You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits.
I begin this text by reflecting on the importance of AVIs in shaping the identity of virtual worlds.
AVIs give face, form, and movement to virtual universes. This is partly due to the personality of each individual who ventures beyond the superficial layers of the app and dives into building their own digital identity.
A bit of their DNA merges with the DNA of the platform. After all, life is about connections, desires, expectations, and dreams.
Architecture, design, fashion, language, and behavior begin to take shape digitally. 3D worlds have integrated into people's daily lives worldwide as a vast social network. And they remain alive because they are gateways to experimentation, the unknown, and the opportunity for a breath of fresh air from the daily grind. In other words, they offer a way to fly.
It is during this flight that projects are born, and virtual worlds gain personality. After all, what would the platform be without its community? Without the vibrant connections that flow through digital environments every day?
Considering this context, Atlantis decided to dive into the stories and projects that drive the RLC/UV community. We aim to learn more about how ideas are born within the platform, how this DNA has been built and transformed over the years.
From there, we also intend to create our own record, mixing a bit of our DNA with the platform.
It is with this mindset and philosophy that we launch this series of interviews, Atlantis Connection. A project to discover more about the talents of RLC/UV.
To kick off this edition, Atlantis Music Hall is honored to welcome a great entrepreneur in this virtual world: Sweetpea.
Leading projects such as the Learning Center, Zaby Home Show, and owner of the Outer Limits Designs brand, Sweetpea joined Utherverse in 2010. Like all avatars, she has experienced the ups and downs of our virtual world, until being captivated by interior design and decoration. Today, she is one of the most successful figures on our platform.
The interview was held at the Factory Auditorium on September 28th, the final day of VCON 24.
Now, enjoy the full conversation.
Perseus INTERVIEWS SWEETPEA
Perseus – Sweetpea, welcome!
Sweetpea – Thank you for having me Perseus.
Perseus – Thank for accepting my invitation.
Perseus – What an incredible journey you’ve had on the platform. You’ve been involved in so many high-quality projects that I can only imagine how much time it took for them to develop and mature. You’ve been on the platform since 2010, right? How did you first come into contact with this world?
Sweetpea – The work to get projects done is always daunting in the beginning, but when it comes to fruitation is an amazing feeling. I hade been layed off work in real life, and met some people on different Facebook games and they told me about RLC, so we decided to join together.
Sweetpea – They are no longer in game, but I’m addicted to it.
Sweetpea – I was a basic for all of 3 days before I decided to experience the full game and went VIP.
Perseus – Cool! I often joke that avatars "apparate" into Utherverse, especially those who have already mastered the "smoke effect." What was your first impression when you arrived in this world?
Sweetpea – I was totally amazed at how friendly everyone was, so many offers to be shown around
Sweetpea – besides to offers of the … emmm romantic side … haha
Perseus – hahaha So, you've had a lot of romantic interests?
Sweetpea – I’m an introvert in real life, so being able to chat with strangers was impowering and honestly has helped me with small talk in real life.
Perseus - I imagine you must have experienced many stories from that early period in the game. We all have our victories and defeats from the beginning on the platform. Lol. Is there any interesting memory or story from that time that stands out to you?
Sweetpea – One of my fondest memories the first couple of months was meeting Percyvale. I used to hang out in the hot tub at the old Bordello. When I was there one day to meet a friend, Percyvale PM’d me.
Perseus – Tell me about it.
Sweetpea – I told him I was busy, so we arranged a date later that week, and we were together for 6 years as partners, lovers and best friends.
Perseus – Wow!
Sweetpea – Due to real-life issues, he had to leave the game. We will keep in touch via Skype, and I still consider him one of my best friends.
Sweetpea - We never went through the RLC marriage thing, but we were still exclusive to each other, so didn’t need it.
Perseus – Do you still talk to him?
Sweetpea – Yes, we talk on Skype at least once a month, but with the time difference, it is not always easy. He lives in AU, and I’m in the US.
