Tag: decor

Experience: Obtaining a Camper in the New Linden Home Region of Bellisseria & Added Information on New Age Linden Homes

Experience: Obtaining a Camper in the New Linden Home Region of Bellisseria & Added Information on New Age Linden Homes

by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

After months of trying to acquire one of the new Linden Homes in the Bellisseria region, I finally was able to do so. I’ll be explaining my experience of how I obtained one and how those who are still trying to do so shouldn’t lose hope. If you haven’t read my post Bellisseria: Are Linden’s Expanding the Region then I should tell you it seems like they’re expanding the region to meet supply and demand of their premium consumers. If you’re even more intrigued, please feel free to look at the post! The hype is on for these new in-demand Linden homes.

*Note: this post is going to be a little longer than usual as I’m trying to fit a lot of information that relates to the same topic in one blog posting. I’ve added bolded titles so you can find exactly what you want to read. Feel free to skip around you don’t have to read the whole thing even though it would be appreciated. Any questions please feel free to comment or e-mail me at ember435@outlook.com*

Background Information on the Bellisseria Region:

Bellisseria was introduced by Linden Labs around the Spring of 2019 as a new region with what I’d like to call new age Linden homes these homes keep up with the graphical changes and consistent improvements of Second Life as a virtual world. This continent started with traditional homes and houseboats that use 1,024 sqm of your land tier which is how much tier premium members have when it comes to obtaining land in Second Life. This land tier recently went up earlier this year probably to make way for these premium Linden homes. This also means that they have a higher prim limit to decorating with. For those who are unaware, the original Linden homes were 512 sqm’s with 175 prims you can use to decorate with.

However, a few months ago Linden labs introduced a new Linden home theme in the Bellisseria region called the Campers or I just call it a Camper Region. This was introduced in a blog post from Linden Labs on September 24th and just like the other homes in this region they’re first come first serve. So those who of course knew about them before everyone else obtained them quicker than the consumers who find out after the initial hype of new content added to Second Life such as me. These new Linden homes stick to the original Linden home dimensions when it comes to the parcel of 512 sqm and 175 prims to use. But they’re newer and more interactive with a beautiful and vibrant community of premium members. Sometimes it’s better to have a smaller prim limit because this is how lag can be an issue in Second Life when there are too many objects on a server and scripts it makes your frame rates drop. 

In this region, you can travel by car or boat if there is anyone who likes doing either one of these it is 100% allowed and encouraged by Linden Labs.

They’re all hard to obtain but above I did type up a post on how I’ve come to the conclusion and have seen first-hand that Linden Labs is expanding the region with more of these options to even out the supply and demand of premium consumers versus these new-age Linden homes. I’m not going to lie even though I didn’t have one of these homes I still visited the region to look around and experience what the hype is for the Bellisseria region. I’ll say this there was a ton of hype and honestly, I’m not sure if the hype was 100% worth it just by looking around. However, they’re a lot nicer than the original Linden homes because they’re made of mesh and not prim with better textures and fit in with today’s graphic enhancements. The community is nice and each community as per usual has its theme which the community sticks too.

My Experience Obtaining a Camper in the new Camper Region in Bellisseria:

