Thank you for the last few years for popping in and reading some of my posts as a virtual world consumer. Since 2020, I moved platforms, and CharmingEllie is no longer a part of the Second Life Blogging Network. However, my new website is. I decided to move forward with Tumblr as my platform for my URL instead of WordPress. As much as I love WordPress, the interface on Tumblr is more modern and appealing to the eye; it keeps me writing and interested and helps get my report out to a broader audience. If you would like to check it out, it is http://www.evwuniverse.com. I have been posting on it since 2021 up till now. I am still a part of the Second Life Blogging Network, just on a different platform and rebranded. Thank you to those of you who have kept up with my blog through time. You are all truly unique!
After months of trying to acquire one of the new Linden Homes in the Bellisseria region, I finally was able to do so. I’ll be explaining my experience of how I obtained one and how those who are still trying to do so shouldn’t lose hope. If you haven’t read my postBellisseria: Are Linden’s Expanding the Region then I should tell you it seems like they’re expanding the region to meet supply and demand of their premium consumers. If you’re even more intrigued, please feel free to look at the post! The hype is on for these new in-demand Linden homes.
*Note: this post is going to be a little longer than usual
as I’m trying to fit a lot of information that relates to the same topic in one
blog posting. I’ve added bolded titles so you can find exactly what you want to
read. Feel free to skip around you don’t have to read the whole thing even
though it would be appreciated. Any questions please feel free to comment or
e-mail me at ember435@outlook.com*
Background Information on the Bellisseria Region:
Bellisseria was introduced by Linden Labs around the Spring of 2019 as a new region with what I’d like to call new age Linden homes these homes keep up with the graphical changes and consistent improvements of Second Life as a virtual world. This continent started with traditional homes and houseboats that use 1,024 sqm of your land tier which is how much tier premium members have when it comes to obtaining land in Second Life. This land tier recently went up earlier this year probably to make way for these premium Linden homes. This also means that they have a higher prim limit to decorating with. For those who are unaware, the original Linden homes were 512 sqm’s with 175 prims you can use to decorate with.
However, a few months ago Linden labs introduced a new Linden home theme in the Bellisseria region called the Campers or I just call it a Camper Region. This was introduced in a blog post from Linden Labs on September 24th and just like the other homes in this region they’re first come first serve. So those who of course knew about them before everyone else obtained them quicker than the consumers who find out after the initial hype of new content added to Second Life such as me. These new Linden homes stick to the original Linden home dimensions when it comes to the parcel of 512 sqm and 175 prims to use. But they’re newer and more interactive with a beautiful and vibrant community of premium members. Sometimes it’s better to have a smaller prim limit because this is how lag can be an issue in Second Life when there are too many objects on a server and scripts it makes your frame rates drop.
In this region, you can travel by car or boat if there is anyone who likes doing either one of these it is 100% allowed and encouraged by Linden Labs.
They’re all hard to obtain but above I did type up a post on
how I’ve come to the conclusion and have seen first-hand that Linden Labs is
expanding the region with more of these options to even out the supply and
demand of premium consumers versus these new-age Linden homes. I’m not going to
lie even though I didn’t have one of these homes I still visited the region to
look around and experience what the hype is for the Bellisseria region. I’ll
say this there was a ton of hype and honestly, I’m not sure if the hype was
100% worth it just by looking around. However, they’re a lot nicer than the
original Linden homes because they’re made of mesh and not prim with better
textures and fit in with today’s graphic enhancements. The community is nice
and each community as per usual has its theme which the community sticks too.
My Experience Obtaining a Camper in the new Camper Region in Bellisseria:
To begin, I’m a recent college graduate in real life so I have a little more free time on my hands than most of the casual players on Second Life. I went to an interview the other day came home and every day for a few months whenever I’m available I hop onto the Second Life browser webpage and navigate to the Linden home selection and see if there are any Linden homes available in the new Bellisseria region. Because honestly, I wanted one regardless of the hype. I tried to obtain one while taking a trip to a different state to visit my grandparents and other family members where there was a small availability on them but even with the time on my hands it was hard to obtain them because they’re first come first serve. Whoever presses the accept button first is going to snag it way before you even if you press it at the same time. I was unable to grab one during this time…so anyway, since then I’ve been consistently trying to find them as sparse as they are. Keep in mind the premium members can get one Linden home per premium account. I currently have a 1,024 sqm parcel in the Horizons sim which is 2x the prim allotment which gives me 702 prims to work with I currently rent that out to a friend. Then I own a 4,096 sqm mainland parcel for interior and exterior design which I love to do! So, I pay the extra $22 a month for that land. This means that my land tier for Second Life was taken unless I wanted to bump up to $35 a month to have more land tier. I would rather not but to be fair I wanted one of these new Linden homes so badly I wanted to understand the hype and see what they were like. When I logged on after my interview there was a houseboat available ONLY. I tried to snag it I did… but every time I tried and let me tell you I tried 8 times. I became blocked from trying again from the Second Life website because of the number of page refreshes on my end. Understandably, these new homes are in high demand and there are only so many of them available. I first upped my land tier in Second Life to $35 a month for 8,192 sqm that can be used to obtain the Linden home and more land elsewhere. After that, I went on incognito because I use Firefox as my browser and when I did this there was a houseboat STILL available and a traditional home. I tried the houseboat a lot and just wasn’t getting it, so the next best thing was trying for the traditional house. I couldn’t grab that either though.
