steeljane42

They color together with the fingernails.

Can't say I've noticed it being less smooth at random values when I did some tests. I use 144Hz screens for ages, though, so when I did the testing I was comparing 144 FPS to lesser values as there's no real point to have that much in SL and I prefer GPU fans not spinning at all times too. For my hardware I found 80 FPS to be a sweet spot for how I use SL (messing with stuff in my region, shopping/making outfits, and occasionally roleplaying, all of which don't involve much, if any, movement) for the smooth framerate and GPU fans being idle more often than not. If there's any possible difference between 80 and 72 in smoothness, then I just couldn't notice it. I'll probably have to test again when PBR stuff is all fixed/adjusted and a full FS release has it. But that's just all "on eye testing", I didn't bother to check for the frame-pacing as SL is, well, not quite an action game where it could be important. Region FPS has nothing to do with a client side FPS. Or it's the SL's version of "movies have 24 frames and therefore human eye can't see more" myth?

If it locks you to 60 fps with vsync you have a 60Hz screen, and you wouldn't benefit from higher fps in any way as your screen can't display those. However if you still want that, then some viewers have this feature, and you can also limit fps via GPU driver settings, for Nvidia it's Manage 3D settings>Max Frame Rate. There's a global settings and program settings, so if you only want to set limit for the viewer - find/add it under programs and set a desired fps limit there. No idea about AMD.

What Rowan said. And so far not a single new last name made its return either, however LL said some holiday ones "may" come back in the future.

1. Helps to build even larger ecosystem, although at this point it's not really needed as EvoX UV took over years ago. 2. Helps to create brand loyality. I've definitely seen a lot of people swapping from their free heads to not free ones later. 3. They are nice. Unlike certain other creator that liked to put useless gesture "gifts" for their "loyal customers" once a year and never did any big sales, when said creator was on the very top of the mesh heads market. And you shouldn't really see it as them losing money, more like an investment. Not all their heads reach Avalon, Ceylon or Eon levels of popularity, more niche and specific ones still get sold by a few thousands through the years (according to stats collecting bots), but I'm sure it's mitigated by my point 2 above. And all those new or forgotten alts that people bring up to grab those heads... they wouldn't buy anything anyway, so no loss there. They could easily stop after the 2nd giveaway (2021), because it was already obvious that they have won the market over, but their brand is still growing and no one got even close to them since then, so I suppose they are happy with their strategy.

I won't be as nice as previous two posters and say "yes, they are". I'll agree that as long as you like your look it's what really matters, some people are still using classic avatars and are perfectly fine with those, but support/new (quality, not FP garbage and endless recycled weekend sales) releases wise both Catwa and Kupra are very outdated. Stats wise (collected by bots around the grid) the decline is also obvious, and even newest Catwa head with EvoX mapping is nowhere to find, it had like 200-something detections since its release months ago. That's less than more popular Lelutka heads get in a week. Kupra also is on the negative trend, and it'll only get worse from there.

They did a few days ago when it went down for a little bit, but I suppose they are sleeping now. https://status.secondlifegrid.net/incidents/9xhmthlwy4bh

Animation duration is also somewhat important, the longer it is the less auto-updates are needed, while some that spam 2s long animation... well, if you open animation explorer in FS it's quite a mess. Ideally it should 20s+ long P6 animation, which none of the built-in ones have, so one with such is what I've been using for years and suggesting to others.

Raven Bell might work for such modding.

Take off your adult attachments if you're using them, in particular V and P are known for that. There should be a button to stop animations in their HUDs as well (no idea where as I don't use them).

If it's more than just names and their chat is also slightly gray, then it might be people you've added to the contact list (not a friend list). Been a while since I've used it, but it was defaulting to such color back when I did.

It's the distance from your avatar to the object. If it's more than your draw distance setting - the zoom will be grayed out.

