Historical Sims

Yes, if you are refering to the Wailele Isle and Nohona Isle that I created, the exact models for them are modern Polynesian islands that have resorts and commercially developed, individually-owned residential living bungalos on them. Timeshares... Intriguing way of phrasing it, and it retrospect, I agree that what I built does have a bit of that feel to it, though it wasn't in mind at the time. While I tried to make it as 'real' as possible, within the limits of SL, I also had the goal of making it a viable and self-sustaining sim that didn't have to rely on commercial development to meet expenses. Thus, it has quite a few home sites for sale.

Doing 'tribal Polynesia' would be very difficult as a theme for a self-sustaining sim. Without a number of homes that can be sold/rented, a sim has to find some other source of income, like a resort or a mall, or an event venue that charges admission. That beautiful Japanese sim was a prime example. Fantastic sim, but not enough features (as far as I could see) that would generate the revenue to cover the set-up and maintenance costs.

One of the biggest challenges to making a 'historical sim' is doing so without going into bankruptcy... or finding a Patron who will fund it sheerly for the sake of art. The Amsterdam sim has a major advantage there, as it is supposed to be a recreation of a commercially developed area. If it was the poppy fields outside of the urban area, I dare say it wouldn't have remained financially viable. Breathtakingly beautiful while it lasted, perhaps, but not likely to thrive.

I wasn't dissing your sim - it's beautiful, just not the "historical" style I'm looking for.

Therein lies one of my biggest issues with SL: money. Money is a FL issue - why must it plague our second life, wherein as they say "Your World, Your Imagination"? The motto implies a place where things we can't do in rl can be done. Sadly, it seems most people see the acquisition of wealth, and mundane items like tract homes and gangstah rods, sex clubs and casinos as their dreams, and the limits of their imaginations. There should be room for all that AND gorgeous recreations of things long gone and things beyond our imagining, where they can coexist. But the cold hard fact is, that as long as it's an economy driven universe, second life will just be a pixelated extension of first life. I've said it before - for every Lumiere Noir, there's a thousand rapacious gouging Chungs waiting to bleed their fellows for everything they can.

In which case, I'm willing to see it go under. The real world is ugly enough with people barely controlling their darker impulses, without giving them a place to freely vent them (some folks feel the world is too restrictive as is, but then they haven't seen enough of life to understand just how free they are compared to where we've been).

Are you listening Linden Labs? Things of wonder and delight are being wiped out because they aren't fiscally viable.... is that really what you envisioned? To boil this EtchASketch of the Gods down to a sticky fiscally expedient consumer product? I feel like John Adams in "1776" - lamenting the conservative forces that fought his dream of independence: "Is anybody there?/Does anybody care?/Does anybody see what I see?"

I'm obnoxious and disliked, this cannot be denied...
Sarge (and it was the Lee boys that I draw my ancestry from, in answer to I think Viola)

(Was it Caledon that had the outstanding replica of Monte St. Michel in Normandy?)

Under the Particle Laboratory in Teal is a partial recreation of St. Mark's of Venice. Basilica, Camponile, Doge's Palace and the clock tower.

The lift up to the particle lab at the moment is definitely anachronistic though, as are the odd's and ends strewn about haphazardly.


My ears may be a bit too pointy for it to be recognized as historically relevant though.

Oh! I didn't for a single moment think you were dissing my work! Not at all! I agree with you, that while the two sims I designed are as accurate as I could get to representing certain current-day Polynesian islands, they are NOT a representation of Polynesia in some historical period, such as when some of the first European trading ships made contact with the Islands. That isn't what the owner of the two sims asked me to build. He asked me to build two Polynesian theme sims that were financially viable, as a residential community.

I would absolutely adore the chance to go hog-wild and build a true-to-period, historically themed sim, without having to give any regard to server costs, monthly overhead, revenue that the sim can earn, or the like. I'm somewhat into historical reenactment groups, and would have a blast making a fully detailed 14th century manor house and grounds, or a castle, or a Colonial American village... all without having to worry about who would pay for keeping it running.

If Linden Labs ever feels they are making enough profits to plow some of their profits back into 'public works', they could be well-served to host several special-purpose sims, entirely Linden Owned, protected land, to feature some of the fantastic ideas residents come up with that would enrich the SL experience for our residents, but which can't possibly be self-sustaining financially. Historical themed sims would be high on that list.

There is a really cool recreation of some ruins in Pompeii (sp?) in Indigo,
next to Deadly Nightshade Design Studio at (Indigo 86,61)

As i recall it uses textures taken from the actual ruins. Nice build, even has some lava flows.

All the sadder - just like in the rw - things of genuine interest, though not fiscally expedient, need a handout, rather than being priorities in a world of ideas.

And here's a pisser in your cornflakes - I was lamenting at work of finding enough sims to make the time machine idea fly, when I thought about a trick I pulled with a shop window in game: I mapped a wide angle shot of a supermarket interior on the inside of a half sphere, and put it in front of the window, so that people looking in would see a shop inside (it even gave a paralax shift if you walked by). Figured if I made it a hollow full sphere and mapped all the way around, it would be a fully immersive environment. So I get home thinking this will be the ticket. I decide to visit some of the places I haven't visisted yet (couldn't find Renn Faire) and did a search for Rome - popped through a couple roman sims, when BOING I run right into a bunch of spheres, with panoramics of roman ruins mapped on the inside. Well buggar all! I may yet use it all the same...

So, did you do it?

Roz

Not enough options yet - several medieval, some roman, a very nice japanese moutain town, and a handful of others - but not enough variety yet. Still hunting.

Any old west out there - aside from the oregon port city and the homesteader, still haven't found the old westy old west - I'm talking dry gulch Tombstone sorta old west. The Renniasance - Medici Fierenze or Ravena would rock! Prehistoric? Greece? A working Egyptian build? Aztec or Mayan? Babylonian - let me see the Ishtar Gate outside of the Berlin Museum... How about a nice 1920's-40's build...? Paris at the turn of the century?

Hi Solivar

I have an ancient Roman themed land that I've had up for almost a year now. It is in the Linda sim. I call it ROMA and it has several builds and attractions based on ancient Roman buildings that i've been able to build with my limited prim allowance.

These include a gladiator arena, a circus maximus racetrack, a Pompeii tavern, boat rides on the Tiber River, a 3 story Roman marketplace, a museum housing Roman art, a bath complex, a small theater (currently showing an automated Greek tragedy), a library, a garden, lecture theater, archery range, games and rides, a hidden entrance to the underworld, and more.

It is independant of any other Roman or ancient builds out there and just an expression of my own interests as a classical archaeologist. Everyone is free to come and visit. There's a lot to see and do here. Click the centurion on the Welcome Platform for a list of all of the attractions and have fun wandering.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Linda/129.927/248.46

-Torin

Not sure if the Ren Faire is my sim Renfest Island or not, but if you want to see it you only have until the end of this month! Unfortunately we are closing the island at that point.

It is however a medieval themed sim, with a recreation of Conwy Castle in Wales, an archery range, swordfighting arena etc.

Found it! However, it's right next to the GNUbie store ... which would explain the nasty red ban lines around it. lol

We'd have to talk to some person named "FlipperPA Peregrine" for access. *wink*