A Spirited Safari

 The spark that sets alight creativity in Opensim can come from lots of sources. A desire to celebrate favorite movie or fictional character, a vivid dream or memory, or perhaps to walk through famous landmarks from around the world and meditate on their history and culture, or relive an idealized holiday landscape. And of course, there are those who eternally orbit the interior of their underwear. 

Our first stop on this second Safari of the season was on Ignis Fatuus grid, and the build we visited is by Nadir Rae, who didn't join us, but instead the lovely Max Well, owner of the grid, took us around the build. 

Magic in Panthalassa

Kayaker Magic, armed and dangerously clever

Our first Safari of the season continued on Discovery Grid with a... Safari destination! Lost World Safari is just one part of the vast Panthalassa region developed by Kayaker Magic. 

Take a moment to Favorite his Website, it's full of treasures, explanations, and hints.

 As you might expect the scripter extraordinaire had endlessly entertaining details for the group to enjoy, as we gathered together at the Lodge, perched high above the dinosaur enclosure. Panthalassia isn't the first 8x8 var region we have visited, but it's the first on Discovery Grid, so that may have contributed to the cloudiness, and - interestingly - selective nudity, that the group enjoyed. 

Weefolkenshire

A hillside village on the edge of the sea was the first destination for the Fall 2023 season of HG Safari. We're on Discovery Grid, one of a handful of grids that require you to make a quick trip to their website to accept the terms and conditions before you teleport over. It's a small and painless step, and you only have to do it once, on your first visit, but interestingly, the idea can be off-putting for some grid jumpers. That's a shame because Discovery Grid contains some gems well worth seeing. We were on Discovery for both destinations, something that rarely happens on Safari where we tend to jump about like crazy. 

If you're thinking of opening your region to a Safari trip, that's great news! Please don't hesitate to get in contact. Please also read and review carefully the 6 main points explained on this page. They are the fruit of many years experience of group hypergridding, and will offer some simple low tech tips that will improve the Safari experience for both yourself and your visitors.

Here we are, a cloudy but enthusiastic crowd, in the main town square of Weefolkenshire

ShalHeira Nailo: I want to thank everyone for joining us today, it really means a lot

Getting Hie in Opensim

 October means beer, pumpkin spice cheesecake, leaf peeping, and gearing up for Halloween with outrageous sims and costumes. This year, add HIE to that list.  

HIE = Hypergrid International Expo
It is a weekend event from October 6 - 8 and it's part conference, part performance, part exposition. oh, and part party. It's not a music fest, although there will be music. It's not an art show, although there will be art. This is a conference and Expo where opensim residents - not 'hobbyists' or 'amateurs' but everyday users - Natives if you will - share their experiences of  life on the grids.

Maybe you know that for over a decade, each year, the English-language Opensim Community Conference allows folk from all over opensim to tell about their projects, art, inventions and work experience in opensim. 

The HIE is kind of the same, but focused on Opensim residents who are more at home in other languages - French and German, Italian and Spanish.

Safari in the Fall!

 Back on the trail! Here are some commonly asked questions or curiosities.

When is the Safari?

HG Safari returns next Wednesday, September 6 with another stellar lineup of destinations in OpenSim. We visit two different places each week, staying for an hour with each of our two hosts.

Each season of the Safari is 10 weeks long, this season will end on November 6.

Our trips begin at 12 noon Pacific time - called 'SLT' or 'Grid Time' by some. That works out as 3pm Eastern US time, 8pm in the UK, and 9pm in most of Europe.

Angkor Wat on Craft Grid

How long are the trips?

Nyx's Numbers

 From ancient runes to modern architecture, through fortune telling and religious bliss, the mysteries of the natural and supernatural, number symbolism is a potent and pervasive thread running through so many forms of creativity and mystical thought. 

On Pangea, Nyx Breen's latest creation Zahlensymbolik - German for 'number symbolism' - places you directly on a stone hand, the palm uppermost, in a sort of nest of light. 

