Dismayland, Undismayed!

Dismayland is one of the most unusual regions in Opensim, for its 'ban' on attachments, for its insulting NPCs and many scripted rides, and for the risk to life and limb! For the HG Safari visit this week, which was also Cornflakes Week, Spax Orion, the grid owner and the magician behind all these rides, lifted the no Mesh no Attachment rule, and allowed HG Safari to come and visit. 

Spax Orion

Spax had also prepared a special flying saucer ship toshow off the rides from the air, with the idea that people will get a good glimpse at the park and return to the rides on other occasions. It's one of those places where you can spend hours enjoying the variety or imaginative machines, but also the funny NPCs chatting and arguing with each other. Here's the lovely Siwas, resplendent in her many Biker attachments, enjoying the Nuclear Haste ride, as the rest of us rode around in the sky.

This week Opensim has been acting weird (well it has been doing so for several weeks, as many have noted) and lots of people are getting kicked or banned messages from places for no discernable reason. Poor James Atlloud managed to get refused entry on avatars from 3 different grids! And similar problems were found by many others. These are almost all not intentional messages by the grid owners.

There is, I'm afraid, nothing that I or the grid owners can do about that except to invite you to try again at another time, and say we're sorry we didn't have your company... and invite you not to make a drama out of a technical glitch, if at all possible.

On arrival at Dismayland you have to risk it all with the very rude and hilarious NPC security guards who shout at you as you wind your way through the queue barriers only to finally click on the teleport down to ground level. Those hooks in the ceiling ara a little worrying...

I mean... you could read all the signs, but we all know you won't. 

Arrival at ground level brought us to the Big Tent where Spax waited until the crowd had gathered before getting started. Even here there were plenty of interactive machines! Including an electric chair that doesn't only send you to the Afterlife, but also leaves a lot of body parts on the floor...

Asshole Popcorn Machine: Mmmmm, doesn't this popcorn smell delicious? Too bad I am not giving you any! HAH!

Iron Claw: Congratulations, Maia.Antarra @alternatemetaverse.com:8002, you are a WINNER! The games are normally rigged so that nobody wins... You somehow got lucky! Please visit the REDELIVERY Terminal at the GIFT SHOP to claim your PRIZE!

SMART ASS Vendor: Keep clicking me, creep, you are not gonna get anything but a piece of my mind!

Here we are getting aboard the flying saucer, which can hold about 15 or so people, and Spax had set up a tour taking about half the available time we had for our visit. This was a great idea because just for a moment there we crashed the saucer and had to all jump out of the lake and back into the vehicle.

Tina Bey3D: It seems like rush hour on the subway

Aramis Heyerdahl:we should have parachutes

Maia Antarra: I knew I forgot to pack something

Tina Bey3D: this is going to catch fire!!!

Thirza Ember: wow I wish I had not eaten all that cotton candy now

Aramis Heyerdahl: does everyone feel appropriately dismayed?

Maia Antarra: with a side of angst too

Aramis Heyerdahl: lol

Sunshine Szavanna: extremely dismayed

Star Ravenhurst: I am happy Spax finally rezzed for me. :)

Tina Bey3D: jajajajaja

Spax Orion: I temporarily lifted the insufferable system avatar requirement, I might keep it this way

Thirza Ember: this is such fun! haha all the fun you can have with your system clothes on

Aramis Heyerdahl: this is pretty impressive to have so many in such a tight space...think phonebooth

Spax Orion: Greetings everyone! I am Spax Orion and I am the Owner and Operator of Ozone, before I begin, be advised that EVERYTHING HAPPENS right here in nearby chat. I am a creative miscreant! I used to work in Digital Art, Multimedia and Web Design. Once I retired from that career and discovered Virtual Life, this became my digital sandbox.

The Afterlife is a fun place, don't overlook the rides here.

The multiple warnings of deadly danger are no joke, you really will end up in the afterlife - Angelic did by doing something strange with French Fries (I don't know what, you'll have to ask her!) However, if you do 'die' - don't be too quick to teleport away. This part of the build actually has half a dozen original and lovely rides of its own, including one that will 'give you wings'. 

Tina Bey3D: This is like rubbing candy on your lips and taking it off hahaha

Star Ravenhurst: Good analogy Tina.

Tina Bey3D:  :)

Spax Orion: the BEES are powered by the same script which controls the roller coasters AND THIS RIDE you are on now!

Aramis.Heyerdahl: the bees are great

Thirza Ember: haha you killed so many people who thought it was great fun Spax

Aramis.Heyerdahl: creating quite a buzz

Star Ravenhurst: How long did it take to build this. Sorry if it was already answered.

Spax Orion: 5 years now?

Star Ravenhurst:  FIVE YEARS?  WOW!

The flying saucer is a saucy way to fly!

Spax Orion: Server Specs are as follows. Type: Opensim standalone.  Machine: Dedicated Intel I7 PC, 32G ram on Arch Linux. Network: 1Gig High Speed AT&T Fiber Optic data transfer. Hopefully that will be sufficient for this group,,, I have never had this many people here at one time. <crossing my fingers>

Aramis Heyerdahl: :-)

Thirza Ember: yet we will try nevertheless to break it

Spax Orion:  Dismayland was inspired by a few things: 1) Banksy's "DISMALAND" art show which was on display in Somerset England during the summer of 2015.  2) In 2023 Ron DeSantis revoked Disney's 'self governance' over the Reedy Creek improvement district; This arrangement was originally for developing a "City of Tomorrow" which was never built.  3) I keep up on current events and enjoy poking fun at things you will see on unbiased, non-legacy news outlets. Who doesn't like HONEST REPORTING?

