GB2098492A - Economy board game - Google Patents

Abstract

The game apparatus comprises a board divided into territories, each territory being endowed with certain natural resources, means for indicating the degree of advancement of the economy of a territory and means for fortuitously augmenting or diminishing the degree of advancement. The degree of advancement is represented by a ratio of agricultural workers to industrial workers and the ratio is dependent on facilities possessed by the territory. Population cards, disaster cards, resource cards, city cards, population ratio charts, transport tokens and development table booklets are provided. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Game DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for playing a game.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention there is provided an apparatus for playing a game characterised in that the apparatus comprises chart or board means divided into a plurality of territories, each territory being endowed with certain resources, means for indicating the degree of advancement of the economy of a territory and means for fortuitously augmenting or diminishing the degree of advancement of the economy of a territory.

The game of the present invention is designed to give players an understanding of the development of an economy from the primitive state in which, for example, it is predominantly agricultural in nature to the advanced state in which it is predominantly technological in nature.

In playing the game each territory is typically represented by a single player. Typically, the chart or board means is divided into say six territories but any reasonable number of territories can be used. Each territory may in addition to natural resources be provided with rivers, have topographical areas such as low-land pasture, hilly timber country, mountainous country or desert. Also each territory may have a city and border on the sea.

The means for indicating the degree of advancement of an economy can be the ratio between agricultural workers and industrial workers. In this connection the apparatus may comprise means for determining the ratio between agricultural workers and industrial workers. Such means could take the form of worker notes each representing a number of agricultural or industrial workers. At the commencement of the game each player is typically handed notes representing a large number of agricultural workers and a small number of industrial workers. Each player is given notes representing the same number of workers of each type initially.

As an alternative to worker notes each player may be given a population ratio chart at the commencement of the game. This would indicate the total number of workers a player can have and the ratio of agricultural workers to industrial workers for that number of workers. Once again each player is given the same number of workers initially.

The game is played by each player taking turns, for example, in a specific direction around the board such as clockwise. The aim of each player is to increase the number of industrial workers. In this connection the game may comprise a stack of population cards with indications of an increase or decrease in population. At his turn the player may take a population card from the top of the stack and depending on the information contained thereon his territory's population is either increased or decreased.

Each player may also be provided with development tables showing how an economy can be developed.

Further each player may be provided with a resource card showing the type of and quantity of mineral resources possessed by his territory.

Once a player's population has been adjusted as a result of the population card he has drawn his next task is to determine what development or trading activity to undertake. The rules of the game may provide that no activity can take place unless the player has industrial workers. Also the rules may provide that the amount of activity which can take place at each turn is dependent on the number of industrial workers possessed by a player. Thus, it is in a player's interest to increase his industrial workers as quickly as possible.

The various development activities which can take place are, for example, as follows:- 1. Opening a mine or quarry; 2. Extracting material from a site; 3. Constructing communication systems; 4. Transporting materials; 5. Constructing buildings or factories; 6. Manufacturing.

The development tables further show the number of industrial workers required for each activity and the rules indicate the sequence in which development must take place. Development must take place according to a logical sequence. For example, it is necessary to extract building material from a site and transport this material to the city before a building can be constructed. Thus, not only must the mine site be developed but communications links must be established before building can take place.

Similarly, a factory must be constructed before manufacturing can commence.

Typically, the development tables show the population requirements for construction of communication systems, the population requirements for operation of communication systems, the population requirements for the construction of buildings and factories, and the population requirements for manufacturing.

The apparatus may further comprise city cards. Each player is given a city card which comprises a facilities area subdivided into smaller areas representing various facilities, a commodities area subdivided into smaller areas representing various commodities and a manufactured products area subdivided into smaller areas representing various manufactured products.

The apparatus may also comprise counters representative of the amounts of commodities available to be mined and transported and exchanged for facilities and manufactured products.

The apparatus may comprise elongated segments or other forms of diagrammatic representation indicating communication systems such as roads, canals and railways. When a communication link is developed these segments can be placed on the chart or board to show the link which has been -constrtebetween two locations.

The apparatus-may comprise tokens representing various facilities such as moveable plant, factories, power stations or buildings such as colleges or universities. Thus, for example, when construction of a facility takes place commodity counters are exchanged for the relevant token.

