(Repost from Story Games because I’m at work and can’t re-write it yet)
So I have been trying for three Sundays in a row to get a group together to play Spirit of the Century in Second Life, and just this Sunday I succeeded. We had a group of three: myself, and two others, and we got to play with some of our Second Life coded object toys to help assist play.
We used Second Life voice and some in-world dice that actually “roll” - they bounce against each other using the Havok III Physics Engine and come up with some pretty good randomness as a result and we had some coded Fate Chips that could be “spent.”
It was a little annoying getting all the little bits together- took about an hour to make everything work with each other. But once that was done, we were off and running.
The scene we had went well, and it bodes well for the next time we’re going to play. At one point Second Life had a bit of a problem with its code database and so we couldn’t quite use the fate chips, but that’s OK - I just kept track of what had or hadn’t been spent separately.
Now, I was trying to keep it simple at first, but SL offers a few things that don’t appear on other shared gaming spaces: I can pipe music to my game through Shoutcast, I can bring up a web page and display it on the massive video screen, I can use in-world graphics.
As a visual aid I had the FATE Ladder on a “sign” that was easy for the players to see.
Two of us dressed in Pulp-style costume, which was fun but not required.
I still think tabletop via SL is viable, but I would *love* to see how it does as a virtual LARP.
If you’d like to know more about this game, stay tuned for how you might participate!
Today is my second RezDay. Amazing, innit? Alexander Basiat’s been kicking around Second Life for two whole years. Nothing like the oldbies, but it’s something!
I am still caught in Second Life’s web, just not as tightly. That’s OK, I think it’s healthy. I had a really cool conversation with the fellow who does 12 Volt Theater, Jack Jaffee. I am trying to do more in Second Life and I invite you to come along with me in the future.
Thanks, SL, for two cool years!
…Sam
I gave a talk on podcasting at the Second Life Literary Festival on Info Island. The recording of the talk is here For more on the festival today, check out this page.
Crystal Radio
Http://www.crystalradio.net/beginners/index.shtml
Podcasting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(file_format)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_podcasting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itunes
Podcast Technology
http://audacity.sourceforge.net
Podcasting In Libraries
http://www.higheredblogcon.com/index.php/april-11-podcasting-in-libraries/ http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Podcasting
Audiobooks
The Library Web Chic Speaks
http://www.librarywebchic.net/wordpress/2005/06/08/podiobooks-rock/
My fantasy book, “Heart of the Hunter”
The purveyor of many nasty horror and terror stories, successful podcast novelist Scott Sigler.
The author of a wonderful trilogy of podcast novels, “Seventh Son”, JC Hutchins http://jchutchins.net
Mur Lafferty, a woman podcaster pioneer and excellent author.
Http://playingforkeepsnovel.com
PG Holyfield, who has an unusual fantasy mystery called “Murder at Avedon Hill” http://pgholyfield.net
Paul S. Jenkins who writes character-focused sexy thriller believeable science fiction in “The Plitone Revisionist.”
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, who write addictive, character-focused romantic space operas.
A site for many other free audiobooks.
Creative Commons
I keep adding new podcasts to the RPG Podcast Pavillion on Second Life, and I’m amazed at how many there are!!
For more info on these podcasts, check out http://gbncom.com
Come on out to our Awards Ceremony for the Science Fiction Photo Contest. It’s at 4PM SLT.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Chatrez/116/220/301/
Our celebrity judges, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, will be in-world to announce the winners.
Special Thanks to our Sponsors:
Geeklabel.com T-Shirts
SRM Publishers
Pan McMillan Publishing
Fan voting for the best photo in our Science Fiction photo gallery is ending tonight. Let your vote be recorded!
The winner of the Fan Favorite prize gets a $30 US Gift Certificate from Geeklabel.com, books from our publisher sponsors Pan McMillan and SRM Publisher, and the adoration of tens!
Come on by our gallery, vote for the best photo, and see all the beauty that has been created.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Chatrez/116/220/301/
Then join us tomorrow at 4PM SL time to hear who wins Fan Favorite, and hear which photos our judges have picked to be “Best In Show” and the best in all three competition categories.
Look forward to seeing you there!
Come out and vote for your favorite photo in the Science Fiction Photo Contest. There is a $30 Gift Certificate from Geeklabel.com at stake!
Take a look at all the wonderful photos including the winners from last year!
