms, and a combat practice area. If you are not familiar with MMORPG, there are classes, notecards, and friendly people who will help get you started. There is even a blog dedicated to Ninja Combat: http://blog.ncs2.net/.

NCS can be enjoyed in many different ways. The premise of the game is built on a legend about three brothers who come from a distant world but then go their separate ways. The middle brother lived among nature, communing with the Forest and eventually the elements themselves. From the elements he gained longevity and prospered. His descendants became Yōso no rēsu, the Race of the Elements. Some of these people have the ability to control "Chi/Ki/Chakra" a spiritual energy that gives them power to protect or to destroy. This ability is so valuable that others will kill to have it.

In order to protect the children who are born with this power, the people joined together in clans and families to form Villages. The villages offer protection and employment for those with this miraculous ability. An individual Ninja can join a clan and take part in massive group events or go on individual quests and journeys. Elaborate histories of the groups and clans exist and drive the plot of this RPG. Each Ninja who joins the group brings his or her own story to the game, enriching and adding to the community. The Ninja advance through different levels and complete missions as they progress through life.

To play, you pick up the free game box on Marketplace. Inside the box you’ll find a HUD, weapons pouch, some clothing and both male and female shapes. The HUD is key to the game because it intertwines the RP with missions where you find and seek objects or engage in combat. Wear the HUD and go to the landing point listed above. Create your character by choosing a name, your abilities, symbols, village and clan. NCS guides you through the character building process. In addition to the HUD, notecards, signs and other tools are available to help you.

I decided to be a male Ninja. I wore the male student shape and put on the Nagushi uniform of Kunai Holster. NCS provided the Nagushi clan shinobi pants, wrist band, shingaurd boots, headset, and projectile pouch. It didn’t include a shirt, which isn’t a problem for a real male. In my case, I added the tunic from a male outfit available in the Linden Library.

Like any endeavor, the more thought you put into this, the better your outcome will be. But don’t let lack of experience stop you from trying this game. I was able to create a presentable character with minimal effort and no prior Ninja knowledge. Once I looked like a Ninja, I needed to gain some knowledge and experience.

In the library there are rows of books, some of which give out freebies and experience points. There are also classes, which BioBlaze Payne and others teach to newcomers. In addition to the library, a weapon practice area and other “safe” zones exist so you can learn Ninja skills without getting injured. For those who want to support the community with Lindens, there is also a way to purchase experience and other benefits. The purchases help the sim and the community, too.

But I wanted to jump into action. Ready or not, I teleported into the Village.

The Village is an impressive, multi-level structure constructed of dark, grey stone and linked by bridges. One of the bridges is featured as the cover art on the game box. A few private meeting rooms are tucked away behind the massive pillars. Fireplaces have been placed in the center of the room to offer warmth and light. The rooms are great places for small groups of Ninja to meet and plan their strategy. A hospital is located in the corner of one of the buildings, although it appeared a rock slide had damaged it.

The creative Builder of this world is Numberofthebeast Angelus. He took me on a tour of the Village, including some hidden and behind-the-scene areas. We started with a walk-through of the Village area, where we made a quick stop for Take-Out food. Angelus made the Chef, who is an NPC, a Non-Player Character. “The Chef,” Angelus said, “is my fav NPC to date.” In addition to cooking, the Chef gives out missions, such as sending a Ninja on a quest to find a needed ingredient. Angelus’ creativity and humor are found in the carry-out boxes, too. “Go Home Happy” is written on them.

New areas and creatures are continually being added to keep the game exciting and fun for the Ninja. From the Village we went to a hidden hot springs that is still being perfected. The giant Slug is slated to become a Mission Giver. Other creatures, like moles, leeches and ants, are in the works, too. But the human-looking NPCs were my favorites. The detail and diversity were amazing. Even more impressive is that they are only 1 prim each.

In addition to the NPCs, magical plants have been created at another hot springs. A new HUD is in the works that will involve a mining system. Different ores are being created, ranging from basic iron ore up to valuable diamonds. A new village that will be hidden in a forest is also planned, and Angelus will build living quarters for anyone who wants to live at NCS.

