I'm not sure where to put this post, but perhaps here on "Small talk" is most appropriate. I feel of late that there seems to be an awful lot of moaning about this and that, missions not being 100% and this or that not being absolutely perfect.
Having spent quite some time working as a seafarer, one of the things I learnt quite early on was the workings of "Sods Law". If things can go wrong they will
. I also learnt that Jolly Jack did not spend wasted time moaning about it, but had to set to and sort things out, one way or another. It is quite definately not possible to do things "By the book" all the time, and certainly not at sea. I think in terms of the many complaints about New Horizons which I have read already, after only a few days. Part of the fun, for me anyway is working out how to get round the glitches which appear. If, for example, I was trapped in harbour by a vessel blocking my exit, what would I do? The only thing I could do is a) throw up my hands and give up, or b) work out a way out of it. The latter can be done in this game, without serious damage to my player ship. In reality, I would get some fenders out and use them.
I remember once loading a ship in Liverpool heading for the West Indies. The Company stevedores insisted on loading two 20 foot containers on deck at the sides of no.3 hatch. That hatch had only 2, 5 tonne derricks to load and discharge with. The Jumbo derrick for heavy lifts being at no 2 hatch. I told the stevedores that we could not get the containers off in Port of Spain, yet they insisted there was a floating crane at that port which we could use. I knew very well that there was no crane there, but I was ruled out of order and the containers stayed where they were. When the ship arrived in Port of Spain the containers were discharged, undamaged by our own gear, we just didn't moan and say it can't be done, we just worked out how to do it and did it.
The point I make is that there are more ways to kill a cat than choking it on cream. So could I ask that a little lightening up would go a long way? This simulator is about pleasure not misery.
Angus.
