Nu vibez and roleplay guide magazine june 2015 by Nu Vibez Magazine

NuVibez & Roleplay Guide

magazine

The Late Great

B.B. King

Madrid Solo Not your regular girl

GATCHA is the thrill Gone?

Soaring to New Heights Jazz & Blues Singer Jackie Lefko The Siren’s Song

Roleplaying Merfolk A Person’s a person, no matter how small... Child Avie’s in Roleplay?

June, 2015 nuvibez.com

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Publisher’s Note Scorpinosis Nightfire, Publisher

WHAT NU VIBEZ IS COOKING Hey it’s your friendly neighbor magazine founder chillin and grillin but I want to know, can you smell what Nu Vibez is cooking? By now I thought I would be bored with all things magazine since Nu Vibez has been a source of news, entertainment, health reporting, fashion and more for years now. However just when I think I have seen it all, our very savvy Editor-In-Chief decides to take NVM to a whole new level starting with this first issue of the summer. As if RL/SL coverage of comtempoary issues, current events and whats trending wasn’t enough, we have now merged with the very popular ROLEPLAY GUIDE and exploded what few boundries were left for this publication to cover. When hit with this news, I tried to play it cool like yeah nice, but inside I knew what it meant to now also provide articles, how-to pieces and interviews to the gaming community that is famous for their support of mediums that cover interactive fantasy. Psst, don’t tell Pip but I was vulnerable enough at that point to say yes to a raise even, bravo E&C! Now by the time this issue hits the stands, some of the articles we are

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covering will be news already hot off the presses. For example, the passing of B.B. King happened last month but the ripples of his death are still fresh as if it were yesterday. A summer with no live B.B. King performances is somehow less fortunate for anyone that never experienced the Blues as only B.B. could share them. Then there’s one of my favorite topics and thats the summer movie preview. You won’t have a ton of time after this comes out to hit the theaters, so make sure you go in fully informed about which movies really float your boat. Lastly, we are back in a new and exciting way, tell your friends, your family and whoever falls in between that this is the time to get a subscription to Nu Vibez Magazine. We have the Phrase that pays, and more to enhance your reading experience. Well as you can see I had better get back to putting these big dogs in those warm buns. *wink* Have an amazing summer oh and did I mention you are invited to the Bar-B Q too? Call me. Scorpinosis Nightfire Owner and Founder

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Editor’s Note

Filipa Thespian, Editor-In-Chief Owner & Founder of Roleplay Guide Magazine

I recently wrote a post on the Made to Model Facebook page about something that really struck me with a vengeance. I just tried to write something new on the subject, but my original was much better said so … I’ll say it again for you dear readers. In getting ready for our new reality TV show, Made to Model, wanting to make it something spectacular for all those who participate, I looked to one of my favorite television shows, you all know the one, thank you miss Tyra Banks for your bold brilliant brain on this front with America’s Next Top Model (by the way, love the haircut, very powerful)! Recently something transpired in relation to the show though, that’s really had me thinking. I did a marathon watch of season 21 to get caught up, my time tends to run rather limited. It was only after I watched the whole season, that I caught the news from February of something horrific. But I’ll come back to that... I had my favorites, and my not so favorites, but so did the cast. On the show, one girl stood out as the one I felt for because of her bad choices. She began in her plea video with her wish for the world of spreading more love than hate, only to come on the show bad mouthing, back talking, hate talking, putting people down and focusing on anything but the actual reason she was there. God, Mirjana could have been a serious contender, maybe even taken the crown had she focused on the reason she was there! But this isn’t the horrific thing. I actually liked her. I saw a confused gorgeous girl who was a product of her surroundings, who didn’t know how (yet) to make the right choices for herself. I was excited for her about the opportunities that would inevitably come her way because she made it pretty far and had some skills and definitely the beauty. 8

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Here’s where the horrific part comes in ... After I finished the season (congratulations Keith, first guy to win, way to go!) ... I then began scouring the web for more news, more ideas to bring to our virtual lives and I stumbled across this ... http://youtu.be/Bez7-woidRo. After the show, Mirjana moved in with her boyfriend and a friend, and soon thereafter, was senselessly murdered in their home with the other two. Apparently over drugs, or so the article said. I was stunned. I literally sat here, frozen, staring at the screen, in shock! What a waste and what a wakeup call! If any of us are to truly spread more love than hate, I think the first thing we each need to do is love ourselves!!!! If we have no respect or love for ourselves, how can we possibly stand fast against the temptation of the easy path and make good decisions that bring beautiful things into our lives and the lives of those we touch. With truly deep heartfelt sadness and regret, I wish Mirjana’s family and friends all our best, I wish the eventual peace of closure, I wish true love and happiness though I know it will be a long time coming! So, for this first season of Made to Model, the Virtual World Modeling Reality television show that will begin filming in June 2015, We are going to focus on spreading love, not hate! We are going to work on creating positive self-body image, on loving ourselves and on bettering ourselves and the lives of those around us! This season’s theme ... Love! Spread the word!

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FASHION EDITORIAL

Journalist: Chillicalifornia

When I think fashion, I don’t limit my mind to just pieces of clothing or accessories. For me, fashion is an attitude, an ability to take even the simplest towel and make it look like a runway piece. Latest trends in real life have shown us that with a little courage to push oneself out of the comfort zone, anyone can be fashionable. I remember when I watched the movie “Ratatouile” - a film that is mostly for children, but has a very valuable meaning if you look in depth - and I realized that anyone can do anything. All that is required is passion and ambition. Allow me to introduce myself, dear readers, as I am a new addition to this magazine. I am Chillicalifornia. I won’t lose time and words giving you my Curriculum Vitae, as it’s both uninteresting and public. What I will explain is who I am as a person. I am motivated to give this magazine the flair that has existed and will continue existing. I am here as the new Fashion Editor and I believe that my pledge - to put real fashion into virtual pages - needs to be told and respected. So I promise to 12 NU VIBEZ & ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE

make reality out of all my plans, and I promise to inspire every single reader of this magazine in the process.

last years. And somehow some of the models did it. I will detail more about successful modeling in the upcoming pages of the magazine, but right now I When I was first asked to would like to mention somewrite my note, I remained a thing else that caught my atbit shocked, as modern times tention and did disturb me. give us the wrong impression that everything there is to talk Lately, every model has a word about has been talked about of definition put before the already. However, I chose not model title. Nowadays, we are to believe rumors of a modern white models, black models, day and go after my own code Asian models, gay or straight of values and morals. In this models... How dare we. I can’t issue, I shall talk about simple help but wonder what is the result of so many years of work models. and blood given by so many When I say simple I only mean courageous people in order to a model like me, like you, like open the eyes of people and everyone else. Models who are make everyone realize we are all about fashion. There have equal. What stresses me is that been so many cases of anorex- we can’t be proud of just being ia, so many blames addressed models anymore. to the Fashion industry in the

name and their title as a model or as anything else. This is a call for pride in whatever or whichever we are. I dream of a world where we wouldn’t have to say: - I’m an ebony model - I’m a white model - I’m an Asian model - I’m a gay model - I’m a lesbian model - I’m a transgender model The fashion industry is, was and will be defined as a place of freedom and acceptance. It won’t matter if you’re gay or straight, black or white. However, when we see a news title or a magazine headline, we might often encounter the words “X, black model, did this” or “X, famous plus size model, did that”. WHY should it matter? When you think model, you think someone that enjoys fashion and is able to promote it. That’s all it takes to be a model. No, it doesn’t take a certain skin colour, nor a certain sexuality, nowadays nor

even a certain weight. There is and yes, should be some criteria for differentiating models from clients, as our job is different and just like a doctor is required to know how to use a scalpel, we are required to look a certain way.

- I’m a disabled model

But that has nothing to do with what or who we are. It only has to do with what we can do or what we can learn. This is my wake up call to everybody in the Fashion Industry. This is my letter of revolution, a revolution of fashion. A call for the people who don’t need that extra word between their

I dream of a world where we can just say “Hi, I’m a model. And so are you.”

- I’m a plus sized model - I’m an ANYTHING BUT JUST a model.

Yours, Chillicalifornia, Fashion Editor NU VIBEZ & ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 13

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CONTENTS 22

About Our Cover: “Duality” by Avalon Chrome

GACHA: Is The Thrill Gone?

The Late Great B.B. King

ON THE COUCH: with Hillary Swift

2015 Summer Movie Preview

REALM REVIEW: GAELA Oriental Steam Fantasy ... OH MY!

GAELA In-Depth Character Reviews

A Blind Survey of Gacha Designers & Players

More than a Game: Gender Bending

Madrid Solo: Not Your Regular Girl

News from Around the Grid: Selby Evans Reports

Soaring to New Heights: Jazz Blues Singer Jackie Lefko

Education on the Hyper Grid: Selby Evans Reports

ELDER RACES: Merfolk

FLICKR ARTIST REVIEW: Wheeler Oppenwald

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A Person’s A Person, No Matter How Small... Child Avatars in Role Play?

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Get even more out of your Nu Vibez experience by viewing the online version at NuVibez.com. Vote on your favorite articles, find hidden gems and great videos.

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CREDITS PUBLISHER Scorpinosis Nightfire EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Filipa Thespian FASHION EDITOR Chillicalifornia PHOTOGRAPHERS Apartment B Chillicalifornia Flit Ulrik Filipa Thespian Freyja Merryman Hexe Jie HillarySwift Holly Thespian Inka Mexicola Kenddra Zaurak Mat Kungler Atelier Vanatosis Arentire Wild Bedrosian

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Avalon Chrome ARTIST IN REVIEW Wheelerwood Oppewall JOURNALISTS Filipa Thespian HillarySwift Scorpinosis Nightfire Selby Evans Starr Marx Vanatosis Arentire Wild Bedrosian SALES & MARKETING Filipa Thespian Scorpinosis Nightfire SUPPORT LittleAsia SubtleFire Arturo Vanek SaraMae Xaris

Get Our Kiosk for Your Venue and share Nu Vibez with your friends! Click Here, Get from Marketplace. The goal of this publication is to provide a unique insight into the world of entertainment, role play and lifestyles be it in virtual communities or real world neighborhoods.

views of the owner or staff, nor does NuVibez Magazine or Roleplay Guide assume liability for claims of journalists, photographers or advertisers.

Covering the issues important to people whether they are avatars or human beings, NuVibez circulates to a large population of readers online and in virtual worlds.

Letters to the editor: address changes and other correspondence to: nuvibezm@gmail.com.

