Cats and lemurs living together? Mass hysteria!

July 11, 2013July 20, 2013 by Lisa Millar ♥ 2 Comments

Well, it’s not quite Ghostbusters but I needed a catchy title for this post where I’m going to have a quick natter with you about some new virtual breedable pets that are on the grid.

Back in the mists of time, when breedable pets originally launched on the grid, I got really into the Ozimals Bunnies and Wildwood Cats. Then I got heavily into Amaretto Horses and Kitty Cats..and then I realised I was being a little bit too crazy with my addiction and nipped it in the bud. I was spending way too much real life money on this hobby that I couldn’t actually afford to spend. I’m more sensible now and I tend to give the breedables a wide berth because I’ve realised that for me they are just too dangerously addictive , but I still love them.

Well, I checked out a couple of new virtual breedable pets this week and they couldn’t be more different to each other.

First up are ‘Imaginimals’ which the perceptive among you will realise at first look are re-branded Wildwoods. If you don’t remember Wildwoods they were pretty awesome, as I hope this picture from 2010 demonstrates.. (Click here for some of my old Flickr cat piccies!)

The name change is to reflect that the focus is not just on cats but about future releases too which will be other animals. I’m not going to get into the politics of what happened to Wildwoods, but I will say that I loved the product. I adored the way that they looked and I really enjoyed owning them, so I was keen to see what the re-launch had in store. I trotted over and had a look around. There are a few cats out in beta that you can take a closer look at there.

My first impressions are somewhat mixed. I love the shape of the body and I really like the majority of the textures that are being used for fur. But the eyes aren’t a patch on the ones that the Wildwoods had; they seem duller by comparison. The shape of the eye itself has changed too and it’s far less effective than the previous Wildwood eye shape. I also dislike the ear shape that I saw, it is a bit pointy whereas the previous ear was more cat-like, in my opinion. The cats I viewed were of course in beta test so they may well change..I almost hope that it does.

But then again, check out the picture above. Doesn’t this guy look great? When the cats are rolling around on the floor or in a seated pose they look rather grand and very regal, in the way that only cats can, but the walking movement was a bit of a letdown; it is best described as a strange forward-moonwalk trot/shuffle combination. I think the product needs a little more work but that’s the blessing of beta-testing, you can iron out the quirks before launch day. One final positive that I noted from my visit to the Imaginimals sim were the kittens. They actually birth kitten shapes, rather than boxes. These would look great in a basket and I envision that’s how many breeders will choose to sell them, they’re not especially detailed although I do I think it’s a nice touch.

I really rate some of the animations in the cats. The sleeping pose is really incredibly sweet as I hope the shot above demonstrates. I watched a Siamese slumber and it looked very natural for a stylised virtual cat! (If I was being hyper critical I’d say that it was breathing a little bit too fast..but perhaps it was dreaming?)

Do I think Kittycats should be shaken by this new feline competitor?

Absolutely not. I think Kittycats are well-established and successful for a number of reasons, not just because of their excellent product. They offer the full package, the cats look sensational, and the team behind them is justly proud of their excellent customer service and have a dedicated Kittycat community which would prove hard to break. I certainly think Kittycats have the edge when it comes to animations as well. That said, a bit of competition is very good for the consumer, so I don’t begrudge Imaginimals giving it another shot at all. This time I just hope that they have a more structured customer service in place and will be able to deal with their clientele more effectively, but I do wish them well and look forward to seeing the finished product at launch.

I sincerely hope however that a fresh start with a re-imagined product means they will be more respectful to their customers and provide a full customer support service which is keen to respond to questions when asked.

This has not always been the case, as this post from the excellent Breedables Inc. blog clearly proves.

When people pay money for a product, service is paramount, something that Kittycats CSR reps prove time and again. I hope Imaginimals can endeavour to follow that example so the past does not repeat itself.

In total contrast are the Zooby Lemurs.

Now, I love lemurs. There is an amazing wildlife park within driving distance to me that has a walk-through lemur enclosure, and it is outstanding. (There’s also a very good one at Blackpool Zoo of all places, my father-in-law got licked by a very affectionate Red-Ruffed Lemur while we were there!) Being surrounded by lemurs chilling and basically enjoying themselves is a very enjoyable and humbling experience. They are truly amazing animals and to see them brought to the grid as a breedable pet is really quite exciting. Team that with the fact that these are made by Zoobys and you have a dazzling breedable prospect. I mean, let’s face it, Zooby’s creates the best animals on the grid; they are always beautifully built and rendered and the textures that are used to coat the creatures are just bang on.