I personally don't care too much, although some stores and events are definitely not taking ease of shopping into consideration, and this includes those overly bright builds. I always have my own environment on and never (yes, really, never) check the local EEP, so that helps a bit in those cases I would imagine. But what really puts me off is the lack of structure in vendors. It's fine if there's just a few items, but if the store was around for many years and there's a lot of stuff around, then at the very least sort out store from newest to oldest, or by "type", preferable both. It really is not fine to put really old stuff with sizes for the dead Slink and 1st generation of Belleza bodies next to the just released event items. Area search helps, if you know what you're looking for, but if not then it's an extra work to open flickr to find how something was/is named. And some of them often forget to post their ads on flickr too, which makes it even worse. There are also some stores that insist on having some heavy visuals effects like particles and flashing ads (ones that keep blinking and swapping between a few images), which also makes shopping experience a pain. Or those creators that literally rezz every mesh model in various colors on the shelves, to the point where viewer just chokes on triangles and stuff starts to disappear. To conclude I'd say that a lot of creators in SL really have no slighest idea about presenting their products and making it easier for people to shop. Reasons do vary from "really having no idea how to do it right" to just enjoying a particular style/look for their store themselves and going with it.

It's a good analogy, although more correct one would be other online games and services. While I've never played it personally (not a fan of Warcraft) a good example would be WoW, because how big and known it is even outside of the gaming community. Original system reqs in 2004 were something like 800mhz CPU, 256MB RAM, GeForce 2 with 32MB VRAM and 7GB free space. By 2014 it already was Intel's Core2Duo E6600, GT8800, 2GB RAM and 35GB free space. Current minimum reqs are 4th gen Intel 4 core CPUs, 3GB VRAM DX12 compatible GPU like GTX900 series and above, 8GB RAM and 128GB of free space on an SSD. If you want it running up nicely then it's way higher than that as well. While it's a game, it's also the same "live service" model as SL in a way. It was up and running for all these years, with the very big userbase (not as big these days, of course). If someone really has expectations of running the current version on a hardware that is many times worse than today's phones that those original WoW's ones are, then it's up to them, but it's not a reality of evolving online platforms. That's just how it works and always did. I would guess a large portion of SL is/was just not aware about that, because "it's not a game" and it might be the first time they encounter such moment when the platform they are using upping the system reqs for one reason or another. There can be many arguments of it being a good thing or a bad thing, but that's already a different story. This, however, I fully agree with. Knowing how LL botches the new things and takes forever to fix them there was no need to push the PBR as hard as they did. Someone at LL definitely wanted it out before Xmas' shop and hop and that showcase area there, and they made it happen. Maybe the idea was the TPVs taking their time and releasing their PBR updates by Spring, when some more bugs are fixed, I'm not sure. But I'm glad that at least FS are not rushing to release thier PBR version anytime soon by the looks of it. And given their 3 versions rule and not as frequent updates I would guess the last non PBR FS will be up for another year at least. Will it be enough for everyone to update to something capable of running SL by then? Likely not. Maybe they can get other viewers without versions blocks to keep using SL in one way or another, even if some new content will appear broken to them. Welcome to forums where not everyone else's opinion is the same as yours. There's a block feature if you really can't handle it.

That's how it goes with "games and online platforms". Or have you really expected hardware from 2003 (when SL was launched) to run SL these days? So it's not first and very likely not the last bump in the hardware reqs for SL. We'll see how real was that doom and gloom raised by some on those forums in 1.5 years or so most likely, by the time last versions of non PBR viewers will start to disappear. I predict there won't be any visible changes to online numbers. That said, like I wrote before, I'm still not happy with how LL does implement new features, PBR included. Rushed and unfinished, and given their small team and limited resources, the fixes come years later, and some "future" features remain abandoned. In case with PBR I would say that it's at least half a year early for the main viewer release.

They do, sometimes, and it's awful. E.g. Signature's male heads, or even better (worse?) example, that horrible "aesthetic" body+head. No one into avatars customization and who doesn't want to look like a mess replaces those with something better. Slink was making heads too back in the days, lots of heads. I can probably count on fingers times I saw people using their heads. Old TMP had heads as well, those were a bit more common during pre-bento days. So as history shows, it's just a waste of time and efforts.

Depends what you're wearing/like to wear. Basics like jeans, leggings, crop tops and so on available for the most bodies, although quality varies greatly, from actually decent things to FP garbage. Now the more interesting designs from better creators... that is another story. I'd say less than 10% of places I shop at support GenX, and it's even worse because some support classic and some curvy versions. So if someone is happy with the generic "urban mom" outfit in 10 versions, then aside of the niche bodies aimed at very specific type of users (e.g. Peach) one can find such outfits for just about every body out there, from dead and abandoned Slinks to those more dead than alive GenX bodies. If someone wants something more interesting to wear, then the choice for the non Maitreya/Legacy/Reborn is very limited (but it does exist, for example Salt&Pepper for the classic GenX) when it comes to new things, although older bodies like Freya have some still very decent older pieces available.

