Find out what keeps bringing Daimon back to AW.
Kiwi: Hi there Daimon. Thanks so much for for taking the time to be interviewed.
Daimon: Thank you for asking me. I feel honored given the number of people that are available to do this.
Kiwi: I know this is your second time in Active Worlds Daimon, so welcome back :-)
Daimon: Thank you. I think this is the 3rd time I have returned, I was originally brought to AW back in early 1999. I was using regular text chats for years before AW. A female in an IRC chat room knew of AW and suggested we come for a visit. I stayed and she left. I have no idea what happened to her.
Kiwi: What brought you back?
Daimon: I have tried some of the other 3d chats. Each excels more in one area more than the others. AW seems to have what I find interesting as a total package. Sure it needs improvement, but we have the ability to manipulate our online environment here either through creating things using readymade objects or making our own models. The graphics in AW are some of the best online. Some of the others are a bit to cartoonish for my taste. Also the people in AW are friendlier. I seem to find a lot of attitudes or people looking for extra relationships in the others. The interface in AW seems much more intuitive than the others which make navigating second nature. I often find myself trying to use AW controlling while using other software. Of course it doesn't work.
Kiwi: From where do you originate, Daimon?
Daimon: I am in Southern California, near Los Angeles but not in the city of.
Kiwi: I know you make models for people. When did you start creating models?
Daimon: I started years ago when I used to play Counter-Strike online. Over a period of time my older son acquired a few game servers and wanted a female avatar (player) for his server(s). Some servers, not his, had female players, but the female player was not a downloadable file for server owners. I found a tutorial called csgirl which can still be found here https://www.dosfx.com/tutorials/csgirl/default.asp. In the tutorial it mentions Milkshape3d modeling program which I downloaded for a free 30 day trial. All went well during my first modeling try. It was pre-AW for me, back in 1998. At the time of its creations it was a 1-piece skinned avatar with a skeleton that I was able to extract out of an existing Counter-Strike player and build my female player around. While it was a successful creation, the UV part of the model had me stumped. I had no clue what UVs were. As a result, the model certainly looked female but the finished model wasn't as good as I had hoped.
Kiwi: Do you have a web site for your models?
Daimon: No I do not charge for models so I do not keep a web site for models going. If someone has something I think would be interesting to make, I make it. I feel no pressure to make money from this. I try to pick things that are challenging so that I can learn something new if possible. This is all a hobby for me that keeps me out of trouble in real life.
Kiwi: Are you creative in your life outside AW?
Daimon: I wouldn't call it being creative but sometimes you have to create patterns for a finished look or find creative ways of accomplishing a job. I work in some of the construction trades and sometimes I have to design patterns of tile or wood. Then I can give a potential home owner my idea before starting. But even in rough construction you need to be creative when confronted with problems in regards to space or obstacles. But creative in respect to what an artist does, no.
Kiwi: Where do you like to hang out?
Daimon: Usually in AW or the Gate while I surf the internet or model my current creation. I do not like building as I find it kind of boring. I do have a few people I like to visit from time to time but I do not hang in any of their worlds.
Kiwi: What other things do you like to do in AW?
Daimon: Meet new people is what I like most. If I spot a world on the Worlds tab I have not seen before, I like to visit and explore to see what the world owner is doing. I like visiting other modelers as well. As a modeler you respect others who do the same no matter what program they are using. There is a lot of gratification and heartbreak when modeling objects. Completing a model is satisfying. Losing hours of work in a system or software crash is heartbreaking. Sometimes you can forget to save changes that took hours to complete.
Kiwi: If you were asked by Active Worlds to do a presentation for them to a company, how would you sell AW?
Daimon: I would have to look at the company in question and see what they are producing or offering. I would have to then try and devise a way to show them that using AW would help them reach potential customers. Make it easy for their clients able to see products they are offering. Of course this would take a lot of planning, staging of a world, modeling of products so that others can see. It would take a lot of time and resources. I'm no marketing expert but I have had some experience back in my school days. Marketing is the key here.
Kiwi: What is the first thing you think tourists should see when they arrive in AW?
Daimon: Friendliness and a willingness for everyone at the Gate to help a new person. More time needs to be spent on getting the new person acquainted with AW and its browser usage. As citizens we tend to forget what it was like to learn the software for the first time. We don't like mentioning features cause they are mundane being they are second nature to us. I also personally do not like the present Gate. I think the modeling of it is great and shows the talent of its creators but I'm more a naturalist. I think AW was better off with the last theme or something like it.
Kiwi: Do you check out many worlds in AW?
Daimon: Yes I like visiting many worlds that have at least 1 person in them. I usually explore different worlds at night just before bedtime. I do not like worlds that greet someone with a myriad of signs.
Kiwi: Do you have a favorite world you would recommend for others to go check out?
Daimon: Definitely Yooper. Renee. is doing a terrific job. I'm not into hillbilly but Yooper is a fun visit.
Kiwi: If you had to come up with something negative about AW you would like to see changed, what would it be?
Daimon: I wish we had a more directional lighting like in real life so that shadows looked more realistic. I would like to see protruding objects cast shadows on nearby objects more naturally. I also wish there was shininess or iridescence. Using MatFX is kind of cheesy. Most importantly I wish the interaction with objects was better. While movers are a push in the right direction I would like to see where you can get on a moving object and ride it to another location without making it a mover or using astart/adone. It amazes me after all these years that none of the three have been implemented
Kiwi: How would you describe AW to someone in conversation?
Daimon: I would describe AW as a virtual world experience where you can meet people from around the world in the privacy of your computer room. And you can do it without getting dressed up. AW is also a good place to express yourself or your ideas through building a custom environment for yourself. You'd be able to bring in personal items such as pictures or favorite music. You could also share your other hobbies with others. You would also create new friendships and even meet that special person.
Kiwi: For others to get to know you better, describe yourself.
Daimon: I am always trying to find a funny way of looking at life or VR life. I'm here to share ideas or even personal experiences as they are the kinds of things that make us who we are. I may flirt but it's all in fun and totally harmless. I am not looking for a relationship. I do not lie as a rule but I may twist the truth a bit if I think reality will hurt someone's feelings. What I bring is what I consider strong moral values. Please don't ask me about religion though. I will say something you will probably not want to hear.
Kiwi: You have recently started working at AWSchool. Do you enjoy teaching others?
Daimon: Yes, when the opportunity arises. I have actually taught a lot of people to build over the early years. When I first arrived in AW I was here for a month before I knew I could build something. The person that showed me how to start was Nicole in Atlantis. I know she is probably gone but she has burned a spot in my early AW experience. Also Energiser was special to me. Energiser gave me a lot of tips. That is the way I hope to affect someone new if possible.
Kiwi: Daimon, been nice to catch up with you :-)
Thank you so much for letting us get to know you better.
Learn more about our community characters in upcoming Meet Our Citizens articles.
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