Raspberry Crystal

This is really lovely Elena! Such a cute theme

I've always assumed that you must derender a lot of stuff, because you've mentioned it frequently before, especially as a solution to problems others may be having with neighbours. Maybe that assumption was incorrect and you really do embrace the chaos! I easily get overwhelmed with too much contradiction, low slung floating plywood platforms, glow in the dark trees, square patches of ground snow in an otherwise green neighbourhood. I theorise the reason that you are not finding the newly revealed theme puzzling, is because you share a culture with its creator, you understand the editing. You will not be eating your breakfast wearing a frown and wondering who did the marketing exercise that made such a strong association between half-timbered buildings and Bavaria that it led to a theme park being built in Georgia USA (there are a lot of places in Europe with half timbered buildings..why Bavaria..and if Bavaria why not their more unique buildings?) To me it is a strange and arbitrary as someone making 'american mail-box world' in say, Coventry UK, completely modelled on some random spot in , say Idaho, and then if a mail box is seen in second life, the comments would be 'ooh it's just like Idaho'. Part of the fascination, and opportunity of second life is in seeing things, the world, people, through the lens of their creations or style choices, and in attempting to see the world through another's eyes. It seems we have more opportunities to understand the culture of the USA through this theme, than the culture of Bavaria. I could understand a Bavarian being a bit miffed at that. For myself, I will most likely learn something and alter my own world view to fit the new information. Patch himself remains a huge puzzle, he would maybe think the same if he ever thought of me, which I doubt

I like the Eidelweiss best too, because it is the model which looks most like the 1930s mock tudor houses which I remember from my childhood (in the uk)! What does the word *chalet* mean in American English? Is it just another word for house? I would think of a chalet style house like this below so the name is quite confusing. The new theme look like 'half timbered houses' to me (which even more confusingly literally describes the chalet below!)

What a lovely photo Chloe!

I think you have hit on an excellent strategy Loretta. See these homes as American mock tudor, I'm sure it is a closer fit stylewise than trying to bend them to become more European. The actual homes in SL are pretty on the outside, but I really wish they had the stonework featured in your photo. The insides feel like a rehash of the log homes, and I'm not sure how easy it would be to get around those brown window frames for interior decor. In combination with the victorian doors they feel like a trend that was popular here in the UK in the eighties. I'd just need some light blocking austrian blinds and a faux coal gas fire to complete the look! The landscaping around the houses is generally pleasing, I'm loving the spring flowers. The windmill is nice, no idea if it feels german or not. On google I can see preserved versions of american ones which look similar so it doesn't need to interfere with the Amerimocktudor theme:)

Yeah, I've finally found an image of actual houses in actual Bavaria which have the timber framing! Once you split these up into smaller individual homes, flatten the roofs, simplify the colour scheme, take out 80% of the detail, and then for some reason add a Victorian door you do end up with something looking like the demo models. There's still no explanation as to why they have been called chalets though? It's not possible to avoid the issue that basing a theme on a pastiche is going to end up with weird results. Using original and authentic source material is a fundamental principle in design (usually). However, unlike some previous British commentators, I rather like 1930s Mock tudor houses, and this is definitely where my mind went when I first saw these models. This is an example of a house near where I lived as a child. They do need a bit of brick to make them look right though. It might be a tough task to design around those brown window surrounds, and if the neighbours have gone gone the full Disney there's a chance that nothing could be done to redeem the situation. Referring to what @Sylvia Tamalyn said earlier, 'Your World, Your Imagination'. Unfortunately that only holds if you have the modelling skills to create that, otherwise you are stuck with whatever you can find. It's a much harder task to make something which represents a culture lying outside the US, simply due to the demographics of the creators inworld. These homes, which are 'european through an american lens' are an example of that. As for nitpicking comment, @LittleMe Jewell, I'll put that down to lack of experience. Being an american in second life is like being right handed in the real world. You simply don't notice the aggravation because for you it doesn't exist. I'm not blaming you for that, just pointing it out.

Actually, I'm not too worried about these being more american homes, it was the sheer brain fogging confusion of not knowing what was going on which bothered me

It looks like a hybrid to me, Bavaria with a dollop of american hotdog sauce

Yes, which is in America!

They look American, that's why it's been so weird. It's an americanised version of Bavaria, which is fine, it's was just so abstract though! (to guess I mean)

SO THAT is why the teaser photo was so difficult to decipher, these homes are based on a town which is an American interpretation of Bavaria, and then on top of that they've been Bellissarily Second Lifed!! Hence the strange mountain cabin / victorian farmhouse mix of styles. All I needed was an explanation

Not been to see these yet, I'll wait until it is is quiet. Ooh I just looked it up and Helen, Georgia is in America? So these are american homes? Very puzzled.

Thank you for the translation!

Does he mean 'not the continent which contains North America?'.

I may have gone the opposite way, I'm feeling a bit 'past it' now and disappeared back into opensim for a while to escape. Having landed that lovely Fourze houseboat gave me a dilemma, as I know how hard it will be to to get the prime stilt-home spots during actual release time, because of all the clickers out there competing. It really is nice to join in the rush but.... it may be easier and less stressful to get a great place later, and take advantage of an ultra-hopper letting go their excess catches. However we'll see how that logic holds out once the stampede begins!

@Chloe Dolores thank you, I've snagged the Fourze houseboat, love the lake views

Sorry, I should have been clearer, I meant is it too late to fit this idea into one of the designs not yet built. I'm wondering how fixed those designs are now.

Having surveyed some mainland properties, I'm not sure how good it would look to have either extremely long poles, or floating poles either. A floating dock would be more natural for deep water? Is it too late for that?

Water depth off the Houseboat in Yorith is around 6.4m, and the dock legs seem to *just* touch the sea bed.

These @Abnor Mole posts really lend some insight into how things end up the way they are. I do appreciate them. I've just grabbed a houseboat in Yorith, a millipede property which floats over a fairly deep sea-bed (somewhere off the south-west corner of the Victorian continent, the map is playing up for me so can't be more exact) I wonder if the stilt millipede houseboats might have a better water depth for Mer construction?

Absolutely, I know there is some underwater stuff, but I would like more. The old continent has some weird and wonderful marine exploration spots (watch out for hazards though!)

Playing with a Quad while we wait for stilts, still plenty of Li free.

Just Americans having the holiday, it's a local thing.

Family portrait, before the stilt twins are born.

Let's not get carried away with fanciful notions, imagine instead what could be made with all the spare parts left over from previous builds and a bit of retexturing....