SSP?

[4lice Cerise]

On 5/3/2021 at 3:14 AM, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

@BJoyful

Those spaces are/were reserved for Gaeta II, III and IV, but were never added.  On the SL map website, if you click those empty spaces in certain spots, the empty spots even tell you the names of the three missing Gaeta continents which ought to have been built there.

I kept clicking, then enlisted the help of http://maps.eddyofarrel.com/ (makes it much simpler!), and created this map. Very likely other people made a map like this before, but I never saw anything like it, so here it is:

Edited May 17, 2021 by 4lice Cerise
link url

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

@4lice Cerise

Totally just wow....

Thankyou ever so much for creating this map, I've never actually seen the missing Gaeta's visually like this before, this map may be unique - to the public at least. Maybe @Jack (Linden) has/had a comparable map?

I have known about the mysterious missing Gaeta continents for a long time, from their tell-tale "invisible" locations from the SL map website and I had only imagined their actual shapes. So I'm totally mindblown by this new map, which is absolutely superb!

In fact, I think you should talk to @Juliana Lethdetter as I feel this map deserves to be an exhibit at her SL map museum and completes a missing piece of SL's history, a "what if?" exhibit.

I love how you've coloured the build stages of each continent's expansion too.  From my data sources, Gaeta V was first to be built, beginning on 14th April 2008 and was completed on 25th May 2008.  Then, Gaeta I's first (and only) stage was built on a single day on 4th June 2008 - only two days after I joined SL!.

Then on 15th September 2008, the Lehman Brothers went bankrupt and caused the global financial recession. This also caused a contraction in SL and seems to be why work on Gaeta I's two further missing stages were never added and also why continents Gaeta II, III and IV were never built at all.

Back to your map, we should assume that the perimeter regions around each missing continent were protected water regions, as Gaeta I and Gaeta V were both deliberately built with coastal water regions. Gaeta II seems to have been kidney shaped. Gaeta II is the smallest and has a straight southern coast and Gaeta IV's size seems to be even larger than Gaeta V, which is quite surprising.

Now that we have a complete map of Gaeta I, perhaps @Linden Lab @Derrick Linden @Patch Lindenwould consider completing Gaeta I to its original specification and style? This could be done without creating brand new regions by recycling some of the old Linden Homes Nascera continent(s) regions instead of deleting them. Moving, re-terraforming and renaming these old regions to complete Gaeta I would be an efficient and pleasing thing to do. And link it to Corsica with a north-south sea corridor too!

Gaeta I will be 13 years old on 4th June 2021, please give it a birthday visit - or a "gift" (completion) if you're from LL...

Edited May 18, 2021 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[Fritigern Gothly]

6 hours ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

Now that we have a complete map of Gaeta I, perhaps @Linden Lab @Derrick Linden @Patch Lindenwould consider completing Gaeta I to its original specification and style? This could be done without creating brand new regions by recycling some of the old Linden Homes Nascera continent(s) regions instead of deleting them. Moving, re-terraforming and renaming these old regions to complete Gaeta I would be an efficient and pleasing thing to do. And link it to Corsica with a north-south sea corridor too!

I have seen many suggestions in the past from simple residents like you and me about adding regions to here and to there, but this is the first time I have seen one that suggests recycling regions and simulators rather than create brand new ones and I love it. Why has it taken so long for anyone (including me) to come up with this?

And while we are on the subject of recycling regions, perhaps some can be used to pad parts of Sansara and other continents to add some protected waterways so that people once again can sail/fly/swim/whatever all around those continents without having to navigate a minefield of banlines and blocked passages. Though all in due time of course.

 

Edited May 18, 2021 by Fritigern Gothly

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

I've created a new Gaeta Continents thread so that it doesn't go too off-topic here and interferes with the SSP/Linden Homes theme of this thread.

And one specifically for Jeogeot continent too.

