Last night before I head to my RL bed I saw an add that managed to catch my attention mainly because I am a sucker for bunnies and the idea of bunnies that breed and are more than just decor really got me. I am talking about Ozimals 'Bunnehs', and I gotta tell you if cute is what they aimed for... bullseye because I instantly fell for them even though they're not even in beta testing yet, but the whole concept presented is very promising, you read it bellow:
Ozimals: Bunny FAQ
1. Ozimals? What in the world are Ozimals?
Ozimals is the name for our line of breedable AI animals in Second Life. Why Ozimals? Well, because they come from the Land of Oz of course! Ozimals is being produced by the same creative minds that brought Oz to Second Life in a big and inventive way. We hope to bring that same sense of wonder and enjoyment to this new project.
2. Who are you people anyway?
The Ozimals team is made up of several talented long term Second Life residents. Heading up the team are the partners behind the successful Magic of Oz sim, Candy Cerveau and Malkavyn Eldritch. Our primary scripter is Morgania Noarlunga, with assistance by Vaalith Jinn. Our bunnies were created by Aki Shichiroji of Organica. The avatar in charge of customer service will be Elphaba Stormcrow.
3. So these are like the Sion chickens and the turtles, right?
Well, Ozimals also breed – but really the similarities stop there. Our bunnies are adorably realistic, professionally sculpted, and full of variety. The six breeds that the bunnies are launching with are actual real life breeds and each one has custom textures that reflect the look and coloring of that breed.
The Ozimals bunnies use a true dominant/recessive genetics system modified for SL that will enable you to breed for recessive traits to create the bunnies you want. Each bunny carries a specific percentage of recessive qualities, and you selectively breed those to achieve new colors and even special mutations!
When you breed an Ozimal bunny, you are producing true characteristics like fur, eye color, ear type, and more! Each variation is a separate, hand drawn texture. Those traits will show up as new features on your bunny – unlike other breedable animals where RGB colors (plus sometimes glow and shiny) are the only ways to tell your animals apart.
4. Can the bunnies be killed?
We recognize that these animals are both an emotional and financial investment on your part. We don’t believe in allowing your investment to be destroyed through accidents or malicious intent. Our bunnies cannot be killed by accidental return to inventory (be it picking up, going off world, or being returned) or by griefing. The only ways for a bunny to die are either owner neglect or old age. There are consequences to leaving your bunny in inventory too long or neglecting them though, so it is best to take care of your little friends. ;)
5. How do baby bunnies arrive?
Just like in real life, Ozimals bunnies are born in a nest made of hay and the mother’s fur. They remain in the nest for a certain period of time until they are ready to emerge and begin exploring!
6. How many prims are they? Are they laggy?
The Ozimals bunnies will be less than 18 prims (final number to be determined after beta testing) which is a low number given their complexity and realism. As far as lag is concerned, there is no scripted object in Second Life that does not produce lag in some amount. We are taking steps to insure we have a fully featured, engaging and interesting animal that produces as little lag as possible. You will also have options to help control the amount of resources your bunnies use based on your own individual needs and restrictions.
7. What will the bunnies be able to do?
We have a large list of features for our Ozimals – obviously the intricate breeding system is a large part of the experience. Also, the bunnies will be able to eat and drink, interact with their owners, their environment, and other bunnies in their warren. There are also some special features that we will release shortly after launch that will enrich your time with them even more!
8. Can we keep our bunnies from breeding?
Yes, we will provide several methods to prevent breeding until you are ready to mate just the right pair!
9. What accessories will you have for the bunnies?
We plan to create several types of accessories for our bunnies – from toys to special treats and foods to unique housing. You will have lots of options to spoil your bunnies with!
10. How expensive will they be?
One of our primary goals was to create an animal that could be maintained for a reasonable amount. We’ve structured our feeding and care systems so that you can take care of the basic needs of your bunnies for a very modest price, and if you want to devote more time and resources to go deeper into the breeding and interaction process you can do that as well. We want to cater to the casual pet owner as well as the dedicated breeder.
11. Will you allow outside items to be made for the bunnies?
Yes absolutely! We welcome new creations and helpful tools from our community. We plan to release an open API shortly after launch to assist you in creating items for personal use or for commercial sale.
12. How do you plan to support the bunny keeper community?
Our highest priority is to support and listen to our customer base. We have a website with forums on the way, as well as in world SL and subscriber groups to distribute information and gather feedback. We always want to hear comments and suggestions from our customers so we can continue to make Ozimals an engaging and enriching experience! To be sure we provide the best possible and most constant service to you, the Ozimals system is not backend database dependent – so you won’t have to plan the time you spend with your animals around outages or downtime.
On a related note, a local rabbit rescue group – Alabama Ears – has graciously agreed to let us record the sounds for our bunnies from their foster buns. In thanks for their kindness, we will have a special product, with all proceeds going to assist their rescue efforts and have other plans in the works to help their worthy cause. For more information on Alabama Ears, you can visit their website at www.alabamaears.org.
13. OMG WHERE CAN I BUY THE BUNNIES??? RELEASE THEM NOW, RIGHT NOW!!!!111!
The Ozimals team is thrilled that so many people are looking forward to the bunnies. We are excited too! We are working VERY hard to release the bunnies as soon as possible. We know that many people are anxiously awaiting the Ozimals but one thing we are not willing to do is release a product with flaws, inferior looks or design – so we are tweaking and refining things now. We are currently in Alpha testing with a firm Beta release date of Sept. 14th, which is only a couple of weeks away at this writing. Our launch date is scheduled for the first week of October – coinciding with the one year anniversary of the Magic of Oz sim.
Ozimals will have their own sim (Ozimals) neighboring Magic of Oz where the main store will be located, along with some vendor shops catering to the needs of the bunnies and other Ozimals.
You can get more info and follow the updates on the coming of the bunnies at their
site.
