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18 Years and counting...Got SL News? Get it Published! Contact Lanai Jarrico at lanaijarrico@gmail.com

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Top 5 Combat Sims in SL – Camury Reporting...




En Garde… Time to dust off your weapon of choice and get ready to have fun in the combat games! Combat is a type of interactive multiplayer conflict within a game between two or more online participants. In Second Life you can join combat events where the residents have fun simulating fights against other residents based on pre-established rules that constitute the combat system.

There are two types of combat systems in Second Life: Linden Lab’s combat system (LLCS) and the combat systems created by residents. For many residents, the LL’s combat system doesn’t offer the expected flexibility of those who play various multiplayer games.   As a result teams of residents have started creating their own combat systems using the tools of creation available to all residents. Subsequently the communities of role players grew, and now combat is a popular activity throughout Second Life.

Some SL sims are designed for the sole purpose of combat, on other sims combat is part of a bigger role-playing theme.

There are thousands of weapons in Second Life to choose from, i.e. melee weapons through to ranged weapons.

A melee weapon is a weapon used in hand-to-hand combat such as a bladed weapon or a blunt weapon. The term Melee originated in the 1640s from the French word mêlée, which refers to hand-to-hand combat, a close quarters battle, a brawl, a confused fight, etc.

A ranged weapon is any weapon that can harm targets at distances greater than hand-to-hand distance.  That’s not all as  there are also grenades, traps, magic spells and other types of weapons specific to each game.

For beginners, places like New Jessie, New Bastogne, Tulagi, SSOC, and Public LLCS combat areas, like Rausch, are a good idea. They cater to different tastes, and therefore are the five combat areas that we will have a look at. 

New Jessie

New Jessie is the premier SIM for conventional combat in Second Life where everybody are welcomed. There is a healthy mix of combat blocks in a small town, as well as a pair of bunkers and a shore front with barbed wire and tank spikes.  In New Jessie you will find a weapons’ store, many free weapons and a combat museum detailing the history of combat’s early days in Second Life.




New Bastogne

In the New Bastogne regions, you can find several WW2 groups specific to role play (RP) in Second Life. Several groups were created, in the SIM, to augment the combat games that normally occur. The SIM, simulate NAZI Occupied France. You may want to be part of the La Résistance Française, a group dedicated to espionage and sabotage role play in this WW2 Era. They work in coordination with the following groups: ALLIED INTELLIGENCE and 366 Squadron RAF and have fun running different missions.




Tulagi

Come and join combat at the home of the Jeogeot Gulf Freight System. Haul, defend or sink freight for cool rewards and even free warships.  Set out to sea on the biggest combat ocean on the grid with close to 40 open rez sims themed around WW2 in the Pacific. VICE LANCE & More!




SSOC Tokyo-Wind Hill City

Come check out the action in the SSOC Tokyo-Wind Hill City. This is a modern sim with a modern military-combat area in the tradition of a Japanese city. You can watch and participate in realistic urban military combat and have fun with an original combat system.




Public LLCS combat areas

Rausch, Blue Base and Red Base are a few of the most popular public combat sims of the LLCS. These three sims are free-for-all sandboxes. There is a “safe zone” in Rausch where you cannot be attacked.  It’s usually surrounded by big yellow markers where you can find other players and get information. Rausch is a public sandbox and unlike a private combat sim, anything goes there.  It’s very likely that you will be killed before you know who killed you, although it also means that you can kill others the same way.


The Destination Guide includes fun places to visit for combat games.  These are listed under the Sports and Games category, as well as the Role-playing Communities category.

Choose your favorite combat area and have FUN!



GIZZA CREATIONS - NEW COLLECTION Leave an everlasting impression with GizzA - Never Be Forgotten.



This vintage style lace set has the classic high waist short and a cropped top with cap sleeves. A rose adorns with garter belt for that extra Oomph!

