7Seas 1st Fishiversary!

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On March 15, 7Seas Fishing celebrated its First Year Anniversary! That's one whole year of fostering fishing addicts like me! hahaha 7Seas may still be seen as the new kid on the block in the virtual fishing biz, but the success it has enjoyed in the past 12 months is paramount! Going head to head with established virtual fishing games in Second Life was one brave move the Thorne and the Shikamis of 7Seas had demonstrated.

But what exactly had made 7Seas Fishing so popular compared to others? What made it such a big hit after its launching exactly a year ago? I guess the secret to its unparalleled success lies within the charm and appeal it holds towards the masses. That's people power at work for you!

I waaaaaant cake! Official party favours were freely being served throughout the event. In fact they still continue to flow at Flotsam Beach, the official 7Seas Fishing Head Quarters.

What probably makes it so appealing is the low cost sale of its gear and equipment. A 100 piece bait bucket would only cost you L$30, while the recently introduced 600 bait bulk bucket (the golden big boy!) costs L$150 BUT with 100 extra baits added as an incentive.

The constant reinvention of 7Seas Fishing may have been the key in rallying support from fellow patrons. With updates and upgrades released on a regular basis, and the evolution of the 7Seas official gear becoming more user-friendly than ever before; it's no surprise why virtual fishing has continuously been exciting for all of us.

The professional rod (currently on version 3.2 for L$350 a pop) having been made modifiable and available with an invisible option, encouraged builders to create an endless collection of various custom fishing rods exclusive only to 7Seas. No two people can be seen fishing with the same rod anymore... heck, you don't even have to fish holding one at all.

We can now go fishing without the rods, while enjoying a mug of virtual cuppa and even go dancing in 7Seas-enabled clubs. Lizzy and I having hot chocolate with the usual Risisupo chipmunks and otters for breakfast at the Magic of Oz sim.

Pimp My Fish!

It is no doubt that the popularity of today's Custom Builds added to the success of 7Seas Fishing. Offering the official Developer's Kit as open source was probably the best move Seven Shikami (the big man himself) had done for us in the fishing community; encouraging ordinary fishers aspire to become custom builders themselves. From just a handful of builders since the OpenSeas Developer's Kit was released to the public, we now have a huge roster of talented artists offering to us some of their brilliant and innovative creations.

"Not another custom fish?... Aaaaaaaaaaarrghhhhh! I can't help it! I want them aaaaaaaaaall!"

What a splendid idea to bring out that creative cloud in all of us... /me bows to the 7Seas honchos ... now the addiction will never end. I start to feel sorry for those fellow fishers who LIKE ME resembles that nutty squirrel from the CGI hit-movie: Ice Age, feeling the need to get all those acorns (though in our case it's the custom fish). hahaha

A sim-wide congregation of some of the best Custom builders in 7Seas. No need to teleport from one simulator to another just to catch your favourite custom fish. Staying stationary in one area can get you all of them.

Sugar Rush (left) and Amara Twilight~Dolma Dollinger's fishing spot (right) are just two of the many other fishing areas in Osmium.

It's Party Time! Get Those Rods Out!

Still broken-hearted for missing out on the only opportunity to win any of these sought after 7Seas Ducks...

Cyber Duck supposedly won at Twilight Fishing's Fishiversary contest;
School of Ducks from Aruba Beach Club;
Pirate Duck offered only at Sugar Rush;
and the the bounty prize Ninja Duck at Ruthenium (an island north of Osmium the official 7Seas Fishiversary venue)...

Anybody out there willing to let go of theirs? I'm going to be very generous! Promise! hahaha the sound of a very desperate man!

... I thought that being part of 7Seas last hurrah would help me forget "my loss"! hehehe have mercy people!

Many well-known custom builders were present with CPGs in tow, as Seven Shikami gave us a spin with some of his choice hits. I wasn't so sure if it was my internet connection that was messing up, but I really thought I heard Alvin the Chipmunk taking over the DJing from Seven. hahaha just kidding

It was very clear that everybody was having a super-great time as more fishers were joining us before the start of the main event. With those trademark puns from our dear friend Grey Nacht (the light of 7Seas Social chat... just mention the word.. COFFEE and he comes to life! hahaha), and those never ending gestures from our fellow fishers, how can the fun and the good times end?