To begin, I’m a recent college graduate in real life so I have a little more free time on my hands than most of the casual players on Second Life. I went to an interview the other day came home and every day for a few months whenever I’m available I hop onto the Second Life browser webpage and navigate to the Linden home selection and see if there are any Linden homes available in the new Bellisseria region. Because honestly, I wanted one regardless of the hype. I tried to obtain one while taking a trip to a different state to visit my grandparents and other family members where there was a small availability on them but even with the time on my hands it was hard to obtain them because they’re first come first serve. Whoever presses the accept button first is going to snag it way before you even if you press it at the same time. I was unable to grab one during this time…so anyway, since then I’ve been consistently trying to find them as sparse as they are. Keep in mind the premium members can get one Linden home per premium account. I currently have a 1,024 sqm parcel in the Horizons sim which is 2x the prim allotment which gives me 702 prims to work with I currently rent that out to a friend. Then I own a 4,096 sqm mainland parcel for interior and exterior design which I love to do! So, I pay the extra $22 a month for that land. This means that my land tier for Second Life was taken unless I wanted to bump up to $35 a month to have more land tier. I would rather not but to be fair I wanted one of these new Linden homes so badly I wanted to understand the hype and see what they were like. When I logged on after my interview there was a houseboat available ONLY. I tried to snag it I did… but every time I tried and let me tell you I tried 8 times. I became blocked from trying again from the Second Life website because of the number of page refreshes on my end. Understandably, these new homes are in high demand and there are only so many of them available. I first upped my land tier in Second Life to $35 a month for 8,192 sqm that can be used to obtain the Linden home and more land elsewhere. After that, I went on incognito because I use Firefox as my browser and when I did this there was a houseboat STILL available and a traditional home. I tried the houseboat a lot and just wasn’t getting it, so the next best thing was trying for the traditional house. I couldn’t grab that either though. 

Then when I refreshed the page one more time…I’m not particularly picky when it comes to the theme of a Linden home. There was the houseboat STILL and then there was the Camper which is the brand-new Linden home region in Bellisseria and that was available I tried twice and then closed my eyes said three times was a charm and somehow got it. I don’t know why but I screamed with happiness when I was able to grab it, I didn’t think I’d be able to! Yes, it is a smaller sqm with the same amount of prim as the originals, but it was still a newer Linden home in the newest region. Let me tell you it took me a whole 10 minutes to go through this anxiety… nonetheless, I obtained one. Upon obtaining it I didn’t realize the starting model that you’re left with is a tiny house! For those who are unaware, I adore the tiny house movement and am a big supporter I honestly, want one of my own in real life I just wouldn’t know where to put it. But, when the region said camper, I was expecting campers, RV’s, trailers. Not a tiny home! I was super ecstatic my dream of owning a tiny house is coming true. The whole area is landscaped beautifully with the nicely textured ground, trees, etc. It was super nice, and the community was gorgeous. The parcels are a whole lot more private than the other homes on Bellisseria and even the original Linden homes. Even though the parcels are smaller this is so they can landscape around it so your parcel is a lot more private. After realizing this I loved it even more and wasn’t even disappointed in size or prim limit anymore. Privacy is super important to me in real life and Second Life and this just matched me perfectly.

About the Campers in the Camper Region of Bellisseria:

To make this a shorter section I’m just going to list everything that the Campers in Bellisseria offer:

  • 8 Campers that you can rez (1 at a time) from the rezzer in the corner of your parcel so you can always have a different one.
  • 512 sqm parcel 175 prims However, I found out the parcels are smaller because the extra space is landscaped for extra privacy which for those who want nice scenery and privacy more than decorating this is the newest Linden home to go within the Bellisseria region.
  • Beautifully landscaped to be a gorgeous forest theme
  • A vibrant community with matching lots and no eyesores
  • No highly scripted items slowing down your frame rates
  • So far from my experience friendly neighbors
  • Only minutes away from the traditional and boathouse community where you can sail
  • Community events in Bellisseria event area
  • All houses and landscaping are mesh and match the theme of the community (thank goodness!)
  • Your own space to add your radio to play in your parcel, invite friends, add and block people, etc.

Linden Homes Covenant (What you can’t do):

  1. Keep to the theme of the community
  2. Cannot use the home of the parcel for commercial purposes or activity
  3. Cannot deed the land to a group or sell it to another resident.
  4. Cannot remove or replace Linden’s home completely or modify the external appearance of the home.
SL Exploration: The Butterfly Effect Club EST 2008

SL Exploration: The Butterfly Effect Club EST 2008

by Ellie_Avora ♥ 1 Comment

Let’s be honest there are so many clubs in Second Life that it’s hard to find ones that stand out from one another. However, I stumbled across this little gem while on my explorations throughout Second Life it might not seem like much at first sight but there is more than meets the eye. Between the kind and drama free people who come in and the themed atmosphere that fits the name perfectly there is so much about this club to talk about.

