Conflict of Nations, As Kazakhstan

 

Among the free to play strategy games out there is "Conflict of Nations." A sequel to "Call of War," you take the role of one of a number of nations (or states depending on the scenario) fighting for victory. Giving it a try a few years ago, in one game I decided to have some fun and was playing for chuckles as well as to win.

 

Read Bixyl's story in Other Grids, MMOs, and Games.

 

 

SciFi Con 2025 Starts Today

 

Tomorrow, Friday May 23, is the start of the Sci-Fi Con in Second Life, a RFL fundraiser event. It's taking place in nine sims, with the main landing at Circuit Trap. The opening ceremony is at 12 Noon SL time. There are various smaller events, such as wrestling and DJ parties, radio dramas, movie showings, and more.

The event goes on until Thursday May 29.

 

For more information: https://vonwolfalphas.wixsite.com/sci-fi-con-and-commu/eventlist 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Circuit%20Trap/117/128/70

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

Photos From The Fandom Fashion Show

 

The Fandom Con is over. But there's still a story or two more to write about it. Gemma Cleanslate was at the Fandom Fashion Show, but the big story was all the Lindens and Moles that were there, of which she took plenty of pictures.

 

See Gemma's pictures in People. 

 

SL Video: "2023 SL Fandom Region Tour"

 

 

 (click here if the video does not play)

 From the Relay for Life in Second Life, "SL Fandom Con supporting the RFL of SL Some Stories Stay With Us Forever In celebration of all our Fandoms and in defiance of cancer we gather together, as proof of what virtual worlds and pixel people can do to help make real change. Through the years of amazing RFL events in SL we have witnessed real world changes in testing and treatments and outcomes, lives have been and will be saved because as a united people of Planet Earth we have decided to do something about it together… Until there is a cure, We Relay! We are proud to be part of our shared commitment to eradicate cancer, and to be in the community of courage and caring in Second Life."

Fandom Con Ends Tonight

 

 

 This past weekend was the second and last one for the SL Fandom Con. On Saturday July 29 was the  "Fancy Fandom" event, "All fandoms have their fancy, and we want to see it! Embrace the theme of the night and show off your unique style on the red carpet. From elegant gowns to avant-garde designs, let your creativity show through."

The event lasted from around Noon to 2 PM SL time. When I dropped by, only about half were in fancier outfits. But there were some interesting looks. Probably the most unique, but more than a little disturbing, were three skeleton-like robots in ladies gowns' dancing away in front of the DJ booth. Thankfully they weren't out to terminate anyone, just move to the tunes. 

Today, Monday July 31 is the last day for events in the Fandom con. It is unknown how long the sims, and exhibits, will remain up. The event is a fundraiser for the Relay for Life in Second Life.

*Correction* There was a date error earlier, it has been corrected.

Bixyl Shuftan

Scenes From The Fandom Con

 

 

 The Fandom Con is still going on in Second Life. On Wednesday, I stopped by the Kraken stage in Octololligo. 

 

At 11 AM SL time Austin Moores was performing on stage. He was described as having a "vast repertoire might have him doing Country one min, Pop songs the next, and Crooning (like Sinatra, Buble, Como) the next. On top of that is sprinkled in some rock and swing music." He would sing various songs for an hour, strumming his guitar.

At Noon SL time, it was Nivor the Singing Chicken, "man can this chicken sing.!!! Crooning the classics, emotional ballads, up tempo modern tunes, he can do it all!!! And he's doing it here for the next hour so come on over and have a listen!" 

The avian singer quickly got onto stage (perhaps in a hurry due to the fox in the crowd), and began performing. He was cheered on by a number of gryphons who had come just for the event, some remarking they had never seen so many in one spot.

But the Fandom con is more than singing events. There are also exhibits such as the one by the Mieville community.

The Fandom Con is a fundraiser for the Relay for Life in Second Life.

More on the Con later.

Bixyl Shuftan

Weekend in Brief

 

 There were a number of things happening this weekend. The "Wootstock" at Raglan Shire took place with plenty of live music. Also was the start of the "SL Fandom Con" which had plenty to see, shop, and it's own live music events. An event called "Furchanted" was taking place. The exhibits of last weekend's "Burn2" summer spinnoff event were still up to see, and more.

More on these and other happenings later.

 

SL Fandom Con Starts Today

 

It's a busy weekend here in Second Life with a number of events going on. Besides the Wootstock, there is the SL Fandom Con, which is described as being for "all comic lovers and fans from our Trekkies, Whovians, Bronies, True Believers, the Warsies, and Ghostheads, Moonies, and everyone in between."

