Couple dancing ("dance anywhere") in my Linden home

[Baz Swashbuckler]

I just acquired a Linden home on a premium account. My hope is to have a "dance anywhere" (in my home) capability for me and one friend, allowing either one of us to pick from the selection of dances, but it seems that the only way to get that flexibility and convenience is to spend like I'm setting up an entire dance club serving dozens of people.

If I don't want flexibility and convenience, I could clutter up my floor with couple dance balls, or I could wear a chimera or HUD that's accessible only to me, not my dance partner. Besides, chimeras and HUDs seem primarily focused on the individual dancer or line dancing, not couple dances.

If I want the flexibility and convenience to let me and my dance partner pick from a range of dances, anywhere in my home, the product choices I've found are focused on (and apparently priced for) serving lots of people across a large dance venue.

I'm NOT asking how to limit access to my home. I can handle that. The question is how to get the convenience and flexibility of a dance venue when it's just for two, without paying through the nose as if I'm setting up a new dance club.

Am I missing something? Is there no middle ground between the overkill of a full dance club and the "underkill" of a less flexible dance tool? Thanks.

[Freya Mokusei]

I don't like to advertise specific products, especially in the Answers area of the forum.

It seems, though, what you're seeing is due to a crossover in functionality. In Second Life what you pay for is the quantity of animations, NOT the number of users supported by the system. The animations are the expensive element that takes longest time to create. That's why, when you look at dance systems, they're all expensive - they support many users AND many dances. This causes them to be as expensive, regardless of where they're used.

What I'd suggest is that you and your friend look into buying a couple of standalone dance animations - not poseballs, not HUDs or scripted toys of any kind. They typically cost L$100-500 and - when triggered from your Inventory ('play in-world' in order for other users to see the animation, 'play locally' to preview it for just yourself) will allow you to dance anywhere.

[Lindal Kidd]

I'm afraid there really isn't a middle ground.  Any couples dance machine will be capable of covering an entire region, and in order to get a machine that will let either partner choose the dance, you'll need a club-type machine.

You can (maybe) save some money by buying an empty machine and loading it with your own dances.  But do shop around first, you may find a bargain in a "package deal", a machine with dances pre-loaded.

Some HUDs will contain, or let you add, couples dances.  Some of these rez poseballs, while others rely on "average avatar size" to establish positioning.  But no HUD will let BOTH of you access the menu and choose the dances.  You can give the Meike Hug&Kiss 2.0 Deluxe a try...it's free, and full permissions so you can edit it to add animations.  Pick one up from the vendor in the lobby of the Masocado Resort.  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Masocado/247/164/41

[Rhonda Huntress]

There are other options you may want to look at. Chimeras, or chim, are worn on your avatar and can be loaded with dance animations bought separately. There are also some AO's that have this ability built in. And finally there is building your own. If you or you friends have even a modest level of program experience, writing a single couple dance machine is a possibility.