This magazine is dedicated to the Open Life islands – Open Life, Open Life Ocean and Open Life Village (OLiVe).
Each issue we will feature the residents and places that make these three islands what they are and report on the latest developments.
Contents:
T175 festival
Role-play for beginners
Jacquie Sholokhov
SLOODLE
The quest
Abba party
Meet the resident
Through the keyhole
Focus on...
View from the allotments
Quick pics
Saturday, 1 August 2009
Quick pics
A selection of snapshots from life on the islands.
Treasure hunt champion Strangie Vaher alongside her trophy.
Spacecub meets alien aka the DJ’s tip jar.
Partying on OLiVe in front of the wall of sound.
Treasure hunt champion Strangie Vaher alongside her trophy.
Spacecub meets alien aka the DJ’s tip jar.
Partying on OLiVe in front of the wall of sound.
View from the allotments
Open Life regular Leornian Naidoo gives us her thoughts on life down on the allotments.
LNFFISWDPP by Leornian Naidoo
Hello again, it’s Sunday, August 7th 2009 and exciting things are happening at the OLIVe Allotments.
New neighbours have come to grace the landscape with their individual and original allotment designs. It’s a real pleasure for the senses to walk through it.
As I mentioned in the last article, I wanted to try bringing something of my PL (Physical Life) garden into SL. But the question of the beautiful kohlrabi has been hanging in the air since then. It’s not that it’s difficult to do. The problem has been lack of funds, an issue I do not take lightly.
At the forefront of this issue is the requirement to have a Paypal account in order to transfer cash to Linden dollars. I do not have a Paypal account and I also have no intention of creating one. (So much for participation! lol) However all is not lost.
Last night at the incredible ABBA party (thanks DEEDEE and Aseret for thinking it up and Esh and Kick for pulling things together!) I won second place after the beautiful Titiana Haystack in the Best Costume Competition that we knew nothing about! In lieu of this occasion and my absolute delight at winning something, I will follow the Strangie Vaher tradition and will share my winnings by creating the Leornian Naidoo Fund for Impoverished Students who dislike Paypal. (LNFFISWDPP)
So, this week I will be bringing a few new adornments to my allotment. Hopefully the beautiful kohlrabi will soon have a new home at The OLIVe Gardens. Check back soon!
The OLIVe Gardens are located on the southwest corner of Open Life Village Island and are a great place to visit so please join us when you have time.
There are 16 allotments each measuring 96 sq. meters.
The separate plots have 71 prims each that can be used to decorate and build your garden paradise.
LNFFISWDPP by Leornian Naidoo
Hello again, it’s Sunday, August 7th 2009 and exciting things are happening at the OLIVe Allotments.
New neighbours have come to grace the landscape with their individual and original allotment designs. It’s a real pleasure for the senses to walk through it.
As I mentioned in the last article, I wanted to try bringing something of my PL (Physical Life) garden into SL. But the question of the beautiful kohlrabi has been hanging in the air since then. It’s not that it’s difficult to do. The problem has been lack of funds, an issue I do not take lightly.
At the forefront of this issue is the requirement to have a Paypal account in order to transfer cash to Linden dollars. I do not have a Paypal account and I also have no intention of creating one. (So much for participation! lol) However all is not lost.
Last night at the incredible ABBA party (thanks DEEDEE and Aseret for thinking it up and Esh and Kick for pulling things together!) I won second place after the beautiful Titiana Haystack in the Best Costume Competition that we knew nothing about! In lieu of this occasion and my absolute delight at winning something, I will follow the Strangie Vaher tradition and will share my winnings by creating the Leornian Naidoo Fund for Impoverished Students who dislike Paypal. (LNFFISWDPP)
So, this week I will be bringing a few new adornments to my allotment. Hopefully the beautiful kohlrabi will soon have a new home at The OLIVe Gardens. Check back soon!
The OLIVe Gardens are located on the southwest corner of Open Life Village Island and are a great place to visit so please join us when you have time.
There are 16 allotments each measuring 96 sq. meters.
The separate plots have 71 prims each that can be used to decorate and build your garden paradise.
Focus on...
Third in our regular series of articles each focusing on one of the Open Life islands landmarks is...
The path up to the Tor starts at the bottom of the stream on the edge of the village green. As we take a stroll up this path we pass a picnic spot laid out with picnic hamper, champagne and chocolates. Four cushions are scattered around the picnic blanket providing a place to enjoy the food, drink and scenery in comfort.
