24 Jan 2017
by diomitamaurer
in Exploring sims in Second Life
Tags: Diomita Maurer, Inara Pey, Living in a Modemworld, Mila Maesar, SnoobJohnson, The Hell's Heaven 2.0
Following Inara’s blog “A second helping of Hell’s Heaven in Second Life” I visited The Hell’s Heaven 2.0. Hell’s Heaven has something of both elements – of Hell and of Heaven. Upon your landing it’s more like you might imagine hell. Not hell in the classic sense, hot and with fire, but hell in the sense of being in the middle of nowhere, in a strange, lonesome abandoned edge of the world which is or has just sunk.
Jan 24th: Arriving at The Hell’s Heaven 2.0
You land in a rotten hut, the water reaches up to your ankels, there’s a truck wreck that you can see through the window and everything is rotten. Stepping out of the hut it’s not going to be better …the water seems to have taken all of the land, you can see some other huts on the horizont, some power line and the nature has taken back what mankind has build and left. And it’s cloudy and the atmosphere is dark.
“Stay awhile……let this world refresh your soul and melt your worries away. Enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of music and landscape here at hell`s haven. Explore this cloudy world of changing scenery and enjoy your stay !!!” is the decription of the sim, build by Snoob (SnoobJohnson) and his partner Mila (Mila Maesar).
The music at The Hell’s Heaven 2.0 is very nice, one of my favourite stations, slowradio and is a bit in contrast to the environment. Slowradio is easy listening and exhilarating. But the more you explore, the more you see the charme behind hell and walking to the big rocks you can get dry feet at some point again.
Jan 24th: Relaxing at The Hell’s Heaven 2.0
Overlooking the sim is very peaceful and now the music fits. Even though everything is rotten you get lovely views. There are some sopts you can sit and dream and let your mind wander. And on your second round over the sim you begin to like it – well I did :-). And then this world refreshes your soul with it’s own character.
Jan 24th: Ending my visit to The Hell’s Heaven 2.0
Snoob and Mila did a great job creating this edge of the world. There’s one blocked private area with a house that looks quite lived-in from the distance and not rotten. I suspect that’s where they live.
Landmark to The Hell’s Heaven 2.0
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rainbow%20Ridge/155/95/28
Inara Pey’s blog post about The Hell’s Heaven 2.0
https://modemworld.me/2017/01/15/a-second-helping-of-hells-heaven-in-second-life/
17 Jan 2017
by diomitamaurer
in Exploring sims in Second Life
Tags: art in SL, Diomita Maurer, Inara Pey, Living in a Modemworld, RAG Randt, ragVR, Richard A. Goldberg, Second Life
I picked a recommendation of Inara Pey again reading her post “ragVR: imagination and expression in Second Life“. ragVR is the portfolio sim of RAG (rag.randt), in RL the artist Richard A. Goldberg, an illustrator/Designer looking at SL as a source of inspiration and new experiences. He creates virtual objects and environments. ragVR was created to showcase a wide variety of things such as gachas, graphics, buildings, and vehicles.
Jan 13th: The airplane at ragVR
You arrive just next to an airplane that is parked at the end of a runway, just before a steep cliff. If go go upstairs you see two kiosks. These kiosks deliver pertinent information about things in proximity to the kiosk. There’s an art deco elevator door and when you click the elevator buttom the elevator will come. There is no elevator panel, instead there’s an operator who will take you to the main level of
ragVR. Walk through the main building to gain more information on RAG’s past, present and future.
The showroom you reach with the elevator contains RAG’s earliest work for SL, beginning with 2D illustrations up to creating a LEA sim in 2011 “Am I dreaming”. From the showroom a path leads out to the sim where you can see other examples of RAG’s work, like the flying pigs or the snowmen (both created for MadPea). RAG also contributed to a fundraise event of Feed-A-Smile (FAS) (a charitable organization for the children of Africa) with creating a stage/sim setting that you can see on your way through the sim. At the highest point there’s an observatory giving you a view at the zodiac signs. Outstanding is also the Ice Cream Alien, a submission of RAG to a creative challenge. If you click on the bottom of the cone a ladder slides out and you can enter and discover the inside.
Once you finished your round through the sim you’ll come back the showroom. But there’s more to see. On the ground level (where you arrived, you can also follow the runaway and furtheron a path that leads you around the sim. Here RAG plays with textures and light and you can get some extraordinairy pictures and views.
ragVR is for sure a great example of the possibilites of Second Life which still continue to facinate me, although I’m just a resident and my building knowledge is limited. According to Inara you can can contact RAG about projects and ideas and to discuss rates via IM, notecard or through e-mail (
rag@ragmedia.com).
Thank you RAG for providing the
ragVR to the public, although it is not fully completed yet – which is a good reason to return soon :-).
