Wednesday's good and bad...

It hasn't been a bad week for me.  I did go over budget on one of Pepi's offspring crates at auction yesterday.  Momentary weakness.  Frustrated at RL work, so I took it out on my Lindens.  And I have more licorices to birth now.  lol

I'm not doing bad on my numbers yet.  Systematically keeping only my project or good producers and letting the rest go.  Only 18 Licorices out now, plus my Pepi.  Then 3 Blanco, I rosa, and 7 other carriers with starter coats showing, including the latest starter pair.  And I put 13 of the good producers and few colorados in storage for future needs.

I may have to think about Mr Boynton's group.  They're not producing as well as I thought they would, not even when he's mated with Miss Brooks.  Maybe they need to age a little to come into it, as my early shibas did.

May be a hit and miss week for my licorices though.  Melosa failed to give one...after 7 straight licorices.  That was a shocker.

The German Shepherds are still reliable.  Getting the double rainbow about twice a week from them.  More often on the golden saddle coat than the white, which is what I'd prefer.  But I'll take it.  Last one gave me my new male to take over for Triple Sec.  I called him In Full Color.  Got a different grand other than the summer, but got the double rainbow with a rose shade.  Nice 4 traiter.  And I think that shade looks better on the saddled coat than the white, so not too disappointing.

In pony land, my pg double dipper moonlight I paid a little more than I should have  for gave a sunlight instead.  Not very helpful since I am quitting sunlights, and she didn't get enough traits from her parents.  But they're there in background.  So I will price her at 1k.  If she sells, I'll recoup the excess I shouldn't have paid for the mom, plus a little.  If she doesn't, she'll get worked into the breeding program...maybe bring out the traits and coat again.

Got intensity eyes on an arctic with haida hair.  Looks pretty cool.  Wasn't sure I'd like hotpink eye with red tipped hair, but it's cool.  He'll be marked for sale or taken to auction tomorrow.  I'm concentrating on desires hair and will emphasize the majesty coat instead.  Called my Zeony barn operation Destiny Zeonies.

Monday Start up

Figured I'd journal while waiting for some very cruel shibas to slowly finish their last hour of pregnancy...and while my coffee works to bring me enough awareness to work on book files.  We have a lot of ebook editions coming out this week, and through the next few weeks, actually.  Abney Park is helping me too....no music can motivate me as well as they can.

Though Issis is still in Second Life, my muse is working...her journals have already begun.  Thorne is in it too while he and Elpis work separately for the next year on Ages.  Do not fear.  Their relationship survives.  They just need a little break from one another right now, and Issis gives a good opportunity for this.

I'm bringing Sophrosyne along on this too.  Her herbal knowledge will be documented well during this.  My Steampunk Cosplay character is a herbalist as well as an automatron maker so I'll have plenty of research to use for both novels.

Wow, my shibas are naughty today.  Four and 5T couple just threw a 1T white.  Both not normally put together as I'm mixing things up a bit to deseed them for a full shiba break, but both very reliable lines.  Just not together it seems.

Another shiba pair - overcoats that are offspring of coats and normally together - did their job.  4T red.

I need to get with Anarta and Gran.  See if they'll let Issis have rights on the Myst sims.  Think me and Pepi need to explore the Myst territories and make a Second Life documentary.  :-)  May be fun.  Pictures and text only for now.

Checklist for BB troubles, eating....

We often see our pets stop eating.  This happens a lot after SL has its weekly updates.  And whenever something goes on the grid to disrupt script performance, especially if you're sharing a sim with a very busy club or roleplay group.

If your Biobreeds dog or pony stops eating, i.e. their hunger stat keeps increasing instead of decreasing, try this:

1)  Check to see that both the food and your animal are set to the same group as the land.  We've had LL initiated rollbacks actually change group settings on breedables before.  And sometimes something will interfere if you used your viewer's "always rez in land group" setting.  BB items will send a warning in chat if they're not rezed right, but it's easy to miss those things if you're busy too.  DO NOT deed your animal or food to the land group.

2)  Is the food and the animal on the latest update?

