Traders (computer game)
| Traders | |
|---|---|
| Studio | Linel |
| Publisher | Merit software |
| Senior Developer | André Wüthrich |
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1991 |
| platform | Amiga , Atari ST , MS-DOS |
| genre | Economic simulation |
| Game mode | Up to 4 players at the same time |
| control | Joystick , keyboard |
| medium | diskette |
| language | German |
| information | In addition to the original hardware, emulators such as the UAE for the Amiga or DOSBox for Windows can be used. The MS-DOS version can also run under Windows. |
Traders is an economic simulation from the manufacturer Linel from 1991. Up to four players control their character at the same time - called "Plubber". The ultimate goal for every plubber is to be first in a business race against the competition and thereby to carry the victory. To achieve this, a corresponding fortune must be amassed. This can be done through skillful cultivation of fields, tactical trading with products or small attacks on the other players.
Gameplay
The game principle of Traders is based on the classic MULE. In contrast to the model, however, the players here can always all act simultaneously and with one another. Each game consists of several rounds, which in turn are divided into different sequences. Each player is in competition with his fellow players, but is always forced to work together to a certain extent. To make matters worse, the planet is ruled by a kind of mutated giant snail called FatMike, which regularly demands payments in the form of (edible) snails from its subordinates - i.e. the players. Failure to obey his demands can lead to draconian penalties.
Game flow
Game start
First of all, each player can choose one of four different aliens to play with. This choice serves only to distinguish it from the other players and has no influence on the game. The remaining game pieces are controlled by the computer. A multitude of options can also be set, which influence the course of the game and the level of difficulty. Each round starts with the balance sheet, in which all assets are listed, as well as the display of a diagram showing the development of all players so far.
Cultivation sequence
This is followed by the cultivation sequence in which the players can take possession of one space per round. All fields a player owns can be built on in three different ways: he can dig a water hole, plant a flower bed or create a rabbit enclosure. Each field then produces goods depending on the cultivation: roses grow in water holes , the flowerbed leads to the production of perfume , and the hares dig for water . These three products, in turn, are required for the construction and operation of other production facilities, so they are interlinked in a tricky way. Another possibility to use a field is to use it as a rocket launch site: these rockets then automatically fly to distant planets and look for the snails FatMike coveted there.
Missile sequence
This is followed by the rocket sequence, in which each player can determine which planet his rockets will be shot at in order to look for snails. Every now and then pirates appear and try to shoot down the players' missiles.
Growth sequence
A subsequent, automatically running sequence shows each player how productive his fields are and how many snails could be captured. The terrain on which the crops are grown and the prevailing weather are decisive for the level of production of the three resources. Also, if a player has grown roses, for example, there must be enough water in his supply to be able to produce perfume at all.
Trade sequence
This is followed by the trading sequence in which the players can buy or sell their surplus or urgently needed products among themselves. Since every product always requires a resource produced by another player to be produced, one is usually forced to pay the required price or produce another product. Every seller has the opportunity to sell his products to FatMike for a fixed price. You can also trade in snails, as fees are due to FatMike every round.
Snail sequence
Subsequently, the donations are made to FatMike. Each player's supply of snails is displayed in a glass tube that can be full or empty depending on the supply. FatMike uses an alignment stick to show how great his need for this delicacy is in the current round. If you are unable to pay the required amount, he becomes angry and destroys the player's additions. This player may then not occupy a new field in the following round. If this happens to a player twice in a row, even fields are taken away from him. If all players are unable to pay taxes in a round, each player loses occupied spaces.
Shopping sequence
After that, every player can play the lottery in the shopping street by entering a four-digit color combination of red or blue or by increasing their stock of rockets. After every third round there is another competition in which the player with the highest supply of snails can win a field or prize money.
Playing
The end of the game is reached as soon as a player has reached the amount specified at the beginning of the game with all his assets. This is followed by a final placement and a short sequence of the plubber ending up in “Austr-Alien” to enjoy his well-deserved old age there.
Optional game elements
Some game elements can be completely deactivated or activated in Traders in order to facilitate the entry into the game or to accelerate the pace of the game.
Disasters
Disasters happen randomly and can result in the destruction of buildings or the complete change of the landscape. This is particularly serious for the cultivation of rockets, as these are not allowed to be set up on meadows.
Robot fight
The robot fight always takes place before the trading sequence, which means that required raw materials or snails can be captured and therefore do not have to be bought. FatMike provides each player with a certain budget for the robot fight, depending on the amount of their assets. With this, every player can buy parts for his own combat robot, as well as ammunition and defense systems. Then everyone has the opportunity to build their own defensive structures on the battlefield to keep other robots from entering. Then the robots move out, controlled directly by the player, and try to plunder one or more camps as quickly as possible, as each player can only be robbed once per combat round. Robot combat can also be completely deactivated, so that the goal of the game can only be achieved by peaceful means.
Sapphire trade
In the shopping street, sapphires can also be traded, the price of which, like that of stocks, can fall or rise at any time. These are paid for with bugs, some of which are given at the beginning of the game. The supply of beetles can be increased through skillful action or the accidental discovery of a rocket. Sapphires can also be sold for cash.
Oil consumption
Every "plubber" consumes oil when moving on the landscape. If he doesn't have any more, he can no longer move and cannot, for example, occupy any new spaces. Oil can be bought in the shopping street, but the demand is high and the supply is scarce, which leads to bottlenecks again and again. Oil can also be found by a rocket when searching for snail slime.