Driving in Bellisseria - The Magnetic Attraction of Lamposts etc - Asking For Tips

[Raspberry Crystal]

After a frustrating week trying to get vehicles under control enough to manage the corners, I caved in and went back to the electric golf cart.
It is slow, but it is..slow is actually a good thing.
I am able to stay on the road, also a good thing.
I wish it looked like my Lusch car though!

Is there any way to get a regular looking vehicle to go slow enough to manage these twisty roads?
I have tried speed limiters and they don't seem to go low enough.

Has anyone else managed to get a regular looking (non sports) style car to work in Belli? If so how did you do it?

[Eowyn Southmoor]

Most cars in SL use some generic scripts which by default are tuned very badly for mainland driving.  Combine that with Belli's rather quirky mesh roads, and it can be a struggle to keep going straight.

If you have a car that uses ACS scripts (like many do), then u need to go into the menus and turn the steering down, and increase the steering resistance. You can also reduce the power in each gear, or remove gears altogether so that the car simple can't go too fast.

Alternatively, there's a group of creators that work together and use a different script system which works really well for mainland driving - these cars easily hold a perfectly straight course and don't fly off the road as soon as you touch the steering. These brands are GEMC, Lusch Motors, Zamani, Jupiter.  Not everything they make is modern or cool , in fact in many cases they tend to made either quirky cars or rather utilitarian vehicles like vans and trucks - but they all work really well. Many of have a speed limiter or cruise control feature that allows you to go really slow if you want.

There are other road vehicles out there that are also very good, but in most cases these other brands don't offer an real range.

Another alternative to ACS scripted cars are those using REC scripts, such as from Vision Motors.  These scripts, whilst outwardly quite similar to ACS, do seem better for mainland driving, and require much less effort in tuning.

[Eowyn Southmoor]

I probably should've also said...  regardless of what advice you get given, you best bet is to find demo's and try them out.  Most good car creators have demo's you can try.  People like different styles, features, and handing with their cars, and what's good for one person might be bad for someone else.

[PJBear Bitey]

Best bet to get a "regular" looking car work on Bellisseria streets? Get a regular looking car that's a wearable.

There are a few on Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/products/search?search[category_id]=115&search[keywords]=wearable&search[layout]=gallery&search[maturity_level]=G&search[per_page]=96&search[sort]=_score_desc&page=2

 

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Con-Wax-OnWax-Off-Convertible-HUD-Slate-WEAR-ME-v1/9619677

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/BLUSH-Cutiepie-Car-Adults-and-Teenagers-Blue-Promo-limited-to-50-units-only/22980947

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/MM-Car-XX-Wearable-and-Decor/22082414

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/WAG-Wearable-Snow-Plow-Truck/20819079

 

[Nika Talaj]

Going slow is good!  I got so frustrated that I took an Aley free taxi and altered the script so that you can specify the gearing in the car's description.  That works very well, I usually use 3 very slow gears and a couple really fast ones for off-road fun.  I may have put in 2 speeds of reverse, I forget.  I always meant to remove the taxi-specific things (it can take I think 6 passengers!) and see if I could put the script into a decent looking car, but never got around to it.  I gave it away, so it's all packaged up if you'd like to play with it.  I'll leave the script mod in your copy.

I've seen moles using GEMC cars to test Belli roads (Abnor seems partial to an amphibious sedan).

Personally, I do well with the Mudskipper jeep as well.  I believe it uses one of the script systems @Eowyn Southmoor mentioned, but I find it's menu system more manageable than most.  Also, you can turn the sound down, which is nice!

[animats]

My 2019 comment on how to drive in SL. I tell people to head for Robin Loop and try cars from the many free car rezzers there. Once you can drive smoothly around Robin Loop without problems, you're good for any road in SL.

[Abnor Mole]

I do like the GEMC cars. I also think with the popularity of things like GTFO and the Drivers of SL weekly grid drives many more creators are making their cars and trucks to do more than just do donuts and fly around a single region track at the speed of plaid. 

[Raspberry Crystal]

I am really grateful for all the detailed advice given here, everyone had something useful to say.
Even with the golf cart I have been really enjoying myself, and now I am hopeful of finding a way to get a more conventional looking car to work.
@Nika Talaj I would be grateful indded for a ready done script, my coding powers do not extend beyond fiddling with the odd setting and hoping for the best!