3)  Reset both food and animal.  Pick up and rez them back out.  Wear your land tag when you do this, just in case your viewer's auto setting isn't working.  Just remember to re-enable your food after rezzing it back out.  Alternately, you can go into your animal's menu and reset them rather than rez them, but if something got stuck, it's good to rerez them.  I used to do this to all my mainland animals once a week when the SL updates were so heavy for mesh upgrades because it did interfere so much.  Hasn't been necessary in a long time, but taught me that sometimes rerezing is better.  Just watch the Second Life Status Blog and wait until after they're finished with any ongoing maintenance at the time.  A sneaky rollback coming through right after you leave your pet can cause issues.

4)  If hunger still increases, take it to the Biobreeds group chat.  CSRs hang out in there to help people with issues like this.  They'll guide you through the above steps again, maybe visit, if necessary, and let you know if there's something easy to fix it or if you need a tech's help.

NOTE:  Your animal will not eat while sleeping.  Make sure your animal is awake before worrying about hunger increasing.  Mine tend to go 10-15% hungry during their sleep cycle.

Also, on my animals, I noticed that they update every 20 minutes or thereabout.  Once the stats update, I wait another 20 minutes before resetting or rerezing to see if they update properly.

If they do go hungry, don't worry.  They don't die.  They will eat themselves well again once you get them reset properly.

Snowed in...

We had our family event last night - our new grandson was born.  It's our third one, and I'm finally getting used to being such a "young grandmother."  We married very young, so most of our friends are still raising their kids when ours grew up and moved out.  Really kicks socializing activities in the butt when they're busy doing parenting stuff that we already did.  Most of my friends do tend to be around 10 years older than I now.  Makes sense I guess.

Great news on baby boy.  Crappy bit is that to make sure we were there, we went early in morning and stayed 8 hours before coming home to let the dog out.  The snow was starting so we stayed home.  But baby didn't come until a few hours after we left.  So we didn't see him.  What is a further bummer is the snow piddled out after awhile instead of dumping right away like it was expected, so we could have went back, but didn't know.  So, we won't see him until this storm clears and the roads are safe again...at least a few days.

Bummed a little, but choosing to believe there's a good reason for it.  We pushed it through last storm to see our granddaughters a week ago for birthday and returned home in the beginnings of snow.  We had just missed seeing what looked like a crazy wreck.  We noticed on way home last night there was a cross there now, so someone died in that wreck.  Better to be a few days late seeing the baby than to add another cross.

BB slow day other than hanging at the auctions, I hope.  My crew chooses the day I'm snowed in to not have anything.  Think my next one isn't until late tonight.  LOL

I did get a few good crates from BB yesterday, and a few duds that made me 5 points.  :-)  Darn coats aren't behaving as well as they should though.  Taos gave an earth, and LB gave a tao.  They're all confused. lol  10T and 8T, so one for the dapple bundler and one for stand or auctioning off.

My generation line of quad mysterious kittycats gave another quad mysterious in teacup size today.  That's good.  Keeping that one for my own next gen breeding since my teacup Frankenkitty retired.

I've neglected the other areas of my SL business, so choosing to use my profits this week investing to build that up.  Not to mention building.  Need to get five prezzies ready for next month's hunt.

What makes BB so good...

See, in Biobreeds, if we don't like something, we can say something and get noticed.  It may have taken them a bit, and made me think they weren't caring about what we thought of the criteria changes, but in the end, they listened.

They listen and logically talk about the situation.  No "positive talk only" attitude and if you say you don't like something, you're treated with respect.  You're not banned, your conversations aren't closed, you're talked to about the situation in a respectful manner.

Don't get me wrong.  They have rules and won't let negativity run rampant in chat or at locations.  But on a proper level.

There is new auction criteria for the panels now.  Something in between what it was before and the too rigidly updated criteria standards.

Something that new people can quickly work to meeting and also allows for trait breeders like myself.

Yay!  I love Biobreeds. :-)

(Note: this is overall attitude. Personal differences between individuals I do not comment on.  That is their business only and not mine.)

A Saturday update...

Hoping our sim owners work on increasing traffic and bringing new people to the auctions a bit more.  Seeing hints of people not coming back to them to participate...ones I bought from and sold to regularly.

