I'm so sorry for this guys
!
But anyway below follows what I wrote to Duran's VSK-2 mail adress, so you can judge and comment on them yourselves.
As you will see I have suggestions for single play mode as well as online/internet mode.
If anyone is offended by my views about ferries, that I suppose are allready notoriously well known, I once again apologize :v-sad:!
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT IN VSK-2
SUGGESTIONS FOR GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS
- In addition to the current touch-based system for penalty
registrations, there should be a system for penalty
registrations that’s triggered when a ROW boat change course to avoid
collision with another boat.
I intend deliver a more detailed proposal on the principles of such a
system somewhat later this month.
- A complete assortment flags / nationalities to chose between.
This is a very sore point for some users belonging to nationalities
that are not represented in the selection of flags that comes as
standard with the current selection of VS (though there exist a home
designed freeware plug-in that somewhat rectifies this problem).
- A system of ranking competitors, both for online/internet mode and
single play mode, that better reflects the skill of each individual
competitor, than the presently purely cumulative one.
If VSK-2 is to be more flexible as I suggest below, with regards to
choice of opponents in single play mode, than the current version,
having a purely cumulative ranking will not make any sense either.
If it were up to me I would suggest a system of ranking based on the
following principle of a formula:
Rank = (cumulative points gained in races / numbers of times raced) +
(fixed participation bonus * numbers of time raced)
| fixed participation bonus < 0,25 (0,15 to 0,2 something
thereabout).
There are others in the community that suggest one should have a
formula where the winner of a race get a certain skill bonus value
added to his or her cumulative score, calculated on the basis of the
skill rating of a beaten opponent.
Personally I’m against such a system of ranking for several reasons.
1) A system with a variable bonus value, based on the skill of an
opponent, may perhaps make sense in match-racing mode, but in
fleet racing it makes no sense at all, serving only to make the
calculations of scores more complicated than necessary.
2) Besides a system with a variable bonus value, based on the skill
of an opponent, may lead to undesirable upnosed attitudes among
some individuals in the VS community of the - “I will not race
against you, as your skill rank is too low” - type.
- In addition to a ranking system that better reflects skill than what’s
the case at present, there should be separate competition ranking for
each boat type, as a means of stimulating the competition in other
boat-classes than the at AC boat.
As things stand now, I regard the present user preference for the AC
boat as way too dominant, compared to the joy that can be offered in
racing with OCR and D boat.
Besides the boat type specific rankings – there’s noting wrong in
having in addition an overall ranking irrespective of boat types.
- An on board camera in addition to the already existing camera views.
Such a view I expect can be especially helpful when manoeuvring in a
crowded field around the marker buoys.
- A greater choice of racing track patterns than currently available. In
addition to the standard sausage type track, with single windward and
leeward markers, for match racing, one should be able to chose between
the following track types in fleet mode:
1) A course with 1 windward buoy marker and 2 leeward buoy markers,
to avoid crowding when rounding at the leeward end.
2) A standard sausage type track, with single windward and leeward
markers.
3) A course with 1 buoy marker to windward, with the addition of a
spacing marker buoy, and 1 leeward marker buoy, as per today.
3) A standard Olympic triangular race course.
In addition one should have courses that doesn’t always favour the
starboard end of a starting line as per today.
Preferably the computer should generate the courses in a fashion that
randomly decides which end of the starting line will be the favoured
one. Making it an unknown factor each skipper will have to deduce for
him-/herself.
- The addition of the appropriate sound signals during the pre-start
countdown, go and immediate aftermath if line penalties are given
(starting gun and/or horn signals).
- Some improvements / fine tuning on the realism of the wind shadow
effects in the current version of the game.
- Make the ferries an optional element in the races (not withdraw them
completely as it is rumoured you are about to do).
Better still - Exchange the current constantly appearing toy-track
ferries, with a somewhat wider assortment of commercial ships (like a
tanker, a container ship, a ferry and a warship) that only appear once
each during a game on realistic “straight paths”, with the
accompanying typical wind disturbance of big ships.
If you despite this are to remove the “bloody ferries” completely from
the game, you could instead perhaps add in some more of those “bloody
nosy” speedboats and small coastal fishery vessels instead.
Depending on location, one could perhaps design the “ferry”
and “speedboat” traffic on each course in a way that better reflects
the pattern of commercial shipping and speedboats traffic, as it
appears on the real waters each course are modelled after.
- If there are to be further additional boat types in VSK-2, as
rumoured, to the currently available assortment, I sincerely hope that
among one of the new alternatives you will have a boat-type that
represents the old classic days of yachting with R-boats, Dragoons or
IODs.
If you choose the IOD as the basis for a vintage boat type, I know it
will make my father and late grandfather happy, as Bjarne Aas and my
grandfather were very good friends from boyhood on.
Besides my father, as one of the smaller figures involved during the
pioneer period of industrial production of polyester in Norway, had
some dealings with Bjarne Aas in the late 50’s and early 60’s, with
regards to discussions about making IODs in glass reinforced plastic.
According to my father Bjarne Aas judged making yachts in plastic
material as “women’s work”, and “something his son could consider when
the time came for him to take over the business”.
Unfortunately his son did not have the same knowledge or talent for
designing boats and producing them cost effectively, and as such
became a typical representative for a Norwegian boat building industry
that in general didn’t manage to stay along in the business conditions
of a new era.
Today, no wonder, Norway is the only Scandinavian country without a
significant boat building enterprise in the sailing yacht market.
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN SINGLE PLAY MODE
- Ability to save races on all courses in single play mode.
Currently, speaking in the least for myself, I cannot save the result
of completed races on the Waiheke course.
Besides it seems impossible to save races that’s not part of a
tournament.
- A more flexible approach to computer generated opponents for single
play mode races by:
1) Giving the user the ability choose between more competitors to
than the currently available La Mory, Rafaela, Ogro, Men Jo,
Rafaela, Dwarfy and Gorn Val.
This goes both for playing in fleet-racing mode and in match-
racing mode.
In match racing on single play mode with the present version of
the software, it becomes somewhat boring over time always to have
to race against Rafaela.
Preferably the program should be flexible enough to enable the
user to add inn his own new opponents, in addition to the
opponents that come as standard with the software.
2) Giving the user the ability to choose the boat colour of his
computer generated opponents.
ONLINE/INTERNET MODE
- In the least some serious taming if not complete solving of the
currently very maliciously active LAG MONSTER problem.
- A chat mode that is not affected by lag or other capacity problems, so
one can type one’s lines away at a prudent speed without suffering
from hanging keys.
- An ability to continue chatting with other competitors on the course
in VS even after one has finished for a period from 5 to 7 minutes
after the LAST boat has crossed the line, DESPITE whatever effects
that might have on the lag problem.
- A simpler interface for registering short key activated chat-lines.
Preferably one should be able to do this through a “table type”
interface placed under the “Options” menu before racing.
- Placement of joining boats on the courses before the start in such a
fashion that all the other boats don’t get shaken about every time a
newcomer joins in.
- The ability to be a spectator from the sidelines to online races
through a separate web-site - provided it does not increase the LAG
problem on the server.
SUGGESTIONS FOR SPIN OFF ON VS
- A sail simulator that can be used for ordinary gaming, as well as an
instructional tool at sailing schools and courses, where the user have
to do everything from navigating and steering to trimming
him-/herself. A sort of sailing’s answer to MS flight sim.
- An offshore racing game.
- A traveller/sail voyage adventure game.
That was all for now (if it wasn’t enough)!
Best regards and good luck with your work from:
No Match (from Norway)