New regions soon available for your themed community

Second Life will soon grow with additions on the western edge of Lusk. Most of this new land will be made available to groups of residents who want to join together and build themed communities.

We’re looking for groups of at least five residents who agree to buy land next to each other and build within a set theme. You can be part of more than one community. Some possibilities: a futuristic world, a fantasy/medieval world, a boat harbor with individual residents owning separate slips. The theme is really up to you.

There are plenty of benefits that can result from building a themed community:

- You get first crack at a new expanse of land. Linden will own a buffer area of land around you so that each community will be isolated.

- The technical performance of the new regions should be great since Linden will provide building guidelines around the quantity of objects and scripts present.

- Based on the Lindenburg experience in Tehama, a dense cluster of buildings can reap big voting station results.

- Another new resident start point will soon be added to the nearby land so you will have a fresh supply of visitors each day.

- Settlements will get to participate in a fun, in-world “community development” contest where the prizes include the chance to exclusively grow their community in a future land expansion.

Here’s how to get started:

Residents who want to build together must form a group and the group’s charter must define what is acceptable in terms of building style and behavior. For purposes of communicating with Linden, each group should have a single leader whom we can contact. We will post more guidelines and start taking applications soon.

Here are some more ideas we thought of but we’re betting you’ll come up with some wild new possibilities:

- old-fashioned Main street shopping area
- Adobe pueblo village
- Tiki hut village
- Indian tribe
- ancient Egypt
- African village
- 40’s noir downtown
- beach resort
- The Shire
- haunted village
- 1700’s English town with thatched roofs and a commons
- Jamestown, Plymouth Rock or Salem
- enchanted forest with individual groves

If you have a proposal for a themed community please go ahead and post it as soon as possible. We are trying to gauge the amount of interest in the plan.

It’s really great to see the response to the themed community program and we’re charged up to move forward. Here are some of the details to expand on the original post.

We had originally planned to dedicate one new region to the new communities but now our plan is to bring on two. We’ve decided to have two settlements per region. We hope that about half of one of the new territories will be underwater so we are especially interested in a submerged community (if you can’t find enough support for any of the ones that have been posted, then you may want to try to merge the efforts). A third region will be the new home of Wild West Town so we may be able to accommodate an additional settlement with a compatible theme in the same region.

Please have the participants join a group before the deadline. We will select the communities based on the number of group members and how well the proposed theme translates to the current Second Life feature set.

The land will be sold to the leader who will then resell the land to members of the settlement. This leader will have the ability to steer the group but must call community votes if they wish to involve the Lindens. For example, if the leader of the group requests that Linden remove a member who is not building or behaving within the theme guidelines, then he or she may call a vote. If the vote confirms the leader’s opinion, Linden will remove the offending participant.

If your settlement is selected and grows successfully over time, your group will be considered for expansion into a future new region. Imagine, an entire themed simulator growing under your direction.

Timeline:
We will host an in-world informational meeting at the amphitheater on Thursday, 3/13 at 5:30 PST.
We need your proposal posted to the forums by midnight on Tuesday 3-18.
The final decision will be announced on Thursday 3-20.
We hope to bring the two new regions on line on Monday 3-24.
The Wild West region will follow in a week or two.

As pioneers founding the first themed communities, you have a tremendous opportunity to create important additions to Second Life society. Below are some hints, clues and tips for “smart building” – some come from us Lindens, others are recommendations from SL residents.

By following these guidelines you’ll help to increase usability of your space, improve the experience for visitors and give yourself a leg up when the opportunity arises for some communities to grow onto future new territories. Group leaders should take responsibility for helping their community members understand these guidelines. Check back from time to time since we’ll add to the list over the next few weeks.

· Use the Builder’s Measuring Tape to size doorways, ceiling heights and other spaces where avatars need to fit. Unless the design calls for more narrow spaces – for example, an attic crawlspace – avatars should be able to fit comfortably in your buildings.

· Texture tricks: Reuse textures whenever possible as this will create visual consistency and lessen the processing load. For example, instead of having three different cobblestone textures, have one but use the tint and offset features to create different looks.