The purchase includes system avatar layers, as well as the OMEGA applier HUD and the Maitreya, Belleza and Slink mesh bodies HUDs.
Main-store: 

Marketplace

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

KIX AURA COLLECTION



Original and exclusive mesh and animations from KiX come together in a sleek and stylish Bauhaus style collection with sumptuous leather texture change in rich colours accented by chrome, wood and smoked glass. The collection is available in adult and PG options and each element can be purchased separately too in the main store. Contains sofa, footstool, armchair, shelf unit, lighting collection, texture change rug, Laccio style table and a radiator (naughty animations in the adult). 


Second Life Christmas Sims Worth Seeing - Part 2- A review of Dark Dharma’s North Pole and Santa’s Work Shop - Dean Lawson reporting


 
 
Listed in the Second Life search engine as "Christmas at North Pole Village & Santa's Workshop” this is a very creative sim that offers a surreal experience with larger than life toy soldiers guarding the entrance to what can best be described as Santa’s answer to to the cold war.


 
While upholding many of the traditional conventions of Santa’s workshop there are some modern improvisations, such as a state of the art runway from where you can watch Santa depart on his Christmas mission.
 

Then there is Elf Comm Central which gives one the impression that the elves are the true brains behind this militaristic theatre of operations.
 

Although I found the militant nature of the sim a little uncomfortable, there is a lot to explore and the ginger bread cookies are tasty.
 

This is a family friendly sim that rates 4 out of 5 stars
 
 

Monday, November 28, 2016

Cobra World : An Invitation to A Motorcycle Club - Seersha Heart


           
Cobra World is a premier motorcycle club in world.  I had the opportunity to speak to one of their Road Captains, Zach, about what a club is like and what makes Cobra World so special.  For anyone who rides a motorcycle in world and for those who want to ride a motorcycle in world, Cobra’s is the place to start your quest.  One of the wonderful things offered by Cobra is a beginner’s bike for only 1L and lessons on how to ride.  Although they sponsor special days for interested prospective members, if you want to be part of Cobra show up at their SIM any time and speak to whomever is on the SIM [link at end of article].  Cobra World is a very welcoming place to all.

            I have zero experience in motorcycling in world, no that isn’t exactly true.  I have ridden a motorcycle into the water and given up.  Yesterday I found a renewed interest in riding after I tried a little with Road Captain Zach.  First I had to learn a few new vocabulary words to understand what he was speaking to me about.  When you are taking your first look at their motorcycle club [mc] and are just hanging around the SIM, not attending any rides or any events, you are called a “hang around”.  When you decide you are interested in being a prospective member you become a “prospect”.   Prospects join in the rides and in all events if you are online at the time.  Prospects also go to church.  Another new term, “church” is a meeting.  So a prospect does all the things they would be doing as a member for a while.  The goal is to get to know the members of Cobra while they get to know you at the same time.
Membership to Cobra comes when the members vote you in and you become a patched member.   


As a Road Captain, part of what Zach does is books their rides and runs certain events.  One of those events is the ‘Learn to Ride Event’ I mentioned earlier where they promote helping people learn how to ride and to handle a motorcycle and give them a view of this awesome mc.  Their rides take them on the roads of SL as well as to other SIMs where there are tracks.  At their SIM they have three tracks that wind around the SIM gradually going into the sky.  I had the opportunity to ride on the back of Zach’s bike up all three tracks.  There is a place to stop mid-way along where there are shops and areas for kicking back.  I figure this is where the experienced bikers wait for we beginners to catch up.
The mc has relationships with other mcs in world.  The various mcs will allow another mc to ride on their SIM.  This happens fairly frequently providing quite a diversity of tracks to explore.I learned another important fact about the club, if someone rides along behind you they do not have to be a club member. 
This lead me to an interesting dialog with Zach as I thought well….

