Well folks, all you fliers....are you up to a little test of skill at the controls of the twin throttles and your joystick (steering wheel)?

 

Are you?

 

Do you think you have what it takes to travel down rough and tumble, current laden, bow wave'ed, bogie loaded, sand-bar'ed, islands-- in front of the bow, and all sorts of other attention-getting rivers, within the world of Orbx?

 

Do ya?

 

If so...then welcome to the new and improved thrills 'n chills: FSX 2012 ™ River Racing! (spoof...)

 

There is no need to procure your copy, as you already have this version within FSX Flight Simulator by Microsoft ™

 

Here's how you unlock this sub-simulator platform:

 

1) Grab a powerboat of your choice made for FSX

 

 

http://simviation.co...zip)

 

 

2) Place it on any of the Orbx's rivers or large streams by use of the 'Y' key. Use the joystick to place your boat upon the waterway.

 

3) Then, head DOWNSTREAM with the current and see how good you are, to avoid all the bogie's mentioned above...and not crash or BEACH your boat! Welcome to the new chill's n' thrill's version of FSX, when you need to take a break from flying within it.

 

Seriously.....I just truly discovered a new use, and a much involved use of FSX, when you want to try something a little different. I just took the river ride out of Tyslos Lodge...and heading downstream in the powerboat 'Clarisse', found out a few very fun peculiarities with water within FSX. Here's some of the things I discovered much to my surprise and pleasure.

 

1. There absolutely are currents built into the water model.

2. Wind will cause drifting of boat and or an amphibian if present.

 

3) FSX unintentionally causes RAPIDS and bow waves where there is an upraised portion of the mesh under a water body and when you go 'over' that bottom, your boat fully reacts such as in hitting a large displacement wave and away you go....zoom and boom. Landing back upon the water you continue...or perhaps you have just 'keeled' her! I made this part in bold type, because it is so real..and so unintentional...in that perhaps there is a slight flaw where sandbars, banks, islands, etc...extend a little bit (the terrain model) into where the water masks lie...and THAT equates to a simulated upheaval/rapid section of water. What a blast!

 

So...if you are looking for something a little different in the use of FSX besides taking one up....perhaps follow my suggestion, and instead for a day...take one OUT.....lol. You need to keep well ahead of the boat as there are a ton of turns, S-turns, islands, sand-bars, etc..that will make you have great use of the throttle, speed, and maneuvering. Trust me...it takes skill not to skid onto a sand bar, rock face, etc....

 

So...do you think you can run the river? Yeah? Try it.......:)

 

For a suggestion, Fly out of Tyslos Lodge, see the river from the air...land...and then place your amphibian upon the river, near the lodge. Swap it out for the 'Clarisse'...and then watch how gravity takes you down the river as the river runs fast..then slows...and then down perhaps a run of 3-5 degrees. Watch out for the bogies.... and have fun. I sure am.....!

 

Mitch Moment

I bumped becasue I put the address in my O.P. for the boat.... :) Have fun!

We want a video, Mitch! :Party:

We want a video, Mitch! :Party:

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Forget the video...I want YOU to take her out yourself for some fun...and FUN...it sure as H*LL is!

 

Post Edit: About 10 or 12 miles down the river out of Tyslos Lodge, I just entered a beautiful canyon, or some might call it a grotto. The river has, by the effects I have described earlier, large smooth-water 'rapids' as the evergreen-tree covered walls and rock faces climb about you. Man, this is fun...back to the canyon.....

One Question, the comment about river currents intrigues me...how do you know this to be true, IE have you shut down the boat and watched it flow downstream with the current....(which might be the slope of the mesh as it slopes toward the ocean).

 

It would be fun to have a boat AI to race along with.

One Question, the comment about river currents intrigues me...how do you know this to be true, IE have you shut down the boat and watched it flow downstream with the current....(which might be the slope of the mesh as it slopes toward the ocean).

 

It would be fun to have a boat AI to race along with.

 

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Well, the 'true' you are looking for is probably where Phil Taylor steps up and says; "...yes..". I don't have that. What I do have Fltsimguy, is watching the boat with no power going down a grade in the terrain, and watching that I do move either left or right of my entry track. Also, this could arise with what I reported by means of slightly raised terrain under the water masks that act as a 'boulder' or 'river bottom shelf' and with the clear water turbulence of which you can clearly see happening with water at full effect (and that is how I only recommend running a boat/sail/ship on FSX water, for immersion factor...) , which lifts the whole hull as if caught going over a swell. When this happens the boat can either stay straight 180 degrees to the entry, or it can skew itself as would happen in real life. So, as to whether 'current' physics are in play, or how the physics of the water in total plays out against the passage of an amphib, or watercraft...is the same as if it was happening in real life. So...I'll just choose to personally call it currents acting upon the boat. I happened to see that there was a wave surge/swell on an open stretch of river...and gunning the 'Clarisse' to full out...hit that clear water rapid...and launched the entire hull half way out of the water....what a hoot! I can just imagine the effect if I can find a insane-horsepower cigarette boat...lol. This has been quite a bit of fun in a departure from what you would normally run FSX for...but nonetheless, it is a legitimate usage of the virtual world that FSX can and does....offer.

