Are there any recommended small noob boats for a small yard?

[Iamezra313]

Just want to get myself some things to play with to start with whilst I get my head around the game and do basic missions (am not one of these people that will watch 3 hours of tutorials straight away before doing a basic mission).

Have got a very basic boat but need to add more engines in as the speed isn't great (am sure this is workable and easily doable). Am just looking for efficient basic service vehicles (at this stage just boats) that ain't going to take 3 years to get to research scientists (if that makes sense).

Is there anything anyone would recommend?

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions.

[Jorg Hammond]

You could take the Rainette for a spin:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2074952878

It's a very small boat powered by one small diesel engine. It's reasonably quick, fuel efficient, and you can do the basic taxi missions and can even tow light loads. Not great for delivery missions though.

The Rainette 3 has some instruments that require a bit of research and a medium winch, but you can use it from the very start of the career. Just patch the holes in the controls panel and you're good to go.

[Megahurts]

Shameless build plug... https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1971615857

[Iamezra313]

Originally posted by Megahurts:

Shameless build plug... https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1971615857

That is exactly what I'm after. At the moment a to b at speed is my main objective. Out of interest how long did that take you to understand and build as that's where I'll be going next (or at least trying to add more engines).

[Iamezra313]

Originally posted by Rashtek Frites:

You could take the Rainette for a spin:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2074952878

It's a very small boat powered by one small diesel engine. It's reasonably quick, fuel efficient, and you can do the basic taxi missions and can even tow light loads. Not great for delivery missions though.

The Rainette 3 has some instruments that require a bit of research and a medium winch, but you can use it from the very start of the career. Just patch the holes in the controls panel and you're good to go.

Thanks - am adding this as well. Out of interest - how long did that take you to get your head around and build?

[Megahurts]

I still don't understand half the things in this game lol. Trial and error (plenty of both) :)

[Iamezra313]

Originally posted by Megahurts:

I still don't understand half the things in this game lol. Trial and error (plenty of both) :)

gonna be needing to find some time for this game then by the sounds of it (which is scary). I usually find whatever the game there is never enough power.....

[Jorg Hammond]

I was interested in the idea of building my own vehicles from the get go, so I went straight for it. I watched some videos but also used the guides here on Steam which are quite nice.

At first, it took me quite some time (probably a dozen hours for me) only to get used to the editor, and learn how to build a boat hull using not only cubes but wedges and more importantly pyramids and antipyramids. One nice thing is that if you place a pyramid and drag in one direction, the editor creates a nice slope for you, just try it and you'll see.

Another turning point was learning how to use the Selection Grid tool to cut, copy and paste parts. It's a great time saver.

I read a bit about ship hull shapes in real life and practiced on that basis for a while. Actually for the Rainette, I was going for a rigid inflatable boat but totally failed at it, but went with what I got anyway. :p

Nowadays I tend to start with the engine compartment, then add a custom fuel tank, transmission and propulsion at the stern, then build the hull around it, instead of starting from the hull and trying to fit it all in after the fact.

I also found out at the beginning, by the time I was done with the purely mechanical side of things, I was a little burnt out when came the time to make all the logical connections and build a piloting station. It felt a little overwhelming. But with experience you learn you only need a few basic controls and displays to get you started, and there's always time to improve later on that basis.

You just have to be patient, and maybe settle for something that works okay right now but can be improved upon later, and your vehicles become better, performance and looks wise, as you get more experience. You can build faster even.

And of course there's excellent advice to be received by the community. I'm only familiar with these forums, but I've learned a lot just asking questions or trying to help others figure things out.

The passive stabilization system on the Rainette is a dumbed down version of a devilish modification Ra-Ra-Rasputin made of it after I asked here how I could improve the stability of my boat (you can't be destabilzed by the sea if you fly above the sea, he said). The placement of the fluid ports for the cooling also come from him.

To end this blabbering and try and sum it up, it takes some dozen hours to learn and build basic vehicles, but there is no greater satisfaction than to drive your own creation around, however inefficient or akward-looking it can be. Plus that's how you get ideas on new things to try and improve. In my opinion, it's the core appeal of Stormworks.

[Iamezra313]

Originally posted by Rashtek Frites:

I was interested in the idea of building my own vehicles from the get go, so I went straight for it. I watched some videos but also used the guides here on Steam which are quite nice.

At first, it took me quite some time (probably a dozen hours for me) only to get used to the editor, and learn how to build a boat hull using not only cubes but wedges and more importantly pyramids and antipyramids. One nice thing is that if you place a pyramid and drag in one direction, the editor creates a nice slope for you, just try it and you'll see.

