I am no longer going to purchase a simulator

Maybe I'm just an uber pessimist, but in light of the frequent downtimes to release updates that frankly have little or no concern to me, and the apparent lack of concern for serious in-world issues and their solutions (just pick a thread about economics that I've posted in), I have decided that I will NOT be purchasing a simulator for the foreseeable future.

I hope all other people considering purchasing simulators or land in general will consider this too, because to be completely blunt, owning a simulator is worthless to me if I am rarely able to get to it because of downtimes that destroy my access to SL (hello people in the GMT timezone) and often leave things more broken than before, or leave bugs that I do care about completely untouched just to add a superfluous feature...
I don't see why I should bother to be honest.

Maybe if other people start agreeing and doing the same then SL development will actually begin aiming to benefit the USERS as a top priority. Because being kicked off twice just so that snapshots can be done up a bit is unacceptable, when the old snapshot feature was just fine for me and (I suspect) most people, who'd rather have something more useful.

What I want to know is what in the heck LL's development plan actually is, because I see loads of useful, easy to implement features being completely ignored, I see popular feature ideas getting no mention at all, and I see features that nobody really asks for being added instead and causing downtime that no-one wants. The only concession being group features coming in 1.12 (which frankly should have been done in 1.7 considering the huge demand for them and ease of implementing them) and occlusion culling in 1.10 which seems to have been pure luck, because the main features were flexi-prims and new lighting, which while nice, I wasn't exactly moved by.
Yes I'm angry, Wednesdays are one of the few days I sit down to work on SL and they are frequently ruined by updates that do nothing for me as a premium member, a builder and a potential sim-buyer, who is now scratching the latter of my list in disgust. I don't pay for things that I can't rely on, and for the costs involved in purchasing a sim, I sure as hell would expect a better and more dependable service than I'm seeing.

Sorry to be hugely negative, but it needs to be said, because it's the simple truth, and I do not like being forced to give up a project I was excited about when I now have little faith left in the development team I am reliant on to realise such a project.


Possible solution I see to this is to actually let people know what's being worked on rather than springing it on us in a preview. That, and bundle updates together! We don't need small updates every week just to add tiny things, SL is fine atm, it'll still be fine next week, so save the new things up, get LOADS more testing in and release in bigger updates. The fact we broke into 1.1x.x numbers proves that there are far too many, too soon. More testing, less updates. Like the current one, two grids, two updates? One bigger preview grid, and one bigger update means more testing overall and less disruption.

Moved to the discussion forum since there's no question, but there's definitely a call for action for Residents.

I too was seriously considering purchasing a private island and have let two reservations go. The third and last reservation will be kept for another month but if something positive isn't done that too will be abandoned.

It is funny you say that. I remember when LL did do very large updates all at once. Everyone then hated it. Flex prims and the lighting are some of the very best things since the prim was invented! I guess it all really depends on where you are coming from. Also, if you think this downtime is bad, wait until the downtime goes into days, then you can complain.

So would you propose something like updates on a regular schedule, but at two week intervals? The regular scheduling is a big help to people who are planning events.

You're assuming that regular updates at longer intervals means more testing. We need to know from the dev team if that's a correct assumption. There would certainly be more testing if the improvements were introduced at a slower rate, but that's different from spacing out the introduction of improvements being developed at a given rate.

edited to add:... and the triggering factor for my investment group's purchase of an island was the introduction of occlusion culling. It shows LL is serious about giving us tools to combat lag. Different features matter to different folks....

I don't think that the problem is that SL as a program is narfed up, what I think the reason may be is that SL's economy is perhaps a little off kilter atm due to some frequent and large economic changes. However, this will always happen and there will always be a time when it will be suitable to buy or sell land/sims; just like there are good and bad times for housing/land market IRL. Perhaps give it time for LL to review their changes or for the economy to stable out again... Who knows, maybe if ya wait, the land market will crash and you will get your sim dirt cheap!!! Play the change, don't let it play you

I too can relate to the downtime issues, I have only just started SL last week but am already feeling disappointed. I like SL alot but seeing this much downtime just makes me want to invest my time elswhere, especially if I am paying money for it. I hope to see a decrease in downtime though and am willing to stick it out with the devs for awhile as I understand they need to address any problems, even if it means disabling login. And I have to agree with Traxx, that the improvments should be implemented at a slower rate to give room for more testing to avoid these sticky situations.

I so agree on this last point we have way too many updates!! Maybe every 6 months or once a year but once a month is overboard in my opinion. It has been bad enough that with version 1.10 that we then got weekly upgrades on it alone!!

So why the rush to upgrade? I must admit I am screaming for an increase on groups more than anything else. I am up to 14 now and have had to edit them heavily!!