Perseus - It's really wonderful. Minneapolis, right? I saw it in your profile.
Sweetpea – Yes, I live in Minneapolis, MN, and it is now my favorite time of year: “Autumn”. The cooler temps and the changing of the leaves.
Perseus – I love this season in the US. Such great colors!
Sweetpea – When the sun hits the colorful leaves, it is so beautiful it almost brings you to tears of joy.
Perseus – I can imagine. My favorite place there is Boston.
Sweetpea – If you ever get the chance, you should go to Duluth, MN, in the fall. It is amazing.
Perseus - It seems to me that you have some charming places there. I would love to visit. Travel tip noted.
Perseus - How do you view the experience of weddings in Utherverse?
Sweetpea – Well, the sad reality here seems to be that once you get married, it lasts only about a month, if you're lucky, before you move on to your next sexual partner and have another wedding. I have friends here who have been married more times than I can count on my fingers and toes. And all to different people.
Perseus - But I think this is due to the instant relationships formed on the internet. Everything is amplified in the virtual world.
Sweetpea - Yes, I agree. I'm always happy for my friends that do marry here.
Perseus - But there is a wedding industry on the platforms. The main attraction of Utherverse is practically human relationships and weddings.
Sweetpea - Yes, and it is a very lucrative industry here.
Perseus – It’s true. How did your interest in decorating and creating props come about?
Sweetpea - That was a slower process. I remember the first time I opened the editor... I couldn't figure out what the green box around the prop was all about or how to even place the prop. After about two days of trying to set a chair on the floor, I gave up and hired someone to decorate my zaby. It was just a basic zaby, and they didn't even map any of the furniture, yet still charged me 700 rays—no outside build, nothing.
Perseus - Everyone thinks like that the first time. Lol! OMG, 700 rays? Wow.
Sweetpea - After that, I met some amazing people who asked me to join their design team because I had some great ideas that they used, and they taught me a lot.
Perseus – Old times. Lol. Actually, you have amazing work.
Sweetpea - I learned a lot from monaro66 on how to map the props by using the color templates.
Perseus – I’m big fan.
Sweetpea – Thank you. I'm also a big fan of your designs. They are so powerful.
Perseus – Thank you. Was it very difficult to learn how to create props?
Sweetpea - Once I figured out how to manipulate the maps, it wasn't that hard to put things together. The hardest part is figuring out the areas on the maps you don't want.
Perseus – It’s true.
Sweetpea - I'm big on surfing the internet for furniture ideas, and I save pictures of different pieces I want to try and build.
Perseus – But you have so many great props in your showroom.
Sweetpea - Thank you! I have so many showrooms that it’s hard to keep track.
Perseus - You told me you're more interested in interior design, right? Today, you own a strong brand within Utherverse, Outer Limits. How did it come to be?
Sweetpea - Do you remember the old TV show The Outer Limits?
Perseus – No, I don’t.
Sweetpea - It was similar to The Twilight Zone.
Perseus – Oh, I see. It's a great show!
Sweetpea - Well, at the beginning of each show, the announcer would say...
Sweetpea - There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter.[3] We can change the focus to a soft blur, or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: There is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits.
Perseus - Excellent name choice.
Sweetpea - So I kind of used that as my motto. Mainly the last part.
Perseus - Incredible, Sweetpea. I really liked that.
Sweetpea - You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits.
Sweetpea - I had that saying on my logo for many years, so that became my business name.
Perseus - Great! You have many interesting hooks from this name. It's very intriguing. Does this influence your creative process?
Sweetpea - Yes, it does. It reminds me that anything is possible with a lot of imagination, thinking outside the box, and hard work. Don't hold yourself back and try to reach beyond your perceived limits.
Perseus - Excellent. Do you have any projects created by you
that are your favorite?
Sweetpea - As far as projects go, I can say "The Learning Center" is my favorite project. As for my designs, it would have to be my layout called "Nevermore," which is a tribute to Edgar Allan Poe.
Perseus - OMG, one of my favorite writers.
