Woohooo... I got me a new computer with brains as fast as the TGV. Now I can have long distance viewing, water reflections - and - shadows, while still having superfast screen updates. Does this affect the virtual sailing? Well, it does makes the world look better. It also makes the sailing experience more smooth. I kinda like smooth sailing.
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| Will the new Laser have shadowing? |
More importantly, it seems to update my screen faster. Apparently, I get the windchange and the trim updates faster. That enables me to react faster and stay closer to max VMG. It also means I can visually call a layline from further out, which is a very nice thing. Oh, and I can see the other boats on the course - even when they are 200 or 500 meters away. I guess in the Phoenix Viewer I'd be able to see more than 1000 meters while racing.
I have yet to race and see if it really makes any difference; Perhaps it doesn't. I know hardcore virtual racers such as
Liv Leigh can sail really fast with a view distance of just 64 meters. Doesn't really work for me. Makes me feel like sailing blindfolded.
Congrats on your new 'puter, Noodly. What I find almost more important than good hardware is a fast and reliable interwebz connection tho.
ReplyDeleteI have my DD upped from 128 to 256 meters since I'm using the fantabulous Singularity viewer. Does it help me?
No, not really. On my connection it still takes the GPU very long to fill in the blanks and although stuff is visible as far as 256 meters out, not everything renders in an acceptable time. The much sought for race marker might still only appear once I literally bump into it. And sometimes stuff that was there a second ago mysteriously disappears once I turn my head. Milling in front of a startline becomes increasingly complicated when the line just goes poof 20 secs prior start.
So, yes, my compi is cool with everything you throw at it, the only problem is that not everything you throw at it does ever reach it.
I've seen that happen too: Things seem to poof and unpoof; Especially when sailing those very fast cats, the world has problems updating. Singularity is faster than the Linden viewer?
DeleteI'm unable to answer that question Noodle, since I got my first TPV in 2007 (Nicholaz) and have never even touched any LL viewer since then. I hear the latest LL V3 are very fast but for me other things are important as well. I only spend very little time on the water and prefer to have a good radar function and building tools. Singularity is the best of both worlds, a very fast action viewer and the comforts of V1 gui goodness. I like to have a plethora of gimmicks and tools in my viewer and as you know LL viewers are rather basic and need to be beefed up with extra software. I don't really like that approach so I always prefer a good TPV.
DeleteThis is one of those taboos rarely discussed. Strictly speaking the computerspeed makes no difference on boatspeed, but in reality the graphical updates of both the course and the sails are important to stay on max VMG. I never really measured the difference, because I am not sure how to do it. Very interesting subject. I hope more sailors will share their experience on this matter.
ReplyDeleteNetrom Camel
Congratulations for the new computer, Nood! It's great to know, that shadows are cast over your Second Life now. ;)
ReplyDelete