Then when I refreshed the page one more time…I’m not particularly picky when it comes to the theme of a Linden home. There was the houseboat STILL and then there was the Camper which is the brand-new Linden home region in Bellisseria and that was available I tried twice and then closed my eyes said three times was a charm and somehow got it. I don’t know why but I screamed with happiness when I was able to grab it, I didn’t think I’d be able to! Yes, it is a smaller sqm with the same amount of prim as the originals, but it was still a newer Linden home in the newest region. Let me tell you it took me a whole 10 minutes to go through this anxiety… nonetheless, I obtained one. Upon obtaining it I didn’t realize the starting model that you’re left with is a tiny house! For those who are unaware, I adore the tiny house movement and am a big supporter I honestly, want one of my own in real life I just wouldn’t know where to put it. But, when the region said camper, I was expecting campers, RV’s, trailers. Not a tiny home! I was super ecstatic my dream of owning a tiny house is coming true. The whole area is landscaped beautifully with the nicely textured ground, trees, etc. It was super nice, and the community was gorgeous. The parcels are a whole lot more private than the other homes on Bellisseria and even the original Linden homes. Even though the parcels are smaller this is so they can landscape around it so your parcel is a lot more private. After realizing this I loved it even more and wasn’t even disappointed in size or prim limit anymore. Privacy is super important to me in real life and Second Life and this just matched me perfectly.
About the Campers in the Camper Region of Bellisseria:
To make this a shorter section I’m just going to list everything that the Campers in Bellisseria offer:
8 Campers that you can rez
(1 at a time) from the rezzer in the corner of your parcel so you can always
have a different one.
512 sqm parcel 175 prims
However, I found out the parcels are smaller because the extra space is
landscaped for extra privacy which for those who want nice scenery and privacy
more than decorating this is the newest Linden home to go within the
Bellisseria region.
Beautifully landscaped to
be a gorgeous forest theme
A vibrant community with
matching lots and no eyesores
No highly scripted items
slowing down your frame rates
So far from my experience
friendly neighbors
Only minutes away from the
traditional and boathouse community where you can sail
Community events in
Bellisseria event area
All houses and landscaping
are mesh and match the theme of the community (thank goodness!)
Your own space to add your
radio to play in your parcel, invite friends, add and block people, etc.
Linden Homes Covenant (What you can’t do):
Keep to the theme of the
community
Cannot use the home of the
parcel for commercial purposes or activity
Cannot deed the land to a
group or sell it to another resident.
Cannot remove or replace
Linden’s home completely or modify the external appearance of the home.
Almost everyone is aware that Linden Labs recently started
making new age (as I’d like to put it) Linden Homes that keep up with the
innovations of Second Life. It’s a slow process but little by little they
continue to build the Bellisseria continent up with hundreds of new Linden
homes to choose from. The original Linden homes are still available today and
they’re the easiest to obtain as of lately. The first homes that were introduced
right after the Summer of 2019 were the traditional houses and the announcement
of their houseboats. For those who are unaware of premium land fees that are
included with your premium account have recently risen from 512 sqm to 1,024
sqm. These new Linden homes use up the full 1,024 sqm of land fees that you
have with your premium membership instead of the original 512 sqm. With the
rise of your land per sqm that you receive that means you also obtain more
prims that you’re able to decorate within these Linden homes. How exciting! I’m
a little late to the ball game when explaining the Bellisseria continent as
other bloggers have obtained some of these new Linden homes and have already
posted about them. But what they haven’t posted is something I’m going to be
explaining.
Along with these new traditional Linden homes and the welcoming of the houseboats to the Bellisseria region the other day they’re building onto the Bellisseria region more to make more of these homes available. I logged on at around 1:30 pm EST yesterday and they had houseboats and traditional homes available. Sadly, I wasn’t quick enough for either but the fact that they’re becoming available more often than before states that they’re building onto the region, so everyone can partake in the new age of Linden homes in Bellisseria. It seems every few days between 1:30-3 pm you can find some of these available whether people abandon them and let them go or Linden Labs adding more of these homes for their consumers.
This region is highly sought after and recently I also noticed their new camper region in Bellisseria having more options available and availability for us premium users. Make sure that you keep an eye open. However, keep in mind the camper region is a little different as far as the Bellisseria homes that they have released before this region. The campers are smaller is square meters making them similar to the original Linden homes at 512 sqm’s per parcel and camper with an amount of 175 prims to decorate with. This isn’t an issue but you have to be okay with the fact that it’s not using your full land tier that comes with your premium and that you don’t have the same amount of prims to decorate with like the traditional homes and the houseboats that were released before the camper region. The camper region is brand new to the Bellisseria region and was announced on September 24th before Halloween came around. All the campers were snagged almost immediately after they were released. I was able to find a lot more of these available when looking to get something in the Bellisseria region with my premium account. I feel you have better luck obtaining one of these than the other Bellisseria Linden homes and I think it has to be with the square meters and the prim amount. I don’t know about you but if you want more just add more land tier to your account and buy some mainland if you want more land to decorate on or whatnot. That’s just my opinion or if you don’t mind using a sandbox than that is completely free and with your premium account, the Sandboxes that are available for premium members are normally empty. Take advantage of this!
To draw these conclusions since now I live in Bellisseria I
traveled around a little and I was just exploring my surroundings, However, I
came up to areas that said SP and then a number means that they’re building
more of these new Linden homes. To be honest, through my explorations they’re
either adding beach homes next or they’re going to work on making more
houseboats in one specific area. To be fair though I think the Campers part of
the region is where I currently reside… has the most privacy. For the first
time I also accidentally walked into a Linden while they were working which is
indicated by a blue dot on the map instead of a green (first time this has ever
happened to me off of Teen Grid in the past). Ahead of time, I’m sorry Kona
Linden for walking in on you while doing whatever you were doing in these
areas. When they’re building up new sections the area is unnamed and yellow
lines are indicating the separation of parcels. The green that you see in these
photos indicate the position of the Linden home and where the rezzer will rez
it when completed. I didn’t expect to walk into this building process but also
keep in mind in December they’re releasing a new Linden home option as well so
keep your eyes peeled for that. This information is found on the new blog post
that Linden Labs had made for today. There’s a lot of work being done and it’s
all super exciting!
In conclusion, those who feel like it’s virtually impossible
to obtain a new Linden home it’s not. They’re starting to pop up a whole lot
more with more opportunities every day to obtain one. Don’t lose hope if you’ve
been trying to acquire one this shows the initiative that Linden Labs is making
to create more of them for their consumers like you and me. Also, after today’s
newest blog post on the Second Life website, they’re releasing a new theme of
Linden homes for us as well which will be shown during the December holiday
expo this year. There are going to be more chances than ever to move away from
the original Linden homes. For those still trying to get one of these Linden
homes may the odds ever be in your favor and good luck.
