socher-hayam

# סוחר הים (Socher Hayam) — Sea Merchant Play the classic 1980s Hebrew DOS trading game through a web-based DOSBox emulator. **URL:** https://www.old-games.org/onlineGame/socher1 ## Setup 1. Load browser tools: `select:mcp__claude-in-chrome__tabs_context_mcp,mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer,mcp__claude-in-chrome__gif_creator` 2. Get tab context with `tabs_context_mcp` 3. Create new tab with `tabs_create_mcp` 4. Navigate to `https://www.old-games.org/onlineGame/socher1` 5. Wait 3–5 seconds for DOSBox to load 6. Start GIF recording immediately with `gif_creator` (action: start_recording) 7. Click the game canvas to focus keyboard input — click center of the DOSBox window (~760, 490) ## Critical UI Rules ### Color = Selection State - **RED highlight** = currently SELECTED item (will be acted on) - **GREEN** = not selected - Navigate until the item you want turns RED, then press Enter ### Keyboard Controls - **Up/Down arrows** — navigate menus and item lists - **Enter** — confirm selection / advance - **Escape** — go back / cancel - **Number keys then Enter** — fill quantity/amount input fields - **NO mouse** — everything is keyboard only ### Input Fields When a prompt appears asking "how many?" or "כמה?": - Type the number using number keys (e.g., press `1` then `2` for 12) - Press Enter to confirm - Do NOT press Enter before typing the number ### Hebrew Yes/No Prompts (כן/לא) When the game asks a yes/no question like "האם אתה מוכן להסתכן? כן/לא": - **Press `f` for כן (Yes)** — `f` maps to the Hebrew letter כ (Kaf) - **Press `k` for לא (No)** — `k` maps to the Hebrew letter ל (Lamed) - Then press Enter to confirm - This is the Israeli Hebrew keyboard layout used by DOSBox **Full Israeli Hebrew keyboard mapping (key → Hebrew letter):** | Key | Hebrew | Key | Hebrew | |-----|--------|-----|--------| | f | כ | k | ל | | t | א | b | נ | | v | ה | n | מ | | a | ש | s | ד | | e | ק | r | ר | ### Map Navigation - Arrow keys move between destination cities - Selected destination shows a **blue box** outline - Press Enter to confirm travel destination - If you accidentally go past a destination, press the opposite arrow to go back ## Game Structure **Goal:** Make the most money by Day 7 through arbitrage trading between cities. **Status Panel (top-right):** - Current city (תורכיה/ישראל/מצרים) - Day (יום) + Time (שעה) - Cargo: נחושת (Copper), זיתים (Olives), חיטה (Wheat) - Cash: כסף מזומון **Price Board (bottom):** Shows buy/sell prices in all 3 cities. Use this to find arbitrage opportunities. **Ship capacity:** 14 units total across all goods. ## Main Menu Options ``` 1. לקנות — Buy 2. למכור — Sell 3. לנסוע — Travel 4. לגשת לבנק — Bank 5. לנוח עד למחרת — Rest until tomorrow ``` Navigate with Up/Down until desired option turns RED, then press Enter. ## Cities & Goods | City | Hebrew | Notes | |------|--------|-------| | Turkey | תורכיה | Usually cheap wheat & copper | | Israel | ישראל | Usually expensive copper & wheat | | Egypt | מצרים | Usually expensive copper | | Good | Hebrew | Notes | |------|--------|-------| | Copper | נחושת | High value, high profit | | Olives | זיתים | Medium value | | Wheat | חיטה | Cheap to buy, good margins | ## Trading Workflow ### Buying 1. Main menu → navigate to option 1 (לקנות) → Enter 2. Buy screen shows 3 goods: נחושת (top-right), זיתים (top-left), חיטה (bottom-center) 3. Navigate Up/Down until desired good turns RED → Enter 4. Input field appears: "כמה אתה רוצה?" — type quantity → Enter 5. Returns to main menu with updated inventory ### Selling 1. Main menu → navigate to option 2 (למכור) → Enter 2. Same item selection as buying, select item turning RED → Enter 3. Input field: "כמה אתה רוצה למכור?" — type quantity → Enter 4. Returns