Weird Saturday's Science!

Me and Emma great fun last night at the Raven Park Dance. Thanks to Antony, Anna and Eve and everyone who came by for the great party!

Want to see the Prometheus in SL? Here are some places:

Good news! The new Prometheus-Class is now on exhibit in its full life-sized glory at Never Drift and Dark Wishes.

For the future there are several extensions for the ship planned - stay tuned!

The Prometheus II Is here!

I know some of you have been waiting for this release quite a while - too long actually. But real-life had quite a word in that matter and while I'd have loved to see it released at a much earlier date, that was just not possible.

But the long waiting is now over and I can honestly say that the Prometheus-Class II is by far the best ship I ever built. While it shares the same basic layout the old Prometheus-Class has (including 3 decks, elevator and a segmented bridge section), the new ship makes much more use of its space and looks also much more streamlined - and yes: a little bit more aggressive too^^

I also gave it two optional engine variants. Steam engines and dieselpunk-inspired radial engines in the style of the 1930s - and I think they both look very good in it!

Oh and the best thing of all: there is a flyable version too!

Here some specifications:

Dimensions:

• Length with landing strip retracted: 44.60 m
• Length with landing strip extended: 68 m
• Width: 30.10 m
• Height: 16.50 m

Enough blablah - lets have some pictures. They say more than a thousand words anyway:

The Prometheus-Class II is now available on the Marketplace! I decided to put it on a promotional price for the first week - so better get it as long its cheap!^^

The Steam Awakens

Just posting this here because... because!

And before you wonder: no, the Prometheus refit hasn't been shelved, as this picture may suggest. To the contrary actually. More news very soon...

The Aeronaut Express - August 2015 Edition

Never Drift, the city of the floating isles, is not only the home of the Cog and Kraken Pub and a pretty mad Professor, it is also the home of the Aeronaut Express, a monthly magazine for steampunks, airship-pilots and dashing explorers.

Jack Tracker 99, from Sprokit & Kogg Publishers is the editor and writer of the Aeronaut Express - and he does a fantastic job. Each magazine contains a colourful mixture: News, coverage of past and upcoming Aeronautical events (ever heard the name Lawnchair Larry? if not, you missed something!), for example the famous Airship Regattas, infos about aviation/steampunk sims, recent air-kraken activity and much more. SL and RL builders will also apprechiate the freebie textures and the occasional DIY guide.

Subscribing to the Aeronaut Express is free. You can find the subscribers at various places on the grid. For example at the Cog and Kraken Pub in Never Drift.

A Rezzing-Platform for the Gyrocogster!

Some of you may remember the Airplane-rezzer we had at New Shoregate. While it was actually a pretty good idea (some friend were nagging me about having such a thing for quite a while, hello Prof, btw!), I wasn't quite happy with it. Once you took a plane from it, no further one would appear and the rezzer had the bad habit of stopping to work after sim-restarts.

The Gyrocogster-Rezzing Platform at the Never Drift Fort.

To make a long story short: it really became time to make a proper rezzing system by ourselves, which rezzes a new vehicle, as soon it leaves the platform (and is in general a bit more robust and resource-friendly). As usually, I did the mesh-model (with a sporty land impact of 2) and Emma used her scripting magic to do... scripting magic!

And at the Dark Wishes Manor

A big thank you to Professor Wickentower and Talia Davidov for putting the rezzers at their sims. Please feel free to jump into the Gyrocogsters there and have a tour!

If you like to have your own Gyrocogster-Rezzer, there are available now at the Marketplace and at the Drow Science Stores inworld, for example at Never Drift, or at Tesla Isle.

Professor Wickentower's Transmissions through the Aether - Part 3

On an ancient chart, there is a tiny speck marked 'The corner of No and Where' at 360 degrees North of Improbable, 335 degrees West of Impossible...It is named Never Drift...And when it wrenched its self from the land, the waters poured into fill the earthen void...Only the Statue of the Sea king, which stood on the headland remained behind, some would say, he held his place in his realm despite the upheaval...Fishes came through the breach in the land that was, feeding among the Kelp, which has made this place a strong hold now, and the wreck of the once valiant Ironclad which patrolled the waters around the village, dashed to a watery grave, it's stalwart crew lost to the engulfing waters. But some Divers, searching the sea bed for the lost towers, do say they have seen 'other things' in the waters, amongst the kelp...Some even whisper that the Contraptionist, the mad inventor and watcher of the levitating lands, dwelling on one of the periphery islands, has met Mermaids and Mermen, down in the deeps!...Conversed with them, and made them welcome...Perhaps he may have...He is a curious creature and no mistake!...So should you come to Never Drift, the lands at the edge of improbability, perhaps you catch a glint in the waters? Just a fish?, perhaps, but perhaps that glimmer is the tail of a Mermaid, come to pay respects to the image of the lost 'king of the waters' or lay a wreath on the hull of the lost Nautilus, and the champion of the waters and of peace?... But maybe it is just a fish and Mermaids are like dreams...Just a passing memory...But in that case why do so many people will believe in them then?....What do you think?

Exert from "My travels in the 35th Dimension and other places" 

By Prof.Z.Wickentower.

Click for a journey to Never Drift

Last Day of SL12B Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the last day of SL12B! If you haven’t visited it yet: hurry! ;-)

The Dream Generator. Not a world-domination machine - really!

It's starting up...

This little picture gallery shows my Dream Generator in action.

New Steampunk Vehicle and More of SL12B!

As I hinted one or two posts ago, I was in the middle of working on a new creation when SLB came in between. Well sort of. The design was basically finished in my head, I just had to get it out (which is sometimes actually the harder part). So the change to building The Dream of Steampunk was a pretty welcome one. After that was finished, I had a fresh approach for:

Tada! My new Steampunk Gyrocogster!

I dare to say this cute little thing is one of my finest builds yet. It is quintessential steampunk with its da-vinci-style wings, the steam-engine and its irresistable cute look.

SL12B! Tomorrow! Yeäh!

The recent days were busy busy busy for us. Getting our infernal machine ready for the exhibit, working on the hunt gift and a few other things, which will hopefully be finished in the next days - yes, I must be mad to do all this stuff...

Do you dare to turn the dream generator on? I bet you do!

Many many thanks to my lovely partner Emma who spent her spare time this week scripting all the craziness I was building! (and it became more and more) You are the best dear!

Also big thanks to Professor Wickentower, who provided me with some of his cool steampunk airships for my exhibit. They do look fantastic, don't they?

Now we can finally relax and wait for the big opening. I can't wait to see all the other exhibitions and the events. It's going to be a pretty cool time!
Please note, the events will be held in the first week, starting tomorrow, while the exhibits will be around for another week, to give everyone the opportunity to see them.

Speaking of seeing. My exhibit made it into the Destination Guide! I am happy, very happy. And yes: quite proud too.

These links will provide you with everything you need:

The Dream Of Steam Exhibit

SL12B on the Destination Guide

SL12B Blog and Timeline

I hope you have a great time there!

Getting Ready For SL12B!

Yes, it is that time of the year again, when the grid celebrates the birthday of Second Life. Its the 12th already - time flies! 12 years are quite a steep age for the internet. When SL started, there was no Facebook, Amazon mostly sold books and even Google was still rather a novelty.
I personally didn't experience SL until 2007, which also is an appalling while ago already! So I got spared from all that mayhem of the grid's early days - and experienced instead the regular mayhem we more or less still have today!

Over the years I learned a lot here. About people, myself and last but not least building. When I started with SL I had absolutely no idea about building or even meshes, textures or scripts. I actually didn't dare to touch the build window until being 2 years on the grid - and promptly messed a nice set of wings up!

Well, things have changed. I can mess up the things I have built by myself now! Yay - achievement! But seriously: I am very happy for what I have learned and for the creativity inside me I could unleash via this lovely and messy and laggy digital world called Second Life.

In the recent years I also went more and more into attending events. First as visitor and blogger, but more and more also as exhibitor and this year's SLB will be very special for me in this regard: I will have my own exhibit on SLB!

I was busy building my exhibit most part of last week, taking my inspiration from various directions, added with a good amount of madness and megalomania. May I introduce: The Dream Of Steam!

I bet you don't guess where I got the idea for the building from. 

The exhibit features the most sophisticated steam- and tesla-technology. With lots of rotating gears (ask Emma, she had to script them all!), discs, glowing tubes and tanks and lightning and whatnot, to spread funny and crazy steampunk dreams into the world. Likely without causing permanent physical or psychological harm - yay!

No, it's not a doomsday-machine. Well, at least not quite.

The 16 SL12B sims will be opened on Sunday, June 21 at 12 PM SLT. The first week will see plenty of events. More info about this on the official SLB blog.

And here is a direct-link to my exhibit. The best way to start exploring SLB anyway, if you ask me!

Have a wonderful time!

Never Drift Opening Party Sunday 12 PM!

The all-brand-new-shiny-and-steamy Sim Never Drift by my friend Prof. Zen Wickentower has its great opening party tomorrow!

A sim waiting for being discovered: Never Drift

You are invited to celebrate this special event with us at the Cog and Kraken Pub. There will be two shows there. First a dance performance by the Beatniks, then the famous Clyde Barrow (not the one from Bonnie and Clyde though) will sing his jazz-tunes!


