Thursday, August 19, 2010

Sim Redo Update

Well it’s been a couple weeks of prim flinging.

The Garden of the Moon has been relocated to its new home, it is now on the west edge of the sim near the NW corner. Its new location ties it more to the structured areas of the sim but it also has a more secluded feel than it had before. It is still canopied by Botanical’s trees but now overlooks the vast ocean. The radio station is still set to play those old jazz and big band classics. Looks like folks are finding it, I see couples spinning the night away.

The magic shop is moved to its new home, just a little up the path from where it stood. It has been re-merchandised to hopefully make it easier to find things.

On the sim at large some of the walking paths have been redirected and some new ones have been added. The walking and hiking paths are still in flux so more changes are still to come.

Still in line for some cosmetic overhauls and updates, the hub area, the cutting garden, the grotto, and the gypsy camp so keep your eyes peeled for new things to explore.

On new releases for KX Designs I am actively working on the most requested item, sim terrain texture packs. I won’t be selling my personal sim textures but instead will be making all new sets in a similar feel to my personal ones. Ill be testing them out on Annwn as I go if you want a peek.

Thanks for your continued support
KX

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Renovation and Rebirth

Well if you’ve been on the sim you’ve seen some dramatic changes to the retail portions of the sim. Don’t panic, I’m not opining a mall, all the retail areas are to be used be me and those select friends who have been showcasing wears in the Wicca store who all embrace the immersive experience. Motivation is twofold, free up some much needed prims that can be used for landscaping in other areas and I’m in real need a good o’l creative kick in the pants to fall in love with SL all over again.

The old shops are all coming down and being replaced by a small village complex. The village while taking up less of a footprint than the old shops did feels more expansive and more importantly less jarring that the old retail did. I wanted to create more of an immersive shopping experience vs just in your face retail while also adding to the character and story of the sim… imaging tradesmen coming and going, offering their various wears to the shopkeepers to sell. Those just intent on wandering can now wander by all the retail without feeling it being forced in your face. The sim is finally turning into my original vision of it.

The KX Headline store is pretty much all moved into its new home, what appears and many small niche shops from the outside is really all just one space. The holiday items are all moving to a dedicated shop at the base of the hill that will run year round and rotate featured items as the seasons change.

The KX Tree display garden that was crammed in the back corner of the sim is now up in the Prefab skybox (skybox will be eventually be getting an overhaul too) so those who need to see the tress in person before purchase can quickly find and buy the tree they are looking for (the teleport pads located around the sim will zip you up there), the old spot is soon to be reclaimed by woodlands. The KX Tree purchase point area is real close to where it was before its just becoming more of a village garden shop. Planning to add more plants and pots soon. I am also looking into a better method to display a lot of trees in a smaller space.

The Wicca shop’s ‘Practical Magic’ original build is coming down, its new home is just a little up the path, first small cottage store on the right. The new location is smaller (and a lot more prim efficient) and hopefully will be easer to shop from. The remerchandising of the wears should make it easer to find what you are looking for. Look for new items to be appearing soon as we begin gearing up for fall.

The old PM location will soon be reclaimed by nature. Waterways will be rerouted to give you new vistas and there will be new paths to explore. The Hub area will also have a bit of a freshening up and waterway changes. The cutting garden will forever remain, but will have a cosmetic overhaul, want to create more of a farmers flower market feel too it. Gypsies being as the are may find a new campsite, never know where they may turn up.

A new addition coming to the sim that I’ve always wanted but never had before is a small pub, not a ‘SL club pub’ but one of those small locals hangout spots. Once completed all will be welcome to use it as a waypoint to hang with their friends. May in the future have some events there but the intent is to keep it relaxing and low key. Construction has begun if you’d like to take a peek, it’s at the top of the village trail with a spectacular view of the sims.

Well that’s your update, hope you enjoy the changes.
KX

Friday, March 26, 2010

Spring and Inspiration Blooms Anew

Work finally starting to slow down a bit allowing me to have some SL time again... and yet again I'm feeling the urge for some Second Life rebirth.

I keep revisiting the same idea over and over again in my wanderings, and feeling the urge to make that idea come to prim reality. My first thoughts of Serenity all those years ago when I first imagined my own sim was that it was a tiny seaport village, tradesmen coming and going and bringing their wears (and exotic plants!) to the port, the village being a collection of small curiosity and antiquity shops all clustered tightly together to be protected against the elements and sea. Ultimately with the goal of letting the retail that supports the islands blur into the unspoken story of the sim and reinforce the setting and the stories those who visit it create. Visitors being able to wander and shop while still staying immersed in their escape from the grid.

So the idea is to bring together the various elements of the sim, my headline store, the wiccan shop, the cutting garden, the ship port, and the piano garden (garden of the moon), and a few fun new elements into one cohesive whole that feels right, and fits the sim, and most important, do it without compromising the predestine nothing that the sim is that I love.

Challenge yes, but if it wasn't a challenge it wouldn't be worth doing now would it!

Thank You all for your continued support over the years, it is you who make Serenity come to life.