Day 93: When in ROMA

Ave, citizen. Welcome to ROMA. ROMA is a Second Life sim based on ancient Rome, back in the days of the Caesars.

Although ROMA supports role-playing, it is not required to enter the sim. ROMA has a very open policy. You are more than welcome to tour the sim in your furry AV wearing a bikini. You are only assumed to participate in role-playing if you wear a toga or clothing from the period (like me :D). Note that the sim confines adult activities to Caligula's Palace, so keep it nice outside :)

As you arrive in the Customs House, there are a number of notecards on rules, tips, and role-playing. There is also a free toga if you want to jump right into the action :)

Oh, and be sure to turn on your speakers. There are some nice sound effects as you walk about the sim. Dont worry, nothing scary. Just nice background sounds.



ROMA is a single sim, but has so many things packed into it, Im amazed they didnt run out of prims!

There is also a notecard titled "What to see and do in ROMA". Be sure you take one! Believe me, theres a LOT of stuff here!

On most major buildings or structure, you will see a red button with an "i" in the middle. Touch them to get a notecard with some background information. This is a great way to learn about ancient Rome!



ROMA is a no-fly sim. But you can travel in style using these magic Litters :) Just click on the water fountains to summon one.



First stop, the Circus Maximus Hippodrome. Ever watched Ben-Hur and the chariot races? Well you can race your own chariots here with your friends!



Aaahhhhh...even the instructions warn you: the chariots have a mind of their own! Heehee. Dont ever let a mermaid drive your chariot :P



Behind this arch is the Roman Forum, where the Capitoline Museum, Library of Alexandria, Basilica of Maxentius (where weddings can be hosted), and the Curia are located. Say, didnt Julius Caesar get stabbed around here somewhere? :P



Here I am in the Library of Alexandria, catching up on the latest scrolls :)



Fellow Senators, I must bring to your attention a *GRAVE* issue! To support the growth of the Empire, we have an urgent need to raise the hem lines! :P



This is the inside of the Mithraeum of Felicissimus, sorta like the men's secret society of ancient Rome. I totally snuck in here to get the pix. If they catch me, Im *SOOO* thrown to the lions! :P



This is the Flavian Gladiator Arena, where the boys play with their swords and spears :P Say, did anyone see Russell Crowe come by?



And dont miss a view of the sim during "natural" nightfall, when the moon comes out. Simply spectacular! Be sure that your Forced Sun setting is set to "Revert to Region Default".



After a long day of exploring, you can take a plunge in the Baths of Caracalla. Just a tip: When you go into a pool, lower the water level first (by touching the column in the middle of a pool). This would enable you to sit. Otherwise, you would have a hard time sitting in the water.

Told you theres a lot of stuff here! And this isnt even half of it! You really need to come down and see for yourself.

To come to ROMA, click on Search, select the Places tab, and enter "spqr" for keyword. There are too many "romance" places, so dont use "roma". Here is the SLURL: ROMA (215,25,22).



Well, when in ROMA, do what the ROMA AV's do. So I decided to wear a Roman outfit today. At first, I went searching around the Internet for a toga. I found a good website with info on women's fashion in ancient Rome. First, men wear togas, not women. Unmarried girls did not wear color panels (stola). Women generally wore tunics similar to the Greeks, either the peplos or the chiton.



So I went with a peplos, specifically one based on this statue, where there is a set of upper and lower panels (you can just see the wheels turning in my head about flexi prims :P).

I had to change the design a few times to get it to look decent. It uses some of the techniques from the Angel outfit, particularly for the top. The very top of the outfit uses prims, similar to the Angel outfit. But just below the chest, there is a short flexi-prim skirt somewhat similar to the Sash Dress that extends to the waist.

Below the waist is another flexi-prim skirt, although this one has considerably less poof than the Angel outfit.



I also made a pair of leather sandals to go along with the outfit (high-heel boots would probably not go with a peplos :P). Ill show you tomorrow how to make these leather sandals! :)



I see a man in your future. He's...he's blue...and round...and he likes to be sat upon...