Issue 7
Issue 7
“The conservative movement, to which I subscribe, has as one of its basic tenets the belief that government should stay out of people’s private lives….legislating someone’s version of morality is exactly what we do by perpetuating discrimination against gays.”
–Barry Goldwater
Aloha, and welcome to the seventh issue of HomeStation Magazine!
HSM prides itself on tackling Home’s social issues — but up until this issue, we never actually featured a social issue as our cover story. In truth, we had a completely different article lined up to be the cover story, but when CheekyGuy‘s article came in, we just knew that this was the right story at the right time to put up on a cover.
Home is, first and foremost, a for-profit enterprise. It offers a wide variety of gaming experiences — which will undoubtedly continue to expand as Home moves towards its impending overhaul later this year. However, Home is also a community. And, for many people, Home is a haven.
Think about it. Our cover story deals with homosexuality. In the USA, less than half of the fifty states outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, and only half a dozen states offer same-sex marriage rights. Good lord.
Some of our older readers will recall being children during a time when Jim Crow laws were still in effect. Today we look at such legislation as an abomination. I sincerely hope that, in the future, we will look back at our current national stance on homosexuality with equal disgust.
I can only imagine, then, that virtual reality offers someone a welcome chance to indulge in self-expression without tremendous fear of loss, and the chance to safely interact with other people of like mind. In this regard, Home is far more than “just a game” — it’s downright therapeutic.
This issue also offers some additional content which we hope you’ll find entertaining and evocative: Terra_Cide, HSM’s editor, offers up her ruminations on watching the final Space Shuttle launch via LOOT’s EOD technology in virtual reality, and also takes a look at the sexualization of female attire in Home. Gideon, from HairBrained Ideas, looks at Zynga’s IPO and contrasts it to Home’s business model. General SealWyf, from the Homeling Collective, discusses the loss of the original protein-folding team to a hostile takeover, and how the Homelings regrouped, rebounded and surpassed their original efforts. Burbie52, head of the Grey Gamers, spotlights Club VIP (Very Important Pixels) in the latest installment of the Home Athletes column. Orion_NGC1976 examines the therapeutic benefits of social interaction in virtual reality, while Danger_Dad looks at how Home, as a virtual representation of society, differs in some interesting ways from real life. There’s also an interview with David Hamblin and Simon Brislin, the creators of Scribble Shooter, about what went into designing such a unique game.
We also offer two very special treats with this issue:
First, courtesy of SORROW-83 and her team in France, we get to present you with “Home City 2: Vengeance Dreams” — a thoroughly entertaining and well-produced comic strip! I can only imagine how much time and energy went into putting it together and then translating it into English, and we’re flattered to be able to bring their work to a larger audience.
And second…who wants codes!? We’ve got some Sodium2 Pilot codes and even a couple of Silicon Lounge redemption codes hidden in this issue of HSM! The codes are single-use only, so the first person who finds them and uses them is the winner. However, to make it more of a challenge, we created a series of games which you have to complete in order to discover the right code and unlock the swag. Many thanks to MJG74, our art director, for creating these games — we hope you enjoy them!
Issue #7 took a lot of time and energy to put together, and we believe you’ll enjoy the wide cross-section of stories we’ve assembled for you here. HSM focuses first and foremost on Home’s social issues and an examination of Home as a virtual society, and we hope that our magazine, in some way, helps improve your enjoyment and understanding of this wonderful place we all call Home. If we have done that much, then we have done our jobs.
From all of us at HomeStation Magazine, thank you for coming along with us on this ride.
Mahalo nui loa,
NorseGamer
Editor-in-Chief, HSM
Fantastic Can’t wait to see it! Great cover art
I’m anxious to see this. Also, helps that there will be hidden codes for Silicon Lounge & Sodium 2 starter packs within it
hehe! this time, i hope i will be more speedest to find codes!!!^^
i love when you put rewards on your magazine, its a very good idea, and i suggest you to put one reward at each next issue!^^ ( i cross my fingers!).
Sorrow! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for the time and effort put into Home City ! I LOVED EVERY PAGE(even the one printed twice)…KUDOS TO YOU MADAMOISELLE!
