Relay Weekend, Day Two

 

Sunday June 14 was day two of the Relay Weekend. Late the night before at 9PM SL time (Midnight SLT) was the Luminaria Ceremony, also known as the Luminaria hour. People were asked to be quiet and encouraged to pause their walking as they reflected on those lost to cancer. 

 

 The Luminaria Hour would be live on Youtube as well, luminaria floating upwards over ACS island. 

 

 

Some people pulled an all-nighter. Others got some rest, even if it was a few hours. Fortunately there were some snacks and drinks at various places such as the Roos With A Dream camp.

 

 Many were running to get as many laps as possible. While I planned to walk a few, I also talked with others, such as the Roos. 

 

 Some on the track insisted on using speed boosters, some leaving streak trails as they zoomed across the track.

 

 "Woosh for a cure" someone called it. There would be 25 people who would win the Chettah Award, also known as the cheater award, one making a hundred laps! 

 

 It should be noted the track had some of the most varied lengths. It wasn't just all brick and asphalt. There were stretches of wood. 

 

The ACS sim had glass bridges. ACS2 and three had wooden ones. 

 

 Once again, some creative avatars were going down the track, like this giant snail from the Giant Snail Races. 

 

and this small dragon bounding down the track

 

And there were also gryphons. 

 

 There were ponies (I ran into one when going to a sandbox to unpack something, told her about the Relay, and she came over and brought a friend).

 

 And these ... whatever they are. 

 

 

Ran into Zada Bury, who was filming the area for Drivers of SL.

 

 

 I would also check out a few other campsites, including the Second Life Cheerleading Squad's, of which I would climb the double helix and parachute off. 

 

 I would do a total of a bit less than the equivalent of four laps. And eventually at 10 AM was the closing ceremony. The lag was so heavy, I risked crashing if looking at more than a few complete avatars, my clothes turning white. 

 

 Again, the Closing Ceremony was broadcasted live on Youtube. 

 

 

From the video, Cynthia Farshore was there in her balloon. 

 

 

The Committee congratulated everyone for a job well done. There was some news that was a little sad though. After some years, Trader Whiplash and MamaP were stepping down from their leadership positions. 

 

 

After the Closing Ceremony was the Victory Lap. Many would do one more lap around the track. Some would also go to parties on the track. I ended up running into Mattie Carlton, the leader of Kitsunes For A Cure, that had just hit Silver Level fundraising.

 

It was an exciting Relay Weekend. But the fun at the track isn't over yet. The sims will be up for a few more days, with the "Flood Party" taking place sometime Wednesday. The Royal Ascot by Team ACTS is taking place in the Relay track this time, in a couple sims in the southwest, to Sunday June 21st. 

 

There's always "that guy" who takes down his camp early. So be sure to see the campsites while you can.

 

Go Relay!

 

Bixyl Shuftan

 

At The Relay Weekend

 

 

The Relay Weekend started off with the opening ceremony, with over 200 attending.

 

 Because of the lag, the ceremony would be streamed, and recorded, on Youtube. 

 

 I would be there, but had some trouble with the lag.

 

 Then it was onto the track, first the Survivors and Caregivers lap, then the team lap.

 

 The track itself had some interesting camps, like the SLCS double helix build, standing over 360 meters high, each piece created when someone new touches the build panel. 

 

 

Cardboard cutouts seemed to be a thing this year. 

The "Wild Wild West" walker versus a giant cancer cell?

 

 

And there were the avatars from the Stay Puft Man and the fifty foot woman ...

 

 

To animal and tiny avies ,,,

 

 

To those who went rainbow.

 

 It was quite an experience. To see who walked how far, check out this website: https://rflofsl.org/leaderboard .

 

 More later. For now, need to rest.

 

Go Sunbeamers! Go Relay! 

 

Bixyl Shuftan

 

 

VR Chat Opens Avatar Marketplace

 

In Second Life, people have been buying avatars for almost all of it's history. In VR Chat in contrast, for most of it's history you could only get those content creators will willing to give away. But last year this started to change when an inworld economy finally came about. And several days ago the process was simplified with the opening of their Avatar Marketplace.

Read the story in Other Grids, MMOs, and Games.

 

Scenes From The Fairelands

 

 

 Quite a bit has been going on at the Fantasy Faire. On Sunday April 28, the roleplay by the Children of Stories "The Desert Foxes" came to it's conclusion. The unnatural eclipse was still going on, the well was dry, and the magical creatures were getting sick and ill. It all ended with a fundraising party.

Yours truly will try to have more up. But the story had a happy ending, with the well restored, the eclipse gone, and the magical beings once again healthy and happy, "Oh my wings, how I've missed you."

 

Wildstar Beaumont also took some pictures, which you can find (here). 