Seersha Heart:  do you ever use your bike to flirt with women?
ZACH:             well maybe a few times lol
Seersha Heart:  bet it is a chick magnet *laughs*
ZACH:             yes chicks love bikes, most of the time I get along without having to bring the bike out


            Zach invited me to the Cobra World SIM to take a look around.  I landed near their community board near a well-marked Rez Zone.  Off to one side was the $1L bike for beginners and those who didn’t have a motorcycle to ride.  Some of the Cobra members are builders and build bikes.  Zach is learning to build bikes and sounds quite excited about it.  It was time to see Zach’s favorite bike a White Stallion by Silvercloud bikes complete with painted white stallion on the gas tank.  When he told me he was going to “whip it out” I became cautious as in world that could mean a lot of different things.  However, he produced his bike and was demonstrating the animations that came along with it.  His bike can take a rider so the animations worked for a two animation as well as a single animation.  He told me it is no harder to drive with two than it is with a single rider.  I did manage to make him laugh with this question…

Seersha Heart:  does size matter in a bike’s performance?
Zach:               no with bikes no
Seersha Heart:  *laughs* good to know

            I spoke to Zach about their mc on a wide range of questions.  I learned that the demographic of the club is about even men to women.  To become a Road Captain, he had to finish a lot of rides and express interest in the position.  I asked him what advantages someone would have to being a member of Cobra World instead of riding alone.  He said that at Cobra they are all family.  He also emphasized that when they ride together it’s like you are riding with your family and you have a great feeling of pride.


After seeing the clubhouse and the SIM up close as well as having such a knowledgeable guide, I decided to give driving a try.  I must say Zach has enormous patience.  He offered his own bike for me to try driving.  It wasn’t until I was actually driving that I thought I should have told him I didn’t know there were gears to shift.  He may have suspected my lack of experience when I asked him “how did I get into reverse”.  Well, irl the bike would have suffered, in world I was actually able to drive a motorcycle better than I ever had before.  I did not run into the water, and I listened to Zach’s advice.


            If you are thinking of trying to ride a motorcycle or a seasoned rider, Cobra World is definitely a place to visit.  The SIM is well lain out, they have a clubhouse and a close relationship with members.  Stop in and give it a try, you won’t regret dropping in on them.  They are super friendly and always open for new people to come along and join up.  This writer is not giving up on riding yet, I plan to be a “hang around” for a while and see what happens.



Contacts:

Sunday, November 27, 2016

The regular monthly meeting of Art and Science Collaborations, Inc. (ASCI) will be held in Quat on Sunday, November 27th at 10 am SLT (1pm est)


Topics for discussion:

President Trump vs. Science?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/11/11/1596564/-The-Trump-vs-Science-climate-health-and-evil-lightbulbs

Climate skeptic heads EPA?
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-picks-top-climate-skeptic-to-lead-epa-transition/

Art stops oil pipeline?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/5/30/1303087/-Artist-Stops-Oil-Pipeline-Cold

If we have time:

Birthday on Proxima b?
http://www.SolidStateLight.com/ASCI/transcript_8-28-16.htm

Will we be extinct in 1,000 years?
http://www.space.com/34769-stephen-hawking-humanity-extinct-1000-years.html

Dark doubts?
http://www.space.com/34503-universe-expansion-accelerating-dark-energy.html

We hope you can stop by to join the fun and share your Metaverse
experiences, along with your virtual gaming, computer geek adventures,
cyber art projects, and dorkbot stories. You can teleport to the meeting
via http://slurl.com/secondlife/Quat/137/88/54/

Your participation implies you consent to have your words and image
published at http://www.solidstatelight.com/ASCI/transcripts.htm


Cordially,

Flash

Second Life Christmas Sims Worth Seeing - Part 1- A review of Winter Holiday Village - Dean Lawson reporting


 


 
As a reporter for the SL Enquirer and as a Second Life Resident who enjoys exploring the virtual world I thought I’d share some of my favourite Christmas getaways.
  
The first on my list is "Winter Holiday Village”, a picturesque and vast sim with plenty of activities and mountain top chalets that double as stores where you can buy Christmas decorations that range from Christmas trees and snowmen, to fully decorated diner and romantic Christmas chimney sets.
 
 
Described in it’s search profile as a "Country winter wonderland. Skiing, sledding skating, polar bears & penguins, too!  Santa & Mrs. Claus in residence LIVE!  Come spend your winter holidays with us. Romantic & family oriented.  Our 9th year bringing you this Holiday sim. Merry Christmas”, this sim does not disappoint.
 
