Below is a short summary of the latest Community Meeting, followed by its chat logs – which have been gently edited for formatting, to put questions and answers in bold for easy skimming, and to omit greetings and farewells and other such asides. Meetings are hosted by Estate owner NeoBokrug Elytis at 2:00 pm on the first Saturday of every month at The Potato Farm in The Wastelands, and the discussion is typically divided into three main topics: Estate, Game, and Roleplay & Events. Everyone is welcome to attend!
ESTATE:
➳ This meeting had to be postponed a week due to travel.
➳ Occupancy had a modest uptick, mostly from returning residents.
➳ The four main regions have been slightly restructured to create some smaller parcels with smaller prim counts – and many have already been purchased, but some are still available.
➳ Ccindy and Neo have been upgrading The Great Fissure with new mesh rocks (with materials, and with more accurate bounding boxes,) fissure-like paths, the return of cliffside catwalks, and a more open crafting and info area on the central plateau.
➳ No other sims are on the agenda for renovations at the moment; The Wastelands and The Junkyard would take a lot more effort to rework.
➳ Neo’s next focus is on the inworld Land Store.
➳ Work continues on the Northgate Community Gateway – and volunteers are still welcome to join the Wastelands Public Works program to help create its assets and textures!
GAME:
➳ No game updates this month – but there’s one surprise Fissure update ahead that “will be sort of game-ish.”
➳ This year’s Kill Counter for the Buzzard Hunt is active – you should get some delicious flavor text after each bird you take down, and a reminder of your current tally!
ROLEPLAY & EVENTS:
➳ The June Buzzard Hunt is on now! Take down WL: Turkey Buzzards in Burnt Oak, Cormac, and The Rot – the hunters with the most kills will win prizes from Irk the Mutant!
➳ Booze & Blather went without a bartender for a halfmoon while Apo was traveling. She may have stories to tell now that she’s back…
➳ She seemed to leave at the same time that Doktor Pileus and his crew of Ghouls struck camp and left for the season. Coincidence?
➳ PROMAGEDDON brought decadent decay to The Arena once again on May 28. Thank you to all the performers and everyone who attended!
➳ Rapa Tone was not able to perform, but says she may put together an event in The Wastelands in July.
➳ Reminder: The roleplay character template has been added to the Wiki – add yours today!
Weekly Event Summary:
(All Times SLT)
Sundays:
– Storytime with Wasteland Drifter – 2pm
– Gomi’s Garbo Cinematic Expulsion – 5pm
Mondays:
– Mutant Drum Circle – 6pm
Tuesdays:
– Film Night with Wasteland Drifter – 5pm
Wednesdays:
– HOSTILE BROADCAST – a listening party for influential, interesting, or offbeat albums – 7pm
Thursdays:
– Unstructured Playtime w/ Dia – 5pm
– Booze & Blather [RP Event] – 6pm
Saturdays:
– Sandling’s Evening Madness – 1pm
– Fight Night – 3pm
– Apo’s Audio Atrocities – 5pm
First Saturday: Community Meeting – 2pm
Second Saturday: Barrelhead Bazaar [RP Event] – 11am
Third Saturday: Wasted Raiders’ Raid – Noon
Fourth Saturday: Second Second Saturday Skull Ball – 2pm
Want to host an event? Let Neo know the event details by Wednesday night and he’ll add it to the weekly group announcements, Discord announcement, and Plurk feed!
If you want to keep in touch with other Wastelanders when you can’t be inworld, our Discord server is now public!
I. THE ESTATE
NeoBokrug Elytis: I hope it is not a trend where all Community Meetings I host are where I feel like I have significant brain damage, but here we are again. :)
Aposiopesis Fullstop gets the ball peen hammer and the WD-40.
NeoBokrug Elytis: As per the usual, we will be talking about the three main aspects of The Wastelands, which are: Estate & Land, Games, and Role Play & Events; with time for questions and comments between each major category.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Starting off with estate and land (and it’s going to be a looong discussion)…
NeoBokrug Elytis: Occupancy is up overall, kind of recouping a bit of the losses from earlier in the year. It is almost entirely from returning residents and existing residents scooping up more land, with one or two new residents.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Neat!
Facemelt (hivejunker): thats a relief
Verity Goodnight: how were the smaller parcels?