Continuing up the path we pass the signpost which points us onwards and upwards towards the Tor. It’s time to get those legs working hard as we ascend to the top of the Tor. Finally we reach the top and see the stone circle, beautifully illuminated under the dark night sky by the candles placed around the circle and the lights hanging from the nearby trees. This area is a peaceful place, a place to relax on one of the stone ‘cushions’ or on the remains of a fallen tree and unwind from the days stresses.
Wildlife is also on show in the area surrounding the Tor. If you walk towards the ‘gateway’ (three stone blocks forming a gateway-type structure) and head over the rocks and past a tree onto another grass pathway you might just catch a glimpse of some of the rabbits that regularly hop about in this area. By taking a route down from the Tor along the east side of the village you might spot more rabbits and also a camouflaged tent for two under the shade of a tree.
Nestled in the south-east corner of Open Life Village, Sholokhov Tor is one of the most picturesque features of the Open Life islands.
The path up to the Tor starts at the bottom of the stream on the edge of the village green. As we take a stroll up this path we pass a picnic spot laid out with picnic hamper, champagne and chocolates. Four cushions are scattered around the picnic blanket providing a place to enjoy the food, drink and scenery in comfort.
Continuing up the path we pass the signpost which points us onwards and upwards towards the Tor. It’s time to get those legs working hard as we ascend to the top of the Tor. Finally we reach the top and see the stone circle, beautifully illuminated under the dark night sky by the candles placed around the circle and the lights hanging from the nearby trees. This area is a peaceful place, a place to relax on one of the stone ‘cushions’ or on the remains of a fallen tree and unwind from the days stresses.
The Tor top is a spiritual place. Prayer flags like those seen strung along ridges and peaks in the Himalayas are hung from one of the trees near the stone circle. Under the same tree is placed a meditation cushion where you can sit and meditate in the peaceful surroundings.
Wildlife is also on show in the area surrounding the Tor. If you walk towards the ‘gateway’ (three stone blocks forming a gateway-type structure) and head over the rocks and past a tree onto another grass pathway you might just catch a glimpse of some of the rabbits that regularly hop about in this area. By taking a route down from the Tor along the east side of the village you might spot more rabbits and also a camouflaged tent for two under the shade of a tree.
Through the keyhole
LOL! was given exclusive access to the home of one of the residents of Open Life Village.
Here, Elsbeth Biedermann tells us about her favourite things in 2 Rez Promenade.
The gift
The easychair in my bedroom reminds me of the one that used to be beside my RL bed when I was a child. The only difference is that this one has arms - mine didn't.
The pictures
Here, Elsbeth Biedermann tells us about her favourite things in 2 Rez Promenade.
The gift
One of my favourite items in my house are these cushions. These were a house-warming gift from Jadis Mai, and really make my place homely.
The bedroom
The bedroom
Moving upstairs and I love, love, LOVE the bed, and at some point I would love to get a sleeping pose put on it - if I get round to it!
The easychair in my bedroom reminds me of the one that used to be beside my RL bed when I was a child. The only difference is that this one has arms - mine didn't.
The pictures
Finally, two of my favourite items are the photos I have hanging in each room. Both are photos I've taken, and one of the first things I made properly in SL, so I'm rather proud of them!
The one on the left hangs downstairs and the one on the right is upstairs.
Meet the resident
Each issue we will grab a resident and subject them to the LOL! interrogation.
Step forward our third victim, I mean resident......
Avatar name: Aseret Quintessa
Rezzday: 3rd June 2008
Are you a student, tutor or both? Student
How long have you been with the OU? I started studying with OU in 2007
Which degree are you aiming for? I am working towards an English Literature Honours Degree
Favourite course so far: A103 An Introduction to Humanities
Favourite course so far: A103 An Introduction to Humanities
What brought you to Second Life? Curiosity! My youngest son has been in world for a year longer than me. He had asked me to try it but I wasn't keen. Then the mail came around from OU. I ventured in world on 3rd June 08 and according to my family I live here. I blame OU!
Favourite part of the Open Life islands: Under the sea, I love the submarine and all the interesting stuff down there.
Favourite part of the Open Life islands: Under the sea, I love the submarine and all the interesting stuff down there.
Best memory from your time on Open Life: Meeting a lot of people I really like and DeeDee Bookmite in particular; we never stop laughing inworld and she is the best friend anyone could have.