 
In addition to the mountain top chalet shopping is a horse drawn carriage that provides a tour of the sim and a frozen river where Second Life residents can skate to their hearts content.
 
 
And when your done with exploring there are plenty of gazebos and little hideaways were you can curl up with a steaming cup of chocolate while relaxing to music that fits the seasonal theme with Christmas classics sung by crooners that include Dean Martin, Bruce Springsteen, Seal and Whitney Houston.
 
 
 
This is a classy family friendly sim that rates five out of five stars.
 
Christmas @ Winter Holiday Village Ice Skating Santa Claus, Mazur (141, 166, 32) - General
 

Saturday, November 26, 2016

GeekSpeak - what new prize would you award? Join the Discussion Saturday November 26th at 12pm SLT



There are six Nobel prizes awarded every year to people throughout the world and of course various other prizes are awarded nationally.  Can you think of any other prize category?  What would you like to honour people for?  A prize for the most inventive idea?  The oddest theory?  The most progress towards extra-terrestrial colonies?  A prize for music, not just literature?  A prize for the best virtual world?

Or do you think any system of prizes is absurd and unfair?  Should we stop honouring individuals?  “What’s honour?  Who hath it?  He that died o’Wednesday.”  Is that how you feel?

Come to GeekSpeak to talk about prizes and honour.  Please contact Kathen Ohtobide if you have any difficulty in finding us.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/141/128/51

Preparations for Christmas begin in Second Life: – Camury Reporting



This is the season for Christmas Tree and Decoration Shopping!
What do you really want for Christmas? More time, more joy, and less stress? Welcome to the Christmas Countdown! Do you love Christmas but hate the stress leading up to it? The holidays should be a fun time of year that you can welcome fun in an organized manner. Plan your gifts, set the scene, and loosen your belt so you can feast during the holiday
Some of the best things about Christmas are the many traditions as well as the preparations which provide for great memories with family and friends.
You need to get Christmas presents and a tree, buy all the traditional food for Christmas, do your Christmas baking, and decorations.
In Second Life, how about starting your preparations for Christmas too! Get started by finding the perfect Christmas tree and decorations for for home and or business.

Christmas tree

Find  the perfect Christmas tree to decorate your place for the Holidays! In second life, you can find  tree realistics with lots of great ornaments,lights,bows,gifts,toys and more.
I loved the tree at  Bee Designs . It comes in 2 versions, basic and complete(24 & 32 prims) and  with 3 full songs. the christmas animations have lots of great props that rezzez or attach to your avatar. It comes with a menu for a Family oh 2 adults and 2 kids and a lots of standing cuddles.
Price: L$ 399
Store: Bee Designs


Another great Christmans Tree us at Heart Homes. You can enjoy the most wonderful time of the year together with your family with Heart Homes’ newest Christmas Tree. This tree starts is only 4 prims, you might add 4 additional deco options from a menu, like Candles lights, festive sparkles, or a set of decorative toys. This tree comes with  a lots animations. You can also sing carols together, display gift, or try the animations which include lifting your child to put the star on top.... and much more!
Price: 850
Store: Heart Homes

Unusual Decoration for Christmas
Some people choose to live in a tropical beach region, even at Christmas time. For all those islanders, this is a set of all those little things you can add to your beach, and instantly turn the Christmas mood on.  Wooden Christmas trees in red and  green, beach towels, matching pillows with animations and  beach umbrellas. All are copy and full modify (you can edit, stretch, change textures, color, add your own scripts etc )
Price: L$299
Store: Real Waves ™ Tropical Beach foam landscaping Christmas decoration



Christmas Dinner
Start sending the invitations because the Christmas party is at your house this year! Everything you need for a fun and memorable Christmas with friends and loved ones is on your Christmas Party table.
In this wonderful set, you will find several items to eat: cookies, fruitcake, pecan pie, etc. Touch the trays to get a fork and a plate and have fun with your friends.  Toast to Christmas, with a delicious punch!
Price: L$1.250
Store: La Galleria Houses, Kitchens, Furniture

Free Decorations
If you do not have lindens to spend in your preparations for Christmas, do not worry. You can find some gifts that will help you decorate your place.

