Friday, February 12, 2010

Setting up Shop in Reaction Grid


Location: subQuark Blog


image from the site

You are looking at a Reaction Grid build that subQuark discusses in the post "Moving from Second Life to OpenSim." With Ener Hax, subQuark was part of a large investment of time, energy, and cash in Linden Lab's metaverse.

Now they have emigrated, shuttering their 19 sims in Second life. Educators considering a similar move should have a look at subQuark's reasoning, including a not-so-subtle jab (and an accurate one, in my experience) at Linden Lab's management style.

I have recently said hard, but accurate, things about Reaction Grid's performance, but the fact remains: it's a viable alternative to SL, if rough around the edges.

Keep in mind that subQuark and Ener are experts using, I presume, systems faster than God's. Their work will bear watching as more content developers make their move to diversify their work, or just leave SL completely.

2 comments:

subquark said...

Thank you for the post. Our machines are pretty fast but economical to build through an online computer shop. Either one is about $600 to build. Now monitors are a different story! We each use dual widescreens and Ener is known to do multiple logins with a laptop next to the desktop!

Both run XP, so that limits RAM to about 3 GB. I use an AMD chip with an NVidia card and Ener uses Intel with NVidia.

On mine, I like having two hard drives with one being only for virtual world building use and minimal other software.

Indeed, Reaction Grid is quite rough with many small quirks and a few larger issues that are hard to get around.

The lack of groups causes real issue with Ener and I trying to build as equals. The only way we can is by not having autoreturn on at all. It is not uncommon for one of us to create a building, have the other texture it, and share in furnishing it.

Perhaps with God powers, we will just put everything we jointly make under one name (take a guess who would win out on that one - hint: I don't stand a chance!).

Keep the pressure on OpenSim Iggy O!

Posts like yours help push development a lot more than one might think.

Iggy O said...

Thank you, subquark. I hope not only to hold RG's feet to the fire, but Linden Lab's. No provider should take educators' business for granted. We need stability and the ability to create content, plus regular support. Collectively, we have a lot of power and funding, a lot more than most software houses.