Saturday, November 20, 2010



ALL-new, 3D Animation
ultra-real-life online game!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Take the ultimate mariner's challenge through shallow, murky waters, swiftly running currents and heavy traffic as you make your way past unexpected hazards at every turn! Shoals, sunken vessels, rocks and other underwater perils await the intrepid traveler!

Test and hone your skill as you navigate the infamous Rock Pile, Hell Gate, Little Mud River and the dreaded Shallows of McClellanville through capricious weather pounding you with high wind, freezing cold, dense fog and pouring rain.

Employ complicated formulas to complete passages in daylight, figuring the speed of your vessel changing with and against roaring tides and shifting currents, narrow passages and heavy traffic that slow you down, all threatening to make you fall short of safe harbor before dark of night, which steals in a little earlier at each level. At Level 5, if you are skilled enough to make it that far, Daylight Savings Time will take away yet another hour of sunlight, shortening your opportunity to tie up before the chill of darkness descends.

Travel through spectacular 3D coastal scenes featuring full-color sunrises and sunsets, lifelike dolphins, cormorants and alligators. Navigate marks that may or may not have changed equipped with conflicting depth meters, fickle instruments that sometimes show you passing over land and charts that challenge your spatial relations by appearing in exact reverse of what you see on your screen.


Use your puzzle-solving skills to search out and read directional marks just out of site distance, low on the water. As an extra challenge, the red marks have red numbers, and green marks with green numbers are placed just above the waterline, frequently against green trees and low green shrubbery onshore.

Earn points along the way to be used for free rescue by SEA TOW or be left aground waiting for the next tide swing as other players get the advantage.

Gain lives by chatting with other players on the VHF and at anchorages and get tips on what perils lay ahead by cashing in cheese and crackers points earned at provisioning outposts. Further local knowledge can be gained at small, sketchy bars, but caution prevails in choosing your sources and wielding the information gained wisely lest you be sent on the wrong path.

Be wary of point loss by crashing into other players with your vessel, passing without hailing on the radio, anchoring too close to other vessels, cursing on the VHF, dumping waste overboard or arriving at marinas after dark. 

New features in the latest version include bonus points for being mentioned in another player's blog and environmental point loss for colliding with sea life or spilling diesel fuel in the water. 

Challenge your skills by adding the bridge feature where low obstacles are placed in your path, some opening on the hour, some on the half hour, some by request, some based on complicated and highly secret algorithms and some at the gamemaker's whim. Others remain closed during certain tide changes, and some open only partially, the ultimate test of your piloting skills. Bonus points awarded for passing through these overhead obstacles in swift current and heavy traffic.

Traverse the levels traveling with and against mammoth barges, towering fishing boats, some with nets spread in the channel, dozens of buzzing recreational craft who mark you as a target and high-powered motor vessels creating massive wakes that rattle your vessel and knock you off your path. Pass through major inlets and harbors dodging gargantuan cruise ships, large passenger ferries and cargo ships that loom up on your screen as waterborne buildings.

The true survivors who reach Level 10, will be confronted not only with the challenges of the lower levels but will be faced with the addition of increasing tides that swing by a frightful 9 to 10 feet, currents that change direction every two to three miles, side currents in shallow, poorly marked cuts and as daylight hours grow shorter, safe anchorages become fewer and farther between.

The lucky will take refuge in idyllic spots like Isle of Hope, Moon River and Beaufort, and the highly skilled will be rewarded at the end with warm turquoise waters and tropical islands. Are you one of the lucky ones?


Find out now. 
Play ICW: SURVIVAL! today.

Boat sold separately.


8 comments:

  1. They say that it's not the water, but the hard stuff around the edges....

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  2. I want that game (Hint, Hint Jim) :)

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  3. THANK YOU!! Finally a post that says everything there is to be said about the Intracoastal! Honestly, in the three weeks we slogged through there before springing a leak and having our girl hauled out (trip to be continued), we kept asking each other, "What the H*** is it with this current, and why hasn't anyone adressed it on the many blogs we've been reading?!"
    You've made me feel so much better.

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  4. Interesting... I was searching this info for my uncle. He will be happy for such a great info. Thanks for sharing...
    Ana

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  5. TOO funny. We were totally traumatized by the ICW, but now we can look back and laugh.

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    1. It's truly laughable. You think going "inside" means taking the easy route, but the ICW can be quite maddening in the busy season. Although it's not quite as stressful after that first time!

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