Rezzable: The Black Swan

Last is this weeks Rezzable sim, as reccomended by someone I met at the . The rezzable 'Black Swan (Follow the Path)' sim is a collecion of Starax Lightwaves best scultures, an amazing display of skill and feeling for drama.

In a surrealistic mix between heaven and hell you are taken trough what looks to be the memories of the bound angel you find at the end, defeaten and looking back at his life. The sim uses some of the most amazing effects, whisp like bolts, water geysers, light teleporters and plenty of the best structures in Second Life.

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Steampunk Vernian Sea Lighthouse

The second sim I visited saturday was a location recommended by my dear friend Hyang Zhao and was truly impressive. Though not as large as Arcana Nuveau it was very much the same, steampunk/victorian style. A beautifull little island with a marvellous lighthouse in the Vernian Sea, located in one of the four Babbage Sims, a steampunk community much like Caledon.

The site is an absolute must see, and windlight really makes this place come to life. The detail is realy well dome, and the 4 floors make the tower look completely convincing.

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Hi-Tech Mall: Hybrid Productions

First sim I visited this weekend was the Hi Tech mall made be the Swedish team 'Hybrid Productions'. An impressive build which offered disappointing content to be honest, most of it just the shops you can find anywhere. The sim was very well build however and well worth a visit if Sci-Fi is your thing (or just apprciate craftsmanship).

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The perfect gift

Still looking for that perfect gift? That one present to surprise a friend, a loved one, a neighbour, family or your favourite escort? Look no further because the people who brought you 'the sword' present: The Warhammer! A wonderfull, completely safe, fully functional hammer with no push scripts, no laggy animations or slow loading redundant prims or textures (but very shiny) can be your perfect gift for 600L$? 300L$? Surely not... 100L$! Yes I think it's just AlleyCats studio's way of saying 'Thank you to loyal customer, here is our gift to you'.

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Architecture at its Best: Princeton U

Arcana Nuevo is still at the very top of my list of examples of great architecture in Second Life, but Princeton University, and in particular the Alexander Beach house certainly give it a run for its virtual money. The way they played with lines, shapes, sound en the overall impression in the modernistic auditorium is brilliant. (In the slideshow this is the grey and orange building)

Other then the modernistic building they have several traditional Victorian buildings - A library, a small auditorium and a meeting room. Next to those is a strangely shaped building which looks like it has fallen over, housing a great collection of modern art presumably made by the students.

Last of the dozen great builds I've captured is the entrance/shop, where you can find all sorts of free clothes and avatars (some of them not even half-bad), and again, really great architecture, creating a colorful building with the help of strange shapes and a sort of optical illusion in the big window above the entrance. Well worth visiting and impressive work from the guys and gals at Princeton University.

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The Japanese Garden Kenrokuen

The second sim I visited this weekend is the Japanese garden of Kenrokuen. I expected a nice, natural park with the Straylight (botanical) trees, but what I found was an absolutely amazing mix of cultivated land in the traditional manner, completely integrated in its natural environment. It felt so real it am thinking this has to be based on some real life park.

At the entrance the sim proudly displays its award for best virtual experience, and after taken a few steps this is not all that surprising. Besides a beautiful park with some of the best shadow effects and texturing I've seen so far, the sim houses a huge traditional castle, and a small Japanese village including the sumo wrestling arena.

The eye for detail in the sim is simply overwhelming. They even placed Koi carps in the huge pond in the water. The only downside is to be able to pick up one of the amazing 2 to 9 prim trees you need to be willing to part with anything between 800L$ and 4000L$. A neat feature worth mentioning about the single trees of 2000L$ (no copy) is you can control the seasons trough a HUD.

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