Ruin is suitable for early teenagers upwards and although
produced as a road safety orientated game by Nottinghamshire
County Council Road Safety Group, the road safety angle is
very tenuous and I am not convinced that anyone playing the
game would become any more safety conscious.
Having said that, it is a good business simulation, easy to
understand and good value.
Up to six groups can be accommodated or one group
can play against the micro which means that it is possible to use it
for a full class.
However, unless the groups have access to individual mach
ines which allow interaction with a central processor, pupils could
become restless while waiting their turn to input their deliberations.
Each group acts as an insurance company quoting
premiums for motor vehicle insurance. The game proceeds
for up to 10 years.
Each year, five clients along with details such as age, type of
vehicle, experience and number of miles per year, are offered and
each group in turn presents its
quotations.
These are based on the risk factor each client presents and
each group has to quote premiums which attract customers but which cover the costs
of any accidents.
A group starts with a capital of £50,000, and after all tenders
have been received the program displays a balance sheet for each
of the companies in turn.
This shows numbers of new clients, income from new and old
clients, the number of claims, liabilities and overheads as well
as opening and closing balances.
The group with the largest balance at the end wins.
Initially, groups will find difficulty giving quotations
which attract new customers at premiums showing a profit but
as the game progresses players assimilate knowledge ofthe risks
associated with different types of road user and the competition
gets keener.
The game can be played several times with each group
because client details are randomised and although there is an
element of chance in the accidents there is a heavy bias
towards real life risks.
1st January 1985