The 5k of AviWorlds

A nice big crowd is assembling over the next few hours -Rogue Galaxy is the headline performer - for the big party happening over on AviWorlds today, at login.aviworlds.com:8002:AviWorlds Club

The reason? It's all about celebrating 5000 members of the grid! 

The party is on a cute wooded island, with a super yacht moored close by, if you're in the mood for some five star floating.... 

but most of us were drawn to the tunes expertly spun by the lovely Candida Campese, who got the party started.

5000 is a huge number, and considering the grid is only a little more than 4 years old, and it was nice to see such a crowd of locals and outworlders come together to mark the event with grid owner Josh Boam. Here's what a few of them had to say.

The Art of the Wolf

 Wolf. There, quickly. What comes to mind? Perhaps the sleek fur, an indomitable intelligence, a pack working together. Or something shadowy, sinister, threatening and scary. Is the wolf for you part of the realm of the supernatural, part of endangered nature, or is it all these things? The relationship between man and wolf is as old as humanity, and wolves stalk world languages, popping up in metaphors and idiomatic expressions, proverbs and poems.

No wonder they make such a good starting point for AI art, which you can see - along with some original work by Lone Wolf, on the welcome sim of Wolf Territories Grid.

When you first arrive on Wolf Territories Grid, you'll find yourself in a circular space, full of information about how the grid works, how you can be part of it, how to get help, information, and find your way around this vast grid, which seems to be growing every day. 

OSFest is Coming...

 Osfest is just around the corner, and people are getting busy preparing their exhibits, temporary shops, artistic installations, and theatrical and musical performances. 

A dedicated grid is being set up to host the event. There are a lot of moving parts as ever, and a theme that encompasses music, art, culture and history - plenty of scope to play with ! And  just in case you're curious, here is a little bit of a glimpse into the thoughts and experience of three participants, all doing something slightly different, to make this event shine.

 DJ Sofee is a familiar figure over on Alternate Metaverse Grid, along with the delightful Ted Junior. You may have read Sofee's monthly journal BlaBlaBla, it's full of news about AMV's people and places. Perhaps you've attended one of her FunSize Dinkie events on AMV, or seen her spinning tunes as a DJ. She's going to be part of the party at OSFest.

Sofee Giano: This year I was asked by Rosa Alekseev if I would like to DJ at the OSFest 2023 on the 26th and the 28th at 12noon for one hour on each date, I told Rosa I would love to, but going way back to 1860 to 1970 is a bit out of experience and knowledge of music for this genre and style which the OSFest is doing, so I will be playing more modern style Jazz with a twist to try to fit into this years theme. 

Portugal by Tutz

Every musician likes a nice stage to perform on, but generally speaking, a visiting singer doesn't expect to have a whole sim built for them. 

That's what makes the region over on Pangea pretty and amazing, and all around pretty amazing. How did sim Portugal come to be? 

AMV's Long Weekend

Sultry summer weather. Gas prices high, and so is the mercury. You've simply got to get away. Idk, a long weekend in Calistoga, all spa and art and Eastern healing stuff and cool happenings - that sounds about right. 

If that is out of your price range - or thousands of miles out of your weekend travel range - here's a really good alternative... AMV has a long weekend of art coming up. It's going to be held from Friday 11 August through Monday. 14 August  with events all over five different regions including OpenMic Arts, The Arts, Festival of Arts, In Tribute, and AMV Special Events. 

Arrival on AMV Special Events

Cataplexia Numbers has prepared one of her super long and complete Notecards, so this post won't repeat all the info you can grab from that. Here are a few glimpses though... 

Sweet Sixteen

Sixteen is an important milestone in any aspect of life, and OSGrid, the 'crossroads of opensim', the Test grid, and home to hundreds of residents, has reached this grand old age with the traditional parties and of course the Expo regions, all shaped like the OSGrid logo.

The expo regions are in a circle in the sea, all around Event Plaza, and contain all kinds of lively tributes to the grid, by its residents.