On another visit to NCS I met Vasari Nagushi, who is the Nagushi Sama of Noumugakure. He has been a member for three years. In addition to his duties as the Nagushi Sama and working security, he helps new people who want to get involved. His village has 21 people in it, but one of his goals is to increase that number. While we chatted, another Ninja, Isela Yuhara, joined us. She and Vasari Nagushi are members of the same clan, but reside in different villages.

But Ninja seek adventure, and it was time for me to return to find one. One of the first missions given a beginning Ninja is to kill the Lava bees that live in a giant bee hive. The bees are attacking the farmers and villagers and must be killed. As I stood there, debating whether I really wanted to get near the hive, encouraging messages came to me. One message said, “Lava Bees are attacking. This is a good chance for you to show us what you learned in School.” Another note encouraged me to “Go dwindle their numbers.”

I had to try to save the Village. With no experience and even less knowledge, I took on the hive. At the end of my fight, I received a message that said “You have Damaged yourself 8 time(s)” and another one that said “You have done a Direct hit 6 time(s)”. Not bad, I thought. But the best message was “You have done Double Damage 6 time(s)”. I saved the Village—at least for the moment. It was time for a reward. Time to shop.

I went shopping at the Gateway to Cosplay store, located in the mall area. Here I found a wide variety of clothes and outfits for both men and women. The women’s clothes included beautiful silks, fishnet stockings, boots, and hats. The men’s Shinigami Captain's Haori outfit was very dashing. On the other side of the Mall I found the Birth shop, where skins, eyes, and shapes are sold. The Mall is large, with lots of room available for more shops.

If you have ever wanted to explore the fascinating world of the Ninja, the NCS sim is a great place to start. With the HUD, notecards, posters, and classes to teach you the basics of this world, you can be a Ninja. You, too, can find adventure here.

Go defeat those Lava Bees!

Grey Lupindo

Winners Announced in UWA Open-Art Challenge

Any1 Gynoid, noted lately for her articles on the “Occupy” movement in Second Life, recently attended the University of Western Australia’s 3-D Open Art Challenge as they announced their winners this Sunday December 11th at 6 AM SL time. A total of 59 art exhibits were elgible for a 100,000 Linden prize, with 24 competing in a seperate non-scripted contest. In the “MachinimUWA 4: Art of the Artists” film contest, 83 machinimas were judged as well.

By a single point, the winner of the Open Art Challenge was Misprint Thursday’s “Digital Glove.” Described in Prim Perfect as a “complex and thoughtful work,” one was asked to wear a HUD to get the full bennefit of this exhibit that was a combination of audio, motion pictures, and static objects. Taking a look at it, I personally do not know how to describe it other than I haven’t seen anything like it before. Misprint also tied for 5th Place in “Paranormal Frottage.”

"I am so honored to have two spots in the top 10 of the year...I am amazed at the potential of the medium and look forward to seeing it progress. I am very thankful for the work that Jay Jay, FreeWee and the judges put into this-it is no small task. We have a world of people and possibilities here and it continues to move me. So, thank you."

Those wanting to hear more from Misprint can do so at the Christmas Expo in the Silver Bells sim on Friday when she is interviewed.

Second place went to “In Dreams” by Blue Tsuki. This exhibition showed a sleeping area full of beds, but instead of sleepers, the beds had various objects on them. Of coming in second, Blue spoke, "Misprint is very desring, I don’t mind losing to her(smile). But then there were so many deserving that I am so surprised." Blue recieved 75,000 Lindens.

Third place was “The Chasm” by Oberon Onmura. This was a simple exhibit of two wedges back to back to each other with a small gap in between. On each of the peices lay an avatar, humanoid with a monocolor skin, it’s AO causing it to reach out to the other. For those going about the UVA exhibition and see two avatars on your radar next to one another, it might be this exhibit. I say might because avatars can crash. And sometimes they can fail to rezz, such as when I came across it. Oberon recieved 40,000 Lindens. As shown when Second Life Newser looked at his Burn2 exhibit, Oberon’s work sometimes involves the use of avatars as art.

