Since I'm On the Subject...

Since I've been writing blog posts about Second Life today, and since I don't have access to my desktop computer (you know the one with the -- what do you call them? Oh, right, games), I thought I might write reviewlet. The subject: combat meters.

In case you missed my earlier synopsis, a combat meter is part of a larger system that simulates MMO-style gameplay, including hit points, magic spells, psychic powers, racial abilities and the like. The meter itself is attached to the character and acts as both a sensor and visual counter (similar to the health bars for NPCs in standard MMO games). The other half is a HUD which displays character statistics, target data and often includes a hotbar-style array of buttons to activate said skills and the like.

As I've mentioned, there are several combat meters available in Second Life. Some are sold for modest fees, others are free. The larger systems are designed to be customized on a sim-by-sim basis, allowing a single meter to be used -- and unique -- for many sims. Obviously, the advantage to the user is understanding a single system with the ability to play many "games" -- going from a medieval fantasy sim to, say, a Star Wars-themed sim.

So let's look at some of the combat meters available in SL.

Most likely the most popular and widely-used meter is the Dynamic Combat System 2, better known as DCS2. Dimentox Travanti designed the system, and in many ways it defines the form and function of combat meters in SL. There is a fee of L$75 for the system, but once purchased updates are free. And if you have a favorite sim that employs the DCS2 system, I highly recommend you purchase the meter in the sim. This allows them to receive a small portion of the fee, helping to defray the cost of maintaining the land.

There are a huge number of sims using this meter, but a few I am familiar with include Nordhaven (a Viking/early medieval sim), Incorrigible (a medieval high fantasy RP sim) and Little Mos Eisley (a... um... which one is this? Oh, right, Star Trek-themed sim). I can heartily recommend all three, and I'm continuing to explore more DCS2 lands.

One final note about it before I move on: there are a huge number of DCS2-compatible weapons in SL, meaning you can pretty much find one you like without problems.

The second system is the called Osiris, and is available for free. Like DCS2 it's a versatile and robust system configurable for many types of sims. More sims are starting to use this system (also known as RPCS, for Role Play Combat System) for its small footprint, flexibility and low cost (i.e. free). Osiris began its life as the engine behind the Erie Isle sim, a modern-day fantasy realm with a unique and engaging backstory. Even though it puts a huge emphasis on roleplay in its ads and materials, I have not personally had any contact with actual roleplay yet. I have, however, encountered jerks who attacked without warning, which is strictly against the rules in most sims (you have to RP the lead-up for a few chat entries before attacking, to allow the other party to back out or turn off their meter).

Well, the time has come for me to use the desktop computer to do some serious gaming. Hello, Vanguard. I'll write more on this subject in the near future.

Until then, thanks for reading!

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!

A Second Look at Second Life

What if the asylum were run by the inmates?

That seems to be the central idea behind Second Life, the fully-immersive, non-game... whatever it is. Even though it has many of the usual features of your basic MMO -- characters (or avatars, as they're called), lands to explore, stuff to do -- the comparison pretty much ends there. In short, Second Life (hence called SL, 'cause I'm so hip) is a blank canvas to be filled in by the imagination.

Your imagination, to be precise.

Unlike the inevitable scenario outlined in my previous blog post, The Imagination Gap, SL is a world where only basic laws of physics are observed, and then only loosely. Gravity does exist, but you are free to ignore it. Friction, likewise. Even the avatar itself is as malleable as your imagination (and processing power) sees fit. Everything is customizable, within certain "rules".

Probably the most obvious example are the lands themselves. With the exception of the few places assembled by Linden Labs (owners/creators of SL), everything in the world was made by another player (called residents). Everything. Penis-shaped buildings, phallus-shaped avatars, starships shaped like dicks... the list is endless.

And yes, one often wonders if it's an online experience or a urological research facility.

Rules, right.

If I design something for you, like a house, I can set its rules to reflect how I want it to be used. If I set the "No Copy" flag, you will only be allowed to have one of this house. Similarly, "No Modify" means that you cannot alter my work of architectural brilliance. "No Transfer" means that you cannot give my house (or a copy of it) to anyone else. Naturally, an object I create can have none, any or all flags set.

With the exception of basic clothing, all items in SL are made of basic building blocks, known as primitive objects or prims. The more prims an object has, the more elaborate or detailed an object can be. Each prim is a pretty basic geometric solid (boxes, pyramids, cylinders, spheres and so on) with some limitations on size (usually but not always ten meters). These building blocks can be altered in many ways. Since most objects are made of more than one prim, the most common is linking. As its name suggests, it sticks two or more prims together.

Prims can also be dressed up in textures, have flags set making them physical (having mass and weight) or being phantom (being incorporeal), have shininess, roughness, brightness or transparency set. Most of those are sliders, from not at all to way lots. As you can see, as a creator you have a lot of options to realize your vision.

But even more than that, though, you can actually program your objects to act in certain ways. If I build an Aston Martin DB V (complete with the James Bond Package), it's really only a good-looking paperweight. It doesn't move. Its shield doesn't raise. The machineguns don't work. These things are achieved by writing scripts (using LSL -- Linden Scripting Language, what else?) which are then stored in the appropriate prims. The right script makes a stationary object into a vehicle. Others cause things to happen when the command is given.

Still others make use of that selective physics model. Remember that? Here's where it gets interesting. If my avatar has an animation that allows him to throw a punch, it has no effect on the person being punched. Avatars are invulnerable. However, some very clever gaming-types have developed objects called "meters" or "combat meters". These are usually small, invisible phantom prims attached to an avatar, and they are scripted to do two things: They display text above your head telling others that you have an active meter and can be attacked, and are scripted to track your hit points and the like. Now, when you are attacked with a scripted weapon (one which acts like a physical object), you get hurt, and maybe even die.

But that's not all! Just as your average MMO does more than dramatize kinetic impact damage, most meters come with scripted HUDs (heads-up displays, essentially add-ons to the user interface) which displays target statistics, character statistics and combat abilities like skills or spells. It is, in essence, a lightweight MMO system. There are, however, two very important distinctions for game play.

First, with the (rare) exception of scripted NPCs, anyone you fight is another resident. So combat is nowhere near as frequent as it is in your standard MMO. Second, XP is gained in one of two ways. Either it is accumulated over time (so much XP per 5, 10 or 15 minutes of play) or awarded by a game master (usually a sim owner or officer). So in many cases you can be leveling even without having recourse to combat.

Thus, SL offers the roleplayer some attractive advantages. Not only do you have exquisite control over the appearance and design of your character, but you also accumulate experience (and thus levels) simply by doing what you do -- roleplaying.

Thanks for reading!