Sport of Kings

PC World Cup Skiing

Roogames' conversion of Lambourne Games Skiing Simulation

'World Cup Skiing’

We are pleased to announce the release of our latest conversion, based on Lambourne Games' classic skiing dice-and-chart system.

Much of the original concept has been retained in the computer version but, as usual, we have expanded the game engine in certain areas to adapt the game to the computer.

The program allows you to re-create seasons of the past (men and women) as well as pitting the all-time great skiers against each other.

Unlike the original game, you do not have full information on how a skier’s run is going. At each split time, you are given updated info, not only on their time, but also the current control factor. You must then make decisions for the next portion of the run based on this. There is a new skier mode called Attack, which sits between normal and charge. Charging now automatically has some negative effect on control and is now a more dangerous option than before. Times are now also adjusted according to smoothness of skiing. You now have to balance the risk/reward of the various modes while recognising that a high control factor throughout the race will reduce the skiers overall time, while losing control not only increases the chance of a fall, but wastes valuable 100ths of seconds.

Weather now comes into play as well, with a forecast being given at the start of the race and course conditions possibly changing during the race. This may affect your race strategy.

The editing suite in the program allows you to create your own seasons based on one of the existing skier sets. This includes the ability to set and edit your own schedule as well as various options on how the races are run and how points are scored. We have also included the facility to design your own courses and incorporate them into your seasons.

The Game Engine

Downhill Skiing is about going fast down a mountain in as controlled a fashion as possible. The critical factor in WCS is the control factor (CF). If your skier has a high CF then there is less chance of a mistake being made and more chance of a fast time. Each skier’s CF will change frequently during their run and it is balancing the control against the need for a fast time which is the essence of the game.

The Courses

Each course is made up of a sequence of course sections. Each section is designated one of 5 types, these being normal, Jump, Turns, Bumps and Speed. Each skier is rated in each of the 4 ‘non-normal’ areas so the frequency of each type of section on a course may suit one skier better than another. Jump, Turns and Bumps sections may also have a control factor modifier associated with them. These can range from +1 to +3 with a +3 section being exceptionally tricky. Finally each section has a standard time associated with it and when all the sections are assed together this produces a ‘target’ time as a guide for the course.

The Skiers

Each skier has seven ratings which combine to reflect personality and skill. A starting CF is allocated to each with an associated maximum CF which can never be exceeded. The better skiers have high starting CF ratings and high maximums. Skiers are also rated for their ability over each of the course section types. The higher the rating, the faster a skier will go over a specific type of section. Finally, they are also rated for their ability to charge (again an adjustment to their time).

The Run

As a skier makes his way down the run, there is a two-step process to each race section.

Control Adjustment: There are four possible outcomes for the impact on the CF. No Change, CF increases, CF decreases or a possible fall occurs. The probability of each is based on the skiers current CF and the CF modifier of the current course section.

Timing: Assuming the skier hasn’t fallen, the time taken for the section is determined by a combination of the skier’s skill over that particular section type, the mode selected for the skier and the length of the course section. The CF is also used in this calculation as a higher CF reflects smooth skiing and a faster time.

The Skier Modes

There are four modes available for each course section. Cautious, Normal, Attack and Charge. It should be pretty obvious what each mode means, suffice it to say that Charge is the most dangerous and will always reduce CF by at least one point. For a skier to realistically have a chance of winning both the Attack and Charge modes should for part of the run strategy – but it is up to you to decide when and where to attack the course.

Weather

The weather rules built into the game reflect the real-life changing of course conditions during the race. The effect can be to speed up the course or slow down the course. Skiers will have an idea of what the forecast says will happen and this might require more risks to be taken if the course is forecasted to quicken, or less if it is forecasted to slow. Of course it is only a forecast.

The game comes with the following seasons:

Men

1967-68, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1987-88, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2003-04, 2005-06, ATG

Women

1997-98, 1998-99, 2003-04, 2005-06, ATG

PC World Cup Skiing available now for £15.

Screenshots

Here are some screenshots. Click any image for a larger picture.