Insilico: Meet the Faces Behind Second Life's Top Cyberpunk Roleplay Destination

 
Janine "Iris Ophelia" Hawkins' ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

Ask many long-time Second Life users about the best location to soak in a dystopian cyberpunk future and Insilico will be the first name on their lips. At this point it's an institution, a thrumming neon node on SL's map that's been a constant for years. Insilico has been my own go-to futuristic backdrop for virtual world photography for as long as I can remember, but I never had a concept of who was working behind the scenes to build and maintain this unique and enduring place. In my mind, Insilico always just... was. 

That's why it was a pleasant surprise to see that mixed reality film maker Draxtor Despres took on the story of the Insilico sim for the latest episode of his Linden Lab-sponsored YouTube series, The Drax Files: World Makers. If you've ever wanted to know what's going on behind the gleaming facade of one of Second Life's most recognizable cyberpunk sims, now's your chance to find out.

Watch the full episode above, and be sure to drop by and see Insilico [Teleport link] for yourself afterwards. You can also check out Draxtor's YouTube channel to catch up on more of his fascinating series.

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Janine Hawkins (@bleatingheart on Twitter, Iris Ophelia in Second Life) has been writing about virtual worlds and video games for nearly a decade, and has had her work featured on Paste, Kotaku, Jezebel and The Mary Sue.

Comments

[Masami Kuramoto]

Insilico has been my favorite SL destination for years. Unfortunately most of the roleplay there happens during U.S. prime time. If you live in the European time zone, it's somewhat difficult to participate.

[Kaylee West]

I have been in SL continuously since 2007 and have had students doing lessons on our university regions since 2008. As a "resident" (does anyone still think of themselves this way any more) of Second Life I have spent countless hours exploring all over this vast virtual world. I have also spent countless hours playing in and exploring commercial MMOs developed with huge budgets. I have visited Insilico a numer of times over the years and found it beautiful but frustrating because it always seemed to be simply a gorgoeus show piece full of building facades but with no depth. When I do work in RL I often look for locations in SL (including my own regions) to sit while I work. Recently I went back to Insilico determined to take my time and explore the environs thoroughly. As I explored I began to see Insilico much more clearly, I began to discover the incredible detail that pervades the regions that make up Insilico and began to fall in love with this amazing place. I finally found an apartment I can offord with a view to die for and have set up a cosy nook to go to to do RL work (including working on my PhD thesis) on an almost daily basis. Insilico is a place that grows on you the more time you spend there. Its a place I highly recommend anyone to visit and get to know.