For me Zooby’s is the epitome of virtual animal creation in-world.

But I felt a bit disappointed when I visited the sim and just saw a lot of boxes and information and a couple of gorgeous, but static lemurs…

Don’t get me wrong, the location where the lemurs are located is great and the builds fabulous ( I love the temple styling and the way the product is boxed and presented) but if I’m going to spend money on these I need to see them moving around and doing Lemur stuff..

As gorgeous as they are, and believe me they REALLY are outstanding looking things, seeing them in a static pose does not encourage me to want to buy them.

Fortunately I bumped into a guy who was carrying his new Lemur and he told me that they were great virtual pets; they move about beautifully and follow you around at home too. He was really satisfied and excited by them. It was great to see him so enthused, so please Carrie Tatsu and Zooby Vella, let a few of the little fellas loose on the sim so we can get a better feel for these stunning virtual critters! Because I mean, just LOOK at them..

A tempting prospect aren’t they? Click HERE to visit Imaginimals and see the cats, and HERE to visit Zooby’s and see the Lemurs.

What do you think? Post your comments, how do you feel seeing the Imaginimals beta-cats and what do you think to the Zooby Lemurs? I’d be really interested in your thoughts, please add them below!

(A final note: I found a FANTASTIC BREEDABLE BLOG when I was mooching around the interwebz seeking links for this article. If you’re at all interested in Second Life Breedables, you must check it out. It’s curated by a lady called Aywren Sojourner and it’s an incredibly useful resource and interesting read to boot.)

Kitty Loves ‘The Etienne Set’ From Atelier Visconti

July 5, 2013July 5, 2013 by Lisa Millar ♥ 8 Comments

(Click on any image to enlarge)

I talk about texture a lot on the blog, but that’s because it’s so important. I mean, it’s one of the most essential elements of successful Second Life design, and it continues to amaze me when I come across shoddily manufactured items on sale, with textures that look like they’ve been dragged from a bargain basement bin. Why would you want to pay for an inferior product when a few Lindens more can get you something sensational?

A lot of people seem to think that because this is a virtual world everything should be cheap and cheerful and if that’s the way you want to play then that’s fine, but for me I get a real buzz out of something when it has clearly been crafted and worked upon with great care and sympathy towards the finished product. It doesn’t matter what it is, if the quality is there it will speak volumes about the creator, and of course about the eventual owner.

Today I’m sharing with you a collection of furniture that really evokes these quality principles. Nothing could be simpler in Second Life than making a sofa, chair and table combination but this is where a designer worth their onions can make a huge impact. It’s not just about the shape, but also about the texture, functionality and the overall quality of the finished product. Rather than a ‘bish, bash, bosh made it lets sell it’ approach, the conscientious content-creator will take their time and the results will naturally reflect this.

The Etienne Set from Atelier Visconti is a prime example of this ethos and features beautiful workmanship at a very reasonable price. This is an original mesh set aimed at outdoor dining, featuring a gazebo with delicate gauze curtains, a sofa,armchair, side table, low table and lanterns. It’s a perfect blend of quality elements with the textures that Stephan Visconti has selected for this piece turning it into a sensation.

The cushions are a gloriously comfortable spread of materials on a sturdy wicker base. The cloth textures look like a mixture of cotton, and I think some linen as well. The placement of textures and shadows along with the combination of fabrics mean that this sofa and chair look really relaxing and cozy but with a contemporary edge. I want to sit on this in real life, desperately. (We have a shop in my home-town that sells furniture like this but it’s well out of my price range and I’ve always wanted some. Now I’ve got some, sorta..YAY!)

What is even better is that the sofa fabrics can be changed to suit your own tastes. That’s actually a bit of an understatement really, because there are 24 textures resulting in 432 colour combinations. YIKES! (I didn’t do the maths!) This means you can chop and change your furniture look to suit mood and setting. All of the choices are equally excellent, and it’s fabulous fun selecting options from the HUD (great hud too, nice and easy to use!) to co-ordinate and contrast.

Etienne features quite a classical, muted colour-palette which I really like; the trend at present is for really loud hues but I like something that will look the part for a long time to come. In particular I really rate the patterned cushions with their floral design because they aren’t overpowering and don’t take away from the look of the overall piece.

