It's that new Usher Remix

I'm sure that when you read the title of the blog you were expecting something about a remix Usher's smash hit song "Paper". Yet this blog is about something extremely different than the Usher Raymond's crooning. Nineteenth century American literature (yes you read that correctly).

My professor has made a simulation in Second Life of Edgar Allen Poe's tragic tale "Fall of the House of Usher." In this simulation, you first go to the Welcome Center at University of Richmond Island and then you must change into the Victorian attire that is there waiting for you. As you wait to ride the hot air balloon up to the House of Usher, you receive letter from Roderick Usher telling you about his sickness and that is sister Madeline is also very ill.

For those who don't know how Fall of the House of Usher ends, here is a spoiler alert. Roderick buries Madeline alive because she is in a comatose state from the medication that Roderick has given her. He knows that she is still alive, yet his mental sickness drives him to bury his sister. Many days later, Madeline comes up from the family crypt and dies in front of Roderick and then he too dies.

In the simulation. your objective is to make sure that Madeline does not get buried alive by her beloved brother. There are actors and actresses that pose as different characters from the story and you have to convince them that the medicine Roderick is giving Madeline is making her so ill, not a real sickness.

This simulation was honestly the most fun that I have had in Second Life because I felt completely immersed in the House, almost as though I were actually there. I almost felt like Madeline and Roderick were truly my friends and that I needed to save them from their demise.

A couple of things that I absolutely loved included the mural that was in the cellar that looked very old. It created a feel that the Ushers had been living there for many many generations and the something obviously happened to make their demise so imminent. Also, I liked the black smoke that came out the of coffin when Madeline was in it. It added a very spooky feel to it and I could just imagine the smell of dead flesh that would come out with the smoke.

One thing that I would improve on the simulation would be how hidden a lot of things are. When we finished the simulation, we found many cool different things we could have done, like use a gun or set something on fire to distract the Ushers. If some of these were more readily available, people would be a little bit more creative with the way that they decide to save Madeline and Roderick.

To add realism to the depiction of the mid 1800s medicine and the lack of mental-health care, there could be a time where Roderick could discuss how he has never talked to anyone about his illness because no one understands. This would show how medicine was slow and lacked a lot of necessary things to help people. Also, a person should be able to take one of Madeline's pills to be able to feel what she feels when she is ill. This creates a better relationship with Madeline because you will then feel her pain.

Overall, the simulation was absolutely awesome!!