Since I covered an older Virtual Platform last go around, I thought I would write about a new one. Over the last few years there have been quite a few virtual places popping up. Second Life, Kaneva, IMVU, Exit Reality, Vivaty, Prototerra, etc., to name some. All of them are somewhat unique in their own way. Second Life is huge and immersive. IMVU and Vivaty are basically spaces that can be teleported to and from. Exit Reality and Prototerra (and its newer cousin, 3DJay), are more in between. All, also, have a lot of things in common when it comes to user experience. Such as clubs, dancing, socializing, etc. One could become jaded with it all and decide that it is a whole lot of ‘the same’ no matter where you go (Not true, by the way). This brings us to the newest one I have run across, Onverse.
At first glance it looks like the same old, same old. You have avatars, places, an apartment, items and goods to buy, and so on. Study it a little closer and it gets more interesting.
You join at the site. Like Kaneva and IMVU it is kind of a cross between virtual reality and Facebook/Myspace, a direction most of the newer places are going. You then download the software and install (nothing new here either). It is a 178mb download for Windows and 200 for Mac, so be patient. It is a Beta program, but is surprisingly stable, at least on my PC. There are no system requirements as of yet, so tread cautiously. I am running it on a Quad Core PC with 4Gig of ram and a 640 meg video card, so I see no lag or problems. I have not been able to test it on my weaker machine as of yet.
Once launched, it announces that it is on the Torque engine proudly in the splash. It then presents you with a log-in. Once logged in you are given a choice of starting worlds (2, so far).
It has its own browser, like Second Life and the others. There are buttons on the bottom for various functions. You choose one of the worlds, either the Learning Center or Volcano Island, and are then presented a choice of places within that world to go to. Choose one, it loads, and there you are.
Now, to a jaded old virtual world traveler like myself, it all looks familiar. Avatars running around, dance clubs, ho-hum. The problem is, if you make that quick decision you will probably dismiss it off and leave (I did, but went back). A closer look and some checking around and it begins to stand out on its own.
For a start; it is a big scavenger hunt. Except you are hunting for player points, these being the in-world currency.
You have tools in your possession that will help you in your hunt. Such as a shovel to dig out PP’s (Player Points), a butterfly net to catch PP’s flying around, and a hammer to smash things that have PP’s hidden inside. The more PP’s you get, the more virtual goods you can buy.
Next, like the other platforms out there, you get around by running/walking (switched by the ‘Shift’ key), or by calling up a map and ‘Teleporting’ somewhere else. But there is another way to get around that is pretty unique; the Avatar Cannon. You walk up to one of these beauties and right click it, choose ‘Ride’, and it literally fires you through the air to a different region of the world. I like this idea. It has a sense of fun to it.
You get a free apartment to ‘live’ in and they are almost apologetic about how small it is. Of course, as you collect/earn PP’s you will be able to purchase a larger place and even a house. You can also purchase furniture, clothing, and items like costumes and such.
All in all it is a pleasant experience. The avatars are stylized like in IMVU or the now deceased Lively, and they look good. The places are nicely done and the interactivity is good. There is a sense of vastness to the areas missing in places like IMVU. The action is good and as I said, at least on my PC, it isn’t laggy. As more people sign on this may change if their servers aren’t up to the load.
Give it a whirl. It is free and easy to use. It has a sense of fun to it and has enough going on with it so you are not dependant on others to have a good time. As I said before, it is in Beta so it will have a few problems, although I didn’t immediately run into any.
Digital Space is a corporation involved in Virtual Reality for industry and education. I had previously reviewed a Hubble Spacewalk simulation earlier that they created. Another of their projects is a 3D chat environment called Traveler.
To quote the site: “DigitalSpace Traveler® is a unique experience on the Internet, supporting communities of users using their own voices to speak through 3D avatars which lip synch and blend sound together. Traveler creates the experience of a “cocktail party in Cyberspace” and permits up to 16 people in one virtual space to talk or even share music. Traveler users have created hundreds of spaces and millions of hours of interaction since Traveler was launched in 1996.”
I first ran across Traveler years ago when it was called ‘Onlive Traveler’. It is a 3D Virtual platform based on VRML1. I have used it on and off for years as I have played with the different platforms out there and it still holds an attraction for me. It was way ahead of its time when I ran across it and still has relevancy in this day and age.