Incidentally there’s another thoughtful touch, and that is that the chair and sofa have separate texture HUDS ; this means that you can really contrast your furniture pieces and create a look that’s unique to you.

But the quality isn’t just limited to the larger furniture pieces; it extends to the tables too. These are both stone topped tables adorned with excellent marble textures. Both the side table and low table feature different furniture patterns yet both work wonderfully together and are enhanced by the lanterns; one lit and one static that can be placed in or around the setting to create a gentle ambience. Not only that, but they’re juxtaposed perfectly with their elegant Verdigris framework that also extends to the foot of the sofa and chairs; and to the stunning, elegant Gazebo.

The Etienne Set is a creation that has lots of ‘zoomability’; and you will take great photographs using these pieces as your setting and I recommend that using these pieces you do just that.

But it’s not just about appearance, it’s about function too, and the sofa and chair both have an extensive range of poses for males, females and couples. When I say extensive, I’m under-playing it a little. There are 54 animations in the sofa (31 single, 23 friends/couples) and 33 in the chair (23 singles/10 couple) That’s an astonishing amount and yet again a further example of the quality of this piece. The poses are all excellent too, with a few quirky choices thrown in. For example there’s a nice lean onto the wicker arm, and a great pose called ‘curler’ which is me when I’ve got a hangover. (Try it; you’ll see exactly where I am coming from!)

It should be apparent by now dear reader that once you rez this furniture you’ll instantly see that a lot of thought, time and care has gone into its production and that’s something that I really value as a customer. Be assured that Etienne is going to win admiring glances from your peers, and it’s going to be extremely popular to get comfy on too. I don’t think it’s limited to being an outdoor piece either, exclude the gazebo and you have furniture that will work extremely well in a living room setting.

For now mine is erected on my patio, facing over the water. I can sit under my gazebo and gaze into the Second Life night sky as the stars begin to twinkle and it feels really good.

And that after all isn’t that what life it is all about; real or virtual?

I cannot recommend Etienne enough, please go and see if for yourself by clicking HERE.

Set containing ALL pieces (Gazebo, Sofa, Armchair, Side Table, Low table and lanterns(on static, one lit) has a total land impact of 28 and will set you back a mere L$1700. Which is a ruddy bargain for original mesh of such quality. Pieces are also available individually too.

A Blogger’s Despair….

July 4, 2013July 4, 2013 by Lisa Millar ♥ 6 Comments

Kitty sobbing at her keyboard earlier…

The past few hours have NOT been kind to me blog-wise.

I’ve been really conscious of my lack of blogging over the past few days. I’d gotten into a rhythm during the Avatar Blogger Crossfit Challenge, and I’ve been surprised to note that I’m missing blogging so frequently. Writing takes up a lot of time and of course I have to devote some of that to real life, but even so, it appears I had got into the daily habit and I was pining for it!
So last night I sat down and opened up Second Life to check my inventory and IM’s. I had a couple of blog-posts in mind and was going to start about writing them in earnest, when I spotted that I’d received a review package from Atelier Visconti, which really made me squeal with excitement. ( I did squeal actually, so much that ‘Jez’ shouted at me from his office down the hall!) My reaction though was pretty justified. Stephan Visconti makes bloody fantastic stuff, so the prospect of opening up a review box from him and seeing what was inside was a gloriously self-indulgent one indeed.

But alas, Second Life has a special talent for crashing your plans into a dirty heap upon the floor, and when I searched my inventory said package couldn’t be found. I spent ages, hunted high and low for it in a Morten Harket style, and even cleared cache and went through the whole rigmarole of re-loading my inventory. But the package had gone, leaving me pretty piddled off.
No matter. I was a Girl Guide in my youth after all, and I am all about ‘being prepared’. So I zoomed over to the main-store and thought I’d play about with the set in-situ, so at least I could blog it. There would be limitations alas (I wouldn’t be able to change the colour of the cushions, couldn’t position/take photos how I wanted to) BUT no biggy. I would do this creation justice!
Before I went to bed last night I sat down at my desk and wrote a few paragraphs and I was pretty pleased with what I had written. Sometimes when you’re writing something just clicks and a post feels really good. I was on a roll last night. My post was funny, I was enjoying writing it and I really was a girl on fire (In an Alicia Keys style, not due to a yeast infection.)
So imagine the expression upon my chops as I’ve just sat down to reopen my Word document to carry on writing my review and discovered that it’s gone. To say I look like a bulldog chewing a wasp is putting it mildly.
Well, let me elaborate, the document is there, but the four or five paragraphs I had written have disappeared. The page is blank. This vexes me. I am TERRIBLY vexed.
I’ve tried everything and realised that Mercury’s retrograde at the moment so I’m blaming that for my misfortune. I’ve cursed and yowled and would punt my PC out of the window if it wasn’t for the fact that I love it so much, but to say I’m annoyed is putting it bluntly.
Normal blogging service will therefore resume once I’ve calmed down a tad. It’ll take a few cups of tea and perhaps a chocolate biscuit, but I fully intend to blog ‘The Etienne Set’ by Atelier Visconti when I’m feeling a little more Kitty like!

