Trustworthy
Sailor Apprentice
I've been checking out the Virtual Sailor demo, and was wondering if anyone else around here uses it regularly and is willing to give their impressions.
I learned about this sim quite a long while ago, but never seriously looked into it. Then I saw a VS-related link in some of Pieter's stuff just yesterday, and I figured that it was about time to check it out. I can't imagine that he's the only VS user around these parts.
The graphics look ancient in screenshots, but not too terrible in game. The water effect in particular is nice. And the boats in the demo handle nicely enough, although the demo timer's too short to really take them anywhere.
I'm trying to decide if the program itself is worth the cost. Parts of it seem very well thought out (navigational stuff, wind/waves, etc.). It seems like there's not a whole lot of user-created content out there, though. The list of downloadable ships on their site seems quite small, and the area list (while more impressive than the ship-list) seems like it could stand to be a bit more robust.
While I'll likely spend some time sailing around the Great Lakes, New England, and the Caribbean in a modern sailboat, I'm chiefly interested in historical sailing ships and would like as immersive an experience as possible when doing so. Is VS good for this? I saw a small selection of historical craft, but no specifically historical scenery.
Also, has the community pretty much died off, or are there still active modders/builders out there?
I'm very much an advocate of independent gaming, but $25 is a bit on the high end of what I'm willing to pay for such programs these days. If I take the plunge, will I be a satisfied user a few months down the road?
Thanks for any advice, input, and experiences anyone has to offer.
I learned about this sim quite a long while ago, but never seriously looked into it. Then I saw a VS-related link in some of Pieter's stuff just yesterday, and I figured that it was about time to check it out. I can't imagine that he's the only VS user around these parts.
The graphics look ancient in screenshots, but not too terrible in game. The water effect in particular is nice. And the boats in the demo handle nicely enough, although the demo timer's too short to really take them anywhere.
I'm trying to decide if the program itself is worth the cost. Parts of it seem very well thought out (navigational stuff, wind/waves, etc.). It seems like there's not a whole lot of user-created content out there, though. The list of downloadable ships on their site seems quite small, and the area list (while more impressive than the ship-list) seems like it could stand to be a bit more robust.
While I'll likely spend some time sailing around the Great Lakes, New England, and the Caribbean in a modern sailboat, I'm chiefly interested in historical sailing ships and would like as immersive an experience as possible when doing so. Is VS good for this? I saw a small selection of historical craft, but no specifically historical scenery.
Also, has the community pretty much died off, or are there still active modders/builders out there?
I'm very much an advocate of independent gaming, but $25 is a bit on the high end of what I'm willing to pay for such programs these days. If I take the plunge, will I be a satisfied user a few months down the road?
Thanks for any advice, input, and experiences anyone has to offer.
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