Steelhead Shanghai: Asian-themed steampunk and awesome architecture

Ah it’s good to be back! With the holidays and yeah a little procrastination on my part, it’s been a while since my last post to the SL World Explorers blog. Alas, I’m still alive and exploring the far reaches of SL for awesome builds and fun things to do.

For this explore Devin and I reverted back to blogging another steampunk sim. Why you ask? Because we like steampunk it seems : ) Steelhead Shanghai is part of a much larger group of steampunk themed sims collectively called Stealhead. For this post, we’re only concentrating on the asian themed area. As usual, we started by getting into character. I dropped by the Black Opal store located at Steelhead Shanghai and picked up a cool airship pilot outfit and a pair of black lace up boots. Devin decided to wear a little more clothing than usual…chuckling…and went with a full kimono. Her outfit consisted of the Kimono and Hakama Gakudan from Nonko as well as the Hermia Scarlet Red hair from ETD.

We initially rezzed into the sim at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Steelhead%20Shanghai/86/155/24. This is a great central starting point for your explore. As the city begins to rez, you’ll immediately notice the asian-style architecture and the fact that a lot of care went into the building of this town. The waterways are aligned with intricate little flatboats as we’ll as fantastically-shaped steam-powered vessels. If you’re using the Emerald Viewer, you should test some of the new lighting settings while at Steelhead. They make for awesome pics. Go to WORLD > ENVIRONMENTAL SETTINGS > ENVIRONMENTAL EDITOR. Then click on the ADVANCED SKY EDITOR button and choose from the Sky presets.

Be sure to explore each building to get the full feel for the city. Click on the gongs placed throughout the city to hear them thunder, take a load off in one of the small bath houses, or stop by the sake bar if you need a little something to wet your whistle. There are also a number of stores scattered throughout the sim to purchase steampunk and asian-themed items. 

While exploring we ran into Caliburn Susanto who was taking photos for his flicker photo set, “365 days”. Check it out at http://www.flickr.com/caliburnsusanto/sets. His photo shoots are pretty amazing.

As we were finishing up our explore near the large asian tower, I ran into a local named Krystine Qinan who shared her thoughts on Steelhead and also gave some additional reference information.

Krystine says “Steelhead is a place of warmth, friendship, and above all else….fun! We are truly a community, in every sense of the word. Our weekly town hall meetings keep us laughing, and we always have a Friday night event planned. Anyone interested in joining the merry madness can check out our Ning at http://steelheadsl.ning.com or our newspaper/blog (of which I, Krystine, am the Editor) at http://steelheadsentinel.blogspot.com. Did I mention I love Steelhead? “

As I close out this post I’d just like to add that I very much enjoyed the detailed architecture at Steelhead…maybe more than any sim I’ve explored up to this point. I definitely recommend checking it out, and who knows maybe you were even meant to become part of the community.

Check out the full photostream for this explore at http://www.flickr.com/photos/gavingarfield/sets/72157622771285429/.

Happy exploring and watch for our next post very soon. You can join the World Explorers group in Second Life to receive new blog post notices and occasional notes about cool places to explore.
-Gavs

Action Surf & Sk8te: Virtual Surfs Up Dude!

Well, Before the official end of summer, Devin and I were attempting to take a little beach vacay. In the process, however, we came across the Action Surf & Sk8te sim which was so cool that we decided to go back on the clock to bring you a little explore action.

As you enter the sim at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Action%20Surf%20Sk8te/128/128/23 you’ll be in the center of town surrounded by shops specializing in surf/skate hair, swim suits, boards, shoes, accessories and vehicles. There are dune buggies designed for any taste. Devin and I perused the shops, buying some swim gear, before making our way to the skate park in one of the back alleys. I’m not a skater and don’t know all the terminology, but the park seemed to include every type of ramp and trick area imaginable.

Devin had found a hot little bikini in one of the shops which she was ready to try out at the beach, so we headed to the pier, called the “Action Extreme Zone.” Now this was the coolest part of the explore. On the beach is a terminal that allows you to rez a demo surf board or you can bring your own. You can paddle the board out into the water and actually interactively surf the giant waves as they roll in. Clicking the board gives you a hud to attach and enable some pretty complicated surf tricks. Before we knew it, we’d spent almost an hour surfing and taking photos for the blog…lol. We had lots of fun in the process. When surfing, you’ll also notice a pirate ship out in the water which is fully furnished and makes for some great pirate role play..me matey!

