RiceStevens Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, Jaylinbridges said: Look at the suckers on those sea monsters. This is a G-rated mannequin, no pink parts or cracks showing. Oh for a few magic markers. Very cool Edited June 21, 2023 by RiceStevens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiceStevens Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 7 hours ago, Nika Talaj said: I'm impressed, this is a very nice complex! A few observations. > The sandbox is not just for Premium, anyone can use it. It's basically an extension of the main Welcome Hub, and has basic building instruction posters that point to knowledge base pages, as well as a classroom area > The rail link to LogLand dead-ends at the station. The station has a rez zone, and I, too, really hope they put a cable car rezzer there. > There are 2 2048 parcels in the Linden Homes region, and one of them looks like it will be for the "Ranch" theme. Note that all the plants around that parcel are named "LH HUB <plant name>" . I see lots of LH-HUB-Aspen and Oak trees, which are new to me. All the parcels for already existing themes have normally named plants for that theme. The 2nd 2048 parcel does not have vegetation around it yet. > The Skill Gaming region looks like Vegas 🤑 I just visited a different Skill Gaming region to see what they're like, and that one was a complete bore. This actually looks fun. > Big Laser Tag layout in the Community region! Get a team together! > The cinema region has a huge buffet of many many munchies and seems to be showing WAARHEID, an actual feature-length SL scifi movie by Huckleberry Hax. There are also posters for a couple of mole mockumentaries. > Each of the 9 regions is surrounded by water , with bridges to adjacient regions. Will there be inner tubes for the swim inclined? Also, each region has a rezzer for a little air taxi/ferry that can take you to any of other 8 welcome regions. Flying thing reminds me of old hub sl had flying bubble things. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahKB7 Koskinen Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 (edited) I'm wondering why they built these 9 regions specifically in that location of the SL map. A few of the new areas are completely unnecessary, as there's already a Welcome/Orientation area and a Bellisserria demo area just off Log Homes' west coast in the Bellihub and BelliDemo regions which isn't that far away. Edited June 21, 2023 by SarahKB7 Koskinen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Zhaoying Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 The new Welcome Hub is pretty impressive. I wonder how LL got so much better at design? Did they all stay at a Holiday Inn Express? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Zhaoying Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 I ran into @SarahKB7 Koskinen at the Welcome Hub. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahKB7 Koskinen Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 (edited) ... with a truck lorry. (joking) Edited June 21, 2023 by SarahKB7 Koskinen 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Zhaoying Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 1 minute ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said: ... with a truck. ..Lorry! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzureWaves Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 4 hours ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said: I'm wondering why they built these 9 regions specifically in that location of the SL map. A few of the new areas are completely unnecessary, as there's already a Welcome/Orientation area and a Bellisserria demo area just off Log Homes' west coast in the Bellihub and BelliDemo regions which isn't that far away. My guess is they put the WelcomeHub & Motown and all of these random regions together as a package for traffic reasons. It looks great to have it populated, giving off the illusion of popularity and usefulness. If other collaborations happen in the future, they can stamp out WelcomeHub2, 3, 4, 5, etc... and attach the new project to it. Not sure if they're measuring stats, but I'd be interested in seeing how many actual NEW residents are landing here vs current residents. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Zhaoying Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 I was surprised that the signs weren't teleporters. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunny Bunny Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 5 hours ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said: I'm wondering why they built these 9 regions specifically in that location of the SL map. A few of the new areas are completely unnecessary, as there's already a Welcome/Orientation area and a Bellisserria demo area just off Log Homes' west coast in the Bellihub and BelliDemo regions which isn't that far away. They keep them separated from genpop so we don't shiv them for their bubblegum. