Symphony's Mech Lab

Arriving on mech Lab in OSGrid is like stepping into a movie, or a high-end game. We were guests, for the second destination of this week's trip, of Symphony Vive, and she met the 20 or so Safari visitors at the Landing Point which sported a nice Welcome poster... always good sign!

The big white spheres are the cars that take you to the HUB

Symphony Vive: Welcome HG Safari Explorers! 欢迎 HG Safari 探险家！It will take some time  for the Region to load  for you to see... we will  soon move to a landing  HUB when we've all  loaded. This  will begin our  tour.

Cherry on Hie

Believe it or not, we're halfway through the Safari trips for 2024 and this week was a special occasion for all fans of the Hypergrid International Expo, better known as HIE, that weekend once a year where we blend theater and lecture and outrageous displays of language-y excess, not to mention a huge amount of publicity booths with freebies and info about places all over the metaverse.  

The Safari crew, which seems to be getting better by the week, descended on Craft grid for our first destination, after of course the usual Clubhouse banter among old friends, plus new friends to Friend, if you know what I mean.

If you ever wonder why there is a pre-meet at the clubhouse, rather than me just giving out the addresses of the places we plan to visit in social media, it's because the whole point of our venture is to be there for one another, to be there for newbies, to check on oldbies, and to give our hosts an exact time when we will arrive. 

Because nobody likes people who show up too early for a party. 

If you're curious about what is involved in being a Safari destination, there is a whole page about that here on this blog. And yes, the 'six' is a lie, well spotted. 

Lifted Pixel in human form... wha????

Anyway, HIE. A mix of static booths advertising everything from gorean worlds to education sims, with the main event being a weekend of music, art, and interesting talks. If you don't know much about this annual event, spanning the whole of opensim, here's the HIE website.  Oh and here is a vid of this year's booths.

Taarna and friends check out the booths

The most recent edition of HIE was about a month ago, so this week the Expo park was closing, and we had one last chance to go around and grab all the goodies we might have missed. Some of the participants made massive gift items, some didn't have much more than a nice poster, which was great, because they balanced each other out with the lag. At least, so we told ourselves - perception is reality!

SIWAS and SoA BAD at their booth, CCI grid.

Revisiting these 103 booths was fun, there are individuals, projects, regions and whole grids represented here, so probably everyone got to see something in opensim that they had never heard of before. We will be doing this all over again in 2025, so if you want to participate, stay in touch via this blog and both the HG Safari and HIE social media so you won't miss out.

So after a bit of final freebie and LM-gathering we all went into the HIE auditorium, the ever fabulous Cherry Manga agreed to do an encore performance of her spectacular "Variations monochromes autour d'une coordonnée". 

Snowglobe effect at Cherry Manga's show on HIE

All of the talks and art performances of HIE were filmed live and can be watched on the HIE Youtube channel (go into settings and choose the Closed Captions in the language of your choice). Don't forget to Like and Subscribe ! But to actually be present during one of Cherry's performances is really something special. About 25 of us lucky mortals enjoyed the 20 minute mix of mesh,music and special effects. 

Cherry Manga: hi Forest! And hello everyone... salut les frenchies :)

Jeff Kelley: salut l'artiste

Thirza Ember: please everyone, toggle your sound, to make sure you will hear Cherry's soundtrack, by Morlita M, during the show

Cherry Manga: The show will start in few seconds...

I can't lie, I think the tables are the best bit.

Twenty minutes of sensory overload / bliss later....

lifted pixel: lovely every time thank you cherry!

One andOnly: Great!

SIWAS S [de→en]: fantastic

Cooper Swizzle: Absolutely awesome

Jeff Kelley: BRAVO !

Petlove Petshop: Amazing!

Angelic Kisses: *** APPPLLLAAAUUUSSSEEEEEEE***

Ms Cal: : ҉❥•APPLAUSE•❥•҉   ҉❥•APPLAUSE•❥•҉

Kimm Starr: whispers: That was pretty awesome!

Roffellos Kisses: brilliant work!

