New World Notes

Cassie's Clips: Previewing Genus Head's New Motion Captured Animations

Exclusive to New World Notes, Ms. Cassie Middles previews an ambitious new update to the Genus mesh head -- motion captured animations for facial expressions:

"Now the head has mocap and there's several resting animations, fluid moving animations, gestures, and eye, brow, and mouth phases of animations," she tells me. I'm impressed, because it's incredibly difficult to mocap facial expressions, since they involve so many muscle groups.

It's not 100% perfect, she allows, but still smashing: 

Cassie's Clips: Sneak Peek of SL's Romp Fashion Event This Weekend Ft. Sexy Clothes You Can Adjust While Wearing & Boots You Can Hold

Here's a speak peek video of this weekend's Romp event in SL, from NWN correspondent Cassie Middles. (Warning: Somewhat NSFW, just like Romp itself.) Key item is what she's showing off here -- the Mirage Abbacci, with user-adjustable clothing items. Watch to see what I mean, because "adjustable" doesn't quite convey how cool this is.

"Romp is an event that I hold near and dear to my heart," she tells me. "It was actually my first ever adult shopping experience I've ever had where kink and BDSM were seen as quite normal. Beautiful furniture, accessories, decor, and amazing things like this outfit by Mirage.N.A here. Vanilla Bae was the first store I ever found that had interactive clothing like this, but the boots were what sold me -- the fact that you can wear them or carry them over the arm, I think is amazing and perfect for roleplay. If you check out their Fickr feed, you'll see so much more interactive outfits there as well for both genders, though Mirage mostly works with Belleza bodies so make sure to read or demo before trying."

Romp starts tomorrow. Links after the break!

Second Life's Open-Ended User Interface as an MMO is So Complicated, Mastering the UI is How to Level Up

Pictured: Cassie demonstrating Lelutka's Axis HUD for customizing highly detailed SL Avatar expressions

Great conversation about the difficulty of customizing Second Life avatars, which now include countless user-made systems (like the one above) built on top of the default system, with reader "Scott" making this point:

While I don't disagree that creating a beautiful avi can be complex and difficult for new users, I don't agree with the implication this is a problem for Second Life. I remember the difficulties and frustrations of learning how some of this works. I still don't understand all of it, but it was (and still is) enjoyable to learn. I get a sense of accomplishment. The subtleties of second life avi construction become an "inside joke" with others who have had the same struggles. Not only do you get a sense of accomplishment, but you get the feeling of becoming a member of the "club" who have leveled-up and made a kick-ass avi.

This is very true -- while Second Life is not a traditional MMO, the very complexity of its user-experience has turned avatar customization into a kind of leveling mechanic. (Which is not too different from many traditional MMOs where you can immediately identify veteran players by the special details and features of their avatar.)

Seen this way, buying customization options from other users becomes a short-cut for leveling up:

Creative User Hacks to Second Life Appearance Make Avatar Customization Incredibly Difficult for New Users (Comment of the Week)

Pictured: User-Made Mesh Head Heads-Up Display (reviewed by Cassie here)

Commenting on the appearance of professional makeover agencies in Second Life, reader "Pulsar" points out this is partly the outcome of innovation among the user community, as users came up with creative ways to improve avatar appearance options beyond what the default viewer offered:

And to think that once you could create your own hair style straight from the viewer sliders, as well as everything else (you still can, but it's outdated).

Creative users took advantage of each update and new feature to improve their avatar looks, sometimes even with hacks like the "invisiprim". Avatars became prettier and prettier, even incomparably better, but on the other hand fashion became more and more complex.

Instead of sliders, you had to edit your prim or sculpt attachments, then you had to use alpha layers, then merchants would sell their rigged mesh without setting the attachment point, so you have to carefully "add" it (or add to another attachment point) instead of "wearing" it, in order to not end up naked, just because you grabbed an ice cream. Then appliers, various HUDs, then you have a bunch of products from different brands and that aren't compatible with each other, as well as legacy content, so you have to know what's compatible with.