Favourite SL place away from Open Life: I have two - Avilion - being a romantic at heart it really appeals to that side of me. Gianfar (Dragons of Pern sim) - where I spend the majority of my time. There is nowhere else like it in SL.
One piece of advice for newbies: Don't fall in love! Easily done, total disaster, don't go there ;-)
ABBA party
The dancing queens (and kings) were out in force for the Abba-themed party on Saturday 8th August. White was the colour to be seen in is as residents got into the spirit of the party by dressing up in Abba-style clothing. Unbeknown to everyone a resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, had donated prize money for the best-dressed avatars! First prize went to Titiana Haystack and second was Leornian Naidoo.
The backdrop for the Abba-fest was the village green where a venue had been specially built (in white of course) by Kickaha Wolfenhaut. In one corner of the venue a photoboard allowed residents to put their head onto pictures of the members of Abba which caused much amusement! For four hours residents bopped around the spacious dance floor to the tunes played by DJ Quentin Calvert before heading off - some of us still humming Abba tunes to ourselves into the early hours! 
The quest
LOL! presents the solution to the great Open Life treasure hunt which took place 11th/12th July.
As stated there is only one free house on OLiVe - The Open Arms. So off we trot to the pub. In the corner hangs a TV and above that a picture of horses. Clicking on the picture brings the fourth clue:
Count the legs. It'll save time later.
So that’s it folks, hope you all enjoyed it!
On arriving at the landing point on OLiVe treasure hunters are greeted by a large black sign announcing the treasure hunt and giving the first clue:
Type the correct postcode of The Open University's Walton Hall headquarters.
Type the correct postcode of The Open University's Walton Hall headquarters.
A quick look at the OU website provides the answer MK7 6AA. Typing this into local chat brings up the second clue:
I face the cardinals but tell one of them a lie, just for you.
I face the cardinals but tell one of them a lie, just for you.
The cardinal points are North, South, East and West and our clock tower has a face on all four sides. So off to the clock tower we go to discover one of the sides has a hand missing. Clicking the rogue number 11 brings up the third clue:
There are many free houses on OLiVe, but only one free house. To find out where to trot off to next, see what's on TV.
There are many free houses on OLiVe, but only one free house. To find out where to trot off to next, see what's on TV.
As stated there is only one free house on OLiVe - The Open Arms. So off we trot to the pub. In the corner hangs a TV and above that a picture of horses. Clicking on the picture brings the fourth clue:Count the legs. It'll save time later.
Easy enough - 8. Next stop is the paddock on Open Life Island to see the horses from the picture and here we are given a clue to the first part of the codeword:
Remember the first part of the code word is the opposite of female.
Remember the first part of the code word is the opposite of female.
So that’s male. We also obtain clue five:
Lucky cows might use this to keep from floating away.
Lucky cows might use this to keep from floating away.
It’s off to Open Life Ocean to search for an anchor. Once located a quick click on it gives both the second part of the codeword and the next clue:
The second part of the code word is NKY. Your next clue is Sailors R.I.P.
The second part of the code word is NKY. Your next clue is Sailors R.I.P.
Sailors RIP turns out to be Davy Jones’ locker. Another look round the ocean floor and we locate a locker. Clicking on it brings up the seventh clue:
You are SO close to the treasure now! X marks the spot, but just where is X? Remember the erroneous hour? Add nothing and that will be your goal. But Y should you bother? Just ask yourself how many horse legs there were. Add nothing once more, then tread the ocean floor.
You are SO close to the treasure now! X marks the spot, but just where is X? Remember the erroneous hour? Add nothing and that will be your goal. But Y should you bother? Just ask yourself how many horse legs there were. Add nothing once more, then tread the ocean floor.
From this we deduce our treasure lies at a spot with the co-ordinates X=110, Y=80 on the ocean floor. Sure enough when we get to this spot there is a green sphere which, when clicked, confirms we have succeeded in our quest:
Congratulations! You have found the treasure.
Congratulations! You have found the treasure.
So that’s it folks, hope you all enjoyed it!
SLOODLE
Kickaha Wolfenhaut tells us about the next big thing.
The Open Life regions are witnessing a quiet revolution. After months of planning and technical jiggery-pokery by the computer boffins at Walton Hall, we finally took SLOODLE out of its box this morning. Over the coming weeks and months it will be tested with the help of an elite band of OU volunteers.
