Nadeo is concidering another VSK release - please post suggestions for improvements

[euphoria]

As you may have heard, Nadeo is asking the communities for feedback on what can be changed/added in order to make a new patch for vsk3, or a vsk4. They have decided to communicate with 5 people in order to simplify their work.

ITBYC is represented in this group, so in order to reach Nadeo, please post all ideas that you can think of in this forum, and give a rough priority. We will summarize and categorize all suggestions with a priority, and give this back to Nadeo. Feel free to also give your detailed views on general success factors for reaching the biggest possible market.

Harald

PS! Please understand that no decision to make something has been made from Nadeo's side yet. The quality of the feedback from us/you will decide. Can you convince them?

[Popeye]

One thing I would like to see worked on is the Trimaran. In VSK2 the performance wasn't what it could have been but in VSK3 it's much worse. First thing would be to let it flip over and be rerighted after all it is a game and most multihull sailors are racing small cats that have this happen during a race for real. But mainly the performance should be more realistic like whats being asked for with the melges. Surfing waves and more sensitivity to trim settings. also there is somthing about the bow wave that makes you feel like the boat is going slower than is. Its as if this graphic is being dragged along with the boat and looks the same no matter how fast your going.
I know the multihull market is small but judging by how many multihull races I see posted in the lobby this market has not been tapped.

Popeye,

[Oobie]

Not sure I agree with you there James. Yes, the Open60 in VSK2 was a bust purely due to the lightning fast capsizes. Race over. That's not fun. And it's not accurate. It takes a LOT to tip a 60ft cat even in 35kn.

The VSK3 version may not capsize and may not display entirely accurate dynamics/graphics but you can have good, fun regattas with them. I agree that they could be improved but I'm not sure that coding in a capsize (a more gradual one like in real life), would actually add to the enjoyment factor, only the realism factor. I think it would be better to wind the boat speed back fairly vigourously when the heel got over a certain value thereby penalising the skipper for poor boat handling but not so much that they might as well retire from the race.

As previously mentioned, the Offshore and Melges are way too touchy in my opinion. Fuck reality I say, when these things broach (usually at leeward marks), it can really screw up a race. Do these boats really stop like that in real life? If they do, then congratulations to Nadeo for being accurate reality-wise, but I kind of doubt it. It's not that I'm not used to them, I do sail them (grumbling all the way mind you) so it's not a matter of familiarity. Sailing Offshore and Melges in VSK2 was heaps of fun and the races were always exciting. Were they realistic? Not in some respects but guys, if we want a true blue simulator, I believe there are better apps out there than VSK. I think the emphasis for VSK should be on enjoyment, not realism at all costs. This is a high priority for me.

Other than that -
Having a true random wind pattern and variable winds across the whole course would be great. High priority.
Team scores calculated on the fly during the race would be great. Medium priority.

[Waverider]

As you may have heard, Nadeo is asking the communities for feedback on what can be changed/added in order to make a new patch for vsk3, or a vsk4. They have decided to communicate with 5 people in order to simplify their work.

ITBYC is represented in this group, so in order to reach Nadeo, please post all ideas that you can think of in this forum, and give a rough priority. We will summarize and categorize all suggestions with a priority, and give this back to Nadeo. Feel free to also give your detailed views on general success factors for reaching the biggest possible market.

Harald

PS! Please understand that no decision to make something has been made from Nadeo's side yet. The quality of the feedback from us/you will decide. Can you convince them?

I'm sure there are more good ideas out there to stir the brain cells of this talented Nadeo team. Andy(NZ) has privately added a few ideas and comments to nigelgbr's compiled wishlist and Andy please post your comments on the boards. All members feel free to post to our Digital Jesters Forum.
Waverider

http://www.digitaljesters.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=6

[Skorpa]

- Ability to select starting side in MR instead of restarting race until you get it right.

[Popeye]

Yes Paul it takes quite a bit to flip a 60 foot tri and its unrealistic to think of flipping it by over trimming. I guess I should have written what I was thinking. I would like to suggest a 20 foot cat to be added as a new boat for VSK but that may be asking too much. I figure Just adjusting the tri to be more fun to sail would be a more realistic wish.

Another thing, If I remember right During the beta testing for vsk3 the acc boat was very squirly off the wind just like the melges but Nadeo fixed it before the final release. I think the reason the other boats were left as we see them is there was no opportunity to see the other boats during beta therefore no suggestions for fixing them. This is now our chance to get these things fixed and I don't want the tri to be ignored.
The improvements in surfing waves being suggested for the other boats should be applied to the tri as well. Its been a long time since I've sailed a big trimaran but I think the optimum heal angle should be a bit shallower than an acc boat. Something in the 16- 18 degree range with 22 and above beginning to severely decrease performances. The optimum heal for a small cat is just with the windward hull kissing the crest of the waves. As for off the wind maybe fixing the surf ability will improve the feel. I took another look at the bow wave and I think it looks great for the most part, its a very intelligent graphic. Its hard to define exactly what it is but the boat just doesn't look like its going as fast as it is. It looks the same going 20 knots as it does going 35, I need to keep looking at my instruments to make sure I'm maintaining speed.
Well Paul I'm glad so see I'm not the only one to be interested in the trimaran. Maybe with improvements we can see more guys sailing it.... virtually.

Popeye

[Oobie]

Yeah, I like the Open60 and would like to see it improve. Adam and I did a lot of racing on them last year in the VSK Belgium regatta and we worked out a number of "go fasts". One being that sailing reaches (TWA 70-90) with heel at around 25 deg was definitely the fastest setting. Now a 60ft tri should need a pretty shallow angle to achieve optimum heel - as you say James, the windward hull just kissing the the tops of the waves.

In the end though, you find out what makes the boat go and race that way. It's great if those settings can be accurate to real life but we'll have to see what Nadeo is prepared to do.