The Old New Babbage

[Rip Wirefly]

I’m not here to harp or complain, or anything of that sort, just bring something to everyone’s attention. Last night Greg Merryman led me into the beta grid and I was shown something quite amazing. New Babbage Square and Palisades, from around one year ago. The land was the same, as was the layout, but the builds were quite different then what is in babbage today.

The first thing that hit me when I teleported in, dirt, the place was far from clean, as an industrial place should be. I looked about, a few of the builds that are still here today were there as well, the Mason Horta hotel, the steam works, city hall, the Paleozoic Museum, though it was far larger than it is today. What struck me was not that those structures still exist today, but the ones around them that are not. So much industry, smoke was seen across the skyline, as should be in an industrial city. As well, the builds, they were not all the most detailed or well built, but what they all had going for them was that they all fit together. Builds did not look like they were different from the one next door, they went together, they fit. It did not look like a bunch of puzzle pieces from different puzzles thrown together. The stores were gritty, the atmosphere just felt like the air was dirty, the city appeared as if it was covered in a layer of dirt, and I loved it.

I am still relativly new here, in my opinion. When I came to babbage it was a completely different monster, the place was clean. Houses were everywhere, though there are no problems with homes in a city, but as well there were so many stores, and each one was pristine. The few factories remaining looked as if they were not in order. It was a different babbage then what I saw it had been. I think somewhere people stopped focusing on the concept of babbage and more on the commercial part of it. I am not saying we ban stores, and cafes, and houses, and bars, but instead attempt to try to recapture the essence of babbae. Learn what your sim’s purpose was, talk to the residents who have been around longer, and find out what babbage is really about. I have been chatting with some older residence as of late, and have been learning much more about what babbage is about.

There is a reason industria is in our motto.

[Polgara Scribe]

(Throwing in my two cents)
I adore New Babbage. I will be the first to admit that at the end of the day I have no real concept of what steampunk is. I adore the clothes, I adore the people, I adore New Babbage. The thing that I think everyone has forgotten and often does in an passionate debate is that New Babbage has become a sort of family(one that I am blessed to be a part of). That no matter what build we have up or whether the city has a coat of grime on it, there's still going to be that connection. I think that New Babbage has a theme and it works well. I admit that if I understood streampunk more I might get the theme. But nonetheless I enjoy being able to wander around the city and enjoy how the sims are so different. Palisades vs the canals are a great example. I love the bridges and I also enjoy walking over and see people fence(you still own me a match Ceejay...:) But I hope that at the end of the day we remember that despite all the disagreements over New Babbage, it wouldn't be the same without any of you here making it the great place that I love.

[The Professor]

To quickly add my two or three cents...

Yes. As a longtime resident of New Babbage (since July 2007), I have watched the progressive "Caledonization" of the city with great dismay and sadness.

I built the Palaeozoic Museum and the Abney Park Laboratory, and was always very keen to stay close to the gritty, NeoVic industrial flavour that brought me to the city in the first place. In point of fact, I recently leveled the laboratory and replaced it with a quick and poorly thought-out build that was promptly deemed not in keeping with the look and feel of the sim. And, as it turns out, I came to agree that I was in error, and have since replaced the inappropriate build with something appropriate (and with which I am much happier, by the way).

New Babbage is not only a gathering place. It is a place, first and foremost, with a distinct atmosphere. I feel like this has been forgotten. This is a city, not a chatroom. SL is huge. If you don't like Babbage, there's an almost endless procession of alternate realities to house the build you'd like to do.

I'm not opposed to community (though it does not much interest me, personally). But I don't want to see the identity of a place that has been my SL home for almost 20 months lose what brought me here to start with. Builds that are not in keeping with the tone of the sim need to be reworked.

Yrs. Truly,
Prof. Nareth E. Nishi

[Ceejay Writer]

I sympathize with your thoughts, Professor. I have to respectfully disagree that Babbage's atmosphere has been forgotten, though. The fact that this discussion has gone on for 14 pages shows that we feel Babbage is more than a chatroom. I'm sorry that community doesn't interest you (mostly from my own selfish wish to make your acquaintance one day). Babbage is not Caledon and I'm getting weary of the comparions. Babbage IS experiencing growing pains and sometimes hosts a build that isnt' a good fit. You admit you made one yourself, then replaced it. A little patience and some nicely placed advice to individuals while in-world goes a long way. The master builders are few - those enraptured with Babbage are many. This is where community can feather the edges and blend the town.

[The Professor]

You admit you made one yourself, then replaced it.

Yes. And this was, in part,the result of what I felt to be a growing sense of apathy towards the look and feel of the city. Apathy and sloppiness are contagious, and I am not immune.

A little patience and some nicely placed advice to individuals while in-world goes a long way.

I agree completely. We need to see constructive criticism and clear guidelines and architectural references. But we also have to have people who are open to hearing constructive criticism, and accepting that they can be wrong. Some of us know what steampunk is; some do not. Those who don't need direction, but that direction must be delivered with tact, politeness, and patience.

[Ceejay Writer]

direction must be delivered with tact, politeness, and patience. Yes. I think more folk will become open to taking helpful, friendly constructive advise if it's delivered in this manner. There have been instances of 'your build sucks and you are an idiot' proclaimations, which make everyone nervous and avoidy. Focusing on the positive approaches should help with acceptance levels.

[DreddPirateBob]

with respect and only humour: uh oh!

some of us know what steampunk is?

aye, i think i speak for all babbagites when i say its the rebirth of victorian politeness within a looser social strata. its the relearning or rod and gear engineering techniques using modern day materials, particually in nanotech. Its floating islands. its Hellboy. its Skyland. its living only with what you can repair yourself, which is why i don't have a computer or an internet connection.

we need to explain what Babbage is only. people know what steampunk is, babbage is only one aspect of it, thus some of the out of theme stuff is only out of theme in babbage.

I think the steampunk debate should be taken to brassgoggles, they will be quite happy to discuss it. contact Shaun for details :D

[Ceejay Writer]

Or head over to steamfashion in livejournal, where it gets debated every three months whether it's needful or not. :P

[Artemisia Paine]

I had to quit watching that group. It drove me nuts, the snarkiness.

[Ceejay Writer]

I know..... *shakes head* I'm still a member but I took it off my filter for daily reading. I still love it for costume ideas, though.

[Edward Pearse, Duke of Argylle]

Allow me to make a request of you then Professor: if you preach politeness, please practice it. Yet again "Caledonisation" is being used in a pejorative manner. Not all of us view Caledon as the anti-christ and some of us in fact still live there.

[Mara Razor]

My only gripe with Caledon is that it's too cotton pickin' big!!! It overwhelms me.

[Edward Pearse, Duke of Argylle]

Which is another reason comparisons are invalid.