 

 
On Tuesday April 30, I would come across an "after the roleplay" meeting and discussion by some of the people. One detail was that Loki Eliot before the roleplay had announced he wasn't going to be present, and a few friends of his had also declined to take part. But others came on anyway, feeling the purpose of the event, to raise money to fight cancer, was just too important.

On Wednesday May 1 was the Parade of Centaurs, a lap around the Fairelands by the four-footed folk of the Jinx community that's become a Fairelands tradition, of which all were invited to join.

There were many well-done avatars present, only some which could be pictured here. Once again, Wildstar had some pictures (here).

There's still several days left to enjoy the Fantasy Faire. It goes on until Tuesday May 7. While the sims may stay up until Midnight, in some past Faires people couldn't tp in some hours before that. 

Bixyl Shuftan

It Came From Bellisseria Chat: Dancing Burgerheads

 

 

Taken by Xia Xevious at the Bellisseria Fairgrounds. In Bellisseria chat, they were talking about hamsters wearing burgers on their heads, someone saying of a picture, "I saved that on my compy as beezechurger hammies." Then Xia showed this picture of a scene at Bellisseria for Life, of two avatars with hamburgers as heads. 

Their looks certainly cut the mustard. Our puns could never ketchup.

EOTB: New Senra Starter Avatars Now Availabler

 

When Patch Linden spoke at the SL20B a little more than a month ago, he stated that the first of the new starter avatars that were announced last year were almost ready. On Tuesday August 1, Linden Lab announced that two were ready for use by both newcomers and existing residents, the Senra avatars. 

We're excited to announce the launch of our new Starter Avatars! These avatars, called Senra, are a fresh mesh take on the classic Second Life avatar, with a customizable modern and stylish look. These avatars will give new residents the opportunity to get started with a mesh body and personalize their own unique look the very first time they log in to Second Life and get a taste for the endless possibilities of avatar customization available to SL Residents.

The Senra avatars come with a variety of body shapes, skins, and hair styles. We've also created a whole new wardrobe of clothes that are specifically designed for these avatars. There are more than a billion possible combinations, so you're sure to find the perfect look.  The Senra avatars and clothing have been designed so that any avatar looks great with any clothing. Mix and match to your heart’s content!

We're also pleased to announce that we'll be providing dev kits for creators to make their own clothes for the Senra avatars. That way new and established residents alike will have plenty of ways to express themselves and create amazing new looks for the Senra avatars. 

 

For newcomers, the avatars are now available at the start, as demonstrated by this SL University Youtube video. For existing residents, the avatars are already in inventories (those who have left their avatars inworld for a few days may need to relog), "Search for 'Senra' and you will find the full variety of clothing and bodies." 

 

The Lab invited content creators to make clothing and other items for the avatars on a Fashion thread in the official forums, Patch Linden saying, those interested needed to read a license agreement, technical information, and fill out an application process. But the reaction in the forum thread was mixed. Some were having issues with some details in the license agreement, "This is pretty much (dead on arrival)," and there were opinions that some questions raised about the avatars at the SL20B such as the polygon count were not listened to. Others went to the Lab's defense, "The Senra system seems to be intentionally unlike the current system, which new users find to be extremely confusing and difficult to learn to use. And if they don't have strict rules about it, it will become just another body option, and very unapproachable just like the rest."

How well will the new starter avatars do? Will they get more use by residents, or be just that to most, a start that will soon be replaced after a few days? Time will tell.

Bixyl Shuftan

 

Avagora Mall

 

 

The Second Life Marketplace can be a convenient place to shop. But sometimes, there's just no substitute for being in an actual shopping center. One place to shop, notably for your avatar needs, is the Avagora Avatar and Mod Mall. 

Located high above the Montecito Bay sim, there are dozens of shops and stores to browse around and buy in. They include Dawn Kingdoms, Aventity, Happy Paw, SKS Designs, Dinkies, Furry Fashion Critters, Kahoots, and more. For avatar and mod makers looking for a place to sell inworld, they can ask Becky Nosferatu for a free space, with 100 prims available for avatar shops, and 50 prims for shops selling mods.

Becky had a message for avatar and mod makers interested in getting a place here, "You're probably asking yourself what the REAL catch is, and I can promise you, there isn't one. The reason for this is simple; I run the Avatar Maker's Guild and have made my own avatars and mods for many years. Back in the day there used to be several sims dedicated to avatar vendors. Those sims are long gone or are difficult and expensive to rent at for little to no traffic. I have seen many avatar makers/modders come and go and I have seen some amazing things done with very little notice from people. For the sake of makers and customers, I want to reimagine those original, creator focused sims. I want to see a single location that avatar makers and modders can come together in order to showcase their works and to make it easier for your customers to find what what they're looking for. This is the vision of what I want to see in SL once again. Of course, the Marketplace already allows for that, but where's the fun of actually going and shopping in SL? So that's why the Avagora exists, and why it's free to you."

