Second Life isn't really a game, because there are no real objectives that you need to accomplish. For this reason, a lot of people are turned off. But, let's say you don't have the money to visit exotic locations around the world, but would like to see them for yourself? Second Life is a very inexpensive way to see the locations through someone else's eyes.
ROMA Sim
http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/204/29/22
The Roma sim is a simulation of ancient Rome. It's not really clear which specific slice of time was taken to use it, as the buildings are all from different Emperors, but it's fun to walk around the town. You are not allowed to fly in this sim, but you can click on any fountain and take a "litter" to several locations. Check out the Temple, the Museum, or the Circus Maximus. There is even a Calilgula's Pleasure Palace, though it's geared more to the adult crowd.
The rules in the sim: Dress in roman togas. You can get some free from the Dock that you land on when teleporting to the sim.
Scotland Sim
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Scotland/93/202/30
For those that know me, this is perhaps my most favorite sim. The Scotland sim has some great information about the country, the Royal Mile (shopping district in Edinburgh), a ride on Nessie, events, a haunted dungeon, a castle, and Highland games. It's a great place to pick up a kilt for your Avatar, or various other goodies. never tossed a caber before? Check out the sim in the Highland Games! There is also a pub that allows one to dance a jig. Also, take a guided horse-drawn carriage tour of the sim.
Paris 1900
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Paris%201900/11/173/16
My wife has always wanted to go to Paris, just to see the Eiffel Tower. Well, in this sim you not only get to see the Tower, but you can ride up to the top, put on a parachute and jump off! The parachute automatically deploys, and you float down to earth. Also, you can take a bike ride around the sim, and take a zip line from the Arch de Triumph! It's a great sim, with loads of fun.
Egypt Empire Sim
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Egyptian%20Empire/128/128/0
This sim is one of several sims, such as the Roman Empire (not Roma) Sim, Greek Islands, British Islands, and the Spartan Empire. It's well stocked with shop locations, and has a combat arena for those interested in fighting in second life. Be sure to read the rules carefully. From your teleport location, you can actually take a boat ride through the other sims. I would highly recommend it!
Africa Sim
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Africa/128/128/0
I love the Africa sim, though there isn't a lot to do there. But there is a lot to see! It's like taking a wild animal safari, getting up close and personal with the animals. There are shops, and even a balloon tour you can take. The animals are not animated, but they are 3D. It's great, and I think anyone would enjoy it.
China Sim
http://slurl.com/secondlife/China/128/128/0
The China Sim lands you on a barge, with several levels. Again, not a lot to do there at the sim, but there are tons of free things you can get on the decks. If for nothing else, you can get some nice avatars, clothing, and various other freebies from this sim.
Germany Sim
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Germany/128/128/0
Though there isn't a lot here on the Germany sim, there are some really nice houses and castles for sale. Other than that, it's a great place to set up a shop if you are looking to sell objects in Second Life, because there is plenty of space.
Official Greece Sim
http://slurl.com/secondlife/GreeceOfficial/128/128/0
Finally, there is the official Greece sim. This sim was created to reflect the modern Greek culture, and does a fabulous job. There are various activities for someone to experience, including a visit to the Parthenon. It's well built, and everything is in Greek and English. Check out the movie theatre, or go shopping.
Anyway, those are the sims I would recommend visiting, if you are new to Second Life. If you are looking for educational resources, I would recommend checking out Laura's Blog. She has a list of educational locations in Second Life that are very useful.
Showing posts with label Second Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Second Life. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Home in Second Life: Caledon Downs
It's taken a while, but I finally have my home in Second Life. I figured I really didn't need a large home, so I opted for a smaller home that I bought. It's a Celtic round house, and I love it. It didn't have many prims, so it made for a better design overall.
So instead of having a huge house with no yard, I have a tiny house with a huge garden. I haven't placed any flowers out yet, but I will soon. Right now, I'm more concerned with meeting spaces to allow students to come and visit me during office hours.
