THE INIQUITOUS FUN FAIR â An OpenSim Story
What a crazy time we live in. The news cycle shows you a town in crisis while HIDING the story which should get coverage. But here in OpenSim, we have a Virtual Town in Crisis; that is... THE REAL STORY... and all of you are invited.
Dismayland exists because of worldly conflict. It was inspired by Banksy, whose art has always held a mirror to the absurd. As an NPC enthusiast, I found a wellspring of ideas to draw from, even without seeing the original exhibit in person. My thought was simple: What if theme parks were truly honest with their customers?
As a Florida resident within driving distance of every major theme park... and well aware of the drama surrounding them... this scenario was too good to pass up. Everything here is fictitious, but loosely based on reality in ways that will be obvious only to those who follow local news. Take that for what you will.
What we have here is a Digital Virtual Novel you can explore. Leave your worries behind. Enjoy a nonsensical portrayal of the ridiculous... because that is what entertainment is. Nothing that happens here influences the outside world, as someone was kind enough to point out. What is a virtual novel without plot twists, corruption and some intrigue?
Enter the Dismayland Scavenger Hunt.
Dirty Helga and I were brainstorming maddening additions for Dismayland. I reject most of what Hollywood produces these days, so I turned to older films for inspiration. I have seen scavenger hunts before but they were far too easy. I wanted something epic.. something outright crazy, yet honestly solvable.
What emerged: a game board that remotely renames objects, a separate script that deploys drones dropping clues, Lying NPCs, misdirection, MISINFORMATION and a cow being abducted by aliens who holds nothing but contempt for that insufferable game board. All of these elements were already present in Dismayland. I just needed code to make it all work together... and that is where the turpitude of Dirty Helga shines. Nobody knows the lore better than her, and she was instrumental in stitching it all together.
There will always be some politics in OpenSim. My plan is to keep whatever exists here specific to the grid... not reality. When you're ready for your ESCAPE, The Iniquitous Fun Fair awaits.
Most mornings I am at Dismayland sipping coffee with my script editor open. Care to pop in for some coding conversation?