Another turning point was learning how to use the Selection Grid tool to cut, copy and paste parts. It's a great time saver.

I read a bit about ship hull shapes in real life and practiced on that basis for a while. Actually for the Rainette, I was going for a rigid inflatable boat but totally failed at it, but went with what I got anyway. :p

Nowadays I tend to start with the engine compartment, then add a custom fuel tank, transmission and propulsion at the stern, then build the hull around it, instead of starting from the hull and trying to fit it all in after the fact.

I also found out at the beginning, by the time I was done with the purely mechanical side of things, I was a little burnt out when came the time to make all the logical connections and build a piloting station. It felt a little overwhelming. But with experience you learn you only need a few basic controls and displays to get you started, and there's always time to improve later on that basis.

You just have to be patient, and maybe settle for something that works okay right now but can be improved upon later, and your vehicles become better, performance and looks wise, as you get more experience. You can build faster even.

And of course there's excellent advice to be received by the community. I'm only familiar with these forums, but I've learned a lot just asking questions or trying to help others figure things out.

The passive stabilization system on the Rainette is a dumbed down version of a devilish modification Ra-Ra-Rasputin made of it (you can't be destabilzed by the sea if you fly above the sea, he said). The placement of the fluid ports for the cooling also come from him.

To end this blabbering and try and sum it up, it takes some dozen hours to learn and build basic vehicles, but there is no greater satisfaction than to drive your own creation around, however inefficient or akward-looking it can be. Plus that's how you get ideas on new things to try and improve. In my opinion, it's the core appeal of Stormworks.

Thanks and will definately see myself getting there - just my initial is just lets get some A to B style missions done whilst finding out how to essentially build a class one powerboat with seats. Just trying to juggle lots of stuff at the minute

[Jorg Hammond]

You'll soon get the hang of it and smile when you realize the boat you slapped together quickly just to test something is going twice as fast as your first ones with the same amount of engines.

If you want to get from A to B quick in a straight line, good things to look for are:
- a single propeller beats several for speed in a straight line
- reducing drag (i.e. the amount of hull that remains underwater) is what you want ; you can achieve this by either making a V shaped hull, a flat hull hovering above the surface, or even try a catamaran or trimaran type of hull (the faster you go, the more the ship lifts above the sea, the less hull drags in the water) ; in some cases, lowering the propeller is good because the lever effect has the bow of your ship raise above the water - it's then just a matter of trimming the amount of stern that is still dragging on. That's not great for a tugboat, but for a speedboat it can be nice.

[Ra-Ra-Rasputin]

[Jaws theme on kazoo intensifies]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2006353815

[Iamezra313]

Originally posted by Ra-Ra-Rasputin:

[Jaws theme on kazoo intensifies]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2006353815

Added and thanks. How long did this take to build and get your head around in terms of approach?

[Ra-Ra-Rasputin]

The idea? It was actually built off of someone claiming you can't make small boats in Stormworks.

First i created this:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2002083003

But i thought it never was fast enough, and was really more of a "proof of concept", which the guy then also noted that doesn't count because it basically has floaties. It's still a decent little thing, i'm just not as happy with it as the Platypus. (And as an additional downside, the standing "helm" control "seat" is not accessible in career from the get-go)

The Platypus itself took about 30 minutes for the first properly functioning version (without the tail and most systems like dials and gauges), 1 hour to fully build, and 1-2 hours on top of that to tinker, but that's because i've hundreds of hours of experience and know my way through engine design intimately. Also i build pretty quickly overall.

I've no idea what an extremely compact approach like that would take a new player to build, there's surprisingly much going on there in terms of stability even if it has exactly 0 active stability components.
Remove the bottom rudder and try another rudder system? It'll fall over on the first turn. Adjust the little flap in the beak too much or too little? It either becomes extremely slow or extremely unstable. Don't have the tail? Surprisingly, you get higher top speed, but it is significantly more difficult and involved to drive if there's any waves at all. It really doesn't have the battery for a lot of repeated starts, and the generator is only charging it so fast to give the engine a fighting chance on low RPS.

[sonic_1972]

Originally posted by Megahurts:

Shameless build plug... https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1971615857

I love the look of this boat but can't get it to take any fuel.

[Megahurts]

Oh? Lemme go look...

[Megahurts]

Working here...the gauge itself doesn't work until you unlock and install a fluid meter but it's taking fuel from the pump.

(Also, this type of issue would be better left in the Workshop comments to ensure the author sees it)