Don't think my computer has enough horsepower to run this effectively, so I doubt I'll do more than poke in once in a while.

I'm still stuck on the "orientation island," and due to some bug or lack of power my machine can't cough up the map for the "points" I need to get my butt off of here.

Can't get off on my own either, despite my new-found superpowers of flight and underwater breathing. There's a force field, and I suspect if I go too far something resembling a roaring weather balloon will come after me. There's a spooky echo of "To Your Scattered Bodies Go" about this place. I spent some time just watching the other newbies pop in. They appear naked and confused, lacking genitals and staggering like newborn babies, until eventually they or the machine (in sympathy) clothes them in simple outfits. Many are standing frozen in place, "modifying their appearance." Some are standing slumped, and "away"--God knows where.

I'm not happy with the avatar appearance mods--it's not as sophisticated as the one in Uru (the character must have a grand total of about twelve polygons). I can't find simple things like a decent pair of glasses or a baseball cap, although if I wanted to dress like someone from a leather bar there's plenty to choose from. I imagine for those of more exotic taste, there's an embarrassment of riches. You can look as freaky as you want, but good luck trying to look normal.

One island has a small, abandoned area of buildings, poorly maintained. You are encouraged to grab any vehicle off the street and run down live rats, which wind up as smoking, glowing puddles. Another island has what looks like some corporate orientation meeting going.

I'm still working on the dragon. Maybe we can make a deal to get me out of here. There's no weapons as such, so taking hostages is not feasible at this point. If this was a real place I can see a dozen or so things I could fashion lethal weapons from, but the machine doesn't allow me to manipulate them.

I could easily hack my way off the island, but somehow going outside the world's rules seems like cheating. I don't know if there's a time limit--can I outstay my welcome here? Are there others who have been here for a long time? Maybe...years? I haven't looked. Do I want to?

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad being stuck here. I can bug the newbies. I don't know if you can talk to them--I see odd conversations float by, usually from someone distant and not visible (at one point I thought the talking was coming from the glowing puddle I was poking--a newbie who had made a fatal mistake? Later found out it was a squished rat).

I could whip up a good "bum" appearance, ask for spare change (I'm not going to pay for this game, but someone showing up might). Maybe stand on a corner and spout strange prophecies about the "Real" world beyond this one.

I could mess with people's heads--newbies will take suggestions from anyone. "Fly up to the top of that building, and wait for the Magic Crow to come and give you further instructions." Two weeks later, look for the hundreds of internet entries: "How do I find the goddam Magic Crow?" Spread a rumor about a cache of money hidden on the island somewhere...

Oh, if I had the time to learn the instructions, and the time to play, I could move through this reality like a velociraptor through a flock of sheep...

But one would have to be careful--this world has real gods. Anyway it would be wrong.