Fourth place went to “Strange Plant: Ugliness and Beauty” by Claudia222 Jewel, whom recieved 30,000 Lindens as her prize. Tying for fifth were “Paranormal Frottage” by winner Misprint Thursday and “Excerpts from Realities” by Glyph Graves. Seventh place went to “Not Everything is Black & White” by Fushia Nightfire. Tying for eighth place were “Fantasia En La Sombra” by Romy Nayar and “It’s Raining in My Heart as It’s Raining in the Town” by Cherry Manga. Five exhibits tied for tenth place, “Harmonies in C Great” by Artistide Despres, “Three Little Turns and It Goes Away” by Josiane Sorciere, “The Dock Spirit” by Scottius Polke (designer of Lunamaruna), “Venustrap” by Claudia222Jewel, and “Shattered” by Ginger Also.

In the Non-Scripted competition, first place went to “Shattered” by Ginger Alsop, whom was awarded a 15,000 Linden prize. Second place was awarded to “You Can’t Touch Heaven” by Paleillusion Resident, who recieved 10,000 Lindens. Third place went to “99%” by Harter Fall, whom took home 5,000 Lindens. Harter spoke, "Receiving this award is such an amazing honor. I never thought I would win this prize, especially with such an political installation. I think even the rich ones of us understand they don´t belong to the 1%."

The Peoples’ Choice Award went to “Small Piece of Hell” by Rebeca Bashly, " I am very surprised and pleased. My goal is to make people happy with my pixels."

In the MachinimUWA 4 competition, the winner was “Welcome to the Other Side” by Tutsy Navarathna, “Many thanks to the organizers. UWA competitions are now setting the benchmarks for the creation of Visual 3D and Audio-Visual media in Virtual Worlds.
I am very proud to be part of this adventure! UWAMachinima IV is a great achievement in terms of the number of entrants and the high quality of the films being produced. In only three years or so, machinima filmmakers have emerged as an undisputed artistic force in Virtual Worlds...And this is just the beginning! Thank you, all.”

Tutsy recieved a 60,000 Linden prize. His machinima can be seen here (Not Safe For Work): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm4XY49gdzc&feature=player_embedded . Second place went to “Artwashers” by Friday Siamendes, and third went to “Art of the Artists” by Fushia Nightfire. They recieved 40,000 and 30,000 Linden prizes respectively. The Special Award for Emotion went to “Yeah” by Hypatia Pickens, and the Special Award for Breaking the Barriers was awarded to “Transformation Virtual Art on the Brink” by L1aura Loire/ Dr. Lori Landay.

Lori spoke, “My film suggests that virtual art can be seen as a step towards what augmented reality might bring to art experience in the future, but as usual, I explore that idea playfully, with a wink at questions about how imagined, created, and actual realities intertwine, and what it might mean to break the barriers between them. It is a privilege to explore those connections with the artist communities of Second Life, especially as we've been brought together by the UWA.”

When awarded fifth place in the Non-Scripted competition for “Marionette,” Haveit Neox commented, "The UWA Art Challenge 2011 comes to an end, but it's left its imprint grid wide for the artists of SL. Jayjay conceived of the challenge, and against all odds in an otherwise scattered Second Life, he managed to nurture an expansive and stimulating place for artists to congregate, share their work, discover each other, and further their visibility in SL. An impossible task, unless you happen to be Jayjay. I am grateful for this award. My thanks to Jayjay, FreeWee, and all those who made the UWA Art Challenge a reality."

The exhibit can still be seen at UWA Winthrop (208, 128, 248)

Contributor: Any1 Gynoid

Sources: Prim Perfect, UWA Blog

Bixyl Shuftan

Linden Realms Portal: Nysray

Premium members can experience Second Life in Linden Realms. You're supposed to be able to quest, conquer and gain Linden Dollars. When I teleported in my Phoenix white dress, I knew I should have changed into something more appropriate, but I was here already.

You begin on a black platform on top of a hill. A guide pole beams a green light to where you're supposed to begin. You touch down on land surrounded by hilly terrain in front of a strange looking object that looks like a fantasy or alien rock.