Here are the event details:

What? Sim opening Party, dance performance by the Beatniks & live concert with Clyde Barrow
Where? Never Drift
When? Sunday 14 June, 11:30 AM (Beatniks), 12 PM (Clyde Barrow), SLT

See you there!


*** Edit: Sadly the Beatniks won't be able to perform today, but Clyde Barrow will! See you at 12 PM for his show! ***

New Impressions from Never Drift & Opening Party Date!

The Professor is almost finished with building on his Sim. If that's not a good reason for some more pictures, I don't know a better one!

The Sim is called Never Drift, because it hopefully never drifts away!

The islands seen from below...

...from the famous Nautilus!

Looking like The Velvet Underground going steampunk: your Drow-Blogger and Prof. Wickentower.

The opening party will be on Sunday, June 14 at 12 PM SLT, featuring the fantastic jazz-singer and overall great chap Clyde Barrow! I will keep you up-to-date with further info.

Never Drift - First Pictures!

My good (and pretty crazy) friend, Professor Wickentower seems to finally has put down roots - air roots of course! He is now the happy owner of his own homestead region - Never Drift.

Here some first impressions. Needless to mention that its a lovely scenic and steampunky floating village with fort, airship dock, lighthouse, pub - and a lot else to discover!

Currently Never Drift isn’t open for public, but once the building is finished, access will be granted - stay tuned!

Big WW1-Anniversary-Airplane Overhaul!

When you step into a modern passenger plane today or see a jet fighter above your head and hear the boom when it breaks the sound barrier, its easy to forget that exactly 100 years ago, during World War 1, aviation was still in its infancy. The air planes were flimsy constructions made of wood, wire and fabric and their air-bases were usually not more than an abandoned field and some tents and shacks.

Immortal legend: Manfred von Richthofen's red Fokker Triplane.

Despite their simplicity air planes were something exotic and spectacular though. Wherever an airplane was spotted, people couldn't help but gaze at them and cheer to their pilots, who were idolized like superstars.

Albatros D.Va - the backbone of the German air force in 1917 and 1918.

These people were daredevils in the best sense of the word. Flying these fragile, but deadly armed machines to fight each other, thousands of feet above the ground. Without parachute. Day after day, sometimes from morning till sunset.

Sopwith Camel - the most successful fighter of the war.

No era in aviation fascinates me more than World War 1. Build just a few years after the first motorized flight, these machines are the definite flying machines for me. They didn't had much engine power, or sophisticated weapons or highly developed flight-control systems. Some 100 hp, a machine-gun or two and wire-controlled rudders had to do. But this primitiveness, this basic and natural flying with the pilots exposed to the elements and listening to their guts rather than looking at their instruments is the stuff legends are made of.

Fokker D.VII - the best German fighter plane.

Nieuport 17 - one of WW1's most classy (and good looking) designs.

Fast and powerful and aggressive: the S.E.5a.

To celebrate this legendary era, I did update all of my World-War-1 air planes. With improved textures and new mesh parts and a general design overhaul, these machines look better than ever before. I also have released a new creation: a 1915 Fokker E.III 'Eindecker' (monoplane). The game-changer of aerial warfare! The Eindecker was the first fighter plane with an interrupter-geared machine gun to fire through the propeller arc, which allowed the pilots a much higher firing accuracy than in any other plane. It took the Allies until well into 1916 till they had a match for the Fokker Eindecker. Until then, the E.III remained the definite fighter plane.

How it all started: The Fokker Eindecker.

All creations are available now! Check them out!

Professor Wickentower's Transmissions through the Aether - Part 2

After the positive reception of the first post of our new series, I am glad to present you his second transmission today. Enjoy!

The Professor transmitting his transmissions!

Beware, beware,
Be careful where you tread, 
Be careful what you do,
'cause Mumbo-Jumbo 'gonna Hoo-do you.
I heard a Soldier say that once, Soldiers know death is watching and waiting, but they do not fear death, they are just watchful of him. The Soldier was quite right of course. One should be careful where you walk, be careful where you tread. You see there are some places you should not walk, and the less adventurous, or more sensible if you ask me! Will not tread. Be warned, some places, do not like visitors, some places are very old, and sometimes there are very old things which still dwell there. and they do not like you treading in their streets.

In a ancient rotting Seaport, cloaked in mist and shrouded in rumor, it is not just death that watches, things older than death lurk just beyond your lamplight, half seen out of the corner of your eye, only to vanish when you turn to look. A creak on the Hotel stairs, is just an old building settling, isn't it? Because, you know no one is there on the stairs, just beyond the door, which you keep locked because, well...you just do...Or, is it, in the back of your mind, really a barrier? Between you, and the other side of madness?.

