Grey Roleplay

I started using the term 'Grey Roleplay' in some areas lately, I found about it when Dr. Dino was visiting Deshima Station.  Since he's the time traveller character, he's often the one I go to other sims with the most (aside from an aborted attempt at RPing Grendel Footman's decendant in Insilico, first step in, and a GM yells at me about my skin not being realistic 0.o)

back into fall

So Dr. D's largly ignored bid to take over Babbage has ended, Arnold and some urchins pretty much wising up to what her was doing (and the rest, I'm making it out to be a 'They Live' scenario, you all were under mind control, you just didn't know it!) It was the usual at first, most of Babbage doing their best to ignore it, and saying very little about it so the ones interested in RP might not know as any of Dr. D's blogs on the site get buried in RFL posts instead. But close to the end, it really picked up, Arnold, Gilly, Viv, Felicia, Heliosense, and Sonnerstien did a good job, some of it even extended into mondrago. But the airship crashed with the villian possibly dead, the urchins and cat saved the day, as the hypno eyes all went dead. and noone's the wiser. Meanwhile the RL end of things, I've gotten the real job I was hoping for, and start monday. Nothing too exciting, it's a call center for state insurance, but I'll be making a real wage once again, and have a normal schedual, so no more sacrificing my late nights and weekends for a store. And by the end of october I plan on moving out to better space, with enough space I can live and work on my own stuff comfortably. The people who had contacted me to photoshop their pictures flaked on me, as i had a feeling they would, but otherwise things on the RL end have looked up. Gizzy also apparantly is returning to Sl, she'd been off and on on an alt that I knew of, but had IM'd she wanted to bring Gizzy back soon, the last time Gizzy was active, was just before Cala Mondrago was shut down, when I had put her in charge of my shop and research center there (she wanted a change of pace and liked the setting.) I have sort of gotten myself involved in a bit of a big load though. Since the past few zombie weeks in babbage had been handled by Victor mcMorning, and given the short term memories of SL, this timelord's been pretty much considered the zombie guy. And I sound whiney when I point out, OOC of course, that I had let loose the original infection. So after a comment on the site about zombie innoculations and how the best way to prevent it was to lock up McMorning, I spoke up, and after hearing how he didn't really want to do it this year again, or last year either, had sent a message to Tenk, the mayor of babbage offering to come back and let loose another zombie plauge. Had an idea for possibly infected sealife to climb out of the vernian ala Gyo, as it was apparant that there had been some burnout last year, and it's essentially been the same plot a couple times now, had even worked out how it happened when I don't have a physical lab in town and won't for at least another month. Until Tenk mentioned Morloks, now I'm working out how to make the avi, make freebee avis, and how exactly to pull off Morloks, on top of the new job starting, and looking for a new place RL, so...heading to Marekesh Mondrago for Footman's vacation may wait a bit. I've also seen some more dedicated RP sims I knew of, close down. Dark Eden, a W40k RP sim I'd gone to visit once or twice to hang out with a rouge trader friend there, apparantly dissappeared, no word what happened or why. The sim was the only w40k RP dedicated sim I had ever found on my travels, (most ended up just combat arenas with plywood blocks and space marines with giant afro's or furry heads gestulating) It took some liberties with canon, but I do myself with the background for my dark eldar army (they had female space marines, AND female orks). I had intended to start a character there based off my inquisitor character, but had become wrapped up in RP in a few sims at the time, so never did. There's few w40k themed RP sims in SL, though a ton of avatars. the dark eldar faction apparantly moved to a new sim called Commoraugh, but visiting, it feels like a generic dark fantasy sim that's mixed in dark elda and tau with it's fae and mermaids. And Legacies closed down. I never got around to visiting, and frankly never really knew it as anything but another vampire sim (wich i dont have as much interest in. I had been contacted by someone there, looking for a dedicated steampunk RP sim for her and her group. I'm not sure if any of them settled in Babbage, but I let them know, it's a nice collection of sims, there is a population of roleplayers, but it's definatly not dedicated to RP and be prepared to have to RP around people. That's when I worked out it wasn't just vampires, and now kind of wish I had checked it out . There is a relatively new sim, Serenity Falls, that uses the same system, and is apparantly an offshoot of Legacies. I've gone a couple times and likely will post IC blogs ofter zombie week in babbage is over. but i have to say it's close to what I'd been looking for myself. Dedicated RP without being too strict and anal retentive, ala Warren Town and Rivit Town were, Open to all sorts of character concepts, even the magical ones that babbage kind of shies away from, the meter is pretty interesting, with a large amount of skills, and an emphasis on dice rolling rather than just clicking things (combat's the 'hold a mouse button down and move style', but player's fighting each other is RP'd out more, so that's not too bad, and th NPC monsters are apparantly affected by any bullet). It's a pocket dimension held stable by a demoness from legacies, where many of the refugees have gone. They have travel back and forth via portals, and leave it pretty open to whatever background your character is, you come from historical london, where demons and fae don't exist, you'll still fit, you come from babbage with mad science and the demon and fae's do exist, you'll fit, you come from Miskatonic, you'll still fit. I have not seen many furries yet, though i hve met fae and a possessed doll. The only downside I can say, is i don't see as much steampunk outside a building and an airship in the northern part, Torn oak, it's more flat victorian with lots of fantasy elements. Once things in RL and Sl slow down I'll be checking it out more