I think my stands and personal sales yard will feed my animals, but I won't have anymore investment income.  

Skipping Monday's auction...maybe.  Didn't take a panel, even though I make plenty of regular panel stock.  Not out of defiance...just keeping my schedule open until last minute.  Still waiting on the family event.  Still!

I'll get with Luna if nothing happens and see if they're short that day. 

I'll do the night time ones...at least Tuesdays, IF certain people remain.  They go, nah...I stop.  I'll birth some of my Amaretto bundles and attend auctions with my old crowds for my auction hanging out moments.  

Not complaining about it either...like that pest at the party that you pretend not to notice.  Doing that.  Because by what I observe, they don't give a crap about our thoughts.  Ain't wasting my time.  This is a game.  It's their game to run it the way they want, and if their upgrades to the auction game makes it no fun for me anymore, then it's my decision to play or not to play.

As long as Ozzie makes sure the business end of it keeps running, and they stay affordable, and they stay incredibly hot looking animals, and customer service continues to do their jobs...I'll play the breeding part of the game.

As WHO is the current question.  I'm revisiting the idea of putting Issis on haitus.  I have a storyline for her where she and Thorne take off for a year on an Age Expedition, with Sophrosyne in a lot too.  Elpis and Thorne will stay together and will eventually take their relationship to the next level, but at the moment they're having a bit of relationship situation.  Having them separate and work individually on Ages for a year provides me with good fodder on this book.

Oh today's crates...

9T Legend Bubbly from LB parents - it's 3rd gen and a match for another 3rd gen 9T

The safari moon stud let both zulu traits through, but with grey hair, so a close miss on the safari moon with zulu traits attempt

My Inferno epics out for sale gave a crate with safari moon hair random trait

A few shibas gave 5 point crates

The good shiba drop was a 4T black from one of THE lines....this was preceeded by a good drop of a 5T red.  

Added another Licorice crate to the sales pen - this one with an Azul dad and Blanco mom - it's a 4T male - not of Pepi's line so not a keeper for me. 

I did get a 3T Licorice from two of Pepi's line for next gen breeding.

Can't recall if it was today or yesterday, but got another 10T tao crate - two different coated parents, of course.  

Sunlight Fail - two sunlights gave me a coat I don't like - 5 points for me lol

And the hot hot one, which I'd be so incredibly excited over under normal circumstances but only marginally thrilled instead - I got Intensity Eyes and Desires Hair on Savannah Majesty.  Nice!

Was going to get five more epics this week, but due to recent events couldn't justify the extra expense.  Debating on getting a female zeony one to use though...have a little time to decide.

Valentines Day and thankfulness...

The last few posts have seemed very negative, and I've made my opinions known of the issues they involve.  I'm adjusting my business to match the rules involved, and hope it works out the way the ones in charge believe it will.  So I thought I'd do a post on what I'm thankful for...for what I do and have liked in Second Life world.

My gaming family:  Though I'm not with them as much anymore, I'm so thankful for my Myst gaming family.  Thanks to all my friends and family there for showing me that Second Life does not have to be a place where morals are ignored, and can be where individuality is respected.  Thanks to Anarta and Colorado for our home sim, and for Ben taking it over when they had to stop owning it.

Writers and Publishers:  Thanks to the writing groups, publishing groups, and sim owners I've been involved in over the years.  You guys are great and so supportive of each other.

Builders:  The builders and hunters I've associated with have been super great.  Thanks.  Thanks to Perryn for building some of the best hunting groups in Second Life.

Meeroos creators:  Thanks for giving me a wonderful breedable to play with that's ultra cute.  And for the story creativity they show in the design of the Meeroos game.

Amaretto people:  Thanks to the creators for making beautiful horses.  Thanks to Selina for taking me in and guiding me through a good two year breeding game.  Thanks to Camilla, the first auctioneer who showed me how breedables auctions could be fun.  Thanks to Kat, the first auctioneer Smmu and I stalked.  Thanks to more market owners and auctioneers who gave me a little home.