SLOODLE stands for Simulation Linked Object Oriented Learning Environment. No, I didn’t have a clue either, but let’s just say that while it might stand for Simulation Blah-de-blah-blah, what it actually means is this: Cool stuff in Second Life. SLOODLE is a set of tools and web based widgets that together enable us to do something hitherto impossible: Link the Second Life avatar you use around the OU islands to the “real” you – the one that logs onto http://www.open.ac.uk/ to submit TMAs and read course materials. For example, a quiz created by course staff on the website can be taken in Second Life and its results then fed straight back into your student record. And that’s just the beginning.
I foresee a time when virtual worlds will form a mainstream part of many Open University courses. I won’t rake over the case for virtual proximity, or start quoting from the massive amount of published research – chances are, if you are reading this, that I’d be preaching to the choir. Open Life has already hosted exploratory building tutorials for an engineering subject and unless you are a complete SL Muggle, it doesn’t take much effort to imagine an assignment in, say, an art & design course which is set, created and submitted within Second Life. SLOODLE’s Prim Drop tool makes the administrative side of such a proposition far easier and more scalable.
On the next page of this article you’ll find a list of the main SLOODLE tools and short descriptions, but I’d just like to give a special mention to one. Once you take rank paranoia and media hype out of the equation, the single biggest (and only really compelling) objection to the mainstreaming of virtual worlds in education is accessibility. Or rather, the lack of it. I’m not just talking about those with visual disabilities, for whom Second Life must seem at best a pain in the backside and at worst an unattainable Shangri-La, but also the technically impoverished – those for whom a high-specification computer and high-speed Internet connection are geographically impossible or just plain unaffordable. When defending Second Life and its peers in the face of jeering Luddites (did I say that?!!) the one statement which stops me in my tracks is this: “I can’t run Second Life.” There’s no objection in that. It’s just a bald fact. Enter WebIntercom, my favourite SLOODLE tool. WebIntercom allows those without Second Life to participate in live text chat with a group of in-world classmates. And what’s more, it’ll do it on a machine which would likely melt if its owner attempted to run Second Life. OK, so WebIntercom doesn’t allow non-SL users to build in-world. OK, so the interface looks like the north end of a southbound cow. But the biggest obstacle to mainstream SL has definitely begun to evaporate before our very eyes.
SLOODLE Website: http://www.sloodle.org/
YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/Sloodle
SLOODLE on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SLOODLE_News
SLOODLE on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2396239341&ref=search
Some other SLOODLE tools
SLOODLE Presenter* - Create media presentations mixing images, video and web-pages, without having to upload images into Second Life.
Sloodle WebIntercom - Synchronizes chat (live!) between a course chat and Second Life.
Sloodle Toolbar - Wearable toolbar/HUD for blogging, classroom gestures and more. A SLURL for the user’s position and a snapshot of the location may be automatically included with a blog entry. Note that at this time the OU’s preferred blog system is a non-standard one and is therefore not compatible with SLOODLE. We may be able to recode the SLOODLE side in the future.
Sloodle Quiz Chair - Fetches questions from the course Quiz module and gives students the quiz in-world.
Sloodle Pile On Quiz - A multi-user quiz to involve a whole class.
Sloodle Prim Drop - Accepts Second Life objects and logs transactions in a Web database. A great way for students to hand in assignments in-world!
Sloodle MetaGloss - Lets you access a course glossary in-world
Sloodle Choice - Lets students respond to a course Choice in-world
Sloodle Vending Machine - Allows web-controlled and in-world distribution of objects for courses, tutorials and other activities.
Sloodle Awards System - Enables points to be awarded to students in Second Life, and also connects with the course grade book.
The Open Life regions are witnessing a quiet revolution. After months of planning and technical jiggery-pokery by the computer boffins at Walton Hall, we finally took SLOODLE out of its box this morning. Over the coming weeks and months it will be tested with the help of an elite band of OU volunteers.
SLOODLE stands for Simulation Linked Object Oriented Learning Environment. No, I didn’t have a clue either, but let’s just say that while it might stand for Simulation Blah-de-blah-blah, what it actually means is this: Cool stuff in Second Life. SLOODLE is a set of tools and web based widgets that together enable us to do something hitherto impossible: Link the Second Life avatar you use around the OU islands to the “real” you – the one that logs onto http://www.open.ac.uk/ to submit TMAs and read course materials. For example, a quiz created by course staff on the website can be taken in Second Life and its results then fed straight back into your student record. And that’s just the beginning.