Landmark to ragVR:
10 Jan 2017
by diomitamaurer
in Exploring sims in Second Life
Tags: A Painter's Link, Inara Pey, It's a New Dawn, Living in a Modemworld, Silvermoon Fairey
For my first simploring tour 2017 I scrolled back in Inara Pey’s blog and decided to revisit “It’s a new Dawn”, that I visited in November 2015 (see here). I just followed Inara’s track with my first and now my 2nd visit. For a detailled description read Inara’s post “Returning to It’s A News Dawn in Second Life“.
It’s a new Dawn didn’t change much, at least I didn’t notice as many changes as Inara did and without reading back it looked just the same for me at the first glance. It is very peaceful place, rural, pastoral and wandering around and inhaling the nature is very relaxing. You’ll find many places to sit, to chat and to chill. Looking more in details I found many new views and spots, like the little roofed place by the sea or the hanging seat overlooking the sea and a part of the land. It’s a new Dawn is perfect to chill and to find peace.
Jan 8th: It’s a new Dawn
Once I began simploring, I did the big tour visiting all the 4 places of Silvermoon Fairey. “A Painter’s link” for me is like an extension of It’s a new Dawn with a different style of buildings, maybe a bit more dedicated to the landscape and offering different opportunities for taking pictures. As opposed to It’s a new Dawn, there’s no agriculture. I found a particular spot to sit and dream, that fits perfect to Second life – Live your dream.
Jan 8th: A Painter’s Link
Jan 8th: A Pianter’s Link – Live your drean
Located above A Painter’s Link is “50 Words for snow“, a magic mountain winter scene. Upon my arrival I felt like standing on my skis, like being on skiing holidays. Last but not least I visited also “December will be magic again“, the winter installation above “It’s a new Dawn”.
There’s one element, one idea that is common in all 4 places, they are peaceful and being there was very relaxing and like diving into another, more quiet and peaceful world. At the landing point of It’s a New dawn, you’ll get a folder with all 4 LM’s and with a short note from Silvermoon Fairey recommending the best settings for your viewer for your visit. The notecard is signed with “love and peace, Silvermoon Fairey”. And in her Second Life profile Silvermoon describes herself as “A dreamer of pictures, lover of words, music is my drugs”. For me Silvermoon has expressed her feelings and ways in her sims very well. Thank you, Silvermoon Fairey!
Link to Inara Peys post “Returning to It’s A News Dawn in Second Life”
https://modemworld.me/2017/01/01/returning-to-its-a-news-dawn-in-second-life/
Landmarks to Silvermoon Fairey’s sims
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lemon%20Beach/9/191/22
(It’s a new Dawn)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Salomon%20Beach/88/141/1010
(50 Words for Snow)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Salomon%20Beach/65/36/30
(A Painter’s Link)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lemon%20Beach/78/193/432
(December will be magic again)
02 Jan 2017
by diomitamaurer
in Exploring sims in Second Life
Tags: Cailin Beorn, Diomita Maurer, Fantasy in SL, Inara Pey, Living in a Modemworld, Second Life, Stark Osterham, Yhorm
December 30th, 2016: Yhorm
On Friday, December 30th, 2016, I went simploring again. Inara Pey’s article “Yhorm: a stunning new role-play location in Second Life” inspired me to visit Yhorm. Yhorm is a fantasy role play world and another stunning example of the possibilites of Second Life and of the creativity of it’s residents. Yharm was build by Stark Osterham and his Second Life partner, Cailin Beorn.
I’m not at all a fan of fantasy and have little to no knowledge about it, I don’t know anything about the Lord of Rings or Tolkien, but the pictures and the very detailed description of Yharm in Inara Pey’s blog post inspired me to take a look at Yharm, which will be opened for roleplay Mid of January 2017.
You arrive at a landing skybox where you can learn about the roles and the concept of the fantasy world. Instead of trying to understand the fantasy I just copied the explanations to provide them here.
But how the heck do I get from the landing sky box to Yharm? I found no teleport pad and every try to reach the ground failed and brought me back to skybox. Finally another visitor helped me and later also Cailin told me. You need to click on the location lists of the maps in the skybox and grant the expierence request – et voila!
Yharm has two parts a huge city that raises into the sky with the Dark Chapel at its top. From there you can walk down through narrow passages, stairs and walkways. Inside it is a medieval world but the enormous extension into the sky is not medieval, it’s fantasy. I roamed a bit through the city and was overwhelmed by the impressions I got. A really very impressive building work that provides lots a opportunities to take pictures.
Yharm’s second part is Nurem Cavern. You can travel to it from the landing sky box. Another way to get there is to find the big huge court in the city with a deep hole at the center. If you dare to walk down you will reach Nurem Cavern. The Cavern looks like ruins of another big city, maybe a sunken former world. These two world connected build the setting for the fantasy roleplay.