 

Mitch M.

 

We want a video, Mitch! :Party:

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CoolP, I'd like to replace my use of the world 'forget' (sounds totally dismissive, and was NOT my intent in using it) with 'how about you try it out for yourself'. :)

I will consider getting fraps again and perhaps making a vid of what I am doing. I'll track you down and let you know if I do. :)

 

Mitch

Don't worry, Mitch. Everything is fine here. I have a few hours to spend, so I'll head for some boat download now. B) Could be a very good idea after landing the seaplane somewhere and then looking for a slow water based vehicle. Lets see if it works out.

 

Haha, I've released her while being in the air (slew mode) and received a stall warning. Now, back to serious business, lets look for some more water.

I don't know about you, but I found it boring.

Can't even fish. Where's the fishing pole!! Geez.

I had a few rounds in the classy boat and enjoyed the rather high (water) speed while exploring some of the bridges in Orbx country from below. Yes, flying is even more fun, but I applaud to the idea of the post and also the devs, offering such nice and free additions.

Must admit, I had a time were I went a lot around the waterways with my Catalina, not flying. You know, practicing with the differential power of those huge and loud machines on top. Anyone tried to hunt the Orcas?

Don't worry, Mitch. Everything is fine here. I have a few hours to spend, so I'll head for some boat download now. B) Could be a very good idea after landing the seaplane somewhere and then looking for a slow water based vehicle. Lets see if it works out.

 

Haha, I've released her while being in the air (slew mode) and received a stall warning. Now, back to serious business, lets look for some more water.

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Ok, thanks...after I thought it sounded rather rude of me, and again, there was no intent to be so! What I do, and have been doing over the last two days...is seed the 'Clarisse' by landing at the lake or upon the river that is adjacent to an Orbx airfield. I then slew the amphib into a dock at a marina in the scenery. Once in the slip, I swap out the plane for Clarisse, and then make a save situ, named '3W5 Concrete-Marine' or '2WA1-Diamond Point-Marine', etc. Now, I have something to actually do, once I land that further expands the use of what I paid good coin for. After my post-flight inspection and 'tie-down'....I 'BOB' over to the dock area, and when there, LOAD up the marine that connects with that airport scenery. Then...'bob' over and into the boat...and take off for an hour or two exploring that particular lake, river...what have you. Back to the marina we go....bring Clarisse (man...how much would THIS BABY actually cost !!?!?!?!?!?) Fuel up, put her into her slip, and 'BOB' back to our plane. Pre-trip, taxi, take-off...and back to our F.B.O. That is how I now choose to use FSX (in my mind, to the fullest). In a word, air as well as marine. It's working out really great in the immersion department. Then of course, I have much developed a liking to taking the Clarisse on a 'white-water' through the likes of the Grand Canyon. Now...THAT is a hoot with custom scenery, Cool. That...is a hoot!

 

Mitch

 

I had a few rounds in the classy boat and enjoyed the rather high (water) speed while exploring some of the bridges in Orbx country from below. Yes, flying is even more fun, but I applaud to the idea of the post and also the devs, offering such nice and free additions.

Must admit, I had a time were I went a lot around the waterways with my Catalina, not flying. You know, practicing with the differential power of those huge and loud machines on top. Anyone tried to hunt the Orcas?

I had a few rounds in the classy boat and enjoyed the rather high (water) speed while exploring some of the bridges in Orbx country from below. Yes, flying is even more fun, but I applaud to the idea of the post and also the devs, offering such nice and free additions.

Must admit, I had a time were I went a lot around the waterways with my Catalina, not flying. You know, practicing with the differential power of those huge and loud machines on top. Anyone tried to hunt the Orcas?

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Sure! Orcas as well as Dolphins. There is a bay off an island (well populated by those with large coin....) across from Orbx's Orca...take the boat to the visual islands across the channel...and then cruise the islands and channels between them, until you see flocks of seabirds...in one of those bays (shallow blue water) there are pods of orc's and dolph's surfacing and diving in various locales. Now..there is a good scenario to go and visit that airport, and it's great marina! I have Clarisse in a 'saved' slip there as well. Can ya tell I'm having fun for the money spent? :)

Plane, boat, BOB, boat, plane. When we add cars, helis and rockets, we have them all. What a session.

Can't even fish. Where's the fishing pole!! Geez.

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Cast the line in your mind...for even if you caught something...what would you do with it? :)

 

Plane, boat, BOB, boat, plane. When we add cars, helis and rockets, we have them all. What a session.

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Plane, bob, boat, bob, plane, F.B.O. You just described what someone with the coin to actually do this outside of software...can...and does. It sure beats, Plane, fly, land...shut down FSX! At least in my reasoning...lol.

 

Mitch

I haven't checked it yet, but I could imagine that some PeopleFlow folks are already fishing in FSX. Not? KCMW sea plane base?

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Cast the line in your mind...for even if you caught something...what would you do with it? :)

 

Well I would row the boat to shore, get in my truck and take them to the processing plant. They would give me money (pretend money of course), then I could walk to the Pup and have a beer.

 

Bob