Avatar Review: Orange Nova Sergals

By Theonlyjohnny Resident

Sergal, the very mention of the name confuses a lot of non furries. However, when mentioned to furs, the first thing that used to pop in their minds, was KZK. The original makers of the Sergal Avatar.

However, recently, a new set of Sergal avatars have been created, and placed on the marketplace. Now, I know that they have every right to make an avatar and sell it, however, it's not the same when you make an avatar, that is already in SL, and call it the greatest.

Comparing the two Sergals, it's clear which one is best. Some people will tell you that the newer Orange Nova Sergals are best, while others will tell you that the older KZK Sergals are best. To find which one is better, I looked at both of them, and this is my conclusion of which is better.

First, look at the price. At Orange Nova, the avatars cost a whopping L$1,900 per avatar. A bit of a steep price considering what you really get. KZK wins this round, since their Sergals are actually affordable, at L$800, a whole L$1,100 less than the price of the Orange Novas.

Next, we will look at body shape. While the Orange Nova Sergals are taller than the KZK sergals, this was achieved by distorting parts of it. The neck is stretched a bit too much, and the mesh legs are stretched to the point of more comical than what most people look for. The point for this, also goes to KZK, due to their sergals having a more realistic shape.

The overall look of the avatars is what we will look at next. While they advertise it as being gorgeous, and high quality, the Orange Nova Sergals are more cartoony than furry. By this, I mean it looks as if they were meant more to be in a squash and stretch cartoon, than in SL. KZK wins this round as well, since their Sergal actually looks like a furry, and is not too detailed, but not too little detailed either.

Overall, KZK is the store to go with, not the Orange Nova, dare I say it, knock offs. If you don't believe me, then get both avatars, and have a look for yourself. If you really want a sergal, then like I said, go with KZK. They are cheaper, yet they are better looking.

Theonlyjohnny

Avatar Review: Seawolf Dragon

By Theonlyjohnny Resident

When most people hear Seawolf, they think of an awesome, apparently affordable dragon avatar. Well, that's not entirely true. While it is a dragon avatar, and some aspects of it are awesome, overall, it's not as great as most people think it to be.

Firstly, the avatar is above most people's price range. While there are 3 of these dragon avatars, giving people the choice of a cheaper smaller version, over a large, and expensive version, the cheapest of these is still L$ 1200. While some people would gladly pay that much for an avatar, that looks this cool, it's still asking for so much, to give the buyer, so little, compared to the amount the buyer pays.

While you do receive two dragon avatars, in the juvenile, they are not really that different, in fact I will be talking about that soon. Also, you don't really receive very many attachments, and variations. You really only get a small bit, after paying a large amount.

Like I said before, the two avatars aren't really that different. Actually, looking closer, you can see that almost all of the biped parts, are simply parts from the quadruped avatar, just moved around. The few parts that aren't from the quad avatar, include the hands, the tail, the head, jaw, and the neck. The rest of the parts, were just moved around, stretched, and rotated to fit. You basically pay 1200 L to get the same avatar, twice.

When in flight, the wings always flap, however, they aren't that great of wings for flapping. There is really only 2 parts, on each wing, that actually rotates with the flapping. The part that connects the wing to the body, is the first part. This part ends before it passes the first claw on the wing. The second part is the rest of the wing, which starts where the first part ended. This makes the wings flap as if they were hitting a box, on their way down.

Flying doesn't look so good on the juvenile avatar either. I understand that they are supposed to be young, and learning to fly, however, that does not mean they bounce around as they fly. It gets a bit confusing to a lot of people, while flying in mouselook, since they're bouncing around too much.

However, there are good things about the avatar too. They do look like dragons, which is something, considering most dragon avatars don't even resemble dragons. They have mouselook breaths, which makes them good for use in roleplay sims. They also have a color change hud, which makes it possible to get more colors, than other avatars have.

Despite the fact that these avatars have many cons, they are still some of the best avatars in Second life. All in all, these avatars are on a class all their own, when it comes to greatness.

