Friday 18 January 2008

Lega Volley Femminile

Shortly after hitting a Slough of Despond yesterday, fearing that I'd never find a commercial sim I could enjoy, rescue came in the unlikely form of Italian Ladies' Volleyball. The Legavolley Femminile, or Lega Pallavolo Serie A Femminile, to give its full(?) name, have an island that is still under development - but is already showing great promise.

The island comprises a number of buildings, linked by pathways. The buildings, which are quite subtly modelled on a volleyball, serve different functions. At the moment the sim is somewhat short on links or information, which I assume is yet to be integrated into the build, and so the function of some of the buildings remains a mystery. However, one serves as an auditorium, while another contains a volleyball court. What I think sets this sim apart from the average commercial sim is the cleverness of the design and the care taken in its implementation. It is hard to explain - and perhaps only makes sense to me - but there is an intriguing blend of simplicity and complexity: from a distancemany items appear simple enough, but under more scrutiny, reveal details that were not initially apparent. If you like: "the more you look, the more you see." The textures are well chosen too, to optimise the sense of 3D. Here's a few pictures to give you a flavour of the place:

There's a short machinima you might enjoy here, though it focuses on the team colours, and shows nothing of the build.

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