So to LL please ease back on the upgrades, spend more time on testing these new releases and look at the practical things we need such as the group increase.

Seconded and agred. In fact I am now a basic member who used to be a premium and dropped my premium down to basic, selling of al my land due to Linden's toal lack of regard or support for any but a chosen few high dollar users. I absolutely refuse to go premium again until several things happen.

1) 24/7 phone support that doesn't simply sit and look for ways to blame the account holder's PC. So far phone support that I have received has been toally and completely unacceptible except for a few individuals.

2) Liasons who will respond to griefing help calls and [enalize the griefer rather than the victim...without playing facorites. I ahve been griefed by one very major land baron in SL and not only di the liason not show up when I called for help, the SAME liason later showed up a faslified a shooting report against me when I had not even rezzed ANY form of weapon to use. Obviously favorites were being played.

3) Upgrade releases need to be tested fully so we are no longer beta testers for upgrades that are the bugiest of ANY program online. The downtime isn't a huge problem other than it's frequency, what is a problem however is the mounting number of bugs not being adressed while new features that ever even bugier are being released to us, most of which are abasolutely useles form a standard account holder point of view.

Meet these conditions I may go back to being premium and I may consider buying a sim again, however...I am not holding my breath, and will remain a simple basic for now.

I've been looking at doing a sim myself, and for reasons stated I am unwilling to get one at this time - plus a little more.

As a software developer itrw with almost 20 years of experience, I've seen projects where the business team was busy selling faster than the development teams could code and debug. From the outside, on the customer's side, you can usually tell this when you see quick and buggy releases. Granted, I am new to the game (and it's rare to see someone post nice things in a forum about stuff, outrage starts posting sprees more often than not), but there are a lot of people well seasoned here who are complaining with what some say is 'increasing frequency'. That these people are unhappy is a bad sign for any investment on my part. It seems that there is a downward spiral.

Anyone who has done serious software development knows that the typical software developer is *never* done. You have to drag most developers kicking and screaming away from a problem that they have sunk their teeth into; that is the nature of software development.

Thus I do not want to beat the developers until moral is improved. I've done that sort of stuff, and it's NOT fun. Yet some of the major problems I have with SL are not development related... some of them are administrative. So I would say that releases are a *part* of the problem.

There are pluses to SL on many different levels. There is an apparent attempt to add functionality, but this is held in question as to who decides what gets implemented. That's a difficult job, especially when there are over 300,000 voices internationally. It extends beyond sims further into other issues. There's the fact that the game is skewed to those who have been here longer profiting from the ignorance of new people who may not even speak English as a first language (or at all), that renting land is now cheaper than paying LL for land tiers, or that newbies automatically go to where they camp out for Lindens so that they can buy freebies. Time spent camping is rarely time spent being productive, and I find it strange that the grid is being used to support activities of low value (but I do not as yet have a better answer).

Then I have seen that sim owners usually get stuck policing their own land from people who are broke and have nothing better to do than try out that nuke they found for 1 Linden next to a box of wings in a junkyard.

When I look at the Linden job listings, mainly out of curiosity, and I see the problems in world and with updates, I see something which would make me uncomfortable with even applying for a job at LL. Why? It seems that either the development team has been given their head too much (unlikely) or is not being listened too enough (more likely), which in a world such as SL is an extreme liability.

Something smells awry in Denmark right now, and I wish it would be fixed because there is a lot of potential in something such as SL. Personally, I think the business team could afford a small vacation and allow the developers to catch up over a few weeks with lots of carbonated beverages and pizza. Maybe I'm seeing it wrong, maybe I'm biased to the developers as someone who has spent a lot of time in the trenches... but it's hard for me to view it otherwise.

Some stability in software and functionality is needed. A stable economy is needed which is beneficial to the newbie and the seasoned veteran alike. And more, I would say that keeping the grid open and doing upgrades in stages would be a brilliant move - as people do pay for a *service*, and when they do not get it they generate long posts in forums which are looked at by future and present customers.

In essence... buy more pizza and carbonated beverages, and spend less on forum hosting.

I just want the upgrades to do something USEFUL. Oooh, burst effect when I right click. That's REALLY useful to me when SL is oftimes so slow and buggy that it's literally unusable?? Come on, LL! Use your brains sometimes, you must have some somewhere in there!

No way in hell I'm doing anythng like upgrading my membership or buying islands when I can't even stay logged in for more than 20 mins at a time. -_-;

Well... so ?
There is tons of ppl who are not going to buy a private island.




Why do you hope that people will not buy private island ? what's your own interest in it ?




Linden Lab already focus on customer.
The concierge staff is awesome and they do everything they can to help.