Edited May 18, 2021 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[4lice Cerise]

And now LR…?

North of Gaeta V, beyond the Serena checkerboard (at grid coordinates 1181,1210 to 1195,1207), there's three apparently identical 12-region “islands”, named "LR 141" to "LR 152", then "LR 161" to "LR 172", and then "LR 181" to "LR 192". Each of these three shows 5 terrain types, with varying vegetation and terrain color, and winding lakes/river.

The 12 regions of each “island” are identically arranged almost irregularly, only with rotational symmetry. (And I went down a rabbit hole reading https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyomino…)

The westernmost of these three seems to have been removed recently, as its tiles are flickering in the viewer map and it shows "loading…" with blue ring when clicked, while in the other two clicking gives a red ring and each region shows a fake infohub each (!). As of right now there's a 2-3 people in most of the 24 regions of the two eastern “islands”.

I could not visit. Is this a new thing? What does "LR" stand for? Linden Resort, Linden Retreat, Linden Reclusory…?

Edited May 19, 2021 by 4lice Cerise
typos

[Rolig Loon]

Linden Realms.  You get there from Portal Park.

[4lice Cerise]

This is funny: One of the new regions «first seen» by Tyche Shepherd’s grid survey today, May 16th, is an isolated private estate region at grid coordinates 625,1370 (way to the NW of any Mainland)… its name: Bellisseria… 😏

Edited May 19, 2021 by 4lice Cerise
oops

[Claireschen Hesten]

43 minutes ago, 4lice Cerise said:

I could not visit. Is this a new thing? What does "LR" stand for? Linden Resort, Linden Retreat, Linden Reclusory…?

The regions are for Linden Realms and are only accessible via Portal Park 1 or Portal Park 2. There used to be a copy between Jeogeot and Sansar approximately where Bellisseria is that almost had direct TP well you could TP to all the regions but were instantly ejected from every one and unfortunately made permanently unwelcome from the public access realms

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

On 19th May 2021, I decided go on a very long SL journey - from the most extreme north-eastern region of the connected mainland continents (Gaeta V - Giuseppe) to the most southern connected point, which I identified as being Tully Low at the bottom of Jeogeot. And by using only one vehicle, which was not an aeroplane.

The vehicle I chose was a hovercraft. Good on both land and sea.  And surprisingly fast. Well, at least the one I had was.

Reaching the Blake Sea from Gaeta V was easy and I got distracted by the Blake Sea's and Nautilus' familiar sights and places., I even crossed Satori's east side momentarily to visit the Mole island!  Realising that I was wasting time, I got on with the journey, going down through Satori, to Belllisseria (where I picked up a passenger!) and into Jeogeot and eventually reached Tully Low - six hours after starting from Gaeta V.

Feeling a sense of pride and achievement,  I decided to keep going. I decided to go onwards to the northern-most tip of Heterocera continent, which I identified as Fillip.  And a few hours later, after passing back through Bellisserria and the continents of Sansara and Heterocera, I reached it. Then I went to bed very very late and exhausted. Would I do the journey again? Yes.

Here is my route, which was a bit iffy in places (apologies to parcel owners on Satori and Jeogeot whose lands I might have zipped across quickly...)

Click it a few times to enlarge it.

Edited May 21, 2021 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[Lloyd Overland]

4 hours ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

Yesterday, on 19th May 2021, I decided go on a very long SL journey - from the most extreme north-eastern region of the connected mainland continents (Gaeta V - Giuseppe) to the most southern connected point, which I identified as being Tully Low at the bottom of Jeogeot. And by using only one vehicle, which was not an aeroplane.

That is an epic journey and thanks so much for sharing the details and the map. I love travelling around the grid in one of my boats and exploring, seems like time to get a hovercraft to go even further!

