Land & Public Works

This is something I've been wanting to pitch for a long time but never really had the nerve to but here it goes. SL has been around for a long time and is really old as far as the Internet is concerned. Because of this and due to it's nature as an ever growing/evolving creative sandbox has a lot of history as well as historical sites to it. One could even go so far as to say that there's a field of archeology to exploring it. But this creates a dilemma. We're going on 20 plus years of evolution in 3d modeling, engine development, etc. And there are a lot of places with structures made of prims with many of them being very complicated and sophisticated builds and that's a LOT of land impact, plus rendering for anyone who wants to experience them or is just passing by. But on the other side of that same coin, it would be an absolute atrocity to just demolish them. My proposed solution is that if possible, LDPW Moles take/are given a copy of these prim linksets (soft linked or hard) and using 3d modeling software clean the prims up before joining them to create a smaller number of mesh objects which are then used to create a new and near exact replica of the original that under most cases is lower land impact and easier to render. This can be done in Blender fairly easily although it is a tedious process and not as quick or efficient as creating an object from scratch inside said 3d modeling software, but it will retain effectively the same geometry with less vertices if not faces. These linksets of mesh objects can then be used to replace the originals.This however would displace the originals, which is where the second step comes in: The Linden Labs Museum of Prims (Placeholder name). This would be a series of sims if not a dedicated continent, be they full regions or homesteads that may or may not be a direct part of the mainland where the original prim creations would be moved to and displayed for their preservation and for their historical value to be retained. Possible issues: Consent of the original creator of the objects or current owner of the land they reside on will likely be required. Ontop of this many of these people have likely left SL or are deceased. Not every prim is going to be suitable for conversion, this is especially the case for "tortured" spheres, torus and similar. Likewise prims that have been tapered, path cut, hollowed, sheered etc will require some faces to be replace. And by nature of merging the prims into singular mesh objects the UVs will likely need to be redone. Physics models for these new mesh objects or linksets may also be problematic. I know that this is not a small request and will raise some debates but I believe that it is something that should at the very least be taken into consideration if not possibly implemented in the future in some way shape or form for the continued optimization of Second Life for it's residences to further enjoy without completely disregarding the preservation of it's history.

In Sansara continent's east is a paved Linden Route road which appears to abruptly end in Drum region. But this road in Drum actually continues further east, unmarked through several more eastern Sansara regions (with an unpaved Protected Land route) until it ends in Rumgally. In Rumgally, this same road route then borders a Protected Waterway channel too, which almost reaches the east coast of Sansara continent at Dunvegan region. If this protected Dunvegan water channel were fully completed, this channel could then potentially form a permanant travelling route from Drum to Sansara's east coast. From the east coast of Dunvegan, a permanant link to Ranch Theme in the Bellisseria continent becomes a possibility too, preferably with a visually unobtrusive underwater road tunnel which would also allow boats to move between the two continents too. Stage 1: Please complete and fully pave the road from Drum to Rumgally. Stage 2: Please extend Rumgally's road (by underwater road tunnel) eastwards through Dunvegan, then eastwards across to Bellisseria's Ranch continent by the same Rumgally-Dunvegan underwater road tunnel. Some areas in Dunvegan have already been claimed as "Project Land" developments by Lindens, but still lack all the necessary parcels for full coastal access. I request that Stage 1 (Drum to Rumgally) upgrading work should be undertaken as soon as possible, with Stage 2 following at a later date when the necessary Dunvegan parcels have been obtained for "Project Land" use. Map of proposed road extention attached below:

For this idea, I'm suggesting that 3-4 regions of abandoned mainland are built out as forest on each mainland continent. A 'real life' example might be something like a national forest found in the US. Each continent could have it's own theme for the forest (jungle, swamp, redwood, beachy?, etc.), and have trails/plants/flora/fauna. Each forest would have a small rez zone (so you can rez a bike or a horse or something). PROS You don't need to make any new regions. Claim 3 to 4 regions in areas that are mostly abandoned. Every mainland continent has spots like this. You add instant real estate value to all of those parcels near the new forest that didn't have any value before - a 'protected Linden Forest view' on the mainland would be awesome. Volunteers could build it. The precedent has already been laid for volunteers to build large scale events/projects in association with the Mole and Linden teams. I am confident that a call for volunteers would yield an amazing a list of mainland loving builders. Cost to build it would just be whatever time is needed for the Linden / Mole to keep an eye on how the builder team is doing. CONS I have no idea how you'd 'sell those parcels' near the forest in a fair way, but I'm sure there are lessons learned from 'the old days' about how to release new land for people to purchase etc.

