Changes in Second Life

If you haven't been to Second Life lately, here are some of the changes I've noticed since the last time I was here.

New Bento Project for avatars means that they've added 106 new 'bones' to the avatar frame to expand rigging and animation support, and 15 new attachment points. Most of the 'bones' seem to be in the fingers and face, but there are also bones for wings, hind legs, tail and ....groin.  If you have the right animations you will be able to move more realistically, and clothes made for the new avatars will fit better. Your old clothes and animations might not work so well with the new bodies

The old attachment points from a poster in Caledon.

Although the use of mesh has transformed a lot of things, not everyone is using it, or using it well, and there are people still using sculpts and prims.

Lowered land-use fees. If you pay tier directly to Linden Labs, you should be getting more for your money. The prim limits have also been raised about 150%.
If you choose to be a premium member, you can claim a new Linden home (the new ones look much improved) or if you want to buy a parcel, you can have a plot of up to 1024square meters (the old allowance was 512square meters) without having to pay tier. If you choose the Linden home the lot comes with it, but if you want to live on the Mainland you will have to find and pay for a lot. 

The new Linden Houseboats, with docks.

If you are renting from a second party, they should pass those savings onto you.

One of the new Linden Homes

For 30L a week you can have a place page set up for your region or parcel so that you are easier to find in search. Previously you could only choose "find in search".

You may be able to set more environmental controls for individual parcels, such as setting 24-hour days and different windlight settings.

Mainlanders can now use the Linden Land Auction to sell their own property.

Second Life has started putting video travelogues on their main page.

My brief week's experience has shown me that, even though I have the same old computer, lag seems to be less (I'm using Firestorm).

Some of the mole-managed landscapes seem to have improved, although I'm still seeing the old stock trees and plants in places.

The performance of NPC animals and avatars has become more realistic.

We're supposed to be able to get last names "pretty soon now".

Yavanna Llanfair's free transportation system is still running. I took a pod ride on Route 4 yesterday, and it was a good opportunity to see what the new landscape looks like.  The increased land allotment for Premium members, and the increased prim allowance, seems to have resulted in a few more big ugly buildings, although there are still many 'homelike' structures.

As for Sansar, it seems to be live and active; however, I don't have the computer resources to visit yet. A lot of people thought that Sansar would bleed residents from Second Life, but so far that doesn't seem to have happened much, although Pfaffendahl 1867 did leave.

Ana Imfinity's SLGI transportation system is gone, as are AnneMarie's self-crashing buses and other vehicles. 

A lot of my favorite old places still seem to be there, although some of them haven't updated their content. 


Premium users will have a longer transaction history on their account, and be able to have increased inbox message storage.

Infrastructure is supposed to be moving to the Cloud, which is alleged to improve performance.

There seem to be more sites offering "Skilled Gaming".

The site of the old Tourist Information Office

Sidenote: At first I had been undecided about setting up another Unofficial Tourst Information site. 

Then I went looking at other Tourist Information places and found that my old group, RiverRun Real Estate and Renovation still owns the parcel in Cecropia.

Most of the site is water, but I will try to work with it, and see if this time I don't get carried away.