3D Virtual World

What is online 3-D world?

It is a world of virtual being moving around in front of a screen and is accessible via the Internet. You cannot touch it. You can only imagine that you are in it.

It is usually built into the client by a simple primitive based 3-D modeling. 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical, wireframe representation of any three-dimensional object (either inanimate or living) via specialized software. This can be used in combination with a scripting language called Linden Scripting Language which can be used to add functionality to objects. More complex three dimensional Sculpted prims, (colloquially known as sculpties,) textures for clothing or other objects, and animations and gestures can be created using external software.

There are many online 3-D worlds such as Second Life, Moove Online, Audition Online, Kaneva, etc.

Let’s take Second Life as a specific example because it launched for a long time and was honored at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards.

Second Life is a virtual world developed by Linden Lab that launched on June 23, 2003. A free client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars. The Second Life Terms of Service ensure that users retain copyright for any content they create, and the server and client provide simple Digital rights management functions.

Second Life has an internal currency, the Linden dollar (L$). L$ can be used to buy, sell, rent or trade land or goods and services with other users. Virtual goods include buildings, vehicles, and devices of all kinds, animations, clothing, skin, hair, jewelry, flora and fauna, and works of art. Services include "camping", wage labor, business management, entertainment and custom content creation. L$ can be purchased with fiat currency from Linden Lab, independent brokers or other users.

Technology involved:

- Real-time 3D Streaming
Able to share videos and play it in-world!

- Endlessly Expandable Landscape
Exist on Scalable server grid running Linux that can support thousands of immediate Second
Life Resident

- Contiguous, Persistent World
An ongoing world without duplicate servers where it is always evolving

- Infinite Avatar Customization
High-resolution character where there are endless possibilities to design the appearance

- Cost-effective Thin Client
Only a 20Mb download is sufficient to the enter world of Second Life

- Cross-platform Portability
Industry-standard cross-platform technologies like OpenGL, UDP networking, Linux servers and Ogg-Vorbis compression for audio

- Built-in Custom Scripting Tools
Simple yet dominant in world scripting language that can input special effects by just modifying the existing scripts.

- Up-loadable Textures and Audio
Able to upload personal preferred textures and sounds

- Rigid Body Physics Simulation
All objects in the virtual world are collideable and can be dynamic and moving

Stakeholders involved:

Residents can explore, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade virtual property and services with one another, or travel throughout the world, which residents refer to as the grid. A single Resident account may have only one avatar at a time, although the appearance of this avatar can change between as many different forms as the Resident wishes. A single person may also have multiple accounts, and thus appear to be multiple Residents.

Left 4 Dead – new game

America cities overrunning with murderous zombie intent on devouring the living in just two short weeks… Only four survivors managed to survive and they are ready to fight their way through….

In the virtual world, players used their wits, teamwork and exceptional weapons and armor to move on to another chapter. It is a movie-like set up which is divided into five chapters. The players have to deal with specialize zombies :

Boomers - spew at victim to blind them and attract other zombies
Hunters – knocking down players
Smokers – lurk on roofs and in dark alleys to attack and strangle players with super-long tongues
Witches – [solitary zombies] sobs uncontrollably and lash out at anyone who disturb them
Tanks, Brutish berzerkers – flips cars, throw chunks of concrete and pummel enemies into bloody bits

Left 4 Dead supports 2 players locally or up to 4 online. In addition, there is also a versus mode that can hold up to 8 players. 4 of the players will be the survivors that tries to score points and the other 4 will play the role of zombie that tries to stop the survivors and once they succeed, the game flips. The side that scores the most points wins.

Technology

The AI Director is used to generate a unique game play experience every time a player plays. The Director tailors the frequency and ferocity of the zombie attacks to his performance, putting you in the middle of a fast-paced, but not overwhelming, Hollywood horror movie.

AuditionSEA

An online dance game with awesome graphic and multiple game features. Players can compete with each other in different modes to be the best dancer in stage. Players use the arrow keys and space bar to dance according to the melody. Players can design their character at the start of the game by giving their character clothes and hairstyle that they like.