On Monday June 26th, Linden Lab launched the first Linden Homes theme expressly for Premium Plus subscribers. As had been promised, the theme is “Ranch”, and comprises a total of seven styles. Also as promised, these houses are on 2048 sq metre parcels with a land capacity of 703 LI. For the initial release, a total of 28 regions have been established by LL, located in their own group alongside Bellisseria’s major Stilt Home regions.
The houses themselves are of various footprint, the smallest looking suitable for a 512 s m parcel, and the largest looking like they might feel a little squeezed were they to sit on a 1024 sq m of a Premium home. Here, however, they fit the plots well, although the little cabin-style units do – to my eyes – look very out-of-place.
Premium Plus Ranch Theme: the Stable View (the Spring View is almost identical, but with a slightly smaller footprint)
The landscaping around the houses is well designed, undulating nicely to offer different heights throughout, dirt tracks offering through routes and drives which almost reach onto the parcels. The latter are marked by fences which exist just outside of their boundaries, given a nice sense of property without encroaching on the parcel LI. Lanterns hang from posts which have an unfortunate resemblance to a simple gallows whilst grain silos, water towers, tractors, windmills and other items perhaps common to ranchlands helping to give a sense of place.
As well as presenting different footprints, the houses are a mix of single and two storey units, all framed and clad in wood and incorporating the expected porches. All of those set out for viewing in the region are referenced as “open plan”, even though they have individual rooms. However, whether this means the versions rezzed by default are “open plan”, with their more open spaces to be sub-divided at the owner’s discretion, whilst there are other versions available through the rezzers with their larger interior spaces already sub-divided, or whether these seven styles with their mix of open-plan spaces and individual rooms marks the entire theme, I’ve no idea. However, given I am unsure, the following descriptions may not fully reflect all of the the styles available via the rezzers:
Buffalo Pastures: a large house with 1.5 floors. A full-length front porch with double doors provides access to to a large front-to-back room with rear door accessing a smaller porch. A second front-to-rear room features a staircase at the front rising to a galleried landing and single upper floor room.
Grizzly Point: essentially the same as the above, but with larger footprint to allow a larger main room on the lower floor.
Creek Stone: a small cabin-style house, with front and rear porches. This appears to either only have a single room, or is presented only in its open-plan format.
Knotty Pine: a large, single-storey building with full-length porch to the front and half-length porch to the rear. A single front door provides access to a large front-to-back main room with a door to rear porch. A central hallway parallels the main room, providing access to three further rooms, all with doors and with front, side and rear aspect views respectively, as well as connecting to the main room via both an arched entry and a door towards the rear of the room. A hatchway within this hall provides access to a loft area (with fold-down steps).
Premium Plus Ranch Theme: Silver Spurs
Sliver Spurs: a single-storey L-shaped house with full-length front porch and centre-placed rear porch to half length. A single front door provides access to the main room with views to the rear aspect and door to the porch. An inner hall provides access to two additional rooms.
Stable View: a large two-storey house featuring full-length front and rear porches and double front doors opening into an entrance hall with dogleg stairs to upper floor. Two large connecting rooms (both connecting to the entrance hall on the lower floor. Galleried upper floor landing leading to two side-by-side bedrooms on one side and a further bedroom on the other.
Spring View: similar to the Stable view, but with slightly smaller footprint and only featuring the two upper side-by-side bedrooms.
I’m not entirely sure what it is with this theme – or whether I’m just increasingly jaded – but I admit to finding them lacking appeal and character. Out of the seven styles, Grizzly Point and Stable View are little more than Buffalo Pastures and Spring View on a light dose of steroids, whilst several of the builds seem to have deliberately oddly-shaped permanent (i.e. those with fixed doors) rooms, some of which seemed cramped even sans furnishing. And while the Knotty Pine does have a novelty of an attic (with window), it’s not enough to lift it into the realm of “like” for me. There is also the weird novelty of stone chimneys rising from several of the designs but without any connection to an actual fireplace. Whist this obviously leaves a freedom of choice as to any actual fireplace actually installed on the part of the owner, it still potentially limits where any fireplace might go if sensibilities of look are to be maintained, which seems to defeat the object – so why not just include one to start with?