I foresee a time when virtual worlds will form a mainstream part of many Open University courses. I won’t rake over the case for virtual proximity, or start quoting from the massive amount of published research – chances are, if you are reading this, that I’d be preaching to the choir. Open Life has already hosted exploratory building tutorials for an engineering subject and unless you are a complete SL Muggle, it doesn’t take much effort to imagine an assignment in, say, an art & design course which is set, created and submitted within Second Life. SLOODLE’s Prim Drop tool makes the administrative side of such a proposition far easier and more scalable.
On the next page of this article you’ll find a list of the main SLOODLE tools and short descriptions, but I’d just like to give a special mention to one. Once you take rank paranoia and media hype out of the equation, the single biggest (and only really compelling) objection to the mainstreaming of virtual worlds in education is accessibility. Or rather, the lack of it. I’m not just talking about those with visual disabilities, for whom Second Life must seem at best a pain in the backside and at worst an unattainable Shangri-La, but also the technically impoverished – those for whom a high-specification computer and high-speed Internet connection are geographically impossible or just plain unaffordable. When defending Second Life and its peers in the face of jeering Luddites (did I say that?!!) the one statement which stops me in my tracks is this: “I can’t run Second Life.” There’s no objection in that. It’s just a bald fact. Enter WebIntercom, my favourite SLOODLE tool. WebIntercom allows those without Second Life to participate in live text chat with a group of in-world classmates. And what’s more, it’ll do it on a machine which would likely melt if its owner attempted to run Second Life. OK, so WebIntercom doesn’t allow non-SL users to build in-world. OK, so the interface looks like the north end of a southbound cow. But the biggest obstacle to mainstream SL has definitely begun to evaporate before our very eyes.
SLOODLE Website: http://www.sloodle.org/
YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/Sloodle
SLOODLE on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SLOODLE_News
SLOODLE on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2396239341&ref=search
Some other SLOODLE tools
SLOODLE Presenter* - Create media presentations mixing images, video and web-pages, without having to upload images into Second Life.
Sloodle WebIntercom - Synchronizes chat (live!) between a course chat and Second Life.
Sloodle Toolbar - Wearable toolbar/HUD for blogging, classroom gestures and more. A SLURL for the user’s position and a snapshot of the location may be automatically included with a blog entry. Note that at this time the OU’s preferred blog system is a non-standard one and is therefore not compatible with SLOODLE. We may be able to recode the SLOODLE side in the future.
Sloodle Quiz Chair - Fetches questions from the course Quiz module and gives students the quiz in-world.
Sloodle Pile On Quiz - A multi-user quiz to involve a whole class.
Sloodle Prim Drop - Accepts Second Life objects and logs transactions in a Web database. A great way for students to hand in assignments in-world!
Sloodle MetaGloss - Lets you access a course glossary in-world
Sloodle Choice - Lets students respond to a course Choice in-world
Sloodle Vending Machine - Allows web-controlled and in-world distribution of objects for courses, tutorials and other activities.
Sloodle Awards System - Enables points to be awarded to students in Second Life, and also connects with the course grade book.
Jacquie Sholokhov
Elsa Dickins tells us the story behind the name of our former halls and the village tor - Sholokhov.
Jacquie Bennett was an associate lecturer on several courses, including T175, and was a teaching fellow with COLMSCT at the OU. Her project was to get an island in Second Life - called Cetlment - and see how people might use it. She was a lifelong gamer and had been in SL as Jacquie Sholokhov since SL started. She always believed virtual worlds were going to be big for education and was just waiting for the rest of the world to catch up with her.
It was Jacquie that got me into SL by nagging me to give it a try, and when I did I was blown away by the potential of it, and I immediately started working with her. She was one of my closest friends and we often said that we talked to each other more than our families, as we would be on Skype or in SL all day, often joined by lizit.
We were both tutoring T175 at the time and we started bringing our tutor groups into SL and working with them together, and it was all very new and exciting and our students were really enthusiastic, so we had great results. About 11 months after we started working together in SL that cohort of T175 came to an end and we wrote a paper about our experiences, to present at the international conference on computers in learning in Austria, in September 2007. I wasn't able to go, so she went by herself to present it and the night she arrived she said she was going to bed early with a migraine. In fact she had a brain haemorrhage and died that night - the hotel staff found her in the morning. Her death was totally unexpected.