NuVibez and Roleplay Guide are published for those whose interests are varied but focused on being entertained and educated on current events, new entertainment venues and artists, gaming and role play, health and psychology, and finding ways to improve their online experiences. Opinions of the columnists are those of the authors andMAGAZINE do not necessarily reflect the 18 NU VIBEZ & ROLEPLAY GUIDE

Advertising inquiries and submissions need â&#x20AC;&#x153;Advertisingâ&#x20AC;? in the subject line and emailed to: nuvibezm@gmail.com. Nu Vibez Magazine is a copyright protected publication owned and operated by Avatar PR. Roleplay Guide Magazine is a copyright protected publication owned and operated by iMoogi Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved.

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STYLE CARD: Fashionista Side: Miamai_BL_Titania Headpiece White Lcourse - Carrie Hoop Veil Silver Miamai_BL_Titania - Glam Affair - Goddess Lipstick Madrid Solo - Lying Eyes - Pink IKON Lucid Eyes - Spearmint

ON THE COVER: “DUALITY” BY AVALON CHROME Journalist: Filipa Thespian

When we started the merging of two iconic publications, Nu Vibez and Roleplay Guide Magazines, I realized I wanted the cover to portray the merging of two different publications, of two differen schools of thought ... that of mainstream art and style and that of gaming and role play. To portray this on the cover, I went to the Visionaire Institute, a leading photography school in Second Life, located at the iMoogi Entertainment Resort. I offered to the current students, an opportunity. Using ONE avatar and ONE pose, show me both street fashion or haute couture, coupled with something role play -- a character for example. To the right is the winner of the competition, the talented Ms. Avalon Chrome. When asked what her inspiration was, Avalon eagerly shared, “The theme of my art gallery is “Dreams”. But I took it further to express my feelings of rising above the frustrations of a lifetime of feeling unheard. Sometimes the anguish leaves me feeling a sense of duality, having to feel I need to be someone else to just be heard. So this photo symbolizes the sense of duality I often feel in my struggle to find my voice and be heard.” Brilliantly done Avalon, keep up the magnificent work!

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Alien Side: Xen’s Hats Extreme Headpiece “W” Warrior Cyber Blue eyes OtherSkin - Assula - Fleur

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GACHA: IS THE THRILL GONE?

Journalist: Starr Marx

“Way back in the day”, is the way the old timers begin their stories, in this case the Second Life (SL) old timer we are citing is me. So, “Way back in the day” refers to before “The Arcade”, one of the most successful Gacha Events in SL. Before Gacha was a word I had ever heard, other than when my brother would yell GOTCHA while grabbing me painfully by my nose and twisting it, Gacha being so close to Gotcha, was not something I looked forward to discovering when I first heard the term in SL. However, you can imagine my surprise, when one of my best girlfriends shared a fun little item she had run across called “Gacha”. It was in a Japanese stylized sim where we found a row of cute little vending machines filled with a series of related trinkets. At first I was skeptical to touch such an odd contraption, one that appeared to be similar to a one-legged-bandit gambling machine – but, after getting the illusive “Rare” that my friend wanted, she began passing me some Photo by Wild Bedrosian

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of her extras or “commons”, as I would soon find out they are called, and that was all she wrote – I was bitten by the Gacha bug! My intro to Gacha was an inexpensive way to get better quality items with the added feature of risk and spare gifts to hand to my friends. They were exciting times when places like “The Arcade” popped up and some of the best creators on the grid hopped on the Gacha train. It became more of an event …of a party… than just shopping! Now, years later, and a whole inventory filled with commons that I have no idea what to do with, I wonder if I even want to get another damn collection

started. So I spoke with that same friend that got me started “back in the day,“ when everything Gacha was new and shiny. My friend, the one that popped my Gacha cherry, was none other than Holli Thespian who hosts one of the bigger Gacha events called OMGacha. I asked her my question “Is the Thrill Gone?” And she sure had plenty to say. “I think its events in General that have become too much, not just the Gachas. The event market is over-saturated and no one can possibly attend them all, let alone have enough time to wear or buy everything that is being pushed out there. As soon as one event closes three more pop up the very next day,” she told me. “Go to seraphimsl.com it shows it all,” she explains. “I was just there and had 10 browser windows of new events open, and about halfway through checking them out, I just closed them all because I am literally tired of looking. Tired of so many events,” she went on to elaborate.

“I think its events in General that have become too much, not just the Gachas. The event market is over-saturated...”

PHOTO: Gacha Steampunk

Photo by Kendra Zaurak, found on flickr.

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“I have this conversation all the time with my designer friends. Everyone hates feeling worn down working for events. We have 14 quality events every month plus seasonal fairs and that’s just skimming the popular ones,” Holli continued. “A lot of Stores do not release any more, designers are over worked and as a designer myself it seems that is all I have time for – keeping up with the next event. BUT – if customers are feeling it and designers are feeling it why hasn’t it stopped,” she muses. “My own event, OMG is still successful and yes it’s another Gacha but, I try to make the venue fun and interesting for people.” One of the more interesting Gacha events is the TAG Gacha. This one utilizes a HUD designed to take you from store to store and lighten the lag and traffic load from the sims. It’s a brilliant concept because it brings the consumer back to the shops, not just to an event. In a world where the really good and successful events are getting less common and they are having to find new ways to draw a crowd, the TAG Gacha has found a niche. It is one of the few Gacha events left that will lure me. I didn’t just speak with Holli, however. I interviewed several random Gacha enthusiasts from a myriad of resources. I heard everything from stories of college kids who blew their food money for more Gacha spending; to a man who loves collecting Gacha so much, that, for the sake of the hunt and the thrill of finding a great deal at a

PHOTO: Apt B - TAG! Gacha

Photo by Apartment B, found on flickr.

Gacha Yard sale, he just lost control. I even spoke to a young lady who has set herself a budget and with it, uses her duplicates for trade – all to complete her collections. She is that determined to get her items, yet, is mindful of her money. Gacha as an interview topic was not easy to research. I found it almost impossible to gather facts or data. Even my search on the web revealed very little other than the fact that it originated in Japan in 1965 – 50 years ago – and that it is derived from the term Gashapon which describes the sounds the machine makes. The first being “Gasha” for the sound of the crank on a toy vending machine and the “pon” the sound of the toy capsule dropping into the dispenser receptacle. Like in SL, the real toys come in sets (or collections) and are trade-able.

There are people completely obsessed with their collections, who dedicate their time and lunch money to collect Gashapon/Gacha in order to share and trade with others. There are even stores in Japan that are dedicated to these little capsule toys, but most of all, I discovered in SL, Art imitates life! RL Gacha is stronger than ever 50 years later! So, this leaves me to draw only one conclusion...

Gacha is here to stay in SL and the THRILL is not gone... It, like most things, is just evolving and there are way too many ways it appeals to consumers. As long as there are lindens to be had, then designers will bring it to the table to feed the Gacha Machine. NU VIBEZ & ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 29

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THE LATE GREAT B.B. KING The King is Gone, But The Thrill Goes On! Journalist: Scorpinosis Nightfire

“I wanted to connect my guitar to human emotions.”

Photo: nvivo.es, 5gig on Flickr

On Thursday night March 14th, the world lost more than an icon and more than a legend, it lost a musical pioneer. BB King, the ambassador of Blues music, died in his sleep, at the age of 89, in his Las Vegas home, with diabetes contributing to his health decline during his final years. When the news went public, fans and fellow entertainers world wide, mourned the passing of this pop culture titan.

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Born in Mississippi in 1925 as Riley B. King, the blues great juggled learning guitar with picking cotton and by his teen-age years, was already starting to perform professionally. He acquired his nickname of BB when working as a DJ in Memphis, where he was known as the Beale Street Blues Boy – the Blues Boy was eventually shortened to BB. His first hits were in 1950 and in 1951 he had a national hit with

the song Three O’Clock Blues, which began a run of successes that would see him, as one writer put it, “redefine blues guitar playing and the blues itself.” BB was known to say more with one note than any other guitarist could with an entire flurry of notes. As country/folk singer Jason Isbell put it: “BB King wasn’t just a famous blues singer, he was a truly incredible guitar player. Didn’t give a damn about

chords. You can’t sing a chord.” King himself said, “I wanted to connect my guitar to human emotions.” It was this combination of powerful passionate vocals matched with amazing guitar work that dripped with emotion from every single note, that got BB internationally dubbed, “The King Of Blues.” Now of course there were other guitarists, other more technical in their playing or more flamboyant then BB, however no one could compete with his ability to infuse tangible emotions into music. King played a Gibsen guitar that became affectionately known world wide as “Lucille” and took the Blues to mainstream heights with songs like “The Thrill Is Gone”, “Lucille”, “Why I Sing The Blues” and one of my personal favorites, “Never Make Your Move Too Soon.” A true touring road warrior, BB

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

was known to do up to 250 shows a year and toured well into his 80’s. Additionally no coverage on BB King would be complete without several of the most telling facts responsible for his status as King of The Blues. ONE: The “Whose Who” list of iconic guitar legends that all considerd King their mentor or the greatest blues man of our time. is staggering and includes:

Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, U2 and many other guitarists too numerous to list. TWO: The impact of King’s influence on Pop culture through his music, extended beyond other guitarists, as writer of The Wrap reported: “Artists like Lenny Kravitz and Snoop Dogg posted tributes to 89-year-old guitarist, while others including “Tomorrow-

Photo: Chris Breeze on Flickr

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land” star Hugh Laurie — who played the guitar-loving Dr. Gregory House on Fox’s “House” — and fellow musical luminary Gladys Knight chimed in with their own thoughts, as well.” Morgan Freeman went as far as to say that King’s death was such a loss to humanity, it “created a hole in the universe.” THREE: The 1987 induction in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame FOUR: A No. 6 ranking among Rolling Stone Magazine’s 100 greatest guitarists of all time. FIVE: Over 70 years of performing and making hits. As noted in our header, The King is gone but the Thrill his legacy has left for future generations will live on. All Hail To the King!!

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ON THE COUCH

Journalist: HillarySwift Resident Photo by Chillicalifornia

Welcome back to The Couch, a column that invites your queries about life. Whether you are asking about Second Life (SL) or Real Life (RL) or the many ways they cross over, or whether it is about yourself or someone else, your Couch Coach will dig into your issue and hopefully shed a little light so you can get closer to understanding this endlessly bewildering thing called human behaviour. ForeverHopeful wonders about that special girl.

