2023-06-24

Grid Drive on the 2023-06-23 to 2023-06-25 - Boat Camping Weekend

This is the 2nd of 3 camping-weekends. I wasn't have time (RL stuff) ... so "just the drive, not the community-fun". The Lag at this area was way less, than the last camping-weekend.

The weekend was start on Friday with a "drive to" the camping area.
I was done it mostly "just before" the Saturday-Midnight drive ... and competed it after it.

As the region was "cleared" and gone back to normal use at the begin of the following week, this time the rewards was not all possible to get "up to 2 weeks after the release".

My Video (photos and machinima-parts):

"Friday, drive-to" (done short before ... and completed after the Saturday-Midnight Drive)

"Saturday, while the camping" (done as Midnight-drive, so early Sunday)

Pyo's stream:   



Kimberly's stream:   https://youtu.be/7P3e1JvEUyA?list=PL0Vzk1yd9q_Mf7h6sGCwJjDBNVYhhjjDc&t=588  (little delay ... and "redone")


The others? 
Average you find also videos from "Spritle Racer" (Angie Xenga) ...
... sometimes "Gamerwife" (Darkana Mysterious) and the "SLAviationNetwork" (which is "Luke Flywalker", who provides also the great tunes for the driving).
More ... if I accidentally find them on YouTube or they give me a hint.
Check the playlist (2023-?):   https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Vzk1yd9q_Mf7h6sGCwJjDBNVYhhjjDc 

2023-06-17

Grid Drive on the 2023-06-17 ... NavHUD "Augmented Reality"-upgrade

It was a "Stargate"-drive ... Nadnerb was scripting the drive, so that shouldn't be a surprise.

It started at the new build at the new HQ at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hugues/20/219/43 .

It was a beta-testing of some new features at the NavHUD (the tool, which guides us around while these drives).


The new HQ got a lot space, the new building offers also wide areas.
Very nice is also a "gallery" with a manual about all the functions in the NavHUD - that was really missing.


But also new was a feature in the NavHUD ... I was hear a lot mutters also in the (my) night, because I am usually doing the drives at the (my) morning, which is for SL around Midnight.

To be fair: Both "sides" have valid points.
And to remember some folks: It was a "beta-testing" of the new functions - this is important, to find "issues" or things, you better fix, before it becomes the standard.
On the other side, this wasn't announced, so a lot people was been ... "a bit surprised" - Kimberly's comments in her streaming showing this pretty well.

My comment about:   The scripting behind it is some awesome work!
Sure, it's not perfect ... but the way the HUD takes your viewing-direction ... including also the distance (in case you camming out, for example ... and turning the view) ... and fitting the AR-elements to it ... stunning.
That is the comment to the technical side of it.
Also don't forget, it was a kind of "open test" - you get the input from it and make it even better ... if you do it right.

But I have also some negative parts about it:

  • The guiding lines while driving on the roads are very distracting.
    After a while (can be up to 60 minutes), your brain learned to "look trough them", but at first you only see them and also only following them and not the road ... which causes you to crash into stuff - the HUD/AR is a bit behind the (virtual) reality ... and your brain even more.
  • I recognized a degraded performance of the NavHUD.
    This was at or after Sim-crossings ...
    ... and the HUD missing clearly waypoints - special on the road, I was driven over and seen 1 point reached (it turned green to red) ... but then it wasn't go further.
  • The function seems to causes (viewer) Lag ...
    ... but at the starting point, I guess, it was more the building and people.
  • Not sure, if it was the "scripting" or the "different handling" of it, but the waypoints was set much to narrow/small often (you can define while the scripting of a drive, if a waypoint is reached, if you are passing it in eg. 20 meters ... or 2 meters, because it matters, if you drive an oversized car on a wide road ... or walking around in a building with less space).
  • Some people might not seen "red/green" (colorblind) ... or cannot handle "all these things" on the screen.
  • The HUD-element is between you/your mouse ... and the world - if a "solid" marker is for example over your car, you cannot click it.
  • Unusual screen-shapes ... might not work with the HUD.
    Most people have these days "16:9"/"16:10" wide-screens ... "4:3" I think not ... but these "ultra-wide curved displays, with "32:10" (or so) become also "not unusual".

Positive is, for example:

  • The pointer/marker function.
    It helps you to find faster things, the scripter of a drive meaning ... without reading and the try of understanding the text in a (probably foreign) language - a lot SL users aren't native english speakers.
  • The function is way more reliable, than the (particle based) "easter egg hunting" ...
    ... even it might look weird for other people, how you walking around - only you see the HUD, none else.
    Kids, this way was people feel, as the mobile phones was come up (at least the smaller ones ... or headsets) - there was people talking with themself?! 
  • The markers and pointers can more easy show difficult ways, than weird descriptions.
  • While flights, landing corridors and the target/goals/destinations are kinda cool.
  • I see a lot good uses, so the list isn't complete.