· Maintaining Performance: Here’s a good rule of thumb for the initial settlement spaces – 2000 primitives, 50 scripts. Group leaders should frequently walk through the community and see if they discover slow areas. If so, it’s likely too dense with objects or there are some scripts which are consuming lots of resources. Usually these can be tweaked or made more efficient, other times the design itself should be reconsidered. Use the SL Forums to exchange scripting ideas.

· Land Terraforming: As you know, in Second Life land owners can radically change the land. If you plan to make any large changes to the landscape in your community please clear it with the Lindens first. We ask this because these territories have been designed with some specific uses in mind, only some of which are currently implemented. Your cooperation is appreciated.

So there you go, a few smart building tips that will get your community going strong. Have fun!

Here some more info -


Q: How much land does a new settlement have to buy at first?

A. The only requirement we have is that each member must buy at least one 4x4 plot. Otherwise, you are free to start small.


Q. How much will the land cost?

A. The cost will be comparable to land in the current territories.


Q. What's the maximum amount of land a settlement can buy?

A. The settlement has the option to grow to an area approximately 96 x 64 meters of land designated by Lindens.


Q: And then what if the settlement wants to grow beyond that?

A. We hope that all of them will want to expand. Then there will be another review process that will involve several methods of showing the vitality of your community. If you pass the test, then your growth will probably be into a new region that is adjacent to your commmunity.


Q. How many settlements will be available?

A. The plan right now is that there is space for one settlement that is compatible with Wild West, one that will work underwater and three others.


Q. What else is will be in the region where my settlement is located?

A. Each settlement will share a region with both another settlement
and part of a new start zone for new residents. We expect that there will be lot's of open space in between.

Q. What about this Woodchuck thing?

A. Sorry, no hypothetical questions at this time.

You: So what kind of questions does anyone have? Each settlement will share a region with both another settlement and part of a new start zone for new residents. We expect that there will be lot's of open space in between.
Josh Starseeker: 2 towns per sim
Nexus Nash: still should be like 100 x 100
You: yes a sim is 256 x 256
Jaxiam Slate: dont forget the buffer zones Nex
You: these are just starting points
Nexus Nash: oh ok
Nexus Nash: gotcha
You: the really successful ones
You: will move into a new sim probably
Nexus Nash: oh ok
You: sim = region

You: Any questions you all - or should I sing

Asher LeFay: yep. I've got a question. Is it ok to have a Public Construction company w/ an area dedicated to just experiemting w/ various building ideas
You: asher - its fine - but do you mean in the new terrritory?
You: to asher - its a cool idea - post it

Yuniq Epoch: Can we get a rough idea of what 96x64m of land will cost? Since that is essentially our upfront fee...
BuhBuhCuh Fairchild: 96*64 in a new sim will cost 18432, with 6144 in tax before NN discount
BuhBuhCuh Fairchild: per week
You: you dont have to buy the whole thing
Jaxiam Slate: ouchie! I think I wont be sitting down for awhile. that's expensive!
Nexus Nash: lol with the new 3 point Taxe system I can't afford a fifth of that!!!!!
You: you dont have to buy it all, you can start with a fraction
You: and try to attract new members

Jaxiam Slate: the area that is set aside for the group builds- only people who join the group and agree to the theme can purchase and build in that area? just to make sure that if you cant buy it all at once, that it wont disappear into strip clubs, strip malls, etc.
Paul Zeeman: are the new areas going to be monitored for content
Nexus Nash: PG SIMS
You: thats right - it will be controlled
Jaxiam Slate: good deal
Paul Zeeman: good

Shebang Sunshine: can the linden owned buffer around the communities be set to no build ?
Nexus Nash: I 2nd SheBang
Josh Starseeker: so the land will be available for us int he future
You: sure - it could be thats a good idea


