Linden Lab changes costs, conditions, capacities of void sims
Void sims as they are known to Second Life users (or Openspace sims as Linden Lab calls them) are simulators which are more tightly packed onto hardware than is usual. While regular Second Life simulators get a whole CPU to themselves for processing, void simulators are packed in at four to the CPU, generally achieving approximately one fifth of a regular simulator's performance and one eighth of the capacity for objects.
Void simulators are, as the marketing name suggests, good for open spaces, for driving or sailing or scenery, or simply for use as a budget version of a regular simulator, as four void simulators bought in a bundle have been priced the same as a single regular simulator. Linden Lab today announced some changes to the capacity and availability of these budget simulators.
Firstly, void simulators need no longer be purchased in groups of four, and may now be obtained singly (though you must already be an estate owner with at least one simulator in your estate already). The setup cost for each is US$415, and the monthly payments are US$75. Existing owners of void simulators will see a rise from US$73.75/mo to US$75/mo.
Void simulators will no longer have to be placed adjacent to other simulators you own, and will now be subject to the placement rules for regular simulators. Unfortunately, the Land Store does not support void simulators at present, and they must still be organized via Concierge support tickets.
Thirdly, and perhaps best of all for those with void simulators, is that the object capacity of this type of simulator (as measured in prims) will be increased from 1,875 to 3,750 (an increase from one-eighth regular capacity to one-quarter).
The effect of all of this is immediate. Users who purchased void simulators on or after 7 January, 2008 as sets of four can contact Linden Lab's Concierge team for a partial refund if they do not wish to retain all four void simulators.
