"Trans-Sansara Causeway" Project In Development

 

According to Daniel Voyager, there's a new Mainland project in development. 

 

There is a new construction project in Second Life known as the “Trans-Sansara Causeway” which will connect Bay City to Sansara’s existing road network. It’s expected there will be a new road route which will connect the southern Bay City region (not yet confirmed) to the Mavericks and Pomponio regions.

 

 Daniel's article stated four sims just to the south west of Abbot's Areodrome, and several sims south of Luskwood and southeast of Bay City, Ceto, Thetis, Aptos, Tomales and Swanton, are new and "currently under development and new construction work will start very soon."

 

This planned roadway may be part of the "renewed focus for Mainland" Linden Lab was talking about during their announcement several days ago when they canceled their earlier plan to dissolve the small Gaeta 1 continent. 

 

It should be noted there's a nine sim sandbox to the south, the SLua Sandbox. This probably doesn't have anything to do with the construction plans, but it is another build by the Linden Department of Public Works. 

 

Sansara is the largest of the Mainland continents, with the Second Life wiki listing it as having almost a thousand sims. The western end has Bay City and several "Old World" areas such as Luskwood, Abotts Areodrome, the Natoma Sandbox, and others.

 

More information when it becomes available.  

 

Hat tip: Daniel Voyager  

 

Bixyl Shuftan

 

Press Release: Virtual Ability Thanks Linden Lab, Announcing: Wheelchair Design Contest

 

On behalf of the Virtual Ability community, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to Linden Lab for their generous L$250,000 donation announced at the recent SL23B Golden Ticket Giveaway event.

Since 2007, Virtual Ability® has been a peer support community helping people with a wide range of disabilities thrive in Second Life. One of Virtual Ability's core values is giving back to the Second Life community. We are delighted to announce that we will pay Linden Lab's generosity forward and use their donation to fund Mobility Without Limits, a contest to create original virtual wheelchairs for use in Second Life. By funding prizes that will go directly to Second Life creators, we hope to help strengthen the broader virtual world community while expanding the range of mobility options available to residents.

This contest will invite Second Life creators to design innovative, full-permission wheelchairs that enhance mobility, self-expression and roleplay for residents. A total of L$250,000 in prize money will be awarded across several categories, including:

•           Everyday Mobility
•           Racing and Sports
•           Fantasy and Sci-Fi
•           Mobility for Every Avatar, featuring wheelchairs designed for tinies and other non-standard avatars

Additional details about Virtual Ability’s wheelchair contest Mobility Without Limits will be announced soon. We look forward to seeing the creativity this contest inspires. If you have any questions, please contact Eme Capalini.

Virtual Ability's Second Life community is supported behind the scenes by our real-world nonprofit organization, Virtual Ability, Inc., a 501(c)3 charitable organization. To learn more about our work, please visit https://www.virtualability.org

Once again, thank you to Linden Lab for their generous support and for recognizing the work Virtual Ability has done to help make Second Life more welcoming and accessible for everyone. We are honored to be part of this remarkable virtual world.

Gentle Heron
President, Virtual Ability, Inc.

 

EOTB: "Last Call" For Ten Last Names For Residents

It's been two months since Linden Lab brought back last names, at least as an option, for newer avatars. But reaction to them was somewhat mixed. Obviously, some were less popular than others. And on Tuesday, Linden Lab announced ten of the surnames would soon be retired, and replaced.

We have been very pleased to see the response to the return of last names back in April. The response thus far has been mostly positive, with some residents opting to wait for names that feel more personal to them.  

Much as we did with the original legacy surnames, we plan to update and change the available last names regularly. That way, a good variety of first and last name combinations are available at any given moment. We are taking a number of factors into consideration on making the decision about when to change up the names, most importantly how popular, or unpopular, a name is. 

Today, we are announcing the retirement of some of the last names from the first round.

So on Thursday June 25, ten names will no longer be available for residents as options when getting a last name or changing their existing one: Alpaca, Covfefe, Damballar, Float, Jazzhands, Mainsail, Nimble, Piggins, Plumday, and Yeetly. Those whom already have them or get them in time of course get to keep them.

The ten new surnames that will replace the old have yet to be announced.

For more information, check the blog post here.

EOTB: Applications Now Open For SLB "Shop and Hop"

The Second Life Birthday is getting closer. And on the official blog a couple days ago, Linden Lab made a call for merchants to sign up for the shopping event, the "Shop and Hop."

Our annual multi-region inworld birthday shopping event is coming back this summer -- and we’ve just opened up the new application form for merchants who want to participate!  