I made it to the end, YAY! (Avatar Blogger Crossfit Challenge(Entry 30 of 30))

June 30, 2013July 11, 2013 by Lisa Millar ♥ 16 Comments

Thirty posts in thirty days doesn’t *seem* like it’s going to be too taxing, but believe me, it really is. I have no idea how some bloggers do it, but I confess writing every day has been a challenge.

So what have I learned? Well, I write a lot. I’m sorry, but I can’t help it! I have a tendency to waffle but heck, that’s my style and it’s served me well since 2007! I don’t like to post meaningless, superficial updates to my blog if I can help it, and that obviously contributes to the length of time it takes me to write a post. Of course that’s not taking into account creating the images that need to go with each entry; another time-consuming task even though my skills are somewhere near the bottom of the league;and then there’s the fact that if I ever get sent any items to review I have to take my time and write a proper review. Look, if a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well, and I’m a typical Virgo in that sense.

Would I do such a challenge again? Hmm..perhaps, but probably not. It’s proved that my regimen of updating the blog a few times a week (usually three) works best for me. By keeping to that schedule I have the time to consider what I’m writing and compile an interesting post for readers. I can take my time over it, and it fits better into my real life schedule. But this challenge has really opened my eyes to some great writers out there, and I’ve been impressed by my fellow bloggers.

Here are four blogs that I have really enjoyed, although of all my fellow bloggers that contributed to the challenge are pretty darn good!

Alex and Hero are relatively new bloggers and I’m now a huge fan. I love their styling and writing and have added them to my follow list. The blog is fresh and fashionable and promises lots of great pictures and posts!
Stuffery is another blog I’ve fallen in love with. I really like the fact that the writer, Anarya Elderslie, is evidently a Whovian, and she also inspired me to obtain my own disclosure policy, so thank you for that!
Chaotic Virtuality, despite the title, is anything but. In fact it’s a great looking blog, full of colour and great photographs from the ravishing Ravensong Merlin (who has the best about.me page image I’ve ever seen. LOVE it!)
The League Of Extraordinary Fashionistas are certainly fans of Royston Vasey’s ‘special stuff’ and have kept me entertained with their posts over the month. I especially like the photographs they feature; they use very different wind light settings to myself (I’m always afraid my pictures will look more pants than ever when I experiment) yet they get away with it, so they must be ruddy experts! A very impressive blog indeed. Arrgh! (said in a Pirate style..)

I featured the list of bloggers at the beginning of the month, but I’m going to publish again so that you can, if you wish, visit each one in turn and decide if it’s a blog you’d like to follow. I’ll also add them to my blog roll (A time-consuming task but I’m proud to be associated with each and every one!)

A final thought: thanks to everyone involved in creating this challenge and bringing it to Second Life.

It’s been hard work, but definitely worth it. Second Life has a lot for us bloggers to write about, as I hope that this challenge has proven!

Here’s the list of contributors again, and well done everyone!

1. BACON SPAM
flickr.com/photos/sillyblog

2. ALEX AND HERO
alexandhero.wordpress.com

3. RAVALATION
ravalation.blogspot.com

4. LIVING IN A MODEMWORLD
modemworld.wordpress.com

5. STRAWBERRY SINGH.com
strawberrysingh.com

6. PAYPABAK WRITER
paywriter.tumblr.com

7. A COZEY SECOND LIFE
cozeyinsl.wordpress.com

8. STUFFERY
stuffery.crashthemode.net

9. PICS BY PEEP
picsbypeep.com