First off, it's been a long time - we've done *zero* advertising, even with our friends over at the Metaverse Messenger, for fear of disappointing even more people who want to get in - we continue to run a waiting list for land since our opening over a year and a half ago.
Since our last newsletter, a lot has happened.
- We've added the heart of the ancient Caledon forest, Caledon Tanglewood; the great sim-sized steampunk Steam SkyCity hovers just offshore from old historic Caledon sim.
- The sea shanty town of Kittiwick in Kittiwickshire was added; one of our most popular small towns. Caledon Eyre and Regency have some of our most posh addresses, and in their backcountry begin a multi-sim mountain range from which we'll be mining most of our heavy iron, brass and Cavorite.
- Caledon Stormhold will be arriving any day now; towering mountains and a multisim horse trail through the Stormhold Gap and many mountain peaks will overlook its magical forest.
- Also ordered were four more maritime Duchys, soon to be part of a five sim sea, the Firth of Caledon, for your sailing pleasure. Ah, we're civilised, but I'd say keep a light cannon on hand if you see a privateer's flag...
- Within a few weeks, four more Duchys on top of the last set, and I'm going to be a bit coy about their location and form - I hope to pleasantly surprise.
- And in about 30 days-ish, Caledon Wellesian. Caledon National Rail rattles over trestles across spectacular mountainous embayments, mining railspurs and cars, where the hazardous raw materials are wrested from the stony bones of the TransCaledon Range. More dangerous than even the mining: Lightning Collectors upon the high peaks, for the laboratories and steampunk scientists.
- Following that, Caledon Morgaine. In Morgaine, the TransCaledon Range breaks away from its roots - literally - and a huge, sim-sized floating mountain is held aloft by its own Cavorite deposits. This does not phase the residents, making their homes in the lagoon below, the mountaintop above, and in the spectacular caverns within the flying mountain. Make sure to take your goggles, helmet, flashlight... and parachute, if you wish to explore the caves!
- Last and in Spectacular Spectacular style: Caledon Penzance. This sim has already been months in the making - it's more than a sim, it's the Theatre! And not a dead 'ooh look at the prims' theatre - a live, fully functional, performance-dedicated theatre! From Gilbert and Sullivan to Vaudeville to dazzlingly impossible Magic, be prepared to be entertained! This will be a Caledon first - the entire main street of the town will be designed (and held to the design) of a Broadway professional. Every comment I've heard upon showing sneak previews of this sim has been precisely: "Oh. My. God!" (in a good way). This may bring us roughly to December.
The waiting list is still present, but not quite as long as it used to be - weeks of waiting, not months. Beyond Caledon Penzance, we have expansion plans but at a much slower rate - the focus in 2008 will be Fun.
We have a Clue style Murder Mystery in the works, which may come out here quite soon and be open for all to participate in, we are revamping and expanding Caledon National Rail to make it a peak attraction of the entire grid, and in 2008 we are 'activating' the ley lines of Caledon's geography, for a wee bit 'o magic for those with the Gift! When it's time, that will begin at the Stone Circle of Tamrannoch. Plus a few more surprises I cannot mention quite yet - but so exciting I'm bursting to say!
Finally... some possibly sad news. As some of you know, I've been managing West Trade Imports LTD for some two years now. Yet, for the past 15 months, I've barely been able to do anything save for take care of Caledon. I'm not quite sure the direction I'll go, but with many designs over two years old, it will be changing soon - it has to. Top quality or bust - and the bar has been raised considerably since I started back in 2005. Expect changes in the next few months - at very least, I'll be removing some of my own content, and inviting some *very* specifically handpicked designers to sell there in my stead. Quality above all!
Warm regards, and thank you all for the success.
Desmond Shang