The SLURL for this is here:
The short:
Submissions Are OPEN! Alexander Basiat is Registrations Officer
Submissions Close: midnight, Monday July 2nd, 2007, SLT
Fan Favorite VOTING and Entry Display Begins: Wednesday July 4th
Fan Favorite Voting Closes: midnight Saturday, July 7th, SLT
Awards Ceremony: Sunday, July 8th at 4p.m. SLT, at the Chatrez Sci Fi Gallery. Sci Fi Gallery, Chatrez <115.219.301>
Want to know more? Read on:
Show Us The Worlds of Tomorrow in your World, Second Life
The Science Fiction Rangers and the Friends of Liad groups in Second Life have announced an in-world science fiction photography contest in celebration of Second Life’s Fourth Birthday. This contest will showcase the width, breadth, and depth of innovation in images that are possible using Second Life.
The theme of the contest is “Light, Shadow, and Color: the Full Spectrum of Science Fiction in Second Life”. Participants will submit original in-world snapshot photography that take full advantage of the lighting, backgrounds, costuming, avatars, and camera angles that Second Life offers to capture a stunning science fiction-themed image.
The judging will be conducted by award-winning Science Fiction authors and art scouts Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.
There will be one prize package awarded for each of the following categories:
Literary Sci-Fi
For images inspired by written science fiction (novels or short stories).
TV / Movie Sci-Fi
For images inspired by visual media science fiction
Anime Sci-Fi
For images inspired by anime
Speculative / Original Work
For images that are a result of the creator’s original creative vision
In addition, there will be a “Fan Favorite” award and a “Best in Show” award given.
All participants will receive an original-design t-shirt (copy, no transfer, no modify) to honor their contribution, regardless of whether they win a prize.
Last year’s winning entries and this year’s entries will be on display at the Chatrez Sci Fi Gallery. The showing will begin on July 4th, and will continue until July 15th.
“Fan Favorite” will be chosen by vote throughout the showing at the Chatrez Sci Fi Gallery. The voting will continue until 11:59 p.m. July 7th, SL time.
All submissions must be in to Alexander Basiat by 11:59 p.m. July 2nd, SLT
The Awards Ceremony will be on Sunday, July 8th, at 4 PM SL time. Chatrez Sci Fi Gallery, Chatrez <115.219.310>
Avoid your entry being disqualified, please review the Submission Requirements!
All submissions must be in to Alexander Basiat by 11:59 p.m. July 2nd
**************
Submission Rules:
A maximum of 2 Entries per Resident will be accepted.
Enter by sending their submissions to Alexander Basiat, Registration Officer. He will reply acknowledging receipt. If he does not reply, Please IM him directly. Or if the deadline is close, also send it to Shawna Montgomery, and IM her to look for it.
Every photo you submit should be set “Next owner can Modify, Copy, and Resell/Give Away” This is so that we can provide your photo to our judges.
All snapshots must come to us with a Snapshot Icon attached. If you send one with a texture icon attached, it will not be accepted.
In the description of the snapshot, please include both the exact location where the snapshot was taken and also the category for the submission. The snapshot should be named with the name of the piece and the category, like this:
“Cybernetic Dragon in Flight - Speculative / Original”
“Captain Riker’s Tragic Death - TV / Movie”
“Honor Harrington versus Cirocco Jones - Literary Sci Fi”
“Akira Reborn - Anime”
Items submitted without a category will be placed in a category at Mr. Basiat’s discretion.
Content should be in keeping with PG sim guidelines and all SL content guidelines. Any item not meeting these requirements will not be considered for the contest.
You may NOT use photo editing or retouching software in the creation of your snapshot.
Every photo you create for this contest will be understood to be covered under a Creative Commons license 2.5, attribution, no derivatives, no commercial use.
You will not use any recognizable trademark of a commercial entity when making the snapshot. While it is fine to show two people dressed in what appears to be Star Trek uniforms, it is NOT okay to have them standing in front of the Star Trek logo
For more information about how to do snapshots, check out: https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Help:Snapshots
If you have any questions please contact Alexander Basiat in world, or you may email him at sam@samchupp.com
**************
The contest is sponsored by both the Science Fiction Rangers group and the Friends of Liad group and and is being funded through donations. Those who have donated will be honored during the display period and at the Awards Ceremony. Please take a look at the Company Bios below. If you happen to deal with them, please mention the contest and their generous donations!
“Best In Show” prize will be 3 items:
1) $30 gift certificate donated by http://Geeklabel.com Yep, that’s a RL Dollar sign people! Thank you Geeklabel.com!
2) A limited edition proof copy of The Dreaming Void, by Peter F. Hamiliton
3) The Tomorrow Log by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, mass market edition
“Fan Favorite” prizes are
1) $30 gift certificate donated by Geeklabel.com Yep, that’s a RL Dollar sign people! Thank you Geeklabel.com!
2) The Tomorrow Log by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, mass market edition with media shipping
Prizes for remaining categories will be 2 books each from Pan Macmillan, and The Tomorrow Log from SRM Publisher. Please take a look at the Company Bios and prize details.