COLMSCT bought a new island, which was Open Life (Linden wouldn't let us transfer Cetlment so it had to be abandoned), and we put it next to Schomebase. Jacquie and I were both very active members of Schome and were working on the Schome project in the teen grid at the time (the kids had an inworld ceremony as an act of remembrance, which was very moving). I did the development of Open Life and Schomebase and when the halls on Open Life needed a name it was a good way to keep a reference to her memory on the island. Nobody ever asked about the name, which was as I’d hoped, so it was just part of the way things were.
Jacquie Bennett was an associate lecturer on several courses, including T175, and was a teaching fellow with COLMSCT at the OU. Her project was to get an island in Second Life - called Cetlment - and see how people might use it. She was a lifelong gamer and had been in SL as Jacquie Sholokhov since SL started. She always believed virtual worlds were going to be big for education and was just waiting for the rest of the world to catch up with her.
It was Jacquie that got me into SL by nagging me to give it a try, and when I did I was blown away by the potential of it, and I immediately started working with her. She was one of my closest friends and we often said that we talked to each other more than our families, as we would be on Skype or in SL all day, often joined by lizit.
We were both tutoring T175 at the time and we started bringing our tutor groups into SL and working with them together, and it was all very new and exciting and our students were really enthusiastic, so we had great results. About 11 months after we started working together in SL that cohort of T175 came to an end and we wrote a paper about our experiences, to present at the international conference on computers in learning in Austria, in September 2007. I wasn't able to go, so she went by herself to present it and the night she arrived she said she was going to bed early with a migraine. In fact she had a brain haemorrhage and died that night - the hotel staff found her in the morning. Her death was totally unexpected.
COLMSCT bought a new island, which was Open Life (Linden wouldn't let us transfer Cetlment so it had to be abandoned), and we put it next to Schomebase. Jacquie and I were both very active members of Schome and were working on the Schome project in the teen grid at the time (the kids had an inworld ceremony as an act of remembrance, which was very moving). I did the development of Open Life and Schomebase and when the halls on Open Life needed a name it was a good way to keep a reference to her memory on the island. Nobody ever asked about the name, which was as I’d hoped, so it was just part of the way things were.
Jacquie and Elsa enjoying a tipple, early Cetlment days
Cut to the village, and when we moved here and didn't have the halls as such any more we had the requirement for a spiritual/peaceful area, and it seemed a natural thing to transfer the name. It means something to those of us who knew her, and it has a whole other meaning to people who were around for the original halls, which is nice.
She wasn't a sentimental person, she was very kind and a brilliant tutor but could also be bitingly funny, and she wouldn't have appreciated anything soppy, nor would it have been appropriate, particularly as the project expanded and more and more people came on board who had never known her in the first place, so I like the way it worked out.
She had a husband and 2 young children, and about a year before she died they moved to a remote farm in Wales and bought some sheep and goats. They loved their new lifestyle and Jacquie was learning to sheer and spin in order to start a business selling their own wool. I do believe that however successful it became she would always have continued to spend significant time each day in Second Life.
Role-play for beginners.
Aseret Quintessa & DeeDee Bookmite tell us about role-play sims (with thanks to Riss Altman).
You may or may not have heard that role-play is available in Second Life. For those that already into role-play elsewhere, Second Life opens up a whole new experience. For those who don't know about role-play read on. Often people jump to the conclusion that role-play is about sex. This is NOT the case and while some sims and some forms of role-play do have that element most do not.
Role-play to put it simply is not unlike children's imaginative play in that you construct your own character, your race, your motivations, but your character is driven by an adult mind. It's not unlike being in a stage play but you provide your own lines; both leading and reacting to the other characters involved. Most stories are organic in that they develop as they go along. Occasionally if someone has a major storyline they might ask other players to get involved, although they shouldn't tell other characters how to 'play' the story. Dictating to other players in this way is called ‘God Modding’ because it takes away their freedom to act how they see fit and can inhibit the flow of the unfolding story.
Within Second Life there are sims dedicated to many different genres. If you are interested in fantasy, urban, city, war, combat, science fiction, wild west, mostly anything else you can think of, there is a good chance you can be involved in role play within your chosen genre. Remember to check whether your chosen sim is PG or Mature. It's no good thinking you will fit in a Mature role-play sim if at heart you are a PG player. Decide if you are easily offended, or prefer not to be involved in more adult themes, and if so stick to PG sims. To check this is look on the tool bar at the top of your screen and it will show the name of the sim and what the rating is. If it doesn't show on the toolbar right click on the ground in the box that opens look at the General tab, look down the list and you will see Rating.
