New World SLurl: Wild Racing Awaits On the Island of Rune

The forest island of Rune is new home to what Toxic Menges recently told me is "the best racetrack in Second Life". I just gave it a quick whirl, and can confirm it's certainly a leading candidate in that category. You rez a free vehicle at the starting point (dirt bike, ATV, etc.), hop on, and plunge headlong into a beautifully realized race course, with glowing red arrows helpfully guiding you along the way, up steep slopes, along the water, beneath snowy mountain caps, and more.

Rune is the work of Maxwell Graf, who is still adding final touches to the racing elements: "I haven't even really had the opening yet," he tells me, "though people can already come and ride the track. I still have to do the damage systems with blood and so on, the interactive elements."

"So when the bears attack they'll actually kill you?" I ask him. (Yes, Maxwell has made Steven Colbert's nightmare come true: bears bolt out of the woods and try to maul you off your vehicle.)

"They will, yes, and the sharks, spikes, wasps, lava, rocks... for elimination rounds during the championship events we are working on weapons for the passenger, like teams of two, so you can have one drive, one attack [with] trash can lids and stick, chain, I think." (Curiously enough, that part reminds me a bit of Road Rash, the videogame franchise Cory Ondrejka was working on, before he became a Linden.)

A supremely talented content creator, Maxwell tells me all this manic inventiveness was made as a response to frustration over content theft and recent Linden policy changes. "You begin to question your options, your reasons," he tells me. "I needed to find something fun to do, both in building and that others could come and goof out on. I'd love to see it become popular, but even if it's not, I had a blast doing it, and I needed that."

I think you are likely to share Mr. Graf's fun (especially if you bring your friends): Direct SLurl teleport to RUNE at this link.

Comments

[Metacam Oh]

Road Rash was a great game. Had always wanted Road Rash on an open 3d world where I could drive wherever I wanted... :)

[Max Graf]

Funny you should mention road rash. That was one of my alltime favs, and its interesting to hear that one of the people working on it is in SL. :)
I really wanted to capture a sense of that sega/older console feel to it, and road rash is definately up there in the top. I like the old spy hunter game too, with the bond-style elements. Im using this as a test bed also, in preparation for a similar attraction in bluemars, albeit much longer, like a rallye. woot!

[Rory Serpente]

Toxic Menges (hi Toxic) is so right Rune is unquestionably home to "the best racetrack in Second Life".

I was fortunate enough to have Max (Maxwell Graf) take me for a few laps of the track as his passenger, and this was before the bears where installed.

It was an great drive, Max describing features as we tore around the track at the only speed max races, flat out, while sometimes he steered with only one hand as he pointed to the exact spot or feature he was describing. At all other times he used both hands to point at two separate features at the same time.

If you haven't seen Rune go drive around it yourself at an insane speed then next time twice as fast.

Max you have done it again Rune rocks.

cheers

Rory

[Anonymus-Not]

is it as laggy and unusable as rustica? action games in SL = epic fail. ;(

[aion gold]

Seems to be a good game but just wondering which is more popular game, is it Sims3 or Second Life? The SL character somewhat has similarity with Aion character, though they're in different genre.

[Dale Innis]

That sounds Teh Awesome! Not, I gather, for vehicles that want a nice flat racecourse. :)

[Iggy O]

No epic fail or even regular fail. There was little lag on Rune when I ran it, and the physics were good for SL driving.

The bears are a HOOT.

[Keanu Kharg]

Could be fun...if i could get in. Seems the owner has set the sim for ppl with payment info only. I looked at his profile and dont meet any of the 8 criteria this person bans for. If ppl dont have payment info that doesnt mean they dont spend money on sl. I got payment info on an alt and even ppl who dont have that still earn a lot of moeny in sl. I m age verified so SL has my details, which means he can always sue incase of copybotting, which seems his biggest fear. By banning all ppl with no payment info he prob bans about 50% of the population of sl and prob losses 40 of his sales. It s up to him ofc,just a bit sad that ppl cant get in and see if they dont have the necessary lindens to buy something.