Special thanks to Anhayla Lycia, owner of TreeSong Designs in Second Life. In addition to her many duties as an Officer in The Science Fiction Rangers, she has designed and built the Sci Fi Gallery at Chatrez. TreeSong Designs has locations in several sims in SL, and has it’s Main Store on Chatrez. Please check out her fine line of emitters, texture changing waterfalls, fountains, murals, textures, windchines, bird houses, and more…
TreeSong Designs, Chatrez <229.8.25>
About our Corporate Sponsors:
Geeklabel.com is “T-shirts by geeks for geeks.” Custom made t-shirts and other items are their stock in trade: you pick a design you like: color, insignia, and style of shirt and they do the rest. They’re not just t-shirt printers, they’re also a community of geeks: they have a forum and a podcast at http://geeklabel.com
Pan Macmillan publishers are donating books from their list, please see the titles below. Thank you Pan Macmillan!
(Pan Macmillan will need winner’s RL name and address for delivery, but we’ll supply Pan Macmillan’s contact information to the winners so they may deal with them directly.)
Pan Macmillan are UK based publishers of a wide range of fiction and non fiction, including authors such as Wilbur Smith, Helen Fielding and James Herbert. They are also the publishers of a range of science fiction and fantasy titles under the Tor UK imprint, including Peter F Hamilton, Neal Asher, Alan Campbell and Jeff VanderMeer. Recent inworld activity included the launch of The Unofficial Tourists’ Guide to Second Life at the SL Book Fair. Pan Macmillan are currently in the process of building our SL presence, and we will be holding all sorts of events at our base on Book Island, so look out for us in the near future at: Media World <138,115,36> You can visit their website at www.panmacmillan.com. For more information IM Diet Coakes.
Future home of Pan MacMillan in SL: Media World <138.115.35>
Pan Macmillan/Tor UK are donating the following prizes: A limited edition proof copy of The Dreaming Void, the first in the new trilogy by bestselling SF writer Peter F Hamilton; a first edition hardback of Neal Asher’s new book, Hilldiggers; a collection of our finest fantasy novels, Scar Night by Alan Campbell, Shriek by Jeff VanderMeer in paperback, and not yet published, The Wanderer’s Tale by David Bilsborough; the two latest novels by Liz Williams, Darkland and Bloodmind; and two great novels from up and coming UK SF writers, Divergence by Tony Ballantyne and Stealing Light by Gary Gibson.
SRM Publisher is donating 6 copies of The Tomorrow Log by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, mass market edition (SRM will need winner’s RL name and address for delivery, but we’ll supply SRM’s contact information to the winners so they may deal with them directly.)
SRM Publisher is a real-world, Maine-based company selling adventure, mystery, science fiction, and fantasy and related books and chapbooks. Originally created to bring a few short stories in the Liaden Universe(TM) to a a small group of online fans of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s novels, SRM has grown into a small press publishing chapbooks, trade paperpacks, and even hardback editions of work by Lee and Miller as well as a number of other respected writers like Ru Emerson, Lawrence Schoen, Mark Teidemann, and others.
Forthcoming projects include the publication of Liaden Universe® Companion Volume Two, slated for August and the thirteenth “Adventures in the Liaden Universe®” chapbook, to be published in time for Christmas 2007.
For more information about SRM Publisher, go to http://www.korval.com/srmcat2.htm and for special book offers go to: http://www.korval.com/specialbooks.htm. Don’t forget to visit the SRM Second Life retail locations in Clay and on Chatrez Island.
Friends of Liad Park, Clay <15.223.130>
Friends of Liad Island Outpost, Chatrez <144.143.24>
Had some interesting things happen to me lately.
It’s well known about me that I have a much wider range of size acceptance in the females I find attractive than many people - if you want to know more, I’ll talk your ear off, but that’s not the point of this post: suffice it to say that I have a fondness for curvy women that not many other people share in this skinny-focused society. I find pinups such as the ones done by Les Toil very attractive, for example. 1
I was surfing SL this weekend and I happened upon this place called “BBW Paradise” (not the real name) Although I’m not wild about the tag “BBW,” which reduces a person to a three-letter-acronym, I decided to check it out. And it was kind of neat. It’s basically a little bar by the beach and it clearly welcomes people who have big avatars - presumably, people who do will also be big people iRL, but I guess not always. It’s nice to have a place where people who need size acceptance can get it. Then I turn the corner and notice something strange. They’re selling pinups on the wall. Pinups which are done by Les Toil. There’s no sign that says, “We are selling these pinups by permission from Les.”
I’ve been to his site before - it’s hard not to be a size acceptance person and not know about him - I wanted to check to see if he knew about this place. So I wrote to him and asked him about it, and he let me know that he hadn’t given anyone on Second Life permission to sell his stuff, and would I speak to them about it before he has to turn to legal recourse? I said that I would, and I did.