KittyCats people:  Thanks to the creators and members of the KittyCats community for a wonderful game to be involved in.

Biobreeds:  Terrific group of people, terrific talented creators.  Thanks for a breedable so wonderful to work with, that works the way we want it to.  And so realistic.  The dogs are amazing...so are the ponies...but the dogs really do put others to shame.  Thanks to those who have built up the community and have given so generously of their resources and time to do so.  Thanks to the wonderful auctioneers for making the auctions so much fun. Your efforts are appreciated so much.

Happy Valentines Day and thanks.

Stewed but interested to see what happens

I got two good crates today.  Neither can go on special panels, and one not in auctions at all.

3rd gen female Licorice chi with one trait.  One trait shy of making it to a regular panel.

10T Dapple Tao female...but parents were two different coats.  So, no special panel on this one.

I thought about canceling my panels at today's afternoon auction, but I gotta see what they're doing about going nuts about the exceptions and if anyone says anything.   I doubt it.  Public discussion on this will be squelched, and I won't force it.

But I think I will let it be known that I'm going to do less auctions.  With no explanations.  Anyone inquisitive enough will ask or find this blog...I'm moving it onto a pick on my profile.  Seems that some viewers don't show the websites.

Explains why my last year of griping about Amaretto here didn't get me into trouble.  I.E. banned from Amaretto groups. LOL

But I may attend auctions for a bit....see how people are responding to this.  I've cut out 1/4 of my ponies and 1/2 of my dogs or dog breeding goals so far.  If this hurts too badly, I'll need to cut some more.

Maybe I should see if I can talk Jason into doing that all breedable auction idea thing he had a long time ago.  I can't auction, but I could manage it and set requirements fair for all breeders, small or large.

Think I've figured it out...

I've done a lot of sorting and rearranging of my biobreeds animals.  Many are out for sale...they'll go if not sold shortly.

Luckily, I'll be all right.  I'm a bigger breeder so I'm left with a lot that will make babies that qualify.  Maybe not as often, but they will.  With luck, I'll still make enough to pay for food.

It's the smaller breeders I worry about more...And the rest of us.  Discourage breeding, you also discourage buying. 

People like their freedom to breed the way they see fit.  It's one of the biggest draws for me to BB.  This limits it for people like me.  Not totally, because many of those will qualify for the regular panels.  But not the specials, so sometimes I'll only have something that qualifies for a regular. 

I'm lucky in the way that some of my 10Ts now have matching coats.  Their babies with the same coats will end up being okay for a special panel.  However, this has devalued my other 10Ts.  Still, I've worked hard for them and will set their babies out at the same determined prices on my stand.  And maybe on the regular stands at auction...and hope they still sell.  Getting bids on 10T ponies isn't as easy as one would think under normal circumstances.

Kept my desires hair group of zeonies going and will keep going with the zeonies on a smaller level. Do want to do something with exotics. I'll have to reorganize and figure it out when they're released again.

Well, that's ponies.  Think I have my direction there figured out.  Now the dogs. 

Giving up on some that I've purchased over time...need to limit the bodies I feed now.  Chose three dobes to continue with, epic and special huskies, a small group of german shepherds, licorice chis, and shibas to stick with.  I've just lowered the numbers of those instead of doing so many.

Not sure what to do about the upcoming dalmations.  Maybe just a few and not as many as I normally would. 

The higher trait requirement on ponies isn't so bad.  They're much easier to get traits into.  But dogs...I won't have as many dogs that qualify.  Many get 1T with the coat from their dogs...they're worth buying because of the breeding and you'll be likely to get the other traits out of them with the next generation.  But now for regular panels, they need to be 2T with the coat. 

Never mind the special panels.  I probably won't have dogs for those now.  What I choose to sell is dang hot in breeding, but not traited enough, and often with parents of two rare coats not the same.

Have my physical ad avvie going and will work with the auto software some more to get the actual ad avvie running again for the store and try to make up the difference.

Issis has some thinking to do....

Did a lot of thinking since the new criteria was out.  It makes me sad.  One of the main reasons I started banking on BB being the breedable to be with was because they were all about the fun, not the market.  This makes it about the market.