Finally,
something to report to all my Hello Kitty and Sanrio fans out there! To be
fair, this isn’t about the Sanrio Town or the Hello Kitty Online game. Second
Life often has various events going around made by creators and brought in from
people just like you and I. A new event that just recently started up is
Astralia’s Hello Kitty 45th Anniversary event and Celebration. It’s
posted throughout the Second Life Linden Labs blog and to be honest I’m a
little late hopping on this event bandwagon. Reality has stolen me from my
creativity, and I’ve been hustling like most of us nowadays in the workforce. I
had no idea that Astralia was a licensed partner with Sanrio no wonder I loved
their products. For those who don’t know a lot of my inventory is filled with
items from Astralia, I feel I’ve put a lot of real-life money into Second Life
just for their creations and now it finally makes sense. Being a huge Hello
Kitty and Sanrio fan since I was a little kid, I had to take part in this
glorious celebration, and I’ve decided to take all my readers with me on this
fabulous adventure!
*Note: Ahead
of time I apologize if there are more photos taken and placed in this post than
some of my others. This is a huge interest of mine and I’m just super excited
to share my adventures at the event with you. Also, if you’re a premium member
now is the time to use your perk in being able to enter sims, events, and
shopping centers before those who don’t have the premium membership. For those
who didn’t know this is one of the best perks of premium so you’re not standing
outside of a sim for hours waiting to get in. Use this to your advantage for
future places and events you want to get into. *
To Begin…
Words of Encouragement:
I encourage
all of those who love to explore in Second Life to visit some of these events
that pop up always of the year. You don’t even have to like exploring just to
check out some new places and redirect from the usual of your virtual life.
I’ve learned the hard way the past few days but trying new things helps you to
grow emotionally, physically, and mentally no matter what age you are.
Upon
Entering:
You’re welcomed by a welcome bot created for the event. Those who don’t know these welcome bots aren’t real people behind the avatar. They’re set to send you a greeting either privately through IM or local. At this point it will also ask you if you want to join the Astralia group which is $149l this is for their VIP group honestly, it depends on who you are but I only pay for groups if I’m consistently at the store all of the time and want to support the creator. So, for me, the group was worth it. It’s up to you whether it’s worth it to you.
To you’re right you will see a map of the entire two sims and to the left, you will see a board that talks about the racing area where you add on a HUD and how to use it. Right behind you when you first pop in is the racetrack and right in front of you is where you want to go for everything else. Being me and wanting to see everything and not just the race track I just kept going straight. There was a good amount of people to make it a joyful experience. Not too many to the point where I’m lagging out of control but just enough to the point where I could meet new people, chat and enjoy everything in the sim without feeling like I was alone. If you keep going straight upon entering there is the Astralia store and then a right and left path, it’s up to you which way you want to go upon entering the sim. There was so much to explore that it took me about two hours to fully enjoy, try, and explore everything in the event.
Souvenir
Photos:
When you
first enter from the welcome area and your past the bot to your right there is
a photo area where you can snap yourself a souvenir photo. I did this because
let’s be honest, events come and go, and I wanted to remember this one. This
event hits home for me mainly because I’ve been a huge Sanrio and Hello Kitty
fan since I was a kid and I’m still a huge fan. I never did grow out of it and
I embrace it! But this was a lot of fun to do I’m glad they had a small area
for this.
Shopping:
If you keep
going straight after you first enter it leads you to the Astralia items for the
event. You can buy pretty much everything that’s on the sim created by the
Astralia. There is so much I’ll be honest; I’ll probably end up buying
everything there’s so much that I want from the store all these items are
created and licensed by both Astralia and Sanrio. These are going to be
exclusive after the event so if there is something you want; I’d buy it before
the event ends. Keep in mind a lot of the things will be a little pricey
because it is Sanrio related items and they’re all part of an event, but this
is something you should expect. It’s like going to Disney and expecting a water
bottle to be $1 which we all know is never happening in a million years. I’d
suggest checking out the store though it’s worth looking at.
Games and
Interactive Things to do:
Where do I
begin? There’s so much here to experience and do. From checking out a party
area to the racecourse, outdoor bouncy maze, kids’ playground, Ferris wheel,
boats to ride throughout the sim, and a small sitting dock. I loved the party
area it did seem a little overwhelming at first, but I don’t expect anything
less when it comes to Sanrio and Hello Kitty related anything. There is a large
birthday cake which I grabbed a photo of and at the beginning of the event they
held parties and DJ’d in that area. There is a VIP lounger for Astralia VIP
members who bought the $149l group tag. There’s also, a Ferris wheel that works
that your avatar can ride on and see one of the sims from up above which is
always a fun time. You do lag a little when riding the Ferris wheel just a
heads up on that I think it’s because of how much scripting went into the
Ferris wheel itself to make it move… the racecourse almost takes up a whole
other sim which is amazing and everything is Sanrio related it was so much fun
to take a trip through my childhood in a race car. What I must say I enjoyed
the most were the small little tube boats that you could take through both
sims. The event is made up of two sims if I didn’t specify before and you’re
able to explore everything from the comfort of your boat! It was a lot of fun
and super exciting. If you’re also someone who enjoys playing Second Life as a
child avatar (I do it sometimes for family RP’s) there is a small child’s area
called the “child playground” here there is a bounce house,
trampoline, and other interactive items you’re little avatar can interact with.
Another thing I wanted to bring up was the gigantic board game looking area
where I ended up sitting and taking a couple of photos and just relaxing out
while I looked around. It was so relaxing, cartoony, and just environmentally
pleasing. I loved it more than I probably should have! This is a Sanrio/Hello
Kitty Heaven if you’re a huge fan you won’t know what to say and will probably
spend a whole lot of time here.
To conclude,
I am super speechless there was so much to explore, it kept my ADHD brain
satisfied for hours. Which a lot of things don’t keep me entertained for long
periods. I realized a lot of players in the area were new and a lot of them
created avatars and entered Second Life specifically for the event. This event
is bringing in new members into the virtual world community and entertaining
our veteran players who have been around since Second Life has been around.
