updates

[wolf]

great sagestion hope he considers it

[paul]

I agree completely - on-line multiplayer would be a blast. It's something I'd definitely like to support in VRS, but that one's going to take longer than the other updates. When I have time for the programming and also a server that can handle lots of players, I really want to make that happen.

Paul

[wolf]

with the stix controller does it mater witch whether it is the 200 model or the 400 model

[paul]

The Stix 200 works fine. That's the one I use, and it will do everything the game needs it to do. I understand you can get quite a good deal on one at Amazon.com.

Paul

[gd145]

Paul you are the MAN
tight lines
Glenn

[paul]

Here's the status of the update:

On Monday I'm going to release this as a beta for a week or two. There are a lot of changes in this one, so a beta release will give people a chance to try it out while I continue to work on a few more additions. Anyone is welcome to try it while in beta, but keep in mind it's a work in progress and there may be a few bugs. It will give people a chance to start creating new lakes, though.

Here's what's going to be included in the beta on Monday:

Two new lakes
Support for custom lakes, including video tutorials of how to create them
Rainbow trout, lake trout, and muskies
Some larger lure sizes for muskies
Live bait including nightcrawlers, redworms, grubs, and 5 sizes each of minnows and shiners
Simple anchoring
A heavier rod for muskies
Better fish AI and animation
Water visibility effected by weather (less visibility in overcast or windy weather)
Fish locator will now show your lure if it's directly beneath the boat
Fish locator will now use a bow transducer when you're standing and fishing
Short casting for jigging - click during the beginning of the cast to drop the lure by the boat and let it sink with the reel open
Improvements to the fish & ski boat - a taller windshield for better visibility
More types of trees including pines
Assorted bug fixes

For the beta the live bait will cast and sink like a jig. After the beta I'll have support for some different rigs including sinkers and bobbers (floats.) Also after the beta I'll add a "bribe the guide" function. For a very large sum of money (and probably not during tournaments) he'll show you on the map where the largest fish of any species is located. I've been working on this and he lead me straight to a 50 inch muskie.

As soon as this update is finished and out of beta I'll start on the next group of changes which will include better trolling, possibly walking/wading, and probably some of the other things we've discussed here like standing timber in the water, more docks, houses on the shore, etc. Those things won't change the original lakes but will be available to add to new lakes.

I also want to warn you now - there are so many changes to the core of the game in this update that you'll need to reset your saved games - back to minimal money and no equipment. For beta testing purposes you can use the "rich wealthy" cheat to start with enough money to buy what you need, though.

Also most of the changes in this update will only effect the full version of the game. Custom lakes, trout, muskie, etc., will not be available in the free demo version of the game.

Well, I'd better get back to working on the live bait.

Tight lines,

Paul

[AzDesertRat]

One word "SWEET"!!

Can't remember the last time I looked forward to Monday more than the weekend

[bones]

One word "SWEET"!!

Can't remember the last time I looked forward to Monday more than the weekend

my sentiments exactly lol can't wait kind regards bones

[Buppers]

All this sounds great about the Lakes and Upgrades
But is this going to cost us or is Paul being a great guy
Thanks Barry

[mitchlin]

Update is for the full version of the game. Not the free demo version. Need to purchase game for the upgrade.

[paul]

That's correct. These updates don't add to the free demo version, but these are free additions for anyone who owns the full version. I just want to keep improving the game as much as I can.

In fact if I had my way I'd spend all my working hours on improvements and updates. I enjoy this stuff so much that I run the risk of neglecting a side of Pishtech that needs work, but it's work that doesn't come as naturally to me. That would be the marketing side. I know I should be submitting the game to more web sites, offering it to game reviewers, putting more videos on YouTube, basically doing a lot more to spread the word about all three Pishtech games. Right now most of the people who would enjoy VR Sportfishing have no idea it exists.

If anyone can help with getting the word out I'd be extremely grateful. If you're on any other forums where it would be appropriate to post about the game, or if you can post a review, video or anything like that anywhere on the web, or suggest it to reviewers, that would be a huge help to me. I'd love to see Pishtech get into the top 5 Google results for the search "fishing games". It was at number 21 the last time I checked, but if enough people make a few posts or videos about fishing games that link back to Pishtech I think it can happen. I'm not looking to get rich, but I hope to keep the games selling well enough that I can afford to keep working on them.

Tight lines,

Paul

[gd145]

paul keep up the good work
Glenn
PAUL you are doing such a great job I will personally make it my mission to get the word I out do not know if i can pull it off or not but i have a good freind in the news network FOX and i will be talking to him These games take the stress out of what we are all dealing with in todays times

PS advertise more game sales are really up with todays economy

[bassmaster12]

hey paul i have a youtube account for fishing and ill do a review of the game for you i get lots of attention from british people and hardcore carpers

[paul]

Thanks, Glenn and Bassmaster!

And that brings up another good point - the game ought to have carp in it. Here in the US most anglers ignore carp, but there are a few who appreciate them like anglers in the UK and elsewhere. I fish for them occasionally, and if you want a serious fight it's tough to beat the thrill of battling a 10+ pound carp on light tackle. For those who enjoy fishing for carp they'd make a fun addition. I'll get them onto the list of species to add in future updates. They're already included in Fishlogix so most of the AI for them is already in place.

Paul

[wolf]

so was the beta update coming today