 

The event takes place over eight sims, with numerous exhibits, booths, stores, and stages for music events.

 

 

On day one, there was a music event with sixty avatars present. So expect lag.

The SL Fandom con is "a mega-event for the Relay for Life," raising money for the American Cancer Society. It runs from today, Friday July 21 to Monday July 31.

 

For more information, check out the website at  https://sl-fandom-con.org/

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/American%20Cancer%20Society2/127/220/66

Bixyl Shuftan

Sci-Fi Expo Team Announces "Indefinite Postponement"

 

After several years of fundraising, one annual Relay for Life happening will be doing no more, at least for now. Yesterday on Wednesday March 1, the Sci-Fi Expo team announced the "indefinite postponement" of future events.

It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the indefinite postponement of the SciFi Expo due to unforeseen circumstances that are beyond our control that are affecting members of our team. We are extremely thankful for the incredible support we have received since opening in 2017, allowing us to raise a remarkable total of US$24,620.86 for the American Cancer Society through both their Relay For Life and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer fundraising campaigns. This phenomenal contribution has enabled the American Cancer Society to provide invaluable resources for cancer research, treatments, and support programs, improving the quality of life for those affected by the disease.

The success of the SciFi Expo was only possible through the hard work and dedication of our team and with the support of our amazing community. We thank all of you who attended and supported the event, and apologize for any disappointment this announcement may have caused.

We strongly urge everyone to participate in the various other events the American Cancer Society of Second Life hosts throughout the year (see the links listed below). These events are great opportunities to show your support, have fun, and contribute to an important cause. Your participation and donations to these events can make a tremendous difference in the fight against cancer.

We understand the difficulty of the current situation and we thank you for your understanding and support. We hope to be able to celebrate this wonderful event with our community once again in the future. In the meantime, we wish you safety and health and remind you that we are all in this fight together, for a world without cancer.

The Sci-fi Expo took place every fall, alongside Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. It typically had music and dance events, discussions about science fiction, booths for various sci-fi groups such as roleplaying ones, plenty of shops, numerous exhibits, in it's last couple years a quest, and more.  The Newser took a closer look at the one in 2021.

As far as the Newser is aware, this announcement does not affect the schedule of the SL Fandom Con in May this year.  

*Correction* Earlier the title was "Sci-Fi Con," which has been corrected (hasn't been the first time we mixed up the two names.

Announcement: Thank You From The Sci-Fi Con

 

 

 On Monday October 31, the people behind the Sci-Fi Con issued "A Massive Thank You" for it's supporters. They had raised a total of 2,411,149 Linden dollars (US$9,644.60), a new record.

Thank you for yet another marvelous and historic year! The 2022 SciFi Expo broke its fundraising record for a THIRD consecutive year in a row, raising L$2,411,149 (US$9,644.60) to fight back against Breast Cancer. All funds raised during the 2022 SciFi Expo support the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer program whose goal is to save lives and end Breast Cancer as we know it.

The generosity of the our entire community is beyond heartwarming, and we are incredibly thankful to be part of it, so thank you for helping contribute to such a worthy cause. And to thank you to everyone who donated, whether you came and made a purchase from a creator, through participating in one of the many events or performances, however you donated we are so appreciative of the support you have shown to this special cause time and time again.

 

They also thanked "this year’s Event Sponsors, Exhibitors, Events and Performers, Blogger team, and to all of this year’s visitors and attendees. This event simply would not be possible without the support of all of you. So once again, thank you!"

RFL Announcement: A New 2023 Mega Event

 

From Stingray Raymaker - Director of ACS in Second Life

“I’m very excited to introduce SL Fandom Con. A new Mega Event that will bring FANDOM to a whole new level in Second Life. The team of people working together on this project have set some very inspiring goals and have a vision for a completely re-imagined Mega Event experience for the Second Life FANDOM community.”

Full story at https://www.slacsinfo.com/news 

Sci-Fi Con Starts Today

The Sci-Fi con is going on. This Relay for Life spinoff event started today, May 13, and will go on until Monday May 24. There are nine sims with various exhibits: Lost Colony, Alien Star System, A Quiet Town, Floating First Contact, The Mainframe, Mjolnir, Alien Invasion, and Broken Promise. 

There will be a number of events over the next eleven days from music parties to discussions on various topics of science-fiction, to roleplay classes, and more. There are also shops, in which the proceeds will be going to the American Cancer Society.
 
