I don’t know how I feel about discovering that I’m as bad at bowling in Second Life as I am at bowling in real life. I do know how I feel about Splitsville, the bowling alley I found in Second Life: I love it! The design is classic, complete with checkerboard floors, dizzying carpet in the billiards area, and naugahyde banquettes behind each lane.
The site offers three areas for bowling: indoor lanes, rooftop lanes, and the outdoor bowling pavilion south of the building. All the lanes provide a free bowling glove and HUD (Heads Up Display, which is an attachment scripted to help you do things like animate your avatar), and you grab the ball of your choice from the rack near each lane. The HUD provides adjustments for speed and aim along with a “Throw Ball” button. After starting the game, you position your avatar, take aim using the HUD, and click the “Throw Ball” button.
If you’ve positioned yourself well, you might throw a strike. The script runs your avatar through the usual movements of bowling, including the occasional face plant as you slip on the polished floor. The animation seems to return you to your original position; but even if you just threw a strike, there’s no guarantee that you won’t throw a gutter ball if you presume to stay in that spot for the next throw.
The game allows for one or two players per lane, so you can go by yourself and practice or take a date. There’s no need for special shoes—I bowled in my stilettos (hm…maybe that explains all those gutter balls). The only thing I wish the HUD or the lane would provide is a bit more information about how bowling is scored, and an indicator to tell the players whose turn it is. It’s been a long time since I bowled in RL, and the sport has some quirks in those areas that should be explained to the new and the rusty.
In addition to bowling, there are scripted billiards tables, dancing, and a swimming pool shaped like a bowling pin. You can sign up for bowling buddies if you want to bowl with another aficionado, or join the Splitsville Bowling League. The Splitsville Arena offers concerts, and the Pro Shop is a good place to buy bowling shirts and teddy bears.
So if you find yourself wandering the grid in search of an activity, and you’ve had your fill of the usual dance clubs, head over to Splitsville and try your hand at virtual bowling. And be happy that you don’t have to rent special bowling shoes that have housed thousands of other smelly feet.
