This new SecondLife event is all about playing Tabetop games to raise money for charity. In this case it is through the organisation Extra Life.
Extra Life unites thousands of gamers around the world to play games in support of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Throughout the month of August, fundraise and play tabletop games.
The event runs from 19th to 29th August 2022 and has a busy calendar of tabletop games that run through the ten day event that you can see on their website.
Lots of tables are set out in the Gaming Grove for the event.
Around the edge of the central grove there are a number of booths designed to look like gaming dice containing goods from a number of merchants for you to peruse.
Cica Ghost has opened another fantastically quirky build called “Dinosaurs and Coconuts”. As soon as you arrive the environment immediately makes you feel you’re somewhere surreal. Like her other builds the Shared Environment lighting is a significant part of the installation and sets the scene of somewhere dark but not menacing that needs to be explored.
When I heard the name it reminded me of a blog post featuring a dinosaur hunter that I made during Fantasy Faire last year, so I decided to expore the installation in the same outfit.
This weekend has been the finale weekend of the Relay For Life “Relay Season”, raising money for the American Cancer Society through events in Second Life.
The events schedule technically started in February but I didn’t get involved until Fantasy Faire in April. Since then I’ve paid a visit to the SciFi Con event an after-con-party, followed by the opening (and closing) ceremonies of this weekends events.
The main focus this weekend was the 24 hour relay around a track in SL. Sounds simple, right? When the track is the virtual equivalent of 9.2 Kilometres or 5.2 Miles, it’s definitely not so simple. There were relay teams (138) doing this as well as individuals, who could choose to record their laps completed. This year there were 1185 avatars doing so.
Together they completed 5413 laps of the track. That all adds up to a whopping total of 49882.153Km or 30995 Miles covered! (I was going to say walked/ran, but this is Second Life there were all kinds of weird and wonderful non-human avatars relaying too, which involved flying or other forms of locomotion.)
It’s not like any other relay race you might come across in the real world though. Certainly you get rest stops along the way, but on the RFL Relay track there are themed locations or “campsites”, all the way around the track. This is just a small glimpse of some of the fantastic locations that have been built.
The regions are going to be there until Thursday 23rd June, so you have plenty of time to go explore for yourself.
Try starting HERE it’s a part of the track in front of where the ceremonies were held.
This time around we’re in the Wild West at a place called Wind River and it looks great.
Travel back in time to the era of gunslingers and saloon girls, of massive migration and settlement. The Old West comes to life at Wind River, a photogenic backwater town at the end of the 19th century.
You arrive in a high-walled canyon that leads you through to the main street of the town.
As you walk through town you can see there are all the usual establishments you would expect to find in a frontier town, Sheriffs office, Saloon, Undertakers, General store among others. Also on the edge of town there is of course a Church with obligatory graveyard.
The Sheriff’s Office & Store
Across the street..
..we have the Saoloon
which has rooms since the Hotel is closed, although htey may be “by the hour”
The Doctors office, when you survive your gunslinging
The Undertaker for those that lose
Where you pray for luck or others say farewell
Coach and Mail office
The not so sociable folks maybe?
A lovely setting to come explore, maybe play at Cowgirl or Cowboy if you fancy but do read the notecard you receive when you arrive regarding private areas above ground level.
Last night I attended an introduction to Roleplay at Ancient Order of Centaurs (AoC). I’ve written about this place before, most recently covering a couple of their Fantasy Faire events.
This intro was about the type of RP they do there, both formal and informal, along with an introduction to their roleplay HUD based on the Unity system.
They have lots of different races at AoC, but mostly all are variant of “taur” which is usually a mix of human upper body and animal lower body.
We had a chat to begin with about who had what kind of roleplay exerience as well as about the different races and houses that you can be a part of at Centauria. Next we were taken to collect AoC Roleplay HUDs, based on the Unity Maxim system.
Left: Main Unity HUD. Right: AoC Setup HUD
If you can just about read the text above my avatars head, I chose for now to be Merchant Class, but we shall see if a story develops along that line or not, but it’s easily changed.