I hope that Yhorm attracts a lot of roleplayers as I can see the effort and the passion that went into this sim. And there’s also a website that will support the play, see
here.
And for all who don’t roleplay – just look at
Yhorm, it is amazing!
27 Dec 2016
by diomitamaurer
in Exploring sims in Second Life
Tags: Diomita Maurer, Gorba McMahon, Inara Pey, Joonie Jatho, Kaelyn Alecto, Living in a Modemworld, LuaneMeo, Mistress Jenny, Second Life
I visited this gem on December 23rd. It is just amazing. From the very first moment I was swept away into this wonderful world with it’s nothern lights, snowflakes and little stars. The whole atmosphere made me slowing down and relax. I enjoyed my visit very much. In the afternoon, I took Mistress Jenny to Magical Mystery and made the picture for our christmas card 2016 there.
December 23rd: My visit to Magical Mytery (1)
December 23rd: My visit to Magical Mytery (2)
December 23rd: My visit to Magical Mytery (3)
Christmas 2016: Mistress Jenny and Diomita at Magical Mystery
Thank you Inara for this advice. Many thanks to the creators (Kaelyn Alecto, LuaneMeo and Gorba McMahon) and to Joonie Jatho for providing it to us all!
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld
Magical Mystery, Folk Town – click any image for full size
“Magic and Mystery await around every corner,” Joonie Jatho says of her Homestead region, itself called Magical Mystery. “Come explore and see if you can find all the enchanted, secret places!”
It’s an enticing invitation, and one well worth taking the time to accept. Designed on Joonie’s behalf by the combined talents of Kaelyn Alecto (responsible for It All Starts With a Smile (which I last visited here), LuaneMeo (who designed Luane’s World – see here – with Kaelyn, and most recently opened Luane’s Magic World – see here), and Gorba McMahon, Magical Mystery presents visitors with a lot to see and discover.
Magical Mystery, Folk Town
This is a rugged landscape, icy and cold – but it has a warm heart waiting to be found by those who seek its secrets. Tall shoulders of rock…
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20 Dec 2016
by diomitamaurer
in Exploring sims in Second Life
Tags: Alana Onyett, Alki, Diomita Maurer, Inara Pey, Living in a Modemworld, Zoidyn Kytori
December 18th: Diomita at Alki’s North Pole
In May 2016 I visited Alki and wrote about my visit “My first visit to Alki“. Sunday, December 18th, I read about Alki’s Noth Pole in Inara’s blog “A trip to Alki’s North Pole in Second Life” and of course I had to take a look. Alki’s North Pole is a seasonal addition to Alki and it is just cute! It will be open for visitors until end of December. Don’t miss this opportunity to take pictures or for ice skating or for sitting with a bear. I had some Winter fun exploring. Thank you Alana Onyett and Zoidyn Kytori – and thank you Inara for the suggestion.
Later that Sunday night, I took slave Flo and my niece Angelique to Alki’s North Pole and while slave Flo added to the sesonal Spirit with her antlers, Angelique and I were throwing snowballs and bulid a snowman, just having fun …
December 18th at Alki’s North Pole: Angelique, Diomita and slave Flo
Landmark to Alki’s North Pole
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Alki/112/124/1529
Inara Pey’s blog about Alki’s North Pole
https://modemworld.me/2016/12/13/a-trip-to-alkis-north-pole-in-second-life/
13 Dec 2016
by diomitamaurer
in Exploring sims in Second Life
Tags: Diomita Maurer, Furillen, Inara Pey, Jade Koltai, La Digue du Braek, Living in a Modemworld, Second Life, Serene Footman
Once again I went simploring. A post in Inara’s blog caught my attention: “Walking La Digue du Braek in Second Life“. Industrial structures, cranes, rust, dirt, and black smoke are rare in Second Life. La Digue du Braek is the creation of Serene Footmann and his partner Jade Koltai. Serene Footman is alse the creation of Furillen which I visited in November (Furillen in Second Life). Like Furillen, La Digue du Braek is the Second Life version of a real place – it’s a long street at the harbour of Dunkirk, France. On one side of this road is a beach and just opposed to it is the harbour. You’ll find more Information about La Digue du Braek at the Furillen homepage.
The contrasts at La Digue du Braek are really impressive. Beach, nature and the industrial harbour are just next to eachother. The Harbour suprises with two sided open containers, which are furnished as if someone is living there. Then there is a tower buildt of piled-up mobile homes. At the top of this tower you can seemingly touch the tall cranes. And there’s a big warehouse with oddities from all over the world. For example i saw a Christmas pyramid there. I can also recommend to just sit at the beach and inhale the atmosphere of La Digue du Braek.
