Ports Of Call app for iPhone and iPad

4.7 ( 9017 ratings )

Games Family Simulation
Developer: Dipl.-Ing. Rolf-Dieter Klein

1.99 USD

Current version: 1.7, last update: 7 years ago
First release : 02 Apr 2009
App size: 2.75 Mb

Ports Of Call
The Maritime Simulation Game

** ON SALE till next update **

new: real map used (internet required for this function) - see your ships on a worldwide map -- and look at the game harbors in reality.

Ports of Call has a long tradition
the first version was released
on the Amiga 1986 with other versions
following.
Now the classic game is getting mobil. It features the classic design.

(C) 1986-2011,
Rolf-Dieter Klein, Martin Ulrich,
Munich, Bremen, Germany

A Background on Tramp Shipping:

The traffic of goods by sea is organized in accordance with international agreements and contracts between individual countries.
About 80% of the goods (called "cargo volume") transported between two countries is handled by ships registered under the flags of the countries concerned. The remaining 20% are
open to the free competition of ships under other flags. These ships, called "tramp" ships, are usually prepared to transport all kinds of goods. This aspect of the shipping business is the focus of Ports of Call.

The Object of the Game

Each player founds his own shipping company, with a starting capital of $4.6 million to buy ships. Freight and ports of call can be chosen continuously from offers on the market.
Then the captain chooses an economic travelling speed and casts off to encounter many adventures on the high seas.

After unloading his cargo, the captain is credited with the agreed payment. Then he may refuel, make necessary repairs,
and so on. The next job is to find a new, lucrative cargo, buy further ships, and/or repay his mortgages; in other words,
he must have a more productive company than his competitors.

A players chances of success improve the more he knows about international shipping. All data for the game originated
from actual developments in the maritime world: the fluctuation of freight rates, refueling costs, port charges, and ship operating costs.

But the game is not a pure economic game, also a ship simulator is integrated, and the captain can steer his ship manually, either if necessary, or to save money and
get a good status.

In summary, Ports of Call has been developed with this motto in mind: "Software with Hard Facts."

latest hints: start using preowned ships, and keep them in good condition to avoid disasters (like rats for example).
To avoid the burglar, visit your office in a regular interval.

Now toggle for fullscreen !
Integrated Gamepad control for sim2d.
Look on our forum for first help and tutorial on youtube.

The next update will support parallel running music and language support: german, french, dutch, norwegian, swedish,
italian, finland, daensk, portuguise and spain ! Currently testing.

homepage: www.portsofcall.de
support: www.rdkleinforum.de
see youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9JEKsBOEKU
for demonstration and short tutorial.

Pros and cons of Ports Of Call app for iPhone and iPad

Ports Of Call app good for

Okay, so I love it. This is classic tycoon style gameplay: manage your money; manage your resources; take on jobs; meet deadlines; think on your feet and deal with problems as they arise. There are also mini games you can choose to play, like docking your freighter in the harbor or taking it out to sea. Some whippersnappers will call it ugly, but we called it polished in 1986 and it is beautiful to me. As for the technical side; there is a bit of a learning curve but about 10 minutes of button pecking and I started to make money. The buttons are, well, not bad. The original buttons can be difficult to select because they are small and close together; made for a mouse. Although the game buttons are preserved, the main button sets are also displayed in updated form along the edge of the screen; perfect for fingers. I also tried pressing the home button to exit without saving. There is an auto-save feature built in and I was back on track in no time: so your empire should not collapse due to incoming phone calls. All n all, I am very pleased with this port of Ports Of Call.

This is what I hope to see more of in the future. Great ports of old classic games. Loved this on my Amiga 1000 and love it more on my iPhone/iPod Touch. Same gameplay as the original with extra buttons for easier touch control. Now I hope to see AreoBiz ported over to the iPhone, that would rock! If you enjoyed the original Ports Of Call then this is a must buy! Could have been a buck or two cheaper though but still worth the $4.99 for great classic gaming.

Needs GUI redesign regardless how classic they want it too be. 5 stars as soon as something like this happens.

This game offers some intriguing entertainment if you can get past the bad graphics and gramatical errors. I think you have something good going, just needs a little bit of fine detail polishing. Overall, however, this is a must have for those who love strategy games because the gameplay itself is unique and worth the money. Get it today!

At first I thought this game would be hard to control because of the small buttons, but its great and just like the old classic. Im really happy I bought the game and glad it has all the old graphics and sounds. This game is great for anyone, especially if you like strategy games. I havent found any bugs in the game yet. Definitely worth the 5 bucks!!

Since I didnt have any previous experience with Amiga version, Ports Of Call was all new to me. First off, I thoroughly enjoy this game. The simulation and the depth are there, and kept me thinking the entire time I was playing. If youre into sim-type games, Ports Of Call, contentwise is pretty good. The premise is that you’re running your own shipping company and your decisions determine the fate of your company. You can choose your home port, manage finances back at the home office, buy/sell vessels, and decide on charter assignments among other things. There’s even a section where you steer your vessel which for me takes some practice. Of course, you can always a tug for a price. In terms of your vessel, you also have a hand in repairs and refueling so you really do get some experience with every aspect of the shipping industry. Ports Of Call is a port from more than two decades ago, and honestly, while the graphics aren’t comparable to those found in today’s games, it really doesn’t matter nor impact gameplay. I really dont need heavy graphics since I think most games today rely too much on awe-inspiring graphics and too little on content. The ones used from the original port are more than adequate, but they can always be made more vibrant to appeal to the broader audience. The sound effects add just the right touch. What could use some changes are the buttons. When I first started playing, I was confused by the buttons in the main window and then the same buttons with the same functionality on the right-hand side. Hopefully, that can addressed in an update. If there was better way to steer ships either by tilt or even through a d-pad, that would help. But then again, it does provide you with a minimal taste (as good as you can get for a game) of the difficulties with steering a vessel. Ports Of Call has the depth, and with a few adjustments, it could be even better. Overall, this is a classic strategic sim game, and Im glad this has been brought to the iPhone/iPod Touch. The dev plans to update/upgrade the game and I’m looking forward to seeing more from him.

Some bad moments

Used to play this on the Amiga. The port is very good more companies should take this example and port their games to the mobile platforms. Been playing the game for a while, game doesnt work as well as I thought on the iPhone. Needs an overhaul of the interface. Should be more "iPhone look and feel" some of the buttons are too small because they were intended for a PC with a mouse Dont get me wrong its still a great game but I hope it will be updated to give it better playability on the iPhone. Right now it looks like it was quickly thrown together. This is most apparent in the game screen being smaller to add a few large buttons on the right side of the screen.

This is a horrible game. Makes no sense and difficult to navigate. Directions are worthless.

Usually I am Leary of purchasing apps that have poor reviews, for some reason I thought I would give this one a shot, poor choice. Not even close to being worth 5 bucks, they should be ashamed.

The game was to hard to get used to and was much much much to realistic

Looked like it would be fun,but many mispellings and almost no help or tutorials. Waste of $5!

This is the worst waste of money in the app store. Brutal interface, terrible graphics, and an all around worthless, crap game. DO NOT BUY!!!

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