Premium Plus Ranch Theme: Grizzly Point (the Buffalo Pastures is almost identical, but with a slightly smaller footprint)
Which is not to say the Theme isn’t proving popular. Whilst writing this piece, the houses around me were being snapped up with horses and stables appearing even before furnishings! For those who are Premium Plus and who like horse riding, will likely find much to enjoy with this theme. For me, however, it’s not enough to tip me anywhere close to considering pumping my subscription up to PP.
On Monday, June 26th, Linden Lab announced a pair of “limited availability lifetime memberships”, wherein Second Life users have the opportunity to make a one-time payment to Linden Lab in return for a “lifetime” membership to Second Life based on either the Premium Account type or the Premium Plus account type.
Offered as a part of the Second Life 20th Birthday celebrations, these memberships are described by Linden Lab as follows:
For Second Life’s 20th birthday, we will be offering a limited number of lifetime memberships for both Premium and Premium Plus! This will give Residents who upgrade to this membership type the benefits of a Premium or Premium Plus membership for the lifetime of their account! You can see a comprehensive list of what Premium and Premium Plus Memberships are being granted on a first come first serve basis.
Provide all of the benefits applicable to either the Premium Account subscription package or the Premium Plus Account subscription package, depending on which LifeTime membership is applied for.
The currently list of benefits for each account type can be found here.
Cost:
US $749.00 at the time of upgrade for SecondLifeTime Premium.
US $1,749.00 at the time of upgrade for SecondLifeTime Premium Plus.
Are limited to:
200 applications for SecondLifeTime Premium.
20 applications for SecondLifeTime Premium Plus.
Will remain in effect:
Even if the account holder cancels their membership – if they re-join later, they will be able to continue with their Second LifeTime membership.
As long as Second Life remains operational.
Due to there nature, LifeTime memberships:
May not be available to upgrade to other account types (e.g. from SecondLifeTime Premium to Premium Plus). However, requests for upgrade can be submitted via support ticket for case-by-case review.
Will not be available for downgrade, but will become the base-level membership account type for the holder.
Are being granted on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Click the orange Submit A Ticket button on the top right of any page of the support portal, and sign in if you have not already.
In the support ticket form, select the ticket type Account Issue, and choose Request SecondLifetime Premium Account from the second drop down that appears.
Select which membership type you would like – SecondLifeTime Premium or SecondLifeTime Premium Plus.
Check the box that states, I accept the fee. This will be required for support ticket submission, and will allow your membership to be processed as quickly as possible.
Fill out any additional necessary details in the description section (e.g. if you have recently renewed either your Premium or Premium Plus subscription, add the date of renewal) and click Submit.
Allow up to 10 business days for Second LifeTime membership support ticket requests to be processed.
It was back to Psygallery, operated and curated by Twister Grut in mid-June for me, this time to view another pairing of exhibitions within the gallery spaces by two very different artists. While each is entirely independent of the other, they nevertheless might be seen as being linked by a thread of – well, life (or at least, within the context of celebrating life).
Within the two-level main hall of PsyGallery sits Embryos by TerraMerhyem. No liner notes are provided for this selection of work, spanning as it does both static and animated pieces. However, given it is by Terra, you can expect it to be nothing short of expressive, and each of the pieces visually engaging. The one set of notes that are provided come in the form of reminders on the floor of each level within the gallery that Advanced Lighting Model should be enabled (Preferences → Graphics → make sure the option is checked) in order to see the works at their best.
PsyGallery, June 2023: TerraMerhyem – Embryos
For most of us, the term embryo most likely brings to mind the stage of human life following fertilisation through until the ninth week after conception, with mental images of of the growing embryo lying within the womb as it commences its journey towards / into life. Some of this is perhaps evident in the static pieces presented here by Terra, showing as they do male and female human forms contained within protective spheres, like embryos within the womb. However, give that the figures in their spheres are fully-formed adults means this is not an artistic treatise on life per se; rather it is perhaps more of a comment on the fact that from beginning to end, life is a continuous process of growth, maturation, change and – for all of its gregarious opportunities – ultimately isolated and individual.
