Virtual Skipper

[panC]

Hi! I do not know a thing about sailing so I was wondering is there a tutorial in this game and how good or maybe how hard is it? If one were to go on a real skipper course how much would playing this simulation before be of help?How much better is the new VS4 compared to VS3 and do the changes make a diff for a begginer like myself?Thanks.

[andynz]

Sailing VSK4 vs. VSK3 will make no difference to a beginner. You still have to understand the basics of making your boat go forward relative to the direction of the wind, rounding marks, changing sails and the rules (especially as it relates to other players).

I don't know how to fly a plane but over time I learnt how to get around in MS flight simulator... VSK is nowhere as complex as that... of course having said that I knew how to sail when I started playing the game.

Run through the games supplied and race against the AI... once you are consistently beating the AI boats you have the basics and your ready to get thrashed online

See you out there

[eMOTION]

I'm pretty sure VSK4 has provided more tutorials and solo campains than VSK3 has to get you started. There are no version upgrade discounts, and VSK4 is more of a graphical thrill with more race venues than VSK3 as well.

And let me not forget to mention those "Realistic 3D volumetric clouds" that they have going on in VSK4!

[CANKnot]

There are a number of tutorials in VSK4, but they are not really aimed at teaching you how to sail. Although you should get the feel for how your sails are working like an airplane wing to propel you upwind and the other basics of sailing. The game isn't going to teach you much, if anything, that would be useful in a real skipper's course, which will deal with boat handling, docking, navigation, etc. Where VSK will help is when you get into racing, you can gain more experience with tactics and the Racing Rules of Sailing in a few months of VSK than you would in a few years of real racing.