Into the Wilds

Made up of a mixture of wild and mechanical, Into the Wilds is a smooth combination of internal and external spaces, perfect for exploration and spending time with other people. Natural props like a variety of trees and a lovely river system, and human additions, like cars and buildings, meld together in a lovely manner with poses and dance balls scattered for you to find. The color scheme is shades of brown and green with gold and silver highlights, and there's some height in the form of a mountainous region to contrast with the lowlands which predominate. Small buildings dot the landscape, from furnished houses to ruins left fallow in the grass, and include a number of cute, bare buildings on the beach and throughout the woods.

There's life here, too - bears, horses, deer, sheep, and even birds that make their home on a boat waiting at the docks. The creator also made clever use of soundscapes to sell the natural nature, and the added surround for the sim gives the illusion of this being a river-soaked area in a mountainous region rather than the seascape standard to all individual sims. The sheer variety of items means you have significant flexibility in many themes, whether you use the warm sunset windlight set for the sim, or substitute in your own as I did by indulging in my penchant for golds and greens. A note of warning - the sim is set to adult, so adjust your settings accordingly and remember Adult means adult avatars only. I didn't get dropped a notecard of rules when I landed, but there is a group you can join if you want to rez things (small things only, please pick up after yourself) and I'd assume the usual rules of being polite to others and taking responsibility for yourself hold even without explicit rules.

I went with a simple look to compliment a more complicated backdrop - combining Faida & Fallen Gods' color-and-gold gown with simple dual-colored pumps from Glamistry. Faida's simple but elegant silhouettes are complemented by the texturing that Fallen Gods is known for - and they earn my eternal love by lining all of their clothing in dark shades, so it translates well in images. I especially like the fade in and out of the scale-like edging combined with the more delicate curlicues reminiscent of French Baroque style - all intricate whorls in gold. Subtle texture differences - look at the curve of the waist where heavily textured gives way to smooth - break up an otherwise solid block of color. The style itself is a simple sheath, but rigging means that it has a bit more breadth than physical fabric allows for, and poses can take full advantage of that flexibility without undercutting the verisimilitude.

My Glamistry heels are likewise impeccably made with four sections available for recoloring via a HUD where colors can be systematically added for less than the cost of a second set of shoes. The wonderful thing is that this opens up a lot of mix and match options - and there are always two different shades of leather, so you can either keep it simple and consistent or mix and match to add interest. I took advantage of this shoe's separation of the heel and vamp by making them two tone to match the dress; the teal was much harder to match, but even with the slightly bluer tone I think it works well. I left off accessories besides a set of simple earrings and forehead decoration from Sax Shepherd Designs in a similar color scheme; while a lot of accessories can make an outfit stand out, when one is seeking an elegant look, simplicity is the key. A simple silhouette, and singular colors, which combine to striking effect.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Doe, Gretchen
Eyes: .:Soul:., Roomee
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeliner: cheLLe, Cleo Called Teal
Lipstick: .:Soul:., Fades
Ears: .:Soul:., High Elf
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Body: SLink, Body, Hands & Feet
Nails: A:S:S, Mermaid
Outfit: Faida & Fallen Gods, Melodie
Jewelry: Sax Shepherd Designs, Little Mermaid Set
Shoes: Glamistry, Crocus

Poses: Grafica

Location: Into the Wilds
Light Settings: Places, Beach Cay Surreal
Water Settings: Nacon's Lake Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping