Yesterday I mentioned that someone had created a rezzer that allows you to use no copy and/or no mod objects in your set. Several people commented that they were interested and wanted more details. Why? Because it is something new – something you couldn’t previously do in SL. Something innovative.
Besides being able to use no copy/no mod items in a set rezzer, we also now have the ability to ‘layer’ animations. To skip that nasty beginning of an animation and get straight to the ‘good part.’ 4 years ago, 2 years ago, heck, even last year, I would never have thought it possible someone would develop a way to do this. Now they have.
These are the things I am looking for – innovation. New. Or at the very least, different.
I was talking with a friend and we were discussing the ‘dance’ scene in SL. It’s changed a lot from when I first came to SL. Some changes have been good – more openness/cooperation between dancers and troupes, more venues, new HUDs, faders, to mention a few. Some have been great – layering animations, movers, using no copy objects.
Some changes – I’m not sure. The greatest thing about SL (in my opinion), is that there is something for everyone. Different strokes for different folks. My favorite thing about going to dance shows was seeing all the variety, the artistry of different people. Trouble is, these days, there doesn’t seem to be much variety.
Now, I freely admit that I have not spent much time exploring new places. (Something I plan to remedy over the next few months.) I have gotten in a rut of going to the same places over and over. Nothing wrong with that, except that I feel like I’m seeing the same thing over and over.
As I said, everyone has their own tastes. I love to watch dances/dancers. For me, my focus is generally on the choreography – how well the dancer put together their dance. Are the transitions seamless? Do the animations fit the ‘feel’ of the music? Are there good opening/closing poses? Does the dance tell a story?
My focus is NOT on the set, the lighting, or the special effects. I personally don’t like huge sets – to me, it’s distracting, and a waste of effort on my account, because I am cammed in so close to see the dancer that the effect of the set build is lost anyway. If there are multiple dancers, then there is a reason for a large set. But one dancer tends to get lost. Which is part of the reason that lighting and special effects are sometimes irritating.
Most of the time, even though venues tell me to set my viewer to midnight, I don’t. If I do, I really can’t see the dancer – my reason for being there. Strobe lighting, stage lighting is iffy – sometimes it adds to the routine, sometimes it feels like the lighting was added just because they could. Same with particle effects – yes, the zillion butterflies are cute, but many times it takes a while for them to rez, so in the meantime, my screen is covered with large grey blocks, obscuring the dancer and everything else. (I know many people try to pre-cache these types of things, and I generally arrive early to a performance for that very reason. However, SL being SL, many times it still doesn’t rezz immediately for me.)
Big, primmy, and lots of effects seems to have become the ‘norm’ for most dance venues. Mind you, I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. I just find myself disappointed that I seem to see the same dancers doing the same sets at multiple venues. I know why it happens – many dancers dance at different venues, most venues have weekly shows, and there just isn’t enough time (even if you spend all day every day in SL) to come up with a new, different routine for each one.
And ‘big’ is in – the most popular venues right now seem to be the ones doing ‘big’ shows. But I find myself missing the variety. Even the clubs themselves have become somewhat ‘generic.’ I visited three different venues yesterday and all three of them were the exact same club build. Now, not everyone is a great builder, so I completely get the use of prefabs for a club. But when it’s the same build, with the same dancers, doing the same routines, everything begins to blur a bit. For me, anyway.
Am I nostalgic for the way things used to be? Perhaps. But I have never been one to dwell in the past. So, I am on a quest. To explore strange new dance venues, to seek out new dances and new dancers, to boldly go where no SL blogger has gone before. (Ok, probably not that last one, but you know what I mean.)
So, if you have something new, something innovative, let me know. In the meantime, join me on my quest. Questers can always use dragon fodder . . . erm, I mean, sidekicks. 😛
A Kat and A Mouse 
You articulated the conversation far better than I could. No naughty words for a start. >.>