[Abnor Mole]

9 hours ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

Yesterday, on 19th May 2021, I decided go on a very long SL journey - from the most extreme north-eastern region of the connected mainland continents (Gaeta V - Giuseppe) to the most southern connected point, which I identified as being Tully Low at the bottom of Jeogeot. And by using only one vehicle, which was not an aeroplane.

The vehicle I chose was a hovercraft. Good on both land and sea.  And surprisingly fast. Well, at least the one I had was.

Reaching the Blake Sea from Gaeta V was easy and I got distracted by the Blake Sea's and Nautilus' familiar sights and places., I even crossed Satori's east side momentarily to visit the Mole island!  Realising that I was wasting time, I got on with the journey, going down through Satori, Belllisseria (where I picked up a passenger!) and into Jeogeot and eventually reached Tully Low - six hours after starting from Gaeta V.

Feeling a sense of pride and achievement,  I decided to keep going. I decided to go onwards to the northern-most tip of Heterocera continent, which I identified as Fillip.  And a few hours later, I reached it. Then I went to bed very very late and exhausted. Would I do the journey again? Yes.

Here is my route, which was a bit iffy in places (apologies to parcel owners on Satori and Jeogeot whose lands I might have zipped across quickly...)

Click it a few times to enlarge it.

Wow. That is truly impressive. I think we should call doing this "The Full Magellan"

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

1 hour ago, Abnor Mole said:

Wow. That is truly impressive. I think we should call doing this "The Full Magellan"

Thanks! Funnily enough, by coincidence, I passed very close to you yesterday as I was on my way to Jeogeot.. I saw your blue mini map dot while I was travelling through Serpent Hatchery and paused to peek. You were working in SSPE1773 ( I think), one of the block of twelve new Stilt Home regions recently added, filling that hole. 

Edited May 20, 2021 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[Polenth Yue]

The birthday regions (currently still named SL17B as I type this) have a new darker green texture showing on the map. Swamp? Jungle? Placed filled with many mushrooms? Anyway, it's not conclusive proof of anything, but they did use Linden Homes decor for the exhibitor areas last year and it doesn't look like any current housing theme.

[Marisa Starbrook]

On 5/18/2021 at 12:20 PM, Fritigern Gothly said:

I have seen many suggestions in the past from simple residents like you and me about adding regions to here and to there, but this is the first time I have seen one that suggests recycling regions and simulators rather than create brand new ones and I love it. Why has it taken so long for anyone (including me) to come up with this?

And while we are on the subject of recycling regions, perhaps some can be used to pad parts of Sansara and other continents to add some protected waterways so that people once again can sail/fly/swim/whatever all around those continents without having to navigate a minefield of banlines and blocked passages. Though all in due time of course.

 

@Patch Lindenpatiently explained to me 2 years ago about the decision to not recycle the old Linden home continents. At the time, it would take more work to reconfigure the regions than to create them from scratch. 

[Evangeline Arcadia]

The last few islands have gone in which allow a connection between Stilt land and Chalet land. They aren't all showing up on the map yet, you can see part of it. So once it's all finished we'll be able to drive from the west of Stilt land side along the road that runs through all these newer regions over to the chalets (actually from Log land I think as there's a bridge connection to the Stilts and I think that leads to the road than runs all the way through).

 

 

Edited May 23, 2021 by Evangeline Arcadia

[Daniel Voyager]

View from Drumlin Farm previewing the new Stilt regions and the Sea Witch region in the far distance. 

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

Screenshot taken from map on Second Life website, showing the true shapes of the newest islands.

Edited May 24, 2021 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[Daniel Voyager]

Bellisseria continent as of Monday 24th May 2021. It's amazing how much space in the blue void there is south of the log homes and stilt homes for further expansion. The red highlighted area is the latest batch of the new Stilt regions added as talked about above. 

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

Viewed on the world map, I find Bellisseria to be the ugliest and most artificial looking continent compared to the others. None of its coastal shapes or terrain look geologically natural. Even it's darker grass colour is wrong and irritates me.

