DP Meynard's Exploration Blog.

VIRBEX Episode 1: Nova Mobius

Nova Mobius (closed January 26, 2019) was a Second Life sim based on Sonic the Hedgehog and dedicated to fans of the franchise. In its final iteration, Nova Mobius took major aesthetic inspiration from Studiopolis Zone and Green Hill Zone (from Sonic Mania and Sonic the Hedgehog [1991]), with minor inspirations drawing from sources like Sonic Adventure and Sonic Unleashed.

Nearly immediately after I began, I discovered I was low on fuel. Luckily, a travel center was not far away, and I was able to gas up for the trip.

Nestled just across from the center was an interesting sight: a freight hub. Already intrigued, I peeked in only to see a full map of SL’s continents, complete with names. Even minor land masses like the old Teen Grid are named, with the aforementioned old grid now dubbed “Sharp Continent”.

I decided to begin trekking this route on one of the mainlands, Route 8. As I will come to find out, this particular continent is named Satori, something I was actually never aware of.

Don’t laugh, it’s not like you knew it either.

While I was away, I managed to acquire some new tech: a drone. I hope to use it for some effective shots in the future.

https://gfycat.com/PointlessWatchfulAmurratsnake

It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? I apologize. Sometimes, life catches up and you lose focus of what you really want to do.

I came across a massive expanse of homes the other day. The sheer number of them was staggering, and what’s more, it was clear some of them were still housing living souls. I dared not traverse into those spaces, but it was surprising, to say the least. I’m beginning to suspect I am finally wandering into civilization once more, which is good. I am dearly in need of some critical supplies, so if my hunch is correct, I can take this opportunity to restock before moving on.

Something interesting to note on a couple of the homes that I saw: pools were available, but a room was built on top of them, clearly supported by the home’s original walls. It’s a mindbending bit of construction.

As the sun set, I captured a couple of interesting sights on my way into the next city, Sharp City. A primarily Japanese locale, Sharp City’s layout seemed to be layered over what seemed to be another town.

I kept seeing signs for a “Teens Town” as I traversed the quiet metropolis; whatever this alleged town had been was certainly no more, overtaken by business and residential districts rented out by a grown populace. It’s not every night you get to see the active occupation of one city by another!

Inside the nightclub, the area opened up into a ritzy bar, complete with two false bartenders. The last event held here was apparently a Halloween-related romp of some kind, if the witchy ghost is to be believed. A more standard holographic bloke assists (runs?) the bar alongside.

Moving further in, stairs lead down to a massive dance floor. Large shark heads bring up the rear, with a simple stage and raised DJ booth on the other end. Going up the stairs to the booth reveals a very well-stocked party war room of sorts, and most of the equipment was still operational even after all this time.

During my travels yesterday, I noticed an unusual building out in the middle of nowhere. Upon moving closer, it became clear to me the establishment is (or rather was) a nightclub of some kind. Judging from the (intentional) posters on the wall, it doesn’t seem like it’s been used for 10 years or more.

While exploring the memorial, I chanced upon a map of the local grid of land. It was a very intriguing find, as it detailed places that no longer existed, lost to the ever ravenous waters. For reference, I have included an up-to-date map, captured from my GPS.

It’s sobering to see how much has been wiped out over the years. The core of the local area is barely hanging on, to say nothing of the ancillary islands.

While the lands are not as populated as they once were, and places are disappearing, I do feel I need to stress a couple things. For one, people are still around, but tend to only hang around populated areas, never really wandering out into unknown territory like me. Two, the world is still so beautiful sometimes. The aforementioned remaining people do good work to make sure their corners of the globe are attractive and fun.