Colonia Nova: Civilization on the frontiers of Second Life
by Pixeleen Mistral on 17/11/06 at 4:56 am
Confederation of Democratic Expands
[editor's note: Saladin Salyut was a member of the original team that proposed the Colonia Nova project and will be a landholder in what is hoped to be a new democracy in Second Life. Here Mr. Salyut describes the project and their plans.]
by Saladin Salyut
Colonia Nova has opened to the general public for land sales. The sim,
ostensibly an “extension” of the recently renamed sim of Neufreistadt
(formerly Neualtenburg), is in fact more of a companion to the
original sim, and the newest member of the Confederation of Democratic
Simulators (CDS). Colonia Nova, at a glance, is a radical departure
from Neufreistadt’s theme, a mashup of medieval Bavarian architecture
and modern themes. In truth, however, the new sim is not far from its
predecessor – at least not geographically. Colonia Nova is based
loosely on the Roman city of Colonia Agrippina, which is known in
modern times as the German city of Cologne or Koln. This close
proximity to Neufreistadt’s real-world inspiration makes a connection
between the two far from unrealistic.
That’s not to suggest that Colonia Nova resembles its progenitor.
Nothing could be further from the truth. As a quick jaunt through the
nearly-completed city will suggest, this new sim is quite literally a
blast from the past, reaching even further back than Neufreistadt’s
medieval roots to antiquity, during the Pax Romana, when the Roman
Empire had reached the height of its power. Like the real Cologne,
Colonia Nova sits on the edge of a river, and shares a number of
important buildings in common. Among these are numerous temples and
the mighty Praetorium, which, like in the real-world colony, will be
the administrative center of the city. Sewers run underneath the
city’s government-owned land, and solid brick walls protect the
citizens from whatever threats might emerge from the Germanic frontier
(not that citizens need to worry about that).
Like Neufreistadt, Colonia Nova relies heavily on the purchase and
sale of land. Here, there is a greater emphasis on theme and how it
relates to land sales. Within the city walls, a number of plots are
available, arranged into separate classes, including stalls (strictly
commercial land) and “insulae”, which are a mix of commercial and
residential plots meant to represent the dwellings where the lower
classes would reside. Beyond the city walls lie larger plots, meant
primarily for residential use, including many pre-built homes as well
as a great deal of undeveloped land for aspiring builders. These plots
are considerably larger than their urban counterparts, allowing for
more prims, since prim allotments for all plots are determined by a
fixed ratio of prims to square meters.
There are limitations on what can and cannot be built in Colonia
Nova, along with a number of other restrictions outlined in the CDS’
Terms of Service, which are based off of Neufreistadt’s. Residents are
bound by a covenant, or a set of rules regarding acceptable conduct on
one’s own land in Colonia Nova. The covenant varies in restriction for
different plots, generally allowing residents more freedom the further
removed they are from the city. The most heavy restrictions are
generally placed on lots within the city walls and require that these
plots be consistent with a Classical Roman style of architecture. Even
plots outside of the city, yet still close to the walls, prohibit
modification of existing buildings without approval from the sim’s
government. Some plots have very lax restrictions, or none at all.
Across the River, opposite of the city, are a number of plots with no
covenant restrictions beyond those existing throughout the entire CDS
(or, in some cases, just Colonia Nova), such as limitations on
skyboxes – which are only permitted 512 meters in altitude and above -
script limitations, and a mandated separation of at least five meters
between structures. A Roman theme, however, is not required. The use
of a river as a boundary in this fashion is ironic, to say the least,
given that the Rhine River on which the real-life city of Cologne lies
along was a natural barrier between the Roman-controlled regions of
Germania Superior and Germania Inferior – Cologne being the capital of
the latter – and the untamed lands to the east, which Rome was never
able to retain control of.
Colonia Nova, as a member of the CDS, will follow Neufreistadt’s
trend of autonomous government – landowning citizens are allowed to
participate in the sims’ government by voting, and, in the near
future, to bring disputes before the CDS’ own judicial branch. As
Second Life’s first democratic simulator, Neufreistadt faced a great
deal of internal strife, as well as controversy and criticism from
other regions of Second Life. The Confederation of Democratic Sims
will attempt to bring the fledgling democracy beyond the borders of
Neufreistadt to Colonia Nova and beyond. Should this new, thematically
different simulator prove to be a success, it is possible that more
city-states could emerge, and that the CDS’ influence could spread to
the mainland, annexing landowners there on a strictly voluntary basis.
At the time of this writing, finishing touches are being added to
Colonia Nova’s government facilities, while commercial and residential
structures are for the most part completed. Many plots outside of the
city walls are deliberately vacant. Land reservations have been open
on a limited basis since the week before last, and, according to one
source within the CDS (and supported by the occasionally updated land
information hub on the sim’s official blog), approximately one-fifth
of the land up for sale in Colonia Nova has already been claimed, a
more than satisfactory figure. Those behind the project are hoping
that once the sim goes public, that number will soar even higher.
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