Bergson Bowling Center : Let’s Get Bowling in Second Life

By Wesley Regenbogen

Bowling, it must be the most famous indoor sport in the USA. Where I live in real life (Belgium, Europe), there are many bowling centers as well. Luckily, you can bowl in Second Life as well. Just head over to Bergson Bowling Center, it’s THE place if you are into bowling.

I’ll explain how you can bowl there in a bit, but first let’s explain some of the terminology that is used in bowling (for those unfamiliar with bowling, that is) :

Strike  all 10 pins are down in one throw)
Split (two outer pins are still standing when thrown)
Spare  (successfully taken down the remaining pins in the second turn)
Double strike (two strikes in a row)
Turkey (three strikes in a row)
Four Bagger (four strikes in a row)
Five Bagger (five strikes in a row)
Perfect Game  (all strikes in the game, meaning it’s the perfect game, 300 points maximum score )
Indian (two pins standing behind each other)

Ok, so now you know the most common terms used in bowling. Now, let me explain how to bowl in Second Life. In Bergson Bowling Center you must first go to the large pin at the left when standing at the door. You then right-click and select “Touch” and a menu will appear. Now choose a lane that is available. Once you have assigned a lane for yourself, head over to the lane and then click on the bowling ball thing right under the scoreboard. Right-click and select “Touch”, once again it gives you a menu. Now select “Ball” and you will be given a bowling ball. Wear it on your avatar to proceed further.

Now choose ( in the same menu, you might need to click it again and re-choose it ) “Start game” and then head to the bowling lane and get to the line there. Now you need to go into “mouselook” mode, you do this by using your scrollwheel on your computer mouse. Once you are into “mouselook” mode, there will be a crosshair in the middle of your screen.

To bowl you must first choose where you want the ball to go. Once you did this, you need to hold down the left mouse button and hold it there until the speed indicator says “100%”, then you can release the left mouse button and your bowling ball will go to the destination you chose earlier.

I know it’s kinda getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it’s fun.

I hope you enjoy your stay at Bergson Bowling Center and we might meet each other there one day. Enjoy and keep on bowling!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Foale/30/22/28

Wesley Regenbogen

Space Frontier Saturn V Moon Rocket Ride (2009)

By Bixyl Shuftan

About five years ago was when one of the most impressive space builds I'd come across: an interactive moon rocket ride. Even though it was incomplete, it was still very impressive, and a fitting tribute to the Apollo 11 Moon Landing forty years before. This story was originally published in Second Life Newspaper on July 30, 2009.

*  *  *  *  *

It was about forty years ago last week that Apollo 11 went to the moon, mankind landing on an alien surface for the first time in history. Many of us in Second Life know of space areas, such as the International Space Museum, but can one find a place where the moon landing is re-enacted?

The answer: Yes, but it’s not quite finished.

In the Space Frontier Workspace (formerly known as the Space Frontier Sandbox) near the Sci-Lands, there is a Saturn V rocket on a launch tower. Built to scale (two avatars at it’s base in the picture can just barely be seen), the rocket stands high in the air, connected to the red launch tower. The rocket is very realistically detailed, and includes a “sound HUD” for audio from the Apollo 11 mission (does not always work) which one gets by clicking an old-fashioned computer on the launchpad’s corner. This grand build was made by Wicked Quasimodo.

One enters the rocket by clicking on the command module, almost at the top of the Saturn V. The huge vehicle launches at 32 minutes past the hour, every hour, with the tower’s gantry retracting just a few minutes before. If you’re outside, it’s a spectacular sight as the great behemoth launches into the air. If you’re inside the rocket, you’re in for quite a ride.

I had the fortune of speaking to one of the people responsible for the sim, Rocket Sellers. “I was just mitigating some space debris here,” he told me, “impromptu erotic photo studio in the sky. ... I’m the owner of record here, and there’s a crew with cleaning powers. I try to clean politely so they do not reincarnate as pesky griefers.”

