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Board » General Discussion » Weather Cast

Posted by Tommyboomer Posts 3 Registered at 2008-12-11 17:11:38	2009-05-14 14:40:29 - Weather Cast
	I was wondering how the weather is implemented? In the other VOR game, the use time points from specific grib reports. When is the weather updated in this game, it seems to flow much more naturally without the abrupt changes? Thanks, Tom
Posted by jakob Posts 364 Registered at 2007-09-04 10:05:30	2009-05-14 16:20:59 - Re: Weather Cast
	Correct. We basically use the same source but our smooth interpolation in both space and time is groovy, isn´t it Also note that we shuffle the boats around more often than VOR too ...one of the guys behind the game...
Posted by sotil Posts 10 Registered at 2008-05-18 20:56:51	2009-06-03 00:56:27 - Re: Weather Cast
	In OSTAR RACE they go two nights that one does not update the weather. I think fundamental that this type of problems must not exist and his solution has to be priority to support the fair play and equity in the competition. Regards: Sotil
Posted by jakob Posts 364 Registered at 2007-09-04 10:05:30	2009-06-03 05:10:27 - Re: Weather Cast
	But the weather IS updated, four times per day actually. ...one of the guys behind the game...
Posted by captjack1942 Posts 239 Registered at 2008-01-18 03:24:03	2009-06-04 18:58:36 - Re: Weather Cast
	Sorry Jakob, but there was no update @ 23:45~24:00 June 2/3 nor @ 06:00 June 3. There was an update at apx 09:00 June 3. Also, this happened a few days ago when the 23:45 ~ 24:00 update was missed. I for one would prefer that if an update is missed there should be no update till the next scheduled update. Throwing surprise updates in the middle of the night at us folks on the other side of the globe could cause us much distress. At least this time it caused me (at least) no loss in the Ostar, but did screw up my course in practice in the VOR. At least it was just practice. I would be a bit pissed if it were to happen after this Sat.
Posted by Incognito Posts 183 Registered at 2008-12-06 13:43:52	2009-06-06 11:35:52 - Re: Weather Cast
	I support captjack1942 suggestion that, when a weather update is missed, the next update should occur according to the normal schedule. On working days, I usually plan my course for the next 12 hours based on the 6:00 UCT update just before going to work. I am usually unable to look at the weather update of 11:50 UCT and just hope for stable weather. But unscheduled updates are difficult to handle.
Posted by jakob Posts 364 Registered at 2007-09-04 10:05:30	2009-06-06 13:54:21 - Re: Weather Cast
	Good point, we will have this in mind. No promises though. ...one of the guys behind the game...
Posted by NZL_PaulR Posts 311 Registered at 2008-07-22 12:21:30	2009-06-06 22:24:02 - Re: Weather Cast
	However IRL some forcasts look and sound exactly the same and so no real change is apparent for your particular spot on the ocean. Against this, sometimes additional forecasts are issued with fast developing situations and the normal 6 hours between forcasts is not adequate nor appropriate. Rumour has it that some ocean sailors miss forecasts because they are asleep, busy on deck, or have lost power or reception is bad or impossible. Forrest Gump (movie) said "Shit Happens" Jakob; Don't panic or worry, IMHO. Did not Marie Antoinette say to the French peasants "Let them eat cake". In this case, "Take a concrete pill" (harden up!) If it breaks, it's not strong enough!
Posted by captjack1942 Posts 239 Registered at 2008-01-18 03:24:03	2009-06-07 17:38:59 - Re: Weather Cast
	Well Paul, IRL if I can see the sky, I have a real good idea what the weather is going to be. Seascat and gribs have not been around very long...just a few years. That said, this is not real life. It is a game. It is a game payed by people all over a world divided into 24 time zones. I think that in order to be fair to all these folks around the globe, we should stick to a schedule, even if it means sometimes having a drastic transition for an hour or so from a couple of missed updates. In every instance of a make up or delayed weather update that I can recall, the make up has occurred mid-morning (or at least midday) in Europe. 09:00 UTC is 11:00 AM in Stockholm, and 9:00 PM in New Zealand, but is the middle of the night in the Americas (2:00 AM PDT in California). Either stick to a regular schedule or throw in some random updates, say at 2:00 AM in Stockholm or Auckland just to keep it fair.
Posted by NZL_PaulR Posts 311 Registered at 2008-07-22 12:21:30	2009-06-07 19:42:04 - Re: Weather Cast
	CaptJack: This is why SOL is such a wonderful game as the experience of using forecasts, gibb files and sail planners is a great learning opportunity. (I'm still to get into the gibb files and downloads. Have been learning Sail Planner though) Yes it is hard getting up in the middle of the night to start a race or navigate around the green stuff! In the OSTAR I was 27 hours late starting, but pleased to go from #621 to #333. So I suppose I'm just against "pandering" if things are not going one's way. The one thing that is certain is that the weather will be "CHANGEABLE". Personally I dislike the computer precision of steering a course to two decimals of precision. IRL the nearest 5 degrees are the only marks on my compass! Even then the best would be steering to within 2 to 2.5 degrees. Autopilots can be set to 1 degree increments so I would suggest steering should only be set in whole degrees. Wind? nearest 5 degrees at the best! Showing one decimal precision for wind is OK in a wind tunnel but IRL, the wind is never constant. My 2 cents worth today. If it breaks, it's not strong enough!

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