Lots of Newbie Questions and a few Wish List items

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[Dave M]

Hi Barnacle,
There was a topic a while ago about making your own controller, it's here,
http://www.shipsim.com/ShipSimForum/index.php/topic,4503.0.html ,
but I think there was a problem when it came to controlling 'Bugsier 2'.
Terry has had a problem with his 'P' for a while but I didn't like to mention it.

[Barnacle]

Hi Terry,

At last...some competetion for the Worst Typist in the World!  I thought I had the title hands down, but you're creeping up on me. ;O)  And having been a technical writer for many years, I understand what a session with a technical client can do to you.  I hope they pay you a lot.

My Yorkshireman impression is limited to the phrase "And doant go inta the poob!"  It is a recommendation uttered by a convenience store clerk when we were asking directions to Harrogate.  We ignored it, of course, and had a very nice pint.  And eventually we found Harrogate.  It was a bit blurry, but we found it.

I wanted to go to Portsmouth and Falmouth, being a follower of Captain Jack Aubrey, Horatio Hornblower, and Richard Bolitho.  But it didn't happen. <sigh>

I will now go look up "Saitek Gamepad."  :O)

Barnacle

[Barnacle]

Hi Dave,

No, I wouldn't mention it.  There are those of us on this side of the pond who, with advancing age, have developed problems with their P.  I won't mention any names either, and I don't think the number of pints one has consumed over the course of a long and misspent life has anything to do with it.

But I'll take a look at the forum topic you mentioned, and I thank you!

Barnacle

[TerryRussell]

Well, I will confess to being stupid enough to slam my own hand in the car door a few days ago. Combined with a lunatic keyboard, getting the words out correctly has been a bit of a struggle recently.

I know Harrogate well. Far too many hills for when you come out of the pub!

But I only live a few miles from Dave, so will go round and feed him to the fishes shortly.

I haven't had any problems when using a controller with Bugsier, but then I'm not so much of a rivet counter that I would care if it works exactly as it does in real life (very few harbour boats will be operated while sat in my house, anyway). If you use the configuration program with the gamepad to make it send keypresses, then Bugsier will work fine, in my experience.

Or you can set up SS08 to recognise the inputs from the gamepad, but in some vessels there will be a need to tweak things around.

[Barnacle]

Hi Terry,

Sorry about the hand.  You probably said, "Oh, I don't think I'll do that again."  Or something. :O)

I've downloaded the PDF from the thread Dave linked to.  (Glad he got that post up before you fed him to the fishes.)  Not sure I'm man enough any more to do all that soldering, but you never know.  Personally, I think the kid ought to make it a commercial product.

Barney

[Dave M]

I wanted to go to Portsmouth and Falmouth, being a follower of Captain Jack Aubrey, Horatio Hornblower, and Richard Bolitho.  But it didn't happen. <sigh>

Hi Barnacle,
If my memory serves me right, (it has been a long time since I read the 'Bolitho' books), he got outfitted with his officers uniform at 'The Hard' in Portsmouth at an establishment called 'Gieves & ?'. If that is the case then the 'Naval tailors' was still in business about 8 years ago and may still be there, (I'm in Management now and all I see is a computer monitor).

Falmouth, I worked on the 'Pride of Bilbao' for two years and she used to have her yearly refit there. Unfortunately, because the ship was dry whilst in service, when we got to 'Falmouth' everything went a bit hazy. I remember a couple of trees in the high street that I bumped in to but apart from that, (and the local 'Accident and Emergency' hospital), not a thing!
Regards, Dave

[Barnacle]

Dave,  your memory is better than mine!  But Bolitho spent a lot of time in Portsmouth, as did everybody in the British Navy (and I guess they still do).  And of course he came from Falmouth.  The south of England has always drawn me simply because it was the womb of the British Navy.  Maybe I'll get a chance to see it someday.... I sure hope so!

Barnacle

[TerryRussell]

Hi Barnacle.

The South is the "Womb of the Navy"! That's a frightening thought as I look out of my window just off the coast in Selsey.

Which bit of the States does your window look out onto? Is it as frightening?

[Barnacle]

Hi Terry,

I'm about an hour by car from the coast of North Carolina.  I go there to supervise the surf whenever I can.  In a little under two hours I can be at the Port of Wilmington, NC; in about four hours I can be in Charleston, SC, and it takes me about eight hours (including a 2-hour ferry ride) to get to the Outer Banks of North Carolina--Cape Hatteras, Kitty Hawk, and all that.  But I grew up in Long Island, sailing on Long Island Sound, and I lived for many years in Dallas, Texas, where I sailed on the local lakes.  Now I'm retired and a bit stove in, so I satisfy myself by riding ferries, taking harbor tours, looking at boats...and sailing via simulator.

Scary?  Nah.  I've lived in Norfolk, VA.  Now that's scary!

Barnacle

[TerryRussell]

My wife (who is a Jersey Girl) says that if someone from Long Island thinks that Norfolk is a scary place, then they must be from Suffolk or possibly Queens. 

[Barnacle]

Hmmm... which Jersey does your wife come from?  I've heard there's one in England; there's one in the US too, just south of New York State.  I knew a fellow who moved from New York to New Jersey and raised the average IQ of both states. 

When I was a kid (several years ago) I had a summer job teaching sailing in Suffolk County, Long Island.  It was kind of in the boonies, but I suppose it has become more sophisticated since.   

I actually lived in Queens (Long Island, NY) for a year.  It took two busses and a subway (and over an hour) to get to work in midtown Manhattan.  It also took an hour or so to drive where you wanted to go, e.g., anywhere not in Queens. The part I lived in was...um...bland, but has no doubt acquired juvenile gangs, etc. since.

I lived in Norfolk for three years or so (at least my wife did--I was on a ship most of the time).  The place is jammed with large, grey, steel things with cannons and stuff on most of them, and people who were more interested in whether your shoes were shiny than anything else.

Yup, Norfolk was scary.  Very much like Plymouth, UK, I assume.

[TerryRussell]

My wife would say "New ***** Jersey".

We met in NY City a few years ago and she followed me home, so I had to keep her. I'm told that I get a Congressional Medal of Honour for removing a Jersey Girl from the USA.

PS having told me wife your joke, some of the scenes in "Sopranos" will come true soon. I thnk she has Mikey and Vinny out looking for you. Watch out.

Also, the folks in Jersey here will be after you, but in a much more gentlemanly way. They will drink tea at you for a while and discuss you loudly. That will teach you a lesson!

Strange as it may seem, Jersey is not part of England. It isn't even part of the Common Market. It is part of the UK though.

To get there from England, I have to go through Customs, but not through Immigration. Their money is different although they happily take UK dosh.

They have their own parliament and their own laws. Like the USA they don't have a national health service (you pay for medical treatment).

They speak English but most of their roads have very French sounding names.

[Dave M]

I thnk she has Mikey and Vinny out looking for you. Watch out.

Hi Terry,
Having troubles with the 'i's now? .
(Rivet counters 2 Terry 0).

[TerryRussell]

You're on the list as well...

[Barnacle]

Hi Terry,

It's true that you get a Congressional Medal of Honor for removing a NJ girl from the US...the catch is you have to go to Washington DC and shake George Bush's hand to get it.  I don't know anybody who's willing to do that.  I've heard there are some such people, but "one doesn't know them."

As far as Mickey and Vinny are concerned, I can handle them.  Not only did I live in Texas for a number of years, but I know how to spell their names.    Not so sure I can handle the chaps from Jersy, UK however.  "No, no..don't point that cup at me!"  Probably couldn't understand the dialect anyway.

In this part of the country, BTW, when you ask for tea you get a large glass full of ice with some sweet tea poured into it.  West of the Mississippi you get a large glass full of ice with some un-sweetened tea poured over it.  (If you ask for sweet tea they point to the packets of sugar.)  In ***** Jersey (and other Yankee places) you get a little pot with warm water and a tea bag.

Barnacle

[TerryRussell]

As far as Mickey and Vinny are concerned, I can handle them.  Not only did I live in Texas for a number of years, but I know how to spell their names. 

Nope. It is Mikey. As in Mike, but with a "y". You're looking out for the wrong assassin now.

The folks from Jersey are just boiling their kettles at you.

[Barnacle]

I stand (or ratther, sit) corrected, at least on the spelling.  Now I am surely safe from them!

But guys from Jersey with boiling kettles?  Scary! <Looking desperately for ice cubes>

Barnacle

[TerryRussell]

Yes, now that they have boiled their kettles, they have made their pot of tea and will sit, drinking tea and eating jam scones whilst talking about you in a loud voice.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. 

[Barnacle]

Yes.

By the way... I notice that you have all sorts of rank.  How does one acquire rank here?

Barnacle

[TerryRussell]

Easy. Play the built-in missions in the Simulator. As you play more, you increase your ranks. 

[Barnacle]

Yeah?  How do they know which missions you've played?  Does the program go on the internet and tell tales?

B

[llamalord]

You could say that, Yet no one seems to care.

[Agent|Austin]

Yeah?  How do they know which missions you've played?  Does the program go on the internet and tell tales?

B

There is a green check next to missions you have completed.

[llamalord]

I think Barnacle ment online.

[Dave M]

Yeah?  How do they know which missions you've played?  Does the program go on the internet and tell tales

Hi Barnacle,
The program will only update your profile online if, (in game), you go to;
Main Menu>Profile
At the bottom of the 'Profile' window is a small box,
[ ] Allow internet access.

If you don't check that box then the game doesn't update your profile online, (also you will not be able to go into multiplayer).

Llamalord seems to be a bit paranoid about this but..........
Lets face it, the act of posting on this forum would give anyone who is interested, enough information, (your IP address), to do whatever they want unless you have some form of Firewall/AntiVirus/Identity protection.

Regards, Dave