Asking about the Moon rocket, “It’s still a work in progress. This is Version Two. Wicked Quasimodo had an earlier build, but Havoc 4 broke it. This one is lower prim, and the lunar module is sculpty. It really should be on NASA property, but there’s no NASA region that will adopt it. He first tried on the NASA CoLab Testbed, but the sim was just too lagy, and there was just too much junk in the sky. So he began working on it here, with the idea it would find a home at NASA for the Apollo 11 Anniversary. Instead, NASA put some posters around with landmarks to here.”

“The first iteration did the whole flight profile, including splashdown back on Earth. ... The last time I took the trip (on this rocket), we only got to lunar orbit. ... I don’t know if it lands yet or not.” Rocket Sellers then mentioned a famous name dropping in, “Last week, we had an avatar named ‘Buzz Aldrin’ visiting here. I asked him if he had taken the Saturn V Apollo 11 ride to the Moon yet. He answered, ‘Yes, 40 years ago.’ ... I don’t believe it’s really Buzz, although I can’t figure out how he got the name. ... I guess Linden Labs is not assiduous about protecting famous names.”

Rocket Sellers invited me to go along for a ride on the Saturn V, and so we and one other person got aboard the command module. And at 32 past the hour, the rocket roared and thundered up into the air. The ride is best seen with Environment set to Midnight, and being a Second Life spaceship, the stages shake a little as it travels upward. Eventually, the first stage falls away, and then the second. Soon, the ship comes to orbit a megaprim Earth, “It’s very beautiful from up here” “Approaching New Guinea.”

There is a black square under the Moon rocket at this stage. Rocket Sellers explained, “That’s the work platform, and also when you transfer to the Lunar Module, it keeps you from falling through space.” The Command Module does have windows that you can see your avatar from the outside. But looking inside through either mouselook or panning, the inside is quite detailed with numerous instruments and panels.

Eventually, the faring on the last rocket stage separated, and the Lunar Module, folded up, appeared. The Command/Service Module then rotated, and connected to it. Passengers could then right-click to board it. The connected ships then went into Lunar orbit. Unfortunately, the ride did not progress any further. It had yet to be finished.

Despite this and the tiny flaws, this reporter, can only consider it a great and memorable build, especially if one is a space fan, or otherwise nostalgic for these glory days of the manned space program.

The Space Frontier Saturn V Moon Rocket is at Space Frontier (154, 126, 137).


“It’s good when a rocket or space person finds the place.”

Bixyl Shuftan

Art at the Rose Theater

By Gemma Cleanslate

I was able to spend some time this weekend  at the Art Gallery located in the Rose Theater. These are a set of galleries where most of the exhibitors change monthly. After you recover from looking at the beauty of the build when you arrive in the lobby you can turn left to enter into gallery one and traverse from there through the connecting doors into all the first floor galleries, one after another. Each artist exhibiting has a biography card to introduce their style of the pieces  in that room. You will expedience a myriad of mediums and styles, some bright and precise, some delicate and soft, others striking in their scope. It takes a while to get all the flavors expressed in the pieces. I found myself leaving the region and coming back another time to move through into another gallery. 

There is an artist displaying there that I noticed and liked at the SL11B. One thing that attracted me to the exhibit was that it was in Black and White, shadows and light  and was a story you could follow as you looked at the exhibit. I received a notice that the artist, Ana (oceanida Resident) would be exhibiting at The Rose Theater for another week so don’t miss it . Again, the pieces are a study in light and darkness,  Each one  needs to be perused for its beauty. The story of the underground, how it is to the eyes of those who use it for more than getting to transportation, those disposed who live there. I felt as if I was seeing things I would never have noticed if I were waiting for a train. 

