socher-hayam

name: socher-hayam description: "Play סוחר הים (Sea Merchant) - classic Hebrew DOS trading game in browser via DOSBox emulator. Use when user says 'play socher hayam', 'שחק סוחר הים', or wants to play the sea merchant game." user_invocable: true

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):

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

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

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)