Dark Life, one of the premiere spots to visit in Second Life, contains a Dungeons and Dragons type of adventure. There are monsters and you kill them. It is quite elementary, actually. It is the brainchild of Pirate Cotton (and a slew of helpers). Any Second Life blog eventually gets around to reviewing Dark Life, and I suppose that what you’re seeing here is the fact that SecondSeeker.com is no exception to this axiom. I caught up with Mr. Cotton sitting on a stool just off the Navora town square.

Seeker Gray: Can you tell me some about building all this?

Pirate Cotton: Well, I build most of the objects with a chap called Tedd Tigereye a while ago. The code was made by Mark Busch, a programmer from Denmark, IIRC. This was the second itteration of DL. the first was on a medieval-themed sim where we had a 1/4 sim and a castle for the action.

Seeker Gray: And what is the theme here?

Pirate Cotton: It’s a fantasy MMORPG.

Seeker Gray: Do you enjoy the play, the building … or both?

Pirate Cotton: Well, I enjoy the building and organising. Most people here are here for the game we’ve made. My building skills are fairly light, so these days we get other people to do work, like Crash Prefect and Logan Bauer - you can see their new art in Istaria Prime, where we have the next style of DL art placed.

Seeker Gray: It all sounds very cooperative! Splendid! Can you run through the basic play a new visitor might see?

Pirate Cotton: Well, you buy a pack inside the newby building behind us.

Seeker Gray: That’s where I started, I believe. Then what’s next?

Pirate Cotton: Next you grab a sword and a shield. Then you head out to the rats to attack. It’s traditional.

Seeker Gray: Good practice, one assumes.

Pirate Cotton: You walk up to the rat, click on it and start fighting. Once you’ve started the attack, the animations fire off, your health goes down as the rat hits you, the rat’s goes down as you hit it. You can heal up at the shrine or by “meditating.” After a few rats are dead, you’ll go up a level, and you can adjust your stats. Eventually, move on to new monsters, etc. You collect gold off the monsters and buy more gear with it, potions, spells.

Seeker Gray: Golly good fun it seems. It sounds like it is based on Gygax’s Advanced Dungeons and Dragons then?

Pirate Cotton: I guess, as are most MMORGS, Diablo, MUDs etc

Seeker Gray: True, all owe to him eventually, and him to Tolkien, and Tolkien to…

Pirate Cotton: Yup. Anyway, players can also group up to share the rewards, fight a couple of boss monsters that drop special loot. That’s about the core of it.

Seeker Gray: Would you have a moment to show me special area, or direct me to one for screenshots?

Pirate Cotton: Sure thing, lets find some players in town for starters.

We headed into the town center and we met up with Weta Digital and Ally Brewster. Ally Brewster? That sounded really familiar. Ahhhh yes, she was most helpful over at Numbakulla, The Pot Healer.

We followed them to attack some “Souls.”

I’m glad I had Mr. Digital and Madam Brewster to protect me! My cane would have been no match for that thing. However, I need not have worried. Since I had not yet purchased my backpack I was quite safe from the grisly monster.

Cotton then went to show me a boss monster but alas, the boss was not at home, though I did have a pleasant walk to get there.

Cotton also wanted to show up the new build, Dark Life 2. So we teleported there post-haste.

Pirate Cotton: This is the new build and test bed. We’ll wipe here after we’ve rebuilt Navora.

Seeker Gray: Do you want me to tell folks to visit here?

Pirate Cotton: Folks are welcome to visit to see how it will look. I think it’s pretty.

Seeker Gray: It is wonderful!

Pirate Cotton: The pub is a bit rough right now, the other buildings are fine. Note there is an NPC to talk to inside, go chat…

Will Dracos: Yes, my life use to be peaceful, but lately it’s been tough to say the least. My homeland is overrun with a dark magic, and I’m stuck here changing your diapers. Now please, what are you here for?

(Blue SL dialogs appeared. They had the blacksmith’s words and I would click any of several responses.)

Seeker Gray: I just talked with the blacksmith! He had quite the attitude.

Pirate Cotton: haha. Lets look at the adventure areas, same sort of monsters, new look area.

Seeker Gray: I fancy the trees. Great trunks.

Pirate Cotton: Yes they are great

Pirate Cotton: Mention that DarkLife 2 will be up in a couple of months with new, faster code, new art, new features. Do mention the SL games wiki too - very useful.

So I went back to Navora to buy my backback and sword and I met up with more friendly adventurers, jenny142 Crosby and Benelli Federal. They offered to try and kill the boss monster for me.

During the battle Federal would heal Crosby. It was really quite marvellous seeing the cooperative play in action. Sadly both of them died in the attempt. They went back to Navora for a quick resurrection. (There is an experience point penalty in death.)

jenny142 Crosby: BTW I’m a leader of a group so maybe you can put a word in for my group. The Imperial Knights. A very brave groupe of nights, Commando a Warrior, Uruso a Beserker, a Dark Mage, Benelli a Healer, and me The Fearless Leader.

Dark Life has been around in Second Life for at least 3 years and I suspect it will be around for many more. It is quite a lot of jolly fun. I went back, teleporting to Dark Life, bought a backpack, shield and sword and went rat hunting!