Here are a couple of issues drawn from the various SL forums that have perplexed SL. They may be issues you have had on your mind. Of course names have been changed to protect identities, so there is no point looking for these folks online.

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“I’m searching for a girl that will be my friend n more and not be weirded out by the stuff I like to do and will enjoy seeing me when I get on and I can look for too and we can hang out age is not too important but must be a female I don’t like being lied to do you think there is anyone in sl that would be like this” My golly gosh ForeverHopeful, do you draw breath in RL? The first thing that springs to my mind is that SL is largely reliant upon written words to communicate. Sure you might get to voice and cam rather quickly but you may be having trouble getting even that far if you write like you have here.

Punctuation is an essential skill. It helps other people comprehend what we are trying to say. Of course punctuation is only the start. You also have to be trying to say something meaningful, but start with the dots and dashes, and hopefully the rest will follow. It does sound like you may not be looking in the right places for someone to become a friend. It’s not clear from what you say, just where you are hanging around, but there are lots of places in SL that both males and females go easily and interact. Try a few hunts for example. It’s easy to strike up a conversation about the next clue. Mind you, you might be the one having to provide clues to your meaning if you don’t learn to punctuate.

EenyMeeny wonders about whether all the nice people have left SL. “I have been in SL for four years now and I used to have lots of friends who were really nice, but they have all drifted away. When I get around SL I find almost no one to talk to and people I try to get friendly with seem so full of drama and only pretend to be besties before never getting in touch again. Where have all the nice genuine people gone?” Well, EenyMeeny, your problem is a common one. It seems that it is inevitable that social places change over time so that if we continue to go to the same place over a number of years we are likely to experience a total change

of crowd from those we knew at the start. Just think about your favourite café. The same phenomenon can exist there too. When you first went, you kept going because you found the regular people to your liking and you were part of the crowd that all went around the same time. As time passes, new people come along and that may have different priorities and agendas that vary from the ones you are familiar with. Gradually the café music may change, the pictures on the walls might alter as does the menu. SL is a bit like that. There are likely to still be places you feel more at home and those places might attract folks more like you who have been there a while and like similar aspects of SL that you like. The trick is finding those places and people. Think back to the things you enjoyed back then, the activities and places you visited (of course in SL sims sometimes cease to exist and that is a sad thing when they are your favourite). If the location is gone, there may be something similar to become a regular at and join in the fun there. Even something as simple as the kind of music you used to like to listen to then might still be played in various places now. Seek those places out and you might just find a bunch of folks standing around all wondering where all the nice people have gone, and lo and behold, there you’ll be to answer the call.

Nu Vibez and Roleplay Guide are looking for writers, photographers, ad sales agents and support staff to help us to continue to bring the news and insights you want to read, to you each and every month. If this sounds like you, drop a note at nuvibezm@gmail. com. Tell us your skills, what you want to do and what inspires you! We look forward to hearing from you! NU VIBEZ & ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 37

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2015 SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW Journalist: Scorpinosis Nightfire

One of the perks of summer is that it has traditionallty been the start of film studios releasing their big budget films and running them all the way into the holiday seasons. This warm time of the year and “big films”, became so inter-connected that the phrase was coined: “the summer blockbuster” to describe features scheduled for June through August.

However, recently we have seen a change in the release timing for huge films that were originally slated to fall in the summer release category. Take Avengers 2: Age Of Ultron for example, it was moved up to a May release date as were some other summer slated films. One would think we might run out of summer movie extravaganzas until you realize that launching some early just opens the field to put other films in those now vacated slots and make even more money on successful releases. So having shared that tidbit of insider info, let’s look at the remaining line up of to be released films that will light up your summer.

moved up from being just a great agent to being the head of a film studio and bank rolls Vinnie’s directorial debut to the tune of 100 milion dollars. Well in typical Entourage fashion Vinnie takes a relaxed approach to the Entourage The Movie: project and all hell breaks loose when it looks like Ari Fans of the HBO series En- could lose it all. Entourage tourage are well acquaint- The Movie opens Wednesed with the exploits of su- day June 3rd in the US per agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Plven), his star client Vinnie Insidious 3: Chase (Adrien Geneir) and Vinnie’s possee (The Entou- This third installment of the rage). So now years after very popular and profitable the series wrapped, Ari has Insidious film franchise is ac-

Entorage Movie Photo: The New York Times

tually a prequel before the now iconic Lamber family terror chapter that made this films part of Pop culture. In this film we see a teenage girl possed by a demon and how some of the known characters worked then to set her free and how that shapes the current Insidious film universe. Indisious 3 opens nationwide Friday June 5 2015.

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Inside Out: Inside Out explores the nature of emotionality by going inside the mind of a young girl. The emotions are made into characters played by five different actors: Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling). The industry buzz is that this film could be huge due to the unique subject matter and how its tackled in the film. Inside Out opens nationwide: Friday June 19th Photo: Feigco Entertainment & Chernin Entertainment

rector Paul Feig. With the success of Bridesmaids, and The Heat, these two creative forces have reunited to bring us another comedy in Spy. This time McCarthy plays a CIA analyst that gets thrown into being an agent with danger and hilarity insuing. Jason Stathem (The Transporter, Furious 7) also stars. Spy opens nationwide on Friday June 5th.

Jurassic World: Failing to heed the warnings of the previous films, we once again have geneticists dabbling in the realm of the divine and creating a dinosaur they can not control as the Jurassic Park finally comes open to the public. In this installment Chris Platt (Guardians of The Galaxy) plays a dinosaur trainer that uses his pack of pet raptors to try and save the day as the park guests become dino brunch. Jurassic World opens nationwide Friday June 12th.

Max: An alternative to sequels and superhero flicks, Max is a dog story movie. After a deadly explosion in Afganistan, Max is sent to live with his military owner’s family. The dog must adjust to civilian life and the love of a young boy. Max opens nationwide Friday June 26th

Terminator Genisys (July 1) Here we go again in this lastest addition to the Terminator franchise. Of course Arnold is back but with a twist. This time when Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) returns to the 80’s to save a defensless Sara Conner (Emilia Clarke) what he finds is that not only is she expecting him but the time line has been dramatically alterted where she is saving him and fighting along side Arnold instead of being hunted by him as in the original. Academy Award winner J. K. Simmons, Matt Smith, Lee Byung-hun (as the T-1000) costar. Termintor Genisys opens nationwide Wednesday July 1st.

Ted 2 (June 26) With the success of the first Ted movie, Seth MacFarlane is back as Ted along with Mark Wahlberg’s John Bennett. In this sophomore installment, John is ready to provide sperm so Ted and his wife can have a baby, if they can prove Ted is human in court. Also starring Amanda Seyfried and Liam Neeson. Ted opens nationwide Friday June 26th.

Photo: Skydance Productions

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Magic Mike XXL Channing Tatum is back in Magic Mike XXL. This time Mike and crew go from Tampa to Myrtle Beach for a stripping competition. If you want more of what was in the first movie, then this one may be for you. Magic mike XXL opens nationwide Wednesday July 1st.

Minions Finally the yellow henchmen from the Despicable Me movies have their own spin-off movie. Taking place in 1968 and starring the voice of academy award winner Sandra Bullock as villain Scarlet Overkill, madcap fun and adventure insues. Minions opens nationwide Wednesday July 10th

Photo: Marvel Studios

Self/less (July 10)

Ant-Man (July 17)

In the movie Self/less, Ben Kingsley plays a wealthy dying man that has his consciousness transferred to the body of a younger man played by Ryan Reynolds, however he begins to uncover the previous tenantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memories. Self/ less opens nationwide Friday July 10th.

Hot on the heels of Avengers age of Ultron, Marvel finally releases Ant Man. However like in Age of Ultron there are some interesting changes in this movie that are not from the orginal comic book source material. In this film version, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) develops a shrinking suit and hands it over to master thief Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) instead of being Ant man himself. Still there will be plenty of references to the exisiting cinematic Marvel TV and film universe. Ant -Man opens nationwide Friday July 17th. There are many more Flicks to Preview like Mission Impossible Rougue Nation, Fantastic Four and more however due to space limitations we just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get them all in one issue. We hope these advanced peeks help you in deciding what you want to see at the movies.

Photo: Illumination Entertainment

NU VIBEZ & ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 41

Journalists: Filipa Thespian & Vanatosis Arentire

REALM REVIEW: GAELA GAELA: Oriental Steam Fantasy â&#x20AC;Ś OH MY!

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The comforting shroud of night slips over the city. The ever-present hiss of steam engines are the only sounds, save the soft clop of boots on pavement. The moon shines its yellow hue on the walk as the traveler takes in the view. Cogs spin and machines whir as he moves further within the city walls. What would this place hold for him? Tales of demons would come to mind, garnering a simple smile from him.

He would straighten his top hat and look to the rooftops above. A flap of unfurled wings and the stranger would be above them, sweeping his gaze over the city below. The long shadow of an airship in the distance, slides over the Asian looking buildings while the soft glow of steam-driven lights would play off the looming fog. What would the city hold for him, indeed? Whatever the heart desired!

shell, is set in the Victorian era with steam-driven gadgets. In many cases there are items such as cogs and wheels which use steam to work and in most cases these are fashioned from metal. The steam train, for example, was an inspiration for the Steampunk era as is Da Vinci and all things clockwork. Water is also something that has been used in Steampunk, though much less often. In our sim’s back-story we chose not to use fossil fuels as a means for technological advancement and rather have the story progress through nature’s own energy sources; magic, water, heat and momentum.”

Photo by Filipa Thespian

Our first realm review here in the newly merged Nu Vibez and Role play Guide magazine and I happen to bump into Role play Sim owner, Ethan Stephans (ethanstephans). “Ethan, tell me, how did you come up with the concept of your sim?” I asked him as I walked around snapping photos. With a grin and a wink, he was quick to share, “Well, originally, the concept was created to fit those troublesome characters that just don’t seem to fit in anywhere else, such as medieval Steampunk vampires

and Void children, or half-demon half-celestials/angels. As we began building and figuring out some of the complications with others, the sim took on a more oriental feel and low and behold, the theme became oriental steam fantasy as we call it. “That’s very interesting, but for our readers who may not know, could you please describe what Steampunk is and how does it fit in your sim’s back-story?” I inquired. “Of course,” he was happy to humor us. “Steampunk, in a nut-

“What do you feel is a hidden gem on your sim?” I continued. “Oh … The Library.” He answered quickly. “It’s the headquarters of the dark faction. Technically, this is the place most who are of the lighter alignments, would not wish to go, but it seems to draw them in with its picturesque setting and simple elegance. The second would have to be the Underdark caves and its complimenting Keepers Cave.” Curious about the extensive variety, I felt compelled to ask, “What type of characters are permitted to be role-played on your sim? What type aren’t?” To which Ethan was swift in response, “pretty much any race, age, genre or range is welcome in Gaela. All we ask is that you have some written information on a race that we NU VIBEZ & ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 45

are not familiar with, good pros and cons to make them believable and a good back-story that makes the character fit together with itself. After that it’s just a matter of how the player chooses to have them fit into Gaela.” Is help provided for those new to role play and/or Second Life? “Yes. We have free items, landmarks, information and even classes if they choose. There are also mentors and admins, all willing to assist the new player.” What equipment and/or clothing is required to role-play on your sim? “There are no set requirements for what to wear or use, we only ask that you not wear anything futuristic such as modern robotics and space gear. We also ask that guns not be

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newer than the old west era, without first discussing it with an admin for approval and under no circumstances will gas powered items be allowed.” Well much as I hate to admit it, rules are really important in role play environments so to that end, I asked Ethan, what the most important rules of his sim are. He was very succinct in his response which is very good for avoiding confusion with players! “Be courteous and respectful. Treat others as you would wish to be treated. No ageplay with or among the child avies. No metagaming, powergaming or godmodding and no pre-published characters – be original!” Ethan mentioned age-play and child avatars in our question about

rules which surprised me that child avatars are allowed in Gaela. There is so much controversy surrounding the use of child avatars anywhere in Second Life, but most especially in role-play environments which seem to usually ban them altogether. On one hand they creep many people out, on the other, there are all the issues surrounding child abuse, child pornography or pedophilia. Because of the legal ramifications, Second Life has very strict rules related to the use of child avatars in Second Life. With all this in mind, it begs the following questions: Why did you choose to allow child avatars to get involved in the role play at your sim? “There were several reasons involved in

the choice. The first one being that we want Gaela to be a Family oriented sim and not have the rules against wanting to have children. If there are intimate situations, there will be pregnancy and children – they are the natural result of that, no matter the race. There’s also the fact that two of the other founders and I have child avies and we wanted a place for all our characters to feel at home. Finally we felt that people that wished to play needed some leeway as far as race choice. Most have so many stipulations that all children usually end up human or some light creature, we did not want that here. The only races off-limits to children are ones that are blatant in sexual content such as the incubi.”

What do you do to prevent the misuse of these avatars? “We have strict rules set in place for the players and watch the ones who choose to be children. There is discussion in the works about having those who are not regular child players, being required to submit an adult character first, so the admins can get to know the players in question. There is also a one strike rule for those that break any of the stipulations regarding children. We do NOT tolerate their abuses.” What steps do you take if/when you discover a player has misused a child avatar? “Investigation to ensure that the accusation is true, logs and pictures required. If the person is indeed misusing the privilege to be a child here they will be removed from all groups and forced to start

over. If the offense is major they will be banned and reported to LL.” How many children exist in the role-play at this time and how do they benefit the story-lines going on in play currently? “We currently have six children playing on a regular basis in Gaela. War, a half demon/half elf, he’s the mecha owner and worker until an adult can be found to take over and also the adopted son to the local baker. He is also my character. There is Zephyros, a runner for the local newspaper. He is played by an admin named Anil. Arabre, a young half celestial/half fae healer that works in the hospital alongside our local doctor. Scritch a mute fae vinedog that scares people in the

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forest. A young Victorian human lord that has no parents and Tae, a kitsune that runs and haunts the local dojo in the mountains. They all play their parts and enjoy the time they have.” How are OOC disagreements handled? What about Metagaming? “Most often it will be dealt with swiftly by an admin that is available in a manner fitting the situation. It is usually solved by discussion. More complicated troubles will be discussed among all admins and a decision reached through a vote. Metagaming is a three strike system. A player accused of it will first be warned. The second time they will be watched 48 NU VIBEZ & ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE

closely for repeat offenses and logs will be required from the accuser. The accused will be informed they were accused of the act but nothing more. The final time they will be banned from the sim for one week. If this continues, the player will become permanently banned.” There are many sims to pick from to role play on Second Life, why should our readers pick yours? “I make no claim that we are the best out there. All I can say is that we are new but we have seasoned role-players that wish to share with the rest of the people. This sim was founded by G (Gojyo Imari), Anil (LateefAhmes), Alexis Roode (shockwave.starfall), Grell Sutcliff (santinodelune) and myself. We

were all sitting around, chatting about rules in various sims, and decided the best way to solve our issues, was to make our own sim. We came up with an idea that I have found is a very rare, if not ever used one. Above all we are family. Every player will be seen as family and treated as such and we expect the same in return.” Do people need to live on your sim to be considered a “citizen” of it? “No. It is appreciated that our players live here and wish to rent a shop, be it in character or out, but it is not required. The only thing you have to give to be a citizen is time. Be here and let us see you.”

Any future projects for the sim? “We are in the process of improvements to create a more welcoming environment that better helps our players feel at home. The biggest build projects currently in the works are the dojo (idea given by Takari Kagamine (shinta1217)), a greenhouse, and a stronghold. The city itself is also under some revision and we are looking for anyone willing to do some artwork for the four spirits who formed Gaela. We are nearly done with a project for crystals for the four sleeping spirits hidden around Gaela. The crystals were done by Black Rose Gurbux (daniellepoole1).”

How can players become more involved in helping out to keep things running smoothly? “The simple answer is always … donations, but players are most often asked to just bring friends. We also encourage taking a job as a shop owner, becoming a leader or other tasks or roles around the sim that they might enjoy. If something is needed that we can’t do on our own, a notice will be sent out, or people will be asked via IMs.” Do you have any specific character or administrative roles that need filling right now? “Mentor positions are always open. Anyone looking to become an admin, needs to accept a job, be it advertising recruiting or

building items for the sim. Most of the shops and main hubs on the sim are still open for owners and those shops currently run by my characters are open for negotiation. The police chief is also open for negotiation, however, it is expected that this be a light-aligned character, as the police station is the light faction headquarters.” Is there anything you wish to add, that I haven’t already asked? Anything in particular you want our readers to know about? “Any ideas for improvements to making the sim feel more like home and to our theme are appreciated; with the exception of serious sim remodeling, as that takes quite a bit of time.” NU VIBEZ & ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 49

GAELA CHARACTER REVIEW: ALUKIN BORIENAIOCT Photo by Filipa Thespian

Race: Void Aether Arch Demon/Fallen Age: 398,543,679,959 mark. Only remembers 9,621 of those years. Back Story: No parents, as far as he knows. He was created by the four spirits, Aros of darkness, Aya of light, Deke of Magic and Lythera of nature; created along with several other beings to watch over the realm of Gaela. When the wars started he was among those that chose not to fight and was cast out of the light. He was reborn from the Aetherial fires themselves his true base becoming that of the darkest most evil fires known. Colorings ranging from blacks, greens to blues reds and yellows though he favors green. He was the first of 6 to be born of this fire and watched the others form before it dissipated. After this he sent his siblings to the far corners of the abyss and traveled on. He was found by an annoying succubus named “She”, that seemed intent to stick with him no matter how mean or violent he got. They were never in the same place for very long before someone had to pick a fight most times he was vastly outnumbered and came away with great injuries but still he raged on, taking on and taking out all challengers. When he woke one day to find that the succubus had vanished, he searched. Though he was happy to finally be rid of her and her incessant chatter he found he grew bored without her around and decided

to find bigger challenges to amuse his time with. This quickly found him roaming the Dismal Caverns where he spent countless years going just a little bit mad. He eventually came across the Blood Rift, which to him seemed dreadfully dull, though he had no time for mischief as his entry found him tugged in another direction entirely. This found him in another realm where he spent many years and had several half blood children before he returned to the abyss only to find the river again. This time he followed it down another path and returned to his home in Gaela where he quickly became the proprietor of the city. Most Current Situation going on in your RP: An intimate roleplay with myself, my mate Anil, who is a siren and a djinn named eden. It began as a drink in the local cafe that lead to an offer for a drink between friends. Anil would feed from Eden taking his blood, as sirens do, and in return things got heated. The most memorable quote was this: “Eden frowned and squirmed as he looked down at his chest as if making sure all his gems were there then back up shaking his head. “I never said It was a repayment, it seemed like what a friend might do, you need something I offered it.” He murmured as he looked away blushing and fidgeting again, as he did the top vanished reappeared and vanished again.” Why did you choose the character you did? I have always felt more comfortable with the darker ilk and rather enjoyed the idea of a character who had unique weaknesses along with some real fire within him. He is also the same character I have been playing for 21 years. Why did you choose Gaela? I am one of the owners of Gaela. The place was chosen and made ideally for characters like this, that don’t fit well anywhere else but also for those that just like the family environment.

GAELA CHARACTER REVIEW: TAELEIGH Photo by Filipa Thespian

Taeleigh is the daughter of a female Elf/dryad and Saytr father. Her father being ever filled with wonderlust left home to follow his own path while her mother kept Tae extremely sheltered within a woodland valley grove. Having been so isolated for the majority of her life, Tae’s social skills leave much to be desired and her curiosity is positively boundless. When she happens upon someone she is respectful but can’t seem to stop herself from asking questions of all kinds while having absolutely no concept of “personal” space. Tae is well versed in wood elf lore and has very sharp survival skills including that of the bow and knife. Red meat makes Tae very ill as she is mainly a vegetarian but enjoys fresh fish as a welcome staple to her diet. Current RP Thread: Tae’s mother was killed in a skirmish with unknown assailants. This forced her to seek out the nearby town for supplies and information about the creatures who killed her mother. Why did you choose the character you did? I wanted to have a fun, innocently spirited character who would have a large story arch. How did you come up with your Backstory? love of all things fantasy/fae. I enjoy having a creative mind and I let it run amuck when creating Tae.

