I had a dream where superultramegametasonic DJs did combat across the stars, blowing up planets with their "wrecker rhythms". It was a cross between Silverhawks, ELP, EVE Online, and Roni Size's "Dirty Beats" video. That being said, I believe it's perspectively diminutive to be a "land baron" when you can be a "planet baron", like one of the Great Houses of Dune. I'm seeing landmasses equivalents to whole continents in Second Life, and thankfully we already have our own brand of jaunting.
With the help of a First Look Viewer's dynamic reflections bug, I managed to capture some alien-looking landscapes:
OK, so they're more aquascapes, but that can point to a particularly inspiring fictional direction too — then loop 'em back into what we perceive as reality. I really want to change the color of the water on estates, because water, just like offline, covers so much of what we see, and has a dramatic effect on our mood.
No end of exploration to be had in SL; when I'm bored on the web (yes, it happens), I pop inworld for jaunts. So lemme share some more of my observations; this time I'm using smaller teaser squares — thanx Flickr Leech! As established, click-through a piccie for bigger version and SLURL to visit…
… altho a picture doesn't let you hear what sounds these particle bubbles were corresponding to. It's a work of art by Zrephel Tokugawa that plays minimal melodies with visuals to match, sort of a 3D descendent to After Dark's abstract modules.
When I see content like this, I just hope furries don't get offended (and there are furTorleys too). Nathan Babcock's matching furni; let this be faux pixel-zebra and we can all go in peace.
Houses by Scope Cleaver. He makes some of the most prim-packed stairs you'll find in SL, with all manner of beams joining at right angles. Also some very nice glass textures: yes, it's true, an alpha gradient makes a lovely window if you don't texture it so sickeningly blue. The effects of local lighting here were my own hand; I currently wear a dual yellow-orange + pink (rose?) set which provides some really lush nuances, even in the daytime.
More from Scope Cleaver. I was particularly hungry for sci-fi architecture that day, and like Chinese food, I ate this up. Spaces with pillars made out of metalloys we can't even begin to fathom remind me of those movies where two people, usually a younger male (soldier) and an older woman (politician), are walking through a greenhouse, then she gets zapped with an assassin's dart. WOE!
Very fun, Nickelodeon-colored build by Nicholas Shaftoe.
First Church of HippiePay, with a peace sign obviously designed to attract me — ha-ha, I jest! What I really liked here is peeps be movin' their avatar-asses to get their L$, waltzing from one survey-station to another. It sure beats the visual doldrums of camping chairs. There was also a campfire out front (also not "sit for L$"), and just such a treat to watch people walk back and forth. Bodies in motion.
Lighting on Lemon Yellow, where the Dune roleplaying is taking place. I sometimes think beings who don't understand Dune aren't really humans at all… but then again, that's the gom jabbar for ya!
The colorful joys of Lexi Burks' FUNK-O-RAMA. I was drawn in the moment I saw the sign. I'm happy for the pink-and-green-inclined like myself, the growth of Second Life means more goods in our fave color combo.
Opportunity needs to be knocked up again: this store sells ambient soundscapes, which I think it's a great idea. Prob is, why isn't there more? I did a search and found like, TWO shops dedicated to environmental loops. Wowza, what a gaping hole. Lack of sonic excellence is one of my ongoing themes, so I'm really optimistic some avid chessplayers will yet seize control of the sound market. Every time someone sez, "Everything in SL has been done already!" point at their ears. Trust me on this one.