Sweetpea – me too.
Perseus - The Learning Center... I went there. Amazing work you have there.
Swetpea - Thank you! It is a work in progress, always trying to add new things.
Perseus - What was the main idea there?
Sweetpea - When UtherAcademy closed for a while, and Rand's tutorial venue was decimated due to his passing, I thought of creating something similar to what Rand had but encompassing many more ideas. So I scoured YouTube, the forum, my friends, and gathered all kinds of resources together. I was lucky that I had been here long enough to get a free spectacular from RLC that I used as the base for The Learning Center.
Perseus - I saw all the clothing creation videos there and the scaling. I found it amazing—very informative!
Sweetpea - I'm hoping one day to expand it to include the things that Marta had in her space when we received so many new scripts, but I still have to build that.
Perseus - Impressive place. What’s the property?
Sweetpea - It’s on the old Convention Hall Silver and Bronze.
Perseus – Wow! OMG! OMG! OMG! I want this! Lol
Perseus - Marta, from what I've heard, is one of the great designers in this game.
Sweetpea - Yes, Marta was amazing, and it was a great loss when she left. It was around the time of COVID when she left, so we all pray that she is well.
Perseus - I hope so. I remember seeing your testimony on the forum talking about her amazing work on a Halloween house. This opened your eyes to the power of creating a layout.
Sweetpea - Yes, I wish I could remember the name of it... it was "...... Murder House," I can't remember the first part.
Perseus - Yes, that's the name.
Sweetpea - Marta and I had our differences, but I always knew I could count on her for help.
Perseus - This is huge. This is the power of this community.
Sweetpea - Our deco community is truly the best. Most of the top designers are very willing to help and teach one how to do things.
Perseus - I became very curious, but I never managed to see one of her layouts.
Sweetpea - I had a couple of them, and my biggest regret was not saving the textures so that I could replace them.
Perseus - It's too bad. But let me ask about the Zaby Home Show.
Sweetpea - Zaby Home Show is another project in RLC/UV that I've been very passionate about.
Perseus - Tell me about ZHS. I like this contraction.
Sweetpea - I think that to date, ZHS is one of the oldest competitions here today. It started 16 years ago and has developed into three seasonal shows a year.
Perseus - Since 2008? It's a very long time for a contest.
Sweetpea - Living Dead Girl (LDG) ran it for many years, but with the decline in population, she wasn't able to continue. So BB and I took it over. We did it as a team for the first year and then gave it to Joe_Black_JB, but due to personal issues, he wasn't able to maintain it. So I took it back.
Perseus - It's a very challenging task.
Sweetpea - I'm not ready to let it go and hope that once Xaeon is up with decor, we can expand ZHS to include both Classic and Xaeon.
Perseus - Today, you are at the forefront of the Zaby Home Show contest. How has that experience been?
Sweetpea - ZHS gave a presentation at VC24 this year, and wow, having everything written down in black and white made me realize how much of an undertaking this has been. Even though it is a lot of work in the background, it keeps you thinking of ways to improve. I love being able to see everyone's entries, and my favorite is the newcomer category. Yes, I know the newcomers are not Marta's, Siren's, or even Perseus’, but to me, they are the most rewarding. I get to see these designers at the beginning of their work and watch them grow into the future Marta's, Siren's, and Perseus'.
Perseus - Thank you, Sweetpea. Hearing this means a lot to me. I consider ZHS one of the jewels of Utherverse, and it should be more encouraged by the community and the platform.
Perseus - I find the categories for each season to be very interesting. How did you come up with them?
Sweetpea - Those were actually ones that LDG implemented during her tenure as ZHS. We just kept them. Depending on how things look going forward, we may have to scale them down a bit to possibly combine similar categories. For example, instead of having Fall Theme Zaby and Fall Theme VWW, we would combine them into one category.
Perseus – It makes sense. Do you have a favorite season?
Sweetpea – Yes, my favorite is Winter/Christmas
Perseus - Why?
