The only thing constant in Second Life is change! So we add some stuff… remove some stuff… it’s an evolving landscape!
– Mrs. Nor Skosh (hardcorenor)
After taking a bit of a break from Second Life to attend to Real Life, I’ve come back to see some pretty awesome changes in NCI that I’d like to show off for those who might not have already seen them, and to also have a pretty nifty visual of how certain NCI locations have changed over the years.
The first thing has to be my favourite place (most of the time at least!), NCI Kuula and the Help Cafe & Coffee Bar!
I had a bit of a chat the other day with Mrs. Nor Skosh (hardcorenor) at NCI Kuula, who is one of the people responsible for some of the new seating & decor changes.
Precious Mirror: So what led to changing the seating & going with a cafe type of look?
Mrs. Nor Skosh: Well we’d been talking a bit about changing things around – I’d already had furniture at NCI, so.. between me and Janet, we decided to do it. I went with this look because I wanted to make it welcoming and calm. The Cafe look just makes it less like cliques and more like a hang out spot. It was really a rogue operation lol… We were worried that Beverly wouldn’t like it – but she did and .. it stuck.
Precious Mirror: That’s good! I’d be worried too if I made a big change like that that it might not go over well. How did others like the new changes?
Mrs. Nor Skosh: There were those who hated it. There were those who loved it. But with any large change, you’ll get some people on both sides, but I have to say that it’s done well. I get lots of compliments on the design
Precious Mirror: Definitely, I think it was a pretty good change personally, it was really refreshing to see when I first logged in and saw it changed.
Precious Mirror: What’s your favourite part about this look? For me I think it’s a lot more welcoming of an atmosphere than it was previously.
Mrs. Nor Skosh: I like that people move around and don’t just stand in the same place. We have a bit more of a bohemian vibe now and I think that has actually drawn some older users back.
Mrs. Nor Skosh: We did a bit of work making sure that even smaller avatars could sit at the tables – most tables have at least one seat with a cushion for Dinkies and Tinies. We also have small seating for just those smaller avatars
Precious Mirror: I saw that! Even having a slightly shorter avatar can be troublesome to find a place to sit sometimes, let alone a tiny avatar. No matter how much you adjust, you still are just sitting oddly. lol
Precious Mirror: So, if you could make any changes to the decor at Kuula, would you keep it similar to how it is now, or go with something totally different the next time around?
Mrs. Nor Skosh: There are changes I’d like to make, but I defer to Beverly as the region coordinator. I’ve been doing some seasonal changes – new trees on the back side near the mountain for example. I like the season changing moving trees .. it’s a more realistic look. I’d like to replace all the flora through the Kuula parcel for NCI to items that are more realistic to give it a more current vibe
Precious Mirror: Fair enough! I do enjoy the seasonal touches, makes it feel a bit more personal too. 🙂
Precious Mirror: I think that’s all the questions I can think of right now, anything else you want added or mentioned?
Mrs. Nor Skosh: Only that the only thing constant in Second Life is change! So we add some stuff… remove some stuff… it’s an evolving landscape!
Mrs. Nor Skosh: We’ve also changed up the old Factory walk through! It’s now being developed to an “open air” market place so that the Superstar creators in Second Life will be able to place items for free there for new users who visit NCI. It’s an exciting time to be active with the organization!
Big thanks to everyone who has helped with the seating & decor in Kuula & other NCI locations over the past years! It really is a team effort & a lot of time and thought goes into the decision making process to make each location as good as it can be! The NCI staff always does their best to make each location as helpful, friendly & welcoming as possible for new & old users alike, and we all hope that you enjoy & appreciate our efforts!