The Butterfly Effect Club was established in 2008 by LadyD Beauregard-Barbosa. I’ve had the pleasure to meet her and experience all the life this club fills everyone that comes in with. With so many Second Life clubs popping up and shutting down throughout the platform this one has been around since 2008. It’s popular and gets traffic! The music played here depends on the DJ at the specific time but tonight I came in during a Halloween costume contest event. The music tonight was a lot of your Halloween classics such as monster mash and many others. However, there are always events being held and contests each time the club is up and going. The club currently is decorated for Halloween seeing that it’s only eight days away and to be fair it the decoration is nice and sticks to the ghoulish theme. 

This club also has a shopping mall attached to it so if you’re looking for some new clothes you can find them here and then go dancing afterward. Most clubs have been doing this recently but keep in mind clubs who do have a small shopping section or are connected to a mall are small shop owners trying to get their products out to everyone out in the world of Second Life. Anyone can be a small business owner, but this is how beginners of creating outfits, furniture, etc. start. They start by renting out a small section in a mall or club that hosts these creators. So, if you’re feeling like supporting these small businesses feel free to drop by their shopping section right when you land before entering the club. As I explored it there were some dresses right behind the club to look at. In the club the photo to the left shows in the background the small little shopping area the club has. It’s where it says, Gaall in tiny letters sorry that it’s so small!

For those of you who are big on Angels & Demons, Bloodlines, Rage, etc. this club is on a clan land but it’s an open space for everyone. Everyone is welcome it doesn’t matter who you are, what your avatar looks like, etc. everyone is accepted in and can join into the fun and consistent conversation that can be found. The club is active, not only that but the clans here on the land are all active as well if you’re looking for a place to join and are a part of any of these in world systems. I’m also 99% sure that it’s a safe spot for Angels & Demons so you don’t have to worry about getting attacked while enjoying your time and just relaxing. Even though contests are going on and a lot of people come to the club just for the contests and then leave their keyboard you don’t find that here. It’s overall, just a different type of environment that you can’t always find on Second Life and if you’re a part of any of the systems above than most of the users in the club already have something in common with you.

I can’t stress enough that this club is 100% drama free! I’ve never seen an argument, misunderstanding, or disagreement since I’ve dropped by. To be fair, that’s hard to find nowadays because let’s be honest there is club drama everywhere you turn for the most part. It’s nice to have such high energy, calm, and enjoyable place to just be yourself. There is little to no judgment and it’s just a nice atmosphere to be a part of. I’m being very unbiased with this post as this is my experience when coming here. Normally when I visit clubs you realize why they don’t last it just doesn’t have a lighthearted and enjoyable atmosphere. Whether there is a conflict between staff or toxic people entering it’s hard. Here I haven’t experienced that and if you’re looking for something new to experience with a pleasurable clubbing experience than this is a place to look at. For example, tonight we talked about breedables for a bit I’ll be honest, I haven’t been looking at the chat a lot because I’ve been typing up this post, but everyone gets along. Also the picture on the left shows the contest board which is behind me and LadyD with the host and DJ tip jars and a vote stand. Everyone can vote once a day and these vote stands are important to clubs so if you go check it out don’t forget to click it.

Overall, something to keep in mind is sometimes these clubs who have been here for long periods are worth looking at and exploring more than the newer ones. Looks can be deceiving even though the clubs out there now use mainly mesh or are decorated in gorgeous ways the staff could be the complete opposite. This club has the best of both worlds it has mesh objects, décor, great staff, amazing users coming into just dance and relax. These are how Second Life clubs should be!