Between the games, mazes, and interactive things to do on the sim there is a
little something for everyone. Don’t forget about that souvenir photo I don’t
want you to regret not taking one while you were there! I hope some of you will
go and visit this event whether you’re bored and need something to do or just
love Hello Kitty and Sanrio this is the perfect celebratory event for you.
This post is a little more out of the ordinary than my usual concepts. Today I’m going to discuss an app. Yup you heard it here folks! We’re going to talk about an application found on the app store and Google play store (if you use an android device). Ahead of time I apologize for the black around photos and what not. It is an application so photo’s weren’t coming out like they should and even with cropping it’s still there. To continue, I felt like a professional adult the need to spill my heart out on the pages on something adults don’t normally download. But let’s be fair we’re all kids at heart. Let’s be honest, we all have that one app on our phone that’s just the best time waster. We may be on the subway in New York city making the commute home or you could be that one individual in the doctor’s office who got there at you’re appointment time but you’ve been waiting in the waiting room for 3 hours (big thanks to my doctor’s office every time). This is sure to keep you happy and entertained during those adulting moments. Today we’re discussing the new app that was just released yesterday on November 6th called Kleptocorns.
Background Information:
A little background information on this application is it was created by “HyperBeard inc.” currently it has 4.9 stars and is still killing it with the reviews upon its launch. There are in-app purchases such as being able to get new unicorns quicker without the need to earn coins every few days for free to reach being able to get a new unicorn buddy. To be fair, it is a little off-putting for me sometimes as it takes forever to make more than two unicorns when first starting. But hey! Apps need to make money through in-app purchases somehow which is where we come to the next thing. There are indeed in-app purchases! Don’t we just love them (I can taste my sarcasm as I type this)? The in-app purchases are to earn something called gems faster. Their prices are a lot more affordable than some applications on the market with in-app purchases but still, sometimes these are annoying. Depending on who your app is aimed at and the market if your 10-17 most likely you won’t be spending your hard-earned cash on a unicorn. But yes in-app purchases they’re in there.
Who is This app for?
Let’s be honest, this app is for anyone who has a love for cute and adorable. If you’re an anime and cartoon fan, you’ll fall in love instantly. If you need a time waster yes! This is also for you. You could waste hours on this game trying to grind for coins to get new unicorns and accessories to dress your cute little pal up in. I would say the age range for this type of application would normally be marketed for tweens to young adults if I had to guess the target market. I am still somewhat young and odd so obviously, I’d have this game on pre-order. But honestly, adults can have just as much fun with this application as it’s targeted audience in the app store it’s under family so that just tells you it can be for pretty much anyone who falls in love with the graphics. As I’ve explained before in all of us we’re kids at heart even if we don’t want to show it it’s there. We’re all expected to grow up so quickly in today’s society I feel this app gives us our youth back to an extent and it’s so simple that it’s both fun and enjoyable.
Mini-Games:
Oh my gosh! Don’t get me started. Too late I’m already there. The in-game mini-games are more fun than you expect them to be. Remember when we were all younger and our parents might have taken us to a carnival or maybe you didn’t have the experience, but you went later on in your lifetime. The mini-games are similar to carnival games. They’re very chance related and if a kid plays this game it’s almost like children’s gambling. Good luck with that one’s kids! If you don’t want your kids participating in carnival-like games and thrills on an app just don’t point out the small icon to the bottom right of your smart devices screen and you should be fine. It’s such a small button that honestly, I forget it’s there a lot of the time and when my unicorn is out grabbing objects (which it always is because that’s how my broke self gets coins for free without spending money on in-app purchases). But if you’re using this as a time waster and don’t want to run this app and another app to do whatever it is you do than there are mini carnival games for your enjoyment.
Unicorns & Dress up Accessories:
This is the cutest part of this game! If you’re into virtual pets or can’t have a pet of your own whether you’re in an apartment or mom and dad won’t let you have one for whatever reason. This is a great little companion. When your unicorn comes back from its hunting journeys through space and time there is a health meter in the shape of a heart in the bottom right-hand corner that shows you a percentage. You always want that at 100% to do anything this is where you can care for your little unicorn. Yes! You can care for your unicorn. Pet, bathe and feed it treats to raise its health and with that when you have enough coins you can buy cute little customizable items to further customize your little unicorn. I think it’s an adorable addition to customize your unicorn in the way you want within reason. I remember when I was a kid and had a Nintendo DS after saving up which felt like years for it and being able to dress up my dogs in Nintendogs or my pets in the Littlest Pet Shop Winter Pet Series game that was out at the time.
My Experience, Thoughts, & Rating:
My overall thoughts about this app are I’ve been playing it since I got home last night at 12 in the morning and couldn’t sleep because of insomnia. I played this during the time I was up and then played it a little more when I woke up. It’s cute, entertaining, fun and overall just a great time waster and something to do that will keep you smiling. Also, if you’re not smiling it will make you smile it’s one of those feel-good apps where you can do what you want in it at your own time and own pace. I love games and applications like this! The only thing I wish was a little better was earning unicorns I have to wait days depending on how much I play or even weeks just to get a new one to have and take care of. I highly would recommend this game and I can see where the 4.9 stars on this app come from, I give it about the same in my opinion and hope to see more from this game in the future as they roll out updates.
Today we’re taking a mini-adventure to a small European
village called “Ville de Coeur” this is a primarily English-speaking
sim that has French architecture and culture. If you’re looking for a place
that is both nice for photography and gives you a small taste of France, then
you have come to the right place. This little village can be found in the
“Destinations” tab of your viewer under “International”
which means this area gets a lot of traffic. This is a place I’d consider
checking out as it also mainly meshes and keeps up to standards with Second
Life’s graphics advancements otherwise known as going fully mesh. While
exploring this little village you’ll find that the demographics of users that
you’ll find here are normally 35 and older. However, now and then I’ve run into
someone who is around their late 20s early 30s. If you find someone younger
here, for the most part, their either exploring, looking for a place to do
photography, or just have an old soul. To be fair, this sim appeals to anyone
and everyone even though it attracts older and mature individuals so don’t let
this frighten you away from the overall concept and amazing community this
little town has to offer. There is so much to do, always someone to talk to,
and from what I’ve experienced thus far no drama (I normally try to find places
with little to no drama, because who wants their Second Life experience ruined
by other peoples issues?).