Matilda Charron: Osgrid is a great community home to many talented people (and creatures) from programming, scripting, wide variety of creativeness and well run events for all to enjoy. It is a great social platform and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I admire such talent and thankful to be a part of such great place and thankful for the people I call friends.

Jazzed Up in Opensim

Poppy Fields and Forest Azure organizing a Jazz and Blues Weekend and it's coming up on September 9 and 10. It's sponsored by Masala Estates, (thank you Unadecal!) and will be held on a dedicated sim, HG Jazz & Bluesfestival. It will cover both Euro and US-friendly hours, 11am - 3pm on saturday, 11am - 5pm on Sunday, for your listening pleasure.  

The full lineup of performers is: Rez Rezzal, Icky and Sum, Charice Singer, Acidicloop, Ruud vandeSande, Clan's Band, and Poppy and Forest themselves.

September is still a month away, but preparations are already well in hand, with this stage, built by Poppy Fields, featuring a great dome in dark blue, filled with stars and

Tropicana fun!

Mike Townsend has been in opensim since way back when. If you're an oldbie, you may remember his UKTurk grid, with its freebies - such a precious resource at a time when finding content was a painful business on the HG. These days, you'll find him in his OSGrid estate, Tropicana. Hot or what. So, what's the story?

 Mike Townsend:  I have never really left OSgrid, just dabbled in other grids and moved around a bit. I guess for me the appeal of it is the building and creation of environment. And of course the friends that we meet in our travels. I don't miss having a grid of my own. Not at all. Most grids, as they get larger, become cumbersome and problematic. Tropicana was not here a couple of years ago, it is really the result of the pandemic. It was built very quickly and homes and lands were added as an afterthought, and it just grew and grew from 9 SL sized regions to around the 600 that it is today. 

Makes sense, after all OSGrid is known as the crossroads of Opensim. You can check out the

To the Manor Born

The best building is like the best writing - the rule 'write what you know' becomes 'build what you know'. That of course doesn't mean that people have to go to Jupiter before they can write a sci fi novel or make a Jovian EEP.  'Knowing' can be a flexible factor. Some people do lots of research, some look within themselves to find that magical harmony of design. Look at the builds on Outworldz, like Virunga, and their Alexandria build, blogged about here.  Or how about Tosha Tyran's Taj Mahal or Angkor Wat, or Dalaran, by Wendie Blackthorn over on Kinky Haven - thoroughly researched and thought through. The same goes for Nyx Breen and his Jazzland builds. Another great example is Star Ravenhurst's Land of Xzar - based on her own novel. You can think of a dozen more, no doubt. Add them in the comments section, if you'd like.

This is Serenity Manor on Serenity Grid, by Erwan Elan. If the grid name is familiar you may remember it from a post about a year ago about the Monet House. This region doesn't have the same aim at realistic precision as Monet's place, with its phenomenal attention to factual detail,  but it is a masterclass in authenticity of genre, instinctively right in tone and proportions. 

OSFest 2023

 Over the years, the idea of a general festival for all opensim has led to many entertaining events, and this year another is planned. The organizers this year are more or less the same team from last year, with Shelenn Ayres taking the lead, Banker Ibor organizing the volunteers, and Rosa Alexeev coordinating the musicians, along with many more helpers, as you can imagine.  

The festival combines space for the commercial creators in opensim to exhibit their wares, as well as many displays and installations by the Free community. People are being encouraged to organize tours and demonstrations on their builds during the festival, and they plan to have musical guests performing over a total of 60 hours during the festival's 2 week run, from September 15 to 30. 

Last year, the overall theme for OSFest was medieval/fantasy, and this year the theme for exhibitors is Jazz in all its many forms - from the Art deco period, the Roaring 20s, right up to the psychedelic 70s and beyond, and includes all kinds of cultural offshoots, from New Orleans, to South America, so there's no end of choices for how to style your build.

How can I participate? 

