Chat About Owning Sim

[dalocogamer]

Ohla everyone! My SL experiance is coming full circle and its the time to think about owning a sim. So lets chat about owning a sim. I like to hear what others have to say. 

My time here in SL I know about griefers and how folks try to handle it. I also know how much it would cost to buy a whole sim. My absolut favorit theme from a sim I visited was a small town. It felt hommie and great. If I end up making the big leap of faith to owning a sim I know I would want to creat this theme. 

[iCade]

What exactly is it that you want to talk about? What it's like owning a sim? What theme to go for?

And I recommend buying a sim from someone, and not directly Linden Labs. There's a forum section dedicated to buying and selling full regions. That will save you the thousand dollar set up fee.

[dalocogamer]

Oh I got many things to ask and many more topics to start about this. This thought has been on my mind more offten then others. Making a place grow. 

Trying to stay on the track to get attion and to get folks to come over. Having a idea, land, and group cant alone make a place grow. Hosting events and other things. Spreading the word to everyone you can. 

[Profaitchikenz Haiku]

Be prepared to get annoyed from time to time with visitors who drop in, can't be bothered to read any guidance notes you've placed at the arrival spots, and then insult you when you ask them to stop doing things which are annoying yourself or others. There is a mindset in some visitors that SL is an open game where they can do anything they want. I'm not talking about griefers here, just about people who don't own sims themselves, and can't be bothered to appreciate the effort and expenditure put in by those who do.

That said, I have to say running your own island is a wonderful experience, far more satisfying than having a chunk of mainland. if you can justify the monthly tier, then do it. If you can get a couple of friends to help you with the builds and running the group, plus thinking up things to give people to do when they arrive for a look around, you'll find there is a synergy that you'll miss if you are a solitary owner-builder.

Getting people to come and visit you is best done by carefully wording your landmark text and then paying the weekly fee to have the sim listed in search. Without that, you'll be sitting in a desert counting mirages.

[dalocogamer]

I admit at times I dont read all the guidance once I visit a sim. And feel like I am getting the rubb off when I believe someone who has been a regular gets on to me. In my experiance I get so excited to go visit a place and just want to look around before I do anything else. Now I know better after being on SL for awhile. Experiance is better when you read the notecards they set in the landing area. 

[iCade]

First off, you will have to decide what your sim will be about. A club? A hangout? A roleplay sim?

Then start planning. Do you want to offer merchant stalls to offset some of your cost? Think about ways you can gain back some of the money you put in.
Though don't expect that to be a large amount, especially when your sim will be a club sim. I haven't seen a club in SL thus far that can cover all their expenses nevermind make a profit.

Then comes the really hard part. Finding dedicated folks to help you build your sim, draw in people, manage it and so on and so forth. It's a lot of work to begin with and will only become more work once your sim takes off and becomes popular. Depending on the nature of your sim you should pay them a wage, unless they're volunteers.

Once you've made up your mind on what you want, you could post in the wanted section to search for people who'd make your project become true.

I'd love to hear your ideas, or even help you decide and some such, and perhaps, if you're deciding on something that tickles my interests I'd volunteer to help you out in any way possible. Either way, good luck with your endavour, and I'm excited for you^^

[Christin73]

Be prepared to spend ALOT of time and ALOT of money. Even a small sim is alot of work to build. There are people that you can pay to build it for you but why pay someone when you can do it yourself. Also be prepared for non use. One thing I have noticed is alot of good sims not being used. Its sad to see that when someone works realy hard on something like that for it to not be used. But, If you do it right and have a decent sized friends list you sould get some visiters. 

[Sean Heying]

A region (we don't call them sims anymore) is US$1000 to buy new and US$295 per month tier on top. Cheaper on the used market, going price is from $300 to $400, sometimes less if you can beat the "buzzard" but you will still get that US$295 per month charge and it can't/won't be delayed.

But maybe for a beginning to rent is a better option and lets you walk away should your plans fail.

You can also rent by the week from someone like Anshe or any of her shadow comapnies for around L$88,000 per month. Now, if you buy on limit at 257 that means.... US$342 minimum per month.

Or you can rent a homestead and start there. Which I did when they were 1900 prims. 

Honestly, if you do this but won't bite the bullet, pick a smaller person and stay away from Anshe as she is not flexible. Talk to your estate agent about maybe buying the region off him at market prices plus transfer down the road.

You can get a homestead and it can be good at only US$120-US$150 or so per month, but your build will need to be trimmed, doing a region with 3750 land impact is hard.

Then on top you will need to decorate, build and possibly hire people.

 

It can be rewarding. You will meet a lot of people, you will spend a tonne of money, but it can be rewarding (or heartbreaking)

 

I might sound like I'm trying to talk you out of this, but I've never regretted any of my many regions over the years. Well, outside Linden sillyness, but you end up looking away from that to stay sane. If you have the drive and are willing to keep working up through the ranks of land "ownership (hahaha)" you ca doit.

Happy to talk! Either here or in world. *points to his name*

 

((lots of edits to counter tiredness, a bad keyboard, typonese and forgetting to put US in front of the $ signs so they can't be mistaken as linden dollars))

Start with a homestead from a smaller estate agent would be my suggestion! I was going to put in a free ad there for my brother, shouldn't do that, but if you want a good estate agent... *coughs* and chops his fingers off so he can't type it.

[iCade]

Good Info Sean. And to clarify, to actually buy and own a homestead, you need to already own a full prim sim as per LL. So if you'd like to start with a homestead, the only way to go is to rent one. I've had very good experience with Blue Islands when I had my own homestead. The co-owner is still a friend of mine and she's incredibly helpful. They've also been around for long, costumer service is great. I trust them, for what it's worth to you.

I agree that starting with a homestead is the way to go here, the only difference to actually owning a full regions are:

* Full Regions have 15.000 available Prims // Homesteads have 3.750 available Prims

* Full Regions can support up to 100 avatars at once // Homesteads can support only up to 20 avatars at once.

* You are renting the homstead instead of owning it. Most rentals will grant you estate manager rights however to enable you to change ground textures, restart your homestead etc.

Homesteads have the same size as full prim sim. The only downside I can think of is that it only supports up to 20 avatars at once. So if your place becomes popular, a lot of people might find themselves locked out because the sim is full.

 

 

Friendly warning, if you decide to open up a club, do NOT go for a homestead!!! Homesteads are great for roleplaying sims, or hangouts, but they're simply NOT made nor meant to be for clubs!

[dalocogamer]

Sean

Thanks for all that information Sean. I did read the whole post. I have thought about what I want to rent. I am going to start small with a 1/4 sim from a renter. Just to start small and grow if it has the potential.

iCade

I have been writing down thoughts and ideas about how to make a small amount back. I do know I am wanting to make a RP sim. My theme is going to be something of interest to me. I did some thinking and found I really like the small town feel. This is something I know I will back 100%. 

 

The great thing about SL we can make things our selves and there is no better feeling than knowing we can do this. Of course if you get really good at making a particular thing you can sell off your skill for it. I do find that this community has a great amount of users who like to help. I am thankful that so many help and are posting about my topic.