Theonlyjohnny Resident

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

The Philosopher’s Stone

 By Gemma Cleanslate

“Philosophy is written in this grand book, the universe which stands continually open to our gaze. But the book cannot be understood unless one learns to comprehend the language and read the letters in which it is composed."... part of a quote I found in the bottom of a lovely interactive build of Pixel Sideways. I will let you find the rest.

Being a student of philosophy in Second Life for several years, I was thrilled to see the new LEA 17 presentation. At the entrance you will find directions for making your visit the best for lighting.  Pixels Sideways, along with Georg Janick have gathered a group of fifteen  marvelous builders to create a tribute to their favorite philosopher, loved or hated. When you arrive at the entry you will be on the ground where Pixel has made some architectural builds reminiscent of the olden days of the Greek temples. Wander there to see them and interact in many of them. The main part of the exhibit are above in the sky on  hovering isles. The Urn at the entrance will take you to any of them you choose.  Each artist is telling a story of  their view of that philosopher. 

There are many interesting philosophers represented in the installation beginning with Aristotle , Descarte, Hume, Marx.  Some are elegant, some playful, some soulful, which is nice to see. And all are thought provoking. Philosophy is not dull when demonstrated in this way.  I was thrilled to see art by Feathers Boa, who has not been creating art in Second Life for a while. Ub Yifi has an interactive build that is very lovely. 

One I found very poignant was that of Winter Nightfire. She admits that she did not create the components of her display but her meaning is her own when she describes her philosopher, Hannah Arendt. Winter says, “If we could practice using our minds to IMAGINE what it's like to be the woman we're about to persecute, blame, cut down, or slander, then could we create a society where women lift each other up instead of tearing each other down?  Could we have a more stable, peaceful society?  The only way to find out is to begin inside ourselves.”

There is one isle with notecards on each artist. I am only giving you at taste of what you will  find.  Be sure to read the thoughts of the artists in creating their view of the philosopher they are representing in their build. Some are very extensive, some a few words. You will begin on the ground.

 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA17/41/225/25

Gemma Cleanslate 

Bryn Oh's "The Singularity of Kumiko"

By Bixyl Shuftan

Bryn Oh, the Second Life artist long known for her three-dimensional exhibitions that tell a story, such as her "Rabbicorn" series, has been at it again. Her latest work, "The Singularity of Kumiko" is up at her sim of Immersiva. Hearing about it, I went over to take a look.

Arriving at the entrance, Bryn Oh herself was there and greeted me, "Hi Bixyl." Of her new exhibit, she mentioned I might have to make a few changes in my preferences, as well as picking up a light which is then worn on the forehead, "You will need to set up a few things and get a headlamp to see. ... You need some specific things to allow the flashlight to work." Asking her to describe her exhibit, she wouldn't say much, "Hmmm, perhaps a moral question. 'The Singularity of Kumiko' is a discourse between two people on love and choices. A question on what gives value to our lives. I don't want to give up too much of the story though. It is a non linear narrative that the viewer must put together over time and figure out what has happened to Kumiko and who she really is."

Among the instructions for better lighting on the wall was a sign stating "With Generous Support from the Ontario Arts Council." I asked her about it, and she responded, "Yes, I got a new grant a week ago. ... I applied for a new media grant and they liked the idea enough to award me one. ... very exciting, opens many doors."

Going inside was simple enough, touching the red door to the exhibit, then walking in. The scenery is Bryn Oh's classic style, dark, detailed, often  hauntingly beautiful and a little disturbing. The first scene one comes across is the aftermath of an accident: a small car stopped on the road, in front of it a bicicle on the road with a spilled napsack beside it. Near this scene, and others, are both a message in a bottle and a microphone. One can click on the bottle to read the message, or click on the bottle to hear an audio one.

