Volunteer Admins - statement

I would also like to add:
Mark / gate positions have been incorrect to a varying degree since the very start of leg 1.
We (the admins) have been given various reasons for this and numerous assurances that a fix would be implemented.

To date this has not happened and I'm not confident that any such solution will in fact be successful before the end of the game.

In addition we have seen mystery Islands and land shift, which in my opinion is the same issue as the marks.

The only work around that has any measure of success is to allow at least 4nm clearance of marks or land.
If you choose to cut it finer then the chances of you being caught out are vastly increased.

We realise this is unsatisfactory but it is a fact and there is absolutely nothing we can do other than report these recurring issues.

Lastly many thanks to all those experienced Game player who help on the forum answering questions and assisting those with game issues.
This help is greatly appreciated.

As Camisoleair said, We have received a lot of message through the Helpdesk, and we will give the same reply to all the questions regarding the finishing line...
Hi,

Thanks for letting us know about this issue.
We are working to find a solution. We will keep you updated via the Support Forum or Notice Board.
There is no way of offering redress.

Best Regards,
The Volvo Ocean Race Game Team

We are currently waiting for United Game's answer regarding the finishing line, and we will post their message in the forum as soon as we receive it.

Please do not consider that we are ignoring your Ticket, due to this Standard message - We are just trying to clean the Helpdesk, and post the latest updates in the forum instead.

HOLY JUMPIN - you folks are volunteers? Now there is something I didn't know! I'm sorry for all the crap you've had to deal with. You all deserve better treatment than that. I don't think I could have maintained the prefessional composure you have.

I do hope Bigamist will return to help you folks out.

I also hope the developers can provide a satisfactory answer to the delemas that have appeared.

Steve W.
Moderation

Hello to the Volunteer Team
I would like to second Moderation's post and say Thank You, you have a thankless task and get a fair bit of stick from the forum, I do hope Bigamist comes back, as he has answered most of my questions quickly and with good humour, I know this is only a game, but it has given me something to do while the wife watch's Corrie on the TV, so thank's again.

Trev

I wish all the 'oranges' the best, and thank You for clarifying your position in the system, however much as I have been told earlier. But for the first time United Games have been pointed out as the Game Operator, and I would like You to forward a question to them about game accessibility which from time to time has been an issue since leg 1.
With today's comps and network connections we are all next to driving Maserati, but! To reach the game server we are directed into some rather gumpy back roads, more like gravel roads filled with pot holes and half the bridges missing! It is a time limit for how long we may stay on that road, until we are struck with 'Time Out'!
The below link should explain quite well what I aim at. My time zone is GMT +8, and the test should have been in a low load time for Europe, which make it even worse.
Is United Games going to improve the game access by going through a different network than atlas.cogentco.com?
Link:
http://www.box.net/shared/8vhu0ep1u0

I normally have down load speeds of about 30-50K from Europe, but loading game from Virtualregatta I'm lucky if obtaining 1K!! I think the test shows why.

I looked at your screen-shot but I am not sure what I am seeing. Can you help a guy out and explain it to me?

It is what is called a ping test.
Data transfer goes through a number of 'hops' between Your comp and the server or vice verse depending if up-loading or down loading. Imagine a phone call. The longer the 'hop' takes to respond is the same as how long You have to wait for an answer. next problem is the packet loss. Data goes in 'packets' between server and comp, and Your comp has to 'sign off' that the packets are received before it may get the next packet. Packet loss is when these packets disappear on its way, Your comp can not send a confirmation, and may have to ask again. If all these delays gets too much, You may end up with being 'Timed Out' (server takes too long to respond), or download simply stops and nothing more happens. When loading the game frame You may have noticed the xxx/969Ko on the blue screen. The xxx indicates what/how much You have downloaded of the total 969Ko. Quite often I experience it all stops somewhere like on 211Ko and nothing more happens. Then repress 'PLAY', and if lucky my comp 'confirms' it has already got 211Ko and asks for the rest and keeps on until finished. Unfortunately there are times when this 'refresh' gets too much and the comp cache has to be cleaned before You may continue.
Google 'ping test' and see what comes up.
This must mot be compared to 'speed test' (speedtest.net) which is a pure line speed test and only targets special serves. However is a speed test to a server close to the one You try to reach is 'normal', but the actual server does not react as expected, do a PING test like this and the answer might come up!