In this era of sophisticated virtual worlds it may look a bit ‘Old School’ but it works well and is a small footprint on your processor. The worlds are created by individual and are quite good looking. You have the advantage of talking to others with voice in real-time instead of typing (you can type if you choose). There are communities like 3D Harbor and Tech Worlds where users create their own worlds and visit. Everyone I have personally run across is friendly and helpful. When I first explored the spaces I was happy to discover people, who were more than willing to help, give advice and even walk me through the different features. I personally know some of the creators there and they are very talented.
It is simple to install. It doesn’t depend on IE or Firefox and like Second Life and others (years later), has its own browser. You install it and then it will walk you through setting it up. You have a choice of avatars to pick from and a way to adjust them to make them more individual.
You then simply press the 'Lets go Traveling' button and go.
Alternative way to choose a Portal
The advantages (to me, at least) are obvious.
1. It doesn’t take a lot of processor power to run. 2. The mark-up language is VRML1, an easy to use and learn language if you wish to create your own worlds/objects which is still being utilized as VRML2 and X3D. 3. Friendly members 4. Not locked into a web browser. 5. Streaming voice chat. 6. Small worlds, more like gathering places. Kind of like Vivaty and IMVU, where you teleport to different ‘rooms’ or places rather than a huge sim like SL.
The disadvantages:
1. Not as rich and immersive as some of the new platforms. 2. VRML1. A now old version of VRML that is probably only really used there. 3. The avatars are basically heads and objects and not full articulated figures. I don’t really think of this as a disadvantage, but some might. 4. Small places, rather than a large expansive world.
All in all, it is a nice, pleasant community and I still go there from time to time. The are links on the Traveler site that will tell you who is in-world and where, people that are friendly and helpful, and a lot of places to visit and explore.
No, it is not Second Life or Entropia, but then, they are not Traveler either. And it has been around a lot longer. It is a free to download and use, so give it a try.
In the aftermath of the failure of Blaxxun a void was left for people to upload and display their worlds and creations. Alternatives, some new and some that had been around already rose up to fill that void. Revemonde was kind enough to provide it’s “Outside” server for the use of us rogue world builders. Also interest in ABnet by Rick Kimball has been re-kindled. X-Robotica is also going to offer world hosting. Even a community, 3D Planets, will host our creations. The communities have also suffered as a result of Blaxxun’s demise. Of the many communities that were out there, it appears that Cybertown (pay), 3D Planets, Oddessey, United 3D (all free), and Jewel of Indra (adult only & pay), and are the only ones left up & running. All of these operated the Blaxxun server architecture. All still do but one. That brings us to Oddessey.
In a forward thinking jump, they have taken the bold move (in my opinion) of embracing the Bit Management BS Contact server. It utilizes the BS Contact browser and, because the server is BS Collaborate, you don’t have the annoying “floating logo” everyone seems to love to hate. As of this writing, they have their entry place,
Entry world with the chat window open
Entry world with the chat window closed
their community places and user homes back online.
User conole
The users log-in is the same and even (in my case at least), some backpack objects and in-world money is still there. It would seem to me to be a massive undertaking. But it looks good so far.
I have been a member in Oddessey for quite a few years and am glad to see them sticking it out. So far I have not run into any other users online at the same time as me, so I can’t get any user input from others yet, but I am impressed with what they have done. The screenshots here are from within Internet Explorer, but you can access it through Firefox using an executable that you download. It utilizes the newest version of the BS Contact browser also. It is NOT friendly to the Blaxxun browser. Because it uses BS Contact, it is also friendly to X3D and like Exit Reality, utilizes H-Anim avatars well. I personally think the H-Anim avatars are great looking and are light years ahead of the old AV Studio avatars. I took a look at the BS Collaborate server early on and it looked like a sound idea, although prohibitively expensive, especially for a large community venture like Oddessey. But, they are making it work and there is no rumbling so far about it becoming a pay site (are you paying attention, Cybertown?).
Their look has changed, and they are coming back online slowly but surely and membership is free. It is certainly worth your while to check them out.
[font=Verdana]I thought since I was annoying people with these reviews, etc. I would qualify myself for those people who ask "Who the heck is this guy?"
