My basic OpenSim Travel Kit

Posted by Bettina Tizzy

While living in California, I put together a backpack filled with all kinds of emergency supplies to get me through a bad earthquake. There were Powerbars, a flashlight, a hand-cranked radio, a first-aid kit, some single dollar bills, etc. I tossed it into the trunk of my car and figured it would be with me at most times. In fact, I've given backpacks such as these to all my closest friends and loved ones in California as gifts. I usually tuck in a deck of cards, a pencil and notepad and sometimes a funny book. Even a yoyo!

Most of us have a little travel kit for toiletries, and frequent international travelers take that a few steps further: noise-cancelling headphones, jet lag meds, adapters, converters, a cozy pair of socks... you get my drift.

Nowadays, I am more in need of a kit for the virtual traveler, and these are especially important - and appreciated - if you are not a builder or a scripter.

These are all things I carry with me as I travel from one OpenSim to another...

Bettina's Basic OpenSim Travel Kit:
- One script for personal radar
- Good freebie skin, such as Sezmra Svarog's Splendor skins
- One transparent texture (I forget where I got mine)
- A basic particle script (good for testing), such as Jopsy Pendragon's Barebones Particle script (thanks for posting it, Ordinal!), or Ama Omega's ExampleParticleScript
- Eye textures, such as Vint Falken's pretty, free, and very NPIRL creations for Valentine's day.
- Of course, Torley's funtastic textures!

What else should we pack in our virtual travel kits? Got any good links? What could I be doing better?

On my wish list:
- Portable prim hair
- My fave June Dion bodysuit (ARC friendly!)

Arrival tips:
- Friend a few folks right away
- Ask for LMs, where the sandbox is, and where the freebie area is
- Check out the map right away. Where are you? Make a Landmark!

The first of the "BEST of Second Life" lists: NPIRLer Amalthea Blanc's faves

Imagine asking a much admired and advanced content creator - or a hardcore adventurer - to share the very best of Second Life® with you, and then being handed a list of favorite haunts, lesser known destinations, preferred builds and best loved sites... what they consider to be The Classics. Now imagine that treasured list multiplied several times over, and that's what you will experience on this blog over the next few days and weeks.

I'm asking members of the Not Possible IRL group - and these are among the people who know and love the grid best and have a profound understanding of what was involved to deliver the quality seen at the installations - to recommend and share both well-known and undiscovered places with you. Their favorites... their Top Ten... or fewer.

Lists like these cannot be comprehensive. They are highly personal and deeply reflect the preferences of a generous, expert, and opinionated taste-maker.

Today we begin with Amalthea Blanc, a content creator and writer who has reviewed the arts in Second Life for years. Thea also helps manage Brigadoon, a support community for people who are learning to deal with the abilities and disabilities of Asperger's Syndrome.


~ Amalthea Blanc's NPIRL Best of Second Life List ~

* Loco Pocos - An amazing immersive adventure that elevates the experience of Second Life - a compelling world inside a world, (teleport directly from here).


This photo of Damien Fate, creator of Loco Pocos by Amalthea Blanc

* Any art installation by Strawberry Holiday - I've seen Strawberry really flourish as an artist and make the most of this medium to create brilliant & empowering experiences centered around the journey of life. Currently no shows available, but her fantastic trees can be purchased here.


This photo of Strawberry Holiday at her "On Their Journeys" interactive art installation, by Amalthea Blanc

* Syncretia - A personal favorite of mine, it excels in its abstract and novel interpretation/treatment of virtual space; (teleport directly from here).

* REC - The interactive experience - innovative concept of experiencing an interactive set. And fun! (Teleport directly from here).

* La Reve - I love the atmosphere and the waking-dream surroundings. My first impression of Second Life as a whole was as a dream that you could finally share with others. La Reve brings that into the first plane of experiencing the virtual space at another, more personal, more direct level. (Teleport directly from here).

* Happy Mood - Yes, bunnies and dogs exist in Real Life, but what makes this place different is that you feel like you live inside the head of someone who truly believes that the world is a beautiful and magical place. And who can't use that? :) (Teleport directly from here).

* Dynafleur: Have you ever repeatedly said a word until it almost changed meaning? Douglas Story's macro photography operates by the same principle-- seeing plants and flowers this close opens up the perception to new depths. The interactive trip through a giant flower is an interactive exploration meant to bring you to this surreal mindset. (Teleport directly from here).

* Sabine Stonebender's Zero Point, etc. - A mind-blowing experience for those who like psychedelic colors in the night. Sabine's work speaks of another, more vivid world, full of contrasts and colors. Experience it listening to trance/techno and you'll get the full gist. (Editor's note: Zero Point is being rebuilt after a disaster that destroyed many years of work. Still, Sabine has made great progress - Teleport directly from here).

* DanCoyote Antonelli (DC)- His installations are often associated with live virtual performances that, much like Cirque du Soleil, are best experienced first hand. No amount of description or video can give you the feeling of being there, and being part of the show. DC often exhibits at Brooklyn is Watching; (teleport directly from here).