I started building my version of the famed HMS Bounty this morning. Here are some pictures of it, I think it is turning out wonderfully!
Once it is finished, I will make it available on XstreetSL for other Second Lifer’s who would like a copy of it.
http://bruceshields.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=1932
Well I decided that in my sim I’ve been building, we need a starting point. So I created the first region in the sim, and aptly named it “Welcome Island”.
This will be the starting point for users who visit Pandemic Realm. They will start by stepping off the HMS Bounty. Why the Bounty? Because I love ships, and that is one of my favorites.
This gives the user the impression they just traveled over seas to arrive at the destination.
I began my research of the ship last night and have collected many items and pictures including some images of the original drawings.
Here are the reference pictures I used.
You can see ALL of them HERE!
I will begin construction today, and post pictures as I work showing my progress.
I hope to have welcome island finished before we get the server online 
Well we got the sim running, and some how I got the thing working last night to accept connections within the LAN. This is great because now I can start setting up the lands.
It appears I may have to get a router which allows loopback, because although I have a 2Wire 2701HG-B, which is supposed to have loopback capabilities, after days of trying to get it to work, and a few emails to 2Wire tech support, they changed their minds and said that this model DOESN’T support it…
I am going to collect all the console commands and other vital info for running the server and put them on note-cards on the Ubuntu desktop, so I can have them handy.
I replaced the mouse today on the server with a nice Microsoft wheel mouse, in case I need to scroll…the old 2-button mouse from the early 90’s had to go.
I will be working on “Welcome Island” today, making the default island shape, and starting the layout for the island.
I plan on having a welcome center, an education building for learning the basics of Second Life, and the teleport station, where I will place landmarks to each sim on the server.
There will also be a real-estate office there as well for those who wish to purchase land.
I put a second hard drive in the server as well, so we now have 400GB for the server. I have a couple of external drives waiting to be added as well, but there is no point of adding them quite yet.
I will post some pictures once I start building.
Well we are getting into the next phase of the project. Setting up the residential gateway to accept incoming connections, and addressing the Ubuntu server with a static IP.
Once the static IP is set and the Gateway is set up, I can connect the new web address to the server.
I chose www.PandemicRealm.com
I really need to sit down a make a check list of “To-do’s”
OK, so I had this great idea. Since I have a dedicated server sitting here next to my desk in my office, and it’s only being used for an expensive paperweight (and second gaming machine for my sons friends LOL), I decided to start a new venture and develop a Second life Clone.
I did some research and discovered the Second Life actually has open source code for the grid they run at SecondLife.com, and it’s free. My favorite word LOL.
So I picked up a copy of OpenSim, which is still in its Alpha testing mode, but fully functional, and started playing around with it.
Within minutes I had an opensim running on my localhost machine and building worlds!
The reason I wanted to get this up and running is, I want to put the world of pandemic Dawn online for people to visit, and help promote my book. I thought that allowing people to actually visit the places I am writing about, and meet some of the people from the book would be really awesome.
There are other advantages to having your own dedicated grid. I plan on developing the grid into themed areas, and selling sims for a fraction of the price that Second Life charges for a sim. Currently a sim will cost approximately $1,300 to set up, and $300 per month to rent.
If my assumptions and calculations are correct, I will be able to offer the same to people for about $150 to set up, and between $50-$100 per month, a fraction of Second life’s cost.
We have a few things that need to be developed before my grid can go “live”, but you will have nearly 100% of the functions of Second Life, and you will also be able to teleport between grids.
My grid will also be connected to the various OpenSim grids out there as well.
I will also offer smaller packages to people who want land, but not an entire sim. There will be common areas (non-themed) as well as smaller rental areas in themed sims.
I plan on offering 4 times as much as Second Life for a fraction of the cost.
My biggest frustration in Second life is how you can’t really build anything without land, and you can’t really afford land there.
I will also have an open sandbox which will be free for all members to use. This will allow members to build larger items without having to own large land.
So…
Right now I have just finished updating the dedicated server, and I am getting ready to send it to my partner for the initial installation and set up.
I will keep posting as I progress on this project.
I know, I know, what are you thinking? Like you have time to develop and maintain an online world…
I don’t.
But with the help of some very talented friends, and a bunch of equipment I made from scraps, I am going to put together a dedicated server and un it from my home.
Here is my game plan…
1. Obtain a dedicated server
2. install Ubuntu 10.04 as the operating system
3. install OpenSim
4. develop the entire Pandemic Dawn world from my novels in a virtual world that people can come and visit.
5. put the server online
6. offer sims for $x down / $x per month (whatever it comes out to be will be FAR less than second lifes #1,300 set up / $300 per month fee).
I then plan to use the virtual Pandemic Dawn world to draw more interest in the novels, and offer an RP place for people who would like to see what it would be like to live in a post-apocalyptic fallen world.
The game play will be organic, meaning there will be a lot of search, scavenge, forage, find shelter, and some combat to fight off evil military, crazed robots, gangs and slave traders.
There is a lot of RP potential here for those who enjoy that.
My son in law and I were working on the RP game play a few months ago, and my friend Scott in Texas who is an IT wizard, has worked out some of the details of the server with me today.
If anything, it will be just another fun chapter in the wild diverse world of Bruce Shields.
My granddaughter came over tonight, and I made BBQ lamb ribs, with baked potato and asparagus for dinner 
I think it turned out great…although my wife only eats chickens, pigs and cows…
