Nearly two years ago, I had been looking around Second Life for palaces and such, and I came upon this replica of the Chateau de Versailles, and for the next year and several more months, the role-play that it fostered became my home-away-from home and a good bit of my personal entertainment during that time.

Not that I didn't have anything better to do, but it seemed the next best thing to watching a period miniseries on PBS, reading a novel from the time period ... and in this instance, I would actually get to participate.

Of course, it was more than just that ... I met a great many of really dear people, many of whom I am still fond of - though I rarely get to visit with anymore.

But ... Versailles! How enchanting it was when I started ... to sit and listen as more seasoned players tried to outmaneuver each other with tongue and wit, and to finally get to participate myself as a young nobleman, Paul-Philipe de Tancarville, the comte de Montreiul.

As I became more experienced in roleplay, I tried to think of ways I could advance at court - but, as my time came to be, I also started to notice some things that I feared would lead to its eventual fall ... tightly cloistered cliques, some of which only awarded favor if you had been a participant in this incarnation of VSL or the next. Even if you played by the rules and played your part - one might not ever really fit in if you weren't invited to this thing or the other.

Of course - the fictitious part of that was meant to mimic court as it was during less commercial times, but it often seemed with some this extended to OOC alliances as well. My only natural recourse was to create a clique of my own, one which endured past my own time at VSL, and one in which some of the last tier-payors belonged to. It would seem as though we succeeded in many respects, but in others - it also seemed as though we were never quite good enough.

Court began to thin, but those of us who played throughout the last year were determined to make VSL what we could - although that often meant playing against the strong wills of some very powerful (though often not present) personalities. At the end of the day, no one will ever be able to say it was this person's fault or the other - the reason VSL failed - but, anytime I used an objective eye ... I knew it was because VSL was ran like an exercise in art rather than one of business ... often times like a grand theater full of extremely talented actors - but without the benefit of a producer, a director, or a script. Oh, that a steady hand might have minded the business ... what a playground VSL might have been!

But ... enough of that ... while it lasted, there was a great deal of "magic" in VSL. At times, it lived up to its dream of being a living museum - and it is those moments, and the friendships that rose from that - however fleeting - that will be what I choose to remember.

Vive la mmoire du chteau de Versailles dans Second Life!

Phantom Republic

aka, Paul-Philippe de Tancarville,

Louis Stanislas Xavier de France (Jan '12- summer '12)

Louis Auguste, dauphin de France (Fall '12 - late winter '13)

updated by @phan-republic: 06 Oct 2016 06:23:09AM

There were indeed some reforms on their way which went unnoticed by some observers. Back in August a Roleplay Commission was put into place in order to work on a more text based roleplay (a sort of script for court roleplay as you call it). The agenda of that commission was based on a concept I had forwarded to the Council of Versailles in the beginning of May. A team of sub managers was appointed (some of them were part of what you call your "clique") to carry out these reforms - however still after several months there was no progress. Another commission was formed in August ... sadly that Commission was forced to interrupt their work ... oh well you know the story

What shocks me the most is that Versailles was in the end destroyed by people who had once been part of its community. People who had been offered a home and a place to settle down - where they could find friends and some distraction from reality. The work of months and years was wasted by someone who had spent a great deal of time in this place. I've never seen such disrespect towards other people's work. It seems that people in SL believe they can do whatever they want without seeing any consequences - stealing textures, destroying works of art.

This is precisely why I am not going to build in SL again for the benefit of any community or individual person.

I wish you all the best.

Phantom and Anne, If I may, I would like to put the stage persona aside and say to both of you, not as the Professore, but as a fellow long-time SL roleplayer and occasional builder, that I have great sympathy for your feelings in this situation and respect for how you are approaching it. Setting aside all concerns of who did what and why something happened, the fact is that everything has a life span. Nothing lasts forever, including people, stories, relationships, places and communities. We know that someday it will be time for us to pull the plug on Rocca Sorrentina. Someday, the Lindens will undoubtedly shut down SL. We hope neither of these things are going to happen for a while, but eventually, they will.

And when things end, "you can't go home again." Despite our wishes to the contrary, we have to move forward, not backward, and I think that is what both of you are doing in your own ways, and it is something I very much respect. I also would like to say that I particularly respect the way that both of you can say, "things weren't perfect" and you learned things as you went, and that plans were underway to address some of those issues.

At the same time, there were moments of "magic" that happened -- and those are moments that should be treasured. But those things are fleeting. Moments of magic come and go. But in the end, when a moment or series of moments have passed, we need to do other things. We treasure what happened, we learn from it, and go on.

Phantom, I think your post here was honest and incredibly thoughtful. Again, I offer you my respect for that and hope someday, our paths may cross and we might interact in our stage personas, whatever they might be at that time. Perhaps something positive will take place and there will be new moments to remember fondly -- or perhaps it will just be a pleasant way of passing some time. Either is fine with me.

And Anne, I really understand your sadness and needing to step back from things for a while -- though I would not be surprised if at some point you decided that it would be fun to try your hand at building again, not for any one else, but just for yourself and your own satisfaction. I remember a number of years ago, I fellow I know who had built a reproduction WWI airplane, crashed his plane on takeoff at an air show. He was badly hurt, and although he recovered, he swore that he would never rebuild the plane and would never fly again. And yes, about a year later he was starting to rebuild the aircraft, and about five years later, I saw him flying over a WWI living history event. Things get in your blood, and they don't necessarily leave you, even when bad stuff happens.

That said, I hope that when you do start bashing prims and textures around again, you will be doing it for yourself, not for others. If others get to see the results and get some enjoyment out of them, that's well and good. But please do it for your own pleasure and enlightenment.