With an album of Gorillaz in full view, Seven Shikami showed us his other talent as people endlessly wave their rods high in the air... in the hope to catch that elusive Ninja Duck.

Even with my rod targeting (yep told ya the new rods are high tech) the LOLCat for the bounty prize, I still wasn't able to get my pixelated hands on that duck! sighs... But nevertheless it was such a joy to see Jen Shikami and Meissa Thorne boogie-that-woogie. woot!

Somehow, I have noticed something different with Jen from the last time I saw her at Flotsam Beach. She seemed to have gained a bit in size, and only later did I found out that she is actually expecting a baby in real life! Congratulations Jen! No wonder she just sat down on that custom prize giver the whole time. Must have been leg cramps. /me winks

Well for a moment there, I thought she was just tasked by 7S to guard that box filled with Ninja Ducks, as Meissa showed us some of her groovy moves... /me whispers: and elf ears? gasp! /me sticks his tongue out

Oh by the way, where was 7Seas Sass the whole time?

Jen Shikami with her cute belly and Meissa with those pretty ears! Glad to see the 7Seas honchos join us in the celebration... and doh! that dude behind Meissa has a lot of ducks! No wonder I haven't been catching any... grrrrrr.

Arigato Gozaimasu, 7Seas-san.

... and now for our very special guest, Keiko Takamura (applause please)...

The first time I have heard her sing, I swear I thought it was Lisa Loeb! Though in fairness Keiko is a very good singer in her own right. I really enjoyed her songs, a few covers and a couple of her original compositions. It's amazing to listen and watch live performances in-world, though this was the only second time I had been to one in a year.

The 7Seas peeps know how to throw one heck of a fantastic party eh?

The very talented Keiko Takamura serenades and rocks us at the same time with her cool music. Now I think she had just made one more fan in me.

When The Dust Start To Settle...

With a lot (and I really mean a LOT!) of fishes to sort out after the Fishiversary, I'm most certain to find some new and interesting customs to add in my list of favourite creators. I was quite pleased that some customs were easy to collect: Dolma Dollinger's Fishiversary sea snakes in particular could be completed in half a day, as well as Amara Twilight's Mermaids and Sugar Rush's St. Patrick's Day LE (limited edition) customs.

Pirate Cove's relabeled customs would be a bit of a challenge to complete, since I would have to collect everything all over again hahaha. I wonder if the original ones I got from the Migizi North Treasure Hunt at PC would still be available to catch?

The customs from Alien Isles and RA Fishing had caught my attention, and both have already been added to my faves-list. I have tried to avoid Aruba and Celeste Cazenove's customs in the past, not because they aren't nice to collect (well in fact they are amazing) but because there would be a lot to catch before I could make a complete a set! hahaha With a habit of first completing 5 volumes before considering it to be a SET, it would take me ages! That's FIVE TIMES THE EFFORT compared to the average Joe out there!

But thanks to the Fishiversary, having a glimpse on how amazing Aruba and Celeste's creations are, I have got to get them all! You can say that I'm toast... waaaaaaaaaaahhhh /me cries

With the limited time I have in-world nowadays, it's a wonder how I would be able to catch up with my collection. Maybe trade-up via 7Seas SocialChat? I guess we would have to just wait and see to find that out.

The party may be over, but the sorting-out part has just begun. Sifting through the piles of catches won't be easy... but surely it will be interesting and fun.

In the mean time, I want my DUCKIES! /me cries!

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Raging Roaring Road Runners Pt.1

"Oh a lucky penny!"... that's what most people say when they find a tiny copper coin along the way. But what if you chance upon something bigger... something even more grand? Something that is composed of Carbon Fiber reinforced Plastics (CFP) instead of copper? Yep, I'm talking about the latest update for one of SL's greatest supercar!

Now this beauty is something I can really call my own! I painted this car.. I changed the alloy wheels... I adjusted the engine and tweaked its steering and breaking HP... I buffed it until it shined! And who would have thought that something we would do in a real life car could also be done here in Second Life. Am I dreaming or what?

It was just a couple of months ago when I posted a review about this fantastic car, as well as sharing some first hand information on its official release. With the amazing outcome of the beta version (the prototype was offered to the SL public for those who cannot wait for the actual release), we somehow expected something explosive on the next public offering... and only to find out that it was something even better!

