Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
need to know how to restart everything. This is especially true if you share the simulator with other people
or have it attached to the hypergrid. They may have plans to build something that day, and if the simulator
is down because of the updates or upgrades, that becomes frustrating. Furthermore, never forget that this is
alpha software right now, so many weird and unpredictable things will happen. You will need to be diligent
in backing up content and reminding the other users on your grid to do so as well.
1.3.1 s
o
m
any
W
orlds
, s
o
l
iTTle
T
ime
There are many kinds of virtual worlds and the grids they contain; as a designer, you should visit as many
as possible to see what the grid “culture” is and how things are organized. Another excellent way to keep
up with virtual worlds is to follow blogs like New World Notes (http://www.nwn.blogs.com) and Hypergrid
Business (http://www.hypergridbusiness.com) and set up some Google alerts about virtual worlds and virtual
design so you receive links to all the latest news in your e-mail.
1.4 WHO USES VIRTUAL WORLDS AND HOW THEY USE THEM
The topic of virtual worlds and who uses them is always under exploration by researchers. Rutgers University
conducted an online survey about worlds with UGC (user generated content) and posted some of the initial
results (http://player-authors.rutgers.edu/). If you are new to virtual worlds, you would probably like to know
how other people use them. An alphabetical set of thumbnail reports about how they are used in various
sectors and some speciic instances of each is listed below.
1.4.1 a
rChiTeCTs
/l
andsCaping
d
esigners
Architects and environmental designers like Jon Brouchoud (http://jonbrouchoud.com/) and David Denton
(http://www.daviddenton.com/) utilize virtual worlds like Second Life and OpenSim and the gaming platform
Unity. In these worlds, they work with prototyping building designs, building site planning, and developing
3D models of both real and virtual worlds.
1.4.2 a
rTisTs
/p
ainTers
, s
CulpTors
, d
anCers
, a
CTors
The number of artists/painters, sculptors, dancers, and actors working in virtual worlds is huge. There are many
performing arts groups in Second Life and OpenSim, and the creation of spectacular scenery and performance
spaces is standard fare. Linden Endowment for the Arts (http://lindenarts.blogspot.com/) provides grants for
full-region builds to artists and creators on a regular basis. In general, the folks in this category use virtual
worlds for design planning, performance, environmental art, sculpture, game design, and gallery displays.
1.4.3 e
ngineers
/m
ediCal
p
rofessionals
Ever since their beginnings, Second Life, OpenSim, and Unity have displayed virtual versions of engineering
problems, chemical modeling, medical models of the human body, and medical care facilities. Pam Broviak
is a licensed civil engineer (state of Illinois) who utilizes virtual worlds for engineering training. Currently,
she is working on developing virtual builds to simulate the layout and performance of civil engineering
designs and plans, educational environments to teach civil engineering concepts, and a virtual learning and
reference environment for local government. Other members of this category use virtual worlds for physical
engine studies and structural 3D design.