Yes, if you like it. It's the 2nd most worn female body on the grid now with no signs of slowing down, and it has passed Legacy a long time ago. It has all the support for itself and its mods, waifus included. There's no official perky/small chest mod for it, though, and 3rd party one (Teacups by SB) is not supported very well. P. S. It's also on 25% off Xmas - New Year sale now until January 2nd, its mods are on sale as well.

You clearly haven't played competitive PvP games then. But even PvE ones where teamwork is involved is a lot more toxic than SL can possibly be. And exactly because not meeting those goals you've mentioned due to "someone failing the whole team, not playing right, having a bad gear/skills setup etc" But I would say that SL's version of toxicity is a lot more random than the ones can be found in games. Games tend to have a "reason" that triggers such toxic people, be it the above-mentioned PvP, failing the team, "stealing" others farming spots or monsters etc, while in SL it does vary from someone just not liking your avatar to how you answer (or not answer) them.

Prima by Tonic (I think there's even more than one version of it now?), Erika by N-core, Kups by inithium. Others you have mentioned already. For the male ones there are/were Geralt and Davis, I'd list Kario as failed too as the numbers are a bit better, but clothing support from good creators doesn't exist, Anatomy that is somewhat popular among forum members is a failure in a sense that it has been seen grand total of 170 times for two versions, same goes for the CZ Slim (56 users seen total as of today). I'm actually surprised some creators actually rig anything for those, although perhaps they do it for themselves and/or friends, and the selling it is even a few copies is just a little bonus on top. --- As for what it really needs to succeed and take off; I'd say that targetting a small niche is not going to work as seen by examples above (Anatomy and CZ). Doesn't really matter if they are good or very good, if it will be a small niche of customers then they will remain the small niche bodies forever. And if the big niche is already taken by something that is popular, then competing there will also be almost impossible. One has to provide a clearly superior product to compete, and have a good creators support behind right from the start. Good examples would be Legacy and Reborn. The former was released in the very right moment, when older Belleza bodies already were semi-abanonded, and Maitreya has started to age, or rather people started to grow tired of it and its usual problems (shoulders, butt, inability to do curvy shapes without deforming badly). There was no a "more curvy and smooth, but not exactly a thick body" on the market. They took that niche despite their awful TMP reputation (yeah yeah, the new team, as if someone would believe them given how they do business, and it's exactly like the "old team" did). PR campaign was pretty large at the start as well as we remember, with big (back then, not so big anymore these days) Blueberry gushing how amazing that body was. It did work out and pretty well, even with 5k price tag, the above mentioned reputation, and the seams on high altitudes that were fixed much much later (and still not fixed for the regular male body). The latter took the more thick/curvy niche, because at the time there was Kupra, which is a good example on its own, because it only managed to succeed due to the fact that people were starving for a thick body when Freya was already beyond dead. So even despite the fact just how much of caricature body it is (Kupra), it still got very big support and total user numbers, getting to top 10 most worn bodies in SL within a year. But then objectively a better curvy body without broken waist was released (Reborn) and completely killed what was left of Freya's market, as well as Kupra, which sees extremely niche support now, with nearly zero big creators making anything for it anymore. I'll throw in Legacy M bodies as a good example too, because they took the niche between "weird and bulky" Gianni and half abandoned Jake as well, while (subjectively) being the best looking average shaped bodies in SL. That niche was somewhat empty, so it was relatively easy. As of today total seen numbers combined for Athletic and regular Legacy M body (and given that they fit 99% of the same clothes and look nearly identical within somewhat slim/average proportional shapes it can count as one body) make it most popular male body, and daily stats by bonniebots also reflect that with athletic>jake>legacyM>gianni stats. I'd guess if they weren't 5k without any kind of sales then the numbers would be even more in their favor. --- To conclude this wall of text I'll say that I think the most important factors knowing the history of SL mesh bodies would be: a very well timed and prepared release targetting either empty niche that is popular or the niche where the curret top body is not up to today's standards or just plain subpar. Combined with a very well made product with an adequate price (e.g. not like Belleza did it). And as we live in the era of addons/mods, then probably some kind of them right from the start. That said, I don't see anyone managing to succeed and squeeze into the current market for sometime now, not before one of the top bodies will start showing the signs of dying. Current best candidate would be a newer and better replacement for the "mid range" body, which is Legacy. But it's still doing fairly well and if anything I would imagine they will try to release said refresh themselves when it'll reach the point of decline.

