Is the Pheonix viewer really leaving us? :c

[Deej Kasshiki]

Well Phoenix (and the other viewers based on the 1.x code) aren't so much leaving as getting left behind as LL introduces more and more new features (like Mesh) that they won't be able to use or turns off features on their servers (like parts of search) that they rely on. At some point the 1.x viewers just won't give you a very enjoyable SL experience.

Having said that none of us here can say when that say when that day will finally come. LL hasn't said officially, so don't let the fear mongers scare you; we just don't know when this will happen as of now.

I too will be very unhappy to give up the speed, stability and usability of Snowglobe (which Phoenix is based on) but the v2 based viewers (Firestorm, Kirsten's, etc) appear to be the future. I'd keep trying Firestorm as I've found it to be very customizable and can be made to look and work a lot like Phoenix. You can also try out some of the alternatives.

While it makes me angry that I'll have to at some point use the abomination that is v2 at least the third party developers are trying to fix the numerous bad design decisions that LL made in v2. Good luck!

[Deej Kasshiki]

Well Phoenix (and the other viewers based on the 1.x code) aren't so much leaving as getting left behind as LL introduces more and more new features (like Mesh) that they won't be able to use or turns off features on their servers (like parts of search) that they rely on. At some point the 1.x viewers just won't give you a very enjoyable SL experience.

Having said that none of us here can say when that say when that day will finally come. LL hasn't said officially, so don't let the fear mongers scare you; we just don't know when this will happen as of now.

I too will be very unhappy to give up the speed, stability and usability of Snowglobe (which Phoenix is based on) but the v2 based viewers (Firestorm, Kirsten's, etc) appear to be the future. I'd keep trying Firestorm as I've found it to be very customizable and can be made to look and work a lot like Phoenix. You can also try out some of the alternatives.

While it makes me angry that I'll have to at some point use the abomination that is v2 at least the third party developers are trying to fix the numerous bad design decisions that LL made in v2. Good luck!

[Rolig Loon]

We are seeing more and more new features that are only supported by V2 codebase viewers (LL's own V2 and new generation TPV's like Firestorm).  Prim media is already here, and web-based profiles, a new in-world Search, and mesh objects are partly here or on the near horizon.  As these features are added, some will simply add things that you can't see with a V1 viewer, so you'll be left behind.  Others may actually make V1 viewers malfunction, as we've seen this week with the latest changes to web profiles, for example.  It's a matter of time -- probably sometime this fall -- before the changes will be great enough that it's not worth using a V1 viewer any more. You'll be spending more time complaining and less time enjoying SL.

[Ansariel Hiller]

Have you already seen our video tutorial on how to V1'ify Firestorm? If not, give it a try: http://www.youtube.com/user/PhoenixViewerSL#p/a/u/0/3y4PH0rczJQ

Regarding what Rolig said: Things like web profiles, media on a prim, the new search - I personally consider them as un-features. That means stuff nobody needs or wants, but puts another level of annoyance and lack of usability to V2. Regarding mesh: Technically it is possible to backport mesh - Singularity and CoolVL will do that. But it leaves the open question at what cost changes done by LL at a later point of time will be portable to V1 - if possible.

[Rolig Loon]

Yeah, I agree with you about many of those new V2 features -- certainly about Web Profiles, which have been a disastrous idea from Day One. In the end, however, I refuse to let my enjoyment of SL turn to bitterness because LL is introducing changes that I never asked for. I never wanted Voice either, and I have managed successfully in SL without using it myself for .... what has it been? Three years? Many of the things that I do not like are easily to ignore. Many others are being reshaped to be more palatable by the TPVs (I am quite happy with Firestorm so far). I could spend the next few years tilting at windmills about the rest, but I have better ways to spend my time.

[JoJo Moeleneaux]

I'm really glad this question was asked and answered because I had seen posts by one particular user stating that Phoenix was being "discontinued" in a few weeks and I thought to myself, where on earth has that information been posted as I didn't see it on the Phoenix website or mentioned anywhere else apart from that particular poster.

It's good to know that we won't be as sudden as a couple of weeks away but I guess I'd better start preparing for it, at some point. Thanks Deej for the clarification.