That no influence is exerted by the artist on how we opt to interpret these pieces, thus leaving us free to interpret them as some form of commentary – per the above – or purely as purely visually engaging, highly creative and imaginative pieces of art similarly enhances the appeal of the 2D pieces; allowing each to be taken as a whole unto itself, or – in the case of four of the pieces – artistic pairings.
Similarly, how we interpret the animated pieces, which mix 2D and 3D creations, is left to out own processes of thought and reaction to art and design. Utilising geometry, images and colour to rich effect, these are pieces literally pulsating – one might say beating with the rhythm of a healthy heart – in a manner which is strikingly beautiful whilst still carrying that suggestion of life and change we might opt to see as a possible message within the static pieces, through both the regularity of their pulsations and their gently repeating motions.
PsyGallery, June 2023: Canaris Restless – Summer Solstice
On the uppermost level of the gallery, and reached via the teleport board is Summer Solstice, a series of images by Canaris Restless offered as a visual essay on the subject of the titular event and how it is viewed by different cultures, past and present.
As Canaris notes, the Summer Solstice has been, and remains for many, a time of new beginnings, and / or renewal of life and growth; a time when all that is good about life is celebrated as the cycle of life moves ever forward; and within this might be ween the thread linking both of these exhibitions into something of a themed whole, if one chooses to do so.
The smaller of the two installations, Summer Solstice is marked by Canaris’ elegant photography captured within Second Life and by free-standing displays of (literally) heliocentric art reminding us of the reality that the Sun – whilst perhaps not worshipped as once it was – truly remains the most prominent giver of life for our world.
PsyGallery, June 2023: Canaris Restless – Summer Solstice
Two very visually engaging exhibitions by two very different artists they many, but Embryos and Summer Solstice do compliment one another in terms of potential themes and ideas, so do be sure to see both when visiting.
Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation
Updates from the week through to Sunday, June 25th, 2023
This summary is generally published every Monday, and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:
It is based on my Current Viewer Releases Page, a list of all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware), and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy. This page includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog.
By its nature, this summary presented here will always be in arrears, please refer to the Current Viewer Release Page for more up-to-date information.
Note that for purposes of length, TPV test viewers, preview / beta viewers / nightly builds are generally not recorded in these summaries.
Official LL Viewers
Release viewer: Maintenance S RC viewer, version 6.6.12.579987, dated May 11, promoted May 16.
Reality Escape – Books, Coffee & Chairs – Oh My! – June 2023; click any image for full size
Coffee in large mugs and books I like reading Bright covers calling and fresh beans for grinding Stories that soar just like birds on the wing, These are a few of my favourite things.
with apologies to the estate of Oscar Hammerstein II
Well, the above isn’t something you’ll find in the actual lyrics of any song coming out of the most unusual adaptation of The Sound of Music, let alone Favourite Things, but they are more-or-less what trundled through my odd little caffeine-fuelled mind on visiting the latest region design at Tripty’s (triptychlysl) Full region, Reality Escape.
Books, Coffee & Chairs – Oh My! is exactly that – a celebration of three of Tripty’s (and dare I say, my own) favourite things in life; I personally love curling up with a book and a but mug of freshly-brewed coffee (straight from my own grinder by way of the coffeemaker and milk frother). More than this, however, is the fact that it is a genuinely engaging region worthy of a visit.
Trippy is not new to SL, although her Profile might suggest otherwise at first look. Who she might have been previously is not important; as she notes herself, sometimes in life, all one can do is walk away from something for a time. However, I’m glad that she has decided to return, because whilst I’ve never (knowingly, at least) met her, she has a core of creativity and imagination which results in the richness and beauty of her region builds.
This is a simple, quiet and elegant region design that is easy on the eye and which can be easily enjoyed with a pleasant stroll; it is also a place with its own little quirks that add to the setting. The latter is evident directly at the landing point, sitting at the southern extent of the island. Here three little humps of grassy rock rise from the water, like mossy shells of turtles swimming along. The watery gaps between these three and the rest of the setting are spanned by bridges in the form of oars supported by books.