The Porsche Carrera GT~SR

After a fairly slight delay for the update, the Carrera GT finally goes into full blast living much to its expectation for being one of the best cars ever to be produced in Second Life. There is more than meets the eye with this car! Not that it is going to transform into an amazing alien robot or something.. no, not at all... It is all about the added features not only for the car per se but for its Heads Up Display (HUD) as well.

Think more buttons for the HUD. Think spares for your flat tyres! Think never ending tinkering with its settings and discover more of what you can do with it, giving you the freedom to customise almost everything to your heart's content. Never has any car in SL been this interactive ever before!

The revamped HUD: with new additions on top of the existing ones, everything is accessible with just a click of button. The Colour/Tint Configuration button is located at the far right side of the HUD, while the Options and Camera View buttons are both easily located at the inner~bottom portion.

This gives new meaning to the phrase: "no car will ever be the same again". And yes sirs and madams, your car for the first time will have its own identity. Say goodbye to that funny feeling of having to drive your car alongside one that looks exactly as yours.

The new colours? There are unlimited colours to choose from! Think of all the possibilities and endless choices. As promised by its creator, the new package includes a Colour/Tint Configuration tool which as mentioned earlier, gives you the freedom to choose your car's colour as well as the option to adjust its RGB (red, green, blue) hue values, a tint to overlay the base colours.

The moment we have all been waiting for. Giving a new paint job for our prized beauty! Customizing its colour can be done by part leaving your car with highlights as well as giving it more depth and dimension. Can't decide what colour to make of your car? Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgU-93jWENc

Apart from the 12-colour base option (see menu below), you can add three (3) levels of shine (from matte to super gloss and wet look) as well as adjust the RGB tint of the car (as seen on the menu above). And by the way, you have to CLICK the "blue pill looking" APPLY button on top of the UI to make your adjustments work!

Why we have LIME as a colour option is beyond my knowledge, (chuckles). Don't be surprised to find out that it is the default colour we all will be getting in our new package. Maybe I give IAm a call and ask him why lime? (laughter). Now that I think about it, it may be a way to push us to immediately custom colour our cars before driving them on the road and track (winks).

As mentioned in my last blog about this magnificent machine, new alloy wheels will be included in the update. But who would ever have thought that there are actually three (3) options for us to play around with. Think wet, dry and intermediate tyres! You will never get tired looking at the same tyres ever again!

The Colour/Tint Configuration tool also includes a selection of three (3) alloy wheel sets to match your taste and style. All three can be custom coloured just like the rest of the car. (see related photo below)

Surprise, surprise! And aren't you glad you have waited a bit longer? Instead of only one replacement for the plain looking-beta version wheels, IAm gives his loyal and "patient" clients a treble treat! SL cars had never been so close to RL cars as Z.A. Motors offers

Tweaking The Unthinkable

Another great feature of the car is giving you the ability to tweak the cars settings to your preference as seen in the menu below:

seating position to adjust according to your AV's size. So say goodbye to short arms and hanging hands seemingly unable to reach for the steering wheel;

power options which also adds to the thrust, torque, push and pull of the car;

steering to adjust the under-steer preference, the same adjustments they do on F1 cars depending on the type of track. It is also used to adjust your cars drifting capability to make that perfect 360-clutch-screeching-and-rubber-burning spin. Mind you, white smoke from burning rubber will actually show up when you drift as well as when you hit the breaks;

breaks will adjust the distance of your breaking horse-power.

No Pain, No Gain.. and please pass me the salad!

It was obviously hard work for the car's creator to jam all these superb features into one magnificent package. Like something that is properly cooked before being served to guests. Much like Gordon Ramsey making you wait just a little bit longer for the main course BUT with the guarantee of having all the right ingredients for you to enjoy... well less the swearing and F-words of course. For new Porsche owners, it is like having a spanking brand new car while pioneer drivers like me are having our lindens worth for the investment we put on the prototype.

The standard adjustment values for the three main features (power, steering, breaks) are shown in the diagram above. The most crucial adjustment would be modifying the understeer of the car. No driver drives exactly the same as the other, making these tweak-able features a big jump forward on how SL cars really should be. Encouraging a bit more of interaction between the man and the machine really adds a lot to the appeal of this Porsche Carrera GT.