I have been involved in virtual platforms since the late 90's. I was involved in Cybertown (The original Blaxxun-based community), Moove (also called Rose, or Roomancer), Active Worlds, and Second Life. I was involved in the closed beta testing of Kaneva, have a membership in There, etc, etc. I have created worlds for the old Blaxxun free server, have worlds listed on ABNet, have created content for various platforms in VRML. In Moove I ran a world-wide 12 Step room and hosted meetings for various countries. I am basically an end user of these platforms. I am mainly interested in how they work and their ability to accept creator content. I am not a very social person as would be defined by the various platforms out there (ie: chatting, dancing, etc.). My biases come from an artistic standpoint, as I use 3D modeling and virtual platforms as a means to create and display my creations. Some people paint, some write, and some sculpture. I do most of these within the confines of 3D modeling. I am not bagging on the social aspect of these virtual platforms as it is the very core of what most of them are about. Which brings up the reason I write my reviews the way I do. Alot of the reviews I see out there are focused on the technical, or marketing aspects of these platforms, and the end user experience get swept under the rug, in my opinion. I discussions I have stated before, and will state again here, I feel that the end user experience is the single MOST important aspect. The end users are the reason why these platforms exist, along with quality content. So, I write from an end user experience. I feel that people want to know what it looks like, how smoothly it runs on their computers, and what they can do in there. Alot of people are only interested in chatting, going to dance clubs, etc. They are not interested in how the platforms are getting along with sales, branding, etc. These are the people I choose to write to. My tutorials and articles that I publish on 3D modeling are aimed at the beginner or amatuer modeler, which is what I am. I have published renders on Renderosity.com and have published 3D models on 3DVIA. Both of those are for personal enjoyment and I haven't ventured into selling, probably from a "low self esteem" issue, lol. So I write to people like myself. Most of the feedback I have received is positive so I continue. Anyway, I hope that readers enjoy these articles and that they are of some help.[/font
For more articles on virtual reality and 3D in general go to:
A quote: “JLI supports true shader-driven graphics, physics, rich lighting, full sound, and a diverse range of immersive experiences that are usually associated with video games. As we roll out new features later this year, we think you'll be impressed with the range of online expression we make possible.”
This is a very rich and attractive program. It is relatively easy to navigate through and figure out. Users can set up a space from a number of premade templates, furnish it and decorate it with objects provided, and upload pictures, movies and sound. The user can also create multiple spaces and add portals to them that allow them to “beam” from one to the other. You cannot upload your own 3D content at this point but they, (JLI), say that there plans in the future for this.
Portals
Scene
I have been playing around with it since its closed Beta and am very impressed with how it looks and works. It has been likened to Lively and it kind of works a similar way. You can add an applet to Facebook and enter a space from there. You can also go directly to the site and launch your space, so there is an opportunity for either an embedded experience or for a more immersive one.
Like some other new virtual platforms coming out, this one will need some computer power. The requirements are:
Windows PC
* OS: Windows XP or Vista * Memory: 1 GIG RAM or higher * Browser: Internet Explorer 7 or Firefox 2 and 3 * Ethernet: Fast broadband connection (wired/wireless) * DirectX 9.0c (the more cores, the better) * Graphics: nVidia GeForce 5500/equivalent or higher (pixel shader 2.0 capable)
Macintosh
* CPU: Intels are best, but G5+ PowerPCs work * OS: Mac OS X 10.3 or higher * Graphics: ATI Radeon 9500 series or higher * Memory: 1 GIG RAM or higher * Browser: Firefox 2 and 3 * Ethernet: Fast broadband connection (wired/wireless)
When they say IE7 they are not kidding. It will NOT work on IE6. I use Firefox 3 with it and it works fine.
The pluses here are;
1: The look, it simply looks great. Good shader effects and lightmapping. 2: Ease of installation/operation 3: Collaboration. I have yet to try this as I go up at night and so far have not run into anyone else to collaborate with. 4: No weird hoops to go through for Mac users.
Some minuses:
1: It takes real power to run. So it will only work well for people that have newer machines. The machine I have is a Quad Core with a 640 Meg video card and 4 gig of ram so I don’t see any problems. I have tried it on an AMD 3700+ 64 with a 128 Meg video card and a gig of ram and it is a little laggy there. 2: No way (so far) to upload your own created content, so you are limited to their provided items which are very nice. 3: There appears to be no way to actually if anyone else is online there so you can connect with them. I ran into the same problem with Exit Reality although on it you can see someone if they are in your “Buddy” list.
There is a forum on the site so you can ask questions, post comments, and learn more about it at: http://forum.justleapin.com
Of course, the best way to judge it is to go there and try it. It is fun and easy and I hope it has a future. I don’t see it going the way of Lively, however.