Mickey Roark: I'm concerned about the 2000 primitive limit. I have a house that is not extravagant and it is already 80 primitives WITHOUT and furniture yet!
Josh Starseeker: for the town or the whole sim?
Jaxiam Slate: it makes sense - just build with bigger pieces and be creative with textures.
Jaxiam Slate: would save alot on lag
Yuniq Epoch: Our Pagoda is about 200 pieces right now.
You: about 2000 per settlement
Josh Starseeker: that's a lot, really
Josh Starseeker: 20K's worth..lol
Yuniq Epoch: And that's a five-story, 20x20 building.
Mickey Roark: that will limit (or require extreme) creativity
You: you guys typing a novel?
Jaxiam Slate: well that's the fun and the challenge - think about it.. less pieces - if you can be as creative in less primitives, your on the way to discovering a system that will help future building projects go up with much less lag on the machines.
Mickey Roark: ok, so we will have to budget each project within each settlement
You: yeah - we'll give it try -see how it works
Mickey Roark: there an many structures that cant be solved by texture
Mickey Roark: my yachts are 70 primatives alone
You: so you might have to work with themes that are geometric perhaps
Mickey Roark: again 'limits' yech
You: Im not a builder so I dont know -
You: but you might address that in your proposal
You: “my idea is good because it can be done with fewer primitives”

Paul Zeeman: how detailed is this proposal supposed to be
Shebang Sunshine: so what we've already posted in the forum does *not* count as our proposal, correct?
Yuniq Epoch: Yes, I'd like to know exactly what you'd like in the proposal.
You: what we are looking for is evidence you will succeed
You: we want to have everyone we let in do well,
You: so convince us that you will
Jaxiam Slate: hmm ok - give us all a sim *grins* and if say after 2 years we dont have a large following, delete it
Paul Zeeman: we need a creative writer
Misnomer Jones: does what we're written in the forums count ?
You: you should prob put in all in one post
You: Im very lazy
Josh Starseeker: w/ who's in and everything?
You: definitely whos in
You: you can be in more than one group too
You: think about events too,
Catherine Omega: yeah, I was going to ask about that.
You: that will attract people out to your settlement
You: and get the voting stations going
Yuniq Epoch: So list who's in the group and their involvement in the project?
You: that would be great
You: I think its less about a few people with big bucks
You: and more about integrating a bunch of projects to make
You: a larger whole thing
Yuniq Epoch: Hence the whole COMMUNITY part. ;^)
Kerstin Taylor:
You: how does your project lend itself to modules

Nexus Nash: Haney... can we send the prop to you via PM in the forums?
You: it should be posted for all to see
Nexus Nash: ok
Shebang Sunshine: respectfully disagree, Haney
You: why shebang?
Shebang Sunshine: I'd perfer private ones as well
Shebang Sunshine: because some plans are meant to be a surprise until they are unveiled
You: you can wait until the last minute to reveal
Catherine Omega: in that case, could we send you a PM containing the "private" details of our plans?
Catherine Omega: and only list the public stuff.... publically?
You: I'd like to do it all publically
You: tell me why that doestn work
Mickey Roark: keep it public
Jaxiam Slate: well while I dont have any private stuff - I can see the draw.. to have something cool and exciting that would spark Linden Interst in the project, yet they want to keep hidden from the public - to be unveiled as a surprise at an event
Kerstin Taylor: was the issue of public vs private proposals resolved?
(Editors note: I missed this question – the policy is that that the proposals need to be public.)

Mickey Roark: Can we get a map of the areas before submission deadline???
Catherine Omega: yeah, just an idea of the land we have to work with right off.
You: a map - I'll check on that

Yuniq Epoch: This is going to sound horribly newbieish, but how do I find a listing of our group members? ;^)
BuhBuhCuh Fairchild: search for people with the "yamato" group Y

Josh Starseeker: when's the deadline again?
You: We need your proposal posted to the forums by midnight on Tuesday 3-18. The final decision will be announced on Thursday 3-20. We hope to bring the two new regions on line on Monday 3-24.

Shebang Sunshine: and the third region.. when?
You: the thrid after April 1 or so
Nexus Nash: 2 weeks after , sHe

Nexus Nash: you can mod the land

You: you can mod it withing limits
Catherine Omega: that's true, but not everyone will be buying the entire area of land automatically, nexus.
Nexus Nash: true, Cat


Josh Starseeker: exactly where will the new sims be in relation to Lusk?
Josh Starseeker: extending out in a straight line?
You: west, and sw and then west of that
Josh Starseeker: like a stair step
You: yes

Josh Starseeker: and where will the newbs come in on that side?
You: we will later add a fouth sim to make a new square
You: and the newbs arrive in the middle
Josh Starseeker: cool
You: surrounded by great communities!
Josh Starseeker: that'll be great
Paul Zeeman: explore in all directions
You: this really is exciting for us too

You: in terms of money - I think you will make back your investments
Yuniq Epoch: I'm not worried long-term. It's short-term funding that concerns me.