La Digue du Braek is a very different sim proving once again the variety of Second Life. It feels real at the first glance. Once you go exploring more in detail you can see more contrasts: the container ship with the dark smoke (hence in operation) and the car wrecks in the harbour, the containers with two open sides but used for living, the piled up mobile homes that look abandoned inside, the huge warehouse which is empty inside except some oddities. The contrasts make La Digue du Braek so different form the real spot, a form of art that is possible in Second Life.
Landmark to La Digue du Braek
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Muppets%20Island/111/232/23
Inara Pey’s blog “Walking La Digue du Braek in Second Life”
https://modemworld.me/2016/12/04/walking-la-digue-du-braek-in-second-life/
Furillen homepage
https://furillen.org/la-digue-du-braek/
05 Dec 2016
by diomitamaurer
in Exploring sims in Second Life
Tags: Diomita Maurer, Inara Pey, Living in a Modemworld, Maxie Daviau, Second Life, Skinnynilla, The Mill
Last Sunday, November 27th, I went simploring and picked a recommendation of Inara Pey’s blog again “Wintertime at The Mill in Second Life“. Her description of “The Mill” is perfect as always, hence I have not that much to add again. For me it was not my first visit to The Mill. I visited the first time in spring 2016 (see here in this blog) also following a post of Inara.
November 27th: Returning to “The Mill” in winter
Now the winter has come to The Mill and changed it quite a lot. First of all upon my arrival I got a “friendship”-bear offered. What a cute plush toy! I did recognize some key elements and had a deja vue seeing the pier and the sailing ship, or the mill itself of course.
But there’re now acitivies like sledding or ice skating and a zip line starting at the lighthouse. And you see some of winter animals like ice bears and penguins. As I did in spring I spent a relaxing hour in this lovely sim and enjoyed myself, used the sledding and the zip line and took quite a lot nice pictures.
November 27th: A lovely winter day at “The Mill”
Many thanks again to Maxie Daviau and Shakespeare (Skinnynilla) for providing your sim for a visit – and for the friendship bear of course!
Landmark “The Mill”
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Pale%20Moonlight/179/92/24
Inara Pey’s blog about “The Mill”
https://modemworld.me/2016/11/24/wintertime-at-the-mill-in-second-life/
“The Mill” in this blog
https://themaurers.me/2016/03/13/the-mill/
29 Nov 2016
by diomitamaurer
in Exploring sims in Second Life
Tags: Diomita Maurer, Inara Pey, Le Mont Saint Michel, Living in a Modemworld, Moeka Kohime
I read about Le Mont Saint-Michel in Second Life in Inara Pey’s blog as it was about to be taken off the grid in autumn 2015 and of course I visited it. But last time I didn’t take pictures nor did I write a blog. I must have intented to return – and then I forgot about it. Then I read about the return of the sim in Inara Pey’s blog “Mont Saint Michel returns to Second Life” and this time I took pictures of my visit and I blog about it.
November 27th: Diomita’s visit to Le Mont saint-Michel in Second Life
Le Mont-Saint-Michel is an island commune in Normandy, France. It is located about one kilometre (0.6 miles) off the country’s northwestern coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches and is 100 hectares (247 acres) in size. As of 2009, the island has a population of 44. The island has held strategic fortifications since ancient times and since the 8th century AD has been the seat of the monastery from which it draws its name. The structural composition of the town exemplifies the feudal society that constructed it: on top, God, the abbey and monastery; below, the great halls; then stores and housing; and at the bottom, outside the walls, houses for fishermen and farmers (
source wikipedia)
I visited Le Mont-Saint-Michel myself in the 1990ies – and now I return to it in Second Life. This sim, created by Moeka Kohime, is a real landmark in SL. It is just amazingly close to the place in reality. And it was build before mesh came into SL. Walking through
Mont Saint-Michel feels so real, the narrow streets, the stairs between the houses, everything feels and looks real. And in the main church you feel small and are overwhelmed by the plainness and the sheer enormity.
The monastery offers rooms to mediate, a cloister (covered walk) and of course a garden. The best way to visit the monastery and the church is to follow the tour signs. For me
Mont-Saint-Michel is a must visit in Second Life. And as far as I know it is the first sim that has been saved as kind of a historic landmark by Linden Labs. Moeka Kohime has a
blog about Mont-Saint-Michel but the last entry is from March 2009.
Thank you Inara for your bog entry, that reminded me to visit. WOW!
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The music at The Hell’s Heaven 2.0 is very nice, one of my favourite stations, slowradio and is a bit in contrast to the environment. Slowradio is easy listening and exhilarating. But the more you explore, the more you see the charme behind hell and walking to the big rocks you can get dry feet at some point again.
Diomita Maurer’s Blog 