Lelutka uses own vending/delivery system. But yeah, I've noticed a couple hiccups with Casper the other day, the purchases were stuck for around 20 minutes or so, and other vendors during that time weren't really working (the right click menu that is).

Depends on their skins. I have no idea if there's a pattern to it, but I was helping one guy with that stuff a while ago and some skins in the same tone fit as is, and some don't and need that free neckfade they have in the store. Maybe it depends on which body skin is used as there's whole 3 of them; two from NF and one is collaboration between NF and avi-glam, all have same tones, but I'd guess some minor differences might make it less compatible with some NF head skins.

Of course it'll be around for quite sometime. I even bump onto occasional Slink users from time to time, and those bodies were dead as far as new clothing/releases go way before creator has left SL. So it will mostly depend on how much someone likes to shop for the new things. Existing vast wardrobe will continue to exist, of course, and like already said above there's a lot of good things in it, from Deadwool to ContraptioN. But for the new things... it'll be another story. Male clothing creators already have a lot less to work with compared to the female bodies market, especially if count all those mods/addons, basically just 3 bodies because almost no one from the "big creators" picked up Kario, CZ or Anatomy bodies, same for other Signature ones which never really took off. Can't blame them, the amount of users, especially for the last two, is close to none. I wouldn't bother to rig for "those 500 possible avatars, out of which maybe 1/20 would actually be interested in buying my stuff" either. But even having those 3 "main" bodies a lot dropped/dropping one of them, usually Gianni. I don't see them keeping up with Jake and including new GenX body whenever it's out. Especially if Belleza has learned their lesson with their failed female GenX bodies and won't shoot themselves in the foot (twice) again by pricing it 5.5k, or if they do, then not includng the upgrade path for the current Jake users. But it's Belleza we are talking about, so you never know. And last, but not least, don't understimate the "new shiny" factor if it's done right and it takes the same niche as something existing. Now those CZ Slim and Anatomy bodies clearly don't, and they do struggle in terms of what I'd call "traditional" clothing support from the best creators (personal opinion, but what I see posted on weekend sales for both is usually bottom tier quality wise, just a bit above retextured FP templates), but if use female mesh bodies market as an example... Kupra was doing really well and climbed to the top 10 of most used bodies on the grid within a year of its release. Then objectively a better curvy body was released (Reborn), and it pretty much phased out Kupra within half a year as far as quality new clothes go. It got quite a bit slower with 1.5 update (and later) compared to the older versions, but it's for the best in terms of it actually working properly, most of the time anyway. 1.4 and below had the common issue when you'd remove something with auto-alpha and it would never show the body back, similar to how older 4.x Maitreya auto-hide scripts are. So while annoying it's better that way.

Both are the non factors really. The total stats on Lucia's list, like I wrote many times, do have all those avatars that were seen with it once, and many never logged in anymore. Daily stats by bonniebots as of now 232 for Freya (all versions included), 97 for genx (classic+curvy and all versions too). But that wasn't the point, even if forget those numbers are not relevant at all and Freya is indeed still worn twice as much as Genx bodies combined, there is zero new quality clothing made for it. There's not many genx things either, but at least "some". So Belleza essentially did kill their older bodies, so I'd guess they'd kill off Jake as well. Recommendation wise... it's actually pretty subjective in many areas too. I, personally, really dislike Gianni's shape/look, and I also do not like the bubble butts on all Belleza bodies, Jake included. So I'd never recommend either of those, although I do/did point that Jake is a viable option as far as clothing support goes, for now. I'd wait to see of Legacy will have Xmas - New Year sale and skip the Jake anyway. 1.5k vs 5k is a big increase for some people, but 1.5k and 2.5k are much closer.

Jake also probably doesn't have much of a lifespan left as far as new creations go, because Belleza has been working on male genX body for a year now. Giving how slow they always are it can take another year, but it'll probably kill new releases for Jake within a few months when it's finally out. But as of right now, Legacy plus its Athletic version and Jake are the only ones worth getting. Gianni is being dropped for quite sometime now and it only getting worse for it.