GAELA CHARACTER REVIEW: KAELAS WYN

Photo by Filipa Thespian

Race: Garou Age: 29 Back Story: Lupus born to a wolf pack as an albino, but not metis. He lived as a wolf until hunters came and killed his whole pack for their pelts. He survived being skinned, but on the brink of death his shaman abilities kicked in. Since then he hears spirits and can heal with a touch. He took revenge on the hunters and since then travels the world, looking for a pack that accepts him. His strange looks make humans weary of him and garou think he is metis born and thus a bad omen to have around. Most Current Situation going on in your RP: He left the pack since they wouldn’t accept his mate and son and moved to Gaela with them, tries to get accustomed to the advanced technological circumstances here. Why did you choose the character you did? I wanted to play a garou and was always fascinated with albinos. Thus an albino garou. Why did you choose Gaela? It is my home, I’m one of the founders and helped build it. I love it here. How did you come up with your Backstory? I saw the avi I made and knew he didn’t have an easy life. From that his story and personality surfaced on its own during playing him.

GAELA CHARACTER REVIEW: BALDUR Photo by Filipa Thespian

Baldur was born to two sirens. When he was 6 they left him at a dock and said this was normal for sirens to do this. At the dock he was picked up by a fisherman and his wife. they took care of him, including giving him their blood. He had never once went into frenzy with them. When they passed he returned to the water and went exploring. When he did, he found a male mer (Crow) who had in his company, a female named Luna. Crow and Baldur realized they have the same tails, which shocked them as it is odd for merpeople. They figured out that they had the same mother. With these two people, Baldur found a rift into a strange land. While there, he partnered with someone, raised a child (not his own), lost his partner, broke the bond, gained a much better one (Al), and saw the child grow rapidly. It took most of his time to raise his child, most of his life spent in the water where he could not see his partner. After she was of age he returned to the surface to see much of what he knew must have changed. It was so different and he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find his mate. Saddened, he returned to the ocean, never even thinking of breaking the bond with the demon. And as he did before, he began again. Most Current Situation going on in your RP: Baldur has found yet another rift and unknowngly drifted into it. The rift landed him in Gaela. Disoriented, lost, and confused, Baldur stays in the water, hoping to catch someone down by the water to help him.

GAELA CHARACTER REVIEW: SOQUILL Photo by Filipa Thespian

Race: Equine Age: 1 1/2 years old Back Story: Soquill is a domesticated horse that after being released, was found and taken in by the fey’ri (half demon, half elf), named “War”. He has been War’s horse ever since. Most Current Situation going on in your RP: Soquill is currently enjoying a cozy life in War’s stable. Why did you choose the character you did?: I enjoy playing a variety of characters, including feral animals. When I was presented with the opportunity to role play as a steed, I took the opportunity with both ha... uh ... all four hooves! Why did you choose Gaela?: When the original sim in which Ethan and I played shut down, Ethan created a new place for all those wandering denizens to settle down in. I followed along. How did you come up with your Backstory?: I had an idea of what I wanted my character to be, and how he would act, especially around other beings. My backstory came from how I could best explain his personality traits, such as having an ever-calm demeanor, even around demons. I also wanted him to be playful, but gentle, as if he were raised around children.

Race: Aether Arch Demon

GAELA CHARACTER REVIEW: CERIAN LILITH BORIENAIOCT Photo by Filipa Thespian

Age: 398,543,661,818 mark (or 5,000 human years). She can, however, only really remember why she fled from the abyss. Back Story: Cerian was born in Hellfire and has six other siblings, one of which is Alukin -- he was first. Bastion the second with Cerian Third to be born. Cerian is known for adopting random persons just so she can hug on them! Cerian was in the realms of the abyss, She had to flee from there because her worshipers turned against her, when she was not pleased with their offerings. So, to make her own point, she refused to help them. As a result, the Assassins, gamblers, rogues and sadists were all trying to kill her, and since sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an Intermediate Deity, she fig-

ured that Gaela, a place she found while on the run, would be the safest realm for her to live in. Still looking over her shoulder hoping no one would notice her or find her, she continues on, doing what she does best. Most Current Situation going on in your RP: She has met her adopted son, the demon War, and after receiving a gift from him, in gratitude, she makes him a lunch box full of good food with fresh bread that she baked , in her own bakery, earlier in the day. She is very proud of him for doing his best around Gaela . Why did you choose the character you did?: Its funny ... I started with a totally different concept of my character, but the storyline just seemd to evolve me into what I am today. Originally I was Dorobouh (that is currently the name the male version that

my gender-shift uses), and she was based on http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/ Beshaba. Her male version basically runs the bakery. But me as Cerian (same person just different names for them), only goes in there when needed. Why did you choose Gaela?: it is very simple. I was looking for a new RP sim that I could be a part of to forget about other issues and stress factors of my sl/rl. I wanted one that had all ages without the nastiness of adult sims, the horrid expenses of meters, huds and weapons -- and steampunk/asian inspired me. What really made me happy was the fact that I followed my instinct and visited Gaela on Ethans recommendation. without him I would most likely have ended up on another RP sim that does not have the sense of family this sim has.

A SURVEY OF GACHA DESIGNERS & PLAYERS Journalist: Wild Bedrosian

We were curious what others had to say about Gacha and wanted to gain as true a sampling as possible. So ... we sent out an anonymous survey (blind survey) to many players of gacha’s and designers who create the products that go in those adorable little machines. I always had a question what do people think about it.

about

gachas:

Less than 2 years ago, I didn’t know what gacha was and when I learned about The Arcade, I ran, not walked, to get there and... OMG! It was just like when I was young, playing games in arcades! The difference now being, that I get a little gift each time I pay the machine -- WOW! For sure I wanted the rare item. I consistantly played until I would get it. After that, it was off to the next machine to do the same, until I played them all. Shame on me! I spent L$15,000 that visit. Sometimes I would spend more, sometimes less each time I went and I began to wonder if other people are like me, or, was there something wrong with me?!? I had to know, so I began to ask around. The world of Gacha became, in time, a huge market, expanding to include yardsales where people resold their duplicates and unwanted items. Some of these yardsales have over 250 tables or more. When I take a peek in one group, I have to count the members by the thousands. Ok, so now we have an idea how popular Gacha is and I haven’t even brought up the events themselves where somtimes it takes days just to find room on the sim enter the event. By the time I had to compete this article, 21 people had responded to my blind survey, what a luck! I wish I had more, but let’s go with what this group thinks as a sampling.

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Wild Bedrosian is pictured here in a rare Gacha outfit she spent L$8,000 to acquire and when asked, she said she’d have kept going to obtain it.

“Anyone can become angry – that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way; this is not easy”.

Photo by Inka Mexicola NU VIBEZ & ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 67

When asked if they think they are addicted to Gacha: half of the responders consider themselves addicted and play gacha daily. The other half say they are not but they mention the machines are addictive. One person told me he/she she plays gacha based entirely on his/her budget. (I wish I could do that!) One person said that he/she would pay up to L$3,000 for an item he/ she really wants. So, what are they doing with the hundreds of items they get after each event? OMG, I try to resell mine but without success.... maybe I should follow their advice. Most of them simply give them away as gifts. Other’s try to resell them, but I wonder if they can make money out of it. I was almost sure of the response. Most of the players are not making money out of gacha resales. A few of them that I consider lucky, however, can get 68 NU VIBEZ & ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE

their money back when reselling. I also got a response that made me wish I were them: “No. I have over L$3 million - I dont need to make any money - this is what I do for fun.” Should I believe this? Three million lindens! Oh boy! I just don’t want to convert it into real life money. Maybe I could buy a real life car with that?

Are we able to stop playing gacha? Most of them say they are. One said that if there was another way to get the item they wanted, other than the gacha machine, he/she would simply buy it. But then again, isn’t that what the gacha yardsales are for! Here’s a funny response: ”yes because they make me angry”.

Ohhh I love this next question! Why are you playing gacha? Most of them state they are because of the great items they can get in the gacha machines or they tell me that it’s the only way to get some of the items they really want. Sometimes the respnose was that the thrill of gambling makes them happy. One answer surprised me: he/she is playing because they’re bored. For my part, I wonder, why go to a gacha event then when there is so much to do on SL?!?

Can people be in serious trouble because of gacha? One respondent feels this is an emphatic yes and said, “I have been saying for a long time that I think gacha is just like gambling and

“I have been saying for a long time that I think gacha is just like gambling and many people probably have more trouble than they will admit or realize.”

many people probably have more trouble than they will admit or realize.” On the opposite side, one respondant said to me: “That’s a stupid Question. Gacha no more causes addiction than beer CAUSES alcoholism.” Some players confirm that they would like to have help with this gacha addiction problem. “Yes. I know people that have gone into thousands and thousands of credit card debt due to their gacha addiction.” Another person asked, “Is there some support for gambling, because thats basically what it is when you play a machine. You’re gambling that you will get the item or items you want.” And yet another shared, “There are resources outside of SL for gambling addiction - these should be used too. But it might help to have resources in SL too.”

I wonder, are there any addiction specialists or psychologists in Second Life who might like to help those who want it?

Most of the people say they have no problem skipping a gacha event when asked, stating “I go to every event. It’s a machine that I will choose to play or not based on its merit. If I have no interest in the products, then I do not bother.” Another person said: “Most of the time I like to go to yardsales to find gacha stuff, because on a machine it’s too easy to lose track of what you spent or to spend too much trying to get a rare.” One person who can’t avoid gacha events said: “Currently...no [problem skipping]. But I know I have mental health issues

currently and gacha creates the false sense of achievement I currently need.” From this, we can see it’s not a pleasure for everyone to play gacha.

What about the designers who fill those ohso-tempting Gacha Machines? What is their opinion about gacha?

“That’s a stupid Question. Gacha no more causes addiction than beer CAUSES alcoholism.”

Here are the answers to our second blind survey.

I’ve done gachas that don’t do as well as my regular releases).”

Is gacha consuming a lot of time you otherwise would use to work on new items for your mainstore?

One designer said that its really worth it to make gacha items and that it gives him/her more money than a regular release in his/her mainstore.

