Players take the role of businessmen during the 14th through 16th century in coastal Europe. They can explore the seas and new lands, establish trade routes with foreign villages, gain influence in government through bribes, fight naval battles, trade shares of stock in maritime and colonial companies, engage in piracy, and invest in government and company bonds. They will also compete in score with 3 NPC factions: the mainland Europeans, the moneylenders, and the natives. SHARES OF STOCK The stock market system is pretty standard. Companies have 10 shares each and the player that owns the most shares controls the company. However, share price is not impacted by buys and sells, but only value of the company. One key difference in this to most stock market games is that not only can players own shares of stock in companies, but other companies and governments can own shares of stock as well. For example, if a government owns majority of shares in a company the player that controls that government then manages the company. A key difference compared to most other shareholding games is that the company can require shareholders to contribute further funds if the company is low on money. This was often the case in the early days of shareholding. COMPANIES Companies can build trading vessels that allow them to explore the sea and try to find overseas villages to trade with. They can also buy bonds released by governments or other companies. They can also build factories (old term for trading posts) in newly discovered lands as well as explore land. Companies do not start with any money, so they need to raise investments from players, governments, and other companies (or borrow from the moneylenders). PORT CITIES (GOVERNMENTS) Port cities are controlled by a magistrate. Players can become magistrates by bribing to gain prestige in the port city. Port cities are able to construct warships. Magistrates can also decide which companies can build vessels in their port city, as well as determine any tax on incoming trade brought by trading vessels. Magistrates can also ban the moneylenders to forgive all debt related to the magistrate, but this will make the moneylenders unavailable for the rest of the game to them. EXPLORATION The map is almost completely undiscovered, and as players move their watercraft into unknown territory 1 of 3 things can happen, 1: they discover empty water 2: they discover land, sometimes with a native village and sometimes with out 3: they run encounter a storm and sink. As all this happens map tiles are placed. MONEYLENDERS The moneylenders are the international banking community and are extremely important in the game. Players and governments start out with very limited funds, so the moneylenders are almost always needed. This mechanism is unique, and different than almost all other banking systems in games. The moneylenders themselves have limited funds, but practice fractional reserve banking. This means they lend out more money than they have, so it is possible that they will go under if other entities are unable or refuse to pay debts. COMBAT Combat in the game is simple and based on dice rolls. Players can go to war with each other and the natives. Cargo and other watercraft can also sometimes be seized. BONDS Governments and companies can issue bonds to raise funds. Companies, players, and governments can invest in these. MAINLAND POWER At the beginning of each turn the mainland power may attack a random port city. The mainland power represents mainland Europe. Tribute can be paid to avoid a possible attack. The mainland power may become powerful, but can also be reduced to nothing. TRADE The trading mechanism is simple, and is the main way to generate wealth. Company vessels transfer numbers that represent cargo back and forth between overseas villages and port cities. WINNING THE GAME The final score is based on the wealth of the player's family at the end of the game. The score of the mainla

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