Inworld

As we mentioned in our last blog post,  the Customer Support team continues to drive a series of changes to the  way in which Linden Lab delivers support to our Resident community.  We  are examining our support offering from top to bottom, using the data  from our new support system, your survey data, blog feedback, and  industry standard practices to help shape our approach.

Some  of our changes will be apparent to you, like the look and feel of the  new case and live chat systems and our coming self-service tools. Others  will be structural and won't be immediately apparent, like our internal  support tools, but their benefits will reveal themselves over time as  they enable us to address your issues more quickly.

As we approach these changes, we have a number of high-level goals in mind:

• Leverage industry best practices, and our own hard-earned lessons, to create a comprehensive customer service offering.
• Respond to high-urgency, business-critical requests more quickly.
• Better address product and service issues before they become a support interaction.
• Provide all Residents with better self-service tools to help solve issues immediately.

Changes to Support for Basic Residents

As  part of these changes, we are examining the types of support we offer  Residents of all levels, in an effort to provide better, more responsive  service to the most business-critical issues.  Starting on Wednesday,  October 13th, we will simplify and reduce the types of cases that Basic  Residents can file and direct them to our self-service tools on your account page, or search the Knowledge Base or Second Life Answers for solutions.  As a Basic Resident, you can still file cases about  most account issues, billing issues, marketplace issues, and some  technical issues.

Improving Support for Premium and Concierge Residents

As  we increasingly direct Basic Residents to self-service tools, we are  exploring ways that we can better service and support our Premium and  Concierge Residents.  These Residents –who are often landowners,  merchants, and inworld business owners– will continue to be able to file  the full range of cases, have access support via live chat, and in the  case of Concierge Residents, have access to phone support.  As we begin  to see the impact of the changes we have underway, we expect our  response times across all of these channels to improve.

This  announcement is one of many to come soon as we work hard to provide  faster, more effective customer service. We look forward to hearing your  feedback as these changes roll out.

Behind the Scenes of Octoberville

When you visit a place such as Octoberville you think of haunted houses, mazes, hunts, Crowbar, and making friends, but there is so much more to Octoberville than meets the eye.

Beginning with a brainstorming session that usually takes place in June; we devise the continuing story of Octoberville. Sometimes, it can be quite a challenge to maintain the original sleepy, autumn feel, while adding the elements of fear and delightful frustration that Octoberville is known for.

As the project manager, it is my job to make sure that everyone is on the same page and we are on schedule to have the build completed and tested by October 1st. This can be quite a challenge as we all have real life jobs and responsibilities to balance as well. It is also difficult to motivate people to work on autumn projects when its 90 degrees outside and thoughts of swimming pools and backyard barbeques seem more relevant.

By September 1st, the main maze and general layout of Octoberville is completed, but the haunted house and the actual game still needs to be developed. With only a month left to create the meat of the game, life becomes more hectic. Everyone in the family, including our daughters, is consumed with finishing the project. After school, before and after work, during dinner, we are sharing ideas, arguing points, and putting the pieces together that will soon become many fans’ favorite Second Life event.

By the middle of September, nerves are on edge and we, too, are counting down the days until October 1st. While Nathan is finishing up the code to the hunt, Master Kaos is coming up with puzzling rooms for the haunted house and putting finishing details around the rest of Octoberville to make everything look realistic. My daughters are taking the scripted hunt items and hiding them, while I am making sure that everything flows correctly and ensuring there are no holes in the game.

The final week before opening is probably the most stressful time of the year. We are hiding the last of the items and testing the game in its entirety.

Finally, on October 1st, our efforts pay off as we watch Octoberville become filled to capacity with fans within 1 minute after opening.

Photos by Taylor Flanagan

About the Author: Cherub Spectre (along with Master Kaos and Nathan Oddfellow) is the creator and designer of Octoberville, which is celebrating its seventh year on the grid.  Visit Octoberville in Second Life!

Share your favorite sims and eeriest events!

It’s that time of year again — time to get out your witch’s hats, dust off those broomsticks and don your spookiest, scariest costumes for a frightful Haunted celebration. This spooky season is a favorite in Second Life.

What are your favorite places to celebrate all things ghoulish? Are you a builder, designer, costume expert or fright fanatic? Share your insights! Get into the spirit of the season and help guide Residents to your top spooky spots.

Got a favorite fall hayride location, or an awe-inspiring apple-picking area? Post a link to the scariest sim or the most happening Halloween event locale. Share your frightening favorites — and all the autumn awesomeness! — in the comments section.