The SL17B Shop & Hop event, to be held June 19 through July 12, is the official multi-region shopping event of the 17th annual Second Life birthday celebration (SL17B). This event brings together many of the top merchants across SL for exclusive items and discounts on some of the best creations in Second Life. 

Are you a merchant or creator that wants to participate? If so, then please fill out this form before Monday, June 8th, 2020. We will be filling in stores as we receive applications so please apply sooner rather than later.

As stated, sellers wishing to take part need to fill out this application form and send it in, the deadline being Monday June 8. Those taking part will be required to have a twenty percent discount on all items at the event, no clearly adult items are permitted, and stores should not be completely full of gacha items. Participants are also "strongly encouraged" to have a new item exclusive to the event that will no longer be available after the conclusion. Gacha reselling will not be permitted at any of the stores.

Merchants will have from June 10 to 15 to set up their stores at the designated area.

The announcement also had a "last call" for those wishing to take part for exhibitors, which originally had until May 18 to apply. So it seems there's still some exhibitor plots available.

The Second Life Birthday starts on Friday June 19

Source: Linden Blog

Bixyl Shuftan

Linden Lab Announces "Limited Availability" of New Private Sims

With Second Life's userbase increasing in recent months, most certainly mainly due to the Coronavirus quarantines, it was probably expected that there would be an increased demand for sims by the residents. On May 10, someone posted in the Virtualverse forums that the number of private sims had increased by 361 since March 30. Tyche Shepherd seems to be on hiatus, so we don't have his reports to go by.

With numbers like this when the number of private sims usually goes up or down by less than a tenth that, perhaps it should be no surprise to hear the latest announcement by the Lab. Yesterday on Thursday May 14, Linden Lab announced that it could no longer guarantee a new full private sim to someone who wanted one.

Due to the ongoing public health crisis, we’ve experienced an unprecedented surge in demand for new Second Life regions. While we are thrilled by the heightened interest, the increased demand has consumed our available inventory of full regions (there are still many parcels available on existing regions, both on the mainland and from private estates).  

We are committed to maintaining (and improving) the stability and performance of Second Life. So while we are very gratified that we can be of help to people in these trying times, unfortunately, our current server systems cannot accommodate unlimited growth without adversely impacting that stability and performance. This means that region inventory in Second Life will be extremely limited and may not be readily available until early fall.

The Lab stated that one reason for the inability to handle the increased load was their transitioning from their current servers to cloud ones, which hasn't been finished yet, "As a result, we are in the unfortunate position of hitting the maximum capacity of our “old” servers until the “new” cloud servers are fully operational."

While the Lab stated new sims will be made available as old ones are closed, this limited availability will continue until the new cloud servers are fully operational, which they guess will be "early fall." In the meantime, Linden Lab suggested alternatives to full private sims, such as land on the mainland, or renting from an estate owner.

So far, as of the writing of this article, there have been just a few reactions in the official blog and Virtualverse. But they have been positive ones.

Will the demand for new sims continue to outpace supply, or as the US and other nations relax restrictions imposed due to the Coronavirus, will demand drop? Time will tell.

Sources: Linden blog, Virtualverse, BBC

Bixyl Shuftan

Linden Lab Raising Price of Premium Accounts, Reducing Group Capacity in Basic Accounts

Yesterday on Wednesday May 29, Linden Lab announced "Land Price Reductions, New Premium Perks, and Pricing Changes." But it's the "Pricing Changes" that are getting most of the attention plus The "Premium and Basic Account Changes."

The Lab announced "the difficult decision to make our first Premium price increase in over a decade." Their monthly rate was going up by over 25% from $9.50 USD a month to $11.99. Their quarterly rate was going up by almost 50% from $22.50 every three months to $32.97. And their yearly rate was going up by almost 40% from $72 a year to $99.

The Lab did say on June 3 they would be offering a "limited time offer" until June 24 for Premium account residents to renew at the old rate for one more cycle, including for those being billed monthly to switch to quarterly or annually and for those billed monthly to go quarterly. For basic accounts going Premium, being billed quarterly would no longer be an option. That option would remain only for existing Premium accounts.

Linden Lab was also increasing the credit processing fee for selling Linden dollars to Paypal and Skrill accounts from 2.5% per transaction to 5% (with a minimum fee of $3). In Nov 2017, it was raised from 1.5% to 2.5%. The Lab gave "increased regulatory and compliance costs" as the reason.

The good news for Premium account residents, Linden Lab announced that effective June 24, their group limit would rise from 60 to 70. The number of stored offline IMs would rise from 50 to 80. Unfortunately, Basic account residents would be taking a hit. Their group limit would be cut from 42 to 35, and their stored offline IMs would go down from 25 to 15.

