I want some cheese with my whine

Ok I feel the need to offer up this lil bit of a whine

Cant help it, must get it off my chest.


As always I start with a bit of flattery

In almost every respect I love the tax system that is in place, I think y'all have done a suburb job of making a very hairy problem into a well working machine.

But I have a few problems with it as well.

For one thing. SL is about freedom. Freedom to chat, build, script, sale, host, explore, do all sorts of things, or none of them at all. We have that choice. we can contribute, or we can sit back and veg and nothing compells us to do either save our own desires.

So this is my desire..

To build a huge mountain way up in the sky, to put a large castle on it, to invite all my friends over to celebrate our victory over gravity! lol and you know what I can do all of that. SL lets me. For this I love ya guys.

ok.. lets see

BUY THE LAND - yikers that was expensive! oh well what else is money good for Lets get this sucker way up there eh? *Woosh* Now that is darn pretty!!!

lets see

BUILD THE CASTLE - oh goodness this is taking awhile - sure wish I wasnt such a perfectionist! But hey! That's the fun of building in SL - so away I go.

er wait.. a snag

Not enough money to finish the castle. hmm, ok wait for the stipend and then work on it - after all rome wasnt made in a day, why should Second Rome be???

Dang under a 100??? hmm must be a glitch *nag every ear in sight* nope that right. ahh well - a few more steps go up..

wait..

huh? under 50? what the??? ok lets look... hmmm maintence is costing 1500 a week. wowzers! steep! ahh well, thats what you get for wanting the best, but no worries right? after all the rating/stipend is supposed to get you back to 3000 and if over that at least try to cover (up to 3000) your maintence. So I'll get there right?

wait....

huh? 30?!?!?!?!? ok now I am confused *nag nag nag* oh! the stipend is only a lousey 500 sumpin, the rating has to make up the difference!! dratz what's my rating????

20?? shoot.... *chat chat chat, rate rate rate rate rate rate hey rate back!!! rate rate rate chat chat chat rate rate rate*

*looks* 23????? oh man at this rate I'm never going to finish so I can host an open castle night!!! guess I better sell some things.. er wait, dont have enough money to make anything.. ok *delete delete delete* *build merchandise*

hmm now I can make money if any one buys it

*waitng*


And all the time that we are waiting to make the money, we are a) not building on what we really wanted to do, and b) not guarenteed to make any money cause someone actually has to *want* what you put up for sale...

Note that almost all the time spent in that scenario was *not* doing what was most desired, but anything to bring in an extra buck or 3.

Is this SL or is this RL? Is having to scramble in SL going to build character. Someone wants a Dance Hall, another one wants a Dance Club. The club does well because they do and the Hall poorly because not enough people care about old style dance halls... Does that make the first person's vision any less important or valuable than the second? Should they be punished? Should they not get their dance hall?

If I am a builder or a scripter or a texture designer, bending all my resources to creating new and wonderful things for SL, must I also be a host and chatty kathy? Cannot my work be it's own contribution???

the rating/stipend as it has stood seems to be forcing people to spend more time doing what they have to do and less time doing what they want to do.

I cant offer solutions, but I can offer thought. I hope this gives you a mindfull.

You need some sleep.......

Actually, I agree totally. I have all but stopped work on my little slice of heaven for the same reason. So now I do a LOT more visiting, chatting and voting. The nice thing is, I am meeting a lot of good people, so all is not lost. But I really would like to finish "Dolphin Manor".


-TK

I think I, very respectfully, disagree.

I don't think everyone should be able to build a Castle a hundred meters in the air, or the best beach house in the land. At least not when they first get there and not without some work.

I think a lot of people just start off too big. Maybe its a flaw in the philosophy of the game. Everyone feels they should be able to build what they want, because it's possible. No one wants to start small, create their niche, get established and work up the resources for building that castle in the sky.