Montecito Bay has other reasons for people to visit. There are two active clubs with weekly events, an arcade that recently installed new bowling games, and the Magican Productions and Twilight Imaginarium store (separate from Avagora).

 

 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Montecito%20Bay/92/139/702

 

Fantasy Faire Centaur Parade

 

 

 There's still a few more days at the Fantasy Faire. While many events have passed, there are others taking place. On Wednesday May 3, the Centaur Parade took place. 

Inviting all the taurs to Glimmering Meadows for group pictures, followed by the annual Centaur Parade.

 

 

 Taur avatars are an uncommon sight to most in Second Life, but they can be found everyday in a few places, presumably mostly Fantasy-themed. The Fantasy Faire is the best time and place most of us get to see some. 

 

Glimmering Meadows is the sim of the Fairelands noted for having streams instead of roads. For those who don't like having their feet wet, there's (waterproof) paper boats one can take and sit in. 

Not everyone there was on four legs. There was also a mermaid there, feeling very much at home in the water, holding a souvenir from Patch Linden's 2022 Jail and Bail when his prison was a corrupted whale.

The taurs stood there and walked around some, chatting with each other and some others nearby. Then they would eventually move on to walk the sims.

The Fantasy Faire lasts until Sunday night May 7, at Midnight SL time.

Bixyl Shuftan

Magican Productions and Twilight Imaginarium

 

At the corner of Montecito Bay is a store where you can find a number of avatars, avatar mods, parts, clothes, and other goods: Magican Productions and Twilight Imaginarium, by Becky Nosferatu and Moni Vyle (Tatteredwilite).

The first floor is for Magican Productions. Upon entering, to the left are a number of mods. This includes Becky's prize product, the Speckled Dragon mod. You can get one of several colors, or a fatback with all of them. There are other mods suchas the Rainbow Crux. For those on a budget, in the back to the left are some freebie avatars. To the back on the right are some discounted avatars at a fraction of their original price, such as the batlike Bloodkin. On the right wall are various parts, tails, hands, legs (too bad you can't send them to Horizons_ and more. There are also a few clothes available for sale, such as Disability Motivators shirts. You can also get a free cup of cider or one of a few other drinks.

The second floor is for the products of Twilight Imaginarium. Currently all of it's products available at the store are on just one wall, various avatar mods such as the Metal Panda and the Generic Goat Demon. It seems the floor is a work in progress as the paint in the place is still wet. There's also some odd card came in progress in the middle of the floor with some chalk lines and circles drawn underneath.

Don't forget to explore around while you're there as this is picturesque Montecito Bay with it's futuristic design and neon lights. For instance the nearby WCRX radio station is there. 

Store location: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Montecito%20Bay/37/49/23

 

Magican Productions MP - https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/2733

 

Twilight Imaginarium MP - https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/194707

Bixyl Shuftan

SL Video: "Lullaby of A Deadman"

 

 (Click here if the video does not play)

 From Yamiko Trap on May 2021, "A small vid to showcase most of my Characters"

NUX Avatars Demonstrated At "Meet The Moles"

 
The Lindens revealed some things at the Second Life Birthday discussions last week. The one that got the most attention was the "Premium Plus" option for accounts. But there were others. At "Meet the Moles" on Friday June 24, it was revealed the Lindens and Moles were working on a new line of starter avatars, called the NUX avatars.

Patch would say NUX was short for New User eXperience, and reminded that the current line of starter avatars was "probably going on five to six years old." Unlike the existing line which are "a blend of system body with some mesh attatchments," the NUX will be fully mesh with Bento skeletons and "modernized using all the latest and greatest in avatar building technology, including bakes-on-mesh."

Jester Mole had on one of these new avatars, and hopped on a rotating platform to show it off. Patch stated they would have, "they'll have a whole array of initial outfits available to choose from when they go to sign up and create their avatar, including hairstyles and full ranges of various bodies and types." The avatars are also modifyable, "It's fully slider-rigged, so yeah, you can change the sliders around, change the body shape ..."

Patch stated others will be able to create clothes and other items for these avatars, "We will put out development kits and such that people will be able to design and make clothing and such for it." He did admit they wouldn't be as "robost and fully capable" as some resident-created avatars.

He would go on to say he felt the avatars would be a big help in encouraging new residents to stay and invest more time in the virtual world, saying they "I think will be a really big huge thing and have a tremendous impact on the new user experience and getting people in Second Life, because one of my key interests and goals is I want to grow Second Life. I want to get more people in. And that's very important to me. So, being able to give people a good foundation to start with, and then be able to move on to the larger creator ecoshpere and ecology of products that are available today is another huge consideration for us and how we're approaching this and designing it."

Of when the avatars would be available, Patch wouldn't give a date, "In the future, because I'm not saying soon anymore." There are still some bugs and things to work out.

The video in full can be seen here, with the disussion about the avatars starting after 11:15, and ending at around 22:00.

Pictures from Youtube recording

Bixyl Shuftan