SL War Stories: IJN attack on Station Munro

 SL War Stories: 
 The Imperial Japanese Navy attack on Station Munro

Many groups were involved in this event and forgive me if I forgot yours. Please let me know if your group participated:

SL Coast Guard
Imperial Japanese Navy (SL)
US RANGERS (SL Bastogne)
401 Sqn RCAF (SL)
Blue Angels (SL)

This event was staged on December 10th, 2017 in remembrance of the December 7th, 1941 Pearl Harbor Attack. 

It was my great pleasure and honor to cover this event and present it in an exciting way to people in and out of Second Life.

If you'd like to learn more about Pearl Harbor and WW2, there are awesome resources available on the Internet.

If you're curious about combat roleplay in Second Life, there are lots of groups and eras to choose. From History, fantasy, and science fiction - Second Life has it all.

366 Squadron RAF - SL version of Operation Crossbow Movie Trailer

366 Squadron RAF - Operation Crossbow Movie Trailer. 

This is part of the Bastogne Video Project by Zoe Connolly.

For The Record - Part 2

See the V2 rocket above? Things like this are 366's Target. Not your airplane, ship, etc., unless you try to stop us from our mission.

Grizzly Mom Activated!

As I previously wrote here, I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has about the nature and missions of our roleplay groups. I have loads of notecards on the subject, and a little investigation on this very blog will also be helpful for anyone willing to do the research.

Like most people, I participate in a number of groups. My current active groups are 366 Squadron RAF and TimeForce 10. I call these active because I created TimeForce 10 and I'm a co-owner and event/mission planner for 366 Squadron RAF. I'm like a TV Show writer coming up with interesting plot outlines for us to act out and improv during a mission.

In the interest of full disclosure: I value friendship in SL and it's one of the critical elements that keep me coming back to this wonderful virtual world. Apparently several of my friends are on another SL Blogger's hit-list.

This is an honest disclosure about the things I love about SL...

• Creativity
• Friendships
• Roleplay Adventures
• Virtual Sex

Here's another shocking disclosure! I'm a member of the New Bastogne Admin Group (I know you're gasping and clutching your pearls right now!) Here's the reason why: Cornelius and I decided we needed our own Axis VICE Target setup in Bastogne, so I asked Vickster Kuhn for rez rights, which she happily granted because she supports our brand of RP and also finds it fun. My German alt also has the same rez rights. You'll find my items in two sims at Bastogne. Oh and 366 still has a plan to plant a box of exploding chocolates on Vicks' desk! This is our favorite thing. Planting fake explosives on Vice Targets in our little pretend Commando Raids with over-the-top acting.

I find it disappointing that a fellow SL blogger would not ask me questions about my groups and instead, go off in a direction of conspiratorial fantasy.

366 Squadron RAF is not considered a part of the regular pure combat military groups you see active in sims. It's considered a roleplay group, meaning we act out scenes more than we do combat. Since Cornelius Fanshaw started the 366 in the Fall of 2015 (366 is basically a WW2 version of my TimeForce 10 group) we have seen steady growth in membership. Some of those new members happen to be people that a few others in the aviation community intensely dislike. I don't understand this kind of behavior on the part of an SL Blogger and personally try to avoid crap like this, but I feel compelled to defend my friends and my groups.

366 roleplays cool infantry style commando raid scenes. I basically lift ideas from TV and Movie plots. Our inspiration comes from The Guns of Navarone, Force 10 from Navarone, Where Eagles Dare, Operation Crossbow, plus an assortment of James Bond films, and more than a few spy genre TV shows. That's it. That's what we do. Any regular reader of this blog knows exactly what we do and about our plans. We have a great time and I have a blast writing mission plans. People join us because it's fun and a very different mission based roleplay that's separate from the usual pure kill-count combat most people do. People wear the 366 tag in the Gulf (which is not our usual place to RP) because they love the group and are proud to wear it.

I know this is difficult to follow. Many people have trouble understanding the improvisational roleplay and acting we do. Maybe people who engage in regular combat shouldn't wear our tag when they do VICE Combat in the Gulf. I think that's a great idea as it will avoid such confusion in the future. We don't RP in the Gulf, we RP in New Bastogne. But please, before you taint the reputation of a roleplay group full of people interested in acting out infantry style commando raids against Axis Super Weapons and my own German alt, ask questions about it from direct sources first. Asking questions would have been your best first step.

Oh, and if you're too lazy to ask me, there's always this cool search thingy called Google. Just type "366 Squadron RAF" and most of the results will be links to my blog.

~ Zoe Connolly 

 

366 Squadron RAF - Mission 9 this Saturday

Here's a peek into the concept...

As the 366 team sweeps through the German Bunker on a search and destroy mission, they make the amazing and frightening discovery of their new secret weapon.

Die Glocke.

The Nazi Time Machine!
 

366 Squadron RAF - Video Test of Quick Edits and Music

Part of the ongoing Bastogne Video Project


 

This is another little test video. In this one I try out 3 ideas.

1. a nice little Ident Musical thingy with my "a Zoe Connolly production" motion graphic.
2. some quick 1 second edits at the start of the video. 
3. some epic sounding music. 

Advantages of quick 1 to 5 second edits

1. It's easier to hide lower SL Video Capture frame rates.
2. It better emulates modern movie and television editing practices.
3. You can tell the same story in less time.
4. Shorter videos retain more viewers.

TimeForce 10 and 366 Sqn RAF title sequence test for SL machinima

This is a Test of a few title sequence ideas for an upcoming Second Life machinima (SL Video). 

  TimeForce 10, 366 Squadron RAF, Second Life

Zoe vs Zabrina: Zoe Wins!

Prep for 366 Squadron RAF Mission 5

Second Life roleplaying is great fun and I love planning RP events. Part of that is a search for props... sometimes exploding props. While chatting, I told my good friend Buzzbox Munro about my roleplay plans. Buzz is a great guy and a wonderful creator of WW2 Era items in Second Life. 

I told him specifics about our next 366 Squadron RAF mission based in part on the Norwegian Heavy Water Sabotage by the Norwegian Resistance and the British SOE. He was kind enough to recreate VICE Target explode-able Heavy Water Processing Tanks. 

These tanks will "star" prominently in our next few missions, the beginning of a new story arc. 

Pic of the Day

Zoe listens carefully as an ally outlines an interesting new plan.

(photo taken at Leona's Cafe in New Fallout)

 

Photos of 366 Squadron RAF Headquarters

 

EXTRAS: Random photos from the AXIS side

We're working on a Second Life machinima project that would combine the feel of two movies: Battle of the Bulge and Operation Crossbow. 

For the next 4 to 6 weeks I'll be shooting stock footage I can use in any WW2 video project.

WW2 New Bastogne Test Movie 1

It's been a while since I created videos in Second Life. 

This is a test machinima produced in the WW2 Combat roleplay regions of New Bastogne, recreating German Occupied France. 

Music by Ron Goodwin from the soundtrack of Force 10 from Navarone. Track 1 Prologue and Track 2 Main Title. Onscreen: Zoe Connolly. OffScreen as Tank Commander: Varus Ordram.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

  

 (Samantha of the French Resistance, WW2 1944 New Bastogne Regions in Second Life)

 

From the French Resistance in Caen, France.

Zabrina's Radio Detection Truck

Is she looking for Allied Spies and Saboteurs? Not today. Today she's listening to Christmas music from classical to modern. Songs that range from touching and sentimental to parody and just plain nostalgic fun. 

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy the Holiday Truce and time with family and friends!

Resistance Photos of AXIS Activity

The recent photographs and snippets of conversation between German Officers just bring up more questions for Allied Intelligence. 

1. What is the full conversation between the Luftwaffe Officer and the two Abwehr Officers?
2. What is the intended use of this empty bunker? 
3. When can we schedule another recon mission?

 

EXTRAS: Photos from a few random shoots

Test of a Roleplay Bomb 

 

Test of the Fire Extinguisher

Zabrina at the sight of a grounded U-Boat

 

 Zabrina reacts

Zoe on the border south of Caen, in Nazi Occupied France. 

Zoe and Phin meet near Leona's Cafe.