Get excited!

KpS9jNmCi3s

How has your SL look changed over the years? Share your favorite SL evolution photos in the Group Pool on Flickr and add your comments to the discussion. Check out Eshi Otawara's looks throughout the years here.

Check out the SL Flikcr Pic of the Day, "With a Friend," by Charlotte Caxon."

For over two years, I have written daily about SL fashion for my blog, “A Passion for Virtual Fashion,” and I co-lead Relay for Life’s Fashion for Life, which is one of the biggest fashion charity events on the grid. Linden Lab graciously invited me to share my expertise.

The other day, I saw a TV ad for a fashion show about five easy pieces for one’s real life wardrobe. This got me thinking about five essential pieces in SL.

1. An AO

The Animation Override (AO) is a script that replaces the avatar's standard animations. An AO will provide those “non verbal cues” that say who you are—manly man, nerd, anime girl, kitsune pup, fashionista. Purchase a preloaded HUD (Heads Up Display) or buy animations and load them into a HUD (or into a special folder in some third party viewers) and replace the “newbie waddle.”

 

2. Shape 

The shape of an avatar is the frame of your avatar. It is our “body” and the core of our virtual selves. Buy a modifiable one from a good shape maker and tweak it to your personal tastes rather than starting from scratch. Making a pleasingly proportionate avatar is harder than it looks.

 

3. Skin 

The skin is the decoration on your basic shape. You can’t have an avatar without a skin. The skin you purchase should be a statement about you and should please your eye. Consider a neutral skin so you can change it using the five additional makeup layers that SL allows.

 

4. Hair

Hair is a huge differentiator between avatars. Whether you want a cute ponytail, luscious locks, a sassy pixie cut, a mohawk or a mullet. Combining regular prims, flexies, and sculpties (and soon mesh) with gorgeous textures and scripted features, hair is one of the engineering wonders of SL.

 

5. Eyes

Our avatar’s eyes move to follow our sight line as well as blink, giving avatars a human quality. When the eyes are flat or bland, the entire avatar looks “fake.” Eyes are an inexpensive investment change you from cartoonish to alive.

Want to know more about the great content I have featured? Check out this entry on my blog for references and SLURLS.

What are your five easy pieces? Leave a comment here!

 

ABOUT HARPER BERESFORD:

Harper Beresford writes about Second Life fashion on her blog  “A Passion for Virtual Fashion.” Her work has appeared in Harper's Bizarre, Architectural Digest (Italy) and numerous other outlets.

She is one of today's Fashion Experts and will be "on call" to respond to comments and answer questions both here and in the Fashion Forums from 9 am - 4 pm, Pacific Standard Time, Monday, September 19. 

Making your own Halloween _______.


So you've had lots of fun exploring the various haunted houses, maddening mazes, and other spooky spots celebrating Halloween in Second Life this year and you say to yourself, “But I can make a better Halloween _______ than that!” Maybe you can, but it takes a bit of planning to bodge something together. Good thing you have a year for putting it all together.

First you need to sort out what kind of venue it will be. A so-called “dark ride” like you find in amusement parks? How about a walk-through haunted house or even a haunted forest? The assets you have will be your biggest consideration in this decision with land being chief among them. Fortunately, Janeforyou Barbara let me use a large chunk of her land and a few thousand prims to make my fourth annual Halloween treat, the Menagerie Isle Haunted House  My dream is to one day use a whole region as the folks at Innsmouth do, but even if you have only a 117-prim, 512-square meter parcel, you can put together something great if you have great ideas. It all comes together with the decorating.

That's the where the theme comes in. Popping about Second Life this year, I saw a greater variety than ever before, but paying tribute to horror films was quite popular, especially zombie flicks. Even folks who usually don't go see the likes of Freddy, Jason, and their kin in theaters will, thanks to mass marketing, be familiar with the characters — so your intent is clear, but these themes might be so mainstream that their familiarity could decrease their impact. Think carefully about clever ways to incorporate pop-horror into your creations while seriously considering more traditional items like ghosts and skeletons.

This means you also need to think about the build itself. Get together with your team, or if you don't have one, frequently invite friends to give you a third-party perspective. This is my second year with a two-stage installation at Menagerie Isle: a pre-show walkabout in a decrepit mansion made by BailyMarie Princess and available in her shop at Abbey Island, every room decorated with spiders or ghosts or... well, I won't spoil the surprises. Then there is a dark ride through several themed tableaus that eventually ends in an eerie graveyard where anyone who survived can pick up a gift before running off. I used many commercially sourced items — ghosts, spiders, furniture, etc. — along with custom textures and items I made myself. Because I worked alone, I had several people look in to catch my mistakes, such as when the ride stopped at a certain spot if two or more folks were in the car at the same time.