This is one of the most interesting exhibits I have visited in SL.  To then enter into the bursts of color all around in the other gallery rooms is a shock . I spent some time in Gallery 8 where Rage Darkstorm is exhibiting. He says of his work,”My fondest hope is that you will not only see my drawings, but also feel their emotional energy. My hope is that what you witness in my drawings will be your own objects, symbols, and archetypes -- they have emerged unconsciously in me and my artwork. “ 

I will leave the rest of the galleries to your thoughts. You can begin your tour in the lobby . When you arrive  take a left for gallery continue throught the others until you arrive back at your starting point . Then climb the stairs to the upper gallery rooms.  As you pass through the massive hallways watch the walls for some more elegant paintings and biographies set in the title. Most remain on view for about a year or more Ranadeep, the curator,  informed me. You can click for information about the artist. A visit to the sims of Angel Manor gives you lots to explore in the Rose Theater. You will find a link to a map showing the various areas halfway up the stairway. There is also an invite to the group so you can follow the new exhibitors as they arrive . 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Angel%20Manor/104/158/29 

Gemma Cleanslate

My Take on SL11B, By DrFran Babcock

By DrFran Babcock 

This is going to be a completely subjective view of the Second Life Birthday party. I have heard many people put down this event for a few reasons. First, and somewhat valid, is that last year was a landmark anniversary, being the tenth year celebration, making this year a little less shiny and exciting. Second, there is such a dearth of Lindens. My first SL Birthday was the third. The heady thrill of wandering the exhibits and going to live events was one of the reasons I am still here. I sat next to Torley Linden at a concert, and we chatted amiably. Philip Linden was everywhere, and was as enthusiastic as any of the other residents. Those were new frontier times, even though I wasn’t an old-timer. I suppose I sound like an old lady with a bad case of nostalgia. However, my love and passion for Second Life™ has not decreased at all. If anything, I care for it even more.

It’s impossible to deny the buzz created by the announcement that Linden Lab is working on a next generation virtual world. I think that some of this has had an effect on the usual festivities along with the two points I made above. I will not comment on this now; I want to share with you the builds and things that I enjoyed. Please remember that these are my views, and reflect my wholly subjective take on things.

My Very Favorite Build

I find that builds that are simple, yet deceivingly detailed are the most pleasing. Pygar Bu’s build for this year’s auditorium blew me away. On the surface it looks just like a peaceful glade with flowers and neutrally colored stone elements. However, the more you explore and look, the more you realize how much thought went into this spot. It will never steal the focus from the interviewers and interviewees on the simple, stone slab stage. It might not even be noticed by most, because it fulfills its utilitarian role of being a place for folks to sit and watch. Take some time to wander around and enjoy the care that went into placing the ground cover in layers, so that the three-dimensional effect is enhanced. It’s hard to write about things that are so visual, but I hope you understand how entrancing I find this build. It really is my favorite.

Disturbing, But Fun

I happened upon Snail on a Virtual Razor Blade by accident, as I wandered the roads of SL11B. I couldn’t find a notecard that explained the build, and all the signs on the parcel were written in gibberish. The build is the collaboration of Liz Venenbaum and Tesla Miles, and depicts a giant virtual reality headset atop a gory bar in which the beautifully rendered bartender is axing a brain open for the customers. There are vendors that give away the Blammo Yom Yom gift pack, that when opened, reveals a sculpture of your last meal there: a head and brain. Yum. The creators are gifted mesh artists, and the materials and textures used reveal a sophistication usually associated with high-level gaming components. The creators describe it thus: “This is a philosophical and metaphorical art work that delivers a cautionary tale about the potential for a nightmarish VR experience. Inspired by movies like eXistenZ, The Matrix, Inception, and The Naked Lunch.”http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SL11B%20Enchant/231/190/22

Enhanced mind: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SL11B%20Enchant/228/31/22

I loved this build for one main reason. Solkide Auer has a way with glass, and his build delighted me. He is Italian, and described his sculpture as: “A mind protected and enhanced by the energy of his affections that sustain and push to give the best.” I am not quite sure what that means, but I think it relates to stretching one’s mind to be the best one can be. Sometimes, I just love the way something looks, and how I feel when I am immersed in it. This is one of those builds. If you like textures, this build will fill you with admiration and envy.

Uan Ciriaptrix’ An Open Core SL11B http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SL11B%20Spectacular/232/196/22

I love anything Uan bulds, and his contribution to SL11B was not disappointing. His work is ethereal and whimsical, and even better, he is giving away a free avatar that blends beautifully with the build. If you become the Spiny Avatar you will lose a ton of weight, and you can still dance and move the way you like. Come and adore at the guitar that resides in a pod at the center of this spare installment. Uan has many admirers, and there are often crowds around his parcel. Go see it before it disappears.