Tina Bey3D: ohhhh

Spax Orion:  To simplify things for HG SAFARI, we will ride this Environmentally Friendly COAL POWERED SmogMobile! I know the engine sounds a little funny but the engineers assured me that it is PERFECTLY SAFE! Those of you with building obsessions can visit THE EMBASSY at the BACK of the park... YES, we know what you are thinking... having to walk to the back of the park is BULLSHIT! What if you have a SUDDEN need for medical attention after some vile creature bites you? You could die of poisoning or blood loss before you can safely get there. HOW IRASCIBLE!

Thirza Ember: electrifying!

Aramis Heyerdahl: dismaying even, lol, I think everyone is stunned into silence

Maia Antarra: after that dunk in the water we are in shock now

Spax Orion: I am in the background remotely activating the rides

Aramis Heyerdahl: behind a curtain? Mr Wizard

Maia Antarra: is this Oz?

Aramis Heyerdahl: it was a Disney production...

Thirza Ember: I love all the puns and playing on words, for the names of the rides

 Spax Orion: As we move along you will see we have entered part of our AQUAHOLIC TOURS area. Pretty isn't it? If you are a glutton for punishment and wish to see the rest of this 'waste of digital resources', you will need to explore the park on foot once we land... Please feel free to IGNORE the danger signs!

Thirza Ember: holding my breath.....

Spax Orion: I will be adding more traps as time progresses <chortle>

Tina Bey3D: yesss

The saucer ride really showed off the whole place including the big building with a cupola that houses the cafeteria and the ...shop. Explore at your own peril? Delight? you decide.

Spax Orion: it is a bummer with everyone being sucked out of the car...I wonder if it had something to do with locking the region

Aramis Heyerdahl: they are probably more dismayed than we are

Thirza Ember: this is opensim, who knows! that's half the fun

Spax Orion: all of my rides are deliberately annoying

Aramis Heyerdahl: you're absolutely right, Thirza :-)

Maia, Tina, and Arthemis on the flying saucer

There are so many different rides you are spoiled for choice here.

Spax Orion:  Do you wanna GET HIGH? Try the Hot Air Buffoon. Wanna Rock? Try the Rowdy Rockers. We even threw in some bullshit 'lltargetomega' rides to lag up client-side viewers with ludicrous drawing instructions.  We thought of everything! Even how this car is jerking back and forth like a broken 'pong game paddle'. It is all part of your magnificent virtual holiday! The grounds staff may have a few kind words to say about that! Always pay close attention to nearby chat and you will go far...

Spax Orion: this next part is interesting Now we get to see the ride which started it ALL of this insanity!  This violet BEAST is called 'Leviathan's Fury' and it's the FIRST Opensim coaster design by Spax Orion. It was introduced as 'Imbrium Inferno' @ Ozone - OSgrid and was originally powered using scripts by Cuteulala Artis. Later, a new keyframe model was adopted which allowed for smooth, flexible operation and revolutionized all of our RIDE development. SPECIAL Thanks to Satyr, Greybox, Joe Builder & Opensimworld for their contributions.

Thirza Ember: a piece of opensim history then LOL

Star Ravenhurst: That roller coaster is wild!

Spax Orion: this is still my favorite of the bunch

Aramis Heyerdahl: it's a pity we can't come back here on subsequent occasions...there is so much to digest

Thirza Ember: for sure you can return Aramis, the sim is open to the public, it's just that in the past, if you were wearing mesh, it would spit you out. 

Aramis Heyerdahl: good...I look forward to riding a roller coaster

Spax Orion:  Speaking of drivel... You've hit the JACKPOT! Rides like the 'Wheel of Misfortune' were made from JUNK! Linksets were torn apart and made into new things. Meddling with objects inworld can help you make digital debauchery like this. The only limit is your imagination and scripting expertise. State changing code snippets were introduced to make some of the traditional ride applications you see here even better. It is all about Re-coloring, Re-purposing, Re-imagining!

Star Ravenhurst: Other than getting thrown off into the water, the region seems to be going very well.

Thirza Ember: well a dip is always part of the fun

Spax Orion: that was unexpected

Thirza Ember: and this ride has given us all a really good idea of the size of the place

Star  Ravenhurst: Expect the unexpected on Safari!

Maia Antarra: but fitting for this place

Spax Orion: INDEED! the little red angel on my shoulder is twirling his mustache

Star Ravenhurst: This looks amazing! I want to come back and go on all the rides.

Thirza Ember: this is one of my favoritest places in opensim

Tina Bey3D: yes and me

Star Ravenhurst: Me too !! I love this place!

Spax Orion: totally unexpected though so we will chalk that accident as part of the tour! I mean really, who expects to come here for a GOOD time?

Aramis Heyerdahl: grins

TinaBey3D: What a subtle landing

Star Ravenhurst:  Loved the tour! Thank you for having us Spax.

Spax Orion: this is possibly the first of many? you all are welcome to visit whenever you like ...this is my basement hobby... and I add stuff to it from time to time

Star Ravenhurst: I def will!

Maia Antarra: I give it two broken thumbs up

Star Ravenhurst: A five star rating for sure!

Tina Bey3D: ********

Spax Orion: oh no... it has to be ZERO STAR reviews and COMPLAINTS!!! we have a reputation to keep here!

Maia Antarra: ok two broken thumbs down then...

HG Address:  xoaox.de:7000:Dismayland  visit at your own risk, and delight.