“Events in general are removing a lot of time on work for new items in my mainstore. In fact, I don’t do much in terms of mainstore releases because customers prefer to shop events.” Another designer said: “No, not a problem. I have very few gachas a year.” Is making gacha items worth it for you? Does it bring you more or less money than regular sales from your store? “It depends on what I make and where I release it. But personally, I don’t feel like it is worth my time because it ends up being very stressful and time consuming in general. Sometimes I’ll make more than a regular release, sometimes I will not. Even if it makes more than a regular release, in terms of time in vs. pay out, it probably is about the same. Instead of one gacha, I could do 2-3 releases and make whatever I made on the gacha (provided it is popular,

Another designer said: “Not sure, we are still figuring that out - but it does take a lot of our time to make one gacha set. [...] As a designer - I’m still not sure if we will be doing gachas often - it takes much much more of our time than regular items and we are yet not sure if that is worth it.” Does gacha help you to have your store known by more customers? “I don’t know, possibly. I don’t think it’s key, unless you’re in something like The Arcade.“ Please share your opinion about gacha with our readers. “I think the gachas have flooded the grid with stuff. Stuff that can’t really be re-sold anymore. If I make a hard gacha, which I’m sure most people do (multiple rares, lots of commons, sets of different things), it will take me a huge amount of

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time and I don’t think it’s necessarily worth it. Overall, I hope people begin to stop playing so there are less gacha-centric events and less demand. I feel like the low price point devalues the time spent on the machine itself and consumers are starting to expect to get whatever the common is for L$50 or L$75. So they’re [gatchas] probably hurting regular sales in general. Additionally, the overall belief is that gachas in a gacha event will make a ton. So event prices are starting to skyrocket for gacha events and other events as well. I’m sure there are

people in these events that barely make the entry fee back, especially when there are over 100+ gachas to choose from. At the end of the day, the customer might be addicted, but it’s the maker who’s getting the short end of the stick on both ends. High entry fees, high time investment, low rate of return, slowing regular sales, lowering overall prices on regular releases, and disinterest in paying ‘full price’ for most items is where all this craziness has got us.” Another designer stated: “I feel customers are satisfied with gacha as long as seeing their reactions and its large sales.”

And finally, the last designer quoted told us: “I am ambivalent around gachas, I wish I could sell both a gacha version and the whole set copy no trans, so people that don’t like gachas could also get the things.” Regardless of what any of us thinks or believes about this amazing phenomenon, one thing is for sure, there are A LOT of people playing and a lot of designers creating. Just like gacha of the real world, which started in the 1960’s and is still going strong, as long as their are rewards, their will be those willing to sink their hard earned money in!

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MORE THAN A GAME: GENDER BENDING Journalist: HillarySwift Resident

There are probably no accurate statistics available on precisely what sex the user behind each avatar is in Second Life (SL).

A momentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reflection would soon show that it is too easy to sign up with a sex other than the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real one and users often operate more than one avatar, none of which may correspond to their actual real life (RL) sex. Some estimates, usually derived from user experiences, are that around 70% of users that use female avatars are in fact males, for example. A far fewer number of females operate male avatars.

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It is impossible to know these proportions precisely. But it is certain that some avatars, and perhaps many more than one might imagine, are not the same sex as the person pressing the keys. If you are a regular user of SL you may already have met avatars that you have discovered are not the same sex as the human in RL operating them. You may occasionally see a profile, often the profile of a female avatar, that provides reassurance of the corresponding sex of the human, sometimes saying they have been voice verified, or even verified by cam (using camera). Such verification is usually needed for escort services or other adult services and activities in SL. Verification is also need for age purposes in those instances.

Photo

rightwingnews.com

“Of equal importance is the realisation that behind every avatar is a real human”...

alisation that behind every avatar is a real human, of whatever sex or gender role behaviour set.

Of course verification processes can be faked by the most devious of humans in order to enable an avatar to engage in activities that the ‘real’ human operator desires. It may well be that that extreme effort goes on in some cases. But the average human usually doesn’t bother, and writing that they have been voice verified may well be a ruse to enable them to slip under the average viewer’s radar.

days too, however I will choose to remain very simple here and only refer to male and female), and gender, which is the collection of behaviours associated with being female or male.

The opportunities for people to explore how ‘the other half lives’ in terms of sex and gender roles are unparalleled in immersive environments such as SL. I distinguish here, as is usual in sex and gender studies between sex, the biological facts of being male and female (but yes, I know there are multiple variations on that these

Some stereotypic gendered behaviours are dressing in pink as a girl and blue for a boy, or wearing long hair to indicate femininity and short spiky hair to indicate masculinity, for example.

If, let’s say, a male user is seeking to gain a more full experience of a slice of life as a female, then they may take their female avatar and hang around a shopping mall and try chatting to the ‘girls’ (other female avatars) there while shopping, getting a feel for the social life of females. However if more than half of the ‘girls’ are in fact fellows, then the experience is rather unreal in more than one sense. So at least for the sake of clarity about one’s individual SL experience, having some reliable knowledge of the real sex of the human behind the avatar could come in handy. Next time I will explore the more emotional and sexual side of this dilemma. sometimes saying they have been voice verified, or even verified by cam (using camera). Such verification is usually needed for escort services or other adult services and ac-

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tivities in SL. Verification is also need for age purposes in those instances. Of course verification processes can be faked by the most devious of humans in order to enable an avatar to engage in activities that the ‘real’ human operator desires. It may well be that that extreme effort goes on in some cases. But the average human usually doesn’t bother, and writing that they have been voice verified may well be a ruse to enable them to slip under the average viewer’s radar. The opportunities for people to explore how ‘the other half lives’ in terms of sex and gender roles are unparalleled in immersive environments such as SL. I distinguish here, as is usual in sex and gender studies between sex, the biological facts of being male and female (but yes, I know there are multiple variations on that these days too, however I will choose to remain very simple here and only refer to male and female), and gender, which is the collection of behaviours associated with being female or male. Some stereotypic gendered behaviours are dressing in pink as a girl and blue for a boy, or wearing long hair to indicate femininity and short spiky hair to indicate masculinity, for example.

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So by using an avatar of the opposite sex in SL to one’s RL sex, it is possible to experience, at least as far as a virtual reality (VR) environment allows, what a person of the opposite sex experiences in RL. But, being VR, the experience is never precisely identical to RL, and hopefully all users realise this. Of equal importance is the realisation that behind every avatar is a real human, of whatever sex or gender role behaviour set. If, let’s say, a male user is seeking to gain a more full experience of a slice of life as a female, then they may take their female avatar and hang around a shopping mall and try chatting to the ‘girls’ (other female avatars) there while shopping, getting a feel for the social life of females. However if more than half of the ‘girls’ are in fact fellows, then the experience is rather unreal in more than one sense. So at least for the sake of clarity about one’s individual SL experience, having some reliable knowledge of the real sex of the human behind the avatar could come in handy. Next time I will explore the more emotional and sexual side of this dilemma.

THE NU VIBEZ TOUR HUD IS ON ITS WAY! Get your Nu Vibez/ Roleplay Guide kiosk selection kit from the Second Life marketplace. Choose the kiosk that best suits your location and rezz at your landing zone. This summer, we will begin passing out the Tour Hud on Marketplace, in the kiosks and in every issue we publish! Don’t miss your chance to be hotlinked to our readers!

HOW TO WIN CASH FOR READING AND FOR DISTRIBUTING NU VIBEZ MAGAZINE! Do you want to win L$2,015 just for reading this magazine? Do you want to earn monthly cash for being a kiosk hosting venue? Well ... there’s only one CCN Prize Patrol and we’re out there looking for you!

Here’s how you can win! 1. Get in the Nu Vibez Magazine Reader’s Group. - In the In-World publication, click the groovy WEB link to the right of this page. It will open the group for you and you can join.

- Online pubilcation viewers, log into Second Life and in the search bar, enter: Nu Vibez Magazine Reader’s Group. 2. Get the Tour Hud and get yourself to Nu Vibez Kiosk locations to be found! - Many of them are night clubs or stores or role play sims ... lots of fun to be had while you’re waiting for the patrol. 3. Pay attention when the Nu Vibez Reader’s Group Chat pops up. - It may be the Prize Patrol looking for the Phrase that Pays! - You could win right there on the spot, no travel required.

Here’s How to Earn Cash for hosting a kisok: Contact Scorpinosis Nightfire for the CCN Kiosk Hosting information with all the details. In a nutshell, you earn a % of every penny earned by your visitors and we pay out that percentage to you at the end of every month. Obviously, the more people who win while at your location, the more you do! So get promoting :).

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MADRID SOLO, NOT YOUR REGULAR GIRL Journalist: Chillicalifornia

When we mention the name Madrid Solo, the first thing that comes in mind are her extra-detailed photos of Second Life (SL) Avatars. Her talent at graphics is not only an instrument that is admired by many, but also an inspiration to many aspiring graphic artists of Second Life.

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I have managed to work my way into her busy schedule and do an interview with this virtual wonder-woman, who owns a Photo Studio, a Makeup Store and has a passion for art. I have left a few parts of this interview unedited, for you, dear reader, to understand this woman’s character and see why I simply fell in love with her. When asked who Madrid Solo really is, she responded to me promptly, with a wicked grin on her face that, “Summed up, I am no better, no worse, no different than most people. Flawed, certainly. Talented? Marginally. But as a whole, I am a happy soul with too many blessings to count.” (M.S.). I then continued and asked her what Madrid Solo will never be. Her answer came quicker than the previous one… “perfect.“

“I’ll never be perfect. I’ll never pretend to be perfect. I’ll never be ungrateful and hopefully I’ll never be someone “I’ll never be perfect. I’ll never pretend to be perfect. I’ll never be ungrateful and hopefully I’ll never be someone I’m ashamed to be.” Her inspirations are numerous. She says that, despite her potentially un-politically correct answer, Hillary Clinton is her major inspiration in 2015, for she wishes to live long enough to see a female US President. Nevertheless, she had her virtual inspirations as well. Having behind her, a past of real life graphic work - just for fun, she mentions - she found it natural

I’m ashamed to be.” to bring her talent into Second Life. She admires the works of Marcopol Oh and Lara Ubert, two photographers that she named “diametrically different, but also genuinely talented”.

having a life of its own, we get to experience the infinite chaos that is art. I believe the real foundation of art is what the artist breathes into it, and what the viewer takes away.”

I moved into an abstract place of our conversation and asked what art is, in her vision. “Now that’s the million dollar question isn’t it?” shared Madrid, “Art. It’s that elusive, subjective characterization we humans like to try and wrap up in a box and put a bow on. But fortunately because “art” cannot be wrestled into submission,

As for her, she also defines what she does as art, because for the most part it is a manifest of her mind, put out to the audience. She claims she sees beauty in almost everything, from the ugliest fish of the sea to the most grotesque frog on land. The color, the texture, the sound, anything NU VIBEZ & ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE 79

“In my opinion, true beauty I think you have to be able to Photo: Madrid’s Metropolis, modeled and photographed by Hexe Jie

beautiful can be found in anything that doesn’t necessarily wraps up as “exterior beauty”, she affirms. “In my opinion, true beauty I think you have to be able to feel as well as see.” (M.S.) However, we made an exercise of imagination together and transported ourselves in a world where beauty patterns are always respected and met to the ultimate detail. What she found is that a world like that would be nothing but dull, lacking any kind of interest. She believes that what makes life interesting is the challenge of finding beauty in anything that surrounds you, and that when you have nothing to search for anymore, life would lose its sense.