Sweetpea - I feel it is the most festive and inviting of all the seasons. Obviously, Christmas is festive, but if you think about the Christmas season, that time frame also includes so many other festivities: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, etc. I would love to see a layout designed for Hanukkah.
Perseus - You're also part of the traditions team, right?
Sweetpea - LOL... Yup, I'm part of Holiday Traditions, so maybe that is another reason it's one of my favorites.
Perseus - I can see now... lol
Sweetpea - Winter is so lovely, thinking about sitting by a nice warm fireplace, drinking a cup of Hot Buttered Rum with your loved ones.
Perseus - I live in a tropical country. December is summer here. Lol
Sweetpea – LOL
Perseus - No hot cocoa for me.
Sweetpea - Okay, you can sit on the beach with a cooler of hard lemonade.
Perseus - Oh, yes, my favorite time! Lol
Perseus - What do you think is necessary for a decorator to win the contest?
Sweetpea - Imagination. Without imagination, your design is just a cookie cutter mold of the next one.
Perseus - What criteria does the contest use to evaluate the layouts?
Sweetpea - We mainly try to have past winners as judges. We hope that by having the past winners, they will be honest and not biased toward those who enter. We ask the judges to look at the overall aesthetics of the design, considering the technical aspects, such as lighting, moving parts, seating, stairs, etc. However, this is RLC, so if the stairs don't work the first time or you fall through, you do have to keep that in mind.
Perseus – Oh ok.
Sweetpea - RLC has glitches, as any decorator knows and experiences. We ask the judges to score each design on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest.
Perseus - It's a hard and meticulous job, the evaluation process.
Sweetpea - We also ask them to indicate who they think should be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. We award points for each place to help break any potential ties.
Perseus - Maybe that's why it's one of the longest-standing projects on the platform. The process is very professional.
Sweetpea - I do believe that ZHS is the only contest that isn't a popularity contest.
Perseus – I believe this too. What are the upcoming goals for the ZHS?
Sweetpea - I would love to get a ZHS museum created as a permanent part of RLC/UV. It would have all the magazine covers listed by year displayed. Maybe some smaller-scale models of some of the best prop winners roped off like in an art museum.
Perseus - Wow! Very nice idea. This show has so many talents and history. We need more ZHS here and Xaeon too. Do you have a place for this?
Sweetpea - Not yet, I've messaged WOPs about it, and they like the idea. So, due to Xaeon being in the works, it has kind of gone by the wayside.
Perseus – I can imagine.
Sweetpea - I briefly spoke with Kendrick as ZHS yesterday and said that ZHS is interested in being part of Xaeon, so hopefully, we will be able to have something there.
Perseus - I believe you will have a place there.
Sweetpea - So if we can continue to keep it going in Classic, add the museum, and have a space in Xaeon, I think ZHS will continue for as long as someone is willing to put in the work.
Perseus – About VCON… How was your participation in VCON this year? You had two booths, right, and you also spoke on one of the panels. Did VCON meet your expectations?
Sweetpea - VCon is one of my favorite times in RLC. I did scale back this year; in the past, I've had a booth for The Learning Center in addition to Outer Limits and ZHS.
Perseus - I remember that.
Sweetpea - The presentation panel was a bit scary at first, but I think it went well, and Bif being there to assist with the questions was a great help.
Perseus - You and Bif are so funny together.
Sweetpea – LOL
Perseus - I laughed a lot. Bif is very lively and fun.
Sweetpea - Yeah, I guess I will build him a small cafe in the ZHS management office with a Cheetos vending machine.
Perseus - From the 2022 edition to now, I evaluate that there has been a significant decrease in the community's interest in participating. Do you think this is the case, or is it just my impression?
Sweetpea - No, there is definitely a decrease, but I think that has more to do with the decline in population.
Perseus - In your opinion, what do you think has led to this?
Sweetpea - We no longer have the big names in decoration here in the world anymore. Mainly money; it costs a lot to decorate. You have rents on properties, your editing software, your storage, and texture websites, as not all of that is free. If you look at how much people are willing to pay for a layout, you are losing money.