The residents, or as one might like to call them 'denizens' watch you, unblinking from half shuttered windows, as you wander along over grown pavements flanked by crumbling houses, once fine and even austere, now draped in ivy, unkempt and unclean.
The shoreline flows into the salt marshes, vast, mist shrouded and empty...But are they empty? Of course they are! That is just mist, and not tendrils from a half formed bulk of some 'thing' which perhaps, is best left alone...

Water flows into half covered sewer grates, twisting out across the port town like veins under a corrupt skin.
And here, you really should not wander, and if you do, when the lamp light flickers and the shadows dance, and the half hidden openings in the walls, yawn wide into the proverbial blackness, you really must be careful where you tread, be careful what you do, because something more foreboding than Mumbo-Jumbo is going to do much worse, than Hoo-do you!..
But...
Those places are far away, far from the nice normal safe streets of your home town, and one would never ever think of visiting them, but ...Would one?

Exert From
 'My further travels across the 35th Dimension and other places'
Prof.Z.Wickentower.

[here the writer tips his hat to the Innsmouth Sim and it's creators]

Professor Wickentower's Transmissions through the Aether

On one of my many journeys through the steampunky realms of Second Life, I met a person who would become very quickly a dear friend of mine. Professor Zen Wickentower. Regular readers may be familiar with this name. We did collaborate on several projects before.

Today, I introduce you to the narrative side of him. We were talking about him having a more or less regular series about his travels and the adventures he had. So here is the first part of "Professor Wickentower's Transmissions through the Aether". I hope you enjoy them!

Once, a few Tinkerers would have it, even before the rise of the Steampunks way back in the History of the JunkPunks of Old Shoregate, there were the Clockpunks. they had other names of course, Cogpunks, was another, and they lived isolated beyond the Black-Coal shores beyond the turbulent Aether streams, beyond the Grey-cloud reefs, in the brass walled Clanking City.

Clock workers, labored in their factories, sprung wound conveyances trundled along the copper paved streets and their clock work Dirigibles glided above the brazen roofs and pinnacles.

But that was a long time ago.

A very few claim to have seen one of these clockwork artificers and most think they are a myth...But...

Recently, a Mad Tinkerer, built the first, for a long time anyway, Clockwork Dirigible. Maybe he found a wreck, off the Cavorite crags? Or the worn and tattered schematics left by the original maker in an ancient, dust cocooned draw? Who knows?... Now these Clockwork Aetherboats are being spotted again, drifting almost silently through the clouds, their arrival heralded by the slow ticking and clicking of the clockwork mechanism.

Of the Clockpunks themselves? Little remains to show they were even here, some twisting spires of brass and cobweb shrouded clockwork are sometimes sighted on the distant horizon, before they are engulfed in stormcloud, or a curio, from their homes might turn up, at a merchants store, sold by a salvage man, tight lipped as to how he came by it of course!

But...some Aeronauts, say, in the quite hours of the, late watches, and if the static is very very low, if you listen very carefully to transmissions on the Aetherscope, you can almost hear the faint clicking of gears. Most say that it is just the engines of the Airship, echoing through the hull but some say that this is the sound of the Clanking city, out there, beyond the Black Coal shores, beyond the grey cloud reefs, where the air Kraken prowl and the Night Gaunts lurk....What do you think?

Exert from "My travels in the 35th Dimension and other places" 

                  By Prof.Z.Wickentower.

Sim Redecoration @Unzipped!

My friends Destany and Barnabas at Tesla Isle have given their sim a major - and quite beautiful - redesign.

Besides the new layout, with a lovely shopping village and plenty of scenic spots, the new place will also see new events, like treasure-hunts - great news!

After setting up my new store there I had a stroll around the sim with my partner Emma.

The Unzipped Mainstore with the new landing-area in the foreground.

Lovely Airship!

From the mainstore our journey lead us to the village on the eastern side of the sim. 

The center of the village is marked by a ring of gothic arches

Oh what a lovely store!

View from the village to the Unzipped mainstore in the north.

A little underwater excursion.

Back on the surface we met the local sea-dragon Tessie, who looks quite happy in its new environment!

As you see, there is a lot to explore and I guess I didn't even scratched the surface yet. The sim is definitely worth taking a look or two ;-)

Unzipped Landing point

Drow Science @Tesla Isle


P.S. Yes, thats a Ms. Marvel outfit I am wearing. I didn't change since our last dance at Raven Park. Putting on so much skin-coloured makeup over my natural drow grey was a hell lot of work btw ;-)