Boo!

And welcome to the October 2023 issue of FOCUS Magazine.

Art in virtual worlds is found in almost everything we do here. From building to landscaping, there is an element of creativity in most of endeavors. One particular medium that we love at this time of year are Halloween sims. Besides being fun to visit, there is an artistry from concept to building. In a very important way, this art must cause an emotional response —namely fright — which is inherently a foundational necessity in any haunted sim’s purpose.

We’re often reminded to add an element of storytelling to our virtual photography —or to visual art in general. However, even if we don’t quite hit the mark, most art mediums are forgiving as long as the aesthetics and skill are engaging. Not so when it comes to Halloween sims. An emotional response is required (and expected) and the entire experience falls flat without it. This gives a layer of depth to these sims that I imagine most people don’t tend to have at the forefront of their mind as we lumber through thick plumes of fog toward an eerily shadowy house, filled with anticipation for what ungodly ghoul will lunge at us first! But this year, try and take a moment to appreciate the skill and inventiveness you encounter. To help, we’ve gathered a short list of our favorite haunted places to visit. Grab a brave friend and stop by — if you dare!

Another art medium that we visual artists tend to overlook is the imaginative experience of role-play. It’s true that role-play is largely the art of writing, but there is so much more than goes into it from sim design to creating a plot and designing theme appropriate avatars. Role-play of countless genres is a constant in the metaverse, but there was a decline in participation around 2010. But recently, there’s been a resurgence of interest and curiosity. In fact, our own contributor and group member, Capri Sun, runs an urban organized crime roleplay sim called Cabal. If you have any questions about it, feel free to IM Capri (formerly Bryce Sun). Capri is even considering beginners classes for those who feel their writing skills aren’t up to snuff. In this issue, we’ve compiled a number of role-play sims to check out. They range from family role-play to cyberpunk.

The second part of Hermes Kondor’s interview with the SL theatre doyenne, Bajoy, concludes in this issue as well. And Fynnyus reminds us of a few of the in-frequented museums in SL. They are worth a visit!

Please keep in mind that FOCUS Magazine is now a peer-funded subscription publication. If you’d like to subscribe, please stop by FOCUS Gallery or subscribe online at artfocused.com.

As always, I hope you enjoy this issue!
– Angela Thespian

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Let’s build something together.