Perseus - I agree. It's so expensive. Time is a real deal. Time invested in a layout is money.
Sweetpea - I do hope that Xaeon will help. I love Classic, but we need to modernize, and the Classic platform just isn't a viable platform to do the work needed.
Perseus – I agree.
Sweetpea - I was always amazed at how fast people would put out a layout until I went to look at it. Yes, they are nice, but are they amazing? I guess that would be in the eye of the beholder.
Perseus - There are many resources in the software, but when we combine them, it crashes the game.
Sweetpea - One of the things I always look for when judging ZHS is how people map the props. If the legs of a chair have the same texture as the patterned fabric, I know they didn't spend the time mapping, and that, to me, is laziness.
Perseus - A good layout is built upon a solid idea and concept. I've always believed that, and it takes time to bring it to fruition.
Sweetpea - I agree 100% with that statement. OMG, when I designed the kitchen in my yacht layout, the kitchen alone took me over a month to build.
Perseus - Sweetpea, I would like to thank you for your participation. Do you have any final message to close our conversation?
Sweetpea - I would say that RLC/UV is what you make of it. If you are not willing to put in the effort, regardless of what it is—decorating, clothing, or relationships—you will not get out of it what you hope. You are responsible for your happiness, and only you can define what you want to make of your adventure here.
Perseus - I think it's a great philosophy and way of thinking. I would like to thank you very much for your presence and the time you dedicated to the realization of this talk show. I'm very happy with your presence.
Sweetpea - Thank you for letting me be a part of your pilot, and there are so many people here that you have a plethra of people to interview. Yes, I know I probably spelled plethora wrong ... lol.
Perseus – LOL. We conclude our interview here. And may you continue to carry out great projects and achieve much success in the virtual world.
Sweetpea – Thank you.
Perseus – Thank you very much, Sweetpea.
MORE ABOUT THE INTERVIEW | LINKS
ZHS OFFICE - vww://utherverse.vww/@191462/@1786994#ZHS-Office
The Learning Center - vww://utherverse.vww/@33462/@1590226#entrance
The Outer Limits Showroom Hub - vww://utherverse.vww/@34703/@1507736#Hub
Exploring the Depths of Edgar Allan Poe and The Outer Limits
The Outer Limits is an American television series that was broadcast on ABC from September 16, 1963, to January 16, 1965, at 7:30 PM Eastern Time on Mondays. The series is often compared to The Twilight Zone, but with a greater emphasis on science fiction stories (rather than stories of fantasy or supernatural matters). The Outer Limits is an anthology of self-contained episodes, sometimes featuring a plot twist at the end.
The series was revived in 1995, airing on Showtime from 1995 to 2000, and then on the Sci-Fi Channel from 2001 until its cancellation in 2002. In 1997, the episode "The Zanti Misfits" was ranked 98 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.
The Fall of the House of Usher is an American gothic horror drama limited series created by Mike Flanagan. All eight episodes were released on Netflix on October 12, 2023, each directed by either Flanagan or Michael Fimognari, with the latter also serving as the cinematographer for the entire series.
Loosely based on various works by 19th-century author Edgar Allan Poe (most notably the eponymous 1840 short story), the series weaves unrelated Poe stories and characters into a single nonlinear narrative, spanning from 1953 to 2023. It depicts the rise of Roderick Usher, the powerful CEO of a corrupt pharmaceutical company, and his sister Madeline Usher, the company’s brilliant COO, as well as the events leading to the deaths of all six of Roderick’s children. The ensemble cast is led by Carla Gugino as Verna, who haunts the Ushers, and Bruce Greenwood and Mary McDonnell as an older Roderick and Madeline
I loved this. It's not only a great interview but I also love how you followed-up with some of the subjects like the Outer Limits TV show. Great job!
Great Interview! I hope that you do many more! ~Pytch
What an incredible interview. I really liked the format. I'll definitely watch the next edition live. Jerome 😀