Shit happen ya know ?
If you can't handle a few downtime, you should take a look at others online world and think twice before beeing all emo and drama in a public forum.




When you have tons of feature and have to keep backward-compatibily with existing script and future script, existing building, etc ... NOTHING is easy to implement.

And i see a lot of feature that people asked since a long time ago.
Keep your "nobody" for yourself.



New group feature easy to add ? Oh really ?
You think you just add some new field in a huge database like the SL one ?
Considering the size and usage of SL database they just can't do a "SELECT * FROM MyDirtyTable" like you could do with a website. Every single feature MUST and ARE heavily stresstested... nothing easy in this world.




I'm premium member, builder, scripter, i own 6 sims and some business and i'm really happy with the new features.
I want more, of course, and i'll have more.



Then don't.
But believe me, as an IT, Linden Lab provide more customer support than most of the software development company. And obviously more than any other game.



You are hugely negative and whine pointlessly.



They do that already. If you look carefully, you know where the future of SL is.



You don't need little step but LindenLab need to do that.
Releasing tons of feature at once mean a lot more problems at once.



I can't agree on that point.

Additionally, all i see is screaming people arguing they "will" or "won't" or "stop" or "start" and etc if LL do or don't do that ...

On the other side, most of the people that DO something aren't complaining that much and are ok with the SL development and future.

To buy, or not to buy?


Well, I think it very much depends on what you expect from your private island.
Anyone expecting a profit might just want to think again, because SL generally seems quite unsettled at present. Hordes of badly behaved and unaccountable newbs, features and functions changing weekly, and major policy changes popping up like toadstools - none of which is likely to foster business.

If you can afford the cost, bearing in mind you'll be lucky to get 70% back if you sell it, and you can afford the tier, and just want an island for the pure enjoyment of it, then why not?
After all, it's cheap entertainment, even if you can't rely on using it that often between updates and their consequences, and the regular weekend grid overload.

I bought one earlier this month. I was really sick of the mainland, sick of running into stupid ban lines, griefers, rubbish builds, garish colour, the almost total lack of taste evident in most of SL.

Well now I don't have to put up with that any more. I can landscape and build in my own private space, without having to put up with what I see as the poor taste and behaviour of others, without mainland limitations.
OK, maybe I'm guilty of poor taste, vile landscaping and crap building. But at least I'm keeping it to myself, not shoving it in everybody's face.
I have enough to occupy me for months now - and at the cost of a couple of bottles of decent wine a week.
Personally I think an island is very good value for money, even with the undoubted problems SL seems to be suffering from, it's worth it. Providing you work on the basis that it's just entertainment - nothing more. Money spent for a bit of fun.

That's not to say I wasn't having doubts about spending the money, right up to the last minute, I was very nervous. But the day it came online and I started to shape the landscape I realised I'd made the right decision. And nothing, not even last weekends asset server failure, and yesterday's update, has changed my mind so far.

There are a few threads on this theme. Here's my 2 cents.

I am a reasonably large land owner (nothing like our friend with the six sims!!) but don't run businesses from it. I just build pretty buildings and script stuff so everything here is a cost to me.

I like the updates, I like the weekly improvements, and I am happy to lose a few hours each week while Linden Labs does it.

I am also a developer of massively distributed database systems and I agree with the comments of Kerunix. There is nothing trivial about SL's system model. Distributed database are difficult under any circumstances, but add terabytes of data, finite state machine mobile agents (the scripts in the prims and avatars), extra-net comms and hundreds of servers, vision and sound in a wildly flexible multi-dimensional real time space, and you have a system management and programming nightmare.

Quite honestly, from a technical stand point, I am absolutely blown away (that means impressed) with what Linden Labs has and is doing, and the relative smoothness with which the updates are rolled out. Remember, this stuff has to go live with minimal beta testing and has to work under massive load from the instant it is released. Just think for a second about what happens when the grid is reopened...all those players who have been waiting to get on log on at once! Think of the spectacular load the system must bare for the first hour or so when the grid comes on, and how smoothly it usually deals with it.

As far as the suppport/liaisons are concerned - I have found every Linden without exception to be helpful, friendly and incredibly responsive. Not that I have noticed, but if they help long timers (I am a short timer) and big sim/land owners in preference to basic account holders, or even premium account holders like me - so what? This is a business - if they don't make money they can't stay in business and they can't provide me with the environment I love. Big sim owners and land holders, and long time players are the backbone of the business. They pay for and have earned the right to get attention before newcomers like me - if it wasn't for those people I wouldn't have the environment that exists in SL.

Fair's fair.

Hey, without updates, I'd never get ANY sleep.

Maybe I look at things different, but I see the frequent update and fast bug fixes as a good thing, a sign that LL is commited to SL's growth.