Ocean Trader Download (1995 Simulation Game)

You have to build up a trading company in this game. The only way of transport available is by ship. There are 100 harbours wih 32 different goods available. You can design you own ships when you've got enough money for it. But be patient on spending it, a little storm can cost you your existence if you're playing without thinking. Also other happenings like UN-embargos, quarantines or fees for menacing the nature can take effect of your business.

Ocean Trader is an economic simulation game from the makers of Pizza Tycoon and is recreating all the risks and rewards of the modern world shipping trade.

You find yourself in the role of a global shipping company manager and you have widespread competencies: pick up and deliver commodities or accomplish freight forward businesses for other companies. You can also buy new ships, insure them, get loans, design new ships and trade with goods on a worldwide scale. On the world map you can find around 100 harbors with more than 30 different goods.

Towns have an individual production of some goods which will, naturally, be cheaper there then in towns without production capabilities. The demand for production goods will be higher there, and therefore you will be able to sell them for a higher price in those harbors. Prices will change if you constantly trade a single good to or from a town. You can also risk the depletion of quantities if you do this, so the key to a successful business will be constant studying of the market prices for goods across the globe.

The quantities you can transport at a time depending on the ship size and type; there are "Coastal Freighters", "Freighters", "Large Freighters", "Refrigerator Ships", "Container Ships", "Bulkers", "Tankers", "Supertankers", and "Passenger Ships". Not all kinds of ships can transport all kinds of goods. Freighters offer most flexibility, but they can't transport goods such as f.e. fruits and foodstuff; this is where refrigerator ships come into play. Container ships cannot transport ores and Iron, whereas tankers can only transport oil. With such a variety, it will not be simple to optimize your trade routes and make your fleet function efficiently at all times.

The Ocean Trader's graphics are consisting of beautiful SVGA paintings that are static, but very pleasing to the eye. The interface is simple, functional and easy to use. There are a lot of random events that can occur during transports, and these include, but are not limited to storms, UN embargos, striking dock workers, wars and sinking ships. Therefore, this game can be seen as the successor of Ports of Call, and adversary of the Ports of Call XXL project.

CONCLUSION: If you like Ports of Call you will adore Ocean Trader which is a Freight Shipping company simulation at its best. It's a great game, having unfortunately some limitations in the later state when you have a lot of ships and small price differences between the ports.

Ocean Trader is an excellent, unassuming shipping simulation from the makers of Pizza Tycoon that is virtually unknown outside Europe. As manager of a global shipping business, your responsibilities run the gamut from choosing which type of ships to buy, to striking a profit-maximizing balance between speed and fuel costs. Your banker stands ready to give you loans at exorbitant rates, and profit opportunities abound, thanks to different goods prices in various cities. The game's graphics is the static but pleasing SVGA, and the interface is excellent (the map screen in particular clearly shows the desired exports and imports for each country). Although Ocean Trader doesn't come close to the level of realism found in Capitalism Plus, it is a very enjoyable, "light" business game that does have a solid (albeit simple) economic model underneath. In a nod to the real world of shipping industry, you can also enter into forward contracts (that lock delivery prices for an agreed amount of goods), and take advantage of special freight contracts as they show up. A great game overall, and a good alternative for those looking for a shipping sim with more "meat" than the simpler Ports of Call.

A very well done business simulation. You're the owner of a beautiful ship somewhere on the world. You can buy shiploads to bring them to other countries that pay lots of money for them. That way you make money. You can also accept shiploads from other companies for which you will get paid huge amounts of money. With this money you can buy new ships and make more money. You can also put loads in your warehouse and sell them when their value rises or ship them when their value rises. Look at the main export and the main import streams of certin countries to look if they are good for your company. I really think this game is good. Sometimes it's a little frustrating that you don't earn a cent with some of the shipments you make, but it's ok. Graphics are fine, gameplay is sufficient, but I don't know how to close this game (except with ALT - F4)! Remember to make a folder GAMESAVE in the install directory!

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?

People who downloaded Ocean Trader have also downloaded:
Oil Barons, High Seas Trader, Oil Imperium, Capitalism Plus, Ports of Call, Rags to Riches (a.k.a. Wall Street Manager), Capitalism, Silent Service 2