[Henry Blackwood]

7 hours ago, Raspberry Crystal said:

I am really grateful for all the detailed advice given here, everyone had something useful to say.
Even with the golf cart I have been really enjoying myself, and now I am hopeful of finding a way to get a more conventional looking car to work.
@Nika Talaj I would be grateful indded for a ready done script, my coding powers do not extend beyond fiddling with the odd setting and hoping for the best!

As has already been mentioned, GEMC and Lusch are excellent for Bellisseria. I also use ACS scripted vehicles by CHC. She tunes them really well, and I've had no trouble with them in Bellisseria. She has a test track to demo all of her cars and makes many different types.

[Raspberry Crystal]

I am working my way though everyone's suggestions :)

[Istelathis]

7 minutes ago, Raspberry Crystal said:

I am working my way though everyone's suggestions

 

I love the bug, it is one of my favorite vehicles in SL   Plus it is free 🙃 When Bellisseria was first released I went all over the place in it, that and wearable as @PJBear Bitey had suggested.  I really like the moped from What Next https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/what-next-Vacanza-Wearable-Scooter-Set-1/17851236

It has included with it a HUD that will boost your speed a little, cute riding animations, and is fun to use, especially when you have a poor internet connection or slower specs on your computer and find crossing regions to be difficult.

 

[Nika Talaj]

Aw, I like the bug too!  If anyone is curious to try my slightly souped-up version, you can pick it up at my  Mediterranean http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Reine de Mer/232/98/29 .  On the patio in front, there's a coffee table that has a box with a pic of the bug on it.  Touch that and it's yours!  Build is on, so if you want to try the taxi out immediately feel free to unpack and drive around - the bridge to the ranches is fairly nearby.  Some evenings I hear hot rodders racing over it, lol.

Next to the box, incidentally, there's a lemonade dispenser.  Peek in the back yard, and you can tell that it's ultra-fresh 🍋

Feel free to wander around, it's a great parcel, nice views.  I'm thinking it's owned by a slightly eclectic couple outside of Monterey.  Obviously, it's still a work in progress.  The cockatoo is about the only thing that I know is definitely staying!  Note that if you come at SL night, the lighthouse should be on. That will probably only last until the moles put a new region below this one!

Edited January 3 by Nika Talaj

[UnilWay SpiritWeaver]

While it is true that most brands use the same generic script and tune it badly, some of them tune it well, and most of them let you retune it a bit.
- It's very worthwhile to demo a whole LOT of different choices.

Even with brands that have great tuning like [sau], every now and then a vehicle hits that has bad physics and gets stuck on tiny roadbumps (the specific example of this that's in my head however, eventually got updated and no longer has that problem).

When turning, I usually combine my turn with the braking or skidding functions of the vehicle and that helps it handle corners.

For me - the joy in using SL vehicles is the imperfection. I could cross a region much fast by having my avatar fly or just TPing to the end point. But I purposefully go in for small land and small water vehicles that require me to "do stuff and things". Sailboats that use wind and need to have the sails tweaked as I move along, or motorcycles with tight turning and good skid control. Making the fun occur from the experience of trying to control the thing.

 

[Blush Bravin]

For me, the best car to explore Belli in is one that's being driven by someone else! Because no matter how good the scripts are in a vehicle, if I'm behind the wheel I'm going to end up where I shouldn't be! I'm just that bad at SL driving! And I've been trying for over 20 years. So practice won't make a difference. Wearables are my saving grace. 

[Persephone Emerald]

Some vehicles need a sound file that says, "Yay! We're doomed!"

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

More bridges, tunnels and railways please.

Land vehicles should not be limited or trapped to driving in pointless boring circles around Belli, they should be able to drive outwards from Belli onto Mainland and vice-versa. They should be connected to the existing Linden Route road network.

 

^ Heterocera Atoll, Routes 1 to 6.

 

^ Gaeta V, Routes 7, 7A & 7B.

 

^ Satori, Routes 8, 8A & 8B.

 

^ Jeogeot, Routes 9, 9A & 10.

