Sometimes there is no explanation

Yeah.

And Happy New Year to you too.

Exploring the grid: Goatswood

Goatswood is an RP community set in a rural English village. While not referenced in the notecards I wonder if the name is a tip of the hat to Ramsey Campbell's fictitious village of the same name. The build is loosely based on Castle Combe, in Wiltshire, but has a personality of its own.

You arrive at the train station of Mortchester. Large, Victorian and the initial starting point for all the various notecards and HUDs as well as a few vendors along the aisles.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/NeverlandX/33/52/2002

Catching the train to Goatswood you disembark at a little country station and move into the streets of the village.

And what gorgeous streets they are too. Discovering that Kora Zenakova and Baal Zobel are responsible for this sim after having visited the Venexia sim (which I detailed here) comes as not surprise.

The texturing is stunning and obviously made by someone with an understanding of Jacobean architecture.

Many of the buildings look perfectly normal from the outside but, like many things in Goatswood, appearances can be deceiving.

Bonus points are awarded for actually having the Church aligned on the east/west axis.It's minor details like this which make the realism of the build so impressive

Mushrooms hold notecards which tell the explorer some of the stories of the  location.

Houses are available to rent, even if you decide the RP is not for you but you just want to live here that's allowed as well.

 Little details like a crossing ford help sell the feel of the place.

The standing stones, a site of rumour and speculation.

The Gypsy encampment.

The village Maypole. The old traditions are very strong in the village.

The setting puts me in mind of Summer Isle from The Wicker Man. There's plenty of old magic in the history of the place and the residents are free to incorporate as much or as little of that into their own roles as they like.

While I don't have the time to devote to RPing in this sim it's a lovely build that I could quite happily spend time just strolling through. When I visited I was lucky enough to hear a gypsy woman practising her violin and just sat and listened for a half hour or so.

Christmas at the Seraph Club

Christmas at the Seraph Club!

Sunday night 6-9pm SLT

Music by Edward "the Duke" Pearse, with swing, jazz, Swing-revival, jive and a little electro-swing.

Prizes by The Curious Seamstress, Sonatta Morales, and Swank Menswear.

Dry clean the dinner jacket or book that hairdresser appointment now!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Seraph%20City/66/78/106

Blackened Mirror End of Season 1 Party!

This Friday, the final instalment of this season of the Blackened Mirror comes to an end. Those of you who have been following this Noir Machinima story will know this episode leads to a showdown for Harland Quinn. If you haven't been following the story, you can catch up now! (And see my own modest screen début).

Join us on Saturday the 15th of December from 3-6pm at the Seraph Club, Champagne Street, Seraph City
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Seraph%20City/66/78/106

Music provided by Edward "the Duke" Pearse.

NeoVictoria Photo Contest for 2013 Calendar

Time: 5 December to 31 December 2012
Location: NeoVictoria Estate in Second Life
Organized By: Asil Ares

The Prizes:
~ 1st Place - L$5000
~ 2nd Place - L$3000
~ 3rd Place - L$2000
~ 4rd Place - L$1000
~ 5th Place through 12thPlace – L$250 each

Visit to the Koinup NeoVictoria project local for more details, at:  http://www.koinup.com/group/neovictoria/discuss/photo-contest-for-2013-calendar/15192/

Winter in Babbage

Clockwork Close in Babbage Palisade

Winter in Babbage would be my favourite time of year. People make the effort to add snow on all their buildings and the decorations go up.

Of course it also helps to offset the fact that my typist has moved into summer and is often dealing with high summer temperatures while looking at snow on the screen.

There's also lots of parties and events at this time of year. Much like real life.

Bedlam in Babbage: Christmas Edition!

The Last Bedlam in Babbage for the year.

You think the music in the Shopping Centres and Malls is bad, you wait till you get a load of this! From Red Peters and The Arrogant Worms to Scruffy the Elf, Snoopy, and the Muppets there's something for almost everyone.

You're just lucky I haven't found a Christmas version of Gangnam Style yet.

Join Edward Pearse at the Clarendon for the annual festive assault or tune it to http://steampunk.radioriel.org

Bring lots of Christmas spirit. Mine's a whisky.

Swing Dance at The Seraph Club

Before the silly season is fully upon us.

Put on your tux or your gown and have the limo take you to the Seraph Club.

Two hours of Swing Revival, Jazz and a little Electro-swing, as only Edward Pearse can do.

Friday night 30th November 7:00 - 9:00pm SLT

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Seraph%20City/64/80/106/

Seraph City sim surround

For years the edge of the Seraph City sim headed off into water. But being a pushy sod I bugged Pumpkin about it and finally said I'd give it a whirl myself. They're probably a bit primmier than I'd like but it may be that rerendering them in mesh may reduce the land impact further.

Until then we at least have an immersive feel to being inside a city. I think it will help a lot with photography too.

Eastern sim wall looking north.

Southern sim wall looking west

Northern sim wall looking west

Ronald's Rayguns. Might need a bit more work

Llama Cigarettes. Inspired by the billboard ad from The Shadow

Lucky Break Cigarettes. From a Lucky Strike original

Babbage Travelogue: The Fells

North of Babbage Palisade, this sim was until recently called The North Fells, now simply The Fells.

It is essentially a postcard view hiding the Babbage Engineers' Sandbox high above.

There are highland cows, occasional sheep and wild ferrets to be found in the area. Thankfully the Aether crabs have been exterminated.