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feel as well as see.”

Moving to more “serious business”, I asked Madrid if she loves what she do, if she loves her studio and her makeup store. She affirmed that the moment she doesn’t love what she does, she will stop. She is a real life cosmetic and tattoo art lover, and just wanted to combine the two in Second Life™, for it is way easier on this platform than in our palpable world. However, when asked how important makeup is in general, she responded that, in a nutshell, it’s not, this referring to a hypothetical situation when “say you need food but want makeup. Food will always come first and that’s how it should be.” (M.S.).

She is an artist who sees the face of a regular human like a canvas, and she loves putting herself in the place of a painter. One thing I absolutely loved about Madrid is her definition of success. Being asked what is the key to success, she responded promptly: “I think success is one of those things we grow up thinking is one thing, and find out later in life, it’s quite another. Success does not equate to the amount of money you make or have. It’s my opinion that to say, “I am successful” means I am content with what I’ve accomplished. I am happy with my choices and I didn’t achieve these things without the help of others. Because if anyone says, “I’m com-

pletely successful and I did it all on my own”, they’re not being honest, or humble enough to acknowledge the help they’ve gotten along the way.

The key to my “success” is most definitely the people I surround myself with.” - M.C. After this whole pleasant conversation, I decided to dare Madrid with four “Turbo Questions”, exclusively for NuVibez Magazine. And voilà! You have them all right here: CW: If you were to have lunch with any person, past or present, who would it be and why? MS: What a question! In my profile I have a quote by Mark Twain, it reads “But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?”. I would love to sit with Mark Twain and pick his brain a bit. But I would also love to have lunch with Jane Goodall and tell her how much I respected her love of primates. But I can’t leave out Joan Of Arc. And this is going to sound horrible, but I just gotta know... what did she hear? CW: From where or who did you learn the most in your life? MS: That’s easy. My mother. Not that my father didn’t contribute, because he did. But it was my mothers fortitude, her raw intellect and her acer-

bic humor and wit that I learned the most from. But also, life. Life has the most extraordinary way of teaching us lessons. The hardest are the most valuable, wherein we learn the most. So thanks Mom and thank you life. :) CW: What is one thing that you have taught others? MS: How to treat me. I’m one of those people that will not tolerate disrespect. I will respect you and you will respect me. That is a non-negotiable ordinance of my life. That doesn’t mean you have to like me, or me you, it means I won’t tolerate bad behavior, or abuse of any kind. CW: What is the thing you enjoy the most about your Second Life™? MS: That I can do things here that you simply cannot physically do in your first life. I love that we can make things happen here, even if you can’t anywhere else, so you can find a measure of happiness in the smallest to the greatest things. And there you have it. I made it a mission to strip Madrid of any inhibition and emotion, but I was lucky for she was nothing but an open book. A woman of success, who made it through fire and ice to do what she loves, and made it only because she loves it. What can be more fabulous? For you only, Crista Wellens

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NEWS FROM AROUND THE GRID Journalist: Selby Evans / @VirtualOutworlding.blogspot.com The Hyper Grid You can learn more about the Hyper Grid and the OpenSimulator project by visiting their site here: http:// opensimulator.org/wiki/Hypergrid

ing with the remaining checklist. Do any of these things matter to you? • Lots of space, low cost? • Control your own grid, set the rules, maybe low cost • 24/7 uptime? Commercial grids • Price • Reliable backup? • Traffic to your place? • Market services Selby Evans is a well known voice for virutal worlds everywhere, having his blog at VirtualOutworlding.Blogspot.com and he’s offered up his news and events to Nu Vibez to share with you! There’s more to the metaverse than may think, and it’s really exciting!

2015 HG: HELP: Picka-grid checklist for the HG: What to consider in choosing a grid for your project

The best HG grid for you depends on your objectives. Here I list some things that are important to some people. Below the fold, I give some information and useful links for Pick-a-grid checklist for each item. To use the checkthe HG: What to consid- list, copy-paste the list into a er in choosing a grid for notepad, delete the items that your project don’t matter to you, and evaluate any grids you are consider-

• Promotion of your place on the web • Export to OAR backup file • Help/service, problem resolution (fast) • Infrastructure quality • Infrastructure performance • Inworld currency • Languages other than English • Life style (eg.LGBT) friendly • Active community promoting community interests • Caution

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SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS

An Interview with Jazz and Blues singer Jackie Lefko Journalist and Photographer: Filipa Thespian

Only a select few come to mind when you mention top tier entertainment in Second Life, but Jazz and Blues singer Jackie Lefko happens to be one of those performers in this category. A 2014 AVI Awards nominee, Jackie has developed a large and loyal following from all corners of the grid. Her live shows are not only critically praised they are a hot ticket item. Recently, I got the chance to sit down with Jackie, early before one of her packed shows, and get her thoughts on several topics, and some of them might surprise you. 86 NU VIBEZ & ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE

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NVM: Hi Jackie and thank you for sitting down with us for this interview JL: Thank you, Filipa. I am a big fan of Nu Vibez Magazine and am honored to be featured in your upcoming issue. NVM: Being that you also work in the genre of Blues as well as Jazz, I would be remiss if I didn’t ask your thoughts on the Legacy of B.B. King and his recent passing on May 14th this year? JL: B.B. King left an amazing legacy and so greatly influenced all types of music. When I heard of his death, two thoughts came to mind.

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The first thought was when my daughter and I met him while shooting the made-for-TV movie “Shake Rattle and Roll.” He was making a cameo appearance in a nightclub scene and we were extras in the movie. It was so fun. He was very personable. My second thought was to do a show in honor of his legacy. I had two gigs coming up and I ended up doing an “All Blues Tribute to B.B. King” live show at Ballroom Persona, a Japan-based SL club, and at Frank’s Elite Jazz Club, one of the most popular international venues on SL. I believe all who attended were happy to share in the celebration of B.B. Kings life because his music impacted all music lovers around the world.

NVM: I think many will agree with all of that Jackie, I know I do. Now for those that might not know your story can you please tell us how you got started singing and how that evolved into the SL success story you are now? JL: I come from a very musical family and have been singing almost all my life. But, ironically, no one in my family pursued music as a full time profession. I started playing piano and singing in church before I went to kindergarten. I performed with a few local bands and groups in high school but my primary focus was on the arts. My childhood dream was to be a fashion designer and I did study fashion, but primarily I made my living working in the graphics and visual arts industry. So, you are probably wondering how I found my way back to singing. Volunteer work as a costume designer for a small theatre group in NYC led me to the stage that led me back to singing. It was a fluke. Some actor did not show up and I sat in to read the part. Then, they wanted me to sing a song. Well, I was cast in the part and the show was such a success that I was consistently cast from one show to the next – acting and singing. I started taking voice lessons and have performed at nightclubs, theatrical productions and more. I was introduced to SL while working on a Masters degree and learned of the opportunity to sing live here. Under the mentorship of SL singer Maxx Sabertooth, I finally got set up to sing and started going to open mics. I have now been singing in SL for about 3 years.

NVM: What do you think needs to happen to see the SL live music scene go to the next level? JL: I believe the SL live music scene has evolved tremendously. There are new singers coming into SL more frequently. And, this September will be 3 years since I started SL’s Got Talent where singers have been able to introduce themselves to the SL live music scene. I think the key to the success of the SL live music scene is the venues that feature live musicians. The continued commitment of venue owners to host live music and patrons to support those endeavors financially will keep it going. Fortunately, most live music patrons know how blessed they are to be able to be exposed to this level of talent in the comfort of their own home for a minimal cost. From a musical perspective, the best live artists here have a true passion for their craft and you can hear it in the performances. NVM: What did it feel like to be nominated to th AVI Awards? JL: It was an honor to be nominated. It lets you know that your efforts are appreciated and encourages you to continue to evolve your craft. That is how I see it. NVM: What is it like, juggling being a club and venue performer with owning a club that showcases other live performers? JL: Owning a venue and singing is a great balance for me. I love scouting for and featuring live musicians as well as having my own venue to

perform. Both bring me great joy! The key to successfully juggling both is keeping a calendar. LOL NVM: If we were to listen to your personal music play-list, what are some of the artists and songs we would discover you listen to for entertainment during your off times? JL: Great question. When driving, I listen to FUNK. Then, I love bands – Gap Band, Kook & the Gang, EWF, Dave Matthews Band, Prince, etc. Then, I like to search for new jazz and blues artists to keep up with new and different stylings. That allows me to keep up with my chosen genres. NVM: Now not too long ago you made a business move that may have surprised people that thought of you as just an artist and not a savvy business woman as well. Tell us about launching XtreamlyU Stream Rentals. JL: Parker Static, an amazing SL singer, and I launched the stream business earlier this year. I actually call her the brains of the operation but we both bring our own areas of expertise. We did not know anything about it and it has been a learning process. But, owning a stream store made sense for us as SL singers. Our clients are other SL singers and DJs. From a business perspective, residual income is always good.

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NVM: What advice do you have for others that would like to do what you are doing with their singing career? JL: Invest in the equipment, practice your craft, plan your shows, do open mics to get your name out there and go hear other singers to get a feel of the live music scene. Also, join some of the live musician groups. NVM: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next for Jackie Lefko? JL: Well, I am interested in Internet Radio, which makes sense since I now own a stream business. I am in research mode now for that project. NVM: Now, finally if someone wants to book you whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best way for them to go about it? JL: Those interested in booking me can first of all, listen to my demo on soundcloud:https://soundcloud.com/jackielefko Then, they can contact me directly or my manager, lyrique.forsythe in world or via email: onyxmayrose@gmail.com? NVM: Jackie thank you this time and interview. JL: Thank you so much for the invitation.

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2015 EDU: HG: Why an OpenSimulator Virtual Campus? REDgrid, of Ball State University. Why an OpenSimulator Virtual Campus? REDgrid, of Ball State University. REDgrid is a virtual instructional and research environment built for Ball State University on the virtual world platform of OpenSim. Stephen Gasior, the creator, here describes the advantages and disadvantages he has found in offering instruction in virtual worlds. •

ABOVE: BSU Entry

EDUCATION ON THE HYPER GRID

Journalist: Selby Evans / @virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com

REDgrid, the OpenSim home of Ball State University

• Web Site: Redgrid • redgrid.bsu.edu:9000 HG address. Paste into the world map next to Find Click Find, then teleport if the place is found.