Xmas fireplace gift

a Christmas fireplace with socks and candles for only 1L!
Store: Luxi&Style

Have fun, with a 5 Christmas tree color change gift. Included In This Pack: 5 Christmas   trees with color change. For free!

Price : L$0
Store: TAOX TATTOO

URL:https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/TAOX-5-Christmas-tree-color-change/2900160



Happy Shopping and Merry Preparations for Christmas!

Friday, November 25, 2016

Darkness rises at Suicide Dollz from 1PM SLT Nov 20 - 1PM SLT Dec 2.


Check out the Suicide Dollz event's newest round from 1PM SLT November 20th until 1PM SLT December 2nd. As Second Life's longest running, alternative themed, bi-weekly shopping event, established in 2013, we continuously strive to bring you the best products by some of the grid's most recognized designers. To check out our full, uncensored shopping guide for the current round, please visit https://suicidedollzsl.wordpress.com/The current round will run for two weeks before closing on Friday, December 2nd at 1PM SLT. For any questions, please send a NC in-world to Selene Starflare or email to selenestarflare@gmail.com

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Midlife crises a short story by Lacy Muircastle



It had simply been mind blowing sex.  Wild, tempestuous, no strings attached.  Or that’s what I’d thought.  But you know what thought did, don’t you?
She stood in the middle of my office looking like a petulant child, Aphrodite.  My paramour, my Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and now it would seem as with the goddess she was named after, of procreation too. I should have known better than to get involved with someone so young. Or anyone.  I don’t know what I was thinking.
“What do you mean you’re pregnant?”  My head was pounding at my temples.  I slumped back in my chair.
“Are you completely stupid? This is as much your fault as it is mine.” She actually had the audacity to stomp her Jimmy Choo clad foot.  I only knew they were Jimmy Choo’s because I’d bought them.
“Damnit Aphro, you knew going into this that I was married and that I have no plans of getting a divorce. Anyway what about your studies?  Having a baby mid-way through your degree is going to set you back somewhat.”
“Are you telling me to get an abortion?”  She had a typically Greek temperament. I watched as she clenched her fingers, her knuckles turned white. She was itching to slap me, of that I had no doubt.
“No need to shout madam, and what happened to being on the pill?  You assured me that you were.  If I’d known that you weren’t I’d have taken alternative precautions.”
“Oh for god’s sake Stephen, the bottom line is I’m having this baby and you’ll just have to deal with it.” She screamed at me.
My heart skipped a beat as the door swung open.  I closed my eyes and held my breath.  It was like I’d just been caught smoking behind the garden shed by my mother. 
“Everything alright in here?”  Thank god for small mercies it was Andy.  He looked at me and then at Aphrodite with raised eyebrows.  “You two could be heard from the floor below you know.”
Aphrodite had the good grace to look sheepish.  “Sorry Andy.  Please don’t tell my parents about this.”
I scowled at my best friend.  “Is Cheryl here?”
“No, she had errands to run.  You lucked out on that front bud.  Aphrodite I think you should leave.”
“And since when were you my father?  Look Steve, come over tonight and we’ll finish this once and for all.”
“Can’t.  I’ve got Sam’s recital to go to.  I promised him I’d be there.”
She rolled her eyes at me and stomped out of the room.  She was a real diva, but her enthusiasm for life and her not insignificant intelligence had made her irresistible.  It was Andy that had introduced her to me.
We’d been going through a tough business acquisition and it had finally all come together.  We’d gone to celebrate at Signature, just the two of us.  We’d always been a formidable team, even back in the day at high school.  We’d been kings of the rugby field and that had translated into scholarships to university.  The only tarnish to our magical sheen was that I was the more driven, more ambitious one of our duo.  Andy had always been running just that bit behind me.  Which meant he worked for me.  If he resented my success he’d never let me know about it.
We’d just finished our first bottle of Veuve Clicquot, Rose Champagne when she’d walked in.  She was breathtakingly beautiful.  She was tall and slender with a mass of black curls cascading down her back.  She was also rather young.
Andy had beckoned her over.  It turned out that she was a friend of the family that he hadn’t seen in a while.
The evening concluded with Aphrodite and me wildly consummating our new found friendship.  And I was smitten.
*
I was on my way home when my cell phone notified me of an incoming text message:
Hey bro, sorry to bother you.  Do you think you could swing by and give me hand to move some boxes around my new place?
I tapped out a response:
Sure no hassles.  See you in twenty.
*
“Nice place.”
“Yeah, not quite as nice as yours, but hey beggars can’t be choosers and it’s mine.”
I nodded. “So what can I help with?”
He pointed to a stack of boxes in the corner, a knife was sitting on the top one.  I picked up the knife and went to work slicing the tape open and unpacked the books that were contained in the boxes.
“Where do you want these?”
He pointed at the bookshelf he’d just put in place. “Wanna beer?”
“Is the Pope Catholic?”
Andy laughed at the worn out quip and handed me a Castle Lite.  “What’s this? You wimping out on me?”
He patted his stomach and laughed.  “No, but I don’t want to get out of shape.”
“Oh, why?  You got a girl I don’t know about?” I gave him a friendly punch on the arm.
“You could say that.”
“Is that all you’re going to say?”
He smiled and winked at me. “Ja for now.”
“Have you cleared things up with Aphrodite yet?”
“No she is refusing to budge.  I’m really between a rock and a hard place with this.”
“Steve just explain to me why when you have everything, a smoking hot wife, a fantastic little boy and more money than is fair, you’re prepared to jeopardise everything for some broke albeit beautiful under grad?”
I shrugged.  I didn’t have a good answer.
I packed the last of the books onto the shelves and noticed the time.  “Shit, I better get going before the ball and chain starts on at me.  You know how she gets.”
Andy seemed to go rigid.  “Cheryl is no ball and chain.”
“Right and when did you become her Sir Galahad?”
“Sorry bud.  I’m just a bit creased right now and I’d give anything to have what you have.”
When did he become so concerned about not having what I have?  I thought I'd done right by him.