Belli is great. It is beautiful and the houses are fantastic. It's been well built and everything about what it is, is on point. But, the thing that makes it not an attractive option to many users is it is just one vast neighborhood for premium members. The lack of communal places (I know there is a few like the fair grounds, but they are very few and far between) and the repetitive nature of the sims with nothing but houses is not an attractive option to a lot of people who have premium (like myself). At this point we have more houses than people interested in them and there are plans for a LOT more sims and subsequently houses to be added to Belli over time. I do not think adding MORE housing to Belli will increase premium memberships. Where the real opportunity lies is in land sales on Mainland in my opinion. If we could get Gaeta I finished and connected to mainland, then get Gaeta II, III, IV, done as well with nice roads and waterways there will be a ton more interest in that I feel like, than in living in the vast repetitive suburbia that is Belli. If we aren't going to maintain things like Bay City (which I personally feel is one of the best mainland cities in SL) then I feel like we should be given more space, more land, more roads, to make fun communal spaces and activities for everyone. If you look at mainland, especially by the roads, we as the users have made so many amazingly fun places that are for everyone to use, and THAT is what I feel like will bring in new users and new premium accounts. More unique and up to date places to come together as a community and have fun! I know the point and purpose of Belli was to entice people in to getting premium memberships and bring in new users with how gorgeous it has been built. But I feel like we are at the overkill point of that project, and what will REALLY drive more premium memberships and more new users is more content made for everyone's enjoyment rather than a dwelling space. Give us the Gaeta continents and let us make them fun using all the new tools for creation at our disposal. Make the roads and waterways with vehicles in mind as well, and I can almost guarantee there will be increases in premium accounts and new users.

Many/most water canals in Heterocera are too shallow. For example, the canal running through http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sylvata/122/102/12 Likewise, it's continuation through several other regions going eastward. There are many other places.

In the North East of Sansara on the Regions of Kemp Hove and Chapel Stile are parcels obviously prepared for Linden Roads and named 'protected land'. Please finish these roads or at least smooth the cliff at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Chapel%20Stile/4/103/22 . Even off road driving is impossible here. For the ones having fun traveling around SL it would be a plus AND SL mainland develops along roads so the residents have more fun in SL.

I think that there should automatically appear a 1 sim navigable waterway around any land of the mainland. When mainland expands, the buffer 1 sim waterway should expand with it. This way, naviable waters are always available. If two lands join, elimating a waterway, it should appear in the closest edge to that lost one, making sure to provide a route around the lost waterway. Thanks!

Hello, who do I talk to about a grocery store and a country club in the new Ridgewood Enclave? We have sims full of houses to drive to, and I'm just asking for a sim with entertainment options like a grocery store, movie theater, a community gym, a Country club, and a yacht club. I'm just throwing things out there, but I love to rp, and I have been staying on the sim very frequently since I got my LH. Thanks in advance

With the Anniversary of Bay City coming up this weekend, it's well past time for Bay City to be connected to the rest of the Sansara road network. I've been able to physically walk out two proposed paths. Both paths would be entirely on Linden owned lands, not taking any resident parcels from existing owners.. The proposed route would start at the info hub in Dore (where the existing road out of Nova Albion ends). Continue south through the Morris sandbox and along the eastern side of historic Oak Grove, though through the portion where there are no builds. Enter into the vehicle sandbox sims and follow one of two paths from that point: Move south at Bethel and use the existing vehicle sandbox pathways and bridge system to translation to a coastal road in Ouranos, dropping into a tunnel or under-water road along the southern edge of Mnemosyne and the southern most edge of Abbotts (currently LL owned), then up the canal in Cowell, connecting to the road at the Noyo parking lot. Continue east through the vehicle sandbox, moving under water at Kapor, through the existing waterway in Stinson, under the "Bay of Space Pigs" and connecting with the roadway in either Rodeo or Omidyar. Both routes would require an underwater road or tunnel system, though considering the quality work with such routes in Jeogeot, there's plenty of precident for that! As stated, we walked both routes from start to finish and found either LDPW or Governor Linden owned parcels the entire way. Happy to walk the route with anyone as well.