Assumming daddy isn't paying, your first car isn't going to be a Porche, at least not a new one. You get the 10 year old honda civic first, go work your arse off and later you get the nice car.

And I'm not saying that is the only way to go....

Most companies aren't started up by 1 person. Either a group gets together and pools resources or a financial backer is found. Both of these are possible in SL.

Large property lots, huge or complex buildings, these are the rewards and trophies of SL.

I like that I have to work to earn. BUT the part that irks me is when I dont really own that much (compared to some) and yet my stipend + Bonus (that I worked quite hard for tyvm) EQUAL my "Maintenance" no matter how high I get in the ratings or how little I own. What gives? There is obviously something Im not understanding.

I respect your outlook Ama, but have to also disagree..

Now mind you it doesnt make a difference now but look at it this way...

You are paying 10-15 dollars a month for a game that *unless* you find a way to generate an income through building/scripting/teaching/hosting/or xxxx, you cannot create what you want to create.

I'm not saying that you should be able to create the castle in the sky in one day

but as I post on another thread.. at the rate I'm getting money now, it would take *110 weeks* to reach back to the 3000. and thats with a maintence of 1300 a week.

Now that's over 2 years of game time to make back 3000 *unless* I start a business/host events/ etc et all.

that's 240-360 dollars I just spent on a game to *not* do what I came to that game to do.

yes it's a chat medium, yes it's a business medium, but it's also a dream medium. A place for us to explore what we *want* our SL to be not just another imitaion of our RL.

What I am saying is that if the stipend/rating is supposed to get you back up to 3000. then *do it* dont *Make* people go out and be friend, or *Make* them start a business.

ok.. look at it this way.. I sell all my land, and have no house. Now because of that I dont get a stipend but I do get a rating.. so I wait for the rating to pile up enough for me to build my dream.... lets see 800 a week - for lets say - 10 weeks to have 8000. Now I can afford my land, and afford my castle.

*but* for 2 and a half months I sat and did nothing, because I dont want to chat and I dont want to host or attend, I want to build! (note that this is not me of course since you all know I *am* a chatty kathy).

Is my sitting there contributing to the community? (aside from the 30-45 dollar LL got for me to be there) Is it really better for me to sit idle, or for me to do what I wanted, so that others can take pleasure in the creations I make just as I do???

And of course that is with the understanding that the rating can take you over 3000. if it cant, then you will *never* get the money to do what you want *unless* you go merchat/social.

Primary fallacy of logic:

It isn't. The rating/stipend is supposed to help with your taxes. If the stipend/bonus is more than your taxes it will also give you money as long as you have under $3,500.

All money you pay for teleporting, rating someone (new), and taxes goes into a central pool. That pool is divided up and split among the population based on:
1) the stipend which I think is just an even split of a portion of what is available in the pool
2) The bonus which is a weighted split of another portion of the available pool
3) If you have over 3,500 dollars if your taxes are lower than your stipend and bonus combined.

As they let in more people, the stipend gets smaller. It will only get bigger when they add more resources.

That is my understanding of the situation and not an official linden one, obviously.

Aside from that here is an analogy to another game - EQ. I joined it because I wanted to fight dragons. I didn't even -see- a dragon in my first year of playing. I had to do other stuff that I didn't join the game to do so that I could work up to fighting dragons. SL is/should be much the same. If you want the castle then you should have to work for it. I believe it says somewhere that the stipend is just a base to get you started and help cover taxes, if you want to do anything spectacular you need another method of income. Either joint projects, financial backing, or some other way of making money.

I'm torn on this one too. I don't want to have to work hard and struggle in SL -- I get enough of that in r/l. I want to build a little bit and texture a lot, and recently realized that I just NEVER have time for it.

So I'm adjusting. I'm releasing land and going to rebuild to get my tax/maintenance down to where my stipend + bonus are covering everything. That will mean I won't have to spend as much time 'working' as I do. And it will give me an opportunity to do the texturing I enjoy.

