Haunted House On The Hill

Autumn has rolled around again for the northern hemisphere, bringing thoughts of Thanksgiving and Halloween, falling leaves and falling temperatures.  When Nouvae of Dimension Gallery announced her Autumn Harvest giveaway, I wanted to build something for that.  A quintessential Northern autumn was the inspiration, with themes of death and dying, the celebration of Halloween and Thanksgiving, all leading to my new dimension, Series 600:  Autumn.

Eyecandy: 4650 Recommendations And Rising

The most popular dimension in Rift with 4650 recommendations is New Eyecandy Spaceship Slide 4.0 by Cariina on Greybriar.   It beats all other dimensions by more than a thousand votes and it’s popularity keeps growing.

Four years after the release of dimensions, the positions on top don’t change much.  Once a dimension reaches the top three in the shard listings, they earn a few votes each week without the need for promotion by their owners, keeping their position on top safe.

The early years were different, the struggle to reach first position was fierce and filled with less savoury practices.  When the suggestion to wipe votes appears on the forums these days, I wonder if the people doing so think it an opportunity to to put their own dimensions on top of the listing.  If so, Eyecandy is an excellent example of the effort required to reach the top and stay there.

Eyecandy Spaceship 4.0 by Cariina on the Public Test Shard.

The Hanging Gardens of Radylon

The Hanging Gardens of Radylon invite visitors to look up.

Looking for something to do while waiting to raid?  Take a trip to the Hanging Gardens of Radylon, the renowned botanical gardens located on Greybriar, North American Shards.  It’s a perfect place to bring the family for a picnic or visit our cafe and tuck wagon for refreshment.

Discover the rare and beautiful plants, breathtaking landscapes and iconic buildings on offer.  Over 10 million pixels of unsurpassed views, unique landscape, exotic forests, native bush, colourful floral displays and gorgeous specialist gardens.

Dreamweaving An Illusion

Rynraff combines red cushions with iron pine stumps for a woodsy, reclining seat. ‘Friends’ by Rinraff@Deepwood.

Dreamweaving is here, that magical, mystical profession that turns artifacts into illusions.  I underestimated dreamweaving when I saw it on the PTS.   To me, the red, striped and fancy pillows seemed the most useful items in the profession and the rest would be overused then forgotten as time went by.  I didn’t count on how enchanting these items were or how versatile.

I’ve fallen in love with the falling green motes, placed under a clump of trees to add a fairytale feel.   Localised in area and effect, the falling green motes and floating blue motes can be added anywhere to enhance the charm the dimension.  The cooking and bon-fires at first seemed useful but pedestrian; instead of torches, the fires could be used for fireplaces without the need to carefully hide the body.  Now, I’m experimenting with the cooking fire, using it to light up the eye sockets of the ram skull for evil effect.  I had forgotten that the best way to appreciate the true value of a dimension item is to build with it.

Radish’s Project Open For Viewing

Every great town needs a manor house. This one comes complete with tower. Hammerknell Haven by Consortium@Zaviel, EU.

Halloween is over but the spooky tricks are still happening at my house.  My monitor turned off for the last time on Wednesday, may it rest in peace.  Thankfully I’m a two monitor girl.

I’ve spent today researching new monitors and new computers.   (I’m preparing for something terrible to happen to the computer.)  All the power failures and flickerings from the dying house fuse are taking their toll.  If you suddenly don’t see me in game for a while, you’ll know what happened.

This is my favourite scene in the dimension, peering through the roots at the statue.

Well, it’s been a long project and it isn’t over yet. I’ve had the best fun designing and building my second Halls of Shaping for Consortium on Zaviel, EU. I’m sure you all know what I mean, that zen zone when the creativity just seems to flow. Almost like the dimension is building itself.

Finally, the dimension is open for viewing.  I’ve built a little town and it’s environs in the hall.    It’s still decorated for Halloween but I’ll be taking those down soon in preparation for Christmas.  Come take a peek, if you like, see what’s been keeping me from my blog.  All are welcome.

Booooooo!

Pumpkin men armed with swords and teeth haunt Le manoir de la Peur ! by Nayntoh@Brisesol, EU.

October was the month of hauntings, at least at my place.  Strangely flickering lights, power failures, blurry vision, exploding ovens.  I’m haunted by a poltergeist!  I’ve replaced my oven, my glasses, several light bulbs, internet cables and, after a series of odd power blackouts, the house fuse.  Of all of these, the oven was the hardest to fix.  I spent many days and take-away meals researching the new-fangled technology that comprises the modern stove.  Both the stove and the house fuse were over 50 years old.  I suppose, after that long, they deserve an early retirement.

For other people, October means spooky, creepy, spidery and orange.  I wondered what scary themes people are building in the newly released Deepwood Cottage, so I toured the shards, looking for the best representations of Halloween.

We Love Mr Squeakles!

Dear Mr Squeakles can be found next to Atrophinious in the Realm of the Autumn Harvest.

The fall season has arrived, Atrophinious still loves his mead and the Realm of the Autumn Harvest is open to all.  This year we’ll be hunting for autumn harvest ambersap and autumn harvest signets.

First the bad news,  The Halloween goodies boxes mentioned earlier no longer cost 90 credits; in translation from the PTS, the  Pumpkin Patch kit increased to 229 credits and the Spider’s Den Kit to 297 credits each.  The token price remains the same.

Halloween Goodness

Deepwood Cottage, the new Gloamwood dimension, pumpkinized for Halloween. Deepwood Cottage by Kitasia@PTS.

Halloween goodness is coming to the dimension world but in a slightly different form than we’re used to.  Instead of purchasing individual items, we’ll be purchasing Halloween kits.  There’s a Pumpkin Patch kit available for 2 Autumn Harvest Signets and 100 Ambersap or the Spider’s Den Kit, which costs 2 Autumn Harvest Signets and 200 Ambersap.  Both kits can also be purchased for 90 Credits each.

Urban Renewal

Surround sound and digital TV. That’s living in luxury. Harshmallows by Harshmallows@Gelidra, now defunct.

Print a listing of dimensions on Faeblight and you’d kill a small tree to do so.  Print a listing of  dimensions on Hailol and it’s a pamphlet.  When it comes to real estate, some of our shards are cities while others are comfortable country towns.  Like municipalities everywhere, our dimensional landscapes are undergoing urban renewal and revitalisation.   The extra tier and so many beautiful, new items introduced with patch 2.3 meant a flurry of redecoration, renovation and extension.

Wanderlust

Caravans conjure up the very essences of footloose and fancy free.

Every so often, in my journeys through a shard or the Rift forums, I’ll see a dimension advertised who’s very name inspires curiosity.  Wanderlust by Emerald@Greybriar is one of those dimensions who’s name foreshadows what we are about to see.  Once inside, I just nodded my head and said “Of course, what else could it be?”

Wanderlust is a great example of terraforming a dimension.  The usual contours of Sanguine Shores are unrecognisable.  A terrace pool and some serious rockery transform the look of this place.  The caravans are perfect, with everything needed for travel; comfortable and compact, oozing with charm.