Zilar Deluxe – Kittywitchin'

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.)

I’m going to take a break from Breedable drama, but focus on Breedable niceness for a change. As readers will know I’m a huge fan of the Wildwood Cats, in fact it’s fair to say that I am somewhat besotted with them. I always knew that when cats finally made Breedable status on the grid I’d be there like a shot, and I was. I took place in the Krazy Kitties beta, but they weren’t really what I was after. They didn’t have the coat colours that I wanted, because I want to replicate my real life cat collective in Second Life, and celebrate the cats that I love, and have lost in real life in the virtual world. I don’t see anything creepy in that; I know these cats aren’t real and of course they can’t replace my real life moggies, but I’m sure fellow enthsiasts will understand my motives. It’s sort of nice to know that in a virtual world the pet you have lost can have some sort of presence enabling them to continue in a fashion..unless recent events cause otherwise. ( But I said I wasn’t going to talk about that)

When the Wildwood pelt previews came out I was totally chuffed to pieces to see a bicolour black and white represented, and knew I would have to have one. You see, earlier this year I had my beloved black and white lad, Moth, put to rest after a long illness. As pet owners and carers it’s the hardest thing in the world to have to make the decision to end the life of your pet, but at the same time it is the ultimate kindness.

I grieved like all pet owners do, and I’m now in a place where I can happily look back at my time with him and smile because, well, Moth was a special cat indeed. He was, to be honest, the dumbest cat I have ever come across in my entire cat-owning life. I have *never* known a cat move so slowly or look so, well, totally vacant all the time. In fact, it was obvious to not just me, but to my other cats as well that Moth, well, he wasn’t all there. But they didn’t harrass him, nor make a fuss..He was a totally integrated member of the family and loved by us all. He had a purr like a Rolls Royce engine, and he was a very loving, if totally demented little lad. All my other cats would catch mice and birds on occasion, Moth didn’t do much of that himself, BUT I do recall one incident where I was in the kitchen and Moth came through the cat-flap mewling his head off..a very persistent call that clearly meant ‘Mum! Look What I’ve got!’ I expected my little chum to proudly deposit a mouse at my feet..but no, my clever wee man had found something even better.
A piece of broken polystyrene packagine.Even better than that; polystyrene is reknowned for static cling, and Moth (despite having a short coat) was a bit of a furry beast, so it was with some alarm that he realised he couldn’t present his polystyrene trophy to his mum, because it was stuck to him. Cue much mirth as I chased him around trying to remove it from his coat. Still a gift is a gift and I accepted it with gratitude. I like to think he was proud of himself in his own special way. Cue many years later, and we got our dog, Indy, and she’s fitted in with my five remaining cats brilliantly. Moth liked her very much, because she was very warm and snuggly, and most days I would find him cuddled up to her, especially as his life was coming to an end. ( You can see a video of both of them together by visiting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQdt5XRpZ1M)

Moth was not the brightest button in the box. But I adored him…just like I adore my Wildwood representation of him. Thanks then to Mika and Zilar, for enabling this little fantasy of mine because if it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have these glorious cats at all.