 

^ Corsica, Routes X & Y.

 

^ Nautilus, Route Z.

Edited January 5 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[Always Incognito]

3 hours ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

More bridges, tunnels and railways please.

Land vehicles should not be limited or trapped to driving in pointless boring circles around Belli, they should be able to drive outwards from Belli onto Mainland and vice-versa. They should be connected to the existing Linden Route road network.

 

^ Heterocera Atoll, Routes 1 to 6.

 

^ Gaeta V, Routes 7, 7A & 7B.

 

^ Satori, Routes 8, 8A & 8B.

 

^ Jeogeot, Routes 9, 9A & 10.

 

^ Corsica, Routes X & Y.

 

^ Nautilus, Route Z.

Or canons for vehicles? 🚗 💥🧨

[Nika Talaj]

4 hours ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

Land vehicles should not be limited or trapped to driving in pointless boring circles around Belli, they should be able to drive outwards from Belli onto Mainland and vice-versa. They should be connected to the existing Linden Route road network.

Weeeeelll, I don't feel as strongly about road connectivity.  Mainland roads were designed as sweeping highways to cover large distances swiftly.  The roads throughout most of Belli are instead designed as dense neighborhood paths; only the stilts and chalets have a "highway" through them.  Once you get into Olde Belli, the Vics, the Logs, the Ranches, the Meds and the Campers - it's mostly twisty little paths that you have to carefully plot your way through to get to a destination.  Not suited to distance travel.  It is delightful to wander the roads through the Logs, for example ... but very time-consuming.

And frankly, were the moles to connect Belli to the mainland highway network, I fear that the pod people may begin agitating to send pods endlessly circling throughout Belli.  (Actually, I think that may be impossible at the moment due to no object entry on public lands?)  Personally, I'm not a pod fan.  That may be my own personal paranoia speaking, tho. 

[Raspberry Crystal]

4 hours ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

More bridges, tunnels and railways please.

Land vehicles should not be limited or trapped to driving in pointless boring circles around Belli, they should be able to drive outwards from Belli onto Mainland and vice-versa. They should be connected to the existing Linden Route road network.

I have been wondering about this, if there is a grand plan for more connectivity (subject to there being enough demand for the extra homes in Belli to fill the gap).
My mind could easily accept a car ferry if necessary.

[Persephone Emerald]

55 minutes ago, Raspberry Crystal said:

I have been wondering about this, if there is a grand plan for more connectivity (subject to there being enough demand for the extra homes in Belli to fill the gap).
My mind could easily accept a car ferry if necessary.

2 hours ago, Always Incognito said:

Or canons for vehicles? 🚗 💥🧨

For years there was a bridge out in Satori, and people were expected to try to jump the gap, so anything is possible.

[Blush Bravin]

I know SL isn't the physical world, but I don't expect to be able to drive a car from North America to Europe. That's why we need boats, ships, and airplanes. So for me, Belli is just fine with its network of roads without running bridges to mainland.

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

@Blush Bravin Distances between mainland continents in SL are not as vast as they are with real world continents.

The distance between the furthermost points of mainland is quite small, Gaeta V continent (in the northeast) and Jeogeot continent (in the southwest) is only 41 miles or 66 kilometres and can be fully travelled within one day, which I've actually done. 

Edited January 9 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[Blush Bravin]

2 hours ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

@Blush Bravin Distances between mainland continents in SL are not as vast as they are with real world continents.

The distance between the furthermost points of mainland is quite small, Gaeta V continent (in the northeast) and Jeogeot continent (in the southwest) is only 41 miles or 66 kilometres and can be fully travelled within one day, which I've actually done. 

I am quite aware of the distances, but you miss my point. IMO it's an unnecessary ask when we have the means already at our disposal to span those, as you put it, short distances. Plus having to use the means of transportation I already mentioned ads to the immersion of traveling in Second Life.

[Love Zhaoying]

Perhaps if lamp posts are "magnetic" for you, then you are a moth?

[Raspberry Crystal]

8 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Perhaps if lamp posts are "magnetic" for you, then you are a moth?

Now I have found the proper button for my lusch car speed limiter I am a behemoth of driving, and very nearly on the road most of the time. In your face lamp posts!