Assets, theme, and build are the basic components. Post your ideas in the comments for what you like to see in a Halloween attraction, whether you are a builder or not. I’d also like to see your suggestions, with SLurls if you can, for what you thought were great attractions or places to shop. Don't be scared to post something!

Bay City Hay Halloween Maze

The Linden Moles and the Bay City Alliance have a Hay Maze full of whimsical fun and prizes.

Bewitched Haunted Dark Forest

The Bewitched Haunted Dark Forest is a whole region of spookiness.

Isle of Ewe

Shops can be attractions, too! The Isle of Ewe has dressed up for the holiday and the Meeroos have gotten into the spirit of things.

Day 7 of Modavia Fashion Week has just dawned at the time I’m writing this.  Two days to go...and I finally have a small window of time to reflect on things.  It strikes me that this event brings pretty much everything that I love (and a little that I loathe) about Second Life into clear focus.

MFW2011 Glam Affair photographed by July Raymaker

In all, we will have presented over 600 brand new designs, which does not include all the specially-made accessories, shoes, hairstyles and skins exclusively prepared for the event by the end of this week.

MFW2011 SHI photographed by Joy Laperriere

Sixty five designers, 50 models, 8 dj’s, 12 photographers, 20 sponsors and a small but dedicated production crew bring about 50 hours of fashion magic to the Fashion Week runway each year.

MFW2011 Sonatta Morales photographed by Petra Messioptra

The real cost in time to prepare an event like this includes conceptualising and making the outfits, styling each look and preparing runway poses, building the runways, shooting, processing and posting over 2,000 photographs, and the millions of small things that are involved in organising and marketing an event of this kind. I would estimate it takes thousands and thousands of hours.

MFW2011 Ladies who lunch photographed by Queen Watanabe

Now forgive me for being very obviously biased in a major way, but this is incredible.  It demonstrates an extraordinary level of cooperation and joint work from avatars whose real life personas span almost every major country in the world.  People with jobs, families and places to be.  And let’s be frank — apart from a small elite group, nobody is really making a killing financially in SL.

So, why do people do it?  I’m not just talking about a bunch of people jollying along for a week.  This is intense, intricate and often very stressful interaction that requires a high level of organisation, focus and dedication.  And a highly evolved ability to get along with other people to overcome the not insignificant challenge of different time zones and language barriers and, of course, navigate the multiple technical difficulties inherent in the Second Life platform.

MFW2011 Vero Modero photographed by Eira Juliesse

The fashion industry in SL is a crucible of creativity and energy generated by people of very disparate backgrounds who co-operate at an extraordinary level and I purport that experience gained while working in a Second Life virtual company, particularly in this industry, can be enormously valuable in real life.  I would recommend it to anyone who wants to hone their interpersonal skills and enhance their ability to work or manage and, most importantly, motivate people in a uniquely challenging environment.  It isn’t easy — and that’s the whole point.

http://www.modaviafashionmarketing.com/wordpress/the-home-of-couture/
http://issuu.com/modavia_fashion_directory/docs/mfd20
http://www.flickr.com/photos/modavia/collections/72157627290524863/
http://slurl.com/secondlife/MODAVIA%20II/114/48/23

ABOUT POPTART LILLIEHOOK

I have been in Second Life for almost 4 years and have been associated with Modavia and the fashion industry in-world for almost that long.  In RL I have fashion and design clients as well and have been fascinated by the parallels and differences between the two worlds.

Poptart is one of today's Fashion Experts and will be "on call" to respond to comments and answer questions both here and in the Fashion Forums from 9 am - 4 pm, Pacific Standard Time, Tuesday, September 20. 

Check out the Second Life Pic of the Day, "Snapshot", photo by Argus Collingwood. Don't forget to check out Second Life on Tumblr, Facebook and Google Plus!

A film called Life 2.0 will air Thursday evening on OWN (Oprah’s TV network). The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010 and follows several Second Life users, illustrating some of the ways Second Life affected their offline lives (and vice versa).

You can watch the trailer for the film here, and check out some past reviews from Second Life Resident (and Betterverse blogger) Rik Riel, as well as from The New York Times, the Huffington Post, and the Village Voice.