Ville de Coeur as told by one of the users who own a gallery
within walking distance from the entrance of the sim is 7 connected full sims.
I’m mainly focusing on the main area as this was mostly what I explored but
will be sure to explore the rest later and compile a detailed post on it. This
area is very pleasing to the eye, relaxing, romantic, and overall a
lighthearted atmosphere. There are always people here and from what I’ve
experienced everyone is extremely friendly in the area. There isn’t one person
that I’ve questioned as far as their motives, everyone just wants to talk,
relax, and enjoy the scenery. There are a lot of dance balls, poses, and
snuggle areas as well as a small café by the docks. There are residential areas
where those who want to be on the sim can live and enjoy more of the community.
I wouldn’t say this is much of a come and go destination… if you come here you
come and stay and explore everything. The French theme is seen everywhere with
mimes lining the streets, churches, the French flags above the market corridor
and cobblestone streets. In a sense, if you’re into old architecture it reminds
me of an older France then today’s rendition of the country.
Meeting new people:
As I’ve stated, this sim is filled with so many friendly people my first visit into this area a gentleman was sitting by the dock with some coffee and a bottle of wine in a small little café created area. He welcomed me in and then asked me if I wanted to join him for a little bit if I’m honest I had to leave not long after he invited me over to chat and hang out with him. I felt bad because he was so nice about it and talked to me about the community. He explained, that he owned a small gallery in the area which is where I asked if it was real life photos displayed in Second Life or more along the lines of Second Life photography and photo editing. His gallery is Second Life photography there is nothing wrong with that as I take photos of all my adventures and then of course post it onto this blog. I will be joining him on a small walking tour of some point in the small village and community.
I’ve come here at all hours of the night so I could type up a genuine and true portrayal of this sim it required me to pop in quite a few times to be able to do so. In the end, if you’re looking for a drama-free place to meet new people and make new friends this is probably the perfect place to be. There is so much to do from walking around with a walking tour either with someone or alone to hanging out on the beach and partying in the small gazebo with a bar, seating, and dancing, there is so much to do. Also, if you love randomly dancing consistently throughout a city like you would find in a Broadway show when in a small city or village than you will appreciate all the dance orb rezzers throughout the entire sim. This is a perfect place for romance as well as it’s a very enjoyable place to be with that special someone. There are a lot of couple’s activities and dancing is for more than one person as well as some of the specific walkers. What I love the most about the people here is they don’t have a hidden agenda. You might get someone saying you’re pretty or attractive, but they aren’t going to try and de-robe you in bed within the next hour of talking to someone. Everyone here has values and isn’t the type to cause drama from what I’ve experienced the 8 times I’ve visited this area. The people who are here are here to be a part of a community and have fun by surfing the waves, dancing, virtual drinking, etc. Sex is not the primary thing on most of the peoples’ minds here so it’s a nice escape from the rest of Second Life.
Scenery:
When exploring if you can’t tell this sim is made from a
French theme then you might want to re-evaluate what you can and cannot see.
The theme of this village Is to connect it with an older version of France.
Which of course is one of the most romantic countries in the world. The area is
lined by the French flag in banners throughout the main sim of this area to a
small gathering area with a water fountain. Which by the way is a super nice
touch with the cobblestone streets, if I’m honest the area reminded me of how
Charles Dickens in his literature describes his surroundings in 1800s England.
It’s very beautiful and I feel literature enthusiasts and historians will
appreciate this area! There are shops everywhere but ahead of time, I’ll
explain that a lot of the shops here are mainly older Second Life outfits that
aren’t mesh. But to be fair I still have some outfits like those in my
inventory some things just never get old even when everything moves forward.
It’s nice to support small businesses though so don’t let that throw you off
from looking around. There aren’t any roads throughout this sim it’s all paths
and walking areas so don’t be ready to bring out your Lamborghini’s and other
cars you bought on the Second Life marketplace.
Aside from the actual city feel itself there is a nicely made beach right across the way with steps leading down to it. Over by the café I mentioned when you first land inside of the small village there is a boat dock. If you love to sail this is an awesome place to do it, I rezzed my boat and explored the scenery especially the outskirts of the sim it’s surrounded by beautiful trees and mountains. A perfect place for photography! The beach is right next to the docks.
There is so much to do there are sitting areas, you can swim, surf, sail, drink, dance, you name it you can do it on the beach except be fully nude. This isn’t a nude beach if you want to be nude on a beach there are sims specifically for that sorry my beautiful nudists out there. Right next to it which I explained in the “meeting people” section of this post is the small little shack where you can drink, sit, and dance in an outside bar-like setting. Right next to it is a small swimming area it’s a pool with a beautiful gazebo where I took a photo of my avatar. It was such a pretty section I just had too! There aren’t couple swimming animations but it’s there if you want to take a dip in the pool instead of the beach.
Everything about this sim matches the theme perfectly. There’s
also a residential area if you’re looking to live in this small community to
find out more about this please visit the Ville de Coeur website at https://villedecoeur.online/ where you
can find more information about the community, events, and residential areas.
To conclude, I enjoyed my time here in Ville de Coeur and
plan to visit more in the future. The scenery is gorgeous, and you can do
pretty much anything in a beautiful setting. There’s so much to do and it’s
just overall a super appealing area with so many kind people in the area to
chat with and enjoy your time with. With so much to do, I would come to explore
the beauty of this sim and how well made it is. If you have any more questions
or want to know more about the sim please visit their website at https://villedecoeur.online/ until next
time…
Let’s be honest there are so many clubs in Second Life that
it’s hard to find ones that stand out from one another. However, I stumbled
across this little gem while on my explorations throughout Second Life it might
not seem like much at first sight but there is more than meets the eye. Between
the kind and drama free people who come in and the themed atmosphere that fits
the name perfectly there is so much about this club to talk about.