2015 EDU: VIDEO: BIZ: The RezMela™ approach The RezMela™ approach

Rezmela uses virtual worlds to create learning environments rapidly, easily and with no steep Educators have not given up on virutal worlds learning curve. Here are a few videos demonto find new ways to educate students of all strating how it works.

ages and the proof is on the Hyper Grid for certain. Here are just a few snippits from Selby Evans sharing some recent Education related news from the Grid about Education.

•

Watch on YouTube

•

RezMela™

•

Where virtual learning environments emerge at the speed of your imagination.

•

RezMela in Kitely: Simulations for disaster response training!

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Photo by Vanatosis Arentire

ELDER RACES: MERFOLK Journalist: Vanatosis Arentire

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The soft lapping of waves against the hull and the occasional cry of a seagull were the only sounds Captain Jarnos could hear.

The doldrums had come, leaving his ship caught in the slow current of the sea, drifting to only the gods knew where. The limp sails gave the only shade above deck from the brutal sun beating down. But then, a new noise came to his ears.

It was almost glass-like in its calmness, but in the distance, a dark form appeared, breaking the near-perfect surface of the horizon.

Singing? No. Not here. Not without any shoreline in sight. But the song swelled louder and even more compelling. Captain Jarnos went to the siderail and looked out over the vast ocean that lay between him and unseen land.

An outcropping of rocks slowly came into focus, and on the top, a figure. Pulling his spyglass, the Captain peered through to view the most beautiful woman atop the rocks, and she was singing without a care.

As the ship drifted closer, the singing grew louder, and the form, larger.

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Mermaids. Our fascination with them has gone on for centuries. What draws us to these creatures? A recent resurgence within the Second Life (SL) community has drawn even more people to the tales of the Mermaid, and with that, the Siren. But just what is a mermaid? Or a siren for that matter. The answer is far older than one might think. The first stories found about these creatures comes from Assyria in 1000 B.C. The goddess Atargatis, feeling guilt over the accidental death she caused of her human lover, turned herself into a mermaid. Other legends stem from the Greeks, where Alexander the Great’s sister Thessalonike was supposedly turned into a mermaid after death. She would riddle ships, and if the answer pleased her, she would

grant calm seas. If displeased, she would bring storms and doom upon the ship and it’s crew. But how did we arrive at where we are today? Authors, tradesmen, artists and the like all have their own ideas on what a mermaid should and should not be. But they all have come together to create the mermaid that many find a calling to now. What is this idea you ask? Well first let me state this. Sirens and Mermaids are NOT the same thing. Though current ideas find them close cousins of sorts. Mermaids normally are thought to have the head, arms and upper torso of a beautiful human female. The lower portion of their bodies is that of a lovely fish tail. This is the general consensus of most ideas of what mermaids are today. There are many

variations on this core concept, though. Varieties are know to have webbed fingers in their human looking hands, others have lovely fins, be them dorsal, hips, arms or other logical places. Yet other mermaids have pointed or even webbed or fin-like ears. There is a huge variety and uniqueness one can see in such creatures. One general rule of thumb though, Mermaids tend to have human skin tones on their human torsos, at least for the most part. Sirens, when they first were spoken of by the Greeks, actually looked more akin to what we would call Harpies today. They were, however, water dwellers, which may be why our cultures have slowly morphed them into what they are today. Most people think of sirens as highly seductive creatures, some looking akin to mermaids, while others are brightly colored versions of them, both skin and tail. This seductiveness is used by them to obtain their meals, most frequently, the foolish sailor that is wooed by their advances or their songs. Now this is where the lines between sirens and mermaids tend to blur for some people. The gift of song is often attributed to both. The siren’s song is more than just lovely notes, it is a lure for those that would fall prey to it. Sirens sing for their suppers, Mermaids sing for their enjoyment. They also speak of “splitting tail”, or being able to take a land form by growing legs. This also has been attributed to both species.

Photo by Vanatosis Arentire

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Photo by Mat Kungler Atelier

Sirens often are called the Vampires of the Sea, as a need for blood is one mythology of them. Myths say that lack of consuming blood makes these creatures increasingly weaker and often makes them morph into hideous creatures if malnourished long enough. This mythology also states that Sirenism, as it is called, is actually a disease or curse, similar to Lycanthropy or Vampirism. So what is the draw to such a creature? Either way, you have the opportunity to play a lovely creature.

Beautiful, seductive, and living beneath the waves. A form that is both recognizable and alien. A demeanor that is both our own and something entirely new. But most of all, it is a uniqueness that you can craft into exactly what you want.

As the ship drifted next to the rocks and ground to a halt upon them, the beautiful woman turned and looked at the Captain. She extended her hands, beckoning him to come closer.

Captain Jarnos, without thinking, climbed over the side and onto the rocks where the lovely woman was perched, still singing her lovely song. He came close to her extended arms, and her hands went to the sides of his stubbled face. She leaned in and spoke into his ear, a soft, melodic voice barely above a whisper.

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“Do you wish to be with

voice, simply nodded. A

and then, with a flip of

me?”

escaped her lips.

lovely smile came over

her tail, she and Captain

The Captain, so entranced

her features as she pulled

Jarnos disappeared be-

with her song and her

back slightly from him,

neath the waves. Just

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Photo by Freyja Merryman

one splash and sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d

tain, were found washed

wreck can still be seen

pulled him from the

ashore some days later,

off that shore, where

rocks, into the sea. The

clothing still floating in the

sailors swear they still

bones of the good Cap-

waters nearby. The ship-

see him, waiting.

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ARTIST REVIEW:

Wheelerwood Oppewall www.flickr.com/photos/ 84562328@N02 https://www.facebook.com/wheelerwood.oppewall

It is important to us here at Nu Vibez and Roleplay Guide Magazine, that we continually support, showcase and promote the incredible talent found in the artists who make their homes in Second Life and other Virtual World Mediums. This month, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re taking a close look at the amazing, Mr. Wheelerwood Oppewall.

Artists Insights: Shoot with Kella Lily at Pino. I shot a double exposure on this in Midnight and CRAWL

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ARTIST REVIEW: Wheelerwood Oppewall www.flickr.com/photos/ 84562328@N02 https://www.facebook.com/wheelerwood.oppewall

Artist Insights: While setting up lighting for a front shot set this frame arrived in the cam around. I liked the angle so I took a shot from that view point. Post work in Photoshop was composting some landscape, adding in elements and creating weather through digital painting.

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ARTIST REVIEW: Wheelerwood Oppewall www.flickr.com/photos/ 84562328@N02 https://www.facebook.com/wheelerwood.oppewall

Artist Insights: From a shoot with Julianne Lemondrop. Second Life lighting with Lumi Pro projector.. Scene lighting done within Photoshop.

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Wheelerwood ARTIST REVIEW: Oppewall www.flickr.com/photos/84562328@N02

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https://www.facebook.com/wheelerwood.oppewall

Artist Insights: The accident that got lucky. While setting up shot the powers at be spun Eugina around and she was facing a wall. Shot on default Midnight and soft in world light with a Lumi Pro. Scene lighting done with in Photoshop.

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Role Playing Child Avatars Journalist: Vanatosis Arentire

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” - Dr. Seuss This quote isn’t often reflected in people’s outlook on playing a child in rp. There is often great taboo with the fact that an often fully adult person chooses to play a child. What draws people to do this?

heard say, “I wish I was <insert age here> again.” How many times have you said this? Probably a few times. A child character allows you to do this, go back to a younger and more innocent time. Plus, all that mischief you wanted to cause when you were younger and couldn’t... well, let’s just Often people pre-judge the per- say that door is open. son behind the keyboard and monitor. They think they are creep- Here’s a few tips for playing a child ers or worse. Many do not realize character. First of all, even though it that there are precautions set by is allowed in SL, you need to check SL and LL in their TOS about such your particular sim in which you activities. My goal here, though, wish to role-play. If it is a Mature sim, isn’t to judge or point fingers, but child avatars aren’t allowed per the to enlighten people on the aspects TOS of LL. It is a protection for both of playing a child character. But the sim owner and the player of the if you find someone that fits that child character, so that events and pre-judgement, the easiest thing actions that aren’t allowed cannot to do is to block them and report take place. their activities to LL. Second, find the right type of child What are the benefits? For many, attitude you want to play. Are you playing a child character allows the inquisitive little one, always askthem to express a child-like na- ing questions about things? Or mayture that a modern world doesn’t be the prankster, always with some allow them to participate in any- kind of scheme brewing up. Are you more. How many people have you the too-smart-for-their-own-good 110 NU VIBEZ & ROLEPLAY GUIDE MAGAZINE

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type, knowing much more than your age would suggest? There are literally hundreds of different ideas for a child character, just as many as there are for a mature one. Third, once you have found the attitude you want, dress for success! What does this mean? Well a prankster wouldn’t necessarily go around in a 3 piece suit, especially a child one. Shorts and a t-shirt, maybe with a slingshot tucked into a back pocket sounds a bit more to the expected. That smarty-pants may have glasses and carry around a notebook or I-Pad. Scrolls and the like could be used for a more fantasy type adventure. Children should not be in sexy or “adult” clothing. Another tip for you. Children are Children, they will not know many of the things that we know as adults. This can be a bit of a stumbling block for some. But a normal 8-year-old will not know physics or calculus. What they WILL know is if they keep trying to hit something with a rock, adjusting their aim a bit each time, eventually they will hit it. Children, depending on the age, will not have a full grasp of language. Very young ones will often mispronounce or transpose sounds, for example “Fwesh” in-

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stead of “Fresh” “wub” instead of “Love”. I have known this to bother other players, often like playing a character with an accent can do the same. This can be solved by simply not using the substitutions and just speaking in a more simple manner. “I’m gonna go over here.” instead of “I am going to go sit on the couch and watch TV.”, for example. One last tip for those interested but still not completely convinced. Try a test role-play session. If you and your role-play companions feel comfortable with it, then go forward with investing in an avatar and creating the character you want. If you feel uncomfortable or just do not enjoy it, then no lindens were spent, and you can move back to what you are comfortable with role-playing. Your goal in SL is to have fun. If that isn’t being achieved, then move on and do what does achieve it for you. But the thing to remember is this, the person behind the child character is someone that has made a choice to play that way. They should be met with the same respect and courtesy that you would give any other role-player. After all, people are people, no matter how small.

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