The system allows the use of items and currency that we can exchange and use in Roleplay, this is currenty what I have after yesterdays induction:
Vivendia is the latest build by Camilla Runo who built two incarnations of Varsargen and also Skullingtown for Halloween last year. Ars Vivendia has a slightly more serious air to it, more like a peice of clasical art than the other locations Camilla has created. As I explored it felt like I was walking around inside an old painting. It’s setting is of an old Italian town near the sea with fantastic views inside and out.
The landing point is the yard of a small house outside the main town, beautifully rustic.
On the way up towards the town you can see to one side a small island seperated by a narrow stretch of water.
Entering through the open gates is where you really feel like you’re stepping back in time. Inside the town is made up of narrow streets with bightly lit shops, cafes and hotels in an evening setting, so the place feels kind of maical.
Through to the other side of the town there are some other buildings stood apart from the rest.
At the top of the hill is an old church with beautiful stained glass windows and lovely sunset views.
Several of the buildings can be explored inside as well as admired from outside, so come explore for yourself.
I found this fantastic outfit by Fallen Gods at an outlet sale recently, its part of their “Rust” collection and feels very steampunk. But being one of those impulse purchases we all make sometimes, I really had no idea where or when I might actually wear it.
Then I saw a video Isabelle Cheren who paid a visit to “Timeless”, an installation by Cica Ghost. I decided that it would be an ideal location for a photo or three.
One of the coolest thing about this outfit is the hat, so I couldn’t not include a couple of close-ups.
Hat Rear
Hat Front
There are some wacky and fun sights to be seen at Timeless, including a variety of furniture with some unusual animations in:
(Click the little expanding icon on the right-hand side that appears when you hover over the image to see the clip full screen.)
Outfit Credits:
MARIE ROUILLE full avatar +Fallen Gods Inc.
Lipstick: Bad Pumpkin Lip (Halloween Collection 2020) – TREND
Here I continue my Sci-Fi roleplay that started in Helix City then Hellas Planitia crater. There’s a change in the story Lore here, in line with that of the Helix owners story. Previously the roleplay was set on Mars as an outpost/frontier community and luxury goods or supplies were shipped from Earth. Now Mars has become more developed and the frontier is out beyond our solar system (exact location not specified).
Ava has arrived in the frontier town and found premises to use as a shipping office. The shipment of business essentials (see post) has also turned up and she’s ready to open up shop.
2022/02/16 07:50:22] ViçṮФЯiâ: we all got houses and started explroing the land and all the humans ran to the woods. there al hill people now then thwre is a townys [2022/02/16 07:51:39] Ava Bloodrose Delaney (Ava Bloodrose): /me rolls her eyes "oh great, the desert dwellers became Hill Billies!" [2022/02/16 07:51:47] ViçṮФЯiâ: me and seffy went up to ask question and got guns pionted at us. so now seffy is straped[2022/02/16 07:52:19] Ava: maybe I should go chat to these fools [2022/02/16 07:52:21] ViçṮФЯiâ: and me to i got stonefish out [2022/02/16 07:52:53] ViçṮФЯiâ: that is what we was trying and it got heavy fast [2022/02/16 07:53:50] Ava: However I suspect it may well be that they're the kind of folks that don't like you unless you're 100% Human [2022/02/16 07:53:55] ViçṮФЯiâ: oh and lomax is very nice. he owns the junk shop and you could find all types of stuff there
[2022/02/16 07:54:57] ViçṮФЯiâ: called me rasist but they dont know what i've been thought. i dont trust a lot of human
[2022/02/16 07:56:06] Ava: How can *you* be the racist, when you are the one being mistreated? [2022/02/16 07:56:22] ViçṮФЯiâ: oh and thankyou for makeing shorld my bike mad it here [2022/02/16 07:56:27] Ava hugs Vic[2022/02/16 07:56:37] ViçṮФЯiâ: smiles
[2022/02/16 07:57:31] ViçṮФЯiâ: its just how my life gos. see the horns and think danger. but im a big softy [2022/02/16 07:58:33] Ava: Well, I didn't personally do it, like your bike, I got loaded up on the ship as bous stuff forthe grunts to sell
[2022/02/16 07:59:51] ViçṮФЯiâ: there is so much going on when we was shoved of the ship i lost it and i had to ask people and you know there no help i had to steel it form inpownd [2022/02/16 08:00:13] ViçṮФЯiâ: oh and my old cred stick works here [2022/02/16 08:00:24] ViçṮФЯiâ: i had money [2022/02/16 08:00:36] ViçṮФЯiâ: just could not use it in hellas [2022/02/16 08:01:09] Ava: Well that's a bonus!
