One of the most valuable resources available to you in Second Life is the people who surround you. A community, always willing to help and offer a guiding hand. Ryker Beck is one avatar who has first hand experience of this resource. A talented, and respected artist, Ryker is also a jewelry creator who recently released the first of an anticipated new line of Second Life skins. A featured (SL & RL) Avatrait artist who has had feedback on her photography through her Second Life journey. Ryker has recently used the very popular outlets of Flickr and Plurk to her benefit as she created Eden, her first skin.

I managed to grab Ryker for a chat in her busy schedule to discuss her progression in Second Life and how valuable the other residents of Second Life have been to her advance into the skin making world.

How, when and why did Ryker first come to Second Life?

I originally began playing Second Life around November 2006. Ryker was born on February 22, 2007 (after I decided I really hated my initial SL name). I began playing the game when a real life friend mentioned it to me in passing. It got what I can only assume as the usual answer of, "What's that?" That led to Googling, Googling led to account creation and well... you know the drill. :P I had no idea the amount of content creation and artistic possibility that was in store when I first rezzed onto the grid. Now, I'm glad to be able to look back and see the things I've done, how the metaverse has changed, and how much more evolved everything and everyone has become.

Can you tell us a little about your Second Life achievements?

My achievements, hahaha. Hmm. Let's see. Well, I am first and foremost an artist and photographer, having started photography in SL in April 2007. I've been featured in Vain Inc Magazine as artist of the month, took third place in the Stiletto Moody photography contest, had a very successful exhibition at the Avatrait Gallery, was a participating artist at the real life exhibition "Renascimento Virtual" at the National Museum of Anthropology in Florence Italy, and have had pieces published in a real life book, "Avatrait: From Second Life to
Florence", among other mentions and achievements.

I began crafting jewelry in January 2008, and launched my first store on January 1st (formerly known as Beck's Fine Jewelry). Eventually, real life took over a bit, and I stopped releasing new products for several months until October 2008 brought the Jewelry Exhibition. It was then that I really kicked back into high gear, and created 10 all-new pieces of jewelry, and a one-of-a-kind set for the silent auction at the expo. It was at the expo that the brand "Genesis" was truly born.

I followed, with great excitement on Plurk as you shared the concept, and initial drawing of Eden, your first Second Life skin, can you tell us a little about the process that brought us, Eden?

Eden was a two year dream in the making. Ever since first rezzing on the grid, it was my ultimate ambition to make skins. I always thought that when I did, I could finally say, "Veni, vidi, vici," and be truly happy with where I had landed in my content creation ambitions. I can't even explain the excitement when I finally found the inspiration to sit down and start creating my first skin. Long, long days of hard work and burying myself in Photoshop and neglecting pretty much anything and everything. It was a single-minded, bee-lined track to the finish marker. The name Eden came from the theme I am maintaining with Genesis. Eden sort of just... "fit" as the first name for a skin from my brand, however it didn't hit me until about a week before release that that's what she just had to be named.

How valuable was the feedback from Plurk and Flickr to your process with the skin model?

Oh, the feedback from Plurk especially was invaluable. I was able to get a substantial pool of beta testers, honest and on the spot feedback, and a plethora of pictures of people wearing the skin so that I could see it on other shapes and pinpoint trouble spots. I received around 30 notecards of feedback and photos, many with very useful tips and pointers of what could be better and what was fantastic about the skin. It was from that giant pool of feedback that I made enhancements and adjustments to the beta skin, and thus Eden was born. She was in no way a single-minded project, and despite having made her, I can't take complete credit for her final state. There are opinions from about 50 total people resting on that skin. And I wouldn't have had it any other way.

What's the future for Ryker Beck's skins?

I am currently working on a new skin, Candace. She is a much more detailed, very catwalk-y skin that I aim to market more at the glamour model industry than I did with Eden, which was a much softer, girly skin. Candace is currently in the beta testing stages and should be released, hopefully, in early to mid May. I already have a plan for a third skin which will also be in the works soon, along with ideas that have been bounced off of me by my lovely and talented sister, Vernice Burks, to make a child skin. And of course, a male skin is in the future too.

For any would-be skin creators out there, can you share any tips you learned along the way?

Don't rush it. Go with your gut. Get feedback! It is the best tool in your arsenal. Invest in a good resource photo website meant for skin creation and 3d texturing work, unless you intend to fully hand draw your skins (or in my case, do both). And above all, find your niche... the quality that will set you apart from the rest. Never stop learning, always keep growing, and never give up. As Napoleon Bonaparte said, "Victory belongs to the most persevering."