'Working' for me is events, because I don't model, script, or create custom textures well enough to make anything that people would want to sell.

But whereas I don't model, script, etc.... I do a pretty good job of finding unique ways of applying unusual textures, so I hope to form some partnerships with people who model well so they do the modeling and I do the texturing and I can then open a boutique and make money that way. Then I'll live happily ever after doing something I love and making money at it too.

Now I'm not just trying to tell you my tale of woe -- figuring out how to work with this economic system is definitely a challenge. And I do believe that is by design a part of the game.

I go back and forth in my head on whether I want that part of the game or not, and whereas I do at times even hate it, I also overall enjoy this whole experience enough to want to do it.

On the other hand... I do think it should be easier. It does seem that the system is designed to be 'easy' for, and reward more, those who have more than average talent in building and creating custom textures. Next it's those who are talented scripters. Even the vote boxes reward good builders.

If Linden is targetting as customers people with good modeling skillz who want a challenge like the economic system, then they are doing a good job. But I don't think that's their target audience, and I think it's obvious there have to be some changes to broaden the customer base.

Many many people come in, spend all of their initial allotment, find out they need a job, and leave. Getting money has be easier and more fun.

My stipend right now is $431. I was reading just yesterday that the stipend is (or was) supposed to be $1,000. A bigger, unvarying, base stipend would be very helpful. Maybe when the inactive accounts are closed, we'll get more money in the money pool that will help the stipend.

Part of this too is that I think Linden needs to test 'worst case' scenarios with the economy to determine how the economy can recover if it heads south after go-live, at which time they would risk losing paying customers.

God I'm rambling today. But one more thing -- I believe there also a deliberate limit on funds to ensure that people don't build big ugly structures the size of a sim, which would be an eyesore, as well as tie up land.

I hope at least some of this makes sense cuz I don't wanna go back and edit it. lol


Kerstin

well there is a slight difference with regards to the dragon.

EQ (yes I played it and got a dragon in my third week on), only (at the time I played) had a few things you could do.. adventure, chat, and limited item making.

EQ is set up for adventuring. Now.. how quickly you progress is limited to how much your on and how often you go out and kill things. Thats what the game does, that's really all it does.

That's why the analogy is flawed. SL isnt just one thing, it's many. and it's non-limiting. You do what you want, no levels, no boundaries. No boundaries that is save cash.

If the Lindens said - for every completed object I make I get 100 bucks, or for every peice of land I bring above water I get 100, or for every... see - if the game was strictly reward based, and it required no special skills on my part to gain those rewards, then I would just shut up and knock out 1200 different tables.

But that's not SL. It's not reward based. And while I *prefer* it be the way it is (I hate reward based games), I also acknowledge that hurts those who dont have any unique talents (cant script, not good at building, dont like hunting textures, not charismatic, dont like dealing with lots of people, etc..)

Rather than just not rewarding, it's almost (and I mean *almost*) punishing people who dont try to sell something (wether it's a product or themselves).

That's just wrong.

I mean that. That is just WRONG. It may not be wrong for me (who just doesnt want to take the time), but it is wrong for someone who is *paying* for the chance to try and create thier dreams.

Maybe their dreams are just a lil plot of earth, a pink house with a green roof, and 30 difffent colored lights that rotate above their head (which they bought the script for). well for that person the game says "heck yeah, you have a good time, your covered".

But if the person's dream is a to recreate Helm's Deep from LoTR, then the answer is "Pony up bubba, in time or merchandise".

Like I said, Rome wasnt built in a day. but It was buildable.

-- Back when my rating was in the 70s and I was #1 on the board, I had no land and no objects inworld. I went for weeks without any rating bonus, although others with significantly lower ratings were getting in the thousands.

-- Misnomer, you are right -- you cannot get more than your tax + maintenance, unless your tax + maintenance is under $450, in which case you'll get up to $450 IF the current economic pool (how the economic pool is on your pay day) can afford the $450. Otherwise, you'll get the max the current economic pool is allowing.