Missing the Sky

 Are you the kind of person who can't wait for the next update in the Firestorm viewer, and eagerly test its many windows and menus? Or do you wait until you think it's been tweaked into reliable behavior - maybe even wait till you absolutely are obliged to update?  As grateful as we all should be by the people who do the testing and reporting of problems, it's probably fair to say that the majority of us just want the thing to work, and are not entertained by bug hunting. 

Firestorm 6.6.8 (68380) was released this January. When I finally bit the bullet and changed over to it,  it seemed a pretty painless transition. 

With one exception - all the Windlight settings were gone. Urk. 

For a few weeks I just let it slide, but eventually I had enough time to check around to see what was up with that and found this thread on the SL community page. The new way - well, not all that new, but never mind about  that - to make skies is called EEP (meaning Environment Enhancement Project) and you may have seen some stunning EEPs around opensim like this beauty...

Dew Drop Islands, by Azi Az and Danger Lytton

and this one:

Scripted Artwork

 If you've been around Opensim for a while, you'll recognize this familiar face: Wordfromthe Wise. Yes, back in the days of Metropolis you may have experienced his fireworks region, or perhaps you remember dropping in on his Cornflakes Tribute sim during Cornflakes Week.

Word and Cornflakes were good friends, which is why  he has still owns that treasure-trove of early opensim original content.

But there's more to Word than this.

He and his scriptilliscious colleague Sixtus have a small grid where you can find some delightful creations. Called scripted artwork, it's exactly that. Everything in movement, interactive, moving, flashing and generally immersive.

Planet A with Tina Bey

 Tina Bey is one of those outstanding artists who make opensim a joy.

In OSGrid since 2010, Tina's an enthusiastic supporter if opensimulator's Test grid, and this year once again she is contributing to the  Auction event at the end of September (here's a blog post about the auction).

Tina's sometimes perceived as being a little shy, not the loudest voice in the room for sure, but she has always impressed with her willingness to explore opensim, encourage others, learn what is going on out there on the HG, and make stunning original creations. If you're a safari oldbie you may remember our visits to Arcauana back in 2016, and Waterworld in 2015. Tina's from Argentina, so her first language is Spanish, but of course, the language of her art transcends all that.

Tina's art is deeply rooted in real world cultures and issues

Auction objects are sold for real money and won't be free to copy - but that's a huge exception from Tina's usual practice.

Tina Bey: Usually my sculptures are completely free, since the spirit of opensim has been free since its beginnings. That is why I benefited from working here and moving from Second Life to work better and more freely in all aspects, including economics. This "Antarctica" region generously lends me Mazzo Ganitano, a Spanish gentleman I don't even know personally but who gives many of us the possibility of having a region free of charge. I am very grateful for so many people who have given me their regions since I started, and that is why I generally put my created objects free, like in different shopping centers, among others LANI Mall. free copy.

Francopholie

It's the world's 5th language, in terms of speakers, and comes in 4th for most-used language on the Internet. But in Opensim, the French speaking cohort often appears not to reflect those kinds of numbers. Minord Loup, together with friends LadyKa and Athena, would like to do something to redress the balance. 

The idea? Make it easier for people who speak French to find each other, and make opensim more attractive and user-friendly for Francophiles in Second Life who are contemplating the jump into other worlds.

It makes sense. It's already a pretty steep learning curve to leave SL for opensim if you speak English, imagine if your first language is something else. Francophones - often called 'frenchies' in this blog - are in reality from all over the world, not just France, and it can be hard for them to find a place in opensim where everyone speaks their language.

The First Thursday of the Month group

In an attempt to create a centralized point of reference, there is a once-a-month meet up for networking, catching up with the news or maybe asking for a bit of tech help, and occasionally exploring franco-friendly destinations. It's hosted by Eden Catharine on the first Thursday of each month at 9pm Paris time.  You may have seen the poster at the Safari clubhouse. If you know any French opensimmers, it would be a kindness to let them know, you can never have too many resources or friends.