Fix for no-bites issue coming today

[paul]

All,

I've found a bug that's keeping the fish from biting as they should. I use some special diagnostics to measure how much each fish is interested in a given lure at any given time, and I use that a lot to get a good measurement of how the system is working. It turns out those diagnostics were also fixing the problem. In other words, if I measure how well the fish will bite, they bite well. If I stop measuring, they stop biting. Now that I see what's going on I can fix it once and for all. I'll have an update today that will have the fish biting as they should.

Paul

[reelemin]

Thanks Paul,and look out fisherman the bite is on now.

[paul]

My only worry with this update is that the fish may bite too well. =) With the new build (and no diagnostics running) I got into a mess of bass that were hitting a buzzbait on every cast. In the same spot before the update I couldn't buy a bite. Here's the update file:

http://www.pishtech.com/pvrs_update_072709.zip

Tight lines,

Paul

[reelemin]

Paul i have not downloaded the update from 7/25 do i need to before i donload this one?Thanks.

[paul]

No, it doesn't matter which updates you've installed. If you've never done any updates before this one you may need to reset your user profile (back to $50 and no stuff) but otherwise everything should be fine.

Paul

[Mydnyte]

Finally, this game is enjoyable again. Thanks for getting to the bottom of the problem and fixing it. Seems to be back to normal now.

[Fisherman]

Paul, if that particular area is indeed adjustable, why not,(in a future update, anyway), transpose it to a physical reality, say, a toolbar on the menu with a sliding marker, and make it a feature? Easy--------to-------Hard------to-------Hardest? There are certainly times when I am looking for a challenge, and then other times when just some relaxing, er, "catching" is just the thing. I think making this area a personal choice for each fisherman would only enhance the game and its commercial appeal. Perhaps, at least for the "Major" tournaments, the difficulty level would be a preset one.

[paul]

Right now the game has a skill level option in the "options,preferences" screen. It currently has 3 difficulty levels, but it would be easy to add more levels. If you wouldn't mind trying all 3 for a while in a familiar situation, I'd appreciate your input on the different levels. On "Easy" you can certainly get into situations where you catch a fish with every cast. But I'd be interested to know if you find "Expert" challenging enough.

Paul

[71__cuda]

Thanks for the fix paul.

[mitchlin]

Thanks for the no bite fix Paul. Works great.

[Fisherman]

Paul, I'll be glad to do some research in those areas. I did most of my fishing on the previous stable build on "experienced", and am interested to see what works now. I am most familiar with Eagle lake, and will use that for my test area. As for the difficulty levels, I thought that a sliding scale would have an appeal for the casual computer angler. Right now, the three-step Beginner-Experienced-Expert modes are very traditional, but, from your description of the solution you found, it seemed to have a broader mathematical base. I pictured it as, say for example, 1 to 100. Being able to slide and stop at more points along that line would encourage more experimentation and possibly add to the game's potential audience and longevity.
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By the by, the game is visually stunning right now. The sky and reflections on the water are well done indeed, and there is nothing like seeing a huge pike swim by as you are reeling in.

[Fisherman]

Eagle Lake in August. Fished on expert mode, caught a good many bass(including a 4.7 pounder). A decision to go walleye fishing on my fav spot led to catching a nice 5.7 lb muskie on a white jig. Later, the "Frozen Frog" problem hit again. Casting a frog into the lily pads can result in a stuck frog. One no longer can move it in any way. The only solution is to quit out and begin again.

[reelemin]

Paul i had the recent update from July 13th and just downloaded the update from the 25th and this one.I went to Thompson reservoir August 15th at 6:30 am fishing with 3inch shiners and caught one smally.I cast it right in there face and i cant buy a bite.I tried bottom,bobber,and they act like nothings even there.Whats wrong can you help?Thanks.Also skill level is on beginner.

[paul]

There are a few possibilities: One is that the bait is a little large for the fish that are there and their mood, but 3 inches is small enough for most bass. The bigger shiners usually only appeal to the bigger fish. Another possibility is that they've been spooked. Fish you've just moved your boat over (or those that swam under your boat in shallow water) often won't feel like biting. I'm confident the live bait is working well in the current build. I'd suggest if you find fish that just won't touch a bait try moving on to another spot and come back a little later.

Paul