In addition, just across the water, at the point where the local stream reaches the surrounding waters, is an arch of chairs held aloft by statues. Shortly before reaching the sea, the stream passes over another channel of water by means of a culvert formed by the heavy forms of giant books. This not only marks the landing point as being separated completely from the main body of land, it further adds another element of quirky charm to the setting. The water channel is also crossed by a footbridge linking the fullness of the region with the landing point, beyond which a series of paths cross the grassy lands, offering multiple points of exploration.
The land itself is home to a single building, located on one bank of the stream. A former wooden-framed greenhouse, it now formers a cosy, inviting café; a place where books and a beverage can be enjoyed indoors and out, according to one’s preference. It is a place packed with details and bric-a-brac which deserves not only a visit, but time taken to appreciate how much has been put into it.
For the rest of the setting the paths offer the best means of exploration as they meander gently northwards and into the hills towards that end of the setting. Exactly which of the two main paths you take from the café matters not. Both depart the riverside decking at the café (or if you prefer, you can saunter up the loosely laid stones of the café’s garden path to re-join the path leading away from the landing point). Whichever path visitors take, they will be guaranteed a reunion with the other main path around the mid-point of the island before they separate once more.
The shorter of the two paths then continues on to a little east-facing bay and a campsite – one of many places visitors can sit and enjoy time or a quiet read. Further to the north, reached by the other path, the landscape climbs gently upwards to where a thumb of rock is raised over the rest of the setting, water tumbling from one side to feed the region’s stream. Crossed and re-crossed by the trail, the stream helps the many fields and meadows around the setting to bloom and the local trees to grow, offer fingers of shade to travellers and splashes of colour.
Throughout all of this are multiple places to sit and pass the time. Some are what might be called “conventional” – a rocking chair here, a tepee there and deck or two over the water, and so on. Others are more unusual -, or quirkily unexpected – a rack of bus-stop seats arranged as waterside seating; garden chairs converted to swings , benches forming steps and more oversized books helping to form the landscape, stepping up a slope like a garden fence.
However, the truth is that this is a setting for which words are not enough; there is a beauty to Books, Coffee & Chairs – Oh My! that is captivating (not to mention photogenic). Add to this the attention to detail and decorative touches by Trippy, and this is the kind of place which should be seen first-hand. That said, I wouldn’t leave doing so for too long; Trippy tends to rework the region periodically, so Books, Coffee & Chairs – Oh My! might soon disappear; which in some respects will be a shame – although I’m also curious to see what new magic Trippy cooks up for people to enjoy.
The 86′ Domino by Spartaco Zemenis and Dogma9 – cruising at speed past Fastnet Light, Blake Sea
In 2021 Spartaco Zemenis sent me – entirely unprompted – a copy of the Moon Shadow motor cruiser he developed and sells alongside of Dogma9 under their respective winLab and Dogma9 Brands. While this was done in no expectation of a review but as a simple “thank you”, I found the boat so enjoyable to use, I ended up customising it and writing a review anyway (which those interested can read in Riding a Moon Shadow in Second Life). Within that review, I noted that the Moon Shadow – which I rechristened Moondancer after re-painting / texturing it – was the largest boat I’d driven / owned in Second Life.
Well, that record has now been broken! Recently, Spartaco forwarded me the latest version of the Moon Shadow, together with a copy of the 86′ Domino, a super yacht also built in collaboration with Dogma9 and available through their respective stores. At roughly 1.6 times the length and almost half as wide again as the Moon Shadow (so around 37 metres in overall length and 9 metres across the beam), it is now by far the largest boat I’m ever likely to own in SL!
Passing under the impressive Second Norway suspension bridge as I head out towards open waters aboard the 86′ Domino
The size of the boat is perhaps reflected in both its LI and price. By default, it tops out in motoring mode at 324 LI, although this can increase with various options (such as meals) are rezzed out as well, while the cost is a possible “eep!” inducing L$15,000 via the Marketplace, or L$12,000 if purchased in-world. However, for this, you do get a considerable amount of bang-for-(Linden) buck in what is a genuinely stylish yacht.