One correction from our friends at Lockwood: the Sodium2 starter packs are actually codes for Sodium2 Pilot outfits (which are, we admit, pretty snazzy). However, we *do* have Silicon Lounge redemption codes up for grabs as well, and this time we’ve put a couple of games into the issue in order to make it a bit more of a challenge!
Keep an eye out for Issue #7…it’s almost here!
this is my first time on here and i’m very impressed
Rick…I’m new here too…You should do what I did to really get a feel for what’s done Home wise by digging through the archives issue and podcast both!…I have loved each and every minute of it !!!
welcome rickpro….please tell your friends to come by and read and comment.
thank you, Susan for the warm welcome .. i was referred to this site by a wonderful friend named Awe2nice.. i usually spend alot of time on pshome as an escape from the ‘real world’. i’ve been a pshome ‘resident’ since october of last year. This website ..out of all the ones out there, is very simple and straightforward, and i like that. i look forward to more correspondence and have bookmarked this website as well.. thank you again.
Can’t wait!
This edition is going to rock!!!
when can we see this issue? YAY im so ready to read WOOT!!!!!
lol hi ric lol ily bro this zene is awesome
Great job people. I did the cross word and redeemed a code successfully but only got the FEMALE pilot outfit. Am i missing something or is this by design?
Since each code can only be redeemed once here is the code i used.
C9JB -- 49NK -- FGME
i particulary appreciate the article on gays users! Bravo!
and i have some pics of loot EOD!^^
long life to HSM!
Another wonderful issue.
Agreed! Even though my changes for a code are looking quite slim, the read was certainly worth the wait. Awesome work!!
I think I tried too many different codes for today, so that I got an error code xD Whatever, this issue is great, once again. I liked the adventures of Mr Drake at the beach
Great job as usual guys. Mike did an outstanding job this time on the layout! Loved it. Cheeks thanks for tackling a hard subject with such finesse, good job there. Can’t wait to see the next issue!
Don’t tell anyone, but I actually starting reading the articles and couldn’t stop. My plan was to go for the code first but oddly enough, the code was second in my mind once I began reading the articles….I know, I’m a moron lol
Seriously, great work everyone!!!
Was really hoping for the Silicon space code but met my limit of failed attempts. Damn error 80023156. Thanks for the pilot outfit though, even if it was for female avi. More than anything i really want to give special thanks for addressing the issue in your article about gays in home. Awesome work.
Was curious if it is posted when codes have been redeemed and prizes become unavailable? Just so someone doesn’t spent time trying to get them if they have already been claimed. We know at least one prize has by BONZO’s comment.
Great issue, folks! The cover story is among the best articles I’ve seen in HSM (big ups to Cheeky).
I’ve always wondered about some of the negative interactions I’ve witnessed (in real life as well as in Home) with someone who may be gay – they receive ridicule or hateful diatribes (and, sometimes, violence) for their lifestyle, but a dude wearing tight red or gold pantaloons who grabs and tackles other men to the ground gets a cheer and a pat on the back…so long as he’s also wearing a team jersey to go with said pants. Seems like an odd double standard to me, and is no more than some strange form of tribalism at its worst. At times, humans have a propensity to tear down what they fear and fear what they don’t understand. Perhaps we’ll grow up someday.
As pointed out in the article we Homelings do attract a lot of negative comments due to our somewhat strange appearance. I’ve always thought this somewhat odd, as an avatar walking by dressed in a flowing lava suit or a transforming mech never gets an odd glance. While such boorish interactions can certainly dampen one’s fun at times, I also know that these occurrences have enlightened some of our Collective as they see first hand what blind and blatant intolerance is like; in turn they may take that lesson and apply it to their own lives and, perhaps, become more tolerant of other’s differences themselves.
Again, great issue everyone…from the layout and art direction to each individual piece, its quite a good read. And a Goldwater quote as the lead in at the top of the page to boot! My amazement never ceases.
Bonzo -- If you weren’t wanting the Female outfit then why even solve that code when someone who wanted it and would use it like myself could have had it. Seems like a real waste just so you can say you won something.