The Butterfly Effect Club was established in 2008 by LadyD Beauregard-Barbosa. I’ve had the pleasure to meet her and experience all the life this club fills everyone that comes in with. With so many Second Life clubs popping up and shutting down throughout the platform this one has been around since 2008. It’s popular and gets traffic! The music played here depends on the DJ at the specific time but tonight I came in during a Halloween costume contest event. The music tonight was a lot of your Halloween classics such as monster mash and many others. However, there are always events being held and contests each time the club is up and going. The club currently is decorated for Halloween seeing that it’s only eight days away and to be fair it the decoration is nice and sticks to the ghoulish theme.
This club also has a shopping mall attached to it so if you’re looking for some new clothes you can find them here and then go dancing afterward. Most clubs have been doing this recently but keep in mind clubs who do have a small shopping section or are connected to a mall are small shop owners trying to get their products out to everyone out in the world of Second Life. Anyone can be a small business owner, but this is how beginners of creating outfits, furniture, etc. start. They start by renting out a small section in a mall or club that hosts these creators. So, if you’re feeling like supporting these small businesses feel free to drop by their shopping section right when you land before entering the club. As I explored it there were some dresses right behind the club to look at. In the club the photo to the left shows in the background the small little shopping area the club has. It’s where it says, Gaall in tiny letters sorry that it’s so small!
For those of you who are big on Angels & Demons,
Bloodlines, Rage, etc. this club is on a clan land but it’s an open space for
everyone. Everyone is welcome it doesn’t matter who you are, what your avatar
looks like, etc. everyone is accepted in and can join into the fun and
consistent conversation that can be found. The club is active, not only that
but the clans here on the land are all active as well if you’re looking for a
place to join and are a part of any of these in world systems. I’m also 99% sure
that it’s a safe spot for Angels & Demons so you don’t have to worry about
getting attacked while enjoying your time and just relaxing. Even though
contests are going on and a lot of people come to the club just for the
contests and then leave their keyboard you don’t find that here. It’s overall,
just a different type of environment that you can’t always find on Second Life
and if you’re a part of any of the systems above than most of the users in the
club already have something in common with you.
I can’t stress enough that this club is 100% drama free! I’ve never seen an argument, misunderstanding, or disagreement since I’ve dropped by. To be fair, that’s hard to find nowadays because let’s be honest there is club drama everywhere you turn for the most part. It’s nice to have such high energy, calm, and enjoyable place to just be yourself. There is little to no judgment and it’s just a nice atmosphere to be a part of. I’m being very unbiased with this post as this is my experience when coming here. Normally when I visit clubs you realize why they don’t last it just doesn’t have a lighthearted and enjoyable atmosphere. Whether there is a conflict between staff or toxic people entering it’s hard. Here I haven’t experienced that and if you’re looking for something new to experience with a pleasurable clubbing experience than this is a place to look at. For example, tonight we talked about breedables for a bit I’ll be honest, I haven’t been looking at the chat a lot because I’ve been typing up this post, but everyone gets along. Also the picture on the left shows the contest board which is behind me and LadyD with the host and DJ tip jars and a vote stand. Everyone can vote once a day and these vote stands are important to clubs so if you go check it out don’t forget to click it.
Overall, something to keep in mind is sometimes these clubs
who have been here for long periods are worth looking at and exploring more
than the newer ones. Looks can be deceiving even though the clubs out there now
use mainly mesh or are decorated in gorgeous ways the staff could be the
complete opposite. This club has the best of both worlds it has mesh objects,
décor, great staff, amazing users coming into just dance and relax. These are
how Second Life clubs should be!
Let’s
put our thoughts on the table for a second, when we join Second Life, we
normally have some sort of purpose in which we’re trying to obtain in the
virtual world. Each purpose and goal is individualized for each user. I may use
Second Life for a completely different reason than another person would use the
platform. Let’s be honest, the American Dream is hard to come by nowadays but
in Second Life it’s possible. We as users can live a reality that is harder to
obtain in our own lives in the real world. This post I’ll be talking about my
experience from the very beginning and what I’ve been trying to obtain as a
user in Second Life for about 9 years. As crazy as it may seem my purpose in
Second Life at the very beginning though it may seem weird was to study and be
with my teacher and classmates learning about various subjects using Second
Life as a key component platform for showing us what the teacher wanted to
teach. With that being said let’s jump right in!
Second
Life in The School Setting & Teen Grid:
A photo taken right after I got back on after Teen Grid closed down.
Yes,
I’m one of the individuals in which Second Life was used in my high school to
teach us certain topics. My teachers used it as a tool in the classroom if it
weren’t for them and Second Life being downloaded on the school laptops I
would’ve never known or experienced what Second Life had to offer. I’m one of
those young kids who started Second Life on the Teen Grid when it was still
around. There was a point in time were kids 13-18 could sign up for a more
kid-friendly version of Second Life where everyone was technically a minor. This
was around my Freshman year of high school and having Second Life in the
schools lasted until about the end of my Sophomore year. This is around the
time when we got the news that the grids were merging otherwise known as Teen
Grid no longer being alive and Linden Labs just making Second Life what it is
known as which is Second Life. This is around the time when the sign-up age was
for 17 and older, kids could no longer play Second Life but with good reason.
Later on, down the line when I had my account unfrozen (that’s what they did
they froze all of the teen grid accounts until they hit the proper age to come
back into Second Life.) it made perfect sense with all of the sex sims and
skill gaming regions. But with that, as I said above, I’ve been a member
overall for 9 years.