Inspired by the luxury vessels produced by Italy’s Riva brand in the physical world – a brand somewhat popular among mesh model makers – the Domino draws directly on the Riva 86′ Domino to offer keen SL boating enthusiasts with a vessel which looks good, is packed with options, has a high level of script optimisation, and – I can say having handled it out on Blake Sea at speed across multiple east-west-east crossings (admittedly with only me on-board) and more gently through the channels and waterways of Second Norway – is an exceptionally agile vessel which handles itself very well.
In all three decks are provided on the boat, the uppermost forming the large flying bridge, with driver / pilot’s station seating up to three, and with a very large pair of sunbeds behind the cockpit area. Steps accessed via a floor hatch to one side provide access to the main deck, which comprises an over-the-stern outdoor seating area where lunch might be taken, and which provides access to the swimming / diving fantail and (empty) jetski garage / dive equipment store below.
Forward of this stern deck is the main day cabin, fully furnished and with the main cockpit to the front of this (control of the boat auto-switches between here and the flying bridge on the touch of a console button). Three points of access from the main deck provide access to the lower deck (one either side of the main cockpit, one within the rear deck area, hidden inside what appears to be a storage locker). The lower deck is split into two fully furnished double bedrooms, a galley, a bathroom, and a small seating area within the fore-and-aft companionway. Forward of the day cabin, and reached via sliding doors is the forward sun deck and sleeping area, and the boat’s bows. And this is just scratching at the bare bones.
My untouched Domino alongside one with a more custom finish at Blake Sea – Sirens Isle
Other features include:
The ability to carry up to 15 avatars (region crossings allowing!).
Fully functioning television media centres and laptop.
Animation and poses systems both built-in to the furnishings and via control panels located in various cabins, for a total of 250 couples animations and 120 single multi-function animations, with avatar movement between seats without the need to stand up.
150 interactive objects, including:
A selection of meals that can be rezzed on the main deck table and drinks and snacks that can be rezzed from the fridge.
Items that can be rezzed when working at the galley.
Working doors on rooms, closets, lockers, etc.
Full projected lighting system for internal illumination.
A working satellite ‘phone which allows the user to place calls (IMs) via a configurable list of recipients (and I would advise caution on using the default list of contacts 🙂 !).
Scripted dynamic control system that can be used to adjust boat handling (stability / performance balance) to suit your driving needs.
Automated resource management with manual override: when the engine is running, all scripts deemed unnecessary to motion / navigation are turned off to reduce the vessel’s simulator resource use.
Listening to the inimitable Tuva Semmingsen in concert on the 86′ Domino’s day cabin TV screen
The last two points are particularly useful when driving the Domino. With a 152 server load and 39.3 physics load, it is no lightweight when it comes to region crossings even without avatars and their associated loads, so minimising resource use and managing performance are important aspect in ensuring crossings are as smooth as possible.
HUDs
A key aspect to managing the Domino is the driver / pilot’s HUD. This provides access to the majority of the boat’s controls via clear icon buttons, with a second “page” for manually locking / unlocking individual sitting positions, whilst camera options can be selected from the presets at the top of the HUD. In order to work, the HUD needs to be synced to a copy of the boat. This is achieved by wearing / adding the HUD and then sitting on the boat as the driver. Once attached, the controls, although graphical, are pretty clear.
As well as e primary owner / driver’s HUD, the Domino is equipped with two additional HUDs:
A camera HUD available via tissue box like containers on the boat itself. These can provide passengers with a HUD offering the same camera options as the driver’s HUD, allowing them to shard the same experience in viewing a ride and to switch their camera position if they wish.
An owner’s flag HUD, allowing the boat’s flag to be customised. This is pre-loaded with a number of national flags, but owners can also drop their own flag designs into it, either in one of the three spare slot, or in one of the used slots, if there is a particular pre-set flag option they won’t use. Clicking the HUD (when synched to the boat in the same manner as the driver’s HUD) will then apply the flag texture to the faces of the flag.
The 86′ Domino lends itself to re-texturing and simple re-tinting (to a degree). I’ll be looking to enhance the two-tone hull finish (mostly likely snow white and a sea blue-grey for the hull and superstructure elements). although uncertain what I might do with the interior furnishings and décor – yet.