NeoBokrug Elytis: While that is nice, occupancy has a ways to go to feel “safe” in my book. If we can have a few more months leading in to summer like that, and maintain said growth, the estate will be in a good position.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Last meeting we had floated ideas to make more smaller parcels, and other changes to the estate to make it more diverse and appealing with regards to parcel prices and offerings.
NeoBokrug Elytis: The smaller parcels are doing well I think! The new people who moved in all almost exclusively picked up tiny parcels. So I feel like they might be good “samplers” for those wishing to become a part of The Wastelands.
Irk (shannonwilsonbell): Yay!
Verity Goodnight: nice
Aposiopesis Fullstop: wooo!
NeoBokrug Elytis: Each of the four major regions of the estate got some more smaller parcels, where as we only had two tiny parcels across the whole of the estate.
NeoBokrug Elytis: And soem of these small parcels are still available right now, which I think is a good balance between too many, and too few. So I don’t plan to add or remove more any time soon.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Refactoring where parcels are, their sizes, and all the associated information into the rental system I had built is quite a bit of work. So between last community meeting and this one, I think it took a full week of “spare time” to get all that figured out and put out there. It has always been something I’ve dreaded, because a simple mistake can lead to big problems.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Once that was done, the bulk of this past months’ work has been in updating/upgrading The Great Fissure. The Great Fissure itself always felt half-done to me, because of SL limitations, or prim count allocations. When we updated all the regions to be 30k regions, I also got the benefit of 50% more prims for estate land too — but there was never enough time to sit down and rework things.
Irk (shannonwilsonbell): It’s looking awesome
Facemelt (hivejunker): agreed
Angharad Greggan: yes, it does!
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Now with more fissures!
NeoBokrug Elytis: And in all technicality, this is the 3rd or 4th major update to the region. The fissure used to be made of prims, then sculpts, then crude mesh. The current iteration is extremely “recycled” mesh kits.
Irk (shannonwilsonbell): And… sink holes
Irk (shannonwilsonbell): I fell and landed inside a prim this morning, trying to cross the bridge.
NeoBokrug Elytis: The majority of credit goes to Ccindy for the finder details everywhere. My role was direction and “large brush strokes” in building, but Ccindy deserves the greater credit for making the place looking as great as it does.
Irk (shannonwilsonbell): I’ll fall in it again for you later.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Oh, you will have to show me later.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Wooo, Ccindy!
NeoBokrug Elytis: For the most part it’s much more physics accurate. We’re ALMOST done, we’re working on the last 100 LI of the budget we have.
NeoBokrug Elytis: We’ve worked to replace all the sculpts, replace most Linden plants, and bring back some catwalks. As well as adding “paths” around the region with less great fissures. That way folks can feel like they’re going someplace.
RM Beedit (rmarie.beedit): nice!
NeoBokrug Elytis: ANd A lot of work was put in to making sure most (but not all) parcels don’t share parcel borders with neighbors.
NeoBokrug Elytis: And region edges.
Storm Thunders: That’ll encourage the new people to move to a larger parcel instead of flowing over to one next door. And that sounds like what you want so there’s a steady supply of the new small parcels.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Certain parcels are in my brain for tune-ups later, but I will make those changes when those owners move out. Trying to make changes while an owner is on them is rather hard, and I apologize to the few I had asked to move a little while working on this.
NeoBokrug Elytis: In general, if you own neighboring parcels, I do not mind if you anchor and “join” your build across the gap if it’s a 4m gap, just don’t block existing infrastructure paths.
NeoBokrug Elytis: I did my best to hand-align all the textures for the land and rocks, but if you ever see something that seems really off and it’s annoying you; please let me know. This whole region change is a lot of work and it’s easy for me to overlook something. As I type this I know there’s a couple mesh shapes that need tweaks.
NeoBokrug Elytis: But for the most part we’re about 99% done.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Also all the mesh rock surfaces have materials too — I want to do one final surprise to highlight that once it’s all done. But it requires scripting. :)
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Hmmmmmm….
Tora the Exploradora (toraona.thane): ((might have to be afk. gonna move up to the top just in case))
Irk (shannonwilsonbell): “Ooooh!”
NeoBokrug Elytis: Any questions about estate stuff so far?
