Day: April 4, 2017

Lab announces improved region capacity and access in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

On Tuesday, April 2nd, Linden Lab announced the roll-out of Improved Region Capacity and Access, which see increases in the default number of avatars able to access a region, and how regions are accessed when approaching the upper limit of avatars allowed into them.

The new limits are being rolled out gradually, so you may find the default for your region may not have changed. It will, however, as the deployment continues.

Overall, the default limits on avatars able to enter each type of region have been increased by between 10% and 25%, depending on the region type, so:

  • The default for Full regions is increased from 100 to 110 (10%)
  • The default for Homestead regions is increased from 20 to 25 (25%)
  • The default for Open Space regions is increased from 10 to 12 (20%)

Note that the percentage bonus remains the same if the region owner changes the maximum number of avatars able to access a region. So, for example, if the owner of a Full region has set a limit of – say – 50 avatars on their region, this is increased by 10% (to 55) under the new limits.

This is straightforward enough – now for the twist: this new bonus capacity is only available for entry purposes to Premium members. As far as Basic users are concerned – and only for the purposes of region access, the limits remain unchanged.

This means that if you’re a Basic user and trying to get into a Full region which has, say, 105 avatars (out of a default total of 110)  – you’ll be unable to access the region, and will get the Region Full notification on trying. However, up to 5 more Premium members will be able to still get in.

Note also that once an avatar is in a region, whether they are Premium or not will not matter; they count the same as anyone else. It doesn’t matter what the mix of Premium, Basic, or owner/managers in the region is: they all just each count as one occupant.

As a final piece of the changes, the region occupancy limit does not apply to a region owner or an Estate Manager for the purposes of entry. They will always be able to enter the region, even if it is full. However, once they have accessed the region, then will increase the avatar count for the region. So, if a region is at its limit and the owner enters, then two avatars will have to leave before a non-owner/manager would be able to enter.

Again, do note that the new limits are being rolled out gradually, so you may find the default for your region may not have changed. It will, however, as the deployment continues. If you are unclear on any of the above, please refer to the Lab’s blog post.

Six days of Sky Gardens in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Sky Gardens, Filling the Cauldron – click any image for full size

Update: the Sky Gardens will remain at Holly Kai Park for the next couple of weeks. If you would like to visit them, touch the teleport “mirror” at the Holl Kai Park welcome gazebo and select “2” from the menu, then touch the beam. The winning gardens are numbered “1” for the overall winner and “2” for the joint runners-up.

ccI’ve written a lot over the last couple of weeks about Filling the Cauldron. This is primarily for two reasons. The first is that I’ve been one of the prime movers of the whole thing; the second, and more important reason, I believe in the cause – Elicio Ember is a very special person and a dear friend. Hence why I hope many of you will drop by the event between now an Sunday, April 9th, 2017 – but I’d like to give you another reason to do so. Well, NINE reasons, actually.

As a part of the run-up to the event, we put out a challenge for people to consider designing a garden featuring Elicio’s plants and creations. Nine people rose to the challenge, and their work is extraordinary, offering exotic, other-worldly realms nestled together which, because of their location on an overhead platform, we’ve called the Sky Gardens.

Sky Gardens, Filling the Cauldron

The nine designers who rose to the challenge are: Abinathra, Chic Aeon, Sweetgwendoline Bailey, Kzru Bruhl, Oscelot Haalan, Alliah Jewell, Opal Lei, Letty Luckstone and Eclair Martinek. All of them have produced the most amazing and beautiful designs  which we’ve set under a sky we hope shows them to their best and reflects Elicio’s use of purple in his work. This should set automatically on Firestorm, otherwise flick over to “[TOR] SCIFI – Purple wisps & egg yolk” if you are using a viewer which does not support parcel windlights (just reset to region default after a visit).

Each gardener had an area of 45 metres on the side, and a land impact allowance of 450 with which to let their creative juices flow. In addition, Alliah Jewell provided some surrounding landscaping and paths to lead visitors around the gardens, and placed some seating areas. One of Elicio’s gazebos finished off the setting, presenting people with another place to sit, offering a soothing environment in which to enjoy the gardens.

Sky Gardens, Filling the Cauldron

It would be easy to think that given the focus in on one creator’s items (although elements from other designers was permitted, as long as the focus was on Elicio’s work), all of these gardens would have a common look and feel. However, this is far from the case. All nine gardens are individual and uniquely beautiful, each one demonstrating a personal interpretation of the fantastic, mythological riches of Elicio’s creations, bringing them very much to life.

The gardens range from the simple elegance and tranquillity offered by gentle waters supporting exotic orchids and reflective bubbles drift on a gentle breeze, through the heart of Amazonian-like rain forests, where waters tumbles down rocks into shimmering pools, parakeets in bright plumage circle overhead; or where a path winds upwards through verdant undergrowth to reveal a temple-like structure hidden within the trees; to mystical places where sphere turn their rune-faced surfaces to visitors or the skeleton of a great beast rests.

Sky Gardens, Filling the Cauldron

Such is the depth of creativity shown with these gardens that I do urge you to pay a visit. Yes, you can also contribute to Filling the Cauldron if you so wish; but in this instance – and I know Elicio agrees – witnessing the creative vision embodied in these designs helps to bring each to life, and pays tribute to the gardeners for all of their work in bringing these garden scenes to us. And believe me, their beauty makes them more than worth the visit. I’d truly love to have them remain at Holly Kai park for people to visit and enjoy well into the future.

But they will soon be passing into the west. Filling the Cauldron draws to a close on Sunday, April 9th. But, should you visit, you can help to ensure one of the gardens will be reborn at another place and time later in the year, as one of these designs will – with your help – be selected for display at the upcoming 2017 Home and Garden Exhibition. You can read more on this at the Filling the Cauldron Gardens in the Sky page.

Sky Gardens, Filling the Cauldron

So, do please pay the Sky Gardens a visit; they will only bloom for a short time.

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