1920’s Berlin Sim Role Playing With a Friend
Purpose
of Second Life to me Until Age 19:
Second
Life’s purpose for me has changed throughout the years. When I was younger my
purpose for using Second Life was to not be alone to chat with people and
always have someone there for me even though they were far away. I used Second
Life to cope with my anxiety of being alone which is odd because I’m very
independent and don’t mind being alone. However, being as outgoing as I am, I
wanted that human connection almost all the time because to be fair I always
felt alone in the real world. I used Second Life to meet new people and make
new friends along the way who have been close friends to me for years and years
some for decades. Most people go online to escape reality and honestly in a
sense I’ve done the same. During this time, I was in college school was
stressful, making friends was hard, depression and anxiety were hitting me like
a hurricane. During this time, I didn’t have a strong head on my shoulders. I
was looking for something that I couldn’t obtain in my reality true friendship
and with some people, I’ve found it. To be fair, they probably know me better
than most people in my reality but that tends to happen when you have internet
friends. To be honest, I also used Second Life at the time to release my inner
demon in a sense and try things I’d never do in the real world. I experimented
with my sexuality and fetishes and what I liked and didn’t like. This led to a
relationship that I wasn’t proud to be in and was somewhat abusive that led
into my reality but just so everyone knows that relationship is long gone. I
honestly, didn’t know what I wanted in my Second Life and during this time my
main usage for Second Life was to be a fashionista, meeting and making friends,
and experimenting with sexuality.
Showing off my Avatar fashionista status with this photo. I put together her outfit with a French flare in mind.
My
Purpose in Second Life Now:
Everyone
makes mistakes as we’re all human and it’s the normal human response in
society. I’ve learned from these mistakes; I have a very strong and hard head
on my shoulders and because of this my purpose of Second Life has changed from
the past till now. I have a few different purposes for using the platform now
and most of them are to help my creative juices flow. I’ve always been a
passionate writer I’ve loved writing since I could pick up a pencil and write.
I’ve been looking for content writing positions in the real world, but do you
know how hard that is? I also have a passion for virtual worlds as they have
been a part of my life for many years. That is when I decided to write a blog.
I consistently had writer’s block, and this is because I lost my skill because
I didn’t keep up with it. So, I started Charming Ellie I use my blog as a hobby
I don’t want to make money off of it I use it to help get my content out into
the world and to write about something I’m passionate about and care about. My
blog helps me to write almost every day and keep up with new trends in the
virtual world industry especially since a lot of virtual worlds are beginning
to disappear with time. My purpose in Second Life is to explore, create, and
help deliver content to Second Life users all around the globe on travel,
advice, and just living you’re Second Life to the fullest.
The
other reason I use Second Life now is to keep up with the friends I’ve made in
the past who are still friends with me today. They come on occasionally, and I
make sure I log on now and then just to spend time with those important people.
My main purpose for being in second life now is to hone my skills in interior design
and fashion. These are things that cost a lot of money in reality so I just
find it best to create and do these things in a virtual world platform on
Second Life where it’s a lot cheaper and there are so many ways to implement
avatar and land/home creation. I use Second Life now more as a creative outlook
a way to push my creativity and get the juices flowing consistently. To be
fair, I still use Second Life in a way to escape reality but not as much as
I’ve used to. I keep to myself, for the most part, I do everything alone if I
can but now and then I’ll run into someone to chat with for a few hours or
more.
My
Dream:
Another Dream I didn’t mention is having a beautiful babe girl when I’m not ready for one in reality. But that’s something completely different.
One of
the biggest dreams I’ve had and yes, I’m a dreamer is to work for Linden Labs.
They don’t truly realize how much Second Life does indeed mean to me and the
people inside of it. I’ve always wanted to make a difference quite a few times
I almost opened shop in Second Life to give advice and help with different
situations as I do have a life coach certification. There is a huge need for
something like that but when I tried people didn’t use it. I don’t want to be
famous or popular for writing blog posts or anything along those lines. But
I’ve always wanted to do content writing or something and become join the
Lindens and creators over at Linden Labs. I’ve always wanted to make a
difference in the world and even though Linden Labs is a corporation they have
done that for so many people. Maybe one day I’ll be able to but for now, it’s
just hopes and dreams that will take me far in my adventures in this reality of
life. We never know what the future has to offer and our dreams in life take us
further than we expect them to.
With all of this being my experience, I want to hear from all my readers in the comment section. What purpose does Second Life have in your life? What do you use the platform for and why? How did you start? And how is Second Life important to you? I’d love to hear from all of you as this is something that interests me about all of the users I run into and honestly it’s how I always strike up a conversation because everyone is different and everyone comes into this virtual world for different reasons. I hope to see all of you in my next post.
My inner bohemian came out today and I kid you not when I
say I found the perfect dessert fantasy sim to explore. Based on Arabian night
tales that anyone could find in literature and cinematic films. This area has
anything from hidden tombs to a relaxing oasis. There is something for
everyone, the traffic is very slow, and this is an area I’d like to promote up
a little more because there are more than users are giving it credit for. Sims
often go overlooked especially international areas from the destinations list.
This place reminds me of Aladdin.
To be fair this Arabian oasis is both historical and
romantic I’m a hopeless romantic and honestly, I’d bring someone here on a
date. There is so much to do and explore and the architecture is simply
gorgeous. From exploring a palace to exploring the outdoors with palm trees,
crystals, vases, and more there is so much beauty to be seen. Inside when you
first start on a little island surrounded by a colossal building you have two
paths you can go on. One leads you to what I call the jewel and treasures room,
the tombs, and the oasis. The other path leads you outside on a little path
with gorgeous scenery and sitting areas. To be fair I started on the route to
the tombs, there are statues everywhere that are textured so nicely that they
look realistic. Crystals are lining almost every door frame which shows the
fantasy aspect. The door frames remind me more of an Egyptian building kit I’ve
seen but it works just as well with an Arabian theme as well.
Tomb:
The tomb is located up the stairs which feel like you’re in
a tower. There is an open tomb where you’re welcomed by a statue that makes me
question if there is a mummy that escaped inside of the sim. Luckily, I haven’t
seen one yet, so I think we’re safe! To the right, there is a sitting area and
a statue which people normally pray to. To be honest, my knowledge of Arabian
culture starts and ends with Aladdin, some literature, and this sim. So, If I’m
wrong about something this is a disclaimer, I don’t know a whole lot about the
culture, but I started reading up on it recently to better understand some of
the Arabian sims on Second Life. The architecture is Moroccan and almost
culturally accurate from what I’ve seen when looking up photos on google. Yes!
