April 2016 – Ciaran Laval

April 28, 2016

Le Monde Label Second Life “Absurd, Creative and Debauched” But Still Alive

Over at SLUniverse Tatiana Dokuchic explains how an April 1st contact turned out to be no fool :

I was interviewed for this article and didn’t really know what to expect. It didn’t help that the journalist, Morgane Tual, just happened to contact me on April 1st. I had already received an invitation to a new “Marquis de Sade” roleplay that morning and was on the lookout for more April Fool’s fun so when she said she was from Le Monde I took it with a grain of salt.

The article by journalist has now appeared on the website of the famous French Newspaper Le Monde :Absurde, créatif et débauché : dix ans après, « Second Life » est toujours bien vivant, or to put it another way, “Absurd, creative and debauched: ten years later, “Second Life” is still alive“.

Those of us who use Second Life know very well that it’s still alive. Alas I don’t speak French, which is a shame, so my take on the article is based upon usage of Google Translate, which means something may very well be lost in translation. The article does start quite well and this exemplifies that Morgane Tual did actually enter Second Life and take a considered look around :

I expected to find , a decade later, a deserted world, aging technology and a few cobwebs in the corners. It was exactly the opposite.

This is a warts and all article, it doesn’t shy away from the adult content in Second Life and yet it manages to get beyond that and not run screaming that everyone is a freak because adult content exists.

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April 26, 2016

Roleplay and Experiences At Fantasy Faire

Roleplay plays an important part of Fantasy Faire and this year is no exception with four groups roleplaying within the Fairelands.

The Neo-Victoria Project are offering dark steampunk roleplay by way of The Sidhe and The Soul-Eater :

Thousands of years past, a sidhe failed in their duty and let a nameless terror into the worlds. It cost them their life, but not their soul. That was put into a mechanical marvel, and so began their long service as a sentinel against the darkness.

But after so long, their mechanical body has begun to fail and that nameless evil escapes its bonds. The automaton sends word to the Sidhe Empire for assistance.

Will help arrive in time?

Here’s a video trailer :

Whereas the roleplay has already begun, you’re not too late if you want to catch up. The next scheduled event is Scene 4 – Battle Against the Soul-Eater and takes place between 6pm-9pm on Wednesday April 27th at The Cathedral on The Serenity region.

SLURL : http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/FF%20Serenity/127/45/68

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April 26, 2016

Applications Now Open For Creator Preview Of Project Sansar

Project Sansar Concept Art

Linden Lab have today announced that applications are now open for creator preview of Project Sansar. The first question on many people’s lips is going to be “What the hell is a creator preview?” The answer, it seems, is pretty straight forward, as the press release informs us :

SAN FRANCISCO – April 26, 2016 – Linden Lab®, the creators of Second Life®, today announced that applications have opened for an upcoming “Creator Preview” for Project SansarTM, the new platform for user-created social VR experiences. Interested 3D content creators can now apply at ProjectSansar.com and accepted applicants will begin to receive invitations later this summer.

So this is a preview for 3D content creators. The application form is pretty brief and asks you questions such as What type of content would you like to create in Project Sansar? Which tool(s) do you use to create content? Which headset(s) will you have access to, if any? There’s nothing overly intrusive in there.

If you’re wondering why Linden Lab are asking questions such as this, then there are clues in the press release :

Slated for general availability at the end of 2016, Project Sansar will democratize virtual reality as a creative medium. It will empower people to easily create, share, and ultimately monetize their own interactive social experiences that can be enjoyed in VR with head-mounted displays like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, as well as via PCs and, later, mobile devices. The platform enables professional-level quality and performance with exceptional visual fidelity, 3D audio, and physics simulation, while also solving the complex engineering challenges that have previously limited creating and publishing social VR experiences to just sophisticated professionals.

There’s nothing earth shattering or surprising there, we knew that Project Sansar was being built with VR headsets in mind. The press release also includes some not too revealing, but still interesting, quotes from Ebbe Altberg, Linden Lab CEO.

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April 23, 2016

The Drax Files Episode 37 – The Nonprofit Commons

Episode 37 of The Drax Files opens the door on The Nonprofit Commons in Second Life. The episode opens with Drax asking Rhiannon Chatnoir (AKA Joyce Bettencourt) to quickly explain what the Nonprofit Commons is. The answer is that the Nonprofit commons consists over 60 global nonprofit organisations using the virtual world to fight for social good. This sounds very noble.

We get to learn a little about the sort of organisations that are part of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life with people talking about organisations such as :

Transgender American Veterans Association, which plays a role in ensuring transgender veterans receive care for any medical conditions that may arise and that they are treated with respect and dignity.

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April 22, 2016

Tales From The Pavilion

My first day at Fantasy Faire 2016 had been the traditional mixture of awe, mead, more awe, more mead and keeping a beady eye and a worried ear out for Elves, especially singing Elves. So far, so good on that front.

Today, I decided, would be a good day for a beard trim or some culture. I opted for culture, the beard trim can wait. A kindly being pointed me away from the nearest tavern and in the direction of something called LitFest, muttering something about my health. Apparently LitFest is a celebration of all things literary and if there’s one thing a Dwarfin likes, it’s a good old tale or two.

The location of this literary fest was a pavilion, where a crowd had gathered to hear tales from a little red monster by the name of Caledonia Skytower.

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