Creation of new land -Land is not, necessarly, free. But is virtual space? Can we extend the SL map?

[LeoVanArchie]

(First of all, I must apologize if such thread already exists. I must deeply apologize)

Im fairly new to SL and I was, at this point, looking for threads about free land. Since it is difficult to find free land, I started to wonder if it was possible to extend the SL map (ie.: program new land on 'free space').

Under the assumption that the SL map is owned by Linden Research, Inc and it is housed on their servers, I would assume that 3D space for new land would not need to be paid to a specific SL user (a user outside of Linden Research, Inc).

Is the SL map 'frozen' or can it be extend by a SL user? If it can be extended, to who this new 3D space for land creation purpose must be paid?

 

Thank you for taking the time to help me :)

[Perrie Juran]

---

LeoVanArchie wrote:

(First of all, I must apologize if such thread already exists. I must deeply apologize)

Im fairly new to SL and I was, at this point, looking for threads about free land. Since it is difficult to find free land, I started to wonder if it was possible to extend the SL map (ie.: program new land on 'free space').

Under the assumption that the SL map is owned by

Linden Research, Inc

and it is housed on their servers, I would assume that 3D space for new land would not need to be paid to a specific SL user (a user outside of

Linden Research, Inc

).

Is the SL map 'frozen' or can it be extend by a SL user? If it can be extended, to who this new 3D space for land creation purpose must be paid?

 

Thank you for taking the time to help me

---

The Map, actually the correct terminolgy in what you are talking about, "The Grid," belongs to LL.

There is no way for a user to extend or attach to it.  To attach your own Grid to it would require permission from LL and I seriously doubt that they would allow this.

What you are wanting to do can be done at other places on The Hypergrid but LL keeps SL walled off from the rest of the Hypergrid.

[Qie Niangao]

Yeah, but I'm not completely sure that's the question.

Anybody can pay Linden Research Inc to set up a new region on empty spaces of the grid. It's not necessary to buy an existing region from another user.

The currently defined grid is very, very large, and most of it is not available for adding regions; nonetheless, the portion of the grid to which new regions can be added is itself very large.

Even if one decides to buy an existing region from another user, if it's a real transfer, Lindens will need to get involved and a transfer fee paid (by somebody, usually the seller). For an additional fee, a region can be moved to a new location on the grid, with or without changing ownership.

This knowledge base article may be of interest.

[Perrie Juran]

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Qie Niangao wrote:

Yeah, but I'm not completely sure that's the question.

Anybody can pay Linden Research Inc to set up a new region on empty spaces of the grid. It's not necessary to buy an existing region from another user.

The currently defined grid is very, very large, and most of it is not available for adding regions; nonetheless, the portion of the grid to which new regions can be added is itself very large.

Even if one decides to buy an existing region from another user, if it's a real transfer, Lindens will need to get involved and a transfer fee paid (by somebody, usually the seller). For an additional fee, a region can be moved to a new location on the grid, with or without changing ownership.

This knowledge base article

may be of interest.

---

I wasn't completely sure either.  Because he said he was looking for "free land" I assumed he knew about Land for sale and also there was his comment about "extending the map."  His title/header for this to me reads like he is wanting to place his own region/simulator on the SL grid. 

Fun stuff sometimes deciphering.

 

[Amethyst Jetaime]

You can live happily in SL without money by finding freebies but the one thing you must pay for is land either to LL, a landlord that rents or a private estate owner.  There is no such thing as free land in SL.

I suppose you could mooch off a friend that has a lot of land that would let you live on some of it for free but don't count on it or expect it to last long.

 

[LeoVanArchie]

Ok. I think im clear on this subject. If we make an analogy, the LL grid is a country or nation, where its land is either own by LL, or by SL users that previously bought or acquired their land from LL. And is LL who owns the right to extend or expand their grid when such necessity arises.

Now, to close the topic, if I wanted to buy a land with an area of (x) to build my own home, on average, what would be the cheaper solution? Buying that area of land from LL, or from a private estate owner?

 

Thank you very much for all of your quick and objective responses.

[Qie Niangao]

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Now, to close the topic, if I wanted to buy a land with an area of (x) to build my own home, on average, what would be the cheaper solution? Buying that area of land from LL, or from a private estate owner?

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Such a simple question, with an absurdly complicated answer.