The population cards referred to above may take various forms such as: 1. those which give the player the right to increase population regardless of any other factors; 2. those which give the player the right to increase his population conditionally upon him having certain facilities such as a government, hospital or colleges; 3. those which require a player to reduce his population conditionally upon him not having established certain facilities such as hospitals or irrigation systems; 4. those which require a player to reduce his work force regardless of any other factors.

Typically the population cards are designed to emphasise those factors, such as stable government, health and education, which have played a significant part in the increase or decrease of populations through the ages.

The game may be arranged so that the winner is the person to develop the capacity to build and fly an advanced technological product such as an aeroplane.

The rules may also provide for trade between territories and it is preferred that each territory have some but not all of the raw materials required for development. Trade cannot take place until basic transportation facilities such as boats have been developed.

Further, it is preferred that one of the players acts as controller holding the various unallocated tokens and counters in a pool for distribution as required.

As an alternative to a single chart or board, each player could be provided with an individual board representing his territory. Also, any means equivalent to the various notes, tokens and counters described above could be used. Further, the degree of advancement of an economy could be shown by other criteria than population ratio. For example, the degree of advancement could be represented by invention. Also, the game could be conducted in reverse starting with an advanced economy and going back to a primitive economy.

Further, it is envisaged that the territories could be politically represented rather than topographically represented. The sea could be omitted entirely and each territory could be separated from the others with no inter-relationship.

Still further, a shortened version of the game could be played with each player commencing with a prescribed number of facilities and/or resources and play continuing from this point onwards.

A shortened version of the game could be played with industrial workers only. Finally, the edges of the board may have a border for counters for mines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a plan view of a board forming part of the game apparatus in accordance with the present invention, said chart or board being divided into a number of territories.

Figure 2 shows typical disaster cards which may be used to diminish population of the territories shown on the board of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows typical population cards which may be used to augment population of the territories shown on the board of Figure 1.

Figures 4a and 4b show population ratio charts from which player can tell how many workers he has and also the ratio of agricultural workers to industrial workers.

Figures 5 to 10 show resource charts for each territory represented on the chart of Figure 1.

Figure 11 shows a city card which gives a player an indication of the state of development of his territory.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In Figure 1, there is shown a playing board comprising a land area 10 divided into six countries numbered from 12 to 17. The land area 10 surrounds a central sea 20.

As shown in the key at the bottom of Figure 1 each country comprises a number of features. For example, all countries have various topographical features, such as a mountainous area, a timbered, hilly area, a desert area and an agricultural area.

Further, each country borders on the sea. Also, each country has a city which is located adjacent the sea.

As can be seen from Figure 1, each country is endowed with certain natural resources. For example, there are mineral resources such as coal, oil, limestone, bauxite, potash and gold at various locations. Also, there are sources of natural products such as timber and rubber.

Still further, each country is provided with communications lines for construction of roads, railways, canals and oil pipelines. Also, there are rivers which provide a natural communications link with the sea.

As can be seen in Figure 1, there are two spaces 21 in the sea area 20 set aside for population/disaster cards. Some typical disaster cards 22 are shown in Figure 2 and some typical population cards 24 are shown in Figure 3. When playing the game the population and disaster cards are shuffled and formed into a stack which is placed face down on one of the areas 21.

The game may be played with up to six (6) players each representing an individual country. If there are fewer than six (6) players one or more of the countries is left unrepresented. In this case, at the start of the game, the players draw for the resources of the unrepresented country or countries as these resources will subsequently be required for development. If there are only two or three players then the board can be divided into two or three parts with each player representing a plurality of neighbouring countries.

In addition to the players representing countries there may be a controller whose function is to allocate resources to other players as the game progresses and to settle any disputes which may arise.

Each player is provided with a population ratio chart at the commencement of the game. A typical population ratio chart 26 is shown in Figures 4a and 4b. As can be seen in Figures 4a and 4b the population ratio chart comprises a first column 28 indicating the total number of workers each player can have and a second column 30 along which a counter may be moved to show the total number of workers possessed by a player at any particular point in the game.

