Trying to beat the best times.

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[Dave M]

I don't want to go on 'Multi-player' until I'm sure that I won't be a danger to navigation and so I'm currently working through the inbuilt missions to see if I can beat the best times. I've managed one or two successes, (9th in 'Spare parts for Marseille' and in the top fifty in another ten), (incidentally my 'Captains' rank in 'passenger' ships appears to be going backwards ). The problem I have is that, although I do all the wrong things, I can't get near 'Pride of Rotterdam Leaves for Hull' best time of 13:36 or the worst time of 16:07. I set a spring rope and go full ahead starboard and full astern port and actually get out of the dock pretty quick, (and in the process grinding the hull against the docking pier which doesn't appear to be a problem as there is no damage to the hull), the best time I can manage is 22:38. I assume my problem is the turn to go up the channel, (I go astern all the way out to the port side of the main channel getting to about 8.3 Kn), but no matter what I do I cannot get near their times. I don't think it has much to do with better proccessors or graphic cards as the time always starts at zero when I start the mission. There must be someone who can help me out there! Needless to say that I miss being able to play a few of the missions because of the upgrade to 1.3, ('Bunker Towage in Rotterdam', 'Fast Craft needs towing' and 'Inbound Hamburg', (I keep sinking), I'm still trying that one).

[muns]

Hi Dave,

The majority of the best times were set when the ship dynamics were slightly different allowing missions to be completed faster.

You should be able to turn the PoR direct off of the berth, its a bit tight but can be done.

Rgds

Mark

[jskipper]

To leave berth with the PoR, you can turn the ship right from its berth, giving full forward thruster and main engines in opposite directions. Although I'm #2 in the ranking list (acquired with version 1.1), I can't get below 17 minutes since I have version 1.3. Last time I tried, I noticed that the rotation speed during the turn varied wildly between 20 and 70 degr/min, for no apparent reason. Has anyone experienced this phenomenon also, and can anyone explain it? I have proposed in an other thread to create a new Highscores section for version 1.3, because performance in versions 1.1 and 1.3 is substantially different. Dave, don't worry, it's not your fault.

[Dave M]

Thank you both for your replies, I was beginning to think it was me! It's a great comfort to know that I could have got in the top 50 with a bit more effort, (I will try turning from its berth tonight).
I think its a good idea to start a new high score for 1.3 and it would be nice if a patch was released to fix all the missions that can't be done now, (the ones I mentioned earlier and 'leaving the new terminal'), although the problem appears to be with 'QuestVeiwer' not the mission. You don't need the pilot to board the Vermass, as long as you keep close to her in the pilot launch there isn't a problem, in fact the Vermass gets a message from the pilot to keep to port on its way down to the container terminal, its just that QuestVeiwer crashes just as you are about to dock. Thanks again for your help.

[Dave M]

I have just tried turning from the berth and improved my time to 18:45, (I think I did it a bit faster, around 18:00 minutes but I reset the mission hoping to do a better time). That effect you talked about of the degree of turn changing drastically is caused by the starboard side of the stern hitting the docking quay, if you time it right and go full ahead on the port engine you can cause it to happen, (it gives the ship a nice little flip). Thanks again for your help.

Regards, Dave