Quick Shots:

To finish, am going to share two quick pictures and places that caught my eye. The Live Stage, where (d’oh) live performances take place (no more after June 29^th), is a stunning build. My only criticism is that the build is too huge for the intimacy of live performers. I attended a live concert by my friend Grace McDunnough, and she ended up hopping of the stage (a giant hand), and coming closer to her fans. She said she felt too distant on the stage. Otherwise, this stellar build creates a subtle blue mood, and serenity. It is a wonderful venue for live performances.

The other quick shot is A Little Dream of Italy (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SL11B%20Pizzazz/73/

48/22 ), that is nothing more than a sweet little village street. I am not sure why I love it, except that I feel as if I am in Italy when I go there. I suppose that’s the intention of the build. I inspected the objects in the build, and they were from so many avatars, that I have to assume this is a group build. Mission accomplished: This build really takes you away. Isn’t that one of the goals of Second Life™?

So, there you have it. This is just one person’s take on SL11B. There are as many reviews as there are folks in SL. The entertainment may have ended after June 29^th, but the builds remain until July 9^th, so you can still take in all these sites. Enjoy, and happy birthday Second Life™.

DrFran Babcock

Maps of Second Life

By Gemma Cleanslate

A visit to New Kadath Lighthouse Art Gallery was a pleasure. The walls are covered with maps from all times in Second LIfe, some going way back to the beginning. I love maps, since I was a kid in school, I have always wanted to read maps. One summer for a part time job I worked at an automobile Association preparing trip maps for travelers . This was before global positioning systems . So to see all the maps of SL in one place and the progression of land and sea is so interesting. The maps of the railroads are there, as well as map of aviation routes  with airports pinpointed. The Blake Seas are there along with map of pirate areas. Bay City Maps were on one wall. There is a section showing the early holdings of the millionaire Anshe Chung. 

Next to the maps is a very interesting description of the origin of the areas in most cases.  In an alcove there is Aley’s globe of the SL universe. In the same alcove is a very ancient map done by Jack Linden tells his history in sl, serving as a land management “aspects” and a fond liaison with residents until 2010 and another by Dyne Talemesca who first named the Sansera continent. 


On one wall in another room is the history of Magellan Linden, the intrepid explorer who discovered many pre linden locations of Nova Albion. I asked Professor Juliana Lethdetter about the maps and how long they would be there and her answer was “The entire 'Maps of Second Life' exhibit is permanent.  When I first opened it in 2012, I thought it was going to be temporary, which is why the Destination Guide says it's 'limited time.'  But so many people liked it so much, that I decided to expand it instead of taking it down.  Currently everything on the First Floor and everything on the Mezzanine is part of that collection (plus a little bit of spill-over on the Second Floor, too.)  I move the pieces around as necessary due to limited space, and I do sometimes make changes or swap out old pieces for new, if I feel it improves the exhibit.  But generally what's up on the walls stays up." 


There will be some art exhibits on the second floor from time to time. Right now there is one set of ink sketches by Juliana. There are so many fascinating bits of history in these walls at New Kadath . I recommend you make a visit especially if you love maps and history. You will find so much there.

 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/New%20Kadath/34/31/23

Gemma Cleanslate

Attack on Titan at Grenadine

By Theonlyjohnny

While an Attack on Titan sim was already written about, a while back, this sim is much different, and deserves its own article. While the other sim, Edelweiss, is very well built, and is based off one of the cities of Attack on Titan, Grenadine is much more than that.


Yes, the city on this sim is much smaller than Edelweiss, I feel it is much better. Rather than having just a bunch of blocks, textured to look like buildings, without an interior, Grenadine's Wall Avarice is filled with actual buildings. There are a few houses, that people can rent, a library, an infirmary, a market, even an MP castle, and a fort.

However, it doesn't just stop there. There are other areas too, including Caravan trail, Travel route, Training grounds, and even more areas, used for roleplay.

