What would you pay a builder in SL?

I get stepped on during builds , and only a few sales of completed ones.
But I still keep going, building/modding stuff is fun for me , stepping on part is just a side effect of being a tiny these things happen I don't blame the people who don't look down.

*laughs* I once created an alt, and while she was still on Help Island I sent her a Tiny avatar. She wandered around for quite a while just as an informal greeter and helper there. Didn't leave until a sim crash forced the issue. I had made the alt just to nail down the name for future use, but didn't plan to actually use teh character any time soon. So I figured having her help newbies was a good use for her while she was "waiting to be born".

She got stepped on... a lot! Most of the folks there had no idea that anyone could be so short!

But what if the client wants the public to like the build (I presumed they would want people to come stay in the hotel, after all)?

OK call me crazy, but the majority of things people *think* are easy, or *think* are quality, are actually very low-end. As a CG artist, the trained, quality builders are far and few between. Anyone can slap up a simple house structure...but adding key details, design, custom texturing, baked shadows and lighting, and all the fine-tuning that a trained modeler injects into their work is what separates the pros from the beginners.

And most builders slap on TRU textures they got in-world or from a texture site...which works about 5% of the time...the pros create custom textures for every job...and boy can you tell the difference.

Now the gentlemen that stated his rate of $60USD an hour...that IS ridiculous. 3D modelers for big game companies don't get that rate. A big conglomerate would be silly to accept that rate.

Like I mentioned before...don't go all diva with prices. But don't sell yourself short either. And don't think for a second slapping on a bunch of default textures is acceptable.

Well this is a tricky area. For this particular project the client wants a sim that is outstandingly different from anything else in SL. But you are right, he still wants people to come and pay to stay at his hotel. But it is not my job to design a build that will appeal to the public. Thats the clients job. So i come up with the hand concept. Thats all me. I think/ know it will look unique and very very cool. My client thinks so too and that is the basis for our project. When you get down to designing all the nitty gritty features and furniture etc thats where the client gets allot more involved and i take a step back in my influence and let them put more of an individual stamp on the build and tailor it to their desired customer base. They tell me what they want and I build it, trying to keep it in style with the overall design. Sometimes clients give me free reign and thats up to them. But it's my clients job to determine if a commercial build will

A) appeal to their customer base
B) appeal to the general public
C) Help make their bussiness a success

So if the client takes all the above into account (which I adivse them to) then all i have to do is please my client. So I guess in a way i am shifting repsonsibility over to them. If everyone who visits the sim hates the hand, thats not my fault. It's his business and he approved the design.

As long as the building looks and functions as per the brief and the client is happy with the end result then I have fulfilled my commitment

The reason I think like this is because i dont want to get involved in managing or setting up peoples businesses. I am an architect and designer of buildngs landscapes and not a business consultant.