Thursday, November 15, 2012

Respecting The Prey (2)

Respecting the Prey
Submitted and Written by Blitz (John8u2 Resident)

In this second part of my article about Respecting the Prey, I want to talk about the capture part of the game and pass on some common sense ideas, and look at some of the more important rules and obligations as they concern the Predators.  The Obligatory Statement:  Let me say very clearly that these are MY opinions and insights and do not necessarily reflect the views, rules or  opinions of any of the staff or owners of The Village: Slave Hunt sim or Second Life in general.  Your mileage may vary, some exclusions apply, VAT may be applicable, if after reading you see any signs of a rash or other ailment, please consult your physician.

Part 2 - The Capture

Well, you finally captured that hot vixen you've been chasing for 30 min and now she lays netted at your feet eh?  Congrats.  Now, wipe the drool from your mouth, and pull yourself together.  Before you can get to the sex part you need to take a few things into consideration and have some obligations to yourself and her.

First and foremost, always keep in mind that the Avatars  you are playing with have REAL people running them.  That means they have REAL feelings and fears.  Doing something they don't want you to do is really tantamount to rape of the Avatar, is something I personally detest, and can have very real repercussions with the REAL person running the avi.

Secondly, and this should be considered an obligation if you ask me, offer your prey a way out before anything else happens.  Compliment them on the chase they led you, tell them they are beautiful, or whatever you want and ask them if they want to go with you or be released.  DO NOT WORRY THAT THEY WILL ALL TURN YOU DOWN.  That isn't the case...typically they are here for the same reason as you. 

SAFETY FIRST (OR Third in this case since we had a couple of other items to deal with before we got this far): in order to play safe you should always present your prey with a safe  word.  This is a word that when uttered, should cause all RP sex and pose ball activity to cease (you'll have to STOP the pose ball manually ofc).  For whatever reason the person who used it is uncomfortable with the direction play is going, OR something else is going on and they need to stop.  HONOR the SAFE WORD you choose.  Personally I use "DUMBASS" as my safe word since the way I play it typically doesn't come up.  Hearing something like "Hey DUMBASS what do you think you're doing?" would give me pause anyway, so it works out well.

And then there was rule 7.  What is rule 7?  Well rule 7 covers sexual relations with a slave that is sexually restricted.  Confused?  Yeah, so was I, but here is an excellent post about it in the Sass pack: http://thesasspack.blogspot.com/2012/11/what-to-do-with-rule-7.html  Basically put, rule 7 puts the prey off-limits for sexual RP or pose ballin'.  IF YOU BREAK RULE 7 you can (and should) be ejected from the game.  You can tell if prey is covered under rule 7 since they SHOULD be displaying the Rule 7 label over their avi's head.

FINALLY we get to the good stuff!  I hate to disappoint you but there really isn't much to say here.  Some folks are into pose ballin' and some are into the RP aspects of sex in this sim.  Personally I am heavier into the RP kind of sex with the pose balls perhaps enhancing or guiding RP.  Others go the opposite way.  All I can really offer are a couple words of advice.

1) Take your turn.  Don't type something, and then immediately type again, and never give the prey a chance to respond.  Same with changing pose ball positions...don't type something, immediately change positions and start hammering at your keyboard.  This leads to the prey just being 'along for the ride' and won't really be as satisfactory. A good basic example of how it should be done might look like this:

Pred: "I pull you close and kiss you on your neck"
Prey: "I sigh and wrap my arms around you"
Pred: "I bite you on your shoulder HARD"
Prey: "Hey DUMBASS I said no biting!  Don't you read profiles?  what was THAT all about?"

2) Have fun!  That's what we are there for, right?  Let your kink flag fly and maybe you'll get lucky and your partner will be as into it as you.  If you hit the wrong pose ball option, and you end up doing the funky chicken, RP it with some humor and try to get back into the mood.  It can be a bit jarring, but I have yet to find a prey that doesn't appreciate a decent sense of humor.

That's it for this installment.  I haven't really decided on what to write about for the next article (the editor wants details of my shopping trips for Hair, skin, clothes and stuff, but I doubt that holds a lot of interest for Preds), so comments, suggestions and criticisms are highly encouraged.  I hope you enjoyed these first articles.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Respecting the Prey

Respecting the Prey
Written and Submitted by Blitz(john8u2 Resident)

Having been asked by a friend to do a few articles for this blog, I thought I would start with a two parter on Respecting the Prey in The Village: Slave Hunt.  In this first part, I wanted to talk about the hunt or chase part of the game, and in the follow-on I want to cover the capture.  The Obligatory Statement:  Let me say very clearly that these are MY opinions and insights and do not necessarily reflect the views, rules or  opinions of any of the staff or owners of The Village: Slave Hunt sim or Second Life in general.  Your mileage may vary, some exclusions apply, VAT may be applicable, if after reading you see any signs of a rash or other ailment, please consult your physician.

