[Fitted Mesh Is Here!]

Well, is nice to know SL keeps trying to update things.  Now, I only have to wait on some videos how to rig and weight paint things in Blender using this new method. 

Someone posted about small time creators being run out of business, I am one and I sucked it up and take, have taken and will continue to take classes to learn Blender.  Blender is Free, SL classes by tips, invest your Lindens and time to learn is well worth it. Many free videos on Youtube and the web to help as well.

Be interesting to see what the Aftermarket FP Mesh Creators come up with. Will they re-rig and re-weight their items and distribute updates to their customers?  Will they continue with the standard shape sizing scheme since not all the mesh I have seen deforms well with one size.

A couple suggestions were made, LL needs to look into. A excellent suggestion make demos a separate category or a way to exclude them from search.  MP is bogged down with demos and is no fun looking through all of them find what you wish to buy. I usually give up pretty quickly.

 

 

 

 

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[Embark on a Quest in Linden Realms: Collect Crystals, Earn Linden Dollars and Have a Blast!]

Hhhmmm...is a game and seems to equate itself to nothing more then a camping scheme all that LL is been working on when there are so many other issues that need to be solved?  Shame, shame, shame on you LL.  While I don't mind that you use my monthly tier to try to keep SL afloat, I think SL is predominantly filled with Adults.  I suppose this must be your latest draw to try to entice new members, but in doing so, you continue to seek to kill off of those that have been paying your bills for years. I have not seen this game nor do I intend to.  I don't have enough time as it is to create my world as I enjoy now, let alone play some sort of camping game to earn Ls.

Why not invest in some new building tools for you customers? Why not go back and start supplementing those that teach building skills and other creative venues that are doing the work for you? Lower your prices on monthly tier and land sales?  Why not increase the prim limit per sim?  What about fixing the lag issue? How about creating a viewer that is both user friendly and builder friendly? Or, better yet, why not give us a choice of viewers?  I am sure you can style V3 that is similar to V1.2.3 for those of us that build. 

 

 

[Linden Lab's New CEO]

Welcome to the wonderful world of SL!

I do hope you do not become confused with the notion that SL is a game.  While the world may look gamish, it far from being a game in any sense of the word.  And, while it does have some social networking elements, it is also far and distant from social networking. SL is it's own unique creature.

As far as I am concerned, SL is an ADULT environment and should remain that way.  Send those underage over to the SIMS.  I am an adult and value my protected Adult time as I spend my real life money on sim tier and other things. Don't dumb SL down...don't knock it down to mature and PG only...don't crush freedom of speech...don't make SL into some corporate mishmash of what they think SL moralistically should be.  Listen to the residents and pioneers of virtual worlds...see it as something beyond a game or simple social networkng anyone can do on Twitter or FB.

Appeciate your residents...all your residents.  Don't be elitist and do what LL always does by looking to those uber designers, land barrons, or mega merchants for advice of what residents really want.  Take time to talk to the every day working folks from around the world. Fix a few things like the viewer and lag and some of the issues on the JIRA that has been their for years.  Add some additional building tools, take off the 10m x10m restrictions on prims and other things that would enhance creativity.

I wish you well.

[Viewer 2.4 Released!]

Just call me skeptical, I may try it but am not sure yet.  The V2x(s) I have tried suck in my opinion, especially for builders.  I am a builder.  Why would I want to use a viewer that doesn't allow me to do what I enjoy?   TheV2xs are okay if you are new to SL and trying to learn about the world.  You have nothing else to compare it with so all is good.  Those of us that have been around for a long time find the interface clunky and not very intuitive.

I think someone earlier said not to make negative comments about the new viewer.  Sorry, but if it deserves negatives then it gets negatives.  Negative customer comments, if you are really consentious, are looked into and researched to see how things can be done better to make the customer experience better.  If the customer experience is bad, they leave, your product goes down hill, you lose money often to the point of bankruptcy.   Unfortunately, LL is and has not listened to it's customer base in at least 4 years; otherwise, the JIRA would not be so huge, things would be fixed, you wouldn't need an uber computer to run SL, lag would be next to nothing, etc. etc. etc. Why would you expect them to listen now?

[Help Us Test the SL Web Viewer Beta]

Since I didn't receive an invitation to this soire, I decided to create a new account and see what has changed since I started and used Viewer 2 which I really do not like, but hey, I was pretending to be a new person.  I was really disappointed in the "Welcome Area" .  It tells you very little about SL and only a few of the basics.  At the end of the "opening area"  (I will not call it a welcome area, it was not very welcoming), it gave you a few places to TP too...I chose "Shopping"   It dumped me in some odd store that was set up as Moderate/Mature.   So, this created some questions.

