Fluffy Sharkfin

Alternatively, since it probably gets lonely standing around all day creating things, maybe they just do it in the hope that one of their customers will IM them asking for modifiable versions and then they'll have someone to talk to? 🤔

I wouldn't be so sure. While a lot of the current 3D generative AI tools do produce some truly atrocious topology there are some that have made significant improvements. The topology of the results displayed in the video below may not be perfect or particularly well optimized it's still on par with some of the content I've seen in SL Additionally since the resulting topology is quad based it would be very easy to optimize by hand if you really wanted to maximize performance. Generative AI is still in its infancy and, while it may not be ready to produce content entirely unaided yet, as a tool for creatives it's already becoming a part of artists workflows and is being incorporated into industry standard software.

That's already inevitable unfortunately. A brief google search for "AI generated 3D models" yields plenty of results, including an article listing the seventy best AI tools for creating 3D content, and that list will only grow over time. There's no stuffing the AI genie back in its bottle, if you aren't creating mesh purely for the enjoyment of it then you may as well stop now, or at least pivot to incorporating AI into your workflow. The only benefit to having existing 3D skills is if you understand enough of the theory behind 3D creation to enable you to refine and optimize the sorts of results that AI is capable of producing thereby allowing you to produce a better final product than those who use generative AI without any "post production" process.

In light of recent developments in this discussion I'd like to revise my previous answer and suggest that, in lieu of free animesh ponies, LL distribute wearable saddles to all new residents which can be "hired" via a tip jar so that they can earn money by giving people rides to and from the newly re-instated telehubs!

I'll admit I've got way more experience working with the Maitreya body and haven't really bothered with the Legacy. I guess since most people go with the typical hourglass or pear shapes I just assumed Legacy wasn't as versatile as the Maitreya. I agree you can definitely create a wider variety of shapes than you normally see around SL, it's just a matter of choosing the right bodies for the right shapes.

I'd say it's even easier to achieve a wide variety of shapes with the maitreya body, especially if you use deformers and add-ons. Certain bodies just aren't going to work for certain shapes because the creators have already accentuated some aspects of the anatomy beyond what the appearance sliders can compensate for, but there are enough popular bodies that you can find one or two that will accommodate almost any shape.

Them's fighting words... Ban bans!

Add a forum feature that changes random words of every post to "banlines"!

Release the A.I. powered hippos! Free animesh ponies for everyone! Hire Morgan Freeman to follow me around and narrate my second life! Legalize shortness!

I think in a few years time BCI and AR could be a real game changing combination, but both technologies are still a long way from being commercially viable consumer products. As for using a direct interface between your brain and a computer to play Second Life, I think the lack of filter between peoples brains and their keyboards is enough of a problem already.

I'm not sure what games you've been playing or what sims you hang out on but I feel like we lead very different second lives! 🤣

My mind flashed back to the scene in Trainspotting but I decided not to link it since it's wildly off-topic and also really gross! 😅 I like my reality just the way it is, and while I find the whole subject of implanted technology and brain interfaces fascinating I'm with Paul on this one, I'd rather keep my tech on the outside for now. I've had the OpenBCI site bookmarked for a while now and have often toyed with the idea of trying out some of their more affordable options.

I believe you can get a variety of suppositories that have similar effects, do those count? 😅

Of course not! I will defend any persons right to be a blob if that's what makes them happy! But we all know how marketing works, pretty soon everyone will be thin shaming and the next thing you know we're living in a Blobocracy (but not an actual blobocracy cos apparently that's a real thing 😮) where everyone is judged not by their merits or actions but purely by their roundosity!