Part 1 - The Hunt

Being a guy and a gamer, I have played countless hours of the different multiplayer flavors of COD (Call of Duty) and Halo.  The one thing all of my friends and I have agreed upon is this simple fact...what makes a great match is the effort expended and skill displayed by both parties to try to win.  That's what makes it fun, right? The chase (or hunt) part of The Village: Slave Hunt is no different.  If your selected Prey is more skilled or knowledgeable about the map than you, it isn't their fault, it's yours.  That may seem harsh to say, but just like when a new set of maps come out in those other games, you have to get out there and learn the map.  Learn how to jump from place to place on the map without falling to your death.  Try to remember where the mantraps are.  These things will stand you in good stead, I promise.  If you get caught somewhere you can't get out of, talk to your prey and maybe they will teleport you out.  Give them a little head start and then continue on.  Offer the same to them if THEY get stuck.

Also keep in mind that it is NOT your Prey's fault that you decided to play Second Life on your Grandfather's laptop...you know, the one with the junk video card, the jerky mouse, and a dial-up connection to the internet, while she is playing on a high end, gamers wet dream of a workstation with a fiber connection directly to the Pacific coast backbone of the 'net.  Those are extreme examples, but my point is that glitches, interruptions, pauses, and yes, even crashes happen.  Deal with it.  Don't take it out on your Prey...they are typically dealing with the same problems.

This part is the hardest part....always keep in mind that we all come to The Village: Slave Hunt for different reasons.  Some of us want a short hunt with a fun role play ending...others just want the grand hunt of the ages and no role play endings.  It is not your Prey's fault if they came looking for something different than you.  I have been on short chases that ended with a good bit of role play, and I have also been on extended chases with very little role play (one seriously extended chase that left me with my eyes rolling around in my head for 10 minutes afterwards....and she KNOWS who she is).  The point is that getting upset with your prey for wanting to have fun in a different way than you wanted is childish.  If you wanted a shorter chase and you are 10 minutes in and no closer to your quarry than you were at the beginning it's probably time to reconsider your choice of prey.
 
Lastly, just as in COD or Halo or many other FPS's...don't poach another man's prey.  This should be a brotherhood of men kind of thing...respect your fellow Predators.  Just because some luscious vixen fell to her capture right at your feet doesn't really give you the right to take her.  Some other Predator has probably been chasing her around like crazy and will come zooming around the corner at any minute.  On the other hand, if no one shows up after a few min (or you could just ask the Prey if she was being chased) perhaps it'll be your lucky day.  Poaching however is just going to lead to hard feelings all around.

Always remember that the Prey is here to have fun (and maybe get their kink on just like YOU)...show them some respect or you will find all the prey sitting in the Safe zones when YOU come out to play.  From a role play perspective, Gor (in my view) was not a series about little boys chasing hot women...it was about MEN chasing hot women.  Man up...do the work it takes to become a great predator...and you will find that the Prey will respect YOU for it.  The more we all try to abide by these simple, common sense ideas, the more fun we can ALL have.

In my next installment I will talk about the capture portion of The Village: Slave Hunt.  I hope you enjoyed this first article, and I invite your comments.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Hilltop Rp

Stands on the tallest hill staring down into the village, a stone cold expression upon his face as his silhouette hangs in the moonlight like a body bag. Seeing the people below, he brings his hand up, reaching over his shoulder reaching for a cloth tipped arrow, soaked in oil. he pulls it from the quiver, holding it in front of his chest as he raises his other hand and takes the arrow in it. he looks beside him to the fire, lowering the tip of the arrow to it, igniting it. he holds the arrow at his side for a moment as he reaches for his bow, taking it in hand, loading the arrow onto the string. drawing the string back, he brings the bow up, aiming into the largest crowd of people and releases it. he lowers the bow to his side and smirks, slowly turning away as he fades into the darkness.

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Many thanks to Dragoon for this RP example. ^_^ If you would like to submit a bit of rp (please ask your partners permission first) We would be happy to see it.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Kingdom of Pleasure (review)

Kingdom of Pleasure (review)
written by Maldoror Bowman

Kingdom of Pleasure is a capture sim strictly divided on gender lines. I've visited several times (as a pred) and there have always been plenty of players there and a good mix of pred and prey.

