Communication and encryption. Communication between pets and pets, pets and eggs, pets and foodbowls, update cubes etc is one of the most important parts of a breedable pet. It also must happen in public chat, which means, anyone can intercept and forge chat to mimic your pets. Chat between pets usually happens with lists of commands, for example a food consuming session might look like this: Pet (broadcast): I’m looking for a food bowl.

I’ve been thinking for a while about open sourcing my new pet scripts, however have been discouraged from doing so, both by others and by myself. I thought a better way of sharing and helping others to create a breedable might be to teach how to make one themselves. I’ve had a couple of people show interest in such an idea, and am now in the thought process of how to do it.

In the last week I’ve released two new breedables, Unicorns and Serpents. Unicorns are animesh and 18 LI each, eat radishes which can be grown on a farm or bought from the store. Serpents whilst not animesh are still animated (their wings flap) and are only 1 LI each. Serpents eat tasty fish which can be fished up with the fishing system or bought from the store. I also took the time the last couple of weeks to move all the pets over to a redelivery style system (like the flutterbugs).

I posted this in discord yesterday, but felt it was important enough to post here. Today we lost a bunny. She was a good bunny, but fell victim to second life weirdness. She did not come out of her cradle properly, and was a blank bunny with a script error. I’ve not worked out what the issue is exactly, it seems to happen only occasionally (this is the first time).

XS-Pets store since i returned in late 2022 has always been in the Samoa region in Second Life. Although I owned various parcels over the last couple of years, they were all in the same region. Well, it’s time to move on. I decided I wanted one big 2048m2 parcel instead of a 1024m2 parcel with the store on it and two 512m2 parcels for extra prims. I also wanted something that looked a little bit more professional.

Since open sourcing my quails in 2010, a few people have had a go at extending the scripts, or even just being inspired into making their own breedables. Some have even reached out and have become good friends. One such friend is currently working on a brand new breedable - one which has already taken Second Life by storm, even though it’s not yet finished. People are excited, and some - perhaps understandably - a little impatient (it’s hard when you’re excited!

Starting on the 10th of march, through to the 17th of march there will be a fishing event where you can catch 7 different special breedables at 3 locations! Xundra’s Stuff Special Xundra’s Garden Pot & Plant Special Shroomie Special Flutterbug The StoryWeaver’s Realm Special Frog Special Spider The XS Exchange @ Westone Special Bunny Special Turtle All the specials have a St Patrick’s day type theme and come in Shamrock Chests, which will be catchable via fishing as bonus catches.

Flutterbugs has launched! Flutterbugs are little forest sprites, there are no males and females, each flutterbug can fill both roles. They eat tasty turnips, which can either be bought or farmed. They also find interesting things which can be clicked on and toolbox points are rewarded. We had a special 30 minute fishing competition to celebrate the launch.. Lots of balloons (which I got for the shroomie launch) were set out to decorate the store!

It will be a year on the 24th of feburary since shroomies launched. It doesn’t feel like a year. Since then, I’ve made ducks and squirrels (now “retired”), turtles, bunnies, spiders frogs and now working on flutterbugs. I now have over 450 flowers available in my garden game. I’ve got more than 150 items catchable via my fishing game and dragonflies have a new mesh. I think that’s a pretty good effort.

Shroomies 4.0 has been released - this is a major update introducing a skin colour trait! There are (currently) 8 skin colours (Original, Tan, Dark, Bubblegum, Strawberry, Mint, Midnight and Pale). All shroomies updated from 3.5 (or earlier) will have “Original” skin. New 4.0 starter kits will give random skin colours. Specials may give a random skin colour, or it may be predetermined depending on the special. Shroomie’s offspring’s skin colours will always be the same as one of their parents.