Of the total number of players a certain proportion will be agricultural workers and a certain proportion will be industrial workers. It is essential, as will be described hereinafter, for a player to have some industrial workers since only industrial workers can perform development tasks and the amount of development which can be carried out is dependent on the number of industrial workers.

It will also be noted from Figures 4a and 4b that as the sophistication of facilities possessed by a country increases then the proportion of industrial workers increases for any given total number of workers. Thus, as the sophistication of facilities increases the rate of development increases since there are more industrial workers for any given total number of workers. For example, it will be seen that a player with 40,000 workers and no facilities has three thousand industrial workers and thirty-seven thousand agricultural workers. However, for the same total number of workers a country with electric power generation capacity has 16,000 industrial workers and only 24,000 agricultural workers. In the latter case the development potential is over 5 times greater than the development potential in the former case.

In the playing of the game, each player representing a country has in turn an opportunity to increase his population and an opportunity to perform development tasks. Play proceeds in a particular direction such as clockwise around the board from the controller.

Initially, each player is awarded the same number of workers and no facilities. Typically each player is awarded 22,000 players which gives him 2,000 industrial workers. At his turn, each player takes the topmost population/disaster card from the face down stack at 21 on the board. Depending on the instruction of the drawn card the player then adjusts his number of workers by the required amount.

In some cases no adjustment is required such as where the country has a government and an epidemic of cholera breaks out. The rationale for this is that a country with a government would be sufficiently organised and stable to cope with this sort of calamity.

Once the number of workers possessed by the player has been determined he then has to decide what development to carry out.

-At the commencement of the game each player is given a resource card representing the natural resources of his country both qualitatively and quantitatively. Typical resource cards for each country are shown in Figures 5 to 1 0. It will be seen that each natural resource of the respective country is listed in a vertical column 31. In a contiguous vertical column 32 the number of units of each resource possessed by that country is shown, the larger the number of units the greater the resource. In a further vertical column 34 there is shown the communication means by which a resource may be transported.

Further, there are spaces 36 for counters representative of each resource as will be described hereinafter.

In addition to a resource card each player is given a city card illustrated in Figure 11. It will be seen that each city card includes a facilities area 40 subdivided into smaller areas representing particular facilities, a commodities area 42 subdivided into smaller areas representing particular commodities, and a manufactured products area 44 subdivided into smaller areas representing particular manufactured products.

At the commencement of the game, each player has to decide which facility to build first, what material to use to construct that facility, and what type of communication system to use to transport the material from the mine site to the city. All development takes place on the site of the city of each country.

Normally, because of the advantages offered in the population ratio charts, players will elect to build a government first. It is necessary to decide whether to build in brick, stone or timber. Finally, it must be decided what form of transport system to use.

Complete mobility of workers is assumed but the work-force may only be used once each turn.

While it is essential to construct communication links from the resource sites to the city if these resources are to be utilized it may be possible in some cases to obtain certain materials such as aluminium or refined petroleum from another player by way of trade.

Also it will be necessary to construct certain fixed facilities such as a government, a hospital, an agricultural college, and an electric power station. Also, educational institutions will have to be built if a nuclear power station or aircraft factory is to be constructed. However, fertilizer and agricultural machinery cwan be acquired from other players, thus obviating the need to construct a chemical works or a motor vehicle factory.

When a player decides that he wants to develop a particular natural resource site he informs the controller who hands him counters to the value of the contents of the site. These counters are placed on the resource card in the space provided for the appropriate mine.

When a player wishes to commence extraction, he places counters equivalent to the amount extracted on the board adjacent the mine site.

When the player wishes to transport commodities to the city he takes counters equivalent to the amount to be transported and placed them on the appropriate commodity area on the city card.

Next a player may use materials he has transported to the city to build a facility such as a government. He hands counters to the value of the materials required to the controller who in exchange gives him the appropriate facility token.

Before a player commences factory production he must first build the appropriate factory, mine the required materials and transport them to the city. Once he has the appropriate amount of all the required material on his city card, he hands them over to the controller who in exchange gives him counters to the value of the materials produced. These counters are placed on the appropriate manufactured products area on the city card.

If a player wishes to transport commodities from a mine site to a city, he must first consult his resource card to see how it can be done. He must then decide on which form of transport to use.

However, the transport system is subject to provisions such as the following. Rivers and canals can only be used to transport commodities once a player has built a boat unless the commodities such as timber can be floated down stream along a river to the city.

Canals can only be built in low lying areas.

Railways can only be built once a player has the facility to construct a steam train.

One boats and not steamships can be used on inland water ways.

Oil can only be moved from well to city after a pipeline has been built.

Roads, railways, canals and oil pipelines can only be built along the communications lines shown on the board. Constructed communication facilities are conveniently represented by elongated segments of a specific length placed on the board along the communication lines shown in Figure 1.

Further, the game comprises moveable plant tokens representing such things as sailing boats, sailing ships, steam trains, electric trains, construction equipment and aeroplanes. When a player has acquited these facilities the appropriate tokens are placed on the board at the appropriate location.

Trading of resources may be agreed between two or more players.

For example, they may agree to exchange an amount of one material for an agreed amount of another.

Also, they may agree to supply the shipping or rail requirements of other players.

A contract of the first type must specify precise quantities of materials to be exchanged, and when and how they are to be exchanged.

A contract of the second type must specify the precise quantities of materials to be shipped, cities between which goods are to be moved, player supplying ship, player supplying labour, player supplying fuel and when goods are to be moved.

Ail materials may be traded except electricity which must be used in the country in which it is produced.

Goods can only be moved by the player supplying the labour when it is his turn.

Goods may be moved from city to city by sea using a sailing boat or a steamship. Steamships may only visit countries which have harbours.

Considerable skill is required in making trading contracts since players have to calculate carefully what their requirements are and to work out bargains accordingly.

The game may also comprise a booklet of development tables which may contain five (5) tables.

These tables tell players what requirements they must fulfil before they can carry out the various development task 5.

Table 1 deals with extraction of commodities. A player may extract one unit of any commodity with every 1000 of his industrial workers.

However, if he has mining equipment he can mine ten units of any commodity with 1000 industrial workers, providing he surrenders 5 units of refined petroleum to the controller.

Table 2 deals with construction of roads, railways, canals and oil pipelines.

For every 1000 of his industrial workers a player may construct: Road - two segments Rail - one segment Canal - one segment Oil pipeline -- one segment If in addition to his 1000 industrial workers, a player has construction equipment, he can construct five times the above amounts providing he surrenders five units of refined petroleum to the controller.

For every segment of oil pipeline which a player constructs he must surrender one unit of steel.

Table 3 deals with transportation of materials, from mine site to city and from city to city.

Taking the mine site to city first the following conditions apply: 1. Using river or canal, with 1000 industrial workers and one sailing boat 2 units of material can be moved. With 2000 industrial workers and two sailing boats four units of material can be moved.

2. Using road, with 1000 industrial workers one unit of material may be moved.

3. Using rail, the player must first have a steam train or an electric train.

With a steam train and 1000 industrial workers ten units of material may be moved providing two units of coal are surrendered.

With an electric train and 1000 industrial workers twenty units of material may be moved providing two units of electricity are surrendered.

4. Using pipeline 1000 industrial workers are required for every 50 units moved.

Taking the city to city case the following conditions apply: 1. Using sailing boat, a player may move ten units of material to any city providing he has 1000 industrial workers.

2. Using steamship, 1000 industrial workers are required to operate the ship. 50 units of material can be moved but for every city visited ten units of coal or oil must be surrendered.

Table 4 deals with construction of facilities. This table tells a player how many units of building material (timber, brick, stone or cement/steel) he requires to construct buildings, factories, powerplants and ports.

BUILDINGS Brick or Stone or Timber Plus Labour Government 2 2 1 1,000 Hospital 2 2 1 1,000 Agricultural College 4 4 2 2,000 Technical College 4 4 2 2,000 University 4 4 2 2,000 FACTORIES Either Cement + Steel or Brick Plus Labour Aircraft 5 + 5 - 50,000 Alumina 2 + 4 - 10,000 Chemical 2 + 3 - 10,000 Cement - + 1 5 5,000 Electrical Components 1 + 1 5 5,000 Engineering 3 + 3 10 10,000 Glass 1 + 1 3 5,000 Instruments 1 + 1 5 5,000 Motor Vehicle 2 + 2 10 1 5,000 Oil Refinery 2 + 3 10,000 Pharmaceuticals 1 + 1 5 5,000 Railway Workshops 1 + 1 5 5,000 Shipbuilding Yard 1 + 3 10,000 Steel.Works 1 + 3 5 5,000 POWER PLANTS Electrical Cement + Steel + Components + Labour Electricity 10 + 5 + 10 5,000 Generating Station Hydro-electric 10 + 2 + 10 10,000 Power Station Nuclear Power 10 + 5 + 10 25,000 Before you construct a nuclear power plant, you must have both a university and a technical college.

