I really like this game, however what I don't like is clicking "drive
leg" button, I'd perfer something like setting options for a rute,
where you want to stop, how many hours you want to drive for, etc, and
then you'll be en-rute to your destination. It just seems unrealistic
to click "drive leg" button and instantly 1 hour passes. And to be
honest, no, this isn't really like Kittchen's trucker. While it has a
textbased interface and the way of actually driving is similar,
companies and such don't exist in Jim's game. That's the part I do
like. I mean. I'd just perfer a real time approach to driving. That,
of course, would be accessible. All other things I like.
On Dec 8, 2008, at 2:46 PM, Tiffany J Kim wrote:
Hello,
I thought I'd jump right in and start my posting career here by
discussing an accessible trucking simulation that I found. It's
much like Jim Kitchen's trucking sim, Trucker, except it is online
and multiplayer in nature. It can be found at http://
www.trukz.com. The object is to deliver different cargos to the
cities that demand it on time. As you deliver your cargo in a
timely manner without getting tickets or falling asleep at the
wheel, your driver rating (DR) increases, allowing you to haul other
cargo types (hazardous waste at 40 and nuclear waste at 50) and buy
various endorsements to haul a larger load and make even more
money. There are many different cargo types to choose from,
examples being fruit, vegetables, groceries, and appliances. As you
accumulate money, you are able to upgrade your truck and buy goodies
such as new tires, extra fuel tanks, and radar detectors, which will
enhance your gaming experience. I will cover some of the basics of
this game, including registration and features.
Registration: When you start out, you will fill ut a form with your
driver name (equivalent to a username) and choose the continent
where you would like to start. Currently, you can start in
Australia, Europe, or North America. North America, by far, has the
most companies (explained later), Europe's fuel prices are more
expensive but there are many shorter routes (good to start with at
the beginning), and Australia just got released a little less than a
month ago and people seem to think it has the best contract routes.
The site does require you to enter a Captcha but this is also
available in audio form (and the voice is quite clear without any
background noise or distortion.) Also, Firefox's Web Visim
application can pick up this Captcha if you have difficulties with it.
Starting Out: When you first start out, you are given $5,500.
Depending on the continent you start out, you will have different
trucks you can choose from. Of course, they won't be very good and
are known as beaters. If you're lucky, you may find one that goes
at around 53mph. The best thing to do here is to either join a
company that offers the truck discount or take out a $1,000 loan at
the bank (click on banking, then on request loan) and buy the 1989
Volvo.
Depending on the time of day you join, you will inevitably be
flooded with messages in your inbox to join up with a company. A
company can best be described as a group of drivers working
together. Advantages to companies may include 10% truck, item,
fuel, and repair discounts, the abilitiy to run contracts, and at
least one terminal that allows you to refuel and repair at a 25%
discount without the expenditure of fatigue points (FP). These
great benefits don't come free, however, as the company will take a
collection from your driver's earnings. The lowest possible
collection is 1%. If you decide to join a company, there are two
camps of drivers: those that like small companies and those that
prefer large ones. Small companies provide more one-on-one
attention, mentorship, and camaraderie. My favorite small company
is by far Everybody's Trucking Company, which is run by 2 old-timers
in the game. They will take 1% collection and provide 20% repairs
and fuel assistance, which I haven't yet found anywhere. This will
last until you reach a driver rating of 10, when you will be able to
get your first driver endorsement. Large companies can provide you
with the ability to make more money on contract runs. Contract runs
are specific requests by cities to haul a set amount of cargo to
them within a week. It pays a base rate of $0.99 to $2 per mile and
can earn you quite a sum. They can only be run by companies with at
least 25 active drivers, however. The best large company I have
found is Bulldog Trucking with around 60 drivers, lots of contract
runs, and 4% collection with 50% repairs/20% fuel assistance.
As far as the game goes, once you've purchased your truck, you'll
need to select a route. The best way to do this is using the combo
box because the map (as far as I know), isn't accessible to the
blind. You can see the cargo types and city stats by going to the
Game Statistics area.
Tips: Try to keep your routes to under 1,000 miles for now. Once
you've selected a city, select a cargo type. Never haul general
merchandise. Even if the cargo your city provides isn't demanded in
a neighboring city, it will pay you more than hauling general
merchandise. Once you've selected your route, you can click on next
leg to drive for one game hour. For each game hour you drive, you
will gain one FP. Don't ever drive above 10 or you risk falling
asleep at the wheel/getting a ticket for running above your hours of
service (HOS). You can repair and refuel above 10 FP though without
penalty. For each game leg you drive, you will need one real-world
hur to recover the lost point. You can either go do something or
chat on the CB ($300 game money). These are the very basics. If
you decide to try it out, I hope you enjoy your experience!
Tiffany
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