NeoBokrug Elytis scrolls back…
NeoBokrug Elytis: Any questions about non-fissure estate stuff? :)
NeoBokrug Elytis: Moving on…
Facemelt (hivejunker): are there any plans for other sim rejuvenation projects?
NeoBokrug Elytis: Face, not yet.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Stygian got an update last year.
NeoBokrug Elytis: The Wastelands and The Junkyard are hardest to plan for such updates because there’s anchored infrastructure.
NeoBokrug Elytis: And basically everyone shares a border with everyone.
Facemelt (hivejunker): right :)
Mutsy (mutsy.kaligawa): feeeshh and battered chips please!
NeoBokrug Elytis: But that’s not to say I don’t think about it often. In a perfect world I would reparcel, and redesign the regions from the ground up, with different prim multipliers to allow folks to have no neighbors, and give me a wider breadth of infrastrucutre land to play with, while keeping the core spirit of the infrastructure builds.
NeoBokrug Elytis: I mean, they’re 15 years old, and have the issue with “this design was great 15 years ago”; but now that I have 15+ more years of experience building regions — I look back knowing I could do so much more better.
NeoBokrug Elytis: So in the short term, it’s a no. In the long term, it’s a maybe — and if it does happen EVERYONE has to change their builds
Rax Stooge: i think its pronounced “much more betterer”
RM Beedit (rmarie.beedit): ^
Facemelt (hivejunker): junkyard especially reminds me a lot of spider, which is nice
NeoBokrug Elytis: Haha
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Have people complained about the layouts or infrastructure? Is it actually a problem to anyone?
NeoBokrug Elytis: Yeah, I miss that guy.
NeoBokrug Elytis: No, but I think this iteration of the fissure reminds us that SL and The Wastelands can have huge updates that contribute to beautiful environments while retaining the original spirit of the older builds,
Facemelt (hivejunker): agreed
NeoBokrug Elytis: And I DO like to leave easter eggs and homage to the builds before.
Rax Stooge: god i love this band
Sandling Honey: :D
NeoBokrug Elytis: If you have a keen eye, you can still find “multirock” and the fissures original textures hiding someplaces out there in the fissure.
Rax Stooge: ‘so underated
NeoBokrug Elytis: This month I have to work on a “Land store” as was discussed last month, now that all the parcels are planned out. The first step of that work is the part I dread most, as I have to make a tool to make mesh shapes out of parcel shapes — but I’ll get it done. If I work full time on it this month I should be able to finish the basics of the Land Store.
Candide LeMay: there’s a tool that does that on the marketplace
NeoBokrug Elytis: Someplace I have a mock-up layout that integrates the land store with the existing tier payment area, as a way to sort of unify everything.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Not in the way I need Candide. I am not looking for land contours.
Sandling Honey: Thankees San :D
The Digger (sandusky.kayvon): yw!
Aposiopesis Fullstop: What are the mesh shapes for, exactly?
NeoBokrug Elytis: Basically it’s parcel boundaries shapes, and since all of our lands are not exact squares (because I like organic shapes), I need to make them.
NeoBokrug Elytis: The shapes are for highlighting which parcels are available, vs which are not in a region.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Ahhh.
NeoBokrug Elytis: So I need to build a little mesh map of ALL the parcels for each region.
NeoBokrug Elytis: It’ll come, I have a solid idea in my brain how to make it happen, it’s just tedious.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Once that’s done, the rest of the “land store” will come rather easily. The tier system I made is easy for me to hook in to.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Any questions about estate stuff?
II. THE GAME
NeoBokrug Elytis: Moving on to game stuff: I don’t particularly remember working on game stuff at all.
NeoBokrug Elytis: But the plans for the “surprise” I mentioned about the fissure will be sort of game-ish. :)
Aposiopesis Fullstop: o_o
RM Beedit (rmarie.beedit): :)
Mutsy (mutsy.kaligawa): oooh
Aposiopesis Fullstop: I am very intrigued.
Storm Thunders: fissure spiders? ghoul’ed trader? O.O
RM Beedit (rmarie.beedit): are new people having fun with the salvaging and crafting?
NeoBokrug Elytis: Speaking of, did you folks ever notice the two crabs at the bottom of the fissure that have been there since the start of the region?
Mutsy (mutsy.kaligawa): oooh no
Candide LeMay: i did see some crawly things there
NeoBokrug Elytis: I think so, I don’t hear from folks really often. But I see folks looting things.