state of RL and RP

So I haven't been posting on these blogs, I've been Rping, somewhat, but neglecting the blog part, only posting in my Babbage blogs, wich sort of defeats the purpose of keeping seperate character blogs, that being, to keep blog posts recorded should NB ever decide to change websites again. RL has been chuggng on. I managed to get a temp job for a couple months filing for my landlord's company. Unfortunatly the landlord also got back with his ex, who decidedthe basement should not be an apartment and it should be the 'common room' instead (IE his tv room). so I'm in a much more cramped spce for the time being. The temp job jut ended, but I've already been contacted for a graphics project, and an interview end of the week for a real job with a normal schedual. My primary goal for now is to get to a point where I can move out to a place ofmy own, preferably with no housemates or live-in, manic depressive landlords who mistake me for their therapist. Anyway, I've been on my alt more often the last few months. Attempted to kick off an RP with him involving hypnosis devices. I built the devices and put them around New Babbage, and in typical NB fashion, most ignored them. After a few months of occasional mention by well meaning types, and semi-IC snark, finally had some get interested. And so far it's gotten good, with robotic raptor attacks that even other people are making more IC comments on. I'm coming to te conclusion I can only really pull off roaming monster RP if I want to get the rest of the town involved. Unfortunatly, the temp job I was working in RL ended about the time rent on Dr. D's airspace was due, and it's a little too soon to blow up the airship. Fortunatly I've gotten an offer to house his tardis on their land for a time, so he has a base at least, and can always rezz the airship when it's needed. That's the nice thing about airships, they're mobile. Grendel, I hven't done as much with inworld. It's easier for me to RP on grendel when he has a lab or location for his less than ethical experiments in human reanimation. And with the current broke status again, and the destruction of Wylde Hospital, he's without such a space currently. I have plans and future RP for him, but most of the old Ordo Absconditus/Footman Industries crew aren't around the stamlands as much either, with Gizzy leaving SL and Langain giving up on Babbage. Star's still around but mostly focused on her own evil alt, so maybe it's time to give Grendel a short vacation and let a character unassociated with Footman Industries do his thing for a bit. I'd say Dr. D could be the next Dr. O, but frankly, that would involve more of babbage actually considering him a threat.

alot in RL has happened

Hadn't actually been in New Babbage much for about half a year, or in SL at all really.  RL has seen fit to give me a constant sucession of setbacks, first Irene last year caused my basement to flood, causing the destruction of the majority of items for my ebay store, a few hundred dollars in art supplies 3/4ths my comic book collection that went back to my dad's time,  paypal killing my RL businesses (finishing off my ebay business for Irene in the process) leaving me penniless for at least 2 months.  I then lost my home to disaster, hospital time as a result, my laptop that wasn't destroyed in one of the 2 disasters, finally died on me when the power slot died. intense stress, frustration, and depression, a  forced  last moment move when I could ill afford to, and for the first time in five years, I've had to go back to retail hell, not one, but 2 retail hells, causing most of my time to be devoured by ranting idiots.
I have gotten a laptop that *sort* or works, though it handles SL like a pregnant yak in heat handles moving, and for january into mid-february refused to go online at all.  and currently renting out a basement apartment that is a far cry from the home I once had.

I am doing better though, slowely working on getting myself back to where I was before everything happened.  I've been sending out resumes, applying for real, non-retail-jobs, going to portfolio reviews for the sudden mass of graphic design jobs in the area i'm suddenly seeing advertised, and so on.

So, obviously, SL hadn't been much of a priority through all this.  I've logged on occasionally since gettingthe computer to recognize internet again, mostly for rare appearance of dr. dinosaur at parties.  I had not participated in Loki's RP last year, as it came about in the middle of everything, have not built anything for oiler's festival, and have not really worked on any new RP's to kick off on my own.
Footman Automotons had been returned as I knew it would be, I did write a blog in the BAR to explain where it went (usually if I know I won't be keeping land anymore, I blow my building up or otherwise RP why it is now an empty lot, the one thing that kills immersion in babbage is how cities disappear overnight with no word, leaving behind a perfectly cobbled vacant lot), but that's about it.   Until I can improve my work situation, wich my goal is end of summer to have a real job and be back to where I was, I'm not sure when I'll be renting land again, and have learned it's much easier to support and run an RP plot if you have land (if for no other reason than to have a place to barricade out the anti-rp faction).  I am slowly getting back into building, and considering meshes, though the hoops i hear you have to go through is daunting, and I'm unsure if I have time right now, Otherwise I do have some future RP plots floating around that I hope to be at a point to kick them off by the time RFL ends (another reason I've largely been absent, though last year they weren't forcing RFL on you as much)

let go of old spear house, barely been in SL at all this summer

So I had started a new job beginning of the summer, wich cut severely into my SL time, as in obliterating it completely.