-- You can get more than $3,500 a week, but I'm not quite sure how that works. I've now finally got enough land + objects that, since I have the highest rating, I'm getting the max anyone can get. The amount varies week to week, and is dependent on how much there is in the economic pool at that time. I believe my highest weekly total was about $7k but that was only 1 week. Currently with having more tax + maintenance than my stipend + bonus, I'm getting about $5k, $431 of which is stipend, and the rest rating bonus. I think I'm actually getting penalized for having more land + objects than some maximum. I'm going to try to test this out the next few weeks by trying to get and keep my tax + maintenance even with my stipend + bonus and still try to max it out.

I'm also going to try to balance the amount of land and amount of objects I have because I think I'm getting penalized for having more land than objects. I'm going to delete land and build objects until I'm ranked about the same on both on the leader board.

I'm posting all this just so those interested in how the economy works get more info, and also in hopes that where I'm inaccurate a Linden will clarify.

I really wish there was more documented about how the economy works. Just as I grasped a lot of it, I'm finding out there's lots more I don't know.


Kerstin

No its not. It's not punishing those who don't sell and it isn't wrong.

I absolutely, 100%, do not want every joe schmuck who pays their $15 to be able to enter the world and create Joe's Giant Pink and Green Glowing Monstrocity.

Rather I want the people who contribute to the world, in a way that others pay them, and increase their standing, gain influence and money - I want them to be able to build Joe's Giant Pink and Green Glowing Monstrocity.

So because one guy builds for himself with the account he pays for, and another builds for others with the account he pays for, the first person is not worthy of having his monstrosity?

You all know I believe in community, and I try to do my part. But I dont like being *forced* to do my part (right now I'm not - because it's what I enjoy).

and if the first guy builds just for himself, remember that voting booths and open houses and the like will help. people will see his monstrosity and be amazed and rate him positively. And thus he *has* contributed.

yet he didnt have to put a price tag on it


Contribution is not how many items you have for sale, it's not how many trivia contests you host (no offense Kerstin), it's not how you can exploit the voting booths, it's not being the most popular.

Contribution is creating something that everyone can enjoy. Weither it's the newest Sledge-o-matic, the Flying carpet, a new dance club, a better sword, or a castle way up in the hills. It's creating something that makes the whole SL a more interesting place.

and... contributing is *paying* that 10-15 a month (along with everyone else) so that those who *do* have artistic talents have a place to show them.. lets not forget that. Are they contributing? heck yes! Their paying for the game arent they???

Basically ... yes.

I think our basic disagreement here is that I see no problem whatsoever with having to work to get what you want.

Whereas you think your $15 should be enough work to let you do whatever you want.

And on this point I think we will have to agree to disagree.

BTW - I do not think the economy is perfect as is. I think it is -way- too tight. Maybe it will loosen some when accounts actually start closing from innactivity. I really hope a lot of attention has been given to make sure all their resources get returned to the general pool - including the money any land released is worth and any items deleted are worth. Black holes for money is one of my biggest concerns for the game, mostly because I can't see what is actually happening behind the scenes and it is impossible to tell from this side if one of these black holes were to appear.

Hm that would be a nice feature request: A way to see where money is going. How much $$ was collected from where (tax, rezing items, teleportation) and how much went where ($$ to stipends, $$ to ratings bonuses).

I'm not sure exactly how the SL economic system works...I sometimes wonder even the Lindens know how it works...lol... But I know know it's geared to "reward" people for buying land and building stuff on it. Your stipend varies according to how much you build, but then there are the taxes to consider...which vary from place to place, regardless of what the density is. I have a feeling that the Lindens are experiementing with different tax levels and reimburstment schemes to see what works best for the most number of people, most of the time.

