PoC: General Impression

[Bruno]

Am a 47 years old German, living in Brazil for the last 20 years.
Many years ago, my first contact with PoC was through the old DOS version; about 2 years ago when I was looking for a shipping compgame I found PoC again and bought the Platinium license.
My interest in the game is the shipping and freight biz, not so much the 3D and simulation part. Latter may be fun, but is too much time consuming when you’re playing.

Generally speaking, I like the game, it is big fun. Following lines are to share experience and maybe help RDK to improve one or the other thing.

In these 2 years I have played five or six games, advanced level, always starting in 1975.
My current game, against 1 alien, states:
Bruno Alien
Current date 7/1986 7/1986
Status 255 0
cash 316 Million - 0,79 Million
Assets 1.298 Million 84 Million
Ships 75 23


At this stage, the game has lost much of its appeal and I just keep on playing to see whether there comes up something new.


Game Strategy:

I handle all the ships as trampers, i.e. calculate the financial return voyage per voyage, even the container ships. I was not able to set up fixed liner rotations for the container ships, different from real container operations.
RDK, is there a possibility of including long term freight contracts, like let’s say 50.000 cars/year from Santos to Manila ?

I agree with the Forum’s opinion, that the best start is buying Treylon. I do it as soon and as often ever possible, then move up to Rembrandt and Eurobulker, and then to RioGlory and K. Stankov, selling the old Treylons.
I move into container shipping only when the newer generation is on the market: i.e. Zim Keelung and Nürnberg Express.
Tankers (Golar Spirit and Jare Viking) I observe very closely as soon as I have some cash. And buy always when the price is good. They make real money.
I have no experience with passenger liners.
Other special ships are losers in my hands: Larissa K just breaks even, and Geest and Cement are loosing 1 Million each.


Additional tools:

I play with 3 additional tools: 1 performance spreadsheet vessel by vessel, based on which I decide when to sell the old Treylons, for example. I this context I find the performance info from the game very helpful.

1 efficiency spreadsheet, with which I calculate the voyage return based on vessels’s consumption-speed, bunker prices, revenue, distance and additional expenses like canal fees. Specially for tankers and container vessels extremely helpful. Based on this I have only very rarely adopted ship’s speed suggested by the game – and in my opinion with better results.

Last but not least, a Fairplay Distance Table for calculating distances and time of voyages with more than 2 ports.

RDK: I would find it helpful if one could chose between alternative rotations. Many times the game “obliges” me to go through a canal, when I would prefer to go around the continent (example: from Frisco to Stanley, through the Panama canal or the Magellan street ?). Above mentioned Distance Table gives you these alternatives and I really appreciate it.
In these cases I “fool” the game by directing the vessel to a port which guarantees the desired rotation and several days later I re-direct it to the real destination – if I remember !!


Freight market:

2 Suggestions: First, include long term contracts as above.
Second, today almost all dry cargoes can be loaded/shipped both as (break-)bulk or container. This flexibility, although technically maybe possible, in practice does not exist. And I find it not helpful in the game. I mean where is the point of having container vessels, when you can ship all cargo with general purpose vessels ?
Besides, all the empty container logistic problem is not present …


Alien:

I find the Alien a good competitor in the beginning of the game. Later when it would be time to buy more sophisticated ships, in my opinion, the Alien takes the wrong decisions and, what maybe worse, does not sell the old, now inefficient ships.

I think it is important that the game shows what the Alien is doing: buying, selling … . This does not include the canal fees payments.

It seems to me that the Alien can buy fuel even being without cash. Is that true ? I mean, my competitor does not succeed to get out of the reds and it seems that all his vessels are running …

RDK, would it be possible to create a more competitive Alien ? Not as a substitute, as a complement ?

Maintenance:

I run all the ships on the “ship shape” level. Few exceptions are short time cash flow problems. I had the maintenance reduced for a small period to buy some fuel …

I can’t see why maintenance should depende on the price one paid for the ship. For me it’s the use (type of cargo, speed, …) and ship’s type/construction which determine these costs, but I can live with it. No problem.

High Score:

My HighScore entry reads under “Total values” the amount, which is actually my cash account. Is that correct or is this a small bug ?


OK, above are my impressions from an interesting and fun game. They may not be original, do not know. But maybe my comments help somebody, even RDK for some improvements, and maybe I get some return.


Have fun !
Bruno

[Alien]

Nice to be a good competitor...

BG
Thomas

[rdklein]

thanks for the many comments we really apreciate, many of them will be implemented, and are on the next major upgrade wishlist.

[Bruno]

Nice to be a good competitor...

BG
Thomas


Nice to have one ...
Gruss
Bruno

[Markyz]

Hi,
I'd like also share with you few impressions about PoC XXL. Generaly speaking I agree with Bruno about his opinions about strategy. I'd like add also that is too easy in PoC gain money. This game is funny in begining stage but later on you are plaing only to check whats happend and how many dollars I'd be able to make. I think its good idea to set up transport fees less profitable. Player must plan his voyage more carefull and try find best vessel for that kind of agreement. Today is almost no matter which vessel you choose and you can make a profit. I'm not sure but I think containers ships are not so profitable like a bulk ships. Best money I've made using Seaguardian. Why? Because I've was able to packed almost evrything up to 50000 tons without take for consideration any other limitations. Starting from 1975 during 5 years period i've made so many dollars so I won't be able to spend. Its not a real. And other borring think is managing 50 ships fleet. Clicking hundreds times button on a window with information about panama or sues canal fee or mortages fee is unnessesery activity for player. I think its good idea to place those information on status window with automatic scrolling function.
And last wish I'm dreaming about is possibility of copying information from freights grid to excell. Most enjoyable for me is making any kinds of calculations in excell - so I waste alot of time typing datas manually.

At the end I want thanks RDKlein for this game which enjoyed me first time when i got my Amiga

[Bearsie]

If you do not want to go through a canal here is a trick:

Lets say Your trip is from Europe to Australia, instead of sending the ship to Australia send it to Kapstadt (Cape Town) a few days before you reach Cape Town reset the Destination of the ship to Australia.
Drawback:
If you forget to do that it will stop in Cape Town and you will lose several days.

Regards, Bearsie
_________________
Frohe Reise, Bearsie.