Is the SL Landscape becoming more dismal?

Time was when I was just a fledgling and I zoomed around sl and spent my nights poking around the jetsetters landplots SL looked positively charming. Now I see scruffiness - yes, scruffiness! Boring homes and uninspired buildings and rather lame-looking avatars. AmI correct or am I simply expecting too much from SL? Style, panache, and joie de vivre? Is the architecture of sl becoming simply pedestrian? Please give me some landmarks to inspire me.

As you gain new residents, especially average users., the level of creativity is going to drop. Not everyone that comes in are masters of computer art. Some will never get into any building, those that do have to start somewhere. as they gain experoence, the quality will improve. Someone who has put their first build out may not be too encouraged by it being called scruffy and boring.

I don't think that much has changed in the time that I have been here as far as crappy builds and avatars go except that the scruffiness has become commercialized in the form of ad farms and other such nonesense.

Makes me think of my grandfather who used to say something like, "I remember when I was young, everything was so much better, etc" IMHO, SL is probably no better or worse - just different.

Liome, Carlisle and Achemon might reinvigorate you. Three mainland sims untouched by the sands of time or ad cutters.

Nothing like a great big revolving ad to ruin a landscape, I moved to get away from one, but then as a renter you can easily move on and learn from my mistake; never pay your rent any further in advance than you have to, no matter how perfect it seems something may 'appear' and make you choose to leave!

If anything ruins SL its ruddy horrible ban lines spring up in whichever direction you turn.

And I must be picky but I cant stand ground based houses which seem to have a gap between the floor and the ground theyre supposed to be built on.

If anything ruins SL its ruddy horrible ban lines

Yes those too!!!!

Jig: For pointers to fabulous places, try the "Most Awesome Builds" thread:
/invalid_link.html

Or, if you want less of a firehose to drink from, here's a shorter, more recent thread:
/327/cf/220538/1.html

Let me just add that the Louvre museum holds some beautiful and thought-provoking art.

"Is the SL Landscape becoming more dismal?"

YES.

Too many bleh cookie cutter Barbie-doll avatars and He-Men in their boring little houses playing real-life. Not enough talking dogs, frogs, robots or monsters. I didn't come here to extend my real life into my virtual one.

Too many pointless ban lines. Like I really want to come and make myself at home in those crappy little dwellings! (Though I am tempted to go in and lift my leg and pee in some of those houses.) I want to be able to fly around without smacking into ban lines.

Too many spinning ads and abandoned land that turns into junk lots that LL won't do anything about because the tier is still getting charged to someone's credit card. Yuck.

Seems like more people are being drawn in with the lure of easy money, and fewer people are coming in to create things that they couldn't create in real life. It's gotten to the point where I'm feeling less inspired to be creative now!

Thank you for asking a valid Resident Answers question that allows me to express my view.

For interesting places, try the following that come to mind (in no particular order):

NASA's Explorer Island: Explorer Island (153, 103, 45) - I never know quite what to expect there.

Imagination Breeding and Zoo: Stone Pike (105, 237, 25) - You can get juggled by a pink elephant there.

Suffugium: Suffugium (102, 116, 34) - It's a good idea to read the welcome information. Not so much about the style and panache, but definitely interesting.

Also visit the Virtual Parks & Recreation Service at West Helsen (47, 175, 62) to get a listing of their recommendations.

My impression is that it is becoming more extreme, in both directions.

Much of the mainland consists of endless miles of identikit malls and clubs. At the same time it seems to me that there are numerically, if not proportionately, more spectacular/imaginative/artistic builds out there.

As for AVs, there do seem to be far more "cookie cutter Barbie-doll avatars and He-Men" than there used to be, but even the more imaginative and creative AVs are not as interesting as they used to be, simply because it's nearly all been done before.

I just find my renters take me more seriously when I look human than when I'm in my hermit crab or singing venus flytrap avatar.

Damn straight, let's start having a board of select residents approve every build and every change to every avatar.

You people need to get over yourselves.

(At first I read the thread title's "dismal" to be "dismal in a good way"--like dystopian. Maybe I've been pining for a MisdemeanorsHall post. )

I think Chris is on to something, about the downside of "architectural standards." Not that I'm objecting to regulation, per se (as I think Chris would), but rather, I think a lot of creativity has been suppressed by some dismally constraining "standards" that are rife among builders. I've heard, for example, the following platitudes espoused as if they could possibly mean something:

1. Structures in SL should look as much as possible like RL structures.

2. Sky builds should have some visible means of support.

3. Ornamentation should be period authentic.

4. The full 3D shape of all building features should be represented by prims. (E.g., alpha-windowed wall textures are "cheating."

I suppose passable structures can follow these criteria, but they're not attributes of a single one of the builds I find most memorable. In every case, rather, those builds do something memorably playful with the boundaries between "realism" and what's possible only in imagination.

Maybe "identikit" structures would be rampant anyway, but it can't encourage innovation to have such pedestrian "rules" gaining acceptance as if they were intrinsically valid.

Feed me, Seymour!

QFT

Some of the most beautiful builds in my opinion are those created by people who've never done anything like this before and are just exploring their creativity for the first time. They may be awkward and haphazard compared to things created by the experienced and highly skilled, but getting people to try and to hopefully have fun in the process is a beautiful thing. Encourage them. Don't disparage them.

Maybe the OP only goes to scruffy and boring places.

Honestly, who are we to criticize or dictate other people's builds? My first build (well, my first few builds actually) were probably "scruffy and boring." But they were mine, and I was damned proud of them. Maybe we're not all amazingly brilliant builders as is apparently the OP.

QFT



Also, there are so many fabulous places to visit that I know I am not able to see every one. If you think things seem dull or lacklustre you might be in a rut.

without casinos - I think its better, imho

Pretty much why I pay my Premium on a monthly basis only.

It's called prgress. Go to any big city and you'll see te same shops. SL has grown, there's a lot more to it and henceforth you'll see a lot of the same.

I find the scruffy boringness a welcome change from all that unbridled creativity - thus by definition making it interesting and exciting.

If you will IM me in world I will be happy to give you a tour of dAlliez. Many think this is a lovely sim and it will be my pleasure to show you around

most welcome to stop by my art studio, to see something one ca do with a 1024. If your ready for a step into winter and Christmas . It's just a small build but I always try to make the landscape prettier even if it is a business. I don't wish to be an eye sore for my neighbors or neighborhood/world. In fact take a walk through the sim of Rasczak imho one of the better mainland sims .
it's at Rasczak, 239,166,51
It may also give you some ideas for the holidays. Enjoy an eggnog, a sip of fine Irish Whiskey or feel free to check out the dance floor for a spin under the stars and falling snow. Merry Christmas SL!
Many Blessings,
Trella

I would never criticize a new builder for their works but I don't hesitate to critisize someone who has been around for awhile and who still proudly displays their huge purple box with spinning lights.