Disable First Land search for those who've had first land

Here's a database load reduction idea that's sure to be unloved: eliminate the ability of accounts that have had First Land already to use the Land Sales search to see First Land offerings. Can't buy it, don't need to see it.

Actually, until very recently all available land was returned to the client when they did a land search. The client stripped out the results that didn't match the requirements (First land, For sale, max price etc).

As of a week or two ago, the server only sends the results which match what the client asked for, which reduces both database load, and network usage for both the server and the client.

On the other hand, your suggestion would involve more work for the database, as it would have to check to see if the user making the request currently owns land, which isn't held on the same database as the land for sale.

The option could just not be installed by the installer for folks that have owned First Land, or permanently disabled upon first run after installation. Or, at each program start, one call could be made to find out if the First Land search option should appear. I suspect one call per session to determine that would take less time on LL's end than the many tries a person running their main account might make in hope of finding some First Land for their alts.

Of course, this would mean that every time I read a complaint in the forums about the lack of First Land I would no longer be able to check for First Land availability, as I seem to do some reason.

OOgh, that's a brilliant idea, but I can't make up my mind if it's brilliantly good or brilliantly evil.

I think I'll have to come down on the side of evil, alas.

The folks abusing First Land would just make a new account for scanning and never bother to have it buy. There's so little First Land that eliminating it on other soearches wouldn't make much different to the database impact. It'd hurt non-abusive use of the FL search more than the bulk scanners.

Forget setting up security features in the client. Anything like that should be set up on the server. In any case, why search unless you are able to take advantage of FL? By the time you log out and log in you premium virgin alt its probably all gone!

You run them at the same time. No need to log out, just alt-tab.
(Oooh...bad pun)

What about people like me? When I went Premium there was no First Land available so I had to buy small plots at normal prices. I've never had First Land but would not be eligible to buy any.

I'm kind of in the same boat. I joined Second Life (for the first time) a week ago. I have been searching several hours a day for. I usually just go on a dance pad that pays, and keep hitting the search for first land every 10 sec or so for hours at a time. I have only seen FL available twice. Once it was already all sold by the time I teleported to it, and the second time it told me I wasn't permitted to teleport to the parcel?? One day I literally spent over 12 hours searching nonstop, while I watched TV in real life.

I am starting to get really pissed at this game. When I joined, I paid for the premium account because I was enticed by the cheap FL. I was unaware of the difficulty getting FL when I joined. I think it wrong for them to waive first land in front of newbies like myself knowing that it is virtually impossible to get a hold of. I wouldn't have paid for the premium account if I knew it was this difficult. I have wasted so much of my REAL time trying to get FL; this is not even enjoyable to me! Why do I keep searching then? Because I want the FL to either flip for a good profit, or use to build a business on. I didn't join SL for orgies or fun and play, I joined it because of business opportunities I have read in magazines like BusinessWeek and Forbes. But I feel I am at an unfair disadvantage without the cheap FL promised.

My suggestion is to revamp the entire FL system. Why not assign 1 plot of FL to each newbie once it becomes available, and then give them 72hrs to agree to buy that land. If they choose not to buy it or don't respond within 72hrs, the land gets put back in the pool to assign to the next person and so on. And each newbie only gets the land assigned to them once, if they choose not to buy that is their loss.

If that's the case, then it shouldn't be assigned until the person upgrades to premium. Basic accounts shouldn't be given the finger because durring their first 72 hours they didn't want land because it meant upgrading.

What some commenters here might not realise is that there is no necessity to become a Premium member before finding first land.

Instead, you can wait until you find first land and at the point of buying it, you will be prompted to upgrade. That way you're saving your $9.95 (or whatever) a month until you get your land. Maybe LL need to make this clearer.

Does that actually work? I don't know, not being in the market for first land any more... but there have been comments in the forums that it doesn't.

I still think the solution is:

1. One first land per payment source, period (if that's not already the case).
2. One first land per originating IP per month.
3. Suspend the FL program now until this is completed.