Ty for sharing the beautiful Pictures and your thougts. I had also some wonderful moments on the Sim. I met some very nice People, who became my friends.I am very grateful to the creators and all the People who made it possible. SO A BIG *HUG* and a BIG THANK YOU to you all.

I am very sad that the Group and the Sim is closing, but I agree with Aldo we should look to the future and keep the past as awonderful memory. I am looking forward to coming Projects.

I understand Anne's sadness and the wish to step appart from all , but I do hope you will create something else someday, were I would love to participate again.

What a thoughtful and comforting message you have written here, Aldo. For all of us ... who have loved and lost in SL... people, places, things. This is a beautiful condolence to those of us who are brave enough to invest a chunk of their heart and soul in something, someone who may be transient in our physical/virtual space but will live eternally in our hearts and memories.

Beautifully written and portrayed, Phantom. A wonderful way to honor the memory of a place that touched the hearts and spirits of so many who grew to love it. I'm sorry for your loss .... all of you.

I feel that I must say that in all my time in Versailles which commenced shortly after the Sim started in its last incarnation, I never encountered any of the clique's that you speak of. It was simply that some players were better actors than others and at times some perhaps found it difficult to keep up. I don't think it was that the story lines ran out it was the lack of imagination in some to be able to create a scenario and run with it for any length of time . The fact is that in recent weeks high profile roles were given to people who whilst being very creative in the practical sense were very limited in their ability to act out the parts they held. I say this not to criticise but to point out a view held by many.

I have in my time been privileged to role play with some extremely talented people and some with little or no talent. I will say despite this I have never met anyone who was not a joy to meet and to talk to OOC. Versailles was simply a nice place to spend your time in SL. whatever talents you may or may not have had .

Tartuffe

I want to thanks Monsieur Phantom, I loved Anne and Aldo for your comments!
I like others are very emotionally attached to Versailles, but also fully understand and agree with the choice of Anne, for obvious reasons ...
I was there from the first stone of the first Versailles, and I never tire of repeating it have been there to encourage and support these girls in the construction of Versailles in all its moments, since Janine closed the first Versailles and Nonna Hedges hosted us in a temporary structure to continue the roleplay and find a solution, or when Versailles was being buildingand createa pond where we're all together a lot and enjoyed many happy moments and fun that come aboutbelow until the Versailles wonderful that all those who know and love!
I am very sad of the inevitable closure of the Sim, as far as I'm concerned I will remain to live in Versailles until the end ... morally owe it to all the work that has been done with great hopes and sacrifices by wonderful people who are very tied up!

With immense affection
Serenya

I almost cried reading this as I felt the same way.

I'm not sure what to say, or how to say it. Versailles was my home, it was my reasoning for coming to SL. I was there from the beginning. It was my place to escape my normal RL(ugh)! As Versailles grew, so did I. I fell in love with the Architecture, the Fashion, the role play. But most important of all, I fell in love with the people. Over the years I have met a great many of wondrous and caring people. Many of which have became my dearest friends<3. Although the palace is gone, I will always have the memories, and the friends. As they say, One door closes, another one opens. I am willing to walk with you, my dearest friends, through that door, to whatever is there to greet us on the other side. You all have my sympathy, my support, and my heart. I embrace you<3.

Your Dearest Duchesse,

Louise Marie Thrse Bathilded'Orlans

Duchesse de Bourbon.

I did not often participate in Versailles events, but partook of a few very enjoyable occasions, and often I dropped by when nothing was going on just to appreciate the build - a true work of art. I dearly hope that someone has it saved, because one of the saddest things that happens in SL is the disappearance of imaginative creations inspired and guided by excellent research and remarkable talent, into the unsharable recesses of merely human memory.

--
Antiquity Hedgewitch

I too roleplayed at Versailles for a short while and was a committed patron for almost two years. Like many of you, I made dozens of friends and was dedicated to preserving what I always viewed as a wonderful creative expression; even if I took a leave from the RP, I wanted to see the project go on so that it would remain for lovers of architecture and history, as well as for those who actively roleplayed.

So many of us made contributions to Versailles, and these were very real investments of time, research, money, and artistic creativity. It is only natural that we should have such strong feelings. For myself, my only regret is not finding an opportunity to assist in saving the project.

Good bye Versailles, our marvellous Sancta Sanctorum of all Royal Courts, the milestone of good taste and better building art. Good bye to my "inspiration" as creator and my shop (where can I place my shop now?).

Dear MJ, is better have the remind of your Versailles as the masterwork of a great builder and leader like you. Let me send you a enormous hug.

Versailles in SL is my origin as roleplayer and the best place in SL. Naturally, I hope that the spirit of Versailles as RP can born again.

Kind regards!

I don,t think this breaches any rules . As far as I can see it is merely people saying farewell to something which played a major part in their second life

Sadly Sir I don,t think many of us were allowed the opportunity to save it

I was referring to that one specific post of Caroline's where I removed the content.

--
Proprietress of Tatiana's Tea Room ~ Owner of the Provence Coeur Estate ~ Webmistress of this site

It's regrettable, Tartuffe, but without the addition of another full region belonging to the builders, there was nothing that could be done. I do not think anyone was or is prepared to make that large of a donation. I tried to think of every possible solution, but Versailles is simply too large a build to go on one region, unless it is rebuilt as something less than what it was and something merely "representative" of the chateau. None if the creators wanted that.

I have been away of SL for sometime now. But in the past, I used to play there for a long period.

Versailles was my home, and it was everything to me in SL. I had the pleasure to meet some awesome people and some awfull ones.

When I saw this notice, I had to comment because my heart is full of sadness and SL to me is no longer attractive.

Regards to you all,