We highly recommend checking out Active Surf & Sk8te. It’s a great place to take a date or just to have some SL fun on your own. Check out the photostream from the explore here – http://www.flickr.com/photos/gavingarfield/sets/72157622413881670/. The surfable waves are also sold in the stores on the island and can be incorporated into your own build.

Happy surfing,
Gavin

Carnivale Amusement Park: Coasters, copters and cotton candy

For this installment of the SL World Explorers blog, Devin and I decided that we needed to put ourselves into the shoes of two college kids…which isn’t too hard considering I’m just a kid at heart anyway. We first needed to secure a few items to pull off the youthful look…lol. So that meant backpacks, headphones, new clothes and accessories most of which were purchased at Dinzeo and Gritty Kitty. Devin can comment and add more about the shopping experience if she likes. My manly tattoos and big guns were a little harder to camouflage, however, in order to pull off the look…chuckling.

This explore was at an amazing ride park called Carnivale Amusement Park that covered an entire sim, Carnivale Quarry. The entrance is located at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Carnivale%20Quarry/117/121/50. It looks as if the park actually acts as a huge showroom for the many rides that the park owner has for sale or rent. They have the widest assortment of rides I’ve seen anywhere in SL – from ferris wheels to waterslides, tour copters to shooting galleries. Even if it is primarily a showroom, Carnivale Amusement Park still makes a terrific spot to take a date.

We started out by taking the giant waterslide for a spin. Okay…okay, I pushed Devin down fully clothed and then flew to the bottom to watch her come down ringing wet…lol. We were playing the role of immature teens ya know. While at the bottom waiting, I met Sean Dorchester and his wife…a very cool guy. Here’s what he had to say about the build:

“Carnivale Amusement Park is vividly decorated and has plenty of rides and attractions. It’s a well planned sim and I will definately return again.”

Devin and I then hopped on a tour copter, little two-man flying cars stationed around the sim that are very simple to navigate with only arrows and page-up, page-down. Take one for a spin. It’s the fastest way to see this monstrous sim. After landing, we rode the gravitron, the log flumes, the spook house, roller coaster and even took some time to try out our skills at the shooting range. For the most part, I was just watching Devin shoot… she’s actually a great shot and very cute to watch with a gun…I must say.

The lighting at Carnivale Amusement Park is simply fabulous; Coupled with sim’s vivid coloration, this ambiance makes for some really cool photos around the park. Most of the rides are also equipped with animations and facial expressions to help further enhance the photo fun.

So grab your baby or just a friend and head on over to Carnivale Amusement Park at Carnivale Quarry. You’ll need a few hours to really explore the sim in it’s entirety…but I promise you won’t regret it.

Want to see the photostream from our explore? Go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/gavingarfield/sets/72157621914603615/.

Happy explorin’,
Gavs

Photon’s Castle: Candyland meets the World of Willy Wonka

We’re back! Chuckling…yes, it’s been a month now since the last World Explorer post. I am still alive…woot! Life has been very hectic for the past few weeks making it very difficult to find time and motivation to post.

Before my brief sabbatical, Devin and I explored a little sim called Photon’s Castle. We posted the photostream soon after the explore, but I’m just now getting to the blog post (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gavingarfield/sets/72157619212698404/). This is quite an amazing little explore which I discovered while looking through places photos at Koinup.com. To dress the part, Devin bought a cute little candy girl outfit and I found a Willy Wonka hat and cane…perfect! As we teleported in onto the front steps of the castle…the first thought that came to my mind was “technicolor dream”. I bet that’s exactly how Dorothy felt when she first arrived in OZ and was overwhelmed by color and frivoloties (yeah yeah! so the original was in black and white…before my time…lol). The SLurl to access Photon’s is http://slurl.com/secondlife/Photon%20Pinks/87/128/43.

We decided to walk the cobblestone trail circling the island before heading into the castle. As you walk along the meandering trail you’ll experience ice cream mountain, the giant orange bloom tree, sea creatures of vivid color and lots of little nooks and crannies off the beaten track. At one point I was even chased by a swarm of angry bees All I could think of was the thousands of times I’d played Candyland as a kid where you bypassed your opponent over the gumdrop mountains, or got bogged down in molasses swamp.

As we entered the castle from the backside, it was a multi-leveled store with a club on the basement level, Club Photon – SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Photon%20Pinks/116/144/21. The build inside was just as amazing with a giant clock of animated gears that spanned the entire height of the castle. The many colorful stained glass windows also caught my attention. There is no shortage of crazy items to buy at Photon’s including jewelry, accessories and furniture. If you look hard enough, you’ll also find plenty of freebies.

So, hop on over to Photon’s Castle…just be sure to wear your red slippers in case SL is borked when you try to tp home

Later,
Gavs

Gotham City: So you want to be a hero? Second Life makes it possible….

One of the coolest things about virtual reality/Second Life is that your imagination is unlimited. You can be whoever you want to be, whenever you want to be and however you want to be it. Yes, you can even be a super hero…superman, batman or even be a little more creative and roll-your-own character. In this blog post, we concentrate on the Gotham City sim. Gotham is a moderated role playing sim that allows you to explore wearing tights, capes and masks while you roam the streets under an ever-lit moon. Sounds a little kinky Actually, Gotham City is a very cool build and contains many buildings familiar to fans, that include Queen Industries and Arkham Asylum. The SLurl provided will drop you on a steel landing where you can request a notecard with sim rules – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Gotham%20City/53/179/42. If you plan to explore the sim without roleplaying, follow the notecard to request an object that once worn labels you as a Gotham City Observer, thus keeping the creatures of the night from mistaking you as prey…Ah, if only real life was so easy…lol.

In order to get into the mood, Devin and I went shopping for themed outfits. She settled on a sexy little bat girl outfit, while I purchased a very detailed batman suit at Daviau Designs, Gotham City’s premiere hero outfit shopping center. To jump directly to this 9-level store, use this SLurl – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Gotham%20City/12/248/28. The suit came complete with gestures and a hero AO for only $500L, which was surprising. I had fun wearing all the gadgets and attachments, but you’ll notice in the photos I chose not to wear Batman’s signature mask. It takes a lot of hair products and time in front of the mirror every morning to achieve Gavin’s signature hair spike, and I’m sure not going to ruin it with a full-head mask…lol.

Before we began to explore, I adjusted my environment settings just a bit to increase the blue ambient lighting. This results in a nice neon halo affect that adds alot of character to your photos in dark midnight sims. If you’re not sure how to do this, select the ADVANCED SKY option under ENVIRONMENT SETTINGS, and from there choose the LIGHTING tab. You can drag the slider for the blue ambiant light setting there and will immediately notice the chance on your screen. Simply adjust to your preference.

After dressing for the occassion and adjusting settings, the two of us crept through the dimly-lit, crime infested streets of Gotham City to experience an evil ferris wheel ride, dancing at the Iceberg Lounge which was a cool build in itself, slinking through the halls of Arkham Asylum, Queen Industries, Wayne Industries, jumping across the roof tops and much more. At one point Devin was even stopped by Gotham’s finest, Lieutenant Jerry Hennelly, played by Michael Moonites. I had to fly in and save the day when he was just about to cuff her…hmmm…wonder what she was up to…lol. I also noticed Cat Woman, played by Charic Uladstron, climbing up the side of the building just above us. She seemed in a hurry, maybe running away from her latest jewell heist.

Whether you enjoy roleplaying, super heroes, or just dressing up in tights, you definately want to take a look at Second Life’s Gotham City. At the very least, the underground techno music, dark atmosphere and interesting builds makes it a cool place to hang out and explore.

As always, the World Explorer team is already hard at work planning for the next explore. So keep you eyes peeled, and in the meantime feel free to drop us a comment about sims you’d like to see us explore, your comments, etc.

The photostream for this explore can be accessed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/gavingarfield/sets/72157617977847705/

See ya soon - Gavs

Enscharys: Wonderful blend of culture, lighting and romance – ummm, and a game we missed

Devin and I try to set aside at least one night per week to scope out new explore points. We’ve come across some awesome places that people have put much of their minds, hearts and time into. We usually blog the one that really stands out and almost calls our names. Enscharys was exactly that type of build. Devin suggested it and as soon as she TPed me and I rezzed into the center of giant white pillars towering above me, coupled with magical lighting, I got that feeling.

As you all know, and as you’ll see in the photos from this explore, Devin and I decided to theme dress in true world explorer fashion. When we scoped out the sim, it immediately reminded me of like a Gor role playing sim…so I suggested silks to Devin. We did a little shopping and found some not-so-revealing silks. Although Devin is a hottie, we’re professionals here ya know So, I ask her what I should wear because neither of us know a thing about Gor role playing (don’t squint at me…lol). She pointed me to a shirtless gladiator outfit…chuckling. Now I’m not sure how much gladiators and Gor go together, but Devin liked it, so Gavin’s showin’ some skin too in this post.

