Category: creations

In a startling revelation today, I suddenly understood why my Cormorant and Tigershark suffered from a strange bug that I’d been unable to fix. The fix was so astoundingly simple, but the results so dramatic, that I can’t believe this never occurred to me before.

The upshot of this all is that 1) Tigershark and Cormorant are both available in version 2.0.1 and they fly smooth as silk now, and 2) I am a complete blithering idiot.

I’ll try to send out the fix to everyone who bought a copy of 2.0.1. If you don’t receive one today, please IM me.

Once I start revising old aircraft it’s just so tempting to move on to the next one. I’ll update one plane with all the latest gadgets and gewgaws I know, then I look at the plane next to it and think… well, it can’t be that hard to fix up that one too. And when I’m finished that, I’ll start eyeing the rest of the lineup. Before I know it I’m on a rampage, ripping apart my old stuff and plugging in new and interesting bits and pieces of script, textures, and sounds.

Remember the Cormorant? That was supposed to be a minor upgrade. Weeks later, I have two completely revised planes. That would have been the end of it if someone hadn’t reminded me how much work the airship needed. So for the last couple of days, I touched up the airship and added some nifty new stuff, slimmed the hull, retextured, and streamlined the scripts. The result is Terra Airship 4.

So that’s my weekend gone.

On another note, I was happy to learn that I won the draw for a pewter Second Life pendant. I’m looking forward to getting that in the mail. I hope it has a good bling script in it. Does pewter count as bling?

It was almost a year ago that I made my first submersible airplane, the Cormorant. I followed that up almost immediately by a two-seat plane — the Tigershark. The Tigershark was essentially a wider version of the Cormorant with a handful of nice extras.

So when I finished the Cormorant 2 last week, I thought to myself… “Hey.” Then I thought to myself, “Why don’t you make a new Tigershark too?” And after that I thought to myself, “Why am I having conversations with myself?” And I didn’t know the answer to that.

Over the last few days, with helpful input from several SL Flying Corps pilots, I’ve worked at modifying the Cormorant into a two-seater as I did last time. It’s lengthened and widened to include a tail gunner’s position.

Cormorant 2 (left) and Tigershark 2 beta (right)

I have to say, this plane kicks serious ass in a TCS dogfight. In a few test battles yesterday, Rei Kuhr quickly mastered the split-second timing needed to fire a fixed-aim tailgun and took out several attackers. If anyone got on our six, they were toast.

So… two planes, both similar but different. Cormorant 2 is smaller (cheaper), seats one, and has one gun. Tigershark 2 is larger, seats two, has two guns, and has a nifty paint job. With luck and lots more testing, I should have Tigershark 2 done by the weekend. Take your pick!

What is the one thing that everyone in Second Life needs? What is perfectly square on all six of its sides and is made of 110% pure plywood? What can you cut, hollow, twist, taper, and shear without damage?

It’s…

CUBEY TERRA(tm) Default Cube!

Each CUBEY TERRA(tm) Default Cube includes this notecard inside:

CONGRATULATIONS!

You are the proud owner of an authentic CUBEY TERRA(tm) Default Cube!!! You can rest assured that your purchase of this exquisitely-crafted object will revolutionize the way you build in Second Life. CUBEY TERRA(tm) brand prims are guaranteed to be mostly resistant to fire, water, ants, earthquakes and certain small rodents. Never again will you lie awake at night wondering if your build is being gnawed. Build with CUBEY TERRA(tm) brand Default Cubes, and you’ll put your mind at ease!

Don’t be taken in by imitators! Only an authentic CUBEY TERRA(tm) brand cube bears the official CUBEY TERRA(tm) logo!!

MY GUARANTEE
If within 30 days of your purchase of this CUBEY TERRA(tm) Default Cube it is damaged or fails to operate properly, simply return this cube with proof of purchase for a REPLACEMENT CUBEY TERRA(tm) DEFAULT CUBE AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE!!

COMING SOON…
CUBEY TERRA(tm) is proud to announce other high-quality prims in the design stages!

* CUBEY TERRA(tm) Default Sphere
* CUBEY TERRA(tm) Default Cone

* And the new and improved CUBEY TERRA(tm) Default Pyramid… now with MORE SIDES!!

Reserve your CUBEY TERRA(tm) Default Cube today while supplies last!!

If you’re not building with a CUBEY TERRA(tm) prim, you’re building with something else!!

If there’s proof that Second Life is not a game, but a virtual world, it lies in the fact that I just spent my entire week doing chores. I tended to rental units, put finishing touches on the passenger terminal, updated my hot air balloon, and… well I did a bunch of other things too, but I can’t remember. Oh, yes… I did some touch-ups on this website too. I’m hoping to add a help section soon, where I’ll post how-to info and FAQs.

The highlight of my week was revisiting the hot air balloon. This has got to be one of my favourite vehicles. I dropped by the Welcome Area several times and picked up random avatars for an aerial tour of the city and surrounding sims. And thanks to a new feature in the balloon, I was able to hand off the controls to passengers for a bit while I enjoyed the scenery and conversation.

And back in Abbotts, the aerodrome’s new passenger terminal is just about done. The last coat of paint is just drying, and the new one-hour parking lot is open. That’s right, park your vehicle in front of Abbotts Aerodrome for up to an hour while you skydive or fly, or whatever. Drop by to take a peek.