It says:
Shimmering Rift briefly emits a faint voice '... is anyone out there? I need your help...' Shimmering Rift emits a burst of static. Shimmering Rift crackles with electricity.

I'm thinking, back away. So I did. I clicked various parts of the Shimmering Rift structure and nothing happened. I even clicked the blue crystal on top of it. I got smart and looked under it. Finally a message:

Shimmering Rift says, “This portal will take you to Project LR, an enhanced SL experience. Walk inside, and the portal will teleport you to the island.”

So I walked into the rift and was teleported to the Summoning Circle. Everything was intensely green and surrounded by half orange/half green pods. Blue rectangles with colored ovals are right above you. If you click the question mark it will load a web page from Linden Realms. So I move out of the way in case another voyager drops down the portal. I waited patiently for the web page to load and I learn that's a hud above my head.

The web page says: “As part of the Linden Realms experience, a heads-up display (HUD) will be attached to you automatically. You won't be prompted to accept the attachment. Don't worry: while this is not standard behavior in the rest of Second Life, it is the way Linden Realms is designed to work.”

Trouble and danger brew around every corner. You can be "killed" in the game by one of the hazards (like a rock monster, toxic water, or a fireball). When this happens, you will be teleported to a “resurrection circle.” Unless I get off the ground, I’m a target. Since there’s no ability to fly, that option doesn’t exist.

If you can't fly then avoiding the stone path might be a good idea if they have some form of avatar trackers. I cautiously headed toward the workshop cottage.

Next comes the message: 5:04] Tyrah: “I see you have found my island. I'm trying to build some flares to signal a rescue party. Can you help me?”

I sat at the table and started clicking bottles and books lying around. The goal is to find crystals. Scanning the area around me, I see a map on the table which is the exact image of the SL mini-map. Evidently, there are clues to where crystals can be found. They can also be the first places to avoid.

Above the small map is a larger more detailed illustration of "Suspected Crystal Concentrations.” Going there will surely lead to danger. There are eight at the base camp. When things started exploding, I knew I was in trouble. But it was in sound effect only, possibly the chemical concoction in the huge test tubes on one side of the building. I'll tell you I didn't like being alone here. Something in a cage was also not a good sign.

Into a cabin I move:

[5:20] Tyrah's Cabin: “Tyrah created this home when she was stranded on the island. She spent time here trying to find a way to get herself home.”

So this is Tyrah's cabin and I'm avoiding at all costs being too curious. I'm certainly not going to click on the small cage in her bedroom. From the drawings, I can see that she was trying to create flares with the crystals. I did notice a crystal changing form inside a contained area. I also avoided oval platforms with center dots.

A new clue:
5:25] Blue Crystal Collector: “This machine collects and processes blue crystals. To use it, stand on the target in front of the machine when you have blue crystals.”

I used the world map to click on teleport sites. Selecting the closest, I immediately read this:

5:28] Teleport completed from http://slurl.com/secondlife/LR%207/217/59/38 5:28] You have been teleported by the object 'Death Volume' on the parcel 'Tyrah's Island'

Since I like my body the way it is, I decided the word "Death" was a clue for me to get out of there. Tell me if you get further.....

Netera Landar

More on the "1000 Avatar Project"

Gracie Kendal danced in paint speckled jeans and a comfy top surrounded by the towering 1000 Avatar exhibit. Her friends danced right along with her at a pre-release party for Volume 2 of her book.

Kendal's photography focused on the concept of online identity: what it means to present ourselves in a virtual manner, how we fashion our avatars and why.

It began with a Second Life group show held on Caerleon Island called "Ambiguity of Identity.” Back in 2010, several SL artists worked together on the project.

"So we were already having this conversation about identity in Second Life," said Kendal as we sat in a social area a day before the party. We were surrounded by the avatar pictures beyond what your camera could observe. One literally had to cam upward and around to see the entire exhibit. "I can't remember the exact moment or inspiration...most of my artistic work is spontaneous. But when I come up with these ideas, I just go with them immediately.”