[2022/02/16 08:02:13] Ava: well now I'm kinda defrosted and office set up, I should probably start looking for customers, who would you suggest? [2022/02/16 08:03:39] Ava: If lots can be found in hte junkyard, there must still be stuff that *can't* ? [2022/02/16 08:06:19] ViçṮФЯiâ: maybe link up with muddy hes got a shiping corpo building. but i dont know what he ships. maybe set up a order link with lomax so he can get more then junk to [[2022/02/16 08:08:15] ViçṮФЯiâ: i dont think the hill people use the town much and i dont know how thay got ....OH yes there is cows and goat in the hills i never seen befer [2022/02/16 08:09:00] Ava scans the barcodes on the various crates with her eye augment to find the one she wants while vic replies, then places her palm on a crates reader to open it. Rummages inside and come back round with a couple of small packets [2022/02/16 08:09:45] Ava holds up a pack of cigarettes to vic "here, catch" and tosses it to her [2022/02/16 08:10:11] Ava: junkyards don't usually have those I suspect [2022/02/16 08:12:12] ViçṮФЯiâ: atches it and looks at them . i think so lot of people smoking here. i dont like the tobbacoo just weed [2022/02/16 08:14:06] Ava: Well I had the office put some in the crates because they were in high demand at Hellas [2022/02/16 08:14:40] Ava: I had orders for them by the crate, til the dumb helix grunts came along [2022/02/16 08:15:58] ViçṮФЯiâ: i do feel that there is ways to make money here like old helix [2022/02/16 08:16:23] ViçṮФЯiâ: im starting up my weed growing again but im selling it this time [2022/02/16 08:16:45] Ava: very smart [2022/02/16 08:17:22] Ava points at the pack in vics hand "well now you can cut it with baccy" [2022/02/16 08:18:22] ViçṮФЯiâ: i found a old hydorponic set up and got it working with all the stuff penny showed me [2022/02/16 08:19:39] Ava: well that's cool, a proper set up is what you need, if you're gonna sell it [2022/02/16 08:19:45] ViçṮФЯiâ: oo ok will do or freak the cigg tube and make weed ciggs to sell [2022/02/16 08:21:03] Ava: but if you're selling the stuff, doesn't that then make your kit valuable? Is it secure where you have it? [2022/02/16 08:21:22] ViçṮФЯiâ: lomax is down for some weed but making the hill people trust me that all im doing it trying to sell weed with out them trying to shoot me [2022/02/16 08:21:51] ViçṮФЯiâ: yes it is right in my house
[2022/02/16 08:21:56] Forcefield: whispers: Warning shield is raised
[2022/02/16 08:22:02] ViçṮФЯiâ: no one can get to it i think [2022/02/16 08:22:13] Ava taps a button on one of her cuffs.. [2022/02/16 08:22:40] Ava points at the forcefeild she'd activated, secure *enough* though? [2022/02/16 08:23:33] ViçṮФЯiâ: well i dont have one of them inmy place [2022/02/16 08:23:53] Ava: my point was, that could be arranged [2022/02/16 08:23:55] Ava smiles [2022/02/16 08:24:08] ViçṮФЯiâ: just my doors and not telling a lot of people [2022/02/16 08:24:25] ViçṮФЯiâ: oh smiles
[2022/02/16 08:24:36] Forcefield: whispers: Shield is down
[2022/02/16 08:24:38] ViçṮФЯiâ: i will have to show you my place [2022/02/16 08:24:55] ViçṮФЯiâ: so you get a idea what im up to [2022/02/16 08:24:57] Ava taps the button again to deactivate it [2022/02/16 08:27:22] ViçṮФЯiâ: i think seffy lives above you to [2022/02/16 08:28:05] Ava: does she? Getting in there is da,m awkward with the door hidden around the back [2022/02/16 08:29:33] ViçṮФЯiâ: yes but i think she likes it that way not easy to find[2022/02/16 08:31:58] Ava: I'll have to try catch her sometime. I thought I might have had to rent it, so I had somewhere other than the office to sleep [2022/02/16 08:34:03] Ava: So I get these company-issue bunks to sleep on [2022/02/16 08:34:09] ViçṮФЯiâ: nods smiles i got a top floor place [2022/02/16 08:34:27] ViçṮФЯiâ: and it had a little landing dock to for my bike[2022/02/16 08:35:52] Ava: I will have to come visit your place for sure at some point soon
I saw a link for this place on the SecondLife Twitter feed and decided it was definitely a place to check out. Dinosaurs put me in mind of my “Dinosaur Hunting” post from Fantasy Faire last year, so I dug out the outfit and it seemed to fit the setting of the arrival point perfectly.
When you arrive you’re drop into a large puddle inside a cavern with a loud splash, it’s so simple but very effective at setting the scene. Here you have to find your way out of a small network of tunnels to a Helipad.
I thought to start with that this was the end, but it’s just the beginning of your your Jurassic adventure. Click the yellow copter rezzer and a Jurassic Park helicopter will appear and take you to the next step of your journey.
When you land you’re dropped off outside the Jurassic Park visitor centre, looking very similar to the one from the movie, that I recall.
Heading through the rear exit you have another rezzer, this time for a jeep.
Which drops you at the top of a hill by a waterfall, that overlooks a small valley full off very placid dinosaurs.
You can explore down here, have a go on this fun roundabout ride and get a lift on this little winged Dino for an impressive view.
There’s no easy way out of this valley though, you’ve gotta cross a rope bridge and then get yourself shot from a cannon!
Now things start to get a bit rowdy. We’ve got to the point where the exhibits have decided to leave their cages!
Fortunately there is another helicopter to get you the Hell out of there!
This is one of those places in SL that’s really just lots of fun. Plenty to explore, well thought out, attention to detail and great use of the stuff SL can do. I’d recommend everyone go check it out, whether you liked the movies or not, it’s just good fun, which is the whole point of this virtual world.
Back in May 2020 I wrote about a SciFi roleplay region called Helix, followed very shortly after by the news of it’s closure. This wasn’t however the end of my story, it was just the start of a storyline that’s run across multiple locations in SL on and off for the year and a half since then.
Now the former owners of Helix have returned with a new location called World of Helix. This isn’t a city this time though, its more an outpost town with cilivans as well as military personnel that they describe as an adult sci-fi Western.
You arrive in the woods outside the town, which is behind you with the wilderness in front of you.
After a brief glance at the nearby structures (more on that later) I headed into town to see what it has to offer. Immediately at the gates you get the tone of the place with guards posted outside.
A glance Left
A glance Right
I entered cautiously taking a glance each direction before heading left to walk a circuit of the town.
All seemed fairly regular civillian establishments, including the requisite pink neon entertainment. As I approached the place where I’ve decided my character will set up shop, I’m reminded of the military presence by way of a dark green truck next door.
Inside the truck
On the way more can be een in the distance
Heading in that direction through a gateway there’s a few landing pads then the rest of the area contains Military personnel and installations.
Passing all this brings me almost full circle back to the entrance gate of the town. However coming from this direction I noticed something I’d missed before.
The local gun shop
Given my characters history of transporting weapons I had to have a quick peek. I was surprised there would be such a shop with the military around they might have wanted to restrict civillian weapon ownership. But what better way to control weapons than by controlling the shop?
Since I’d completed a circuit of the town it was time to have a look out into the wildnerness. Out here there’s a wide selection of buildings and terrain to be seen.
(Please bear in mind some of these are rental homes and may well be inhabitated by the time you visit, so don’t just walk in uninvited.)
Looking at the map on the website it’s quite evident I’ve only shown a fraction of this great new roleplay build, so I’d recommend any Sci-Fi fan come check it out and join in the RP if they wish. I would definitely suggest reading the story setting on the website before engaging in roleplay.
World of Helix is planned for public opening on 15th January 2021, so do drop by and take a look!
Photos were taken on 29th December 2021, so things may look slightly different by the time the 15th January 2022 comes aroud, but not much.