In other words, with every creative workaround the Second Life community added, avatars became more and more difficult to customize -- and became near impossible for new users:

Cassie's Clips: How to Unbox Items to Use in Second Life -- A Common User Interface Confusion Among New SL Shoppers

Here's NWN video correspondent Cassie Middles with a helpful and very necessary tutorial for unboxing items in Second Life. It's necessary, because even though fashion and virtual shopping is essential to the Second Life economy, Linden Lab has allowed its user interface for owning and using items to remain incredibly counter-intuitive and user-unfriendly. Which is not only hurting the economy, it's frustrating newer users. As Cassie points out, many bad reviews in the SL Marketplace are actually about this confusion with the user interface:  

 

Second Life Avatar Fashion So Confusing & Complicated There Are Professional Makeover Agencies

Before and after with the Makeover Agency

SL social media queen Ms. Strawberry Singh has a fascinating interview with the founder of The Makeover Agency, which is more or less an outgrowth of Second Life's option-laden, confusing, user-unfriendly fashion marketplace and user interface. As founder SarahBeths  explains:

Cassie's Clips: Previewing Genus, a New Mesh Head Now in Beta But Already Among the Best in Second Life

NWN style video correspondent Cassie Middles previews Genus, a new mesh head now in beta from Anna Ivanova, available in her in-world store (direct teleport here). Cassie says it's among the very best heads available in Second Life:

"While I still prefer Lelutka Forever," as she puts it, "I do think Genus is onto something with the different pupil sizes, the pores and shines on the skin, and how closely shaped it is to the skeleton versus the other heads. I prefer Lelutka for how clean their HUD looks, how their animations and posers work, and how popular it is -- which makes finding skins and makeups much easier. 

 

In a four-part series of videos (see the part 2 below, the rest on her channel), Cassie goes into detail on Genus, trying out the HUD first, making the shape, then giving some final thoughts and expectations. She also tries out the Lelutka Axis HUD to see if it's compatible with Genus:

What Should Cassie Wear? Watch & Chat Live Starting at 9:00am SLT Today

UPDATE, 11:55pm: The stream is over but you can watch all the fun above. And after the break, see the avatar look that Cassie's viewers decided for her. The results, as they say, may surprise you.

Today starting at 9:00am SLT on her YouTube channel, NWN video correspondent Cassie Middles is trying a fun experiment in livestreaming and virtual fashion -- decided what her avatar should wear in real time, and she'll make quick costume changes before a livestream audience:

It can be as serious or as goofy as you guys want, as well as the set up! Please no change in mesh bodies or heads, as those are some serious coinage for me to spend. I'm okay with shopping for things I might not already own though!

Go here to chat with her live on YouTube, and be sure to subscribe when you're there.   

Virtual Breasts With Veins & Stretch Marks Now on Sale, Capitalizing on Second Life Fashion Trend for Realistic Imperfection

Breast Veins & Stretch Marks are a new accessory for Second Life avatars, created by Izzie Button, whose Cellulite & Stretch Marks for female avatars have become an unexpected hit.

"After the release of the cellulite/stretch marks," Izzie tells me, "the response was huge and many people requested stretch marks on breasts, arms, stomach as well, so I made them. " She had planned on creating them before the cellulite/stretch marks went on sale. "I was just waiting to see how the response would be before I release more of something that nobody wants," she says, laughing. "I'm glad people enjoy them."

Today, in fact, you can get them for just 50 Lindens (roughly 25 US cents) for Fifty Linden Friday in Izzie's in-world store. (Teleport here). You can see the before and after the break (NSFW, obvi), illustrating how Izzie's enhancement turns an avatar's breasts into something that much more resembles the breasts of an actual woman: 

Cassie's Clips: Exploring the SL Shopping Extravaganza of Equal 10

This week exclusive to New World Notes, beloved SL YouTuber Cassie Middles visits Equal 10, the shopping extravaganza event happening now, a showcase featuring dozens of well-known Second Life style brands, including clothing, hair styles, skins, and make-up for male and female avatars, plus lifestyle accessories for both. (Direct teleport here.)

"It's a great shopping event for both genders, making sure not to exclude anyone and make it female dominated, while still featuring amazing designers," Cassie tells me. "They're also a monthly event and update their website every month with designer ads, so you can easily teleport to the ones on your shopping list at the landing point instead of struggling through any lag (though I had none)." 

 

One tip Cassie has for future Eleven event participants: