BURIED Vendors at Play

OWNER: 2WAT Michigan
CO-OWNER: Jiovi Michigan
DETAILS: In business for around six years. Provies furniture,
furniture, cars, boats, bikes, houses, prefabs and more.

Whether you call them "adventures" or "hunts," it's fairly clear that  MadPea Production puts on more than a "drop into the sim, find the prize, and hop out" kind of event.

The vendors who offer some of the rewards during these adventures also tend to become part of the story line. Without giving anything away for those who haven't yet played BURIED, in this latest MadPea adventure, some vendors have gotten into the spirit of things. Some have even added special features to their sims to add to the mood for players. For those of us who enjoy an adventure and a story, this helps make the game great fun.

MiChIGaN's ShAcK! owner 2WAT Michigan explains that for this particular game, she made additions to her sim to play into BURIED's theme.

"We so looked forward to BURIED we took the theme and ran with it,  building a huge mountain on the roof of one side of our store with a labyrinth of caves, tunnels, waterfalls etc, just specifically to 'enhance' the BURIED journey for the players," explained 2WAT.

The six-year-old business which concentrates on the creation and sale of furniture (but also offers cars, boats, landscaping items and much more) has been a part of MadPea games in the past including Praying Mary and Blood Letters.

OWNER: Bluesean Yiyuan
CO-OWNER/CO-BUILDER: Silex Zapedzki
DETAILS: In business for four years, provides old buildings,
holiday items, haunted objects, furniture and more.

It seems other vendors would concur. Bluesean Yiyuan, owner and creator for the shop Never Totally Dead, has also participated in past games, and has even built parts of previous adventures.

"We built a large part of Mad City and the Silent Peacock Hotel for the room 326," said Bluesean, who co-owns the business with Silex Zapedzki.

Now, what could be a vendor's motivation to participate in an event such as this? Many would assume increased traffic would benefit business, as would offering a free sample of their talents. While one could argue both sides of this, it quickly becomes quite clear that vendors have a different motivating factor as well: an interest in the story.

When Cheeky Pea owner Isla Gealach (who has also participated in several previous MadPea events) was asked why she takes part in these events, she makes her position quite clear.

"The HUD based games seem incredibly fun. I remember doing hunts and it was always TP in, search, get, leave," said Isla. "The story grabbed me. I very rarely participate in hunts these days, but this just seems fun! There needs to be more things like this available, and supporting great

organizations like Mad Pea keeps fun going on the grid."

OWNER: Isla Gealach
MANAGER: Valena
DETAILS: Store has been in SL for 6 years, but Isla has been
creating in SL for 8 years. Offers home and garden decor items
that are both aesthetic and functional.

Not only that, but Isla finds creating to a theme enjoyable -- it helps her art. "I think it's fun to create to a theme in general, and a mystery is especially fun," she explained. "It's a way to flex design and keep things new and interesting."

2WAT seems to concur that getting to participate in the story is as much part of the decision to participate in BURIED as anything else.

"It has brought many people through the store so very successful in that respect," said 2WAT. "However, that was secondary compared to the fun we have had taking part."

Now, you might wonder, how do these lovely vendors know so much about the games? Well, they're not only vendors, but they are also players.

"[I've played] many," said Bluesean. "Played Labyrinth, Inca, and others." He also describes collaborating with MadPea as being "great" and "awesome."

"This is my third. I've also done the Blood Letters Hunt and Scrumptious Sweets," said Isla.

"I always love taking a break from 'SL Work' to go and enjoy whichever adventure MadPea is currently running," laughed 2WAT.

So, while you're solving this mystery and trying to save Lily's life, keep an eye open. You might catch a glimpse of some of those who support these games by offering their sims, prims, and creations!