Using the Meerkat viewer

Shown above is the Cannons and Castles game, ported from SL to a local OpenSim grid using the new Meerkat viewer (discussed in several places). It's fairly fast and pain free, but doesn't carry over scripts - and may never be able to.

It looks like a great option for people to backup work, create locally and then upload to SL, or to flee the sinking ship (2 years of sinking and still no change in the water line).

Interestingly the data is saved to an xml format, which is likely to lead to an explosion in tools for procedurally generating content, file conversion and import/export plugins. It looks to be a much more elegant solution than current systems.

Inventor's Show & Tell - Joint 1st place

Yesterday (31/1) I demonstrated Cannons & Castles at the Rivet Town Inventor's Show & Tell, and was honoured to take joint first place; alongside Edwardian Halberstadt (who won my vote). It was well recieved, with an enquiry as to whether it was for sale, and recommendations for a tournament to launch it. I should really try and do something with it.

Rivet Town is Steampunk-esque role-play sim, and so all the items shown were in that theme. Yesterday's exhibitors were, in order and as far as I remember:

• Sidney Arctor: a submarine in the Jules Verne style, packed full of features.
• Edwardian Halberstadt: a highly detailed film projector, which could actually stream media (including a tiny version on the 'film' at the projection lens).
• Torus Heliosense: also highly detailed gramophone and 'steam compass'.
• -- at this point I was starting to feel ashamed about the plain wood textures I'd used --
• Maximus Ecksol: an ingenious crate that unfolded to four seats and a table.
  
• Professor Sadovnycha: a complex suit of armour, in what I've come to recognise as the creator's unique style, with many hidden surprises.
• Lakhesis Nikolaidis: well designed ear protectors and breathing apparatus.

The event is held every saturday (1pm slt - as shown in the image), and is a great place to see interesting creations; particularly if you have an interest in the steampunk genre.

*update*
The Show and Tell event is no longer taking place, and it seems that the actual Sim it was hosted in might be vanishing from the grid in the near future.

Cannons and Castles

Version 1 of the game is all but complete, and provided an excuse for my first Machinima production. As expected more time was spent learning the tools than making creative decisions, but it turned out well.

In the game two players compete to destroy each other's castles. It's basically an extended version of rock-paper-scissors. You pick one of three of your opponent's towers to attack with your cannon, and one of three of your own towers to defend with your wall. The towers add a level of strategy since each one can only be hit twice, and you need 4 hits in total to win.

IM me in-world to try it out.