The standard realistic headlights and tail lights (that actually glow and illuminate) are just but a throw in, as well as the new Carrera GT sounds that react to the car's every move and action. The nitro-boost and the drift feature is something I still have to master or try even, but that can wait. For just sitting behind the wheel and viewing the car 360 over already gives you that feel-good sensation. What more when you actually try it on the tarmac on some of SL's best race tracks.

By the way, have you tried driving this supercar on 3rd gear? If not, you are missing a lot! Turn up your speakers, listen to the authentic engine sounds roar and watch out for that rear-end spoiler go aero-dynamic (hints). You could even try going a gear higher, 5th gear even and see the unparalleled stability and control this car offers. I have never driven any car past 4th gear until I got behind the wheel of this Carrera.

Every single detail adds to the fun factor as one would say. There are three (3) viewing options (I am really starting to believe that three is the favourite number of IAm Zebellin, hahaha) for the on-board camera. It is the only car to have a dynamic camera, something which I have only seen on planes created by Wilder-Mills Aviation, Inc. oh my such amazing planes!

There are instances where in the camera view goes on auto-panning as if a third-party person is showing different angles as you drive and turn. It is truly amazing I tell you!

Satisfying My Vanity

And of course, there is nothing wrong in adding up a special feature I crafted up myself. Just like in real life, car owners have this knack on having vanity plates for their exotic beauties. Something that would make your car truly one of a kind in the whole of the SL world.

Sorry IAm, I really think my registration plates looks way much cooler in my car! hehehe

I believe that a car without a plate is like having a baby without a name. So why not have one for yourself? I had a great time crafting this on my own, and patterned it after local registration plates here in UK. Now that really is a beauty!

Hrmm I hear some IM request for some customised plates coming in... "kaching".. hahaha

Take A Tour

Have not got your own Porsche Carrera GT yet? Try visiting Mo Island and see some of the cars on display, as well as getting the chance to tinker with the first ever prototype. Try changing its oil, check the under chassis or even listen to the original set of engine sounds to get that interactive feel. See if that is not convincing enough for you to grab yourself a unit?

http://slurl.com/secondlife/MO%20Island/208/231/24

You can also visit Z.A. Motor's showroom at Racer's Island alongside other sports cars on display. Look next door and you will find another set of supercars to marvel at, hint. There is also a multi-level race circuit below the showroom, where you can drive test your Carrera GT right away! But a friendly piece of advice, please do come script-free as well as devoid of any unnecessary attachments. You won't need your AO and radar on the track anyway and it helps giving you and other drivers a superb high-performance experience!

On display: Both the prototype and the final release version are on display at Racer's Island. And I was not joking when I told you about lime being the default colour. hehehe... Well you probably know by now that it is only temporary. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Racers%20Island/176/169/97

Latest Scoop?

Wondering if there are any updates needed for the Carrera GT? Hrmmm... where was it that I heard of a gear knob and a pair of sporty wipers being crafted for a Porsche? winks.

More of the details can be find in Z.A. Motors official blog, so i need not to make redundant details. IAm Zebelin can explain it better.

Talk Of The Town

There have been rumours about a detailed albeit low prim hot car being offered in the SL racing community. A super-car dubbed the katana blade of exotic automobiles, the Porsche Carrera GT which never fails to amaze me in RL is now available for in-worlders to own in SL.

Showing off the Porsche Carrera GT at the Mooz race track for a test drive... Being one of the few owners of this brute machine is not only prestigious, but also a privilege. Never felt this pleased with an SL car since owning a 2007-08 Ferrari Formula One. Although my Kimi Raikonnen replica helmet still says how much I still feel about my other "red devil" of a car (laughter).

I believe fate had lead me to cross paths with this car as it was being road tested by IAm Zabelin (not a mis-caps name by the way), the car's creator who was at the Mooz Racing Circuit at that time. I was burning pixel rubber of my older Lamborghini Gallardo (my all-time favourite road car before the Carrera showed up hahaha) when I chanced upon Zabelin and his magnificent creation. It just seemed like yesterday when I was told about the eventual release of the prototype which was said to be just a couple weeks away. Since then, I had never stopped wondering when I can finally get my sweaty hands on this beauty. With that in mind, I was still confident that it would be just a matter of time when the roaring sounds coming out of the double barrel exhaust as I put my foot on the pedal, gnashing its gears and cruising around popular SL hotspots.

