Iron Melee at Sanctuary Shores: The Cerebus versus the Battle Barge

CPT Huszar (Gunner: Murakami) versus CPT Ceawlin on the Battle Barge. An epic contest between volume of shot and precision gunnery.

A Short Memoir of a Desperate Fugitive: On the Lam from Caledon Catgirls

Perhaps a few pictures are worth the usual plethora of words.

The Fourth Annual Snowflake Ball

Snowflake Ball 2010

(dispensing with "YHN" voice and my general prohibition about reporting on YADEs for this post)

This is an event that has special meaning to your correspondent. Four years ago, give or take a week, I arrived at a newish Victorian themed sim community named Caledon (it had been around for less than a year, but was growing fast at (I think) 8 sims at that point). The event was "The SnowFlake Winter Ball" and it was held by a "Duchess" Shenlei Flasheart, at a sim are called Loch Avie.

Frequency, Hotspur, and Frequency's Hairdo go for a Spin (Courtesy FP)

Two Commodores 01 (courtesy J. Dagger)

Two Commodores 02 (courtesy J. Dagger)

I showed up with a pack of SL hobos and reprobates in tow. They misbehaved, according to that lady's strict standards, and were soon ejected. I left with them, but came back later. That night, I met individuals like Miss Virrginia Tombola (although we didn't say much at the time), Miss Gabriele Riel (already another one of these "Duchesses") Miss Eva Bellambi (at the time, a member of the Caledon Royal Society and a distiller) and Miss Kate Nicholas (also a member of the society).

Lady Bellambi greets guests

Mr. Exrex Somme I already knew, but i had the pleasure of meeting his wife Callypigian and the aforementioned Shenlei at the event. Everyone was speaking in a polite semi-Victorian argot that I appreciated (amateur historian that I am), and played along with-- a subdued performance, but the crowd accepted it.

Citizens old and new from all over the Steamlands attended.

Since then, I have made a point of attending the Snowflake-- at Loch Avie, at Port Caledon, and now at Isle of Skye. The event represents the start of my transformation from being an observer (and an anarchistic one at that) to being a participant in themed communities in Virtual Worlds.

Although I crashed twice, I only looked upon that as a sign of social success.

Many things have transpired in the four years since then, good, bad and indifferent. I have enjoyed my time in Caledon, Steelhead, Babbage, and Port Merrimac. I look upon the Snowflake Ball as the Anniversary of me becoming a Second Life Steampunk.

Miss Eleanor Anderton captured the event far more conclusively and with greater quality than my humble efforts can attest to. Here is a slideshow of her photographic efforts:

Thank you, Lady Bellambi, for being an excellent hostess and party planner. Thank you, Mr. Icarus Ghost, for your excellent play list and DJ skill. I sincerely had a wonderful time and I hope to be at Snowflake Ball number five. If we are fortunate denizens, the both of you will be involved in throwing that party. :-D

Snowflake 2009

Snowflake 2008

Fallen London, a game by "Echo Bazaar"

THN steals a moment away from observing the latest Plurk drama queen in action to recommend heartily a new little diversion firmly ensconced within social media channels. If you have a "Twitter" account, FALLEN LONDON might tickle your steampunk sensibilities. It is the project of a company or individual named "Echo Bazaar" on Twitter. The game is entirely browser based, and integrates very well with Twitter.



A player assumes the role of a recent arrival to the town of London, trying to make his or her way in the world. The action is entirely browser based-- a player is given 10 event cards a day which are used to wander about London, look for work, get into trouble with the police, and maybe get involved in an endeavor like a quest.



The artwork is colorful and somewhat iconic. The color text is amazingly well done-- truly the work of someone who appreciates the Steampunk subgenre and is capable of stringing a few period-flavored sentences together.

The plots have been somewhat linear so far. YHN greatly enjoys this site and recommends it to anyone.

ECHO BAZAAR

A historical campaign in a theoretically lag-free Second Life

If lag was not an issue, which battle or campaign in the 19th century would you like to recreate in SL?

A very good question. Given that I'm a fan of American Civil War naval history, my first choice would be the extremely colorful Red River Campaign of 1864. By any measurement, this was a Union fiasco. The Union's leader, Nathaniel Banks, was a political general with good intentions, strong pro-Union sentiments, but little strategic skill. His opponent was Dick Taylor, the Confederate general and son of a former President of the United States. The campaign was the brainchild of the General Henry "Old Brains" Halleck. His intentions were threefold: To destroy the Confederate Army commanded by Taylor, To capture Shreveport, Louisiana, Confederate headquarters for the Trans-Mississippi Department, control the Red River to the north, and occupy east Texas. Lastly, to confiscate as much as a hundred thousand bales of cotton from the plantations along the Red River. The Union offensive failed in each of these. As I am an avowed supporter of the Union, this selection may come as a suprise. Yet, the campaign itself was a doozy, involving several ironclads and gunboats on both sides, troop landings, strife amongst the Confederate generals, and a swirling melee of seven chaotic, confused and lethal battles. If the lag permitted it, I'd love to conduct a river campaign based upon Red River, bad union record and all. Shore bombardments! Marine Landings! Log booms across the Red River! Confederate Indian Cavalry units! The Red River had it all.

Ask me anything