Harthelie Atlas: grandiose bravo

James atLLOUD: Yay - so cool!

Francisco Koolhoven: incredible!

Cherry Manga: See you next year , hopefully :)

To see the full show on video, please watch it here, and again, just a reminder that you help other people to find out about HIE, about Cherry and all the other participants, and about opensim in general, when you feed our algorithm by liking videos and subscribing to the channel. 

More Arts, More Friends!

Victoria Logan's OSGrid "Arts And Friends" adventure has a new chapter, this time it's all about 'We are OSGrid'.  

The inaugural party will be late May, so keep your eyes open for the event details which will be listed on opensimworld.com ad elsewhere on social media.

Lots to see here and also plenty of places for partying of course! 

Happy Birthday Mobius!

Happy 10th birthday Mobius grid! A big party occasion, and why not? Well this is opensim, so anything can happen...

The grid was experiencing some technical difficulties so we all crashed a few times, nothing drastic, after all you just need 2 minutes' patience and three clicks of a mouse to get back where you were, hardly a hardship, and it was certainly worth it for the chance to celebrate the event and to see the fab fireworks.

The constant crashes were a good opportunity to return to the Mobius freebie shop, and to run into more Mobians than is usual for a safari gal just wandering the metaverse - so, why not make the most of the opportunity?! I asked a range of people how they feel about the grid, from newcomers, to those who have been away for a long time, to others who have been around here a great deal.

The Last of Boston

 The Last of Boston is a zombie game based on the TV show The Last of Us on Neverworld Grid.

The build was due to be our first destination in this special 10 anniversary Safari tour, but,  the code gremlins got active in the inner workings of Neverworld's opensimulator on this occasion,  timing grr!

The usual suspects of Safari all showed up at the clubhouse, ready to go see the Boston sights, but instead it was a nice excuse to hear people share some of their feelings about our trips (and complain about the seats at the clubhouse - these people have no stamina!) 

It's been 10 years since our first forays into the unknown, with so many crashes and uncertainties in the planning and executing of our guided tours, so there was something appropriate about our last minute crisis. That's happened so many times it's a bit of a miracle when things all work out perfectly, as they often do.

But regardless of the stress related to trying to make these trips happen, I'd like to thank everyone who has joined us for their good humored patience and generally upbeat approach to Safari trips, no matter what they bring. After all, this is all about the people. If you want perfection, there are thousands of impersonal video games out there. 

Safari turns Ten

 This week marked ten years since the first ever Safari trip and we celebrated at the Safari region on Avacon grid, with a special installation in the sky showing a few of the places we have visited, and revisited, over the years.

It was lovely to welcome to the party sim both people who have been with the event from its earliest days, like Nara and Neo and Alan and lifted pixel, as well as relative newcomers like Lynnestra and Alexey, plus many who are both regular Safari trippers and also hosts. As the tee shirt says, the 'liberty, variety, and instability' of virtual worlds continue to be challenging motors for change and expression and endless surprise across the hyperverse.  And so many, many great places still to see.

Safari Goes to See Ocean

 Our second stop this week was another first for the Safari, the grid Ocean, founded by Akata Ocean, which at first blush one might think of as a French grid - it certainly is distinctly francophone, but in reality there's much more to their story... isn't that always the case?  That's what makes meeting grid owners and residents so interesting. As always the address of the place is at the end of the post.

Our guide today was Eli Funt, she speaks both French and perfect English, so she was deputed to lead the tour.

Many other Ocean locals were on hand to meet us when we arrived on Accueil,  their modern Welcome region.

Everlove

The Safari's first ever visit to GermanWorldGrid was ever so lovely... we had the opportunity to tour sim Everlove, in company with Emma Florido, who together with her lovely husband Mick owns this gorgeous place. Many grid residents came along to join us, and it was really lovely not only to see beautiful pixels but also to glimpse the great atmosphere of friendship and fun that this grid clearly represents.

Emma Florido

Emma Florido: Hello everybody we welcome you at the Germanworld grid in Everlove

Drangur Kray: Willkommen zusammen

Emma Florido: im proud today to have you all here and i thank everyone for coming. I want to let you know a little bit of the history from germanworldgrid

Emma Florido: Germanworldgrid was founded by my husband Mick Florido in April 2019 because virtual life has always been one of his big hobbies and he wanted to offer residents from different countries a home. Over the years he gained a lot of experience and met many interesting people.

James atLLOUD: Wow, big group!

Rosi Taler: ⋞⋞⋞ ✜ ├┤ⓐllⓞ ✜ ⋟⋟⋟

Into the 3rd Wind

 It's almost here!!
The 3rd Rock Grid community  - they're retiring that name and going with "3rd Wind", wind being the next element after rock - are moving to an enclave on Zetaworlds grid.
This decision was taken after a lot of thought not only about finances but also grid security, size, and atmosphere. Considering how many different solutions were proposed to them, it's fair to say it wasn't an easy decision, which speaks well to the amazing solidarity and opportunities that opensim offers these days.

3rdRock Grid will become the
3rd Wind Community located on
Zetaworlds Grid

What was the best and the worst part of this experience? I asked two well-known members of the community, David and Alia, to give me some background.

David7 Bravin: The worst is on course the fact that 3rd Rock Grid is having to close after so many years. The best thing that has happened is that Alia Soulstar took up the challenge and has managed to find the 3RG Community a new home on ZetaWorlds

Alia Soulstar: Yes,  it was an extremely hard decision. 

David7 Bravin

Thirza Ember: how did the transition process work ?

Karsten's Crafts

A nice techy-fun filled ride around today for our first stop on Safari where we got to learn (and mostly we learned that none of us should be let loose with vehicles of any kind) and that's always a bonus when you combine it with good friends and some hilarious scenes. We were on Pangea Grid - fill HG Address, as always at the end of the post - in an unusual venue for us, someone's private sandbox. Tat someone, Karsten Runningbear, a vital part of the Pangea Grid team, he is a scripter of talent, and many of the fine builders on the grid, like Bink Draconia, Tutz Zabelin, and Lampithaler Artist, just to mention three, rely on Karsten to animate their builds with travel accessories like trains, planes and automobiles.

Here we are, sitting in a large circle, since it was a big turnout this wiee with quite a few first time Safari trippers, including Koke of LFgrid, a Spanish-speaking singer, and Lynnestra Parker and Maldrul Smith who popped over from AMV.  Welcome to all new recruits to the madness that is Safari! As you might expect many of the Pangea crew were with us, with made for a truly party atmosphere.
By the way, Karsten's region is a private sandbox, but you can try out his vehicles if you go to pangeagrid.de:8002:Waterworld  - that's a public region on Pangea grid.

Karsten Runningbear: Welcome to my sandbox ! I will tell and show you today about

Haven of Memories

 Lavia Lavine's Haven of Memories is a Var region with a mission - to spread serenity, and to protect memories, specifically of the ones we have loved and lost.

Lavia Lavine

Arriving on Haven of Memories - the full HG Address is of course at the end of the post - you feel as if you've entered a celestial park, all swirly clouds and golden gates.

Next, a rainbow bridge, shrouded in mist, completes the sensation of moving on to another place, but never fear! You're just visiting!

Le Beau Retrouvé

 Tomorrow Sunday 28 is the grand opening of Star Ravenhurst's new gallery called le Beau Retrouvé. It's on Genesis RP grid - the Address is as always at the end of the post - and it's a project she has spent many months putting together. It's beautiful!

Lampi's Legends

Lampithaler Artist's latest build Cloudshead Worldheart is an enchantment of pixels. To have a heart as big as the world, to have your head in the clouds, that describes the perfect intersection between childhood dreams and artistic inspiration.

The region is all islands, of improbable shapes, and the main party is inside the biggest, almost pumpkin like, but with a distinctly bark-like feel to the outer shell.

Inside, in the base, is the dance floor where we foregathered to enjoy dome tunes ably dished out by DJ Marlon Wayne. 

Safari Magic

And we're off with another season of Safari! Some glitchiness on HG Safari region, but we all seemed to overcome it one way or another, and landed on Wizardry, the freebie shopping region of CyberGlo's grid, Cyberdatastorm. As usual all HG Addresses are at the end of the post.

It was so great to have the usual gang back together, plus some new friends joining us for the first time.

Star Ravenhurst: Hi Lifted! I missed you all! GTS everyone!

Taarna Welles: Hear hear

lifted pixel: Hello! :3

Kelso Uxlay: It looks like people have trouble to TP from HGSafari Clubhouse... I moved back home and jumped from there

lifted pixel: yeah i went back to sandbox plaza and here, no problem

Thirza Ember: we can beat any tp problems LOL

lifted pixel: Safari is Authorized!

Forest Azure: ah, the hop worked

We landed in a beautiful meadow full of flowers.

CyberGlo CyberStar: welcome

Nara Nook: Hi Cyberglo

Safari on Europa

 Second destination for the premiere of the Spring Season of Safari  - Europa! 

This region on Wolf Territories Grid opened a while back, (HG address is, of course, at the end of the post as usual) with a big party celebrating its Mall, stocked with avies, outfits andmesh objects with a sci-fi fantasy twist. 

About 15 of us made it over, and while the lag definitely played some tricks with outfits, Text chat, and people frozen here and there, on the whole it held up pretty well, and experienced safaristas will often just cam to where the people are even if they can't move. So it all worked out pretty well.

The arrival area was full of light, strange signs, and these dancing androids...

Safari Heads Out Again!

 Yay and we're off once again on Safari this Wednesday at 12.00SLT as usual for a two hour trip! 

The familiar courtyard... the LMs and the drama llama await you

Yes, yet another ten week season of tours to places of interest on a variety of grids, some big some small. We will see all sorts once again this season, from the machines of Leonardo DaVinci, to fantastic sci fi spaces, and then also, there will be opportunities to improve your Mariner skills, your zombie-avoidance techniques, and to learn more about scripted objects, art, and the community of opensim... 

We will be celebrating a few milestones too, for example, in May the Safari celebrates ten years from that first trip that led to all these others. Wow where does the time go.

See you on Wednesday at the clubhouse, if you can make it...
HG Address:  HG.ossgrid.org:80:HG Safari

HIE 2024 Starts !

Yesterday at 11am Pacific, the Hypergrid International Expo kicked off with three hours of music. The HIE expo regions are on Craft grid, you can get to them by coming to craft-world.org:8002:HIE Welcome and use the portals to get to HIE 2, HIE 3 and HIE 4, where all the fun takes place.

And what music! The divine Zoree Jupiter kicked things off with a truly beautiful set of Fado, the traditional portuguese songs of love, passion and of course, 'fado' or fate, destiny...

Wyldwood Bayou Beckons!

Starfleet or shaman, medieval merchant or merman, it's that time again, and you're welcome to the Open Market Roleplay event on Wyldwood Bayou grid. There are two roleplay groups here, Ravenquest and Brigantia. Come along and learn about other RP groups in opensim, and help keep the roleplay community vibrant!

Organized by Contessa Lacombe and Fitheach Eun, this is a chance to share what you know and maybe dip your toe in roleplay. Not a recruitment drive so much as a way to better know what's available out there across the archipelago of grids and groups that actively tell stories in a dramatic immersive way. I asked Tessa how she got started.

Rock On

It's not the news that anyone wanted to hear, that 3rd Rock Grid will be closing its doors in May.  The longevity of the grid, and the circumstances that have led to its likely demise, make the news even more upsetting. But, I say, let's be positive. 

Write Plaza, da Vinci

Why be positive? First of all, because of all the wonderful places, events, and people of the grid who have given residents and visitors alike a dozen or more years of great memories. 

Wolf Leaps Forward

 When a grid migrates its servers to a new rl location, it's often quite a tricky process. Just the words 'grid migration' have your average opensim resident shaking in their thigh length boots, admit it.
But that's not always the case... sometimes it can go as smooth as a silk, or the silky fur of a Wolf...

That was the case today, when Wolf Territories Grid announced they have moved their