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Board » General Discussion » SOL - 3D Version

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Having recently rec'd an "invite" to the VOR Closed Beta version, I appreciate this thread. I was lucky enough to come upon SOL first, so I have no basis for comparison BUT it seems clear that I would be disappointed with any other sim.
I am still intrigued with LiveSailor (after reading several thoughtful blogs by Schakel) but I don't have the time to devote right now. I have enjoyed watching SOL evolve, even in the short time I have been involved. Vive la différence!!
Nobody seems to have picked up on the point that the entire Virtual Sailor is a free downloadable program that is entirely run in your own computer, but it does have internet connectability so that a small number of other players can cooperate. The only things that need to be communicated are the boat positions and the chat facility. It would not require even as much data interchange as SOL. To work, the program would need to be paid for at the start, but this is about the same as the SOL YC fee.
As it is now the VS program would be totally unworkable as a rival to SOL, or any other program, but---someone is going to do it, why not SOL?
If it breaks, it's not strong enough--if it doesn't, it's too heavy.
let me restate with an example.
PlayStation online gaming engine, namely the PSN, allows users to share the game environment. This is a completely dedicated environment with highly demanding QoS issues. The game runs on the individual consoles but data is exchanged over the net in order to synchronize the experience. Data overhead is not more than few kB/sec so bandwidth should not be considered as a limit. On the other hand a single glitch in the communication, even a higher delay in the route from the various clients, can disrupt the game completely.
So the issue is not where the simulation runs but how we can guarantee that synchronization is kept between all the players. IMHO the only technical opportunity we have now is a client-server scheme so, on our computers, what we can have is a client that mimics the calculations held on the server side.

In Italy we say that the world is nice because of its differences. So if you like fancy graphics and fewer boats you can stick to the reality of VSK, but if you like the strategy and weather planning against hundreds of boats then SOL is THE choice.
The issue I have with all free virtual sims is that they are PC only! It sucks in a severe way when Macs are being left out although they are increasing their market share at a blinding pace!

3D racing would also look unrealistic if boats are allowed to ghost through each other like in SOL. Collision detection would kill FPS immediately.

chksix

--- Last Edited by Pierre at 2011-05-18 08:36:41 ---
On Virtual Sailor, collisions result in violent changes of course, or you can set it so that the collided vessels sink
If it breaks, it's not strong enough--if it doesn't, it's too heavy.
WHOA.... back up a minute!! I wasn't aware of the Mac issue. Was planning to change from a Dell to Mac Air with my next upgrade (hopefully later this year) but I would rethink the timing if I can't SOL-along as I do now. I thought Macs could run anything PC runs... or is it the way the client is written? I don't know those finer details.

I may have to just keep the old PC as SOLo unit (God... I LOVE how many ways you can work SOL into the conversation :>)))
SOL is mac compatible since it runs in the web browser.

All 3D sailing sims are PC only however :(
I wish SOL was iPad compatible. I would buy one if it was, but the powers that be have ruled Flash off limits for iPads.

Wouldn't it be nice, though, to SOL on the go?
just a smooth transition to HTML5?

;)
Only reason I didn't buy an IPad was "no Flash = no SOL".
I told this to the sales person at the Apple store and she asked "Is SOL that important for you?"
and I repplied,
"Yes, it is"

Antonio (zero)

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Prepare to test your limits as we launch into the third leg of the RWW Series and the fifth leg of the 2025 Ocean Championship Series—an epic voyage from Elephant Island to the Marquesas in the heart of French Polynesia. This 4,700-nautical-mile challenge is a true test of endurance, strategy, and raw sailing adrenaline. Aboard the high-performance Volvo 70v4, competitors will face fierce headwinds as they round the legendary Cape Horn and make the thrilling transition from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Do you have what it takes to conquer the Pacific? Join us, and put your skills to the ultimate test.
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Bay to Bay 2025 - Leg 2 - Great Sandy Stait

After a thrilling opener, the 2025 edition of the Bay to Bay Yacht Race continues with Leg 2, bringing even more adrenaline and tactical excitement to the waters of the Great Sandy Marine Park. In collaboration with the Hervey Bay Sailing Club, our SOLers will once again take the helm of their lightning-fast 18-foot skiffs, this time tackling a 24-nautical-mile course through shifting breezes and tight competition.

With fresh legs, sharper tactics, and everything to race for, it’s anyone’s game! See you on the start line for the grand finale!
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Bay to Bay 2025 - Leg 1 - Great Sandy Strait

Prepare for an electrifying start to the 2025 Bay to Bay Yacht Race! In partnership with the Hervey Bay Sailing Club, this first leg will see our SOLers take on a fast-paced, 16-nautical-mile sprint through the stunning waters of the Great Sandy Marine Park, weaving past the breathtaking landscapes of the Great Sandy National Park. Racing in high-powered 18-foot skiffs, the fleet will battle shifting winds, tricky tactics, and fierce competition—all in pursuit of victory! With the thrill of the race and an unforgettable sailing experience ahead, we can’t wait to see you on the start line!
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Regata dell’Accademia Navale 2025

Welcome to Sailonline’s first partnership with the City of Livorno, in cooperation with the local yacht clubs and the Italian Navy, to offer you the online opportunity to race the Regata dell’Accademia Navale. 630nm in length, starting and finishing in Livorno, the race takes you the length and breadth of the Tyrrhenian Sea via Porto Cervo and Capri. Online, you will be sailing a Class 40, which should keep you well in with the top of the real-life fleet which we will be tracking on screen!
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Gulf of St Lawrence 2025


The Gulf of St. Lawrence, with one of the largest and deepest estuaries in the world, will be the site of a completely new race in SOL. Our Melges 40 will take us 950 nm from Bathurst in Baie des Chaleurs around the islands of Anticosti, Pelee and Prince Edward admiring beautiful landscapes along the way. Fair winds.
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Transat à Deux 2025

Above you see a single-handed sailor semi-foiling his Beneteau Figaro III to the horizon. It is in fact Ireland’s Sailor of the Year and the overall winner of last year’s Solitaire du Figaro, Tom Dolan. Somehow, we got our hands on a polar for the Class, and rather than trying to surreptitiously track Tom and his mates in the 2025 edition of the Solitaire, sailing rather-short, single-handed legs across the Celtic Sea and Biscay, we thought we’d see how our virtual craft would fare on the Class’s double-handed 3900nm Trans-Atlantic, from somewhere in Brittanny to somewhere in the Caribbean via somewhere in the Canaries. Allez, mes braves!
Race #1901
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Sinbad by Balloon 2025 - Toamasina to Baia de l'Oiseau


You may recall that when last we visited Madagascar in the company of Sinbad, the Sultan commanded our intrepid inspirator to seek out fabled islands where in Summer the sun barely set. We did and we returned but the Sultan wasn’t happy with Sinbad’s report, so here we go again, now by SOL Balloon instead of sailing vessel. Expect to be in the air for at least 2100nm and depending on how the wind brings us, anything between two weeks and two months before we shall descend at the Sultan’s given coordinates!
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Valparaiso to San Francisco 2025

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