RM Beedit (rmarie.beedit): I did
Aposiopesis Fullstop: I love them.
Angharad Greggan: yep!
Rax Stooge: crabs!
RM Beedit (rmarie.beedit): good re new looters
Candide LeMay: they were non-interactive though right?
NeoBokrug Elytis: Right, they’re just old decor made by someone at the start of when sculpts were a thing.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Just basic little wander things, but they’ve been going strong, never returned for about 13 years.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Flesh Pincher and Chompers are both very responsible crabs.
NeoBokrug Elytis: They would sometimes hide in the sculpts and mesh of the old builds.
RM Beedit (rmarie.beedit): they mek me hungreh
NeoBokrug Elytis: With the new builds and wider fissure, they’re much more prominent.
RM Beedit (rmarie.beedit): prominent prehistoric crabs
NeoBokrug Elytis: Moving on to an open floor for RP & events discussion. After that at 3pm we’ll have Warzone in the new and improved fissure. We gotta give it a workout. :)
III. THE ROLEPLAY & EVENTS
Drifter (wastelanddrifter): :)
NeoBokrug Elytis: Thank you for all the tunes Sandling!
Sandling Honey: Most welcome! :D
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Events-wise, thank you to everyone who participated in Promageddon! All the outfits were so great, as was all the music, and it was an entire hoot. And I hope we do it again the last Saturday of May next year! :D
Sandling Honey: \ o /
Mutsy (mutsy.kaligawa): wooo
NeoBokrug Elytis: Oh and I should mention it seems discord notifications seem to be working for folks now. Perhaps it was just some growing pains?
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Things are still up in the air for right now, but since Rapa Tone had to drop out from playing kinda at the last minute, she said she – and possibly some pals – hope to perform here in July to make up for it! :D
Rax Stooge: yay!
Irk (shannonwilsonbell): The Buzzard Hunt is happening through the end of the month so go kill birds. L$ Prizes and glory for the top 3 hunters.
Sandling Honey: Thanks Mutsy :D
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Yesss, I hope to get in on that, Irk! :D
NeoBokrug Elytis: Sounds exciting. I wish I had more to contribute but I spent all my good brain cells trying to remember this past month.
NeoBokrug Elytis: OH HEY
NeoBokrug Elytis: Fun question
Mutsy (mutsy.kaligawa): your welcome Sandling :)
NeoBokrug Elytis: Speaking of the buzzard hunt, I was not able to TEST it this year because my life got fucking wild this past week. Are you folks GETTING notifications about your kill counts from buzzards?
NeoBokrug Elytis: I basically put in the changes blindly. “That should work”
NeoBokrug Elytis: yes/No?
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Does your logging show when people get loot from a buzzard? That could give a count if the notifications are broken.
Irk (shannonwilsonbell): I haven’t killed any
Candide LeMay: i did not kill any buzzards recently
Rax Stooge: I saw one once
Mutsy (mutsy.kaligawa): I might be one
Rax Stooge: actually…i killed a buzzard once!
Verity Goodnight: i only renumbered i wanted to kill them today :D
Irk (shannonwilsonbell): If noboy kills a buzzard I get to keep the $L Woo!!
Verity Goodnight: *remembered
Mutsy (mutsy.kaligawa) squawks violently
Drifter (wastelanddrifter): I’ve gotten the notifications.
Irk (shannonwilsonbell): nobody
NeoBokrug Elytis: hah or I would have to mnaually count the kills in the logs
NeoBokrug Elytis: the scripted thing is for ease.
Irk (shannonwilsonbell): Oh good, Drifter
NeoBokrug Elytis: Okay cool.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: As for RP, there’ll be Booze & Blather again on Thursday – with an Apo, now that I’m back from vacation! (An absence which I tried to set up some RP reasons for, so, hey, plot. :D )
RM Beedit (rmarie.beedit): !
Irk (shannonwilsonbell): I have to do a thing before WZ see you all there!
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Good luck, Irk!
NeoBokrug Elytis: Okay the data is being saved, just sloppily. I can figure it out later. :)
Sandling Honey: Thanks all for tuning in! :D
NeoBokrug Elytis: Heading over to War Zone now. :)
Mutsy (mutsy.kaligawa): yay!
NeoBokrug Elytis: Thanks for coming everyonbg