You arrive in a large and busy mall 1500m above the sim. Setup can be a bit confusing, and the instructions were evidently written in Italian and translated to English with some loss of clarity. The point that I took a while to grasp is that the weapons are in the meter: you attach the meter and select your weapon from a menu, and if, for example, you choose the bow then the meter 'morphs' into a quiver and the bow is rezzed an attaches to you. I'll say a bit more about the weapons later, but once you have learned the system I can see the attachment could become pretty straightforward.

Now you can tp down to the sim and start hunting. There's no requirement to roleplay any attack, a pred can simply single out a target and open fire. I have to admit that I took my prey with me - or to be quite honest she took me - the first time and so we were able to puzzle things out together.

The sim is laid out with the prey village surrounded with canals in one corner, a walled settlement and some open areas, including a large mountain with a valley running through it. The build is a little reminiscent of candy boxes in some parts but not obtrusively so. Floating above it is a castle.

Post-capture roleplay is encouraged and suitable equipment scattered around. There are rlv areas, but use of rlv is not required. Roleplay is such a personal thing, so dependent on the two players involved developing a theme that each enjoys, that I shan't try to make any generalizations about it.

Most importantly, a lot of people seem to have a lot of fun here. The guards are helpful and relaxed, I saw no disputes about rules, and newcomers are made welcome. I've enjoyed my visits and met some interesting players, but this wouldn't be my choice for a regular capture sim to play in. The game here is closer to combat and further from hunting than I like, though I have heard others make the opposite criticism of sims I like better. It's just a matter of choice.

One reason for this is that the layout of the sim does not favor evasive play by the prey. There are very few places to lose a pursuer: the castle would be ideal, but it is isolated from the rest of the sim on its rock; the villages have narrow passages and entrances but these are very often blind; and the terrain otherwise does not offer much by way of concealment.

On the other hand, prey receive as their free weapon a knife, which is not a lot of use because of its low range, but can also buy better weapons such as bows and also shields. Another benefit for prey is that there are a lot of safe areas, scattered all around the sim. As a result it's to the advantage of prey, and especially of prey who can afford top spec weapons, to fight rather than run.

The meter used is called the DM meter. I know a lot of players prefer the more familiar Gor meter, but personally, as I am not a particular devotee of Gor, I am happy to try an alternative. The Gor meter is in some ways over-featured for a simple capture game with its peculiar system of splash damage and multiple menus and choices. The DM meter seems to be robust and straightforward. It's a shame that it has no falling damage, as this encourages players to do strange and unrealistic things like leaping out of the castle into the middle of the sim. A feature I do like is that players emit a small sound to show when they are hit, much better than having to to keep an eye on floating text all the time (although the female hit sound sounds more as though the prey were being tickled than shot).

I think that the aspect that would most irritate me if I were to play here regularly would be the 'arms race'. Because the meter does not recognize most sl weapons, players are restricted to the use of weapons sold (I assume) by the makers of the meter itself. If you want to hunt prey with bows, you have to buy an even bigger bow, and then the prey can go and buy an even bigger bow still and so on. Because the weapon makers have a monopoly, weapons that are, to be blunt, pretty mediocre can be sold at prices beyond what one would pay for some of the best modeled weapons in second life. There is a system to allow players to buy weapons for experience points, but I had the impression that a great deal of time in sim would be required to get even a simple enhanced bow.

In summary: this is a lively and very active community in a well-organized sim enviably free of stress about rules. A good place for combat fans, less so for hunters.

After-note: After I finished this I received a note advertising a 'wild hunt' event in Kingdom of Pleasure. I assume this means that prey are allowed to hunt preds (normally they may only fight when attacked). During this time the safe areas are closed. I wasn't able to go along, but it sounded like fun.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Upcoming Events : Broom Tournement

The Island of Lost Dreams is holding a Broom Tourney on July 29th. Basically it involves beating other players in the tournament with a broom until there's only one person left standing on the field.



How it works.
Round one is women vs women.
Round two is man vs man.
Round three is the winners of the first two.

The winner gets to pick the weapon for next months tourney and theme for the monthly gala. So grab your broom and practice! this is gonna be good!

here's the slurl to get to the sim
http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Hearth/42/219/1501

Monday, July 16, 2012

Spotlight

So, spotlighting community members would be a lot easier if they're willing to volunteer information. So today's post is going to include a list of questions for anyone interested in having themselves spotlighted on the blog. Consider it you're own 15 minutes of SL fame.

SL Name:
Favorite clothing store:
Favorite accessory:
Favorite skin maker:
What kind of hair do you wear?:
Recommended song for running:
Who made your bow (if you use one):
What kind of AO do you use?:
Favorite quote:
Tell us about your character's background in the village:
Do you have a sl goal?

