Sim Update 2013
As you may have already heard the Annwin sim will soon be closed. Unfortunately the cost of keeping it open has be come prohibitive and it saddens me that I had to finally make the decision to close that chapter of SL for me.But as they say, when one story ends another begins…
I have been in contact with several of the sim regulars to get their feedback on what spots they cannot live without and I agree with them that these areas are sacred and need to be recreated on Serenite. Add to that the new world of mesh objects in SL (and me being a mesher) has given me the creative juice infusion I’ve long needed to do a full sim remodel of Serenite and upgrade my sim’s builds to mesh.
Now don’t panic! What you love about both sims is still my vision of what I want my SL to be… nature, solitude, reflection, artistry, with elements of strong nautical, celtic and lore influences. The atmosphere and feel of the island will be maintained, its just the quality of the builds will be improving as well as an improvement of the sims performance. (You may have already seen some replacement things already popping up like the new stone bridges)
With the merger of the major elements of the two sims all the areas of the Serenite sim will eventually be relocated. I will try and do this in the least disruptive manner possible so that there are still many spots to enjoy at all times. But at its best, it will still be a lot of re-construction and teraforming. I ask for your patience and understanding through this transition period. The end result I hope will be a sim visiting experience you will enjoy even more than what you have today.
Areas and features to be re-built and relocated:
Retail Shops: As the backbone of the sim’s viability I will still be having my own retail on Serenite. As they are now the shops will be continue to be as unobtrusive and immersive to the visiting experience as possible, the goal is to add to the visual experience of Serenite vs detract from it. I want the shops to be just another part of the exploration of the sim. All the shops are getting a total mesh overhaul, some of my older products will be retired and some will be getting updated. The shopping village will be moving to a new location on the sim,
Walking paths: A big part of Serenite’s charm is in its extensive network of walking paths. These twisting paths that never end are what make the sim feel many times bigger than what it really is. While they will be getting a mesh overhaul and will soon take you in new directions they will always be the core feature of the sim. I love to walk in SL, long meandering paths you can get lost on are a must for me.
The Crystal Cave: I have some new grand ideas for this one. It will be redesigned in mesh and rebuilt on Serenite, when complete the entrance as before will be hidden so that it must be discovered by adventurous souls.
The Cutting Garden. I’ve been running that freebee cutting garden since 2004 and have no plans of discontinuing. I have some fun ideas on a new ‘shop’ to house it, so look for it moving to a new location on the sim
The Solitude Garden: This is the name I call the SW corner of Annwin, that big stillwater purple pond with the lonely trees and Botanical’s amazing Aurora Borealis above (have to be in night mode to see it.) I see people standing there alone often, and I use it as a meditation spot too so, it NEEDS to stay. It too will have to be redesigned, as I will be short on land, but I think with some creative use of mesh and off-world objects much of the same feel can be recreated in a little sim space.
The Garden of the Moon (the Tango garden): One of the most popular places for couples on the sims has always been the dance garden, a small romantic spot where you can dance the night away and feel like the moon is your own. This garden will be redesigned and relocated but I will try my best to keep the same secluded feel as it has always had.
The House: Maxwell’s (of Rustica fame) carriage home has been a long standing favorite place for folks to use as a respite when exploring or for that ever embarrassing chore of clothing unpacking and sorting. Due to space restraints I will have to switch it to a much smaller home so there will soon be a visitor friendly domicile on Serenite that visitors can use for their resting and changing needs.
The Ship: Unfortunately we will have to say goodbye to the Relic ship. While it has served us well over the years it was built before sculpts existed so its prim usage is far too heavy and those prims will be needed so that I can migrate the other loved areas to Serenite. After the re-design I may find I’ll have room for a leaner meshed ship to be docked on the sim but as of now I cannot commit to it. The sim regardless will continue to have a strong nautical theme and feel and the ruined old port will be re-designed in mesh and relocated.
The ‘Other’ Secret Cave: I don’t want to describe this one too much, few knew its existence but if you were one of them you might have noticed right now it’s gone. It will be back in a new form and new location, I won’t tell you where or when, as its always been one of the sims ‘easter eggs’. Perhaps I’ll have a similar way to find it as the old one and drop a subtle hint when its back.
The Barn: Anyone remember the barn? I’m thinking about bringing it back. Due to space needs I had removed it from the sim but am thinking about bringing it back if space and prims permit it.
New Areas: Along with keeping the old favorites I hope to also add some new ones. I have a few personal must haves and I hope they will end up becoming your new favorites too.
Thank you for your continued support over the years. I’ve always envisioned my sim as a place others could use to escape whatever it was they were needling to escape from and find peace, either by themselves or with friends and I hope I will be able to continue to provide that for you over the next many years. Knowing you are out there using it every day makes me smile.
Thank You
KX
