Kamikaze Boaters

[paleodust]

Something's gotta be done about these kamikaze boaters!

I was doing very well in a 2 day walleye tournament. I'd placed 1st for the first day and was doing quite well the second day with about an hour left on the clock. As soon as I get another walleye up to the boat, all of a sudden, I hear the motor of a careless (or jealous) boater that procedes to slam into me. I think I was still fighting the fish when he hit me. However, I was disqualified!!! How do I get disqualified if I'm just sitting there with the anchor down, minding my own business, trying to land another fish?!?! I even lost my entry fee, not to mention all the bait I'd used in the tournament!

[paleodust]

I know!!! Paul, can you make these available in the baitshop?



The perfect bassboat for VR Sportfishing tournaments!!

Oh... And, also, make it open season on fellow tournament fishermen (at least until we have a more peaceful solution available)?!

[paleodust]

This post was intended, not only to report a bug, but to get a laugh out of everyone while I was at it. However, nobody responded to it, which made me a little concerned that, perhaps people were taking me too seriously. Yes, I was frustrated but I understand that it's a work in progress and something to laugh about. Don't worry. I'm actually a very passive person and wasn't actually angry. Just wanted to have some fun on the forum. I hope nobody was offended or thought that I really was mad.

Just having fun.

[geraldro]

Hi Paleodust,

One understood your message and it was funny, I do not believe only one as badly interpreted.

I send you my photograph when I go to fishing...



Regards

Gérald

[paleodust]

Do you have to have a combination hunting/fishing license for that getup?

[paul]

No offense taken here. The next update will address the problem. I've come to the conclusion that no matter what intelligence I give the other boaters there will always be the possibility of scenarios where they mess up and hit the players boat. So in the next update it's time for them to get penalized. In the future, when two boats collide it's the faster moving one that will be disqualified. If you're fishing and get hit you'll be fine. Unless of course you ram a stationary boat with your electric trolling motor.

Paul

[Fisherman]

Paul, from the start I, and probably others here assumed that the other boats had some sort of AI involved that guided them and that they actually "Fished". That illusion is gone with the sightings of boats circling endlessly, ramming into us at the starting dock and other points and the numerous other incidents involving the other boats(Blue Boat-Grrr! Red Boat-What a NUT!).
***
While I look forward to the new update, whatever improvements to be made, I wonder about these other boats and what substance they really have beyond their mere physical presence. Since the boats that already exist have a certain amount of individuality to them, as far as color and design go, could further development of these "Fisherman" be possible? Could they be programmed to be linked to the guide service tips, for instance, and go to a specific area to "Fish" for a specific species? Like a Star rating of Five for a Tournament Pro, Four for and Experienced Fisherman, Three for a Duffer, Two for a Novice and One for a Newby, with the types and colors of boats they fish in tied into that rating, leading to their potential to "Find" and "catch" the tournament fish? That way there would be fisherman one would come to recognize and challenge at each tournament, and they could specialize in certain species.
***
A random effect of "Luck" could affect any outcome randomly,(everyone gets lucky sometimes, but the best are the best for a reason), but say, if we knew going into a tournament that we were going up against "Joe Fisherman", who had won five tournaments, and also "Bob Bassman" winner of a truck and boat his last time out(Which reminds me that we could won more than cash at tournaments, cars, boats, trucks, motors etc could be added, collected and even sold), that would add a great degree of tension, excitement and fun to each and every event fished. A win would mean even more then. Cutscenes at the weigh-in of their praise or scorn could be added, and the weigh-in itself could have the "Hotseat", with an angler waiting to see if anyone can unseat them and claim at least a temporary advantage. But it would take a really great fishing day to beat the top tournament fishermen, even if their "Skill" was largely an illusion born of behind the scenes numbers. It is the illusion that we play in I would like to see brought to life. A "Tournament Trail" and a "Cup" awarded for best fisherman in each species would be cool as well. Look good on the photo wall.
***
Now I don't know what all is possible for you to do, Paul, but I feel you have a template here that has great potential, much of it still untapped. As the fishing itself, the fish, and the lakes and their various environments improve, I would like to see the other areas of the game grow as well, to maintain the high quality and balance of play we are coming to expect from your games. The tournaments and the fishermen in them remain unrefined. Some individuality and personality would go a long ways to restore the illusion of substance the other fisherman now lack. They could go from a danger to be avoided, to a "person" to be admired, and defeated.

[paul]

Interesting thoughts. There's definitely a lot that can be done with the tournaments, and of course on-line multiplayer would ultimately give you the most realistic competitors.

The boaters use a fair amount of AI, looking at the depth ahead and to each side as they steer, sometimes throttling up if they're in safely deep water and not approaching another boat, cutting back the throttle and/or turning if they're too close to another boat, etc. Currently their decisions about where to stop and fish are pretty much random, though. Each non-player angler does have a certain skill level already, and it wouldn't be too hard to make them select their fishing areas based on the likely quality of the fishing and their ability. The way their catch is determined is too technical to get into for the moment. I'll just say it's complicated and it's based on their skill level and sampling the fish in a number of locations for each of the anglers, though it's not necessarily based on the locations where you see them stop to fish. That could certainly be changed, so you'd have a chance to learn something by watching where the usual winners fish.

Someday I could see adding the kind of character development you're talking about. For the next update I'll at least get them to stop and fish in more realistic places, and base their catches on where they fish.

The issue with the boats circling for a long time is probably this: In certain places, like a bay with a small entrance and just enough room to comfortably circle around, an NPC driver going in a circle only has one brief opportunity per lap to decide to turn out. The rest of each lap they know they need to keep turning in to avoid the shore. And if you're there in the bay fishing, they won't stop driving because they're not allowed to fish too close to someone who's already fishing. I'll see if I can solve this by making the odds decided to make a left turn (where it's safe to do so) increase the longer they keep turning right, and vice versa. It could also be that a bay has a fairly shallow entrance and they're reluctant to leave the safety of deep water once they've found it. I'll look into that too.

Paul