On mesh avatars

Since I've been gone, mesh avatars have become a thing. I decided to get one (Maitreya Lara) to give it a try. The body looks amazing and I love the selective alpha feature. The neck skin blending feature could be a little better though, because I am not ready to get a mesh head. I am rather fond of looking like myself.

The biggest downside to having a mesh avatar that I can see right now is the clothing situation. With a system avatar you can mix and match clothing layers and prim clothing however you'd like, and however able you are to modify the prim elements to fit your av. With mesh clothing, your ability to mix and match seems really limited. I tried on a couple pairs of pants, and because the hems were scrunched a bit, I couldn't wear them with my prim boots. And I imagine it would be the same with any boots that weren't made to go with those pants. If they were system pants this wouldn't be an issue.

Someone told me that they have an applier that allows them to still wear their system clothes, but as far as I can tell right now, appliers only work for the system clothes they come with. If I have pre-applier clothes, I'm not sure that will work. At least I don't understand how it will work at any rate. I haven't been able to find any kind of applier that works generally on everything, and from what I understand of the development kits, this wouldn't be possible.

The other downside to mesh av clothing is that I hate it. I have found very few items I am actually fond of. Everything seems "sexy." Like when you walk into a costume store at Halloween for a regular old nurse costume and all you can find is "sexy nurse" or "sexy zombie" or "sexy pirate." It's ridiculous. I just want a white shirt and some decent pants and some boots. Clothing makers' interpretation of "steampunk" also seems warped. Like if it isn't a corset with all of your cleavage popping out, then it's an aviator jacket opened down to the naval or pants stuck in the crack of my ass and a thigh gap a mile wide. Some serious WTF going on when I page through Marketplace, and that is only searching on General level maturity.

And what if I DON'T WANT MY BELLY BUTTON TO SHOW?

Anyway, I'm not a mesh av convert yet to say the least. I LIKE my old outfits, and I might just stick with my old system av so I can wear them. I'm into steampunk anyway, anachronism is kind of my thing.

Homecoming

In the autumn of 2014, I exited Second Life rather abruptly. I had decided that my real life was never going to get any better as long as I was distracted by everything happening inworld, so I made a commitment to myself to focus exclusively on improving my situation. Were I a more moderate person I could have balanced my pursuits in both real life and Second Life and manage to not abandon good friends and loved ones, but I knew it was going to be all or nothing.

So here I am today, almost exactly five years later (oddly enough), back in New Babbage. I have to admit to having some anxiety over how I would be received, but I've been relieved by the warmth and fondness old friends have extended. They could not be blamed if they approach me with skepticism, but if that is there it isn't showing. The welcome home I've experienced has been reassuring, and I'm so glad to be back.

Now I've set about the business of re-orienting myself to SL in general and New Babbage in particular. The city has always been ever-changing, but there is enough the same that it feels comforting. The Brunel is still there, although it has experienced what appears to be yet another face-lift. The cozy little corner of Academy of Industry by Ruthorford Square is still has tranquil as ever, the trolley terminus being the only hint of the urban landscape beyond. And most of all, I was pleased to see that The Gangplank is still standing, itself having been the recipient of a complete overhaul. I have Mr. Lighthouse to thank for his stewardship of one of the oldest pubs in New Babbage.

It is good to be home.