As a result, alot of plans for RP I wanted to do, never got done, and aside from 1 tenant, never had too much interested in renting a room at the old spears house (considering it was another location for RP as well as cheap rentals, and given the bi-polar attitudes, it was iffy)  I finally had logged on after 2 weeks gone, to find it was 10 days overdue on tier.

So, since I hate buildings just quietly dissappearing in the city (kills the immersion for me) I dd my usual, blew it up.

THings are slowly calming down (through being unemployed now) but I'm waiting to start anything off, since another babbage RP is hitting off soon,  (and I feel like a jerk having one of my own monsters running around while one of the babbage mysteries are going), likely will be somewhat involved wit zomie week provided nothing comes up though

death of a sim and new land in babbage

So, Cala Mondrago sank, I feel bad for Miss Namori, and so let her keep the rent she tried refunding me.

I've now gone and bought another plot at babbage, and opened The Old Spears House.
Keeping with my regular deal with land, supporting RP, damage on, no flight, but it's slightly different in that I'm renting out rooms.  Already had one rented by one Miss Daxxian.
The rentals are cheap, 20L$ a week, for about 20 prims, but I'm mostly looking at the new arrivals to Babbage, help them settle a bit, my main rules, don't walk around the bar downstairs naked, and respect that there might be RP going on.

It's possibly the most mundane building I've made, a rickety old ouse with pipes all over one corner, and a room with a mythos circle on the floor and a tesla coil in the center of that.

I have also moved Dr. Dino's Tardis over the house, freeing more land at the factory.
Currently I'm trying something new there on the non-RP front, and allowing a friend to rent a skybox over the factory for her cyberpunk character's IC apartment, we'll see how it goes, she plays in Insilico, I've had some bad experiences there, so if any insillicans show up on my land insulting people, it might be the one time I have ever banned anyone, but I'm letting her have her skybox there as she's helped me alot with builds in the past.

Insilico looked interesting to be honest, and I actually do like the cyberpunk genre just as much as steampunk.  I had gone into Insilico last year intending to play a character , basically heavily scarred and on portable life support, more or less the cyberpunk version of my babbage persona, and immediatly had a woman claiming to be a GM there get nasty over my skin, they don't allow zombies or fantasy creatures, but my skin was less zombie, and more scarred, I was even wearing normal eyes and replaced my heart chamber with a tony stark style arc generator, wich apparantly was still too fantasy.  alright, I can always wear my one normal skin I  guess if scars are to fantasy, except the woman was getting downright insulting, words like 'retard' and 'fag' were used by her, aong with references to furries wich I didn't for the life of me understand what they had to do with anything.   I got pissed, started pointing out everything that made their 'hard science sim' as stupidly un-scientific as possible, and left, never to return for a year.

hence why I'm being careful, I already told ann under no circumstances was she to invite that woman.

I have started to slowely venture back, on my Dr. Dinosaur alt, after a conversaton with An, the woman apparantly is a GM, but a loud obnoxious one everyone either avoids or ignores, and much their 'anti-fantasy' guidelines are RP'd around by her and others.
So, as a time travelling Raptor/timelord hybrid.  Dr. D now can go to the future city of Insilico, with a holographic disguise to look human, and the Time Egg hidden.

seriously they can't hold it against him if his profile just claims he's a time travelling raptor afterall.




Not that I've done much with that end of RP, or any lately really.
After receiving notification that the budget at my museum job had not been approved, I had to get another job, sadly in retail, in the most half-assed company ever created.  As a result of their insane way of schedualing, it's cut into alot of my SL time, so I haven't had much chance to work out the warbot fights, or kick off any rp plots sadly.
This is only temporary however, as I intend on getting control of my schedual back, or a better job.

Another steampunk sim bites the dust

I had a small shop/lab in the Republic of Cala Mondrago, a morroccan/middle eastern steampunk sim owned by Miss Bianca Namori.  She had some good ideas, it was an original setting for steampunk, and was supportive of RP. I hadn't been inworld much lately due to a new job, that seems to enjoy springing an insane schedual on me, but that's a different topic, I've managed to onl really logg on once or twice this past week to pay tier, I had received a notice from the Cala Mondrago group that due to financial issues and the fact she wasn't really getting enough rentals, that she had been looking to downgrade it to a homestead sim.  I was willing to cut my prims to help, as were many other residents there, Tod I logged on to a notice that it was reclaimed by the real estate group.  TPing there, it's just an empty sandy sim now.  It's a sad thing when a good idea is killed flat (and I'm sure some of the naysayer's in Babbage will point to the RP friendly nature of it for it's demise, wether it's the case or not) and I actually liked the sim, it's the first one I went and rented space outside of Babbage.  (I did try once to rent in Armada, my other favorite place to visit, but it seemed overly complicated at the time and involved trying to contact people I rarely saw).
It was an original setting, and Miss Namori had some good ideas, such as her breedable horse aucion house, and breedable clockwork pets, and races (wich like most events right now, I've missed out on sadly)
the rent was low, the people were friendly, and it had a fantastic middle eastern/medditerranian flavor to it.
Hopefully it will return in some form or another, eitherway, it will be missed.

if anyone was interested in pictures or info about the past sim, here you go :
http://calamondrago.ning.com/