The player with the most victory points will win at the end of the game. There are two ways to generate these in Puerto Rico, by building, or by shipping goods.
There is no option to only follow one of these strategies. To ship enough goods, you need to build some buildings that help with production. To build enough buildings, you must create some goods to provide income to build.
A shipping strategy is a long term game plan. To get the best out of it, you seek to extend the game, to allow more time to generate and ship more goods. Builders seek to build quickly, and end the game before a shipping strategy has had time to find its feet.
The successful player will be able to gauge which type of strategy his opponents favour, and seek to find the profitable gaps that are left. If three players are favouring a shipping strategy, then a cash-crop producing builder will have little competition for the resources he needs to perform successfully.
It is often possible to switch emphasis during the game, assuming you do not commit too fully to one extreme of the strategy spectrum. Trying to hold off making a building versus shipping choice can be effective, as it gives you longer to survey the playing field, and seek the least favoured (so easiest to do well in) option.
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