*

There was a loud thumping on the front door.  The bedside clock indicated that it was one thirty am.  What the…
More loud banging.  “Mr. Lawrence, open up.”  I swung open the oak double door and was greeted by blue flashing lights and a couple of uniformed police officers.
“Mr. Lawrence?” A portly officer asked.
“Yes?” I frowned at him. 
“Please come with us sir.”  He pointed in the general direction of the police vehicle.
“Hold on just a bloody minute.  Why do I need to go anywhere with you?”
He looked at his note pad.  “You know an Aphrodite Katsaros?”
“Yes?”
Cheryl walked up behind me. “What the hell is going on Steve?”
“I don’t know darling.” 
The rotund police officer answered.  “Ms. Katsaros has been murdered and we’d like you to come in for questioning.”
As the words crashed out of the toad’s mouth I felt my knees buckle. 

*

I’d never felt as tired as I did that day.  They’d grilled me for hours.  Where was I at the time of the murder?  With my wife… You would say that and she’d alibi you, she’s your wife after all.  What was the nature of my relationship with Ms. Katsaros?  On and on with the questions.  I was informed that my fingerprints had been found on the murder weapon which as far as the police were concerned, was irrefutable evidence that I had perpetrated this heinous crime.
The cat was out of the bag now and Cheryl knew about my illicit liaison.  She took it remarkably well.  None of the histrionics I’d expected.  Quite the opposite, she’d become the ice queen, frostily stoic but she refused to visit me. 
No matter how much I proclaimed my innocence, I was going down for murder.  I was going to have to pay the highest price there was for what had been an indiscretion.

*

The day of my trial arrived.  The morose grey sky emulated how I felt.  My lawyer had told me to expect the worst case scenario, life imprisonment.  The evidence was stacked against me and the chief witness, my dear pal Andy had sent me down the river.

I sat in the witness box and looked out into the courtroom.  Cheryl and Andy sat next to one another.  Hand in hand.  Andy lifted Cheryl’s hand to his lips and kissed her finger tips.  He looked up at me and smiled.  The penny dropped.  Oh my god talk about being blindsided.

 
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