The rules have changed in the past, and they will continue to change...that's beta for ya...we just have to deal the best we can. But what I really like about SL, and this is really the key to holding my long-term interest (I'm one who gets extremely bored with things, really fast) in here is the fact that I always have something to look forward to..whatever it's meeting new people, which I probably wouldn't do as much if it wasn't for the rating system, to helping out Ben with one of his games, to modeling and texturing, to constantly checking out what other people have done, which only makes me work that much harder to see what I can come up with. I think it's truely remarkable the way the Lindens have set up SL so far that holds my interest as much as it does, and a great deal of has to do with the incentives put into place to make L$. If we all had as much L$ as we wanted, I probably would have quit this a long time ago, as there wouldn't ben anything to work towards. I would have built some big, gaudy monstrosity in the sky...but I can do that just as easy in Bryce, so what would be the point.

Besides, we must take a moment to consider that even in 2nd life, there are limitations. The stipends are deliberately being kept low for the obvious reasons of keep the sims from crashing from over-building, etc, which is why taxes go up according to height and all that. (Of course I got around that by building my house on the big hill.. ...so I got what I wanted anyhow...lol) But my efforts to work around these limitations is what keeps me so addicted to SL in the first place, as I'm sure it does for most of us on here.

Hopefully when this goes live, there will be a lot more server resources and consequently higher stipends, so people won't feel too limited in what they can or cannot do..

J

I *almost* agree with where you drew the line in our disagreeing

lol say that 10 times fast.

I dont think that just paying 15 is enough work

but I *do* think that creating is in itself work both for the person and the community. The act of building something is their contribution.

And I dont thing they should be penalized because they didnt turn around and sell it.

Actually as a note to Josh..

I understand why the limitations are in place. lol just do agree with them.

1) for my "lenghtily stated" reasons
2) because as beta testers we should be pushing the sim envelope, seeing what it will and wont take. Because in the end, knowing it's limitations can only be truely acheived through testing those limitations.

Now if a Linden said we are set the way we are because we *cant* handle any more (scotty), then I would say "I'm sorry of course my giant Mansion/spacestation combo is too much"

But if it's because the dont want to test the system, the question becomes "why not? at go-live time you're gonna get tested to the hilt! wouldnt it be better to know before hand?"

I don't think everyone's building is a contribution to the society.

I believe if it is then there should be the means for them to cover it's expenses. Be it vote booths, open houses or what not.

But wouldnt that be forcing them to subscribe to your views of contribution, instead of letting them contribute to the community in the ways that best suit them??

*note by 'you' I dont mean you specifically, speaking strictly in the generic*

in which case, why is (once again not ment to be directed) your vision of contribution more valid that theirs?

Yes I dont want to see 300 meter candie canes strung out all along the sims - but is it my right to say "Hey that's not my idea of adding to the community! take those down!" ?

In the end, not everyone is a builder, not everyone a scripter, not everyone a texture specialist or a good host. Yet everyone should have the oppourtunity to prosper and advance in SL. Should have the oppourtunity to create their "Masterpiece"

If we leave it only to those who are skilled and popular, we just created a second class citizen.

I'm not sure there is a game economy. Does anyone really buy anything? If you look at the leader board it seems the people with the most money are the best builders scripters and host(ess). They can already make pretty much what they need and have no need to buy anything.
I don't really have a problem with the tax system. It's designed to keep everyone somewhat at the same level. It's trying to get beyond this basic level where things start to fall apart.
Once you get beyond the basic tax and stipens it's completly up to the players as to how to make cash. I don't think the players have figured this out yet. I also think the world is still too basic for any real economy to work.
This game is evolving before our eyes here and we're still at the beginning. For the economy to really work people have to offer itmes that are truely original. I walk into someones shop and they have a couch for sell. I can see that it's only made up of a few basic shapes. I know that if I really wanted one I could make it myself. Why bother buying it then? The same goes for scripting. I don't script, don't know the first thing about it, but I'm sure I could figure out the basics if I work on it. Why go out and buy basic scripts then? I'm only going to buy it if I know I can't do it or if it's just to complex.
One of the best things I've seen in game so far is the dragon made by Link Zebrastripe on the roof of Charlie's Castle. It's about the only thing I've seen so far that I might actually want to buy or maybe hire Link to make something for me(if I had any money that is).
The Game right now is full of Programers, Designers, and Artist all able to do things for themselves. We are like settlers of a hundred years ago, having to do it all for ourselves. The sim has to fill up with more average people who rather just buy something than make it themselves before the ecomony takes off.
I hope this isn't too much off topic and makes some sense.