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teresa Firelight Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 4 minutes ago, Hunny Bunny said: They keep them separated from genpop so we don't shiv them for their bubblegum. As far as I can tell, all 9 of the SL Hub regions are public access, even the areas where new avatars first rez. I think they are experimenting with having an area for new residents to arrive that is representative of SL, including other avatars to meet and interact with. I think they are trying to represent as many of the non-adult aspects of second life as possible for new arrivals. They also have a group of trained mentors to help the new people with questions and make new resident orientation optional instead of mandatory. This is a very interesting idea. I think it has a pretty good chance of succeeding... and I have to say that the SL Hub build impresses me. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trinity Blakewell Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 I guess they don't want new users immediately caught up in the complexity of mesh bodies and heads, since there are no clothing, skins, or hair in the shopping area. There are some free gifts, though, so it might be worth going through for home furnishings and accessoroies. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nika Talaj Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 (edited) 9 hours ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said: I'm wondering why they built these 9 regions specifically in that location of the SL map. A few of the new areas are completely unnecessary, as there's already a Welcome/Orientation area and a Bellisserria demo area just off Log Homes' west coast in the Bellihub and BelliDemo regions which isn't that far away. I also find it a little puzzling, we'll have to see whether it will remain isolated with only the single rail/water link, or if it will be more organically integrated into Belli over time. In some ways, it can be viewed as a gift to Belli, since it has so many fun recreational destinations. I'm hoping that the Cinema eventually has film festivals etc. , as well as a selection of shorts that any resident could trigger to be run at any time. I would love it if machinima makers would preview new works there. Complete with red carpet, and all of us SL illuminati dressed to the nines! Of course, plopping it down in the middle of Belli right near the buildout for the new theme did guarantee a lot of traffic immediately, which may have helped provide a really successful Motown launch. Dreamer stresses that these 9 regions are "permanent", which causes me to wonder if maybe BelliDemo/Hub aren't? Or it could be that the 2-region Demo/Hub build will have a specific role in moving people from the old LH regions to Belli. I could envision putting a copy of it in each of the old LH continents, and forcing teleports to that continent to land there for a while, or something. Edited June 21, 2023 by Nika Talaj 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Persephone Emerald Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 (edited) 48 minutes ago, Nika Talaj said: I also find it a little puzzling, we'll have to see whether it will remain isolated with only the single rail/water link, or if it will be more organically integrated into Belli over time. In some ways, it can be viewed as a gift to Belli, since it has so many fun recreational destinations. I'm hoping that the Cinema eventually has film festivals etc. , as well as a selection of shorts that any resident could trigger to be run at any time. I would love it if machinima makers would preview new works there. Complete with red carpet, and all of us SL illuminati dressed to the nines! Of course, plopping it down in the middle of Belli right near the buildout for the new theme did guarantee a lot of traffic immediately, which may have helped provide a really successful Motown launch. Dreamer stresses that these 9 regions are "permanent", which causes me to wonder if maybe BelliDemo/Hub aren't? Or it could be that the 2-region Demo/Hub build will have a specific role in moving people from the old LH regions to Belli. I could envision putting a copy of it in each of the old LH continents, and forcing teleports to that continent to land there for a while, or something. If residents who might not have been active in SL are sent to the BelliHub region when the old Linden Homes disappear, does that make it a re-education center? Edited June 21, 2023 by Persephone Emerald to add link explaining term 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leora Greenwood Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 1 hour ago, Persephone Emerald said: If residents who might not have been active in SL are sent to the BelliHub region when the old Linden Homes disappear, does that make it a re-education center? Yikes, that sounds more horrifying than the Cornfield!! 