There is much more scenery one comes across. Some are spots of illumination in the darkness, such as a metal mobile. Others such as a giant skeleton on the ground are hidden by the darkness and you'll probably won't recognize until you're right by it. I was trying to get the messages from Kumiko and her friend Iktomi  in order, but ended up finding some a few ahead at times. Memory is a theme in the story, and it's like you're trying to piece together what happened, much like someone struggling to remember an event.

As one goes along, the exhibit describes a future in which humankind has tried to compensate losses with machines and technology. Visitors are also likely to come across a roving robot, possibly the "Mr. Zippers" in the story. The robot will try to attack you, and as the sim is "damage enabled," if you're hit enough your avatar "dies" and reappears back in it's home location, so it's best to run if you come across the 'bot.

Going about, I was able to find the majority of the messages, enough to piece out what happened. The final scene, appearing just after the last message, was both happy and sad at the same time, with the song "We'll Meet Again" playing in the background. Exiting the scene, one is teleported out of the exhibition.

There is a trailer of "Kumiko" out that sets the tone for the story.



<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JONF4tgTh34" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

(click here if the video fails to load)


I give the story/exhibit my thumbs-up. Very well done. If you have the time, I reccomend dropping by. If you're a fan of Bryn Oh's work, by all means do see it. There is a limit to how many can be on the sim at once, which Bryn Oh describes as getting about 600 visitors a day at this time. So if you're blocked from entering, try again later.

Immersiva (14, 104, 21)

Bixyl Shuftan

Neo Machina Gallery

By Gemma Cleanslate

 I was happy  to be invited to the Opening to Neo Machina Gallery in Alterego on Saturday afternoon. I have not been to many galleries lately... too busy.Three of my friends have exhibits there among the sixteen exhibitors.The opening was well attended and the DJ Mikel Shilov provided music that enhanced the mood at the opening party.  The Gallery is owned and curated by Sarrah Docherty and cocurator is  Cenedra (cenedra.ashbourne), who is also showing her fairy like images as part of the  exhibit. The exhibitors will be  resident artists. However Cenedra told me, “we plan to make special themed exhibitons , plan on guest artists , so that there are not always the same pics the entire time.” There are several brand new artists on exhibit which is always nice to see. 

I asked Sarrah why she opened the gallery. Her response was, ”Really it's the rebirth of another Gallery that closed last year due to several issues, this time I'm running it all in-house so to say, Its main goal has always been to respect all SL artists and move away from judging one style, genre or skill level to be "better" than the other, and just focus on the creative process and having a good mixture.”  And the collection is very eclectic.There are Photography artists, Sculpt artists, and a story artist. Each artist has a notecard to pick up by their area.  I spoke wih Evola Courtois , another friend and fishing buddy, who has exhibited a few times before and is happy to be a resident artist here. I saw three exquisite pieces  by my friend, Neeks Karu, who does wonderful sculpts that are alive. I enjoyed both floors of stunning photography, sculpts and reading the story art by Alanna Oh. 

I suggest you put this on your list of new galleries and do not miss it! Enter here and work your way around and down and  you take the elevaor to the ground floor and outside  I recommend you have an umbrella handy . http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ALTEREGO/13/55/3526

Gemma Cleanslate

LEA13 – The Work of Xineohp Guisse

By DrFran Babcock

I was amazed and entranced from the first day I came into Second Life™. I have never lost my enthusiasm for this virtual world, and its ability to continue to surprise and delight. The thing I like to do most after socializing with friends and creating content is to explore in hopes of finding magic. Thus it was, that I stumbled upon Xineohp Guisse’s ethereal and wonderful build.

I was with my friend Brick, exploring the soon-to-be-opened Linden Endowment for the Arts (LEA) builds. He had shown me the gigantic Dragon Curves fractal installation by Mac Kanashimi on LEA 26, covered by Inara Pey here: http://modemworld.wordpress.com/2014/02/02/enter-the-dragon-curves/ . After spending some time there, I began to sim hop, and upon landing on LEA13 I stopped, drew my camera back and smiled.

Whenever I find something I like—clothing, furniture, landscaping, hair—I immediately inspect it to see who is responsible, and the creator of this green and intricate sim was Xineohp Guisse. Even better, he showed up on the sim as a green dot. Thinking of nothing more than complimenting him on his work, I IMed him, and said: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this build! Thus began an hour long exploration and visit with one of the LEA’s artists.

Xineohp was modest: “I’m still building, sorry about the mess (smile),” he replied. He is also a great jokester. After I told him I thought the build was gorgeous, and hardly a mess, he responded with what I later realized was an out and out pun: “Nope. Not mess; old-school build (smile)," by which he meant that he had used not one sculpt or mesh object, but used prims for the entire construction!

The build is in two folds, and contains an interactive piece. Xineohp, a cello player, used cello notes that sound as you collide with the flexi glass on many parts of the build. “So you can make your own music,” kids Xineohp.

On the main tower, there are two creatures, that to me looked acquatic. They moved around on the grass creating tones as well, and because they are random in their movements, the sounds evolve and change. When two notes are struck, it creates a third resounding note. I walked around and loved the experience of the sounds, and the cello notes were just perfect with the swaying grass. Xineohp was working on a pod chair when I finally joined him on one of the towers. He asked me to test it out, and I ended up with my camera trained on one of the two wriggly creatures. The two creatures on the main towers are named: Connie and Blyde (a spoonerism reference my older readers may get).

The LEA grant runs for five months, and Xineohp plans to do a different chapter of a story each month, starting with the current build: The Lost Garden of Sundarya. Chapter Two will be under water, and tell the story of Connie and Blyde, focusing on how creatures come into being, and how they end up being a symbiotic musical link. Chapter Three will take you to the middle sky and deal with wind and birds, and flying “stuff.” Chapter Four will go higher, and be in the spirit world, but Chapter Five will be a secret.

Xineohp was still debating some of the details of the build, set to open on Saturday, February 8^th, but he was still willing to talk about it. He also told me he is the alt of an older resident, so watch for an Oldbie Project from him in the future.

We went on to look at an old THiNC Book that had pictures of older avatars, and quotes about their relationship with their avatar. We poured over it for a while, and I was pleased that he was so willing to spend time. He reminisced about his early days: "I remember when I first came into SL, and started building. I was a total massive crap at it! I built a swimming pool, which even I wouldn't want to swim in!"

"You remember free 512 land when you signed up as a premium member? I went from owning my first 512 to buying an entire island. That was fun.

"I did a charity art thingy on my island for World AIDS Day that ran non-stop for an entire weekend, and we raised just over 500USD. Then I kinda gave it up … Real Life, work, yada yada. Then I came back and lived in a rock, after killing my first avie in a big swan song. I burnt the entire island, and reinvented myself as Xineohp Guisse. Xineohp is Phoenix backwards, by the way."

Cube Project posted by Bix: http://slnewser.blogspot.com/2012/09/sl-video-cube-project-lea-2012-second.html

<-- About the build --->

For the SecondLife LEA round 6 2014, I present to you Chapter One of my 5-month long build - The {Lost} Garden Of Sundarya Lahari.

The build is based on live sampling of my cello "plucking". Each "reed" in the build, upon collision, produces a specific note. The build is made up of two chambers - An interactive chamber where avatars can move around, collide with the reeds and make their own music. And a second chamber, where the musical notes are produced in total random fashion by the collision of the creatures "the pentapuss" - Thus creating a musical score that is ever-changing and evolving.

Resonant sounds/notes are produced when two notes are simultaneously struck.

I hope you'll enjoy this build...... Just as much as I have building it.

Xineohp Guisse xxo

P.S. This build would not have been possible without the help of my dear friend (and darling sweetheart) Nava Muni, and the generosity of Linden Lab with the LEA initiatives.

 

So, you absolutely must come see this build at the Linden Endowment for the Arts. Here’s the information from the notecard for the event:

SLurl to installation: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA13/125/82/29

DrFran Babcock