Sunday 29 March 2009

The New Babbage Oiling Festival winds up



Bewteen tartan selections, Naval Ensigns, Foot Bridges, "Big Honking Machines" and the slow but steady naming of Streets, New Babbage is certainly moving itself quite well.

Industry marches on!

Wednesday 25 March 2009

While working on new hats

While working on new hats for Caledon's Imperial Navy I rezzed a couple of additional hats for size and texture comparison. Then I had a rather mischievous thought and thus was born:

Jägerporn

Thursday 19 March 2009

Radio Riel in New Babbage

When New Babbage opened (the sim not the collection of sims) Radio Riel purchased three plots for the establishment of a social dance club and listening conservatory.


A large glass conservatory suitable for book discussions, listening to radio plays or the occasional hand of whist.


Canal side parking making arrival that little bit easier.


An interior dance area for parties, revels and the occasional bit of hogmany. Suitably soundproofed so as not to disturb those neighbours with a delicate constitution.


A large broadcast tower is progressing to help get the signal out.

Caledon's Navy to relaunch

Relaunch? Resurface? The puns could go on.

After some time in the doldrums the Guvnah is keen to resurrect Caledon's Imperial Navy. He's appointed a new Admiral (a vague secret), appointed a uniform designer (yours truly) and a shipwright (Miss Kandace Commons).

The first of the launched ships new to the I.N.C. is the Collingwood class. Based on the HMS Collingwood.


Moored in Pride of place at the Guvnah's Mansion


Armourments


Undergoing testing in New Babbage


The promise of more to come

Friday 13 March 2009

Armada Breakaway.

I had been hearing about the Armada sim for a while now. Last week I took a tour and found it very interesting. I admit that I haven't read China Miéville's Scar. I tried to read Perdido Street Station but couldn't get further than half way through.

The idea of Armada (or the Armada breakaway at least) id a settlement built entirely on the floating hulks of ships. The build is very well done and it would be quite easy to lose one's sense of direction if unfamiliar with the sim (I had to keep camming out to work out where I was again).


Aerial view


Aerial view from the other side


The Black Barnacle Pub. Home to scallywags and


The mermaids under Armada seem to collect bathyscaphes and ship hulls. And probably sailors as well.


Some of the structures seem to have been around for centuries


Airships too in addition to sea ships.


The central commerce district.

The sim is well worth exploring, and the potential for RP is very high. Very impressed with what I've seen and I need to go back for a further look.

Monday 9 March 2009

Miskatonic Valley Authority

I've been a fan of Lovecraft for many years and peripherally involved in one of the early attempts at setting up a Lovecraft themed sim. Some early builds had been made but it never really took off. The group eventually parted ways with Martian Wei making a go of a horror theme and setting up October Country.

Back in January I heard about the Miskatonic Valley Authority and popped over for a look. The three sims of Dunwich, Kingsport and Arkham were mostly bare at the time but time has passed and made for a revisit.


The picturesque Miskatonic Valley looks like a rather quiet seaside village.


With fishing and ports


And a local University


The local Archaeological Society seem to have stumbled onto a major find.


Though this temple looks in rather better repair


Not so much a museum piece but an active temple. Yikes!

The Miskatonic Valley Authority sims are due to officially open on the 21st of March and will have both retail and residential occupation available. Contact Ceres Eilde for full details.

I'm looking forward to seeing what happens there.

Reopening Revel



The reopening of my new shop in Babbage Square went well with compliments on the building and the music. I had a couple of people ask if I could post the playlist for the evening.

So here it is:

1. J W Myers - Come Take a Trip in my Airship
2. Abney Park - Herr Drosselmyers Doll
3. The Dresden Dolls - Coin Operated Boy
4. Professor Auerbach - Attack of the Steampunks
5. Elemental MC - Cup of Brown Joy
6. Weird Al Yankovic - Hardware Store
7. Palast Orchester Mit Max Raabe - Tainted Love
8. Lemon Demon - Geeks In Love
9. They Might Be Giants - Istanbul (not Constantinople)
10. The Timelords - Doctorin' the Tardis
11. Freezepop - Science Genius Girl
12. The Arrogant Worms - History Is Made By Stupid People
13. Jonathan Coulton - Skullcrusher Mountain
14. Abney Park - Airship Pirates
15. TV Theme - The Avengers
16. TV Theme - Jonny Quest (Original Theme)
17. Fiddler's Green - Queen of Argyll
18. Red Hot Chilli Pipers - Flower of Scotland
19. MacUmba - Glenmalambo: Glenmore
20. Peter Gabriel - Steam
21. Robbie Williams - Let Me Entertain You
22. Opera Macabre - Beer Song
23. Polecats - Make A Circuit With Me
24. Firefly Music Project - This Land
25. Leftfield - Open Up
26. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil
27. Abney Park - Stigmata Martyr
28. Vast - Touched
29. Juno Reactor - God is God
30. Sisters of Mercy - Temple of Love
31. Divinyls - Pleasure And Pain
32. Oingo Boingo - Weird Science
33. Voltaire - When You're Evil
34. Weird Al Yankovic - White and Nerdy
35. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - So Long-Farewell-Goodbye

Air Pirates in New Babbage!

