This Crew Energy looks bugged

Yesterday I had a bad message in the morning, the Crew were not feeling like working. They had only  13% of their energy and I still have not figured out how this comes.
The evening before I had steered the boat in position for a good night-sailing on the auto-pilot and the Crew Energy came down to I think 107%. I set the WP scheduler with 3 WP's only and two heading changes.


This apparently has drained the Energy down to 13% and what is worse the boat speed dropped to 75%; and this after a 9 hrs period of not making any changes.


Yesterday I made only 2 heading changes to save energy and set the autopilot with 2WP's for one heading change. 


This morning thus 24 hrs further the 13% has increased to 62%; mind you in this 24 hrs only 2 heading changes and a WP setting. 
The Boat speed has increased from 75% to 85% this morning. 


I fear that I will need another 24 hrs without real steering and sailing to come to the 100% energy level and full boat speed. 


My RACE is over and I have asked the Game Developers to check whether this is a bug, or this is normal behavior. In the latter case I have to think twice before registering for the real VORG race. 
In any case I hope that some more information will be given on how this damned Crew Energy punishment works, such that you can "work" with it. 


My rank is now 638, though this is hardly relevant anymore. 

VORG Beta II On its Way to Singapore

The VolvoOceanRaceGame Beta II is well on its way. 

Boats are sailing along the Coast of Vietnam and now at the latitude of Ho Chi Minh town, soon to start the crossing to Singapore.

A group of Boats has found a way to follow the coast and jumped a weather block before the wind in that block died out. Now the front runners seems to sail into an area with headwinds. 
I was not that lucky and to prevent my boat coming to a hold, stayed more east in the stronger winds. I hope to get in the nect 12-24 hrs a more easterly (SE) wind and might be able to change the sail to Code0. Maybe even tomorrow change to the Spinakker :).
But lets not be happy to  quick, as I also have seen some wind changes that were different as the forecast made me believe.

On the BetaII player, which has some additional functionality.I have done some tests with the "auto-angle" and found mixed results.


The screen showing winds bars and gridlines.
The information on wind, and where the game have the wind-varietions located is far better than in Beta I. Now it is very clear where the borders of a block of identical wind conditions is, so planning the boat with the WP becomes possible.
The wind barbs give also a good indication of wind direction and wind strength. The latter with changing colors and length of the barbs and additional vanes for strong winds. 
It is however still a pity that this game does not use interpolation of wind conditions in between the grid points, whick would make it far more realistic and resembling real world wind systems.


A test with Auto angle while sailing from one weather block into the next one.
This worked for me, partly only. The indications on the screen, in the navigation circle as well as in the boat information at the bottom of the screen is NOT changed. However the course of the boat is following the NEW heading. 

 The auto angle is engaged.
The boat is sailing on heading 144 degree, with a speed of 10.14 kts under Genoa.
The wind in this block is 186 degree and 13.59 kts. 


The white horizontal line is the border of weather block.

So I sailed into the new weather and even waited another 10 min before taking this screen shot. 

The wind is now 190 degree and 11.51 kts. 

The boat is still sailing 144 degree and 10.42 kts. 

The TWA indication has changed from 42 to 40 degree?

The course of the boat however is changed with 4 degree at the point where I put the mouse pointer.

A test with auto angle during a wind update (600 and 1800 UTC)

This new functionality is NOT working. I tested is twice now and there is not adjustment of heading while the wind is change 10 or today even 24 degree. I hope this bug gets fixed as it is a very welcome function.

 


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The VolvoOceanRaceGame BETA II - Started

The VolvoOceanRaceGame BETA II has Started Yesterday 1st June 2011.

This is a closed 2nd test of the new VORG player, and I can see already some improvements from the 1st test. 

I see addional buttons:

-for "Enable auto-sail" selection. This will come handy if you have to set the WayPoint scheduler when away from the computer. I expect that the game will select the best sail or the given wind-conditions and the heading set for your boat.

-for "Enable auto angle". This, I expect, will lock the angle of attack, angle between the wind direction and your boat heading. So if the wind changes direction, you boat heading changes as well in order to keep sailing at the sail's most effective heading.
-When re-opening the game, I now see in a window a text stating whether the selected sail is the optimum selection for given wind conditions and choosen heading.

I will have to work with these and see that the effect is as expected. I guess today behind the computer is a better moment to test it as during the first night or later in the test-race.



I intend to follow the progress that I make in this race with my boat "Paradise" and plot it in a Google map. On the TAB above 'Route' you will be able to see it.  


Fair winds to all.