Why I'm Writing About SL and Not Real Games

Okay, it's a fair cop. In my previous blog post, A Second Look at Second Life, I was careful to make the distinction between SL and the more traditional MMO games (mainly because the people who equate the two often end up dying under mysterious circumstances). But of course my one reader picked up on that and wondered why I -- a gamer -- would bother wasting my time on something that isn't a game.

Okay. Fair question. To answer it, I have to tell you something embarrassing about myself.

See, I have these dreams. Dreams about houses. Old, sometimes ancient. Some have secret passages. All are creaky, creepy, deserted and mysterious. And I really have no idea why these stand out to me. I mean, I'd rather resonate with dreams about kinky sixsomes on Noah's ark... Sorry. I told you it was embarrassing.

So, houses. I remember them when I wake. Sometimes it's just an impression of the feeling of the place. Sometimes it's details. In any event, lately I've been obsessed with the idea of recreating one of my recent dreams. And that, dear reader, is why I'm in SL. I haven't learned how to build a custom house in Vanguard.

So let me tell you about the house and why SL came immediately to mind. The house in my recent dream is a rebuilt ruin, a medieval abbey that had fallen to ruin, all cold grey stone and broken arches. The rebuilding is very Steampunk or Victorian, with dark oak, polished brass and even a glass dome replacing the ancient spire. The dome is actually an observatory, opening to reveal a shiny and elaborate brass telescope. The furnishings are all dark crimson damask and horsehair couches, and lighting is all gaslight and candles.

So... and this is going to sound a little obsessive... I've rented a parcel of land in Caledon, a sprawling Steampunk sim in Second Life. I've built the chapel of the abbey, and my next project is to wreck it, then rebuild it to represent the dream. In my next post I'll include some images of the place.

And hey, if you are good at geometry or SL building, feel free to offer constructive criticism.

Thanks for reading!