🙀 🙀 🙀 🙀 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teager Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 When I first saw the new BelliHub and BelliDemo regions, I thought these were meant to be the new welcome area. I was surprised when I learned a second new welcome area was on the way! I will begin by saying, I insanely appreciate the effort from Linden Lab and our wonderful moles to address the new user experience! I'm incredibly excited to see top level attention paid to new user education and retention. That said, between the two, I prefer the BelliHub region over the WelcomeHub for a few reasons: I loved the BelliHub and BelliDemo regions when I first saw them, as a simple, straightforward introduction to second life that covers everything a new user wants to know in an unconfusing way: how to change outfits, how to use the viewer, how to get a house, etc. I also loved the idea that a new user landing at BelliHub could follow the tutorial and learn the basics in a small scale zone that didn't feel overwhelming, then once they discovered how to fly or found the free sailboat, could travel out to the rest of Bellisseria where they could begin to explore the larger mainland, meet other residents, and find inspiration from the homes, avatars, and activities around Belli. I was glad to see that a lot of these same bits and pieces were carried over into the new welcome region and home demo region, with a few fun additions. (The cannons are my favorite part! 😄) I love the inclusion of a public sandbox and a shopping region with freebies. I'm optimistic about reviving the mentor program. I'm also interested to see what's in store for the partnership with Motown! On the other hand, I feel that the new 9 region zone may be too much too fast for a first day user. Much of what's here is wasted space that will mean long walks for new users who don't yet fully understand how to cam, teleport, fly, or use map or minimap, and therefore can easily become lost. I feel much of this may have been better served by using a 4 region corner crowd control system, wherein a party zone for Motown, a movie theater, a games and activities region, and a sandbox, could have been grouped tighter together in a way that allows just as many avatars in, but uses less walkable empty space that a new player might get lost in. A single island welcome tutorial zone with a bridge to a second island 4 region activity zone, for instance, would give clearer guidance on where to go and what to do, with less risk of getting lost and confused. As a fully decorated 9 region zone, the new welcome center just has a lot going on! And while I acknowledge that the intention was likely to show a bit of everything SL has to offer, I worry it may be overwhelming for someone who's still trying to figure out how to walk and fly. I also must say, I don't like that 2 out of 9 regions are devoted to gambling. Besides being another example of what seems to me like a strange use of space, it also feels like a misrepresentative first impression of what second life is all about. Why have two full regions of casinos, one full region for a single laser tag game, and only a small, easily missed room for social tabletop games? I would prefer to see a more balanced representation of skill gaming alongside other kinds of games and activities that better reflects how residents gather and socialize in the rest of the grid. 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Zhaoying Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 2 hours ago, Persephone Emerald said: If residents who might not have been active in SL are sent to the BelliHub region when the old Linden Homes disappear, does that make it a re-education center? Similar to "Banned Camp". 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polenth Yue Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 I'm curious about how the shopping region will be managed. Will they swap out the shops at intervals? There's some merit in that, as it'll avoid ending up with inactive shops and encourage people to check back sometimes. Also thinking more on it, what's missing from this one is a general freebies area, where many creators could leave something. A modern Stillman type of place. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teager Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 1 hour ago, Polenth Yue said: I'm curious about how the shopping region will be managed. Will they swap out the shops at intervals? Yes, the shops will rotate out at regular intervals. Next round will reportedly be in August 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzureWaves Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 26 minutes ago, Teager said: Yes, the shops will rotate out at regular intervals. Next round will reportedly be in August Is that mentioned somewhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teager Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 6 minutes ago, AzureWaves said: Is that mentioned somewhere? Yes, it was mentioned in the setup info notecard sent to the merchants who were in this round 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nika Talaj Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 I returned to the Welcome Hubs today and I still like the setup. The new rail bridge is breathtaking. However, I do wonder if @Teager has a point about new residents finding it overwhelming. But ... I don't remember if I would have found it so, 2006 was a long time ago. So I'm choosing to trust LL's research on that issue. I DO think it's nice to be able to see a variety of places, and experience something exciting like Motown, right off the bat. BUT ... BUT ... BUT ... personally, I was repelled by the Hellios casino. And it's not that I'm terribly judgmental about gambling, I like the Skilled