For this article we chose to visit Valahari; The welcome area was slightly confusing as there were no directions, but in just a short walk we found all the information we needed to join the group, plus clothing and weapons.
When filling in your application you are asked for a backstory. This is your character's personal history up to present day. The more depth you can give to your character the easier it is to play it believably.
If you are interested in role play its worth thinking about this aspect before you apply. You will be asked to submit this information to the admin in charge of role-play on the sim. This person is usually identified in the welcome notecards. Hopefully your application will be approved quickly, and once approved you are then free to join in.
A word of caution - don't just leap into an obvious on-going story, its the best way to get off on the wrong foot! Most Rp'ers are very helpful and welcoming to newcomers; if you ask, someone will help.
You may or may not have heard that role-play is available in Second Life. For those that already into role-play elsewhere, Second Life opens up a whole new experience. For those who don't know about role-play read on. Often people jump to the conclusion that role-play is about sex. This is NOT the case and while some sims and some forms of role-play do have that element most do not.
Role-play to put it simply is not unlike children's imaginative play in that you construct your own character, your race, your motivations, but your character is driven by an adult mind. It's not unlike being in a stage play but you provide your own lines; both leading and reacting to the other characters involved. Most stories are organic in that they develop as they go along. Occasionally if someone has a major storyline they might ask other players to get involved, although they shouldn't tell other characters how to 'play' the story. Dictating to other players in this way is called ‘God Modding’ because it takes away their freedom to act how they see fit and can inhibit the flow of the unfolding story.
Within Second Life there are sims dedicated to many different genres. If you are interested in fantasy, urban, city, war, combat, science fiction, wild west, mostly anything else you can think of, there is a good chance you can be involved in role play within your chosen genre. Remember to check whether your chosen sim is PG or Mature. It's no good thinking you will fit in a Mature role-play sim if at heart you are a PG player. Decide if you are easily offended, or prefer not to be involved in more adult themes, and if so stick to PG sims. To check this is look on the tool bar at the top of your screen and it will show the name of the sim and what the rating is. If it doesn't show on the toolbar right click on the ground in the box that opens look at the General tab, look down the list and you will see Rating.
Sill interested? The first step is to look in Search; for example type in 'Elves, role play'; a large selection of sims will come up. Go to the sims and a have good look around, it could take a while to choose. Quite often as you arrive at a sim you will be in the welcome area. In general, although not always, there will be information in that area that pertains both to the sim, style of role-play, dress code, and usually offers free items such as male/female clothing and weapons.
For this article we chose to visit Valahari; The welcome area was slightly confusing as there were no directions, but in just a short walk we found all the information we needed to join the group, plus clothing and weapons.
When filling in your application you are asked for a backstory. This is your character's personal history up to present day. The more depth you can give to your character the easier it is to play it believably.
If you are interested in role play its worth thinking about this aspect before you apply. You will be asked to submit this information to the admin in charge of role-play on the sim. This person is usually identified in the welcome notecards. Hopefully your application will be approved quickly, and once approved you are then free to join in.
A word of caution - don't just leap into an obvious on-going story, its the best way to get off on the wrong foot! Most Rp'ers are very helpful and welcoming to newcomers; if you ask, someone will help.
"Hang on!" I can hear you saying, "I don't feel ready to just jump in.". Quite understandable - when DeeDee and I first started it was a bit hit and miss, the funniest episode I remember as Deadwood newbies was when DeeDee had got slightly lost somewhere in the worst part of town and I got an IM from her saying " I am being held at knife point and mugged!". DeeDee had accidentally wandered into some ongoing roleplay but had no idea how to deal with it., but she improvised fast and said, "I have no purse young man, I have lost my way to the boarding house, would you be a dear and show me the way ", I still giggle reading that! Luckily a handsome outlaw rescued her and pointed her to home! The other difficulty was most of the other women were playing 'goodtime girls' in the saloon, whilst Dee and I were running a boarding house. We had far less opportunity to role-play than the saloon girls.
