The “Crazy Tinies” - Loco Poco Avatars

The subject for this week's avatar article is a new brand of tiny av: Loco Pocos. Created by Damien Fate, these tinies were first available earlier this summer. Considering the uber-cutness of the avatar and the variety of facial expressions and emotes, the Loco Poco can only be called first-class, possibly *the* best tiny avatar in Second Life.

Tiny avatars I’ve seen are designed for a cute-factor in mind. Loco Pocos excel at it. The avatars are also designed to be easily customizable, the avatar able to change it’s coat and eye color, as well as able to wear wings and other attachments.

But what sets them apart from others is the ease of use of their animations, coming right with the avatar. The HUD unit allows the player to express a number of facial expressions and full body emotes. The facial features are not static, but change to reflect emotions. Plus they often make sound when emoting. With a press of the button, the avatar can look angry and “grrr,” to laying on the floor and snoring, to crying a shower of tears, to throwing a kiss with a “mwaah,” to a hearty belly laugh, and more.

The name Loco Poco translates to “crazy tiny” in Spanish, appropriately enough. The instructions are also in several languages. It’s also noteworthy that Torley Linden was among the beta testers of these tinies. The store is just in front of the main porting entrance. Avatars are sold in the center, accessories on the edge to the right of the door when entering. Their avatars cost 350L each, most of the accessories 100L. They also advertise an Avatar Rendering Cost (how much computer power it takes to make your avie appear) of 640.

After some thought, I decided to try out the Loco Poco fox. Showing it around to my freinds, they were amused by the versatile tiny, going “Awww” at the sight of it’s emotes. One told me he was thinking of getting one.

Besides Loco Pocos Island, you can also get the avatars at SLExchange.

Loco Poco also has an adventure-filled island, made with these avatars in mind. One that can provide hours of fun. Look for a detailed article of the island in the near future.


A charming little avatar.

Bixyl Shuftan

Styling your Second Life with Firehorse

This week I have to apologise for the lateness of this article - due to circumstance totally beyond my control I was computerless for a couple of days. But from now on Styling your Second Life with Firehorse will be published on a Sunday - all things being equal.
This weeks challange was to make a tiny avatar for 500L$ a task far easier than any undertaken so far - and probably the most sucessful. First of all my deepest thanks to Bixyl, who was this weeks willing guinea pig.
I started off by visiting Wynx's (check Wynx Whplashs profile for the location of her main shop - she moves a lot). The avs created by Wynx are superb, the vendor pictures do not do them justice, and as well as the cuter, more typical tiny avs there is a fantastic rhino - an avatar with such power and presence that it really does punch well above it's weight. These avs are a testiment to the skill and craft of the maker, the detail is way above what you would usually see in any sort of avatar in SL - if there were complete human avs for sale this good, I would be out of business.
After much deliberation Bixyl opted for a squirrel av - which is so cute that only it's detailing save it from being nausiating.
The av comes with two gestures (waves I believe) but no AO - but after spending sometime wearing the av Bixyl assures me that it doesn't actually need a tiny AO - more testiment to the workmanship. L£350 well spent on the av.

Bixyl is a very respectable sort of fox and never goes around in just his fur, so clothing was the next quest. We didn't have far to go as there was a CatPaws vendor in the same space - these are delightful, quirky designs, well made with wonderful detailing, this was tough - so many choices. For humour value (and because Bixyl is practical as well as stylish) we chose the electicians outfit with toolbox and toolbelt.This was L$150 and worth every penny. if you don't believe just look at the pictures. Catpaws has a lot of outlets so just check Cat Masala's profile for details.To sum up for a mere 500 linden you can have a wonderful tiny av, complete in every way - and all of the highest quality if you go tiny. The over all opinion was highly flattering as Bixyl took me at my word and wore the av around and about for a while.

With many thanks to Bixyl Shuftan, who made this weeks challenge so much fun.

Finding a Furred Avatar (Do You Love the Skin You’re In Part 2)

Some friends and I were recently talking about articles in the SLN, and I mentioned Dashwood Dayafter’s article, “Do You Love the Skin You’re In,” of which the topic had also recently been discussed on Second Life TV. Discussing it, it was suggested I do an article about finding a “furry” avatar.
If you’re looking for a furred avatar, especially if it is going to be the one you'll be using all the time in Second Life, selecting one can depend on a number of factors. Cash is one consideration, as some avatars sell for over a thousand lindens. If you’re short on cash, there are some halfway decent free ones out there. I saw one newcomer at Luskwood ask about them and got a good purple catgirl avie from someone for free, as well as a squirrely one.
Then there’s what kind of appearance do you want? Felines and Canids are the most popular, but vendor machines have all kinds (skunk, mouse, bat, panda, etc.) and usually in a variety of colors.
And exactly how do you want your appearance? Some vendors go for cute and cartoony. Others go for a more balanced look. And if by chance you can’t find something you’re looking for, some builders will take the job of making a custom one for you.

One other question, especially for the guys, is how clothes will fit on you. A guy who plans on going to formal parties may want to stick with something that has legs very close in shape to normal human avatars as tuxedo pants will not fit a digitgrade.
That tail of yours will also be sticking out of whatever you wear, as will any hairs on places on your body. The adjustable option for your clothes will be very convenient, if not a must. For a fashion designer, the furry male can be something of a challenge.

Do you have or are planning on getting a job? Obviously, if you’re looking for a position as a bouncer in a club, a big wolf looks better than a small mouseboy.

Some furred avatars can also do things normal human skins can’t. Some have ears that can fold back or automatically wiggle. Tails in some can wag. Some as they walk around can temporarily leave footprints on the ground. Skunks can spray. Bats have flapable wings and can fly around in a more natural looking manner. There are also furred avies with a “feral” option, able to run around on all fours like an animal avatar, as well as on two like a human.

There are numerous places where one can get a furred avatar. Regrettably, a few of these places also cater to customers with risque tastes (at least one puts that stuff in it’s own room). Two with strict policies on clean items are Luskwood and Rocket City. Luskwood, the home of Luskwood Creatures and Luskwood Bunkies, only offer their own avatars for sale, but the place is also a social hangout, and one can get advice about avatars from the people there, as well as get a look at numerous avatars being worn. Rocket City has vendor machines from a number of avatar makers, furred and a few nekos. They also have some attachments such as flex-tails, and a little clothing. This is among the best places to shop for a furred avie, if not the best.

For myself, I went with the Luskwood Red Fox, substituting the tail that came with it with a “Flex-Tail” from Rocket City. It doesn’t have a lot of frills, but I like it as it seems to suit me, being part “redneck,” as well as a sci-fi fan. Most clothes I come across fit it okay, though the pant bottoms can be a problem sometimes.
Since getting it, it has been "me" in Second Life.
Some people I know have also stuck with their first avatar as their main one. Others have changed it as they acquired more cash, going either for another brand of the same kind that they thought looked a little better to them, or something else entirely.
A friend of mine whom I met as a skunkboy later changed to a fox, then got another brand with a slightly different look.
One can also buy additional avatars to wear on occasion much like one would wear a set of clothes, such as for a costume party, RPing, etc. Or they may change to keep from being bored with a particular look. Most still have one they see as their identity in SL. But some never do settle on a single appearance, buying a number over time and changing their forms when the mood strikes them. One lady I know who calls herself a “shapeshifter” says she has over 50 avatars, furred, free, and otherwise.

So whether you plan to have a furred avatar as your only one, or just something to wear once in a while, put a little thought in what you want.

Bixyl Shuftan