Mickey Roark: have you resolved the undewater issues that Jax has brought up in the forums
You: no solutions but I hope we will have an underwater thing
Jaxiam Slate: you put hope in my heart H. thanks lol multilevel underwater cities (joy!)
Jaxiam Slate: lol well step on up Atlantis needs victims er I mean recruits.
Mickey Roark: well writing an underwater proposal is then currently limited to the 'limits' that are in place now.

Josh Starseeker: are you going to use beefed-up servers?
You: no same servers
You: but we are all expecting
You: better performance
You: each month or so
Josh Starseeker: because of the lack of crap and junk as well?
Yuniq Epoch: Yes, that much helps.
Catherine Omega: yeah, that's true.
Josh Starseeker: I'm sure that will help..lol
You: yes and the object limit
Catherine Omega: there are a couple sims here that are almost completely filled up by garbage.
Kerstin Taylor: *sigh* i love the idea of crap free sims

Paul Zeeman: is there going to be a fair bit of water front??
You: each of the new settlements will have waterfront
You: except the one sharing the Wild west sim
Shebang Sunshine: eh?
Shebang Sunshine: WWT one won't have waterfront ?
You: WWT not onthe water, in the desert

Josh Starseeker: is the sim max going to be held at 20 for these new regions?
You: sim max at 20, yes I assume
Josh Starseeker: can't you bump that up to 25?
Catherine Omega: well, we're at 22 here....
Josh Starseeker: max it out baby!
You: well, post the request in the forum for raising it

Nexus Nash: can you implement the VIS limit too? like 256 and not 512
Nexus Nash: for the land
Jaxiam Slate: wouldnt the vis limit be something the group voted on setting (ie for me - if I wanted it to be harder to see atlantis from a distance, I could set it lower and everyone else do the same) w
You: I'll check on the VIS thing
Flyk Escher: you can do the VIS limit now Nexus
You: yeah, we'd hope to have people vol to lowwer the vis
Nexus Nash: I know... but make it a rule like vis 256 max!
You: that rule sound good well see

Jaxiam Slate: since alot of our members dont get on the forums much if at all - is there anyway to have a gathering like this to introduce inworld people to the idea of a person's group - to get memebers and interest stirred up?
Shebang Sunshine: billboards, Jax
Flyk Escher: hrm what about a recruiting fair?
You: yes, it would be great to do gatherings
Catherine Omega: yeah, good idea ,Flyk.
Yuniq Epoch: But we have like three days.
Jaxiam Slate: hmm SB - I see the potential - I also see the clutter of billboards all over the place
Paul Zeeman: maybe a pow wow
You: if we do a recuriting fair
You: we’ll max the sim (region)
Yuniq Epoch: So have different groups host at different times.
Flyk Escher: time slot for each group then
You: yes, post your own events
Jaxiam Slate: true we would max the sims - but for alot of people it wouild be the first time they ever heard of these groups.

Nexus Nash: so what are all the teams doing?
Nexus Nash: Venice, Japan....
Misnomer Jones: Deco
Shebang Sunshine: Native American Village
Yuniq Epoch: There's Egypt somewhere...
BuhBuhCuh Fairchild: yet to be disclosed
Jaxiam Slate: Atlantis needs you! come help make the underwater dream possible! land? bah, explore a new world.

Catherine Omega: hey there sinatra, you tiny little drunken troll.

You: its great to see yall out here!

We would like all proposals to be public. Please post whatever you can here in the forums. If the proposal includes an element which can't be posted here, like if have a 3D model that you've built in-world, then give the location of the model in the public post so that everyone can go see it.

A reminder: the original post of this program notes that we are looking for proposals that include members of organized groups with a charter that includes what sorts of buildings and behavior is OK.