1) Who decides at LL to promote what vendors at Welcome Island? How does one get into the destination guide?  How are they picked?  Is this perk offered to every merchant or venue owner? Or, is it offered to elite merchants only? Why are you not taken to some of the freebie and new resident places to encourage interaction with other AVs, who can answer questions the new person might have?  If LL Can't afford a decent Welcome Area for heaven sakes, utilize the resources of others that have taken it upon themselves to help new folks.  No wonder people don't stay, there is no help or reason for folks to stay.

2) Once you TP off Welcome Island, you can't go back.  This is not a good thing.  You dump folks with no idea what to do or where to go or even how to get out of where you TPed to.

3) Are all new, non-aged verified, accounts dumped into Moderate/Mature?  Why aren't they dopped into a General/PG area?

(Theoretically speaking)  Okay, so now as a newb, I am stuck in a nicely done build, with some nice items to buy.  But, I have no lindens, there is no one here to speak to or ask questions of, I am unfamiliar with SL, I don't know what all these buttons means or how to use them.  I have spent 30 minutes in-world with no clue what to do next.  I see a red arrow on screen telling me that Welcome Island is 87290m away, but I can't get back there.  I don't know how to get out of where I am.

If you want people to sign up and actually stay, forget about snappy names, www access, flashy doodads, simply offer greater ultra basic assistance like a mentor.

[Help Us Test the SL Web Viewer Beta]

I have a high end machine, good internet, been here 5 years at the end of the year, a small merchant and sim owner that has spent thousands of dollars in SL, do I ever qualify for any tests or perks, NEVER.  If you are one of the uber elite of SL, then I am sure you qualify easily.  Meanwhile, the rest of us are SOL.

[Welcoming Teen Grid Organizations to the Main Grid]

I have to agree with you.  I think this is going to come back and bite LL in the butt as well. While this is a boon for educators for non-adults, I see this as just another move to sanitize the entire adult grid.  But, let's be honest, I think we knew this was going to happen when Zindra was proposed and created over a year ago.  There has never really been any protection since day one of keeping adults and non-adults separated.  Even when Age-Verified accounts came into being, we all know they can easily be created by anyone the least bit savvy, and non-adults are savvy.

My prediction is this is one step closer to making SL a non-adult or sanitized playground much like There and some other places were.  And, we all know what happened to those worlds.

[Next Steps for Mesh Import]

Agrees and seconds that motion!  There has to be things that are writting in layman's language that is easy to use and relatively inexpensive.  Product wise, you get some one interested in an easy to use product they will learn it and move up to a more complex product.

I just see the SL economy going in the tank.  Small time businesses will dry up faster then they are now.  And, I think your gonna see a back lash from those that aren't creators as well.  Who wants to constantly buy new clothes and other items?  Okay, some will but the rest of us won't. Heck, I still wear clothes that look good from 5 years ago.

[Next Steps for Mesh Import]

Thank you for this listing of sources. Perhaps, I will find something that is simple that I can understand and use since Blender is sooo not useful to me.

[Next Steps for Mesh Import]

As a "Mom & Pop type" creator, how is this going to effect us little  guys?  Yes, Yes,...I know people want this....been wanting it forever...will do amazing things for SL...blah blah blah.  Personally, I only see it as a way to be forced to update my looks, my skins, my clothes etc....by spending tons of Ls with you "Pros" out there?

But, what it is gonna do for me?  Are we gonna have to shell out uber $$ and spend tons of times trying to learn new software to create in SL because of the introduction of meshes?

One of the things I liked about  SL was the in-world tools that does allow me to create. Then, because there were certain textures I wanted, I had to spend money on photoshop (yeah yeah gimp is free but more resources for photoshop) and still can't do all I wish.  I tried my hand at clothing, but was too difficult to get things to match and look right so gave up.  Sculpties...OMG...such a pain to learn the software to make anything.  I gave up on that endeavor...too alien and time consuming...the user interfaces sucks...the learning curve is horrendous.  The tutorials I have seen are not created for ultra newb beginners...to many make assumptions on the part of the creator.  Animations...well also a pain but thank goodness for some educational classes in SL that helps people understand animation.  Whoever invented QAvanimator should win an award with a large stipend to go with it.

So, for those of use not literate in 3-D modeling...just exactly what is there in this for us. I am long past the time of going to clubs, battle sims, etc.  If I can't create, why should I stay and spend my money in SL.

P.S. For the record, I am glad new meshes are coming even though they probably will cause me nothing but grief.