And that killed it for me with Amaretto.  It zapped all the fun out of breeding.

Not to mention the obvious, which is now I have herds that can't qualify.  Herds that I spent a lot of time and L's into building up.  And what worries me further is that I know of at least three other higher breeders in the same situation.

I forsee a lot of Biobreeds animals going to heaven because of this now, from various people.

Issis included.

Thinking I'm going to do auctions Monday and Tuesday, but let go of Thursdays.  I give up time for work and with my game family to raise food for my breedables there and improve my herds.

Which is another issue...Looking at many of the purchases I made with the intent of building up special panel animals.  Wasted.  They'll  now be out for sale at my store or heavened for points.

Kind of pissed off.

Chis were naughty rats today.  Wouldn't let me have the coats.

Shibas have been good, but I need to get their sales area up soon.  I have a live and four new crates to sell.  None of which will even qualify for a regular panel with the new criteria...but they have the breeding which people look for.  The type that about three people have been bidding on - and bidding them up to 1-2K.

Not any more.  Bet those individuals are cutting back too.  If you can't sell to get the extra, you're certainly not going to buy the extra.

So now I'm making a spot for my super special Shiba crates...the 500-2K ones will have to go out for 200-300 now.  They're just not worth it to the buyer with this new auction criteria.  Sucks.

Think I'll go back to being a hermit breeder and go visit my old auction haunts.

I'm in a bad mood with this...will probably take some time to really think of where I belong now.  So glad there's a new baby in the family coming within a few days or less to preoccupy me.

First BB Bummer...

Not with the product, but with one of the two auction houses I frequent.

The requirements for special panels were tightened, which make many of my 10T ponies "not so special".

Every line reads (parents must be of same coat).  Sucks.

I MIGHT be able to sell something for a good buck at the auctions there, but may not be able to buy anymore.  Which means I can't support the other guy so much, which will hurt.  Some auctions I am a major buyer.

Not any longer.  A major part of my spending allowance came from what I take in on that second panel.

I'm a trait breeder.  These rules exclude many of my stock from being on the second stand.

What MAY save me is that I have a sales corral next to the auction house.

Currently restructuring things to position my good stuff in people's line of sight, and working on some marketing for the home sales area.

So far the other house I hang at hasn't seemed to have updated their requirements to the same.  If they do the same though, I'll stop applying for special stands there too.  (Corrected:  Though the card does not reflect the change, the second auction house has changed their criteria also.  Means I need to redo Thursday's panels - get these Shibas out of my inventory and for sale since they'll not qualify now.  And my Thursday special panel is the last special panel I'm applying for at that spot, since I can't guarantee I'll have something to work from my traited breeding groups.)

Guess I don't have to hang out for the whole auctions anymore if my buying power is cut back...probably not a bad thing.

I am also going through my herds...means cutting some critters back that won't do me any good to breed.  And also means I'll need to make another spot for all those shiba crates that don't qualify....those of the lines we don't let out much except for auction appearances that they can't make anymore.

Almost a dozen...

Not sure when Ozzie is going to let us have the eleventh pony trait.  Hoping it will be soon.  I'm working with one herd of 3 10Ts and 2 9Ts, plus building my Legend Bubbly herd up to match.

I did get a 10T Legend Bubbly with icy star eye and icy chill hair both.  Sounds really cool, but honestly doesn't look so hot on that coat.  Think I'll use that stud as a trait producer instead with the sunlight and moonlight roans.  The traits look better on them and there seems to be a shortage of those roans with shades.  His are fairly strong, so hopefully he'll let them in.  It's a good time for some mixing as those roans are dropping in prices.

I do have a few LBs out for sale.  My 9T breeders.  Six are out right now, but doubt they'll sell.  I ain't letting them go cheap...not for all the work I did to get them there.  I MAY do a special deal panel at auction tonight...still debating.  Otherwise, I'm looking at heavening about four of them.  Hate wasting good high traiters.

Still in love with Biobreeds.  They have a system to use that's SO much better.  The peds are available to see on everything and not dependent on who is a subscriber and who is not.  Makes breeding and buying decisions so much easier.  And they have a slew of traits out there, but the ability to reseed allows us to perfect our breeding over time.  The animals and our efforts aren't "wasted" after 120 days.  Sooo wonderful.