My understanding is that the VORG website is hosted on the Dutch severs owned and run by United Games but the actual Flash game is run from the French servers which are owned and run by Virtual Regatta.

In the past the bottle neck was with the data centre between the French servers and the Dutch and this Data centre is independent.
If there is a traffic issue through France this effects both the Virtual Regatta and United Games operation and there appears to be little either party can do about it.

If You watch the routing during downloading, You seem to enter Volvooceanracegame and log in, no problems, goes in general at 20-50K. However then You are re-directed to virtualregatta, and the problem starts. If the download had been THROUGH the Dutch servers, Your description is correct, but the download seems to be direct from Virtualregatta which creates the problem. Then in between it seems to jump between Virtualregatta and Volvooceanracegame a couple of times which makes it even worse. Exactly how it works I'm not the right person to answer, I'm only able to tell:it does not work, the net used to access Virtualregatta from at least my location is next to a dead end. The only ones that should be able to give a complete answer is probably the technicians at United games and/or Virtualregatta, but they are silent!! The same problem was during the Vendee' race. Who owns which server I do not know, but access to Virtualregatta is the problem.

I've attempted to raise this issue and to be frank I have got nowhere with it.
Every time it seems to be a blame game and somebody else's problem.
The most common excuse is the French Data centre.
If this is true or just a easy opt out I cannot say.

Ultimately I think the attitude is that the vast majority of users don't have a problem so there is little motivation to go any further.

Some Questions re the next leg
1)Is the English Channel an option?
2)Are there going to be any gates? Yes or no would be helpful even if you don't know the precise location.
3)Is there any way in which narrows like the Pentland Firth and the "baelts" Samso, Store and Langeland(between Fyn and Sjaelland)
can be checked in advance? If there is a repeat of the Cabo Frio incident then all claim to a semi-serious game will have gone.
It may be that guarantees cannot be given. Fine. But It would be very useful to be told of this in advance. What am I writing? Useful? No, Essential.
Can the moderators go for a test sail before the race and check those areas and report back, or is that "not possible"?
Perhaps these questions belong in another part of the forum, but it is here that you admit to the inaccuracies with marks and land, and all those questions stem from that.
In case you think my tone is somewhat sarcastic, let me just say this.
I think all the mods have done a great job. Thanks go to Camisoleair who provided help when I needed it in the early stages, and the game would not be the same without Bigamist, whose return hopefully signals some sign of intelligence in the higher ranks of the providers.
At last, probably thanks to Bigamist, we have got an admission that the game is flawed in parts. Now that we know that, I am happy to continue.The more we know about the imperfections the better and I hope the mods will help us in this.
Imperfection can be tolerated. Lies( ie telling us everything's fine and dandy) cannot be tolerated.

[ Post edited on Tue 26 May 2009 18:23:59 ]

We can't answer you questions until the real life briefing has been released by VOR.
It is always the intention to run as close to real life as possible in terms of the course.
Telling lies is a strong accusation.
Giving incorrect information is not a lie if, at the time you were given the information in good faith.

As I've said elsewhere, if we held back any information until we know for certain then we'd be accused of not communicating.

I have had to apologise a few times for statements I've made in good faith only to find out a few hours later that my information was wrong.

I totally agree with Steve W (sailing Moderation).

How many of us woulkd put in the hours the moderators do, and withstand all the cr-p constantly thrown at them.

I say:

BRING BACK THE BIGAMIST ONE !!!!

David

You can find more information about the finishing line issue here:
http://www.volvooceanracegame.org/forum/index.php?forumid=9&topicid=14216

Point taken about lies. I was going to edit that,but you've(MicroMagic GBR77) beaten me to it.
I accept your explanation without reservation.