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Regarding graphics speed - FS Support recommends reducing graphics quality, changing VRAM from automatic down to 2/3 of your physical Video Memory. I must say my PBR runs very well on medium, and I have a "normal" PC

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Agree, Moscow is still standing. They have a campy 2009 tutorial they had built for the International Gateway program back then, and they still see some random newcomer traffic. I see folks visiting all 3 Spanish Help regions all the time, and some even have helpers on duty, most of whom are conveniently bilingual. In AJUDA SL BRASIL there is actually a board with helpers' online indicators, and they'd take over a session with Portuguese only speaker with much enthusiasm. International SL is still very much alive, even though LL refuses the idea of writing a Guidebook in other languages:)

Actually much of language specific help still remains and destinations are listed under international section of the Destination Guide. Lots of it is hit&miss so regular search still works, as well as Language Specific Firestorm Support Groups still offer general SL help occasionally, based on specific language group policy.

For over past two years LL no longer sends new avatars to Community Gateways (CGs) randomly. They are trying something different now, which had resulted in a current WI2 program and decommissioning last Learning Island as a spawning spot (that one had a random CG funneling TP center, where most CGs got their traffic from then). I would not be surprised if LL decides to promote more New-Account-Spawning areas in Addition to existing 3 (WI2, OI, AI). So far all 3 current ones are different in methodology and spirit, and perhaps next step for LL would be to try something different still. I think one of the major concerns for them has always been a quality of the help new account gets in the newcomer places, so they decided to get a better grep over it by locking newcomer experience in a 3 somewhat competing models. Today, and for a past year or so, instead of new accounts - CGs only get a fraction of the "old" traffic of people who are looking for something particular (classes, languages, builder experience, clothing or general help etc). Initially I got sad about it since particular CG I was working with "ran out of newcomers" in a matter of days, and remains largely empty. I do hope though that with time LL would realize CGs should be placed back in the newcomer path and therefore in the hands of the eager qualified helpers.

@Lindal KiddI have been at WI2 as a newly baked account multiple times, managed to stay on one of them for couple of week until clicked a wrong button. I've met few WTMs and few accounts just like mine - nicely dressed with multiple days or even years , still "parked" at WI2 and simply never leaving the place. If you can't control what sort of people stay behind at WI2 - you would get a chance of spammers or false helpers . They could be literally anybody as you do not know what they are IMing newcomers about and in what language unless you start as a newcomer yourself. My point is - issue described is not preventable unless LL changes their Wi2 policies which we know they will never do. I share your sentiment regarding non-english speakers. Its very hard of them to navigate the WI2 w/English Guidebook only.

@Prokofy NevaLinden Lab supposedly have algorithm which funnels newcomers through 3 of the listed "known" regions. If you add a tracker on all 3 you'd see that the headcount would be fairly balanced on all 3 so my wild guess is that they spread a new joy to all 3 equally. However if 1 of the welcome places has 5 stationed avis there 24/7 including 2 greeters, they'd only get a new warm body sent to them by LL if other islands have 5 or more. Again, I've been watching them for a year or so occasionally, and its been a case. Also whenever WI2 goes down for maintenance or gets stuck during weekly restarts - you'd see the traffic balance out between the other 2 (OI and AI), and go back to "norm" after WI2 comes back online. If 2 out of them go down for longish term - then 3rd one will get all intake.

while newcomer is more likely to rez on the Welcome Island 2 (WI2), they could also end up in other 2 new-account areas: Firestorm Orientation Island (OI) and Adventure Island.(AI) I did try experiment with a few account and mostly ended up at WI2. While WI2 is a serine and welcome area and the only place where new GuideBook actually makes sense (it rezed on your hud for every account regardless of where you spawned) , it is NOT governed by anyone. White Tigers Mentors (WTM) have no powers there, so their only 2 tools are persuasion and old-good AR report. Should any questionable aggressive account decide to linger at WI2 - they can do it indefinitely, and they will do it, rightfully so, until LL gets enough ARs to block that account. Until they they WILL bug newcomers, fly into their faces (even though flying is disabled), parade in the nude glissing mesh bodies with huge bazookas or even grief (oh my!). That's how LL wants to have WI2 ran and that's LL problem. Once newly baked resident manages to leave WI2 (some never do!) - they can never come back. Social Islands are no longer the next step, so they might end up in one of the Newcomer friendly areas of their choosing at Destination Guide which could be any of the top 4 displayed (London, Tokyo, SI10 or FSG Social) The situation is slightly different with OI and AI since both of those areas are monitored by their qualified governing groups, and troublemakers can be removed if they become bit much. Both OI and AI admins are well trained individuals. Also, even though AR is still a good tool there - as some others posters said - its better to contact the local admins / owners if you have a negative experience in non-linden spawning area as its managed locally. I did not find many troubled folks hanging back on OI or AI. Why? OI has 5-6 day stay limit and impossible to get back to. AI is almost always heavily governed 24/7 and bad elements are eventually removed. Why am I mentioning all of this? LL is well-aware of the WI2 situation, same way they are aware of SI10 as being troll, vamp and griefer infested island, literally the worst place you'd want to send a newbies too, and it is still a Linden Land. And its at DG newcomer friendly at top 4, really? Why do they keep allowing SI10 to happen? I am guessing they'd rather have all trolls in one spot w/no rez (or potentially even w/no voice, if they decide to). Here guys, come and see what SL is all about:) Why is WI2 is the way it is? You'll be shocked to find out this has been the way LL ran welcome areas for years. Even since SL Mentors with a hot-line to LL were removed from Learning, Welcome, or whatever spawning islands it became "free for all", where anyone can register a new account and do whatever they want (including urm well what you mentioned earlier - bad help), until enough ARs are received to block that account. With that in mind, its not always a bad idea. Before WTMs were granted access to LL spawning areas we helpers would register new accounts and help there ourselves, that was the only way to get there, except those times when LL had configurations to boot older accounts from Learning Islands after what 2 week?

On another thought perhaps LL just wanted to have these regions for themselves first, hosting their own corporate presentations and conferences having primarily large corporations in mind as a target: For instance: Corporate executive or marketing lead arrives to linden hosted conf, sees 200 people and asks them how they managed to pull it off. Linden offers him the opportunity. Sold. As to the announcement itself - they had to do it, or otherwise it would always remain a "hidden" feature for big cheese clients only.

Just curious if anyone from this group or anyone you know in SL actually took a part in 200 avatar server stress-testing, or was it just bunch basic avatar created by LL interns? Also if this is for daily rentals and someone decides to invest and then sublet this sim for daily or weekly renting contracts, would they actually have enough renters? Would someone persay actually want to rent such region for a big wedding or other celebration and pay week's rent of lets say 300USD so they have enough time to decorate and then to trash the place when they are done? Also, did anyone actually ask for this? Asking for a friend:)

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