What or how to make it better:

  • The function need an on/off switch !!!!one!!!eleven!one!!
    I would think: "on" (for example, if you cannot listen or love the function) ... "off (only important)" (for road-crossings, difficult situations ... eg. anytime the direction-sign symbols appear) ... and "off (only quests)" (Mandatory. I don't have an other name for it ... but there might be Drives, where a "marker" or so is a kind of "must")
  • Communication ...
    ... really. A lot of the protests, mutters and hissing could have be saved, if there would been an information before.
    I meaning ... I am not a native English speaker ... I was hear the "protests" in the groupchat, so I was know, what I could expect. But eg. Kimberly is US-American and should not be that overwhelmed by the text from the HUD ... and she wasn't understand at first, what there was going on.
  • Maybe a small "showcase" drive (which still can be made ... also in general, to "learn" the NavHUD) ... or a "trainings" drive would been better, than enforce a full drive on "unwilling" people.
    This would be a good thing for teaching people, how to use the NavHUD generally ... a small and steady available drive, maybe 15 minutes ... "see this, see that ... walk around ... rezz car ... stop here, next Leg ... short flight, fly back" ... and some average vehicles and tools as "welcome box" and "reward".
  • General a separate drive for "testing".
    Yes, it need a bigger group for the right number of comments. But I am sure, if there is a message "Hello, it's Monday I have scripted a special drive to test something - pick the special NavHUD at XYZ and tell me your suggestions until Friday", a good number of group-members would doing willingly the Beta-testing.
Useful uses:
  • Direction arrows at road crossings ... or in difficult situations.
  • Warning about Ban-lines ... or dangerous spots (Sim-edges).
  • Flight / landing corridors ... cool look!
    Also "passage around security orbs". (Red marker in the sky.)
  • Marker for things (in this drive eg. the Passport-items) ... or rezz-zones.
  • Control buttons "on demand"? No "crouching", jumping, whatever to "tell" the HUD something.
  • ... and there will be surely more.

My Video (photos and machinima-parts):



Pyo's stream:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNBcMC2QKpw 



Kimberly's stream:   https://youtu.be/qy2cgdsAmD4?list=PL0Vzk1yd9q_Mf7h6sGCwJjDBNVYhhjjDc&t=468 (8 minutes delay)

The others? 
Average you find also videos from "Rose Black" (Japanese) and "Spritle Racer" (Angie Xenga) ...
... sometimes "Gamerwife" (Darkana Mysterious) and the "SLAviationNetwork" (which is "Luke Flywalker", who provides also the great tunes for the driving).
More ... if I accidentally find them on YouTube or they give me a hint.
Check the playlist (2023-?):   https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Vzk1yd9q_Mf7h6sGCwJjDBNVYhhjjDc 

2023-06-10

Grid Drive on the 2023-06-10 ... with "Relay For Life"-Bonus Leg

This was a nice planed drive, which was "roleplayed" by the NavHUD as sequel of the first "Invasion" drive from 2023-01-23 [ https://zindra-pictures.blogspot.com/2023/01/grid-drive-on-2023-01-21.html ].

Mostly driving ... but also a part in "Zero G" (zero gravity, no gravity) ... and some shootings/fight part.

The parts without gravity might be funny or interesting, if you are trained with the different movements, but the almost drivers might lacking of that.

The fight-sequence was kinda optional, so far I understand right ... but there was no kind of trigger working to make the NavHUD continue, so I was skip to the next leg.

As "Bonus Leg" was a walk over the "RFL" (Relay For Life) event, which was running at that time.
A lot and awesome builds around. I am a bit sad, I haven't that much time to check some of them or the whole event itself out.


My Video (photos and machinima-parts):


Bonus Leg

Pyo's stream:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn4lUuW2jpU 



Kimberly's stream:   Nope ... but "Spirtle Racer" and an entry in the "Around The GRID / ATG ENTERTAINMENT Weekly".

The others? 
Average you find also videos from "Rose Black" (Japanese) and "Spritle Racer" (Angie Xenga) ...
... sometimes "Gamerwife" (Darkana Mysterious) and the "SLAviationNetwork" (which is "Luke Flywalker", who provides also the great tunes for the driving).
More ... if I accidentally find them on YouTube or they give me a hint.
Check the playlist (2023-?):   https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Vzk1yd9q_Mf7h6sGCwJjDBNVYhhjjDc 

2023-06-03

Grid Drive on the 2023-06-03 ... Christi's Perfect Date Drive

A very funny drive with a "Perfect Date", how Christi imagines it ... with a lot vehicles included ... and an amusement-park with rollercoasters.

It was very nice planed ... and I was have my time to make my little jokes about things.

A bit sad was, the Sims at "Second Norway" wasn't able to handle us - the script-performance was a disaster, the Lag (Movements, Scripts ... not visual) was nearly impossible to handle.
I might guess, the testers and creators of the drive wasn't get to feel these issues, as them are not with a horde of 30-40 people and 2 dozen vehicles around.
For luck, later it was become better - if you exclude the time, I was need to pick the perfect dress for it ... yes, I need a bit longer, than "my Date", who have probably only 2 "semi-formal" outfits.

My Video (photos and machinima-parts):

Pyo's stream:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4arPU8M_WzM 




Kimberly's stream:   Nope ... also other videos I wasn't found.

The others? 
Average you find also videos from "Rose Black" (Japanese) and "Spritle Racer" (Angie Xenga) ...
... sometimes "Gamerwife" (Darkana Mysterious) and the "SLAviationNetwork" (which is "Luke Flywalker", who provides also the great tunes for the driving).
More ... if I accidentally find them on YouTube or they give me a hint.
Check the playlist (2023-?):   https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Vzk1yd9q_Mf7h6sGCwJjDBNVYhhjjDc