HARBOURS AND AIRPORTS To construct a harbour, you require: Either i) Cement (5 units) + Steel (1 unit) OR ii) Stone (10 units) OR iii) Timber (10 units) PLUS 10,000 industrial workers.

To construct an airport, you require: Cement (5 units) + steel (1 unit) + 25,000 industrial workers If you have construction equipment and can surrender five units of petroleum to the controller when you build a factory or power plant, you only require one-fifth of the labour force designated.

TABLE 5 - MANUFACTURING This table tells you what facilities, materials, energy and labour resources you must have before you can produce the intermediate and finished products which are used in the game.

MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS Quantity of Energy Units Facility Material (Units) (Units) Labour Steel 10 Steel Works Iron Ore 10 Coal 5 1 ,000 Cement 10 Cement Plant Limestone 20 Coal or 10 2,000 Petroleum Electricity 10 Glass 2 Glass Works Potash 1 Coal or 2 1,000 Petroleum Electricity 2 Electricity 10 Electricity - Coal or 5 1,000 Gen. Stn.Petroleum 5 Hydro-electric - 1,000 power 10 Nuclear Power - Uranium 1 2,000 (Hydro-electric power stations can only produce 5 units of power each run.) Aluminium 10 Alumina Refinery Bauxite 30 Electricity 20 5,000 Refined Petroleum 10 Oil Refinery Oil 10 Electricity 2 5,000 Instrument (Sets) 10 Instrument Steel 1 Electricity 1 1 ,000 Factory Nickel or 1 Aluminium Copper 1 Batteries 10 Chemical Works Lead 1 Electricity 1 2,000 Wheels (Sets) 10 Engineering Works Steel 1 Electricity 1 2,000 Nickel or 1 Aluminium Rubber 1 Engines 10 Engineering Works Steel 1 Electricity 10 10,000 Technical College Nickel or 5 Aluminium Copper 5 Drugs/Vaccines 1 Pharmaceutical Electricity 1 ,000 Factory Fertilizer 10 Chemical Works Limestone/Oil Electricity 20 2,000 or Potash Insecticides 1 Chemical Works Electricity 1 2,000 MOVEABLE PLANT Quantity of Energy Units Facility Material (Units) (Units) Labour Boat 1 No factory Timber 1 1,000 required Steamship 1 Shipbuilding Yard Steel 5 Coal/ 5 5,000 Petroleum Glass 1 Electricity 5 Steam Train 1 Railway Steel 5 Coal 5 2,000 Workshops Electric Train 1 Railway Steel 10 Coal/ 10 2,000 Workshops Petroleum Bulldozer or 1 Motor Vehicle Engines 1 Electricity 10 10,000 Factory Wheels 10 Tractor 1 Elec. Comp. 1 Mining Equip. 1 Instruments 1 Glass 1 Batteries 2 Aeroplane 1 Aircraft Factory Engines 4 Electricity 10 25,000 University Technical College Aluminium 10 Glass 2 Instruments 10 Wheels 6 Elec. Comp. 5 Aeroplane Airport Petroleum 25 10,000 in Flight Wherever energy is required for manufacturing, counters equivalent to the units consumed must be surrendered to the controller.

The present invention will now be illustrated by the following examples.

EXAMPLES The following examples of play are designed to assist in understanding how the opening rounds of the game may be played. Three countries have been chosen and the examples have been given by country so as to make them more easily understood.

In the following examples, each player is deemed to start the game with 22,000 workers and no facilities, thus giving him 20,000 workers agricultural and 2,000 industrial workers.