I google imaged everything to discover how accurate everything in this sim
truly was even though it is explained as being a fantasy type of sim. Gems are
lining the doors and there is writing covering the walls. The inside of this
structure is very dark, but it has every right to be so if you take photos just
be careful and aware that they may come out way darker than you expect it to
be.
The Outdoor Part of The Oasis:
On the roof of the structure, you’ll find a gorgeous palace
area with peacocks and an outside corridor with a little birdbath that had
crystals at the bottom, paired with beautiful scenery. This is where I’d
suggest bringing someone if you’re looking for something elegant and romantic
to woo that special someone. The floors are brick and tiled to show wealth and
purity the peacocks moved around the corridor. The outside reminds me of an aristocratic
house’s garden. It was extravagant and beautiful I suggest checking it out if
you’re looking for something new to explore in Second Life.
In The Palace:
In the palace there are more than enough sitting areas,
however, keep in mind a lot of the couches, chairs, and floor seating is
one-person seating with not that many poses if any aside from one when you sit
on the object. But the inside of the palace is simply gorgeous and it’s
huge! There’s so much to see and take
pictures of. I had to be careful with how many photos I took because I was
getting picture happy inside of the palace. I’m sure there are other surprises,
but I didn’t go too in-depth with the inside of the palace.
Nonetheless, I’m sure there are places little Easter eggs
and hidey holes I haven’t yet explored throughout the entire island. As there
are so many places in this one area to explore and so much to see. But, from
what I have seen this is a beautiful Arabian adventure for any explorer who is
interested in a fantasy Arabian night adventure. From an underground
exploration into a tower with a tomb to a rooftop fantasy Arabian garden with a
gorgeous palace there is a little something for everyone to enjoy here and if
you’re a photographer and love photographing your adventures or need a place as
a realistic background for a client this is the perfect place for it!
Exploration lies deep within our human DNA, no matter what we love to explore even if we aren’t aware that we’re doing it. I’ll be honest today was a somewhat boring day for me in my reality and I thought I’d jump into Second Life and do a little bit of exploring. During my travels, I came across a Russian sim by the name “Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO”. I felt like exploring something that at some point could also be seen in real life, so I used the destinations button on the left-hand side of my firestorm viewer and went to the “international” tab to begin. Heads up there are a lot of Brazil areas to visit recently. Since this wasn’t a Brazilian area, I chose it not that I have anything against Brazil there are just so many areas made to replicate it and when you’ve been to one you’ve been to them all. I can’t wait to jump right in and tell you all about my experience in the Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO!
The scenery in this sim is very well put together and is a beautiful little town to take some photos in if you’re a Second Life photographer. The scenic surroundings are so relaxing and welcoming that it relaxes you and makes you enjoy the area. It has an older country feel to it that I surrounded by trees, forests, grass and flowers (here and there). It reminds me of an area before capitalism takes over and builds skyscrapers, shops, cities, etc. in its place. Keep in mind this is just one sim there aren’t any connecting sims to visit but honestly, you only need the one sim it’s so beautifully put together and there is a lot to see and explore. When you first enter the sim there is a bike rezzer to your left where you can rezz a bike from a store called {What’s Next} that you’re able to use on the sim to cruise around while you enjoy the scenery. It’s a fast and easier way to get around the sim because guess what? This sim disabled flying so you’re either walking, running or biking. It stays true to realism and to be fair you must give the creator credit for that. If you’re making a realistic place, why shouldn’t everything about it be real? One issue I’ve had is because there is a lot to load even with good connection speed and a gaming laptop with high specs it took about 5-10 minutes for the entire area to load. So, if you visit please be patient while everything loads in. Go grab a glass of water start some music get comfortable by that point it should be ready to go.
The small-town community feels is just something I can’t get over I live in an extremely populated area in my real life and I’ve always like small old town areas because it’s the complete opposite of what I experience and it’s nice and relaxing to me. There are slopes, hills, and trees galore but what I loved the most were the little sitting areas that are scattered around the entire sim where you can sit and just enjoy your time. These areas have cuddle options so if you want to take someone on a date here it’s perfect! My new favorite little gem about this place is a small little walkway leading you out to a small little beach area with a dock overlooking the water and hills afar. If you turn the environment settings to sunset, it’s worth every moment you spend there. If only I had a cup of tea and a book it would be the perfect afternoon the sun glistens off the water, it’s almost something from a dream scene that you’d see in a movie. If you don’t visit for anything else, I highly suggest visiting just to see this viewpoint from the dock.
One thing I wanted to mention is sometimes people get
annoyed when visiting sims because there is furniture or scenery that looks to
much like prim instead of mesh. I’ll be honest even I get a little bit annoyed
about this. Luckily this scenic area is all meshed all the furniture, houses,
objects, trees, surroundings, grass, and plants are all mesh and look realistic
and true to their textures. Thank goodness! This is somewhat a pet peeve of
mine now, not that I have anything against prim but with today’s expectations
of Second Life and advancements in technology and graphics, I can’t fully
appreciate prim anymore because of the realism mesh objects bring. Also, I find
mesh important when creating a realistic area because realism is key if you’re
trying to recreate a real place. Another quick thing I’ve noticed, and I didn’t
take a photo of it because I didn’t feel the need to is right when you rezz in
there is a camping site. With this, there is also a concert stage that looks
like it doesn’t blend it with the rest of the theme and scenery. I’m not quite
sure if I like it or the setup it almost feels as if it’s out of place with
everything else. However, this is something that can be overlooked considering
the rest of the sim. An important note is there’s a sandbox on this sim with a
30-minute auto-return so if you need to rezz or unpack an item then this little
town has it all with its area to do it!
Overall, if you’re looking for a place with a little bit of small-town charm and a sim that gives you beautiful scenery and shows the beauty of the countryside in Russia than this is the area to explore and I highly suggest it. It has so much to offer and so much to explore I was easily able to spend about an hour here. Below is the SURL that you can copy and paste into your viewer at the top or you can just click it and it will bring it up in your browser to teleport too. This place is something special!
Charming Ellie 