Wednesday, September 2, 2009

September Road Trip: Rune-Racing and Rabid Bears

Dirt Bike
Location: Rune Sim

When I read Hamlet Au's account of Rune, a new racetrack for ATVs and motorcycles, I was interested. When I read about bears that attack drivers, I logged on right away.

Teleport over the Rune, find a rezzer, and hop on their ATVs or dirt-bikes.

Rune does not disappoint. The designers make clever use of physical objects, like boulders that fall to stop racers from finishing a lap. Going off road to avoid mud-holes that slow you down or boulders that stop you cold only works so well: the slopes are steep and a bike can flip right over.

The bears had me howling with laughter. Since the simulation enables damage to avatars, I stopped my bike and let a bear chomp me...it wasn't a race, and I was the only driver. My health rating dropped quickly, and despite my suicidal intentions I roared off again. When I next met a bear, it pinned me to a tree and mauled me until I figured out that I could reverse the motorcycle out of trouble.
Uh oh: A bear

My only quibble is that I'd like an area where I could rez my own bike to run the course. It might be worth a small monthly fee to join a Rune Rampage group, or somesuch so we maniacs could rez our toys and race.

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