*All images reposted with the kind permission of Ryker Beck*

Considered by some to be an essential for personal security, and by others as a hard-edged fashion statement, very few people can claim weapons evoke no emotion, even if they aren’t a hardened Role Player or fashionista. Simple truth is in this your second existence a large proportion of us own at least one weapon for whatever reason. Role Players must be armed suitably to handle any situation they face and likewise many fashion icons have toyed with the use of weapons, especially guns. “Girls with Guns” have quite an avid following, in both lives, by both sexes.

In this my essential list of some of the superior weapon manufacturers in Second Life, I will cover places to purchase your firearms or if you have a penchant for steel, a fine blade.

First on my tour is Breach. Breach is a popular creator of replica firearms for your virtual life. A small, yet succinct range of guns await you here all meticulously created with the vision to improve combat in Second Life. From the timeless classics of the 1911s and Eagles through the heavier powered Sawedoff Shotguns, Submachine Uziels, M5’s and MP7’s to the precision of the sniper rifle; Breach have it well covered, and their popular following is proof of the fact. Breach’s mission statement claims “…on par with normal first person shooters. We concentrate on "look and feel" and customisation instead of providing a hundred different types of bullets.”


Heading over from Breach, also on Overdrive Island, you arrive at the doors of C-Tech.

With a small selection of guns, only 4 in-fact, C-Tech provides an AK-47, Pulse Rifle, Mach 10 and quite possibly my favourite Second Life handgun the MK4 (Redemption Pistols). What C-Tech lacks in number it more than makes up in attention to detail and as well as this small range of weaponry, you can also purchase full body armour and aircraft that wouldn’t look out of place in the popular Wipeout games.


Leaving the two shops on Overdrive Island behind the next essential choice for a Second Life arsenal would be Black Ops.


Upon arrival at the Black Ops main store it’s plainly obvious you are at a fully-fledged military outfitter and in fact the store takes the form of an outpost in style. Various vendors await your arrival which are helpfully split into easy to use categories where you can select between the pistols, machine guns, assault weapons and snipers. Black Ops has the biggest selection of guns of the three places I visited on this tour. Ranging from standard issue Beretta M9’s to RPG-7 Rocket Launchers. Other vendors are in place offering armour and uniforms including replica armed forces uniforms. One major advantage which Black Ops has over the other stores featured is that it has it’s own firing range. You are welcome to go to the range and test your weapons out, provided you can abide by the few rules they have in place.


If firepower isn’t for you and you wish to recreate some epic moves with the shiniest and sharpest blades you can find you mustn’t miss out on Samurai Island – House of Blade Mall.


A vast array of shops awaits you here in a beautifully created, themed sim. From blades to Kimonos and other outfits this sim has it all. As well as a shopping destination and a visual delight, this island also has a growing and popular community complete with combat areas. Contained within one of the larger structures here are a few blade specialists. On my list for here is Musashi Blades. I am the proud owner of some blades from Mushashi and can report the quality of these weapons is unmistakable. With various outfits and 6 diverse Katanas on offer, at Mushashi you won’t be stuck for choice. As well as the high quality of these blades they also have arguably the best packaging I’ve ever seen. Each blade opening in it’s own unique way which is quite compelling. I have recorded a short video of the Sizuka naru Shi Blades, which I own; you must see it to believe it!

Leaving Samurai Island behind I pop over to Hanzo Blades.

Hanzo is a sizeably growing popular collection of Samurai outfits and armour. Coupled with the work from DirtyLynx, Hanzo offers eleven blades currently and numerous outfits and armour parts. Interestingly Hanzo also offers a full permission Katana, complete with scripts, for you to create your own custom blade. Most certainly not a shop to be missed if you seek Samurai.


The last place on my little whirlwind tour is TalTECH Weapons. TalTECH is a massive vendor location for pretty much any weapon you can find in Second Life. There are quite literally hundreds of vendors on location here. Featuring the likes of Omega Concern, aubreTEC, Galiko and some of those featured in my list above. Personally I prefer visiting the main stores where you can obtain more information generally, but this vendor location is a very good place to start your search for any Second Life weaponry. TalTECH also have firing ranges available to be used and even bought. So if you find your addiction to weapons in Second Life grows you can furnish your own land with an arena.

So, if you seek some protection, or accessories for your virtual life the places above are essentials not to be missed on your mission. Your mission (should you chose to accept it) is to use the list above to match yourself with your perfect Second Life weapon.