In the near future I will be adding a video feed to the screen in my home, and will be working on some presentation tools for my students. Stay tuned for more developments on the Second Life distance education tools.
If you have a second life account, feel free to visit! If not, feel free to sign up! It's free, and there are a lot of fun things you can do in Second Life. For instance, if you go to the Paris 1900 sim, you can ride up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and parachute off. ^_^
To visit my home in Caledon Downs, follow this URL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Downs/59/144/45
Hope to see you there!
So instead of having a huge house with no yard, I have a tiny house with a huge garden. I haven't placed any flowers out yet, but I will soon. Right now, I'm more concerned with meeting spaces to allow students to come and visit me during office hours.
In the near future I will be adding a video feed to the screen in my home, and will be working on some presentation tools for my students. Stay tuned for more developments on the Second Life distance education tools.
If you have a second life account, feel free to visit! If not, feel free to sign up! It's free, and there are a lot of fun things you can do in Second Life. For instance, if you go to the Paris 1900 sim, you can ride up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and parachute off. ^_^
To visit my home in Caledon Downs, follow this URL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Downs/59/144/45
Hope to see you there!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Building in Second Life
Recently I purchased some land in Second Life, on the prestigious island of Caledon. For those that are not in Second Life, Caledon is a Victorian/Steampunk island (or group of islands), with a great community. Many are dedicated to education in all it's forms, so getting help is quite easy. I found a couple of homes that fit the part, and I'm looking forward to posting them.
Of course, there is a slight problem: furniture. While I intend to use my new home as a learning center, people need a virtual place to rest their virtual behinds and relax. Well, I found many of the furniture pieces were pretty expensive (relatively). Why? Isn't it just scripted objects? I found the answer to that when I tried to build my own couch.
<b>Building a Couch</b>
The couch I knew was going to be difficult, but I wanted more furniture than what I found for sale. So, I thought I would build my own. I started with five prims (or primitives, the building blocks of objects in Second Life), and made them the padded areas. I then built a back and bottom using an additional 5 prims. These I textured as walnut (because I liked the color), using a wood grain finish. I then added 8 more prims for the feet. Once done, I linked them all together into one object by selecting them all and hitting CTRL-L, and added physics to it (so that it will stay on the ground).
All in all it took me 3 hours to make, and the finished product looks like something that came from a High School woodworking project from a student that wasn't that keen on the project. But, it's my first attempt at building something, so I'm proud of it. Once the house is complete, I'll post a link to it. ^_^
So, now I know why people charge so much for their furniture. Granted, once it's complete they never have to build it again, and can even make additional changes to it and create a whole new piece of furniture. But as it took me 4 hours to make something that amateur, I would almost hate to see how long it would take to make something more polished. But then, time will tell as I intend to keep up this project.
Of course, there is a slight problem: furniture. While I intend to use my new home as a learning center, people need a virtual place to rest their virtual behinds and relax. Well, I found many of the furniture pieces were pretty expensive (relatively). Why? Isn't it just scripted objects? I found the answer to that when I tried to build my own couch.
<b>Building a Couch</b>
The couch I knew was going to be difficult, but I wanted more furniture than what I found for sale. So, I thought I would build my own. I started with five prims (or primitives, the building blocks of objects in Second Life), and made them the padded areas. I then built a back and bottom using an additional 5 prims. These I textured as walnut (because I liked the color), using a wood grain finish. I then added 8 more prims for the feet. Once done, I linked them all together into one object by selecting them all and hitting CTRL-L, and added physics to it (so that it will stay on the ground).
All in all it took me 3 hours to make, and the finished product looks like something that came from a High School woodworking project from a student that wasn't that keen on the project. But, it's my first attempt at building something, so I'm proud of it. Once the house is complete, I'll post a link to it. ^_^
So, now I know why people charge so much for their furniture. Granted, once it's complete they never have to build it again, and can even make additional changes to it and create a whole new piece of furniture. But as it took me 4 hours to make something that amateur, I would almost hate to see how long it would take to make something more polished. But then, time will tell as I intend to keep up this project.
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