General Handling
The controls are the usual: ↑ and ↓ for the throttle, with ↓ beyond 0 engaging reverse, while ← and → control steering (with the WS and AD handling these respectively for those preferring letter keys for movement). In addition – and a useful capability in a vessel of this size – is the inclusion of fore-and-aft side thrusters. Providing the throttle is set to 15% or below, pressing SHIFT-→ or SHIFT-← will push the entire boat sideways, allowing it to ease alongside piers for mooring.
The two driving positions (main cabin and flying bridge) have buttons that will move the driver between them – including when the boat is in motion. I’m not sure how much value my experience holds for region crossings, given I’ve only taken the Domino out on my own. However, for my more extensive testing, I did take it from the south-east corner of Second Norway up through and around the islands to the Blake Sea Channel at moderate to low speeds, prior to turning on the taps from Vest onwards for two full-throttle runs across Blake Sea into the waters of Nautilus and back, as well as a loop of Blake Sea at varying throttle speeds prior to mooring at Blake Sea – Sirens Isle alongside (serendipitously) the “Dogma version” of the Domino. I encountered a few moments of crossing stutter along the way and some issues of the camera not being sure of what it should be doing, but both boat and camera quickly sorted themselves out without any need on my part to cut power or do anything else, so nothing of the experience was lost.
Were I to sum-up my experience with the boat, albeit it over less than half-a-dozen trips (two of them reasonably long-distance, it would be “smooth and pretty much perfect”. But again, that is boating with no more than two on-board, and only myself during the longer / faster rides.
Another interior shot, this one looking down towards the lower deck galley on the 86′ Domino, with the door to the second sleeping berth just off to the right of the picture
Customisation
Textures for the boat are supplied in two packs contained within the Notecard manual. These can be copied to inventory and the textures downloaded for modding. However, I would note this is something that could potentially be improved; while the textures are split between interior and exterior, the labelling is not the friendliest (e.g. “86_Dimino_Int_101”; “86_Domino_Ext_006”, etc.). This can make matching some of the textures with their locations on the boat a little more complicated than it perhaps needs to be (why couldn’t “86_Dimino_Int_101” simply be called Something like “Domino_Int_Bathroom”?). Givingn a hint of location might be tricky with some elements of the external textures, given the way they are split along the hull mesh to maintain correct scaling when applied – but it would perhaps allow those attempting to mod the boat with a greater level of confidence than “texture X” really does match “panel Y” rather than a 100% reliance on Eyeball Mk 1.
Elsewhere, the boat can be additionally customised through the linking of parts and items. The manual spells out the cautionary notes in doing this (which are minimal), and as noted above, there are some 3rd party creators supplying elements for the Domino – search “86′ Domino” on the MP. Just how much customisation the boat will take in terms of linking additional elements to it needs to be considered; the linkset count is already at 248 objects, so there’s not a lot of overhead to play with.
My semi-modified 86′ Domino seen from overhead
General Feedback
As I mentioned earlier, I’m no fan of big cruisers and yachts in SL, some of which can look (to me) to be ridiculously oversized. However, I do like both the Moon Shadow and the 86′ Domino -with the latter perhaps outdoing the former simply because of this sleek looks, despite its much increased size. Niggles-wise, there is the labelling of textures noted above, and the LOD models have been perhaps a little compromised other than for the high detail model. However, neither of these are going to stop those on board the boat from really appreciating it.
I’m not sure if it is me or tweaking to the scripts, but the 86′ Domino also seems to handle better at low speeds and the Moon Shadow; for a boat of its size it managed some of the narrower channels around Second Norway with aplomb, particularly those crossed by the little drawbridge style road bridges (well, “little” when compared to the 86′ Domino!), making the experience of trying to shoehorn this big a boat through channels its perhaps not designed for an actual pleasure. At speed, it becomes very responsive without once feeling like it is about to get away from you.
Overall, for those looking for a luxury yacht that handles well and is packed with features, the 86′ Domino is well worth looking at. It’s not a boat I’d use regularly, simply because of my predisposition towards smaller vessels. It would be nice if the boat could be offered with a time-limited demo for those wishing to try it, given the price Had this not been gifted, it would have been the biggest barrier for me in considering a purchase), but for the large boat enthusiast in SL, it’s unlikely the 86′ Domino sill disappoint.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 