Ship Simulator

JSP · 08 February 2009, 17:48

Got my eldest lad Ship sim today http://www.shipsim.com/home.php
But the little fecker wont let me have a go. Looks really good though.
He found it on the net yesterday (he's only 6!) after playing these games http://www.motorboatmuseum.org.uk/learning/games.php and wanting more boat games.
Just need the little git to go to bed now and it's mine.

chewy · 08 February 2009, 18:07

I've got it too, only thing is the sea doesn't get rough enough, you can reprogram it but it involves redoing software stuff.

Still haven't managed to moor the ferry!

JSP · 08 February 2009, 18:16

Well he's doing allot of moaning upstairs so it looks like he'll soon get bored. Tis mine

Is it good then Phill?

chewy · 08 February 2009, 19:37

I enjoy it, once you've sussed out you can use the mouse to control each throttle and not just have your bow thruster on full power you have half a chance of mooring stuff.... then you have to tie it up right so it doesn't drift off!

jyasaki · 09 February 2009, 16:18

I had a demo version of that a couple of years ago. It was more fun than I thought it would be.

Don't see the demo on the site (but didn't look all that carefully); anybody know if it's still available?

jky

JSP · 09 February 2009, 16:20

Yeah I've been playing the demo of it coz my lads bang into it and I can't get my mits on it.
http://www.shipsim.com/downloads/tra...fb7c09725d7747

jyasaki · 10 February 2009, 15:41

Ah. Thanks.

jky

BogMonster · 25 May 2009, 02:02

I've just downloaded the demo version of Ship Sim 2008 but I can't get it to run properly. It's really really REALLY slow - update rate is about 1 frame per second and its completely unplayable. Computer is nothing special by current standards but runs everything else fast enough - its a P4 / 2.66GHZ with 2GB of memory, running XP SP3, and the game is certainly far slower than I think it should be.

Is there any special way you are supposed to run this that I am missing or does it really need a supercomputer to run? I've tried just running it from within Windows and also from a "safe mode" command prompt (the latter killed the keyboard and crashed the computer).

I quite like the idea of it but not getting very far at the moment and wanted to try the demo before deciding to get the full version

Any idea please? Ta...

chris123 · 25 May 2009, 07:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

I've just downloaded the demo version of Ship Sim 2008 but I can't get it to run properly. It's really really REALLY slow - update rate is about 1 frame per second and its completely unplayable. Computer is nothing special by current standards but runs everything else fast enough - its a P4 / 2.66GHZ with 2GB of memory, running XP SP3, and the game is certainly far slower than I think it should be.

Is there any special way you are supposed to run this that I am missing or does it really need a supercomputer to run? I've tried just running it from within Windows and also from a "safe mode" command prompt (the latter killed the keyboard and crashed the computer).

I quite like the idea of it but not getting very far at the moment and wanted to try the demo before deciding to get the full version

Any idea please? Ta...

There is nothing particularly onerous in the minimum spec list on the Shipsim website:

Quote:

Windows 2000, XP or Vista
Pentium 4 2.4GHz or AMD equivalent
1GB (Windows 2000/XP) or 2GB (Vista)
GeForce 5900 or ATI 9600 Pro / X600 (128MB)
Sound card

Is your graphics card up to spec? Latest DirectX installed?

It ran ok on my old computer (probably similar / lower spec than yours), and from what I remember there was nothing non standard about the install.

Cheers

Chris

BogMonster · 25 May 2009, 11:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris123

Is your graphics card up to spec? Latest DirectX installed?

Ah erm um <mumble mumble> looks down at feet....

Graphics card is whatever Dell put in when they built it - according to Control Panel an Intel 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV if that makes any sense? Somewhere or other it said 64MB so could that be the problem? I'm not buying a new computer just to run Ship Sim and being a Dell I doubt you can upgrade the "card" as its probably welded onto the motherboard I think.

I have no idea what DirectX is but I will type it into Google

no I don't think so. The computer doesn't seem to have any problem running reasonable resolution video clips - stuff like the RIBnet Pwellyheli video from a couple of years back - but maybe this isn't a good indication.

I'm not a hardened gamer as you may be able to tell ... I used to be good at Doom about fifteen years ago but I guess a bit of water has passed under the bridge since then!

Thanks

chris123 · 25 May 2009, 13:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

Graphics card is whatever Dell put in when they built it - according to Control Panel an Intel 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV if that makes any sense? Somewhere or other it said 64MB so could that be the problem? I'm not buying a new computer just to run Ship Sim and being a Dell I doubt you can upgrade the "card" as its probably welded onto the motherboard I think.

I have no idea what DirectX is but I will type it into Google

no I don't think so. The computer doesn't seem to have any problem running reasonable resolution video clips - stuff like the RIBnet Pwellyheli video from a couple of years back - but maybe this isn't a good indication.

Graphics card is probably the issue - sounds like an onboard graphics chip. The computer might have an AGP slot to take an external graphics card.

Latest DirectX 9 download is here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

Cheers

Chris

BogMonster · 25 May 2009, 21:38

OK thanks - I'll drag it out of the desk sometime (major operation!) but looks like it may have to wait till I get a new PC then which won't be until that stupid abortion called Vista is consigned to the dustbin of history since you can't buy anything with XP on any more

Thanks for the help, shame as it looks like a good game.

codprawn · 26 May 2009, 13:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris123

Graphics card is probably the issue - sounds like an onboard graphics chip. The computer might have an AGP slot to take an external graphics card.

Latest DirectX 9 download is here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

Cheers

Chris

We were given a brand new Dell left over from a job - pretty good spec and a fast machine. Went to put a PCI express card in it only to discover the power supply was so marginal you couldn't even add a 2nd hard drive!!! Had to buy a new PSU for it.

I also came across an older Dell where the heatsink/fan was epoxied to the chip to stop you upgrading - couldn't get the heatsink off to operate the zif lever!!!

BogMonster · 26 May 2009, 21:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

We were given a brand new Dell left over from a job - pretty good spec and a fast machine. Went to put a PCI express card in it only to discover the power supply was so marginal you couldn't even add a 2nd hard drive!!! Had to buy a new PSU for it.

I also came across an older Dell where the heatsink/fan was epoxied to the chip to stop you upgrading - couldn't get the heatsink off to operate the zif lever!!!

They do have the benefit of a) being cheap and b) not going wrong ever. We've got all Dells at work now, and have never had a problem with any of them some are now quite old. I'd buy another one just on that, having tried "no name cheap and cheerful" a few times in the past (2 desktops one laptop) and all of them blew up. Apart from adding more memory and bigger hard drives I have never bothered upgrading an old PC anyway, its usually just as well to buy a new one every few years. I'm about due now if I could only get one without Visterrrr infesting it but I don't see any point in buying something that will be slower than the one I've got.

codprawn · 26 May 2009, 22:15

If you buy a "business" computer you can usually spec XP for it as a no cost option - very few corporate customers will touch Vista.

Which reminds me..........