The film and its portrayal of Second Life inspire a mix of reactions from audiences. If you watch the movie, we encourage you to add your voices and personal perspectives on Second Life to the conversations the film may spark — it’s a good opportunity for us all to talk about what we think makes Second Life interesting and special. If you’re on Twitter, you can join the conversation at #Life2.0.

Check out the Second Life Pic of the Day, "Vic Rossini" by Vic Rossini. Don't forget to check out Second Life on Tumblr, Facebook and Google Plus!

Zombies have invaded Second Life! There are a ton of stumbling, bloodthirsty freaks just waiting to go on the attack against you. Situated on blood-splattered sims and definitely scare-worthy, these zombies are more gruesome than your average ghoul. Zap ’em dead fast by following one of these step-by-step guides — select the one that matches how much time you have to kill (bad pun intended):

Got an Hour?

• The Quick Kill: Getting Started in Less than an Hour

Got Several Hours?

• Professional Zombie Slaying: A Guide for Hunters with Several Hours to Kill

Got Days?

• Zombie Maniacs: For Zombie Hunts Over Many Days or Weeks

The Quick Kill: Getting Started in Less Than an Hour

Want a brainless diversion with the braindead? If you are new to Second Life (or to zombie-slaying in general), this guide will take you right into the action. Dive in and take out the undead in less time than it takes to watch an episode of “The Walking Dead.”

1. Connect to Second Life
If you aren’t yet a member of Second Life, then join now! It’s fast... and free.
(If you want to learn even more about the basics of SL, we recommend Strawberry Singh’s Newbie Resource Guide). Already a member? Great! Fire up your Second Life Viewer to start zombie huntin'!

2. Choose a Zombie location.
There are tons of Zombie spots to pick from — each is unique and created by a resident of Second Life. For example, a location like the Dead Zone is ideal if you want to immediately immerse yourself in the action and only have 30 minutes or so. So, we’ll start there...

3.Find the Dead Zone –

After you have logged in to Second Life, you can find the Dead Zone through the link above. The Dead Zone is on the Gigi Solace region, so the above link will allow you to view this location on a map. Once you launch the map, it shows you the location that you’ll want to visit. Click “Visit this location”



Inside Second Life, you’ll notice that the Web link has opened a right side panel with a prompt to Teleport into the location: Click that button – and prepare for the zombie attack!

Once you arrive, you will see a sign on the wall to your left. You’ll need to first join the zombie hunting group for this location. Click the sign and accept the group invitation.

After you join the group, you can then grab your free gun to the left by clicking on the sign on the wall.

 

You should now see the gun offered to you in the lower right side of your screen. Select “Keep” to accept the free gun.

Click “Keep” in the message that appears in the lower right.

Click the suitcase icon on the right of your viewer screen to open your inventory, then click the “Recent” tab and right click on the gun in the folder “Dead Zone Free Gun."

Even after you are “wearing” the gun, you won’t see it until you type the word “draw” into the chat window and the gun will appear:

Go into "mouselook” mode by hitting the letter “M” on your keyboard (outside of the chat bar) whenever you want to shoot the gun. Click your mouse to fire.

Get warmed up at target practice, and then make your way to the streets of the Dead Zone to start shooting Zombies!

There are tons of amazing, Resident-created Zombie locations inworld. Here are two more that are especially ideal if you have less than an hour to play:

• Darkness Falls @ Pandemonium
• Zombie Attack

Professional Zombie Slaying: A Guide for Hunters with Several Hours to Kill

If you’re settling in for the evening or your boss is on vacation, you’re probably itching for a Zombie marathon with a bit more staying power. Once you’ve invested a little more time, several SL zombie locations can take you deeper into strategy, costuming, weaponry and exploration.

1. Sign in to your Second Life Viewer and teleport to the Urban Zombie, where you can find a whole herd of evil zombies ready to devour you. There are tons of zombie spots to pick from — each is unique and created by a resident of Second Life. But a location like the The Urban Zombie is ideal if you are more than a casual gamer and want to really get into the action.

This eerie abandoned city is the perfect location to hunt zombies — explore the haunted alleys and dark passageways, but be on the lookout for not-so-nice visitors!

2. Grab the HUD when you first arrive by clicking on the box.

3. Wear the HUD.
How? First, you’ll find it as a new item (labeled “GRIM COMBAT SYSTEM HUD”) in your Inventory. To open it, drop and drag it to the ground and then click on the item to open/unpack it and “Copy to Inventory.”

In your Inventory,  you can now “wear” the HUD by simply adding it to your current outfit — and you’ll be suited up to go!

