A Second Year at the Crown and Pearl
It’s been a somewhat turbulent year at the Crown and Pearl, which is due in part to myself and the lack of time I’ve been able to dedicate to Second Life. And of course, because Bailey Longcloth became addicted to Midian City roleplay.
Balancing the books while keep the place going took a lot of effort, and it became quickly apparent that neither myself or Bailey had the time to devote to keep the Crown buzzing, and as a result, things dwindled down towards the middle of the year.
We also faced a bit of a dilemma after Linden Lab’s fiasco over limiting the number of avatars that an OpenSpace sim can hold, as well as having to pay more tier overheads and increased running costs in a climate where people aren’t as willing to donate to the venue.
As a result, it became evident that we had to make some changes. The first major change was a complete overhaul of the Crown’s texturing and refurnishing the bar. My own building skills had improved and the Crown was long overdue a renovation to keep it aesthetically beautiful compared to other sims. The next major change was the opening of Club C2P on the next sim, Angel Square. We realised that some events will easily attract more than 20 people, and we would need a larger venue to cope with that.
So why not just move the Crown over and save money? It crossed our minds, but in the end, the build and whole concept of the Crown has always been to keep it separate from all retail and residential areas. It has always been a place where anyone can escape the sordid sex sims and harassing avatars, the gesturespam and green text and the constant bugging to buy/donate every 10 minutes. It’s a venue which is funded out of love, and spirit of community, and without that concept, the Crown simply loses its special spirit.
It’s been a year when we saw heavy promotion for a paid membership SL club, which in the end had to close it doors. Although the model wasn’t a bad one in theory, it’s not a path I choose to carry The Crown and Pearl in, as it’s a place for anyone to come and relax, regardless of membership.
Most importantly, it’s the people who have made the Crown what it is. After a long search, we’re proud to have bought Magenta DeVinna onto the team to run the Crown and Pearl and Club C2P, and organise events. The Crown has always had a solid family of people who have made up the essence of the place and I hope it’s this strong bond between friends that will rebuild the amazing atmosphere the Crown has been famous for in Second Life.
The resources and people are back into bringing the Crown and Pearl back to being SL’s finest entertainment venue, and we’ll do it while keeping true the values we hold dear.
Here’s to another year in Second Life – may our love and friendship continue and create many more amazing memories in our beloved hangout.
Prad Prathivi
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The fantastic Bailey Longcloth is planning an auction, to help keep The Crown and Pearl and C2P up and running. This is what she has to say!
