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TinyWind: A pixel pirate sailing game with real wind physics (380k+ kms sailed)

241 pointsby tinywindtoday at 4:15 PM50 commentsview on HN

Comments

amaranttoday at 6:40 PM

This is awesome! To offer some constructive feedback: the wind direction could be clearer. More particles flowing across the waters! Especially when the direction is changing. Looking up at the wind teller is unintuitive, even for this old sailor who understands where it comes from. I also didn't always feel like it mattered which direction I angled my sails, only how much I angled them. Like I could angle them for a port wind when in reality I had a starboard wind, and I'd sail just fine.

In the other hand that made it easier, and it was already hard enough lol! I bet it's easier on desktop though...

Edit: you should add a race/regatta mode!

kordlessagaintoday at 6:23 PM

I used Hyperia (my terminal project) to let Antigravity take control. I think it's cheating now because it has infinite ammo.

Oh my, it wired up its own autopilot and is wrecking havoc now.

ryandraketoday at 6:02 PM

Very cute and fun looking game, but I found it very difficult. Enemies have perfect aim, and I can't hit anything. Healing the ship takes too long, too. Do you have a difficulty slider/setting? Maybe I missed it. It feels like I'm playing on the hardest mode.

juleiietoday at 6:48 PM

Should be multiplayer like worms io of old

Seriously it would be something sea worthy. Huge success viral probably

tinywindtoday at 4:30 PM

The 2 game modes are free to play in browser. Come join our 245 active captains, I’d love any and all playtest feedback at this stage!

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dgently7today at 5:34 PM

the control layout is a bit awkward on mobile. i find myself wanting to adjust both heading and trim continuously, but both controls are on the right so i cant use both thumbs. then the buttons to fire/ board are fiddly. tbh almost gave up then tried with keyboard and saw how it was supposed to go.

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SubiculumCodetoday at 5:13 PM

Is it multiplayer or am I playing against bots?

I submitted this a few days ago, so glad to see it posted again. Fun game. Funner to think I am sinking people, not bots :)

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doletoday at 5:41 PM

Be interesting to see enemies take friendly fire, and possibly suppress fire if the shot on the player isn't clear?

tim-startoday at 6:43 PM

great game! well done.

Skidaddletoday at 5:22 PM

Very cute aesthetic and reminiscent of Pirates!

I am lazy and would request a settings toggle to automatically adjust the sail angles for me for optimal speed given my bearing.

xboxnolifestoday at 6:09 PM

If you put sail adjust ments of the opposite side of the screen from the helm on mobile, its be easier to both at once.

_fluxtoday at 6:18 PM

Should there be sound? I think sounds would be essential for this.

Running on Linux Firefox.

macrocosmostoday at 5:42 PM

I don’t seem to be able to stop the boat by sailing straight into the wind.

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JumpCrisscrosstoday at 5:36 PM

Really cool! What did you use for the physics engine?

kfsetoday at 5:40 PM

The boat seems to go faster with the sails on the wrong side (back winded), that doesn't make a ton of physical sense to me

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poppingtonictoday at 5:46 PM

Some zig zag motions are required to maintain velocity and the combat is fun. I like it!

embwbamtoday at 5:22 PM

This brings back some memories! I used to play the Ancient Art of War at Sea on my dad's Mac Plus as a kid. Having never sailed, it was fun to learn about tacking while trying to broadside spanish galleons. Years later, I lied about my experience to convince a resort to let me check out a tiny catamaran. I made it back to shore!

One recommendation: make the boats not turn quite so fast. It allows you to outmaneuver other vessels by planning ahead or gaining speed ahead of time.

I still don't know much about sailing, but I have a lot of kitesurfing experience. Do boats really travel that slowly downwind? I assume that crosswind is faster, but downwind should still move at the speed of the wind.

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rsvidaltoday at 5:07 PM

This is lovely. Well done.

fallinditchtoday at 5:14 PM

Looks great! it's nice that you can immediately try it out

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thekevintangtoday at 5:16 PM

This is awesome!

juprtoday at 5:29 PM

This game is super fun. Thanks.

taffydavidtoday at 6:04 PM

I love it!

alexaholictoday at 6:04 PM

Excellent!

rcarmotoday at 5:01 PM

Pretty amazing, congratulations!

hyperionultratoday at 5:17 PM

Noice. What’s the stack?

ltononrotoday at 5:53 PM

controls could be easier :D

imperialdrivetoday at 5:03 PM

Very cool, love it!

deadbabetoday at 5:50 PM

Would be nice if cannons didn’t fire in directions that had no clear enemies.

gaolei8888today at 5:11 PM

nice one