New Kraken Wars Chapter published!

Friday is Kraken Wars Day! Read the 2nd part of Jack Tracker's  epic steampunk story at the official Drow Science Blog.

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.

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.

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

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.

Hunting Streetsigns with Balloons!

At least kinda ;-) I wanted to give you a quick heads-up on the recent events and activities concerning Drow Science and New Shoregate. 

Lets start with the Battle Balloon tournament, which 4th competition will be held tomorrow 1 PM, New Shoregate (same time-space coordinates as always)

For the Rambo-moments in life: New Shoregate's Battle Balloon Tournament!

Tomorrow is also when our Name-the-Street-contest is ending. You still have the chance of getting some steampunktastic prizes, so hurry and send me your note! :-)

Oh no! A blank Sign! Help it getting a name - and its friends too!

And last but not least: The Steam X hunt is going throughout march, which this lovely gift waiting for the brave hunters:

Want know more - check out the Steam X blog. The battle balloons are waiting here at their take-off site, and this link leads you to the Name-the-Street-Contest!

I wish you lots of fun and good luck!

Balloon Battle Part 3 - Results

Too bad I missed the battle this time. Instead I was battling a RL cold. Seems I have won at least there!

Nevertheless the third part of our tournament was another great success, so I've been told. So was the after-battle-party!

This time the tournament saw also a little modification: We introduced an altitude-limiter. I know, sounds complicated, but its basically just a invisible megaprim-platform to prevent balloons from rising too high.
The aim was more intense fights and preventing balloons to escape the battle by climbing out of sight. Both seemed to have worked very well.

The Winners of both round 1 and 2 were: Baroness DeSade and Ala - congratulations!

I hope to be back in the battle next Thursday though! Hope to see you all there!

Coming Thursday: Balloon Battle - Part 3!

You always have that special friends you'd like to shoot with a big caliber gun? Invite them to our Battle Balloon Tournament! ;-) Thursday we will have the third round of our epic, sim-bursting (as in hitting the av-limit) fights!

The space-time coordinates are the same as always: New Shoregate, at 1 PM SLT. Meet you there!

Drow Science @Steam X Hunt!

Busy, busy Drow! On March 1st, just when the Sci-Fi Convention will close its doors, the 10th incarnation of the Steampunk Hunt: Steam X, will take off!

Here a sneak-peek on my gift I have prepared for you:

Happy hunting!

Links:

Historical Hunts Blog

Drow Science Mainstore

Get Ready For The Next Day Of Our Battle Balloon Tournament!

Meet people, have a good chat and then shoot at each other: Balloon Battle Thursday, 1 PM @New Shoregate :-)

Here some highlights from last time, thanks to the awesome Randy Quander from the Meyonian Army for the pictures!

Team Absinthe (Emma and Yourfavourtedrowscientist) ready for takeoff!

Battle Balloon on the chase!

Down in flames!

Want to increase your battle-skills? No problem: come by anytime for a training flight or bring some friends for sparring. The balloons are ready to be rezzed!

Don't miss it! Here is your taxi!

Starting Today: The SciFi Convention 2015!

This is an event I was really looking for! Last year's convention was very enjoyable and I had lots of fun strolling around the exhibition grounds.

The Convention goes from February 20 to March 1st and offers a lot of events and exhibits. Check out their official blog for more info!

Oooh! What is this? Do we have built a new Zeppelin? Yes I have!

The Convention is also a good opportunity to introduce you to my latest release as centerpiece of the Drow Science exhibit: The Zephy-Class Zeppelin!
A luxurious air-liner in the spirit of the golden age of airships. Oh by the way: to prevent a rather unpleasant Hindenburg-style landing, I use helium instead of the highly inflammable hydrogen.

The ship fits quite well with this year's space-resort-theme and I ensure you that the Zephyr's pressure cabin works well in extraterrestrial atmospheres too!

You are very welcome to visit us at the convention! Here some impressions of my parcel this year.

Links:

Sci-Fi Convention Blog

Drow Science Exhibit


See you there! Have a wonderful time!

Battle Balloon Tournament - First Day's Results!

What an awesome event! The sky was filled with balloons, curving and fighting and smokng and... going down in flames! A big thank you  for all who attended - you made it so much fun!

Here are the results:

Winner of the first round was the team Some/Emma!
Winner of the 2nd round (double or nothing) was Lady Romena and Baroness DeSade!

Congratulations and see you for the 2nd round next thursday, 1 PM!

New Release: Steampunk Mesh Biplane!

I think everyone, who knows me, knows how much I love biplanes. So it was just a matter of time really until I made an all new and shiny mesh Steampunk Biplane!

Designed in the spirit of classical World-War-One fighter planes, like the Sopwith Camel and the Nieuport 17, the biplane (officially designated D.I, for Doppeldecker 1, hinting there might be more to come) embodies everything I like on these machines. It is elegant, lightweight, nimble and doesn't bothers the pilot with too many instruments. It's flying in the purest sense: requiring skill as a pilot, not knowledge.

As it is standard for my new airplanes and -ships, the Steampunk Biplane has a camera HUD, which also informs you about the current speed, altitude and position. It also is equipped with the low-lag TCS combat system.

I also paid a lot of attention to optimize the airplane to make it as ressource-friendly as possible. Which results again in a surprisingly low land impact (16!), without doing compromises on its great look. You hardly find a better plane for sim-crossing!

Oh and I'm also having a blast with hunting air kraken with it. Works very well with the freebie-guns available at the landing-area at New Shoregate!

Curious? Check it out at the Drow Science Mainstore and at the Marketplace!