This is the first time that group capacity for residents has been trimmed back. In October 2010, the limit for all accounts was raised from 25 to 40. In January 2011 it was raised to 42. In June 2015, it was raised to 60 for Premium residents, with regular ones still having a limit at 42.

The best news was for landowners. Linden Lab announced that the tier for full sims was going down again, effective June 3. For most, it would be from $249 USD to $229. The rate for grandfathered, or "bought-down", sims was also being cut, from $195 USD to $179. The $30 fee to add to the prim limit was unchanged.

The residents were quick to react, numerous comments in two threads in the Discussion Forums, "$99 Problems," and "What Are Your Opinions ..." There's also one in VR Universe. Needless to say, there were many expressing disappointment and anger, with accusations the Lab was acting out of greed.

For the blog post in full, Click Here.

Reminder: One Billion Rising, Hug A Linden Today

Today, two big events are taking place in Second Life. One is the One Billion Rising. Part of a worldwide demonstration in support of womens' rights, the event is taking place all day until Midnight SL time tonight. It is at four sims, OBR Dance, OBR Rise, OBR Resist, and OBR Unite.

"We're really excited to be supporting the world-wide event of One Billion Rising with our special 24 hour event in Second Life," Saffia Widdershins, whom is one of the women at the event, told me, "It's an event that men and women from around the world can attend, even if they can't attend a local event in the real world. One Billion Rising in Second LIfe has now been running since 2013 and this year we are once again occupying 4 regions, with amazing art works, a huge central stage, and separate theatres for poetry and dance events.

"This year, we are particularly celebrate the two Nobel Peace Prize winners for 2018, Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad, who were awarded the Prize “for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict”. We're doing this with a special pavilion in their honour, with information about their inspiring work. And this year's Rose Challenge is also a celebration of their work.

"All around the four regions of One Billion Rising, our region designers have set out lovely white rose bushes (kindly donated by Lilith Heart of Heart Botanicals). You might find them spread across the corner parks, the landscaped spaces between the art installations and the central stage, and in the #MeToo Forest. We are asking you to travel around the regions and count the number of white rose bushes (not white roses) that you find. Then post that number by clicking on the mailbox that you will find at each of the landing areas at OBR Dance, OBR Unite, OBR Rise and OBR Resist. A box will open where you can post your number – your name will be automatically recorded."



(Click here if the video does not play)

* * * * *

Also today is the Linden Lab Valentines Day event, "Hug a Linden, Dunk a Linden." You can get there by heading to Isle of View 2 (84/79/107), or from it's entrance in Portal Park, which is now open.

The Lindens themselves will be there from 10am-12pm SL time, at both the hugging booths and dunking booths. But before and after regular residents can have some fun of their own their themselves. But people can ride the swan boats, walk around the sims, or buy a gift for a friend any time.

See you at the events.

Bixyl Shuftan

Valentine Town and Isle of View

Valentines Day is this week. Among the places to go in the theme of the holiday about love and romance, two of the best known are Valentine Town and the Isle of View. Valentine Town appears only at this time of year in the Townies sim, owned and designed by Laura Liberty. The Isle of View was designed and made by Linden Lab's moles, and run by Linden Lab. Gemma Cleanslate and Deaflegacy gave the places a visit, and here's what they wrote about them.

Read Gemma and Deaflegacy's article in Places.

New Starter Avatars by Linden Lab

On Wednesday January 30, Linden Lab announced on their blog that they had released some new starter avatars. While made for newcomers, these are accessible to everyone. Half males and half females, the avatars have a variety of appearances, such as age, skin tone, clothes, and accessories.

Some Residents have noticed that we’ve added a new group of classic, system  “starter avatars” to the mix this week - a more mature couple in formal apparel, a groovy guy and gal, a pair of grunged-out music lovers, and some well accessorized, fashion-forward folks (because there is no better addition to any outfit than a pet!). While the last few batches of new starters have focused on Fantasy themes, this round we wanted to add some updated humanoid styles for new Residents to select from. Each avatar has been created utilizing some of the latest features in Second Life such as Bento - and have also been created with a focus on optimization to keep the avatar complexity below 30,000 (with most coming in around 10,000- 20,000).

Most things about the avatars are no-modify, although the shapes are. Inara Pey reports that they also lack an AO, which gives them the "duck walk" some residents dislike. 

There's also a forum thread for commenting about the avatars, which a number of people have done already.

Source: Linden Lab, Modem World