LOL I like it: Second Class citizen in Second Life.

But seriously....

I disagree with your conclusions. My (singular) opinion doesn't matter to person X building JGPAGM (Joes giant etc.). It just means I'm not going to help them build it, i'm not going to give them money and I'm not going to vote for it.

However if person Y feels that JGPAGM is the greatest thing since sliced bread, then go him/her. They can help build, fund and vote for it. Or in some other way help support its building. The things that won't get built are those with insufficient support. Larger projects, which will effect the game more, require more support.

I still do think the economy is too tight. But I think the money needs to come in the form of voting booth type thinsg or ratings or similar.

For the sake of clairification...

Building/scripting/texture design/hosting parties and or events, all of these things are wonderful contributions to the community, without these people SL would be a far far less exciting place to explore and enjoy. And I, for one, would be much poorer without the beauty they bring into the world with their creations and their events. They are the heart of SL.

All I am saying is that you dont *have* to do any of those things to contribute to the community. Even in building your own home (ok yes it's building -but not for sale) you are contributing to the community if it makes the sim a more interesting place to visit, if you and those around you can enjoy something new, another thing to be view and discovered in this ever changing world.

Even "Dang that's the UGLIEST things I've ever saw" is something that people will want to view, share, and comment on.

Contribution cannot be judged just by dollar, it's anything that may inspire, that may cause controversy, it may draw laughter, it may bring people together. A persons contribution to the community is as unique as the person behind the screen, and as such, cannot be placed against a measing stick to say "this is a contribution, and this is not".

Even the penis was a contribution. An inappropriate one, but still - think about all the discussion that would never have arisen had it not been present.

Maxen you stated my opinion perfectly. We are early settlers of a world that is just starting. Most of the early adopters are people who can do for themselves, and pride themselves on that fact. And what we can't do, we are eager to learn.

Unfortunately that means you can't do some things yet. I hope desperately, that SL developers don't put in short-term crutches that will undermine the normal development of a true economy.

I tend to think of this not as a game, but as a developer platform, and we are the developers who will ultimately be able to develop games-with-in-games. But we are learning, and the platform is become increasingly stable and sophisticated, so it's not all smooth. Folks can't always do what they want. And the economy is tight now.

When i first got here, there was a glitch in the stipend system that locked vast money reserves in the accounts of unused accounts. Everyone was poor. Stipends were miserly. and people were pulling down projects left and right. But the tweaked the system, money flowed and SL went back to biz as usual.

I feel the economy is tightening again. So i will probably be looking for ways to lighten my load when the coffers get low.

Jax, i guess i'm trying to say, that the current economic environment is volatile and not to be relied on as static element of the game. It is constantly reacting to people buying, selling and hoarding. We will go through recession and boom.

You see me with a big giant place now, but i started with a cabin in Minna on a tiny patch of land no bigger than the cabin. It takes time to build the really big stuff...and sometimes you can't even keep it.

Witness Zoli's NeoMidian floating castle...it is no more. There are other wonders that i have seen come and go. It's the nature of Beta.

I hear what you are saying, and I'm sympathetic, but i've also torn down things, and compromised on my vision, and failed to get what i wanted how i wanted when i wanted.

But at 4 PST this afternoon you get another bite at the apple! So don't despair, save your pennies, and make new plans for your castle in the sky.

This was brought up when the new(est) tax system was announced and the idea isn't original to me, but I will repeat it and try to elucidate it. (This whole post is pretty much an excuse for me to use the word "elucidate".

Money (in all cases in this post, I am refering to L$ not RL$) represents one thing, congealed solidified server resources. The amount of server resources in the world is limited. Using up land and creating objects uses up server resources.

Your membership in SL entitles you to some certian amount of server resources, you rating also gives you some non-reusable, one-time-only server resources. If you are using up your total allotment of server resources (represented by taxes), you will have no left over server resources to use later.

So, to do more things than your basic allotment allows, you have to convince someone to give you more server resources. You can try and convince other people to give you their extra server resources by providing services that they want, or you can try get Linden Labs to allocate you more server resources by doing something that they like (organizing an event, or getting lots of voting booth votes [because Lindens like other players to like things]).

Given all this, they question becomes "hom much [many] server resources should I be allocated just for paying my monthly fee?" And this is a matter for Linden labs to decide, and it is almost a purely economic decision for them. They have to strike a balance between player satisfaction (a high number of server resources) and turning a profit (a low number of server resources, because they cost real world $$$).

Now my personal opinion is that if you simply pay your fee and exist in the world, you should be able to enjoy all the "free" things in the world (chat, events, sports, visiting interesting places) and be able to own and maintain a small but interesting home. Only by participating in the world should you be able to "build the big things".

Thank you for reading all of this (if you just skipped to the end, you missed all the bits in the middle about sex and violence).

Bel that was elegantly put, as always. Thank you.

One thing though. Lol You have all seen my castle go up/come down, get modified go up/come down. put up a trailer, take itdown etc...

I am not upset, nor disheartened. It will be or it wont. it will be my castle, or maybe a small casino - who knows what I'll finally settle on (though I really love the volcano - that aint going if I can help it).

I guess my biggest grief is not the lack of funds, but rather the ways I am told to acquire them. Those who know me know that I want to get enough up to host some events, to sell some of my armor sets, to script my own unique things..

but thats me..
thats not Joe Bob.

What bothers me isnt that I can make money those ways, or that it's the best way to make money. In many ways it's the *only* way to make money.

If you dont go out and rate like crazy (and get them back), if you dont have voting booths set up in key places, then those are your *only* options.

That's a generalization - because it doesnt take into account the (mentioned on another thread) package delivery system, or the Suicide pit, or even the Lottery - all incredibly brilliant and awesome additions.

All I am saying it that is "ahem" burns my buns that if I didnt already want to do these things, I would *have* to, if I wanted to get the funds to create my castle.

That's the part I have a problem with.

I'm paraphrasing:

That is a problem.

</tounge in cheek>

[also, this is my 200th post, discuss]

come play plinko You have a 1 in 9 chance of doubling your money hehehehe

Jaxiam the way I see it, if you want to host your damn party so bad, host one that isn't in a gigantic castle in the sky. If your party goes well (wherever it may be) then people will like you for being a party hoster, you'll get 500 bucks for the event, more money from all those people voting at your booth, more money from being rated by all those people, and this way you can build up to your huge castle party!

Otherwise, once you buy your huge castle, and host your huge party, it could completely bomb, nobody shows up, and you are depressed for life that you spent so much time to reach this goal and realize nobody gave a shizzy.

I believe everything done in SL can be done on a SCALE. This includes anything with money. The larger you want something, the more time it takes you to build it, invariably through having to socialize, yes. What I also believe is that you should have to start small before you can do anything big. And if you want so badly to do something big, you either partner up to build it (because if you can find a partner, at least you know SOMEONE is interested in your idea) or you come to terms with the fact that this isn't single player, and you do have to work by the laws that everyone else works by. So start small, and grow!

Er, this was all really just a rant, I might have repeated what other posts had, hope not