to main menu with updated cash ### Traveling 1. Main menu → navigate to option 3 (לנסוע) → Enter 2. Map appears with ship icon at current city 3. Press Down/Up to navigate between destinations 4. Target city gets a **blue box** outline when selected 5. Press Enter to confirm 6. Prompt: "כמה ספינות משמר?" (guard ships) — type 1 or 2, press Enter (200 shekels each) 7. Sailing animation plays — wait for arrival (can take 5–15 seconds) 8. If "הספינה נעצרה" appears — press Enter to continue 9. If pirate attack "שודדי ים !!" — press 1 (attack), 2 (flee), or 3 (compromise), then Enter ## Events During Travel | Hebrew | Meaning | Action | |--------|---------|--------| | שודדי ים !! | Pirates! | Choose 1=attack, 2=flee, 3=ransom | | הספינה נעצרה | Ship stopped | Press Enter to continue | | הפיראטים התגברו | Pirates won | Press Enter (may lose cash) | | שביתת פועלים | Workers strike (port closed) | Port unavailable, try again next day | ## Random Events (unavoidable) - **Theft overnight** — random cash stolen while in port - **Crew crisis** — crew threatens to leave; offer bribe or accept new crew - **Pirates** — attack mid-voyage; guard ships help defend ## Strategies ### Day 1 (Start in Israel — ישראל) Best opening move: - Check price board bottom: buy olives (זיתים) or wheat in Israel if cheap - OR travel directly to Turkey if Israel prices are high - Buy goods that Turkey/Egypt sell at higher prices - Fill ship to capacity (14 units) ### Core Arbitrage Loop Best known routes: 1. **Israel → Turkey**: Buy olives cheap in Israel (~350), sell in Turkey (~650) = ~85% profit 2. **Turkey → Israel**: Buy wheat cheap in Turkey (~35), sell in Israel (~70) = 100% profit 3. **Turkey → Egypt**: Copper in Turkey (~2800), sell Egypt (~3300) = ~18% profit ### Maximize Each Trade - Always fill ship to 14 units - Check all 3 city prices before deciding destination - Calculate: (sell price - buy price) × quantity = profit - Prioritize highest ROI per day of travel ### Guard Ships - 200 shekels each - 1 guard ship = basic protection - 2 guard ships = stronger defense - 0 guard ships = pirates can steal freely - Worth buying when carrying high-value cargo (copper) ### Bank (לגשת לבנק) - Deposit cash to protect from theft - Withdraw when needed for trading - Useful if carrying large amounts of cash ### Day Management - You have 7 days total - Each voyage takes ~half a day - Rest (option 5) advances to next morning - Plan: aim for 2–3 complete trade round-trips ## Starting the Game When the game loads, press Enter through any intro screens. The game starts automatically in Israel (ישראל) on Day 1 (יום ראשון / Sunday) at 8:00. ## GIF Recording - Start recording BEFORE navigating to the URL - Take screenshot immediately after starting to capture first frame - Take screenshot before stopping to capture final frame - Export when game ends: `gif_creator` (action: export, download: true, filename: "socher-hayam-gameplay.gif") ## Gotchas - **Click game canvas before any keyboard input** — otherwise keys go to browser, not game - **If keys don't register** — click the game area again to refocus - **Red = selected** — never press Enter on a green item - **Wait for animations** — don't press keys during sailing/event animations - **Israel port strike** — if port closed, rest until next day and retry - **Don't over-navigate on map** — go Down once for Egypt, Up once from Egypt for Israel - **After buying, Escape returns to main menu** — use Escape if stuck in buy/sell screen - **Extension disconnects** — call `tabs_context_mcp` to reconnect, then continue - **כן/לא prompts** — press `f` (= כ) for Yes, `k` (= ל) for No, then Enter - **Night sailing prompt** — say כן (`f` + Enter) to sail immediately; saying לא waits until morning (safer)