When you first show up to the sim, you will be in a little area called the Recruitment Center. Getting started is really easy, and quick too. If you want to join the military, you can get your gear from the wall, that has the big poster of the gear, with the two machines in front of it. To sign up for either civilian, or military, simply go to the top of the steps, and click on the one you wish to join. Then fill out the app, and send it in. It's quick because they usually accept you within about 24 hours.

If you chose to be a civilian, and were accepted, go to the teleporter, by the door at the top of the steps, and go to the Wall Avarice. If you chose military, then go to the training camp.

In the training camp, you will find a few buildings, a large tower, two red circles, an area with a bunch of titan dummies, a lantern course, and a 3DMG trainer. Each of these is important, for you.

In the military, you always start as a trainee. You must finish your training in order to earn the rank of private. After your training is over, you will earn the right to choose which branch you proceed to. There are three branches, but most cadets, upon graduation, only get to choose between two of these. The two that everyone gets to choose from, are Garrison, and Scouts. If your grades are good enough, you may get the choice of joining Military Police.

Back to the training grounds now. In order to graduate, you must pass nine phases. and your final test. The first phase is very simple, and very basic. You must use the 3DMG trainer, and succeed. Once you've succeeded, you must then go to phase two, which is putting together your 3DMG (don't worry you just rp it out), and learning to use boosts, and zips. Once you've finished that, it's time for phase three, learning how to kill a titan. You must go to the titan pit, and kill as many titan dummies as you can, without dying, in three minutes. If you die in phase three, your score is reduced by five.

After you've completed phase three, phase four takes you to the lantern course. You must touch all the lanterns, before time runs out, and you can only use boosts, no zips. If you wish for a challenge, my time is 18 seconds, why not go and try to get a better time? Then, it's time for phase five, "The Tower of Death." You must use thrusters and zips to propel yourself around the tower, five times. Phase six is seriously the easiest phase there is. It's simply a physical, of sorts. Then once you've gotten that far, phase seven really pushes you. You must kill 200+ dummies, within a week. After you've done that, it's time for good old phase eight, hand-to-hand combat. You must get into a fighting ring, and perform hand to hand combat with an opponent (don't worry, you simply rp this out, using a roller).

Then it's time for the final phase. Phase nine is a class about titans, and everything people know about them. Finish this, and you get to go to your final. For your final, you must put everything you've learned, to the test. You must kill a titan (don't worry, you will be taught all about that in phase nine). Of course, you don't really need to do these in order. I mean look at me, I did phase eight before any of the other phases, and I passed with flying colors.

Don't get scared though, I mean my character is a 4 ft 6 in tall, 13 year old cadet. You have nothing to be scared about. Well, unless your instructor loses his mind (trust me, it happens).

All in all, this sim really is an awesome sim, as it uses somewhat of the same training methods as the show/manga. If you love Attack on Titan, you want to know what it is, then come to this sim, and have an awesome time.

TheonlyJohnny

Arcadia Asylum

Arcadia Asylum, the mere mention of it, gets a lot of people excited. Not only is it a store with a huge selection, of awesome products, it also has the best prices in all of SL. Freebies as far as the eye can see, and even further.

To most people, a freebie means some half finished sloppy mess of an object. However, these freebies are completely different from other freebies. These could be sold for a very high price, yet their creators choose to sell them as freebies.

When asked why, Aley, one of the creators, told me that they are freebies, due to the fact that she doesn't want to deal with sales clients again, and she is a supporter of open source development.

I asked her if there was a set team that made the items, in which everyone had a specific part to play. It turns out, there is no set part to play. One of them may make it, and have someone else script it and texture it, or they may do it themselves.

When asked why they started making freebies, they easily answered this by telling me a bit of their history. They did not start in Second Life. Before they joined Second Life, some of them were already making models, and they simply continued, when they joined SL.

Though the items may not look as sleek, and be as expensive as most of the items in SL, they still have something not many other products have. They have customers who are always checking back, every so often, for something new. They have a team of builders at their back, and they have a bright future ahead of them.


TheonlyJohnny Resident