SL Exploration: Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO

SL Exploration: Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO

by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Exploration lies deep within our human DNA, no matter what we love to explore even if we aren’t aware that we’re doing it. I’ll be honest today was a somewhat boring day for me in my reality and I thought I’d jump into Second Life and do a little bit of exploring. During my travels, I came across a Russian sim by the name “Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO”. I felt like exploring something that at some point could also be seen in real life, so I used the destinations button on the left-hand side of my firestorm viewer and went to the “international” tab to begin. Heads up there are a lot of Brazil areas to visit recently. Since this wasn’t a Brazilian area, I chose it not that I have anything against Brazil there are just so many areas made to replicate it and when you’ve been to one you’ve been to them all. I can’t wait to jump right in and tell you all about my experience in the Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO!

The scenery in this sim is very well put together and is a beautiful little town to take some photos in if you’re a Second Life photographer. The scenic surroundings are so relaxing and welcoming that it relaxes you and makes you enjoy the area. It has an older country feel to it that I surrounded by trees, forests, grass and flowers (here and there). It reminds me of an area before capitalism takes over and builds skyscrapers, shops, cities, etc. in its place. Keep in mind this is just one sim there aren’t any connecting sims to visit but honestly, you only need the one sim it’s so beautifully put together and there is a lot to see and explore. When you first enter the sim there is a bike rezzer to your left where you can rezz a bike from a store called {What’s Next} that you’re able to use on the sim to cruise around while you enjoy the scenery. It’s a fast and easier way to get around the sim because guess what? This sim disabled flying so you’re either walking, running or biking. It stays true to realism and to be fair you must give the creator credit for that. If you’re making a realistic place, why shouldn’t everything about it be real? One issue I’ve had is because there is a lot to load even with good connection speed and a gaming laptop with high specs it took about 5-10 minutes for the entire area to load. So, if you visit please be patient while everything loads in. Go grab a glass of water start some music get comfortable by that point it should be ready to go.

The small-town community feels is just something I can’t get over I live in an extremely populated area in my real life and I’ve always like small old town areas because it’s the complete opposite of what I experience and it’s nice and relaxing to me. There are slopes, hills, and trees galore but what I loved the most were the little sitting areas that are scattered around the entire sim where you can sit and just enjoy your time. These areas have cuddle options so if you want to take someone on a date here it’s perfect! My new favorite little gem about this place is a small little walkway leading you out to a small little beach area with a dock overlooking the water and hills afar. If you turn the environment settings to sunset, it’s worth every moment you spend there. If only I had a cup of tea and a book it would be the perfect afternoon the sun glistens off the water, it’s almost something from a dream scene that you’d see in a movie. If you don’t visit for anything else, I highly suggest visiting just to see this viewpoint from the dock.

One thing I wanted to mention is sometimes people get annoyed when visiting sims because there is furniture or scenery that looks to much like prim instead of mesh. I’ll be honest even I get a little bit annoyed about this. Luckily this scenic area is all meshed all the furniture, houses, objects, trees, surroundings, grass, and plants are all mesh and look realistic and true to their textures. Thank goodness! This is somewhat a pet peeve of mine now, not that I have anything against prim but with today’s expectations of Second Life and advancements in technology and graphics, I can’t fully appreciate prim anymore because of the realism mesh objects bring. Also, I find mesh important when creating a realistic area because realism is key if you’re trying to recreate a real place. Another quick thing I’ve noticed, and I didn’t take a photo of it because I didn’t feel the need to is right when you rezz in there is a camping site. With this, there is also a concert stage that looks like it doesn’t blend it with the rest of the theme and scenery. I’m not quite sure if I like it or the setup it almost feels as if it’s out of place with everything else. However, this is something that can be overlooked considering the rest of the sim. An important note is there’s a sandbox on this sim with a 30-minute auto-return so if you need to rezz or unpack an item then this little town has it all with its area to do it!

Overall, if you’re looking for a place with a little bit of small-town charm and a sim that gives you beautiful scenery and shows the beauty of the countryside in Russia than this is the area to explore and I highly suggest it. It has so much to offer and so much to explore I was easily able to spend about an hour here. Below is the SURL that you can copy and paste into your viewer at the top or you can just click it and it will bring it up in your browser to teleport too. This place is something special!

Click here to go to Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO