Update Gemini Viewer Review for RPG’s

UPDATE! 7/13/09

Skills Hak has announced that development of the Gemini is stopped. Version 7 will not be released. Instead  that work is being added to the Greenlife Emerald viewer. Reference The new Emerald 1.23.4 viewer is out today.

Original Review

Earlier I posted Gemini Viewer Review – Second Life. Before that I posted GreenLife Emerald Viewer Review, which has pictures if you want to see some of the menus, which are 99% identical. I’ve added a couple of minor updates to the original posts. I’ve now used the viewer for a bit over a week in RP. There are some new considerations to look at and some solutions for role players. I’ve been using v5. Now V6 rc02 is available for download as of 6/26.

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Snowglobe Second Life Viewer Review

I just tried out that Second Life Snowglobe Viewer. I’ve reviewed a few other viewers, Gemini, Emerald, MeerKat, RealXtrend… see the blog for those reviews. Snowglobe is a Linden promoted open source branch of the standard SL viewer. It may be known by other names like: SLDev Viewer. The real point of this project is to get 3rd party changes and improvements into the main viewer faster. I’m not seeing it… but I didn’t dive into the details either.

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Grendel's Children

In Second Life Grendel’s is one of my favorite places to shop. The store floats over four sims and is filled with loads of avatars (AV) one can buy from free to a few hindered Linden. Yesterday NPIRL (Not Possible In Real Life) Bettina Tizzy posted an interview with Flea Bussy, owner and creator of Grendel’s, and a Machinima by Nitwacket showing some of the amazing AV’s.

Grendel’s Children Web Site

Grendel’s Children Store

The four sims below the store are filled with a hunt and role play area. Join Grendel’s forum for information on the RP.

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Avarian & Compendium

Look for the Avarian Expedition and The Creature Compendium in the North East corner on the entrance level, between Pets and Homes. These kits allow one to participate in the quest for free shoulder animals and pets that takes place on the ground below the store. One can buy the shoulder animals for L$100. The two kits are L$30 each. So, finding one shoulder animal pays for the kits. The quest is part of the RP in the surface, or can be. The RP is not required. There are fun things to make and find on the surface. Not all of the fun stuff can be purchased. Plus finding and making (as in find metal and stones then bake in kiln to get jewelry – this is NOT SL prim style make) stuff is more fun than waiting around on lucky chairs.

Gemini Viewer Review – Second Life

There are lots of viewers and more seem to be coming out. The Second Life Viewer named Gemini by Skills Hak is designed more for Role Players. Earlier I reviewed the Greenlife Emerald Viewer. The Gemini Viewer is very similar but with some differences.

One difference is the viewer skin. It is designed to work better with physically dark regions. After all it is made by one of the INSILICO people. If you have not visited the Insilico region, it is worth a trip. (Insilico Web Site) I am totally fascinated by the robotic spider they have at the primary LM landing point.

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MeerKat Viewer Review

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My Little World

I made an earlier post about exporting from Second Life to Open Sim. Now I’ve had a chance to play with the Meerkat Viewer.

As I wrote, anyone that is creating in Second Life now has the ability to export things they created in SL to Open Sim. For instance I have a house I built. I do not own land in SL so, it would be fun to put it in Open Sim and landscape around it.

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Riven Myst-Uru-SL

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Riven Pods

Most of the Myst related builds in Second Life are related to Uru Live. A new exception is Varda Darkwatch’s new build dedicated to
Myst’s Riven in Lasting Love. While debatable whether Riven is the best game in the series many think it is.

Varda has imitated parts of Riven in his quarter of the sim. When visiting try not to disturb the other residents. This Riven is a unique SL build with only similarities to the real games. As Varda says, ‘…a place inspired by the Myst PC games.’ Still any Myst series player will recognize the places on this island. The thing swimming in the lake under the pods is a Wahrk. They are said to be mam-eaters… So, swimming is NOT advised.

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Sunset in Riven

Take a walk through the area. There is a path of sorts and it is more interesting to walk it than fly over. This build is new, just recently transferred here from a smaller parcel. This is still a work in progress. Several items in the previous build have not been added. I suspect they will be placed as time permits.

Varda was talking about making the pods living spaces, in which case he might rent or lease them to Myst fans.

More images of Riven: Nalates Myst Riven Flickr