Since Enscharys is a fairly new build, I IMed one of the owners to see if she wanted to give us some in-sight into the sim. Loulou Riverview sent me a reply back saying:

“…the thing we tried to do at Enscharys was build a place that was great to explore with lots of nooks and crannies to discover. We also added places to chill out with loved ones, whether friends or lovers. It is intended to be an interactive experience, hence the game where you have to find things and then use them for other purposes. There is a storyline that goes along with the game…the instructions are in the library”

I am very glad that Loulou sent this reply because Devin and I totally missed the game…sigh…we were apparently too busy marvelling at the lighting and structures.

This Slurl, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Enscharys/127/149/29, will put you on the steps very near the entrance to the castle. You’ll immediately feel the heat of the fiery forest very near by. As you look around, you may start to feel a culture blend that for me was almost Celtic, meets Mediterranean, meets Asian. I know that sounds a little odd, but it’s so well architected that the blend is beautiful. There are circular elevator tiles in each castle room that take you up higher into the tower. You’ll visit the armory, throne room, spa, to name a few…all complete with nice poses and lighting features. I was amazed at the weapons in the armory and the apparent quality design of each. 

After exploring the castle we took to the ground, finding great little cuddle spots, forested areas, sky archways, fire pits and even a flying sampan that can be rezzed for exploring the skies. The sampan is equipped with a cozy little pose for two to enjoy while flying around the sim. If you like what you see, there is a store at the center of the build, where most of the items you see can be purchased. Be sure to stop by the store and support Loulou and fellow owners. Land in SL isn’t cheap ya know.

So, take my advice on this one and stop by Enscharys. I think you’ll definately be enticed into exploring deeper.

To view the photostream of this explore visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/gavingarfield/sets/72157617361482525/.

Loulou Riverview has many more pics in her Flickr photostream, found here http://www.flickr.com/photos/loulouriverview/.

Watch for another post soon and happy exploring!
-Gavs

Albero: Shopping in a technicolor dream

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve posted to the World Explorers’ blog, due to taking a little real life exploring trip. With this post however, I plan to kick things back into gear by blogging about Albero, a very cool little build I ran across accidentally.

Sometimes I search for out of the ordinary phrases hoping I might come across the ultimate hidden explore…lol. I can’t even remember what I was searching for the other night, but one of the results led me to a place called Cioccolata shopping mall. As things rezzed around me, I felt a little like I was in a giant nursery rhyme. The giant-sized numbers, storybook characters and stairs leading up to the heavens had a definite Mother Goose-ness about them.

Because my draw distance is set high, I could see what looked like a very cool and colorful build up the hill from Cioccolata. So, like any good explorer I had to check it out. As I walked through the field of blue glow flowers and under the wooden sign with colorful letters reading ALBERO, I knew I’d found an interesting place to explore. At that point, I still hadn’t figured out that it was primarily a girl’s shopping mall…lol. The SLurl to put you in the middle of town is http://slurl.com/secondlife/Chowla/126/99/74.

I’m not an avid shopper by any means, but I found myself walking around the little town and admiring the build, the interesting textures, the dreamy colors and round-topped trees, the clock towers and windmills adorning many of the buildings in Albero. It was a treat to explore this place. I love the plankwood  textures of the walkways with grass growing between, and the street lights that add an extra dimension to the lighting. The colors and shapes are what make Albero so interesting though. It has a very clean technicolor look about it.

In addition to the shops, there are many events promoted throughout the mall including photo contests, painting contests, treasure hunts and music events. It’s definitely a must see, especially for you shopaholics who feel the need to drop some lindens while exploring…chuckling. Speaking of which…I had to take Devin back and show her the sim the next day. She wrote up the comment below for the blog:

Devin says: Albero features so many stores that it’s one of those places you’ll need an  hour or so to just wander. Pack those virtual wallets with some lindens people cuz there is so much to choose from. I chose a dress from the Sea Hole. Whimsical and interesting, their dresses remind me a little of some great 80′s videos but are modern at the same time.  My shoes are from R2 which is another store creating little works of art in the form of shoes for your avatar.  The builders of Albero shopping district, in my opinion, understand that the more interesting and beautiful the shopping environment, the more we’re gonna want to hang around, shop, discover and spend money. Albero is an experience and not just a shopping trip.

When you have a few free minutes, check this place out. You won’t be disappointed.

To view the photostream for this explore, follow http://www.flickr.com/photos/gavingarfield/sets/72157617022127402/.

-Gavs