For more information, check out the Sci-fi c
on blog: https://scificonventionsl.wordpress.com/ 
 
Bixyl Shuftan
 

Scenes From the Texas Furry Fiesta

 

Last weekend, the Texas Furry Festival took place in Second Life. Moved here and a few other places online due to the Pandemic, it was a way people could still attend the usually real-life convention. The Newser was there, and took a few pictures.

See more in Events.

Texas Furry Fiesta Going Virtual

 

Last year in 2020 with the Coronovirus Pandemic in full swing, numerous conventions were canceled. One, Gen Con, would go virtual that year with much of the event taking place in Second Life. Today, while there are vaccines increasingly available, the Pandemic is still with us and conventions that would normally take place this time of year are having to make decisions. Some are canceling or postponing the decision on whether or not to have one this year. But one, the "Texas Furry Fiesta," is doing what Gen Con did last year and take the event virtual, including partially here in Second Life. 

It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that Furry Fiesta will not be having a physical event in 2021. ... This was not an easy decision. We considered the options, seeing if there were ways we could structure our event to improve safety. Vaccines are on the horizon, but the logistics of their distribution are daunting and CDC projections indicate that none will be widely available until after our event. Ultimately ...  we must accept the reality that an in-person event at this time would risk the health and safety of our community.

However, this will not be the end of Furry Fiesta for I am happy to announce that we are planning a virtual event! Details are still being determined and more information will be forthcoming in the upcoming weeks. We know how important TFF is to our community, so we are striving to ensure that we can provide the best possible virtual event.

The event will be taking place on four places online (link). This includes here in Second Life. The Fiesta has a place in the Crimson sim on the mainland in two sections. The ground level section is a beach area with the sounds of waves lapping at the shore, with a pier and campfire. There's also a freebie store where one can pick up some dated but still useful furry avatars free of charge. By clicking on a crystal, one will be teleported to the upper area. This is an urban setting in a city park area with a couple games to play. There's also a building with a dance floor on the upper level.

It should be noted the sim is ranked moderate, and people attending are asked to abide by the rules, including keeping things PG-13 or cleaner. Residents are asked to keep drama and other issues outside. 

Besides Second Life, the event will also be taking place on VR Chat, Minecraft, and Discord.

The event officially runs from Friday March 26 to Sunday March 28. For a schedule of the event, Click Here.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Crimson/158/223/23

Bixyl Shuftan
 

Gen Con Ends, Sims Up Until Aug. 4

Yesterday, Sunday August 2, was the last day of the Gen Con. The gaming convention that went online due to the Coronavirus ran for four days starting on Thursday July 30. The event has been considered a great success for both those who took part, and for Second Life as well as the event brought a number of people here whom hadn't been here for years or had come here for the first time. Taking in account other places on the Internet, "including Twitch, Discord, Zoom, Roll20, and several other virtual tabletop systems," about forty thousand people took part, and played thousands of games. For those whom were new, there were clothing and avatars available to them to avoid "cookie cutter" appearances.

I was told, though I couldn't find confirmation, that Twitch would be permitting footage of Gen Con events from Second Life, even though the virtual world is on it's list of "prohibited games."

On Saturday night, there was a celebration party. A number of the convention-goers met up at a replica of Indianapolis' Union Station (Gen Con was originally going to be at Indianapolis). The crowd was a mix of longtime residents, such as Ceri Quixote, and newcomers.

Although the events are over, the builds will be around for people to enjoy for a little longer. Tuesday August 4 will be the last day. Some places may require joining one of the con groups to get to. It's unknown whether future conventions will have an online portion for those not able to get to the real-life setting. Though if the mood of this one is any guide, it probably will.

Source: Gencon.com

Bixyl Shuftan

SLPonyCon

With the Coronavirus Crisis shutting down conventions in real life, those whom had plans to go don't have to just wait until next year. They can have one in Second Life. Cyfir (Cyfiremmerich) recently had the chance to talk to two people Pop Princess Sakairi (Sakairi Melodious) and Braniac -Piper- (rosetheunicorn) whom were organizing one here, the SLPonyCon 2020. They had a number of things to say about it from the challenges to what to expect.

Read Cyfir's story in People. 

A Busy Weekend

Quite a bit happened this weekend in Second Life. From Friday May 15 to Sunday May 17, the Relay for Life's Relaystock music festival took place. Friday was also when the Relay's Scifi Con started, and it's Team Sunbeamers passed the 600,000 Linden mark at it's "Under the Sea" party. On Sunday May 17, Bay City would hold it's 12th anniversary celebration, a combination parade and music n dance party (pictured above), and the Raglan Shire ArtWalk started.

We'll get to some of these stories, and others, in more detail later in the week.

Relaystock This Weekend, Scifi Con Begins

On Friday May 15, the Relaystock started in the Relaystock2020 sim, north of the American Cancer Society sim. Many teams, including the Sunbeamers, have camps there. There are also numerous DJs having events on stage, plus two live musicians.

Saturday May 16th

12:00 - 1:30pm slt  - DJ Angel Blossom - Seekers Of Hope
1:30 - 3:00pm slt   -  DJ Gem Sunkiller - Team Shadow
3:00 - 4:00pm slt   -  Max Kleene - Live Singer - Relay Rockers
4:00 - 5:00pm slt   -  Todd Rumsford - Life Singer - Cure Chasers
5:00 - 6:30pm slt   -   DJ Scott - Harmony Of Hope
6:30 - 8:00pm slt  -    The A Team - Friends For A Cure

Sunday May 17th

9:00 - 10:30am - Tommy James and The Shondells - Tribute Band - Rocking Sands
10:30am - 12:00pm - DJ Holocluck Henley - Aether Chrononauts Tiny Steps
12:00 - 1:00pm slt - Turner Harborough - Live Singer - Relay Rockers
1:00 - 2:00pm  slt - DJ Nuala Maracas - Relay Rockers
2:00 - 3:00pm  slt - CRFB Top DJ Finalist - DJ Baggie
3:00 - 4:00pm  slt - CRFB Top DJ Finalist - DJ Kayla
4:00 - 5:00pm  slt - DJ's Nikki, Sting, MamaP, Trader - Cancer Gets Stung
5:00 - 7:30pm  slt - DJ Trader Whiplash - The Time Machine Show - Relay Rockers
7:30 - 9:00pm  slt - DJ Kayla - Roos With A Dream

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/RelayStock2020/128/10/24

The Relaystock isn't the only Relay event going on right now. A few sims away is the 2020 Scifi Con.

With eight sims of science-fiction fun, from tributes to campy shows of the past, roleplay group exhibits, music events, and more, there's plenty to see.

To learn more, check the event website: https://scificonventionsl.wordpress.com/

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/RelayStock2020/128/10/24

News and Commentary: Furry Conventions in Virtual Spaces?

By Cyfir (Cyfiremmerich)

In a previous article, I asked the question of whether or not Second Life could replace real life events amid the Coronavirus pandemic. I came to the conclusion that Second Life could not replace real human interaction in a physical space because many experiences that conventions offer are tactile in nature. You can’t sit in a real car or play a video game on a new console with a new controller in a virtual world.

However, with at least one convention actually taking place in VR Chat this year, it got me to thinking that even though Second Life cannot replace real life conventions, it doesn’t have to. It can be an alternative. Imagine this: A virtual dealers den and artist alley with not only in world content but open commissions for real world items. The informative and otherwise entertaining panels would also work. There of course could be live DJs and prizes. There could even be a charity involved. It could take place over the course of a three day weekend. There could even be a guest of honor and special guests.

It may not be as big and popular as actual conventions since I still do think that Second Life caters to a very niche audience. But for those who attend, it could be a welcome retreat away from quarantine life. Many have commented that Second Life is like one big continuous furry convention. But what if someone makes an official one?

What do you the readers think? Feel free to leave comments below.

Cyfir

SL Video: "Anime in Jazz at Sci Fi Convention 2019 in Second Life"

(Click here if the video does not play)

From WizardOz Chrome in August 27, "Machinima by Wizardoz Chrome from event: "ANIME in JAZZ at SCI Fi Convention 2019 in Second Life" An evening with Jazz and Soul music from openings, endings and soundtracks of Japanese anime, hosted by Rubin Mayo. "This is one of the events of the great SCI-FI Convention that took place in Second Life from 17 to 26 May 2019 " (from a post of Rubin Mayo on FB) ***The avatar "Gundam" worn by Rubin Mayo was created by Shingo Lunasea *** Soundtrack: Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt OST - 04 Gundam Thunderbolt OST 09 I`m Your Baby ( Music Remix by Wizardoz Chrome) ***Machinima, live from Event, edit by Wizardoz Chrome (aka Alba Rocca on FB)"