OCEANA Round 1 Play: Picks up a population card entitling him to increase his population by 1,000. Adjusts counter on population ratio table to 23,000. Reads from "No Facility" column and learns that he has 2,000 Industrial Workers.

Development Decision: Decides to build a government building out of stone, and to transport the material by road ex-mine site to city.

Action: Requests controller for counter (30 units) to place on resource card, and places two units of stone on the quarry site on the board, to show that he has used his 2,000 industrial workers to extract two units of stone from the mine (Table 1).

Round 2 Play: Picks up disaster card (Civil War) and loses half his population. Adjusts counter on population ratio table to 12,000. Reads from "No Facility" column and learns that he now has 1 ,000 Industrial Workers.

Development andAction: Implements decision to build a road by using his remaining 1,000 Industrial Workers to lay the first section (Table 2).

Round 3 Play: Picks up population card which does not entitle him to any increase in population. His population, therefore, remains at 12,000 of which only 1 000 are industrial workers.

Action: Lays second section of road (Table 2).

Round 4 Play: Picks up population card entitling him to increase in population by total of 1,000. Moves counter to 13,000.

Action: Uses his 1,ooh Industrial Workers to lay third section of Road (Table 2).

Round 5 Play: Picks up population card entitling him to increase population by total of 3,000 (Baby boom).

Moves counter to 1 6,000.

Action: Uses his 1,ooh Industrial Workers to lay fourth section of road, which is now complete between mine site and city (Table 2).

Round 6 Play: Picks up population card entitling him to increase population by total of 1,000. Moves counter to 17,000.

Action: Uses his 1,ooh Industrial Workers to transport by road One unit of stone (Table 3) places counter on "CITY" card.

Round 7 Play: Picks up disaster card (coal mine) which does not affect him as he is not operating a coal mine. Counter stays at 17,000.

Action: Uses his 1,000 workers to transport a second unit of stone to the city (Table 3).

Round 8 Play: His population card does not entitle him to increase his population. Counter stays at 17,000.

Action: Uses his 1 ,000 workers to build a Government (Table 4). Hands counter to Controller who gives him a red building token to put on his "City" card.

Round 9 Play: His population card entitles him to increase total population by 1,000. He moves counter to 18,000. As he now has a Government his ratio of Industrial to Agricultural Workers changes to 3,000:15,000.

Development Decision: To build a hospital (Stone).

Action: So he uses: 1 ,000 workers to quarry one unit of stone (Table 1) 1 ,000 workers to transport stone to the city by road 1 ,000 workers to build the hospital (Table 4).

Round 10 Play: His population card entitles him to an increase of 2,000 in total population. He moves counter to 20,000. His ratio of industrial to agricultural workers is now 4,000:16,000.

Decision: To build an agricultural College (stone).

Action: Uses his 4,000 workers to quarry a further four units on board over mine site (Table 1).

RABIA Round 1 Play: The population card he picks up does not entitle him to an increase in population. So his counter remains at 28,000 and his industrial workers number 2,000.

Development Decision: Decides to build a Government out of brick. Requests Controller for counters (forty units) to place on mine card.

Action: Uses his 2,000 industrial workers to extract two units of brick (Table 1) places two counters on mine site.

Round 2 Play: Picks up population card entitling him to increase population by 2,000. Adjusts counter on population ratio table to 24,000. He still has 2,000 industrial workers.

Decision: To move brick by road from quarry to city. He uses his 2,000 industrial workers to place two sections of road on board (Table 2).

Round 3 Play: Picks up population card entitling him to increase population by 1,000. Adjusts counter on population ratio table to 25,000. He still has 2,000 industrial workers.

Action: Uses his 2,000 industrial workers to construct two more sections of road (Table 2).

Round 4 Play: His population card does not entitle him to an increase in population. So his population remains at 25,000 of which 2,000 are industrial workers.

Action: Uses his 2,000 industrial workers to construct two more sections of road (Table 2).

Round 5 Play: His population card entitles him to an increase of 1 ,000 overall so he moves his counter to 26,000. His component of industrial workers remains at 2,000.

Action: Uses his 2,000 industrial workers to add a further two sections of road (Table 2).

Round 6 Play: He picks up a disaster card (tuberculosis) and loses 1,000 people. So he moves counter to 25,000; industrial worker number 2,000 still.

