[sldev] Sim Size Limits?

[Dale Mahalko]

I commented on this topic in the SL forums long ago, but it's probably worth
mentioning again.

While very large sims are potentially useful for realistic full-size flying
or sailing simulations, it's also useful to think about the potential of
very small sims. One of the most interesting uses for a tiny sim is to build
a realistic stadium capable of seating hundreds if not thousands of avatars.

Imagine a 256x256 plot, with a single 128x128m sim in the center, and
surrounded by a ring of sims 32x32m in size. This arrangement gives you 48
very tiny sims surrounding the one-quarter size center sim:


32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32
,
32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32
,
32 32 -- -- -- -- 32 32
,
32 32 -- -- -- -- 32 32
,         128
32 32 -- -- -- -- 32 32
,
32 32 -- -- -- -- 32 32
,
32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32
,
32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32


This has the potential to support up to 4800 avatars (assuming 100 per sim,
stacked up on multiple tiers of seating) all watching the event in the
center region. Since the center is a separate sim with four times the
typical CPU available to it, it allows for very high quality performance and
team sporting events.


The main challenge here is having a big enough network pipe to support
getting updates from those 4800 spectators plus the actual events in the
center. Assuming just 25 kilobit maximum to update each spectator, that's a
potential peak of 120 megabits when everyone stands up together to cheer or
wave their pennant, not counting the actual event updates in the center sim.

Also, what is the cost per month of operating 49 dedicated sims? But that
cost could be offset if the stadium could function as a temporary affair.
Other less important residential sims could be temporarily taken offline in
order to run this, the "main event". These would be sold as reduced rate
islands, with a free pass for island residents attend shows when the home
estates are offline during the event.


So, tiny sims have just as much future potential usefulness as the very
large sims.

- Scalar Tardis / Dale Mahalko
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