I have been enjoying in-world life so much that I didn't get the chance to update this blog for your latest SL scoop. It has been a smashing three months for me and a lot has happened since then, all things wonderful! I had the opportunity to meet new friends and the ones who have helped me move on from being a noob to a bona fide Second Life resident are simply amazing!
It would seem that my love for in-world living had made the outside world seem a bit ermmmm boring! Ooooppsss, Is that a danger sign for things to come? hahaha
Something Surreal... But Nice!
There are a lot of hobbies that you can get yourself involved with in Second Life. Some love doing a lot of building and scripting while others spend so much time racing (supercars, powerbikes, hydrofoils). But by far the most addictive (warning! hahaha) of them all is 7Seas Fishing. Having the basic fundamentals of real life fishing in a virtual environment, you simply load bait (by 100 pieces at a time for L$30 a bucket), cast your rod (which you can also purchase in 7Seas vendors for L$350) and you catch your animated virtual fish (also wearable as an ornamental pet). Yes, it's that straightforward.
I have tried wearing my pets as "mood advertisers" by nicknaming them according to what I would be feeling at the time. It is something similar to a "hovering titler" but with a bit of style, though there may be some occasions where other residents might call you a "fish man"! hehehe, I guess walking around Miramare with 5 to 6 pets swimming around you would definitely give you a different kind of attention!
Level Up Your Hot Rods!
You would have to fish regularly to level up your "Professional" rods. Levels 1 to 4 would allow you to catch rarities from Common, Uncommon, Rare and UltraRare, while Level5 would enable you to fish out the most coveted of all the fishes, the SuperUltraRare (SURs).
The most popular and well sought after catch would so far be the SUR: LOLCatfish (pictured below). Does that mean a lot of our 7Seas fishers are actually cat lovers in real life, or is it just that LOLCats are the cutest and most adorable pets among the whole lot? Will that give new meaning to the notion that cats and fishes don't mix? chuckles
I have seen the LOLCat being sold as much as L$500 in some fishing venues, though I am not sure if selling them is actually allowed? eeeeeep Some would even trade one LOLCat for two (2) other SURs. The sound of L$500 may not be too bad at all considering the amount of baits we put on our rods just to catch the little critter.
Three LOLs caught so far, fishing at Lake Lo Lo for more! See what Caroline has gotten me into? hahahaGo Fish... Fish... FISH!
Joining tournaments sponsored and hosted by various 7Seas Fishing enabled areas can be exciting! I had won one (1) Gold trophy so far, as well two (2) Silvers and three (3) Bronzes (talk about a real 1-2-3 finish lolol). Having these trophies make them the perfect token for your moment of glory! Well, at least in catching the most fishes during these contests of course.
Each fish has a corresponding XP (experience points) depending on the fish's rarity, with SURs giving out the most at 5XP points. The rarer the catch, the more points you accumulate. XPs are helpful in leveling up your rod, as well as raising your chances of winning a tournament.
The game is based on pure luck, as catches are always sent out on random. Being on top of the boards early in the game does not guarantee a win. I have seen people below the Top5 who would take over the boards in the dying minutes of the contest.... well in fact... I was one of them! hooooooooot!
Not even controvertial gadgets that autocast your rods will guarantee you winning either. The same goes with 20 minute fishing gestures, so for me it's a fair game out there.
The Theory of Fishietivity...
I have a theory on how to guarantee a successful catch (though unofficial and not mathematically proven as of yet). What can be so frustrating during tournaments are the misses you get after every cast. Some can be so bad as I have had 10 misses in a row before ending up with only a common fish!
By default, F2 is the official shortcut key for the 7Seas casting gesture (supplied with the official 7Seas rod). In my early days as a novice fisher, I would continually press the F2 key non-stop thinking it would make my rod more effective in catching the fishies. In fact, it does the opposite and I have ended up with a horrible "missing streak" because of that. In the tournaments I have won so far, waiting for the rod to finish its "whisper" does the trick! See the example below:
Start: cast your rod then wait...
(7S) I Stole Seven Shikami's Rod: You cast out for a fish...
(7S) I Stole Seven Shikami's Rod: N71 Aeon caught a SuperDuperUltraRare Fish: Golden Coelacanth Fish!
(7S) I Stole Seven Shikami's Rod: You've earned 10 XP!
... at the end of the rod's whisper, repeat Start.
Good things happen to those who patiently wait, and in this case winning a fishing contest! Hurrying will get you nowhere. Give the fishing server time to respond to your rod before casting again. Remember that there are other fishers in the tournament sharing the same fishing server. You would not want to end up with a bad cast/catch now, would you?
With most tournaments always ending up in a close match, the last 60 seconds can mean the difference between taking home the gold, the silver or the bronze! Believe me, I've witnessed a lot of nerve-racking-adrenaline-dribbling tournaments.
Hosting My First Tournament
I did see it coming, I just had to put Lo Lo in the 7Seas fishing map. Fishing alone sometimes ain't fun, so why not invite a few mates? I just love everything about this place, the ambiance is fantastic. Caroline did a good job in setting up Lo Lo, come see for yourself and you'll know what I am talking about.
Lake Lo Lo is also a great place to level up your XPs as the word "lag" seems to be absent in the sim's vocabularty.
Friday, 10th of May at 2-3pm SLT, Lo Lo's maiden fishing tournament!
Surprisingly, a lot of participants showed up for the contest! Caroline Apollo was ever so kind enough to join us in spite of having prior RL commitments at the time. Prizes were set to L$1,000, for first place and L$500 and L$250 for second and third place respectively, plus an SUR freebie! There were also several 7Seas veterans who came over for the game, as well as Caden Letov entertaining us with popular and requested hits.
May I Have The Envelope Please...
Winners for Lo Lo's Maiden Fishing Tournament were DulceRebecca Masala (213 pts), Caroline Apollo and Jace Georgia (both tied at 210 pts). I guess we would have to ask the Shikamis about the ranking mechanics of this game in the event of a tie hahaha. About 15 warm pixellated bodies attended the event, which encourages me to put Lo Lo on the official 7Seas event calendar. We would just have to think of a new way to give away prizes, so better watch out for that folks!
To all those who came to our tournament, many many thanks!
To all those who came to our tournament, many many thanks!
Interested in 7Seas fishing? Please come and visit Lo Lo. Official 7Seas gear and equipment are available at the on-site 7Seas vendor. You can also visit the 7Seas main store at Flotsam Beach. Give it a try, but please don't blame me if you do ever get hooked!