Action: Uses 1,000 industrial workers to complete road to brick site (Table 2). The other 1,000 workers are used to move one unit of brick (Table 3) to city. This counter he places on city card under commodity heading against brick.

Round 7 Play: His population card does not entitle him to increase his population which remains at 25,000 of which 2,000 are industrial workers.

Action: Moves remaining unit of brick to city with 1,000 workers and places it on "City" card. As he has only 1 ,000 workers left this round, he cannot build his Government this turn, so he uses his remaining 1 ,000 workers to make more bricks. He places one unit of brick on mine site (Table 1).

Round 8 Play: His population card entitles him to an increase of 1 ,000 in total population so he moves his counter to 26,000.

Action: He returns the two units of stone (counters) to the pool and is given a red token which he places on the "City" sheet to signify that he has built his Government (Table 4).

Round 9 Play: He picks up another disaster card (poliomyelitis) and loses 1,000 people. He adjusts the counter on his population ratio table to 25,000. This time, to ascertain how many industrial workers he is entitled to he reads the column headed "Government" because he now has this facility. He now has 5,000 industrial workers.

Action: He decides to build an agricultural college, for which he requires four units of brick. He has already made one unit, so he uses 3,000 workers to make the required three units (Table 1). He uses the other 2,000 workers to move two of the requires four units to the "City" (Table 3).

Round 10 Play: His population card entitles him to an increase of 1 ,000 in total population. While his total population increases to 26,000 his industrial population remains at 5,000.

Action: He uses 2,000 workers to move the remaining units of stone to the city (Table 3). He uses 2,000 more workers to build his agricultural college (Table 4). With the remaining 1 ,000 workers he extracts another unit of stone (Table 1).

NADIA Round 1 Play: His population card does not entitle him to any increase in population so he leaves his counter on 22,000. Since he still has 2,000 industrial workers (see "No Facility" column) he can still undertake industrial development.

Development Decision: To build a Government and a hospital using timber, which he will float downstream to the city.

Action: Requests Controller for counters (50 units) which he places on mine card against "Timber" He then uses his 2,000 industrial workers to fell two units of timber (Table 1) places counters on board over timber site.

Round 2 Play: His population card entitles him to an increase of 1,000 in total population. He moves his counter to 23,000, but he still has 2,000 industrial workers.

Action: These he uses to transport his two units of timber to the city (Table 3).

Round 3 Play: His population card does not entitle him to increase his population. He still has 2,000 industrial workers.

Action: He uses 1 ,000 workers to build a "Government" and 1 ,000 workers to build a hospital (Table 4). The Controller hands him two green tokens to place on the "City" card in exchange for the two units of timber.

Round 4 Play: He picks up a disaster card (cholera), but since he now has a Government he remains unaffected by it (i.e. his population remains at 23,000). Further, now that he has a Government, has ratio changes to 4,000 industrial and 1 9,000 agricultural workers.

Development Decision: To build an agricultural college.

Action: Uses 2,000 workers to fell two units of timber and 2,000 workers to transport timber to city (Tables 1 and 3). Places two counters on "City" card.

Round 5 Play: His population entities him, on account of his having both a Government and a hospital to an increase in population of 2,000. He moves the counter on the population ratio table to 25,000. His ratio of industrial to agricultural workers (see column headed "Government") now becomes 5,000:20,000.

Action: Uses 2,000 industrial workers to construct an agricultural college (Table 4). Returns counters to pool and receives green token) which he then places on the appropriate facility on the "City" card.

Development Decision: He would like to build a steelworks next, but as he has no brick, and other players are not able to trade with him yet, he decides, as a precautionary measure, to quarry stone. This he can use both to replace his existing buildings (if he wishes to), to construct other buildings/ports, and to trade with other players.

Action: Uses 2,000 industrial workers to "quarry" stone (Table 1). Places two counters on board over mine site.

Round 6 Play: His population card entitles him to an increase of 3,000 overall, since he now possesses a Government, a hospital and an agricultural college. Moves counter on population ratio table to 28,000.

Since he now has an agricultural college, his ratio of industrial to agricultural workers becomes 7,000:21,000.

