New World Notes began as in-world coverage of Second Life creativity, and since it still remains among the very best examples of user-generated content anywhere on the Internet, that coverage will continue to be an anchor for this blog. To that end, Iris and I are planning to expand our coverage of Second Life sims over the next few months, which is something I've been longing to do for quite awhile. We're especially looking for new or greatly updated sims which make use of the latest tools and features, or like Hakone, which I visited some months ago, are just supremely cool. Just as key are great communities or ongoing group projects/content creation/mini-MMOs, like Godswar, especially if we haven't been able to cover them on NWN before.
Any come to mind? Please post SLurls and descriptions in Comments below, and expect a visit from Iris or me soon.
(And yes, self-promotional suggestions are fine, but please try to include some image or video links to prove your sim is really as cool as you claim it to be.)
Please share this post:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LraZmFZ4qHY
Sadly the region has been sold to different owners but I thought this was really cool
Posted by: Big Moonlight | Tuesday, October 28, 2014 at 07:48 PM
Wow that's really cool indeed, thanks. Got a SLurl handy?
Posted by: Wagner James Au | Wednesday, October 29, 2014 at 02:13 AM
New hellish sim just opened to the public. Complete with lava pits, hell hounds and more.
SLurl - http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Asylum/126/128/40
Some pics - https://www.flickr.com/photos/arora_zcz/15435832697/in/pool-the_sl_asylum/lightbox/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/arora_zcz/15621839375/in/pool-the_sl_asylum/lightbox/
Best to have the region default windlights on for best viewing. :D Perfect for Halloween pictures
Posted by: Arora | Wednesday, October 29, 2014 at 07:03 AM
As a mainlander I don't usually think of SL in terms of 'sims' but rather whole regions / areas.
I'd recommend the southeast side of Zindra. These are the 'final bits' that were added in - and the furthest bits from the 'downtown'.
They have a different character to them.
As this blog has in recent past advocated for the removal of 'A' content in SL 2.0 - perhaps the most illustrative thing you could do is see what 'A' content amounts to in SL 1.0.
Not the top sims, the big hangouts - but all those little obscure spots.
South East Zindra is mostly residential, or full of hidden away sky builds. The land itself is often more pleasant, not as promoted, and not as garish as northwest Zindra's "downtown". Ironchurch is a sim down there, and from there on the map you can see sims further southeast. The character of this region probably stretches 2-3 sims north of ironchurch, and then all the way south, and all the way east.
A visual comparison between SE-Zindra and Zindra-downtown might in fact also be interesting. Because very different kinds of builds have taken roots in each. Some of downtown Zindra is also one of SL's rare double-prim land areas.
I would also suggest 'A land's' community portal - not because its good, but because its fallen into obscure, is a bit "over the top in your face" with ad-spam, and might be interesting to see it compared with more successful community portals like Oxbridge. You can find it by entering 'adult' in your map and choosing I think, the hub.
- This one is not a 'pleasant sim' to go see. But there are a lot of interesting articles that could be written about it.
It was actually quite beautiful when it opened - but the temptation to mess it up was too great I suppose, and now it slams you with a million signs in every direction.
Nautilus sims. Look on the map for a bunch of sims that have Nautilus and another word in them. Its in the middle of the Blake Sea. Its double prim land all sold on 1024 lots, mostly in 4 clusters making a block with a road around them. Its Bay City's neglected cousin. The place just never took off. Exploring it and considering why would be interesting. My own theory is that it is curiously strange to build an island planned community - and leave no lots that can reach the water or rez boats... Even the river in the middle of it, does not allow boat rezzing... (and the spot at the center would make a perfect boat mooring spot). The plots are expensive there, but don't sell fast (Bay City's are also absurdly priced and very slow to sell. Pipe dream pricing in both cases).
Finally I recommend Blumfield and its adjoining sims - a 4 sim cluster north of Bay City. Second Life's original planned / zoned community. What is left of it. Quiet place, excessive prices, no bonus prims - but still worth it.
Posted by: Pussycat Catnap | Wednesday, October 29, 2014 at 09:14 AM
Like Pussycat, I recommend the mainland. Try walking or horseback riding on the Alpine Trails built by the LDPW, or catch a Xeva Pod tour from Durango to Chamonix. Things tend to pick up in the Snowlands over the holiday season -- they're usually busiest in December.
Also check out the new Blake Passage area -- Walla Walla is a good place to start. If you don't have a boat, you can pick up a nice free one at the Spyglass region or just about any marina. Sail to Walla Walla, or TP and use a free rental kayak. From there, travel the Columbia River Gorge (watch out for the automated ferry boat), and shoot the rapids at the river mouth. Then sail northeast to Juneau, where you will find an airport, marina, and train. The train makes a stop a little further north, in Skagway, where they are just now installing a zip line ride.
The New England sims are pretty sailing, too -- I recommend Land's End at sunset, and Bear Skin Neck at night. New England residents have decorated for autumn, so it's a good time to visit. Stop at the bakery in Marblehead for hot cocoa while you're there.
There are countless cool things to see and do around the Blake Sea, and the sailing and flying communities are wonderful.
Stand-alone regions are great for a lot of purposes, but I like living in a world. :)
Posted by: Kim Anubis | Wednesday, October 29, 2014 at 10:55 AM
Sorry, not "Xeva" pods ... Yava Script Pods. More info on them at http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Yava_Script_Pods
Posted by: Kim Anubis | Wednesday, October 29, 2014 at 11:05 AM
Darn, I'm just off today. Not Spyglass, but Half Hitch for a free boat
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Blake%20Sea%20-%20Half%20Hitch/120/136/22
Posted by: Kim Anubis | Wednesday, October 29, 2014 at 11:51 AM
Being owner of regions on mainland, bay city, Sansara, Satori, Nautilius, Corsica and Zindra, renting on the blake sea and a full homestead, i can say, show mainland, cause like some posted before, i like to live in a world.
Still there are a few private group of sims, isolated but big enough to have that feel, i would not ignore them as well (lesbianna with 39 regions and north Atlantic sea are just 2 of them.)
Posted by: zz bottom | Wednesday, October 29, 2014 at 12:02 PM
@Wagner James Au
The sim was Anomaly but it's got different owners now. The old owners own some plots on the mainland too though, with similar builds. There's one in Sierra and one in Alloy
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Alloy/163/149/24
Posted by: Big Moonlight | Wednesday, October 29, 2014 at 01:11 PM