To grossly oversimplify: An ordinary full region (a "sim", or 256m x 256m of virtual land) requires a monthly payment to Linden Lab of US$195 if Mainland, or US$295 if a private Estate.

For this reason, the up-front "purchase" price of Mainland is generally higher; indeed, one can often "buy" a parcel of land from a private Estate for just the first week's or month's fee.

One of many ways this gets more complicated is that, to own Mainland yourself, you must be a Premium member. (This sounds like a big deal, but in fact a premium membership comes with a weekly stipend, and an annual membership works out to about US$1 per month net of that stipend. Still, you have to pony-up US$72 for that membership.)

There are a bewildering array of ways to have your own land, but I'd personally recommend starting by renting from a Mainland landlord. I'm not suggesting that this is what you'll want to do long-term, and it's very important that you understand that there are many other options with very different advantages and disadvantages. The thing about a Mainland rental is that it can be quite inexpensive and of flexible duration -- as you'll almost certainly change your mind later, no matter what you choose first.

Renting on an Estate is very similar, but generally somewhat more expensive because of the different monthly fees paid to LL.

Even simpler is a Linden Home, but that does require Premium membership, and it omits a lot of the land experience (both good and bad).

[EDIT: Oh, gee, I'm not sure the above is even germane to the question. I mean, if one wanted to buy a complete region, it is possible to buy either an Estate or a Mainland region from either Linden Lab or a private party (although full Mainland regions are rarely available, especially from the Lab directly). Full Estate regions can be bought full-transfer from private parties at a discount below the setup fees the Lab charges, but I'm not sure how common that is now. Regardless, those up-front costs soon wane in significance compared to the grinding fees, month after month.]

[Energy Metaluna]

in light of that, i hate to say it but homestead and openspace would be a good alternative if they ever wanted more population and wanted more people to buy land, then there is zomg*, zomg2** and "zomg really?"***

(zomg, article 1 will now referance something below, all asterisks are desinded to steal your soul, you agree to this be being born)

 

OpenSpace has major limitations, it has no no no no and NO and some more NO attached to it making you "hook and sinker" want a homestead instead

 

article of zomg(s) 1-3

* you must first have bloated the wallet of another person to be elegable for this option, we have no intention of producing the answers you are REALLY looking for, WHO (and what entities) does the fee go toward and WHY is costs that much lol

 

** if you don't like that massive constrains of "not so much your OpenSpace, your imagination and freedom of mind-2-world plyability" you can pay a higher fee for homestead (read ***)

 

*** if you thought this was available to to everyone think again! if you act now, you can be one of the few elitist who already slapped down a whopping $1,000 U.S.D. and you too can own a lesser piece JUST FOR YOU!!! and ontop of this, you too can KEEP that homestead for $295 U.S.D. a month minus the cost of THAT land piece!!! and if you act now! you could have used another game to have even MORE FUN!!!!

 

(this is strictly a humorious post to a very real issue about people who can/have already made their own land, free, and am asking themselves, WHAT are we paying for, land, or connection? "WHAT" is that fee about, if there is an answer, it is awfully "tucked away from sight" don't ya thing? )

[Qie Niangao]

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Energy Metaluna wrote:

(this is strictly a humorious post to a very real issue about people who can/have already made their own land, free, and am asking themselves, WHAT are we paying for, land, or connection? "WHAT" is that fee about, if there is an answer, it is awfully "tucked away from sight" don't ya thing?

)

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At the risk of taking it too seriously, charges for virtual "land" are to pay for developers and operations staff -- you know, salaries. There are also hosting costs (H/W depreciation, network, power & A/C, etc.) but those probably total less than LL's payroll.

At another level, there's the question of "what do I get for my money?" If the entertainment value isn't there, then one shouldn't pay. (Or, in ever rarer cases, the commercial value of an inworld presence.)

In between these levels, there are wants and wishes related to marketing, pricing, and product design. (E.g., should there even be individually-"owned" homes and land in this virtual world, let alone should it be the main way the service is monetized?) However those decisions are made, somehow SL must deliver enough entertainment value to generate enough revenue to keep the factory running.

[Energy Metaluna]

well, some of that was just being silly but there is not a lot they can do themselves about it, but if they FOUND a way to lower costs, that would be great, but i know they must have like a billion contracts not just for their own servers and what not, plus workers, and then building rent or what not, Gas bill for heating, electrical bill (shutters at how much that must cost LL) lol, still, it would be cool ... lol :smileyembarrassed: