The Disappearing Grid

Standing security watch at the Isle of Lesbos means I get to see plenty of pretty girls but I also see plenty of Tester bots (Web). When one appears it is a sure sign to check the Grid Status Reports (Web). Many recent reports are about region visibility issues, something that the Isle has long complained about with little attention and no remedy. From the main entrance of Lesbos three of the six regions can easily be seen so when they "turn off" it is very obvious. What is really happening is that it is the Isle itself, more often than not, that disconnects. The Minimap flickers red indicating a change and in an instant the other regions disappear or appear from view. Teleports work to them but teleports back are hit or miss.

The other night I teleported to the mall region to check on it while it was gone from view then teleported back. I could see the Isle from the mall so thought nothing was wrong. But once again my avie got stuck (Web). I saw myself on the Isle but I couldn't stand on the ground without sinking. And while others could see my chat as if I was on the Isle, I saw chat as if I was on the mall. In effect, my camera moved to the Isle with my body but my actual presence was still in the mall. Eventually my two halves snapped back together, but it was annoying.

And I imagine it is playing havoc with traffic numbers and in-world commerce. Despite assurances that teleports aren't affected, I often hear from others that they couldn't directly access the Isle but had to pass through an adjacent region. While grid stability is vastly improved over the last two years it is clear that more work is needed.