Seaclyff Retreat: A First Impression
by Kassadee Marie, HSM team writer
First impressions are so important. As the old aphorism goes, you never have a second chance to make a good first impression.
My very first thought when I arrived at Seaclyff Retreat on opening day was that the lighting was beautiful there. It was the exact light that happens on those rare, clear days on the northern California coast, when you can see for miles out over the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Days such as this make you feel that you’re extra glad to be alive and that you live close to an ocean.
Of all the views in the world, an ocean view is my favorite for its majesty, mystery, and ever-changing beauty. There at Seaclyff Retreat the developers have selected to depict a bright, beautiful day with birds, butterflies, scattered clouds, and colorful hot-air balloons all floating about in the sky; brightly-canvased sailboats gliding by; and sleek motorboats zooming by on the gentle waves in the secluded cove. They’ve even captured the sounds of the ocean from seagulls calling to the soothing rhythm of the waves.
As I spent the day decorating with many of Game Mechanics’ fabulous “Elegant” and fun “Contender” furnishings; putting their “Day at the Races” game in the finished basement; and making my own discoveries about this incredible space, I offered tours to friends and friends of friends and answered their questions about this estate. While doing this, I noted some of their comments, also. Here is what some people had to say about their first impression of Seaclyff Retreat:
“I love it already and I haven’t even been inside.”
“Wow! This is all very nice.”
“This is a very cool space.”
“It’s my birthday this month and I’m getting it for myself.”
“Game Mechanics nailed it!”
“It’s so modern. The automatic doors are like something from the future.”
“That’s a hot tub? I thought it was the pool.”
“This music sounds like 50’s and 60’s beach movie music.”
“Everything is amazing.”
“I need to own this space and I will!”
One very special moment for me this day was discovering that I had the privilege of hostessing the incredibly talented artist (and one of our own here at HSM) who painted the wonderful and thought-provoking mural called “A Rose for Mama” that I had on display at that time. I did not know who the mural painters were at that point in time. All of the gifted artists showcased there are actual Home users, just like ourselves.
I also enjoyed discovering little extras added by the developer just for fun, such as the people partying on one of the sailboats, the hot-air balloon with the Game Mechanics logo, and the little “John and Mike” sign nestled on the hillside. Among the flowers here and there, are several batches of bright and happy-looking sunflowers. I like to pretend that they were added just for me because they are my favorite color and my favorite flower. (I was hostessing in my new yellow hat and sunflower dress, so this was a bonus.)
Don’t forget that, as Game Mechanics has pointed out, the solitaire table you can win as a reward there is a viral reward, in that after you win it, your friends can win it from you, and their friends from them, ad infinitum. This is a Home first and a generous offering by the developer. Another of the rewards is an active item soccer ball that you can kick around and into the also-rewarded huge soccer net. And still another reward is a large bowling pin decoration. I have to wonder if this is a hint about their future plans. Now I can dream of a bowling game to add to one of the larger estates or even a private space bowling alley with several lanes. Wouldn’t that be a great club space, too?
By now, you all know about the many, many special features offered there at the four-story Seaclyff Retreat, including games, rewards, working mirrors, rooms with changeable wallpaper, realistic features such as a fully-stocked refrigerator, faucets that turn on, and rocking beach music that is controlled by volume and location. Even some of the other sounds discovered there can be controlled. Could I have dreamed of having more in a personal estate? Of course; people have never-ending imaginations. Could Game Mechanics have added more, given the memory restrictions? I sincerely doubt it. They listened to what the community asked for in a personal space and they provided it.
I recommend that you purchase Seaclyff Retreat for yourself, because this is an estate that makes a good first impression — and a lasting one.
October 4th, 2013 by Kassadee Marie | 9 comments
Home is endlessly entertaining to this California girl. Kassadee has been in Home for about four years, and loves almost everything about it (with a few notable exceptions). She spends way too much money there, and perhaps too much time... Someday she will travel the world and write about the people she meets and the places she sees.
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I love the space. I have known about its coming for a long time and it certainly lived up to the promise. This space has a lot of the things people have asked for in Home for a very long time. The view is spectacular and the quality of all of it is very evident. Nice article Kass.
I love the space. I do have a few things that kinda bug me, but didn’t stop me from getting the bundle pack. The music in every room ability is cool, I just wish it were good music. And your settings always go back to default when you leave. Other than those two minor irritations, it is an amazing space.
The settings for the wallpaper will default in the club but it shouldn’t in the personal space. You just have to change all of the wallpaper once and then set it to what you want and it will hold, at least it has for me. Clubs will always reset themselves when it comes to this, it is the way they are structured.
There is a known bug in the personal space loading saved settings. It depends on the time it takes the space to load so it may or may not work right now. The fix is in to QA along with a few other minor fixes (no crashing). Hopefully it will be out soon.
After drooling through reviews and tours on the internet, It looks like a space I’d buy. It’s basically a normal house on a cliff that has it’s own taste in style that others do not have. The only thing though is that I can’t find it myself. Can anyone help me?
It’s only offered in x7 presently. It will be in the Estates Store under New and Recommended on Wednesday.
I believe you can find it at X7 right now. Hope that helps.
I saw this space a few days ago and thought the interactivity was nice and the detail of the scenery outside is very striking as well. Nice review Kass and well done Game Mechanics! ^__^
I’ve been there a few times and seen it from friends that have it, and will say this, it’s nice, it’s big, but the things that are listed from friends as glitchy or flawed put the brakes on me buying and the price was high. This was the reason that I never have bought any of the Sony mansion pieces in their heyday. I do agree with the people that are objecting to the man cave idea. If a gal buys it, then they can’t change that and are stuck with a man cave. I have seen it and did get the guest freebies, but this for me is a pass, after I saw it, it just didn’t scream “buy me”. GM usually does some real good work, and this is not ‘bad’, just didn’t grab me to say run and get. Frankly I would have it if the price were not so high, and I am an avid Home spender. Great review Kass.