These are extremely paraphrased communications, mind you, but here’s the gist of them:
I sent just a simple, “Hey, could you please take this stuff down, it’s copyrighted material, and selling it isn’t cool.”
What I got for my troubles was, first, a quote from his website that talks about permission he gives to people who have amateur websites and who want to display his work on a PlayStation Portable. Carefully deleted from the response was that he specifically states that you’re not to *sell* his work.
Anyway, denial switched to anger, “Great! I’m just trying to be a good guy and give the size acceptance community a place to be! You’re being mean to me! You’re not being supportive of The Community!”
Which I interpreted as “Hey, you should look the other way and let me steal from this artist because I am a good guy and I’m doing nice things for The Community.”
Finally he said, “FINE, I’m going to take them down, LEAVE ME ALONE.”
“OK,” I said, and I’ve left him alone. In fact, I’m not even naming him in this post - although if you want to do some detective work you can figure out who I’m talking about.
So I teleport over there after I get home from work just to check things out, and I find that I am banned from the property. Yes, banned because I dared to mention that he shouldn’t be selling copyrighted works that he didn’t have permission to sell. Friends of mine who have visited there have told me that he’s stopped selling Les’ work, but he’s left all the sales prims up where they were. He is still using all of Les’ images to promote his place, and he is leaning heavily on donations and collecting money from the people who come there. 2
I’m not worried about being banned - this is not the sort of place I need in my every day Second Life! But I really think it was a pretty childish thing to do.
Now, I realize he has rights under the DMCA, and he may yet to pursue them. I was only too happy to help because I am a big fan or Mr. Toil’s work, but I think, in the end, in order to be safe, he’s going to have to pursue DMCA takedown.
I don’t have a problem with Mr. Paradise actually providing a real service and getting money in exchange. If he had contacted Mr. Toil, he might have been able to work out something with him - for real money. Mr. Toil’s a working artist and needs to be paid. I respect that. I wouldn’t want anyone else to sell a work I had copyrighted.
I hate getting involved in drama, but I felt this was a good cause. Still, it is amazing to me that people in Second Life have this capacity for self-deception. They think that just because it’s very easy to upload any texture they please, that they automatically own the textures, even when it’s someone else’s intellectual property.
Ah, well. Maybe someday when Mr. Paradise is older, he’ll create something - let’s say clothing or a new avatar or some kind of nifty something…. and he’ll have it taken and sold without his knowledge or permission. I wonder, then, how he will feel? I hope that doesn’t happen to him, but karma has a way of teaching you the lessons you need to know.
1 I think everyone should be allowed to feel beautiful, and I think Second Life is great for doing this. In fact, I have several friends who have not participated in Second Life because they had body dysmorphia: looking at a barbie-doll avatar was depressing to them, and the “slider bar” “big person” in SL is pretty ugly. So I’m on the lookout for pretty, curvaceous avatars that better match their body image.
2 BTW: I bet you there are plenty of Creative Commons or Fair Use pictures he could’ve used, if he had only searched around. But that would’ve required some effort, I imagine.
I read this weekend that one of my favorite places to hang out in Second Life has shut its doors and gone away. The outgrowth of one of my favorite podcasts, the Harping Monkey was a fun Irish pub style place, where I first learned how to swordfight and where I enjoyed Irish music and cool art shows and the like.
And now, it’s gone.
This is part of the Second Lifecycle, which I am starting to understand as this:
- Discover Second Life. Be amazed, confused, and bewildered.
- Spend every waking moment in Second Life. Learn building and scripting.
- Decide to buy land.
- Decide to open a business.
- Get your first Tier bill
- Have some kind of dramatic explosion associated with your land or your business.
- Get your second Tier bill.
- Stop hanging out on SL so much.
- Get your third Tier bill. Ask yourself, “Why am I paying so @$@$@##$ much for something that does not give me joy?
- Close your business, sell your land.
- Hang out every so often, just to see neat things, play with nice toys, and talk to those folks who are still in SL whom you care about
I don’t enjoy flux in my life. I’m one of those people who doesn’t like to move, doesn’t like to change things. So, Second Life really kicks my butt in the area of change.
But maybe it’s a Change / Chaos simulator. Maybe it’ll be good for helping me get over the anxiety over change.
Anyway, Harping Monkey in SL, you were a fun place. Sorry to see you go. I loved your whole setup, from the Tudor-style pub to the charmingly-hidden smoochie-booth to the parties we had there.
And if you want to still enjoy Harping Monkey goodness, the podcast, forum, and website are still up and running and will be probably long after Second Life is but a memory.