Mind you these are just recommended questions. You can  choose to answer them in full informative format. Or you are welcome to be as simply direct as possible. What I would like you to include though is a picture of your avatar to be posted with your profile. If at all possible, please include a style card like listing for what you're wearing in the image if at all possible (list of the name of the outfit and maker, hair and skin maker,shape etc.) because you never know who's going to get a look at you and be interested in more information about your look. (Or YOU ^_~)

This information can either be dropped as a nc in sl to Tiamet Resident or l0lafinzi Resident, or emailed to thesasspack (at) gmail (dot) com. (you should replace the words with the appropriate symbols ^_~) She'll make sure that the information is formatted and cued up to be presented to your waiting public.


Safe and happy runnings! ~ Tiamet~

Saturday, July 14, 2012

The Ending of an Era


The news that the Village is closing is a huge shock to me. And it frightens me to think that something so wonderful is coming to an end. But the fact of the matter is that when it comes to SL nothing is forever. No matter what we want to think or believe. Every great thing eventually comes to an end.

With that in mind I'd like to ask you, our brethren, our sisters, to share your memories with us. We may not be able to stay, we can't pry open a clam that's closing for the last time. But we can reminisce and share our thoughts. Funny instances, or wonderful role play experiences, we're open to your input.

The only thing that I ask is that if you send us RP notes, check and make sure it's alright with the person that you were playing with. This makes sure that when and if the tid bit is posted, they aren't surprised to see their writing bared and exposed for others to see. I know it can be a bit shocking and embarrassing if it happens without warning.

If we could fight to keep the sim alive, I know that there are those that would bear arms to do so. There are some of us that only have our words to offer, they're the only weapons we have. Don't let this go unquestioned. Don't let it go without a response. We are here, we are listening, and we want to know what you have on your minds.

I'm terrified. I don't think I have anywhere in SL to consider home right now, the Village was the closest thing to a Home I had left. I've made the most amazing friends here, and I don't want to lose them.  We will figure out a way to stay in contact am sure, but this can't be the end. Things don't simply end without creating an opening for folk to escape into. I just don't see the enterance to that wonderful rabbit hole right now... this Alice has no Wonderland to go to.

Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten. It may be a line from a Disney movie, but it exemplifies the feeling I've often felt while at the Village. So regardless where we end up, am sure we will remember the wonderful times that we've all shared. Thank you all so much, for some of the best times I've ever had in SL.

Waiting for a Miracle . ~Tiamet~



Camp rock 2 : the final jam - Can't Back Down

"We got a situation that we can't ignore
'Cause ignorance is not bliss
We know not to take this, no
With every big decision
comes an equally important share of the risk
We gotta take this on

We can't back down
There's too much at stake
This is serious
Don't walk away

We can't pretend
It's not happening
In our own backyard
Our own home plate

We've been called out
Do you hear your name?
I'm not confused
Let's win this thing

We can't back down
There's too much at stake
Don't walk away
Don't walk away"

Monday, July 9, 2012

ATTENTION ALL PREDS!

Are you brave enough, tough enough, and strong enough to hunt the hottest, horniest, and hardest female preys to hunt in sl? Then look no further than THE VILLAGE Slave Hunt!

Traverse the many wondrous hills, the most lavish forests, and the deepest valleys and, and I am talking about the remarkable lands of the THE VILLAGE fellas, and not the lovely and lustful beauty's, even if they might meet that description!

What could be better than this you ask? How about the chance to turn the tables? Are you brave enough, tough enough and strong enough, to let these same prey hunt you?
Take a trip on the wild side and let them capture you at the biweekly Open Hunt where preds can be prey and prey get to be a pred of our dreams!

When: Every other Friday (including this coming Friday)
Time: 6:30 pm slt to 6:30am slt

Came prepared to have more than your minds blown away!
Don't be timid, don't be shy, these prey are the sweetest pieces of pie!


Content written by Master Lando

Friday, July 6, 2012

The Predator Point

As a flip side to The Sass Pack, we're offering The Predator Point. It is a well known fact that second life seems to be filled with a lot more stores and items for female players. But that doesn't mean we should overlook the needs of any male readers. In fact we'd like to know what you're interested in reading about. WHy? Because if we know this we'll know how to research and collect information to offer you.

Also, we here at The Predator Point are looking for writers interested in contributing here at the blog. Whether you are a weapons collector, a fashionable male, or maybe even just a quirky writer, we're looking for you! We're currently accepting reviews on everything from weapons, fashions, pose balls, whatever you think the rest of us would be interested in hearing about.

Got any ideas or thoughts on the direction we should go? Please drop us a note and let us know. We're here to help you enjoy your Second Life, and the time you spend in The Village. So keeping that in mind, feel free to contact us with your input.