So this has been a thing since the beginning of the year. I had planned to bring it down, but couldn’t really stomach it and decided not to. But another month or so of the server bills came in, and it’s got me feeling very tight on cash. Especially with having switched job locations and needing to put gas in my tank a bit more often.
For those who don’t know, Neo Machina was a sim back in the earlier days of Second Life, that was seemingly shutdown, never to return. I brought it back in my own vision at the start of 2023, and then inflation started eating my wallet about halfway through that year.
Which brings us to now–high prices, large bills, and my pet project, Neo Machina in Second Life. It’s been the only place I care to be, and despite my difficulties in building a community, I have plans to make it bigger.
But!
I am feeling the money pains. So, for now, the sim (server) is offline. To be forthright, it costs about 250 USD or so to keep online via Linden Labs. That’s a lot of money. Money I was happily paying.
Now, though, I need to find a way to supplement my income so that it can come back and be more permanent. Unless, by some miracle, prices in the real world just drop back to the way they were in 2022.
There is one thing, though, that potential sim-goers could do, if they should choose, and if they want the place to keep going. This is an option, and not a requirement. I have a Patreon where I post random work I do in creative stuff every so often. It’s been pretty quiet the past couple months due to my position switch at work (I make music, I write books, and make things in Second Life for my store).
There was a time my Patreon was bringing in well over 100 USD a month. I feel like if I can get it back to that range, then Neo Machina can come back online (of course, sparing real world prices don’t drop, or I never get another raise/promotion at work). Again, I won’t say anyone has to do this. I have a job, I’m working on a career and figuring out what I want to do. My interests outside of work sometimes make me money, and it would be a miracle if it made me more money than my job! But, I’m just being realistic about my expectations and the things I do.
Neo Machina will always be special to me, even if for some reason I’m never able to bring it back online.
Either way, this is my Patreon, and if you’re subscribing to see Neo Machina back online, and we reach that point, I’ll waive rental fees from you.
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