So, yes, I'm definitely over Amaretto.  That's saying a lot, considering how in tune I was with them for a few years.  I tested it by checking their updates and seeing pictures of their new releases.  I admit....they look nice.  I like them.  BUT had no inclination to go running back and buying any new ones.  No thanks...I'll stick with Biobreeds now.

You'd think upcoming breedables would pay attention and learn from BB.  There's good reasons like above why people are leaving others to breed Biobreeds.

Same old story with Amaretto.  They don't really listen, even though they say they do.  They listen to each other and do those in their little circle actually.  Their "only positive conversations of Amaretto" attitude is sickening and insulting to be honest.  Seems no one's excluded.  Even on the forum...noted a few very well worded and respectful complaints of a situation, one by a very big long time customer of theirs.  Both threads were shut down, both answered by two different individuals, both with an identical lame pre-made response.

Not to mention all the wings coming out.  They're not selling horses anymore it seems.  That's neither here nor there.  Other breedables have their own "non-real" horses coming out too.  Even Biobreeds has color combinations that are out there, and the upcoming exotics are supposed to be more fantasy like.  What confused us when Amaretto brought the wings out is how there was a poll to see if we would like another prim added to our horses for a new trait.  Maybe we're wrong, but we thought the poll results was no to adding a prim.  The wings add 2 or 3 prims.  Hence, another reason I'm sure they're not actually listening to people.

That's okay.  I think they've made their decisions and have set their business on the path they wish it to follow.  It's very event filled anymore.  Which is good for a social site, even if it's not for me.  I think they've decided to take their business and create more of a social breedable club with it.  Which is probably a good thing.

And good thing for me that there's Biobreeds to fill the void this has created in my own little world.  Although, I will admit, I'll probably try a few of their horses again in InWorldz.  In spite of what I think about their attitudes and business plans, they do have good products, even if they conflict with SL's grid a bit much.  InWorldz is supposedly being ran "better" so maybe their scripts will work better there.  Good move on Amaretto's part to branch out there.

It's SL...it's family

Being around people in Second Life or any other virtual world is much like being around people in real life, minus the added benefit of seeing their expressions to go along with what they say.

It's like family.  You may love everyone you connect with in one way or another, but that doesn't mean they won't have quirks or faults that drive you insane sometimes.  It happens...a lot.

And you have the freedom to choose where to be and with whom to be there with in the virtual world.  You can even choose to be alone, if you wish.

I've been associated with a number of groups in Second Life.  It's interesting to see how there's not one single group I'd agree with everything 100%.

But it's nice to see that there are a number of well meaning individuals in the game who are worth sticking around with, who one can enjoy being with, IN SPITE of their faults or quirks, whichever the case may be.

Maybe it's easier for me than some.  I'm a natural hermit, so I get close to people without getting too close.  I can see disputes and those little quirks that aren't so easy to deal with, but can stay away from the issues.

Real life business being super busy really helps too.  Keeps me from relying too much on SL for the little social interaction I do need.

And I do make enough play money to have my own space, so I'm not reliant upon someone else.  Other than SL managing to keep the grid in operation, which can be frustrating at times in itself.

I do rent.  Not because I've never owned land, because I have.  But because renting allows me some freedom to pay on my own schedule that SL's system does not.  It just works better for me.  And I have a super land group that's one of the cheapest in SL.

I am renting space at markets for breeding.  It's a touch cheaper.  Thought for saving a few Ls I'd like it better, but find I prefer my own space.  And I'm close to the spring start up period again, so I'm phasing out about 3/4 of my breeding spaces at market in favor of adding another plot of land to my renting.  This will start in a few weeks.  In a month, I'll just have my sales spots at the market, plus maybe an extra spot or two at Pet Bey just because I like to support them.

And I'd like to keep a bit of my distance from things - things I could get into, but choose to just keep my distance away and enjoy my gaming.  SL is a big family, and like all families, there's a little bit of feuding mixed in the enjoyment.