Ports of Call - Unfinished

maltonmanor · Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 3:45 am Post subject: Ports of Call - Unfinished

I have not posted here in a long time, but I do occasionally still play Port of Call and I regularly check for updates. I became a Platinum Member, way back in 2002. At that time, the game was far from finished, so we were paying on the belief that our money would go towards finishing the game.

I read with interest Mr. Klein's message on the main page of the POC website, essentially taking issue with people who steal software and never pay for the use of it. I am sure that there are plenty of people out there that do that. Yet, I think that it is important to view the other side of the coin. Consumers, like myself, pay good money for software and games, on the understanding that the games have been play-tested many times, and that they work flawlessly and are completed. How rarely is that the case though. I have a drawer full of games that never reached their potential, and many, that are so under-developed, that they are virtually unplayable.

Now, although POC is definitely playable, it is an unfinished product. I paid up front in 2002, and now 7 years later, I am waiting for the product to be finished. I opened up the game today after many months, and there were no updated. Frankly, the updates that have been made over the last few years, have been fairly small in scope. The Stock Market has never been well developed as many functions, both started or at least talked about, have gone no where.

Lastly, although POC is a simulation, in fact it is a poor one, and is not representative of the industry in any way (I have been in shipping for 25 years now). But worse than this, there really is not a game in there. I have played POC countless times, but each game always begins the same, with a bit of a struggle, but once you get your 3rd or 4th ship, the game is pretty much over as you can just conservatively grow year over year over year. There is no challenge, unless the whole intention is to be a multiplayer game but I do remember the intention was to create a solitaire game that would be both educational and challenging.

In conclusion, I don't want to seem too harsh. POC has given me some enjoyment over the years and in a small way I did contribute to the content of the game by passing on my knowledge and research material. But over the last couple of years, on the occasion when I have opened up the game and pressed UPDATE, I always hoped I would be blown away by the new features, but everytime have been disappointed. I have intended to write this message for a long time, but just kept procrastinating. I am not sure what convinced me to write this time.

Respectfully,

Brad Fallon
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
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A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.

Christian Todt · Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 10:13 am Post subject:

Hello,
I have to agree in someway but not to everything mentioned.
First I have to state, that i would like to have an update, too.
But otherwise I can see, that I've got the Platinum License with
not only poc xxl but also the two 3d sims of which especially the sim 3d2
i like quite much.
Moreover there is a progress going on,
also begun by Sparky and St. Paddy, which may be essential when it's
released as update. But that will take some time i think, as the changes
for this are remarkable from my view.
So I tend to be patiient, as rdklein has regularly stated, that platinum is a lifetime license and includes all changes an updates for poc xxl.
therefore I'm not to disappointed at the moment, though also I
would like to have an update to get some new challenge.

With best regards,
Christian Todt
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rdklein · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 7:55 am Post subject:

lots of things are going on and I think the new upcoming update with the new xml format and features would be a major one.

Of course I wished I could put much more manpower in the project, but thats a matter of funds and we really have a very low budget - so it takes longer time than using 10 people when only having effectifly 1/2 but progress continues. The lifetime license was good for the customers but proved very bad for the developers as when less and less new people buy the license the funds decrease for development. So currently its more hobby for me - we also hope to release the SMallwater (inner shipping) version very soon, but this must be outside the platinum license to help funding new development on all.

But instead of complaining about the slow development (all for a fixed price you know) it would be great if old customers help us like Sparky etc. in development.

You can also help us funding the development by buying a a stereo license or addons and try to get new customers !

Christian Todt · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 9:37 am Post subject:

just make it public, when the sml version is released (also as beta)
i'll buy a license then as soon as possible.

Greets,
CT
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maltonmanor · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 6:05 pm Post subject:

I understand where you are coming from, but when I purchased the Platinum, it was for the POC game. I turn all of the Ship Simulators off.
How can a new product - Inner Shipping, be rolled out when the core game POC is not finished? I know that as a developer, you are constantly striving to have a steady flow of cash, but this is not accomplished by turning to new products all of the time. It is built up by reputation for finishing projects.

I just think that all efforts should go towards really trying to finish POC XXL before rolling out new products. Honestly, I wouldn't pay any money at this point for any new products because where I have spent the money I still haven't received a finished game.

Mr. Klein, I have no problem assisting in any way if I think there is a real effort being put forward to try and finish POC XXL. I don't know a thing about programming, but I do know a fair bit about shipping and have a good collection of reference material.

Sorry for what appears as a negative attitude. I do like the game, I just think it could be so much more and needs to be finished.

Best regards

Brad Fallon
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A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.

rdklein · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 8:50 pm Post subject:

The POC SML is on hold since about 4 years now, and I tried to make make a superset for sml and xxl, so the core program is the same. Poc xxl profits from sml and vice versa. If I only develop xxl further all gets stuck (also due to the missing funds- this is really THE MAJOR PROBLEM - economic sims todays require a huge fund to gain new people as for grafics for example.) and will block the sight.
Lots of wishes are in both programs though xxl has not revealed them as the latest xml features for dependant freight (whichI also need for sml) so the coding for xxl + sml is not 2x the efford only 1.1 x of both and the result are two programs one of them new (which I hope get back old customers and helps funding both).
SO I hope we make soon a big step and progress.
I tried to get funding by releasing in betweens as the boxed versions but they did not so I have to give up boxed versions - the only advantage on this is that we were getting new ships and scnes for the sim 3dii in this way.

-- so lets talk about the future of POC -- it will get new updates of course, I am constantly working to try to improve the speed.

If all pirates playing our platinum versions get a license, this will help also ! -- and if all people playing it on more than one computer get an additional license (even gold) that would be great.
We have around 60% pirates of the platinum version and estimated 1000% of the boxed version (POC deluxe) - this killed the development for the boxed version as the distributor dont gain enough money out of the project.

ALso I have to complain especially on german customs with chargeback on the LASTSCHRiFT this costs us 10 euro in addition to the license fee each time and its about 10% of purchases. People either dont have money on their account or frauding us -- as poc can be tested without license I dont see any other reason for this.

And we have to charge for all lost licenses in the future (getting a lot at the moment - they might have to buy a new one in the future !!! ) - this can help also then my coworker can focus in the new development instead of searching for old addresses and writing emails back and forth up to 5 times (people sometimes cannot answer questions ....) ---
we also plan to send an license update for all OLD users as windows 7 and vista requires when moving (license sind mid of 2009 will do ), due to the shadow problem, which keeps us busy also answering questions by email (thanks to the microsoft shadow volume and we not charging for updates -- as all other customers have to pay for updates, other companies don't have that problem though)

SO SEARCHING for a solution on all this above making me headache maybe from now some creative solutions would be great. And what makes me much more happy and motivates in continuing and putting more power in the project are customers who like the game though our updates are not that fast as they and I want and support us in any way.

Brynjard · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 3:05 pm Post subject:

To rdklein and maltonmanor.
Why don`t use facebook to "marketing".
"Facebook Marketing Solutions"
It`s really efficient.

rdklein · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:57 pm Post subject:

yes I have a facebook group already for poc.

Brynjard · Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 12:15 pm Post subject:

I`ve just become a member Wink

Christian Todt · Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 2:36 pm Post subject:

Hello,
is there anything new about PoC at the moment?
Maybe something about sml and when it's released?

it seems to me that it's so quite in the forum for some time....

Best Regards,
Christian Todt
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