"Second Life allows us to be what we are in the inside. We understand what it means to don a persona, an identity, a personality, a mask, an avatar and either be someone else, or explore another aspect of ourselves or find our true self. Avatars are amazing inventions," Kendal mentioned.

What began as a collection of one hundred portraits to illustrate the idea of online anonymity, evolved into a documentation of SL avatars. She began her project Oct. 23, 2010 and finished it Nov 2, 2011.

"The portraits record a moment in their lives of more than a thousand people who are, to me, fearless," she explains about her first book. "These people have put themselves out there into the brave new world of virtual environments as explorers searching for anything and everything. They are amazing, creative, soulful people who I am so honored to have in my project."

The project is immense. You have to see it to believe it. It's 2,438 prims, 100 x 100 meters across and 68 meters tall. Kendal knew what she wanted to do because her Masters Thesis show featured portraits done of herself as part of a transition for the project as "My Life as an Avatar." She had before and after portraits in real life where she stood in front of a gray background.

"Initially I set up a little platform above my studio and started Iming people from my friend's list," she said. "Within a week or so I had about 100 avis. Then I started putting out notices in the groups I am in, as well, asking friends to tell their friends. Then the installation got into the destination guide and I started getting IMs and emails asking to participate. It has been a steady stream of people ever since."

The project was mentioned in the Second Life group on Facebook and that has increased exhibit visitors. She had to take a break from shooting for awhile because of computer issues, but when she came back, she moved full steam ahead on finishing meeting her goal of 2000 avis. She just reached the goal last week.

What did she learn from the project? That would be how important this is to the history of Second Life.

"Especially because Second Life isn't the buildings, art or clothes, it’s the people who are here who make this world what it is," she told me. "I'm really honored that they would want to be part of this."

She thinks these avatars stand proud and represent so many more who covet their online identities.

"A big part is also anonymity," she mentioned. "So it’s stressing the idea that we can come here and be whoever we want." Asked if she sees a pattern emerge in avatar use she replied, "I noticed a lot more women or women avatars, definitely more human."

Kendal self published her book, “1000 Avatars” so she could have control over every aspect of it. She dedicated the first volume to a dear friend of hers, the late Delinda Dryssen. The 160-page softcover book was published May 31, 2011. It sells for $62.95. Email her to order it at krisartlvr@verizon.net.

For more information, log on to www.graciekendal.wordpress.com.

Netera Landar

Tamarillo Island Maze

You begin in a large open area with a few vendors selling various weapons programmed for use inside the Maze. There are things like swords and blade-arms (good against flesh, not so good against robots) and there are energy weapons (designed more for blasting 'bots instead of zombies. After buying the "reloader hud" for 50 $L, I decided on a "Blade Arm" (short range, high damage) and hopped down to go into the maze proper.

The maze is just that, a maze. From my perspective, the upper levels look like an industrial warehouse with various zombies flitting about; I can see a Doom-ish influence here. I hit mouselook and began slashing at the zombies, and as I did so, they fell apart and as I moved closer I found they're physical objects. Killing them released "gems" which I had to walk over to pick up and they were added to my "hud" for eventual purchase of improvements to my weapon. Along the way there were a few terminals with buttons on them you can click (I had a good laugh over one button labeled "not bound", meaning it did nothing) with some opening doors and others releasing more monsters which I had to kill.

One problem I had was constantly entering mouselook and leaving it to click on my reload hud to reload a freebie pistol that is available (I figure there's a way to fire without being in mouselook but at the moment it escapes me). Another problem I had was that since the objects are actually -physical-, a lot of them in the area will lag the sim down. There was one area with about 6 or 7 "zombies" all grouped together as a single cluster when it was meant for them to be separate, and that slowed the system to a crawl. I saw the cluster fall through the floor twice trying to orient itself or move while the sim was computing how best to approach me and attack. Movement slowed and rubber-banded me back and forth as the sim repeatedly tried to compensate for all of the movement, and fortunately I've played enough of these game types to know to move away or around as far as possible until the system "woke up" and everything flowed smoothly again. On top of that, the "gems" are physical too, and walking over them sometimes kicked them instead of added them to my hud... I had to walk over them repeatedly.