Gaming Hub. So visually interesting, a variety of approaches to gaming, and all free, with pointers to places where you could follow up and play more seriously. But Helios seemed to me to perfectly capture everything that is worst about casinos. The build is not terribly interesting. You can spend actual Lindens there playing boring games, and you'll never see those Lindens again. The region gives you 500 'chips' to get started, and if you sit at a machine it prompts you that you're getting low on chips, do you want to buy more? It's like a stupidity test. Calling the act of sitting at a slot machine "social" gaming is profoundly cynical. The poster behind the help desk for the National Gambling Helpline is also, in my view, blatantly cynical. I went there 3 times today, and the region was deservedly empty, except for a mentor. The only thing missing is bots roaming the casino floor offering expensive vices. The only thing I found NOT lame about Helios are the cool little islands behind the casino, that seemed to me to show how LL could landscape a desert Linden Home region. The ground texture was an interesting sandy surface, and the use of rocks and spare desert plantings seemed to me like they could provide privacy between parcels. Really, LL? I would be so delighted if something more mainstream SL replaced Helios. Why not a wildlife park, half natural, half fantasy? People love animals in SL! And it would be a little bit restful - no teaching posters, just critters, gardens, little bridges, paddle boats, etc.. Give the newbies their choice of a few pets to attach, who doesn't like a pet? I have an armcat from Clover that's a caterpiller with a kitty face, clever and adorable, and only in SL. And we've all seen gorgeous mole landscaping, eg Eyrie, Merrymount, Shobu, Randelsham, and at past SLBs. Or maybe a roleplay region, with one of the adventure games the moles have created? 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaylinbridges Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 (edited) 8 hours ago, Nika Talaj said: But Helios seemed to me to perfectly capture everything that is worst about casinos. Hey now, I don't want any distractions when I am clicking on the SPIN button. I am up to 1359 chips now, since I haven't played for 2 weeks. I am almost ready to join the rich folks that play the slots in the center area now. 1500 chips should last me several days. The Skilled Gaming region was overwhelming, so many colored lights and panels and buildings, and nobody using them. I did find one Pico Line board that paid out in Lindens, instead of credits or trying to beat some impossibly high score. Pico is sort of like a Bingo card, with 10 turns per game. I found by using all my "skills", I could win 1 $L every 3 games. I also had one big game, where I made 6 L$. I finally went blind and could not see the numbers anymore, after 2 hours of playing. But I walked away 20 $L richer! At least you can make a few lindens here without having Payment Info On File, unlike the other Linden games. Skilled gaming region is just newbie practice before going to the Pay to Play real skilled game regions. Oh, I went to a large Skilled 2 region private "not casino", where they had about 2000 boards ready to play. The regions were all rated General. So is that normal, for a commercial pay to play skilled region be rated G? Edited June 22, 2023 by Jaylinbridges 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polenth Yue Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 3 hours ago, Nika Talaj said: Really, LL? I would be so delighted if something more mainstream SL replaced Helios. Why not a wildlife park, half natural, half fantasy? People love animals in SL! And it would be a little bit restful - no teaching posters, just critters, gardens, little bridges, paddle boats, etc.. Give the newbies their choice of a few pets to attach, who doesn't like a pet? I have an armcat from Clover that's a caterpiller with a kitty face, clever and adorable, and only in SL. And we've all seen gorgeous mole landscaping, eg Eyrie, Merrymount, Shobu, Randelsham, and at past SLBs. Or maybe a roleplay region, with one of the adventure games the moles have created? The casino just isn't popular from what I've seen. Which is good news for people worried it'd fuel someone's gambling addiction, but I hope they consider other things. You could roll in the park idea with having a little quest game for people. Give them a pet as a prize when they finish it. Half the battle here is giving people a good first experience, so they'll know there's more stuff like that out there. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animats Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 8 minutes ago, Polenth Yue said: The casino just isn't popular from what I've seen. Which is good news for people worried it'd fuel someone's gambling addiction, but I hope they consider other things. I saw some avatars there, but no one playing. I was surprised that it's a General region. It should be at least Moderate, and preferably Adult. The Emperor Hotel eatery in the casino region perfectly captures the Vegas experience. 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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