Bellisseria reminds me of housing developments found on artificial islands built off the United Arab Emirates' coastline, pictured below.

However, Bellisseria has one redeeming feature, it acts as a convenient bridge between Sansara, Jeogeot and Satori, which I am grateful for.

But I do wish Bellisseria had been designed and built more carefully with a more pleasing and natural looking geological appearance that blends with its neighbouring continents, as I feel that it has "spoiled" the overall map.

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[Milk Pixelmaid]

1 hour ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

Viewed on the world map, I find Bellisseria to be the ugliest and most artificial looking continent compared to the others. None of its coastal shapes or terrain look geologically natural. Even it's darker grass colour is wrong and irritates me.

Bellisseria reminds me of housing developments found on artificial islands built off the United Arab Emirates' coastline, pictured below.

However, Bellisseria has one redeeming feature, it acts as a convenient bridge between Sansara, Jeogeot and Satori, which I am grateful for.

But I do wish Bellisseria had been designed and built more carefully with a more pleasing and natural looking geological appearance that blends with its neighbouring continents, as I feel that it has "spoiled" the map.

 

Agree. The first batch of homes had more natural coastlines (trad/boats). The worst of it has to be the squarish islands of stilts.

[Fleur Aurelia]

4 hours ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

Viewed on the world map, I find Bellisseria to be the ugliest and most artificial looking continent compared to the others. None of its coastal shapes or terrain look geologically natural. Even it's darker grass colour is wrong and irritates me.

Bellisseria reminds me of housing developments found on artificial islands built off the United Arab Emirates' coastline, pictured below.

However, Bellisseria has one redeeming feature, it acts as a convenient bridge between Sansara, Jeogeot and Satori, which I am grateful for.

But I do wish Bellisseria had been designed and built more carefully with a more pleasing and natural looking geological appearance that blends with its neighbouring continents, as I feel that it has "spoiled" the map.

 

What an absolutely awful thing to say.

I for one think Bellisseria is absolutely beautiful and I applaud the Moles for their hard work and skills in bringing it all to life. 

I have spent many happy hours in Belli during this very difficult time in the real world and it's been a real blessing for me. 

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

@Fleur AureliaI think you misunderstood my post. I was speaking about Bellisseria only from the world map's view.

[Abnor Mole]

The difference in the way the map looks is due to how we had to adjust our approach to meet the high demand for homes. One option was to try and clone the entire thing (like the original Linden Homes were), but that would have lead to an even more discombobulating arrangement, both on the map and from the eye level perspective with a "Belli 1", "Belli 2", "Belli 3", etc instead of a contiguous continent. (There were other factors too that would have made it not quite as simple a task to do as one might assume unless you have intimate knowledge of "how the sausage gets made" so to speak.)

A compromise was decided upon. We would use clones of templates to fill large areas in order to get homes into the hands of residents quickly, and then knit them together with areas that are live built to fill spaces with unique content like community regions, transitions between themes, shorelines, railroads, larger waterways, etc.

We were always concerned the approach could make those cloned from template areas of Bellisseria feel too "cookie cutter", but we found that from the perspective on the ground, it did not evoke that feeling. Only when looking at the World Map would you really be able to notice it. The map view looking less "natural" is an unfortunate consequence of the approach, but it is a relatively small price to pay in order to get literally thousands upon thousands more homes completed in a timely basis without sacrificing too much of what makes it attractive. Bellisseria would be probably a half to a third of the size it is today otherwise.

And it is not done yet. There are still many many many areas left that still need "blending" and unique features added on to. 

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

Any way of changing the dark grass texture to the lighter original one used on the neighbouring continents, @Abnor Mole ?

Edited May 24, 2021 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[Marisa Starbrook]

1 minute ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

Any way of changing the dark grass texture to the lighter one used on the neighbouring continents, @Abnor Mole ?

Different strokes for different folks, I love the dark green!