I didn't end up getting very far. On my furthest foray into the maze, I got caught in between prims in one of those tight spaces that makes SL think you're falling. Couldn't move or jump or even fly out... easy prey for the zombies.

I tracked down the owner of the Maze, Chainsword Audion, and asked him a few questions...

Xymbers Slade: How long has the Maze been active, and what is the main objective?

Chainsword Audion: It opened a few months back. Its objective is to bring some fast paced action adventure to Second Life. Dancey clubs, beaches and lag are something we already have enough of.

Xymbers Slade: What kinds of critters can be found in the maze? Any power ups, puzzles, etc?

Chainsword Audion: New enemies and content are being added to the maze every so often. As of now you will encounter many kinds of zombies and robots. Puzzles yes; powerups: besides the weapon and hud everything you need is right here. #chestpat

Xymbers Slade: Any tips for survival in the maze?

Chainsword Audion: Bring friends. Do not let things get near you. Try to be fully reloaded at all times. Stuff like that.

Xymbers Slade: How long did it take to build this whole thing up?

Chainsword Audion: The maze has been something I have been working on since early 08. Created a total of 7 times and destroyed 6 times.

Xymbers Slade: I noticed a lot of the "monsters" are physical objects. Has that been a problem, since many physical objects interacting at once lag the sim down?

Chainsword Audion: This is unfortunately a part of Second Life. With careful managing of script resources though, this can be minimized.

Xymbers Slade: Is there anything you wanted to have the maze do/have, but could not thanks to the way SL works?

Chainsword Audion: Bigger battles. I would love to have large scale battles in the maze where you must hold off hundreds of enemies coming from all sides. This, however, is just not something that can happen with the amount of processing power Linden Labs chooses to allocate to a homestead or even fullsize sim for that matter. Would gladly be willing to shell out some cash to cover a hardware upgrade fee, however, that is not an option offered.

Xymbers Slade: What kind of improvements are you planning on making for the Maze in the future, or are you going to let the work stand for itself?

Chainsword Audion: I have several ideas for improving the hud and adding a possible armor feature. As for sure things though you can expect to see extensions to the bottom of the maze as well as new enemies and weapons. (only a little under 50% of the maze is actually finished)

Xymbers Slade: Any parting shots for those who want to make something similar? Pitfalls to avoid, words of wisdom, etc?

Chainsword Audion: Something similar? Don't make something similar. Make something that no one has ever seen before.

The Maze can be found at Tamarillo Island (238 239 1170). I'm going to give the Maze 3 Dragon Hoards out of five. The effort shows, but the SL physics take away from the overall effect and shoot 'em ups like this aren't my thing. Still, the pricing of the weapons is right (gotta support the sim somehow) and it's a nice thing to visit and try out if you're into this sort of thing.

Xymbers Slade

Meeroo Auctions

Having immersed myself into the Meeroos, I decided to head out and head for the Meeroo sim itself and check out the Meeroo Auctions they were having over there. I was surprised that such an auction house existed, but I probably shouldn't have been - I tell others "if it exists in real-life it exists in SL" all the time. I went over expecting to see a lot of shops and hear barkers giving prices for Meeroos, and I was not disappointed.

The sim is one big Meeroo store, with almost all traits, breeds, and varieties represented. I saw several places that had a lot of "rare coats" and a lot of "random nest givers" that promised good breeding lines and rare, normally-expensive 'roos at much cheaper prices... if you got lucky. Of course, seeing so many "rare coats" in one place kind of dumbed them down for me, I saw one pen filled with blue-coated meeroos that were supposed to be "very rare." Naturally, the more common the meeroo, rare coat or not, the less it would potentially be "worth."

In one corner of the sim, Auctioneer Emra Jantzen was calling out various meeroos and their bloodlines, sounding much like an overexcited infomercial. I mean that in a good way, because she had a LOT of interest and a lot of people clustered around the platform, all of them making various bids on the various meeroos presented before them. I caught up with her after her shift and asked her a few questions on the whole thing.

