• Welcome to the new COTI server. We've moved the Citizens to a new server. Please let us know in the COTI Website issue forum if you find any problems.

Second Life

Most excellent! I found the Traveller group about two weeks ago, and I'm looking forward to see what you've developed.
TPing to a scout interior is a great workaround, congrats on that.
I've been working to build a decent looking vacc suit for a while...and it's been a bit of a pain getting the textures just right to satisfy me. Any endeavour like this in SL is a tremendous amount of work - and a tribute to the dedication of Traveller fans.
I also thing SL would be a GREAT setting for a Call of Cthulhu campaign...especially considering some of the defintely freaky avi's I've encountered there from time to time.
 
Dear Folks -

Originally posted by alanb:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by kafka47:
Traveller more than any other SFRPG is condusive to LARPing because of its miminalist aesthetic.
Click to expand...
FWIW, Traveller LARPs were being run at conventions in Australia in the early 80s. About 25 years ago, now!</font>[/QUOTE]Except we called them "freeforms"... ;)

I played in one at Cancon one year, where we were stuck aboard the Imperial Palace...
 
Ravs,

Thanks for your interest. I've got a few screenshots of the incomplete work on the Yahoo Deckplans group. Direct link is here:

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/deckplans/files/Second%20Life%20Build/

As for the game, we had a playtest on Monday. Just a brief little scenario. It went well, and showed that the system we're setting up seems to be on the right track. And it seemed to have the old Traveller feel, which is very important to me.

We'll be doing some more playtests, Gathering and building equipment is going well, so the characters will have the right look to them. The ships have been neglected lately, since the game system itself has taken priority. But I'll get back to them soon.
 
Hi carlparl, I created a SL account recently with the sole intention of looking up your Scout and GolfBall builds. When I could not find anything under 'search' I thought you had given up. Somehow I never thought to search the groups for Traveller. Next time I am on I will look up the group.

From wandering around SL for just a few days it seems to me there are a lot of sites that would be very good places for Traveller adventures. The fact that structures do not have to obey the law of gravity makes for some very futuristic builds.
FYI My SL AV is Torian Carter
 
Hi, Marvo,

I sent you a message in Second Life. Anyone that wants to see the ships is free to send me a message some time. We've also started testing out the game system, too, and I'd be happy to show that off, too.
 
Hi carlparl,
thanks for the landmark you sent me in SL. I took a look at your scout ship, it's pretty good. Finally put to rest the 'the floorplans don't fit inside' issue in my own head. Walking around the ship, it looks about the right size and the proportions are as in all the classic illustrations. But, unless you are playing Hobbits in Space, there is no way 3 decks can fit inside. Even one is a bit of a stretch. I will look out for you in SL but I am kind of busy at the moment and not a lot of time for online stuff.
Incidentally, it looks like it should be pretty easy to create an Aslan or Vargr avatar in SL. Now a Hiver, that would be a challenge!
 
Originally posted by Marvo:
Incidentally, it looks like it should be pretty easy to create an Aslan or Vargr avatar in SL. Now a Hiver, that would be a challenge!
Click to expand...
Quite so. I purchased a nice avatar for a Vargr, although I've collected a few free ones, too. I've seen some avatars that will probably make good Aslan, but haven't seen them up close.

I've already been giving some thought to the Hiver. There's an avatar that I think will make a decent substitution, until I can get a proper one made up.

Last week we had another test run of the system, and it went well. This was just the player's system. The referee piece of it is being worked on now.

Overall, we're making good progress, I think. I'm quite pleased and excited about the whole thing.
 
Hi Carl,

I've just set up a second life account too. I had a wander about to famliarise myself with it. Found a place with lots of people dancing. It would be a great place to build a virtual traveller world!

My avatar name is: Ravs Schumann

It's a pity that you can only use their proprietary modelling software to build things rather than being able to import .obj files as I would have been able to give you some content. I suppose this way it means that they don't have copyright issues.

All the best

Ravs
 
Sorry I haven't been back sooner. We're going to try to have another test run this evening, at 8PM Eastern time. Anybody is welcome to stop by. And we hope to have the big Type S -- the one with the interior squeezed into it -- on display.
 
Sorry I cannot make it tonight. :( Thursday is my Face to Face gaming night.

I have not been able to find a decent Aslan avatar yet. There are several cats around but they all seem to look like Puss In Boots from Shrek. Not quite how I imagine an Aslan!
 
Originally posted by ravs:
It's a pity that you can only use their proprietary modelling software to build things rather than being able to import .obj files as I would have been able to give you some content. I suppose this way it means that they don't have copyright issues.
Click to expand...
It's more to do with control. Using their modelling setup means they can keep model details to a minimum. The frame-rate in Second Life keels over and dies enough as it is. If you could import poly models (as opposed to the SL primitives) it would grind to a processor-melting halt. Jo Public couldn't give a shit about frame rate - as witnessed by the super-detailed wristwatches that never appear any larger than 2 pixels on-screen - and if you give people the ability to import polys, they'll start bringing in movie-quality meshes and then it'd be game over.
This said, there was a script floating about on the SL forums that allows you to import geometry (3DS, OBJ etc) converting each triangle in the mesh into a SL primative. I tried it with a very simple low-detail sphere and the framerate on it was abismal. It wasn't even textured.

Crow
 
That the point, which keeps me away. To me, SL graphics (style and performance) is annoying.

Just like 10 years old VRML stuff ....
 
Ahhhh I see. Thanks Crow / TE.

Sorry Carl, I couldn't make it on Thursday, but please keep me posted and I'll do my best to attend the next session.

Ravs
 
Not a problem. We'll be having more sessions.

I don't mind being forced to use the built-in tools. I've learned to work with them. I would like more prims, though.


Things seem to be coming along nicely. Baroun has a scenario he's setting up to run. I'm very optimistic with how things will go. Sure, there are limitations in Second Life. But I think we can get a good game out of it. It's sure been a long time since I've played at all.
 
The SL framerate, modeling systems and graphics are all a result of how the system works. In SL ALL the models and textures are stored on the server and are streamed in real time as you encounter them. The client does keep a cache on your local drive, so if you go go back to the same places they load from your hard drive. With almost everything being user created, this is really the only way to do it. If you had to have all the data on your hard drive al la World of Wallycraft, it runs to tens of terrabytes. That's a lot of data. There's also a noticable slowdown when you first logon while the client downloads your inventory. My current inventory is just under 2,000 items, and I believe that is considered 'low' by SL standards.
 
To the ravs and others who saw limitations with SL's constructive solid modelling approach - here's a sneak peek at an upcoming SL feature:

http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/04/27/the-advent-of-an-illustrious-age-of-sculpted-prims/

The best way to envision how "sculpties" work at a technical level is to take a sphere made of silly putty and (without adding holes) stretch it into any shape you want. Each point on the surface of the sphere ended up with a new x/y/z coordinate. Now just make a map of the x/y/z offsets from the original sphere. Encode x/y/z as r/g/b, and you get the pretty colors. Nearby points on the sphere end up nearby the target surface, so the resulting map is generally smooth.

We're envisioning plug-ins for several 3D tools to allow exporting of "sculpt maps" and texture maps of objects, ready for import into SL. It's just one more kind of primitive shape as far as SL is concerned.
 
I've just discovered this thread, since I've been away from COTI a few months.

I've created an account, I'll look you guys up on SL.

Sounds interesting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
New Campaign Ideas
2
Replies
37
Views
1K
Spinward Flow
Spinward Flow
FreeTrav
[Freelance Traveller] SPECIAL REQUEST FOR ARTICLES - Sept/Oct 2024
Replies
10
Views
536
punkrabbitt
punkrabbitt
Commander Truestar
Being In "That Moment"
Replies
17
Views
664
warwizard
W
S
LBB 3 Tech level
4 5 6
Replies
115
Views
2K
atpollard
atpollard
A
General Lanthan Traders?
2 3
Replies
43
Views
1K
TamsinP
T
Back
Top