There are two ways to learn how to participate in role-play, one is literally to just jump right in and try out your character; do gentle role-play, establish some interaction with other players but not deliberately trying to start a story, this way other players become used to your character and will gradually interact with you. The other is to loiter on the edge of others who are role-playing, observing rather than attempting to take part. Try to take on board the way character's greet each other, what the etiquette is, what mode of dress seems the most popular and ask about training classes. Most RP sims hold classes and they can be really enjoyable in themselves. I personally have learnt a great deal about herbalism from Gianfar. Many role play sims also hold role play classes.
If anyone wants any further information or help with a character back story, please feel free to contact me: tm3382@student.open.ac.uk or contact us inworld by sending a notecard to either Aseret Quintessa or DeeDee Bookmite as IM's tend to get capped. If we don't know the answer to a question we will either find out for you or will put you in touch with someone who can. All enquiries with be treated confidentially.
T175 festival
LOL! went along to check out this years event, which naturally ended with a party!
The annual T175 festival took place in the events space on Open Life running from Friday 10th July to Sunday 12th July.
Back on the ground below a fairground had been set up with a big wheel, bouncy castle, dodgems and a carousel ride. Candyfloss and ice-cream were available to quell an attack of the munchies while a dog-petting zone provided much entertainment. For those feeling creative a tutorial was available providing a set of materials and instructions for how to make a gift box, a digital frame and a bouncing eyeball! As well as the fun stuff on show, a stand with course info cubes on it was set up. These cubes showed details of courses in similar areas to T175 and by clicking on them you could go the relevant course page of the OU website. A presentation area and discussion circle was also laid out for the scheduled activities.
On Sunday morning Kickaha was back inworld and up on the plane wing to man the cafe, In the afternoon Gann McGann provided a talk, with streamed media from YouTube, on his Theatron project. (Theatron is a virtual reality tool for teaching and researching theatre history). Later on in the afternoon it was Eshala’s turn to take to the plane wing and try not to fall off mid-conversation. In the early evening lizit Cleanslate and Elsa Dickins (both T175 tutors and Virtual Worlds researchers) were inworld to answer questions about the future of teaching and learning in Second Life and other virtual worlds.
The annual T175 festival took place in the events space on Open Life running from Friday 10th July to Sunday 12th July.
LOL! editor and T175 cafe mod Eshala Tabacznyk decided to take a look round this years offering - especially as she had somehow managed to agree to doing an hours stint in the inworld cafe on the Sunday. The first thing to check out was the location of the cafe - on the wing of the lovely pink T175 plane hovering above the events space of course!
Back on the ground below a fairground had been set up with a big wheel, bouncy castle, dodgems and a carousel ride. Candyfloss and ice-cream were available to quell an attack of the munchies while a dog-petting zone provided much entertainment. For those feeling creative a tutorial was available providing a set of materials and instructions for how to make a gift box, a digital frame and a bouncing eyeball! As well as the fun stuff on show, a stand with course info cubes on it was set up. These cubes showed details of courses in similar areas to T175 and by clicking on them you could go the relevant course page of the OU website. A presentation area and discussion circle was also laid out for the scheduled activities.
Over the course of the event a number of presentations and discussions took place. First up on Friday night was a talk entitled The Banana Game: Fair Trade?. This was given by Sleepylittle Thing and was about the issues surrounding fair trade, particularly relating to the banana trade. On Saturday morning PsiRan Boucher was inworld to answer questions about the Open Degree, while throughout the afternoon T175 tutors Rocky Joans, lizit Cleanslate and Minnie Atlass each took turns being inworld to provide course support and general SL chat. In the evening Kickaha Wolfenhaut chaired a discussion focussing on the T175 block 4 GPS activity.
On Sunday morning Kickaha was back inworld and up on the plane wing to man the cafe, In the afternoon Gann McGann provided a talk, with streamed media from YouTube, on his Theatron project. (Theatron is a virtual reality tool for teaching and researching theatre history). Later on in the afternoon it was Eshala’s turn to take to the plane wing and try not to fall off mid-conversation. In the early evening lizit Cleanslate and Elsa Dickins (both T175 tutors and Virtual Worlds researchers) were inworld to answer questions about the future of teaching and learning in Second Life and other virtual worlds.
The event ended in traditional style with a party on the village green with music from our regular DJ Quentin Calvert.
Open Life events space: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Open%20Life/202/122/27
Theatron: http://www.theatron.co.uk/
Theatron: http://www.theatron.co.uk/
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