The heart and soul of the car is its engine! You'll be amazed with the detail this car has as well as it being crafted to scale the real life model. In RL the car boasts of a 5.7 V10 engine and is considered the third most expensive car to ever be manufactured (and the most expensive Porsche in the company's history), about £330,000 and close to L$7,000.00 in Second Life. There is a certain sense of pride in getting to own one, something money simply cant buy.

The Second Life version of the Porsche Carrera GT was crafted by ZA Motors and has its humble beginnings at Mo Island http://slurl.com/secondlife/MO%20Island/211/229/24. Who would have thought that this awesome car would be assembled in a beachfront cottage! You can also see the car in its earlier version by visiting the place and be witness to its raw and prime glory! Not to mention variations of the car's upcoming colour updates which are on display. If you're lucky, you just might see IAm himself working on upcoming upgrades for the car.

The rear engine hood, front car boot and its two sleek doors are fully functional (they open and close in a click of a mouse). Sporty tan leather cup-seats which are also standard in the RL version adds more to its x-factor. Authentic Carrera GT engine sounds is but one of the many features that make this car a must-have and worthy enough to be included in your SL wish list.

To date there are a little over a hundred proud owners of this dream car which includes the Lindens (wow!) and me of course... We're like a group of racers who can't seem to wait for its official launching! The car is currently in its infancy stage and owners are testing, as well as enjoying it at the moment. It may still be considered a prototype but the car works like a charm. Having to shed 7Gs of your precious lindens, I personally believe it still is a great investment as the car is a limited release. Only a few more brave ones would probably be getting the chance to own one, so I suggest you get yours now while you still can.

Careful.. careful! This car was crafted with an ingenious feature of getting real-like damage when bumped into or when crashing off the tracks.

This beauty does have a few aces up her sleeve and is probably the first in SL, where the car actually gets damaged when hit or during the event of a collision. Apart from rezzing up a new car from your inventory to have a fresh one, you also can actually "mouse-click" the damaged panels and they quickly return to their normal form. It also has functional head lights and tail lights which activates when driving as well as 3 start-up modes (Chill, Cruise, and Racing); a burn and drift option and 5 gears that absolutely work well with the Havok 4 platform.

Of course there are occasional FREE updates which is part of the package when purchasing the car. The first update in the pipeline will give the owners the option to customise the colours of their cars. Fine-tuning of this new feature is still being done by IAm as of press time, and more updates will be sent out to group members as they come. If you are not a member yet, I would suggest you join the group... it's FREE!

Chillin'-out with Liz as we both evaluate and test the car for ourselves. The verdict? Two-thumbs up! With so many Porsche wannabes in SL, nothing so far beats this Carrera. As what the old adage says, if the wife approves of it then it must be really good! Hahaha!

The Colour HUD tool which is still on its BETA stage will be on a Release Candidate version in a couple of days time. The new HUD will include adjustments for the car's base colour, its shine and tint levels that conforms to the owner's taste and sense of style! This will add more character and individuality to each car's identity. I was just so fortunate enough to be at the right time to spy on IAm working on this new feature! hahaha AND not only that!... we may be in for another pleasant surprise with a BONUS for an unannounced update! Don't you just love surprises!

Superb after-sales service! An unannounced update for the car's existing alloy wheels. Well ventilated disc-brakes and the official 5-spoke alloys adds more charm to the already mind-blowing creation of ZA Motors.

The Head's Up Display (HUD) is one of the most unique and cleverly-designed fully functional HUDs in SL with interactive buttons and features. The car's gears status also appear in its digital display. The blue i-button which can be located at the far most left part of the HUD will open an online owners handbook, you simply just cant go out without it! All the A-Z about the car can be found in there!

So are you up to it? Want to be one of the coolest dudes on hot wheels in Second Life? Then go get yourself one! Believe me its one investment worth trying. For more information, please refer to the official sites and blogs of ZA Motors: http://zamotors.blogspot.com/ and http://sl-carreragt.blogspot.com/.

See the latest review of the Carrera GT here: http://n71aeon.blogspot.com/2008/07/raging-and-roaring-road-runners.html

If that ain't enough for you, watch this official video from UK's number one car magazine show, Top Gear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE_WqdKbTvY&feature=related. I am sure after watching, you may really want to get one.