More Thoughts on my Great Lakes Game

Okay, I've got a better idea of how I would like this game to work.  I seem to recall mentioning it a while ago in one of my blog posts here.  I'm looking for more or less a delivery game like some of the train games but using ships instead but I like the idea of having some sort of production mechanism.   Also, I would like some direct interaction and random events.

For the production mechanism, I was thinking the loads could be iron and grain as those are the loads that are fairly common on the Lakes.  For each, I would have some fields where you can build a mine or a farm.  On a certain roll, the fields would produce and your goods would store in your docks.  For each mine in the field, the chance to produce would go down but each mine would produce.  this is because I don't like the Euro idea where you can outright lock out production from a certain spot.  Obviously some fields would produce more than others.

To make money, y0u take these goods to cities that demand them (Cleveland for iron, Chicago, Montreal or Toronto for iron).  In the case of iron, you can take it to one of the shipyards to produce more ships (or buy it on the open market).  For the market mechanism, I think I would have something like the market in Supremacy or Power Grid, but a little more refined (i.e., I don't like the either wild swings of the market of Supremacy or the complete stagnation depending on circumstances).  The winner would be the player with the most money after a certain number of turns.

For ships, I think that there would have to be upgrades to the ships.  Even though the Great Lakes freighters haven't change much in outward appearance over the years, there have been a number of changes.  Coal gave way to oil and oil gave way to diesel.  So I think I could have engine upgrades.  Ships also have become bigger over the years.  Probably the biggest innovation was the self unloaders.  Under normal circumstances when you load or unload, you have to use the whole turn.  If you have a self unloader, you can continue your movement.

For random events, there would be storms, market booms and busts, early icing over.  For instance, the normal year would be April through November but there would be a chance for an early freezing in November and an early thaw in March.  And of course everyone is familiar with the "Gales of November".

I think the other thing I would have is where you can own the shipyards and stuff.