Xymbers Slade: How long have you been "hawking the 'roos"? Can you give a little bit of history behind the auctioneering here?

Emra Jantzen: I have been calling Meeroo auctions since late July, but Meeroo Market opened in late August. Daemon actually had a market on the sim but no auction area until August, when he decided to cash in on the growing trend of auctioning meeroos.

Xymbers Slade: Was it hard getting started? Did you just set up one day with a handful of nests and start calling them out?

Emra Jantzen: I actually started out as just a customer, new to meeroos, watching the auctions. I've been a DJ in SL for years and thought, how hard could this be? I didn't really think it through. It's a lot of work. I started at another auction house and was hooked at my first auction when I managed to sell a loch for 75000$L.

Xymbers Slade: How can you tell if a particular meeroo is very valuable, or is it just "the more traits the better"?

Emra Jantzen: It follows a simple supply and demand theory. The less there are of a coat the more valuable it is. If a rare coat has traits, that just ups the value more. If you come to one of my auctions you can hear me preach this, the more traits on a coat as possible. If a roo has just a coat the value will go down. If a roo has a rare coat with 3 good traits, its going to hold its value.

Xymbers Slade: How difficult would you say is it to get the particular traits? Is it luck, skill, patience or all three?

Emra Jantzen: Patience and skill with a dash of luck. If you know what you want and can wait it out you can get it. Knowing what is in the background of your roos genetics is key. I personally have managed to create a very reliable long mane line from two chest fluff off springs. It just took me awhile.

Xymbers Slade: How much would you say a Tribal with clear eyes, short tail, and short upturned ears would be (as that's the one I think I want the most)?

Emra Jantzen: A roo is only worth as much as someone will pay. That being said, I have seen tribals with no traits being sold for anywhere between 125k to 150k. The traits would add a significant amount to the price.

Xymbers Slade: Does it surprise you how much some of these meeroos go for? I was hearing bids of 4000, which is almost $20 USD, for 13 linked prims. (smile)

Emra Jantzen: Yes it does. You came on a bad night, we have sold roos for more then 150,000Ls here, and I have seen them priced for much more in markets. I always told myself I would never pay more then 5000 for a roo. I bought my first jubilee for 25,000. I think it gets kind of addicting at the auctions and before you know it you are bidding right along with everyone else.

Xymbers Slade: I heard the most one went for was $350,000L. What is the most you've sold a meeroo for, and where does the money all go?

Emra Jantzen: I don't have all of the high end roos that a lot have. I refused to invest in them for a long time and so I have fallen behind. The best one I sold was a Chest fluff back when they were selling for 16,000. I can't say where everyone else's money but mine actually goes to my RL. Being a single mother, the money from my auctions has really saved me a number of times. I actually paid my electric bill and rent last month with Roo money. I also pay my tier in world and pay for food for my roos. My tips last week will buy my kids Christmas presents when it gets in my bank.

Xymbers Slade: Finally, what do you think the chances are of a 'roo having "all" special traits (a hair trait, eye, rare coat... everything)... has it happened? What kind of price would it fetch?

Emra Jantzen: I have never seen a roo that had it all, but I personally know a few breeders who are trying. One in particular has come close, and you can sometimes see the results of her breeding in our auctions. We call them Callista Roos. I can only imagine how high they would go for when someone does manage to get all the traits in one roo.

Now, I've come close in my own meeroo breeding. I've gotten a couple of "short shorts" as they're termed, meeroos with the traits of "Short Tail" and "Short Upright Ears" (there are five possible "trait" slots, one for head shape, tail curl, clear eyes, ear shape, and coat). While I don't think I'll be putting them on the auction house (I want to see if I can get anything good out of my 'roos first), this is a good example of SL helping support people in real-life and what SL could be for everyone if done RIGHT. While I couldn't last more than ten minutes listening to someone bark out the virtues of something, I'm still giving the Meeroo Auction House five Dragon Hoards out of five. It can be found at Meeroo (218, 223, 25) so if you're looking for a possible bargain on the 'roo craze, that is a good place to check out and shop.

Xymbers Slade