Development Decision: He has already decided to quarry stone and has two units on the board (i.e.

extracted) already. He may either continue to quarry or he may build a transport system. He decides to build a canal to his stone quarry.

Action: Uses 5,000 workers to lay five sections of canal from stone quarry to river (Table 2) uses 2,000 workers to quarry two more units of stone (Table 1).

Round 7 Play: His population card entitles him to an increase in population of 2,000 by virtue of the fact that he possesses both a Government and a hospital. He moves his counter to 30,000. He now has a work force of 7,000 industrial and 23,000 agricultural workers.

Development Decision: To move his stone by canal to the city he requires a boat. To build the boat he requires timber.

Action: So he uses 2,000 workers to fell timber (Table 1), 2,000 workers to float timber downstream (Table 3), and 2,000 workers to build two boats (Table 5). He surrenders two units of timber to the Controller who hands him two boats. He uses his other 1 ,000 workers to quarry one more unit of stone (Table 1).

Round 8 Play: Disaster strikes; Nadia picks up the bubonic plague, and, although he has a Government and a hospital, his buildings are made of timber, so he loses one-third of his total population. So he moves the counter on the population ratio table back to 20,000. Since he still has his facilities, his ratio of industrial to agricultural workers becomes 5,000:15,000.

Action: He uses 2,000 workers plus his two boats to move four units of stone to the city (Table 3).

(He may only use his boat once each turn.) He places the four counters on the "City" card above stone.

Round 9 Play: DISASTER STRIKES AGAIN ! This time he picks up the "fire" card, thereby losing all his wooden buildings. He returns his three green tokens to the pool. Although total population remains unchanged at 20,000, his ratio of industrial to agricultural workers now becomes 1,000:14,000. (See no facility column.) Development Decision: He must replace his facilities as soon as possible to improve his ratios. He has stone available in his city and can construct immediately.

Action: Uses his 1 ,000 industrial workers to build a Government (Table 4). Controller hands him a red token, in exchange for two units of stone.

Round 10 Play: His population card does not entitle him to an increase in population. However, having rebuilt his Government, his ratio of industrial to agricultural workers becomes 4,000:16,000.

Development Decision: To rebuild hospital and agricultural college in stone.

Action: He uses 1,000 industrial workers to build hospital (Table 4). Exchanges two units of stone for a red token. He uses 2,000 industrial workers to quarry two more units of stone (Table 1) and 1,000 workers to transport this material to the city (Table 3).

Modifications and variations such as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed within the scope of the present invention. For example, the number of workers allocated to each player at the commencement of the game can be varied. Thus, if a shorter game were required each player would have more workers initially.

Claims (13)

1. An apparatus for playing a game in which the economy of a territory is developed from a primitive state to a developed state by exploitation of natural resources, characterised in that the apparatus comprises a chart or board divided into a plurality of territories, each territory being endowed with certain natural resources, means for indicating in non-financial terms the capability of the economy of a territory to undertake development tasks, and means for fortuitously augmenting or diminishing the capabiltiy of the economy of a territory to undertake development tasks.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the means for indicating in nonfinancial terms the capability of the economy of a territory to undertake development tasks is arranged to indicate a number of workers who are capable of performing development tasks.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the means for indicating in nonfinancial terms the capability of the economy of a territory to undertake development tasks is arranged to indicate the total population of each territory and to provide for a ratio between agricultural workers and industrial workers said ratio being dependent on facilities possessed by the territory, wherein development tasks can only be performed by industrial workers.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, characterised in that for each territory means is provided for representing the degree of development that has taken place at any stage of the game.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that natural resources are located on the board or chart remote from a location at which development can take place.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that each territory is provided with indications for the construction of communication links and the apparatus comprises communication segments to be placed on the board to indicate construction of a communication link.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the means for fortuitously augmenting or diminishing the capability of the economy of a territory to undertake development tasks is in the form of a plurality of cards giving progressive or retrogressive indications.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises counters representing quantities of commodities.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises tokens representative of the development of resources.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the board or chart comprises an area of sea and one or more territories border on the sea.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which means is provided for each territory to indicate the quantity of natural resources possessed by the country and to indicate the degree of exploitation of such natural resources.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the board or chart has rivers marked thereon and is divided into topographical areas.

13. An apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.