In all of Sansara, water sims have filled in former voids absolutely EVERYWHERE... except for one single place in the "old neighborhood," the very first sims which date all the way back to late 2002/early 2003. This is the area just to the north of the original Ahern welcome area. The locations would be the voids adjacent to Shermerville Central, DarkWood, Shermerville NW, Auda, Fuchsia, Celadon, Brown, Aqua, Gray, Tan, Kissling, Lusk, and Ahern. (Draw a rectange from NW Pepsin to SE Kissling and you'll cover all of it.) There are two store sims in this area, Cayman and Edge, both open to the public. Before anyone says, "oh, but we couldn't possibly move them" -- they are currently isolated; and if they wish to stay that way, fine. There's plenty of room in the void nearby for them, barely a kilometer away. I doubt their presence is a serious deterrent to repairing this situation. Even if it is, LDPW can still fill in the void locations that wouldn't edge-connect with them. The use of this project would be to revitalize the old neighborhood, fill in the one and only eyesore void inside Sansara; and especially to encourage more water and air traffic through that corridor, which would further connect the water sims to the north and west of Sansara with the water sims south of Bay City which run down next to the vehicle park and terminate just west of Abbotts. This would invite more boat and airplane traffic, drawing interest from boaters, GTFO! couriers, pilots, and more generally people who enjoy exploring. The new shoreline would have attractions that people could enjoy walking around for hours, whether or not they arrived by vehicle. We'd also see to it that the new areas are lit up very nicely to make them attractive by night, adding a touch of mystery and romance. My personal interest would be seeing water access open up to Gray, home of Kazenojin Executive Airport. That's the oldest airport in SL (we won that land in a contest at the end of beta in 2003, and have maintained it ever since -- but it's sadly isolated from the many water sims nearby. Does that seem right to you?) I also see numerous void-adjacent For Sale plots in the area which are probably going to stay that way until they get abandoned. I think they'd be FAR more attractive if they bordered navigable water, rather than being next to an invisible brick wall. (Who wants that? It's depressing! This is why water sims exist in the first place.) People who would never consider buying those plots today might become interested if there was some access from the waterways. In the case where Cayman and Edge remain where they are, these locations, which don't edge-connect with either, would receive new water sims: South of Fuchsia North of Miramare Bay North of Lusk North of Kissling South of Aqua South of Brown In the case where either or both of Cayman and Edge move somewhere else, OR agree to connection, then (up to) the six void positions edge-adjacent to them would also receive water sims. That would mostly or fully fill in the current void. I'd be happy to work with LDPW to put together a development plan for the area, specifically focusing on how to bridge the different terraforming styles: The other side of the Kissling hill (to the west/NW/north) would be a fantastic place for some mountainous hiking trails. To the west of Tan would be a blend from the Kissling hill to the shores of Gray. I'm thinking this could be like a river delta, with a bunch of boardwalks and other paths, lit up all nice at night. South of Fuchsia, continue the riverland theme, joining Auda. Continue all the way down to Miramare Bay with mostly just water, with an archipelago similar to Blake Sea - Sirens Isle. (Boat people LOVE archipelagos, especially with seating. That sim is NEVER empty.) North of Ahern and Lusk, continue the landscape and waterways. Add a boat dock to the Ahern lake to give visitors to the welcome area "something to do." A boat rezzer on the dock. Carve out a small river going from the Ahern lake, toward the southeast, crossing through the northeast corner of Murray and then joining the Rizal lake. This would connect the Ahern lake and new water sims to the north, to the currently mostly-isolated lakes of Murray, Smith, Kapor, and Rosedale; and encourage water transit all through that corridor from Abbotts, which has a major SL Coast Guard installation. (I'm not currently affiliated with them. It's just that they drive SO much traffic.) The sim immediately north of Ahern could have a small museum of curiosities from alpha through the end of the first year (?/2002 - 6/2004.) This would be appropriate, as Ahern was the main welcome area in 2003.