New projects

[Graham Mills]

I note that discussions are taking place at various locations about future developments and I wondered whether it might help to categorise them in terms of investment (short- and long-term), ease of delivery, effect on user experience (positive and negative). Some are based on innovation in the viewer, others in the server, some in both. I haven't worked out the detail and you may quibble with category assignment but I would suggest two things, firstly that we focus on Intermediate Projects (do they have a better name?) and secondly that we need more suggestions.

Moonshot projects, e.g.
Web viewer.
Investment: significant development costs
Ease of delivery: significant risk (several projects have started down this road)
Effect for user: potential broadening of user base but no new capability for existing users

Also
High accessibility viewer, e.g. for users with reduced vision, hearing, manual dexterity, although voice recognition would aid others, e.g. HMD users
Improved physics engine to facilitate vehicles
Pathfinding/Experience Engine
Bento
Avatar puppeteering
New scripting language

Intermediate projects, e.g.
HMD support (based on CtrlAltStudio)
Flexible mesh (suggested by Oz)
Mirrors (suggested by Mike)
OnLook configurable viewer
Leap Motion support
Improved travel/hypergrid experience integrated with viewer
Improved shopping experience integrated with viewer

Low-hanging fruit, e.g.
Varying chat distance (suggested by Don). Low cost but potentially disruptive
Extending mp3 duration (suggested by Constance and recently delivered)

[Constance Peregrine]

Just a small clarification.

While mp3 files can be converted to wav, it is wav files uploaded. 60 second max now with Firestorm and Alchemy though I split long files to 59 to be on the conservative side.

[Serene Jewell]

Good list.

The web viewer is huge if the goal is to grow. Builders will work around the clunky viewers, but we can't entice new people in if they can't see and move around in the worlds from their browsers.

I would maybe add stronger group chat communications between grids. In Firestorm I don't get group notices from most grids and just seeing which friends are online seems hit and miss.

I think things relating to hypergrid travel are a high priority. An easier way to keep track of landmarks and addresses would be great.

I would vote +1 on Bento bones

[Mike Lorrey]

Please add: Selling RAW terrain files on the Kitely market. Secondly to sell OS related applications (for instance, I own the code for a mass group inviter application, and another that lets you generate a list of a sims top scripts for an entire region ranked by actual lag data, for dissemination to tenants)