That would allow normal mortal users to get FL, without restricting FL once they get it, but make it hostile to bots.

Someone above said:
"I didn't join SL for orgies or fun and play, I joined it because of business opportunities I have read in magazines like BusinessWeek and Forbes. But I feel I am at an unfair disadvantage without the cheap FL promised."


FL isn't promised... you are just lucky if you get it. I was lucky and got some after my first few attempts (taking only a day). If you are just joining the game to try and make money, perhaps you don't belong here. I joined for fun and to be able to create. I would like to see more like myself... do we really need another mall or sex club selling useless crap in SL? I say no. Community and creativity are the things that will make this game succeed... the profiteers will just hang around long enough to figure out they are actually losing money, then they'll leave. Good riddance.

Yes, they should. Freebie accounts can buy more Lindens than a Premium account receives for their monthly fee.

The reason I've been given is the "opportunity" to buy First Land, or Mainland land period.

Well, heck, as it stands now, anybody can do that. Just upgrade the account. The only ones who start out Premium are us idiots who didn't research the exchange rate, and assume there's some benefit for doing so.

That's easily fixed for me - I only signed up for a month, so will cancel my Premium account soon (and actually will come out ahead due to the sign up bonus, referral to my husband, and since I was able to find First Land and bought it). So I'm fine with that.

But it's an absurd business model when it's beneficial to cancel a Premium account. I've been paying subscription fees for on line games for over 8 years now, as many as 3 or 4 at a time, so don't mind paying it here. Except for the fact that it doesn't make sense to do so.

And the best solution I've read to the "First Land problem", i.e., the sharks will find it faster and upgrade faster than a newb who already has a Premium account can, is to make it so that the land can't be sold for 90 days or so.

I fail to understand your logic.

If you pay for something, you should get more than if you don't pay for it?

What's so hard about that?

Here's the math:

Assumption: Anyone can buy Lindens, at an exchange rate of US$4.00 = L$1000.

Month to month premium account costs US$9.95 per month. Receives L$ 300 per week, which equals $1300 per month (300 times 52 divided by 12). The value of US$9.95= L$2487.5 (9.95 divided by 4 times 1000).

Cheapest rate a Premium account can get - US$72.00 per year = $US 6.00 per month. For $US 6.00, you can buy L$1500, but only receive L$1300 as a monthly allowance.

Yes, but that does not counter my point:
If that's the case, then it shouldn't be assigned until the person upgrades to premium. Basic accounts shouldn't be given the finger because durring their first 72 hours they didn't want land because it meant upgrading.

My point was that if they implement your suggestion and I decide to upgrade to premium I should get something too. Same to everyone else who is either currently basic or signs up as basic.
I don't need land right now, but if they start garuanteeing a 512 plot for premiums, that'd be one hell of an incentive to upgrade. I'm sure I'd find SOMETHING to do with it.

(Side note, it used to be L$500 a week. They've dropped it twice--which while I'm not premium--I don't agree with. Lowering new sources by 40% isn't going to fix the fact that souces / 10 == sinks.)

Counter your point? I don't understand your point at all. You should get something? For what exactly?

Whatever - this should not be a viewed as a player against player issue.

It is something that LL needs to consider if it wishes to have players subscribe.

As it stands now, there is no reason to do so until they locate First Land.

Edited note: and for the record, I don't agree with the OP about the solution to "First Land" abuses. I prefer a solution I read elsewhere, which is to make it so First Land cannot be sold for a long period of time.

It doesn't provide a reason to subscribe before locating First Land, but it might slow down the land sharks some.

Ah yes; and it's the game, because there just isn't any other way to work than the method you've adopted? Hmmmm.

How about you? You should get something? For what exactly?



It's called a debate. We're debating the merits of the suggestion.



I much prefer that solution as well, but this thread is about another solution and I'm debating the merits of that solution in and of itself.