Sweetie i’m sorry if i overlooked something, and perhaps you read something i didn’t but i didn’t see that code identified anywhere as male or female. I just redeemed the code and the female pilot outfit is what i got. I didn’t want the female pilot outfit i would have preferred the male outfit, but i didn’t see an option to pick which one to get.
It did say on the page what code each one was for.
Just frustrated to have spent all the time trying to solve the codes and to hear someone not be excited about what they won.
Maybe I am looking at a different magazine but I am on page 82 at the crossword puzzle and i don’t see code 1 is male and code 2 is female. Sorry for your frustration but that is the nature of the beast with these kind of contests. I took just as much time trying to solve the codes. I tried the first and it was gone tried the second and got something. I would have loved the personal space but my chances of that are gone now as I can not try any more codes since I’m locked out for a day. Congrats to who ever solved it, and I am grateful for the freebie, sorry I am not as excited as you would have been.
It actually does say : “Male Sodium 2 starter kit:” (then lists the code) then: “Female Sodium 2 starter kit” (then lists the 2nd code) on page 82. But if you’re anything like me, I’m having trouble figuring out how to zoom in on pages, which makes it hard to see some of the print. So it’s understandable how it could be over looked.
JUST A NOTE TO THE EDITORS. I just opened the flash page as I downloaded the PDF rather than view the flash version. The flash version does say male and female. PDF version does NOT. Moot point anyway as the code has been redeemed and it is pointless to argue the point further, but in MY defense PDF version doesn’t state what gender the codes were for.
This issue is wonderbar! Great work HSM team!
I just love the magazine guys you all do a great job here and the Nathan drake was awesome I couldn’t get a code but I’m glad I had time to look at this wow we have come a long way thanks HSM:)
I wish I would have known about the 3 attempts rule when entering codes! I spent hours last night (and some time this morning) trying code after code… I thought the error I got meant it wasn’t a valid code. lol (Although I am wondering if I will ever be able to redeem a code again, as even my first tries were met with an error this morning. Hopefully it’s just a 24 hour thing!)
Well, now that I know I can’t enter codes anymore, time to read the articles! Definitely LOTS of content there!
The cover story for issue 7 covers a topic that I do hold a special place for on a personal level.
I have many friends -- both offline and online -- who are members of the LGBT community. I also have family members – cousins, who also happen to be siblings – who are gay and lesbian. One of them was even committed to a mental hospital in her twenties because it was generally thought that something was “wrong” with her. She is now nearly 50 and is a much happier person, living an “out” life with her partner.
About the same time I had just given birth to my son, the topic of same-sex marriage came up here in Maine. The legislature approved it, and then Governor Baldacci signed it into law, but unfortunately it was voted against in a people’s veto that fall.
This really made me stop and think about the question on a personal level. What if my own child was gay? Would I love that tiny baby that I was holding in my arms at that time any less than I did in that moment because of whom he chose to spend his life with and give his heart to? The idea seemed preposterous to me then as it still does to this day. It saddens me greatly to think that any parent would love their child less because they were gay. It truly breaks my heart.
As a parent editing Cheeky’s interview with Darksided, I had to stop and restart several times whenever I got to the part in his story where he talks of his brother’s suicide, simply because every time I got to that point in the article, I’d be overcome with emotion at the thought of losing a child in that manner. Even as I’m typing this now, it gets me.
Sure, currently online, there is still intolerance – hell, Home (for example) is still has its share of misogyny and racism, not just homophobia – but I can confidently tell you that for people like my friend Gia -- a late in life male to female transsexual -- the virtual world is a far more accepting one than the real one she lives in.
Home and other online communities give me hope that someday, these outdated modes of thought will be a thing of the past. “Coming out” will no longer be something to do or announce to the media, because there will be nothing to “come out” about. It will simply “be.”
Thank you very much to have published in this prestigious magazine, Home City 2, that I created with Sorrow-83.
Soon for the 2nd part^^
I too read the Article about Home’s LGBT community with great interest Because Of the implications that being so has on just living happily and less out of fear…Being able to live a Happy and fulfilling life should ALWAYS mean that you are accepted for who you are NO MATTER your orientation!! Being attacted to Women…Men or Pink and Purple People Eaters with Polka Dots and Red Stripes! IT’S ALL GOOD!