The SL Enquirer: vehicles

GTFO! I was sitting across the room from my new friend Cosmo Kawabata and he was chuckling at my question. We both live off route 12 on the continent of Nautilus. I had been driving down route 12 one day and noticed his business CPK Cartage and Storage. Many of the boxes in his warehouse bore the stamp “GTFO”. I had asked him about this acronym. That is when he began laughing and encouraged me to “look it up”. If you are even remotely savvy with urban slang you already know why he was laughing. If you don’t, look up GTFO then return to this article. His company is a participant in the Second Life RP game developed by Rez Gray, a self-described “scripter and database guy”. Only last month he revised his profile to notify all that he was only coming in world for basic server and fix-it issues. He redirects interested residents to the new owners of GTFO. One problem, he doesn’t name who these owners happen to be in world. Given the well-designed website and the attention to detail Rez Gray has put into the system, I have no doubt that with the new owners GTFO will move along strongly.

GTFO in this context means “Get the Freight Out”. Simply put it is a game for those who are interested in exploring Second Life by using transportation [moving stuff from one place to another] I decided to GTFO myself and see how this game works for me. To start up, all I needed was the GTFO starter kit from Marketplace and a supported vehicle. You may purchase a free kit or pay for the premium kit at $699L. The supported vehicle may be a plane, boat, train, truck, spaceship, car or other vehicle on the list. The variety vehicle possibilities are staggering; for example, if you wish to fly, you may choose from a small plane, sea plane, jet plane, tiny plane, prop plane and even more varieties. If you want to travel by sea, you have an equally diverse list of choices from a small boat to a barge. A freaking barge folks that can transport 24 heavy crates.

The amount of cargo as well as the kind of cargo may be what you use to determine your mode of transport. Of course, for those more criminally minded you will need to purchase a specific plane for those midnight air drops. Yes, you may become a smuggler with a good Bush Plane. The game provides for everything from the simple take item from point A to point B. You may choose the other extreme engage in strategic and complicated deliveries by planning and setting goals. You begin with G$1000 of money with either kit and the balance never falls below G$100.

I reviewed every vehicle on the supported vehicle listing. I made the mistake of believing I could pick out a vehicle, jump in and drive. All the vehicles [even the simplest] require practice to operate. I purchased a small plane, 33 Debonair by DSA Aircraft, thinking I could fly it. The detail of the HUD transformed the bottom on my viewer into an airplane dashboard. A beauty of a plane and very affordable to get your foot in the door of flying. There are methods of transporting freight that are free such as the Shields Class sailboat V2 and the Hovercraft 1.0 . The vehicle with the lowest amount of prim at 7 is the Sea Boss – Xtreme Jet Ski, the vehicle with the highest prim count is the Prometheus 2.0 with 3000 prim. The Prometheus is a work of art as well as a space ship garnering 5.5 to 6 stars on every review. The highest priced vehicle is a stunning beauty large sailboat Falcon Frigate at $7500L. The more time I spent researching these modes of transport, the more impressed I was with the quality and the craftmanship that is put into most of these items. With each item I could see the pride and the imagination of the builder come alive in a complex expression, displayed in their work. You may begin with a free vehicle or any one of many variations. I have already planned my next purchase as the Hermes Truck Pack. Owen Lusch has bundled a Flatbed, Box Truck, Liquid tanker and Tipper Truck into one package. I would really love to drive a big rig in SL on one of the small mainland routes. Maybe by accident drive across a parcel or three.

I feel I reached a good balance with an initial Linden outlay of $249L. I began with the $0L starter kit, Amariah Francis’ 1966 Bronco with advanced suspension and GFS fuel system . This Bronco has some pretty sweet options and to be honest I was impressed by the customizing I would be able to perform on the vehicle. I also picked up the GFS fuel system for $0L and GFS Fuel Cans for $0L. [GFS = Global Fuel System]. My initial investment totaling only $249L to give this game a try.

I enjoy building a great deal. I took a couple hours and set up a GTFO office with maps and information on my land. Next to the building I set up my GFS fuel pump and parked the Bronco at the pumps. The decision to use or not to use the fuel aspect is up to the player. I decided I wanted the risk involved with running out of fuel, so I filled my cans. Pulling out the instructions from the GTFO starter kit, I set up my Bronco to be a recognized GTFO vehicle. This is a very simple process. You make a prim and name it as specified in the instructions. My prim is GTFO- Bronco. I put this prim in the Bronco, then also added the API script provided directly to the Bronco too. For me, customizing my Bronco was a priority. I did not wish to be seen cruising around in an “off the rack” looking vehicle. All supported vehicles are MOD since you must add items to tie it to the GTFO system. On my Bronco, I may change just about every feature on this vehicle to my current whim. I would soon learn that having a hot pink Bronco with cool bumper stickers was not as helpful as removing the driver side door. It took me quite a lot of time to upload the perfect bumper stickers. My bronco also allows other drivers to use it if unlocked. I rezzed a small fleet of them at a LL premium sandbox. Vehicles are to newbie SL residents as sugar is for flies. It was a lot of fun to watch people come over to the Broncos, then hop in and drive them. Most without saying a single word to me. [laughs]

I was finally ready to try to retrieve cargo then make a delivery. I read the notecard, the website and my vehicle was gassed up and ready to go. I put on the GTFO HUD, fixed my hair in the mirror and clicked on the HUD. It listed nearby locations and I picked one to visit. I backed out onto route 12 and began driving towards Cosmo’s CPK Cartage and Storage warehouse. The Bronco handles well on the road and I arrive at CPK in about twenty minutes. I didn’t know how to shift the ATV to drive faster at the time. I have since learned to set it to “automatic” and drive. Arriving at CPK, I pull the Bronco into the cargo bay. I clicked on the HUD and it lists any cargo this location may have for me. I am in luck and choose to accept the cargo. If you do not deliver cargo, you will lose $G, if you deliver you are paid $G. You also receive experience for each delivery. I am instructed by my bossy HUD to stay in place while the cargo is loaded onto the Bronco. I watch the countdown clock from the HUD and find myself getting nervous. What if I don’t make it in time to the delivery location? I realize I am not at all familiar with driving the roads, I usually fly.

Bronco loaded, I tap the HUD and scan the map. I make my first mistake. I have no idea how to get my land driving Bronco to a different continent for delivery. Do I need a ship too? The lore of the game is that cargo is damaged if you TP. I check the status of my friends in world and notice Cosmo is not online. I tap the dashboard nervously and do the smart thing and panic. The FAQs save my mission. GTFO will not send your vehicle to a location you cannot make it to using the identified vehicle. For my Bronco, this means I misread the map and my delivery is on the same continent I am currently sitting on in my Bronco. I am enlightened as I realize there will be some strategy involved for me to make the delivery.

I back out of the cargo bay and drive down the road in the generally correct direction. The clock is ticking in my head like Poe’s Tell-tale heart and the Bronco seems to move more and more slowly. As I have not read about the automatic transmission at this point, I am traveling in first gear. I decide to do what every gamer does at one point or another [yet frequently denies] and I cheat. I TP to the delivery location. Without my Bronco it doesn’t help me out because the cargo is IN the Bronco. I TP back and pick up my Bronco. I thought “can’t I even cheat well?”. I TP to the delivery location. No rez area! I walk to the nearby road and find a rez station. I pull my Bronco out of inventory and drive to the delivery destination. My HUD notifies me that I made it and to stay in place while the cargo is off loaded.

My face reddens as I realize this isn’t the goal of the game. The goal is to drive around and deliver stuff. I pull out the Notecard and scan the instructions again. I convert my hood to a media panel and load the GTFO website. This modification to the Bronco looks bizarre. The HUD pays me for the delivery in both $G and experience points. I make a promise to never ever cheat again. I click the HUD and learn there is some manure to be taken too, wait for it, Cosmo’s CPK! If I leave it here will the ‘manure hit the fan?’ I wonder. Since I didn’t follow the rules to arrive at the manure pick-up location, I am uncertain how to negotiate the roads and the ban lines to return. Should I cheat again? Technically wouldn’t this be part of the same cheat? I am a pro at rationalizing when it serves my purposes. I have a priority item, MANURE!! How can I pass up taking four cargo boxes of cow poo to a friend’s warehouse? Earning $G and experience points for delivering such a gift? Before I accent the cargo, the bovine poo, I study the map this time. I drive all the way to CPK in first gear on roads and through land parcels. I learn that my Bronco is not always steady and I need practice. I watch myself drive several meters upside down, then on the side of my vehicle. I make it to CPK on time and receive honest payment and XP.

After the cargo is unloaded at CPK I promise to never, ever cheat again. I sit down on a worn-out couch in the cargo bay area by an old German Shepard dog who looks, well, dog tired. I am gifted with a brilliant idea! Maybe all I need is another supported vehicle. One that I can handle better. My marketplace addiction kicks into high gear and I review the vehicle options again. This time I choose a slightly more expensive [$400L] Mainlander Jeep that can only carry one cargo box to the Bronco’s four. It is a peppy bright light green color. Down side is I can’t change the license plate or the options easily. I pout and then take both vehicles to one of the LL premium sandboxes. The Jeep is much steadier to drive and has ten gears. Currently I only understand how to use first gear. I have moved up to automatic with the Bronco, and I am not easily deterred by upside down driving.

On the GTFO Q&A page one of the questions is the cost of the game. To get to levels after 5, you need the premium kit. I read a couple SL residents [whiners] on the cost of $699L. Please readers, that is less than $3.00 US dollars! Should we really begrudge a scripter such a paltry amount? I found the game to be quite brilliantly crafted for the player. How each player chooses to experience the game is entirely their choice. There are no required ongoing costs unless the player chooses to invest. It is a lot of fun to drive down the roads in Second Life. You will see some amazing builds and surprises along the road. I also promise you will see a good handful of things that will make you smack your forehead and say out loud “only in SL”.

I recommend this RP for a few reasons. The cost is low without ongoing participation expenses. It is an opportunity to travel SL in a way most residents never choose the opportunity to do. Using different vehicles is a skill and each one is different. For those who love to learn new skills in world, this is a perfect game. For me, I will keep GTFO as one of my RPs. It doesn’t require a specific amount of participation so keeping it is another advantage.

This began with a drive down my road on the mainland. Cosmo’s detailed build caught my eye and I pulled on the thread. I encourage you to follow the things that catch your eye in SL. One thing will always lead to another as GTFO has already taken me places and given me more ideas for stories. Think you can drive a car in SL? Try this game and see if you feel the same way. There is a lot going on when you GTFO, I think most will enjoy the drive.+