For a complete explanation of the HUD and combat features, please see the Grim Combat System notecard that was added to your inventory when you picked up the free HUD. You’ll notice that the HUD features scores and experience points, as well as tracking of quests and missions. If you have the time, this is worth checking out!

4. Equip yourself with a gun.
If you need a free gun, there is a sign to the right of the free HUD that offers you “Free Guns.”  Place your mouse over the sign and wait for the pop-up, then select “Take Copy” and then “Buy.” Don’t worry, it is set to “free,” so you won’t be charged. This item is now in your inventory, so you can drag it from the inventory to the ground to rez it. Then, right-click open and copy to inventory.

In your inventory, you can highlight the gun you want (look under the folder “Urban Zombie Free Guns”) and then right-click Wear to select it.

5. Zap Zombies.
When you are ready for combat, type in “draw” into the chat bar to show your weapon. At this point, you can enter “M” outside the chat bar to enter mouselook and start shooting!

You can buy armor and other accessories nearby — keep an eye out for the signs. Go into mouselook to shoot your guns. Once you’re armed and ready, head over to where the action is — watch your back! These zombies move fast!

Check out these other cool, immersive zombie experiences:

• Miho's Zombie Attack
• The Maze

Zombie Maniacs: For Zombie Hunts Over Many Days or Weeks

For Second Life Residents who simply can’t get enough zombie action in a single session, there are even more zombie-fighting options that will immerse you deeper into the combat gameplay. One example of this is Bloodbath and Beyond. Below we walk you through this experience and point out tips that apply to similar Second Life locations.

Bloodbath & Beyond looks and feels like playing an MMORPG within Second Life. In this fantasy medieval role-playing sim, you fight zombies, skeletons and elves, complete quests for prizes and rewards, drink potions to rejuvenate, and much more. Play with friends and even level up.

1. Learn the rules.

Like most role-play games, plan to start by spending 20 minutes or so reading all the background information. In Bloodbath and Beyond, one wall makes it easy for you to contact the sim owners for help and questions. To really appreciate the intricacies of this game, you should start by reading the rules provided in the notecard that you’ll receive alongside your free HUD.

2. Join the group. Interact with other role-players, ask questions and get notified of fun things and announcements. New to Second Life Groups? Here's more on how they work.

3. Dress the part. A must for enjoying role-play. You’ll see banners at the landing point for Bloodbath & Beyond to help you get started. Note that this particular location has a medieval fantasy theme, so you’ll have the best experience if your dress the part.

4. Carry a weapon. Start with a free weapon and combat HUD. In this location, guns are not allowed so you’ll be given a free starter pack with a longbow and long sword. Your HUD has several advanced features and helps to track scores, experience points, quests and missions. For a complete explanation, please see the Grim Combat System notecard that was added to your inventory when you picked up the HUD.




5. Keep score. Zombie hunters always have guts, but there’s also glory:

So log in to Grimley's Bloodbath and Beyond, kick back and have some fun!

Check out these other great Zombie-slaying locations perfect for long-term play:

• Zombie City
• Zombie Bloodbath



Check out the Second Life Pic of the Day, "Caught in the Vast ..." by Kimbra Iridescent. Don't forget to check out Second Life on Tumblr, Facebook and Google Plus!

Check out the Second Life Pic of the Day, "Living Among Nature" by Kylie Jaxxon. Don't forget to check out Second Life on Tumblr, Facebook and Google Plus!

Check out the Second Life Pic of the Day, "Evensong Woods - IV." , photo by Caitlin Tobias. Don't forget to check out Second Life on Tumblr, Facebook and Google Plus

Check out the Second Life Pic of the Day, "kh2", photo by Isabelli Anatine Don't forget to chek out Second Life on Tumblr, Facebook and Google Plus!

Check out the Second Life Pic of the Day, "End of day" by Caitlin 'Caity' Tobias Don't forget to check out Second Life on Tumblr, Facebook and Google Plus

Check out the Second Life Pic of the Day, "Old Japan Roleplay" , photo by Lady Fandango. Don't forget to check out Second Life on Tumblr, Facebook and Google Plus!

Check out the SL Flikcr Pic of the Day, "Libby March," by Libby Farleigh.

Check out the SL Flickr Pic of the Day, "Venice," By Tomais Ashdene. Go inworld here.

Check out the Second Life Pic of the Day, "Culture Shock Preview", photo by apploniacriss.  Don't forget to check out Second Life on Tumblr, Facebook and Google Plus!