Word got out this evening that some uninvited guests were leaving presents behind in New Babbage, but not the sort we really wanted.


The Airship with Master Jimmy and Miss Myrtil following close by (photo from Miss Myrtil's blog)


The Pirates get defensive! (photo from Miss Myrtil's blog)


Time for a counter attack


While they were hovering over the Vernian Sea I managed to get over the top of the airship and attach one of my incendiary devices to the top. With expected results.


The Pirates swam for it and were eventually cornered in the Port.

Miss Burton was nearby and collapsed in pain, saying she was hearing a high pitched noise. Mr. Tenk had also been complaining of a noise. I couldn't hear anything myself. Assisting them off to better care I left the care of the pirates to the other Babbagites.


Afterwards it was discovered that Miss Myrtil's bakery, standing opposite my own shop had been destroyed (and her Aunt killed but she seems rather relieved about that bit). Suspiciously the devices left by the pirates are the same as the device that crashed into my shop and caused the damage.

Knowing of Miss Burton's magical heritage and having suspicions of Mr. Tenk's for some time (I don't buy his story that he got caught a mechanical rice picker as a child) it seems that the new devices have the similar anti-magic effect of the earlier device.

Doctor Obolensky is the obvious culprit but he's claiming he can't be held responsible for other people using his equipment.

Thursday 5 March 2009

New Building for New Babbage

Two years ago my second shop (and second build) was set up in New Babbage. Since then my texturing and building knowledge has improved considerably.

However recent damage meant it was time to finally retire the old building.


Arranging quality materials


And a sturdy steel frame


Finished with imported sandstone and local copper.


Corner of Perdido Street & Jefferson Way


Fitted with the most modern of conveyances, the escalator.


Don't forget to look up.


The official reopening is this Saturday night. Do drop in if you can make it.

((For those interested, the building is based on the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney, Australia.))

Sunday 1 March 2009

Steelhead Mardi Gras

Friday night in Steelhead was Mardi Gras night (yes just a little late).


My dear Christine and I dancing the evening away.


With promos for the next Dan Brown movie Angels and Demons.


The Baron came as the horse's head and Miss Davis celebrated her Welsh heritage.


Doktor Sweetwater in a rather eye catching harlequin outfit.


Miss Laval's fuzzy self in a similar colour scheme.

Full Steam ahead in New Babbage

At the start of this year New Babbage's founder and Mayor Shaunathan Sprocket announced he was selling up and moving on. Once the elections were finally out of the way and Mr. Tenk took over the reigns as new Mayor, much shuffling and shifting has been done.

The public transport system is up and running.


Christine and I take a ride on one of New Babbage's trams.

The Babbage Canals have been relined and many of the infrastructure prims have been replaced. Plans are also under way for a new Town Hall.

But most impressively a new sim is in the works.


Three sims by the look. Though I only one is open for booking at this stage.


In a surprise move the new sim will be called New Babbage (since there isn't actually a sim of that name as yet). The row of red dots will be the site of a new Radio Riel office and broadcast tower. What fiendish monster will be climbing it to their doom?

To the north of the new sim is a proposed layout for Brunel Heights, an idea that had been floated about as something for large mansions and a little more green.


Taking up the space where the old Babbage Academy once stood looks to be the "Old Quarter". Obviously general ideas have been discussed but I'm wondering if it will be the remains of an old fortress or something. Build theme would be interesting. The idea of retrofitting the steampunk history into a backstory reminiscent of the English Civil Wars could be intriguing. Cromwell's Ironsides just became even more of a worry.

New Babbage shop damage

Earlier reports of an explosion in the Pearse'd & Cut outlet of New Babbage have been confirmed.



A large incendiary device crashed through the domed ceiling blowing out doors and shattered glass across the street. Damage to the roof caused the collapse of the marble dome bringing down the spiral staircase underneath it.

The whole shop will likely need rebuilding.

The device remained embedded in the cratered floor of the shop billowing a red smoke. Experts from the New Babbage Fire Brigade came to remove the bomb and discovered that those with some sort of fairy heritage were unable to get near the bomb without being overcome with nausea.

Observers noted a stencilled mark of a tophat, monocle and moustache on the side of the device.